Washington Nationals: 5 to watch in Beltway Series

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The Washington Nationals tangle with their Interleague rival Baltimore Orioles for four games. Here are five players to watch in this home-and-home tilt.

The Washington Nationals road show moves to Maryland for two before heading home for another two against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Beltway Series follows another successful weekend in Philadelphia. Taking two of three from those pesky Philadelphia Phillies, the Nats carry a healthy 6.5 game over the befuddled New York Mets.

If you regularly watch Washington, their 21-10 record is a surprise. The bullpen continues to scar small children for life, but a prolific offense can score more than those pitchers cough up. As long as the Mets beat themselves and the rest of the National League East stumbles, the playoff are nearly certain.

As they did with the Colorado Rockies on recently, Washington runs into a solid Baltimore team. At 20-10, the Orioles are tied with the New York Yankees in the American League East heading into the Yanks Sunday Night Baseball meeting with the Chicago Cubs.

Natural rivals, these are the series that make interleague play worth watching.

Separated by 37 miles, both teams are deeply ingrained with Washington baseball fans as the O’s were the local team from 1971 through 2004. Outside of the rare Ravens-Redskins regular season NFL game, this is the only pro sports meeting between the two cities.

Both teams share on-field success, but their personalities could not be further apart.

Nats manager Dusty Baker runs a slick clubhouse policed by the players. Relaxed and professional, they emerged from the Matt Williams era as divisional champions last year.

O’s skipper Buck Showalter is old school. A no-nonsense manager who keeps things tight, he gets his teams to the playoffs. Showalter is a scowler while Baker smiles twirling a toothpick. Different approaches, same results.

In its 13th season, the schedule has these games back-to-back now. Monday and Tuesday in Baltimore. Wednesday and Thursday from the friendly confines of Washington. The Birds won three of four last year.

Here are five to watch as these two teams collide.

MATT WIETERS

Homecomings are tricky things.

Jayson Werth still draws loud boos seven years after leaving the Phillies. Daniel Murphy’s disdain of the Mets oozes through the television.

For Matt Wieters, it is hard to read how his first visit to Camden Yards will go not wearing the brown and orange. The four-time All-Star called Baltimore home for eight years. He won back-to-back Gold Gloves before needing Tommy John surgery.

It was a good relationship for years, but Baltimore made it clear last year they had no interest in retaining Wieters’ services. Now, he gets to answer all those questions again and again over the next four games. He should draw a warm reception his first time up. After that, not so much.

With Washington, Wieters is putting up the best numbers of his career. Understanding catchers wear out over the course of a long season, his slash line of .274/.365/.476 would be near or above career highs over a full season. He is doing what the Nats paid him to do.

Still, this is the week he circled on the calendar as bittersweet. You do not play 882 games for a team and not feel anything.

In 432 games with Baltimore at home, Wieters slammed 60 homers, 85 doubles and one triple. A .264 hitter, he knows the park and the pitchers well. Once his nerves settle, he is primed to play well.

MANNY MACHADO

As with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado earlier, the chance to watch Manny Machado is a treat.

Machado has a rather healthy dose of self-confidence and the ability to destroy baseballs. Coming off two series against the Boston Red Sox filled with tension, attempted beanballs and a home run trot at Fenway Park that has yet to end, it is safe to say he is feeling it.

Although Machado is not the most productive hitter in the lineup—Jonathan Schoop and Seth Smith have higher Adjusted OPS+—his eight home runs heading into Sunday leads the O’s. So do his 20 RBI and pair of stolen bases.

His slash line of .234/.333/.495 might seem low, but he is the immovable object waiting to do damage in the middle of a powerful lineup. Hard to believe he is only 24.

A three-time All-Star, Machado is coming off back-to-back 35-plus home run seasons. A tremendous defender, he has two Gold Gloves. In 2013, his first full year, Baseball Reference credits him with an unbelievable d-WAR of 4.3.

He has earned the right to play with a chip on his shoulder. It is never boring watching him.

In 18 Beltway Series games, Machado loves Washington pitching. Slashing .370/.439/.603, he has four homers while driving in 12. Compared with Bryce Harper on the superstar scale, Machado is a huge reason Baltimore is off to a great start.

MAX SCHERZER

Last August, after Washington dropped the first three against Baltimore, Max Scherzer pitched one of the finest games of his career to salvage one game.

Scherzer shut down the Orioles over eight innings, scattering two hits, walking none while striking out 10. In 95 pitches, O’s hitters swung and missed 22. That is one less than his ball total. If you are a believer in the sabermetic Game Score statistic, it was his best game of he here, topping his 20-strikeout game against the Tigers 88-87.

With two double-digit strikeout games on his stat sheet already, Scherzer is poised to deliver another virtuoso performance soon. Against old friends, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Thursday, he punched out 11 in seven innings scattering two hits and a run.

Again, Game Score loved his 107-pitch effort, scoring it a 78. Getting 18 swings-and-misses helps.

Expected to pitch Tuesday in Baltimore against Ubaldo Jimenez, Scherzer can give the bullpen a needed night of virtual rest. If he can somehow pitch eight that is a tonic the team needs.

Scherzer has nine career starts against Baltimore. In 62.1 innings, he has a 5-2 record with a healthy ERA of 3.32, 74 strikeouts and WHIP of 1.091. That works.

DYLAN BUNDY

In his first full season in the rotation, Dylan Bundy is taking the AL by storm.

Tied for the league lead with five wins, Bundy is a classic contact pitcher who relies on his defense behind him to win. An ERA of 2.17 and 1.051 WHIP will do that.

He throws strikes, 64 percent to be exact and keeps flyballs in the yard. With hitter-friendly Camden Yards as home, that is a tough task. Yet he scattered three home runs over 45.2 innings. His low-90s fast ball is mixed with a curve, slider and change.

A soft-tossing flyball pitcher who does not strike out many is the exception, not the norm. In seven starts, Bundy has six innings as a minimum, with two starts at seven.

There is not anything flashy about Bundy, but his consistency is the key to his success. No team has scored over three off him. Only the Red Sox drew over two walks. Washington will have their hands full Thursday.

Bundy beat the Nats last year in his first start against them. On August 22, he scattered two runs on three hits over six. He walked four and struck out four. Anthony Rendon took him deep for a solo shot.

TREA TURNER

May has not been kind for Trea Turner.

Pressed back to the leadoff spot with Adam Eaton on the shelf, Turner is slumping. In six games this month, his slash line of .154/.241/.192 is terrible. In 26 at-bats, he struck out nine times. Sunday, Phillies pitchers held him to an oh-for-five day.

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He is pressing and not working count. As the leadoff guy, Turner must work counts and get on base. He swings at bad pitches and is frustrated. A punch out Saturday saw him nearly hit Werth in the on-deck circle with a thrown bat.

Blessed with talent, this is the first serious slump of his career. He compounded his hitting woes by making his first error on the field Sunday.

Ideally, a day off and video work would do him a world of good. Unfortunately, the Nats do not have the luxury to spell him. Turner needs to fight through this and simplify his game.

Sometimes things go too fast. With Turner, the eye test says is happening. He needs to slow down, be patient with himself and let things happen.

Next: Rendon player of the week

Turner owned the Orioles last August. In four games, he went 10-for-17 hitting .588. With nine singles, he stole two and scored three runs. He would take that again in a minute.

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