Dusty Baker sticks with Danny Espinosa in Game 2

The first question for Dusty Baker on Saturday boiled down to this: Why are you sticking with shortstop Danny Espinosa?

“Well, who else do I have?” Baker asked back before expounding.

Espinosa is of note following his clunker of an evening at the plate in Game 1. He looked helpless against Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw. The trouble for Espinosa is he was overmatched in crucial spots of a playoff game. He struck out three times on 12 pitches against Kershaw. In that time, he left six runners on base.

Here is how Baker explained Espinosa’s night at the plate following Game 1:

“Well, you know, I mean, this is — it’s not the first time this has happened this year, but then Espinosa can turn around and hit the next pitch out of the ballpark,” Baker said. “That’s what’s kind of frustrating when you don’t know — he was swinging at balls, you know, out of the zone, and then balls in the zone he wasn’t catching up to it. His swing was long tonight.”

Throughout the season, Baker has asked Espinosa to shorten his swing at times. He hoped for a more functional hitter as opposed to all-or-nothing results throughout the season. Espinosa hit 24 home runs and struck out 174 times. Nine of those home runs were hit in June.

Espinosa felt Kershaw was more precise against him than other Nationals in Game 1.

“He made good pitches on me,” Espinosa said. “Everything that for the most part guys hit, he made a little mistake out over the plate and they were able to get the barrel to it. He made good pitches on me.”

The complication for the Nationals is the high impact removing Espinosa from his shortstop spot would have on the defense. The Nationals’ defense up the middle is already weak with Daniel Murphy at second base and rookie Trea Turner still learning in center field, a position he moved to midway through this season. Espinosa is one of the league’s best defensive shortstops. Taking him away in favor of Stephen Drew, Wilmer Difo or by relocating Turner, would be a significant blow to one of the league’s best defenses.

So, as Baker explained, he has limited options at the spot.

“I mean, you can give me somebody better, then I can pay somebody instead of him,” Baker said. “You know, certain times you have certain people on your team and that’s what you’ve got…. My job is to hopefully get the most out of them and make them better.”

Espinosa’s influence on the offense has become more pronounced since Wilson Ramos was lost for the season because of a torn ACL. That moved Espinosa up a spot in the lineup. The catcher now hits behind Espinosa instead of in the middle of the order.

That catcher Saturday will be Jose Lobaton. Baker opted for the veteran over rookie Pedro Severino, despite Severino picking up a double against Kershaw in the 23-year-old’s first career playoff game. Severino also hit a line drive back through the middle on one of his outs Friday night. He in now way seemed overwhelmed by the circumstance.

Game 2 lineups:

Nationals

Trea Turner, CF

Bryce Harper, RF

Jayson Werth, LF

Daniel Murphy, 2B

Anthony Rendon, 3B

Ryan Zimmerman, 1B

Danny Espinosa, SS

Jose Lobaton, C

Tanner Roark, P

 

Dodgers

Chase Utley, 2B

Corey Seager, SS

Justin Turner, 3B

Adrian González, 1B

Josh Reddick, RF

Joc Pederson CF

Yasmani Grandal C

Andrew Toles, LF

Rich Hill, P