Despite their abysmal record, the Chicago White Sox took two of three from the Washington Nationals this week. After the Nats’ 6-3 win in the series opener, Ex-Nat Erick Fedde and two relievers blanked the Nats, 4-0, on Tuesday; then Garrett Crochet and three relievers repeated the feat, 2-0, on Wednesday. The Nats had a total of seven hits in those two games. After beating the Orioles in the first of a two-game set last week and briefly poking their heads above .500 for the first time since 2021, Washington has gone 2-5.
Few bright spots lately
The previously hot bats of C.J. Abrams and Luis Garcia have cooled considerably lately, though Garcia’s .283 average is still tops among the regulars. Joey Meneses and Eddie Rosario have shown signs of life in the past week, but their averages are still closer to .200 than .300. On the mound, the much maligned Patrick Corbin has pitched quite well in his last two outings, and Trevor Williams continues his 2024 resurgence.
“Our pitching’s been really, really good,” said manager Dave Martinez after the second shutout loss to Chicago. “We’re close. We’ve just got to put a couple of games together where we’re knocking in some runs.”
Opportunity in Philly
The Nationals lead the Mets by a game, holding third place in the NL East with a 20-22 record, but they’re heading to Philadelphia to face the first-place Phillies this weekend. The Phillies’ Trea Turner is fifth in the NL with a .343 batting average, and Alec Bohm’s 35 RBI are fourth-best in the league. Friday’s expected starter, Zack Wheeler, is second in the NL with 65 strikeouts. The Nats’ recent play suggests it could be an ugly weekend in Philly, but I predict at least one Washington win.
The post Nats’ bats go silent in Chicago appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.