Photo by Paul Kim of Kevin Long
With the bats coming alive last night, Kevin Long has to feel better today. Long came over from the New York Mets and for 7 innings last night watched his ex-students dominate until the stats turned and BABIP turned positive for the Nationals.
They say luck is part of the game of baseball — but you also have to make your own luck. The Nationals finally saw their luck turn after they were victimized by bounces and seeing eye hits and wind blown home runs. Sometimes you cannot believe what you have seen in this game.
“Each and every one of those guys played with unbelievable heart [last night],” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.
Manager Dave Martinez actually smiled last night for real. It had to feel good like the weight of the world lifted off of his back, and his star player Bryce Harper was just happy that Martinez still believed in the team. Faith in each other gets tested during bouts of adversity.
“We have a manager in there who believes in us” —— Bryce Harper
Some form of the word “believe” was used by many Nationals players and the manager last night. Now you want to see the Nationals win a few games in the row before heading west.
Tonight is Gio Gonzalez going for the Nationals against the rightie Zack Wheeler.
Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets
Stadium: CitiField, Queens, New York
1st Pitch: 7:10 pm EDT
TV: MASN; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
- Trea Turner SS
- Howie Kendrick 2B
- Bryce Harper RF
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Moises Sierra LF
- Michael Taylor CF
- Wilmer Difo 3B
- Pedro Severino C
- Gio Gonzalez LHP
