Nationals Baseball: Time for some goals

Friday, April 14, 2017

Time for some goals

If the Nats want to keep pace they need to beat the teams they should beat. They have 3 at home vs the Phillies and 3 at the Braves.  You have to go at least 2-1 vs the Phillies and at least take one versus the Braves.  3-3 is the absolute floor.  4-2 over the next week is probably a more fair expectation.  I want a Phillies sweep because the Braves series opens with the mystery 5th starter.  I don't want to need that win.

Assuming the Nats go 3-3 Mets shouldn't do better than 4-2, so that's 2.5 games out. That's the most reasonable worst case expectation. That's fine. The reasonable normal expectation would be Nats and Mets stay where they are both going 4-2. Reasonable best case, Nats go 4-2, Mets 3-3 and Nats pick up a game. Could go worse or better, of course.

Anyway here's your weekend posting area. Do what you will. See you Monday.

21 comments:

cass said...

I thought Joe Ross was just down for 10 days or something? Is there some reason he won't be in the rotation next time we need someone? Did I miss something?

I feel like I missed something major with the whole Joe Ross thing cause why on earth wasn't he just in the rotation from the start?

Was it ever even explained why Strasburg mysteriously had to be pushed back a day?

Sammy Kent said...

"My goal is to win." Dusty Baker.

Bjd1207 said...

@cass - You're not alone. I think part of my problem is that I always assume when I disagree with something that there's something we're missing. I don't think we are, I think they tried to get cute and botched it royally.

At this point though I don't think we'll have the 5th starter for the braves series. The day off monday means if Stras and Roark pitch today and tomorrow then they'll still be on the typical 5 days for their starts against Atlanta. (Scheduled starters being Scherzer, Stras, Roark).

But I STILL don't even like it because then we roll in the Mets series putting up our 4th & 5th starters, and the 5th hasn't even pitched an inning in the majors this year.

Jay said...

Mark Zuckerman is convinced Ross will pitch Wednesday 4-19 bc that is when Ross lines up on 5 days rest. If that is true Mets goes Roark, Gio, Scherzer. Not bad.

Jay said...

Plus the second Mets series goes Scherzer, Ross, Strasburg. I like pitching Max twice against the Mets. Hopefully, the Nats can get on a roll and start to string some wins together. It sort of feels like they are sleep walking through April so far. Rendon getting picked off first base without sliding the other day is a good example.

sirc said...

I believe that the Joe Ross decision was about the bullpen. They determined that Ross would be less effective working out of the bullpen than, say, Enny Romero or Sammy Solis or Koda Glover or Matt Albers, or whomever was and is the last guy in the bullpen pecking order.

Rather, they want Ross to remain with the top 25 once he's added.

I have no explanation for Jeremy Guthrie. I suppose that his addition was always intended to be a one-time thing unless he dominated.

The final bench piece is also more valuable than an extra bullpen arm if that bullpen arm, in this case Ross, isn't viewed as a good option out of the bullpen.

Anonymous said...

Jay - that feeling you have of them "sleep walking" through April is oddly reminiscent of 2013 and 2015. I see it too. More than anything, I'm relying on the Mets to be a .500 team for us to have a chance.

Fries said...

When do we make a Fister reunion? I'd be fine having him out there every 5th day

Mythra said...

Headed down to today's game. Will give the guys some good vibes, since this is my birthday git from Mrs Mythra. Just to ward off any jinxes, Zim is a bum and Bryce doesn't get any more capital letters.

BxJaycobb said...

I also don't understand why we don't have a long man in the pen. Think about what happens if the Nats get into an extra inning game like the Mets yesterday. We have no options to eat multiple innings. For example why isn't Cole in our pen as a long man? He's clearly a much better pitcher than Romero. I still don't understand why anybody believes Romero is good. It's not like when he throws strikes he's inhittable. Guy gets hammered. He's dreadful.

Froggy said...

I'm sorry folks Willem Deefoe is just not ready for this level every day.

BxJaycobb said...

Man. Impressed Bryce scored on that. Rare to see a guy score from first when the ball doesn't reach the left field wall/corner.

Chas R said...

That was a great game and a great start to the series. Nola was good, but the Nats were persistent. What can you say about Murph... man, so glad Rizzo got him!

Froggy said...

Blanton serves it up yet again...

Josh Higham said...

I was firmly Team Blanton when they signed him. I'm trying to remember about small sample sizes right now, because boy am I mad about those homers.

Robot said...

Man, this Blanton character sucks.

Robot said...

I guess what I don't get is why Dusty feels the need to rest all of the starters at once. Give one, even two, at a time. If your starting lineup is Lobaton, MAT, Difo, and Heissy, you're basically giving up a game before the first pitch.

JE34 said...

Is there a worse defensive catcher in the majors than Matt Wieters?

mike k said...

Something has to be done about the pen. Nats got lucky today, but most teams won't let Bryce do that in the bottom of the ninth.

Can't really blame Glover, though. He got a strikeout and a groundball, the groundball just wasn't hit to anyone. Can't even blame Difo for that, either. That was really just Werth's error making a seeing-eye-groundball more important than it should have been.

Besides that, though - someone (or two, or three) in the pen needs to step up or the Nats have to find someone. I'm not sure they have the resources to trade right now.

Chaos56 said...

"let Bryce do that"? The alternative was walk him and pitch to the guy with the 4th best avg in the league right now when all he needs is a single to end it. The same guy who beat them in the first game of the series. Nope, I pitch to Bryce and hope it doesn't leave the park. That's the beauty of the current Nat's offense, especially when Trea returns. There's no breather for a pitcher.

mike k said...

I meant most teams have better pens where there won't be two runners on and a HR ball given to Harper while up one in the bottom of the ninth. Not that Benoit isn't a good pitcher. But most closers are better. And aren't pushing 40.

I agree the lineup is nasty.