The Nats (Gnats, to the Mets) 2016 thread

[soupcan]

Edgy MD wrote: None of that excuses the mohawk with the floppy preppie bangs in front and the rat-tail in back, though.

Agreed.

For the record I'm not a big fan of the current look either.

[Centerfield]

soupcan wrote: I've wanted to hate Harper ever since he was a Sports Illustrated cover boy as a high schooler, but I can't. He's a great player and last year when the Mets just thumped the nats late in the season the guy was just not douchey about it. Every time I heard him or saw a quote it was respectful and mature basically giving the other team credit. No bitterness. The thing with Papelbon just showed me what an asshole Papelbon was. Now the 'fuck you' from last night is bad but still I can appreciate his frustration and Dusty's quote that everybody is intense and sometimes you have to let off a little steam here and there. I'm gonna give him a pass on this one. But just this one.

Plus the hair. The hair makes you just want to hate the fuck out of him.

But you are right on. He was absolutely classy throughout it all last season. And even last night he was sticking up for a teammate when he got tossed. He seems a decent guy, who is maybe just a bit douchy, and so is hated because he's good. But I'm good with him.

But again, there's time. I may hate him after these next 6 games.

[TransMonk]

He's still a major douche, but getting better (barely). The "where's my ring" comment from two off-seasons ago still sticks with me.

He's no Chipper Jones.

[Frayed Knot]

He certainly deserved what he got last night and could be in for even more punishment depending on what the rules are concerning an ejected player returning to the field after the game is over.

- The call he was yapping about wasn't even against him (although he may have been mad about something earlier as well) it was strike 3 to Danny Espinosa (which WAS a strike acc to ESPN's 'box').
- And whatever it was he was saying, it was certainly thumb-worthy as Dusty Baker was trying to shoo him away and shut him up, only to have Bryce keep it up while hiding behind other bodies. But the ump knew who it was, Harper's "Who me?!?! look notwithstanding. A coach even tried to claim it was he who said it but 'Blue' wasn't buying.
- Two pitches later Clint Robinson won the game via a walk-off HR and that's where he made things even worse with the flying post-game F-Bombs. Yeah, dude, the post-game celebration is still all about you.

[Ceetar]

I have no problem with Bryce Harper besides the uniform he wears.

[Frayed Knot]

So part of the problem the Nats are having with Harper being walked so often -- the Cubs famously walked him 13 times in a 4 game series (some intentional, some only sort of intentional) plus plunked him once -- is that the guy hitting behind him, Ryan Zimmerman, went into last night's game tied with Bartolo in HRs.
So Tuesday night Zimmerman hit two HRs including one after a Harper walk. But the Nats got a rare night of bad pitching and were behind by a run in the 9th. So with the tying run on base the Tigers (Francisco Rodriguez) walked potential winning run Harper to get to Zimmerman ... who cooperated by striking out. Even on his best game of the season he doesn't deter the strategy.

Fun pitching matchup tonight: Scherzer & Jordan Zimmermann face each other and their old teams.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ceetar wrote: I have no problem with Bryce Harper besides the uniform he wears.

Roto happiness or roto envy?

The post game nonsense (coming back onto the field, the finger pointing
at the ump basically doing the 'take that mutha fuckah') was childish and
kinda douchey. I wonder deep down what Dusty really thinks of his young
super stud. If he were on a big team like the Mets, I think his doucheality
would be getting more negative attention and derision.

[Edgy MD]

He's 23 and on his third manager. Fourth if you count Jim Riggleman, who was manager when he debuted in spring training. I think they're all terrified of him.

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: I have no problem with Bryce Harper besides the uniform he wears. Roto happiness or roto envy? The post game nonsense (coming back onto the field, the finger pointing at the ump basically doing the 'take that mutha fuckah') was childish and kinda douchey. I wonder deep down what Dusty really thinks of his young super stud. If he were on a big team like the Mets, I think his doucheality would be getting more negative attention and derision.

no, I just don't care about tradition and etiquette and unwritten rules. I like that Harper isn't afraid to speak his mind, engage in gamemanship, or be fiery. If it wasn't Harper someone would be claiming his actions the other day were "standing up for his teammates". 95% of baseball players are douchey anyway.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: I like that Harper isn't afraid to speak his mind, engage in gamemanship, or be fiery.

Trump=#00bce7]Harper2016=#00bce7]!

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Ceetar wrote: I like that Harper isn't afraid to speak his mind, engage in gamemanship, or be fiery. Trump=#00bce7]Harper2016=#00bce7]!

