Nats Turn To Detwiler For Save

Detwiler, above, could become an unlikely hero in this Nationals season today. (Photo: Keith Allison)

Today, the Nationals face elimination from the playoffs to the St. Louis Cardinals. Who will be on the mound to keep their playoff hopes alive? Well, that would St. Louis native Ross Detwiler.

This season was Detwiles first full season as a starter for the Nationals. He's seen the lowest of the lows, being benched for Chien-Ming Wang, and the highest of the highs, he struckout seven in April against the Marlins while giving up just three hits in a 2-0 victory. Today's game, however is by far the most important in his career.

The last time Detwiler squared off against the team from his hometown, the Cardinals, it didn't end well. He lasted just 2.1 innings and gave up seven runs, three earned, and four hits including a home run. He walked five and struckout just three while throwing 81 pitches. It was a dismal start to say the least.

Detwiler has yet to be put in this kind of position in his young career. He's never been the guy that a team has turned to with literally the season on the line. Today, he'll get his chance to make a huge statement against a line-up that has torn apart the Nationals pitching so far this series.

So far in this series, the Cardinals have put together 18 hits collectivley. They've hit two home runs and seven RBI. David Freese, Daniel Descalso, and Carlos Beltran have been the big three for the Cardinals. Freese has a batting average of .429, Beltran has collected three RBI, and Descalso has scored three runs.

If Detwiler wants to keep the Nationals playoff run alive, he'll need to bring his best stuff; which is something we haven't seen in a while. Detwiler lost three of his last four starts in the regular season including a 6-4 loss to the Phillies and a 10-4 loss to the Cardinals.

Detwiler hasn't pitched since September 30th and that will have a huge impact on how comfortable he is to start the game. Throwing a game simulation is nothing compared to the pressure of an elimination game.

If he can survive the early innings, the Nationals will have a chance. Another thing that will need to happen is for the bats to come alive. Simply put, the Cardinals have been hitting everything and the Nationals haven't been to get something going. They'll get a leadoff double and then spoil with three poor at-bats following that.

This team has relied and Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmermann all season long as their aces. Detwiler has been the guy at the end of the rotation that takes up a slot. Today, however, Detwiler will have his chance to solidify himself as a regular on the Nationals rotation.

What do you think about Detwiler's chances at winning the game? Start the conversation and leave a comment below with your thoughts!!

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Nationals Have Pitching Problems

A couple days ago, Davey Johnson finally switched the roles of pitchers Chien-Ming Wang and Ross Detwiler. Detwiler was taken out of the bullpen and back into the rotation while Wang was sent back to the bullpen.

Let's be honest, if it ain't broke don't fix it. And that is exactly what Davey Johnson tried to do. He tried to tweak the best starting rotation in all of baseball and it blew up in his face. Having Detwiler as the number five starter to start with was just fine. At one point, statistically he was the Nationals best pitcher (yeah...you heard me).

The best reason that anyone ever gave me as to why the switch to insert Wang (oh...that sounds bad) in the starting rotation was that he has more experience in a late season playoff push drama type of situation. Let me ask you this, if you don't want Ross in there because he doesn't have the experience, then how is he supposed to get it?

I'll answer that for you...he won't. If you don't water the seed, the plant won't grow.

Then, Chien-Ming Wang stunk it up out there. Rarely did he get out of the third inning alive and even then he would get torn apart in the fourth inning. His first pitch back in the majors came on a relief appearance in which he gave up a two run double.

Detwiler, while he may feel right at home coming out of the bullpen, should be a starting pitcher for the Nationals. If it makes him feel more comfortable, just have him run out of the bullpen at the beginning of the game.

I fear that we haven't seen the last of Chien-Ming Wang. The Nationals are standing firm on their 160 innings limit that they have placed on Stephen Strasburg. With the way the Nationals organization has handled injuries in the past (and they've done quite well, really), I wouldn't expect to see Strasburg past September 15th.

So, since the Nationals ace will be out for the season, that leaves just one guy available: Chien-Ming Wang.

To better prepare Wang, and the organization, for a late season playoff push, it would serve them well to have sent to Triple or Double A until then. He needs to work on his mechanics and gain some confidence. He isn't necessary to have in the bullpen.

While it may seem that the Nationals have it all figured out with their pitching staff, there are still some foreseeable tough decisions coming in the near future and down the road. The Nationals will need to sort out their dilemma with Chien-Ming Wang and prepare for when Stephen Strasburg is shut-down for the rest of the season.