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Nats occupy MLB’s cellarApril 22nd, 2008
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Nationals Park seems like nostalgic Americana from yesteryear, blossoming by the Tidal Basin, glittering alongside the rushing Rivers Potomac and Anacostia, glistening near the Reflecting Pool, and shimmering by the Capital’s assortment of white monuments, memorials, pillars, columns and marble fountains.
And then we have the Washington Nationals.
The owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball through Tuesday morning have lost 15 of their last 17 games, weighing in at a .250 winning percentage and a 5-15 record. The Nats dwell in last place of the NL East, immediately looking up at the Philadelphia Phillies whose even record gives them five less losses and five more wins.
The Nats are baseball’s only team with a winning percentage lower than .300 as two AL teams, the Texas Rangers in the AL West and the Detroit Tigers in the Central, hold records of 7-13, which converts to a .350 winning percentage. In the NL Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates hold a 7-12 record, translating as a .368 winning percentage.
The other divisions’ last-place teams are in the high .300s or low .400s.
Is this any way to inaugurate a new home?
At Nationals Park, they are 2-5 and on the road they are 3-10. They face the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night in Atlanta to wrap up an eight-game, three-city road trip during which their record is 1-7. The Braves weigh in at 10-9, occupying third place in the NL East.
And it doesn’t get any easier once they return.
The New York Mets hope to build on their lead in the NL East with Wednesday and Thursday night games, then the Chicago Cubs will try to build on their lead in the NL Central during the three-game weekend set.
However, there are bright spots to this misfortune, though they are limited. Starting pitcher Tim Redding has three wins, 60 percent of his team’s victories, while shortstop Christian Guzman is hitting .321 in 84 at-bats over 19 games. Outfielder Lastings Milledge, viewed by many as a prospect with a bright future, is hitting .273 in 77 at-bats over 20 games.
But the positive statistics drop very quickly after that.
All other players who have played in 17 games or more are hitting below .250, including third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The face of the franchise and runner-up to NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 weighs in at .226 in 84 at-bats over 20 games.
Other starting pitchers are faring much worse than Redding thus far. Matt Chico is 0-4, Odalis Perez is 0-3 and John Lannan is 0-2.
And Chad Cordero, once a fireballing closer whose late-inning appearances virtually guaranteed saves, no longer throws with as much vigor. Rather, his fastball tops below 90 miles per hour, and he’s made four appearances this season since returning from the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. He threw one inning Monday night, retiring Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Jeff Francoeur, three of the Braves’ most powerful hitters.
In 20 games, the Nats have committed 13 errors, one passed ball, and six wild pitches, one of which was costly and demoralizing.
Last Thursday in New York, the Mets tied the game at 2 on an unearned run in the eighth inning. Late reliever Joel Hanrahan loaded the bases in the bottom of the 14th inning and proceeded to throw a wild pitch that ended the game and secured the series sweep for the Mets.
Following the Cubs series, the Braves return to end this dismal April with a two-game set, then the Pirates kick off May by visiting the Nats for a four-game weekend series.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
[...] Hometown 9 wrote an interesting post today on Nats occupy MLB’s cellarHere’s a quick excerptThe owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball through Tuesday morning have lost 15 of their last 17 games, weighing in at a …. [...]
May 24th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
[...] [...]