If you had any good feelings about the Washington Nationals after they took this weekend’s series against the Atlanta Braves, not too mention that season series, they probably went away yesterday. While the role of spoiler is one the Nats have grown accustomed to over the last 5 seasons, hurting the Braves playoff chances is not terribly satisfying. If there is much of a rivalry between the two teams it has escaped me.
The real rivalry it would seem is between last night’s opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies. For at least the third time, the Phillies clinched the NL East at the expense of the Nats. Roy Halladay shut them out and only faced 28 batters over 9 complete innings. John Lannan gave up an early homer to Jason Werth (a future free agent it must be noted) and eventually gave up 4 over 5 2/3 innings. At least he plunked Chase Utley, right? In total 8 Phillies crossed home plate last night. More troubling, the super-majority of a rainy Monday crowd was there to see the Phillies clinch. Will that be the same tonight with nicer weather but nothing left for the Phillies to play for in the regular season? I will let you know, as fate would have it I’m headed to the Nationals Park for the penultimate 2010 home game and I will be sitting in the special Peace Corps Night section (232) with my friend from Boston, the Ombudsman and a bunch of Peace Corps alumni and Phillies fans. How was this a good idea? At I don’t have to witness the clinch.
Several Nats admitted they were embarrassed by what had transpired. Mark Zuckerman argues that the problem is not going away until the Nats start winning and they need to bring in some players who can help them do that for 2011 (Nats Insider), not 2012 when Stephen Strasburg is back. Here, here Zuckerman. No excuses for the Nats not to improve themselves in free agency this year with several big contracts coming off the books.
So, John Lannan, who turned 26 yesterday, finishes the season 8-8, his best winning percentage, but highest ERA. He had won 9 games each of the last two seasons, so shame on the Phillies for violating the social contract that Lannan always gets 9 wins. Of course, Lannan started so poorly this season that he got demoted to the minors, but has been the Nats most reliable pitcher since returning in August. He almost always provided a quality start in his return, but the Phillies continue to feast on him. Lannan’s next win over Philadelphia will be his first, he is 0-8 in his career against them.
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Phillies clinch NL East title with 8-0 win over Nationals – The Post