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.
Manager Jim Riggleman said this afternoon that right-hander Stephen Strasburg will play catch tomorrow and again on Monday, before throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday. Strasburg, who is on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation, is eligible to come off the DL next Friday. He was scheduled to pitch that day, but it's unlikely he will make that start against the Dodgers.
After a month of speculation and negotiations, Adam Dunn is staying right where he was at the beginning of July: as a member of the Nationals. The Nationals did not trade the first baseman by the 4 p.m. deadline, keeping Dunn in Washington after fielding offers from a number of teams for Dunn, who will be a free agent after the season. "I know (general
Here are the lineups for tonight's Nationals-Phillies game. Adam Dunn is in the Nationals' lineup, but all that really means is the Nationals haven't traded him yet. That can change at any point, and we'll keep you posted throughout the afternoon. Lineups are here: Phillies: Rollins - SS Polanco - 3B Ibanez - LF Werth - CF Ransom - 1B Brown - RF Ruiz -
Of the trades general manager Mike Rizzo has made in his 17 months running the Nationals, almost all of them have presented one viable course of action. Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan were on the outs in Washington last year, and Rizzo was trying to get something of value for them. Easy; the Pirates were willing to offer the leadoff hitter Rizzo needed (Nyjer Morgan)
The setup was eerily similar: The Phillies were debuting their prized pitching acquisition, a right-hander named Roy that they brought in for a bundle of prospects, tempting fans to drive down to Nationals Park and see the new ace. The Nationals were countering with a middle-round pick from the 2005 draft - this one the right-hander that roomed with the left-hander they started on Opening
Having climbed out from under today's crushing load of news, at least for now, I'm free to talk about the game. So, in that spirit, here's our discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Phillies game, joined in progress. The Nationals lead the Phillies 1-0 after two innings. I'll provide updates and analysis here, and if you want to participate, leave your thoughts in the comments. I'll respond
Wilson Ramos, the 22-year-old catcher the Nationals got as the centerpiece of their trade with the Twins for Matt Capps, talked with reporters this afternoon on a conference call, saying he was excited for the opportunity to play with the Nationals. Compared to where he was, he should be. Ramos goes from Minnesota, where he would have been perpetually blocked by Joe Mauer, to a
For the time being, Adam Dunn is still with the Nationals. He's in the Nationals' lineup tonight, batting cleanup as he usually does, even as general manager Mike Rizzo's phone lights up with offers and counteroffers for the slugger. With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, Dunn's status changes by the minute. He could be headed to Chicago, New York, Tampa
When Matt Capps signed with the Nationals last December, Drew Storen immediately perceived the possibility of a rift. Storen, after all, had been drafted six months earlier as the team's closer of the future, and Capps had signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Nationals, partially to occupy the job until Storen was ready. But when the two met at NatsFest in January, that
UPDATE AT 5:50 P.M.: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo discussed the trade with reporters a few minutes ago; the Nationals will get Double-A right-handers Ryan Tatusko and Tanner Roark. He explained the reasons behind the trade to be exactly what everyone assumed they were; Guzman is a free agent after the season, and with Ian Kinsler getting hurt, the Rangers needed an infielder. It was
After trading Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins last night, the Nationals filled out their bullpen this afternoon, calling up right-hander Atahualpa Severino from Triple-A Syracuse to take his place. The diminutive reliever, who stands just 5-foot-9, had a 3.55 ERA and 1.322 WHIP in 40 innings this year. He'll likely be used in middle relief as the rest of the Nationals bullpen takes on
Bryce Harper posted this status on what appears to be his Facebook page earlier this week: Probably going back to CSN to try to win a National Championship!!! :) And the first comments? Why, those would be from Manny Machado, the high school shortstop the Orioles took No. 3 overall in the draft, saying that he, too, would be interested in joining Harper at the
So the Nationals traded away Matt Capps, as the Book of July Baseball Protocol would have advised them to do. Possessing a deep bullpen full of possible replacements for the All-Star closer, who is in the middle of a career year by some metrics, the Nationals shipped Capps off at a premium to the Minnesota Twins, a team who lost its own All-Star (Joe Nathan)
Closer Matt Capps, the Nationals' lone All-Star in 2010, was traded tonight to the Minnesota Twins for two players - catcher Wilson Ramos and left-hander Joe Testa. Ramos, the Twins' top catching prospect, was mentioned prominently in the Twins' pursuit of Cliff Lee. He's 22 years old, and immediately gives the Nationals a close-to-the-big-leagues player at a position where they're sorely lacking for depth. He
I'm hearing from industry sources that Nationals closer Matt Capps could be headed to the Twins, who are looking for bullpen help, in return for Triple-A catcher Wilson Ramos, the 22-year-old who's regarded as one of the Twins' top prospects. Ramos was pulled at Triple-A Rochester tonight, and sources said a deal could happen tonight. More as I get it.
On what was seemingly the bleakest day of an injury-filled year for the Nationals' pitching staff - when they acted out of caution and put Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list - the seeds of the pitching staff they soon expect to have were right there for anyone who would look hard enough. Scott Olsen, who helped stabilize the rotation for the first two
Scott Olsen's return to Washington went about as well as the Nationals could have hoped. And on a rainy Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park, they sealed a series victory against the NL East leaders. Olsen allowed three runs in six innings, winning in his first start since May 21, as the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3. Adam Dunn and Ian Desmond homered for the
The sun is shining at Nationals Park, but we're not ready to start the game. Apparently, there's another cell coming through in about 15 minutes, and the Nationals' grounds crew is expecting more rain. So they're waiting, through the sunshine, to restart the game after it rains again. Yippee. Also, a random thought: Roy Oswalt, who's officially been acquired by the Phillies, will likely start
Sounds like the Miguel Batista-Miss Iowa kerfuffle will get some more attention tomorrow night. Katherine Connors, the reigning Miss Iowa, tweeted this afternoon that she'll throw out the first pitch at Nationals Park on Friday night against the Phillies. The Des Moines Register also published a story saying the 20-year-old, who's been on an interview whirlwind ever since Batista jokingly compared himself to her on
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Braves game. I'll post updates and analysis throughout the day here, and if you'd like to chime in -- with game stuff or Strasburg stuff -- you can do so by leaving your thoughts in the comments. I'll respond to you there. 12:39: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. An easy enough first inning for Scott Olsen, who's pitching for the
What appeared likely all morning is now official: The Nationals placed Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation this morning after scratching him from his start on Tuesday night. The move is retroactive to July 22, the day after Strasburg's last start, so he is able to come off the DL on Aug. 6. He will make the team's trip to the
Appearing on XM Radio this morning, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said Stephen Strasburg, who was scratched on Tuesday night with left shoulder inflammation, would likely be shut down for 10 days. Strasburg's next scheduled start is Sunday against the Phillies, but that start, and his next one against the Dodgers on August 6, don't appear likely. More on this in a little bit. Riggleman is
Good morning from Nationals Park. Only took me a little over an hour to get here from Fairfax. Is this what you people go through every day? You have my sympathies. Anyway, here are the lineups for today's 12:35 start between the Nationals and Braves. Braves: Prado - 2B Infante - RF Jones - 3B Glaus - 1B Diaz - LF Gonzalez - SS Ross
The result has become so predictable, it's almost automatic: When Tim Hudson faces the Washington Nationals, he's a near lock to beat them. After another gem, the kind Hudson seems to mass produce against the Nationals, he's 10-1 against them with a 1.49 ERA in his career. In Wednesday's win, he allowed a run in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and ensuring the Braves'
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll post updates and analysis throughout the game here, and if you'd like to participate, leave your thoughts in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. 7:12: Not a good start for Livan Hernandez, who has given up a single, a double and a sacrifice fly in the first three batters.
Trainer Lee Kuntz met with the media this afternoon to address a number of Nationals injuries. We'll concentrate this post on the maladies of players not named Stephen Strasburg, whose shoulder inflammation is discussed in much detail here. --Jesus Flores is throwing in Viera again, playing catch from 90 feet and hitting off a tee. The catcher, who has been out all season while coming
When Miguel Batista was asked about getting booed last night when he took the mound in place of Stephen Strasburg, he responded with what seems destined to go down as one of the quotes of the year: "Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa, you might get those kind of boos," Batista joked. As witty responses
Stephen Strasburg is feeling better than he did yesterday, manager Jim Riggleman said, but the Nationals are still being cautious enough with their prized rookie that it looks unlikely he'll make his next scheduled start on Sunday. Strasburg, who was scratched last night after feeling tightness in his shoulder, was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation last night. He said his shoulder had been bothering him for
The Nationals have released their lineup for tonight's game against the Braves, and Josh Willingham isn't in it. It is July 28, so there's plenty of temptation to read into that, but Willingham is 1-for-20 lifetime against Braves starter Tim Hudson. If there's anything more than that going on, I'll let you know, and i'll post the Braves' lineup once it's available. Here's what the
Two things on my mind this morning about Stephen Strasburg's arm: There's an important distinction to make in what Mike Rizzo said about Strasburg's MRI last night. He said it looked the same as the one the Nationals had done when they signed him. He didn't say Strasburg's arm was perfect. We know Strasburg had some shoulder inflammation at San Diego State, which would show
The focus at Nationals Park on Tuesday night was nowhere near the action on the field, and understandably so. When Miguel Batista, not Stephen Strasburg, walked out of the bullpen before the game with the Atlanta Braves, the collective conscience of the 40,043 in attendance was taken somewhere else. The Nationals are saying Strasburg has some shoulder inflammation, but no major damage. We'll find out
The Nationals got some good news on Tuesday night; Stephen Strasburg, who was scratched from his Tuesday start after feeling stiffness in his arm during his warmup, does not have any structural damage to his arm. He underwent a pair of tests with Nationals team doctor Wiemi Douoguih, an X-ray and an MRI, and while he has some shoulder inflammation, he is day-to-day, and general
The big story of Tuesday night happened just before the game, when Miguel Batista, not Stephen Strasburg, trotted out of the Nationals' bullpen. And for most of the night, the 40,043 in attendance spent as much time worrying about Strasburg, who was scratched from his Tuesday start after he had trouble getting lose in the bullpen, as they did about the actual result on the
A moment of appreciation, please, for Miguel Batista. Given about 15 minutes notice that he'd be starting in place of Stephen Strasburg, who was scratched from tonight's game, Batista took the ball and has turned in an outing that Strasburg would be proud to have. He allowed three hits and a walk in five shutout innings, striking out six, as the Nationals have a 3-0
