Monday, August 5, 2013

Instant analysis: Braves 3, Nats 2

USA Today Sports Images
Game in a nutshell: With plenty of incentive in the opener of a three-game series against the Braves, the Nationals burst out of the gates to take a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning and give Stephen Strasburg a chance to pitch ahead for a change. But the bats were mostly silenced after that, and Strasburg gave up a couple of runs to put the Nats in a 2-1 hole. A sacrifice fly did tie things up in the sixth, but a big-time squandered scoring opportunity in the seventh loomed large, and Tyler Clippard promptly served up the go-ahead homer to Justin Upton in the top of the eighth. The Nationals couldn't push the tying run across late, despite the unavailability of closer Craig Kimbrel in the Atlanta bullpen. So this all-important series opened on a decided down note, with the Nationals now four games under .500 and staring at a daunting, 13 1/2-game deficit in the NL East with 50 to play.

Hitting lowlight: When they make the commemorative DVD of this season, they might just want to show every Nationals at-bat from this game. It pretty much summed up the entire year for this lineup. They put the leadoff man on base in seven of nine innings, a promising sign. Except only once did that runner end up scoring, in the bottom of the sixth on Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly. The Nats went 1-for-10 with men in scoring position, continuing yet another disturbing trend and leaving the crowd of 33,002 exasperated, never more so than in the bottom of the seventh, when Scott Hairston's leadoff double was wasted by Jayson Werth's strikeout, Bryce Harper's (admittedly smoked) lineout to right and Ian Desmond's dribbler in front of the plate.

Pitching highlight: Perhaps sensing the significance of this game, Strasburg seemed to take the mound with an extra sense of purpose tonight. He struck out the side in the top of the first, hopped off the mound several times when he thought he had a third strike and dialed up his fastball to 98 mph. Strasburg wasn't perfect, especially in the top of the fifth, when he paid no attention to Upton and let him steal second base without his catcher or middle infielders so much as moving a muscle. That proved costly when Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Braves the lead. But continuing a recent trend, Strasburg finished strong, retiring the last six batters he faced on 18 total pitches and end the night with nine strikeouts.

Key stat: Strasburg has now surpassed the 110-pitch mark 12 times in his career, 10 of those starts coming this season.

Up next: The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday when the recently exonerated Gio Gonzalez takes the mound, trying to put the bad memories of last week's thrashing in Detroit behind him. Right-hander Julio Teheran gets the start for Atlanta.

136 comments:

  1. Hairston had no business batting against the righty. He needs to bat against lefties and ONLY lefties.

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  2. Beyond pissed... Terrible.... Terrible... Terrible... BP comes in and screws it up... Hairston in against a RhP.... Runners in scoring position a time or two... And then Chad Tracy comes in and swings at the first pitch for a damn pop up...

    I'm so pissed...

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  3. Yeah, MrsB. I'm pissed also. Just too many mistakes to win a very winable ballgame. This really sucks.

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  4. MrsB -- don't blame the pen. It's the bats,of course.

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  5. Davey quit on this team a month ago.

    His decisions have been awful with personel.

    Hairston against Minor was fine.

    Why Hairston batting against waldon.

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  6. Braves signed Justin Upton and Chris Johnson in the offseason. The Nats signed Denard Span. Nuff said.

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  7. Ghost Of Steve M. said...
    MrsB, we are on it again. Hairston vs a righty? Seriously?

    =====

    Lol - it's like the worst kept secret.... Another game where the manager was ineffective when he needed to be... We totally should have won't this game... Bt the first inning dumb move by Trent and the non bunt/at bat by Jayson....

    I mean damn, this is frustrating... And then he leaves Hairston in to face a RHP - why?!?!?!?!

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  8. The Nats have nothing to lose, Ray.....

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  9. Freddie Freeman 2 hits with RISP. Neither hit hard. Our batters swing for the fences ever time with worse results.

    People complained Joe West to the best of my abikity I have not heard the compkaint.

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  10. BP allowed a run... Sorry Sonny... But Clip threw that fat pitch right over the plate... To a guy who is SO prone... It's a shame...

    But don't get me started on the Ineffectiveness in the bats... Leaving Hairston in 2nd was just pathetic...

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  11. I am totally against throwing against guys who showboat homers, but not everyone agrees with me.

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    Replies
    1. I thinking a good candidate to plunk tomorrow night.

      Delete
  12. I had to flip off what is Davey saying?

