3 Things Nationals Fans Should Watch as Team Takes on Cardinals in Three-Game Set

Washington Nationals fans should keep an eye on these three things.

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. and Nationals outfielder James Wood | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Just like that, the Washington Nationals are sitting on a five-game losing streak.

Two losses in a row to the Philadelphia Phillies was followed by a sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers where the pitching staff was completely overwhelmed. While plenty of good things have been on display during this schneid, it's going to take a total team effort to get back into the winner's circle against a St. Louis Cardinals team that is playing above expectations at 5-4.

The Nationals will try to right the ship in the final series of this homestand before they head out to face the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates. And with three games to find some momentum, this is what fans should be paying attention to early this week.

Can the Offense Keep Things Rolling?

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The best thing about Washington so far in the early going of the season has been their offense. With 55 runs scored through nine games -- which is a Nationals era record -- they rank third across Major League Baseball.

CJ Abrams has powered this lineup to success. He's tied for the MLB lead with 12 RBIs and he leads the team with three home runs. Daylen Lile continues to show he's a high-end hitter and Luis Garcia Jr. looks like he could have a resurgent year at the plate if this continues.

Getting James Wood going at the plate is the next thing that needs to happen for the Nationals. But following a massive three-run homer on Sunday in the bottom of the fourth inning, the hope is that he's starting to find himself a bit and will help this offense continue to be one of the best in the MLB.

More Formidable Starting Rotation

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Zack Littell | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Scheduled Starters

-Monday, April 6: Zack Littell (5.40 ERA) vs. Andrew Pallante (0.00 ERA)
-Tuesday, April 7: Cade Cavalli (2.79 ERA) vs. Matthew Liberatore (1.64 ERA)
-Wednesday, April 8: Miles Mikolas (14.46 ERA) vs. Michael McGreevy (2.53 ERA)

Washington benefits from the turn of their rotation against St. Louis. With Zack Littell still anchoring the five-man group, he'll get the first start of this series. Cade Cavalli will get Game 2 and Miles Mikolas is set to face his old team in the finale.

While Littell didn't look sharp in his first start of the year, he should be improved in his second. And based on the way Cavalli has performed thus far, the Nationals could have the starting pitching advantage in two out of three games.

But it will be up to them to execute. And if they look overmatched like they did against Los Angeles, that could be a sign that this is going to be another long year for this fanbase.

How Blake Butera Uses His Infielders

Washington Nationals infielder Jorbit Vivas | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

There was plenty of surprise when Washington traded for Jorbit Vivas ahead of the start of the season. With Jose Tena seemingly locked into a backup role and a plan in place to platoon at both second and first base, it didn't seem like there was room for an extra infielder.

However, manager Blake Butera stated that he wants positional versatility throughout the roster, and that is certainly the case in the infield where just about everyone can play multiple positions. With virtually all of his options performing well at the plate, that gives him a greenlight to maneuver things the way he wants depending on pregame and in-game matchups.

His aggressive substitution approach will likely continue against the Cardinals. But who he pinch-hits for and where he slots his infielders on a day-to-day basis during this three-game set will be something to keep an eye on as the skipper sets the tone for the rest of the season.