Washington Nationals News: Ben Revere slowly improving at the plate

Today’s District Daily features stories on Ben Revere improving at the plate and what the Washington Nationals’ series win over the Mets could tell us about the NL East race going forward.

Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses Ben Revere’s recent improvement at the plate. As Wagner notes, Revere struggled mightily after rejoining the team from a month-long stint on the disabled list, but has looked better at the plate of late.

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Revere, whom the Nationals acquired from the Blue Jays last offseason, is hitting just .123 in 62 plate appearances with the Nationals this season. But, as Wagner notes, Revere played well in this week’s series against the Mets, going 3-for-14 with a triple and two RBIs.

While Revere still has a lot of work to do to become the productive leadoff hitter the Nationals need him to be, his performance against the Mets shows that there’s reason to be optimistic that he can turn things around sooner rather than later.

Here’s what manager Dusty Baker had to say about Revere’s improvement at the plate, via Wagner’s article:

"“It’s great to see him get on,” Baker said after Thursday’s win. “You know he was going to get on sooner or later. Like I told you guys, he was operating from behind. He got hurt in the very first at-bat of the season and missed a month. He’s still operating from behind and it feels good to see him get some hits and feel good about himself. This guy, he’s been hitting his whole life.”"

Also in today’s Daily, the Post’s Thomas Boswell writes an interesting column about what this week’s series against the Mets — which the Nationals won — might tell us about how the NL East race will go for the rest of the season.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Ben Revere slowly feeling improvement at the plate

(James Wagner, Washington Post)

At home, Ben Revere’s walk-up music is R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix).” But because of an oblique injury to start the season and its residual effects, Revere has done little of that atop the Nationals lineup. “He’s our igniter,” Nationals Manager Dusty Baker, referencing Revere’s song. “I tell Ben: as he goes, we go.”

Revere was 4 for 41 entering the Mets series since returning from the disabled list on May 6. Against the Mets, the center fielder offered a few signs of improvement. He went 3 for 14 with a triple and two RBI — small but noticed progress. Read full article here.

What we learned from Nats-Mets series that may last all season

(Thomas Boswell, Washington Post)

If you want baseball symbolism between the Nationals and Mets, then you’ve got all you can handle right now — and in just three games. You want a division race where tone just shifted? You’ve got that, too.

On Tuesday night, in the first of their 19 meetings this season, the Mets hit Max Scherzer’s first pitch out of the park. In the third inning, another Met took Scherzer over the right field wall. New York’s Noah Syndergaard, throwing 100 mph, fanned 10 Nats in a 2-0 win.

Next: Tanner Roark bounces back as Washington Nationals beat Miami Marlins in series opener

Were the Mets going to dominate the Nats as they did six straight times last season in home-and-home sweeps that defined a Washington collapse and ignited a New York pennant? After all, if they could beat Scherzer, who had 20 strikeouts in his previous start and pitched a no-hitter against the Mets last Oct. 3, whom couldn’t they whip? Read full article here.

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