Instant Analysis: Nat's win 9-2 over the Marlins

Photo via: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22338283/nats-anthony-rendon-headed-to-triplea-will-play-second-base

Photo via: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22338283/nats-anthony-rendon-headed-to-triplea-will-play-second-base

It was refreshing for Nat’s fans to have something to cheer about coming off a series against the Braves in which they were swept. The Nat’s certainly got their bats going tying a Nationals team record for most extra-base hits and triples tonight.

However, you have to consider who it was against. The Nationals were recently swept by the National League East leading Braves, and dominated the last place Miami Marlins tonight. Obviously it’s the MLB, and they’re all professionals and a wins a win, but it’s something you have to keep in mind.

Just as fans often overreact to a team’s losing, they also overreact to the teams winning. Yes the Nationals looked dominant tonight, the bats were alive, pitching was phenomenal, and they looked like the team we expect them to be night in and night out.

While all that is great, you can’t overlook the fact that the Nationals can’t seem to figure out the Braves. If the Nationals have any hopes of winning the division, or a World Series Title for that matter it’s not the Marlins they need to worry about beating, it’s the best teams and the Braves in particular.

Tonight was without a doubt a positive sign, and I don’t mean to be a pessimist, I’m just what most sports fans aren’t, a realist. I understand fans have their biases and that’s fine. But I’m personally unimpressed with tonight’s win no matter how dominant. I’ve seen the National’s take care of business against the Marlins; it’s nothing new to me.

What is still driving me crazy is why the Nat’s can’t seem to play with this kind of energy against the Braves, rattling off triples and extra-base-hits like it’s their job. Now I know part of that has to do with the fact that Atlanta is a better team than Miami so naturally it will be easier to have success against Miami.

However, I’m not sure that the Nationals struggles against the Braves haven’t become mental. This team is too talented to not only lose but be dominated by the Braves consistently. This leads me to believe the Nationals themselves don’t believe they can beat the Braves, which is preposterous because they have a just as talented if not more talented roster, and are more than capable of beating the Braves.

The Braves are a quality baseball team, and I understand you aren’t going to beat them every game, but I refuse to believe a team as talented as the Nationals should be losing to the Braves the way they have the past couple seasons.

At the end of the day, I’m happy about a Nat’s win, but I can’t get excited about this team until they play like they did tonight, to their full potential against the best, in particular the Braves.

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Brian Hradsky

The owner of MSB, I created this website while in college and it has never died.

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