One day, perhaps we’ll look back at this moment and laugh. “The moment before it all came together”, we’ll say. “Pitching needed a bit more time than the hitting”, we’ll admit.
Today though? We stew. We stew in incredible frustration, watching our bullpen implode in jaw-dropping fashion, turning yet another Curly W into an L.
This series against the Phillies should have been a statement series for the ballclub. After a strong 4-1 win in Game 1, the Nats proceeded to lose three consecutive games in which they had a lead in the ninth inning - including a breathtaking two in a row which were a single strike away.
Visualizing the Bullpen
What made the events of the last three games so painful is that they removed any sense of hope or ambiguity that this bullpen might “figure it out” or grow into the role - thoughts that my optimistic side nurtured all season.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure there is anything left to conclude other than the fact that this is the least talented and most volatile bullpen in Major League Baseball, and until the personnel changes, we will simply continue to piss away baseball games our offense is clearly deserving of winning.
Look at the chart below, which plots strikeouts per nine against home runs allowed per nine. No one is even close to where the Nats lie:
The inability to put batters away, combined with a propensity to give up runs in bunches, has resulted in an MLB-leading 24 blown saves for Washington in just 48 attempts.
Paul Toboni - don’t waste this delightful, spunky crew of hitters that seems to have caught lightning in a bottle this season. Overhaul this bullpen before it’s too late, I’m begging you.