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Given the way Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo jammed the importance of defense down our throats with this winter's offseason moves, it's good to see that maybe that'll actually pay off this season. Well, at least based on this play by Danny Espinosa in the Nationals' Spring Training game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
↵It looked like Jason Heyward was surely going to score on this play, especially after Nyjer Morgan's typically-poor relay throw. But then, Espinosa picked the ball up and gunned a strike to the plate to nab Heyward with plenty of time to spare. Bob Carpenter described the whole exchange as "one of those fundamental things you like to see from your whole defense," which makes the play sound way less cool than it was. Thankfully, some sound effects on the video help restore the play's awesomeness.
↵Maybe there really was a method to Rizzo's madness this winter. If the middle of the infield can be this effective, the Nationals will do better than people expect.
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