Why the Nat love?

[brianod]

The Nats are making hay out of a weak league. Good for them. If they played in the American league, they would be 8 games behind the O's.

[riprulz8]

I love the Nats.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fixed that for you, two-face.

[Rex Thunder]

I hope the Orioles sweep the Cubs who are 17 below.500. Otherwise, maybe someone will question how good we really are.

Amen. Exactly what I was thinking. Beating any group of teams TEN times in a row is not easy. In ANY sport. Why is there a need to discredit other teams to enjoy our own? We lost the first 2 games to the Indians and people were jumping off rooftops. People are reactionary, but it doesn't mean a damn thing until it COUNTS. In the playoffs!

[rjslomo]

How often were the Washington Senators competitive or in the playoffs? Just wondering. I recently heard someone on MLB radio talking about how a Dodgers/Angels World Series would be great due to no travel and great weather. Well, F them! Let's see a Nats/O's World Series.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Amen. Exactly what I was thinking. Beating any group of teams TEN times in a row is not easy. In ANY sport. Why is there a need to discredit other teams to enjoy our own? We lost the first 2 games to the Indians and people were jumping off rooftops. People are reactionary, but it doesn't mean a damn thing until it COUNTS. In the playoffs!

I definitely get what you're saying here, but it seems odd. I don't hate the Nats by any means, but I find it odd that the Jays didn't seem to get nearly the fanfare the Nats are getting now during their tear (to be fair, I believe they topped out at 9 in a row).

[25 Nuggets]

The Nats are deserving of their love IMO. After getting most of their injured players back, and trading for Asdrubal Cabrera, there are no holes on the team. Zero.

Look at their current starters and their OPS+ scores:

C Wilson Ramos (107)

1B Adam LaRoche (133)

2B Asdrubal Cabrera (100) - 115 with the Nats

3B Anthony Rendon (119)

SS Ian Desmond (100)

LF Bryce Harper (103)

CF Denard Span (109)

RF Jayson Werth (124)

They are getting Ryan Zimmerman back soon and they have nowhere to put him.

That, and the team ERA+ is 123. And their worst statistical pitcher in the starting rotation (Gio Gonzalez) threw 7 innings of shutout ball tonight.

[Crabby9]

This winning streak has been feasted upon crappy teams and a lot of nail-biters to go along. This could catapult them into more sustained winning as it did with us - winning can be contagious. Since just before the break, the O's have gone on a tear and haven't looked back.

But I'd expect that they come back down to reality as they've been hovering 5-7 games over .500 much of the season and will probably settle back there by season's end. They're not that great a team right now IMO in spite of this streak.

[SilentJames]

The Nationals are a very good team - there is no two ways about it. Yes they play in a weaker league and yes the Orioles did take 3/4 from them - but they are a good team.

They are the best team in their division and it is not particularly close. It is kind of hard to pick against them to at least make it to the NLCS.

[schittenden]

They are the best team in their division and it is not particularly close. It is kind of hard to pick against them to at least make it to the NLCS.

I agree. I think they are a good team. Given who they've been playing though, I'm not sure they've been playing as well as they're capable of. This is very similar to all of the comments on here when the Orioles beat a weaker opponent. "Just wait until they play X." The Nats have been feasting on teams that just aren't very good. That's great, but, it seems like there could be at least an acknowledgment that the opposition hasn't been top-notch. On top of that, I haven't seen anything written about how all of these one-run walk-off wins is unsustainable.

[schittenden]

The Nats are deserving of their love IMO. After getting most of their injured players back, and trading for Asdrubal Cabrera, there are no holes on the team. Zero.

Look at their current starters and their OPS+ scores:

C Wilson Ramos (107)

1B Adam LaRoche (133)

2B Asdrubal Cabrera (100) - 115 with the Nats

3B Anthony Rendon (119)

SS Ian Desmond (100)

LF Bryce Harper (103)

CF Denard Span (109)

RF Jayson Werth (124)

They are getting Ryan Zimmerman back soon and they have nowhere to put him.

That, and the team ERA+ is 123. And their worst statistical pitcher in the starting rotation (Gio Gonzalez) threw 7 innings of shutout ball tonight.

And yet for all that talent, they're just squeaking by against far weaker opponents.

[TheDirtyBird]

Orioles win by one it's luck or they can't keep it up, but if the Gnats do it it's because they wanted it more. I don't actually care but Harper just irks me, that guy is soooooooooo overrated. Maybe I'll crash into a wall at work then everyone will think I'm the man

[quangr]

And yet for all that talent, they're just squeaking by against far weaker opponents.

Their Run Differential is 102. Not exactly squeaking by weaker opponents.

[Can_of_corn]

Their Run Differential is 102. Not exactly squeaking by weaker opponents.

Pretty sure walk offs count as squeaking by.

[quangr]

Pretty sure walk offs count as squeaking by.

Valid sample size!