NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: Lane Thomas #28 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after scoring on Alcides Escobar #3 single in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Yes, the Nationals just lost another series to the New York Mets. Yes, they have lost 17 of their last 24. Yes, they are on track for their worst regular-season finish since 2010 when they lost 93 games. But none of this matters. It was well known that when the Nationals stripped down the roster and shipped out what felt like half of the roster, the team’s performance was going to drastically drop.