Washington Nationals: Slow offense leads to bad start
By Ron Juckett
For the Washington Nationals, they continue to struggle early in a season dominated by pitching. That and today’s reads in the Daily Washingtonian.
Good morning, Washington Nationals fans!
Today is Friday, April 13, 2018. With the Nats loss Thursday night to Colorado, they fall to 6-7 on the year. With the New York Mets idle, they fall to five games behind in fourth place.
Not the ideal start to the season we all thought.
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If you are worried about the offense, consider this. Heading into Thursday’s game, Washington’s paltry .240 batting average is fourth in the National League. Their .343 on-base percentage is second. No one is setting the league on fire at the moment.
Yes, Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy‘s absence hurts the lineup. But, pitching is dominating the game. The NL is averaging 8.0 H/9 with a .238 batting average. They must score when runners are on, but it is not pure doom and gloom.
The bats will adjust and the pressure will come off the starters to be immaculate. Still, it is a grind and Washington is behind. Better days are ahead.
On this Friday the 13th, perhaps the bad luck can go Colorado’s way for Tanner Roark.
On that thought, here are the links:
District on Deck profiles Ian Desmond
After being drafted by the Montreal Expos and spending the first seven years of his major league career with the Nats, Ian Desmond is now in the midst of his first series against the franchise that drafted him. Drew Douglas looks back at Desmond’s time with the Nats.
The DoDCast previews the Rockies
With the Colorado Rockies coming into town, Blake Finney and Kevin Henry discuss the Wednesday’s brawl and Desmond’s return, among other topics. Check out our series preview to know what to watch for.
MASN updates Matt Wieters and Koda Glover
After starting the first two games of the year, Matt Wieters was forced onto the disabled list with an oblique injury. He has now returned, but may be eased back into action. Meanwhile, Koda Glover went down with a shoulder injury in spring training. Byron Kerr updates these two key Nats.
The Washington Post ponders the rotation
A.J. Cole bounced back nicely with a solid outing against the Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hellickson remains in West Palm Beach, but is almost ready to join the Nats. Is one decent start from Cole enough to erase his disastrous season debut? Chelsea Janes gives her two cents.
Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg go this weekend. Enjoy your Friday!