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  13. Actually MNF - no one complained about West tonight... He actually made a correct call... Besides that, I forgot he was in the crew...

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    Replies
    1. Complaint was wrong word. What was he correct about? Unless you sre watching it makes no sense.

      My daughter interfered with my game tonight.

      Delete
  14. Rizzo did a terrible job this year.

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  15. I didn't know groundhog day could have a sequel. Or is that an oxymoron?
    Does someone in the bullpen always give up a run or more? Okay, that was rhetorical

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    Replies
    1. Seems true to often someone in the bullpen screws up.

      Hitters have generally is the real problem with the team.

      Delete
  16. Davey is saying that we will get them tomorrow....

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    Replies
    1. I care about tomorrow tomorrow, i want to know why Hairston batted.

      Did anyone actually ask him about Hairston?

      Delete
  17. MrsB @ 10:05 p.m.,

    You can't really blame the pitchers -- starter or bullpen -- for this one. The league average for runs/game is 4, the Braves average 4.5, and the Nats held them to 3. Tyler Clippard giving up the HR wouldn't have mattered if the Nats had scored the league average number of runs/game. Sending Wilson Ramos in the 2nd inning still sticks in my craw; you can't really assume Anthony Rendon would have gotten the same single he got in the 3rd, but that was two potential runs wasted. And while I tend not to believe in the notion of 'clutch' hitting, 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position is a stat that seems to repeat itself game after game after game.

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  18. Strasburg pitched like an ace should pitch. He screwed up by not checking the runner and all, but he was incredibly unlucky. 3 infield hits? He can't do anything about that.

    Sadly, the bats couldn't help him out. As usual.

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  19. The Braves brought in several key players during the offseason and have a very young squad. We brought in no key players and have ageing players at 1st, 3rd, RF and CF.

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  20. Sorry - meant sending Wilson Ramos in 1st.

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  21. We have no bats and Rizzo thought our biggest need was defense in center field.

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  22. It baffles me that our SPs come in... Throw good 6/7 innings and then the BP comes in... And offers gophers....

    Clip looked like he was scared to pitch to Upton... And then offers him the fattest ball... My head is beginning to hurt...

    And when Trent made the send - I said that was the dumbest thing in the world.... You send a guy who is injury prone with Hammy injuries and is slow against a good OF... I mean good lord - we can go down the line with all the mistakes tonight...

    I swear I got flashes of the Dodgers series...

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  23. The Braves signed BJ Upton to a 75 million dollar contract. I think they're regretting that one. And a 28 year old 3B is not aging.

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  24. Sorry MnF - it was a foul ball deep in the corner (camera actually showed it this time) but you know how it is... With the propensity for a joe to make wrong calls... He actually got a little but of props for making the right one...

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  25. The seventh inning was the season in a nutshell. crappy hitter gets lead off double. 3 supposedly good hitters DONT!!! deliver. again and again and again. Not to mention Zimm and Desi looking at 3rd strikes.

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  26. All of those people on the Nats' associated blogs said that Denard Span versus Justin Upton was a wash. I have looked and saw people saying that over and over. It makes you wonder if some of these "stats" guys ever watch baseball...

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  27. Again - Davey avoids a question about the no bunt in the 7th....

    Rizzo - do what you can and get Girardi...

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  28. Secret wasian man said...
    is there nobody on this team who can get a hit when it really matters? And what kind of pictures with Davey and farm animals must Chad Tracy own?

    ======

    Thanks SWM - I laughed like hell at this.... I needed this... You're alright in my book....

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  29. ANybody catch the Os series this weekend. MIKEY morse was drilling them in the gap. JUST SAYING>

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  30. This team SUCKS, and why are Hairston and Tracy even on the team. About the 35th winnable game kicked away. Second place is too good for this bunch of LOSERS!

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    Replies
    1. I bet more than 35. But the team does not suck.

      The hitting with RISP sucks.

      Delete
  31. RISP Nats 1 for 10. Braves 2 for 5.

    This season has been like this.

    Our hitters approach is pathetic. Schu talks the talk but doesnt walk the walk.

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  32. Nats = Bad Hitting

    Rizzo Solution: Denard Span and one of th Hairston brothers....

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  33. Between Trent and Davey the coaching doomed the Nats tonight.

    Strasburg with 2 mistakes that resulted in 1 run but otherwise pitched great.

