Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Lack of offense spoils Joe Ross’ solid debut
Jun 6, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher
Joe Ross(41) throws to the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The last couple of weeks have been rough for the Washington Nationals. The team fell from being the hottest team in baseball just two weeks ago to a ball club that is only clinging on to first place because the teams behind it have been playing just as poorly.
Washington has lost seven of its last 10 games, stands just four games over .500 and has seen its division lead narrow to a slim half-game margin. Of course, the Nationals’ recent struggles are just part of the team’s overall inconsistent start to the 2015 season.
The Nationals were playing like one of the worst teams in baseball throughout the month of April—a far cry from the sky-high expectations that a team with World Series aspirations brought into the season. In May, however, the Nationals played like the best team in baseball and appeared to be on the fast-track to the very top of the National League standings. Now the team has run into another rough patch, and there are several reasons behind the current slump.
For one, the injury bug that plagued the Nationals early in the season has come back stronger than ever. Though the team did see Anthony Rendon return from the disabled list earlier this week, Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister and Jayson Werth have all been out for a while and their absences are beginning to hurt the Nationals badly.
The pitching staff is paper-thin right now because of the injuries and the Nationals are constantly having to tap into minor league reserves just to have enough arms to make it through the day. Werth will be out until August, and the Nationals have yet to find a permanent solution in left field. But the biggest reason behind the team’s struggles is that the offense has been all but inexistent in recent weeks, and yesterday’s game against the Cubs was no exception.
Yesterday’s game, the third of a four-game set against Chicago, was one of those games in which the injuries to the pitching staff and the struggles of the offense combined to sink the Nationals, though the latter certainly played a larger role. The Nationals lost the game, 4-2, and were unable to give themselves a chance to win the series this afternoon at Nationals Park. Instead, they’ll be hoping to earn a series split before they go back on the road.
The Nationals lost last night’s game for the same reason they’ve lost a bunch of games this season: the offense just wasn’t there. There were some bright spots, however. Joe Ross pitched well in his MLB debut and held his own in place of the injured Strasburg. Harper also hit his first homer in a while, stretching his NL-leading home run total to 19. But the Nationals still came away with the loss, and the continued offensive slump is certainly concerning.
With this in mind, lets break down a few of the key parts of yesterday’s loss to the Cubs.
Next: Joe Ross Solid in Major League Debut
Jun 6, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (41) throws to the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Ross Solid in Major League Debut
When the Nationals traded outfielder Steven Souza Jr. to the Rays last winter as part of a three-team deal that also included the Padres, most of the talk about the Nationals’ side of the trade focused on Trea Turner—a promising young shortstop prospect who is currently in the Padres’ minor league system but will soon join the Nationals as the player-to-be-named-later in the deal. But, as impressive as Turner is, he wasn’t the only player that the Nationals got from the Padres in the trade.
While Turner may very well be the Nationals’ shortstop of the future, the trade also brought Joe Ross to the Nationals—a talented right-hander who is considered the team’s No. 4 prospect, according to MLB.com.
Given the Nationals’ stacked pitching staff at the start of the season and Ross’ inexperience, few expected him to contribute at the big league level until at least 2016. But thanks to his success in the minors this season and the Nationals’ dire need for fresh arms at the big league level, Ross was called up to the big leagues and made his big league debut Saturday. And while he came away with the loss, the right-hander did not disappoint.
Ross, 22, allowed three runs on six hits while striking out four batters over five solid innings. The young right-hander was dominant early on, carrying a perfect game into the fourth inning. While Ross gave up three runs and came away with the loss, the fact that he held his own in a big league game despite never having pitched above Double-A is impressive, and was something the Nationals needed.
“I was a little nervous, but it’s the same game when you go out there and pitch,” Ross told MLB.com. “I had great defense behind me. There were a lot of balls hit hard that got picked up or caught — and that was a little comforting, knowing the guys were behind me like that.”