UPDATE AT 7:33 P.M: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo met with reporters a few minutes ago, and said Strasburg's scratch was a "precautionary move" after the right-hander had trouble getting loose in the bullpen before the game. Pitching coach Steve McCatty and trainer Lee Kuntz alerted Rizzo, who made the decision to pull the plug on Strasburg. "We're erring on the side of caution," Rizzo
Welcome to MASN's live chat for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction 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're at the game and
Just saw a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays in the Nationals Park press box tonight. The Rays, as you'll recall, are one of the teams linked to Adam Dunn in trade rumors. The AL wild-card leaders are looking for a bat before Saturday's trade deadline, and are believed to be interested in Dunn, as are a number of other American League teams. One National
UPDATE AT 11:13 P.M.: A source said Olsen threw his side session in front of assistant GM Bob Boone and player development director Doug Harris. That's a pretty good sign Olsen will pitch for the Nationals in the next few days. Left-hander Scott Olsen, who was supposed to start at Triple-A Syracuse tonight, will instead throw a side session for the Chiefs. That could be
Manager Jim Riggleman said on Tuesday afternoon the Nationals are almost certain how they'll handle replacing the injured JD Martin in the rotation, but wasn't in the mood to divulge that to reporters yet on Tuesday. Martin, who went on the disabled list with a strained lower back after his start last Saturday in Milwaukee, was scheduled to pitch on Friday, but yesterday's off-day would
Manager Jim Riggleman said on Tuesday that the Nationals have addressed first baseman Adam Dunn's visit to the press box last Saturday at Miller Park, when Dunn went on the air with Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker during the game. "We've addressed it internally. We've addressed that issue. That's about all I'm going to say about it," Riggleman said. "It's unfortunate, but like I said,
Right-hander Tyler Walker, who has been dealing with shoulder trouble for the last several weeks and has been on the disabled list since late June, said he will see Dr. James Andrews on Thursday and will most likely have season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum on Friday. Walker said he'd hope to be throwing off a mound by spring training and be in games
Back at Nationals Park this afternoon, for the first time in what feels like months. And the aftereffects of the Dave Matthews Band show last Friday are still visible in the Nationals Park outfield, which has discolored grass in about the size and shape of a stage. This happened last year after the Elton John-Billy Joel concert, as well, and it didn't cause any major
Welcome to the second part of our blogger profile for the week, with Ian Koski from Nationals Daily News. Yesterday, we heard a little bit about the site. Koski and I also sat down for some Nats talk earlier this month, and we've got that for you today. BG: Let's talk a little about the starting rotation. You see the flux there, and you kind
Stephen Strasburg faces the Atlanta Braves tonight, and for the first time, we've got a precedent for how the rookie will handle a lineup. The Braves are the first team Strasburg will have faced twice, and they tagged him with four runs (three of them earned) in Atlanta last month, as an epic pitcher's duel turned into a 5-0 Braves win. We've already discussed the
If, sometime shortly after 7:05 p.m., you feel something ranging from a slight tremor to a collision of celestial bodies, it's because the most hyped matchup in baseball this year is finally here: Stephen Strasburg is all set to face Jason Heyward. The two rookies, who have commanded more attention than any other in baseball this year (and, many would say, more attention than they're
UPDATE AT 7:38 P.M.: Not a good night for Zimmermann. He gave up seven runs, six of them earned, on seven hits over five innings. He gave up a couple homers, which accounted for most of the runs. Reader Riverdog, who was at the game in Hagerstown, said Zimmermann looked good at times, particularly in a five-pitch fourth inning, but didn't locate the ball well
I just resisted two attempts at a cheesy pun with that headline (One Moore and Dunn, or something like that). Anyway, a few things for you this afternoon: Potomac first baseman Tyler Moore was named the Carolina League Player of the Week for the second week in a row; he went 15-for-30 last week with five homers and 17 RBI. The Nationals drafted Moore three
We've got our second installment of our occasional series profiling some of the bloggers writing about the Nationals every day. I sat down earlier this month with Ian Koski, the co-founder of Nationals Daily News. A former newspaper reporter who now works as a political strategist, Koski helps manage a site that now includes nine writers. He and I discussed the site, now in its
There seem to be a few issues on everyone's minds this morning, so I'm opening up this space for you to talk about them: -Should the Nationals do more - or less - to honor Andre Dawson? We've had this debate around here a few times this season, and I'm on the record as saying I'd like to see the team honor its Expos past.
At the end of the Nationals' longest road trip of the year, in a 10-game stretch where they've had to overcome all manner of self-inflicted wounds, they played a game that distilled all of their issues away from Nationals Park into a three-hour cocktail. Their 8-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, which closed a sweep at Miller Park and sent the Nationals home with their
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Brewers game at Miller Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you'd like to participate, leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll respond to you there. 2:20 The Nationals get a hit in the first inning off Dave Bush, but stranded Josh Willingham on second after his double. Now we'll see what Ross
The Nationals' rotation will get yet another new look later this week, this one coming in light of the strained lower back that will send JD Martin to the disabled list on Sunday. In the short term, Martin's injury means Collin Balester will stay in the majors for a few more days, at least until the Nationals need another starter. That will likely come on
You can dress up the Nationals' 4-3 loss to the Brewers with all the platitudes you want; yes, the Nationals did an impressive job battling back after losing JD Martin to a strained lower back in the third inning, and yes, the game was one of the more entertaining ones they've played in some time. But there's a reason they've played 35 one-run games this
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Brewers game at Miller Park. I'll be posting some thoughts throughout the game, and if you'd like to chime into the discussion, you can do so by leaving comments at the bottom of this post. I'll respond to you there. Here is my previous post on tonight's lineups. 7:17: The Nationals' right-leaning lineup against Manny Parra might not
Here's the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Brewers -- those of you who were upset about Jim Riggleman's decision to pull Michael Morse last night will probably have some strong feelings about this one, one way or the other. Morse is back in there tonight, batting fifth against left-hander Manny Parra, but the righty-heavy composition of this lineup gives it an odd look.
