FOCUS, PEOPLE, FOCUS
Perhaps the biggest complaint against the Nats on social media is a perceived lack of desire to win. Bad offense mixed with general lack of execution brings out the sharpest of fans. The truth is more complicated than a case of the “Don’t Cares.”
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Washington has held a double-digit lead in the division since July 3. You need to go back to late May for the last time the lead was under five games. When you add the endless parade of injuries, these folks are exhausted.
The Nats care, but when the rest of the NL East fell apart, Washington has not played a meaningful game in months. The pride and desire burn under the surface, but the endless grind of baseball season will wear away at you.
Given the chance to wrap up the regular season goal this week, expect to see a more animated club in Miami then at home. The end of the long road is at hand.
Weekend performances like we saw in Milwaukee are inevitable. So are series as last week versus the Marlins. Because the Nats can get incredibly hot, the expectation is for them to play that way every day. Just not realistic.
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Yet, grinding games are part of the package. Hopefully, energy levels will increase this time. There are several players needing time off and it shows. That is baseball.