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Hitting lowlight: If the bottom of the fourth inning wasn't the Nationals' season in a nutshell, I don't know what is. They loaded the bases with nobody out and had Ricky Nolasco on the ropes. And they still couldn't push home even one run. Ian Desmond tapped a check-swing grounder to third. Chad Tracy lofted a flyball to shallow left field, with Bryce Harper feigning as though he was going to tag up, only to watch as Carl Crawford's throw sailed way up the first base line. Wilson Ramos then grounded out to the pitcher, killing the rally and leaving plenty in the crowd of 39,146 booing the home team's offensive futility.
Pitching highlight: The words "Strasburg" and "extreme heat" haven't exactly paired up well in the past. (Who can forget last summer's dehydration episode in Atlanta?) Give the right-hander credit tonight, though, because he battled through the sweltering conditions and turned in another fine performance. Strasburg even got better as the night wore on. After surrendering a two-run homer to Hanley Ramirez in the third (on a pitch that was down and away), he kept the Dodgers from scoring again. And he retired the last 11 batters he faced, departing on a high note. Some may ask why Johnson didn't leave Strasburg (at 104 pitches) in for another inning. But under these conditions, there was no reason to send him back out. He churned out seven quality innings, and that should've been good enough on this night.
Key stat: With two hits tonight, Harper is now 7-for-9 with two doubles and two homers this season against Nolasco.
Up next: The series continues with another marquee Saturday night pitching matchup. Gio Gonzalez faces Zack Greinke at 7:05 p.m.
182 comments:
Frustrating loss... 4th inning... Well that says it all...
Hopefully we can win the next 2...
Soriano, really???
Nolasco wanted to give the game to the Nats and they didn't take it. That's the whole story.
3rd place feels right for this team. Any team that is highly dependent on Chad Tracy for defense and hitting has no hope whatsoever.
Harper was 2/4 with a double and people are upset at him? I think some of you want our guys to bat 1.000. Come on.
Soriano has been great all year. He threw a good pitch and got beat.
You'll tell me to stop "defending" the team. I'm not defending it. There is NO EXCUSE for leaving the bases loaded with no outs. But at least direct your anger at the proper people. It ain't Harper or Soriano.
And we are back in 3rd place.... Unh...
The Dodgers are likely to win one of the next two, but yeah, you can hope all you want.
Davey leaves Scott Hairston on the bench in the 7th when he should've been pinch-hitting him for Span. Not sure what Davey was waiting for with a man on 1st and 1 out.
Mattingly was managing like Game 6 and Davey was managing his same ole way.
Whose mad at Harper and Soriano?
Mick, Mrs B. In the other thread.
I hope this ends all the "untuck" garbage. DCSportsBog, I am looking at you.
Knight agrees with me. Why throw a low pitch Eithier, that is his hot zone.
You all ssy it was a good pitch. Not to the Eithier is it. That is where he lijes it so
I am glad Knight said what I knew was true.
Terrible pitch choice.
So disappointing but what else is new.
I realize there are some people here with rose colored glasses that will continue to plead with all of us that its not over till its over, but you guys are fighting a losing battle.
Again, I will root for my home team. I will get upset as we lose game after game that was definitely winable.
But please, don't tell me this is a team that is all of a sudden going to turn on a magic switch.
Just very depressing, but its not like I don't have practice at being depressed with a baseball team from Washington.
Soriano has given up 4 runs total since the middle of May. Sorry, he's done everything he could possibly do. If you give him a 0 or 1 run lead repeatedly, eventually he's going to blow it once or twice.
No reason to be. I quit readibg his stuff as it never makes sense to me.
Meet the new half (season), same as the old half.
Well Ghost - you can say DJ should have Ph'd for Tracy in the 4th... It was 1 out, needed a sac clay (at least) from that batter.... Tracy goes in and is stupid...
I didnt think Soriano should have been in during the 9th....
Bah...
Soriano served up a home run ball in the last inning, again.
Lol MnF... Lol...
I am not a quitter, they might be, but I am never.
I said I believe i take losing hsrder than they do though, david proctor, i know couldn' as I would not accept it quietly.
Mrs. B, not only are we in 3rd, we also drop behind the Dodgers in the Wild Card race so two teams pass us tonight.
Mick goes nuts and is a big reason I don't read "in game" posts. He just takes the guy who doesn't perform that game and wants him gone or benched or something. I tell you who should be gone and that is Chad Tracy. I would like to see even Mr. Proctor defend that.
