4 Takeaways After Nationals Lose Key Series Against Pirates
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The Washington Nationals entered their massive nine-game homestand ahead of the All-Star break having recovered from a devasting series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
With that showdown being an important one for playoff positioning, the Nationals blew three games in a row in historic fashion, which changed the result of that matchup from being a four-game sweep to losing three out of the four. But Washington rebounded to win two series in a row against the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox to enter their three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates with momentum.
Unfortunately, the start to the homestand didn't go as planned, as the Nationals lost two out of three to the Pirates where four things stood out over the weekend.
Luis Garcia Jr. Stays Scorching Hot
It might be CJ Abrams and James Wood who are competing in this year's All-Star Game, but there are very few players on the planet who are as hot as Luis Garcia Jr. right now.
In the opener, the slugging first baseman hit two home runs that brought his total up to 18 on the season. Then, in the finale, he hit a two-run shot that added to his career-high and now puts him on the cusp of reaching the 20-homer mark for the first time since he reached the bigs.
Garcia has been sensational since the calendar flipped to June, and he's continued that in the month of July so far. He has given Washington an additional weapon in the lineup to produce alongside his All-Star teammates, which has allowed them to stay in the playoff hunt this deep into the year.
Cade Cavalli Started on Sunday and Was Pulled Early
When Major League Baseball announced that they had suspended Cade Cavalli seven games for his role in the benches-clearing brawl between the Nationals and Red Sox, it seemed like he was going to be sidelined for this matchup against the Pirates. However, Cavalli appealed the suspension, which allowed him to make this scheduled start.
But it did not go the way that anyone had hoped, as the right-hander was pulled from the game in the third inning after he had given up three earned runs on six hits and walked two with three strikeouts. That was a massive difference compared to how he looked against Boston, and it put some stress on a bullpen that has racked up more innings than any other relief staff in the first half of the season.
Brad Lord Has Another Blow Up
Brad Lord was Washington's most reliable reliever for much of the year. But he's started to leak some oil during the summer months. And in the finale against Pittsburgh, the right-hander was blown up for the second time in his last four outings, as he was tagged for five earned runs on Sunday and was credited with the loss.
Following this performance, Lord now sits with an ERA of 3.88 on the season. Four outings ago, prior to manager Blake Butera calling upon Lord to record a save against the Phillies, he had an ERA of 2.29. But he gave up six earned runs on five hits in that situation, and in this high-leverage spot against the Pirates, he couldn't come through once again.
Nationals Concede Ground in Playoff Picture
Because of Washington's loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, which cost them the series, the Nationals have now conceded some ground in the tight race for the final National League wild card spot.
Coming into the day, Washington had a 46-44 record, which put them three games out of a playoff position. But with this loss in the finale, the Nationals are now 46-45, which gives them the same record as the Pirates, who now are above them in the standings due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
There's still a long way to go, but every game counts, especially when it comes against teams that are also fighting to stay in the postseason race.
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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