Time to Worry? 5.5 Back, Offense Still Stinks, Espinosa Still Starting

[RobDibblesGhost]

This is the worst stretch of baseball the Nats have played in well over a year.  The bullpen and defense have come around the last few games, but the offense is now in a major rut.  I'm one of those who stops saying "It's early" right after opening day.  Each game, whether in April or September, counts the same.  We're roughly 1/8 of the way through the season and now at .500 with another game against the Cardinals and then series versus the Reds and at the Braves on the horizon.  This is not looking good.  I'm not very optimistic at all right now, and I think we could very well be several games below .500 by the end of the month.  I don't know what can be done, but I hope Rizzo has something up his sleeve to get the team in gear.

Edit - sorry, Rob.  This one got sidetracked so bad that it cannot be repaired.  On the bright side, at least Sherman knew what to do to ATL denizens

[PowerBoater69]

Loving that second wild card team right now.  Thanks Selig.

[sportsfan882]

Let's all be honest. Several guys played way over their head last year and we got very lucky to win 98 games.

Morse and LaRoche had monster seasons. Same with Desmond. Zimmerman was MVP like for a couple months stretch in the summer. Gio had a career year. Detwiler had a career year. Zimmermann had a career year. We got big contributions out of guys like Michael Gonzalez and Tom Gorzelanny.

None of those things are happening this year. About the only thing that has really changed is Harper's growth as a power hitter.

[MorseTheHorse]

Let's all be honest. Several guys played way over their head last year and we got very lucky to win 98 games.

Morse and LaRoche had monster seasons. Same with Desmond. Zimmerman was MVP like for a couple months stretch in the summer. Gio had a career year. Detwiler had a career year. We got big contributions out of guys like Michael Gonzalez and Tom Gorzelanny.

None of those things are happening this year. About the only thing that has really changed is Harper's growth as a power hitter.

I think my love for Morse is well-documented, but he didn't have a monster season last year. 

[sportsfan882]

I think my love for Morse is well-documented, but he didn't have a monster season last year. 

I guess not monster but he drove in 62 runs and had 35 XBHs in 406 ABs. Production.

We don't have anyone good at driving in runs this year.

[Coladar]

Yes, but little to nothing to be done. This is the team we have, and we're stuck with it by and large. If it were just one aspect, or a couple players, it could be attended to. But it's everything. And so we have to hope they either work things out, we got unlucky and these teams have our number unlike every other team in baseball, or accept our chances in 2013 are nil to none.

But it will be what it will be. Too many issues as of now to even attempt to address them by changing the roster. We're stuck, so let's just hope for the best. I'd say that we shouldn't be surprised playing the Cardinals, but our absolute lack of run production? Losing these games isn't totally unexpected, but being shut out in the fashion we have been definitely is cause for concern.

[RobDibblesGhost]

We don't have anyone good at driving in runs this year.

That's part of the problem.  Everyone's trying to swing for fences in every at bat.  Sometimes they fall in, sometimes they don't.  Go back to our last win over the Mets:  every hit was either a double or home run.  They're trying to do too much, whereas the Cardinals have killed us with bloopers and seeing-eye singles.  Just put the ball in play and good things will eventually happen.

[wpa2629]

There are more than 140 games left to play

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY

Have a drink or a bong hit or something

[Displaced Bucco]

Have a drink

I tried two drams of really good scotch, but they still can't hit....

[wpa2629]

I tried two drams of really good scotch, but they still can't hit....

They'll hit eventually - April is way too early to get wrapped around the axle

[MorseTheHorse]

Yes, but little to nothing to be done. This is the team we have, and we're stuck with it by and large. If it were just one aspect, or a couple players, it could be attended to. But it's everything. And so we have to hope they either work things out, we got unlucky and these teams have our number unlike every other team in baseball, or accept our chances in 2013 are nil to none.

Really?  YOu think there are problems all over?  I take the exact opposite view.  LaRoche and Espinosa have been horrible at the plate and Zim has been horrible in the field.  Those are our problems and that's about it.  Rendon and Lombo can potentially be the answer to all three of these problems if they persist. 

Outside of that there has been some underachievement that I'm not too worried about with the bullpen and starting pitching, but really, Haren has looked pretty good his last two outings, I don't think anyone is seriously worried about Gio or Stras, Zim+Det have been pitching great, and the bullpen already looks like it's coming back together.

Werth, Span, Desmond, Suzuki/Ramos are all producing fairly well.  And Harper is just incredible. 

[Slateman]

Did this last year. They'll come around. Except for Laroche. I expect him to be mediocre all season.

[sportsfan882]

RT @ESPNStatsInfo: The Nationals are 2-9 vs teams above .500 this season (8-1 vs opponents below .500).

[Cinqo de Mayo]

Mediocrity would be an improvement for this team. An optimistic prediction for the next 14 games is 3-11. I wouldn't be surprised to see Davey retire mid-season. I expected them to win fewer games this year, but I was just hoping for a winning season. Perhaps I'm being too harsh.

[houston-nat]

There's no such thing as being good at driving in runs. There's being good at hitting, and not being good at hitting.

[JMW IV]

still early.

[sportsfan882]

There's no such thing as being good at driving in runs. There's being good at hitting, and not being good at hitting.

The Nats are not good at hitting. Not at all. Their approach stinks and their results are equally as terrible.

[BH34Natural]

Im definitely growing concerned. The firepower in our lineup is simply not there

[Cinqo de Mayo]

What's the record for being shut out in April?

[houston-nat]

What's the record for being shut out in April?

Let's ask the Marlins.

[Coladar]

There are more than 140 games left to play

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY

Have a drink or a bong hit or something

True enough, but we're also what... 11th out of 15 teams right now? With the bulk of the NL sitting above .500, even early on facing difficulties requires you not only work them out to head to October, but almost every other team to falter. The longer it runs on, the deeper the hole we dig gets.

[nats2playoffs]

There are more than 140 games left to play

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY

Have a drink or a bong hit or something

wpa2629 is a drug dealer?

Just say "No"

[wpa2629]

   

[Baseball is Life]

Eh. I don't look at the standings until August.

Keep grinding. They just need to put a couple of wins together to stop pressing.

Stras going tomorrow. Go get 'em.

[HalfSmokes]

If we start trailing by more than 10 games,  I'll care about standings,  I'm more concerned that some players we counting on aren't as good as they need to be