The good vibes continue for the Washington Nationals. After completing a winning road trip and taking two of the first three games against the Minnesota Twins, the Nats hold a 13-4 record, good for first place in the National League East and tied with the Chicago Cubs for tops in the whole majors.
Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper (34) slides safely into second base with a double as Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar (5) fields the throw from the outfield during the first inning of an interleague baseball game at Nationals Park, Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Whether it’s been early scoring, late-inning explosions or unexpected pitching excellence, manager Dusty Baker’s squad has found multiple ways to win this early season.
This past week saw many highs and lows as Bryce Harper continued his MVP campaign, crushing his second grand slam of the season in a 7-0 win at Miami on April 19. He cranked out three more homers to bring his league-leading total to eight along with 22 RBI, also the best in the bigs. Harper set a career high by homering in four consecutive games.
Free agent acquisition Daniel Murphy has continued his torrid pace as well, leading the league with a .411 batting average. He has gone hitless in just two games this season, which gives the team a sustained presence in the lineup as the rest of the Nationals get into the rhythm of the season. Jayson Werth had two homers this week, and looks like he may finally be coming out of his funk. Ryan Zimmerman has been solid so far; Baker manages his playing time very closely as he will continue to deal with Planar Fasciitis in his right foot for the foreseeable future.
Washington Nationals’ Anthony Rendon (6), manager Dusty Baker (12), Daniel Murphy (20) and Ryan Zimmerman (11) celebrate win over the Minnesota Twins after an interleague baseball game, Friday, April 22, 2016, in Washington. The Nationals won 8-4. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
On the mound, Stephen Strasburg performance must be mentioned. With an eight inning, three-hit, 10-strikeout effort in the same 7-0 win that saw Harper’s grand slam, Strasburg improved to 3-0 with a miniscule 1.25 ERA. Since Aug. 8, Strasburg is 9-2 with a 1.74 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 88 innings, a stat line worthy of an ace. Nats fans and national media alike have been pondering for years whether Strasburg would ever realize his potential. There’s reason to believe he finally has.
Most of the Nationals’ rotation has been great so far, as Gio Gonzales, Joe Ross and Tanner Roark have pitched well. Roark deserves special praise for delivering a performance that quite possibly may be the best game of his young career, when he fanned a career high 15 batters in seven shutout innings against Minnesota on April 23. The revamped bullpen has also been stellar, with the only blip being a blown save by Jonathan Papelbon back on April 17 in Philadelphia. He has converted his other six save chances and looks the part of the lock-down closer fans expected to get when he was traded to the Nationals last July.
One slight issue that has to be concerning for Nats fans is the early struggles of ace pitcher Max Scherzer. He carries a 2-1 record, but his ERA is currently 4.32, and most of the damage inflicted on Scherzer has come in the first inning. His ERA will more than likely improve—he’s too great of a pitcher to allow this to continue. The rest of the team is firing on all cylinders, but Washington is going to need its ace to perform on nights when the other guys just can’t bring it. He is paid to be the guy who ends losing streaks, wins big match-ups and serves as the leader of the rotation.
The Nationals’ schedule will heat up after a home series against the Phillies, with dates versus the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and defending champion Kansas City Royals on the horizon. Washington has taken care of business in this early season, but only sustained success will determine how seriously fans and media alike view this team.