Rizzo did nothing to help the offense in the off-season. Nothing. He actually did the opposite. Our defense is fine.
Manassas Nats' Fan said...
Knight agrees with me. Why throw a low pitch Eithier, that is his hot zone.
That ball has to hit the dirt in front of the plate. It didn't. Let me know how many Ethier hits out like that?
Soriano has given up 4 homers all year. Craig Kimbrel has given up 3. This is the second home run Soriano has given up since April 9.
never should have had Soriano in there to face Ethier, should have been Krol or Abad, that's on Davey.
I would at feel it is a moral victory if they would fire Eck.
I would much rather give the Dodgers hitters credit because they got it done.
Yep.
Strasburg was so-so. I agree with Davey on that. We had hoped for the second coming of Walter Johnson and instead we got a very good pitcher, but not one who seems special compared to other talents in the league.
Eithier had a pitch where he loves it and didnt missit, like we do a lot.
Tomorrow is another day. Davey could be a philosopher.....
sjm308 - yep, that's pretty much how I feel. The Dodgers just passed the Nats in the WC standings and the Phillies are about to pull even. The chances of a turnaround, long already, are getting longer every day. As Mark said, they have used up their mulligans.
This game was fn déjà vu all over again. Words can't describe how disappointing this season has been.
David Proctor: I hate to argue with someone who has defended our lads through thick and thin but Soranio is a closer. This was a tie game. Everyone in the pen is fresh. He had Storen, Kroll, Abad and Stamman. You don't put your CLOSER in unless its a closer situation. I blame Davey on this and blame Rizzo for Tracy staying here this long.
Stars was excellent! WTF... Davey is wrong...this game is on his sorry, no account hitting period...shame on Davey to say anything negative about Stars...he retired the last 11 in a row!
Strasburg is absolutely special. Maybe he's not a Hall of Famer, we don't know--he's 25. But there would be 29 other teams lining up to take him, guaranteed.
Also second he has given up sin July 13
Your only as good as your last few appearabces, and 2 of last 3 he cost the team big time.
William O. Douglas Longname says "Our defense is fine."
No, it isn't. It was OK tonight, no errors. But we're 15th--dead last--in fielding in the NL.
I don't blame Soriano for this loss... He gave up a HR, it happens...
Bases loaded, no outs... No runs scored... 1 for 9 in RISP... That's the game...
We had Nolasco on the ropes twice tonight and failed to take advantage...
I'm numb. This is why trading for Garza won't make a difference. This team situationally is a mess. Chad Tracy shouldn't be on this roster and Span shouldn't be leading off and should've been pulled for Hairston. Again, I said it before the at-bat so not talking in hindsight.
Davey manages with his head in the sand. A shame to see him out-managed by Mattingly.
" You don't put your CLOSER in unless its a closer situation."
This is not true at home. It's impossible for a closer to have a save situation at home if it's tied going into the 9th. The rule of thumb is that closer gets top of the 9th at home. That's commonly followed.
When closers are not closing they pitch so much worse.
Steve M., Span is hitting over .300 at home and against right handers. Why would you not want that at the top of your lineup?
I mean, Span did get on base twice today.
I am sounding like Mick and others so I will just say good-night. Hopefully I can bring them luck tomorrow. I am taking all my hats and rearranging the order. Not much more I can do. god I hate having such high expectations come crashing down.
Go Nats!!
Soriano, Span, and Haren. The National's confederacy of dunces built by the Rizz. I am hoping the Nat's bring Ray Knight on as manager next year. Perfect candidate.
sjm...i am blaming the offense, soriano was just the finishing touch
look this team is done in 2013... very disgusted with this season...the only thing positive is watching the players who will be good one day
Davey being critical of Stras takes the cake...i think Davey should go if he is even implying blaming Stras for this loss
It doesn't matter who is a closer. A pitcher is a pitcher. Walter Johnson used to pitch in relief all the time. Nobody in the stats world believes in the concept of closer. That is a wrestling concept brought into baseball so they can play music and pretend like it is a sure win. I blame LaRussa and the movie Major League, but being a closer has nothing to do with giving up a homer. What was Soriano's excuse on Saturday?
Paul - I also don't understand why Soriano was in... Abad or Krol should have been put in... I just don't think you out your closer in until you have the lead...
