The Washington Nationals are not who we thought they were.
Coming into the season, they were widely projected to go all Fred Astaire and waltz their way to a third straight division title. After all, the club that won 97 games last year was returning almost entirely intact. Cy Young finalists Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were back to anchor the rotation. Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler -- all of whom helped stabilize the bullpen after coming over in midseason trades -- were ready for a full season in D.