3 Things Stood Out During Nationals' Weekend Series vs. Giants
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The Washington Nationals lost another series over the weekend that they had a good chance to win.
Pitching issues were once again a major reason why that was the case, as the bullpen struggled to hold leads and the starting rotation didn't hold up their end of the bargain. But there were positive things on display during this three-game set, too, as the offense continues to perform like one of the best units in the MLB.
The Nationals are going to have highs and lows throughout the season. And there was plenty of that on display this weekend with these three things standing out.
Nationals Didn't Get Effective Starting Pitching
With Zack Littell and Cade Cavalli set to start Games 1 and 2 of this series, the hope was Washington would be able to win at least two out of three with their best on-paper starters scheduled to begin the set. But that did not happen for the Nationals.
Littell was lit up during his outing. He allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits to push his ERA up to 7.11 on the season. Cavalli was much better compared to his last start when it came to control, but he couldn't give Washington length and was pulled from the game after just four innings. That put stress on this leaky bullpen and ultimately resulted in an extra-innings loss.
And then in the finale, with Miles Mikolas scheduled to start, the Nationals opted to use PJ Poulin as an opener before bringing in the veteran right-hander. While Washington won this contest and they actually got a good outing from Mikolas for the first time all year, it's hard to believe this strategy is sustainable for the entire season.
All in all, it's clear the Nationals need more from their rotation going forward. And that was something that stood out this weekend.
James Wood Continued His Power Surge
Following a slow start to the year, James Wood has been dominant at the plate. While the slugger didn't have a great all-around offensive showing against the Giants, he did hit home runs in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. He went 2-for-11 with three walks and five strikeouts this weekend and now sits two homers back from the MLB lead.
On the season, Wood has a slash line .247/.380/.551 with seven longballs, six doubles and 18 RBIs. He's put the slow start behind him and looks much closer to the hitter he was in the first half of last year when he broke out as a star compared to the second half when he had major issues.
Andrew Alvarez Impressed in the Majors Once Again
Andrew Alvarez got another opportunity to pitch in the majors on Sunday, and once again, he was impressive. The left-hander was called up ahead of the finale to give the Nationals a fresh bullpen arm in relief of Mikolas. Alvarez tossed 4 1/3 innings of no-run ball where he gave up just three hits, struck out five and walked none.
This continues the success the 26-year-old has had in the MLB. Last season, he posted a 2.31 ERA across his five starts. And after he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to start this year, he came on in relief for the first time in his short big league career and had a scoreless outing. It will be interesting to see how Washington uses Alvarez going forward, but he's shown he can thrive at this level.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai