MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
I've talked to many of you through the comments section of our website or during or in-game chats. I've signed up to play fantasy baseball with some of you, and almost all of you that signed up for our NCAA bracket are whipping me there. But I haven't met most of you. I'd like to change that. I'm trying to get a little meetup planned
The final days of spring training, in just about any major-league clubhouse, leave the same questions to be handled: Who will get the final bench spot? Who will the fifth starter be? How about the long reliever? While the final edges of the map are being filled in, those at the center of it are biding their time until Opening Day. John Lannan was doing
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Cardinals. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or tag your tweets with #masnnats. Nats vs. Cardinals 3/31 in-game thread
The Nationals optioned right-hander J.D. Martin to Triple-A Syracuse this morning, confirming what had been suspected for the last week: The race for the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation is really between two pitchers - Scott Olsen and Garrett Mock. Martin started the spring well, but kept getting put in minor league games because the Nationals didn't have enough space for all their starter
Garrett Mock made his final case for a spot on the Nationals' roster on Tuesday afternoon, and afterward, nobody had a particularly strong reaction to it. Mock said he was "kind of mixed up about today," and manager Jim Riggleman said flatly, "The outing speaks for itself. I can't say much about it. You saw it." The problem with all that is the fact the
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Marlins. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or tag your tweets with #masnnats. Nats vs. Marlins 3/30 in-game thread
I have a theory that you can measure the proximity of a certain date in March to the end of spring training by the length of the manager's pregame press conferences, sort of like you can measure how close lightning is by how long it takes for thunder to sound. The reason is simple: As we go later and later into the spring, there's less
To get to the major leagues, a prospect's swing has to pass through spring camps and fall leagues, level adjustments and coaches' suggestions. There are fourth opinions and second guesses, rounds of, "Why don't you try this?" and bouts with, "Why isn't this working?" Through his time in high school and at Long Beach State, Danny Espinosa had never used a leg kick in his
Funny how this job works sometimes. I was out to lunch with a few media types today (the AP's Howard Fendrich, WTOP's Craig Heist, the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore and Nats Insider's Mark Zuckerman), and in walks Nationals GM Mike Rizzo (Right fielder Willie Harris was also in the house - and that was after he informed us that Carrabba's, our first destination, was closed
The Nationals announced this morning that President Obama will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day, when they face the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. It will be the third time in the team's history the president has thrown the first pitch, following President Bush in 2005 and 2008. MLB commissioner Bud Selig will also be in attendance for the game. "Opening Day of
Here's what we know about the Nationals' rotation after manager Jim Riggleman's press conferences today (FYI: Today's game was called because of rain, and the Nats weren't able to work out a split-squad game with the Mets tomorrow. So their home spring schedule is done): --The team's starters for the first four games of the year will be John Lannan, Jason Marquis, Craig Stammen and
The Nats won 9-3 at Space Coast Stadium today against the Braves, improving their spring record to 8-17 with a solid victory over an Atlanta team that held a couple key regulars out because of injury or weather concerns. It might have been a different story especially if Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson would have been on the mound instead of a handful of relievers, but
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Braves. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or tag your tweets with #masnnats. Nats vs. Braves 3/28 in-game thread
The Nationals have decided Ian Desmond, who followed an impressive September with a solid spring, will be their Opening Day shortstop. Cristian Guzman, who signed with the team before its first season in Washington, will be a utility infielder. The move culminates a months-long process of passing the torch from the 32-year-old Guzman to the 24-year-old Desmond. The Nationals had planned to give Desmond the
The picture painted by Tyler Walker's stats from the last three seasons suggests he is a pitcher who does not make mistakes. He is the handiest of middle relievers, the low-maintenance craftsman who doesn't walk hitters, gets beat with his best pitches if he, in fact, gets beat, and lets his manager know he's a safe pick no matter the situation. His WHIP with the
The Nationals finished their last split-squad games of the spring this way -- with players in the visitors' clubhouse of Disney's Champion Stadium, showered and ready to board a bus after a 4-0 loss to the Braves, watching on television as Alberto Gonzalez blasted a decisive two-run homer off Kiko Calero 90 minutes south of them in Port St. Lucie. As the ball cleared the
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals split-squad games against the Braves and Mets. I'm in Orlando for the game against the Braves -- since the Mets game is on MLB Network, I figured I'd cover things in the game you can't see. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or
When the Nationals took Chris Marrero with the 14th pick in the 2006 draft, there was little reason to question their assertions the high schooler was a big part of their future. His prodigious swing gave him the ability to sting the ball to all fields, even as an 18-year-old, and after a couple of moves from third base to the outfield and then to