But Dodgers Manager was subbing here and there... Davey just say there..
When he came ib it was tied. When he left the mound he was behind. 1 inning 1 run. Not good in a tie game.
Sunshine, defense to me, means runs allowed per game, as opposed to offense, where you are trying to score. Our defense is fine. Our fielding might not be, but our defense is fine.
Correct so he should be the last pitcher in.
No need for him then.
Same hitting instruction, same result. This team is lost at the plate. Has been for a long time and continuing to do the same things and expect different results is the story for this team. Such a waste of good pitching.
I'm not sure what all of you are talking about. At home, if it's tied in the 9th, you bring your closer in. Almost all managers abide by this. There is no possibility of a save opportunity anymore because if the Nats take the lead, they walk off.
Soriano is not the reason the Nats lost this game...having said that, when the Nats become sellers, which should be now, please trade him as the Nats would get something of value for him for 2014
I tip my hat to Ethier... He just went down and got it...
Agree Ghost. I think Davey has missed the boat a lot lately
Hitters have been terrible all season.
Davey and Eck's approach and mine are different. But if they win it is ok. If tgey lose then change.
David Proctor, are you Mike Rizzo?
ok, a little comedy will do us all well, good night, will still watch them tomorrow...maybe.
Span wasnt the issue tonight either... We will have to do something about a 5th pitcher if Det can't go...
This was definitely top 7 in frustrating losses for the Nats...
That is power zone, so to pitch there was stupid.
Key was he took adcantage of the mistake.
Davey falls asleep about 930 again as tge strategy seems go after that time of night.
This game was lost in the 4th inning. Desmond checked his swing, he didn't mean to hit it. I'll excuse that, I guess. Ramos has earned the benefit of the doubt, although he had a bad night.
But Tracy...what has he done? Who does he have naked pictures of? If this team has any hopes of winning, they need to replace Tracy NOW.
David Proctor said...
Steve M., Span is hitting over .300 at home and against right handers. Why would you not want that at the top of your lineup?
I mean, Span did get on base twice today.
I go by trends and the last 2 weeks he's batting near .238 in leadoff and he had just had that nice 3-4 game where he batted 7th. Leave him there but when Mattingly brings in the lefty to face him it's Davey's job to counter late in the game with Hairston especially with 1 on and 1 out. Span is batting near .120 vs LH relief pitchers.
David Proctor said...
I'm not sure what all of you are talking about. At home, if it's tied in the 9th, you bring your closer in. Almost all managers abide by this. There is no possibility of a save opportunity anymore because if the Nats take the lead, they walk off.
sorry but not against a veteran L handed hitter that can hit a HR which is exactly what happened, would rather him do that vs. a L handed pitcher in my BP.
In almost every loss the same formula happens.
If the players really want to change results they need to do something different.
Chad Tracey is this years Mark DeRosa
And now he's gonna come on and mumble like Norv used to. "We're a good team...we coulda..we shoulda....we're close."...blah blah blah. We are what we are, a below .500 team with horrible, horrible hitting. A decent high school pitcher could go 6 innings against us
Secret wasian man said...
All soriano cares about is untuxking his stupid shirt
Hes not a national.
exactly... he is not a Nats like Morse was...this where I really get mad at Rizzo... I do not like Soriano's demeanor or him at all.. Clip should be the closer...the problem is, this team may not have many games to close as I think disaster lies ahead the rest of the way.. 3rd or 4th place finish in 2013 plain and simple...85 losses is what I have said since May, but that may be good enough for third place
yippie
On Tracy pathetic pop it ends up Crawford's throw was 25 feet off target. If we could see that coming, then we score.
"sjm308 said...
David Proctor: I hate to argue with someone who has defended our lads through thick and thin but Soranio is a closer. This was a tie game. Everyone in the pen is fresh. He had Storen, Kroll, Abad and Stamman. You don't put your CLOSER in unless its a closer situation."
At home in a tie game, the top of the ninth IS a closer situation. You can't hold your closer while you wait for a save situation in extra innings, because that is impossible. So the closer will have to pitch in a non-save situation if he pitches at all. Why have him pitch the top of the ninth? Because in a tie game you have to warm him up in the bottom of the eighth in case your team goes ahead and a save situation arises. It's always better to have a pitcher pitch right after you warm him up instead of sitting him down and warming him up again later on.
Any other time Tracy can come in and get a decent pop up... But not today...
Just terrible...
Most disappointing DC team in a long time. Rivals the Skins teams of the early 2000's for unfulfilled hype. Now, the Skins had the problem of firing too many coaches. The Nats, knowing this isn't a baseball town, aren't going to do anything. You think sitting Stras last year would have flown in Boston, New York, LA, or even St. Louis? Rizzo cares more about the players in the clubhouse than the results on the field. That is the definition of a losing franchise.
BigCat..I hear you, Norv Turner exactly...at least Davey is not saying "we gotta make plays"
lol
39,000 fans out there and they get this A ball hitting. Pitiful
TheRizzo moves have not worked out well that is for sure.
I dont care who plays as long as we win.
Our hitters simply are not executing with RISP.
On top we have not homered in over a week.
Soriano's demeanor is great. It's exactly what you want from a closer. This notion of him not being a National is ridiculous. He wears a Nationals uniform, he's a National.
Everyone wants Clippard to be closer again. Funny, because last year when Clippard struggled, people were calling for him to be traded. Clippard's ERA last year was much higher than Soriano's and he gave up WAY more home runs.
You're taking out your frustration on the wrong guy.
How did that work?
"We competed tonight, hey...we make a play here, or make a play there...we win the ball game. I'm proud of my guys."
Norv
Thats an excellent analysis of why Soriano should have been pitching so my anger is misdirected slightly but why would you not bring one of your lefties in to face Ethier?
Last saturday he screws up harens 1-0 game tonight a 2-2 game screwed.
2 of 3 not a good stretch.
When we are not hitting, pitchers can make 0 mistakes late
When tgere is no room for errors that means 0 errors or you get blamed.
Still didnt sound as mas as I would have been.
sjm, exactly!! see mine of 10:18pm...ok, now i am done.
Just so much bad luck and unlucky BABIP. Desmond's checkswing easily scores RZim if its 3 feet to the left or right of Uribe and not right at him.
The big problem is the constant exposing of the bench. A regular is sick and you have to call on Tracy. Just sickening.
As Joe Gibbs said in term 1 tonight was a gut check. We failed.
BigCat said...
39,000 fans out there and they get this A ball hitting. Pitiful
exactly and that is what the Lerners are looking at. They have to be sick to their stomachs and I would not shocked to see both Rizzo and Davey out on their asses before the season is over. Nats are 6th in the NL in attendance. This town loves baseball and deserves better
I dont know how to determine Babip. But are weany more unlucky than othet teams?
if Davey put Span down to 7th and he got 3 hits, why is he back leading off tonight?
Oh hell, I'm going to bed. We will not hit until Eck goes. Funny how Espi has started to hit now. He has come out of the toxic ECk presence and cleared his head and is finally hitting. Rendon is starting to get the Eck blank stare now. He will be down to .215 in a couple weeks. A shame
If Davy has to go for Eck to go they both would have gone mid May.
Yeah, fire the guy who brought the team from 60 wins to where it is now. And don't give me that crap about drafting Strasburg and Harper. It's more than that. It's sticking with Desmond when everyone wanted him DFA'd. It's signing Werth, who is our best hitter right now. It's trading for Wilson Ramos. It's developing Jordan Zimmermann (I realize Rizzo didn't draft him). It's trading for Gio Gonzalez.
This team has a very strong core. The issue is the supporting cast is not so good. In fact, the supporting cast is awful.
Eck has toxin Rendon I am afraid.
Honestly, I think L.A. has a better 8 than we do. I also think that they have two pitchers who are better than any of our pitchers. It is disappointing to see Desmond always behind 0-2 in the count. He should just start there and save us all some time, but it isn't as though we lost to the Marlins....
Oh....I forgot. Haren is back to.
(covers are pulled over head....night night manassas.)
David you have a very low bar. You seem quite satisfied with mediocrity. You must have been given trophies for finishing in 5 th or 6 th place.
Rizzo good til this years acquisitions.
However keeping Eck is my number 1 problem since 2010.
Firing might do nothing. Keeping is definitely doing nothing.
The Nats are now 5 and 37 when they score less than 3 runs a game. In 19 of those losses, their winning opponent scored 3 runs or less (tonight is number 19). The futility is astounding. This season (which is all but over) has been absurd.
Proctor how is thanksgiving dinner at the Rizzos?
I have high standards and I expect them to snap out of it and wib 12-15 in a row.