    Did you hear the question Dan Kolko asked Davey why he didn't keep Strasburg to bunt in the bottom of the 7th? Davey seemed confused in answering him like it didn't even register.

    I don't know what has happened to Davey but he has lost it.

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  34. Maybe this year is a humbling blessing in disguise..

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  35. Im glad I can make folks laugh now and then. I am very negative at times but I do enjoy MOST people here. Gnight everyone

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  36. Hairston goes 2/2 with 2 doubles and a walk against the lefty and people hate him for not producing against a righty. He was not brought here to hit righties. Blame Davey, not Hairston.

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  37. "Our hitters approach is pathetic. Schu talks the talk but doesnt walk the walk."

    So you mean to tell me that changing the hitting coach didn't make a difference? Hmm. :)

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  38. WODL, be happy that Davey sat Span, the bad news is that he was replaced by Lombo. Net loss there as Span wouldn't have hit into 2 GIDPs.

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  39. The Nats need Remy Zero right now.

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  40. Eugene said: 'And while I tend not to believe in the notion of 'clutch' hitting, 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position is a stat that seems to repeat itself game after game after game.'

    ======

    You know what repeats itself, that I notice - Nats score __ runs in the first inning and then do nothing afterwards...

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  41. David Proctor said...
    Hairston goes 2/2 with 2 doubles and a walk against the lefty and people hate him for not producing against a righty. He was not brought here to hit righties. Blame Davey, not Hairston.


    100% correct. It was such an obvious move and Davey doesn't get it.

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  42. Agree mrs B that's why we need to get more than 1 run when we have the chance. Sending Katanka (buffalo) in the first inning was foolish.

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  43. NOT sure why Stras didnt bunt in the 7th.

    What about Hairst batting. Did anyone ask?

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  44. Lombo has shown that he shouldn't play every day....

    Ghost - I tell ya, people gonna think we are the same... Lol, I said the same thing about DJ and the no bunt question...

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  45. My son and I just laugh whenever the Nats get a runner on third with no outs.

    We were thinking that there should be a one to get a runner on third with negative one (-1) outs and then the Nats might be able to get said runner in....

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  46. Is anyone blaming Hairston here? I think we are blaming Davey. Check the posts there are plenty before he even fouled out saying NOOOOOOOO

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  47. Yeah MnF - someone asked DJ and he skipped over it...

    It's gonna take me a long time to go to sleep tonight...

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    Replies
    1. Again no one is being responsible. If he asked a question he doesnt answer, ask it again.

      Be like my granddaughters ask the question until I answers.

      Delete
  48. What gets me Davey has made so many personnel errors. Especial from the 7th inning on.

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  49. DP - I don't think anyone is blaming Hairston... A lot of us are just saying he shouldn't have been put in that situation..

    If you recognize he can't hit RHPs, and I recognize that, along with thousands of others... How did up the 1 person that it mattered, not make that decision....

    Again - DJ not using his personnel effectively...

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  50. The team can't hit because they are not that good. It's been apparent since May that the team has major problems. The faithful was indignant that someone would point out that the team was seriously flawed. Perhaps the Nats will be a better team next year. With Rizzo running the show, it's pretty clear though that the Nationals have found their McPhee.

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    Replies
    1. They swing too hard and out of control.

      An easy fix if management would only demand it.

      Delete
  51. I just don't understand, D.P., how you maintain that Rizzo had a good off-season when you see what the Braves added. Granted, Upton was way more expensive but it was ludicrous for anyone to think that the two teams added equivalent center fielders.

    Why was Rizzo out to destroy this team offensively? I love NL baseball but you have to score one in a while. We are the worst offensive team in baseball in the history of teams that have won 95 games or more the previous season....

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  52. Playoffs are a crapshoot. If Rizzo gets us consistently to the playoffs like McPhee, I'd be thrilled. What happens once you're there is impossible to predict. I don't buy the narrative that the Caps are "chokers."

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  53. I would take Span over BJ Upton every single time, WODL. They have a sub-.200 hitter for 5 years and 75 million dollars. Even if you disregard the MASSIVE difference in pay, Span has outperformed Upton this year.

    I'm not even a big fan of Span, I just defend him because you get so ridiculously hyperbolic in your hate of him.

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  54. Caps are not chokers. The problem is that the NHL and MLB have chosen to adopt the NFL's mode of play-offs. Any team, any year that makes the MLB play-offs has a ten percent chance, roughly, of winning it all....

