It isn't going to happen. This team is not going to win another road series all year. If someone told me that the Nationals wouldn't win a road series in three months and not have a winning streak of four games or more I would have guessed this season would've been far worse than it is. Everytime I see the boxscore it seems like the Diamondbacks are winning the last game of their series by some high score. Maybe that is just what they do. It is on to L.A.
Nationals @ DodgersIf you have XM radio I suggest tuning into some of these games on there. Vin Scully has to retire at some point and when he does baseball will be losing a beautiful voice of the game. I have been venturing around to other Nat's sites recently and I made a comment I have made here before about Capps being a ROOGY. Someone decided to fact check me on this. I really don't know why, because it is obviously a joke, but they seemed quite offended by my joke. I have to agree with Carlos Mencia on this one. If you are offended by a joke there is something wrong with you. This person was so hung up on the numbers of the game that I wonder sometimes if some people lose track of other parts of the game. Vin Scully speaks in poetry and he turns the game into a kind of music. Listening to him call the game is one of the great pleasures no baseball fan should miss out on. I guess my point is getting too caught up in the numbers and trying to turn the game into a mathmatical science might ignore the fact that it is suppossed to be fun. Then again some people find math fun. There is room in this great sport for all of us.
Friday August, 6 John Lannan vs. Clayton KershawLannan was lucky in his last outing. He had runners all over the bases, but worked his best Hudini act and was able to escape. Hudini drowned in one of his escape attempts, and it is more likely that Lannan will drown than succeed. He simply isn't that talented. I do like Lannan and his success means Nationals success. I don't understand people that seem to actively cheer against their own players. Lannan has gotten by on location, luck, and guts when he has been going well. This season he has lost the location just as much as the luck. He should be a serviceable back of the rotation guy. This year he has looked like someone that doesn't belong in the majors.
Kershaw is one of my favorite pitchers to watch. He pitches like a power lefty should. He works his fastball in and out, and will drop in a breaking ball and change-up when needed. He doesn't try and work backwards or trick every hitter. He stands out there on the mound and let's the hitters know he is better than them. It is just too bad he can't be pitching for us. Someone should tape Detwiler's eyes open while Kershaw is pitching so he can see how he should be throwing.
Saturday August, 7 Livan Hernandez vs. Hiroki Kuroda Livo must be playing more raquetball lately. Every time you think it is over for him he bounces right back and strings another good couple starts together. I believe in Livo. I will just go ahead and trust that he can get the Dodger hitters out and that after dropping the first game of the series we can take this one. Livan is fun to watch in a different way than a power pitcher. He is an artist on the mound. His Livophus pitch is something to watch. I swear some batters really do swing three times at it.
So, one year in October I was walking through an airport and I looked up at a TV and Kuroda was pitching for the Dodgers. I wondered silently when Chin Ming Wang got traded to the Dodgers, and then I realized this was impossible. It is too bad Wang never got healthy. I highly doubt we bring him back next year. Of course I also can't imagine him winning arbitration and at $2 million he is still a bargain if his shoulder ever heals. Kuroda pitches just like him. Expect a lot of sinkers and Derek Lowe pitching like a winnerness.
Sunday August, 8 Jason Marquis vs. Ted LillyThe Gamechanger is back. Let's hope he changes the game for the right team this time. I do think Marquis can be a good pitcher in our rotation. He gives a kind of veteran balance that was lack. Of course I am not sure that is true as Livan is a veteran, but I just don't see Livan adding balance. I am not even sure what I mean by that. It is like I am writing for ESPN now and I just wanted to say something that sounded smart, but really says nothing so I decided to use the term veteran balance. Now I wonder if you place Livan on a scale and Marquis on the other side who else you would need to balance it out.
Ted Lilly gets no write up. Only an animated gif.
X-FactorsI don't understand how 48 hours from Thursday is Monday, but I won't argue. I doubt Dunn goes anywhere and at this point I don't think this clubhouse is distracted by anything. They seem pretty focused on playing the game of baseball. I just hope to see selfish homeruns and base clogging walks from Dunn for years to come in a Nationals uniform. Dunn is also lazy and hates baseball and you, but as long as he does it here I am fine.
The Dodgers are under intense preasure right now. I can't see them catching the Padres, but I can see the Giants or the Rockies doing so. I think the Dodgers are the fourth best team in that division right now, but they are also the ones under the most pressure. They were the favorites to start the season and have done nothing but disapoint. At times the front office has been rumored to be ready to give up on Matt Kemp, there has been growing frustration at the large contract handed out to Manny who has hardly played this year, and let's not forget D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
Final ThoughtsI don't know about this series. I like the Dodger's pitching more than I like ours. I think Marquis can decide it and if he is truly healthy and can pitch well we should be able to beat Ted Lilly. The first game is already lost, but I think Livan can win us the middle game. It will come down to the final game and Marquis will be the real x-factor. I know I named Dunn again just to make stupid FJM jokes.
