Washington Nationals: 3 shocking statistics from the first series
After the walk-off win in the season opener, the Washington Nationals were in good position to sweep a double header from the Atlanta Braves on day two. Erick Fedde was gifted a 4-1 lead after one inning, and promptly gave it away, and then some. In game two, the Nationals squandered a stellar pitching performance from Stephen Strasburg, then gave up a late home run to Pablo Sandaval (how is this guy still in the league).
As the Nats take a 1-2 record on the road to play the Los Angeles Dodgers, we are left to sift through the ashes of the first series.
Three shocking statistics which stand out from the Washington Nationals first series of the season.
Max Scherzer and the gopher ball.
Since when did Max Scherzer become a guy who gives up the long ball? Well, he has always been bitten by the home run ball, though maybe not to this extent on one day. In 2016 he may have won the Cy Young Award, but he also surrendered a league high 31 homers. He had given up a big fly in the first inning of each of his past two Opening Day starts and wasted little time making it three. Ronald Acuna, the first batter he faced, took him deep to kick off the 2021 season. All told, Mad Max allowed four solo home runs on the day and now has a head start to dubiously leading the league in this category again.
The only stat that could be worse is if Scherzer walked hitters ahead of these home runs. As he proved again in game one, solo home runs won’t beat you. Regardless, if Max and the Nationals are going to compete this year, he needs to keep the ball in the park.
Victor Robles has four walks thus far.
The 2019 version of Victor Robles was good. The 2020 version, not so much. We all waited with baited breath what the 2021 version would look like, both physically and statistically. For starters he trimmed down from his bulked up self from the year prior. WIth Trea Turner taking off as a hitter/run producer, Robles was being groomed for the leadoff spot.
One problem. If he wasn’t hitting his way on base, he wasn’t really getting on base. A good table setter takes pitches and draws walks. Before this season, Robles didn’t walk much, and struck out too often for a leadoff hitter.
For his career he walks just 5% of his plate appearances and was coming off a year where he struck out in 32% of his at-bats.
In three games this year, Robles has an OBP of .583, on the strength of four base on balls. He is doing everything the team is asking of him from the leadoff spot and has scored a team high three runs as his patience at the plate is paying off. May be a little much to ask for at this point, though if he can provide an Anthony Rendon type BB/K ratio, the transformation will be complete.
If he can continue the good batter’s eye, this team will score a lot of runs on the year.
A third of the runs Nationals pitching has given up have been scored with two outs.
The old adage says, “two out RBIs get you to heaven”, and the Braves hitters are going to put that theory to test after the first series. Two out hits happen, and giving up runs with two outs is just a part of the game. For a pitching staff to be successful they need to escape these two out jams and strand runners on base.
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In the first game of the double header Fedde loaded the bases in the first inning with one out before getting Chase d’Arnaud to fly out. One out from getting his team off the field unscathed, and a passed ball allows a run in. The Nationals got the run back, along with a few more and sent Fedde back out in the second.. Things unravelled from the get-go, though he was about to wiggle off the hook and send the game to the bottom half tied, when, he gave up a two-out, two-run double to d’Arnaud.
In the back end of the double dip Stephen Strasburg was masterful for six innings, before giving way to Tanner Rainey. In five pitches Rainey had two outs and was facing pinch hitter Pablo Sandavol. Big Panda quickly but a dagger in the hearts of Nationals fans with his game winning home run.
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As the year progresses this number will be diluted down and not stand out so much. Giving up two-out runs is crushing to a team mentally as well as on the scoreboard.