After surviving vs. top teams, Nats now hope to thrive against lesser foes

Even as they opened a season of supposed promise a disappointing 1-6, the Nationals felt like that record was not a true reflection of the way they played. Close losses, often decided by one or two key moments late, defined that first week of games. The belief was that the team’s fortunes could easily change with only a few minor improvements.

Fast forward one week, and sure enough the Nats proved they could change their fortunes and turn those close losses into close wins, no matter the opponent. They just completed a 4-2 homestand against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, winning back-to-back series from the last two National League champions. And the two losses were by a combined three runs.

“We’re a resilient club,” right-hander Jake Irvin said. “We’ve been in every single ballgame. That’s been kind of what we’ve been preaching: Stay in the ballgame. Do what you can to claw back if you’re behind, and keep the lead if you’re ahead. … It’s been really cool to watch everybody click. It was a really good homestand.”

Sure, the Nationals still own a losing record. But had you asked reasonable observers back on Opening Day if they’d be satisfied with a 5-7 start given the stiff competition they were due to face, you’d have probably received a lot of affirmative answers.

A couple of bullpen meltdowns defined a 1-2 opening series with the Phillies. A lack of offense haunted them during a three-game sweep in Toronto. Some gutsy bullpen work made a 2-1 series with the Diamondbacks possible. And a complete, all around performance led to two straight wins over the Dodgers and a shot at a series sweep Wednesday.

The Nats missed that opportunity to sweep L.A. for the first time since 2008, but not for lack of effort. Despite digging themselves into a 4-0 hole before Irvin was able to record an out in the top of the first, they stormed back to re-take the lead by the third inning before ultimately falling short, 6-5.

Maybe the Dodgers weren’t at their best, dealing with injuries in both their lineup and rotation. But the Nationals more than held their own against the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, and with just a bit better execution from the seventh inning on Wednesday could have emerged with a three-game sweep.

“We played really well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “That’s a good team. They came out today and swung the bats, scored four runs. We came back and we take the lead. That’s a good team over there. Arizona was a good team. To battle back and play the way we have these last four or five games? Awesome. Now we’ve got to keep it going.”

Whether they wanted to admit it publicly or not, the Nationals have known all along the schedule would ease up once they completed this initial 12-game stretch against likely contenders. They now embark on a 10-game road trip with stops in Miami, Pittsburgh and Colorado. None of the three currently has a winning record, with the Marlins surprisingly the best of the group at 6-6.

If the idea was to hold their own against the Phillies, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Dodgers, the idea over the next 10 days is to excel against seemingly lesser competition.

That’s of course easier said than done, but the Nats did enjoy success against these opponents last year. They dismantled the Marlins to the tune of an 11-2 record. They won four of six against the Rockies. And they played the Pirates to a near-draw, finishing 3-4.

What would a successful road trip look like? If they go 6-4, the Nationals would come home with a .500 record at 11-11. If they can go 7-3, they’d come home two games over .500, a mark they have not reached since they were 40-38 at the end of June 2021.

How do they pull that off? It begins with solid starting pitching, which they’ve already been doing to some success. Nats starters have a 3.69 ERA, 12th-best in the majors. It continues with early offense, something they managed to put together during the homestand. Twenty-seven of the 32 runs they scored over the last six days came in the first through fourth innings. And it requires competent relief pitching, which they actually have done despite surrendering at least one run in each of their 12 games to date.

The Nationals managed to stay alive through their opening 12-game gauntlet. Now they have a chance to thrive over the next 10 games and set themselves up for even more meaningful baseball after that.