The DNA of this 2024 Nats team

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats
Photo by Alec Geis for TalkNats

When we analyzed the 2024 season over the winter, the slivers of optimism were from taking the team’s post-All-Star break record of 35-37 in 2023 — and what was right and what was wrong. How could you add four wins to that to be a playoff team? Basically, it was some addition by subtraction and adding real value.

What was right in 2023 was Lane Thomas, CJ Abrams, and Jacob Young and their run-and-gun offense in the second half that was the same strategy the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks took to the World Series. Build a better defense, upgrade with a stud starting pitcher, a third baseman, and get a first baseman of impact — and then wait for your top prospects, James Wood and Dylan Crews to impact the roster.

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Game #71 Parker for the lefty sweep on Father’s Day

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals got a dominant performance from MacKenzie Gore on Friday, and then one that topped that yesterday from DJ Herz. Now another lefty, Mitchell Parker, will face a similar Marlins offense in this Father’s Day early afternoon game at Nationals Park.

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DJ Herz takes a spot in the record books; Just Breathe…

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
DJ Herz‘s first time on a Nationals Park mound; Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

Yesterday, DJ Herz pitched the gem of the season for the Washington Nationals on a day that the offense was a little sluggish. The Nats needed Herz’s zeroes with a scant 1-0 lead then a 2-0 lead when he exited after 6.0 innings of shutout baseball. Herz was so good that he nearly had a no-hitter — and one grounder found a seam through the infield and made its way onto the green outfield grass for the only hit on Herz’s record. Of the 19 batters he faced, 13 went down via the strikeout. Only six baseballs were put in-play.

At times, the rookie left-hander looked at the embroidered message on his glove in cursive that reads “Breathe.” I asked him if I was reading it correctly, because at first, all I had was a fuzzier photo and asked him if that said “Breathe”, and he responded, “Yes it does.”

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Game #70 Herz has more to prove

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals got a dominant performance last night from MacKenzie Gore. This afternoon, DJ Herz just needs to follow how Gore handled the Marlins hitters. Easier said than done for the young rookie who has much to prove with Josiah Gray nearing his return in about 10 days from the IL. Some believe the weakest link should leave the rotation or possibly move to the bullpen.

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A win, a sin, some fightin’, Marlins swing & missin’

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Friday’s game did not start-off the way you pencil it up. There was not the normal pleasantries that you would expect in a workplace. If a baseball dugout was a typical workplace, H.R. would get an urgent call, and MacKenzie Gore would probably be fired for fighting. Dugouts allow spitting on the workplace floor, and cursing is a norm — and they draw the line there to not allow fighting or gambling — two no-no’s. Actually nothing is normal in that concrete alcove. Every work day is unpredictable.

Third baseman Nick Senzel did not know the speed of the opposing catcher and lollipopped a throw to first base with two outs — and Nick Fortes beat the throw to score a run — the only run that the Miami Marlins would score in that game. The Washington Nationals would win 8-1, but Gore did not know it would turn into a laugher. After that throw by Senzel, there was a little physicality in the Nats’ dugout between Gore and Senzel. That got the juices flowing, and the Nats woke up, and never looked back after scoring 7-runs the next inning.

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Game #69 Nats are at home with work to do

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Alec Geis for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals are back home and have the Marlins for the weekend. Tonight is Mike Rizzo bobblehead night, and the first 20,000 fans will snag one of those. Tonight’s starter, MacKenzie Gore, is pitching on extra rest due to a fingernail problem. Gore pitched to a Nats win over Atlanta on June 8.

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A semi-happy flight; 5-game winning streak ends.

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

What could have been, is usually how a team replays it in their minds, after a loss. The Washington Nationals were riding a 5-game winning streak coming into this game. They got everything they needed from starter Patrick Corbin who gave up only one-run in 5⅓ innings. The offense, defense, bullpen, and extreme BABIP bad luck were an issue. The bullpen didn’t miss enough bats when they needed strikeouts in this 7-2 loss. Also, 2-runs was not going to cut it for an offense that saw their bats go cold for the most part.

The team’s last 6-game winning streak was on September 27 of 2019. The pitcher who started that streak: Corbin. How do you like that for some historical coincidence. Unfortunately, the Nats bullpen feels like a bicameral split between good and bad. Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey on the good side then everyone else. Finnegan and Harvey have a combined 2.42 ERA and most of that in high leverage spots, and the rest of the bullpen has a 4.67 ERA and that doesn’t include the 35 inherited runners who have scored mostly on the starter’s ERAs.

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Game #68 History on the line

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals just notched a 5-game winning streak last night for the first time since June 24 of 2021. They managed that by skipping Patrick Corbin‘s scheduled start on Tuesday as the team took advantage of Monday’s day-off. Now, Corbin is going to the mound today with three extra rest days and history on the line. The team’s last 6-game winning streak was on September 27 of 2019. The pitcher who started that streak: Corbin. That was then, and this is now. Will this be a history lesson or will history be made?

Can this 2024 version of Corbin pitch a winner for the Nats today? He might have to pitch deep into this game after the hi-lev bullpen arms have all been used in this series already.

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Game #67 Nats trying to keep the momentum going forward!

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals just completed a 17 consecutive game marathon on Sunday. They brought forward some momentum to Detroit and won last night to push the Nats winning streak to 4-games which tied their best mark of the season. With Jake Irvin on the mound tonight, the team hope to continue his success from his previous start. Last week Irvin pitched a 6.0 inning scoreless gem against the Braves. Now Irvin has to hope to replicate that success against the Tigers.

There was a roster move today after Joey Gallo injured his left hamstring last night and was placed on the 10-day IL. The immediate solution was a call-up of Trey Lipscomb for his third stint this season so far with the big league team.

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The Nats need a 1st baseman today; Think outside the box!

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Last night, manager Dave Martinez confirmed that his first baseman, Joey Gallo, pulled his hamstring, and the team would need to get a player to Detroit. Just as Gallo finally started hitting the past 16-games at a .262 pace and a .762 OPS with Gold Glove level defense. Even his K-rate dropped to 35.4 percent from the stratosphere. His IL stint that ended in early May for a sore shoulder turned out to be the fix to turn around Gallo’s season. He had become a positive contributor.

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