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Washington Nationals: Offense Concludes Historic Month With Rout Of Mets

By Drew Douglas

Apr 30, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Mets in the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Mets in the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Nationals had the most potent offense in the league throughout April, and closed out the month by scoring 23 runs.

The Washington Nationals boast a lineup that is easily the best in franchise history, and is on pace to be one of the best of all time. Prior to losing Adam Eaton for the season, the Nats offense didn’t really have a weakness other than the pitcher. Even Ryan Zimmerman, who appeared to be past his prime, has been among the best hitters in the league.

Sunday’s rout of the Mets was the best game of the year for the Nats offense. Every single starter recorded at least one hit, including starting pitcher Joe Ross. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that every starting position player scored multiple runs except for Trea Turner, who only scored one. The 23 runs scored was a new franchise record, which was previously 21 runs from the Montreal Expos (at Coors Field).

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Anthony Rendon led the way, going 6-for-6 with three homers and ten RBI’s, becoming the first player since at least 1913 to accomplish this feat. This was just the 13th time in MLB history that someone had 10 RBI’s in a single game. His 10 RBI’s were also a Nationals franchise record.

One of the hardest things to believe about this historic game is that Rendon had more RBI’s by himself than the Mets had hits. This is incredible, especially considering that the Mets by no means had a bad offensive game, scoring five runs on nine hits.

Some other notable performers were Ryan Zimmerman and Matt Wieters. Zimmerman went 3-for-5 with two RBI’s and three runs scored, while Wieters went 3-for-4 with two homers, four RBI’s, and two walks.

The Nats offense was clicking on all cylinders throughout the month of April, and managed to set several records. They tallied 170 runs, which led the entire league and was tenth most all time. They were also the first team in MLB history to score 14 or more runs five times in April. The Nats only scored 14 runs one time in all of last season. This offense is doing things Washington fans have never dreamed of.

Bryce Harper, who has gotten off to yet another red-hot start, set the MLB record for runs scored in April with 32. He currently leads the majors in runs scored (32), walks (22), and on-base percentage (.509).

Zimmerman also set a record on Sunday. His 29 RBI’s are a Nats franchise record for RBI’s in a month. Zimmerman has gotten off to a phenomenal start in 2017, and is looking like he’s 25 again. He currently leads the majors in hits (37), home runs (11), RBI’s (29), batting average (.420), slugging percentage (.886), on-base plus slugging (1.345), total bases (78), and extra base hits (19).

Next: Anthony Rendon Has Historic Day Against Mets

This Nationals offense instills a great deal of fear in opposing pitchers, and forces them to make a perfect pitch every time. The lineup features outstanding depth, even after Eaton’s injury. This level of success isn’t sustainable over an entire season, but they will undoubtedly boast one of the league’s best lineups if everyone plays to their potential. April was an unbelievable month for the Nats offense, and it should be a lot of fun to watch them continue to rake throughout the season.

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