Some thoughts following yet another Washington Nationals loss
As Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s all time goal record, the Washington Nationals lost their fourth straight game to fall to 1-6. Here are some of my takeaways from a split screen night in Washington, DC.
- The Bats are Powerful
Despite the loss, my biggest takeaway was how powerful the Nats bats have been. The only way they can score runs right now is via the long ball. Tonight, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe went deep.
PROPHECY FULFILLED: Lowe to the W A L L pic.twitter.com/fj4ly7VKiJ
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 5, 2025
Last year, the Nationals were second to last in home runs, having to grind out multiple hits at a time to get runs. However, this year the power is on full display, there just isn’t much else. They have been striking out a lot and the results with runners in scoring position have not been pretty.
If the situational hitting can catch up to the power, the Nats offense might be cooking with gas. However, it has been home run or bust so far this season.
2. The Bullpen is Still a Problem
The Washington Nationals bullpen has not been as laughably awful as they were in the first couple games. However, it is still not great. Tonight, Jose A. Ferrer could not get the job done. While he got hard done by on a missed call and Dylan Crews took a bad route to the ball, Ferrer still could not keep the game tied. He gave up a two run double to Randal Grichuk that ended up deciding the game.
Colin Poche also looks to be a problem. He just has not been not been sharp in any of his appearances. Poche’s command has not been on point, even throwing a pitch to the to the backstop.
On the bright side, Lucas Sims looked better today. It would be very nice if he could turn himself into a reliable middle reliever for Davey Martinez.
3. They Need Wins and Fast
The Nationals are now 1-6 and need to get going in a hurry. You can’t call the seventh game of the season a must win, but it pretty close. Corbin Burnes is pitching on Sunday and the Dodgers come to town to start next week. So if they don’t win tomorrow, 1-11 could be on the table.
If that happens, the entire mood around the team could get ugly quickly. This was meant to be a step forward season, but they still look like the same old Nats that have lost so many games in recent years. As Alex Ovechkin takes up all the headlines in DC, the Nationals are off to a slow start yet again.