One more point on the lineup hole

Because the Nationals don't hit many homeruns--they're last in the National League--they depend on sustained rallies more than other teams. That's another reason why the poor production from the 6-8 spots is problematic. When other teams--like the Brewers last night--can win late in a game with a homerun rather than a rally, the Nats tend to depend on rallies to score. Until they improve the production of the bottom of their order, they will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage.