There are eight games left. All of them at home. No more traveling for the 2020 Nationals.
In hindsight, how did the club handle the road part of this pandemic campaign?
“We all stayed safe,” Washington’s skipper Davey Martinez said after the final road game of the season on Sunday. “I don’t want to stay in another hotel for a while. But it worked out. I give the boys a lot of credit for following our protocols of staying in the hotel rooms, just hanging out in the rooms, that’s all we wanted our guys to do, they did it, and we stayed healthy, so they did a great job with that.”
They also did a great job wrapping up the road schedule, well, at least in the last game, a 15-0 win.
“It’s a good way to finish. We get on a flight now, we go back home to our old ballpark. Let’s continue to do what we did tonight,” Martinez said.
Go read your links...
NATS BEAT:
Braymer Wins:
Braymer, Nats' bats overwhelm Marlins in G2 - (MLB.com)
"Braymer, the Nationals’ No. 23 prospect per MLB Pipeline, threw five scoreless innings to earn the win in the 15-0 victory."
Ben this is a baseball game not an airport pic.twitter.com/voXVnMSeW3
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) September 20, 2020
Ben Braymer gives the Nationals something to smile about in doubleheader split against the Marlins — (WaPost
“Scherzer went 5⅔ innings in the opener, allowing the Miami Marlins just two unearned runs, but Miami won the game, 2-1...”
Nats split twinbill thanks to 15-0 pounding of Marlins - (MASN)
“After falling 2-1 in game 1, the Nats rebounded quickly with three runs in the top of first and cruised in support of rookie Ben Braymer, who was making his first major league start.”
Scherzer’s Start:
There are only 22 pitchers in @MLB history with more career strikeouts than Max Scherzer.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 20, 2020
17 of them are in the Hall of Fame.@MLBStats // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/LUdkkPGxDn
Max Scherzer passes Frank Tanana career strikeouts - (MLB.com)
"Max Scherzer threw a barrage of 119 pitches during Sunday's 2-1 loss, yet one stands out more than the rest."
Defense does in Scherzer in latest agonizing loss - (MASN)
"If this wasn’t the epitome of the Nationals’ 2020 season, it’s tough to imagine a sequence that could define this agonizing campaign any better."
Baseball before curveballs - a teleplay brought to you by @FightinHydrant:
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) September 20, 2020
"Hey, what's this guy got?"
"Fastball."
"Thanks."
The End
Other Nats Links:
Faces of frustration define Nationals heading into final week - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Baseball’s perpetual absurdity changed the vibe for at least a few hours afterward. Ben Braymer pitched five scoreless innings in his first major-league start."
NL EAST UPDATES:
Phillies lose the game and maybe Bryce Harper - (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
"Bryce Harper left the 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays with an injury in the seventh inning. He appeared to injure himself while chasing down a ball in the gap in the top of the inning."
Mets' season burns out of control as black smoke appears - (NY Post)
"Black smoke billowed outside Citi Field on Seaver Way in Sunday’s ninth inning, obscuring the blaze occurring inside the ballpark."
Hit hard in G2, Marlins choose to look ahead - (MLB.com)
"The high-scoring outburst came after the Marlins held on for a 2-1 victory in Game 1, which gave them the five-game series victory, 3-2."
Sept. 20, 2020 game: Braves 7, Mets 0 - (AJC.com)
"Kyle Wright kept hitters off-balance and pitched a one-hit shutout through 6-1/3 innings, nabbing his second career victory as the Braves (31-22) beat the Mets 7-0 Sunday afternoon in New York."