All posts in baseball

When things have gone well for the Washington Nationals this season, their starting pitchers have limited mistakes and lasted deep into games. There hasn’t been much in the way of firepower in the Nats bats, but they goal is to make up for it with timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. Realistically, this team is still a year or two away from being deep enough to win consistently, but the scrappiness and resilience of the current squad is admirable.

To that end, starter Jake Irvin had a respectable showing, striking out six Minnesota batters while allowing five hits and two earned runs over six and a third innings, but got zero support from Washington’s batters. The two runs allowed by Irvin came courtesy of solo homers by right fielder Max Kepler and shortstop Carlos Correa, but the Nats went zero for eight with runners in scoring position.

Designated hitter Joey Meneses homered off of Twins closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late for the Nationals who fell 3-2, and have now lost seven of their last eight games. If the Nationals are to remain semi-competitive this season, they’re going to need the current crop of batters to step things up or perhaps infuse the roster with additional talent. If only they had a highly-touted power hitting outfielder in the system …

The Baltimore Orioles are loaded with young, affordable talent. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman are already considered two of the best and brightest at their respective positions. Ace Corbin Burnes is one of, if not the best, pitcher in the American League. Simply put, this is a loaded franchise with an incredible foundation and championship aspirations.

And then there’s the Washington Nationals, who have been an afterthought in their own town since before the pandemic. With little investment from ownership, the on-field product has been largely unwatchable. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Juan Soto, Trea Turner are long gone, and now locals are stuck waiting for the likes of MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams to (hopefully) usher in the next generation of franchise cornerstones.

It’s admittedly a low bar, but the Nationals over .500 for the first time since 2021. Simply having more wins than losses, courtesy of an 18-17 record, is a noteworthy milestone for a rebuilding franchise that hasn’t been remotely competitive since gutting their 2019 World Series winning roster.

Starter Trevor Williams was brilliant against the Orioles — allowing just two hits and striking out eight over five scoreless innings — and is now 4-0 with an impressive 1.96 earned run average this season. Washington still struggles to score runs consistently, but when they get such high-quality outings from starters like Williams, the Nationals are able to overcome the problem.

The Lerner family simply cannot sell the Washington Nationals soon enough. 

In what will likely/hopefully be their final act, the Lerners gutted the franchise by trading away right fielder Juan Soto. This move was telegraphed as soon as ownership offered the superstar a 15-year, $440-million extension … they absolutely knew he wouldn’t accept. 

On the surface, it indeed represented the largest contract in baseball history (which is what the Lerners hopes casual sports fans focus on). This public relations move/contract offer represented the 20th highest average annual value ($29.3 million) in the sport. Think about that for a moment. Soto, at 23, is widely considered a top three player in the game. So why would he sign away the next decade and a half for less money per season than 18 or so players who aren’t at his level?

He wouldn’t and he didn’t, which is how another supposed franchise building block got away. Soto joins Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer as players of consequence who were shown the door in Washington and now, a team that won the World Series in 2019 finds itself with the worst record in the majors. And likely for years to come.

Fate brought Soto and his new ballclub, the San Diego Padres, just 10 days after he was dealt away and the Nats have officially reached a point where the most enticing reason to go to the ballpark these days is to see opposing players. Padres starter Blake Snell barely broke a sweat, giving up just three hits while striking out 10 over six shutout innings in the series finale. Paolo Espino took the loss for Washington, after allowing seven hits and four runs in five-and-two-thirds innings. 

During the series, Soto went 4-for-12 with four walks, two runs and two RBIs as San Diego took two of three games. Josh Bell, who was included in the Soto deal, went 0 for 13 with three walks in the series. But, unlike the Nationals, better days are ahead for Bell and friends who still have plenty to play for this season.

Three years ago, the Washington Capitals celebrated winning the Stanley Cup in grand style, complete with parades, fountains and countless other locations and actions not suitable for print.

Two years ago, the Washington Nationals celebrated winning the World Series in a slightly more subdued style, much to the chagrin of local party planners and bottle shops.
Since those franchise altering victories though, both franchises have struggled to find similar success. The Caps have qualified for the postseason each of the last three seasons, only to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Nats finished fourth in their division last year and have once again toiled in mediocrity again this season.

