The Pirates, But Still

The homestand didn't quite go as swimmingly as we'd hoped, but it's a start. The individual pieces on this team are decent (there's a core of a contending team here), but they're like a wave. Remember back to science class in Junior High when the teacher got the wave machine out? He'd twist and turn and pull a dial, creating many different waves in the shallow tray. He turned them this way, and there'd be chaos as they crashed into each other in a seemingly random pattern. He'd pull the lever that way and the waves would completely cancel each other out, leaving a placid pool. And other times he'd rotate the knob, and the waves would magnify and combine in intensity.

We need Frank to rotate the knob.

I don't know what he can do, and I'm pretty sure, based on some of the statements he's made recently, that he doesn't really have a clue. But one of these days, something's going to click, and this team's going to get on a really hot streak, winning 7 of 9, or something like that. It probably won't be enough to get them in contention, but they're capable of playing winning baseball, just as they did this weekend.

Sunday had a bunch of good signs. Mike O'Connor got the win, despite not pitching well at all. He was all over the place with his pitches, and a better team would've smacked him around. But, he got the job done, darting in and out of danger as if he were pitching TO the Nats.

Ryan Zimmerman ripped two doubles, driving the ball as he continues to adjust. At times it's been a steep learning curve, but he keeps meeting the challenge. His overall numbers are below what most people expected, but there's so much potential there.

Perhaps most encouraging was Jose Guillen. He's been taking the occasional pitch to left, even as he continues to fly to center. I'm not sure if he's working on pulling the ball -- Soriano's success is showing him the way. But he's getting more flyballs to left. Yesterday, he crushed a bomb into the upper deck, easily the longest homer he's hit at RFK, and his first since last August. (VIDEO) It's gotta be one of the longest homers hit at the stadium. A fluke? or the beginning of a trend? Let's hope it's the latter. For now, he wins a Majority Whip for his no-doubter.

Is there anything more fun than watching a batter completely turn on a pitch like that? It's like an accident; you can see it coming, even before the batter connects, and I love the fleeting feeling of glee as you make the instantaneous calculation in your head of how far it's going to go.

Saturday's game was frustratingly exciting. Despite the loss, the bullpen pitched really well, even as Ramon Ortiz didn't.

My patience with Ramon Ortiz is nearing its end. He went just 5 innings, giving up four runs and striking out only two batters. He just can't consistently get major league hitters out any more.

24% of the balls hit off him are line drives. That's an ungodly high total, which even a pitching machine would be hard to duplicate. He's struck out just 3.2 batters per 9, which is about half as many as a competent starter needs. He's walking 3.5 per 9, which is too high, especially in combination with the number of hits he allows: Batters are hitting .326 off him. Ugly, ugly, ugly. But because of Bowden's pitching, pitching, pitching strategy, he's all we have. But he does earn another Duck!

Friday night's game was about as good a game as the Nats have played since last June. They dominated the 'Rates from start to finish as Majority Whip Winner Zach Day lobbed up seven shutout innings. Day looked strong, as his sinker had plenty of movement, moving away from lefties. He complimented that with a passable slider, which moved in the opposite direction -- just enough to keep hitter's off balance.

If Day's shoulder holds up, perhaps he can give the team consistent innings -- which is really what it needs now, more than anything.

Offensively, it was the Nick Johnson show. He hadn't hit anything for about two weeks until his two homers, both of which showed Jose Guillen up. His first went high and far over the centerfield wall. His second went opposite field, deep over the left-field gap.

Is it just me or does the ball seem to be carrying a bit better this year than last? We've already seen three or four opposite field and CF homers, when we say maybe 5 combined last year. The ball's definitely scooting down the lines, too. Some of that's the Ramon and Livan BP fest, for sure. I dunno. I'll blame the juiced ball, I guess.

I never officially declared it, but Livan Hernandez gets the Duck for Thursday night's game -- more for the depression he put me in than his major suckage.