How did they win is a good way to start this article off. Hope they move away from trying to make Beeter a closer. Some pitchers just don’t have the composure.
The same thing could be said about many players that went on to have 30+ save seasons. Its hard to judge a guy's future value on just 6 career save opportunities. They aren't going to move away from him any more than they are trying to move toward anyone else. Butera has made it clear that he wants to test his entire BP by giving them high-leverage oppoutnities to see how they do.
Some really questionable decisions by the manager and at least twice the Pirates threw to the wrong base and that's besides the 2 errors and WP. They have some good young hitters and a few good starters but the team is not fully baked.
True, but the Pirates are good and will get better as the year unfolds if their key players stay healthy - Griffin is young and will make mistakes like today, but he is crazy-good….Best Bucs team in 12 years or more….
That game was way too chaotic, but if you told me we’d finish this road trip 5-2 and just 1 game under .500, I wouldn’t have believed you. Great road trip and let’s keep this up with the Giants and Bravos.
This I think will be a critical couple series in terms of how they have progressed as competitors. For the past few seasons we have routinely seen these guys come home from good road trips with a chance at reaching .500 only to put up a dud homestand digging themselves in a hole again. We even saw it earlier this season, though LAD would be tough no matter what, the Cards are not exactly in win now mode. How they play against the last place Giants and division leading Bravos will tell us if this team is as hungry as they claim to be.
Butera & The Natalytics are venturing into the movie score high seas, I see. Someone call Hans Zimmer, 'cause he needs to write the score for Pirates of the Carri-bullpen: The Curse of the Lack of Closer
I say this because I be playing that epic music every we enter the 9th with a one run lead!!!
Long time no type. Still in New Orleans after family wedding but watching the Nats from afar. Nice effort today to scratch out the win. Managed to watch most of it online.
Since I've been gone the bats have really heated up. Pitching, eh, not so much.
Overall, lots to like about the 2026 club and where were are today.
The good news is the Nats have won the most games on the road in all of the MLB. The bad news they are tied for the fewest home game wins. Let's hope for a good homestand coming up. Right now I'd call the Nats the Road Warriors.
One of the beat writers -- may have been Mark but I don't recall for sure -- looked up the team's historical home-away split over the last few years. It worked out to exactly half and half.
What’s the opposite of a moral victory when you lose? Because this game was whatever you’d call that.
They use to call it winning ugly.
How did they win is a good way to start this article off. Hope they move away from trying to make Beeter a closer. Some pitchers just don’t have the composure.
Yeah the other guy, starts with a V, that's our closer
The same thing could be said about many players that went on to have 30+ save seasons. Its hard to judge a guy's future value on just 6 career save opportunities. They aren't going to move away from him any more than they are trying to move toward anyone else. Butera has made it clear that he wants to test his entire BP by giving them high-leverage oppoutnities to see how they do.
Talk about pulling a rabbit out of a hat!!
Way to win on getaway day, finishing road trip with 5 wins
An ugly victory is still a victory. Good to see the team score the zombie runner and hold the opposition - we don’t see that as often as I would like.
Agreed. Pretty wins and ugly wins count the same.
Great road trip guys!
Orlando R earned some high leverage moments after that performance. Beeter, not so much. Great win!
I'm with you, but that turn of events has been disappointing. On a cheerful note, we're finding ways to win. Figuring it out.
OK OK NOW WE BREATH and Drink
If I am a Pirates fan I am lighting up their manager. Both Nats wins came off of double plays after absolutely terrible manager decisions
First win: pinch hitting for Lowe, Nats DP, game over
This win: pitching to Wood with 1B open (??????), Nats DP, game over
Dreadful managing
Some really questionable decisions by the manager and at least twice the Pirates threw to the wrong base and that's besides the 2 errors and WP. They have some good young hitters and a few good starters but the team is not fully baked.
Griffin in particular looks like an absolutely incredible athlete but an incomplete baseball player at this stage (which is understandable - he's 19!)
True, but the Pirates are good and will get better as the year unfolds if their key players stay healthy - Griffin is young and will make mistakes like today, but he is crazy-good….Best Bucs team in 12 years or more….
That game was way too chaotic, but if you told me we’d finish this road trip 5-2 and just 1 game under .500, I wouldn’t have believed you. Great road trip and let’s keep this up with the Giants and Bravos.
This I think will be a critical couple series in terms of how they have progressed as competitors. For the past few seasons we have routinely seen these guys come home from good road trips with a chance at reaching .500 only to put up a dud homestand digging themselves in a hole again. We even saw it earlier this season, though LAD would be tough no matter what, the Cards are not exactly in win now mode. How they play against the last place Giants and division leading Bravos will tell us if this team is as hungry as they claim to be.
Butera & The Natalytics are venturing into the movie score high seas, I see. Someone call Hans Zimmer, 'cause he needs to write the score for Pirates of the Carri-bullpen: The Curse of the Lack of Closer
I say this because I be playing that epic music every we enter the 9th with a one run lead!!!
9th inning to the soundtrack of Interstellar. Ominous.
Don’t look now, but the Nats are tied for second in the NL East! Wow, who expected that?
Greetings, folks,
Long time no type. Still in New Orleans after family wedding but watching the Nats from afar. Nice effort today to scratch out the win. Managed to watch most of it online.
Since I've been gone the bats have really heated up. Pitching, eh, not so much.
Overall, lots to like about the 2026 club and where were are today.
Go Nats!
Steve Phillips said in March “I GUARANTEE THE NATIONALS WILL BE LAST IN THE NL BY THE END OF APRIL” things that make you go hmmmm really
Orlando Ribalta gives a great interview. What a soft spoken, well spoken, thoughtful person. He is now a favorite of mine. I’m a fan.
Good interviews by athletes of any kind are a rare treasure. Best ever was Dan'l Murphy. Remember?
Certainly.
The good news is the Nats have won the most games on the road in all of the MLB. The bad news they are tied for the fewest home game wins. Let's hope for a good homestand coming up. Right now I'd call the Nats the Road Warriors.
One of the beat writers -- may have been Mark but I don't recall for sure -- looked up the team's historical home-away split over the last few years. It worked out to exactly half and half.