Trump doesn't have the impulse restraint to slow-play an outfield single and duke a runner into going for two and then gunning him down.

[Frayed Knot]

Harper gets a fine plus a one game suspension for his post-ejection antics from the other day. He is appealing (even if you're among those who don't think that he's very appealing).

[Guest d'Kong76]

Glad he got a game, if he wins an appeal then you know there's
no stopping that canola-spray coating he has on him.

[Frayed Knot]

Despite Zimmerman's 2 HRs yesterday, Dusty moves Murphy in back of Harper (dropping Zim to 5th) and Murph already has 2 RBIs on the night, including one following a Harper (non-intentional) walk.
On the other hand he got himself caught between 1st & 2nd after his hit. IOW, a typical Muffy game.


2-1 Nats thru 6

[batmagadanleadoff]

Man, I dunno if Murphy's reinvented himself or if he's simply riding some hot streak for the ages, but so far, he's having the best season of any hitter in the NL. On top of last year's post-season.

He's the NL's best hitter.

[Frayed Knot]

Papelbon to the DL (inter-costal strain) two days after giving up a 9th inning lead in a game where the Nats came back to win anyway.
I don't think the Nats trust Papelbon as far as they can throw him but he's virtually un-tradeable at this point between his high-wire acts, huge salary, the fact that they've got a very inexperienced pen behind him, and, oh yeah, the part where he tried choking the league MVP on his own team in his own dugout in the middle of a pennant race and on camera last September.
Tonight they went with 2nd year lefty Sammy Solis in the 9th but he promptly gave up the lead and the game right after the Nats had tied it in the bottom 8 and prior to him it was Oliver Perez; those were the two relievers they were using in a one-run game vs the best team in MLB.

And all this is a long way of getting around to saying that I'd be shocked if the Nats [u:19qjr166]weren't[/u:19qjr166] in hard on any or all of the Yanx relievers between now and deadline time. Of course first the Yanx have to decide that their ultra-proud/stubborn tradition of never admitting that a season is out of reach doesn't work in all situations and realize that spinning off one or more of the Bettances/Miller/Chapman trio for whatever young meat they can land is the way to go in their situation. Not that the Nats will be the only team in on them, but it's definitely going to be one of the more interesting stories come mid-season.

[TransMonk]

Stephen Strasburg placed on 15-day disabled list with upper back strain.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/nationals-journal/wp/2016/06/26/stephen-strasburg-placed-on-15-day-disabled-list-with-upper-back-strain/

[Frayed Knot]

There's a radio guy in DC who alternately refers to Strasberg as 'The Orchid' or '75 and Sunny' because of him seemingly being unable to thrive under anything but perfect conditions.

[soupcan]

Frayed Knot wrote: There's a radio guy in DC who alternately refers to Strasberg as 'The Orchid' or '75 and Sunny' because of him seemingly being unable to thrive under anything but perfect conditions.

'The Orchid'. I like that.

[Frayed Knot]

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday June 27-29 - all 7:05 starts

The DL'ing of 'The Orchid' has the scheduled starters for the Nats in this series all 'TBD'. Former NYM farmhand/swingman Yusmeiro Petit filled in for Strasberg's last start but they could have thrown him yesterday but chose instead to move Tanner Roark up.
We'll almost certainly see Scherzer on Wednesday as that would be his regular turn. Today & Tuesday will likely be some combo of Joe Ross & Petit unless they go dipping into the minors for help (Giolito?) so it sounds like we get a break there but who knows.
Scherzer is still giving up a lot of HRs for an otherwise dominant pitcher, his 20 allowed leads the league, which pushes his ERA to a very non-elite 3.52, higher than every other starter on their staff except for Gio Gonzalez.

Whoever they thrown in whatever order will be opposed by Syndergaard, Harvey & Matz


Hitting on the Nats: Wilson Ramos, Muffy, Espinosa (at least for power), and Jayson Werth after a very slow start has a 900+ OPS in June - with several game-winning hits
Not hitting: Either leadoff/CF man they choose: Michael Taylor or Ben Revere [.200/.251/.315 out of the leadoff slot all season but Dusty shows no sign of changing things up]; Ryan Zimmerman has been pretty much 'Meh' at best all year, and even Bryce Harper whose OPS since the end of April 1 is just in the mid-700s with 6 HRs in May/June combined.
3B Anthony Rendon is kind of hanging out in the middle, not a bad player but also not the budding star he seemed to be two years ago.

