National Update - Nats Look to Turn It Around During Upcoming Homestand

Still recovering from the Bracket Room party last night and the "I Believe" cheers that rang through the bar after Brooks put that header in to seal the victory for the USA. Loved it. Big time victory, and with an ailing Portugal team on the horizon, the USA looks poised to advance out of group play. But while our boys are in Brazil, taking care of business, lets not forget that we're right in the middle of the baseball season, and I need a Nationals update!

The Nationals are currently 35-33, a half a game back from the Braves in the division. This was a recent shift in the standings after getting swept by the Cardinals this weekend, which has them sitting on a 4-game losing streak. However, the Nats can reclaim the top spot in the division during this 6-game homestand; 2 vs. Astros and 4 vs. Braves.

PITCHING: I feel like pitching has never been the issue with the Nattys. They currently have the second best ERA in the majors (3.03) trailing only Oakland by .01, and that's with Gio Gonzalez being on the DL since May 18th. Gio's expected to return this week, and hopefully he'll return to last season form, but shoulders are always tricky (See Ryan Zimmerman). He's struggled a bit this season, specifically with untimely mistakes that lead to big innings. That being said, his rehab start was decent, and I am excited to see him get back into the rotation, replacing Blake Treinen (0-3) and Taylor Jordan (0-3) who both aren't really ready for the majors IMO. Otherwise, all Nats starters are hovering around a 3 ERA. Big surprise for me so far is Tanner Roark. I didn't expect him to continue the 7-1 record trend he displayed coming into the league last year, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the team leading 2.92 ERA and 7 K's per 9 innings. Washington also has the best bullpen ERA in the majors, with quality innings being thrown by Aaron Barrett, Drew Storen, Jerry Blevins and the solid combo of Clipp & Save/Untuck. The Nats need to continue this strong display of pitching going forward into the second half of the season, where pitching dominates and ultimately wins championships, which is what the Nats should be aiming for.

OFFENSE: This offense perplexes me to no end. It's like a giant cock tease. There's so much potential there, but we never get to see it running on all cylinders because someone is usually injured. The Nats have the 5th best run differential in the league at +37, but are only 19th in the league in runs scored (277). They're middle of the pack in almost every offensive category, but lead the league in stolen bases converted, so when they get on the bases, they're selectively aggressive and it pays off. Ian Desmond is having an all-star shortstop year, leading the team in RBIs and HRs. While that's great in itself, I feel like having your shortstop lead the team offensively isn't the greatest. I've always felt that the Nats were one big bat away from really hitting their stride offensively. I still think Harper or Ramos have the potential to be those guys for the Nats. Both are shelved due to injuries, but I dream of getting to see this Nats line-up in about a month:

Span
Werth
Harper
LaRoche
Zimmerman
Desmond
Ramos
Rendon
Pitcher

That line-up is intimidating, there's no other way to put it. There's power 2-7 and Rendon turning the line-up over after a sac bunt from the pitcher is perfect for D-Span. Just hoping that the Nats can avoid the injury bug so I can really see what this offense looks like at its full potential.

THE ZIMMERMAN PROJECT: Now I love Ryan Zimmerman; he's the first ever draft pick of the Nationals and the former face of the franchise before the Strasburg/Harper youth movement. But I don't like putting him in left field. While I understand that the outfield is probably the easiest place to plug someone in, being in the national league the Nats lack the luxury of having him David Ortiz and only hit. Zim has a degenerative shoulder, meaning the cartilage covering the shoulder bone has worn down, causing bone spurs and inflammation. People making the argument that throwing from the outfield is less stressful on your shoulder than throwing from third are incorrect. Some of the throws might be tougher or a quicker release, but if you're setting your feet and planting, they're the same. I guess the issue is mute point anyways because Zim will be moving back to third once Harper returns. I think I would've kept Zim at third and maybe given him the occasional "day off" and put him at first. Really wanted Tyler Moore to get some OF time, especially because I am not a big Kevin Frandsen fan. He's good at things, great at nothing.

Really looking for a strong push to finish out June, im aiming for 14-0, but expecting nothing less than 9-5. I think from here on out i'll plan on doing a weekly post about the Nationals, continuing the "National Updates" if you will. Here's to more blogs going forward.