Problem is they dont think they can do it.
mick, no matter how ticked we get at Davey and Rizzo they will finish the season out. Davey will retire and Rizzo is a question mark. Collectively so many bad personnel decisions. Henry, Espinosa, Tracy at the top of the list and they out-distance Haren. Haren should have had the hang nail 2 months ago.
Sigh. Why does everyone think I'm satisfied with .500? I'm not. But if you fire a GM because a team underperforms one season, ignoring all the progress he's brought, you're going to have a bad time. It wreaks of panic. Winning organizations do not do that.
Rizzo has hit far more than he's missed.
I'm not satisfied, but I'm also not going to go wildly overreacting like many on here.
Come to the point i would prefer to lose 10-9 then 3-2.
Our hitters are not earning their money.
Tomorrow is a new day... Hopefully we win, hopefully Tracy will not be in the game...
Hopefully, we can take the next 2... Definitely need to finish this home stand a few games over 500...
They are only as good as the last few games.
The hitters loked like they quit to me
As I said as long as I think they care as much as me, that is ok. At this point I am no longerseeing that except a pkayer or two.
Yeah, frustrating loss. Stras was good Stras. Harper was obviously not tired. Clip was breathtaking. Whatever happened to Rendon and Ramos? Chad Tracy- oy. As soon as the 4 th ended, bases loaded. , no outs and we don't score, I saw the writing on the wall. However, some of the fans booing out there- ick, tacky.
William O. Douglas Loeffler
and to add to your point, Braves, Pirates, Reds, Cards, D backs and Phillies are better than Nats
this season's trade deadline and off season will shape the future for the Nats...either they get back in contention or they will stink for the next 5 seasons, there is no gray area here.
I see the Nats biggest issue being the bench is underwhelming.l. Not pitching, so much, but when you don't have capable back ups, well, we get the result we see...
None of our batters can be down or go thru a rough patch... We have no one capable, really, to replace them...
Again - the goon squad over achieved last year, I actually think what we are seeing from them is what to expect...
However, some of the fans booing out there- ick, tacky.
swami...can you blame them? it will only get more ugly as this home stand goes on and that is when the Lerners will have had enough
Braves have 3 reseres starting and are winning.
We use injuries as an excuse.
Swami - they deserved to be boo'd.... 3 pathetic at bats and not 1 run scored...
You pay to see pros do better.... Not half ass it, which the Nats did..
Manassas Nats' Fan said...
Rizzo good til this years acquisitions.
I disagree.
@WODL: Your point about defense (including pitching) is well taken. I misunderstood and thought you were just talking about fielding. Good point. I understand, and you're correct. Our problems are on the offensive side. We're offensive on offense.
Nats are 5th in the league in ERA... that should be good enough for post season...the offense is worse than the Senators of 1970-71, and those teams lost 90 plus games
Yeah, cause only Rizzo was responsible for the team's rise. Stan Kasten is gone. People make certain contributions at different times. Perhaps Rizzo took the time as far as he could and now they need a stats guys and not a scout as General Manager.
from First to Worse
If this team fires Mike Rizzo, it's clueless. I'll repost what I said before:
Yeah, fire the guy who brought the team from 60 wins to where it is now. And don't give me that crap about drafting Strasburg and Harper. It's more than that. It's sticking with Desmond when everyone wanted him DFA'd. It's signing Werth, who is our best hitter right now. It's trading for Wilson Ramos. It's developing Jordan Zimmermann (I realize Rizzo didn't draft him). It's trading for Gio Gonzalez.
Oh, and don't forget taking a risk on Anthony Rendon when many teams stayed away because of injury concerns.
This team could finish .500 and I would still support keeping Mike Rizzo. He's hit way more than he's missed. Every GM misses sometimes.
Making a change just to make a change is not a sign of a winning organization, it's the sign of a desperate one. Mike Rizzo would find a job very quickly if we let him go. Guaranteed.
David, I challenge that statement. I would say Rizzo has missed far more than he hit. Let me catalogue
1. Haren
2. Span
3. No lefty reliever
4. 100 million dollar contracts to two oft-injured players.
5. Espinosa - what does it take to get sent down on this team?
6. Tracy's extension
7. Sitting Stras last year
9. Oh, the prospects we gave up to get Span.
10. Drafting a reliever in the first round when Trout was available. That's a real head scratcher there. I can see missing on Trout, but a reliever?
