I’ll be at the game today, with my Orioles-loving wife and child in tow. Battle of the Beltways is the only time of the year I don’t wish the O’s well.
Hoping Mikolas doesn’t turn into a pumpkin before my very eyes. 🙏🏾
Run up the pitch count on their starter. Get to their 🐂🖋 and put up a passel of runs today. CURLY W 🧹🧹🧹 A game above .500 and then on to playing well against braves and mets.
I was at yesterday's awesome Nats game. I thought I'd share a somewhat concerning observation. Luis Garcia before almost every pitch was in long conversation with the umpire. He seemed very distracted. Each pitch he barely just started paying attention right before the pitch. Given that he is still learning the new position, I would hope he's be more focused on the game and his positioning and readiness.
Fun fact: Nats had in every measurable way the WORST offense in baseball in Spring training, and now are among the best (I think leading MLB in runs scored by 10) Epitomizing that are the final two exhibitions game of the Spring, against the O’s, where they lost twice home and home and scored one run (cumulatively 10-1). Now they’ve beaten the O’s twice by a combined 16-6. Not sure what to attribute the turn around to (Mark?). Maybe that’s just baseball; maybe it took a while for hitters to “buy in” to what new coaches were telling them;maybe the big boppers all just slumped at the same time…
I’m actually OK with Lovelady facing all RHBs in the first. As I posted yesterday morning, lefties are hitting .389 with a .522 OBP in 27 PAs against Lovelady in his time with the Nats , versus .143 and a .333 OBP against right handed hitters in 25 PAs.
Just saw Alexa’s interview (part 2) with both mgrs. It was a blast! What a great way to start the telecast.Many announcers become the non player voice and face of a franchise. If a sideline reporter can accomplish that, it would be Alexa. She gets my vote.
We are underway on a high-glare, 81-degree Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. Doesn't seem like this crowd is going to match those from the first two games of the series.
Richard Lovelady wound up retiring all three right-handed hitters he faced and giving up a homer to the one lefty he faced. That's in line with his reverse splits this season:
That was your postgame question about playing to the reverse splits, yes? I did *not* like his answer. Hoping for a return to something from the past and ignoring current reality never seems to work very well. It reminded me of the time I asked Mike Rizzo whether they'd considered changing how they used lefty Sammy Solís because of his pronounced reverse splits. Rizzo was adamant that no, Sammy needed to get lefties out. I always thought that was dumb. If a guy has a clear strength then why not use it instead of trying to force something else?
I’ll be at the game today, with my Orioles-loving wife and child in tow. Battle of the Beltways is the only time of the year I don’t wish the O’s well.
Hoping Mikolas doesn’t turn into a pumpkin before my very eyes. 🙏🏾
Run up the pitch count on their starter. Get to their 🐂🖋 and put up a passel of runs today. CURLY W 🧹🧹🧹 A game above .500 and then on to playing well against braves and mets.
GO NATS!!⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
Close to sultry down here at the Park. Feels good to shed the outerwear.
So far looking like maybe a smaller crowd today.
I was at yesterday's awesome Nats game. I thought I'd share a somewhat concerning observation. Luis Garcia before almost every pitch was in long conversation with the umpire. He seemed very distracted. Each pitch he barely just started paying attention right before the pitch. Given that he is still learning the new position, I would hope he's be more focused on the game and his positioning and readiness.
Lovelady as today's opener. A pitcher for all seasons
Wow, there's an edit to my scorebook. Had Mikolas until a few minutes ago.
Fun fact: Nats had in every measurable way the WORST offense in baseball in Spring training, and now are among the best (I think leading MLB in runs scored by 10) Epitomizing that are the final two exhibitions game of the Spring, against the O’s, where they lost twice home and home and scored one run (cumulatively 10-1). Now they’ve beaten the O’s twice by a combined 16-6. Not sure what to attribute the turn around to (Mark?). Maybe that’s just baseball; maybe it took a while for hitters to “buy in” to what new coaches were telling them;maybe the big boppers all just slumped at the same time…
I’m actually OK with Lovelady facing all RHBs in the first. As I posted yesterday morning, lefties are hitting .389 with a .522 OBP in 27 PAs against Lovelady in his time with the Nats , versus .143 and a .333 OBP against right handed hitters in 25 PAs.
Let’s see how it goes. 😊
As I was saying… vs. lefties 🫤
At least it was only a solo.
That one wasn't. Time for the team leading in runs scored to score a few of their own.
Atta boy, JY!
Lord and Parker should be ready for the pessimists among us.
Just saw Alexa’s interview (part 2) with both mgrs. It was a blast! What a great way to start the telecast.Many announcers become the non player voice and face of a franchise. If a sideline reporter can accomplish that, it would be Alexa. She gets my vote.
We are underway on a high-glare, 81-degree Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. Doesn't seem like this crowd is going to match those from the first two games of the series.
Richard Lovelady wound up retiring all three right-handed hitters he faced and giving up a homer to the one lefty he faced. That's in line with his reverse splits this season:
vs LHB: .367/.432/.533
vs RHB: .195/.353/.317
That was your postgame question about playing to the reverse splits, yes? I did *not* like his answer. Hoping for a return to something from the past and ignoring current reality never seems to work very well. It reminded me of the time I asked Mike Rizzo whether they'd considered changing how they used lefty Sammy Solís because of his pronounced reverse splits. Rizzo was adamant that no, Sammy needed to get lefties out. I always thought that was dumb. If a guy has a clear strength then why not use it instead of trying to force something else?
That hr by Mayo felt inevitable.
It really did. Looked like he couldn’t get him out so he gave in.
Well they sure did not promise to go over .500
If anyone was wondering whether Mikolas was improving…
Every time I think maybe he's starting to do that, wham, kicked in the teeth again.
Hopefully the coaching staff and management felt the same so he disappears or is relegated to mop up duty in the BP.
I'm not worried at all. I expect the Nats to score 6 - 10 runs today! GO NATS!!
But how many are the O's gonna score?
Hopefully less than the Nats!!
JY getting the boys started