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.
The tremors started soon after news of Stephen Strasburg's impending call-up shot across the web on Monday afternoon - tickets being sold, still more tickets being resold, flights being booked and catchphrases for the right-hander's June 8 arrival being lobbed out for a test audience on Twitter. Only single tickets were available on Nationals.com as of Monday night, and by the time you read this,
Stephen Strasburg will make his major league debut on June 8 against the Pirates, general manager Mike Rizzo said today. Rizzo said the debut date comes with "appropriate caveats," such as Strasburg getting rained out in his final Triple-A start on Thursday or an injury. The date comes a day after the Nationals make the first pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. I'll have
Welcome to MASN's discussion thread for today's Nationals-Astros game at Minute Maid Park. I'm flying back from San Diego to Washington, but you're welcome to discuss the game here, and I'll respond to your comments assuming they've got wifi on the plane. The Nats get a look at Roy Oswalt, the Astros ace they're rumored to be inquiring about in trade talks. But that also
SAN DIEGO - I wrote last night about the Nationals' continuing issues on offense; that was the overriding theme from yesterday's game, and it continues to be the issue at the forefront of most people's minds as the team starts a four-game series in Houston today. The Nationals are 2-4 on their current road trip, needing to beat up on the NL-worst Astros to salvage
I grew up in the school of "it should never have come to that." My dad taught me that in almost any close loss, the play that decided the game shouldn't be scrutinized while the rest of the things a team did wrong up to that point are neglected. So in that spirit, I won't focus (much) on the Sean Burnett-Adam Kennedy pinball play that
The Nationals trail the Padres 2-1 here at Petco Park, but Ryan Zimmerman put them on the board early with a homer off Jon Garland, the 100th of his career. ZImmerman took the ball over the fence in right-center; for a guy that had just two extra-base hits in his last 14 games, it was a good sign. And then Zimmerman did it again a
SAN DIEGO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Padres game at Petco Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
SAN DIEGO - Here are the Nationals' lineups today against the Padres. Nyjer Morgan is batting leadoff and in his usual spot in center. Roger Bernadina gets another start in right; manager Jim Riggleman said the Nationals need to see what they have in Bernadina, which is why playing time is so scarce for Willie Harris right now. Nationals: Morgan, cf Kennedy, 2b Zimmerman, 3b
SAN DIEGO - Stephen Strasburg will make his next start on Thursday for Triple-A Syracuse at Buffalo, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said on Sunday. He will throw six innings or 95 pitches, whichever comes first. You can do the math from there, but it would put Strasburg's next day to pitch as June 8. It's possible the Nationals could give him an extra day of
This is somewhat short notice, but I'm looking for a few questions for this week's edition of National Matters with Nats GM Mike Rizzo. We're talking MLB draft for the next couple weeks, and this week, we're going to delve into past drafts and hear some of Rizzo's war stories. Here's the deal: I'm going to talk with Rizzo today about various players he's scouted
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals won yesterday, so they must lose today. It's become such a predictable cycle for them that it almost feels ordained as if by some baseball law. In reality, it's the practice of a .500 team, good enough on some days to win but too thin on others to survive when problems are exposed. The Nationals' 4-2 loss to the Padres
SAN DIEGO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Padres game at Petco Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
Just have a couple items of interest to bring you: --Stephen Strasburg is pitching tonight at Triple-A Syracuse, and MASN/MASN HD will carry the game after the Nationals-Padres game tonight is over. We'll also replay the start tomorrow after the Nationals-Padres game. The game here in San Diego starts at 8:35 Eastern, so Strasburg will be late-night viewing tonight and prime-time viewing tomorrow (after the
Nationals: Morgan, cf Guzman, ss Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Kennedy, 2b Bernadina, rf Nieves, c Martin, rhp Padres: Venable, rf Eckstein, 2b Gonzalez, 1b Headley, 3b Hundley, c Hairston, ss Denofia, lf Gwynn Jr., cf Latos, rhp
Growing up in the Midwest, I've remained at a distance from most of the important East Coast-West Coast battles -- Biggie vs. Tupac, Lakers vs. Celtics, etc (although, through four years of living in San Diego during the height of the Showtime era as a kid, I grew up following Magic Johnson and became a big Lakers fan. I don't care what Bill Simmons says
SAN DIEGO - Set apart from its unusual backdrop - the Nationals' first-inning protest of Friday's game after the Padres listed the wrong pitcher on their lineup card - Washington's 5-3 win over San Diego last night was the kind of game the Nationals have excelled at winning most of this year. They seem destined to play close games most of the year, but they
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals' 5-3 win over the Padres was one of the more bizarre games the team is likely to play this year. It began with a protest in the bottom of the first inning, when Padres manager Bud Black realized he'd submitted the wrong lineup, putting Adam Russell - who had been sent to Triple-A Portland - in the pitcher's spot instead
The Nationals filed an official protest of Friday's game with the Padres just before it started, saying the Padres had made an unannounced substitution by putting Clayton Richard on the mound instead of Adam Russell, who was sent to Triple-A Portland on Friday but was listed on the lineup card the Padres turned into the umpires. Richard had been listed as the Padres' probable starter
SAN DIEGO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Padres game at Petco Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
SAN DIEGO - Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen said he will play catch tomorrow, the first step in returning from left shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since May 22. Manager Jim Riggleman said he is still waiting for Olsen to tell him when he's healthy enough to ramp up his recovery, and wouldn't make any major plans for Olsen's recovery until he knows how Olsen
SAN DIEGO - By now, Tony Gwynn is used to Stephen Strasburg usurping his celebrity. It happened all last year at San Diego State, when the autograph hounds peeled away from the Padres legend and Aztecs coach in favor of the pitching phenom. And all last year, Gwynn was asked more questions about his prized right-hander than about his team or his playing days combined.
SAN DIEGO - Hello from Petco Park, which is my favorite ballpark in the major leagues. Of course, being in San Diego (where it's 70 and sunny, as always) doesn't hurt. Here are the Nationals' and Padres' lineups for Friday: Nationals: Morgan, cf Guzman, 2b Dunn, 1b Zimmerman, 3b Willingham, lf Desmond, ss Maxwell, rf Nieves, c Lannan, lhp Padres: Venable, lf Eckstein, 2b Gonzalez,
SAN FRANCISCO - In Sept. 2008, the San Diego Padres came to Nationals Park and swept the home team, essentially taking themselves out of the running for the biggest prize in the draft over the last 20 or so years - Stephen Strasburg, who grew up within the city limits, spent his childhood cheering for the Padres and went to San Diego State to play
SAN FRANCISCO - Maybe things will get easier for the Nationals than they were on Thursday, when every little unconverted chance was like a hornet's sting in a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Maybe the surprising San Diego Padres, who have the National League's best record and play host to the Nationals for three games this weekend, will come crashing back to earth
SAN FRANCISCO - These are the kinds of games that sting a little longer, and it's not because of the balls that found their way over, under and around the gloves of Nationals players. It's not because of the single Nate Schierholtz flipped to center in the seventh inning, and it's not because of the yardstick or so that kept Adam Dunn's double from being
There's plenty the Nationals' bullpen could have done to hang onto a 4-2 cushion and prevent the Giants from taking a one-run lead, and an error in the seventh inning by Adam Dunn didn't help. But if Dunn's double in the top of the seventh landed a couple feet to the right, none of those things would be an issue. Dunn's fly ball spiked off
SAN FRANCISCO - We've played four innings at AT&T Park, and the Nationals lead 3-2. But Craig Stammen, who looked sharp in the second and third innings, has bookened those two with a bad first and fourth inning. He's gotten two double plays, but allowed two runs on five hits, including Aubrey Huff's no-doubt-about-it homer in the fourth inning. The saving grace for the Nationals,
SAN FRANCISCO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Giants game at AT&T Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
The title of this blog post is shamelessly cribbed from a feature they used to make us do with this kind of stuff every night at the Washington Times. Now that I'm no longer employed there, I can safely and publicly say: I hated those things. I mean, an interesting and/or quirky tidbit from every single game I cover? Honestly? Fortunately, today, I have a
SAN FRANCISCO - Because of the rain at AT&T Park this morning and a few lingering concerns about the inflammation in his left shoulder, the Nationals held Scott Olsen back from throwing on Thursday morning, and manager Jim Riggleman said they don't know quite when the left-hander will get back to work after being put on the disabled list last Saturday. "Talking to (trainer) Lee
SAN FRANCISCO - It's pouring rain here at AT&T Park, where the Nationals and Giants will play the final game of their series at 3:45 p.m., or whenever the weather allows for it. Here is the Nationals' lineup for today; it's got some twists that should prompt some interesting discussion with manager Jim Riggleman when he meets with the media in a while. Nationals: Maxwell,
SAN FRANCISCO - Good morning from San Francisco. Busy morning here, so I'm going to get right into it. Here are the awards from the Nationals' 7-3 win over the Giants on Wednesday night. Golden Geese Josh Willingham: It was another good night for the left fielder, who went 2-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, a run and two RBI. Willingham is hitting .277, but
SAN FRANCISCO - It will be tempting to paint the Nationals' 7-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday as a win of unproven pitcher over unquestioned stalwart. It's easy. And the Nationals did win in part because Luis Atilano was better than Tim Lincecum. But let's put the victory in its proper context; Lincecum had his worst start of the year in his
The Nationals have come out swinging against Giants starter Tim Lincecum tonight, and in the process, they've rediscovered their running game against Lincecum and Bengie Molina, who might be the worst battery in the National League in terms of holding runners. They're up 3-0 after three innings on the Giants here. All three runs came for the Nationals in the top of the third inning,
SAN FRANCISCO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Giants game at AT&T Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
By now, it's fairly clear the Nationals know roughly when Stephen Strasburg will make his major-league debut. It's equally clear that they have little or no interest in sharing that date with the public, at least not yet. Manager Jim Riggleman said on Wednesday afternoon that the Nationals discuss when Strasburg will make his debut, but added they might not announce it at all. I
The Nationals are still fourth in the National League in stolen bases with 29, but lately, their running game has been almost non-existent. They haven't stolen a base since May 10, and have attempted only four steals since that time. "It's really not the identity of our ballclub at all. We were running early, and we had some success doing it," Riggleman said. "Sometimes you
I know you're probably tired of all the guesses at Stephen Strasburg's arrival date in the majors, but I'm hearing the June 4 date that's been widely speculated is not likely to happen. From what I heard today, Strasburg is likely to pitch for Triple-A Syracuse on June 3 or June 4, putting his arrival at Nationals Park during the Pirates series the next week,
