The Washington Nationals Thread: The Future is Near!

[Commander -JB-]

The reality is that the Nats have been at their best all season with their backs against the wall.  

 

19-31 through the first 50 games.  Had to scratch and claw all the way to the end of the season just to clinch the Wild Card.

 

Down 3-1 in the 8th inning against the Brewers best arm Hader in the WC game.  

 

Down 2 games to 1 vs the Dodgers.  Come back from down 3-1 in the 8th again in game 5 on the road to clinch.

 

Here we we are again, backs against the wall.  Down 3-2 in the series heading on the road for game 6.  This is the granddaddy of all the backs against the wall for this Nats team.  No one better than Stras to steal game 6 and force game 7.  This could be a wild ride!

Edited October 28, 2019 by -JB-

[PleaseBlitz]

6 hours ago, Dan T. said:

So it turned into a surreal night for me last night.  I was at the game in section 104, sitting with my brother in law.  We were hunkered down in the middle of the 8th, resigned to the prospect of another loss but hoping for a late rally.

 

On the jumbotron they show the total for the Nationals Dream Foundation's 50/50 Raffle - $97,905 - and the winning number - 1276188.  I glance over at my brother in law, and his eyes are as wide as dinner plates.  He shows me the ticket he bought a couple innings earlier - 10 entries for 10  bucks, numbers 276182 through 1276193.  He is now sitting there holding a piece of paper worth $48,952.50!!!!

 

The game became background noise in that moment. A wild ride, especially for him. And I got to experience it second hand.

 

They told us that amount was the third highest ever for the raffle, eclipsed only by the previous two WS games Friday and Saturday.

 

Holy ****balls.  

[Simmsy]

On the plus side, the umpires are getting a lot of flack for their terrible officiating. Not saying its the reason why they lost, but I think all of this "attention" will hopefully help us get a better ump.

[BleedBNG]

When the Caps had their first shot at playing in the Stanley Cup, I was satisfied (even though we didn't win any games). For 30 years I wondered what it would be like for our team to be in it. I felt the same way in '73 when the Redskins were actually playing in the SB for the first time. We didn't win either one, but it was nice that my teams were going to play in the big show. I feel the same with the Nats... at least they won a couple (so far). The Astro's were swept in their first shot at the WS. And we're a WC team. Whatever happens I've enjoyed this ride since the WC game. OK, the last 3 home games were no fun. I didn't think they would win game 3 since they were on an 8 game winning streak. Pressure or something had to give. I thought they would win at least 1 of the home games, but oh well. I feel they have a chance to win game 6 if they can hold down Houston's hitting machine. The '24 Senators were behind 2 runs going into the 8th of their 7th game after winning it all in 12 innings. So if it gets to 7, who knows.

[bcl05]

13 hours ago, Simmsy said:

On the plus side, the umpires are getting a lot of flack for their terrible officiating. Not saying its the reason why they lost, but I think all of this "attention" will hopefully help us get a better ump.

 

I really believe MLB needs to go to automatic strike-ball calls.  I think the umpiring has been lousy, sure, but I don't really blame the umps.  I wish they were better, but I don't know how realistic that is.  These pitches are going 95 mph and moving like they are wiffle balls pitched by wizards.  I don't know if I could see the pitch, let alone accurately call it within a few inches at the margins.  I don't know that humans can do much better than they are doing.   

 

All that said, a lot of umps are annoying jerks and not worthy of sympathy or understanding.   Let Joe West get launched into the sun.  

 

Robo umps.  Please.  Pretty please.

[StillUnknown]

 

This is me at work today

 

[Captain James]

17 hours ago, -JB- said:

No one better than Stras to steal game 6 and force game 7.  This could be a wild ride!

Honestly at this point, I'd feel MUCH better if we at least show some life and win game 6, even if we go on to lose game 7. Just really don't want to lose it all by having completely laid down after game 2.

 

Having said that...F Houston. Let's win this whole thing!!!

[Warhead36]

When we were on the ropes in the 2017 NLDS against the Cubs, Stras pitched the game of his life in Wrigley.

 

I expect nothing less tonight in Houston. Just comes down to if the bats can score on Verlander. We had success last time and I think he's the kind of P we do well against typically.

