The Washington Nationals knocked it out of the park over All-Star weekend. But now it’s time for some Smash Mouth baseball to start the second half of 2018.
The All-Star festivities are over for the Washington Nationals. Bryce Harper has put his Home Run Derby trophy on the mantlepiece. It’s time to get back down to business again in the regular season.
Joining Blake Finney for a special mid-season review on the DoDCast this week is Washington Post Nats beat writer, Chelsea Janes. You can check the episode out here.
On this episode of the podcast, they discuss the following:
- Bryce Harper’s HR Derby heroics
- Max Scherzer‘s All-Star start
- The main reason for their .500 record
- Most surprising players so far
- The Nats strategy at the trade deadline
- Look ahead to an important series with the Atlanta Braves
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During the podcast, the two touched on Chelsea’s article about Harper’s performance in the Home Run Derby. It was a joy to behold and it seemed to bring him and the Washington crowd together again after a rough season. Whether this actually translates to regular season performance is another matter, but it will go down in D.C. sports history regardless.
It was also a memorable week for Max Scherzer, who started the All-Star Game in front of his home crown and caused a lot of buzz at the game. He struck out the first two batters he faced and started to bring back memories of Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park in 1999. Although he ended up allowing the first run of the game on Aaron Judge‘s homer, it was another memory for Nats fans to treasure.
Back to the baseball that affects the standings, and the Nationals will welcome back Stephen Strasburg this weekend. With a struggling rotation, getting a second ace back is a huge boost to any team. He’ll face off against Anibal Sanchez on Friday and will be favorite to guide Davey Martinez’s men to a much-needed victory.
Want to hear more about the Washington Nationals on our DoDCast? You can subscribe to us on iTunes or Google Play and have episodes automatically downloaded for you. You can also listen to us on other podcast platforms such as Stitcher and Spreaker.
Next: DoD Staff Mid-season Review
The Washington Nationals face the Atlanta Braves to begin the second half of the year. If they have any hope of clawing their way back, this series will have to be the start of a dominant run.