With a week’s worth of games behind the Washington Nationals, two of them—specifically, the most recent two games the team has played against the Braves and Mets—rather unimpressive, and another set—the first four games of the year—wildly impressive, it’s hard not to exist solely in the land of extremes.
After waiting for five months for meaningful baseball, everything seems significant. Yes, the home opener, the first game with consequences at Nationals Park since the wildly confusing and tortuous ride that was Game 5 of last season’s NLDS, felt frustrating and off-kilter. An ace struggled. An ump made a slew of questionable calls when it mattered most.