Washington Nationals Reaction: Nats Getting it Done with the Glove
Take a look at our reactions to the Washington Nationals’ 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.
When an offense records twelve hits in a baseball game, they tend to win the game. When their pitching staff records just as many strikeouts, it’s almost a guarantee.
The Nationals (33-21) beat the Phillies 7-2 yesterday evening behind eight strong innings from Max Scherzer and four RBIs by Wilson Ramos. The team extended their lead in the National League East over the Mets to three games, while Philadelphia (26-27) slipped to six and a half games back.
Scherzer (6-4, 3.87 ERA) completed his eight innings of work in 111 pitches, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while racking up eleven strikeouts. The Phillies’ only runs of the game came on a home run off the bat of Eric Goeddel in the bottom of the seventh.
Washington was able to drive in six runs against Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07), highlighted by a four spot in the sixth. With no outs and runners on first and second, Wilson Ramos crushed a three-run homer into the right field seats for his seventh long ball of the year. Two batters later, Danny Espinosa followed suit with a homer of his own.
Ryan Zimmerman recorded a pair of hits and drove in two runs and Anthony finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Every position player on the Nats was able to muster at least one hit, including six that went for extra bases.
Blake Treinen and Oliver Perez combined to put up a scoreless ninth, giving the Nationals their fifth sweep of the season. Washington is now twelve games over .500 for the first time in 2016.
While the Nats enjoy their off-day before beginning a three game set in Cincinnati, check out my three biggest takeaways from yesterday’s contest.
Next: Defense Wins Championships
Defense Wins Championships
Coming into the season, if you were to ask around who the best defensive teams in baseball were, you’d be likely to hear names like the Royals, Dodgers, or Orioles. Yet here we are, 54 games into the regular season, and the Nationals have four less errors than anyone else in the league.
That’s right, Washington is doing everything right behind their pitchers, and it’s paying dividends in the standings. Last season, the Nats finished the year with an Ultimate Zone Rating (a statistic that measures the number of runs a player or team saved or lost based on their work defensively) of -15, which ranked 21st in the majors. This year, they’ve posted a UZR of 7.4, good for seventh highest in the league.
According to Fangraphs, Bryce Harper is leading the way for Washington with a UZR of 6.8. His speed in the outfield coupled with the league’s fear of his arm makes for a formidable right fielder.
Putting the numbers aside, this team is just solid all the way around the diamond. Harper and Wilson Ramos were Gold Glove candidates in 2015, Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa continue to make highlight reel plays on the left side of the infield, and the fastest man on the team in Ben Revere is roaming center field.
Most importantly, this is a team that gets the routine plays done every single time. They don’t give away extra bases and keep runs off the scoreboard as a result. With a pitching staff that leads the league in strikeouts, opposing hitters don’t put the ball in play much anyway. They say defense wins championships, and if the first two months are any indication, the Nats are headed in the right direction.
Next: The Rotation is Just Plain Filthy
The Rotation is Just Plain Filthy
Speaking of that rotation, they may be a year late, but the Nats’ starting pitchers are finally living up to the expectations laid on their shoulders prior to last season. Their 3.06 ERA ranks only second to otherworldly Chicago Cubs (2.38). They’re tied with Toronto for the most quality starts (37) in the MLB. Still not convinced? Only three teams have used just five starters all season: Cubs, Cardinals, and Nationals.
The Nats were the first team to reach 500 strikeouts. Eight teams still have yet to hit 400. Despite having the leader in home runs allowed in Max Scherzer, the rotation has only allowed 38 balls to leave the yard. That mark is the tenth fewest in all of baseball.
Scherzer has been streaky this season, but has shown flashes of dominance. To that point, he’s thrown seven innings or more in seven of his twelve starts. Stephen Strasburg is 9-0 and neck-and-neck with Max for the team lead in strikeouts. The former No. 1 overall selection is showing the Nationals why they made the right choice with their draft pick.
Can any team in the league match the quality and depth of their back-end starters with the Nats? Not likely. Gio Gonzalez isn’t striking out batters like he used to, but the lefty has taken a new approach to the game and it’s clearly paying off. Joe Ross has the eighth lowest ERA in the senior circuit, and he’s only 23-years old. Not to be forgotten is Tanner Roark, who’s ERA is nearly identical to Strasburg’s.
Who gets pushed to the bullpen in a playoff series? Thankfully, that question doesn’t have to be answered right now. And with Lucas Giolito tearing it up in the minors, well, it’s a good problem for Dusty Baker to have.
Next: Bottom of the Lineup Putting in Work
Bottom of the Lineup Putting in Work
Last night, the 6-7-8 third of the lineup went 5-for-12 with five RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa each left the yard, and Michael Taylor smacked a single to join the hit parade. At full strength, the Nats’ lineup will see Anthony Rendon in the six spot with Ramos and Espinosa right behind him.
So far this season, the primary focus has been on the top of the order, and rightfully so. The reigning MVP hits third, and some guy hitting .394 bats right after. However, aside from Daniel Murphy, a majority of the team’s offense has been coming from the bottom of the lineup in recent weeks.
Bryce Harper is slumping and resting injured knee, the team has gotten absolutely nothing out of the leadoff spot, and Jayson Werth is a .225 hitter in the no. 2 spot. Meanwhile, Anthony Rendon has raised his batting average from .211 on May 9 to .262 today. Wilson Ramos is hitting .338, and it’s June. Seriously. Even Danny Espinosa’s made an impact recently, hitting four homers in his last seven games.
Next: Washington Nationals: Ramos Helps Nats Sweep Phillies
Is a lineup reshuffle in order? If I were to take a stab at it, would it be crazy to entertain the idea of Rendon-Ramos-Harper-Murphy-Zimmerman-Werth-Revere-Espinosa? Revere could take the time in lower leverage situations to find his groove. Ramos has the least strikeouts among position players on the team, and would fit well hitting in front of Harper. We shouldn’t be talking about how well the bottom of the lineup is performing, rather about how many times Harper and Murphy are driving them in.