Nationals facing a disaster with Mets rolling
The Washington Nationals might miss the National League playoffs. Yes, this is something that seemed unfathomable at the beginning of the season, but that is the reality on the night of Aug. 4. Washington has to be wondering what is going on with its team, sitting in second place of the NL East behind the surging New York Mets.
Going into last weekend, Washington was three games up on New York. However, the Mets seemingly came of age at Citi Field, capped off by a home run barrage on Sunday night in front of the nation. The moment seemed to galvanize the team, a group led by a devastating starting rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. The Mets also have a revamped lineup with the additions of Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe and Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline.
What seemed like an inevitability is suddenly in question for the Nationals. Nobody could have imagined that the hitter-starved Mets could actually derail the plans of the mighty boys from the nation’s capital, but it has happened. If the season ended today, Washington would be one game behind the Mets and not qualify as a wild card team with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants both sporting superior records.
Simply put, if the Nationals can’t rise up the standings and make the playoffs, manager Matt Williams should be fired.
Washington has a starting rotation of Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmermann. The bullpen features Tanner Roark, Drew Storen and Jonathan Papelbon. This is a lineup with a leading Most Valuable Player candidate in Bryce Harper, who is surrounded with talent such as Yunel Escobar, Denard Span, Danny Espinosa, Wilson Ramos and more.
If that team can’t win 95 games or more in a division with the Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves they should all retire. Washington seems to be that team over the past few years with more talent than perhaps anybody else in baseball, but there is that “it” factor missing. The Nationals should be going on long winning streaks and tattooing poor teams. Instead, the Nationals are four games over .500 in the league’s worst division.
Obviously, the Nationals have time to right their ship and take care of business. At the end of the regular season, folks could be talking about Washington as the team to beat with the road to the World Series going through Nationals Park. Yet, at the moment, that seems like a tough position for the Nationals to get themselves into.
Washington is under immense pressure over these last two months. If it can’t pull out a playoff berth and go deep in the postseason, sweeping changes should be made.