Here is this week's Nationals minor-league report from PR representative Bill Gluvna. MY, OH MEYERS: Double-A Harrisburg RHP Brad Meyers allowed his first runs of the season in his 4th start of the year on Monday vs. Bowie (Orioles), ending a string of 16.2 consecutive scoreless innings spanning 3 starts...Meyers, Washington's 2009 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA (2
I'm staying in the middle of downtown San Francisco, too far away from the bay to work in a run around there without the help of public transportation (at least in my current state of conditioning). But I did get a quick two-miles-and-change around downtown this morning. In a city as varied as San Francisco, it's not a great taste of life here, but it's
Good morning from San Francisco; I'm guessing most of you didn't say up for the end of the Nationals' 4-2 loss to the Giants, and really, you didn't miss much. After the Giants knocked Livan Hernandez from the game in the fifth inning, the Nationals' one attempt at a rally fell short in the seventh inning, when they scored two runs but nothing else. The
SAN FRANCISCO - There was nothing particularly correctible about the way Livan Hernandez pitched on Tuesday night, and maybe that's what made it so frustrating. If San Francisco Giants pitcher Todd Wellemeyer doesn't lunge at a 0-2 slider, successfully throwing his bat out at it for a blooper to right, the inning that did the Nationals in on Tuesday night might never have come together.
SAN FRANCISCO - Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Giants game at AT&T Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to
UPDATE AT 9:30 P.M. (FOR THOSE WHO CARE): It appears I've been lied to. It wasn't an "unusual runway configuration" at all. Barry O. was in town for an energy conference, and they couldn't give us the real reason why. I am continually amazed at how much work must go into any type of travel the president makes. SAN FRANCISCO - I've been delayed by
I'm sitting at Dulles International right now, waiting for a flight to San Francisco, where the Nationals begin a 10-game road trip tonight with a 10:05 game against the Giants. If the Nationals go 5-5 on this road trip, I think you'd have to be happy. And a number of those wins might not come until the last four days of the trip in Houston.
We're going to go a little low-tech tonight for Stephen Strasburg's fourth start at Triple-A Syracuse (which starts at 7 p.m. on MASN and MASN HD). In between packing for the West Coast and going for a Race for the Cure training run with my wife, I'll post a few Strasburg thoughts here and there. And if you'd like to chime in, you know the
The Nationals will call up catcher Carlos Maldonado from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Ivan Rodriguez, who was put on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain. According to a club source, Maldonado flew to San Francisco last night; he will be officially added to the major league roster before the team's game with the Giants on Tuesday. Maldonado, 31, has played 21 games
There seems like plenty of Nats stuff to talk about today - Pudge going on the DL, Strasburg pitching tonight, the series win over the Orioles, etc. - so let's do that. I'll be chatting live at 3 p.m., and if you've got questions, you can ask them in one of three ways: Leave them in the comments of this post, direct message me on
Stephen Strasburg's next start for Triple-A Syracuse comes tonight, when the Chiefs take on Toledo at Alliance Bank Stadium. The game starts at 7 p.m., and will be televised live on MASN and MASN HD. Strasburg still hasn't given up a run in three starts at Syracuse, and has an 0.89 ERA in the minors this year. In his last outing, he allowed three hits
The first segment of the Battle of the Beltways is over, and if a result was needed to validate that cinematic title, Josh Willingham provided it on Sunday. His walk-off homer in the 10th inning gave the Nationals a 4-3 victory over the Orioles on Sunday, their second one-run win in as many days over their regional rivals. It also begged the question: Are the
UPDATE AT 10:54 A.M ON MONDAY: The Nationals just placed Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, so he'll miss the team's 10-game road trip to San Francisco, San Diego and Houston. He would be eligible to return against Pittsburgh on June 8. Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez did not make the team's road trip to San Francisco on Sunday night after aggravating a
The Nationals' Pythagorean expectation - a sabermetric measure what their won-loss total should be based on their run-loss differential - says through 45 games, they should be 20-25. According to the calculator, the Nationals' latest tightrope triumph, a 4-3, 10-inning win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, means they're a full three games better than they should be. It says the Nationals' habit of winning
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Orioles game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Good morning from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Orioles will (hopefully) play at 1:35 -- it was raining in Northern Virginia this morning, so we'll see how much of that gets here and how much it affects the game. Here are the lineups: Orioles: Patterson - LF Markakis - RF Tejada - 3B Wigginton - 2B Scott - 1B Jones - CF Wieters -
After deciding this morning they would keep Scott Olsen on the roster while he rested his inflamed left shoulder, the Nationals changed their minds and put Olsen on the 15-day disabled list after the game. Team trainers want him to refrain from throwing for four or five days, and Olsen didn't know if his next activity would be playing catch or throwing off a mound.
These are strange days at Nationals Park, when pit-in-the-stomach moments do not keep the home team from winning games and the perpetrator is able to explain what happened afterward with a sheepish, yet relieved smile. When the Nationals are benefitting from, not committing, late-game bullpen mistakes. When they are taking wins away from an opponent, instead of giving them back. All those things are out
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Orioles game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Maybe it's a trait of every Stanford Man, but Nationals reliever Drew Storen is as analytical as pitchers come about his delivery. He'd incorporated a straight leg kick in the Arizona Fall League and into spring training, believing he could use it to improve his delivery time to the plate and hold runners more effectively. And Storen's results in the minors were obviously fine; he
Left-hander Scott Olsen, who came out of Friday's game after three innings with tightness in his left shoulder, will miss his next start to rest his arm after an MRI showed some inflammation in his shoulder, manager Jim Riggleman said. He won't throw for four or five days, Riggleman said, and the Nationals could either skip him a turn in the rotation or bump him
Good morning from Nationals Park - wait, what's that? It's the afternoon. Well, feels like morning to me. These 4:00 starts screw up my routine for the day. Man, I sound like an 80-year-old who hasn't had his shredded wheat yet. Anyway, here are the Nationals' and Orioles' lineups for this afternoon. Nyjer Morgan is back in it, and Ian Desmond gets a day off
Catcher Derek Norris, possibly the team's top position prospect, was taken to the hospital in an ambulance after being hit in the head with a pitch during Class A Potomac's game on Friday night. Norris was motionless on the field for 10 minutes, according to a team press release, but was conscious and moving his extremities. Norris entered the game hitting .308 in 12 games
The beige-toned worldview by which Nationals manager Jim Riggleman sees a baseball game, when few wins or losses rise above the 161 other outcomes in the course of a season, allows him to look at his team's 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night and see a defeat that's easier to swallow than the one that preceded it. Riggleman saw the Nationals play
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Orioles game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
The Nationals' 10-7 loss to the Mets last night was one of their ugliest of the season, and afterward, Jim Riggleman told them as much. It was pretty cut-and-dried - the Nationals were bad in every facet of the game, so I don't see a lot of value in peeling back the layers on the game as a whole. Instead, I want to discuss a
On most nights, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman takes a few minutes to review the game with his team, calling attention to good work and teachable moments. Games like the Nationals' 10-7 loss to the Mets on Thursday night, though, require a more guttural approach. Handed nine innings of bullpen work after Mets starter John Maine left the game as a precaution after one batter, the
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
A few pregame notes from Nationals Park this evening, before I leave the press box in search of whatever piece of grilled meat is teasing me with that smell: --Roger Bernadina has played well at right field and is back in the lineup for the Nationals tonight, but manager Jim Riggleman said he hasn't considered giving Bernadina a greater chunk of the at-bats against left-handers,
Mets: Reyes - SS Cora - 2B Bay - LF Davis - 1B Wright - 3B Pagan - CF Barajas - C Francoeur - RF Maine - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Bernadina - RF Desmond - SS Atilano - P
For the Nationals to have an inside-the-park homer and a triple play go against the same game is rare enough; for them to have those things happen and still win relatively smoothly is even rarer. As I discussed in the game story, this felt like one of those games that the Nationals would have lost last year, with the oddball plays becoming guideposts for a
The two moments unfolded almost in slow motion, a long enough timeframe to allow for looks of disbelief and silent debates about whether they could really happen. In the fourth inning, it was Angel Pagan racing 360 feet around the bases, as Nyjer Morgan crashed hard into the wall in right center and Josh Willingham was slow with a long relay. He beat Ivan Rodriguez's
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Good afternoon/evening from Nationals Park, where the Nationals start a five-game homestand with two games against the New York Mets. Just a couple notes from manager Jim Riggleman's press conference: --Riggleman said he wouldn't used the word "concerned" when it comes to reliever Tyler Clippard's recent performances. He said Clippard's fastball command will sometimes waver because of his convoluted delivery, but isn't worried about Clippard
Good afternoon/evening from Nationals Park. For those of you who are fans of prospects or puns, here's Nats PR man Bill Gluvna's weekly minor-league report: AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: Hagerstown LHP Dan Rosenbaum was named Single-A South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week by MiLB.com for the period of May 10-16...in 2 starts during the week, the southpaw tossed 14.0 scoreless innings, struck out
Hello from Nationals Park, where the Nationals start a two-game series with the Mets tonight. Here are the lineups: Mets: Reyes - SS Castillo - 2B Bay - LF Davis - 1B Pagan - CF Francoeur - RF Tatis - 3B Blanco - C Dickey - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez -
The Nationals are back at 20-20 after last night's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals, and it's getting a little difficult to tell what they're going to be, as I wrote in the game story. They're on a five-game losing streak, and in those five losses, they've scored two, three, one, two and two runs. They've lost three of those games by one run, after starting
The Nationals have played 40 games, a quarter of the season and the juncture at which manager Jim Riggleman said he'd no longer consider them to be in the opening phase of their season. So what are they? Maybe now is the point at which they start to find out. Maybe it's too soon to say they're just an average team. Perhaps the 40-game slate
Here's the problem with all the pontificating about when Stephen Strasburg will make his major-league debut: A little thing, as fickle and unpredictable as rain, and the whole plan has to be redone. Like tonight, when Strasburg's third start at Trple-A Syracuse was postponed by rain. The No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft will pitch the second game of a doubleheader tomorrow at
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. We're tag-teaming this one tonight; Kristen Hudak will have the first part of the game, and I'll have the second half. We'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on
Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Willingham - LF Kennedy - 1B Desmond - SS Bernadina - RF Nieves - C Lannan - P Cardinals: Lopez - SS Ludwick - RF Holliday- LF Pujols - 1B Freese - 3B Rasmus - CF Molina - C Schumaker - 2B Carpenter - P
It's been a little while since we've done one of these, but this morning, I took the list of players you'd asked about here, added a couple of my own and brought it to Nationals player development director Doug Harris, who, as always, was gracious with his time in talking about a few Nats prospects. Here's what he had to say: Triple-A Syracuse Jeff Mandel:
The Nationals had two outs in the bottom of the first inning on Monday night against the Cardinals when Craig Stammen made one of the most treacherous moves a pitcher can make: He walked Matt Holliday, extending the Cardinals' inning into the jaws of Albert Pujols, who was hitting cleanup for the first time in seven years and, because of that, came up with a
Through their first 35 games, the Nationals had staked themselves to a second-place ledge in the NL East, despite not doing anything at a particularly elite level, by staying away from the kinds of losing streaks that had pockmarked their schedule the last two seasons. They hadn't lost more than three straight games all season, playing slump-proof baseball with a clubhouse of veterans and a
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. I'm watching from home, but I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you
All things considered - those things being the St. Louis Cardinals' playoff berth last year, their four playoff trips in the last six seasons and their 8-2 record against the Nationals last year - this might be as good a time for Washington to take a trip to Busch Stadium as any. The Cardinals have lost five of six, including a sweep against lowly Houston
Just wanted to give you an update on a project I'm working on (it's one I'm pretty excited about) and ask for a little help: In addition to covering the Nationals, I'm writing a children's book about the history of the team. It's intended for a fifth-grade audience, and isn't meant to be a definitive account of the Nationals/Expos' history, but in writing it, I
When the Nationals took Drew Storen 10th overall in the 2009 draft, many views of the pick around the game were diametrically opposed to the one inside the team's draft room. Some saw Storen as a bargain pick, a discounted complement to No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg when the Nationals knew they were going to have to shell out record dollars for Strasburg and
Found this out about a half-hour ago, but couldn't get a blog post up while going through airport security. Anyway, the Nationals are calling up right-handed reliever Drew Storen, the No. 10 pick in the 2009 draft, after today's game against the Rockies, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Storen will be with the team in St. Louis tomorrow, and should provide
Hello all, and a happy Sunday morning to you. I'm still here in Minnesota ,at least for part of the day; I'm flying back to NoVA this afternoon, so I'll be in transit during most of the game. But if I can post a few updates/thoughts somehow, I'll definitely do so. And we'll be back on the normal schedule with the live chat tomorrow in
Hello from lovely Minneapolis, where I'm spending a couple days at home for a friend's wedding this weekend. I'm not blogging this from my parents' basement, but I'll probably do that at some point before I head home, getting the final merit badge, if you will, in my transition to full-time online journalism from newspapers. Should be exciting. (Full disclosure: The whole "blogging from mom's
When Jim Riggleman talks about how the Nationals haven't played their best baseball yet, it's difficult to even hold this game up, a 14-6 win over the Rockies at Coors Field, as an example of what he means. The Nationals blew out Colorado in soggy Coors Field in a game where they didn't get their starting pitcher through the fifth inning, handed back almost all
During the Nationals' surge to second place in the NL East standings, their offense has ranged from inefficient to ineffective, rarely doing much of the heavy lifting in the team's move up the standings. But they have continued to win anyway, repeating the mantra over and over that they hadn't played their best baseball yet. At least from an offensive standpoint, it looks like those
Seth Bynum, a longtime Nationals prospect and infielder at Triple-A Syracuse, was suspended 50 games by Major League baseball today after he tested positive for an amphetamine, according to a league press release today. Bynum was hitting .248 with four homers and 17 RBI in 29 games at Syracuse. The 29-year-old's time in the organization dates back to when the team was the Expos.
