tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post8229456348114476320..comments2024-03-27T19:05:25.362-07:00Comments on Nationals Baseball: Monday Quickie : The Nats ExpectedHarperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07738813756060133236noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-75072862019268380162015-05-05T06:56:16.265-07:002015-05-05T06:56:16.265-07:00@KennyB - Nah there's no problem, just a littl...@KennyB - Nah there's no problem, just a little sore. Just ask Matt Williams:<br /><br />"We're gonna have to slow his progress down a little bit. It's just not getting loose for him. It's just crept up on him. So we're being cautious with it to make sure that doesn't turn into something we don't want it to turn into"<br /><br />Jesus this guy is INFURIATING. Just say the word "injured" just once...Bjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-1070794419730561502015-05-05T06:44:48.803-07:002015-05-05T06:44:48.803-07:00So rendon now has an oblique injury. I can't h...So rendon now has an oblique injury. I can't help but wonder if that is in part due to playing second base. I've got a feeling we won't see him until at least the break, and when he comes back, I'd be surprised if he contributes immediately. The organization should probably not hang its hat on a Rendon revival, and start developing a contingency plan besides "hope that the ghost of Anthony Rendon continues to inhabit the body of Yunel Escobar."Kenny B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01104648417209196641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-20648649757748606482015-05-05T06:06:18.827-07:002015-05-05T06:06:18.827-07:00The first inning run last night was all on Werth d...The first inning run last night was all on Werth dropping the line drive that was right at him, and there were plays Ramos and the infield could have made, although nothing as major. blovy8https://www.blogger.com/profile/06888192019412533415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-32611259210079909452015-05-05T06:03:09.600-07:002015-05-05T06:03:09.600-07:00I think not enough attention has been paid to the ...I think not enough attention has been paid to the poor defense that continues. If you look at this healthier version of the Nats scoring in about an average fashion, and the ERA/FIP indicating a mild under-performance, but still strong pitching, you're left with looking at 25 unearned runs making a difference. An average team would have about 10.blovy8https://www.blogger.com/profile/06888192019412533415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-87452443586106686472015-05-04T20:58:39.076-07:002015-05-04T20:58:39.076-07:00Does Matt Williams not know about Blake Treinen...Does Matt Williams not know about Blake Treinen's platoon splits? Or is he just too stubborn to care?Ryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-42734849494825081442015-05-04T19:00:59.425-07:002015-05-04T19:00:59.425-07:00After tonight's game, what are everyone's ...After tonight's game, what are everyone's thoughts on possibly putting Roark in as the set-up man? He's got the stuff for it and definitely has the composure. I'd love to see Matt Williams give him a chanceAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16253142228150952303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-28001866503660993002015-05-04T16:52:38.269-07:002015-05-04T16:52:38.269-07:00Where do we put another big bat? Where do you pit...Where do we put another big bat? Where do you pitch your 5th starter? I'd happily see Span ride pine and be a defensive replacement/pinch hitter if you need baserunners or a stolen base in the playoffs if we could go get an all-star caliber player who is ALSO heading into a walk year for one of our SPs. Where else? yes, 2B... yes C... so who are those guys? Who's in a walk year who's overpaid on a team who needs SP help? Anyone wonder if the reason they want Rendon on 2nd is to go after Beltre?Zimmerman11https://www.blogger.com/profile/14524103974207323535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-85252672594593793602015-05-04T12:49:13.324-07:002015-05-04T12:49:13.324-07:00I'm thinking (as I think Harper notes), the of...I'm thinking (as I think Harper notes), the offense may very well be what it is. Likely, whenever Rendon comes back he adds a little bit, and the JW regression can not (surely!) be this severe, and Zim will likely hit a little better. There's no way Rizzo goes after another big bat- where do you play him? The reliance will be on the SP improving to near the level expected, and the RP being merely good.Chas Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00306056671418831755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-5294802759975648252015-05-04T11:39:22.288-07:002015-05-04T11:39:22.288-07:00To varying degrees, Werth, Span, Escobar and Rendo...To varying degrees, Werth, Span, Escobar and Rendon missed too much time in spring training. That pretty much guaranteed we wouldn't see a healthy team BA in April. (And even if he comes back this week, Rendon probably won't hit stride until June.)<br /><br />Yet this was the team that scored 34 runs in a three game stretch beginning five days ago. For me, the early surprise was that the pitching was so meh. That's starting to change. It's all there, beneath the rust.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-55046495431832377492015-05-04T11:04:32.567-07:002015-05-04T11:04:32.567-07:00Maybe this is the year Bryce Harper gives us an MV...Maybe this is the year Bryce Harper gives us an MVP-caliber hitter, knock on wood..