Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Ian Desmond, Yunel Escobar Bright Spots in Nats Loss
Jul 24, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos (40) reacts after being hit by a foul ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Nationals had to have entered Friday’s game feeling pretty good about their chances. After all, they had their ace, Max Scherzer on the mound, and the last time he had faced off against the Pirates, he walked away with a no-hitter, and a fluke hit-by-pitch away from a perfect game. All the Nats would seemingly need to do was push across a couple of runs, and they would be in prime position to earn a split after two games at PNC Park.
Unfortunately, baseball rarely goes the way the way it’s predicted to go. Scherzer ended up pitching one of his worst games of the season, giving up three home runs for the first time since 2011 over five innings, and the Nationals bullpen ended up once again surrendering runs in a key situation. By the time the dust had cleared, the Pirates were raising the Jolly Roger, and the Nationals had dropped their fifth game of their last eight since the All Star break.
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But while the Nationals continue to struggle with their replacements as they wait for their starters to return from the disabled list, there are a few positive takeaways from Friday’s game. For one, the Mets lost again, and the Nats lead in the NL East remains at three games.
There were also a couple of bright spots in Pittsburgh. While Washington failed to secure a split of their first two games against the Pirates, they still managed to put five runs on the board for just the third time since the break. And, to top it all off, they got a little more good news relating to two of their key infielders.
Next: Ian Desmond's Continued Improvement
Jul 23, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Clint Robinson (25) greets shortstop Ian Desmond (20) after Desmond hit a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Ian Desmond Rebound Continues
Ian Desmond was nothing short of terrible in the first half of the season. In addition to piling up an absurd number of errors, he also stunk at the plate, hitting .211/.255/.334 prior to the All Star break. He was an unmitigated disaster, looking nothing like the best shortstop in the National League that he had been in nearly every season prior to this one.
Since the break, though, Desmond is starting to look like his old self, particularly swinging the bat. He’s slowly starting to put good plate appearances together, back-to-back. At a time when the Nationals offense seems to be stuck in the mud, his resurgence is one of the few bright spots on a team that’s dropped five of their eight games since coming out of the Midsummer Classic.
That was very apparent on Friday night. With the Nationals trailing 5-4 after Max Scherzer, in the midst of one of his worst starts of the season, had allowed the Pirates to retake the lead, Desmond stepped to the plate. But rather than strike out, Desmond blasted a solo shot to center field that tied the game and gave the Nationals new life.
While the Nationals failed to capitalize on Desmond’s heroics, the fact remains that Desmond is finally starting to come around at the plate, and it couldn’t come at a more opportune time. If Desmond can simply manage to get back to his career average of .268, it’ll go a long ways to getting the Nats back on track to winning the division.
Next: Yunel Escobar Makes a Brief Appearance
Jul 22, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar (5) reacts as trainer Lee Kuntz exams his wrist as manager Matt Williams (9) looks on against the New York Mets during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Yunel Escobar Makes a Cameo
When Yunel Escobar exited Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Mets with an apparent wrist injury, Nationals fans could only sigh, shake their heads, and wonder how much worse things could really be. After all, the team had already lost for the better part of the year almost all of their other starting infielders. Desmond was the only other regular to remain healthy for the better part of 2015.
Nats fans could only wonder how bad the injury was. Escobar went down without contact, which almost always means something catastrophic. The fact that the X-rays and scans came back negative felt like only temporary reliefs. Surely the news of Escobar’s extended stay on the disabled list was coming.
But on Friday night, Nationals fans received confirmation of an even more encouraging sort. Escobar, in full uniform, stepped into the on-deck circle late in the game. While he never made an official plate appearance, the fact that he was available at all should come as welcome news to Nats fans who have suffered more than their fair share of misery at the hand of the injury bug this season.
Escobar, acquired during the offseason in a trade, has been one of the biggest additions to the Nationals lineup. Playing third base while filling in for Rendon, Escobar has hit for a slash line of .321/.366/.420. More importantly, he’s been able to slide in behind Bryce Harper, the team’s biggest offensive threat, as protection against the intentional walk. His contribution to a Nats offense that’s been plagued with inconsistency can’t be measured.
Which is why his appearance on Friday night was so important. Even if he never saw a pitch, the fact that he’s able to step into the on-deck circle rather than sitting on the disabled list should be music to the ears of Nats fans everywhere. Hopefully, his appearance is a sign of even bigger things in the near future.