The Washington Nationals are off to a terrible start at 1-6 on this young season. However, they have been in the majority of every game to start this schedule yet have lost two-thirds of their games in the bullpen. The Nats are hitting for power — but not much else. Three dingers yesterday put them in 5th in the MLB for most home runs, but then you look at a team that did not accept a walk in last night’s game where the team is second-from-last in walks, and sixth from the bottom in OBP.
One bright spot so far for the team would be Nathaniel Lowe who was the team’s top acquisition in the off-season. The continual lesson is quality is quality, and quantity is just measured by a body count. With $50 million to spend in the off-season, general manager Mike Rizzo did get some good quality players. But he also made some high-risk quantity signings. While that creates depth, you win with the quality of the play on the field. Better production equals more wins. A simple formula.
The value of a singular run is more important in close games. You must strategize to maximize offensive runs scored and minimize defensive runs scored. Analytics begins with the lineup every game and then the in-game moves.
Some of the blame must be shared by the manager, Dave Martinez, for decisions at key times like last night. He stuck with his lefty reliever, Jose A. Ferrer, when the Diamondbacks went to a righty pinch-hitter, Randal Grichuk, with two runners on-base and two outs. Martinez had righties to use — but stayed with Ferrer who served up a double to the wall for the game losing RBIs. Martinez makes a point that homeplate ump, Ryan Wills, missed what should have been strike-3, however, Ferrer made a poorly located pitch on the very next pitch after the botched call.
— said Martinez
“He just didn’t miss — it was a strike. Let’s call it what it is. Ump missed it. That’s okay. Comes back the next pitch and missed location. He tried to go in, he left it out over the plate.”
For today’s game, the Nationals enter at a poor 1-6 record and must start to put together some wins. The team Mitchell Parker to the mound — the only pitcher on the staff with a win.
The Diamondbacks have their own lefty starter on the mound, and Martinez will sit righty Jacob Young to once again move Dylan Crews to center field and Alex Call to right field. This did not exactly work out well a few days ago as the defense wasn’t crisp with a fly ball not caught and a play at the plate that Call could not make.
“We’re hitting some homers, but we’ve got to start getting on-base and start hitting some two- and three-run homers.”
— manager Dave Martinez said
The Nats starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 3.86 and 12th best in MLB. The reliever’s ERA sits at a poor 7.23 and must improve.
Here is how they rank by ERA in the first time through the rotation:
No. 5 Starter: Trevor Williams 5.40
No. 4 Starter: Michael Soroka 7.20
No. 3 Starter: Mitchell Parker 0.00
No. 2 Starter: Jake Irvin 5.40
No. 1 Starter: MacKenzie Gore 2.45
Washington Nationals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 4:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN2
Radio: 106.7 The Fan radio and via the MLB app; In Spanish on DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera 100.7 FM/1220 AM. On Sirius/XM, tune to Channel 181 for the home broadcast and the road team is online only.
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
