Here they are again, the heavily-favored Washington Nationals, middling through June as fans and pundits shake their heads. Several star players are injured. The offense is streaky. The bullpen has question marks. It’s a situation they’ve come to know all too well.
“Not to say that these games are do or die,” shortstop Ian Desmond said Sunday, after Washington’s eighth loss in 10 games, “but we’ve got to start playing a little better.”
The Nationals, to a man, understand this. They see the inconsistencies in their daily performances, the streakiness that’s turned a preseason World Series favorite into a 30-27 team with two-thirds of the season remaining.