Among what became clear to these Washington Nationals over the first week and a half of the season is this: If the other teams in their division stay healthy, they will not roll over. The National League East seems unlikely to be as forgiving as it was last season. The Nationals will have to win it, and will not get much leeway to find themselves in the process.
After losing five straight to the Braves and Mets, the Nationals must redeem themselves when the Braves arrive for a three-game series starting Monday. Washington dropped two of three games in Atlanta last week when the Braves beat up A.J. Cole and then Max Scherzer. Both Cole and Scherzer will work again this week, setting up an interesting — and unexpectedly meaningful — collision at Nationals Park. It’s early, but the Nationals cannot afford to lose too much ground. They have lost some already.
CAN A.J. COLE BOUNCE BACK?
The only spot on this Nationals roster that remains unsettled is the fifth spot in the rotation. When the Nationals broke camp, General Manager Mike Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez made clear that A.J. Cole would begin the season there. They also made clear that Jeremy Hellickson would be building up stamina and looming in West Palm Beach — and that he would likely get his chance in the majors at some point.
Under those tenuous circumstances, Cole stumbled in his first start of the season. He allowed 10 runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings, his worst start in the big leagues by runs scored. The Braves battered him, making them a rather inopportune opponent to face again a few days later. The Nationals skipped Cole’s turn in favor of throwing Scherzer on regular rest Monday, so Cole will have a few extra days of rest by the time he pitches Wednesday. The initial diagnosis after his first start was that he nibbled too much, didn’t trust his stuff enough. Will he be able to attack so soon after the Braves beat him up?
[ Nationals will skip A.J. Cole, pitch Max Scherzer on normal rest Monday instead ]
CAN THE NATIONALS SLOW DOWN FREDDIE FREEMAN?
Saying Freddie Freeman kills the Nationals is like saying the Nationals bullpen could use another stalwart reliever, or like saying spring training is too long — an annual tradition. Freeman has played 118 career games against the Nationals, hitting .330 with 18 homers, 76 RBI, and a .947 OPS. Last week, Freeman went 5 for 10 with a home run and five RBI in three games against the Nationals. They must control him, though they have not found a way to do so yet.
As one might expect, Freeman’s numbers against the starters Washington will throw against him this week are all good. He is hitting .292 with 1.080 OPS against Scherzer. He is hitting .375 with a 1.213 OPS against Stephen Strasburg. And he is hitting .600 with a homer and a double in a much smaller sample against Cole. The Nationals will have to adjust — and perhaps consider just putting Freeman on base.
WHAT WILL THE NATIONALS DO WITH THEIR BULLPEN?
The Nationals needed seven innings out of their bullpen in Sunday’s loss to the Mets. They used Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson, and Sean Doolittle for an inning each — so all three have pitched two days in a row and three of the past four, and will probably be unavailable Monday night.
They used Sammy Solis for two full innings, meaning he will need at least one day off. They used Matt Grace for the sixth time in nine games and the second time in two days, so he will need a day off, too. Shawn Kelley threw an inning, and while the Nationals would rather not use him on back-to-back days, he could probably throw an inning Monday. Trevor Gott did not pitch Sunday, so he could be available for multiple innings Monday.
But other than Gott, the Nationals will be shorthanded. They might have to turn to Cole if they need to eat innings, in which case they would have to find a starter for Wednesday’s game. Hellickson threw six innings and 69 pitches in a game in Florida. He might be available.
If not Cole, the Nationals might decide to bring another arm to D.C. Tuesday. To do that, they would need to clear a spot on the active roster, and that is not easy to do. Solis is the only reliever with options beside Gott, and sending him down would require leaving him there for 10 days before bringing him back. They could option Matt Reynolds back to Class AAA Syracuse and bring up another reliever, which would leave them with a short bench again, a problem they tried to rectify Saturday when they designated Enny Romero for assignment and called up Reynolds in the first place. Their options are limited, and so is their bullpen Monday. Fortunately, their best chance at a long start — Scherzer — will be on the mound, and well aware that he needs to give them one.
“You gotta consider Max is pitching, so we’ll see,” Martinez said after Sunday night’s loss. “I’m going to go back and talk to the trainers now and see where we’re at, but we feel pretty good about tomorrow.”
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Mon.: RHP Julio Teheran vs. RHP Max Scherzer
Tues.: RHP Mike Foltynewicz vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg
Weds.: RHP Brandon McCarthy vs. RHP A.J. Cole
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