Travis Sawchik noticed that Dusty Baker is working the Nationals starters deeper into games than almost any other staff:

And this is where Baker stands out from the crowd.

While pitch counts are crude metrics, only 10 teams have allowed a starting pitcher to exceed 120 pitches this season; only two teams have allowed it to occur on multiple occasions.

Baker and the Nationals have accomplished it four times.

There is the comparison to 2003 with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. I’m not sure that is fair. Wood and especially prior were still young. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark are all veterans in the 30s. On top of that, the Nationals front office has not been hesitant to rest those starters with the disabled list. If a manager is going to push his staff in a game, especially when the bullpen is stressed, this would be the staff for the job.