This season, the Nationals have scored 9 or more runs 3 times: May 13th (@ Colorado 14-6), May 31st (@ Houston 14-4), and yesterday, June 13th (@ Cleveland 9-4). Weird, by this pattern, we can expect to see another one on June 31st... wait... anyway....
After each of the 14 run games, the Nationals offense stagnated. As if there was a set number of runs a team can score in a week. After the Colorado game, the Nationals lost 7 of the next 8 games, scoring more than 3 runs only twice in that stretch. Same goes for the Astros blowout. The Nats lost 5 of their next 6, scoring more than 4 runs only once, and they lost that game 8-7.
Many teams are streaky with offense, and the Nats are obviously no exception. But the Nats are very, very streaky. The team, now 31-33, cannot afford to go on an extended losing streak at this point in the season. If the Nats lost say 5 of their next 6 again like they did after the Houston blowout, they would end up 6 games below .500, probably putting an insurmountable amount of distance between them and whoever was 1st in the NL East in that moment.
Washington has Monday off, but will head to Detroit on Tuesday to face a Tigers team with the 6th best batting average in all of baseball. The Nats will try to take them out with a combination of Lannan, Livo, and Atilano on the mound. I will try to preview Lannan's struggles and his matchup against Max Scherzer tomorrow when I start to discuss that game.
Until then, enjoy watching Adam Dunn bowl over Carlos Santana, over, and over, and over. I know I have.
Linked at Beltway Baseball.
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