Game #66 Nats have MacK in NYC

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals are 13-9 (.591) since May 14. After a day-off yesterday, the Nationals will face the top team in the NL East, the New York Mets, in CitiField. To open the series, the Nats have their ace, MacKenzie Gore, on the mound.

Manager Dave Martinez configured a lineup with only one player with positive defense (Nathaniel Lowe) for tonight’s game. The Nats pitchers deserve better. A hit saved on defense is sometimes worth more than a hit made on offense — it depends on the situation. Today’s lineup has a combined value of -25.0 defensive runs represented out there. That is 0.38 runs given up per game when that is your defense. It might be even worse than that if you go by the cERA between starting catcher Keibert Ruiz (5.06 cERA) and backup catcher Riley Adams (4.23). Most of that is from handling the bullpen. Over a full season that is 134.5 runs in differential there based on the cERA.

The Nats are in a offensive drought. In the past seven games, Washington has only been able to score 11 runs combined for an average a tick over 1½ runs per game in this span. The team batting average in that span is .183 with a pathetic .233 OBP, .268 SLG, and a .490 OPS. As a team, the team has only managed 9-walks in that span that averages just 1.29 per game.

This would also be a good game to get the offense going. Over the past week, the players in this game have some really bad offensive numbers too. Keibert Ruiz  has a (.000 OPS) in the past week.  Josh Bell (.343 OPS) is in there, but unfortunately this team goes as James Wood goes, and he is batting .100 with a .286 OPS in the past six games. CJ Abrams is batting .143 with a .333 OPS in the span, and the new call-up, Robert Hassell III, has joined his former Padre teammates at a .222 batting average and a .444 OPS.

The three top bats, this past week, might surprise you as Alex Call is OPSing at 1.346, Luis Garcia Jr. is at .867, and Jacob Young at .800. And after Sunday’s game, Nathaniel Lowe‘s three hits got him out of the basement. Young is the best defender on the roster, and hitting better than most of the others too — but he is out of the lineup.

“Forget about the whole week. … Hitting is not easy. Hitting comes and goes. You’re not going to freaking hit every day. I say it every day — it’s tough. But you’ve got to be able to work, and in a game like [Saturday], try to scratch and claw to get a couple runs and stay in it.”

— manager Dave Martinez said over the weekend

You can see the recent bullpen usage here:

Here are your Nats’ WAR leaders James Wood at +2.4 with MacKenzie Gore at +2.4 followed by CJ Abrams.

On defense, the stats are starting to give you an idea of what this defense is all about. Paul DeJong is your OAA leader and he hasn’t played in nearly two months dating back to April 15. Luis Garcia Jr. has slumped this season defensively to a -6.0 already — and with CJ Abrams, they combine for -13.0 OAA. Clearly, that is an issue.

Another defensive issue that we have discussed is the positioning of Nathaniel Lowe at first base as he is too often out of position to make a play — and OAA has his chance at success at only 63 percent which must improve. With as little as Amed Rosario has played on defense, he is at -7.0 OAA this season and the worst on the team. Per Statcast, his defense has cost the Nationals 5-runs. Is his offense good enough to make up that deficit if he plays the field? Keibert Ruiz, per Statcast, has a -8.0 OAA also. The Nationals were supposed to be better on defense. What has happened?

These are your stats leaders on BBRef. There are certainly some surprises on there — good and not so good.

“All of our starting pitchers, every five days we take it serious. We expect to go out there no matter what and put up zeros. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that [Sunday], and it cost us a ballgame and it cost us a series.”

— Trevor Williams said after his start on Sunday

The Nats starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.32 and 22nd best in MLB. You might be surprised at the team just in front of the Nationals in the rankings. The reliever’s ERA sits at a 5.89 and now only the second worst in baseball in ERA.

Here is how the starters rank by ERA:

No. 5 Starter: Trevor Williams 5.91
No. 4 Starter: Michael Soroka 4.86
No. 3 Starter:  Mitchell Parker 4.44
No. 2 Starter: Jake Irvin 4.02
No. 1 Starter: MacKenzie Gore 2.87

Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets

Stadium: CitiField, Queens, New York
1st Pitch: 7:10 pm EDT
TV: MASN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan radio and via the MLB app; In Spanish on DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera 100.7 FM/1220 AM. On Sirius/XM, tune to Channel 180 for the home broadcast and the road team is online only.

Line-up subject to change (without notice):

Thanks

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