There’s a lot of hurting in the Chesapeake region’s other major league clubhouse as the Washington Nationals are off to a miserable 0-7 outscored by twenty runs 34 to 54 for their opponents in their first seven games averaging just under five runs scored a game while giving up almost eight runs. At first glance, having scored no fewer than three runs in a game, the Nationals offense looks okay, but what of their pitching?
Two starts came from Daniel Cabrera, the former Orioles’ head case with the magic arm but nothing upstairs to control it with. However, Cabrera’s damage yields an 0-1 record in two starts with a 5.61 ERA. The real disasters are their top starters, Scott Olsen with two losses giving up 13 earned runs in just eight innings of work, a 14.63 ERA. Almost as embarrassing is #2 starter, John Lannan, also responsible for two losses giving up ten earned runs in nine innings of work to a 10.00 ERA. The total runs given up in seven games stands at 32 but little hope can be found from the bullpen which has given up 18 runs in just 25.7 innings of work. That leaves only 31 of the total innings pitched being completed by the starting rotation. At that ratio of inning pitched by starters versus relievers, no relief staff can hold up with that level of constant activity. The fewest runs given up in a game so far was Saturday’s game in Atlanta, five. With the next two best performances being giving up six runs and only getting worse from there, the challenge is clear. The Nationals have given up seven errors averaging one a game making 4 of the teams’s 54 runs unearned puts more emphasis on pitching effectiveness.
Adding to the Nationals woes, all these losses have been to Philadelphia, Florida, and Atlanta, three of their four division rivals. While no one expects Washington to be a contender in the NL East, they will face each of these teams eighteen teams and so far the matchups don’t look good.
How has the Nationals’ management responded to this? They’ve optioned centerfielder Lastings Milledge to Triple-A Syracuse having started with a .167 batting average (4 for 24). Last year was Milledge’s first full time season playing 138 games with 140 hits in 523 at bats, a .268 batting average, .330 on base percentage with a lively 24 steals in 31 opportunities. Given his past performance and how the pitching staff has succeeded, this roster move hardly answers any questions other than shuffling around the outfield and one position in the batting order hardly the stuff that provides for accurate 90 mph fastballs that get batters out.
The Nationals in their last life as the Montreal Expos were noted for a very effective farm system which routinely raised minor league talent to the major leagues only to be traded away or lost to free agency in a small failing market. However, once the team was essentially put in receivership by major league baseball until Ted Lerner and family purchased the team, investment in the once mighty system dried up as did the steady stream of prospects. The Nationals organization consists of many seasoned baseball pros, but until a clear vision of how the teams’ architects intend to build a competitive team for the future, the NL east is too strong for fans to see much hope above last place in their immediate future.
They do play in Washington, DC after all. Let us all pray that the Obama administration and Congress don’t see them as a potential bailout target.
Two starts came from Daniel Cabrera, the former Orioles’ head case with the magic arm but nothing upstairs to control it with. However, Cabrera’s damage yields an 0-1 record in two starts with a 5.61 ERA. The real disasters are their top starters, Scott Olsen with two losses giving up 13 earned runs in just eight innings of work, a 14.63 ERA. Almost as embarrassing is #2 starter, John Lannan, also responsible for two losses giving up ten earned runs in nine innings of work to a 10.00 ERA. The total runs given up in seven games stands at 32 but little hope can be found from the bullpen which has given up 18 runs in just 25.7 innings of work. That leaves only 31 of the total innings pitched being completed by the starting rotation. At that ratio of inning pitched by starters versus relievers, no relief staff can hold up with that level of constant activity. The fewest runs given up in a game so far was Saturday’s game in Atlanta, five. With the next two best performances being giving up six runs and only getting worse from there, the challenge is clear. The Nationals have given up seven errors averaging one a game making 4 of the teams’s 54 runs unearned puts more emphasis on pitching effectiveness.
Adding to the Nationals woes, all these losses have been to Philadelphia, Florida, and Atlanta, three of their four division rivals. While no one expects Washington to be a contender in the NL East, they will face each of these teams eighteen teams and so far the matchups don’t look good.
How has the Nationals’ management responded to this? They’ve optioned centerfielder Lastings Milledge to Triple-A Syracuse having started with a .167 batting average (4 for 24). Last year was Milledge’s first full time season playing 138 games with 140 hits in 523 at bats, a .268 batting average, .330 on base percentage with a lively 24 steals in 31 opportunities. Given his past performance and how the pitching staff has succeeded, this roster move hardly answers any questions other than shuffling around the outfield and one position in the batting order hardly the stuff that provides for accurate 90 mph fastballs that get batters out.
The Nationals in their last life as the Montreal Expos were noted for a very effective farm system which routinely raised minor league talent to the major leagues only to be traded away or lost to free agency in a small failing market. However, once the team was essentially put in receivership by major league baseball until Ted Lerner and family purchased the team, investment in the once mighty system dried up as did the steady stream of prospects. The Nationals organization consists of many seasoned baseball pros, but until a clear vision of how the teams’ architects intend to build a competitive team for the future, the NL east is too strong for fans to see much hope above last place in their immediate future.
They do play in Washington, DC after all. Let us all pray that the Obama administration and Congress don’t see them as a potential bailout target.
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