11. Mismanaging Harper - Left, Center, Right whatever? But sitting Stras with no discernable injury.
There's more, but I'm tired.
I still blame the person who gave LaRoche the flu. Seriously.
The team is under achievibg big time. Most analyst believer tgey have the players. ( meaning Rizzo not tge problem)
Hitters are the problem.
Easy to solve.
This team could finish .500 and I would still support keeping Mike Rizzo. He's hit way more than he's missed. Every GM misses sometimes.
I agree with you and even if they do not finish 500 (they will not, 85 losses is what I say) I would give Rizzo one year to right this disaster. If he fails then I am afraid I will never see post season baseball in DC again in my lifetime.
Oh, and though tired as hell, I can't forget the nice little gem of a trade that got us HRod.
This team is going nowhere. I love them but they are stuck on neutral.
David... and sticking with a something that is failing over 96 games is also a sign of a losing team. If it is not the players it is Eckstein, if it is not Eckstein, then these players are not good. it is one or the other
DJB makes a strong case!
Or borh
My problem is we just wont score enough runs.
Our hitting approach when we have people on base, we simply seem to freeze and stop doing what needs to be done. Get the big hits.
William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
Yeah, cause only Rizzo was responsible for the team's rise. Stan Kasten is gone. People make certain contributions at different times. Perhaps Rizzo took the time as far as he could and now they need a stats guys and not a scout as General Manager.
I'm looking for a GM who has eyes and is proactive. Rizzo compounds his mistakes. Henry, Espinosa, and Tracy to name the easy ones.
Rizzo should stay, if anyone is shown the door it would be last year's manager of the year who has been out managed all year.
Well Davey will be gone next year. The team is going to sink or swim with him this year.
DJB, I'm not ignoring your post. I'll respond to it in detail tomorrow. I'm just too tired to respond to 10 or 11 points right now. Suffice it to say, we disagree a lot.
Of our starting line up we had one batting below .260 and that one Tracy came up 3 times with a RISP .
Talk about a wasted player.
We have to quit placing batters inder . 250 as a reguar more than once in a blue moon.
Our hitting is not good enough to keep up that madness.
This team needs to score runs, plain and simple. They need to hit better with RISP. If they can somehow manage this, I think we can make the wild card or win the East if ATL doesnt get hot & Philly stays around 500.
Unless every single player is worse this year than past years, then they should be better. Get rid of Tracy and maybe change the hitting approach of the team in certain situations.
I started saying this from game 6 on.
Sounds like it was a pretty frustrating game. Growing up a Giants fan, my second-favorite team has always been whoever the Dodgers were playing. So I HATE not beating L.A.
That said, I think it's funny when people who can't hit a marked keyboard accurately with all the time in the world complain that Soriano misses with a 90+ fastball by a couple of inches.
MNF, I don't mean you, I understand you can't see it. I'm just saying.
Yeah Coolhand. The problem is every game we lose now is an extra game we have to win later. Time is running out. Still time for now, but it keeps getting harder. We have to win this homestand, no doubt about it. And not 6 games. I think we need 7 or 8.
Harper misses a month and he is only 4 runs from taking the team lead.
Welcome to my complaint games in april are lost cant be made up later.
People kept saying its early.
A loss is a loss regardless when.all are bad.
No one here is being paid 14M a year to hit a keyboard accurately, however Soriano is paid that much to make outs when the team needs them. Two blown games out of 3. I have to pay for my seat in sec 106. I assume you do to in sec. 1 D. Since you weren't there, and staying in an A/C house on your sofa maybe you should keep your comments to yourself and your sofa. I was, and had to put up with bad home team baseball yet again and a lousy drive home.
Harper misses a month and he is 4 walks away from team lead.
Seems whoever (mick) who is on Harper's case seems misdirected.
Um, we're all entitled to comment whether we're at the game or not, Nats106.
If you want to see something funny, watch this gif of CarGo trying to lay down a bunt:
http://cdn2.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CARGO-BUNTFAIL.gif
Soriano missed by about a foot not a couple inches.
That twice in 3 games, which for a closer is way to close together for screw up.
Yeah, whatever. Its a free country, Proctor. I think you get my point though (maybe)
Oh and thanks Manassas, for that observation. We can pay Storen much less to screw up.
