The good news is the Washington Nationals have their first three-game winning streak of the season. The bad news is that it took them 53 games to do so and they were the last team in MLB have a three-game win streak this season. What may be worse is the fact it happened via the woeful Miami Marlins, who have the worst record in the National League and second-worst in MLB.
Friday, the Nationals overcame an 8-4 deficit, rallying with four home runs, including a Juan Soto three-run shot in the eighth, for a 12-10 win.
Saturday, they got a complete game shutout from Patrick Corbin, who has been their most consistent starter for a 5-0 win. Sunday, the Nationals powered through a rain delay jumping out to 9-0 lead before winning 9-6.
The three wins were much-needed, clinching their second series win since Apr. 18. However, it’s hard to presume Washington is on the path of resurrecting their season. The three wins improved them to 22-31, and they still are nine games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Issues still remain and were laminated in the three-game win streak.
Still Searching for More Consistent Starting Pitching
They are still searching for consistent starting pitching beyond the trio of aces, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Corbin. Kyle McGowin, who was recently recalled from Triple-A Fresno had a forgettable first start as Jeremy Hellickson and Anibal Sanchez remain on the injured list.
McGowin gave up five earned runs and two home runs in four innings of work. Hellickson and Sanchez have both struggled this season, so with them out the Nationals were hoping to find a diamond in the rough option. With his now 9.00 ERA, McGowin doesn’t appear to be that through his first two appearances.
Washington will kick the tires on what to do with their fourth and fifth spots in their starting rotation as the season progresses.
Bullpen Is Still Broken
Even against one of the worst teams in the league, the Nationals bullpen was still just as shaky and unreliable as they’ve been all season. Friday, the bullpen failed to slow down the Marlins.
Joe Ross yielded three runs off two hits in one inning of work. His ERA rose to 9.22. His struggles to locate and attack the strike zone ultimately led to him being optioned to Triple-A Fresno.
While Corbin took care of business Saturday, the bullpen and its woes were back on full display in Sunday’s game. After a rain delay helped shorten Erick Fedde’s day — five shutout innings — the ensured win was halted as the bullpen allowed six runs in the eighth and ninth inning.
Javy Guerra, who the Nationals acquired after being released by Toronto earlier this month, allowed a two-run home run to Neil Walker in the eight. Then James Borque, who was called up Saturday from Double-A Harrisburg, made an unimpressive MLB debut.
Borque allowed two walks, three hits, and four runs in the ninth inning before manager Davey Martinez pulled the plug needing the game closed out.
The Nationals bullpen entered Saturday with an MLB-worst 7.09 ERA. Even the reliable closer Sean Doolittle has got in rut, allowing seven earned runs in his last four outings. His ERA has rose from 0.95 to 3.68 in that span.
But the biggest glaring issue is getting to Doolittle. The Nationals are in dire need of finding adequate setup men. Martinez admitted earlier this week Washington needs to “find a guy” for the seventh and eighth innings.
The options are limited 53 games into the season. It’s a topic for a later discussion, but it’s something that if not addressed properly, will be the bottom line to the failure of the season.
Nationals Bats Producing in Clutch
There were still some positives to the series for Washington. Given the nature of the season, three wins in a row is just that three wins in a row no matter the opponent. Additionally, the Marlins were coming in on a six-game win streak, while the Nationals were on a five-game losing streak.
If there is any hope of turning around the season, it had to start somewhere. A series loss to Miami no matter how hot they were would have been devastating and potentially insurmountable for Washington moving forward.
Washington’s offense also appears to be coming together. They’ve shown flashes recently and put it together consistently against Miami. Pushing out 26 runs in three games is noticeable. At the heart of the heavy dose of offense was their production with runners in scoring position.
In the three-game clip, the Nationals were 12-for-34 with runners in scoring position or a .353 average which is higher than their .251 season average.
Soto was the catalyst, going 3-for-3 with RISP with four RBIs. It’s an area that has plagued the Nationals through the years, hopefully this weekend was the seeds planting for more clutch production.