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16253142228150952303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-79873358367728787242015-05-04T10:05:45.265-07:002015-05-04T10:05:45.265-07:00Aye I think we're close to the same pageAye I think we're close to the same pageBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-14698499922644501612015-05-04T10:02:28.820-07:002015-05-04T10:02:28.820-07:00@Alex - Yea all of that is reasonable and certainl...@Alex - Yea all of that is reasonable and certainly within the realm of possibility. If those guys return to the numbers you posted I'd say our offense top-to-bottom would be average, considering what Epis/Escobar have put up this season, what we've seen from Bryce, and what we can expect from Rendon (if a little less than last year)<br /><br />This lineup, like years past, seems to rely on everybody being about average and not giving you any easy outs top-to-bottom. I tell myself that's how we can get away without an MVP caliber hitter :/Bjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-58358418967274704502015-05-04T09:58:12.749-07:002015-05-04T09:58:12.749-07:00My point isn't that the Nats offense will be w...My point isn't that the Nats offense will be worse than last year, my point is that expecting Rendon's return to single-handedly bring it back to that level is a mistake. I think small rebounds from Werth and Zimmerman after their start, combined with Rendon's return and a breakout year from Harper will bring them back to a solid offense, NOT solely Rendon's returnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16253142228150952303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-80076781288206780922015-05-04T09:54:33.058-07:002015-05-04T09:54:33.058-07:00and yes... come back JWL!and yes... come back JWL!JE34noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-83154653916315896022015-05-04T09:52:19.160-07:002015-05-04T09:52:19.160-07:00@Bjd1207 yes they have great track records but the...@Bjd1207 yes they have great track records but they are also getting older. Werth is 36, I've always been a big fan of his approach but I think age is finally catching up to him. I see him finishing at .250 with an OBP of around .330 or so, which is still serviceable but a step down from last year. I see Zimmerman picking it up a bit, but not as much as previous seasons. Something like .260 with 90 RBIs, which is solid. However, combining both their drops in production with the loss of LaRoche and the addition of Escobar for Cabrera makes me skeptical to think that Rendon will bring their offense back to last year's level. However, a breakout season from Bryce Harper would sure help..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16253142228150952303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-19108887829225144112015-05-04T09:49:03.698-07:002015-05-04T09:49:03.698-07:00Thank the Lord for the pitching... because this te...Thank the Lord for the pitching... because this team will not last with situational hitting this bad. <br /><br />5th inning, 1st and 3rd, no outs. and the 3-4-5 hitters go strikeout-popup-strikeout. The popup was on a 3-0 count too, I think.<br /><br />6th inning, bases loaded, no outs... 3 strikeouts end the inning (granted one was Fister).<br /><br />They have to shorten up and make contact with ducks on the pond. Desmond has never done this ever... but et tu, Zim? Good teams with smart coaches are prepared to adjust plate approaches for these situations. Egos must be checked at the gate... they have to do the small and unsexy things to win. (cf. even numbered seasons in San Fran.) <br /><br />How long will MW continue to bat Werth 3rd? Watching him calcify before our eyes has been painful, and I'm sure it's worse to be the one calcifying. JE34noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-10105426046332578512015-05-04T09:45:36.319-07:002015-05-04T09:45:36.319-07:00@Alex Freeman - What makes you so pessimistic on e...@Alex Freeman - What makes you so pessimistic on either Werth or Zimmerman? Both of them have pretty fantastic track records, Zimm is practically clockwork.Bjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-45079218722010390662015-05-04T09:33:25.484-07:002015-05-04T09:33:25.484-07:00Okay let's entertain the idea for a second tha...Okay let's entertain the idea for a second that Rendon repeats, or even exceeds, last year's numbers. Does that really fix the entire offense? Last year, Werth and Zimmerman were both solid offensive pieces, while Asdrubal Cabrera even brought some pop to the offense. We also can't forget that LaRoche brought over 20 homers to the table as well. Do we seriously think that Rendon's return will suddenly ease the pain of Werth's and Zimmerman's struggles? Or do we expect Werth and Zimmerman to return to the form they displayed last year? Personally, I believe both situations are highly unlikely. I see Rendon bringing the Nats back to a slightly below average offense, allowing the pitching to carry the Nationals through to the postseasonAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16253142228150952303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-73762006491149967022015-05-04T09:25:17.231-07:002015-05-04T09:25:17.231-07:00Sorry about that . . . Roll Call.
