Nationals won Game 2 but the bullpen is a massive concern

The Washington Nationals were able to hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers to even the NLDS at one game apiece, but the biggest takeaway from Game 2 is Washington’s lack of reliable relievers.

The Nationals manager Dave Martinez knows what his team is good at and where they struggle, both of which were highlighted in Game 2 of the NLDS. Nats starter Stephen Strasburg dominated the Dodgers through six innings of work, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one run to give his team a 3-1 lead when he left the game.

The former 1st round pick was exactly what the Nationals needed after dropping the 1st game of the series in a 6-0 shutout, but after 85 pitches Martinez went to his bullpen and grabbed his closer, Sean Doolittle. The veteran lefty came into the game and immediately gave up a solo home run to Max Muncy, cutting the lead to one run in the 7th.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Martinez went with his ace Max Scherzer, who shut down the Dodgers in the 8th with three strikeouts. It was the right move by the Nationals, knowing their bullpen has been the cause of multiple letdowns in the regular season. The Nationals couldn’t go down two games in this series and after reliever Daniel Hudson loaded the bases with two outs in a 4-2 game, he managed to strikeout SS Corey Seager and even the series at one game apiece.

However, despite the win, the Nationals have a serious problem with their pitching. Scherzer, who started the NL Wild Card game for the Nationals, will get a day of rest and hopefully be available for Game 3 but Martinez hasn’t named a starter yet.

Now, a win in the postseason always means something and trying to take that away from a team like Washington that has fought since late May to get where they are right now wouldn’t be fair. But having to use your two best starters twice so far in three collective postseason games isn’t a winning formula in the postseason.

The Nationals tried to sure up the bullpen at the trade deadline and did so with reliever Daniel Hudson and his 1.44 ERA since coming over from Toronto. And almost on queue last night, Hudson came into the bottom of the 9th and loaded the bases. But the Nationals bought themselves two guaranteed games at home with Friday night’s win, where they’ve enjoyed a 51-31 record.

It’s hard to see the Nationals being able to consistently throw their starters into games and having term success this postseason. But it may be the only way they can hold onto leads in this series, which only makes Dave Martinez’s job that much harder.