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Washington Nationals: 2016 NLDS Tale Of The Tape

By Ricky Keeler

Jun 22, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) slides into third base to beat a throw to Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) slides into third base to beat a throw to Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Nationals
Jun 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (28) reacts after being hit in by right fielder Bryce Harper (34) during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Left Field: Howie Kendrick vs. Jayson Werth

Kendrick is the utility player for the Dodgers when you consider he has played four different positions. For this tale of the tape, we are placing him in left field, where he has played 94 games this year.

The 33-year-old had eight home runs, but he had a .326 on-base percentage. However, his WAR has gone down drastically since 2014 (5.4 to 0.5). His 124 hits this year were the fourth lowest in a season during his ten-year career. Kendrick went 6-for-18 against the Nats with two RBI’s this season.

Another injury worth monitoring going into the postseason is Jayson Werth’s back injury that caused him to leave Friday’s game early. At age 37, Werth hit 21 home runs, the most he’s hit in a season since he hit 25 in 2013.

Hitting second in the Washington Nationals order, Werth is going to be relied upon to take pitches and work the count. This is especially true in the first two games against Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill. Werth’s 71 walks this season were second on the team (Harper had 108) and he took more pitches than anyone on the team.

Werth went 8-for-21 against the Dodgers this season with a solo home run. Plus, he is a career .313 hitter with two solo home runs against Kershaw.

Advantage: For this position, the advantage goes to Werth. Kendrick’s numbers aren’t terrible, but Werth can work the count and cause more havoc in the Nats lineup.

 

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