To WiredHK: Eve...Sorry about that . . . Roll Call.<br /><br />To WiredHK: Everybody knows the California Penal League is a pitchers' league.<br /><br />SMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-71200742958596954852015-05-04T09:11:24.695-07:002015-05-04T09:11:24.695-07:00@Moses - If Espinosa keeps up those numbers, then ...@Moses - If Espinosa keeps up those numbers, then hopefully he'd push Escobar out instead, which offers some improvement. But your point is well-taken generally speaking<br /><br />And MW's been batting Danny in 7/8 spot, so at least having Rendon back would put those production numbers in the top of the order rather than the bottomBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-61621607199165349582015-05-04T08:53:52.400-07:002015-05-04T08:53:52.400-07:00The problem with expecting Rendon to turn around t...The problem with expecting Rendon to turn around the offense is that he's kicking Espinosa out of the lineup, who has the third highest wOBA (.360) and wRC+ (130) on the team. Those are literally the exact same numbers Rendon put up last year (technically .001 better on wOBA). Which is to say, while Rendon is a better player going forward, it's a sideways move vis a vis current results. The improvement is gonna have to come from the other guys.A Fly Moseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01386531522336214402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-72150067952269032622015-05-04T08:52:36.176-07:002015-05-04T08:52:36.176-07:00@Fries - 2B has only been a black hole when Uggla&...@Fries - 2B has only been a black hole when Uggla's playing there. Espinosa is drawing me back into believer-status. <br /><br />Unlike his month-long streak last year, this one doesn't seem flukish and we're moving past the small sample-size argument. K's way down, BB's way up (somewhat attributed to being the 8-spot), not an absurd BABIP. I'm liking what I'm seeing, and he's leading the team in fWAR currently.<br /><br />@Z11 - Lol unfortunately that's exactly what we're saying. The problem with bringing in another bat is where do you put him? If Werth continues to be this bad, then maybe that's a spot. But Zimm won't hit like this all year, Desi looks to be improving (or at least connected with a couple balls giving the illusion of a rebound), and with Rendon back your places for improvement are LF, 2B, and C. LF is the only one with TERRIBLE production for its position, and unfortunately also the one I'd bet on improving the most without any changes.<br /><br />But the impact of bringing back Rendon can be understated at times. A lineup of Taylor/Escobar/Werth (which we saw more than a couple times while Span was out) puts zero men on base 40% of the time. Span/Rendon/Harper chops that down to 25%, or in other words 3/4 innings one of those guys will get on. Just having Zimm return to being Zimm, Rendon back, and getting the .200 OBP out of the 3 hole would do wonders for this offense in my opinionBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-62645085268423928682015-05-04T08:46:54.505-07:002015-05-04T08:46:54.505-07:00I was especially encouraged by the two shutout guy...I was especially encouraged by the two shutout guys being Gio and Fister - Doug seemed to have his location back and when Gio is spotting his fastball on the edges, he is really good. Yesterday's game should have been more like 3-2 Nats, but we'll take 1-0 good guys all the same.<br /><br />Werth is playing like he belongs in the California Penal League, at the moment....that needs to change badly.WiredHKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-21770822054704216162015-05-04T08:44:06.326-07:002015-05-04T08:44:06.326-07:00I thought it was funny that Collins made his comme...I thought it was funny that Collins made his comment after the first 1-0 game, and then immediately another 1-0 game followed. (Mind you, given that the Mets pitching staff is no slouch, low scoring Nats-Mets games are actually pretty predictable.)<br /><br />The best thing we can say about the season is that MW's bullpen management has had process = results thus far. He followed a bad process, got bad results, and got called out for it in the media. This series, at least, he seemed to be following a good process, and got good results. With luck, these initial positive returns will help to cement in his mind what the right process is, so that the next piece of fluke luck going badly won't make him say, "Ah, well, I tried doing what the stats nerds say and it didn't work once out of ten times, so I'm going back to my gut!" I'd like to think...hope...that he can learn. (For example, I note that the three best hitters we currently have in the lineup--Span, Yuney, and Harper--are actually hitting 1,2, and 4. Maybe it's a fluke, but assuming when Rendon comes back that he hits 2nd, that's pretty close to an optimal layout of the guys we have, so long as Span stays close to 2014-5 Span.)<br /><br />Now, as Harper says, we just need to do well in these two series and we can get back to .500 or over and maybe into second place. Dropping one or both series will take a lot of the bloom off the rose.DezoPenguinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-15849837984441523712015-05-04T08:40:35.783-07:002015-05-04T08:40:35.783-07:00Fries, I disagree. This offense can't hit goo...Fries, I disagree. This offense can't hit good pitching unless it's Harper who's going to take the step up and play world beater. You do remember the playoffs right? Where we pitched the lights out, but couldn't hit a lick? We need to be all-in on a bat at the deadline (or sooner). <br /><br />Also in the news "Terry Collins expects more low-scoring games with Nats"... We're in trouble in the Mets' mgr is psychic. Even if he's just a LITTLE bit psychic. I mean, how are we supposed to compete with THAT???<br /><br />And did we run JWLumley off the board? I am disappoint.Zimmerman11https://www.blogger.com/profile/14524103974207323535noreply@blogger.com