The Nationals swept the Brewers!! In Milwaukee! The Nats left the city of beer 7-8 and, if you ignore that one series against the 11-4 Dodgers, competitive against every team so far. The Sunday game was typically high-scoring, an 8-6 win in which the Brewers got four homers, the Nationals one. Starter Zack Littell gave up three solo homers in five innings and left with the Nats only down 3-2. 

The score stayed 3-2 until the Nats exploded for four runs in the 7th on singles by Jose Tena, Curtis Meade, and Brady House. Maybe exploded isn’t the right word for three RBI singles. James Wood added the fourth run by stealing home on a double steal, so let’s say they small-balled in four runs. 6-3 Nationals. 

nasimNasim Nunez crossing the plate in Milwaukee.

Unfortunately, the bullpen immediately gave back three runs on two walks and a homer by Gary Sanchez. Tied at 6-6. In the top of the 8th, three singles, the last one by catcher Keibert Ruiz, moved the score to 8-6, Nationals, and the bullpen held on to that lead.   It was the first time in 15 years the Nationals swept the Brewers. 

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 The pitching has been the problem this season. The pitching needs to improve. The Nationals’ 5.51 team ERA is second to last in the majors and the fancy stats agree that it’s really that bad. So let’s just say that the pitching needs work and look at the bright side: the offense! The Nationals are fourth in runs scored in the majors, fourth in OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), and fourth in wOBA. [Learn a stat: weighted On-Base Average combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual value in producing runs. A single is more likely to produce a run than a walk, for example.] The Brewers, by the way, are fifth in OPS and the Dodgers are first.

Sixteen games aren’t enough to draw any long-term conclusions but it’s what we’ve got so far, so let’s look at the best Nats’ hitters. Clearly that’s CJ Abrams and James Wood, not a surprise since they were the Nationals’ All-Stars the last two years, Abrams in ‘24 and Wood in ‘25. Each has four homers. Abrams, the shortstop, has a .969 OPS and four stolen bases. He has in fact been the second-best shortstop in baseball when you combine hitting, baserunning, and fielding stats. 

young abramsAbrams and centerfielder Jacob Young having fun after a homer.

Abrams, 25, is in his fourth year with the Nationals. He was one of six players traded to the Nats by the Padres for Juan Soto, with Wood being another one. I’m not sure the Padres do that deal again for one and a half seasons of Soto, before he left for the Mets.  

Wood has a 1.005 OPS. He’s been the fourth-best all-around right fielder which is more impressive when you consider that previously he played left field almost exclusively. It’s an adjustment. After a slow first week Wood has four homers in seven games. Wood, 23, is a local guy who grew up in Olney and played for St. Johns High School. Hopefully he ends up playing in DC for a long time.

3natsJames Wood getting some congrats.

I can’t talk about outfielders without mentioning Joey Wiemer who has been better statistically than Wood but hasn’t been a full-time player. He platoons in left but his 1.099 OPS says maybe he needs more at-bats somewhere. Daren Lile has also been in the outfield-DH mix and will hopefully soon get back to being the extremely productive hitter he was last summer. 

In all it’s been an encouraging 15 games. If the pitchers can turn things around and the hitters keep doing what they’re doing, this season will be a lot better than anyone predicted. The Nats play the Giants this weekend and then the first-place Braves next week. The 4:05 Saturday game with the Giants features a City-Connect hockey jersey for the first 20,000 fans. 

 


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