The Nationals are on a 5 game losing streak and Natstown is FREAKING OUT!

A five game losing streak is no way to start the second half. The Nats have fallen to 4 games below .500 and 3rd in the NL East.  To make things worse, the Nats have a very tough schedule ahead: they are going to Detroit in a week, have the Giants coming here, and go to Kansas City.  In September, they have a 6 game road trip to finish off the season IN ARIZONA AND SAINT LOUIS, by the way.

The good news is that the Braves and Phillies are losing games too.  This would have been the best opportunity of the season for the Nats to make up some ground on the leaders.  But the Nats are just not hitting, and when they do, they fill the bases up but don’t bring any runners home.

There are some bright spots for the Nats.  Despite their hitting struggles, the team is 7th in ERA in the major leagues. Fernando Abad has the lowest ERA on the active roster at 1.66, and Gio leads the starters with a 2.89.  Tyler Clippard is having a career year with an ERA below 2 and he strikes out at least 1 batter per inning pitched.  Ian Desmond is repeating his 2012 performance and Jayson Werth has belted multi-HR games this week.

The next best chance for the Nats to make up ground is the first week of August– they play 3 games each against the Phillies and Braves.  If they can sweep those series (and that is a BIG IF), they can gain ground in the standings.

There’s also a way into the Playoffs through the two Wild Card spots.  But Pittsburgh and Cincinnati look like the competitors for that spot in 2013, assuming the Cardinals win the NL Central and the Braves win the NL East.

I won’t lie and say that this has not been a disappointment.  This Nats team is better than they are playing, and have been playing all season.  So that is why I am still positive.  But time is running out, so they need to get going!!!! 

But, mateys, the Pirates tonight are stranded on the oceans. The are facing Stephen Strasburg’s Nationals. Strasburg fires a cannonball to McCutchen. Strike Three! Strasburg is 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh lifetime, and that’s something I’d love to see him repeat tonight. I’m going to the game!

#TheBucsStopHere

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— Matt’s Bats (@MattsBats) July 23, 2013

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