Nationals News Archive
The Major League All-Star game, set in St. Louis on Tuesday July 14, is still more than a week away and we don't know who from the Nationals will be selected, but we do know who will represent the organization in the Triple-A and Double-A games. ...
I know we're not at the official half-way point of the season, but three months are in the history books and I thought I'd crunch some numbers at how the season has transpired from month-to-month-to-month. ...
Washington's inability to get a hit with runners in scoring position and their bullpen's ineffectiveness ultimately cost them in this afternoon's 5-3 loss to the Marlins, their ninth straight against their NL East foe. ...
Welcome to the Nationals Mr. Burnett, you have now been cursed like the rest of the bullpen. ...
Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann notched his second straight and fifth quality start of the season. ...
For the second straight game, rain is going to delay the Nationals and Marlins in the seventh inning. ...
The Nationals had Marlins starter Josh Johnson reeling all afternoon and couldn't take advantage of his ineffectiveness. ...
Jordan Zimmermann had all his pitches working for him the first time thru the Marlins lineup this afternoon. ...
For the second time in as many games, Nationals pitchers have helped their own cause. ...
Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's throwing problems continue as he made another error in the first inning today. ...
Acting GM Mike Rizzo and manager Manny Acta spoke to the media prior to this afternoon's game about the decision to send outfielder Elijah Dukes to Triple-A Syracuse. ...
Willie Harris returns to center field and the lead-off spot for the series finale this afternoon. ...
The Nationals optioned outfielder Elijah Dukes to Triple-A Syracuse, making room on the 25-man roster for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and left-hander Sean Bunrett. ...
A defensive meltdown, shoddy pitching from the bullpen and Mother Nature cost the Nationals in their 7-5, seven-inning, loss to the Marlins. ...
The Nationals tied a season-high by committing four errors in their rain-shortened 7-5 loss to the Marlins, their eighth straight this season. ...
Four Nationals errors, three by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, cost Washington as they dropped their eighth straight game to the Marlins, 7-5, in a rain-shortened affair in Florida. ...
A slow, steady rain turned into a torrential downpour in a matter of seconds at Land Shark Stadium, bringing the game to a halt in the bottom of the seventh. ...
After six full innings, the Nationals cling to a 5-4 lead. ...
Rookie right-hander Craig Stammen has only allowed two hits thru three innings, but Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error allowed former Nat Emilio Bonifacio to score the tying run. ...
Elijah Dukes is back in the starting lineup for manager Manny Acta ...
The Nationals acquired outfielder Nyjer Morgan and left-handed pitcher Sean Burnett from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for outfielder Lastings Milledge and right-handed pitcher Joel Hanrahan. ...
Last night, the Nationals dropped their seventh straight game to the Marlins when reliever Ron Villone gave up a sac fly in the bottom of the eighth of a 2-2 game. Florida would ad an insurance run to take the series opener 4-2. ...
Left-hander Scott Olsen tossed seven solid innings in his first start since coming off the disabled list. ...
The Nationals bullpen, actually Ron Villone, wasted a great outing from left-hander Scott Olsen, as Washington remains winless against the Marlins in 2009. ...
Since the Nationals two-run, three-hit second inning, Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco has retired 13 of the last 14 and seven straight. ...
Right-hander Garrett Mock won a pair of starts this week by posting a 0.60 ERA in a League-best 15 innings pitched to earn International League Pitcher of the Week. ...
Lefty Scott Olsen looked pretty good in the first two innings, but he struggled in the third, allowing two runs on four hits. ...
Ryan Zimmerman jumped on Ricky Nolasco's first pitch of the second inning, a 91-MPH fastball, and crushed it to left for his 13th homer of the season. ...
The Nationals and Marlins are just underway at Land Shark Stadium in Florida after a 37 minute rain delay. ...
The tarp is on the field at Land Shark Stadium, with a steady rain falling. ...