If you're in the practice -- or the business -- of gleaning progress from spring training results, the Nationals' 7-4 win over the Cardinals on Friday afternoon would have to register as a sign of it. After John Lannan gave up three runs in the first inning to St. Louis, he settled down and allowed just one more in the rest of his 5 2/3
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Cardinals. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or tag your tweets with #masnnats -- we're going to try that today and see how it works. Nats vs. Cardinals 3/26 in-game thread
The Nationals' decision to release Elijah Dukes on March 17 was, for all its overtones and interpretations, a baseball move in the team's mind. They saw a talented outfielder who had yet to live up to his much-chronicled natural abilities, still had trouble hitting a breaking ball and created some dissension in the clubhouse, and determined the cost outweighed the benefit. What's yet to be
In the Nationals' 8-2 loss to the Tigers on Thursday night, there were few indications they were ready to emerge from what's becoming a prolonged offensive slump this spring, just as there were few instances of clean work from the team's bullpen. But there was just a sliver or two of positivity, a few developments on which to build. Chief among those would be Nyjer
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals game against the Tigers. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Tigers 3/25 in-game thread
The big news from this afternoon came from Jim Riggleman saying "it's a good bet" Craig Stammen will be in the team's rotation to start the year. But lest we make too big a deal out of a strong hint the manager dropped this afternoon, here are a few other similar items. Call it equal time: Riggleman said if the season started today, he'd use
Craig Stammen started the spring as a candidate to be bumped to the Nationals' bullpen. It appears he'll end it as a member of the Nationals' rotation. Manager Jim Riggleman said this afternoon "it's a good bet" Stammen will be in the rotation when the Nationals start the season. Stammen, who has a 2.89 ERA this spring, will pitch on Saturday against the Mets in
Back in Viera today, with a grab bag of stuff for you this afternoon: First, the Nats' lineup for tonight's 7:05 game against the Tigers: Morgan - 8 Desmond - 6 Zimmerman - 5 Dunn - 3 Willingham - 7 Rodriguez - 2 Morse - 9 Gonzalez - 4 Bruntlett - DH Martin - 1 Here's a thought - and I'm mostly spitballing here: If
The Nationals lost 3-1 to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. But when you consider the lineup the Nationals brought to Tampa (Josh Whitesell hit cleanup), the fact the Yankees essentially fielded their Opening Day lineup and the start Livan Hernandez had (five innings, three hits and one run), it almost felt like a win. There were certainly enough positive developments for the Nationals
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals game against the Yankees. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Yankees 3/24 in-game thread
The Nationals have signed Mike MacDougal, their 2009 closer who was recently cut by the Florida Marlins, to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. MacDougal, who saved 20 games in 21 opportunities last year, will be in camp on Thursday. MacDougal was arbitration-eligible after last season and due for a sizable raise, so the Nationals non-tendered him in December. He was also
Good morning from Lakeland, where I'm holed up before heading to Tampa for tonight's Nationals game against the Yankees. That contest, again, starts at 7:05 and will be televised on MASN and MASN HD. Now, on with a few morning updates: First, we're looking for your questions for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's next blog entry. If you leave them in the comments sections of
For four innings on Tuesday night, Scott Olsen's third and most pivotal start of the spring could be split and spun from myriad angles. The left-hander gave up eight hits and three runs in that time, sure, but his fastball was sitting between 89 and 91 mph on the radar gun, depending on whose gun you were reading, and his stuff had more life than
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals game against the Tigers. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen) Nats vs. Tigers 3/23 in-game thread
Greetings from Lakeland, where we're about 20 minutes from the first pitch between the Nationals and Tigers. I'll have the live thread up and running in a few minutes. But first, a few pregame news items: --Nyjer Morgan, who has been out all week with tightness in his right hip flexor, will return Thursday night against the Tigers as planned, manager Jim Riggleman. --Asked about
We've got 10 days to go in spring training, 11 players that still need to be cut and a few questions that still need to be answered. I'm on my way out the door to drop my wife off at the airport and head toward Lakeland, but here's a smattering of things to watch this week, stream-of-consciousness style: This is a big night for Scott
The Nationals cut three players from their major league camp this morning, optioning starter Shairon Martis to Triple-A Syracuse and re-assigning infielders Pete Orr and Chris Duncan to minor league camp. They're now down to 36 players in camp, but in reality, they're just a few players from having their roster set. The starting rotation, to pinpoint one example, has just two spots up for
This will be an abbreviated post-game wrapup on account of my absence from the Nats' 9-7 win over the Marlins today -- I spent the day away from baseball and in the company of my wonderful wife and another good friend from Minnesota -- but I thought I'd throw a couple thoughts on the blog after catching up on what happened today in Jupiter. 1.
