Rickie Weeks launched his 20th home run of the season on Sunday and sent Ross Detwiler to the showers. Detwiler, in his first start since returning to the major leagues after undergoing hip surgery this spring, pitched 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out four. He allowed five runs.
All unearned.
A Willie Harris first inning miscue and a fourth inning bad throw by Ian Desmond opened the floodgates for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Good baseball teams win with great pitching and stout defense. The Washington Nationals are just a couple of weeks away from transforming their place-holder starting rotation into a quality group that could include Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Scott Olsen, Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, John Lannan, Livan Herandez and--sometime in September--Cuban defector Yuneski Maya.
And though the bullpen has been a little shaky in recent days, is still solid with Sean Burnett, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and closer Matt Capps.
And though the offense hasn't performed as expected, it is a capable group and certainly good enough to win on most days.
Good enough, that is, if the team could play anything resembling major league defense.
But after allowing the Florida Marlins to tie them for the most errors in the National League this season, the Nationals took the field on Sunday and quickly regained the title with two more errors.
It has become clear that by next season the pitching staff will be able to lead a contending team if they had a solid defensive team behind them. But the Nationals just don't have those type of players. With the possible exception of shortstop Ian Desmond, none of the team's defensive liabilities are going to get better with practice.
They are what they are.
So it's time that the Nationals commit to playing quality defenders.
That means that Adam Dunn has to go. That means that Cristian Guzman needs a new home. Josh Willingham, though he's playing better in the field, is still not a great defender. And though Nyjer Morgan has the speed to make up for many of his mistakes, he just doesn't have the baseball instincts necessary to be an everyday center fielder.
Were Mike Rizzo to use these remaining days before the July 31st trading deadling to trade Dunn, Guzman, Willingham, Morgan as well as closer Matt Capps and starter Livan Hernandez, they could receive a half-dozen or more position players that are ready--or near ready--to shore up the defense.
The Nationals could field a starting eight that might look something like this:
1B-Mike Morse
2B-Adam Kennedy
SS-Alberto Gonzalez
3B-Ryan Zimmerman
LF-Willie Harris
CF-Roger Bernadina
RF-Justin Maxwell
C-Pudge Rodriguez & Wil Nieves
Though Maxwell hasn't hit well at the major league level this season, he has in the past and is an excellent fielder. And the time has come for the Ian Desmond experiment to end, at least at the major league level. If he is going to make 35 errors a season, let him do it in the minors.
Two or three of those prospects received in possible trades this week would be ready to take over next season. Also, there are several free agents who will be available this winter who could help fill out the 2011 roster.
I'm tired of watching this team stumble and bumble in the field. I'd much rather watch them lose 2-1 than 5-4. The Nationals' pitching is ready to contend. But unless their defense is as good as their pitching, it will be just another long year in Washington next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment