In the last week the Nats have gone 4-2. They’ve won 7 of their last 10 games, and earned a better record, 14-19, than four teams in the National League. Austin Kearns looks like he has decided to earn his $5 million salary, batting .318 over the last week and adding a home run in last night’s game. Even Rob Mackowiak has turned it around, batting .429 in the last seven games. Soon he may even have more hits than strikeouts. It is an exciting time to be a Nationals fan.
Zimmerman Takes a Breather
Manager Manny Acta decided to give Ryan Zimmerman a day off on Sunday, May 5, ending the third baseman’s consecutive games played at 205. While hardly a Ripkenesque feat, at the time it was the second longest consecutive game streak in baseball. Zimmerman has been struggling this year, batting .224 with a .257 OBP and .343 SLG, all down dramatically from his career average. According to Barry Svrluga, Zimmerman asked Acta for the day off. At 23, some people are wondering if too much pressure has been placed on Zimmerman. As the face and future of the franchise, a lot is expected of Zimmerman, particularly after two full years in the league and heightened expectations for the team this year in the new stadium. Ryan responded to the day off by going 2 for 5 last night with a double and an RBI.
Reinforcements on the Way
Nationals are slowly coming off of the DL. Paul Lo Duca returned to the team this week. Elijah Dukes is rehabbing in Columbus, but Manny Acta has not set a timetable for his return. Given his history, it is slightly disconcerting to see that he got thrown out of a minor league game for arguing after a strikeout.
After a massage, Dmitri Young is feeling better, and has started taking meaningful swings in the batting cage. It will be interesting to see what roster moves Acta and Jim Bowden make once Dukes and Young are ready to return to the team. The team is currently carrying three catchers, so one could expect either Estrada, Nieves, or Lo Duca to be reassigned. Given that Lo Duca is making $5 million this year, and that Wil Nieves is an offensive machine, it looks like Estrada should start investigating restaurants in the greater Columbus area.
Game of the Week
The most interesting game this week is probably Friday, May 9, when Florida comes to Nationals Park. Matt Chico is scheduled to start that game. Chico is currently 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA, and teams are batting .388 against him. Another bad start probably sends Chico down to the minor leagues. This is a big deal for Matt because, according to Tom Boswell, with all of the young talent in the Nats farm system, there are no guaranteed trips back to the big leagues for pitchers.
Briefly Noted: Nationals Stadium will host the D.C. High School Baseball Classic on May 31… They may not be in first, but at least the Nationals are doing better than their salary would indicate… The Nationals have a new theme song, and at least it is short.
Meaningless Statistic of the Week: Felipe Lopez is tied for last in the major league in isolated power (slugging percentage – batting average) by switch hitters when playing in a day game.
Photo by Flickr user dharmabumx.
