The Curious Case of Mark Reynolds

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Joshua Gold

Photo from Nationals Instagram

The Curious Case of Mark Reynolds

Like a scene out of “The Natural” it was fittingly described to what we watched dramatically unfold last night. Mark Reynolds channeled his inner Roy Hobbs and hit two mighty majestic blasts after waiting a long time for his chance to play baseball again as he was staring at early retirement a little more than a month ago.  Mark Reynolds spent all of the off-season and then some not knowing the next MLB franchise he would be calling home after a stellar 2017 season in Denver where he hit 30 home runs and drove in 97 runs for the Colorado Rockies. With few options, Reynolds joined other unemployed free agents at the Player’s Union camp in Bradenton, Florida through March 9th which was when the camp was closed and then players were on their own to stay in shape and hope to catch on with a Major League team. Like the fictional Hobbs, the real-life Mark Reynolds has known frustration as he didn’t get his MLB debut until the ripe age of twenty-six. Continue reading →

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Trea Turner breaks-out and tops of all shortstops and #Nats players

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Trea Turner is no longer batting 6th; Photo by @PippiNatsTalking for TalkNats

While the media has not mentioned this, we will make note that Trea Turner according to Fangraph’s WAR is the top shortstop in the National League as well as the top positional player for the Washington Nationals as the “Nationals Trea-sure” is distancing himself from other players. Continue reading →

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12 Things to Discuss about the #Nats

Posted on May 14, 2018 by 2019Nats

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Jeremy Hellickson does his thing and Mark Reynolds does his!

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo from Nationals Instagram

Some of these games lately seem fictional like watching “The Natural”. When Mark Reynolds was called up, we knew about his prodigious power — but who expected him to jack two home runs in his first game and win the game for the Nationals? Reynolds did his best Roy Hobbs imitation without the exploding light tower or lightening in the background. Has there ever been a more impressive debut game in Nationals history? Stephen Strasburg still owns that honor but Reynolds takes it for position players. For just yesterday, FanGraphs scored Reynolds’ debut as worth a +0.3 WAR.

This game was seemingly in-hand and Brandon Kintzler just didn’t have his best stuff tonight and blew it in the 7th inning and gave up the 3-run lead. Then in the top of the next inning Reynolds hit the game-winning 2-run bomb to centerfield against the pitcher, Archie Bradley, that the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball crew was describing as the Diamondbacks MVP so far this season. Yes, odd they would say that given that Bradley’s teammate, A.J. Pollock, has looked like the NL MVP. Continue reading →

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Game #42 Playing with house money on Mother’s Day

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

When the Washington Nationals opened this 4-game series with the Arizona Diamnondbacks, there was a precedent set in that the Diamondbacks had not lost a series all season. Winning two games of the four games in this series would not get the job done. The Nationals would have to win at least three games to spoil the D’Backs streak, and it was mission accomplished last night for these Nats as they took the first 3 games in this series and now go for the rare 4-game sweep that the Nats had already done to the Pirates in this young season when the Pirates were in first place.  Continue reading →

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From Ryan Madson two weeks ago to today goes the full 180° with this Nats 2-1 win!

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

“The Firm” by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

It was exactly two weeks ago from today against the Arizona Diamondbacks that Ryan Madson came into the 3-to-2 game and had to face A.J. Pollock with Nick Ahmed on 3rd base and 2 outs. Pollock shortened up his swing and served the game tying run into left field and Madson wore the “blown save” in a game the Nationals eventually lost in extra innings. On that day, the Nats fell to a season’s worst 5-games below .500. Today, Madson got to redeem himself and earn the save and push the Nationals 5-games over .500. It is like a complete 180° turn. Redemption is a dish best served cold.  Continue reading →

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Game #41 with a Saturday in the park…And I’ve been waiting such a long time!

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by LEGNats for TalkNats

What a difference a week makes or in this case two weeks when the Arizona Diamondbacks rolled into Washington D.C. and pushed the Nationals further into the abyss and a season’s worst 5-games under .500. Some of you remember that 10-inning loss as you were jumping off the ledge when Austin Adams walked in the game-winning run after loading the bases with a walk which was mired in a managerial snafu by Dave Martinez who had the premature call to the bullpen before a pinch-hitter was officially placed into the game. The Nationals hit rock bottom on that Saturday in the park and since then salvaged the last game of that series against these Diamondbacks with a nice 3-to-1 win that started what is  now a dominant Nationals 11-and-2 record in this stretch. Continue reading →

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Max Scherzer does it with the arm + bat and help from his friends!

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Early on, Max Scherzer had to escape the 1st and 2nd innings with runners on 3rd base and less than 2 outs — which he did with Houdini Acts. Within all that, Max had 8 strikeouts in the first 3 innings with only one out in play which was an infield pop-up. Scherzer gave up a solo home run on a good pitch and that was his only blemish in his 7 innings lowering his ERA to 1.69 and finished the night on 99 pitches.

Max was completely dominant on this night that came exactly 10-years to the week that he made his debut as a starter on this very same field by the team that drafted in him in the first round. This time he was not pitching the top of the first inning — the 3-time Cy Young winner pitched the bottom of the innings as the visiting team does. Scherzer was never a star for the Diamondbacks. In fact, he had a losing record for the D’Backs at 9-and-15 in two seasons with few highlights. Continue reading →

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Game #40 is the 1/4 pole for the regular season!

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

As we approach the ¼ pole on the season, the thoroughbred known as “Curly W” is making it’s move from 3rd in the race. This thoroughbred has been through many ups and downs this year, and the remaining ¾ should be a wild ride. Like the real Washington Nationals, you pace yourself and learn what your horses are all about. We learn so much about people over time, and manager Dave Martinez seemed to learn something just from Wednesday to Thursday.

When you have great starting pitching like the Nationals do as the best in the National League and you are entrenched in a tight game, go old-school and play for that next run like the Nationals did on Thursday but did not do on Wednesday. The results were the polar opposite. A loss on Wednesday and a win on Thursday. There were still no guarantees on execution, and this time Wilmer Difo did his job to perfection on the sacrifice bunt which led to the first run that tied the game.  Continue reading →

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Forming and Storming

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Ray Wyvill

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

Baseball teams are often misconstrued as collections of pieces and parts.  Were one to be constructing a fantasy roster this is all well and fine.  But, the fact is that real rosters are assemblages of humans.  They, in concert with the coaches, manager, front office, and support staff comprise a team.  All of the cylinders in the engine have to work in concert to produce the desired outcome.  One would think this is automatic in a highly-compensated environment.  That would be an erroneous assumption. Continue reading →

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