It was a beatdown at Citizens Bank Park, but for the first time in a while, the Nats were the ones delivering the beating. They destroyed the Phillies in a 13-2 blowout. The good guys had 17 hits and had the Phillies by the neck from the jump. It has been a while since the Nats have delivered a beating like that.
With this 13 run performance, the Nats have their second double digit run game. That offense that we were worried about this spring just flipped the switch and has looked awesome in the regular
season. The bats have been hunting in packs so far this season.
This win has the Nats up to 3-1, making this the team’s best start in a long time. We know this balloon can pop at any time, but I am having so much fun watching the Nats to start the season. They are playing a fun and energetic style of baseball with a ton of hustling and great at bats. Some of the defensive miscues still need to be cleaned up, but this group’s effort cannot be questioned.
Once again, the Nats offense was led by cult hero Joey Wiemer. While Wiemer finally got out today, he still had a really nice day at the plate. His season averages may have dropped, but Wiemer still went 2/4 with a walk. He also tied Carlos Delgado for the most consecutive plate appearances to start a season without getting out. This was an all time heater from Wiemer and it was truly amazing to watch.
It was not just him though, there were contributions up and down the lineup. Every Nat got at least one hit and seven had multi-hit games. It is tough to pick out an offensive star because everyone was getting knocks. If I had to pick one, I would probably choose Jose Tena, who had the only three hit game for the Nats.
The Nats weren’t doing this with the long ball either. This was just a steady barrage of base hits that came from stringing together quality at bats. I have not seen anything like it from this group in a while. So many times in the past, the Nats would have a big first inning and then pull their punches. Today, they kept their foot on the gas and made it so bad the Phillies had to bring in a position player to lob in pitches at the end.
On the mound, Foster Griffin made his Nats debut and he was solid. He threw five innings of two run ball. The southpaw faded a bit in the fifth inning, but did a nice job limiting the damage and finishing the inning. He did enough to get his first Nats win. I like Griffin’s deep pitch mix and command. He could be a guy who has a lot of success.
Overall, this was an exhilarating night for Nats fans. For so many years, the Nats were on the other end of these kinds of beat downs. It feels nice to be the ones delivering the punishment for once. This team may not end up being good, but they will be much more fun.
