Ceci Ferrara
August 24, 2015
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
The Washington Nationals are in trouble. In the past two weeks they have lost seven of their last 10 games, including a painful stretch of six straight losses. Their poor performance has seen them fall five games–a season-high deficit–behind the division leading Mets. Each loss shrinks their hopes–and–chances–of a playoff berth.
After splitting a four-game series with the Rockies, the Nationals snapped out of their funk by winning back-to-back games against the Brewers this past weekend. Fresh off a 10-3 rout on Friday, they bounced back behind rookie right-hander Joe Ross on Saturday.
Ross threw seven solid innings, giving up six hits and striking out four. Milwaukee’s only run of the game came on a solo home run in the seventh, which ended Ross’ night. But it wasn’t enough to overcome the Nationals’ new found offense, which produced six runs to get the Nats back to the .500 mark.
“Where we are at, they are all going to be important wins,” outfielder Jayson Werth said “We know what’s at stake and where we are at.”
They continued to emerge from the slump on Sunday, when Jordan Zimmerman (10-8) took the mound. They got off to a slow start, falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, but quickly picked up steam, scoring four runs in the third highlighted by a three-run double by Danny Espinosa. Then Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer in the fifth en route to a 9-5 victory.
“It was good to get the series win,” said Bryce Harper, who had two doubles in the game. “If we keep winning series, we’ll be just fine…As a whole lineup, I think we swung it pretty well and we scored some runs.”
The victory put the Nationals at 62-61, one game above the .500 mark.
As the Nats enter the final month of the regular season, they will have to string together wins and hope for some good luck–their main competition, the Mets, won twice this weekend–to have a shot at the playoffs.
“We have to put everything together — offensively, defensively and pitching,” catcher Wilson Ramos said. “If we put everything together, we have an opportunity to win a lot of games. We have a pretty good team. We have good young players here. We know how to play this game.”
Tiger Woods
After another disappointing PGA season, Tiger Woods had a shot at victory this past weekend. After missing the cut at three consecutive majors this year, the world’s former No. 1 golfer was just two shots off the lead heading into the final round of the Wyndham Championship.
But has been the case since 2013, he missed.
“I had all the opportunity in the world to do it, but I didn’t get it done,” Woods said. “I had some makable putts early that I missed. I just wasn’t able to get on any kind of roll early…I had a sand wedge in my hand at 8 and didn’t make birdie there.”
Woods’ 10th place finish was still a relatively high note for the golfer, but it was not enough to qualify for him for next week’s FedEx Cup playoffs. A triple bogey at the 11th and a bogey at the 12th put him four shots off the lead and ended his season early.
The eventual winner, 51-year old Davis Love III, won the tournament for the third time.
As for Woods, he is taking some time off before the Frys.com Open in October.
“I’ve got lots of soccer games and practices I’ll go to, so I’ll be doing that and just working out, training and trying to get more fit,” he said. “It’s my off-season.”