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Bernadina - RF Desmond - SS Lannan - P Rockies: Gonzalez - LF Fowler - CF Hawpe - RF Tulowitzki - SS Helton - 1B Olivo - C Stewart - 3B Barmes - 2B Chacin - P
April 25, in-game chat during the Nationals' 1-0 win over the Dodgers: 3:52 p.m.: SteveRep44: Looks like Riggs is treating this one like you do with the coupon insers in the Sunday paper -- Clip and Save Full chat is here. Just sayin'. :-)
There are plenty of guesses at the date of Stephen Strasburg's MLB debut all over the web: Byron Kerr suggested June 4 earlier this month, and the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore also offered that prediction here. And Brian Oliver at Nats Farm Authority has an excellent synopsis of the possibilities. I won't attempt to tread the same ground again, but I will throw out one
If the Nationals let one get away on Tuesday against the Mets at Citi Field, they got it back on Wednesday. The way they beat the Mets on Wednesday afternoon wasn't completely tantamount to stealing one, but when all of your run production comes from a No. 8 hitter who went deep for the first and second times in his career and a pitcher who
Right-hander Jason Marquis, who was placed on the 15-day disabled on April 21 with loose bone chips in his right elbow, will have arthroscopic elbow surgery in Cincinnati on Friday with Dr. Tim Kremchek, and is expected to miss two months. Marquis made his first rehab start at Single-A Potomac last night, and felt elbow discomfort after that. The Nationals made the decision on Wednesday
What would the Nationals' outfield picture have looked like if Roger Bernadina hadn't leapt at the Nationals Park wall last April 18, caught his right ankle under a pad and broken it? Would they have given him a shot to keep the center field job, never trading for Nyjer Morgan? Or would they have moved him to right field, allowing him enough work to supplant
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Mets game at Citi Field. I'm heading up to the MASN studios in Maryland to appear on Nats Xtra with Johnny and Ray today at 12:30, so I'll start the live thread as soon as I get home - probably just after 2:00. But at that point, whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online,
I'm going to keep this short this morning, since we're turning around for a day game and I've got to hit the road for the MASN studios, where I'll be discussing the bullpen with Johnny and Ray on Nats Xtra at 12:30 today. But what we'll be talking about is what I'm sure is on most of your minds this morning, so I'll get right
The Nationals' 8-6 loss to the Mets tonight was a defeat of the variety they simply haven't endured this year. Washington's bullpen, so solid for most of the season, hasn't melted down as swiftly and dramatically as it did on Tuesday night. And that bullpen failure was about the only thing the Nationals did wrong in a game they led most of the way and
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Citi Field. This will be a bit of an abbreviated thread tonight -- I'm going to be out for the first few innings, so I'll begin it around 9:00. But at that point, whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're
Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Desmond - SS Taveras - RF Olsen - P Mets: Pagan - CF Castillo - 2B Reyes - SS Bay - LF Wright - 3B Davis - 1B Francoeur - RF Barajas - C Niese - P
The last time he took the mound, Scott Olsen brought a no-hitter further into a game than any Nationals pitcher in four years - and he did it against a team full of hitters that had owned him in the past. So, for his encore, Olsen will face...another team full of hitters that have owned him in the past. Three batters in the Mets' likely
If there had been one thing that had held the Nationals together during a 17-14 start where they'd gotten good starting pitching at times, played competent defense most nights and rarely hit to their capabilities, it's the combination of Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps. The former-starter-turned-reliever happened into the setup role this season, after Brian Bruney couldn't handle the job and Clippard's Gumby windup kept
I spent part of an afternoon last week talking to Nationals setup man Tyler Clippard - he of the goofy goggles, gangly delivery and oddball intro music ("Peaches" by Presidents of the United States of America). His teammates give him a hard time off the field, but on it, Clippard has transformed himself into one of the National League's best relievers early this season. And
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Citi Field. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Here are the Nationals' and Mets' lineups for tonight's game, the first of three at Citi Field: Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Bernadina - RF Desmond - SS Atilano - P Mets: Pagan - CF Castillo - 2B Reyes - SS Bay - LF Wright - 3B Davis - 1B Francoeur
Good afternoon. Just a couple quick links I wanted to pass along to you, both from our site and a couple other places on the web: First, Mike Rizzo's video blog for this week is up here, and if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth checking out. The Nationals GM was gracious enough to invite us to his suite at Nationals Park and
