Nationals Win First Two Games of September to Snap Eight-Game Losing Streak
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The Washington Nationals finished last month on a low point. They lost three straight series and went on an eight-game losing streak. September couldn't have started off on a better note.
The Nationals have now won two straight games to secure a series victory over the Miami Marlins and do so on Tuesday with their first shutout since July 10. Washington's pitching staff has struggled, so any time they are able to get a shutout is a win.
The Nationals haven't had the season they hoped for as their postseason chances disappeared long ago, especially after the firing of manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo in July. They are off to a great start as they are now 2-0 for the final month of baseball.
A Look Forward for the Nationals
Now that the Nationals have snapped a brutal losing streak and have the chance to gain some momentum. If Washington is able to come up with the sweep on Wednesday, it will be their first since May 16 when they took down the Baltimore Orioles. It will be Mitchell Parker who is the expected starter for Washington going into the finale.
Parker is having the worst season of his young career. He will be looking to ride the wave of his last start that came last week. Even though he took the loss, he allowed just three earned runs as he struck out seven in six innings. It was one of his best starts of late.
Washington is going to start a road trip after this series that will begin at Wrigley Field to take on one of the best teams in baseball, the Chicago Cubs. After facing off with the Cubs the Nationals will go onto Miami to face the Marlins once again, but this time in a four-game stretch before they return home.
The Nationals are looking to finish the year strong. They dealt several veterans at the trade deadline in hopes of acquiring young talent that can be developed for the upcoming seasons. Even though the pitching staff has struggled for most of the year, the Nationals don't have to finish in the same fashion. The clock on the regular season is ticking down and the Nats are hoping to finish the month the same way in which they have started it.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.