Jason Marquis made his second rehab start since having elbow surgery in May, pitching 3 1/3 innings for Double-A Harrisburg on Friday night. Marquis allowed three runs on five hits, walking a batter and striking out three. He threw 65 pitches for the Senators. Assuming Marquis is ready to go in another one or two starts, things are going to start to get really interesting
Through the first half of Friday's game against the Brewers, the Nationals' third straight win looked like a foregone conclusion. Michael Morse had already hit two homers, seizing the conversation for the night and making another case he should be in the lineup more often, if not every day. Craig Stammen was humming along, having limited the Brewers to one run on a ball Morse
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Brewers game at Miller Park. If you'd like to discuss the game, leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll be popping in and out of here tonight, and will leave a few thoughts during the game. Here are the lineups: Nationals Morgan, cf Guzman, 2b Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Morse, rf Rodriguez, c Desmond, ss
Since the Nationals drafted Ross Detwiler with the sixth overall pick in 2007, they've had three looks at the left-hander in the major leagues. The first came in 2007, when then-GM Jim Bowden brought Detwiler to the majors - and put him on the 40-man roster - to pitch one inning in September, a relief appearance, precipitated by a handshake agreement with Detwiler's agent, that
The PR staff at Triple-A Syracuse just sent out its game notes for tonight, indicating Matt Chico will make his scheduled start tonight for the Chiefs. If that holds up, and Chico isn't scratched from the game, it remains unclear who will take Luis Atilano's spot in the rotation Sunday against the Brewers. Left-hander Ross Detwiler pitched on Wednesday for Double-A Harrisburg, but he threw
It's well-documented by now what the Nationals thought they were getting this spring when they signed Livan Hernandez, and why wouldn't it be? Everyone knows what they're going to get from Hernandez - and goodness knows enough teams have had the opportunity to put him on their staff. He's good for 200 innings, some of them hectic enough to get the manager reaching for the
The four players most responsible for the Nationals' 7-1 win over the Reds on Thursday afternoon are making a shade over $4 million combined this season. Two of them weren't on the roster at the first of the year; three of them weren't on the roster at the start of last year; and all of them could be gone after this year - some possibly
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Reds game at Great American Ballpark. The Nationals are gunning for a split of the series, and you can talk about it right here by leaving your thoughts in the comments section. As a reminder, your comments will be approved automatically if you log in with a Facebook, Google, AIM, Yahoo or other third-party account. Just click the
The Nationals and Reds finish their four-game series in Cincinnati this afternoon, with a 12:35 start at Great American Ballpark. The Nationals will get their first, and only, look this season at Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez, who has returned from Tommy John surgery - and a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing substances. The former All-Star has pitched one game this season, allowing one run in
The Nationals have been patient with Nyjer Morgan all season, believing the center fielder and leadoff hitter would return to something approaching his 2009 form, if not match the dynamo performance he gave in 49 games with the team last year (a .351 average, .396 OBP, 24 steals and a 13.3 UZR in center field). At last - though it's probably too late to completely
UPDATE AT 11:51 A.M.: Heard from a source with knowledge of the situation that the Nationals have been limiting ticket purchases by groups with Pennsylvania area codes. They appear to be taking some steps to curtail a repeat of Opening Day. I'm sure there will still be a sizable Phillies presence, but probably not to the degree of what happened in April. Four months after
It's hard to believe - or perhaps it's just a fact of baseball - that the Nationals' offense was in the middle of a 23-inning scoreless streak just over 48 hours ago. Now, they've scored 15 runs in their last two games, including eight tonight in an 8-5 win over the Reds, and are showing the earmarks of a complete offense. What the Nationals did
It's easy, and tempting, to separate out Stephen Strasburg's first five innings from the one that finished his night against the Reds. Until the sixth, Strasburg was leafing through the NL's top offense like it was one of the nondescript lineups he'd faced just after getting called up, zipping his fastball inside early and mostly overcoming his spotty control of his breaking ball. But the
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Reds game. I'll post some updates and thoughts on the game throughout, and I'll be chatting live about Stephen Strasburg's ninth big-league start from the fourth through the sixth innings. In the meantime, you can leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section of this post, and I'll respond to you there. -- 7:15: The Nationals
Here are the Nationals and Reds' lineups for Wednesday night's game. Ian Desmond is back in the eighth spot, a day after manager Jim Riggleman said he wasn't going to hit Desmond there as much. But with Nyjer Morgan and Cristian Guzman in the lineup, the top two spots are somewhat locked away. So Desmond hits eighth against Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, who's done a
I decided to head up the road today and catch the Orioles and Rays, and caught up with a couple National League scouts before the game. The consensus from Baltimore continues to be that despite all the talk about the Nationals listening to offers for first baseman Adam Dunn, he's not going anywhere. One longtime scout said he thinks the Nationals will still wind up
We're still at the point where each one of Stephen Strasburg's starts brings a new wrinkle to watch, a set of conditions he hasn't faced yet or an unusual situation to manage. As he passes more and more tests, they become subtler and harder to find. But there's one I'm interested to see tonight: Strasburg and his 100-mph heat in a bandbox of a park
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman told reporters after last night's game that the team would "re-evaluate" Luis Atilano's spot in the rotation after he allowed five runs in four innings in the Nationals' 8-7 loss to the Reds on Tuesday. Quite frequently, that's manager-speak for, "We need to talk about it some more, but we're probably going to send him down to the minors." It doesn't
Of the Nationals' 54 losses this year, their 8-7 defeat against the Reds on Tuesday night has to register as one of their most draining. The Nationals packed a low-grade melodrama into the almost 5 1/2 hours it took to finish the game, falling behind 5-1, enduring a 2:40 rain delay, giving up another three runs with some sloppy defense, pulling within one and ultimately
The Nationals, according to an ESPNDeportes.com report, have signed Cuban pitcher Yuneski Maya, a 28-year-old right-hander who could have the potential to join the team's rotation before the end of the season and give it a jolt in future years. He would be the highest-profile international signing in the team's time in Washington. Maya went 48-29 with a 2.51 ERA in six seasons in the
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Reds game at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. You can talk about the game here in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also post some updates and thoughts on the game below -- we've got enough other things going on here today that I'm going to post the lineups here and consolidate a post.
