"We're going to be fine. We're not the only team that has started with one win in the first week of the season. Everybody goes through those stretches...We're going to reel off a few wins, too."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 4/9/2007)
...but only a little badder than last year.
Relax, Manny promises they'll win a few.
Off day today, time for a quick reality check:
Last year at this time, the Nationals were 2-5. Starters last year through 7 games (Livan, Patterson, Ortiz, Armas, Livan, Drese, Patterson) were 1-4, 5.75 ERA (36IP, 48H, 28R, 23ER, 11BB, 27K, 7HR);
This season through 7? Starters (Patterson, Hill, Chico, Bergmann, Williams, Patterson, Hill) are 0-6, 7.15 ERA (34IP, 41H, 31R, 27ER, 18BB, 18K, 6HR).
Check our math -- there's a really good chance that these #'s are all off --but the point of this exercise is that with the exception of the '07 rotation's penchant for digging big first inning holes, last year's model (rotation-wise) was almost as bad as this year's model 7-games in.
Repeat after Manny: "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine." "We're going to be fine."...
(Photo by Evan Vucci/AP)
The difference is, in 06, NAAAAts opened on the road (with 3 vs NYM and then defending NL pennant winner HOU). This year, NAAAts opened at home against fellow NL East doormat FLA and NL West also-ran ARI. Taking into account the quality of the opposition and where the games were played, the 07 NAAAts are much worse than the 06 NAAAAts.
Posted by: Reuben | April 11, 2007 at 12:53 PM