Dave Martinez has his strengths as a Major League manager; there is no doubt about that. He’s kept the Washington Nationals together through an extremely turbulent start to the season and helped guide them to a 49-26 record since May 23. One of Martinez’s weaknesses, however, is something that should cause a little bit of panic.
The Nats finished 2018 with an 18-24 record in 1-run games and so far this year, they’re on a nearly identical pace, going 14-19 in 1-run games. For comparison, the Atlanta Braves are 22-13 in 1-run games, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are 21-16 in such games.