We talked a little bit yesterday about the idea of giving Adam Dunn the four-year deal he's rumored to want. Like I said yesterday, there's some risk involved in giving Dunn the fourth year, because it would make him a 10-and-5 player (10 years of service time, five with one team) and allow him to block any trades. So the Nationals would have a first
The reports about the Nationals' stance on trading Adam Dunn and/or Josh Willingham have struck a consistent tenor all month - the Nationals aren't going to part with either player for much less than a king's ransom in return. Consider this another report in that vein. I've talked to a couple industry sources today who all say the Nationals are still in no hurry to
I talked with Nationals player development director Doug Harris about a number of minor leaguers this morning. Here's what he had to say about Daniel Rosenbaum, who was promoted from Hagerstown to Potomac this morning, and here's what he had to say in a quick rundown of the rest of the system. -Harris was extremely pleased with the Nationals' entire group of position players at
Left-hander Scott Olsen will make his next rehab start on Thursday for Single-A Potomac at Winston-Salem, the Nationals announced this morning. Olsen, who is recovering from an inflamed left shoulder, should go five innings, and could be in one of his final rehab starts before returning to the big leagues. He allowed an unearned run over four innings in his start for Single-A Hagerstown, striking
Daniel Rosenbaum's impressive season is moving to a new location. The left-hander, who put himself on the Nationals' organizational map at Single-A Hagerstown, was promoted to Single-A Potomac this morning and will pitch for the P-Nats tonight against Salem. Rosenbaum has a 2.32 ERA in 18 starts, and has impressed Nationals officials with his control and ability to change speeds. He's got a 2.45 groundout-to-flyout
The Nationals wake up this morning at 40-53, losers of five of their last six and the farthest below .500 they've been all season. Any chance of turning the 2010 season into a competitive one - if it existed coming out of the All-Star break - is mostly gone, and the end result of the year is looking more and more like it will be
There are only so many ways to state, and restate, the issues the Nationals are having on offense -- and with three more games against the Cincinnati Reds, who have one of the best pitching staffs in the National League, it might be wise to ration those out. The issues the Nationals had all weekend in Florida were the same ones they encountered on Monday
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Reds game in Cincinnati. I'll post updates and analysis below, and you can talk about the game in the comments section: 8:15: The bottom of the second inning was one of the ugliest innings the Nationals have played in a long time. Three walks, a bobbled ball (and then an erratic throw to the infield) by Willie Harris
Got an e-mail a few minutes ago from the Nationals about a couple of first-year players on their Dominican Summer League team heading to the DSL All-Star Game. Right-handed starter Wirkin Esteves, who is 4-3 with a 2.01 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings, made the team, as did third baseman Jean Valdez. He's hitting .245 with two homers and 19 RBI, but
Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, who was scheduled to make his fourth rehab start for Single-A Potomac tonight, has been scratched with a stiff neck, the Nationals announced a couple minutes ago in an e-mail to media members. But the team said the injury is not serious; Zimmermann will be evaluated tomorrow and is expected to pitch later in the week if everything is fine with his
Chicago Tribune baseball columnist Phil Rogers is hearing Adam Dunn wants a four-year, $60 million deal to stay with the Nationals. Here's why that price could make an extension untenable, and possibly force the Nationals' hand to trade him: In the final year of that deal, Dunn would have 10-and-5 rights, meaning he'd have to give approval before the team could move him. Now, it's
The Nationals start a four-game series in Cincinnati tonight, during which they'll face one of the toughest pitching staffs in baseball. That starts tonight with right-hander Johnny Cueto on the mound. No one on the roster has faced the young right-hander much, but in the limited time they've seen him, the Nationals have a couple players with strong career numbers against Cueto. Not surprisingly, they're
By this point in the baseball season, you've probably heard about batting average on balls in play, or BABIP. We're almost four months in, so how could you not? It's seemingly the new vogue stat of the season, used somewhat loosely to quantify luck. The basic idea, if you're not familiar with it, is that a hitter whose BABIP is trending much higher than his
If there's one element of the team that's worked well for the Nationals consistently throughout the season, it's been the bullpen. Early in the season, the Nationals had two relievers that were effective in late-inning situations (Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps), and they'd usually win those games as long as they could avoid a reliever (often Brian Bruney) torching a lead on the way there.
