Ceci Ferrara
September 8, 2015
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
Even though the Redskins have yet to take their first regular season snap, the drama surrounding the team has been the focus of D.C. sports during the past few weeks.
Lost amidst the reports of Kirk Cousins’ abilities and RGIII’s future is the story of the Washington Nationals. For the better part of the year, they were the favorites to win the World Series. Now, with less than a month to go, they are struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive.
After they dropped two against the league-leading Cardinals last week, their season appeared to be dead in the water. But they bounced back on Thursday, winning the final match to avoid a sweep. They followed that up with four wins against the Braves for a five-game streak — something they had not done since June. With the team seemingly back on track, they seemed ready to take on their biggest rival: the New York Mets.
New York has been in sole possession of the NL East since August 3, without much threat from the Nationals. After keeping within a game or two at first, a six-game losing streak in mid-August caused the Nats to fall into a hole they have yet to dig themselves out of. It has been an uphill battle since then.
A three-game home series seemed the perfect opportunity for Washington to gain traction and put some heat on their biggest opponent. With Max Scherzer on the mound, the Nats were ready to do battle. Unfortunately, as has been the case more often than not lately, Scherzer and his teammates fell short.
Scherzer gave up three home runs in the first three innings to give the Mets an early 3-0 lead. The Nationals responded in the fourth, loading the bases against southpaw Jon Niese. Then Wilson Ramos delivered in spectacular fashion, hitting a grand slam over the left field wall to give Washington a 4-3 lead. A few batters later, Jayson Werth hit an RBI double to extend the lead to two.
“We took the lead there and we had a chance,” Nationals manager Matt Williams said.
But the lead was short lived. The Mets scored a run in the fifth, and then tied on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
“I know I can pitch better,” said Scherzer, who exited in the sixth after blowing the lead.
The Mets scored three more runs in the seventh en route to an 8-5 victory. The loss drops Washington five games behind New York in the NL East. If they can’t pick up a victory in the next two games, their fate may officially be sealed.
The support of the once red hot team may be best summarized by the fan’s decision to leave after the Mets took the lead.
“The fans left in the seventh. That’s pretty brutal,” said a deflated Bryce Harper.
Though the Nationals playoff chances seem slim, a berth is not impossible. But it won’t happen unless they believe they can beat the odds. And that would entail proving their fans, and even themselves, wrong.
