As the NL Wild Card race intensifies, the Washington Nationals need to sweep the Marlins this weekend in Miami.
“Two out of three ain’t bad,” as the Meat Loaf song goes. As the Washington Nationals try to secure a 2019 NL Wild Card berth, however, two out of three isn’t good enough. At least not this weekend.
While winning any road series is usually considered a success, the Nats are clinging to their postseason hopes with less than two weeks to play. Following back-to-back series losses to the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, now is seemingly the perfect time for a three-game set with the lowly Miami Marlins. Washington must find a way to win all three games.
The Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are locked in a tight battle for two Wild Card spots. While the Cubs and Brewers have each suffered devastating injuries, they will almost certainly be in the race until the very end, with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets down, but not quite out.
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Washington’s September schedule has been a gauntlet. The Nats just played thirteen straight games against likely postseason teams, with all of this month’s opponents boasting winning records except the Marlins.
After losing eight of those thirteen games, the Nationals have a golden opportunity to bounce back against the NL’s worst team. Washington will start veteran right-hander Aníbal Sánchez against Miami rookie Robert Dugger in the series opener. One of the league’s best pitchers, Stephen Strasburg, will get the ball Saturday evening against Elieser Hernández, who has given up seven earned runs in two starts this year against the Nats.
The biggest test could be Sunday, when right-hander Austin Voth is scheduled to pitch for the Nationals. Voth was excellent in his last start against a tough Atlanta lineup, which kept him in the rotation for at least one more turn. How a promising but inexperienced starter will respond to late season pressure is always hard to predict, but the Nats need Voth to come through this weekend.
While the Nationals have dealt with boisterous opposing crowds this month in St. Louis, Minnesota and Atlanta, a three-game series inside a quiet, mostly empty Marlins Park should serve as a welcome break. It could also present a unique challenge, as Nats players will have to summon their own energy in an atmosphere that might feel more like Spring Training than late September.
Baseball is a funny game, as the saying goes. While this series looks like a sweep on paper, Washington Nationals players and coaches should be just as focused this weekend as they will need to be during the regular season’s frantic final week.
Indeed, two out of three ain’t bad, but when given the gift of three games against a low-tier foe in the heat of a playoff race, three out of three is a must.