Manny Acta keeps the hot hitting Josh Willingham in the lineup. Against the Orioles this past weekend, Willingham went 6-11 with three doubles, four runs, a walk and a stolen base. ...
The Nationals signed second-round draft pick Jeffrey Kobernus, a second baseman from the University of California. ...
Left-hander Scott Olsen (1-4, 7.24), fresh of the disabled list (shoulder tendinitis), will make his first start since May 16, when he allowed six runs in five innings against the Phillies in the Nationals 8-5 loss. ...
Left-hander John Lannan picked up his fifth win of the season by holding the Orioles to three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings today. Lannan won for the third time in his last five starts with a 2.18 ERA in those games. ...
In an unforeseen turnabout, the Nationals decided to keep rookie Craig Stammen in the rotation and send right-hander Shairon Martis down to Triple-A Syracuse, thus keeping the bullpen in tact. ...
Behind John Lannan's outstanding pitching, the Nationals played one of their best all-round games of the season and avoided getting swept by the Orioles. ...
The Nationals acquired infielder Mike Morse from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Ryan Langerhans. ...
The Orioles are playing the Nationals have this season, dropping balls and running themselves out of big innings. ...
Adam Dunn became the first National to hit a ball onto Eutaw Street. ...
Lefty John Lannan had a seven pitch third inning, getting a double play to erase a lead-off single. ...
Now that the Nationals have decided to move right-hander Craig Stammen to the bullpen, the big question is who will they move? ...
Here are manager Manny Acta's comments on today's lineup, Scott Olsen and Craig Stammen moving to the bullpen. ...
Manager Manny Acta moves the middle of his lineup down a spot for the series finale this afternoon. ...
The Nationals look to salvage the series finale with the Orioles this afternoon as Interleague play comes to an end. ...
Right-hander Shairon Martis continues to struggle with locating his pitches and tonight was no different. ...
When the Nationals look back on tonight's 6-3 loss to the Orioles, all they need to know is that they had the bases loaded with nobody out twice and only managed to score two runs, both on walks in the first. ...
According to Nationals reporter Debbi Taylor, right-hander Craig Stammen will be moved into the bullpen when lefty starter Scott Olsen comes of the disabled list on Sunday. ...
The two Nationals struggling the most couldn't push a run across when they had the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth. ...
Miss your location in the big league and you get hit, hard, and that's exactly what happened to Shairon Martis tonight. ...
Left-hander Matt Chico threw three innings of two-hit ball in his first start for Double-A Harrisburg tonight. ...
Shairon Martis loaded the bases in the first on a single and two walks, but got himself out of the jam by striking out Luke Scott to end the inning. ...
First baseman Dmitri Young went 0-3 this afternoon in his second rehab game for the Gulf Coast League Nationals against the GCL Marlins. ...
Washington hitters were very patient in the first inning against O's starter Jeremy Guthrie. ...
Manny Acta is giving Nick Johnson the night off so Adam Dunn will play first. Cristian Guzman will DH. ...
After last night's 11-1 thrashing at the hands of the Orioles, the Nationals will try to regroup and even the series at one game apiece. ...
Right-handed reliever Joel Hanrahan continues to struggle, whether as the Nationals closer, which he no longer does, or coming into a game and trying to keep it close. ...
The first three innings between the Nationals and Orioles tonight were played pretty closely. After that, the Orioles dominated, scoring two in the fourth and eight in the sixth and cruising to the 11-1 victory. ...
It appears that right-hander Joel Hanrahan has lost all confidence when he takes the mound. ...
First baseman Dmitri Young, who hasn't played all season due to back and hip injuries, went 0-1 with a walk and a run scored tonight for the Gulf Coast League Nationals against the GCL Mets. ...
Left-hander Ross Detwiler just never looked to settle into a groove tonight. He only threw first-pitch strikes to 13 of the 24 batters he faced. ...
