The Nationals are going through a tough stretch right now, and what was a feel-good start to the season has turned into a 3-8 June – but when MASN’s Bobby Blanco joined JP Finlay on a Scotty’s Vodka Red Bull Friday, he noted there’s some positive things to take from the last six, at least.
“They’re learning a lot of things,” Blanco said. “They were in a lot of games, and you can make the argument they could’ve gone 4-2 on this trip; they could’ve won two of three from the Braves, and if not for the Trea Turner Rule fiasco Wednesday, they could’ve won two of three in Houston. But they’re playing close games and staying in games, so that’s a positive.”
There has been some regression in the defense, as both Blanco and JP noted, but there’s not anything to be worried about just yet, at least with supposed defensive wizard C.J. Abrams at shortstop.
“Defense is his calling card, he’s supposed to be an up-and-coming elite shortstop, and we haven’t seen that yet, but he’s learning on the fly at the MLB level,” Blanco said. “Dave Martinez has mentioned getting him off his feet more so he can watch games from the dugout, but it’s going to be a long process. If we’re still talking about his poor defense in September, maybe it’s a cause for concern, but it’s still early, and Davey Martinez wants to see if guys learn from mistakes and not make them again.”
Despite it all, the “vibes are good” in the clubhouse, and the team has been good at shutting the door on losses, especially on the road.
“The clubhouse is tight-knit, and that starts with Davey,” Blanco said. “Jeimer Candelario told me they’re so loose because Davey is so laid back and lets them have fun. He’s the best manager for them, because every day is a new day.”
Oh, yeah, but about Dave Martinez flipping out and using visual aids to ridicule umpires in his postgame presser after that bad call Wednesday night?
“This rule keeps coming back and biting the Nationals in the butt,” Blanco laughed, “I think this play is like 5-1 against the Nats, and Wednesday was the first time it cost them a game. It’s like what is a catch in football – they can’t get this rule right. I do feel bad for some of the umpires because the league says it’s their judgment, but this rule is such a blurred line that there’s no repercussions. I wonder if, had this happened to the Yankees or Dodgers so much, if MLB would look into it, but they maybe don’t care as much because it’s the Nationals.”
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