A player or two grumbled about the ballpark, raising old complaints about the spacious dimensions. They’ve tired,again, of watching deep shots to center settle into a glove rather than over the fence.
Those complaints might have had merit.
Except for this: the Mets found a way to hit four balls over the fence Thursday. They also hit a few more to the gap. And a few more up the middle.
“They shot down that theory,” Nats catcher Brian Schneider said after New York hit four homers in a 13-4 win over Washington (2-8), completing a three-game sweep. “It proves if you hit the ball good, it will get out of here.”
Maybe the problem isn’t the ballpark; it’s the Nationals’ lineup. Changes were made before the game — and after. Brandon Watson was involved both times, first getting the day off and then getting sent to AAA New Orleans afterward, along with backup catcher Wiki Gonzalez.
The Nationals promoted outfielder Ryan Church and infielder Brendan Harris. Church, who was batting .130 in seven games in New Orleans, will start in center. Church or Alfonso Soriano will likely bat leadoff.
Watson wasn’t getting on base (.207 on-base percentage) nor was he making pitchers work. Leadoff hitters rarely keep jobs under those circumstances.
“Usually you get a chance to work your flaws out,” Watson said.
Robinson assured Watson before the loss that he would stick around. But after watching Thursday’s debacle — Watson struck out in a pinch-hit appearance — Robinson made the move, knowing Watson and Gonzalez still had minor league options.
“I’m sure [Watson] feels like he didn’t get a fair shake,” Robinson said, “[But] we won’t just sit here. Something had to be done. Are these two moves gonna do it? I don’t know. There were probably three or four other moves we would do [if others had options].”
Only two starters — Jose Vidro and Nick Johnson — are batting over .300. They’re the only starters hitting better than .260. Washington averages 4.2 runs pergame.
“This ballclub is better than last year,” said Vidro, who ripped the ballpark Wednesday night. “We didn’t expect to be 2-8. It’s ridiculous. There’s no way we can keep doing this.”
It didn’t help Thursday that ace Livan Hernandez (1-2) allowed eight runs — seven earned — and four homers, including three in the first inning. In 18 innings, he’s allowed 31 hits and six homers.
“I make a lot of mistakes today,” Hernandez said. “I’ve got to pitch better. It sucks right now.”
