From closing for the classic 2010s A's teams to getting injured for a few too many years, to winding up as the closer for the nearly-classic 2017 Nationals, Sean Doolittle has already had a journeyman, wild career. And right now, as the Nationals begin to trickle back up the standings, he's penciled in as their trusty closer, which is nice, as he's filled a hole the Nats have been scrambling to fill since Rafael Soriano left.
He's a chief member of a Nationals team that SHOULDN'T BE winning games...yet is. Half the team's injured, including Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy, Matt Wieters, Joe Ross and Brian Goodwin. That's half the lineup...and Joe Ross. That's a certifiable chunk of people that were saving the team last year, so...what are they doing?
Well, they signed Mark Reynolds, and he's been playing great 1st base...and they've been using Matt Adams as backup, which is still good as he's still hitting well. They also signed Jeremy Hellickson late, and he's been pitching like a pro so far (which is odd considering his Baltimore stint). They've also called up Juan Soto, who's been playing pretty well for a 19-year-old (take that, Julio Urias).
The only 3 starters that are still in the lineup from April are Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner, and thankfully they're all still healthy and playing well. The pitching staff is still intact and playing beautifully. It's just this team's ability to revive themselves from near-universal injuries that will mark their season, and so far, they're doing well. True, they're in 3rd behind two vastly superior teams, but they're still playing alright enough to begin to chase them.
Coming Tomorrow- Someone from a second place team that's under .500
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