There have been brief periods this year when the Nationals' offense does enough to make you think it's about to get hot, that a season-long malaise is about to give way to the kind of performances the Nationals keep insisting are around the corner. And then there are weekends like these. A 2-0 loss to Marlins ace Josh Johnson wouldn't have been so tough for
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Marlins game down at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. I'm at home today, and I'm just going to post brief stream-of-consciousness thoughts throughout the game. You can chime in by leaving your thoughts in the comments section. I'll respond to you there: --1:16: Nyjer Morgan caught stealing again in the first; his league-leading total is up to 13
Craig Stammen has benefited all season from his ability to regenerate the Nationals' patience with him in the span of one impressive outing. In April, a start after Stammen had gotten yanked in 1 1/3 innings against the Phillies, he came back with eight innings of two-run ball in a win over the Rockies. In May, it was 6 2/3 innings, one earned run and
The Nationals had been shut out four times before tonight. They'd lost to the most dominant pitcher in the game (Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez), an ace rounding back into form after a year of injuries (the White Sox's Jake Peavy), a forgettable pitcher who benefited from their inefficiencies (Kansas City's Brian Bannister) and one of their oldest tormentors (Atlanta's Tim Hudson). None of those games, though,
Left-hander Scott Olsen, making his first rehab start at Single-A Hagerstown after being out since May with left shoulder inflammation, was impressive in his debut. Olsen went four innings, striking out five, hitting a batter and allowing an unearned run. Olsen threw 48 pitches, 36 for strikes. General manager Mike Rizzo told reporters in Florida today that Olsen shouldn't be too far from returning. John
Here are the Nationals' and Marlins' lineups for tonight's game at Sun Life Stadium; things look fairly similar to the usual lineup, though Roger Bernadina is hitting second against Josh Johnson. And if Willie Harris can't get in the lineup tonight, he's going to have a tough time building a stronger case that he should play. His career OPS against Josh Johnson is 1.033 in
He's perhaps the least talked-about player on the team, only getting action in limited doses and in specific situations. Yet Alberto Gonzalez has found his role with the Nationals better this year than perhaps at any time since the team traded for him in 2008. That deal, which came late in the season, gave the Nationals hope Gonzalez could be an everyday player. But he
The Nationals couldn't have hoped to begin the second half of the season more solidly than they did on Friday night, when they beat the Marlins 4-0 in a game that showcased much of the best they can be. Stephen Strasburg got better as the game went along, finishing with his first shutout performance. The Nationals solved Marlins starter RIcky Nolasco in the sixth inning,
The fuel for the Nationals' 4-0 win over the Marlins on Friday night, which started the second half of the season in as impressive a fashion as they could have possibly hoped for, came from the sixth-inning rally that provided all of their offense. Those were the basics: Josh Willingham clearing the bases with a three-run double to right and later scoring on Ivan Rodriguez's
Things couldn't have gone much better for the Nationals in the bottom of the fifth and the top of the sixth. First, Stephen Strasburg got the quick inning he'd been seeking all night, striking out two of the three batters he faced and expending just 12 pitches. Then, the Nationals brought four runs across the plate in the top of the sixth, ensuring Strasburg would
They've played three down in Florida, and Stephen Strasburg's night continues to look like it will be a short one. He's thrown 63 pitches through three innings, walking three and striking out two. And though he hasn't given up a run, he probably won't last much longer than five innings tonight. Strasburg threw curveballs to get himself out of the second, and fastballs to escape
Stephen Strasburg's eighth major league start already looks like it won't be one of his longer ones. He threw 34 pitches in the first inning, walking two batters, but kept the Marlins from scoring in the first. Strasburg frequently missed with his slider off the outside edge of the plate in the first inning, and couldn't clip the corner with his fastball enough to keep
Here is a list of the players Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo considers to be the team's top international signings over the past year -- straight from Rizzo and his assistant, Harolyn Cardozo: 1. Rafael Martin (Mexico, RHP, playing at Double-A Harrisburg, AA All-Star team). 2. Jean Carlos Valdez (DR, age 16, SS, DSL All-Star team) 3. Miguel Angel Navarro (DR, RHS, 16) 4. Randolf
Tonight, when the Nationals face the Marlins and Ricky Nolasco, it will mark the first time in what's likely to be a long series of matchups between Stephen Strasburg and another team's top starter. Nolasco isn't the Marlins' best hurler - that distinction probably belongs to Josh Johnson - but he gets the start in Florida's first game of the second half. And with him
Here is the lineup the Nationals will use down in Miami tonight for the first of three games against the Marlins: Morgan, cf Guzman, 2b Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Rodriguez, c Bernadina, rf Desmond, ss Strasburg, p The lineup looks about the same as it did at the end of the first half, with the only possible exception being that Roger Bernadina is
The Nationals' season-long run of injured catchers continues. Brian Peacock, who had already been hit in the head with a pitch at Single-A Potomac, went on the disabled list today with a compound fracture of his right pinky, according to a press release. Sean Rooney, who has been struggling this season at Double-A Harrisburg, is headed back to Potomac to take his place. Rooney hit
When the Nationals sent Stephen Strasburg to the minors in spring training, they were quick to point out Strasburg's issues while pitching from the stretch. In an effort to hold runners, Strasburg was speeding up his delivery, robbing his fastball of some velocity with men on base. Slowing Strasburg's delivery down was a major focus of the Nationals' work with him in the minors. But
When the Nationals begin the second half of the season tonight in Miami against the Florida Marlins, they'll have little more riding on it than a chance to move up in the standings and build some momentum for 2011. A playoff bid is all but out of the question, and catching the Marlins for fourth place in the NL East would register as an accomplishment.
