Hernandez Hopes To Earn "Stopper" Status Tonight
.
DEFINITION OF "STOPPER" FROM DICTIONARY:
A device, such as a cork or plug, that is inserted to close an opening, often used in a pitcher
DEFINITION OF "STOPPER" FROM BASEBALL DICTIONARY"
A pitcher, known for both his tenacity as well as ability, who is able to stop losing streaks when the team needs it the most.
Tonight, the Washington Nationals hope that Livan Hernandez steps into the role of "stopper" and ends the first real slide of the Nationals inaugural season. To be fair, it hasn't been a losing skid where they are getting squished like bugs on a highway. Far from it. In the last three games, the Nationals have scored two less earned runs than their opponents. No, it's not that.
The Nationals razor-thin roster is beginning to show wear and tear after the team has been decimated by a series of injuries. Almost the entire middle relief, as well as a three starting position players have gone down. Substitute players can play like the starters for a day, perhaps days, even a week, but cannot be expected to carry the load for prolonged periods of time.
Things don't look good for this weekend. After going against Carlos Zambrano tonight, the Nats face future hall-of-famer Greg Maddux. It is conceivable that the Nats could head into the Brewers series with five consecutive losses and six losses in the last seven games.
Livan Hernandez can change all that. By being the stopper, he can give back to the team the confidence that they are now lacking. Livan has to find a way to win; not for himself but for the sake of the team. We've all seen it too often. A team plays above its ability, and then it runs into some adversity, and a lengthy losing streak follows.
Hopefully, The Nats version of a stopper is a pitcher who ends a losing streak, and not a plug that keeps liquid in a pitcher. We'll see.
# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 10:58 AM 
