The Washington Nationals have seemingly turned a corner over the past week of the 2024 regular season. They have played much better as of late winning five of their last games and won back-to-back series for the first time this year. They took two of three games at home against the Seattle Mariners and followed it up by taking three games of their four-game set on the road against the mighty Atlanta Braves.
This massive change of fortune comes as a surprise as the Washington Nationals were coming off a brutal stretch. Before last Friday’s game against the Mariners, they were reeling. Washington had lost seven of their last eight games. Washington has outscored the opposition 32-20 over their last seven games.
How long will the Nationals be able to keep up their winning ways?
Washington Nationals Season Summary
The @Nationals pick up back-to-back series wins.
They've won five of their last seven games. pic.twitter.com/0XW0K3efgv
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2024
Washington(26-29) is third in the National League East but is still a whopping 12 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have the best record in all of baseball. With such a strong week of games, Washington is now only two games back of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. The Nationals have had to contend with one of the worst offenses in the league up until this point.
They are 24th in batting average, 27th in home runs, and 24th in home rune scored. While the offense has played much better as of late, their overall statistics are skewed by what was a bumpy first two months of the 2024 regular season.
The Washington Nationals offense is led by a variety of different players. Second Baseman Luis Garcia Jr. leads the team in batting average, Shortstop CJ Abrams leads them in home runs and hits, while Joey Meneses leads them in RBI. Menesses was critical in Thursday’s game as his two RBI were the difference in Washington’s 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
The team’s pitching staff has been a source of immense pride for the Washington Nationals this season. They are 11th in ERA, have surrendered the second-fewest home runs, and are 25th in opposing batting average. Their pitching staff is led by Starting Pitcher Trevor Williams who is 11th in the league with an ERA of 2.22. Closer Kyle Finnegan is fifth in the league with 15 saves and Relief Pitcher Hunter Harvey is second in the league with 17 holds.
The pitching staff of the Nationals must continue to carry the ballclub until their offense can begin to hold up their end of the bargain.
Nationals Upcoming Schedule
The Washington Nationals head to Cleveland for a three-game set with the Guardians getting underway later today. Washington then heads home for a three-game set with a New York Mets team, to put it kindly, that is in a state of absolute free-fall.
Washington must keep up this level of play as they are now in a position to be in the playoff picture for the waning months of the regular season. Following such a rough start to the season, that would have seemed nearly impossible a few weeks ago, but the team has righted the ship admirably as of late.
About The Author
Justin has always loved sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated and 247Sports. He is always willing to talk football (NFL or college) and basketball, whether it’s on the women’s or men’s side, college or pro! Check out all of the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