I'll have more on this later, but a source close to Nationals minor leaguer JR Higley said this morning that the outfielder will be suspended 50 games for taking a banned substance. The outfielder, who is at Single-A Hagerstown, is on an MLB-approved prescription for Adderall to control attention deficit disorder, the source said. According to the source, Higley took one dose of Concerta, another
The Nationals begin the second half of the season tomorrow, with 73 games to play and 11 National League teams in better playoff position than they are. It's a near certainty this season will end with the Nationals out of the playoffs for the sixth time in as many years in Washington. But this season, as much as any since the Nats have been in
We're officially in the second half of the All-Star break now, which means it's time to start looking forward to, well, the second half of the season. I'll have a more thorough look at the key storylines tomorrow, but for now, I'd like to take a quick look at the schedule for the second half. In short: Get ready for a lot of the Braves
For the first time since Bill Clinton was running for re-election, the National League has won the All-Star Game. And Nationals pitcher Matt Capps is the winning pitcher. Capps didn't have to do much to get the win; he struck out Boston's David Ortiz looking to end the sixth inning. But when the NL scored all three of its runs in the seventh inning, Capps
We've been hearing all season about all the injured pitchers the Nationals will eventually welcome back to their rotation. First, a quick primer on where all of them are at in their rehab: Ross Detwiler (torn hip flexor): Done with rehab stint, pitching for Double-A Harrisburg, could get a call-up earlier in the second half than most on this list. Jordan Zimmermann (Tommy John surgery):
I saw some odd news on CBS Sports' fantasy baseball site this morning, claiming the Nationals had designated Doug Slaten for assignment. The left-hander has performed well, compiling a 2.79 ERA and a 1.293 WHIP in 24 appearances. Those sites usually get their news from team press releases or roster moves, so unless the Nationals are playing coy here, something seems off. When asked if
There were two moments in the first half of the season - or two more than possibly any point since 2005 - when the Nationals became the talk of Washington, clambering up to the top of the local sporting conscience for a rare turn as the 'it' team. The first was a slow burn, building through the Capitals' early exit from the NHL playoffs at
General manager Mike Rizzo met with the media a few minutes ago, in a kind of recap of the season's first half. I'll have more on the crux of what Rizzo said in a first-half recap tomorrow, but the two items you're probably most interested in are Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. While Rizzo said his preference is to keep both players, he reiterated the
It's easy to see progress with the Nationals everywhere you look. All that's necessary is turning the calendar back a year, when they were finishing a 26-61 first half and flying back home from Houston, where manager Manny Acta would be fired upon landing at Washington Dulles International Airport Compared to 2009's funeral march feel, everything about 2010 looks good in comparison. But the Nationals
We're in the top of the eighth here at Nationals Park, and after falling behind 5-0 early, the Nationals have crept into it with a couple of runs in the seventh. But they've missed a couple chances to tie the game or take the lead, leaving the bases loaded in both in the sixth and seventh innings. The better shot came in the seventh, when
Welcome to MASN's live chat for today's Nationals-Giants game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction 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're at the game and
If the biggest difference between the 2009 Nationals and the 2010 Nationals is the success of their bullpen - particularly at the end of the game - then the reason Saturday's 10-5 loss to the Giants looked so much like a 2009 game was because of the bullpen falling apart, particularly Tyler Clippard. Clippard's struggles have been ongoing since that series in Baltimore, where he
Through four innings on Saturday night, the Nationals looked to be in good shape. They had ridden through Craig Stammen's shaky second inning, come back on Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez and taken a 5-3 lead on San Francisco. Even into the seventh inning, the Nationals were still in control, leading 5-4. But then the bottom came out. A game the Nationals were planning to ice
Nationals catcher Jesus Flores, whose laundry list of injuries has kept him out for a year and half already, has been shut down from his throwing program again in Viera, Fla, general manager Mike Rizzo said on MASN's broadcast of tonight's Nationals game. Flores had surgery to repair a torn labrum last fall, and has missed all of the season while trying to build strength
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Giants game at Nationals Park. I'll post periodic updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you'd like to discuss the game, you can do so in the comments section. Any questions you've got on the game, leave them there, and I'll respond to you. 7:11: The Nationals didn't give up a run in the first inning against
The Nationals revealed the final pieces of their second-half rotation this afternoon; manager Jim Riggleman said Craig Stammen will pitch the Nationals' third game after the All-Star break next Sunday against the Marlins. J.D. Martin will pitch the team's first game in Cincinnati on Monday. So the full rotation after the break looks like this: Stephen Strasburg, Livan Hernandez, Stammen, Martin and Luis Atilano, who
The awards and recognition have come quickly for Stephen Strasburg - his own Top 10 list on David Letterman his first week in the big leagues, a Sports Illustrated cover a few days after that, NL Player of the Week honors and an All-Star buzz that nearly got him on the National League team for the Midsummer Classic. Add a pair of ESPY nominations to
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the skies are clearing (at least partly) before the Nationals face the Giants tonight. Here are the lineups for tonight's game (I'll add the Giants' full lineup once I have it). As you'll see, Justin Maxwell is immediately in the lineup, leading off against Jonathan Sanchez (who is pitching on the one-year anniversary of his no-hitter). It's primarily because
This feature was birthed after one of the Nationals' many close games this year (they've played 32 one-run games in 87 contests), and though it might work a little better after those games in which little things played a big role. But the show must go on, and we'll dissect the Nationals' blowout win anyway. Here we go: Golden Geese Stephen Strasburg: As I wrote
These are the nights when you see the stuff that separates Stephen Strasburg from your garden-variety triple-digit hurler, if such things exist. Strasburg could feel baseball's great denominator, the institutional knowledge of hitters who have started to figure a pitcher out, coming after him. Baseball people call it "the league adjusting to you," and after the rookie's last two starts, the sands were shifting underneath
This is the kind of night the Nationals have been waiting to give Stephen Strasburg -- one where he could cruise through six innings with a little margin for error, even though he didn't need it. In his last start before the All-Star break, they finally did it. The Nationals hammered Giants starter Matt Cain for eight runs in an 8-1 win over the Giants,
After striking out four batters in the first three innings, Stephen Strasburg has kept an even pace, striking out four more Giants in the next three. He's at eight strikeouts, and 95 pitches, through six innings, having gotten through the sixth in seven pitches. The Nationals had Drew Storen warming in the bullpen, but motioned to slow him down a little when Strasburg got through
