The Washington Nationals may not be in playoff contention, but they’re playing in a manner that makes them an intriguing club to watch in between Commanders’ dress rehearsals. (Is it OK to sing the “Comma Commanders” song after touchdowns during the preseason or should that be saved for the regular season?)
After losing a tough series in Philadelphia, which included being no-hit for the first time since they were the Montreal Expos in 1999, the Nationals came home and swept Oakland by outscoring the A’s 19-11. Now, Oakland is already assured of a losing season and is at the bottom of the AL West. And the Nats did win a pair of those games in walk-off fashion.
But as this team’s young nucleus begins to mature, it’s nice to see them win games against teams they should be beating. First place may be out of the question but fourth is not, especially with the way the Mets have been playing.
Digesting the Division: Atlanta (76-42) owns a double-digit lead in the NL East and their top two bats are heating up in August with Matt Olson (.380 with seven homers and 18 RBI) and Ozzie Albies (.345 with four homers and 16 RBI) leading the hit parade. For those who are curious, the Braves’ magic number to win the East is 34.
Second place Philadelphia (65-54) took over sole possession of the Wild Card lead while Kyle Schwarber is putting himself in position for one historic season. The slugger is currently batting .182 but is on pace to drive in 99 runs. I can’t ever recall somebody hitting under .200 while driving in 100+.
Miami (62-57) may not be cruising like they were earlier this season, but the Marlins have won back-to-back series to remain in the hunt (one half game separates three clubs fighting for the final playoff spot in the National League.) The New York Mets (54-65) have dropped seven of 10 to slide within a half game of the division cellar, while Max Scherzer (2-0, 2.76 ERA) and Justin Verlander (1-1, 3.46) are enjoying their post-Mets lives. The Nationals (53-66) only get two more cracks at the preseason favorites (Sept. 5 & 6 in D.C.).
Birds Battle Baseball Karma: The Orioles (74-45) may begin the week three games in front of Tampa Bay in the AL East, and their collection of young players hitting their strides at just the right time has one thinking “playoffs.”
But the ominous clouds have shown up in the previously sunny Baltimore skies: last week, it was revealed that the team suspended announcer Kevin Brown for stating the facts regarding the O’s recent struggles with Tampa Bay. He had little choice as those facts were presented as a graphic by MASN during the broadcast. Multiple reports said the club benched Brown because he wasn’t enough of a “homer,” and while he returned to the booth over the weekend, the O’s have split their six games since the suspension became public knowledge.
Do not tempt Karma, especially with an Orioles franchise that has seen its share of late-season collapses (two that come to mind are 2017 when they went from 71-68 to 75-87 and 2002 when they went from 63-63 to 67-95). You’ve been warned. And good luck at San Diego.
Last Week’s Heroes: Keibert Ruiz hit .407 with three homers (including a walk-off shot Saturday), while Ildemaro Vargas drove in a team-high nine. Patrick Corbin tossed five scoreless innings in his start, while José A. Ferrer threw 4.1 scoreless frames over four appearances, and Kyle Finnegan notched a win and a save out of the bullpen.
Last Week’s Humbled: MacKenzie Gore (six runs allowed over five innings) and Trevor Williams (11 over nine frames) posted double-digit ERA’s as starters, while Amos Willingham coughed up two runs over 1.1 innings. The top of the order had issues with CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas each hitting .185, while Alex Call batted .125.
Game to Watch: Philadelphia drops by the District this weekend with Bryce Harper’s comments that he wished he had started his career in Philly still bubbling under a week after he spoke those words.
On Sunday, the Nats are technically the home team but the game will be played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Little League World Series. And although the starting pitchers Trevor Williams and Ranger Suarez are a combined 7-13 this year, this is one great way to wrap up the weekend.
Game to Miss: Boston stops by for three games this week, and the Red Sox have been a tough team to follow for the Fenway faithful. But they begin the week six games over .500 and in the AL Wild Card race despite themselves.
Josiah Gray pitches Tuesday against former Nats farmhand Nick Pivetta (traded to Philadelphia for combustible closer Jonathan Papelbon), and one doesn’t want to be reminded of perhaps the worst deadline deal for the franchise since they moved to D.C.