Soriano has given up 2 or more runs 3 times. Storen has done it 7 times. Soriano has given up 4 runs total since the middle of May. Storen has given up 4 runs in 1 game.
Facts. Who needs em.
Davey should have PH for Tracy in the second inning
Great analysis. Distill that to salary per runs allowed and publish it.
Here is where my thought they don't take it as hard as some fans.
I rarely fall asleep before 3 or 4 on nights we loses. I go plays in my head tgat were the reason we lost, and when I get up around 8 i think some more.
When I was young i didnt care as much as i had work to do. Now that I am old, i have nothing else to do.
I am betting I thibk about it more than most of them.
For anyone who cares the A's look awful tonight.
I was thinking the same.
Late inning guys for us give up more than late inninng guys for the opponents
Whether or not you go to a game doesn't make you more or less of a fan. You can live 100's of miles away and still bleed with every loss like you are in the ballpark ~ although it costs you much less.
William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
Yeah, cause only Rizzo was responsible for the team's rise. Stan Kasten is gone. People make certain contributions at different times. Perhaps Rizzo took the time as far as he could and now they need a stats guys and not a scout as General Manager.
-I'm sorry if I don't know how to cut and paste a comment, but this is the one gem I agree with. We don't need scouts as GM's, we need stats guys. I don't trust the eyes of a scout. We need an advanced numbers-crunching front office. It's about run differential, not whether such-and-such player "looks" like the prototypical lead-off batter. We also need to consider injury history, and not invest money and time developing players who will either never make it on the field or will see their playing windows reduced. And we sure as hell don't need to be doling out long-term contracts to such players, especially when said player does not produce or prevent enough runs in the first place to justify the contract.
"sjm308 said...
Thats an excellent analysis of why Soriano should have been pitching so my anger is misdirected slightly but why would you not bring one of your lefties in to face Ethier?"
Because top of the ninth in a tie game you're looking at the real possibility of extra innings, i.e. maybe needing a lot of pitchers. You don't want to burn your LOOGY pitchers unless it's a high leverage situation. Bases empty is not a high leverage situation. Couple of men on base, maybe. Soriano being the closer is one of your better relievers if not the best. He should be able to get a lefty out or at least hold him to a relatively harmless base hit without needing to bring in a LOOGY to do that.
In my presense they have actuakky pkayed pretty well.
8-3
Agree frustrating for all, but people who actually pay feel their money was wasted.
A GM should not get credit for making the unanimous selection with the first pick in a draft and it working out. The GM should get credit for a 25th pick that turns out to be very, very good. Jordan Zimmerman, for example, is a pick to commend.
Soriano himself not the problem his locating a pitch in Ethiers red zone was the problems. A foot shorter like he meant then no problem.
He was 2nd roundnot 25th so he doesnt quite fit your example, but your point is correct.
More Nats106...less David Proctor!!!
Actually Manassas, these losses really resonate with me, unfortunately. I endured too many years of bad baseball here. am actually old enough to be a Senators fan, which I was. two years ago when you could see this team emerging, it was a feeling I had when I lived in St Louis in 1984-86. They could win and proved that they could. The last several years are a constant frustration with a 1 year hiatus in 2012. I can't tell you how many games I was surrounded by Phillies fans the last 3 years. And endured the BS tomahawk chop. After last year's tease, this year's marginal performance is brutally disappointing. Not so much that they are a bad team, but they have been managed to be a bad team. How do you load the bases with -0- outs and not push a run across- somehow, someway. They are so much better than a 500 team, but appear to be destined to finish there this year.
It is just dishearteming. Unfortunately, I will be there tomorrow and Sunday, and if I hit a Pirates game, I'll be the one person wearing a Cardinals jersey-mainly to annoy any Pirate fams that will be in the general area. I should apologize for my grumpiness, but it was 98 degrees at game time, so hopefully people will give me a pass.
Uh...thanks?
25th pick was reference to GM who picks a Mike Trout.
Manassas-8 and 3 really? I have a couple of Pirates tix I can't use on Wednesday. Let me know if you want them.
I will be there Sunday with my Zimmermann jersey and monday with my Zimmerman jersey.
This team is frustrating, as they keep making the same executional errors in almost every loss. And lots of wins have those same errors.
It seems to me they should learn and quit making the same mistakes. However they arent learning.
Thought you meant 25th round. Sorry.
Mule (just returned to stable from the Nats game) opines that Mark's recent power rankings are about right. He had, at the break, Nats #14, Dodgers #15, Phillies #16.