But while the local professional hockey team decided to double down on its aging core of veterans in hopes of winning one more championship before Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom head off into the sunset, the Nationals opted to handle things differently.

Just two years after winning the franchise’s first-ever World Series, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made the difficult decision to blow it all up — trading away core players and franchise pillars in a series of moves that — for better or for worse — will have long-lasting ramifications.

Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Daniel Hudson, Kyle Schwarber, Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison, Brad Hand and Jon Lester were all shown the door. 

In their place, a dozen prospects, to include 23-year-old right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray, 23-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz and 25-year-old outfielder Lane Thomas, were acquired in hopes of expediting the rebuilding of D.C. baseball team.

The current season was lost long before Rizzo pulled the trigger on these deals. At least now, the remaining games on the schedule carry more meaning as management evaluates which of these young players might eventually guide the Nationals back to glory.

Historically speaking, All Star weekend serves as a fitting moment for baseball clubs to pause, assess the situation and choose the best course of action for the remainder of the season. While Juan Soto turned heads during a strong showing in the home run derby and Max Scherzer once again took the mound as the National League’s starting pitcher, this season has not been particularly kind to the Washington Nationals.

Injuries and inconsistencies up and down the roster have resulted in a disjointed and disappointing campaign thus far, putting general manager Mike Rizzo in the unenviable position of having to prepare for multiple scenarios during the second half of the season as his ball club sits in fourth place with a 42-47 record. 

If the Nationals were to wake up and realize that they’ve wasted the first 89 games of the season, then Rizzo could strategically add a player or two before the MLB trade deadline in hopes of a late-season division title run. Or, in the event that the final sprint to the finish line is more of the same, the conversation could turn much darker with the Nats becoming sellers as they give up today in hopes of a better tomorrow.

Exactly one game into the second half of the season, a 24-8 thumping at the hands of the San Diego Padres, the Nationals made let Rizzo off the hook. There are no more difficult decisions to make. Soto aside, this team doesn’t have the offense, defense or pitching to compete in a watered down NL East.

After allowing San Diego (which doesn’t even have a football team anymore) to score three touchdowns and a field goal, Washington has officially concluded the competitive portion of the 2021 season. Sure, an optimist might say, “It’s only one game.” But that optimist would be wrong. It’s been 90 games. And none of them have shown anything other than the fact that these Nationals, as currently constructed, simply aren’t good enough.

So enjoy these players while you can. Chances are, a few of them won’t be around much longer.

As the U.S. Army celebrated its 246th birthday, the Washington Nationals found themselves in a battle with the rest of the NFC East. Injuries and inconsistencies have marred the team’s 2021 campaign, leaving them seven games behind the division-leading New York Mets.

Late-inning heroics by newly-promoted leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber, who launched his team-leading 13th home run into the right field stands in the bottom of the seventh, paved the way to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the series opener.

While starter Jon Lester has yet to earn his first win as a member of the Nationals, the 37-year-old soldiered through a respectable outing — allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings pitched — as Washington won for the third time in four games.

Reliever Kyle Finnegan picked up the win and closer Brad Hand earned his 12th save of the season, thanks in large part to Schwarber’s fourth homer in three games.

First baseman/face of the franchise Ryan Zimmerman has long been one of the most beloved players in Washington Nationals’ history. His three-run homer in the fourth inning helped Washington battle back from an early five-run deficit to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 12-9. 

As if that wasn’t enough, after scoring the 948th run of his storied career two innings later, Zimmerman surpassed Hall of Famer Tim Raines for the franchise lead. All of which was a welcome distraction from the fact that starting pitcher Jon Lester was rocked early and often – giving up a grand slam in the first inning before most fans had even taken their seats. 

The Nats offense, which has been inconsistent at times this season, responded with 15 hits and 12 runs, thanks largely to Zimmerman and Josh Harrison’s first grand slam. Daniel Hudson picked up the win and Brad Hand earned the save as Washington improved to 19-23 on the year.