 

2-1 Nats. On to Game 7 we go.

[TradeTheBeal!]

Shock the world.

[Spaceman Spiff]

2 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

Shock the world.

 

Or DC and the ES Tailgate.

 

Can't ask for more than Strasburg on the bump tonight.  Might be making a case for himself as a Hall of Famer right before our eyes if he throws a gem.  As it stands he's got an outside shot based on his career numbers but if you're a postseason legend, people do vote for that.  

 

I'm thrilled to watch him pitch.  Out of all the pitchers in the game today, he might be my favorite to watch.  He's lost a tick on his fastball but it's still plenty effective and his curve and changeup are dastardly.  He is a true maestro and I think he comes up huge tonight.  

[mammajamma]

Sorry if I'm late, but any update on Kurt since he got hurt game 3? I know he wouldn't have caught with Corbin in game 4, but didn't get a chance to hear about game 5. Thanks

Edited October 29, 2019 by mammajamma

[TheGoodBits]

6 minutes ago, mammajamma said:

Sorry if I'm late, but any update on Kurt since he got hurt game 3? I know he wouldn't have pitched with Corbin in game 4, but didn't get a chance to hear about game 5. Thanks

Nothing firm. It’s still stiff/sore or whatever, they’re trying to see if or when he’ll be available. 

[mammajamma]

8 minutes ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

Nothing firm. It’s still stiff/sore or whatever, they’re trying to see if or when he’ll be available. 

Thanks. And also, I meant to ask about Kurt catching, not pitching ha. Thanks for ignoring that typo.

 

But maybe we will need him to do both in game 7

 

Guess we'll find out in a few hours with the lineup, but I'm very impatient for tonight to get here already

[NoCalMike]

6 hours ago, bcl05 said:

 

I really believe MLB needs to go to automatic strike-ball calls.  I think the umpiring has been lousy, sure, but I don't really blame the umps.  I wish they were better, but I don't know how realistic that is.  These pitches are going 95 mph and moving like they are wiffle balls pitched by wizards.  I don't know if I could see the pitch, let alone accurately call it within a few inches at the margins.  I don't know that humans can do much better than they are doing.   

 

All that said, a lot of umps are annoying jerks and not worthy of sympathy or understanding.   Let Joe West get launched into the sun.  

 

Robo umps.  Please.  Pretty please.

 

I've gone back & forth on Robo umps for strikes & balls, and I keep leaning more and more towards robo umps.   It seems like umpires are getting worse and worse at their consistency.  I've always said that if an umpire wants to define his own "strike zone" for a game I am okay with it as long as it applies to both teams and all the pitchers, but I remember during the 2012 & 2013 ALDS against the Tigers, having to sit through the pitches they would call exclusively for Verlander was painful.  As a sports fan I have never bought into the "so and so has earned these calls" theory.  No....there are rules and every player should be rewarded/penalized within the confines of the same rules.  I understand human touch will sometimes net close calls that could go either way, but Verlander was throwing pitches that were clearly not strikes, yet getting calls and it severely hampered an A's lineup that was built on being patient at the plate and trying to drive up pitch counts. 

Also, it seems like MLB catchers are becoming a lot more effective at framing pitches, so many replays of strikeouts show the ball landing off the plate but the catchers just have that very quick catch-pull motion.  That kind of thing is being missed by umps, but it won't be missed by robo umps. 

[Mr. Sinister]

I am at peace.

 

Fight, or die well 

[PleaseBlitz]

53 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

 

I've gone back & forth on Robo umps for strikes & balls, and I keep leaning more and more towards robo umps.   It seems like umpires are getting worse and worse at their consistency.  I've always said that if an umpire wants to define his own "strike zone" for a game I am okay with it as long as it applies to both teams and all the pitchers, but I remember during the 2012 & 2013 ALDS against the Tigers, having to sit through the pitches they would call exclusively for Verlander was painful.  As a sports fan I have never bought into the "so and so has earned these calls" theory.  No....there are rules and every player should be rewarded/penalized within the confines of the same rules.  I understand human touch will sometimes net close calls that could go either way, but Verlander was throwing pitches that were clearly not strikes, yet getting calls and it severely hampered an A's lineup that was built on being patient at the plate and trying to drive up pitch counts. 