Basically their lineup hits a lot of HRs as almost everyone is in double digits and they even get a bunch from the bench: the combo of Stephen Drew, Chris Heisey, Clint Robinson have 13 between them.

Also out is Jonathan 'The Washington Strangler' Papelbon (Werth's name for him) so they're mixing and matching in a pen which wasn't real good even before the closer went down. Ex-MFY Shawn Kelley seems to be the closer du jour and veteran Matt Belisle is recently back from the DL but it's all a work in progress at this point.

This will be their first home game following a disastrous road trip that saw them win the first two games in SD and the final one in Milwaukee but lose seven straight in between: SD x 2; LAD x 3, Mil x 2

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

If you're in Washington Tuesday night come see the Lunch family catching some home runs in the outfield seats.

[Frayed Knot]

Since we last saw them (all of eight days ago) the Nats have:
- gone 4-3, which wouldn't be too bad except that it came against the mediocre Brewers & the awful Reds
- returned from the DL both Strasberg to the rotation and Papelbon to the pen
- DL’d starter Joe Ross and sent down OF Michael Taylor.



Thursday, 7:10 — Colon vs Lucas Giolito
Like Pittsburgh’s James Taillon earlier this year, Giolito will be the second top draft pick this season to make both his ML debut and then also his second ML start vs the Mets. He pitched 4 innings of one-hit ball in the rain-delayed game last week.
Colon likely owns socks that are older than Giolito.

Friday, 7:10 — Syndergaard vs Strasberg
Strasberg’s return following a 2-week DL stint was 6-2/3 of no-hit ball vs Cincy before being pulled for pitch count reasons.
Syndergaard had his worst start of the year vs the Nats last week [5 runs, 7 hits, 3 innings]

Saturday, 7:15 — ??? vs Scherzer
Obviously this Harvey thing screws up the rotation. He was supposed to go Saturday but it’ll now probably be Verrett instead.
Since going 7.1 innings of 2-hit ball vs us, Scherzer lost to Milwaukee giving up 1 run on 6 innings. He still leads the league in HRs allowed and will often run up pitch counts that don't allow him to get deep into games which is what happened to him vs the Brewers

Sunday , 1:10 - Matz vs Gio Gonzalez in a battle of each team's only lefty starter
After a great start to the season Gonzalez has pretty much sucked: ERA over 6 since early May
His one good game in the last two months came against the Mets back in mid-May, but then we turned around and kicked his butt five days later and he hasn’t been good since.


From the ‘It had to happen sooner or later’ file: after hitting .397 in Apirl & May combined, Muffy returned to earth with a combined .264 in June-July. I heard a stat earlier in the season that said he was hitting around .500 on ground balls which is something even the most anti-sabermetric old coots on the planet would have to admit was impossible to keep up. On the flip side he’s already matched his career high in HRs with 14 (also done last season).
Dusty Baker flipped Murph & Harper in the batting order on Wednesday, moving Murph up to 3rd while dropping Harper to cleanup. Not sure yet if that’s a new thing or just a one day hunch.

The Nats hottest player right now might be SS Danny Espinosa. The guy who seemed almost sure to be replaced by hot prospect Trea Turner is leading the team with 18 HRs, including 5 just this past week, while the org is now working Turner out in CF

Nats lead the NL in HRs -- by one over the Cubs and two over the Mets -- but they're not as HR-dependent as we are having scored 81 more runs thus far in the season. Amazing what NOT being inept w/RiSP will do for a team.

[Frayed Knot]

... and speaking of Murph, he pulled a couple of Murphs in the last few games.

- Wednesday it was merely letting a routine grounder through his legs for what should have been the final out of the game.
Now there were two outs at the time with no one on and a three run Washington lead so it was no big deal, except y'know ... Murph.

- Tuesday was a classic Murph though: Nats losing by three this time when young Daniel leads off the top of the 8th with a double ... and gets thrown out trying for 3rd.

[Frayed Knot]

Nats transactions for the day
- Lucas Giolito demoted
- Ryan Zimerman DL'd
- OF Michael Taylor promoted
- IF Trea Turner promoted


Giolito obviously wasnt going to see any more time in this series anyway and the Nats were already carrying one extra pitcher
Zimmerman's probably been their worst everyday player this season. I bet we see Muffy over at 1B swapping out with Clint Robinson who played there last night
Turner is their top SS prospect, but the surprising resurgence of Danny Espinosa has kept him down on the farm despite good numbers at AAA. Now Turner & Espinosa can man 2B & SS when Murph is at 1st
Both Turner and Taylor are real fast so both their speed and defense just got better and it's probably not a coincidence that they're back for Syndergaard day

[Edgy MD]

Trea Turner may be the Dilson Herrera of the International League but I kind of like how those transactions play out for the Mets, if only that the Nats have to stumble through changing horses mid-stream.

