Failure to Capitalize

Tonight, the Capitals lost Game 7 of their series against the New York Rangers. I don't want to be negative, I swear I don't, but hearing quotes of "Oh, it's just another game" tossed around beforehand, I shouldn't have been surprised to see another half-hearted, lackluster offense. The Rangers wanted it more, so they won. Rushing back to play defense doesn't score goals. There are no moral victories- it's a pretty objective, results-based activity. This should have been the RuPaul's Drag Race Lipsync for Your Life moment, leaving it all out there, ripping your wig off (figuratively), making an impression. Seeing the game go at the leisurely pace I've seen too often this year, I had little hope.

 I hope Dale heads back to London and honestly, I don't know who else on this team should stay. The few ones who do care, I don't know if I want to see their hard work go unrewarded anymore and maybe they should be where they are valued.

 We get promised every time that this is the one, this group of guys is committed, but it never pans out. It's all talk. Living in Washington (or close enough), hearing big talk and no action gets old.

Karl Alzner: "I’m gonna view it as an underachieved season, in my opinion. I know a lot of people don’t feel the same way."
-via Katie Carrera's Twitter feed

Natitude Weekend

Saturday, May 5th, was the second game of the three-game "Our Park" series. Friday's game had resulted in a dramatic late night 11th inning win for the Nationals so the wind was taken somewhat out of the sails of the (last place) Phillies fans who traveled down for the day game on Cinco de Mayo/Kentucky Derby/Caps playoff day. A 7-1 victory is just what the Nats needed to shut up the small but loud groups in the park, especially when the first three runs came off a beautiful home run by former Phil Jayson Werth. Gio Gonzalez was smoking the ball past the hitters and with his bat- coming up with his first career double and a few more that reached the wall.

 Screech made his contribution, appearing in a video on the big screen where he drives a few fans back to Citizens Bank Park and going into the stands to taunt and apparently strip them:  

Our Park
 

Gio Slo-Mo
 

Lombo and Bryce

Just forget that these at-bats led to a double play.

Jayson Werth