With another one-run win on Sunday, the Nationals crossed a couple of semi-significant thresholds: For the second straight day, they beat a team that's made a habit of snatching victories from them. They got to 17-14, equaling this season's high-water mark for games above .500. And when they start a series with the Mets tonight, they'll a) have a chance to get four games above
One year ago tomorrow, the Nationals started a 10-day stretch of games that would define their 59-103 season. It began with three softball-score losses on the West Coast: 10-8 to Arizona, then 11-7 and 9-7 to San Francisco. After a win against the Giants, the run continued with six losses at home - four to the Phillies, two to the Pirates - during which the
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
The Nationals rounded out their bullpen this morning by purchasing the contract of left-hander Doug Slaten from Triple-A Syracuse, giving them another left-hander who could free up Sean Burnett to take a broader role in the seventh inning. They made room for Slaten by designating Matt Chico for assignment, though the Nationals are saying it's a technicality and they'll have him back on the 40-man
The Nationals played the Florida Marlins on Saturday, in a 5-4 game decided by an eighth-inning rally that went like this: Hit by pitch, single (runners advance on an error by the first baseman), groundout, intentional walk, hit by pitch to score the winning run. Quick guess: Is that how the Nationals won the game or lost it? Remember that the Marlins had beaten the
Matt Chico's spot start on Saturday was apparently nothing more than that. The Nationals told the left-hander after the game that they were sending him back to Double-A Harrisburg, he said. Chico pitched five innings on Saturday, giving up two runs on six hits and taking a no-decision in the Nationals' 5-4 win over the Marlins. But the Nationals figured they only needed him for
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Good morning from Nationals Park. Lineups first: Marlins: Maybin - CF G. Sanchez - 1B Ramirez - SS Cantu - 3B Uggla - 2B Paulino - C Ross - LF Carroll - RF Johnson - P Nationals: Guzman - SS Knnedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Harris - RF Bernadina - CF Nieves - C Chico - P And
A couple more things before I wrap up: --The Nationals optioned Justin Maxwell to Triple-A Syracuse after the game to make room for Matt Chico, who will pitch tomorrow. Maxwell was brought up to help the Nats get through a run of left-handed pitching, but wasn't playing much with the run of righties they'd faced lately. So they sent him down to play every day.
The changes in the Nationals' bullpen early this season have been striking, and yet not uniform. On nights when they've gotten seven innings out of a starter, they've enjoyed the surprising security of what's been as automatic a setup-closer combination as any in baseball. Beneath the stellar foundation laid by Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps, though, lies a group of relievers much less likely to
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
The Nationals appear to be calling left-hander Matt Chico up to start on Saturday against the Marlins; he's listed in the Marlins' game notes as Washington's probable starter for Saturday. Manager Jim Riggleman would not say who is starting on Saturday, but said the Nationals would let the Marlins know out of "common courtesy" who was pitching Saturday. Chico, who started 32 games for the
Just stumbled across this feature on Baseball Reference - they've got a nice batter-pitcher stat breakdown for every game, and from this, you can see Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn could be in for good nights against Marlins starter Chris Volstad. Here are the lineups: Marlins: Coghlan - LF G, Sanchez - 1B Ramirez - SS Cantu - 3B Uggla - 2B Baker - C
Lost in the Nationals' piano-wire tight win over the Braves on Thursday was, well, just about everything besides Scott Olsen, who came five outs from the first no-hitter in Nationals history, and Willie Harris, who drove in the winning run with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. But this was an impressive win for more reasons than those two, a victory that
Every athlete has one. Ryan Zimmerman won't tell you what his is. Michael Jordan famously got his first one from being cut from his high school basketball team, and found new ones through slights - real or perceived - throughout his career. Every athlete needs one - a chip on their shoulder, a motivating force, whatever. Semantics don't matter. It's why teams post newspaper clippings
In his pre-game session with reporters, manager Jim Riggleman spent a fair amount of time on a couple of keys to last night's 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves: Nyjer Morgan's aggressiveness and Adam Dunn's lack of it. Here's what he had to say. On Morgan: The center fielder was caught stealing for the sixth time this season on Wednesday night, thrown out on
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Braves: Infante - SS Prado - 2B Jones - 3B Glaus - 1B Diaz - LF Ross - C Cabrera - RF McLouth - CF Hudson - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Desmond - SS Bernadina - RF Olsen - P
As I discussed in the game story, last night's 7-6 loss to the Braves felt like the kind of game the Nationals, by this point, have made a habit of winning. That was even the consensus around the clubhouse - player after player said he believed the Nationals, after coming back to tie the game in the eighth inning, were going to pull it out.
