GDT 9/24/19 Philadelphia Phillies (Nola) @ Washington Nationals (Scherzer)

[zambonir]

I think he'll be fine too. We'll see if he's actually as good as Hamels (or as good as he was last year).

I'm not scapegoating him, even aces can have a bad month. I also don't think pitching him every five days (which is normal rest) was the issue. But on August 24 we were 1.5 games out of the wild card (and a half-game up on Milwaukee). For all the focus on Hoskins or the weak bottom of the rotation or fringey bullpen, we went 0-7 in our best pitcher's starts since then and will probably finish 8.5 to 9 games out.

Yes, it's true Hughes was being used a second time but that same result has occurred in several games where he wasn't. Not sure why it had to be a "high-leverage" arm there anyway, much as they wanted to win.

[Austinfan]

Ii was reasonable to expect Franco to improve, he shows flashes, like the first six weeks or so, when he seems to get it, has good power, good swing, plus arm, he should be a .750+ OPS average fielding 3B. Something missing upstairs.

Herrera was a top young star two years ago, and has just spiraled down since, there's no way to predict that.

Williams on the other hand, never showed the plate discipline to have a future given his atrocious fielding.