Yesterday’s debut was even more special for Ross because several family members, including brother and fellow major-leaguer Tyson Ross, were in the stands to cheer him on. It’s not clear if Ross will stay with the big league club for a while or head back to Double-A. One thing’s for certain, we’ll definitely be hearing a lot about Joe Ross over the next few years.
Next: Offense Nowhere to be Found (Again)
Jun 6, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop
Ian Desmond(20) reacts after striking out to end the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. The Chicago Cubs won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Offense Nowhere to be Found (Again)
While there are plenty of positives to take from Ross’ MLB debut, the offense wasn’t nearly as impressive. Lack of production at the plate has been the biggest culprit behind the Nationals’ recent struggles, and last night’s loss was no exception.
The Nationals managed just five hits yesterday and scored both of their runs on solo homers—one from Wilson Ramos in the second inning and another from Bryce Harper in the ninth. The lineup simply had no answer for Cubs starter Jason Hammel, who allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out seven over eight strong innings.
It was a rough day up and down the lineup for the Nationals. Denard Span, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond all went hitless and combined to strike out five times. Zimmerman’s 0-for-4 showing dropped his batting average to .213 as his season-long slump at the plate continues.
While Hammel certainly deserves credit for a great pitching performance, the Nationals helped him out by swinging at pitches outside the zone, as manager Matt Williams told MLB.com after the game:
“They were swinging at the ball out of the strike zone. You have to hit strikes against him, and we swung at some balls out of the strike zone today,” Williams told MLB.com. “Strikes, quality strikes are important for us to hit. If we swing at balls out of the zone, you don’t get hits.”
Yesterday’s debacle was the most recent in a string of poor offensive performances for the Nationals. Over the last nine games, the Nationals have scored two runs or fewer six times. Not surprisingly, the team is 2-7 over that span.
While the offense has been struggling, there’s no reason to panic. The team has already shown it can produce at the plate and is still in first place. But if the Nationals want to stay atop the NL East for the foreseeable future and achieve its goals this season, the offense has to improve.
Next: The Positives
Jun 6, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. The Chicago Cubs won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Positives: Harper’s Still Harper, Rendon’s Just Getting Started and the Mets Are Still the Mets
The end of yesterday’s game showed why there is no reason to panic about the Nationals, despite the team’s recent slump. While the Nationals’ comeback fell two runs short, Harper’s homer was a reminder of a simple fact that takes a lot of pressure off of the ball club: good things happen when the best player in baseball is on your side.
Had Harper’s homer come a couple of weeks ago (as many did), when seemingly everything was going the Nationals’ way, it might’ve started a ninth-inning rally. Or, it might’ve come earlier in the game with runners on base. But baseball isn’t a game of hypotheticals; it’s a game of projections and endurance. And with a healthy Harper in the lineup all season long, the possibilities are endless for the Nationals’ offense.
Yesterday’s homer was the 19th of the season for Harper, which is good for first in the major leagues and falls just three short of his career-high. Harper is at or near the top of the National League in almost every major offensive category and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Whereas the Nationals have struggled over the last 7 games, Harper has continued to dominate—hitting .364 with three RBIs and six walks over 22 at-bats. The Nationals’ offense may be struggling, but with Harper in the lineup and setting a high standard, you have to believe the team can overcome its offensive slump.
Harper, of course, isn’t the only bright spot in the lineup. Anthony Rendon is back from the disabled list, and once he gets some at-bats under his belt this season, he’ll be a huge boost for the offense. Rendon was one of the team’s best hitters last season, and if he stays healthy, he and Harper can lead the Nationals to another NL East title.
Another positive to take from yesterday is that the Mets lost again. It seems as if every time the Nationals lose a tough game, the Mets lose as well. In fact, the Mets have lost six of their last 10 games, which has allowed the Nationals to maintain their slim first-place cushion.
Of course, the Nationals can’t survive the whole season hoping that the other teams in the division fall flat. Washington has to return to its winning ways, and as the Nationals proved last month, the team definitely has what it takes to do just that. Hopefully for the Nationals, yesterday’s loss and the ones that came before it will be a thing of the past and the team can put an end to its slump sooner, rather than later.