Author Topic: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats [but who gives gives a rat's ...]  (Read 17890 times)

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Offline Evolution33

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #50: August 09, 2012, 08:31:51 AM »
Both the Nats and Braves have played over .700 baseball since the series split at Nats Park and the Nats have gained a half game. So while the Braves have been red hot so have the Nats. Neither teams can stay this hot forever though. Those six games against each other are very important for both teams. I also want to add that I know John Lannan has defied advanced stats, but he hasn't exactly been a terrible starter in his career and will more than likely only be pitching in 4-6 games to end the season. The Nats could limit that even more by using Gio or Edwin or three days rest or skipping that spot when they get an off-day. So the actual number of games Lannan will pitch is unknown, and while most any starter would be a drop off from Strasburg I think the Nats can go .500 in those games and let Gio, Zimmermann, Detwiler, and Jackson pitch the way they have all season. It is just my opinion, but I think people are exaggerating the impact of the Strasburg shutdown on the regular season.   

Online Slateman

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #51: August 09, 2012, 08:34:06 AM »
So are the nats, I think the braves are an excellent team, but we aren't exactly scrubs. I am watching their games with a lot of intent and I'm aware they're right behind us, but it's ours to lose

The Braves are dominating the teams they are playing. The Nats are squeaking by.

Offline Obed_Marsh

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #52: August 09, 2012, 08:36:48 AM »
The Braves are dominating the teams they are playing. The Nats are squeaking by.

The Braves will cool off and our nostalgia fest for 2005 will pass.

Offline DPMOmaha

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #53: August 09, 2012, 08:38:01 AM »
The Braves are dominating the teams they are playing. The Nats are squeaking by.

The Braves actually lost to the last week Astros...at home.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #54: August 09, 2012, 08:38:52 AM »
The Braves will cool off and our nostalgia fest for 2005 will pass.

Probably won't cool off right away though...they start an away series with the Mets tomorrow then go home for three with the Padres.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #55: August 09, 2012, 08:40:25 AM »
Can't say I disagree with him. Braves are playing pretty awesome baseball

look at the two rotations:

1. T. Hudson
2. B. Sheets
3. M. Minor
4. P. Maholm
5. K. Medlen

or

1. Strasburg (to be replaced by Lannan)
2. Zimmermann
3. Gio
4. Jackson
5. Detwiler

which do you trust more down the stretch? Hudson may be the dependable veteran, and detwiler may be a question mark down the stretch, but their 2-5s are all question marks

Offline wpa2629

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #56: August 09, 2012, 08:46:45 AM »
Houston has been a house of horrors for the Nats over the years, taking 3 of 4 games so far is HUGE. And  LOL at nagging about ugly wins. How many ugly wins did playoff teams get off the backs of the Nats over the years?

Gio pitched a complete game win, on a night it was desperately needed. There's nothing ugly about that.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #57: August 09, 2012, 08:52:42 AM »
The Braves are dominating the teams they are playing. The Nats are squeaking by.

Run differential Nats +0.8, Braves +0.6.     :shrug:

Over the last 20 games, Nats 15-5, Braves 14-6.

Offline aussienatsfan

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #58: August 09, 2012, 08:56:44 AM »
Run differential Nats +0.8, Braves +0.6.     :shrug:

Over the last 20 games, Nats 15-5, Braves 14-6.

Exactly! The braves are a great club, but so are we

Offline wpa2629

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #59: August 09, 2012, 08:57:02 AM »
My only worry is that we will play down to our competition. This has always been a problem for us, as in the Marlins weird superiority in the past over us. I also remember those years when we were sub .500, yet acted as spoilers at the very end of the season. I don't want the situation turned around on us.

I was concerned about this too, going into this stretch, but the Nats have taken 3 of 4 from the Marlins, Milwaukee and Houston so far.

So that bodes well ...

Online Slateman

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #60: August 09, 2012, 09:35:49 AM »
Run differential Nats +0.8, Braves +0.6.     :shrug:

Over the last 20 games, Nats 15-5, Braves 14-6.


Over the last 3 series, in which both teams played the same opponents, the Braves run differential is 31. The Nats is 2.

We've needed extra innings and a ton of luck to beat the Astros. Oh, and we needed our pitcher to hit a 2 run homer. Sorry, but the Braves are playing outstanding baseball right now, even despite their mundane 3/4/5 starters. The Nats are squeaking out wins.

It is completely within the realm of possibility that the Braves will continue this trend, but the Nationals will start to falter. We're losing Strasburg at some point. Zimmermann will need to have his innings limited. The bullpen is already showing signs of fatigue.

The Nats play down to their opponents. Which wouldn't be bad except for we now have one of the easiest schedules in basesball.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #61: August 09, 2012, 09:38:08 AM »
Or maybe over 162 you have to squeak a few out?

Offline tomterp

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #62: August 09, 2012, 09:38:45 AM »


The Nats play down to their opponents. Which wouldn't be bad except for we now have one of the easiest schedules in basesball.

I know it's become almost gospel that we "play down to our opponents", but I'm not accepting that it means we are likely to struggle against a weaker schedule.

Call me old school but if it's wins we want, a weaker schedule is good, stronger schedule bad. 

Offline Smithian

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #63: August 09, 2012, 09:40:40 AM »

Over the last 3 series, in which both teams played the same opponents, the Braves run differential is 31. The Nats is 2.

