Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvin gets the ball back. Irvin will get the start Tue Aug 31, 2022 at Nationals Park in Washington DC to open a three game series. (@Athletics photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s will start a three-game series against the Washington Nationals Tuesday evening in Washington DC at Nationals Park. The Nationals, who won the World Series Championship in 2019, are currently in last place in the NL East Division.

The Nats own the worst record in the National League and the worst in all of baseball, 43-85. The A’s have the worst record in the American League, 48-81, and it is the second worst in baseball.

The Nats had a magical year in 2019. Things didn’t go well for them in the first half of the season. However, they caught fire and made the playoffs. They won the National League pennant and then defeated the Houston Astros to win the World Series Championship.

The A’s won 97 games that year. They didn’t advance past the first round. What happened to these teams is not unusual these days in baseball. Some of the players became free agents and went to work elsewhere. Other players got traded.

As a result, the A’s and the Nats find themselves at the bottom of the barrel for 2022. They are in the process of rebuilding the team. The A’s have traded players like Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, and Sean Manaea and lost Mark Cannha, Starling Marte, Josh Harrison, and Yan Gomes to free agency. They traded Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees at the 2022 trade deadline. The A’s hope the players they got back will develop into stars in the coming year.

The 2019 Nationals featured a very potent lineup. Their infield comprised first baseman Matt Adams, Brian Dozier, Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, and Howie Kendrick. Addams and Dozier each had 20 homers, Turner, 19, Rendon 34, and Kendrick had 17.

Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes were the catchers. 21-year-old Juan Soto homered 34 times. The pitching staff featured Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross, and Anibal Sanchez. Turner and Scherzer were traded to the Dodgers last year. Soto is now with the San Diego Padres.

Rendon went to the LA Angels as a free agent after the 2019 season. Rendon has been injured for most of the last three years. Anibal Sanchez is the only player listed above who is still with the Nats.

So, on Tuesday night, the who are these guys Oakland A’s will be playing the who are these guys Washington Nationals. As bad as their record, the A’s still have some bright spots on their roster. Lefty Cole Irvin (6-11, 3.16 ERA) was brilliant in his last start against the Miami Marlins last Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum.

Irvin went seven innings and allowed three hits. He struck out a career-high eleven hitters and did not issue a walk. He has pitched way better than what his record would indicate. Adam Oller, who did not pitch well earlier this year, seems to have corrected some of his problems while at Triple-A Las Vegas. Oller was brilliant in his last outing against the Yankees.

He allowed one hit in eight innings of work. He did not get the decision, but his performance in his last couple of outings gives the A’s hopes that he will be a featured starter next year. J.P. Sears, acquired from the Yankees, has pitched well.

He took the loss against his former team last week, but all indications appear that Sears will be in the starting rotation. Another young player that the A’s got in the Matt Olson trade, Shea Langeliers, appears to be headed for a regular spot in the A’s lineup.

Langeliers has 11 hits in 47 At-bats since joining the team. He has hit the ball hard and has homered twice.

Oakland severed ties with Jed Lowrie, Stephen Piscotty, and Elvis Andrus. Nick Allen has become the A’s everyday shortstop. Vimael Machin has spent a lot of time at third base. Sheldon Neuse and Jonah Bride have played at several infield positions. Cal Stevenson is patrolling centerfield these days as Skye Bolt and Ramon Laureano are on the 10-day IL.

So, we now take a look at the Nats’ roster. Righty Eric Fedde will go for Washington Tuesday night. Fedd is 5-8, with a 4.88 ERA. On Wednesday, the pitchers will be James Kaprielian for Oakland against veteran Anibel Sanchez. The Yankees pounded Kap in his last start. Sanchez is 0-5 with a 5.72 ERA. The A’s have not announced a starter for Thursday. Cade Cavalli will pitch for the Nats.

The Nats’ bullpen will feature all right-handers except the well-traveled lefty, Jake Mcgee. Fans can expect to see Kyle Finnegan, Carl Edwards, Jr., Steve Cishek, Victor Arano, Hunter Harvey, and Erasmo Ramirez get the call from Nats’ manager Dave Martinez.

The power-hitting Luke Voit will be at first base. Voit came to the Nats from the Padres in the trade for Juan Soto. Luis Garcia will be at second, C.J. Abrams is the shortstop, and llDemaro Varga will be at third base.

The Nats will have Lane Thomas in left, Victor Robles in the center, and Joey Meneses in right. Josh Palacios is the backup outfielder. The DH will be Nelson Cruz or Luke Voit. Cruz, who loves to hit against the A’s, has hit just ten homers this season.

The Series will be about two teams trying to see what players will be on the roster next year. While neither team will be in the playoffs, the fans should watch to see who will be up to the challenge.