What to Watch For: 9/20
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Los Angeles Dodgers (77-72) vs. Washington Nationals (90-58)
LHP Chris Capuano (11-10, 3.60) vs. LHP Ross Detwiler (9-6, 3.16)
The Nationals and Dodgers split their doubleheader yesterday with the Nats snagging the opener, 3-1, but falling despite a big, late rally, 7-6 in the nightcap. Southpaws Ross Detwiler and Chris Capuano will decide the rubber match this evening as the Nationals need just one more win to clinch their first-ever postseason spot.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Werth RF
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Morse LF
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Detwiler LHP
FOLLOW THIS…
The Nationals are only the fifth team in modern MLB history (1901-present) to post three consecutive seasons winning 10 or more games than the year prior.
Note, however, that they are the first team in over 100 years to do so without the benefit of a deflated win total associated with a work stoppage. If you apply the Twins winning percentage in 1981 and the Marlins winning percentage in 1994 to a now-standard 162-game season, they would not come close to qualifying for this list.
TEAM 1901 1902 1903 1904
Chicago Cubs 53-86 68-69 82-56 93-60
TEAM 1906 1907 1908 1909
Boston Red Sox 49-105 59-90 75-79 88-63
TEAM 1981 1982 1983 1984
Minnesota Twins 41-68* 60-102 70-92 81-81
TEAM 1994 1995 1996 1997
Florida Marlins 51-64* 67-76 80-82 92-70
TEAM 2009 2010 2011 2012
Washington Nationals 59-103 69-93 80-81 90-58**
*Season affected by work stoppage
**Season not complete
WE LOVE THE 90s
While the Nationals reached the 90-win plateau for the first time in 79 years on Wednesday, this is the ninth 90-win campaign recorded by a DC baseball team. From 1913-33, the AL Nationals posted eight separate 90-win seasons: 1933 (99 wins), 1925 (96), 1930 (94), 1932 (93), 1931 (92), 1924 (92), 1912 (91), 1913 (90), 2012 (90). This is the franchise’s fifth 90-win campaign: the Expos won 90+ in 1979 (95 victories), 1993 (94), 1987 (91) and 1980 (90).
FALL BALL
Coming off his last start on Friday in Atlanta, Ross Detwiler takes to the hill for the Nationals tonight. He went pitch-for-pitch with Kris Medlen, allowing one run on seven hits in 6.0 innings while walking one and fanning five batters along the way. “The National Det” is 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA in 13 career starts in September/October during career.