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  55. I blame Hairston. He is a major league hitter who gets paid millions of dollars and has to put a ball in play to tie the game. We here at he Insider love excuses - oh my God, he had to hit a righty, poor thing- and popped out in the exact type of at bat we got him for. Like most Nats he should be embarrassed cashing his huge paycheck.

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  56. MrsB loves the Nats said...

    Ghost - I tell ya, people gonna think we are the same... Lol, I said the same thing about DJ and the no bunt question...


    We do that a lot! All good.

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  57. I'm not defending Davey's choice to leave Hairston against a righty, other than to point out that Bernadina has had exactly two hits since the beginning of July.

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  58. Dodgers are killing it right now...

    In other news, Harper hasn't figured out LHPs yet... Hope that stops soon...

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  59. It was bound to happen with Clip, his Flyball/HR rate was unsustainably low. However (I was listening on the radio), it seems like maybe Upton was sitting on the change-up. Clip couldn't get a strike with his FB at the beginning of the AB. So he had to go to the change, which, being in the NL and being in the division. Upton knows. That is what happened to Clip last year, he got too predictable.

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  60. WODL if uptown was here he would have been run out of town by now. Look at the heat Werth gets for his paycheck and he is producing.

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  61. I would hit Kurt Suzuki over Hairston. Suzuki is good at at least putting the ball into play. And Davey has pinch hit with Suzuki before so he's not shy to do it.

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  62. No, the Caps aren't chokers. They're just not good enough, talent wise, to compete with the truly great teams. Same thing with the team Rizzo built. Not bad, but a few (very large) steps from greatness. And while Rizzo showed that he can turn a loser to a mediocrity, that's not the same thing as building a champion.

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  63. David Proctor said...
    Playoffs are a crapshoot. If Rizzo gets us consistently to the playoffs like McPhee,


    You didn't just compare hockey to baseball? One of the worst comparisons ever.

    30 teams in the MLB and the NHL. 16 teams make the NHL playoffs. If MLB did that, I think the Nats could make it every year for the next 7 or 8.

    Apples and oranges. smh

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  64. kk--I would not have put in Bernadina, I would have put in Tracy for Hairston. Tracy maybe gets the sac-fly or the ground out.

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  65. Then put Bernadina in for defense.

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  66. Justin Upton, and I would say that both Uptons are better than Span, unless your owner is poor....

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  67. DP, yes, Suzuki works also. Yes, you are taking a risk, with the game possibly going extras. Take the d+++ risk. As Davey himself said, "We needed this one." Well, if we needed it, get up of your duff and MANAGE.

    And if you wanted Span to bunt for a hit, you called on the wrong pinch hitter. I have only seen two guys bunt for hits this season, Bernadina and Desmond. So put Bernie in where you put Span in. PAY ATTENTION;.

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  68. NL - I said it in the open thread.. I wonder if this is the annual 'melt-down' for Clip... It just seems around this time the past few years, he seems to hit a bump...

    But it was obvious he didnt have the command at that point - I was screaming 'ball in dirt, ball in dirt'...

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  69. BJ Upton is the CF for the Braves. Span is better than BJ.

    Justin is better than Span. But we would've had to trade a lot to get him. I know Rizzo was interested in him (Rizzo is a big fan of both Uptons). It would've taken Alex Meyer certainly, but probably far more than that too. They traded one of their top pitching prospects in Delgado along with Prado. I'm not sure what our equivalent would be.

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  70. William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
    Justin Upton, and I would say that both Uptons are better than Span, unless your owner is poor....


    You sunk to a new low. I take Span over BJ Upton.

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  71. MrsB, "ball in dirt" on a 3-2 count might have been a walk. Well, of course that is better than a HR, and Clip walks guys all the time. Yes, he does seem to have a slump around this time of the year, though, to give Davey his due, he HAS tried not to over-use Clip.

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  72. KK - I also would have used Zook... But in the 7th, I would have let SS bunt for himself...

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  73. I wanted Span hustling down the line on the bunt like he smelled a hit on the bunt. When Janish slipped that could've made it bang-bang at 1st and especially since it was an off-line throw.

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  74. NL - Upton also has a propensity to 'reach' for pitches too... He would have bit on it.. He was expecting the change up... I know I was...

    But we have seen Clip get out of jams... Just disappointing...