Last Wednesday, the Nationals followed their first two wins of spring training with an 11-2 loss to the Astros. They followed a win with a loss again on Saturday, and while it wasn't as lopsided as Wednesday's defeat, the Nationals weren't particularly sharp in a 5-3 loss to the Marlins at Space Coast Stadium. Cristian Guzman and Josh Willingham made errors, though neither one led
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Marlins. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Marlins 3/20 in-game thread
Lost in the furor over Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen's cuts from big league camp were a trio of other moves that go further toward shaping the Nationals' pitching staff for the season. The Nationals optioned Matt Chico to Class AAA Syracuse and sent reliever Doug Slaten to minor-league camp, also sending catcher Jamie Burke minor-league camp. The moves, combined with Strasburg and Storen's releases,
Even with Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg alternately making cases all spring they deserved to be on the Nationals' Opening Day roster, the Nationals held firm to their belief that both should start the year in the minor leagues. And on Saturday morning, a day after Strasburg rebounded from a pair of home runs to look as major-league ready as he has all spring, the
The Nationals got their third win of the spring on Friday night with a 13-5 victory over the Cardinals, but no matter what else happened on the field at Space Coast Stadium, there was only going to be one major storyline: Stephen Strasburg. Last year's No. 1 overall pick was making his third, his longest and possibly his last big-league start of the spring, and
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals game against the Cardinals. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Cardinals 3/19 in-game thread
Outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who has been out most of this week after injuring his right leg last Sunday against the Cardinals, said his right hip is a little tight, but he feels 100 percent healthy. Still, manager Jim Riggleman said Morgan will be held out until at least Monday as a precaution. "Monday still gives us two weeks," Riggleman said. "In some respects, we're being
All spring, Ian Desmond has made an impressive case for why he should be the Nationals' Opening Day shortstop, and it remains to be seen whether manager Jim Riggleman's comments on Friday afternoon acknowledge Desmond's surge in that race. But it was clear the 24-year-old is as least under serious consideration. Riggleman called shortstop an "open competition" between Desmond and incumbent Cristian Guzman, who has
Livan Hernandez, who has been pitching in simulated games and who has only made one appearance in a big-league spring training game since the Nationals signed him early this month, will start next Wednesday against the Yankees, manager Jim Riggleman said Friday afternoon. That would be Stephen Strasburg's day to pitch, and while Riggleman wouldn't say for sure that Strasburg would be cut from major-league
A happy Friday morning to everyone out there -- though probably not so happy for the Georgetown fans in the bunch. Sorry guys. Them's the breaks in March. Speaking of March Madness, the first-day standings in our tournament pick'-em group are up here. Nobody got more than 13 of 16 right on a crazy day of upsets -- and condolences to micbmurray1, who had Marquette
Since the Nationals said at January's season-ticketholder luncheon they wanted to extend first baseman Adam Dunn's contract extension, there hasn't been much progress to report toward a solution. But general manager Mike Rizzo said on Wednesday he is still working on a deal. Rizzo, in a Q-and-A for his first blog entry with MASNSports.com, said he has met with Dunn's agent, Greg Genske, about an
Nothing too newsy in this blog post, just a couple reminders before I go to bed: --Our NCAA tournament group is still open until games begin tomorrow. If you want to fill out a bracket, you can do so here. Nominal prizes are on the line. --Mike Rizzo's first blog entry with us will be posted tomorrow -- I caught up with him for a
After a brief stay in the win column, the Nationals were right back to losing on Wednesday, with perhaps one of their worst days of the spring. They began it by cutting right fielder Elijah Dukes, released a pair of quotes from team president Stan Kasten during the middle of the day to quash a statement from XM radio host (and former Nats GM) Jim
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals game against the Astros. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to discuss anything else -- you know, like outfield moves -- we can do that, too. If you want to participate, here's how: Leave your comments here, or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Astros 3/17 in-game thread
Big news early this morning in Kissimmee: The Nationals just announced they've unconditionally released right fielder Elijah Dukes, who was all but assured of being the starting right fielder at the beginning of the spring. I'll update this blog post and Twitter with more soon. Stay tuned. Update (12:36 p.m.): We've done the run of interviews with Mike Rizzo, Jim Riggleman and Justin Maxwell (one
Just a quick heads-up about a new feature we're very excited about: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has agreed to a weekly blog with MASNSports.com during the 2010 season, giving you unique and exclusive insight from the man in charge of building the Nationals. Some weeks, the blog will take the form of a written or video Q-and-A between Rizzo and me; other weeks, you'll
Michael Burgess and Destin Hood represent the Nationals' future, and in a way, their past. They are two of the last vestiges from the Jim Bowden era, a pair of the "toolsy" outfielders Bowden famously chased after, both of them oozing skill but only trickling polish. They are still a pair of the Nationals' top prospects; that much is indisputable. But Bowden, the general manager
The Nationals have been minimizing the importance of spring training results all spring, so they responded in kind when their split-squad sweep - a 12-3 win over the Marlins in Viera, followed shortly by a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals in Jupiter - went final. But in all that, there was still plenty to feel good about on Tuesday. John Lannan and Craig Stammen pitched
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals split-squad games against the Cardinals and Marlins. I'm in Jupiter for the game against the Cardinals, and we've got bonus coverage! Kristen Hudak will have you covered in Viera - at least for the first few innings, until she's got to head to the Orlando airport. But that's when all the good stuff happens, anyway... If you
Greetings from Jupiter, where (half of) the Nats take on the Cardinals today. It's the second of three times the Nationals play the Cardinals this week - the two teams meet again on Friday night. The Nationals also have a split-squad game against the Marlins in Viera. Ambitious multi-media organization that we are, we'll have you covered at both of them; Kristen Hudak will be
The way the Nationals are playing this spring, there are bad losses and there are defeats that don't register as high on the scale of odiousness. Monday night's 5-2 defeat against the Atlanta Braves was of the latter variety. The Nationals did some things well, but couldn't handle Braves starter Derek Lowe, and saw a rally fall short. The defeat means nothing, and a handful
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Braves spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the night. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Braves 3/15 in-game thread
First, the news: The Nationals cut five pitchers from camp today. They optioned Collin Balester and Atahualpa Severino to Triple-A Syracuse, optioned Ryan Mattheus and Aaron Thompson to Double-A Syracuse, optioned Juan Jaime to Single-A Potomac and released Ron Villone. They have 45 players remaining in their big-league camp. My reaction: It's becoming increasingly clear what the Nationals' bullpen is going to look like on
The Nationals may have 20 days of games left on their spring schedule, but on Saturday, they officially began the second half of their camp. Less than three weeks remain before they finish the exhibition season, and they've spent more time readying themselves for the 2010 regular season than they have left in Florida. And with an 0-10 spring mark - counting a pair of
With Sunday's loss, a 7-3 defeat to the Cardinals, the Nationals are now 0-10 this spring, and while players aren't concerned with the record, manager Jim Riggleman had some issues with the way the Nationals are playing. Those issues showed up again on Sunday, particularly with a bullpen that gave up five runs after Livan Hernandez -- technically a reliever, but essentially the second starting
The Nationals' latest spring training loss, a 7-3 defeat against the St. Louis Cardinals, dropped them to 0-10 for the spring, a juncture given added significance because of its round number. But independent of that, this loss still felt a little different. Jim Riggleman, Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman all said they weren't upset about the record, but Riggleman did take some issues with the
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Cardinals spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day -- apparently there's something big going on here today. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Cardinals 3/14 in-game thread
The Ian Desmond Utility Player Experiment is apparently going to be short-lived. The guy who will have the final say on Desmond's Opening Day destination is set on having him play shortstop this year. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said this morning that Desmond will be an everyday shortstop this season, whether that's in the majors or at Triple-A Syracuse. Desmond has seen some time
Center fielder Nyjer Morgan, who was nothing short of a revelation in the six weeks he played for the Nationals before getting hurt last season, is struggling early this spring at the plate; he's hitting just .167 with a .211 on-base percentage in five games, and hasn't driven in a run yet. Manager Jim Riggleman said Morgan is working on some adjustments to his swing,
The Nationals' 8-7 loss to the Astros on Saturday afternoon, however exciting it may have been, was still a loss. Washington gave up six straight runs after taking a 5-1 lead, came back to tie it in the ninth and lost in the bottom of the inning, dropping to 0-9 for the spring. But it also featured the most jumbled progression of pitchers they've used
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Astros spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day -- apparently there's something big going on here today. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Astros 3/13 in-game thread
