Author Topic: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats [but who gives gives a rat's ...]  (Read 18584 times)

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Offline Mattionals

  • Posts: 5752
Re: Paul Swydan Believes Braves Will Catch Nats
« Reply #100: August 09, 2012, 11:40:21 PM »
Just win and win again.

Seriously, this.

Too many folks here are getting bent out of shape on what a guy wrote on Fangraphs.  Yes he could be right.  He could be wrong.  Last I checked, Nats were in First, and have the best record in all of MLB.  I surely thought the debacle game against the Braves would be the undoing of an unprecedented season for this franchise and the Nats have shown how tough they really fight to stay in it.

No one can project how teams will be going forward.  It's cool to sit there and have xFIP and Pythagorean W-L metrics but guess what, those are all crap.  I don't care if John Lannan is SUPPOSED to be a 4.50 ERA pitcher, because, well he isn't a 4.50 ERA pitcher.  Is he dominant?  Heck no!  Can he pitch like a man in the majors?  Heck yes he can!

If anything has come out of the four game sweep against the Astros, it has to be the true makeup of the team.  The Astros played up to the last outs HARD for three games.  Gio buckled down and notched his first CG.  He knew what was happening with the pen showing cracks.  Guys are tired out there and Gio came through to pick up the ENTIRE bullpen.  So what if the offense hasn't been able to score crazy runs against a light tossing staff?  Did it ever occur that just because the guys on the other side have bad numbers doesn't mean that they are NOT MLB STARTERS?  They are amped up to bring their best stuff to TRY and shut down the best team in the MLB.  That isn't easy to do and as of late, it wasn't just the pitching that made other teams get on their adrenaline.

Case and point, let the players play.  I have had a fun time watching this team this year and I would love to see postseason ball with them.  So far, every hole or crack that has appeared, the Nats have found ways of fixing them.  Every player minus the two disaster pitchers (Hank the Rod and Wang Chung) have been able to bounce back from bad outings.  I'm all in for this season.  Maybe not quite SSS, but I don't think I belong in the LoD anymore.  Whazzat other faction that everybody else is in?