You know the story. The rich, good looking, good at everything camp across the way who beat every one badly fights with the scrappy underdogs. The Dodgers are the former. The Nats are one of those teams they beat to set up the story. I don't know who the scrappy underdogs are. Maybe the Padres.
The Nats try yet again to win two games in a row on consecutive nights - something they haven't done in over a month* but to do it they have to beat the best team in baseball. Yes, I am a Yankees fan and they do have the best record but let's be fair. The Dodgers have the third best RA per game at 3.23 only beaten by the Astros (3.17) and Yankees (3.12). Fourth is the Mets at 3.53, so the Dodgers are easily closer to 1st than 4th. They have the BEST RS per game at 5.42. This is almost a HALF-RUN better than the 2nd team, the Giants at 4.95.
Not everything is perfect. They lost Kershaw to injury (he's on the 15 day DL now but expect that to be extended very soon) and there isn't a clear replacement. Justin Turner is hitting poorly and at 37 might be on his way out and his proto-replacement Max Muncy isn't picking him up. No one is lights out in the pen following the unofficial Freddie Freeman for Kenley Jansen trade.
But that is about it. Freeman and Betts are stars, Turner is doing well. Smith and Barnes give LA the best catching situation in baseball. Bellinger bring power while Lux & Taylor bring versatility. The staff has four good arms with Buehler being the best, and Urias having the ability to match him. If lacking the unhittable shutdown man, the pen is 6-7 deep in good arms.
Look the Nats will be lucky not to get swept.
On the Nats side Kiebert Ruiz is HOT. He's not hitting for any more power but he is hitting .412 over than time frame. (as you can see though - the Dodgers had no place for him. Hence why he was expendable. Smith is in place until after 2025) Lane Thomas is having a nice run and Cesar Hernandez looks tradeable! Trade him! Now! Someone's gotta need a 2B!
Bell is ice cold making it good we were still on "watching stats" rather than "buying in" so are Soto (always surprising) and Robles (not). As well as the less and less playing Alcides Escobar. Get that guy out of here. The pitching is mostly what you'd expect. Roll the dice and you'll get a very good, good, meh and 2 bad outings from a group like the Nats and you did. Roll the dice again and you'll get half decent, half terrible outings from the pen and you did. It's a replacement level staff.
Again - lucky not to get swept.
*they have won two games in a row to start the month, beating SF in San Fran, then COL in Denver after a travel day off
How much worse can it get?
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