Why Gore and Boyd Hold the Key to Defense’s Ultimate Shutdown Strategy
The Nationals are not one of the best teams even in their own division. Recently the Athletic did a piece on why the team really should be better than they are. The premise was that the team was rebuilding and has a lot of good young players from trades they’ve made over the years to restock the team. The question was about why it was taking so long. I won’t share the whole piece here, but to me, development is always the hardest thing to predict – specifically in baseball. Paul Skenes was a can’t miss pitcher, and so far, he hasn’t missed, but injuries (I hope they don’t) could derail him. There are a ton of factors and never just one or two reasons. One guy they have high hopes for is taking the mound today, MacKenzie Gore. Gore is 2-5 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Those are pretty solid numbers from a guy on a bad team. He has also pitched really well at home with a 1-3 record and a 2.64 ERA. He has posted two really strong starts in a row, going 12 innings and allowed just six hits, three walks, and one earned run. Cubs hitters race doing fine against him, hitting .265, but Kyle Tucker is the only standout going 3-for-4.Â
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