Stephen Strasburg will make his second start of the spring tomorrow afternoon, and is slated to throw three innings against the Cardinals, manager Jim Riggleman said. Whether that's Strasburg's last start in major-league camp this spring remains to be seen, but Riggleman said he expected Strasburg would pitch again on Friday against the Cardinals. "My guess is that he would," Riggleman said. "With all the
Right fielder Elijah Dukes was scratched from the Nationals' lineup today because of a left toe issue that cropped up after he got hit in the foot with a pitch on March 8. The injury isn't considered serious, but with the Nationals taking a wet field today at Osceola County Stadium, manager Jim Riggleman said he didn't want to take any chances. "He's got a
The Nationals were rained out for the second straight day on Friday, and the biggest news from that is the effect it will have on their pitching matchups. Aside from a few minor alterations, things will stay mostly the same. Scott Olsen will start Saturday's game against the Astros, and Drew Storen, Matt Capps, Matt Chico and Sean Burnett will also throw in the game.
Score another one for the Florida rain: The Nationals canceled their game with the Yankees on Friday morning, bowing to the weather long before players even had a chance to take the field. As was the case yesterday, fans can exchange their tickets for a ticket to another home game in the 2010 spring schedule. Jim Riggleman hadn't decided what he was going to do
Rain has gotten the best of the Nationals and Astros here today - the game was called off at 12:22, and there won't be a makeup. The Nationals face the Yankees tomorrow in Viera at 1:05. That game will be on MASN and MASN HD, though the forecast isn't good for that game, either. Fans who had tickets to today's game can exchange them for
Livan Hernandez, who threw a simulated game yesterday, will get his first action of the spring on Sunday, manager Jim Riggleman said this morning. The right-hander will follow Stephen Strasburg in the home game against the Cardinals. All this, of course, is based on an assumption that the weather doesn't scuttle the Nationals' rotation plans. There's currently heavy rain in Viera, where John Lannan is
As I posted on Twitter earlier this morning, the Nationals let eight players go this morning in their first round of cuts. They released starter Shawn Estes and reliever Eddie Guardado. In addition, they assigned the following players to minor-league camp: relievers Logan Kensing, Joel Peralta, Victor Garate and Ryan Speier, catcher Derek Norris and outfielder Jerry Owens. The Guardado cut is the most noticeable,
JUPITER, Fla. -- You knew the day after Strasburg Mania (or Strasburgeddon, or whatever cutesy D.C. snowstorm spin-off name you want to give it) was going to be a bit of a letdown. And what followed in the Nationals' 6-4 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday was nothing special -- just a simple, quick, mostly clean loss. The Nationals fell behind 4-0. They rallied to
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Cardinals spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day -- apparently there's something big going on here today. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Cardinals 3/10 in-game thread
A couple quick updates on the Nationals' quasi-battle for the starting shortstop job. I say quasi-battle because Cristian Guzman is still expected to be the guy, but his shoulder isn't quite up to full strength, and Ian Desmond is doing his best to make things interesting. Guzman went back to D.C. to be with his wife, who is about to give birth to a baby
Add another setback to Nationals catcher Jesus Flores' increasingly lengthy injury history. Flores is headed to Birmingham, Ala., to spend 10-14 days with Dr. James Andrews' staff for evaluation and treatment of his surgically repaired shoulder, manager Jim Riggleman said. It all but guarantees Flores will start the season on the disabled list, which is where he spent most of last season. The catcher first
VIERA, Fla. -- Wrapped in the 50,000-watt, 100-decibel, simulcast, flashbulb-fueled, candy-coated pomp that was Stephen Strasburg's Nationals debut, there was a baseball game played at Space Coast Stadium. And apart from Strasburg's two shutout innings, there again was little for Nationals fans to find encouraging. The Nationals lost 9-4 to the Tigers, their bullpen again hammered after Strasburg gave up two hits and struck out
We'll do the normal post-game wrapup in a little bit, but I wanted to weigh in with some thoughts on Stephen Strasburg's first game as a big-leaguer. It wasn't the best I've seen Strasburg look - his control was spotty at best, which had plenty to do with his nerves. He threw 15 of his 27 pitches for strikes, and his fastball crept up in
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Tigers spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day -- apparently there's something big going on here today. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnBen). Nats vs. Tigers 3/9 in-game thread
Everyone that's been around Stephen Strasburg has a story - about the first time they saw him pitch, about how the ball explodes, not just spins, off his long fingers, about how special and different he is. Steve McCatty's best ones are just about Strasburg trying to be normal. McCatty, who became the Nationals' pitching coach a week before they drafted Strasburg with the No.
