Today In Insane Baseball Stats: The Nationals Have Gone FORTY Straight Games Without A Win By A Starting Pitcher
No secret that it's been a bad year for the Nationals. The worst team in baseball with a record of 41-83, a run differential of -211, traded away a generational talent in Juan Soto, and appear to be going nowhere fast. They did win the World Series in 2019 so that should take some of the sting away for the fans but this team is brutal to watch. But last night they accomplished something that blew my mind, it was the 40th straight game without a National starting pitcher collecting a win. July 6th vs Philadelphia was the last time a Nationals pitcher got a win, that is a lifetime ago.
According to Scott Allen from the Washington Post this is the longest streak since 1901, they were playing baseball with a goat bladder wrapped in lamb skin back then, just to put it in perspective for you. Tungsten Arm O'Doyle was just a wee lad back then. Allen also noted that the Nationals starters record since that July 6th win is 0-23 with a 6.85 ERA. Puuuuuke.
It's pretty wild that a Major League team can put together this many games in a row of incompetence. And they aren't losing EVERY game of the streak. The Nats are 11-29 during this 40 game stretch. I understand they stripped it down to the barebones, sold off some parts and are rebuilding but it's hard to believe they couldn't luck into one win. One Josiah Gray seven inning start where the offense finds a way to score 6.
I also understand the pitcher wins and losses numbers don't mean what they used to, but it's just incredible they can go this long without someone falling into a W.
If there is one guy who isn't going to break the streak I think it's safe to say that it's Patrick Corbin. He has been absolutely awful and arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball this season. But during the streak he's somehow been even worse, going 0-7 in 8 starts with a 9.82 ERA. On the season he's 4-17 with a 6.81 ERA, -2.5 WAR, a 1.808 WHIP, and is giving up 13 hits per 9. Yuck. He's also failed to make it out of the first inning in two of his last five starts, which is flat out remarkable. Flags fly forever and Corbin helped the Nats get their 2019 World Series banner. But yikes that is an awful run for any pitcher, let alone one making by far the most money of anyone playing in Washington (along with Stephen Strasburg making about the same on the IL after pitching 4.2 innings this season).
