Last season the Washington Nationals won a franchise best 98 games en route to winning their first undisputed National League East Championship. The Nationals cruised into the postseason for the first time since 1981 and the fans in D.C. were dreaming of seeing their team win the World Series. After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg had an innings limit of 160 that was attached to him which would conclude his season prior to the playoffs.. The decision came from Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and after 159.1 innings pitched, Strasburg’s season was done. Strasburg was 15-6 on the season with a 3.16 earned run average to go along with 197 strikeouts as well as the fear that he put into NL batters. Rizzo and the Nationals were still confident that they would be able to win the World Series without the services of Strasburg.
The Nationals opened the postseason in the National League Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals who were the defending World Series Champions. The two teams went back and forth in the first four games of the series as the matter would be decided in the fifth game. After three innings of Game 5, the Nationals were up 6-0 and a trip to the National League Championship Series was looking extremely realistic. The Cardinals didn’t buy into that philosophy and stormed back to win the game 9-7. Rizzo and the Nats were left to scratch their heads while the criticism of not allowing Strasburg to play continued.
Entering this season with a young core players such as Strasburg and outfielder Bryce Harper in the fold, the Nationals were expected to return to the playoffs in the hopes to put the 2012 fiasco to rest. At this point of the season, the Nationals own a 57-60 record and they find themselves 14.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. Washington is also 8 games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s final wild card spot.
Last season the Nationals led the NL in team earned run average at 3.33 while they are sixth this year at 3.70. Last year the Nationals had five starting pitchers to reach double-digits in victories as they were led by Gio Gonzalez who was 21-8. To this point in 2013, only starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman has reached the double-digit mark in victories as he has 13. Some people have been quick to criticize Strasburg’s 6-9 record this year, but his 2.89 earned run average is the lowest of his career while he is on pace to record 200 strikeouts for the first time in his brief career.
The Nationals offense as really hindered them this year as they are 13th in the National League in runs batted in with 415 and 12th in batting average at .243. In the offseason, Rizzo elected to trade outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse in a three-team trade to the Seattle Mariners. Last year Morse hit 18 home runs while he provided another bat in the lineup that the Nationals have been unable to replace. The Nationals lineup relies so much on Harper who was the 2012 NL Rookie of The Year to set the tone and he has missed time this season due to his hustle on the field that has resulted in some injuries.
The Nationals were optimistic that things would get going at the start of the second half of the season, but six consecutive losses to start the second half eliminated that notion really quick. With just 45 games remaining to the Major League Baseball regular season, it will be tough for the Nationals to turn it around and make the playoffs. To give themselves a realistic shot at the postseason, the Nationals would have to post a 33-12 record the remainder of the season. For a team has not won more than five games in row this season it will be tough.
The Nationals are a classic example of a young team that had a hangover after a tough let down from the previous year as they are lacking veteran leadership.Harper can be a leader eventually, but it is tough to ask a 20-year old phenom to be the leader of your ball club. This is part of the growing pains of being a contender in baseball and the playoffs don’t appear to be in the mix for the Nationals in 2013.
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