Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Clayton Kershaw Silences Nats Offense
Jul 18, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) reacts after striking out to end the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday was a mixed day of results for the Washington Nationals. On the one hand, they were able to complete their suspended game from Friday night and get a 5-3 win. But, on the other hand, the following game would result in Clayton Kershaw having his best performance of the season and looking like the pitcher that won both the Cy Young and the MVP a season ago.
Before we touch on Saturday’s originally scheduled game, let’s first touch on the suspended game, one in which the Nationals entered yesterday leading by a score of 3-2. Even though Adrian Gonzalez would hit his second home run of the game two batters in to the contest, the Nats still found a way to get a win that they needed given the pitchers they will face over the next few days.
After good performances from Aaron Barrett and Casey Janssen out of the bullpen, the Nats bench came through in the clutch. Matt den Dekker, who was hitting for Janssen, crushed a two-run homer into the upper deck to give Washington a 5-3 lead. While Drew Storen got into trouble in the ninth, he still was able to strike out Joc Pederson to end the game.
More from Nationals News
- Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
- Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
- Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
In the second game of the day, the Nats could not manage any offense against Kershaw, who struck out a season high 14 batters and gave up only three hits. Bryce Harper had a tough day against Kershaw, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Harper would homer against Kenley Janssen in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too late.
As for Doug Fister, he only gave up one run through the first four innings against a solid Dodgers’ lineup, but Los Angeles was hitting the ball hard against him. Finally, the Dodgers were able to put up the crooked inning against him as they scored three runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead and they would not look back. However, give credit to Taylor Jordan (who was the 26th man) and Sammy Solis for shutting out the Dodgers over the final four innings.
Before today’s epic showdown between Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer (1:35 PM ET, MASN, WUSA9, and TBS), here are my takeaways from yesterday’s 4-2 loss:
Next: Doug Fister's Struggles Continue
Jul 18, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Doug Fister (58) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Fister Falls Flat Against Dodger Bats
Today’s outing against the Dodgers was Doug Fister’s first start in nearly two weeks. His last start before yesterday came on July 6 against the Cincinnati Reds. Right out of the gate, Fister did not have his control as he walked Joc Pederson on four pitches.
While the Dodgers wouldn’t score in the first inning, they would find a way to get on the board in the following inning. Los Angeles had three straight singles to begin the inning, including an infield single by Yasiel Puig to put the Dodgers up 1-0.
By giving up four earned runs yesterday, the 31-year-old right-hander has given up at least four runs or more in three of his last five starts.
While Fister’s velocity was up to an average of 87 miles per hour (according to Brooks Baseball), the problem for Fister continues to be leaving his sinker up in the zone. While Los Angeles did not hit any home runs today, they hit their fair share of balls to the warning track.
As the number five starter, Fister did his job in keeping the Nationals in the game. However, this performance shouldn’t be a surprise when you consider that he hadn’t thrown a pitch in almost two weeks. There was going to be some rust there.
With that being said, there has to be some level of concern when Fister hasn’t had the same control that he has shown in recent years and he is not able to rack up the ground balls out. In fact, his six groundball outs yesterday were tied for the second lowest he has had all season. Plus, his game score of 32 was the second lowest he’s had this year. The only one lower was the start against San Diego on May 14th (12 game score), a start in which he left early due to injury.
Next: Kershaw Shows Signs Of MVP Self
Jul 18, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws to the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nats Offense Mounts Nothing Against Kershaw
Starting in yesterday’s game, the Washington Nationals have arguably one of their toughest stretches of the season these next few days. Without some of their mainstay offensive pieces, they went up against Kershaw, and now have to go up against Zack Greinke, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. If yesterday was any indication, offense is going to be tough to come by these next few days.
In his last two games, Kershaw has thrown 17 innings, given up 11 hits, struck out 27 batters, and has not walked anyone. Kershaw had his best stuff today, when you consider the amount of swings and misses he was able to get against Nats hitters:
.@Dodgers Clayton Kershaw generated 30 swings and misses, tied for most swings and misses by any pitcher in a game in the last 7 seasons.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 18, 2015
The only three Nationals to have hits against Kershaw were Clint Robinson (single in the second), Doug Fister (single in the third), and Danny Espinosa (single in the sixth). In fact, the best swing of the day against the 27-year-old left-hander was by Ian Desmond. Desmond flew out to the warning track in left field to end the bottom of the seventh inning.
The most dominant pitch for Kershaw yesterday was his breaking ball. According to Brooks Baseball, 14 of his 20 breaking balls went for strikes. Most of the strikeouts that the former MVP had was either with his curveball or his slider.
Even though the Nats did not score any runs against Kershaw, give Matt Williams credit for putting Yunel Escobar behind Bryce Harper in the batting order to prevent the Dodgers from intentionally walking Harper.
Next: Espinosa Leaves Game Early
Apr 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa (8) bunts the ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Nationals Park. Espinosa was safe on a throwing error. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Danny Espinosa Injured In 9th Inning
With the Nationals down 4-0 in the top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers were able to begin the inning with back-to-back singles from Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez. On the Gonzalez single, Danny Espinosa made an early dive at the ball, but missed it. Espinosa would stay on the ground and eventually would leave the game, causing Nats fans to worry about whether or not another starter was going to be out for an extended period of time.
After the game, manager Matt Williams told the media that as of right now, the Espinosa injury isn’t serious and that he should be okay:
If Espinosa as going to be out for an extended period time, it would have been another big blow for the Nats. According to Baseball Reference, Espinosa’s 2.0 WAR is second on the team, behind only Bryce Haroer’s 6.2. In this series, Espinosa is 2-for-7 with a pair of singles.
Plus, the 28-year-old infielder has stepped up in the power department while most of the regulars have been out. His ten home runs are second on the team behind Harper’s 27 and is the most of any second baseman in the National League.
It is definitely good news that Espinosa is okay, but the question is how long will it be before he returns to the lineup. There has been more good news for the Nats as some of them are inching closer to their return. Down at high-A Potomac last night, Anthony Rendon was 2-for-2 with a double and a single in his first game at third base while Jayson Werth went 1-for-2 with two RBI’s in his second game during his rehab assignment.