The Nationals can't blame their woes on their rotation.
Despite the team's 3-11 record, Washington's starting pitchers have come through over the past week. In the last seven games, the rotation is a collective 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA, having posted six quality starts without allowing more than two earned runs in any game. "They're growing on the job, and I think they're going to have a lot of quality starts among them," manager Manny Acta said. "We like these guys."
The Nationals entered the season with the second-youngest rotation in the majors. Their average age of 24 is younger than every team except the Oakland A's, so Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Claire expected there to be some bumps in the road.
That was the case in the season's first week, when Washington starters went 0-5 with a 9.29 ERA. But they've rebounded nicely since then and have been feeding off each other's strong performances.
"You know how they say hitting is contagious? Well, pitching can be that way, too," left-hander Scott Olsen told the Washington Times. "Once you get on a roll like that, you don't want to be the guy who goes out there and (screws) up what everyone else has been doing."
