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So that's how this is supposed to work
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Well, looky at that. Solid starting pitching, timely hits, quality relief innings and not-abominable defense can actually win you games. You'd think the Nationals would have tried this combo before.
Nah, just kidding. The Nats had not once this season played a game where so many of their weaknesses went unrealized. A game like this is proof positive that the Nats could be a decent team if they weren't just so abjectly awful in so many areas. A great offense and sporadically strong starting pitching cannot make up for the black holes that have been the bullpen, defense and clutch-hitting, but Thursday night those immense holes became strengths. Enjoy it for now.
You know, I'm not afraid to say that the Nats could be a .500 team if they just improved one of those three weakness areas. Pitching and defense are always cited as the keys to success, but you can survive with mediocre pitching if the offense is as good as the Nats'. But you need to do one other thing well, and right now the Nats don't do anything besides hit and occasionally pitch well in the first six innings. If their bullpen could pitch even half the time like it did Thursday night, this is a dangerous team.
As it is, it took a lot of surprising performances just to snap a seven-game losing streak. But on a bright note ... interleague play! I'm attending tonight's series opener against the Orioles, and I think it will be a very nice game. Zimmermann on the mound, two potent offenses, a lot of terrible relievers nobody has heard of. And fireworks after the game! Woo!
And, finally, it's not raining. The first three games I tried to attend were somehow marred by rain (including one cancellation and one 70-minute delay). I'm excited to watch a game, in a nearly-full stadium, in short sleeves.
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