The Washington Nationals stumbled toward the quarter turn pole (40/41 games) as they dropped five of six this past week to contenders Cleveland and St. Louis, getting outscored 20-3 while getting swept at home by the Cardinals.
Even OAR’s postgame concert Friday night couldn’t give the Nationals the necessary mojo.
This latest turn of events is rather sobering for those who thought the Nats would make the leap in 2025. And while there’s still plenty of baseball to be played, we’ve seen what this team is over an extended stretch.
But the hopes for a respectable 2025 are far from shattered, as the Nats will metaphorically turn the car around.
Digesting the Division: The NL East is shaping up to be quite a race, with the New York Mets (26-15) one and a half games better than Philadelphia (24-16) after both took their respective series over the weekend (Mets edging the Chicago Cubs while the Phillies won two of three at Cleveland).
Those two teams next meet in late June. Atlanta (19-21) dropped two of three in Pittsburgh, but drops by the District this week. Washington (17-24) is thankful that Miami (15-24) hasn’t gone on a heater in some time (last time they won consecutive games was April 22).
O’s Woes: Did the Birds just hit rock bottom? Getting swept in Minnesota dropped the Orioles to ten games under .500, a place they haven’t seen since June of 2022. After taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels, they host the Twins and the Nationals this week.
Diamonds Direct Diamond King: C.J. Abrams hit .435 while tying for the team lead with three runs scored.
Last Week’s Heroes: Dylan Crews may have hit just .100 this past week, but the rookie tied for the team lead in runs scored and runs batted in (three in both categories). Jake Irvin had the best outing of the starting pitchers, allowing two runs over 5.1 innings Saturday.
Last Week’s Humbled: Lucas Sims allowed six runs over one inning of relief and was released by the team. Eduardo Salazar and Jorge Lopez also posted double digit ERAs. Luis Garcia Jr. hit .111, while Josh Bell (.091) has yet to find his groove this year.
Game to Watch: Friday, the Nats begin a series in Baltimore against an Orioles team that might be coming off of consecutive playoff berths, but one that’s had more than a few issues this year. MacKenzie Gore currently leads the majors in strikeouts and takes to the mound in the series opener. Break out the crab cakes.
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