Trap series alert! Trap series alert!
The Red Sox have gathered some momentum as they roll into Washington for three games with the seemingly woebegone Nationals. The last-place Nats haven't reached the playoffs since winning the 2019 World Series, and that streak's not going to end this year.
Look under the hood, however, and today's Nationals aren't the same club that opened the season 9-17. They rallied with a six-run ninth inning to walk off the A's for the second straight game on Sunday, the winning hit coming courtesy of old friend Jeter Downs, his first in a Washington uniform.
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They're 8-4 this month and 25-19 since late June. Since dismantling their World Series core, they've been slowly integrating their next generation of young talent, and even if they've been playing a little over their heads, they're no longer pushovers.
"For us to be a young team that a lot of people don't expect much from, we don't take that lightly," All-Star right-hander Josiah Gray told the Washington Post. "We want to go out there and show that we can play baseball, too. A lot of guys in this clubhouse have been acquired through trades or free agency or waivers or whatever it may be. So there was a team before that got rid of us, I guess you could say, and we kind of have that chip on our shoulder. ... To be one of the earlier guys in this rebuild, to continue to progress, it means a lot."
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have every reason to experience a letdown. They just won five of seven against the Royals and Tigers, and the Nationals represent their final tune-up before the schedule turns brutal vs. the Yankees (although they kinda stink now), Astros (twice), Dodgers, Rangers, and the rest of the AL East.
If ever there was a series to overlook, it's this one. Here's why that would be a mistake.
The Nationals have some hot hitters, led by Keibert Ruiz, who arrived alongside Monday's starter, Gray, from the Dodgers at the 2021 trade deadline for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
Ruiz beat the A's with a walkoff homer on Saturday, and over the last month, he's hitting .345 with a .948 OPS. He has the potential to become one of the best offensive catchers in baseball.
The Nats have also received power from outfielder Lane Thomas, acquired from the Cardinals for left-hander Jon Lester two years ago. Thomas leads the regulars with 20 homers and an .811 OPS.
Washington also has high hopes for shortstop CJ Abrams, acquired as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster with San Diego last year. Abrams is only hitting .255, but with a team-leading 29 steals.
Then there's former Red Sox farmhand Joey Meneses, who spent more than a decade in the minors after signing with the Braves out of Mexico in 2011. Meneses beat Phillies All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel with a home run last week and owns an .804 OPS over the last month.
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On the pitching side, the Nationals like what they have in Gray, left-hander MacKenzie Gore, and right-hander Jake Irvin, though they're switching to a six-man rotation to limit the wear on their youngsters.
Gray is 7-9 with a 3.69 ERA. After surrendering a league-leading 38 homers last year, he has halved his long ball rate. He may not be an ace, but he's a solid piece of the future.
Gore has an even higher ceiling, though the left-hander has clearly worn down, necessitating the shift to the six-man. He has thrown a career-high 117 innings and leads the staff with 134 strikeouts, hinting at the potential that made him the No. 3 overall pick in 2017.
As for Irvin, he's a true homegrown player who was drafted in the fourth round in 2018. He has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of his last 12 starts.
For a few hours Sunday, the Nationals moved out of last place in the NL East. On their current trajectory, they'll overtake the Mets shortly. If the Red Sox aren't careful, it will happen on their watch.