Dusty Baker was brutally honest when asked about the Nationals' slumping shortstop
Saturday’s rainout will give the Nationals an extra day to prepare for Game 2 of their NLDS against the Dodgers. And that seems like welcome news after Friday’s 4-3 loss to Los Angeles in the opener.
In that loss, Nationals shortstop Danny Espinosa went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. When asked about why he continues to stick with the struggling Espinosa, manager Dusty Baker bristled. From The Washington Post:
Not exactly a ringing endorsement/vote of confidence. And just imagine how that makes Stephen Drew feel — he’s the guy who pinch-hit for Espinosa and would be a Plan B at shortstop.
Espinosa, 29, hit just .209 with 174 strikeouts during the regular season – finishing with a .135/.212/.281 slash line in September/October. However, he did hit 24 homers and drive in 72 runs.
