Washington Nationals Riding Success of their ‘Big Three’
By Matt Weyrich
May 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Drew Storen (22) pitches during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Washington Nationals defeat Atlanta Braves 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Closer
Who: No. 22, Drew Storen
The Numbers: 19 G, 15/16 SV/SVO, 20.1 IP, 1-0, 0.89 ERA, 0.787 WHIP, 1.32 FIP, 26 SO, 3 BB, 0 HR, .181 BAA
Best Performance: 05/06 @ ARZ → SV, 1.0 IP, 3 SO, 0 H, 0 BB, 13 pitches
Rankings***: ERA (5th), WHIP (4th), SV (1st), SO (T-2nd), BB (1st), HR (T-1st)
The Story: Yes, the postseason nightmares, the meltdown, and the dreadful 2013 season are vivid memories that always seem to come to mind when the name Drew Storen is mentioned to the DC faithful. However, behind all the misery, the Nationals’ closer has been busy pitching like one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Since the start of the 2014 season (that would be 76.2 innings), Storen sports a staggering 1.06 ERA across 86 appearances, best among any NL relief pitcher with at least 50 IP in that span.
Now take a look at the Nationals’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 22nd, as this one game perfectly sums the Big Three’s impact. Scherzer pitched eight innings of one-run ball, Harper hit a home run, and Storen earned the save. This game is just one example of how much of an impact these three have been on the field for Washington. With this team rolling, good luck to any opponent standing in their way. With a tandem like this, DC could be in for some pleasant surprises come October.
***Among National League relievers with at least 20 IP