Back to Their Old Ways???

I know the MLB season is 162 games and six months long. Therefore, it is probably WAAAAAAAYYYY to early to start panicking about the Nationals' current four-game losing streak. However, for the sake of argument, are the Nats returning to their losing ways? Was their once 20-15 record too good to be true after all? It's not like I was expecting them to go to the playoffs, unless they squeaked in somehow as the Wild Card. All I ask is that they actually had a decent record this year! They have the lineup to win: Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan, and Adam Dunn, to name a few. The question with them has always been pitching and defense. But this year, they were pitching decently, and the defense had been much improved (the Nats are on pace to obliterate the number of "Web Gem" appearances they had last season). But in the past four games, pitchers have given up big innings, and the defense has gone back to the 59-103 mentality of not making plays that should be made. But the main reason I am panicking slightly is because before now, the Nats had not lost more than two consecutive games this entire season. Additionally, they hadn't lost a series in almost two months; they have either taken 2 of three, or split a four-game series.

Maybe this four-game skid is nothing, and I am concerned for no reason at all. Had this been the (effing) Yankees, a four-game losing streak would certainly be no reason for concern. But because it is the Nationals, a franchise with a history of ineptitude dating back to their days as the Montreal Expos, a four-game skid triggers that panic response quicker than you can say "Felipe Alou". I am sure Nats Manager Jim Riggleman hasn't pushed the panic button yet, and for good reason! Next month, probably June 8th, will be the MLB debut of one Stephen Strasburg, who is supposed to be the next "Great" Pitcher. Everyone is hoping that Strasburg will be the Prodigal Son the Natstown has been waiting for. No pressure, Stevie!

So maybe I should just hold my breath a little bit longer and hope that the Nats return to their winning ways tonight with *cringes* John Lannan on the mound. I need a sign that tells me it is time to panic, something like Rob Dibble getting more and more intoxicated during games from drinking glass after glass of Bourbon on the Rocks. When that starts happening again, I will know it's time to start figuring out who the Nats should take with the first pick of next year's draft!