Last night, the Washington Nationals clinched the NL East title, which is their third division title in the last five years. With the elite play of Daniel Murphy, the growth of young phenom Trea Turner, the rise of Wilson Ramos and the two-headed monster in their rotation which features Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals have become an NL powerhouse; however, they’ve hit a major roadblock. Stephen Strasburg is currently dealing with elbow discomfort, and there seems to be little confidence that he will return for the postseason. Strasburg’s injury is extremely unfortunate, and puts the Nationals in a tough spot, and while they can’t replace Strasburg, they can play it smart in the first round of the playoffs by going with a three-man rotation.
Nationals Must Go with a Three-Man Rotation Against Dodgers
The issue that Clayton Kershaw presents
As of right now, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the NL West, which would pave the way for a matchup with the Nationals in the NLDS, and this matchup will present a major problem for Washington. Dodgers ace, and the game’s best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw‘s back is now in check, and he’s back to his dominate form. In all likelihood, Kershaw will appear in at least two games in this series, shall the series go farther than three games. In response, the Nationals must put Max Scherzer on the mound in two of the first four games; they get him on the mound by going with a three-man rotation.
Three-man rotation centers around Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer is one of the five best pitchers in baseball; he can do it all. He has a nasty curveball, a good slider, he can get his fastball by anyone and he can pitch in big games. Scherzer has even thrown two no-hitters in his brief two years with the Nationals, and tied the MLB record for strikeouts in a game. In addition to these accomplished feats, Scherzer has also recorded the two best seasons of his career ERA wise as a National. It is crucial that Scherzer is on the mound twice in the first four games of this series; they need him to be the ace and big game pitcher that they payed him to be. Scherzer pitching twice in the first four games of this series is critical to the Nationals getting out of the first round, but starter Tanner Roark is just as important.
Tanner Roark’s consistency
In addition to Scherzer, Tanner Roark has also pitched on an elite level. His ERA currently lies at 2.70, which is the best in their rotation. Roark is a ground-ball pitcher, and can go deep into games. His patience with the Nationals the last two years also shows that he’s a team player. In 2014, Roark started all year for the club, and was their most consistent pitcher; however, when the Nationals signed Max Scherzer last season, Roark was moved to the bullpen, and he didn’t produce at the same level. With an ERA over four, and an inconsistent role in the rotation and bullpen, he was never able to pitch anything like he did in 2014. The offseason though, was his way to get back into the rotation for good. When longtime starter Jordan Zimmermann left in free agency, Roark was able to slid back into the rotation, and he has been pitching to an elite standard since. Roark will most likely pitch in game two, in what could be a make or break game; it’s also possible that if the series goes five games, that Roark pitches in two games, meaning him and Scherzer pitch in four of five games. That leaves game three up for grabs, and despite his rollercoaster of a year, Gio Gonzalez must get the nod.
Trust in Gio on a short leash
This season, Gio Gonzalez has had it rough. With an ERA well over four, he has been more than hittable, and a question mark in the Nationals rotation; however, he must pitch in game three. While the Nationals have a bevy of options to choose from with Gonzalez, Joe Ross, A.J. Cole and Reynaldo Lopez, three out of those four pitchers have one thing in common. They’ve never pitched an inning of postseason baseball; Gonzalez is the only one that has. Experience is key in games like these, and the Nationals can’t throw out a inexperienced pitcher in what could be a make or break game; however, the Nationals must have a short leash on Gonzalez. While he has the experience, Gonzalez tends to give up a lot of runs early on in games, and if a scenario presents itself where Gonzalez gives up a quick three, or four runs, he must be pulled. Reynaldo Lopez has pitched very well out of the bullpen lately, and his 5.1 scoreless innings of relief in a game against the Pirates prove that he’s capable of pitching major innings of relief. If Gio fails, Lopez must come in the game quickly. The Nationals must put their trust in Gio Gonzalez, but if he gets hit early, Dusty Baker and the Nationals must pull him.
Three-man rotation gives the Nationals the best chance to advance
The injury to Stephen Strasburg puts the Nationals in a rough spot with their rotation, but they can overcome it by going with a three-man rotation. Ace and elite pitcher Max Scherzer is more than capable of pitching twice in a five game series, as well as pitching twice in four games, and the same goes for Tanner Roark. Roark has been the Nationals’ most consistent pitcher all season, and he has gone deep into games, like Scherzer. Gio Gonzalez has had a bad year compared to his recent campaigns, but he’s the only other starter on the Nationals with postseason experience; however, if he gets hit early, the Nationals must look to Reynaldo Lopez, or Joe Ross to take over in relief. Going with a three-man rotation is the only way the Nationals can get past the Dodgers. With Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw bound to pitch at least twice in this series, and the stellar lineup that the Dodgers have, the Nationals must match Kershaw’s presence with one of their own in Max Scherzer. Scherzer must go up against Kershaw in game one, and he must also pitch in game four. This fall will present an exciting and entertaining NLDS series between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers; however, if the Washington Nationals plan on winning this series, they need to go with a three man rotation.
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