Expectations for Nationals Series

[Aglets]

How do you guys think this series will go down?

The Nationals are playing insanely well, they have the best record in the NL and Ryan Zimmerman is drawing comparisons to Barry Bonds.  Not to mention young studs like Turner, Harper.....and I hear they have a couple good starting pitchers too.  They have outscored every other NL team by over 30 runs. 

Pitching matchups (expected)

Gio Gonzalez vs. Gausman

Scherzer vs. Ubaldo

Miley vs. Strasburg

Bundy vs. Jacob Turner

Would you be happy just with a split?  Do we even stand a chance?    I'm thinking 0-4 is a lock. 

[backwardsk]

Turner is starting instead of Cole?

[SteveA]

5 minutes ago, Aglets said:

How do you guys think this series will go down?

The Nationals are playing insanely well, they have the best record in the NL and Ryan Zimmerman is drawing comparisons to Barry Bonds.  Not to mention young studs like Turner, Harper.....and I hear they have a couple good starting pitchers too.  They have outscored every other NL team by over 30 runs. 

Pitching matchups (expected)

Gio Gonzalez vs. Gausman

Scherzer vs. Ubaldo

Miley vs. Strasburg

Bundy vs. Jacob Turner

Would you be happy just with a split?  Do we even stand a chance?    I'm thinking 0-4 is a lock. 

We are 17-7 vs the Nats since 2012.  And they have been a very good team in most of those years (just as we have been).

The last (and only) time the Nats beat us in a season series, Sam Perlozzo was manager and George W. Bush was president, Brian Billick coached the Ravens, and Manny Machado was in middle school.

[Aglets]

I took the 'probable starters' from ESPN.

As of 24 hours ago Roch listed Thursday's starter for Washington as "TBD."  so idk.

[Frobby]

All sarcasm aside, the Nats' hitters have been unbelievable this year.    They're averaging 6.26 runs/game, tops in MLB.   Zimmerman, Murphy and Harper rank 1-2-3 in RBI's in the NL.   Zimmerman leads the NL in BA, SLG, OPS, H, 2B, HR, TB, RBI and oWAR.   Harper leads in OBP at .504.     

Their one weakness is that their bullpen is atrocious (5.50 ERA).     If we can find a way to hang with them through 6 innings, we have the distinct advantage late.   

[ShaneDawg85]

In what's essentially a four game series, I'm always happy and content with a split. 

[Ohfan67]

I just hope Roy predicts a Nat's sweep. 

[MurphDogg]

 

29 minutes ago, SteveA said:

We are 17-7 vs the Nats since 2012.  And they have been a very good team in most of those years (just as we have been).

The last (and only) time the Nats beat us in a season series, Sam Perlozzo was manager and George W. Bush was president, Brian Billick coached the Ravens, and Manny Machado was in middle school.

How dare you bring politics into this!!! The very fabric of the message board could crumble!!! 

Yeah, and there have only been two splits since then. I expect a third split this year.

 

I am going to the games today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Anybody else going to either of the two games in DC?

[SteveA]

21 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

 

How dare you bring politics into this!!! The very fabric of the message board could crumble!!! 

Yeah, and there have only been two splits since then. I expect a third split this year.

 

I am going to the games today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Anybody else going to either of the two games in DC?

I'm going tonight and Thursday.

[incubus]

Were going for tonight for Mancini T-shirt night

[garethcoker]

I have to be honest - on paper, this looks like a bad matchup for the Orioles. I'd be happy to see us take a split of the 4 games, but I'm expecting to see 1-3.

Fortunately, the games aren't played on paper and I hope they prove me wrong.

[Moshagge3]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

Game 2 looks like a bad matchup.  Understatement alert!

Last time those two matched up, it was a pretty tight game until Ondrusek got lit up in the 8th.

[capyy]

How's nats bullpen?

[bobmc]

12 minutes ago, capyy said:

How's nats bullpen?

Jacob Turner if he were BP piece but...per Boswell:

"The most important thing about Jacob Turner is not which role he assumes but simply that he EXISTS. He fell out of the sky __at the perfect time__ as far as I'm concerned. The Nats and Rizzo badly needed to "steal an arm" from somebody because they'd failed to add enough pitching in the off-season, especially a closer. Then, in Colorado, Turner showed up throwing 95-96 with pretty good command/movement and secondary pitches, too. I thought, "This is a nice one-game fluke. If this guy normally pitched like this, and was the 9th overall pick in the '09 draft, you'd never be able to get him for nothing as a ex-White Sox minor league free agent. How good was he assumed to be at one point? His agent is Scott Boras who is probably the agent with the best scouting eye and player-evaluation staff.

I also assumed he'd revert to whatever problems he'd had before. So far, he looks like the same guy __poised, big-league stuff. His line __13-10-(5-4)-2-11 with a 2.77 ERA is exactly how he has pitched."

https://live.washingtonpost.com/ask-boswell-20170501.html

[FlipTheBird]

2 hours ago, Aglets said:

How do you guys think this series will go down?

The Nationals are playing insanely well, they have the best record in the NL and Ryan Zimmerman is drawing comparisons to Barry Bonds.  Not to mention young studs like Turner, Harper.....and I hear they have a couple good starting pitchers too.  They have outscored every other NL team by over 30 runs. 

Pitching matchups (expected)

Gio Gonzalez vs. Gausman

Scherzer vs. Ubaldo

Miley vs. Strasburg

Bundy vs. Jacob Turner

Would you be happy just with a split?  Do we even stand a chance?    I'm thinking 0-4 is a lock. 

The Nats are playing very well and have their two best guys squaring off with Ubaldo and Miley. I think you call it a win if you go 2-2.

That said, the Nats have had huge legs up in pitching the last few years, too, and the O's have held their own. It's why they play the games. Just hope for the best.