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Game 38: Bote HR off Harris Sinks the Nats May 19, 2021

Show notes

The Nationals lost 6-3 at the Cubs for a 2nd straight defeat. Al & Mark yet again have no choice but to talk about the struggling offense, as Washington stranded 11 men on base. Will things turnaround if Juan Soto continues to lack power?

(13:16) A recap of Patrick Corbin's mediocre start, Al explains what "Corbin got BABIP'd" means. Focus turns to his battery mate Yan Gomes, who very quietly is having a strong season defensively.

(22:48) A preview of Max Scherzer's Wednesday night start at Wrigley Field as he takes on Jake Arrieta, who is past his prime. Finally, we play our first ever listener voice memo. Email yours to natschatpodcast@gmail.com

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Game 37: Lester & Schwarber's Spoiled Return to Wrigley May 18, 2021

Show notes

The Nats lost 7-3 as the Cubs hit Jon Lester hard in his return to Chicago. Mark & Al run-through the lefty's long evening despite being given a hero's welcome at Wrigley Field.

(11:26) The offense had another low scoring game and the hosts discuss if fingers will start to get pointed at Kevin Long, the team's hitting coach. Why so many ground balls as opposed to utilizing launch angle?

(18:07) Trea Turner hit his 10th homer of the season and his future value seems to go up by the day. What sort of contract would he fetch right now if he were a Free Agent? Is the price getting too high for Washington?

(21:57) Kyle Schwarber homered in his return to Chicago as similar to Lester, he was showered with praise. Should Nationals fans be optimistic as his stats continue to improve?

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Game 36: Fedde Makes His Case with a Shutout Win May 17, 2021

Show notes

The Nats blanked Arizona 3-0 behind Erick Fedde's best start of his career. Al & Mark look at what this outing means for Fedde as Stephen Strasburg, fresh off a solid AAA rehab start, is expected to rejoin the team soon. Who is the odd man out in the rotation, Fedde or Joe Ross? Or will they go with a six man rotation for the time being?

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(17:57) The Nats were held scoreless until the 8th inning. The hosts re-evaluate who exactly should be hitting behind Juan Soto, as he remains mired in a slump. Al again wonders why Victor Robles isn't getting another shot at hitting leadoff.

(30:05) Jon Lester returns to Wrigley Field Monday night for the first time since leaving the Cubs and we wrap-up with a a preview of the four game series in Chicago.

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Game 35: Ross Allows 8 Runs & Schwarber Strands 8 in Blowout Defeat May 16, 2021

Show notes

The Nats lost 11-4 in Arizona as Joe Ross had his second worst outing of the season. Mark & Tim recap the Saturday evening as Ross ran into trouble right away and the Nationals couldn't take advantage of facing journeyman Seth Frankoff.

(6:08) Juan Soto had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, which has been a rarity for him in May. Could a game like this break him out of his "slump"? Plus, should Kyle Schwarber remain his protection in the lineup?

(17:19) Stephen Strasburg is starting in AAA Sunday. How close is he to returning to Washington? Does this mean that Erick Fedde is auditioning to keep his spot in the rotation or does it belong to Joe Ross regardless?

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Game 34: Nats Slug Their Way to 17 Runs in Arizona May 15, 2021

Show notes

The Nationals routed Arizona 17-2 to open up a seven game road trip. Mark & Al for a change have plenty of offensive contributors to run through, including Yan Gomes, who had five hits and was a homer shy of the cycle. Kyle Schwarber homered for the 2nd straight game and Josh Bell was part a trio of players who had 3 RBIs.

(16:52) Max Scherzer only pitched five scoreless innings and now leads the NL in strikeouts. Two factors led to his early exit, one was the lopsided score, and the other is something that will catch you by surprise.

(24:01) Stephen Strasburg will make a rehab start for AAA Rochester in Trenton, NJ on Sunday at 1pm. Will this be this final tuneup before joining the Nats rotation again?

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Game 33: Corbin & A Pair of 1st Inning HRs End the Skid May 14, 2021

Show notes

The Nationals ended their 4 game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over Philadelphia. Al & Mark compliment Patrick Corbin, who has turned his season around lately, and had his best start of the year. Are we seeing a return of "2019 Corbin?" The Bullpen also featured some arms in new roles as Daniel Hudson came in the middle of the 8th to save the day and Austin Voth pitched a high leverage 9th inning. Where does Voth rank in the bullpen hierarchy?

(13:20) Al compares Davey Martinez's lineup to Vanna White's wardrobe. Confused? Tune in to find out. Props are given to Kyle Schwarber who is now above "The Mendoza Line" and Starlin Castro's 11 game hit streak. Should Castro maybe hit leadoff?

(23:16) Juan Soto is hitting .200 since returning from the IL. Mark gives his take as to why Soto has not been his usual self at the plate lately.

(28:19) We bring you another edition of "Tales of Little League". Please send in your Little League memories to natschatpodcast@gmail.com.

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Game 32: Another Blown Save for Hand May 13, 2021

Show notes

The Nats cough up a late lead and fall 5-2 in extras to the Phillies. Mark & Al analyze Brad Hand's second blown save in less than a week, which led to the first team meeting of the season. What will come from the message Davey Martinez delivered to the club postgame? Lost in the shuffle of the loss is the fact that Jon Lester pitched well, and has had a quality starts each time out this season.

(14:10) The offensive struggles continued as Washington was 1 for 13 with RISP, stranding 12 men overall. What can be done to turn the tide? Should Turner remain hitting 2nd as opposed to leadoff? On the bright side, Starlin Castro has a ten game hitting streak, and had four hits on Wednesday. Where should he hit in the order while he's batting .300?

(22:09) Paolo Espino was sent down to AAA to make room for Wander Suero. The hosts tip their caps to Paolo for his flawless performance out of the bullpen. Finally, a preview of Patrick Corbin's Thursday start to try and avoid the sweep.

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Game 31: Bell Strands Six + Jordan Zimmermann Retirement May 12, 2021

Show notes

The Nats lost 6-2 to the Phillies as they left ten men on base. Mark & Al focus on Josh Bell, who is hitting .134, and wonder how much longer he can hit behind Juan Soto. When will see Ryan Zimmerman, who is hitting .310, get more starts at first base?

(17:21) A recap of Erick Fedde's start as he allowed three runs in five innings. Any cause for concern that he has had two straight subpar outings? The hosts preview Jon Lester vs. Zack Wheeler on Wednesday night as Wheeler's last start was a complete game.

(27:27) Nationals Park will have full capacity come June 11th. Should we expect to see sell outs immediately or will it be a staggered return?

(30:33) A tip of the cap to former Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who officially announced his retirement Tuesday. We put his D.C. career in perspective, highlighted of course by his 2014 "No Hitter".

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Game 30: Brad Hand Struggles Again May 10, 2021

Show notes

The Nats lost 3-2 at Yankee Stadium as Brad Hand had a difficult 9th inning for the 2nd straight day. Mark & Al recap the frustrating series filled with missed opportunities and discuss who should have taken the mound in the 9th. Not all was lost for the bullpen, as Austin Voth took full advantage of his first high leverage situation. They also look at Joe Ross, who pitched his third consecutive quality start.

(18:55) The Nationals offense had more negatives than positives in the majority of the weekend in New York. Mark answers Al's questions about the lineup, why was Soto DH on Sunday, and why did Ryan Zimmerman only play one game in the series?

(32:01) A preview of a three game set at home vs. Philadelphia. It will be Bryce Harper's first game in D.C. with fans Post 2019 World Series. Plus, Tim was on hand at Wilmington to watch Jackson Rutledge pitch, just how important is he to the organization's future plans?

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Game 29: Bullpen Bungles Max's Masterpiece May 09, 2021

Show notes

The Nats lost 4-3 in extras at Yankee Stadium in their most frustrating loss of the season. Al & Tim open with the Washington bullpen blowing it's first game and all the late game decisions associated with it. Who should have started the 10th inning on the mound? Should Daniel Hudson have stayed on to pitch the 9th?

(8:11) Max Scherzer was brilliant again as he struck out 14 Yankees, including ten in the first four innings. Was this outing more impressive than last weekend against Miami? The hosts marvel at how we are seeing the return of "Cy Young Max".

(15:55) A recap of the lineup's performance Saturday, where the offense only mustered one extra base hit in 11 innings. Thumbs up to Victor Robles, thumbs down to Josh Bell.

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