Black Baseball Was On Full Display This Weekend | Nats vs. Rangers Bro Show

Black baseball was on full display this weekend as the Washington Nationals made a rare trip to Texas for a series against the Texas Rangers.  Here is how some of the best bros in baseball fared.

Josh Bell

Josh Bell ended the weekend with a .308 batting average which is the highest for any switch hitter in the majors this season.  He is playing the best baseball of his career and made a statement during the first game of his return series in his hometown of Dallas, Texas going 3-for-4 with a triple, double and a RBI, capping it off by scoring the game-winning run in the top of the 8th.

He ended the series Sunday going 3-for-5 with a double and a RBI.

Bell came into the series riding a high note after hitting four home runs in a three-day span against the Philadelphia Phillies, a team he has crushed in recent history with eight home runs, 23 runs batted in and a .293 average since joining Washington last season.

After this season Bell will become a free agent and things may get interesting for him as the trade deadline approaches.

In addition to leading all switch hitters in batting average, Bell is first in hits and on base percentage while ranking second in slugging percentage and OPS.

He finished the series going 7-for-11 with two RBI.

Josiah Gray

Josiah Gray threw a career high, in both innings (seven), and pitches (117), in Saturday afternoon’s matchup.

He struck out nine, allowed four hits, walked only one and the only runs he allowed to cross the plate came on a two-run homer in the second inning.

Gray put his name in the conversation for the National League Pitcher of the Month award with the numbers he put up in June.

In his last five starts, Gray is 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA and has allowed only three extra base hits (all home runs) and held batters to a .155 batting average against which is the lowest in the majors since May 29.

During that time he also did not surrender a hit to a righty, holding them to 0-for-19 against him, and his 1.24 ERA over that span is the third lowest in the majors and the second lowest in the National League.

The next start for Gray will be this Friday when he faces off against “The Bahamian Blur” Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Miami Marlins.

Carl Edwards Jr

“The Slanga” aka Carl Edwards Jr., has been solid out of the bullpen for Washington in his return to the Bigs this season.

This series he pitched 2.2 innings giving up no runs on one hit and one strikeout.  He got the win in Friday’s game and is now 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings this season.

He currently ranks third in the National League in opponent’s batting average, hits per nine innings and WHIP.

In a stat that will probably surprise 99 percent of baseball fans, only Josh Hader has allowed a lower opponent’s batting average for all Major League relievers other than Edwards since 2015.

Over his last 6.2 innings Edwards has only given up one hit, struck out seven and has not given up a run.

Taylor Hearn

In one of the most questionable moves this season, the Rangers sent Dallas native pitcher Taylor Hearn to Triple A Roundrock after throwing four shutout innings in relief Saturday.

Hearn, who’s four wins are tied for the second most on the team was sent down to the bullpen earlier this week after a few rough outings, but looked sharp in his long relief role that may better suit him for future success at the Major League level.

The front office has not given a reason for sending Hearn down, but said he will be working as a starter while in Roundrock, which coincides with them saying they believe he can bring his best stuff in shorter stints out of the bullpen.

Hearn may only be down for a week if not shorter but that still remains to be seen.

Regardless, a homegrown pitcher who has become one the faces of the franchise as well as a leader in the clubhouse to be sent down after the best outing any reliever has had for your team this season, leaves us with more questions than answers.

Marcus Semien

The record holder for most home runs in a season by a second baseman has been grinding over the last month to raise his batting average from under the Mendoza Line to above .230.

This series Semien went 3-for-14 including a 2-for-5 game Friday night.

Semien did have the chance to drive in the winning run Friday but failed to after he flew out.

His batting average is now at .228 with seven home runs and 27 RBI on the season.

The Rangers will head out on a road trip this week beginning in Kansas City before they head to New York for a battle versus the Mets who have the best record in the National League.