With the first half of the 2015 season coming to a close for the Washington Nationals and the all-important “stretch run” right around the corner, it’s time to check in on the rest of the National League East to see how the division is shaping up for the second half.
The first half of the season has been rough for the NL East as injuries and inconsistency have hurt every team in the division from top to bottom. Prior to the start of the season, the Nationals were heavily favored to run away with the division with ease and finish the year at or near the top of the National League standings. But, at least in the first half of the season, the team has not lived up to the hype.
"Here are the standings in the NL East prior to Sunday’s games:EastWLPCTGBL10STRKWashington4739.547–5-5W1NY Mets4642.5232.06-4W3Atlanta4246.4776.05-5L4Miami3751.42011.05-5W1Philadelphia2961.32220.02-8L4"
Yes, Washington is in first place. But earning and keeping their spot atop the division hasn’t been easy, and considering the immense talent that the ball club carried into the season, it’s disappointing that the Nationals haven’t been able to bury the New York Mets, who sit in second place just 2 games back.
The biggest reason the Nationals haven’t been able to build a large lead in the division is that the team has been grossly inconsistent all year long. At times, they play exactly like they’re supposed to play—dominating on all sides of the ball and piling up wins, as they did during their season-best eight-game winning streak late last month. Other times, however, the team falls flat and struggles so much that it’s hard to believe it’s the same team which was heavily favored to win the World Series prior to the season.
Of course, it’s easy to see why the Nationals have been inconsistent this season. The team has been hit hard by injuries from the get go, with Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Denard Span all spending significant time on the disabled list this season. Not only have all four players been out for a while, but they also aren’t expected to be back in the near future. So, the Nationals have spent a good chunk of the season with four of their best hitters out of the lineup and they’ll likely continue to do so for at least the next couple of weeks.
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Fortunately for the Nationals, the rest of the division hasn’t faired too great either. Although the Nationals have struggled mightily at times, no other teams has played well enough for an extended period of time to truly challenge the Nationals for the top spot in the division. But, as the Mets have shown this week, the situation in the division can change in a heartbeat. Just a few days ago, the Nationals had a comfortable four-game lead in the NL East. Now, due to a combination of poor play by the Nationals and a hot streak by the Mets, New York has trimmed the deficit to a very-much-within-reach two-game margin.
The Nationals will be right back at it after next week’s All-Star break, as the team plays the Mets six times during the first two weeks of the second half. With the division as tight as it is right now, those six games are crucial and could help set the stage—for good or for bad—for the rest of the season
Now, the Nationals are still the most talented team in the division and should eventually start creating some separation between them and the rest of the pack, especially when players start to get healthy. But baseball is an unpredictable game, and as we’ve seen throughout the first half of the season, anything can happen in the division down the stretch.
For this reason, it’s important to keep track of everything that happens in the division to know where the other teams stand. With this in mind, check out some great NL East articles from around FanSided below. And as always, be sure to stay tuned to DoD as we continue to cover the race for the NL East title down the stretch.
Atlanta Braves
Tomahawk Take: Atlanta Braves Suffer Double Whammy; Fall to Rox 3-2 as Grilli Suffers Serious Injury
Tomahawk Take: Braves Add Power Arm Ink Andrew Barbosa
Miami Marlins
Marlin Maniac: Miami Marlins Injury Updates: Martin Prado Due Back Sunday?
Marlin Maniac: Miami Marlins Trade Rumors: Marlins Prepared to Become Sellers
New York Mets
Rising Apple: Mets’ Matz out for several weeks due to lat injury
Rising Apple: Playing meaningful games in July puts onus on ownership
Philadelphia Phillies
That Ball’s Outta Here: Should Phillies Extend Maikel Franco Now?
That Ball’s Outta Here: MacPhail Hired to Lead Phillies Rebuild