{"id":949,"date":"2011-04-06T09:55:11","date_gmt":"2011-04-06T13:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=949"},"modified":"2013-07-03T09:56:19","modified_gmt":"2013-07-03T13:56:19","slug":"nats-rotation-cycle-1-goodbadinconclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=949","title":{"rendered":"Nats Rotation Cycle #1: good\/bad\/inconclusive"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_991\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/lannanjohn.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-991\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-991\" title=\"lannanjohn\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/lannanjohn-300x224.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/lannanjohn-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/lannanjohn.jpg 533w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lannan has the only W for the rotation thus far. Photo: blog.prorumors.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A major league team&#8217;s rotation cycles somewhere between 33-34 times a year.\u00a0 As I did with the Spring training games, I will try to do a good\/bad\/indifferent each time through for the pitching staff.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll focus more on the starters but will mention the relievers as is merited.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Livan Hernandez<\/strong>&#8216;s opening day start (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/nationals-journal\/post\/opening_day_live_blog\/2011\/03\/31\/AFoGgVAC_blog.html?wprss=nationals-journal\">running blog<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_03_31_atlmlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">gamer<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_03_31_atlmlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">box score<\/a>) may have gone down as a loss, but it was a pretty nifty gem.\u00a0 He gave up two runs on four hits with no walks in 6 1\/3 on only 77 pitches.\u00a0 He retired 15 in a row after a 2nd inning homer given up to <strong>Jason Heyward<\/strong>.\u00a0 He may have gotten the loss but it was a quality start for sure and he probably pitches a complete game if the Nats could score.<\/li>\n<li><strong>John Lannan<\/strong> goes 5 complete for the win in the 2nd game of the season (blog\/<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_02_atlmlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">gamer\/box score<\/a>).\u00a0 Its amazing what a little run support will do for a guy.\u00a0 I do agree though with <a href=\"http:\/\/firejimbowden.blogspot.com\/2011\/04\/interim-jim-risks-john-lannans-arm-for.html\">Steven from FJB<\/a>, who criticizes the decision to bring Lannan back after an hour&#8217;s rain delay just so he can pitch the 5th and get the W.\u00a0 Why would he have possibly had Lannan return after an hour&#8217;s delay?\u00a0 That&#8217;s why you have long men in the bullpen.\u00a0 That should have been Broderick or Gaudin in to re-start the game.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jordan Zimmermann<\/strong>&#8216;s first start of the season (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/nationals-journal\/post\/game_3_discussion_thread_braves_at_nationals\/2011\/04\/03\/AFv1VfVC_blog.html?wprss=nationals-journal\">running blog<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_03_atlmlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">gamer<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_03_atlmlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">box score<\/a>) was promising: 2er in 6ip and finishing those 6 innings in just 84 pitches.\u00a0 Not very many Ks though (only two through six) for a strike out pitcher.\u00a0 Perhaps he was pitching to contact.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sean Burnett<\/strong>: apparently our new &#8220;closer&#8221; for now.\u00a0 He&#8217;s pitched pretty effectively in limited opportunities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jason Marquis<\/strong>: his 4\/5 start (<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_05_wasmlb_flomlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">gamer and box<\/a>)was the first game that I have gotten to see.\u00a0 And I thought he looked pretty good.\u00a0 He went 6 1\/3, gave up 6 hits and 0 walks and was efficient all night (he was only at 78 pitches when he got removed).\u00a0 He only had 2 ks but was throwing lots of strikes.\u00a0\u00a0 His fastball showed around 90 with great movement and he got lots of groundballs (11 grounders and 5 fly balls).\u00a0 The middle of the Marlins order had his number but he controlled the rest of the squad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bad<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Doug Slaten<\/strong>: three games and three failures in the Loogy role to start the season.\u00a0 Gotta do better.\u00a0 Your job is to get the lefties out.\u00a0 He may not have given up an earned run yet but his whip is a nifty 12.00 through three games.<\/li>\n<li>The Bullpen on 4\/3\/11.\u00a0 <strong>Broderick<\/strong>, <strong>Gaudin<\/strong>, and <strong>Coffey<\/strong>&#8216;s 4\/3\/11 performances.\u00a0 Not.\u00a0 Good.\u00a0 Notice that these three guys are all brand new to a very good bullpen last year.\u00a0 I&#8217;m not panicking, but i am saying.\u00a0 <strong>Balester<\/strong> may have his ears burning if (especially) Gaudin can&#8217;t get it done.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Possibly Concerning<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Storen<\/strong> seems to be getting his confidence back.\u00a0 But he cannot be giving up two hits and a walk in the 9th inning of a tied game (as he did on 4\/5).\u00a0 He&#8217;s not getting any Ks either, and we need his k\/9 ratio to be up in the 8.5-9.0 range.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Pitching Summary<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve had four starts and gotten 3 &#8220;real&#8221; quality starts (plus Lannan on his way to a 4th when a rain delay caused his night to be shortened).\u00a0 You cannot ask for much more out of your starting rotation.\u00a0 Last year our first four starts went like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lannan; 3 2\/3ip, 7 hits, 3bbs and 5 runs.<\/li>\n<li>Marquis: 4ip, 8 hits, 3 bbs and 6 runs.<\/li>\n<li>Stammen: 5ip, 9 hits, 4 runs.<\/li>\n<li>Mock: 3 1\/3ip, 4hits but FIVE walks and 2 runs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For the record, that was 17 runs in 16 innings over 4 days.\u00a0 Our first four starts in 2011 elicited 23 2\/3ip and just 7 earned runs.\u00a0 Quite the turn around.\u00a0 Too bad the team couldn&#8217;t score any runs and went 1-3.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thoughts on the offense<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re getting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/WSN\/2011.shtml\">great production<\/a> out of our stars (<strong>Zimmerman <\/strong>has a 1.406 ops through 4 games and <strong>Werth <\/strong>is at .945).\u00a0 <strong>Ramos <\/strong>is mashing the ball and <strong>Espinosa <\/strong>is 4\/10 so far.\u00a0 The rest of the team?\u00a0 Bad.\u00a0 Until last night the lead off\u00a0 hitters were 0-for-the-season and Riggleman is already swapping players around to put Espinosa at leadoff (a pretty good decision if he can handle it).\u00a0 <strong>Ankiel <\/strong>is 1\/12 (but that &#8220;one&#8221; is a mashed homer, which St. Louis fans are probably cackling about, since they continually warn Nats fans that this is exactly what Ankiel does).\u00a0 They&#8217;ve only scored 10 runs in 4 games (6 of them in their sole win) and definitely need to show better run support.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Great starting pitching to go with little run support.\u00a0 I hope this isn&#8217;t the story of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A major league team&#8217;s rotation cycles somewhere between 33-34 times a year.\u00a0 As I did with the Spring training games, I will try to do a good\/bad\/indifferent each time through for the pitching staff.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll focus more on the starters but will mention the relievers as is merited. Good Livan Hernandez&#8216;s opening day start (running [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[232,233,135,80,52,803,42,115,39,43,41,179,36,108,172,147],"class_list":["post-949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mlbpitching","category-natsrotationreview","tag-brian-broderick","tag-chad-gaudin","tag-danny-espinosa","tag-doug-slaten","tag-drew-storen","tag-jason-heyward","tag-jason-marquis","tag-jayson-werth","tag-john-lannan","tag-jordan-zimmermann","tag-livan-hernandez","tag-rick-ankiel","tag-ryan-zimmerman","tag-sean-burnett","tag-todd-coffey","tag-wilson-ramos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=949"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":993,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949\/revisions\/993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}