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(Getty Images)
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By
Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89
There can be no question about the continued success of the
Washington Nationals in the NL East this season and the alarming reality that
after years of mediocrity, they are something more than a valid playoff
contender. The franchise’s last winning season was their inaugural season as
the Nationals in 2005, as a .500 team that still floundered in the basement of
the division. Prior to that, only the 2002 Montreal Expos could boast a winning
season and a division title berth, finishing 2nd at 83-79.
There should be dancing in the streets as September arrives.
The taste of playoff baseball is in the air, and the team leads the NL East
over the Atlanta Braves by 6.5 games. However, the cause for pre-emptive
celebration in DC has been dampened somewhat not only by the inevitable exeunt
of phenom Stephen Strasburg as a playoff pitcher but also by the recent
struggles of Jordan Zimmermann.
Strasburg’s highly-publicized innings limit this season has
been a highly debated and thoroughly analyzed question mark in the Nationals’
potential post-season strategy for the past few weeks. Some of the alarm in
this plan has been magnified by Zimmermann’s performance in August.
