Sept 30th - 82 -80, the 6-month crapshow is finally over

[imref]

In the WC race, in the last week we've passed Pittsburgh and SF, and are now a half game behind STL.   Arizona and the Dodgers are tied for the division so we're only now trailing 4 teams for the last spot (Atlanta, AZ/LAD, COL, and STL)

Milwaukee   65   50   .565   +1.5   -   6-4   L1   8/5 vs COL, L 4-5   8/7 vs SD, 8:10 PM
Atlanta   60   48   .556   -   -   6-4   W1   8/5 @ NYM, W 5-4   8/7 @ WSH, 1:05 PM
-----
Arizona           62   51   .549   0.5   52   6-4   L1   8/5 vs SF, L 2-3   8/6 vs PHI, 9:40 PM
LA Dodgers   62   51   .549   0.5   52   5-5   W1   8/5 vs HOU, W 3-2   8/7 @ OAK, 10:05 PM
Colorado           59   52   .532   2.5   51   5-5   W1   8/5 @ MIL, W 5-4   8/6 vs PIT, 8:40 PM
St. Louis           58   54   .518   4.0   49   7-3   W2   8/5 @ PIT, W 2-1   8/6 @ MIA, 7:10 PM
Washington   57   54   .514   4.5   49   7-3   W2   8/5 vs CIN, W 2-1   8/7 vs ATL, 1:05 PM

[LoveAngelos]

With the pitching lineup after Max; the Nats playoff chances will be done at the end of the Braves series.
This rotatipn or lack of one is all on Rozzo

[imref]

Philly winning 2-0 in the 8th against Arizona, if they hold on we're 6.5 back.

But on the WC front, we've tied STL at 4.5 back.  An AZ loss to Philly helps us as well.

[bluestreak]

Philly winning 2-0 in the 8th against Arizona, if they hold on we're 6.5 back.

But on the WC front, we've tied STL at 4.5 back.  An AZ loss to Philly helps us as well.

Arizona scores 2 in 9th to tie game.

[imref]

Arizona scores 2 in 9th to tie game.

And wins in 14.  We’re 5.5 back

[catocony]

With the pitching lineup after Max; the Nats playoff chances will be done at the end of the Braves series.
This rotatipn or lack of one is all on Rozzo

How is it his fault?  He signed Milone and Jackson as insurance policies, had Fedde as the first guy up from AAA, had AJ Cole as the 5th guy, then got cold feet on Cole and got Helickson.  Plus Ross potentially available late in the season.  That's about as good as you're going to do when you have heavy money invested in your #1 and #2 guys.

He didn't know that Roark was going to suck for most of the season, that Fedde would get hurt, that Strasburg would be hurt but pitching most of the season.

You malcontents constantly set your own false expectations.

[imref]

How is it his fault?  He signed Milone and Jackson as insurance policies, had Fedde as the first guy up from AAA, had AJ Cole as the 5th guy, then got cold feet on Cole and got Helickson.  Plus Ross potentially available late in the season.  That's about as good as you're going to do when you have heavy money invested in your #1 and #2 guys.

He didn't know that Roark was going to suck for most of the season, that Fedde would get hurt, that Strasburg would be hurt but pitching most of the season.

You malcontents constantly set your own false expectations.

he could have added an arm at the trade deadline - Eovaldi would have been a nice fit.

[LoveAngelos]

He could have realized Cole and Fedde suck.

[catocony]

he could have added an arm at the trade deadline - Eovaldi would have been a nice fit.

Weren't you guys all screaming for the Nats to sell instead of buying? 

[catocony]

He could have realized Cole and Fedde suck.

That's why Milone and Jackson were signed.  You're not going to have five major league starters sitting at Syracuse just waiting for someone to get hurt.  You have a couple untested rookies and maybe a couple of veterans looking to make it back.

[imref]

5 back of the division, 3.5 behind Atlanta for the WC

Let's win 2!

[DPMOmaha]

And suddenly, only two teams between the Nats and the Wild Card spot.

[LoveAngelos]

Freeman and Markakis get it done when it is needed. The Nats have no one to match those two.

[UMDNats]

Big loss tonight. Now absolutely, 100% have to win the next two games.

[catocony]

Now they need to win 3 in a row to continue the current pattern of lose 1, win 3.

[Jeff in Gaithersburg]

Brutal to let this one slip away, especially with Max pitching another great game tonight. Get the next 2.

[catocony]

Well that was bad.  A few weeks ago, the Nats had two paths to the playoffs.  One, start playing .600+ winning baseball, or play decent baseball but have both the Braves and Phillies fall back.  Two weeks later, neither has happened, and the Nats remain stuck at 6 games back with 48 games to go.  Same crap, different day.

[Count Walewski]

I officially stopped believing after Game 2 of the doubleheader.

[Air Desmond]

To have any hope, Nats need to be within 3-4 games of the Phillies/Braves by the end of the month. I’m not throwing in the towel yet.

[catocony]

What they need is an 8-game win streak with the Braves and Phillies going 3-5.  They just don't seem capable of putting a long run of wins together. 

[imref]

5.5 back of the division, 4.5 back of the WC.

[Greg_SRT]

Come on now.

The Braves had to settle for a split with the Nats down 2 back end bullpen arms and our #2 SP.

The Braves pitched 3 of their best SP's in these 4 games. We pitched 2 Sky Chiefs.

And we split these 4 games 2 games a piece.

How can the Braves be good and at the same time the Nats be bad when less than 5 games separates them?

[imref]

10-5 in our last 15.

[Greg_SRT]

10-5 in our last 15.

That can't be true. We suck 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

How can the Braves be good and at the same time the Nats be bad when less than 5 games separates them?

Braves fight song