The Nats are headed back to DC to take on the Cardinals tonight after a not-so-good road trip.  The Nats beat the Marlins in Miami, taking 2 games out of 3, but the series in Atlanta was no good at all.

As many of you know, I was lucky enough to go on the field to watch BP and talk to some players (including an interview with Zach Walters) and watch yesterday’s game, but you’ll read about that later in a special post.  I want to give everyone at the Marlins a BIG THANK YOU for giving me this great experience.

Let’s look into the near future- the Nationals are in Washington playing the team from the Show Me State, and the land of the Gateway Arch and toasted ravioli, the St. Louis Cardinals. Luckily for Nats fans, the Cardinals optioned Pete Kozma to Triple-A Memphis. The key to the Nationals victory to get on the board early.  Here is my scouting report for the 4-game Nationals-Cardinals series.

What’s Going Well for the Redbirds- Pitching this year for the Cardinals, just like last year, has been phenomenal. With Adam Wainwright leading the staff, Michael Wacha and Shelby Miller making great 2-3 guys. Lance Lynn can be a bit unpredictable in the rotation, but with flamethrower Trevor Rosenthal and specialist Kevin Siegrist leading the ‘pen, the Cardinal pitching is absolutely fantastic.

What Isn’t Good About Them- This is really hard to say, but there are no flaws in Saint Louis’s lineup, pitching staff, or bench. You have to say, even the rookies and minor leaguers, Oscar “Minor League Guy” Taveras and Kolten Wong, are as strong as other teams such as the Nats, Cubs and Astros. Both Taveras and Wong will make great players one day, and when their prospects make it to the majors, watch out!

What Is The Key To The City-  The key to the Nats winning is to jump out early and try to beat tough St. Louis pitching. Their hitting is also great, and Taylor Jordan and the other Nationals starters needs to get a good impression.

Here are my predictions for how the games will go:

I expect St. Louis to win 2 and Washington to win 2. 

April 17, 7:05 PM EST, Adam Wainwright vs. Taylor Jordan (WAS wins)

April 18, 7:05 PM EST, Michael Wacha vs. Gio Gonzalez (STL wins)

April 19, 1:05 PM EST, Lance Lynn vs. Jordan Zimmermann (STL wins)

April 20, 1:35 PM EST, Shelby Miller vs. Stephen Strasburg (WAS wins)

I NEED HELP COMING UP WITH A HASHTAG AND IMAGE FOR THE GAME, SO HELP EVERYONE!

TWEET YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO ME @MATTSBATS.

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