VIERA, Fla. -- Another ugly loss for the Nationals today -- 11-2 to the Marlins at Space Coast Stadium. That makes seven in as many games, during which the Nationals have allowed 67 runs, 91 hits and 12 home runs. Manager Jim Riggleman has reserved any sweeping judgments, though, for several reasons: The Nationals still have pitchers, like Scott Olsen today, who are pitching for
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Marlins spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnnats) Nats vs. Marlins 3/8 in-game thread
Manager Jim Riggleman said this morning that shortstop Cristian Guzman will likely be the team's No. 2 hitter, though he said there will be a few times where the Nationals switch the lineup. From a sabermetrics standpoint, Guzman is far from the ideal No. 2 hitter; his .306 on-base percentage last year was a point off his career average, and he's rarely made a habit
The dozen or so Taiwanese media members present at Nationals camp this morning diligently ordered themselves just outside the third-base dugout, cameras ready to go. Several players had fun with it, mugging for the cameras as if the attention was for them. But when Chien-Ming Wang emerged from the home dugout at Space Coast Stadium to a symphony of shutters and led his entourage to
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Nationals lost 6-5 to the Mets this afternoon, dropping their spring record to 0-5. But aside from a once-in-a-decade fluke in the second inning, there wasn't all that much to find fault with today. Certainly not as much as in the first four games of the spring, at least. The Nationals gave up four runs on an inside-the-park grand
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Mets spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnnats). Nats vs. Mets 3/7 in-game thread
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman said this morning his right shoulder, which was surgically repaired in the offseason, is still a little weak on some throws. But Guzman said he isn't feeling any pain, and will be ready to play shortstop for the Nationals on Monday. Guzman played his first game of the spring on Saturday, starting at DH in what
VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals lost 14-6 to the Mets on Saturday, watching the 50th opposing baserunner cross home plate just 51 hours after they began their spring schedule. And yet, the level of concern in the clubhouse hasn't climbed anywhere near the levels of the team's ERA. A couple pitchers (Sean Burnett and John Lannan) pointed to being too amped up in their first
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Mets spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnnats). Nats vs. Mets 3/6 in-game thread
As it lines up now, the Nationals' pitching schedule has John Lannan on an every-fifth-day path to be the team's Opening Day starter for the second year in a row. That schedule is a tacit admission that Lannan will be the guy, but manager Jim Riggleman said the Nationals could still alter it to start Jason Marquis against the Phillies on April 5. "The way
We're in Viera today, where the Nationals have a home opener of sorts against the Mets this afternoon. John Lannan will pitch two innings, followed by Shawn Estes, Aaron Thompson, Tyler Walker and Atahualpa Severino. Here is the lineup for today's game: Morgan - 8 Guzman - DH Zimmerman - 5 Dunn - 3 Morse - 9 Harris - 7 Nieves - 2 Gonzalez -
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Another rough day for the Nationals' pitchers, and not much of it can be blamed on wind today. Washington's pitchers gave up 11 runs on 17 hits in an 11-8 loss to the Braves at Champion Stadium on Friday. In three spring training games so far (counting two split-squad games on Thursday), the Nationals have allowed a total of 36
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Astros spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnnats). Nats vs. Braves 3/5 in-game thread
A pleasant Friday morning to all of you in NatsTown -- we're at Disney's Wide World of Sports today, where the Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves in the first full-squad game of their Grapefruit League schedule. The Nats' lineup today is relatively close to the real thing. Here it is, as well as the lineup for the Braves: Nationals Bernadina - 7 Kennedy -
I'm not going to write any kind of formal game story for spring training games - those will probably roll around during the regular season - but in this space each day, I'll provide a few post-game thoughts and point out some things to watch for. So, in college, my friends at the Minnesota Daily gave me the nickname "Goose," because Goessling, if mispronounced, sounds
