Looking at this team, it's honestly baffling that the Washington Nationals are in third place, and six games behind the offensive.
Pretty much everyone is back and healthy, including Daniel Murphy, Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman, who were all gone for a while. There are SEVERAL options for positions, with backups being just as good as starters; Daniel Murphy is great, but so is Wilmer Difo; Adam Eaton is great, but so is Michael Taylor; Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds are on FIRE this year, but it's technically Ryan Zimmerman's position. It's not COMPLETE overflow, but at times it can be a bit tricky to fit in the starters AS WELL AS the people playing well.
The pitching is pretty stellar all the way through, and even in Sean Doolittle's absence there is a heir apparent at closer, in the talented Kelvin Herrera, thankfully kept in the bullpen since June just in case. I honestly think the only problem is that they just haven't been on as much as the Phils and Braves have. And, also, their main central leader, Bryce Harper, has been VERY OFF this season, only truly excelling in the home run derby. Anthony Rendon is comparatively human, and the strength of the lineup must rest on Trea Turner's shoulders, and he can only do so much.
So even if Max Scherzer wins another Cy Young, or Juan Soto goes high in the ROY voting, I don't know if the Nationals can figure out how to catch up to the top two. I'm not saying it's unheard of, and I'm not saying it can't be done, but...it's looking very tricky.
Coming Tonight: To quote a joke from Frankie Boyle, "Not all of the news coming out of the recent lootings is bad news--for instance, I found a guy's wallet!" Tonight, the loaded wallet of the Chicago White Sox.
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