Washington Nationals: Five Reasons They Will Lose NLDS
By Ron Juckett
INJURIES
No team is healthy this time of year.
Baseball being the grinding marathon we all love has players banged up and tired by the time October rolls around. For the Washington Nationals, they wish it was that simple.
There will be no Stephen Strasburg against the Dodgers. If you think they will not miss the 16-game winner this weekend, check how short your fingernails are Tuesday night. Likely to start Game 3, if healthy, in Los Angeles, his departure throws how Dust Baker handles the bullpen into a different light. After Scherzer and Tanner Roark, they have no starter who can give you six innings like he could have.
If Washington advances, we may see Strasburg in the NLCS, which is not the case with Wilson Ramos.
Although Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino are good players on their own right, to lose Ramos’ offense and have the entire pitching staff adjust on the fly to catchers they are not fully comfortable with is a tough task. The younger pitchers will know Severino from their days in Syracuse. Severino, however, has yet to catch in 20 Major League games.
All this and we are assuming Daniel Murphy will be healed from his left glute injury and Bryce Harper’s shoulder holds out.