We've needed extra innings and a ton of luck to beat the Astros. Oh, and we needed our pitcher to hit a 2 run homer. Sorry, but the Braves are playing outstanding baseball right now, even despite their mundane 3/4/5 starters. The Nats are squeaking out wins.

It is completely within the realm of possibility that the Braves will continue this trend, but the Nationals will start to falter. We're losing Strasburg at some point. Zimmermann will need to have his innings limited. The bullpen is already showing signs of fatigue.

The Nats play down to their opponents. Which wouldn't be bad except for we now have one of the easiest schedules in basesball.
We've won 5 in a row and 15 of our last 20 and you're complaining.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #64: August 09, 2012, 09:41:44 AM »

Over the last 3 series, in which both teams played the same opponents, the Braves run differential is 31. The Nats is 2.

We've needed extra innings and a ton of luck to beat the Astros. Oh, and we needed our pitcher to hit a 2 run homer. Sorry, but the Braves are playing outstanding baseball right now, even despite their mundane 3/4/5 starters. The Nats are squeaking out wins.


And despite all that, the Nats have picked up a half game.

Doesn't matter what the Braves do as long as the Nats continue to win.

Could the Braves pass the Nats? Absolutely.

Will they? That's why they play the game.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #65: August 09, 2012, 09:42:50 AM »
We've won 5 in a row and 15 of our last 20 and you're complaining.

...and coming up possibly in a few months:

WHADDYA MEAN WE WON THE WORLD SERIES IN FIVE??? IT SHOULD'VE BEEN A SWEEP!!!

Offline Smithian

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #66: August 09, 2012, 09:45:09 AM »
I know it's become almost gospel that we "play down to our opponents", but I'm not accepting that it means we are likely to struggle against a weaker schedule.

Call me old school but if it's wins we want, a weaker schedule is good, stronger schedule bad. 
I hate the phrases "playing up" and "playing down" in baseball. There's parody. The difference between success and failure is very thin in baseball. There's a reason there are 162 games. You need that long to separate the good and the bad. Every year your worst eams win in the range of 60 and the best around 100. In football that would be like every team being betwen 10-6 and 6-10 or in basketball everyone sitting around 52-30 and 30-52. Those sports have much wider ranges between the best and worst.

The range between "good" and "bad" is thinner in baseball than other major sports. The season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Online Slateman

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #67: August 09, 2012, 09:45:22 AM »
We've won 5 in a row and 15 of our last 20 and you're complaining.

I'm not complaining. I'm saying that the article is pretty logical and it's not outside the realm of possibility that the author is right.

That Nationals, despite their record, are not playing as well as they should. The Braves are on fire.

Offline lastobjective

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #68: August 09, 2012, 09:46:09 AM »
Well, the Nats were never really a blowout-win team like the Braves. Most of them come down to the wire, relying on our impressive D and pitching to bring us to a win. So maybe our offense is a flaw, but the Braves have a flaw or two as well: problems against left handed pitching and not a great starting pitching staff.

This is quite exciting watching this race to the top. Both teams want the playoffs and have the ability to reach it. We just have to wait, don't we ;)

Offline Smithian

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #69: August 09, 2012, 09:47:34 AM »
...and coming up possibly in a few months:

WHADDYA MEAN WE WON THE WORLD SERIES IN FIVE??? IT SHOULD'VE BEEN A SWEEP!!!
If the Nationals make the playoffs this year only three years removed from being the back to back worst team in baseball and anyone complains about "We lost in the NLDS!!!" or "We lost in the NLCS! We should have made the World Series!!!" then I might actually go outside and light myself on fire. Or buy an Indians hat. I can't decide which would be more painful.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #70: August 09, 2012, 09:49:01 AM »
I'm not complaining. I'm saying that the article is pretty logical and it's not outside the realm of possibility that the author is right.

That Nationals, despite their record, are not playing as well as they should. The Braves are on fire.

And despite being on fire, they've lost a half game. Teams go on streaks all the time- we've had our offensive explosions too

Offline lastobjective

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #71: August 09, 2012, 09:50:06 AM »
If the Nationals make the playoffs this year only three years removed from being the back to back worst team in baseball and anyone complains about "We lost in the NLDS!!!" or "We lost in the NLCS! We should have made the World Series!!!" then I might actually go outside and light myself on fire. Or buy an Indians hat. I can't decide which would be more painful.

Better buy the lighter fluid now. You know what people will be saying ;)

Offline houston-nat

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #72: August 09, 2012, 09:50:59 AM »
Both the Nats and Braves have played over .700 baseball since the series split at Nats Park and the Nats have gained a half game. So while the Braves have been red hot so have the Nats. Neither teams can stay this hot forever though. ... It is just my opinion, but I think people are exaggerating the impact of the Strasburg shutdown on the regular season.   

100% agreed.

We'll worry about the Braves when we play the Braves. Until then, we have to just keep winning.

Offline Smithian

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #73: August 09, 2012, 09:54:15 AM »
100% agreed.

We'll worry about the Braves when we play the Braves. Until then, we have to just keep winning.
The Strasburg thing is so overblown. I think will affect somewhere 4 or 5 starts. John Lannan has already won a couple big games for the Nats this season. Yes, he isn't Strasburg, but it isn't like we're just surrendering those games. End of the day I think Strasburg shut down affects one, maybe two, wins.

Offline JMW IV

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Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #74: August 09, 2012, 09:58:42 AM »
Some people here have the thinest of skins when it comes to others not picking the Nats to win.

It's just an opinion. Who cares what he thinks about who will win. He doesn't change the outcomes of the game.

Sanity.