The Washington Nationals begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight; here are five storylines to keep an eye on.
The Washington Nationals are coming off of a series loss against the Atlanta Braves, which featured the Nats looking extremely flat in their first series after winning the division. The first two games were especially rough, with Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer combining to allow 12 runs in 11 innings.
These two games were extremely uncharacteristic of the Nats’ outstanding rotation, and people grew concerned. However, the Nats have already clinched a playoff spot, so now the main goal is for everyone to stay or get healthy for the postseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, on the other hand, are coming off of a series win against the San Francisco Giants. A few months ago, that sentence would’ve seemed completely redundant. However, a few days ago, that sentence would’ve seemed rather surprising.
The Dodgers, at one point dubbed the greatest team ever, crumpled in late August into September and played like one of the worst teams in the league. Then, they got to play the Giants, the worst team in the league, and lost the first game of the series. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they turned things around and went on to win the series, but their skid is not completely in the rear view and has left a lasting impact on the baseball world.
Now that the 11-game losing streak has come to an end, maybe the Dodgers can relax, but they face a challenge in a three-game series at Nationals Park. Both teams are coming into the series with postseason births already clinched, but neither team is playing particularly well.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five key storylines for what should be an exciting three-game set between the top two teams in the National League.