Washington Nationals: 5 to watch at home versus Atlanta
By Ron Juckett
DANIEL MURPHY
As Daniel Murphy matures, his devotion to learning the art of hitting makes him better all the time.
Some batters understand the science part, but Murphy melds both the art and science to his advantage. Before Sunday’s 5-1 loss to Texas, his June slash line of .429/.432/.543 gave him an OPS of .975 and adjusts to 158 or 58 percent above average.
Everything comes off the bat hard. As he ages, Murphy continues to refine his swing. He is a master of guessing correctly on what is coming and making solid contact. Would you believe he is hitting only .302 at home? It is true.
With Jayson Werth still hurt and Ryan Zimmerman banged up from a hard dive in the Los Angeles series, Murphy’s importance increases. As the Nationals struggle to put multiple hits together, Murphy must set the table for Anthony Rendon or drive home Trea Turner and Harper ahead of him.
Against the Dodgers, Washington won two, but scored seven in three games. At home versus Texas, they scored six and lost all three. They need Murphy.
In five games in Atlanta, the Braves held Murphy in check. Although two of his ten homers came down there, the Braves held hit to a .250 average in five games. He must hit better if the Nats are breaking their funk.