The Nationals enter today with a real chance to tighten the Wild Card race, and the setup around them could hardly be cleaner. Washington starts the day 1.0 game out of a Wild Card spot, while the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for the final position and facing each other. If the Nats win and Arizona loses, Washington would move into a tie with Pittsburgh for that last spot.
That makes this a big one, especially with the getaway flight waiting afterward. After the game, the Nationals are scheduled to leave Dulles Airport on their Delta charter jet bound for Atlanta, and the hope is the usual one: win the getaway game and make for a happier trip.
Washington made a roster move before first pitch, optioning right-hander Gus Varland to Triple-A and activating Trevor Williams. Blake Butera said after last night’s game that Williams will come out of the bullpen. The 40-man roster now stands at 39, and another decision is looming for Jake Irvin, who could start tomorrow in Atlanta.
Butera is also rolling out a more balanced lineup today, with CJ Abrams serving as the DH so he can get a break from defense.
The manager was clear about what stood out in last night’s performance.
❝They were really patient and waited for a really good pitch to hit, and they weren’t trying to do too much - especially when we got bases loaded. They stayed stubborn and did a really good job of seeing pitches and seeing strikes and working the at-bats. Obviously getting the pitch count up to where we got it to and getting [ Shane Bieber ] out of the game in the first was big.❞
Washington’s offense has been the engine all season. The Nationals lead MLB with 594 runs scored, which works out to 5.50 runs per game.
The pitching staff has allowed 4.75 earned runs per game, and the gap between those numbers points to the damage from unearned runs and errors. Even so, the club still owns a +31 run differential.
The numbers are starting to settle in now, too. The FanGraphs WAR chart has grown into a large enough sample to start projecting what the full-season picture might look like, and the OAA defense stat is beginning to show more clearly what the Nationals have on that side of the ball - and what they don’t.
In Other News...
Nationals Just Made A Trevor Williams Decision Fans Need To See
Trevor Williams is back on the Nationals active roster after a rehab assignment, giving Washington another experienced arm to work with as it tries to steady the pitching staff. The right-hander has spent most of his career as a starter, but the clubs latest roster shuffle shows it is looking for ways to use him more flexibly down the stretch.
Gus Varland was sent to Triple-A Rochester to clear the spot, and the move fits a broader bullpen-management approach that has also included sending Andrew Alvarez back to the minors. For the Nationals, the real question now is how quickly Williams can settle into a new role and whether his return gives the team the kind of innings it has been trying to piece together. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Have Seen This Matt Krook Roster Twist Before
Matt Krook is back in familiar territory for the Nationals, who announced the left-hander cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Rochester after being designated for assignment. It is the second time this month Washington has run Krook through a waiver move, only to bring him back into the organization after he was claimed off waivers earlier and then re-signed.
The latest shuffle comes as the Nationals continue to sort through their pitching depth with the trade deadline approaching, and it adds another layer to a staff picture that could keep changing over the next few days. Foster Griffin has been mentioned as a possible trade chip, while other impending free-agent starters could also factor into Washingtons decisions, leaving the club with more questions than answers about how much of this group will still be intact soon. [Read more 🡒]