Right-hander Collin Balester has allowed three runs, one earned thru five innings tonight in the Syracuse Chiefs game with Scranton Wilkes-Barre. ...
Left-hander Ross Detwiler threw a lot of pitches in the first two innings, 38 to be exact, but he only allowed one run on two hits. He also walked a batter. ...
Manager Manny Acta said after catcher Jesus Flores was placed on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder contusion, that Josh Bard and Wil Nieves would share time until one of them would step up and prove they deserve to get the majority of the playing time. ...
First baseman Nick Johnson, who left last night's game with a left shin contusion, is fine and is in the starting lineup. ...
Adam Dunn will DH tonight with Josh Willingham starting left. Catcher Josh Bard will make his fourth start in five game. ...
Washington heads north to Baltimore to finish the final Interleague series of the 2009 season. ...
It took rookie right-hander Jordan Zimmermann two month's to finally pick up the third win of his career and what a better time to do it. ...
In front of the largest crowd ever at Nationals Park, 41,985, Jordan Zimmermann held the mighty Red Sox to one run on five hits in seven stellar innings to earn his third win of the season and first in two months. ...
Jordan Zimmermann never got in any real trouble tonight and when he did, he worked himself out of it. ...
Thru three innings Jordan Zimmermann looks as good as he has all season. He's kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard after being handed a 4-0 lead in the first. ...
The Nationals wasted little time getting to 42-year old John Smoltz, making his 2009 and Red Sox debut. ...
After tonight's series finale with the Red Sox, the Nationals will wrap up the most difficult portion of Interleague play. ...
When Red Sox starter John Smoltz takes the mound tonight in his season and Red Sox debut, pay close attention to what you are watching because you'll be seeing a special kind of pitcher. ...
Adam Dunn is back in the starting lineup for the series finale with the Red Sox. ...
Tonight is the final game of the three-game series between the Nationals and the Red Sox and Washingtonians won't be sad to see The Nation leave the Nations Capital. ...
Rookie right-hander Craig Stammen pitched well tonight, but just not well enough to keep the best team in the American League from winning their fourth straight game. ...
Rookie right-hander Craig Stammen suffered his third loss of the season in front of the largest crowd even to see a game at Nationals Park, 41,530. ...
Scott Olsen tossed six innings of two-run ball tonight in his rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse. ...
Craig Stammen didn't pitch all that bad, but the long ball tonight hurt his chances of getting his second win of the season. ...
The Washington Nationals welcomed the ten millionth fan in franchise history to Nationals Park this evening. ...
In the fourth, Craig Stammen ran into a bit of trouble and the Nationals now trail 3-1. ...
Left-hander Scott Olsen, making what is expected to be his final rehab start, has allowed four hits, all singles, in the first three innings against Scranton Wilkes-Barre tonight. ...
Rookie right-hander Craig Stammen has retired all nine Red Sox on 33 pitches, 28 of which are strikes. He's thrown first-pitch strikes to eight of the nine. ...
Tyler Clippard thought he's been called up to the Nationals after Saturday's game when reliever Jesus Colome left the game against the Blue Jays with a strained right quad. ...
Outfielder Adam Dunn will miss tonight's game, not just because left-hander Jon Lester is on the mound, but because he's nursing a right wrist injury. ...
Most people who follow the Nationals will say what took so long. I guess it's better late than never. ...
Adam Dunn gets his first off day of the season. Willie Harris will bat lead off with Nick Johnson batting clean-up ...
After last night's bullpen allowed eight runs in the Nationals 11-3 loss, I won't be surprised to see some new faces in the clubhouse when I arrive at the ballpark this afternoon. ...
Are more changes to the Nationals bullpen on the way? It sure sounded that way when manager Manny Acta all but called out three members of the 'pen after Tuesday night's eight-run effort. ...
The box score to tonight's game doesn't indicate how close the game was for seven innings. Believe it or not, Washington had a chance to win the game until bullpen couldn't get any one out and the offense missed an early opportunity. ...
