The Washington Nationals road to respectability saw them post their first winning homestand since last May. And even though they lost two of three games over the weekend in Arizona, they avoided a sweep with a ninth inning rally that resulted in Sunday’s 9-8 victory.
The club that started 5-13 has now won 9 of 16. And while they might not find their way out of last place anytime soon, the wins are starting to come for manager Davey Martinez’ scrappy bunch.
“Regardless of where we’re at as far as development and teaching guys, winning is a big part of that,” Martinez said, after the team’s getaway day win over the Cubs. “The more we can do it, the more these guys can relax and say ‘Hey, we can do this. Together.’ It’s gonna take 26 guys every day, and that’s what I think we’re starting to see now.”
Digesting the Division: Atlanta (24-11) continues to cruise with the surprisingly hot bat of catcher Sean Murphy (28 RBI) giving the Braves a boost. The New York Mets (17-18) have lost five of six as pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer each allowed a pair of homers in losses at Detroit. Miami (17-18) is tied for second in the East despite an offense that is the lowest scoring in the majors (111 runs). Philadelphia (16-19) has Bryce Harper back and he’s hitting .368 with four runs in his short time back. The Nationals (14-20) remain in the rear.
O’s Woes: Baltimore (22-12) dropped two of three in its series with NL East-leading Atlanta, and the schedule won’t lighten up for a while. The Birds battle AL East-leading Tampa Bay and NL Central-leading Pittsburgh this week. Quite a contrast from April 10-May 4 when they played 19 of 22 games against clubs currently with losing records.
Last Week’s Heroes: Luis Garcia batted .423 while Lane Thomas hit three homers with seven runs batted in and scored five runs. Hunter Harvey notched a win and a save, while Erasmo Ramirez tossed 3.1 scoreless innings over two outings.
Last Week’s Humbled: Mason Thompson posted an ERA of 18.00, while Andrés Machado’s was 7.71. Jeimer Candelario hit .167 while Alex Call batted .111.
Game to Watch: Pitcher Max Scherzer is slated to start for the New York Mets on Mother’s Day. For a moment, I thought he tossed a complete game on Mother’s Day in 2021, only to remember the CG was on the day his wife gave birth. Regardless, any game with Max on the mound is a must-watch.
Game to Miss: On Tuesday night, the Nats play San Francisco with a 9:45 p.m. EST start-time. Patrick Corbin has made just one of his seven starts at night and allowed four runs over five innings in that game. I can go to sleep early.