At this point in time, it appears that the Dodgers and Phillies are slightly better ballclubs than we; both continue to play slightly better baseball.
3rd place in the NL East is not some sort of outrage. Rather, is it where this club and these players see themselves; it is their comfort zone.
This is highly unlikely to change. Fans must adapt, adjust and accept. It is, after all, what it is.
Only thing worse than a Nats loss, a trip to the dentist
My 3 loses braves 9-0
Orioles 6-2 (memorial day)
Pirates Fridat at pirates 3-1
All you people clamoring for Rizzo to be fired, keep this in mind. They will already have to hire a new manager/coaching staff for next season. That's a major decision usually made by the GM. If you fire the GM, then you have to conduct a GM search before conducting the manager search, which puts you behind the eight ball on that as well as on player acquisitions which are also the GM's responsibility. This ain't football where you can hire a Shanahan or Gibbs to be head coach and de facto GM. Any baseball team that fires its GM is setting itself up for several years of rebuilding. Look at the Cubs under Theo. The Nats are underperforming this year. They don't need to blow up the whole organization to fix that. Getting the right manager should solve that problem. Best to let Rizzo get started on that as soon as this season is over. Actually, he's probably laying the groundwork on that already.
As Al Davis says "Just win Baby".
We do not believe in that.
Manager not getting the players to play.
GM is less the problem then is the players under achieving (basically the hitters)
I was surprised tonight by how often we did little things well. A hit and run that worked. A few productive outs. 1st to 3rd on singles. Started to feel like a fan of the Cardinals. But then I remembered some bad at bats with RISP.
And as wasteful as Tracy was in the batter's box I don't recall him playing poorly in the field.
The other night I caught the G4 NLDS Nats Classics. Reminded me of how much the team is missing in the clubhouse this year. Morse. Burnett. Bo Porter. You could see the camaraderie among those guys in that game last year. I don't see the same leadership now, especially with Bryce playing very subdued this year.
Our hitters have little to know urgancy.
Strasburg though was fine, but as bad as our hitters are the 2 runs he gave up were 2 to many, but I was pleased, despite all the bad talksome commenters had for him.
Get your red on-a better analogy might be the Red Sox. Look at the difference with the elimination of Valentine and some deadweight players. Just by declaring World series or bust doesn't get you there. Like Manassas said-same mistakes over and over. Who's to blame there? Sounds like an issue that started in spring training and continues. Rizzo is in a no win situation. Johnson should either start managing this team to their ability or step down. Rizzo can't fire a legend.
Anybody going for the Davey Johnson bobblehead tomorrow night?
It's the old chicken and egg conundrum. Does camraderie beget winning, or does winning beget camraderie? And does it even matter? Teams can hate each other and still win, and losing teams can still be a great bunch of guys.
Rizzo's biggest mistake this year is has allowed
Johnson to accept the under achieving.
Should have been on Johnson's case enough to allow him to quit.
the A's win 1972-74 and they hated each other.
Just win Baby
When will the hitters decide to get serious?
So far they have not been to interested, but maybe it starts tomorrow.
Manassas, best last word of the night goes to you:
Rizzo's biggest mistake this year is has allowed
Johnson to accept the under achieving.
I know i am not pleased and I don't think you are pleased withvthe under achieving.
Since it keeps repeating itself, I can only conclude Davey is more tolerant than I wish he was.
>>> That's a major decision usually made by the GM. If you fire the GM, then you have to conduct a GM search before conducting the manager search...
The first search should be a President in charge of Baseball Operations, ie someone Rizzo has to answer to, assuming he's not fired.
Someone over Rizzo almost certainly would have rejected the $13 million to Haren and the $28 million to Soriano. He might also have "encouraged" Rizzo to reconsider the obsession he's had for Span for years.
Rizzo needs adult supervision.
I am just guessing, but cobtracts that high Mark Lerner has to give his vlessing, though I am not sure.
Mark Lerner isn't going to reject a baseball decision though.
A President with a baseball background would.
I will say this over and over. One of the most important stats in baseball is average with runners in scoring position. The Nats are terrible with runners on. Only Zimmerman and Lombardozzi hit in the clutch. I guarantee if Lombo had been up with bases loaded and no outs, he would have done something to get that run home. Instead we had Desmond hitting for the fences and Tracey who is horrible.
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