Washington Nationals: Five Reasons They Win The NLDS

SOLID POWER BASE

As Bryce Harper works through an off year, those casual fans might think there is nothing remarkable about the Washington Nationals offense. Right?

Instead of one superstar and a good supportive cast, the Nationals are the first team since the 1965 Milwaukee Braves to feature six hitters with over 20 home runs. What may surprise you more is Daniel Murphy’s 25 leads the team.

Although Wilson Ramos is lost due to a torn ACL in his right knee, the Nats will line up against the Dodgers with five of the six sluggers. That is not counting the 15 hit by Ryan Zimmerman and the 13 slugged by Turner in a half-season.

This year’s team scored a record 763 runs and four players drove in over 80 runs. Harper is healthy too. So, while there is not one hitter right now who will cause lost sleep for Los Angeles before the series starts, the pitchers will need to be careful. Even the light-hitting Daniel Espinosa can leave the yard regularly.

Sometimes, solid beats spectacular. For Washington, this is the case. With Zimmerman buried at the bottom of the lineup and Ben Revere left off the roster, aside from the pitcher’s spot, there is no place for the Dodgers to relax on the mound.