Speed better? Sure, much. But hopefully Taylor's defense is less informed by his speed and more reflective of the worst error ever — so a play so insanely bad it almost singlehandedly got him demoted.

Reminiscent of Bobby Meacham getting sent down to AA for a base running blunder.

[Frayed Knot]

Strasburg, who was supposed to start tonight in the 'Beltway Series' game vs Baltimore, to the DL with "elbow soreness".

It's the second DL of the year for Strasburg although the first trip was not for the elbow and he wound up needing just the minimum 15 days out.
But he's also 2-4 since his 13-0 start to 2016 and has an ERA near 8.00 over those six games, most notably the last one where he got hit up for 9 runs while not being able to finish the 2nd inning.
OK it was in Colorado, but still ...

AJ Cole up to start tonight.

[Ceetar]

Shame the Mets fell apart, because they either wouldn't have the luxury of DLing him to 'get him right' if the Mets were breathing down their necks, or 3+ starts from a replacement would be worrisome for them.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I suspect this is more precautionary than critical as the Nats need him for October but, thanks to our incredible mediocrity, are in a position where they can pretty much cruise through September
no matter whether Stephen Strasburg or Whoopi Goldberg were in their rotation.

[Frayed Knot]

Nats in town, first time we're seeing them since a four-game series at CF in early July. Mets out-scored them in Game 1 of that set where neither Bartolo nor Lucas Giolito, then making his 2nd ML start, were any good. They then proceeded to lose the next three while scoring a total of four runs in what was pretty much their standard operating procedure back in July.


After a mediocre July (13-12) the Gnats are coming off a 17-11 August and are headed for a 95-win season, and I think I may have stumbled across their secret for having five consecutive winning months and just their overall successful season in general (stay with me here cuz this gets complicated): HAVE YOUR PLAYERS STAY OFF THE DISABLED LIST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!! Then, as a side note, when you do need the 15-day DL have that stay actually take just 15 days.
Both are radical concepts, I know, but, just to illustrate how helpful this can be, here are the highest number of consecutive games missed by each of their opening day starters:

C - Wilson Ramos -- 7 (bereavement list)
1B - Ryan Zimmerman -- two DL stints, missing 13 games & 16 games (and I think it helped the team more than hurt when he was out)
2B - Daniel Murphy - 2
SS - Danny Espinosa - 1
3B - Anthony Rendon - 2
LF - Jayson Werth - 2 (from a guy who I believe was once a roadie for 'Buffalo Springfield')
CF - Ben Revere - 27 (starting on opening day)
RF - Bryce Harper - 5 (mostly a string of Dusty-mandated mental health days IIRC)

I wonder what color the sky is in such a world where DL news doesn't require nightly updates?



We do actually catch a break in that Steven Strasburg is on his 2nd DL stint -- more a precautionary trip than a required one and, like his first stint, this one is expected to last exactly 15 days.

So tonight we'll see AJ Cole instead vs Syndergaard in what will be the only game where we have the decided edge in pitching match-ups.
Cole is a guy the Nats originally drafted, then traded away (for Gio Gonzalez) then traded back for. This will be his 3rd start of the year, his 4th of his ML career.

Saturday - 7:10 -- Tanner Roark - Robert Gsellman
Roark actually has the lowest ERA on their staff this year despite Strasburg's 13-0 start and Scherzer's seemingly weekly no-hit bids.

Sunday - 8:10 (ESPN) -- Max Scherzer vs Seth Lugo ... and won't it be fun for the players if this one gets delayed by rain given the short turn-around time?!?



The biggest change since we last saw them is that Trea Turner, supposedly their SS of the future, is playing pretty much everyday in CF and he's given them a boost in their leadoff spot (.344 BA, .364 OBA) which had really sucked for the first half of the year when manned by Michael Taylor and/or Revere with their combined .266 OBA !!


And we all know the problem, that our shitty mid-season has put us in position where winning 1-of-3 while 'hanging tough' or moral victories won't cut it. We need at least two of these here (or one plus a lot of rain).

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm over Murphy not being on the Mets, not everyone is...

Murphy Decision Will Haunt Mets For Years |John Delcos, NY Mets Report