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  75. I know nobody cares about "almost", but Harper absolutely KILLED a ball today that Heyward got to. That was really a turning point. Of course, if Werth moves Hairston over, that play is probably a sac fly. I thought that inning summed up everything wrong with the Nats. 1. Bad luck (Harper) 2. poor execution (Werth) and 3. just getting beat (Desi)

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  76. Bo Porter just called a sac squeeze to give the Astros a 2-0 lead over the much better Red Sox. Can we get Bo back?

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  77. Unfortunately almost doesn't count... I swear we kept hitting line drive after line drive after line drive...

    I feel like every time we take a step forward, we take 2 back...

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  78. MrsB, Clip got out of the jam just fine (big difference from Storen, who would have melted down if he gave up a HR and a single). Problem was, the HR came before the jam.

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  79. Nats Lady - at this point there is no reason to have confidence in any of the bench players. I don't know what got slipped into the Goon Squad's water cooler, but at this point I see little more chance that Tracy gets it done in that situation than Hairston.

    At this point they should call up Corey Brown and recall Tyler Moore (who is hitting again, unlike Espinosa) while dumping Tracy and Bernie. It could hardly be worse.

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  80. The good news is that if we make the play-offs this year, Rizzo has said that he will actually allow Strasburg to pitch. Giddyup!

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  81. Ghost, you are an idiot.

    Justin Upton. Try to read, both you and DP.

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  82. I would LOVE to have Bo Porter back!

    OK, so it took two good throws, a catch and a tag to get Ramos. Sorry, I still don't send him. My rule--if a fast runner gets caught at home by two good throws, a tag and a catch, you tip your hat. If it's Ramos (slow and coming of injury) YOU DON'T SEND HIM.

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  83. KK - I think the bench over-achieved last year... But when we needed a sac fly, DJ couldn't have out Tracy in (that's about all he is good for)

    Definitely encouraging that T Moore is hitting AAA right now but if we bring him up, I would prefer DJ play him as opposed to sitting him in the bench and maybe cooling off...

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  84. David, again, the right move was saving Werth and sacrificing Hairston to 3rd with Harp on deck.

    I said bring in JZim and Nats128 said just keep Strasburg in to Sacrifice. I think JZim is a better bunter but either one. When Kolko asked why Davey didn't keep in Strasburg to bunt, Davey said Strasburg wasn't going to pitch the 8th inning and talked about his pitch count. Well DUH Davey, you can pull him after the inning.

    Davey made poor choices. He used to talk about being a Math guy but has failed so many times lately on the right moves like PHing for Hairston for a LH.

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  85. Jamey Carrol just pitched a 1-2-3 inning...

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  86. Jamey Carroll with a great job as a relief pitcher. LOL 1-2-3

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  87. kk, agreed. I don't know what Tracy is doing on this team. Enough with him. (Just thought he might have a better chance than Hairston against the RHP, because NOT MUCH WAS NEEDED.)

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  88. Ghost - I was trying to figure out if that was a sac bunt or not by Span... Cuz it looked kinda funny... But did someone ask DJ if he gave the signal or not... I missed part of the press conference, I got so fed up...

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  89. Karl I agree. It's a lost season. I can't see Hairston being released - we are on the hook for another year - but no reason to keep Tracy and, although he is long tenured, Bernadina. Not in the long term plans. Send Tracy on his way and see if Brown or Moore are part of the future here.

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  90. Davey said he gave the "bunt base hit" sign. I've never heard of that before, but apparently it exists. Span said the Braves defensive alignment didn't make that possible, so he sacrificed.

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  91. LOL, 13-0? They might not have been trying very hard. I liked Jamey Carroll.

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  92. I'm split on Berny... For obvious reasons of course... But I think he gives you the defensive specialist that can be used... And his speed is a factor... But, the Ineffectiveness of our bench has definitely cost us some this year...

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  93. Justin Upton has played center field and he might actually have been willing to shift to left field. I still think BJ Upton is a better player than Span, provided an owner has deep pockets and is willing to pay. Both of them how power and field well.

    You guys are all hilarious to me. The Yankees bring in ringers and the Phillies bring in ringers some years, as do the Braves and Angels. Often, they don't work out, but the Nats have never even attempted to bring in a ringer, aside from a half-hearted attempt for Mark Teixera.

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  94. Even if he is thinking sacrifice, still run. With Span's speed and the slip and poor throw by Janish, if Span is motoring that's a close play. I don't know if he beats it. His baserunning won't win a heart & hustle award. That was disappointing.