Also, it seems like MLB catchers are becoming a lot more effective at framing pitches, so many replays of strikeouts show the ball landing off the plate but the catchers just have that very quick catch-pull motion.  That kind of thing is being missed by umps, but it won't be missed by robo umps. 

 

I agree with this.  Ball and strikes is a black and white concept.  It's binary.  Either the ball crossed the plate in the zone, or it did not.  First, umps are too inconsistent even when they are trying their best, it's just too hard for a human to do correctly and consistently.  Second, a pitcher should not get to "earn" a call because the hitter has no concept of what has been earned.  Third, the concept of a catcher "framing" a pitch is ****ing ridiculous.... a ball crossed the plate outside the zone, but the catcher did some **** to make it a strike?  WTF is that?  

 

And don't even get me started on umpire's need for attention and constant need to measure dicks with the talent that people came to watch.  

 

If the technology exists to make the game more fair, less arbitrary, and less dependent on fallible humans and their enormous ego's, it should be instituted immediately.  

[mammajamma]

ya, i still have yet to hear 1 argument against roboumps that holds any weight..

 

its either:

1) it takes the human element out of the game (people paid to see the player humans, not the ump humans)

or

2) tradition (just because something is "the way it was", doesn't make it correct.. there are countless examples of things that happened in the past that need to be improved).

 

If we have the tech to make the game better, freaking use it

Edited October 29, 2019 by mammajamma

[thebluefood]

Let's go 1-0 tonight and force game 7, where anything is possible. There's never been a WS where the road team won every game? Great, this Nationals team is all about making history. 

 

Win tonight and let's get nuts on Wednesday. 

[Simmsy]

I've already prepared myself for a loss. Not because I want them to lose or even because I think they will, it just the only self defense mechanism I have to ward off heart break.

[mammajamma]

Guess the shot worked

 

Gomes in tonight instead of Kurt... hope it doesnt affect Stras too much

Edited October 29, 2019 by mammajamma

[Bacon]

It's really, really easy to get the impression that Davey and Max cooked this up seeing how the bats were faring and decided to take a calculated risk at making game 7 more winnable. I don't think that's exactly how it went down, but it must have crossed Davey's mind. 

 

The momentum had swung heavily, and if we had lost with Stras or Max on the mound, it was all over. Tonight is scary, but if we can pull it off and get the win, we are set up much better for the final game of the season than we were previously. 

 

As a Nats player with everything to lose, who would you rather have fully rested than Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer? 

[skinfan2k]

Max is ****ing back! 

[Sticksboi05]

1. The Stanley Cup run has helped ease my tensions for tonight. Saw my team fall behind in all four rounds and end up on top. Sometimes, that's how it has to be.

 

2. If Max and Davey truly cooked this up, this is Kawhi-level ruthless in terms of behind the scenes planning. Of course, we have to find a way to win tonight or it's moot. I trust #37, but I don't trust anyone else unfortunately.

 

Tonight's motto: Just find a way. Some way.

[Simmsy]

48 minutes ago, Bacon said:

It's really, really easy to get the impression that Davey and Max cooked this up seeing how the bats were faring and decided to take a calculated risk at making game 7 more winnable. I don't think that's exactly how it went down, but it must have crossed Davey's mind. 

 

The momentum had swung heavily, and if we had lost with Stras or Max on the mound, it was all over. Tonight is scary, but if we can pull it off and get the win, we are set up much better for the final game of the season than we were previously. 

 

As a Nats player with everything to lose, who would you rather have fully rested than Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer? 

I think the plan was to try to win games 3 and 4, but Davey didn't really expect to win. I think they figured they would go with Max in 5 and Stras in 6 to end it, of course that didn't happen that way.

[mammajamma]

I mean, it worked for me. I was excited for Stras tonight, but seeing the Max news was like a huge pump of motivation. We got this fam

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on not having Suz calling the pitches tonight? I looked up Stras's ERA with both Yan & Suz, and it was actually better with Gomes (with less games though). I just know our best games, pitching wise, this postseason has been with Suz calling the shots. Maybe im making a bigger deal out of it than i should?