Really? Nationals 8, Phillies 7

Many things in life cause you to question yourself, your sanity. These kinds of moments can be personal. It could something small. We all know what it’s like to stub a toe in the middle of the night while walking around in the dark. That “Really?” moment happens when you stub the same toe coming back from your midnight excursion. For me, my washer has this mode where it will force you to put it on a clean cycle with an empty washer and a cleaning pod. This mode, however, always comes on when I put an entire load of laundry in, Tide pod and all, and go to hit start only to hear that little beeping noise reminding me it’s time to clean the washer. There’s no pattern, no rhyme or reason. I just say, “Really?”

That moment happened tonight. Watching the offense dispatch an overmatched Joan Adon in the fourth inning was a spectacle, almost the entirety of the lineup contributing in some fashion, the inning punctuated by Kyle Schwarber launching a ball into Nationals Park orbit.

They had Michael Lorenzen on the mound, having lost his chance to become besties with Johnny Vander Meer, but he’s still been excellent in red pinstripes.

Then the bottom of the fourth happened.

One out error by (gasp) Johan Rojas.
Single.
Single.
Walk.
Single.
3-run home run.

Really?

Michael, I know you’re new here, but was that the inning to do your best 2023 Aaron Nola impression?

And then the Nationals bullpen shutdown the lineup for the rest of the game with, well not ease since there was a bases loaded opportunity to score more runs, but Trea Turner had what was a pretty bad at bat to end the threat and, honestly, the best chance they had at coming back emotionally into the game.

We’ve seen them seemingly rise from the dead this year when things were bleak time and again, but this one felt different. Schwarber hit another home run in the ninth to show a pulse, but the next three at bats where fairly easy for Kyle Finnegan.

Looking back how this game went, it just begs the question over and over again.

Really?

They’ll pick themselves up the rest of the series and it wouldn’t shock me if they won the next two games, but these are games that hurt more than others. I still believe in them, but again...

...really?