By most statistical metrics, the Nationals' 14-12 record coming into Wednesday defied explanation. They were in the bottom third of the league in most statistical categories, with an offense yet to find its zone and a pitching staff that was unsightly before it was serviceable. And yet the Nationals entered Wednesday a game out of first place precisely because of their ability to make close
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
Braves: McLouth - CF Prado - 2B Jones - 3B McCann - C Glaus - 1B Heyward - RF Diaz - LF Infante - SS Hanson - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Rodriguez - C Harris - LF Desmond - SS Bernadina - RF Atilano - P
Here is this week's Nationals minor-league report from PR man Bill Gluvna: This Week's Top Headline ROSENBAUM IS A ROSENBAUM IS A ROSENBAUM IS A ROSENBAUM: In 5 starts for Hagerstown, LHP Daniel Rosenbaum is 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA (5 ER/28.2 IP)...the 22-year old southpaw has struck out 25 and walked just 5 (5.0/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio)...among Single-A South Atlantic League pitchers, he ranks 5th
I never met Ernie Harwell. Didn't know much about him beyond the basics in his biography (he was the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers) and one curious fact about him (he was the New York Giants' TV announcer when Bobby Thomson's homer off Ralph Branca, which sent the Giants to the 1951 World Series, was immortalized by a radio call). But as I read
The Nationals are back to two games above .500 after beating the Braves 6-3 on a night where they didn't do much of anything particularly well. They won anyway, though, thanks to a bullpen that couldn't be much better than it has been and a starting pitcher who kept his team in the game despite having to take a more circuitous round through the Braves
The Nationals' 6-3 win over the Braves on Tuesday night was a study in survival skills, in how much they could do wrong - or at least not do very well - and continue to win. Livan Hernandez threw 123 pitches in five innings, but still got the win, running his record to 4-1. One-third of those pitches were in the first inning, when Hernandez
Welcome to MASN's live thread for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in the
This has been one of the busiest days, news-wise, of the year. So these things aren't going to get the lengthier treatment they probably deserve, but I'll throw a few more injury updates at you: Jason Marquis has started his throwing program and will throw off the mound on Tuesday for the first time since receiving a cortisone shot on his elbow. Marquis played catch
Left-hander John Lannan will miss his next start, after battling through elbow problems that have hampered his control on his breaking pitches and caused the Nationals' No. 1 starter to begin the year with the worst results of his career. Lannan said he first started feeling discomfort in his elbow after his start against the Rockies on April 21. He had an MRI on his
Braves: McLouth - CF Prado - 2B Jones - 3B McCann - C Glaus - 1B Heyward - RF Cabrera - LF Infante - SS Kawakami - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Bernadina - RF Desmond - SS Hernandez - P
UPDATE AT 5:13 p.m.: Busy day here today. Mike Rizzo held court a while ago and gave some thoughts on Strasburg's promotion. Here are the highlights: --Rizzo was mum on where the Strasburg plan goes from here. He'll make his first start on Friday night, and will "continue to work on some of the things we asked him to work on in Double-A. He'll get
When the Nationals took high schooler Colton Willems in the first round of the 2006 draft, they thought they were getting a top-of-the-rotation starter who could be a cornerstone of their build-through-pitching approach. But after four seasons of trying to climb and slipping back down, Willems has decided he's had enough. Willems, who the Nationals took with the 22nd overall pick in the 2006 draft,
Good afternoon - just a couple things to pass along: Matt Capps was named MLB's Delivery Man of the Month for April, winning the award as baseball's top closer after going 10-for-10 in save situations and posting a 0.68 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings this month. He's never won the award and is the first Nationals player to win it since Chad
The Nationals' 9-3 loss to the Marlins on Sunday didn't feature as many head-shaking moments as Saturday's 7-1 defeat, during which the team played one of its most undisciplined games of the year. But there were enough problems at the plate in both games that the Nationals left Florida much different than how they arrived. They came in having won their last two games at
Opinions on the detriment of strikeouts, like opinions on most things in baseball, differ between sabermetricians and traditionalists. The former say they're no less productive than any other out, and in fact provide more value than a first-pitch groundout, while the latter still focus on the pure indignity of going up to hit a baseball and missing it, the letter K becoming the scorebook branding
Welcome to MASN's live thread for today's Nationals-Marlins game at Sun Life Stadium. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and whether you're just watching the game on TV or following online, you can participate by commenting in this thread. Or, if you're on Twitter, you can tag tweets with #masnnats, and they'll be included in the chat. If you want to participate in
Don't have too many great insights on tonight's game - I was busy chatting with fans at the first MASNSports.com get-together at Crystal City Sports Pub, and I'm just getting home now, in fact. I had a great time getting to know some of you and talking Nats with you. Hope you enjoyed it as well, and we'll do it again soon. For those of
In the most empirical sense, the Nationals' 13-10 record in April was merely a solid month, a .565 winning percentage in a sport that demands five more months at that clip to even sniff the post-season. But from what it meant to a franchise and a fanbase...well, that's another story. Consider the team's record in the last four Aprils: 8-17 in 2006 under Frank Robinson,
