Strike Zone podcast: Verducci on struggling Nationals, surprising Cubs

In this week's edition of The Strike Zone podcast, host Ted Keith and SI's Tom Verducci discuss the Nationals' slump, the Cubs' rise and more.

Do the Nationals still have time to turn around their disappointing year, or is their late-summer swoon set to sink their season?

On this week's edition of The Strike Zone podcast, host Ted Keith welcomes Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer Tom Verducci to the show to discuss Washington's woeful run of play and whether there's any playoff hope left for the Nats. They also take a look at two of baseball's biggest surprises, the Cubs and Mets, and whether those teams can turn their unexpected runs into playoff success. Finally, the talk turns to the West Coast, as Ted and Tom weigh in on the Dodgers' curious personnel moves in the month of August and the rise of the Giants' Madison Bumgarner as a pitcher who can rake.

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