Thru six innings, there have been three leads and four ties and right now the game is tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh. ...
Left-hander Matt Chico was in the clubhouse today, the first time he's been with this team since last May. ...
Thru three innings, the Nationals and red Sox are knotted at one. ...
Just before first pitch I walked around the concourse and the first thing I noticed was the amount of Red Sox fans that made the trek to DC. ...
I had a chance to catch up with acting GM Mike Rizzo prior to tonight's game with the Red Sox and ask him about a couple of players who are currently on the DL. ...
Tonight's game against the Red Sox is somewhat special for outfielder Willie Harris, who spent part of the 2006 season with the Nation, although it didn't turn out the way he had planned. ...
Josh Willingham will make his second career start in right field tonight. ...
Interleague play continues for the Nationals tonight as the Red Sox come to DC for a three-game series. ...
According to several reports, the Nationals have added right-hander Tyler Clippard to their 25-man roster. ...
A little more than a month ago Ryan Zimmerman was enjoying a 30-game hit streak and his average was up to .359 on the season. Since then, his average has dropped 63 points to .293 after his third straight 0-5. ...
The Nationals chances of extending their winning streak to a season-high five games was quickly squashed when starter Shairon Martis gave up four runs in the first inning en route the a 9-4 loss to the Blue Jays in the series finale. ...
After six full innings, the Nationals trail the Blue jays 6-2 and starter Shairon Martis is out of the game. ...
Right-hander reliever Jesus Colome left last night's game with a strained right quad. After the game, he visiting the hospital but it was determined that he didn't do any damage to the quad. ...
One positive for right-hander Shairon Martis is that his pitch count has gone down over the last two innings. ...
Ryan Zimmerman is hitless in his last 13 at bats, leaving 15 men on base, including two in the first inning today. ...
What a brutal first inning for Shairon Martis. The Blue Jays scored four runs on four hits and two walks. ...
Alberto Gonzalez has been playing so well that manager Manny Acta has to find a spot for him in the starting lineup. ...
Austin Kearns in in the lineup in right today. Alberto Gonzalez gets his second straight start at second. ...
With a win this afternoon against the Blue Jays in their series finale, the Nationals will sweep their first series of the season and first since taking three from the Braves from August 29-31 last year. ...
Left-hander Ross Detwiler pitched well enough to pick up the first win of his big league career, but it didn't happen. ...
Utility man extraordinaire Willie Harris did something on Saturday night he'd never done before, he hit a walk-off homer. In fact, it was his first extra-inning home run of his career. ...
Four and counting. Who would have thought that the Nationals would take the last two games in New York against the Yankees, return home and take the first two against the Blue Jays? ...
Willie Harris's second home run of the season, a two-run shot in the bottom of the 12th gave the Nationals a 5-3 win and extended their winning streak to a season-high four games. ...
Update Colome left the game with a right quad strain. He's listed as day-to-day. ...
For the second straight night the Nationals and Blue Jays are going to extra innings. ...
Poor decision making and bad defense cost lefty Ross Detwiler a chance to pick up his first career victory tonight. ...
Ross Detwiler is following in his rotation mate's shoes as he's only allowed two runs thru seven-plus innings tonight. ...
Center fielder Willie Harris is playing all around solid baseball these days. He doubled, stole third and scored on Wil Nieves' sac fly, giving the Nationals the 1-0 lead in the fifth. ...
In the first game of a doubleheader last night, left-hander Matt Chico gave up one run on six hits in five solid innings for Hagerstown as the Suns beat Delmarva 4-2. ...
After three full innings, the Nationals and Blue Jays are scoreless. The Nationals have two hits and the Jays one. ...
Outfielder Roger Bernadina broke his right ankle two months ago yesterday and since the injury, he had been seen in the clubhouse, with a boot on his right foot, listening to his IPod and talking with teammates, alway with a smile on his face. ...