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  95. Didn't the Nationals go after Prince Fielder?

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  96. And Ghost, if you think that Denard Span has been a better player than BJ Upton during their careers, then you may have a future as an intern for Mike Rizzo....

    And think of the perks, you can carry his water in person and shine his apples bright and sparkly....

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  97. Span is disappointing. Why should that surprise you?

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  98. No, Mannasas, the WHOLE TEAM SUCKS! They are chokers with the lowest baseball iq of any team in the league, even the sorry Marlins ans Astros play smarter ball. The Nationals just plain suck!

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  99. So, if I understand correctly, even in a situation where small ball was ABSOLUTELY called for, Davey refused to play small ball and expected Span to bunt for a hit?????? I'm sorry, Span did his job. Atlanta tried to give it back with the wild pitch. Runner on 3rd, one out.

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  100. David Proctor said...
    Davey said he gave the "bunt base hit" sign. I've never heard of that before, but apparently it exists


    Yah, that's a new one.

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  101. I don't think we really went after Prince Fielder. What we need is a guy like Miguel Cabrera at 3rd.

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  102. Unknown - lol, that harsh... It's a lot of talent on this team... Just not playing to the max... And it doesn't he when a manager isn't inspiring or effective....

    Lol but I can understand your frustration...

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  103. Anyway, I refuse to give up. Get the next two from the Barves (Gio and JZ). Then the Fillies and Giants coming in, we can beat both of those teams. Only 7.0 behind in the WC. WIN SOME GAMES.

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  104. The Rockies won 19 in a row one thyme.

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  105. Ha. Milwaukee tried the suicide squeeze and it didn't work!

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  106. William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
    And Ghost, if you think that Denard Span has been a better player than BJ Upton during their careers, then you may have a future as an intern for Mike Rizzo....


    They are 2 different players. If you've followed my scribblings for years you would know I don't want BJ Upton on my team as I think he's a cancer but I wanted Justin Upton in a trade prior to the Nats doing the Span trade.

    I don't think it's always about OPS as clubhouse chemistry is important.

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  107. This offseason Rizzo better earn his stripes.

    Meanwhile, football season will start soon. Should be interesting to see how the option QBs fare in the new year.

    Then Hockey...hope the Caps finally move forward, but somehow..I think not. Will fool us again.

    Wizards...let's see. If healthy, they have a chance for a 7 or 8 playoff seed. BUT who cares about that. Prefer to see them grab a real superstar. Maybe if Wall and Beal show well and Ernie is gone, may be possible.

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  108. WODL, do you think Span ran hard to 1st on that bunt?

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  109. Talent is useless when matched with stupidity. This team will win NOTHING. not this year. Not next. Not ever.

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  110. In my dream world, we sneak into the playoffs as a wildcard and then beat the Braves in the division series. So we go further than them despite them running away with the division. That would be a nice "f**k you" to that team.

    I hate Atlanta.

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  111. There is talent on this team. But a lot of talent? Their record and their level of play say otherwise. They can look good on paper. They can have a breakout year. The reality, though, is that many of the "talented" players peaked last year and are settling in to their norms. Rizzo has not proven that he actually can build a WS winner. He turned the Nats around. Arguably no small accomplishment. Beyond that, the judge has yet to make a ruling. And the evidence, so far, does not auger well for the defense (that Rizzo is a great judge of talent capable of putting together a great team).

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  112. NYDN Sports I-Team‏ @NYDNSportsITeam
    Everth Cabrera: I obtained banned drugs from #Biogenesis at urging of ACES consultant Juan Carlos Nunez. #MLB


    Wow, this is a new twist. The consultant made you do it.

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  113. The young pitching is very good and Storen will recover, but the team plays dumb baseball and s carrying way too man weak bats, LaRoche, span, Rendon, no power from Zim, the entire bench and Harper vs LHP. They need to go back to 2012 model. All power in the line up. Get Choo or morse next year and dump LaRoche when Skoleis ready next season. Rizzo is the best part of the team, he just had a bad year. Third base coach is poor as are hitting and pitching coaches, but these are minor factors at best.

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  114. Proctor I agree, hate the braves. I hope we make the playoffs but I hope I win the lottery too.

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  115. In an earlier post I questioned whether this team is a pretender or a contender. We have our answer as evidenced by our 1 - 10 with RISP. We are pretenders. To be brutally honest this team is a group of chokers. They are not a top tier team. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not a true fan but a true loser. Those who criticize should be called realists.

