Nationals vs Cubs, NLDS Game 5

[imref]

It was dumb to put Max in. Told everyone that two days ago. Dumb dumb and dumber.

He retired Bryant and Rizzo, and had a 2 strike count on the third battter. 

[Natsinpwc]

He retired Bryant and Rizzo, and had a 2 strike count on the third battter.

Yes. And he wore out quickly. As one would expect for a guy who threw 100 pitches in Monday. That's why I said save him for later on for one or two batters. Could have let Albers bat and pitch another inning. Dusty and Maddux are idiots. Tired of folks giving Maddux a pass on this stuff also.

[mdnatsfan]

Solis should have never returned to DC.

[HalfSmokes]

I dont blame Solis, Dusty had no excuse for using him in the playoffs

[Leroy Veritas]

I dont blame Solis, Dusty had no excuse for using him in the playoffs

Were you saying that on Saturday when he retired 2 batters to finish off an inning?

Solis had a 2.41 ERA the second half of the season. He was good in game 2. He shouldn't have been in game 3 because it was a worse matchup than bringing in a RHP to face Schwarber who didn't do anything in the series. I have no problem trying him last night but the manager still doesn't understand that you have to have your next reliever ready to go when someone comes in during a playoff elimination game and have a quick hook.

[Natsinpwc]

Were you saying that on Saturday when he retired 2 batters to finish off an inning?

Solis had a 2.41 ERA the second half of the season. He was good in game 2. He shouldn't have been in game 3 because it was a worse matchup than bringing in a RHP to face Schwarber who didn't do anything in the series. I have no problem trying him last night but the manager still doesn't understand that you have to have your next reliever ready to go when someone comes in during a playoff elimination game and have a quick hook.

^
Same with Max. How could you not have someone ready when you knew the situation?

[Leroy Veritas]

^
Same with Max. How could you not have someone ready when you knew the situation?

That's part of why he's a career loser in the playoffs. You have to have a manager who can think ahead and not merely react. I'm not sure the Nats have had that under Rizzo.

[tzinc]

He retired Bryant and Rizzo, and had a 2 strike count on the third battter.

He actually threw the third strike it was a one two three inning but THE UMP CALLED IT A BALL


you can nitpick Dusty all you want look at the ridiculous moves by Maddon a genius the reality is base ball is a game of luck if you string a bunch of hits together you win if you string a bunch of outs you win ... it can't be predicted you can make all the right moves and lose and you can make all the wrong moves and win ... look at Cleveland ... people want to blame or praise managers all they do is create an atmosphere in the clubhouse that's it they cannot control what happens in any 1 v 1 situation ... baseball is a marathon baseball playoffs are a sprint ... Dusty can't make Harper not swing a ball in the dirt or the umpire make the proper call or a guy not get caught stealing ... everyone thinks differently he should have used x instead of y or he should have not had x steal ...
all the people crying for Lind Lind comes up doesn't take any pitches off a struggling pitcher swings at first and hits into a DP another time Lind comes up and gets a hit and we win the game ... managers have very little to do with winning ... look at Cleveland and their ace pitcher and their incredible winning streak ... you improve your odds by having better players but even then in a 5 or 7 game series you don't know ... just like in real life you think you are asserting control but most of it is pure luck ... walk on a greenlight that car can still hit you and you'll die even though you did nothing wrong ... judged after the fact it is easy oh yeah he shouldnt have used Max vs if he doesnt use Max oh yeah he should have used Max ... the reality is you are watching a crapshoot sometimes you get snakeyes no matter what you do

[Minty Fresh]

He actually threw the third strike it was a one two three inning but THE UMP CALLED IT A BALL

He was still one strike away from retiring the side in order and proceeded to cough up 3 runs.

[monkeyhit]

The Buffalo Bills of baseball.

