Washington Nationals Reaction: Three Takeaways from Sunday’s Wild Win

Here are the three biggest takeaways from The Washington Nationals’ 16-Inning marathon win over the Twins

In one of the craziest games in Washington Nationals history that began with Bryce Harper on the bench, Matt den Dekker in the leadoff spot, and an opponent that had yet to lead once during the series, most fans probably weren’t expecting too exciting of a game. What happened instead was a wild affair that saw a pinch-hit, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth, several controversial replay challenges, and a walk-off that sent the diehard fans that remained at the ballpark throughout it all into a frenzy.

Stephen Strasburg struck out ten hitters in nearly eight innings of work, but allowed a three-run homer to Brian Dozier on his final pitch of the afternoon that probably would have marked the end of most teams’ chances of coming out of the ballgame with a win. The Washington Nationals had other plans, however, and thanks to a two-RBI double in the eighth by Wilson Ramos and the Harper home run in the ninth, they pushed the game into extra innings

Neither team was able to get much going offensively, as both bullpens were able to keep each other off the board until the 15th. The Twins were able to push a run across in the top half of the frame, but the Nats scraped across an unearned run with two outs to keep their hopes alive. An inning later, Chris Heisey sent both teams home with a walk-off homer that gave the Nats the sweep and a 14-4 record to start the season.

What stood out yesterday during the Nationals’ wild win? Here are my three takeaways:

Next: Bryce Harper Isn't Human

Bryce Harper Just Isn’t Human

Okay, maybe the most plausible explanation for the simply unreal feats reigning MVP Bryce Harper has been able to accomplish at the plate isn’t assuming he’s from some other planet. But do you have a better one? The 23-year old phenom is a living legend. It seems like every time he steps in the batter’s box, he has a chance to do something special.

Harper currently leads all of baseball in home runs (nine), runs batted in (23), extra base hits (15), slugging percentage (.855), and OPS (1.260). He has as many strikeouts as he does homers, and has yet to ground into a double play. Not many believed that Harper could get much better after his record-setting season in 2015, but he’s doing just that.

Even on his day off, Harper still managed to shine, sending a 3-2 fastball over the center field fence in the bottom of the ninth as a pinch-hitter to tie the game. As teammate Chris Heisey put it after yesterday’s win, people are beginning to just expect the unexpected out of him.

“We come to expect that he’s going to do something special. You can’t not expect it when he’s been doing it as consistently as he’s been doing it. I find myself putting really unfair expectations on him. If he gets jammed or pops out, it’s like: ‘What the heck, Harp?’” (h/t How the Nats won “the craziest” game they’d ever seen, Mark Zuckerman, MASNSports.com)

Bryce Harper is the best player in the game right now, so move over Mike Trout. The face of baseball is only getting better, and if that isn’t scary enough for you, just think about what kind of numbers he’ll be putting up once he hits his prime.

Next: Most Underrated Move of the Offseason

Most Underrated Move of the Offseason

Last week, I posted an article talking about how pitching coach Mike Maddux was perhaps the most unappreciated move that general manager Mike Rizzo made this winter while reconstructing this team. As far as player personnel goes, however, Yusmeiro Petit just might take the cake.

Sure, Daniel Murphy is hitting the cover off the ball and leads the MLB with a .397 batting average, but everyone’s already talking about him. Petit fills a role that the Nats desperately struggled to fill last season and he has been a crucial key to the bullpen’s success so far this year.

When Craig Stammen was lost for the year with a shoulder injury prior to last season, it was expected that other young arms would step in and fill his role without many hiccups. That role, the long reliever who fills in when a starter gets roughed up early or a game heads into deep extra innings, proved to be one of the biggest holes in the Nats’ roster. Rizzo realized the importance of filling that void heading into 2016, and signed Petit to give the Washington Nationals a rock they could depend on in the middle innings.

The former San Francisco Giant has allowed only four runs on eight hits with four walks and struck out 11 across 13 innings so far this season, which is good for a 2.77 ERA and 7.6 K/9. He’s given Dusty Baker flexibility out of the pen, and can make a spot start when needed if a pitcher is scratched late.

The Nats can point to several different factors for their early success, and Petit is certainly one of them. Strong bullpens can make or break a playoff team, and the Nats can rest easy knowing they have Petit available to keep the group steady.

Next: Nats Can Go Wire-to-Wire