Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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The Nationals have had a rough 2015. They’ve only had their preferred starting lineup on the field on a handful of occasions, and if Denard Span doesn’t return this season, they won’t be at full strength again. A stacked rotation turned out to be more necessity than luxury, and even with both Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen around, manager Matt Williams is finding ways to screw up the bullpen. Despite all of this, the Nats are just four games back of the Mets in the NL East. While that might sound daunting with just weeks to go in the season, the two teams have six games left against each other, the first of which takes place in D.C. on Monday.
The Mets aren’t in free fall or anything, but they have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, and spent the weekend dealing with Matt Harvey innings-limit fallout. Their place in the postseason is probable, but by no means assured: the Nationals were the preseason favorites for a reason, and while not everything has gone to plan for them, they do have presumed NL MVP Bryce Harper around to bash Mets’ pitching for six more games. A few key hits from Harper -- or Anthony Rendon, or Ryan Zimmerman, or really anyone in a Nats jersey -- could change the whole season for two teams.
The Nats still have an uphill battle here, given that they aren’t in a position where they can lose many, or maybe any, of these games to the Mets. A sweep of New York would still leave them one back in the division, and given the Mets are currently behind both NL wild card leaders in the standings, that’s the only likely way into the postseason for either of these clubs. As it is, the Nats only have a 14 percent probability of leapfrogging the Mets. That will go up with each W against them, but they need to actually win those games before that will happen.
- If you want the full, Harvey-centric take on the innings-limit situation, it's up at the Players' Tribune.
- For some reason, it took far less tape to hold the 6'6 Henry Owens in place against a dugout pole than it did for the Red Sox to do the same to Pedro Martinez back in the day.
- Gerrit Cole just wanted to use the rosin bag without it exploding all over his face, but the rosin bag was having none of it.
- This A's fan has really huge fake hands for some reason.
- Kris Bryant hit the longest home run of 2015, at 495 feet. A little further to the right, and he would hit his massive visage on the Cubs' video board, even.
- The Blue Jays crushed the Orioles to stay 1.5 games up on the Yankees in the AL East. Unlike with the Mets and Nats, both of these clubs are likely playoff-bound, but winning the division means they can avoid Baseball Thunderdome.
- Rookie outfielder Michael Conforto has done his part in helping keep the Mets going.
- Who is to blame for the Tigers' last-place season?
- Get to know Corey Seager, brother of the Mariners' Kyle Seager, who was called up by the Dodgers and is therefore no longer the top prospect in the minors.
- If your team's season is already at the point where you're more concerned with who the next GM is than the postseason, don't worry, you're still covered.
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