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  116. Stras is such an awesome pitcher. I saw only first two innings but WOW.

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  117. There are so many decisions you could have made other than having Hairston bat against a right handed pitcher and Davey chose none of them.

    Davey is, perhaps, the worst in-game manager in baseball. He constantly puts players in a position to fail. It's like he hasn't been watching this team play this season and he has no idea what his players are good or bad at.

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  118. Did anybody else hear an interesting comment about Strassburg by Davey. I believe I heard Davey say that he believes that there has been enough work on Strass' move to first base to have by now produced a better result. It seems that Davey said that by now Strass' move and when he will and won't throw over are so predictable that a steal is almost a sure thing.

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  119. Davey did sound frustrated by that. He said that they've worked with him on looking runners, throwing over, etc. but that he gets locked in and forgets to do it and he's set in his ways. Okay, maybe. But it's not just Strasburg. If it were a couple of pitchers, I'd get it, but if the ENTIRE staff can't hold runners, that has to be on the coaching staff right?

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  120. Great night for baseball. It was nice to see Hairston do something tonight. They played well enough to win, but it's clear they cannot beat a team like the Braves without playing error free ball. It's the little things that kill us. Strasburg pitched great, but one mistake in not holding that runner. Jewett sending a slow and injured catcher home against this OF. Yes, I know it was a close play at home-from my vantage point I had a hope that he was safe, but the reality is you have to do your homework not just in Spring Training but throughout the season. Why test that OF with a slower runner? They haven't won 10 in a row for nothing.

    That being said, Nats played well-Those that still believe we can make the playoffs, good for you. We have a top 3 rotation that is among the best. However, when you line up the position players, we only come out on top at 3 slots against the Braves. Fortunately for us, that is up the middle (Harper played CF tonight), so the foundation is there.

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  121. Also...one more thing. LaRoche's error in the first caused Strasburg to use a lot of pitches. If he doesn't burn all of those extra pitches, given how economical Strasburg's 7th inning was, he very well might have gone out for the 8th. Does Upton homer against Strasburg? Can't say, but I like those chances (in our favor).

    Just something to think about.

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  122. Forget the playoffs. It ain't happening. I will eat my collection of Nats hats if they make it and let everyone here know. I am that confident this sorry bunch of talented losers will choke away every chance they get and lose every game they play to a better than 500 club. They are going to get swept by the Braves and lose two of three to the sorry Phils. You readi it here first.

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  123. The Nats have a winning record against clubs above .500. They struggle against teams under .500. So educate yourself, unknown.

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  124. When we repeatedly second guess the way the bench is used and why players like Tracy, Hairston & Lombo are even in the lineup suggest the bigger problem lies with the core of this team. Seems to me teams are still using the scouting report on the Nats hitters from last year's NLDS: first-ball, fastball, free swingers; averse to advancing runners; prone to chasing and getting themselves out on pitcher's pitch.

    I feel for Davey as I am sure he had complete confidence of his regulars finishing the job this year and probably told each one of them "You're my guy" going in. Couldn't have foreseen this at all.

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  125. Davey did sound frustrated by that. He said that they've worked with him on looking runners, throwing over, etc. but that he gets locked in and forgets to do it and he's set in his ways. Okay, maybe. But it's not just Strasburg. If it were a couple of pitchers, I'd get it, but if the ENTIRE staff can't hold runners, that has to be on the coaching staff right?

    DP for a long time I agreed with you. however, during Spring Training and at other timesI have heard it said by the Nats pitching coaches (at all levels) that executing the pitch was paramount and that philosophy has only started to change during this year. However, to be fair, I saw more work on holding runners on and pickoffs during spring training. I saw this especially at the minor league levels. This goes to the philosophy Davey has developed when it comes to playing baseball. He believes that if you have a talented team then you should rely on the talents of the players and as a manager try and bring about situations that will allow those talented plaers to relax and exhibit their talents.The result should be a championship caliber team. In another words keep it simple. Well it seems that the rest of the league figured this out by the end of August last year and began playing ball in such a way that negated many of the Nats strengths/talents and exposed the team's weaknesses. Therefore, because the organization's philosophy of power pitcher/long to plate to gather and power hitter-many strikeouts, we leave many runners on base and allow many stolen bases and because of the belief in talent over fundamentals/small ball it is hard to bring about changes quickly and by that I mean during spring training and practice before the atart of a new series of games.

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