[Mighty Casey]

As I have said more than once, this team never learns from their mistakes...their signature eff-up is what Lind did...against struggling pitchers, swing at the first pitch, then act surprised when they hit into a rally killing DP or some feeble pop up...they must have done this more than 100 times this season, and yet they continue to repeat this utterly futile behavior. Everyone wants to be the hero; few just want to play sound baseball. Eff-ups like Lobaton, who runs like a cement truck with flat tires, on base against a catcher who is well known for his ability to snap throw to first with a high degree of success, leans his fat a$$ too far and snuffs out another opportunity by getting picked off....then acts surprised....ship this clod out of here, along with Wieters & Solis...
the biggest problem in baseball is that there is no incentive for performance...once the fat contracts are signed and the $$$ starts rolling in, motivation drops...if players were fined for swinging at first pitches, diving after bouncing balls in the dirt for strike three or for missing easy line drives or for throwing the ball into the boondocks, you might see better overall performance soon, or else said players will (should) go bankrupt.
Few Nats earned their bloated paychecks during this series....Taylor was about the biggest surprise, while 'the big boys' were a constant source of disappointment. As for the Nat's baseball IQ, it hovered somewhere around 74, with 100 being average. No wonder they lost. No one chokes up (just choke) with 2 strikes, no one appears to try and engage in situational hitting, and everyone is out to help struggling opposing pitchers....
But I am sure that we will read in the Post about how 'talented' this team is....and then try to stifle a yawn.
This team should be renamed 'The Washington Dildos'....because they screw themselves more efficiently and often than just about any other team.

[ChicagoCubs]

I think you guys are really close if you can keep your core intact (Strasburg, Harper, Scherzer).
Whether that means moving Dusty or not for a manager who can get you to the next level depends on if that keeps Harper happy.

These games were razor thin and I think the bottom of your lineup is what really hurt you.  Besides Taylor going off in game 4 and 5 and Wieters & Wyrth giving you nothing till game 5, that was basically the difference because those guys were easy outs that killed your momentum and created LOBs from the murders row of (Turner, Harper, Zimmerman, Murphy, Rendon).  Dusty does deserve alot of credit for addressing this in game 4 and 5 by moving Wyrth up to 2nd and Rendon back to 6th which made the backend a little more potent.

Get rid of Wyrth and his defensive liabilities.  If the guy is going to be inconsistent as a hitter than at least have a guy who can play great defense and has range.   (Look at Kyle Schwerber, almost single handedly cost us a game with his bumbling two Error play).

Weiters seems on the down swing in career trajectory.  You just need a stud offensive catcher so opposing pitchers have nowhere to hide against your lineup.

[OldChelsea]

...if only we'd gotten some hitting...ANY hitting...in those pitching gems (Game 1 or 3)...

[ChicagoCubs]

...if only we'd gotten some hitting...ANY hitting...in those pitching gems (Game 1 or 3)...

The bottom of your lineup (Wyrth, Weiters, Taylor, pitcher) bailed us out in those games.  How many times did they kill the momentum and leave people on base in those games.  alot.

[Natsinpwc]

The bottom of your lineup (Wyrth, Weiters, Taylor, pitcher) bailed us out in those games.  How many times did they kill the momentum and leave people on base in those games.  alot.

The top and middle of the lineup did virtually nothing the first four games. Harper and Murphy both had two hits in four games. And I believe the same for Rendon. Turner had one hit. That's what killed them. And you know the Cubs pitching is not great. Good luck against the Dodgers lineup as you will need it.

[OldChelsea]

NLDS = No Lead Deemed Safe

[apologies if already posted]

[Minty Fresh]

The Buffalo Bills of baseball. The Atlanta Braves of the 2010's

Fixed

[Mighty Casey]

Even in his post game blather, Bryce just burbled the same blah blah blah, not even owning up to his own futile, oh-so-typical under pressure AB...a half-hearted swing at a pitch that nearly bounced and hit him....how was that pitch a strike? Was Bryce 'fooled' on its trajectory? If so, maybe he needs to take up a new career....stepping back so you can swing at a bouncing ball that is  flying towards your feet just feels wrong....but then, few Nats have the consistent ability to judge balls from strikes, and all want to be the Hero of the Moment and often wind up being The Goat. The more the opposing pitchers struggle, the worse the pitches that these overpaid buffoons swing at, usually right away. Opposing pitchers rarely rack up 71 pitches in three games against these clods. What, is there a time limit on the game? Why isn't or hasn't Dusty TOLD everyone not to swing at the first pitch unless he green lights 'em.....which should only be happening when we are ahead by 9 runs in the last inning. But no, everyone saunters up to the plate, acting like they are Babe Ruth reincarnated....then the flailing and chasing begins.
It would be difficult to imagine what the season and post-season would have been had these baseball morons developed some batting discipline. But for most, the word 'discipline' has no meaning. Keep watching those videos, boys,....maybe some day it will dawn on you that there is a difference between a ball and a strike.

