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STEVE DeSHAZO: National teams are shaky now but could be dangerous later | Sports columns

Max Scherzer (2–1, 3.71) was alternately bright and vulnerable, thanks in part to a tender hamstring. Patrick Corbin (2–1, 3.91) was good, not great.

And the bullpen, which undoubtedly caused some of manager Dave Martinez’s heart problems last year, continues to struggle. Former closest Sean Doolittle has an ERA of 15.00 and returned to IL with knee pain after some early problems. Daniel Hudson, another 2019 postseason hero, wasted a three-run lead in the ninth inning and allowed two two-run homers in Atlanta on Monday night.

Thanks to the return of Juan Soto and the sparkling debut of 20-year-old Luis Garcia, the attack improved after a bad start. But is it good enough to make up for the inconsistent pitch, especially after Starlin Castro broke his wrist?

These are the concerns and they are all legitimate. But Martinez and his team gained the benefit of the doubt with last year’s resurgence. And baseball’s extended playoffs mean a team that can make it to October in good health can be dangerous. (Where have we seen it before?)

Despite their troubles, the Nationals entered the game on Wednesday just 1.5 games from a playoff spot, without a Strasbourg win and with just four RBI from third-baseman Carter Kieboom. While every defeat in 2020 equals three in a normal season, there are plenty of reasons not to panic.

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