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Astros spring training game, where we'll be posting updates and analysis throughout the day. We'll also have periodic updates from the other half of the Nats' split-squad game against the Marlins. If you want to participate, you can comment here or reply to me on Twitter (@masnnats). Nats vs. Astros 3/4 in-game thread
Here's a recap of MASN's Nationals live chat for March 3. As a reminder, we spent 45 minutes taking your questions on the Nationals, and then I transitioned into a discussion about what you'd like to see from Nationals coverage on this site. People submited their questions in the comments section, e-mailed them to me here, messaged them to me on Twitter, or asked them
There is a similar sense of fleeting opportunity that marks the seasons Garrett Mock and J.D. Martin will both begin tomorrow, even if the path each Nationals pitcher took to this point couldn't be much different. Mock, a 26-year-old Texas native with dynamic stuff, has remained at the top of the Nationals' list of prospects for the last three years, even as he's struggled to
Only one more chance to write about live batting practice sessions and defensive drills as the most important on-field news of the day. Excuse me while I take a minute with my emotions. OK, we're good. It's almost time to start playing baseball, even if it's still baseball where lineups are dotted with reserves. The Nationals begin their spring slate tomorrow with a pair of
Just a quick reminder -- I'm going to be chatting live tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. This one will be a little different than normal; I'll take Nats questions for 45 minutes, and then I'd like to change it up a little bit, ask some questions and take the next 45 minutes (or however long it goes) to discuss what you'd like to see from
Justin Maxwell had three stints with the Nationals last year - one in April, when he went 3-for-8 with a couple of stolen bases but was sent down because the team didn't have room for him, one in May when he went hitless in eight games, and one in September, when he hit four homers in the month and finally began to look like the
Not a whole lot to report from the Nationals' Tuesday workout, which ran a little shorter than usual because of high winds and a few showers in Viera. Here's what I've got for you, though: Stephen Strasburg threw, and for the first time, hitters swung. Thankfully, this will only qualify as news for another day or two (and by saying that, I'm opening myself up
We're a week away from the Great Stephen Strasburg Debut now - I saw them putting in the laser light show this morning, and I think Michael Buffer has been booked to do the lineup introductions. And did you hear the game will be televised live? Anyway, I wouldn't get too used to the idea of seeing Strasburg pitching to major league hitters, at least
Last summer, when Jim Riggleman's tenure as interim manager of the Washington Nationals began with seven losses in nine games, John McLaren would call. He would call because the two veteran baseball men, disciples of some of the game's greatest minds and veterans of too many small towns and cramped hotel rooms, shared a past and a passion. He would call because he believed in
Hey all, I promise I'm not shorting you on the coaching staff story. I'm sifting through material and will have that early this evening, but wanted to throw a few things out there first: First of all, I'm planning to hold a live chat over here on Wednesday evening - does 7:30 work for everyone? For this chat, I'd like to do something a little
Just got confirmation a few minutes ago that MASN will indeed carry Stephen Strasburg's debut on March 9 against the Tigers. The game will be shown live on MASN and MASN HD at 1:00, and will be replayed at 7:00, also on MASN and MASN HD. A few of you were asking about MLB.tv picking up the game, and I don't have the answer to
VIERA, Fla. -- This won't be the last post of the day -- check back later for a longer piece on the Nationals' new coaching staff -- but I'm in need of lunch. So some scraps for you, then some food for me. Here you go: --Garrett Mock looked impressive again in spots during live BP today, resuming his tongue-in-cheek confrontation with Adam Dunn. Mock's
VIERA, Fla. -- Drew Storen, like most closers, was a starter first -- all the way through high school and a little bit in college. So it's no surprise he learned to pitch with a windup. What is surprising is that he's retained it all the way through his college career and into professional baseball. Most closers don't use one, but when there are no
Lots of intrigue about Elijah Dukes -- what kind of shape he's in, how he's looking thus far -- and rightfully so. Of all the players in the Nationals' lineup, Dukes is perhaps the only one with the ability to transform into something several levels better than it is now. He's got the power and the knowledge of the strike zone to be a potent
