Washington is 17 for last 26 going into three-game set vs. NL Wild Card leader
There is still baseball to be played at Nationals Park.
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Off the field, the organization has finished negotiations with prized draft pick Stephen Strasburg and now turns its attention toward hiring a permanent general manager. But on the field the Nats look to continue a surprisingly strong second half that has put all thoughts of a historically bad season behind them.
Washington begins a three-game series at home tonight against the Colorado Rockies, who entered play Monday night leading a jumbled fight for the National League wild-card berth.
The Nats still have baseball’s worst record at 43-75. But that won’t last much longer if they continue to play winning baseball. Washington has won 17 of its last 26 games, including 11 of the last 14, and three in a row overall.
First baseman/outfielder Adam Dunn enjoyed his return to Cincinnati over the weekend. The former Reds star batted 4-for-8 during that four-game series with a home run, two doubles and six walks. He also scored five runs. Dunn is second in the major leagues with 89 walks and has baseball’s fourth-best OPS at .997. Teammate Josh Willingham will soon join him soon on that list. His 292 at-bats aren’t quite enough to qualify — but Willingham has a 1.006 OPS.
Dunn, meanwhile, also is tied for fourth with 31 homers and on pace for his sixth 40-homer season in a row. Dunn’s .285 batting average is almost 20 points higher than his career best with just 43 games remaining in 2009.
