The Washington Nationals are looking for their first series win, here is how they can do it
After dropping the first two series, the Washington Nationals have a chance to take two out of three from the D-Backs with a win today. With Snakes ace Corbin Burnes on the mound, it will be a tough task, but there are paths to victory.
Make Burnes Work:
The first key is to make Corbin Burnes work and drive up his pitch count. That is what the Yankees did in Burnes’ first start as a Diamondback. He got his strikeouts, fanning 8, but he only got through 4.1 innings. That is because the Yankees made him throw 98 pitches in those 4.1 innings of hard work.
The Nationals need to follow that blueprint in order to have success. If Burnes gets into his rhythm, he is tough to beat. The Nats have allowed too many starters to get into a groove early and let them settle in. That first time through the lineup needs to be tough for Burnes today. Even if they don’t score runs, the at bats need to be quality and pesky. The faster Burnes is out of the game the better.
Play a Clean Game:
The Nationals need to cut out the mistakes on the field and in the bases. That ninth inning got very nervy because of some defensive miscues. Thankfully, Riley Adams saved the day, gunning down Alek Thomas to win the game.
However, with an ace on the mound for the D-Backs, the Nats can’t afford to make those mistakes. Nathaniel Lowe has been one of the better defensive first baseman in baseball the last couple years, but he had a rough day yesterday. His track record suggests that will be a blip. The Nats also need to avoid running into outs on the bases.
Get Crews Going:
After Dylan Crews got his first hit the other day, I thought it would heat him up. However, he went 0-3 with 2 K’s yesterday. The Nationals need more production out of the former LSU star.
1-25 just is not going to cut it. He has had some unlucky outs, but he just needs to get going. If he does not, you have to consider sending him down to Rochester. It will be tough, with Burnes on the mound, but I think today could be the day where Dylan Crews breaks through and has a couple of knocks.
It is never easy to win against an ace like Corbin Burnes, but the Nationals have a recipe for success. They can’t let Yesterday’s win be a one off. With the Dodgers coming to town, they need to get some positive momentum going. A win today would do a lot to quell the uneasiness a lot of Nationals fans feel right now.