Nationals vs Braves, Game 3

[PC]

This is a good team, not a great one.  They're not good enough to overcome Davey Johnson though.

A manager who had average competence would have gotten this team to the playoffs.  Frankly, I don't think there is a manager in major league baseball that couldn't get to the playoffs with this team other than Davey Johnson.

[mmzznnxx]

Don't worry guys, like a bad dream it will all be over soon.

[spidernat]

When you play like crap for 4 months you leave yourself no room for error. Despite all the calls about not panicking and the "it's still early we have XX number of games left" bullcrap the hole they dug for themselves was too deep to crawl out of. They dug their own grave (especially in July).

[MorseTheHorse]

This is a good team, not a great one.  They're not good enough to overcome Davey Johnson though.

A manager who had average competence would have been a playoff team.  Frankly, I don't think there is a manager in major league baseball that couldn't get the playoffs with this team other than Davey Johnson.

I agree 100%.

[Truconfidence]

Astros have tied it at 4

[MorseTheHorse]

I agree 100%.

actually I don't.  This is a great team.  That is how bad Eckstein+Davey were. 

[spidernat]

This is a great team.   

[sportsfan882]

Damn this team to hell. What a horrible loss.

[nats2playoffs]

GAME OVER. WE LOSE.

[nats2playoffs]

Attendance at this match: 30,636 (73.8% full)


This crapfest will be repeated on MASN tonight at 11:30 pm
and again tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 pm.

[DPMOmaha]

actually I don't.  This is a great team.  That is how bad Eckstein+Davey were. 

They could have been. The problems went beyond those two, though.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

went back a reread pages 6 & 7 of the thread, when Ohlendorff was brought out to start the 6th.  I don't know how you could pull him before Uggla came up when he had pitched to the minimum number of batters through 5 and had an extremely low pitch count.  Righty-righty, too.  That said, given Oh's history, you have to have Stammen and a lefty up after the homer, and you have to pull Oh when Terdasandwich is announced. 

I understand there are no off days, and you want Ohlendorff to get you through the batting order twice before you burn bullpen, but given the need for a win, Gio and JZ coming up in the rotation, and the depth in the pen in September, you don't need to worry about stressing the pen here.  If you were worried, then Rizzo should have called up rostered minor leaguers like Karns right after their minor league playoffs to add depth.

[Tokeydog]

went back a reread pages 6 & 7 of the thread, when Ohlendorff was brought out to start the 6th.  I don't know how you could pull him before Uggla came up when he had pitched to the minimum number of batters through 5 and had an extremely low pitch count.  Righty-righty, too.  That said, given Oh's history, you have to have Stammen and a lefty up after the homer, and you have to pull Oh when Terdasandwich is announced. 

I understand there are no off days, and you want Ohlendorff to get you through the batting order twice before you burn bullpen, but given the need for a win, Gio and JZ coming up in the rotation, and the depth in the pen in September, you don't need to worry about stressing the pen here.  If you were worried, then Rizzo should have called up rostered minor leaguers like Karns right after their minor league playoffs to add depth.

Could not have said it better.

[welch]

went back a reread pages 6 & 7 of the thread, when Ohlendorff was brought out to start the 6th.  I don't know how you could pull him before Uggla came up when he had pitched to the minimum number of batters through 5 and had an extremely low pitch count.  Righty-righty, too.  That said, given Oh's history, you have to have Stammen and a lefty up after the homer, and you have to pull Oh when Terdasandwich is announced. 

I understand there are no off days, and you want Ohlendorff to get you through the batting order twice before you burn bullpen, but given the need for a win, Gio and JZ coming up in the rotation, and the depth in the pen in September, you don't need to worry about stressing the pen here.  If you were worried, then Rizzo should have called up rostered minor leaguers like Karns right after their minor league playoffs to add depth.

Another "yes", although I would have pulled Olie after five since he never seems to get through the sixth. Pitch count or no pitch count. Maybe Olie is good the first or second times through the batting order, but can be hit after a team sees him and adjusts. Just a guess.

What's not a guess is that the Nats had a 2 run lead and many bullpen guys. At this point, the Nats cannot conserve guys, rest them for the long haul. Every game is a must-win.

Overall: Nats won't win if they only get a couple of runs, so blame the pitching decisions but also blame the hitting. Additional thought: after Braves starter got himiself tossed, I'd have called for a bunt -- assuming the batter has average speed, and I don't remember who was up. Bunt just to increase the turmoil, give the Braves a chance to panic.

Ugh.

However, just win the next one and ignore the scoreboard.

[OldChelsea]

(Image removed from quote.)
Attendance at this match: 30,636 (73.8% full) [...]

Didn't hear a lot of the normal Lobotomised Legion chanting on the radio broadcast, but I did hear a lot of applause for Braves plays.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

they were more concentrated in the LF corner than behind the Barves dugout for some reason.  Maybe it was the ticket exchanges and RCRs that added Nats fans closer in on the 1st base side.