Sarah Langs 8y

Nationals season narrative: Nice and easy until stumbling vs. Phillies

The Washington Nationals got off to a franchise-best 14-4 start. Their .778 win percentage entering Monday was the best in the majors. They had a 2.24 team ERA, also the best in the majors. Bryce Harper (1.260) and Daniel Murphy (1.100) were first and fifth in the majors, respectively, in OPS.

But there was no chance that the Nationals were going to play like that all season. They have hit their first skid. They are now 14-7 after losing three straight. Here's a quick recap of how the season began and what lies ahead.

Easy road

During their 14-4 start, the Nationals faced the Braves, Marlins, Phillies and Twins. That was the easiest schedule in baseball.

Bryce Harper is on a torrid pace. His performance through 21 games this season far exceeds that of last season, when he won NL MVP. He leads the majors or is tied for the lead in home runs (9), slugging percentage (.786) and RBIs (24). He is striking out 14 percent of the time through 21 games this season. Last season, that number was 30 percent after 21 games.

Daniel Murphy isn’t quite as proven, but he has been a key asset to the Nationals' offense thus far. Although Harper has the track record to suggest he might keep up his pace, Murphy does not. Murphy’s .370 batting average, 1.042 OPS and 10 percent walk rate are all significantly higher than his career highs for a full season.

Harper and Murphy have combined to hit .343 so far this season. The rest of the team is hitting .205.

The Nationals’ pitching has also been a source of strength. The team's starters lead the league with a 2.30 ERA, and that’s with ace Max Scherzer having a 4.35 ERA. The bullpen ranks first in the National League and third in the majors in ERA.

Three of the four teams the Nationals have faced are in the bottom third of the league in starter ERA. The one team that wasn’t just won three straight against the Nationals.

Phillies are first hiccup

The Nationals finally faltered in their past three games in a sweep at home at the hands of the Phillies. Washington was scoreless in the final two games and mustered just three runs in the first game. In their first 18 games, the Nats averaged 4.4 runs per game.

In the first series between the two teams, the Nats scored 19 runs, and they had 16 hits in the first game of the series. This time around, the Nationals totaled 13 hits in three games.

Tough schedule upcoming

The Nationals are entering a 10-game road trip against the Cardinals, Royals and Cubs. After facing four teams that have a combined .376 win percentage entering Friday, the Nationals will face three teams with a combined .635 win percentage.

The Cardinals lead the majors in OPS (.845) and runs per game (6.2). The Royals have been much better at home than on the road this season. They’ve scored 4.2 runs per game in KC, compared to just 3.1 on the road. They’re 8-3 at home and 4-6 on the road.

The Cubs starters have a 2.32 ERA, second only to the Nationals. They’ve allowed only 10 earned runs in eight games at Wrigley this season. And they’re getting it done on the offensive side too: The Cubs trail only the Cardinals in runs per game.

After two home series following the 10-game road trip, the Nats go on the road again. A three-game set May 17-19 at Citi Field will be their first matchup with the Mets, who enter Friday only a half-game back for first place in the National League East.

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