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If the Washington Nationals season wasn’t over before, it is now. After pulling off a dramatic win on Wednesday with Ryan Zimmerman’s 11th career walk-off home run, the Nationals have failed to score since. Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the New York Mets was Washington’s third straight shutout loss. It’s the first time the club has been shutout for three straight games since the franchise moved to D.C.
The Nationals offense has vanished. pic.twitter.com/QVTETfHHlQ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 25, 2018
They also became the first team this season to be blanked for three consecutive games.
That’s 27 straight innings without a run. They lost the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday 2-0 after Aaron Nola outdueled Max Scherzer in a battle of aces. Friday, the Nationals got blanked 3-0 against the Mets, giving Gio Gonzalez his first loss at Citi Field since 2014. Saturday’s baffling loss came despite Tanner Roark allowing just one run in six innings. The loss was Roark’s first since July 13.
This stretch has put a nail in the coffin of what’s been a disastrous 2018 season for the two-time defending National League East champions. A season marred with injuries, clubhouse drama, and questioning of first-year manager Davey Martinez is gracefully coming to a close with 31 games remaining. Saturday’s loss drops the Nats to a record of 64-66, nine games back of first place in the NL East and eight games back of the wild card.
The Nationals have already loss more games than they did last year (97-65) when they claimed their fourth NL East title in six years. The front office has already waved the white flag, trading Daniel Murphy (Cubs) and Matt Adams (Cardinals) in revocable waiver trades last week. The team elected to pull Bryce Harper off waivers after he was claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the six-time All-Star is set to be a free agent this winter.
