Nationals vs Phillies, Game 1, Nationals Kissing Day

[RobDibblesGhost]

First pitch strike was a good sign.

[nats2playoffs]

wow. Just awful balls and strikes tonight

Umpire has a dinner reservation. One walk the entire game, intentional.
 

[RobDibblesGhost]

One more to go….

[imref]

Ruiz burned the last one last inning on a ball that was  an inch + off. Lile or maybe Mead lost one on a ball that was less than 0.1 inches off

saw the Lile one. It was a good challenge. Sigh. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Justin Crawford's face is just like his Dad's

[RobDibblesGhost]

We got good Beeter tonight. 6 pitches

[aspenbubba]

Both Mead and Crews had ball 4 called as strikes. Horrible.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

!

[imref]

[imref]

Griffin should be an all-star.

[skippy1999]

Beating the Philthies is always extra sweet

[GataNats]

Hell of a win.  This team is for real.  Go out and buy some pitching and a first baseman

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Thank you to friends old and new who participated by viewing or posting comments.

With the posted, we honor the memory of our friend Old Chelsea with the traditional post that tracks the Nats wins to date, in Anglophile style.

THE RACING PRECEDENTS - Comparative dates on which the Nationals notched their 41st win, each season:

2016 - 15th June (66th match of season)
2017 - 16th June (67th match)
2005 - 20th June (70th match)
2026 - 22nd June (79th match)
2012 - 23rd June (69th match)
2014 - 24th June (76th match)
2018 - 24th June (76th match)
2015 - 26th June (74th match)
2019 - 28th June (81st match)
2013 - 30th June (81st match)
2011 – 1st July (82nd match)
2024 - 4th July (87th match)
2021 - 5th July (83rd match)
2010 – 21st July (95th match)
2006 - 21st July (97th match)
2007 - 21st July (97th match)
2025 - 22nd July (101st match)
2023 - 23rd July (99th match)
2008 - 3rd August (111th match)
2009 - 14th August (116th match)
2022 - 19th August  (121st match)
---
2020 - finished 26-34

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Griffin should be an all-star.

His number compare well to any rookie starter in the NL. McLean has the better fWAR, but not the ERA, K/BB, or innings.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Hell of a win.  This team is for real.  Go out and buy some pitching and a first baseman

Agreed. This was a big game and they showed up. Could’ve been a blowout if we had a decent HP ump. Phillies radio team was very complimentary of how well the Nats are playing this season.

[imref]

Yep. Crews should have had another RBI.

[nats2playoffs]

                                       


PITCHERS    IP   H   ER BB  K   PC-ST   
F. Griffin     7.1   4   1   0   9   105-74   
R. Lovelady 0.2   0   0   0   2      9-6   
C. Beeter    1.0   1   0   0   1      6-6   

[nats2playoffs]

sportsfan882 is in the house!
How old are the kids?

[welch]

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

Waking up the next day I'm still insanely irritated by the ump calling Crews out on strike 3. It wasn't even remotely close. I'm someone who enjoys the human element of the game but as a league they can do better. There's no reason a pitch 8" off the plate should be called a strike. Just horrendous.

[Natsinpwc]

Waking up the next day I'm still insanely irritated by the ump calling Crews out on strike 3. It wasn't even remotely close. I'm someone who enjoys the human element of the game but as a league they can do better. There's no reason a pitch 8" off the plate should be called a strike. Just horrendous.

Yes they should just automate everything. But for now don’t have your teammates challenge and lose early in games.  Nats seem to love that.

Also he had a couple meatballs over the plate that he missed that at bat and he swung and missed at a ball that was not a strike. Ump was probably surprised he didn’t swing at that last one.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

Yes they should just automate everything. But for now don’t have your teammates challenge and lose early in games.  Nats seem to love that.

Also he had a couple meatballs over the plate that he missed that at bat and he swung and missed at a ball that was not a strike. Ump was probably surprised he didn’t swing at that last one.

He was 10" away from another home run this game and worked a count in the 9th to walk in another RBI (what should've been at least). Its hard to blame him for much. The ump basically gave the Phillies two outs in the 9th on pitches way off the plate. Had we lost this game those calls would've looked far worse.

[imref]

Somebody explain to me the current practice of the starting pitcher often being a reliever, who only pitches one or 2 innings? Lots of teams are doing this. Why?

The primary reason is so your starter doesn't have to face the top of the order more than twice. Stats show that pitchers tend to struggle the third time through the lineup. So you go with an opener that provides a more favorable matchup against your opponent's top of the order (e.g., LHP vs LHBs or vice-versa).

[Natsinpwc]

The primary reason is so your starter doesn't have to face the top of the order more than twice. Stats show that pitchers tend to struggle the third time through the lineup. So you go with an opener that provides a more favorable matchup against your opponent's top of the order (e.g., LHP vs LHBs or vice-versa).

Well yesterday the Phillies had sent down their fifth starter and called up Rangel. Who didn’t have stellar stats at Triple.  So used a lefty most likely because of Wood and Abrams