Nationals vs Cubs, Game 3

[PowerBoater69]

We should have blown this game open back in the first inning.

Yep, almost always happens that way, squander our chances on offense and pay the price.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Damn. 2 doubles and 2 walks and 1 freaking run.  Hope that doesn't come back to bite us.

[nats2playoffs]

ATTENDANCE at this match: 38,788  

[varoadking]

There are at least 3 players on this team who need to be gone.....traded....sold....fired.....

They all deserve good Manager...

[PowerBoater69]

Gem of a game from Gio, he's got to be pissed right now.

[Squab]

Pulling a Strasburg

Yank his ass Davey!!! freak this

Davey approaching Frank Robinson territory.
Should have left Gio in.

[madj55]

freak DREW STOREN, freak DAVEY JOHNSON, and freak THE HOME PLATE UMPIRE.
You know what...freak this team, a bunch of self entitled overrated wusses. Figure it the freak out.
I've already made two promises to myself after going to yesterday and today's game:
1. I'm never going to see Stephen Strasburg pitch again.
2. Once Drew Storen enters the game I'm leaving the park.

[varoadking]

I'm looking forward to next year...when we have someone else on the dugout steps...

Thank goodness Davey volunteered to leave...at least his won't be a salary we have to eat...

[jhuterp]

This team just refuses to take care of business.  Losing a home series to the Cubs...... really?  Count me among those looking forward to Davey retiring.

[varoadking]

This 3 game series has given me some insight into just how Cubs fans have must have felt for the past 100+ years...

[Kentucky_National]

How in the freak do half of you follow baseball? Especially you noob bandwagon posters. Please go join the Yankees or someone. It's baseball. You're going to lose series. Even at home, to crappy teams. It happens. We're still 1 game back of first place.

SMH

[Nathan]

How in the freak do half of you follow baseball? Especially you noob bandwagon posters. Please go join the Yankees or someone. It's baseball. You're going to lose series. Even at home, to crappy teams. It happens. We're still 1 game back of first place.

SMH

We should be tied or 1 game ahead of the braves for first place.  Shouldn't be that hard to beat the cubs especially today.  1 run against the cubs.


SMH

[Optics]

How in the freak do half of you follow baseball? Especially you noob bandwagon posters. Please go join the Yankees or someone. It's baseball. You're going to lose series. Even at home, to crappy teams. It happens. We're still 1 game back of first place.

SMH

For me it's not so much the losing but the overall quality of play. We make way too many little mistakes, compared to last year where we always played smart baseball and never beat ourselves. How many games have we essentially thrown away this year because of errors/mental breakdowns?

It's like in football when you put up good stats but lose because you throw 3 interceptions. The Nats are the Dallas Cowboys of MLB right now.

[nats2playoffs]

                     
Pitchers         IP     H    R    ER    BB   SO   HR   Pitches-Strikes
G Gonzalez   7.0   2     0      0      1       6      0       86-55

Gio was pulled because he was leading off. Davey said that he wanted Chad Tracy to pinch hit for him.  PROBLEM: Gio is a better hitter than Tracy:

                       AVG   OBP   SLG
G Gonzalez P   . 200   .273   .500
Chad Tracy PH  .139   .205   .139

This is something Davey should have already known.   

[PC]

I'm sure I've espoused my philosophy here but I'm more of a process person than a result person.  If you do the right things, ie your "process" is good, you will likely get more good results.  If you don't the right things, ie your "process" is bad, you will more likely get more bad results.  You can't control the results but you can control the process.

The reason I don't like Davey as manager is that his process has been bad this season.  This was a two-fer, a case of both bad result and bad process.

He didn't take Gio out to improve the pitching.  He took him out to improve the offense...through Chad Tracy.  Has he not been watching Chad Tracy this season?  Not only did the offense results not improve, the pitching results got worse.

Davey's process today was inexcusable.

[Kentucky_National]

I agree that it hasn't been the year we all hoped for SO FAR. But doest that mean it has to stay this way? No. Look at the A's last year. 13 games out at the end of June and ended up winning the division. Both the Giants and Tigers were under .500 on this date last year. Both made the world series.

My point being is these guys have almost FIVE MONTHS to figure it out. And even if we played 3 games over every fifth of the season over the course of the season that is an 89-73 record or there abouts. I certainly we believe we will finish with a better record than that.

I'm just going to remain positive rather than make myself miserable by watching Nationals baseball. I've already done that for years.

I guess what really bugs me is all the complete noobs on this board that freak out over every little thing, when they clearly just hopped on the train this year (or last). For the folks who have been here forever, well you are entitled to nag. I just prefer not to because it does not make anything fun whatsoever.

[imref]

Gio was pulled because he was leading off. Davey said that he wanted Chad Tracy to pinch hit for him.  PROBLEM: Gio is a better hitter than Tracy:

you aren't serious, are you?

Tracy sucks, but he's a better hitter than Gio.

[mmzznnxx]

you aren't serious, are you?

Tracy sucks, but he's a better hitter than Gio.

Given an equal number of ABs (minus sacrifice bunts) in a season for both Gio and current Chad Tracy, I think it'd be a close race. Same with Zimmermann. In an equal amount of ABs, I think both Strasburg and Haren would probably outhit Tracy.

Detwiler's the only one I wouldn't count on it being close. He usually has location but not the batspeed to hit major league pitchers. His few times he gets on base though are pretty awesome though just based on how infrequent it is.

[OldChelsea]

ATTENDANCE at this match: 38,788  

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...a Nats Park record for a Cubs visit.