Washington Nationals: 5 reasons why they lose the NLDS

AN UNHEALTHY HARPER

Although the Nats lost Sunday, Bryce Harper’s bat and baserunning ability was on full display. He scored easily from first on a liner to right with his usual speed. If there was no off time between the season and NLDS, there would be less reason to worry.

But, there are four days between meaningful games. Live batting practice from Edwin Jackson and AJ Cole is not the same as Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester pitching in anger. In a short series there is no margin for error. If Maddon and the Cubs detect a weakness from Harper, they will exploit it.

Pitching around Harper for Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman can be disastrous for the Cubs. But, if they can get Harper to chase pitches outside the zone, Chicago’s chances to stymie the Nats offense tilts the series away from Washington.

Chances are Harper will bat second early in the series to give him as many plate appearances as possible. If it works, then Baker will keep him there. You do not mess with what works. It is not optimal for him to hit behind Turner, as you take away the speed game, but getting the swing timing right is crucial.