Whatever you do, don't overreact to a less than specular result on Opening Day. This is just one game.
The only thing we can be certain of following the Washington Nationals' 2-0 Opening Day defeat to the New York Mets: They won't go undefeated in 2019.
However, there are a few takeaways to be had after Game 1 of 162 for the Nats.
Max Scherzer is really good
This is an obvious point, but baseball's most intimidating pitcher was absolutely fantastic for the Nationals. (You can go ahead and pencil that into your day planner another thirty more times.)
Baseball's strikeout king from a season ago fanned 12 over 7 2/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs on two hits and three walks.
And "Mad Max's" change-up was just untouchable against the Mets today.
Max Scherzer, Wicked 85mph Changeup. -- pic.twitter.com/2OvLt0IdQh
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 28, 2019Just nasty.
"I felt good out there, I felt like I was executing pitches," Scherzer told the media. "It was a great first start for me."
However, a two-out first inning home run by Robinson Cano put the Nationals down early after Scherzer sent down the first two batters of the 2019 season swinging. And while he settled into the game and pitched well enough to be a winner, Scherzer was out-dueled by Jacob deGrom.
Max Scherzer, Disappearing 84mph Changeup for his 12th K. -- pic.twitter.com/vRV3u5ZKrj
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 28, 2019Fundamentals talk will be big
Down 1-0 in the third, the Nationals had runners at first and third with one out and Anthony Rendon at the plate. This was their chance to get back in the game, but then TOOTBLAN happened.
Rendon grounded to third and a 5-4-2-5 double play ensued with young Victor Robles getting caught trying to sneak home. It was the kind of mistake that just can't happen.
Victor Robles ran the Nationals out of the third inning.I've missed TOOTBLANs. pic.twitter.com/9SBK63o7yA
— Pitcher List (@PitcherList) March 28, 2019Robles was chased down at home after a brief rundown to complete the TOOTBLAN (aka Thrown Out On The Basepaths Like A Nincompoop).
Yeah, that can't happen in game one of the season after so much time was spent on fundamentals during spring training.
"Bad baserunning by Robles." - FP after the rookie gets caught in inning-ending pickle between home and third, and after, it just so happen, the Nats spent an entire spring focusing on "fundamentals."
— Chris Lingebach (@ChrisLingebach) March 28, 2019Base running mistakes, bullpen issues.... we've never seen that from the @Nationals before?
— The Junkies (@JunksRadio) March 28, 2019 — Fungo Velo (@clintonyates) March 28, 2019"Just a young base running mistake by him," Nationals manager Davey Martinez said after the game. "We talked about it, he knows just to run, stay out of the double play. We have Soto coming up if he runs into an out, but we have a man on first and second."
The Nationals played relatively mistake-free baseball otherwise, Trea Turner had three steals and they didn't misplay a ball on defense, but running into an out in a one-run game against a great pitcher is an absolute backbreaker.
The Bryce Harper talk will continue
The Nationals bats were noticeably absent managing just five hits on Opening Day.
Yes, the Mets had 2018 NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom on the mound, who allowed just five hits in six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, but the Nats were also kept quiet by the Mets bullpen, which tossed three-hitless innings and struck out four.
But the Nationals have to score runs to support a great start by Scherzer.
The Nationals lost 18 games in 2018 where their starting pitcher turned in a Quality Start. Only teams w/more were Bal/NYM, both bad teams. If the Nats were league average, they'd have won the division. It's why yesterday felt so familiar.
— danny rouhier (@funnydanny) March 29, 2019The Nats had chances, leaving six runners on base, but went 1-7 with runners in scoring position.
Big spot. One-run game.@JdeGrom19 lives for this. pic.twitter.com/G5OSRv0bQV
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 28, 2019And while Scherzer was cruising on the mound, Martinez made a questionable decision allowing him to hit with two outs in the 7th and the Nationals down a run. With the Nationals struggling for hits and Mets' reliever Seth Lugo on the mound a pinch hitter might have been a wiser call. (Scherzer struck out before giving way in the top half of the eighth inning.)
Martinez said he left Scherzer in the game partly in attempt to get his ace a win.
"He was doing good," Martinez said. "I communicate with Max, day in and day out, during games and he looked good. I was trying to give him a chance to stay in the game, win the game, and I knew we had six outs with our top guys coming up to hit."
It didn't work out.
And while Nationals fans want to erase Bryce Harper from their memories, his absence will be a talking point whenever the Nats struggle on offense.
Dude ripped Harper's name off his jersey -- pic.twitter.com/rh3uD118gE
— Dawn Dee (@Dawniemyte) March 28, 2019But, of course, it was just one game. It was just one game. It was just one game.
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