[ChicagoCubs]

Even in his post game blather, Bryce just burbled the same blah blah blah, not even owning up to his own futile, oh-so-typical under pressure AB...a half-hearted swing at a pitch that nearly bounced and hit him....how was that pitch a strike? Was Bryce 'fooled' on its trajectory? If so, maybe he needs to take up a new career....stepping back so you can swing at a bouncing ball that is  flying towards your feet just feels wrong....but then, few Nats have the consistent ability to judge balls from strikes, and all want to be the Hero of the Moment and often wind up being The Goat. The more the opposing pitchers struggle, the worse the pitches that these overpaid buffoons swing at, usually right away. Opposing pitchers rarely rack up 71 pitches in three games against these clods. What, is there a time limit on the game? Why isn't or hasn't Dusty TOLD everyone not to swing at the first pitch unless he green lights 'em.....which should only be happening when we are ahead by 9 runs in the last inning. But no, everyone saunters up to the plate, acting like they are Babe Ruth reincarnated....then the flailing and chasing begins.
It would be difficult to imagine what the season and post-season would have been had these baseball morons developed some batting discipline. But for most, the word 'discipline' has no meaning. Keep watching those videos, boys,....maybe some day it will dawn on you that there is a difference between a ball and a strike.

I think you hit the nail on the head with Heroball.

You look at Joe Maddon and he's got everyone to buy in to the team.  Which means players like Ben Zobrist, Jason Hewyard, and Javier Baez, etc accepting not starting every game.

You look at Jason Wyerth and he starts every game even though he's mediocre.  Like he's entitled to start.  I just see an over the hill, mediocre defensive liability.  Yet they try to keep him in the lineup at all costs.  Would it have really been that horrible to start Howie or Adam Lind instead of Wyerth?

[imref]

https://deadspin.com/max-scherzer-did-his-job-and-it-didnt-matter-1819438261

tl;dr - Scherzer put pitches where he wanted them, it didn't work out, that's baseball.

[Mighty Casey]

Dusty had added several players, but rarely used them, instead keeping sloths like Wieters and Werth in the line up...even when Trea Turner was hacking at cheese, Difo never got a chance...how could they have done worse? Well, Lind did so last night as well as Flubbaton....maybe if they had got a game in earlier in the series, they might have resisted the temptation to be the Hero. Who knows? But why have players riding the pine when the high priced help was merely collecting their paychecks?
I think Mr. Baker will be returning to his winery, while Nats fans return to their 'whinery'....(and with good reason)...the Nats join other DC sports teams who constantly choke under pressure, while the media portrays them (the teams) as 'talented' or 'gifted' or whatever....only to watch them melt down and perform like neophytes...then have to endure the post game interviews in which the unsuccessful clods mumble platitudes, shrug, and try to remind the eight people left listening or watching how 'good' this team is....how hard everyone worked, how they gave their all, etc......but something doesn't add up....real hard work and study of one's craft should eliminate if not significantly reduce bonehead mistakes, but we see all of that alleged study and practice go right out the window the moment there is something on the line and everyone on said 'talented' team reverts to form and all we see are overpaid struggling chokers....who still want us to buy season tickets and a bunch of overpriced swag.....not me...
Next season, Nats fans should just stay home and let the team play in an echo chamber, just like the Marlins have...maybe if 44,000 show up for the entire season, a message might be sent.
I, for one, will not be spending a farthing on this team next year. Until DC gets an actual major league team, I will watch and cheer for some other decent team, even at the minor league level, where the players are trying. They have yet to sign obscene contracts that do little to reward performance.

[The Chief]

The Buffalo Bills of baseball.

They wish.

[ChicagoCubs]

They wish.

Bills actually made it to the super bowl.   Nats can't even get out of the NLDS.  The football equivalent would be not being able to get out of the Divisional playoff round.  So maybe the Washington Redskins (Dan Snyder version) of baseball is more apt.

[imref]

spoke to a friend from chicago this morning, consensus there is we've turned into the Cubs (pre-2016).

[Minty Fresh]

Bills actually made it to the super bowl.

Four freaking times.  It would be nice to make it there once before we make that comparison.