Stephen Strasburg's seventh major-league start began on an ominous note - Andres Torres turned on a 3-1 fastball and blasted it to right center for a leadoff home run - but with a couple adjustments, Strasburg is back to dominating. He has struck out four batters through three innings, and hasn't given up a hit since the Torres homer. Throwing a heavy diet of off-speed
Welcome to MASN's live chat for today's Nationals-Giants game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction 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're at the game and
The Nationals optioned starter Luis Atilano to Triple-A Syracuse this afternoon, a move mostly designed to get the right-hander some work while the team is on the All-Star break next week. Atilano will pitch for the Chiefs next Thursday, he said, and expects to rejoin the team on July 20 in Cincinnati, when the Nationals need a fifth starter after the All-Star break. They will
Manager Jim Riggleman said this afternoon that Stephen Strasburg will pitch the Nationals' first game after the All-Star break next Friday against the Marlins, and pitch on a regular schedule after that. Livan Hernandez will have the second start after the break. Riggleman didn't announce any other starters, though he said the Nationals have most of their post-break rotation figured out. Here's a tentative look
Back at Nationals Park this afternoon for the first of three between the Giants and Nationals. The Nationals' lineup has a strange look to it today; after the top four batters, nothing really looks like you'd expect. And against Matt Cain, the Nationals might have trouble scoring runs with this group. Here's how it looks: Giants: Torres - CF Sanchez - 2B Huff - RF
Just wanted to point out our new Nationals home page, which went live today. Some of you have asked for a Nationals-only home page, and some of you have been asking for an easier-to-use spot that contains all of our blogs, and it's here. You'll find our top stories of the day at the top of the page, as well as links to our latest
The last couple days, there's been something on my mind as I watch the ball fly out of Nationals Park over and over: Is this place turning into a hitters' park? It certainly has been in July; the Nationals have homered nine times in seven games, all at home, and allowed eight homers, good for a combined total of 2.42 a game. To put that
Stephen Strasburg's seventh, and final, start of the first half comes tonight when the Nationals play host to the Giants tonight. And aside from his matchup with Tim Hudson in Atlanta last week, tonight will bring the best pitching counterpart Strasburg has faced. The Giants' Matt Cain, a 25-year-old right-hander who has gradually distanced himself from Tim Lincecum's shadow, has been as tough as, if
Whenever he gets a question about the Nationals trying to extend a winning streak, Jim Riggleman reverts to a truism repeated by baseball people for years: "Momentum is only as good as your next starting pitcher." There's nothing that can stop momentum quicker than an opposing starter on a roll or a bad performance from your own pitcher. It's like an electrical current, and either
The Nationals announced this evening they've signed three more picks from the 2010 draft, including Rice shortstop Rick Hague, their third-round pick. They also signed right fielder Kevin Keyes, their seventh-rounder from the University of Texas, and left fielder Randolph Oduber, their 32nd-rounder. They've now signed 28 players from the June Draft, none higher in the draft that Hague. Nats officials were excited about the
Ryan Zimmerman won't be going to his second consecutive All-Star Game. The Nationals third baseman finished second in the National League's Final Man Vote, losing the race for the final spot on the NL roster to Cincinnati's Joey Voto, who led all vote-getters with 13.7 million votes. Zimmmerman made a strong push, hitting three homers since the ballot was announced, but with Votto leading the
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Padres game at Nationals Park. I'll provide updates and analysis here, and if you'd like to weigh in on the game, you can do so in the comments section. I'll respond to you there -- and you have my word on minimal LeBron talk. 7:27: Luis Atilano's ability to escape jams might not be Houdini-like, but it's at
Who is Mat Latos? You probably haven't heard much about him; he pitches on the West Coast, for a relatively anonymous, though surprisingly formidable team, and was left off the National League All-Star team despite a 2.62 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings and the fact he leads the NL in hits per nine innings. Latos, the 22-year-old on the mound for the
Back at Nationals Park this afternoon, where it seems the District's fever has broken a little bit. Temperatures are in the brisk low 90s. Here are the lineups for tonight's Nationals-Padres finale: Padres: Hairston, Jr. - 2B Headley - 3B Gonzalez - 1B S. Hairston - LF Torrealba - C Cunningham - RF Denofria - CF Cabrera - SS Latos - P Nationals: Morgan -
After the Nationals' 7-6 win over the Padres - a game they would've lost without Adam Dunn hitting three homers - the talk about Dunn's future inevitably heated up. Byron Kerr wrote about the strong comments Ryan Zimmerman made arguing for Dunn to stay. Dunn, as you know, is the subject of hot-and-heavy trade rumors this month, with his contract up after the year, the
The Adam Dunn that Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein sees every day is not the Adam Dunn that the rest of the baseball world is convinced they know. This version is a serious student of the game, his devotion occasionally masked by wisecracks but no less genuine. It is the Adam Dunn that stubbornly ignored overtures from American League teams before signing with the Nationals
It became apparent early that this would be one of those nights where the Nationals needed a slugger at their disposal. Fortunately for them, they had one. Adam Dunn had his first three-homer game, hitting all three in innings where the Padres scored runs, as the Nationals outlasted San Diego 7-6 in a game that featured seven home runs. Adam Kennedy replaced Dunn at first
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's game between the Nationals and Padres. I'll provide updates and analysis below, and you can discuss the game in the comments section: 7:35: We've played an inning at Nationals Park, and the Nationals are already beating up on Jon Garland, who's been mostly stellar this season for the Padres after rejecting an offer to come here. The Nationals
If the Nationals' handling of Stephen Strasburg before and up to the point he arrived in the majors was a neatly groomed process, the approach to how they handle him once he gets there is more of an abstractionist art, shaded and tinted one way or the other by rainouts, matchups, aches and pains, always subject to some revision. That's particularly true as the Nationals
Greetings from Nationals Park. Here are the lineups for tonight's game between the Nationals and Padres. Roger Bernadina is back in the lineup for the Nats, batting second, and Adam Kennedy gets the start at second base. Padres: Gwynn - CF Hairston, Jr. - 2B Gonzalez - 1B S. Hairston - LF Headley - 3B Hundley - C Cunningham - RF Cabrera - SS Garland
In July, the Nationals are already winning games with more frequency than they did in June. And they're doing so with exponentially greater dramatic timing. Last night's 6-5 victory over the Padres was their third in five games this month, and all three wins have come walk-off style. Ryan Zimmerman has been involved in the first two, driving in the winning run last Thursday against
There was an interesting moment in the clubhouse after the Nationals' 6-5 win on Tuesday night, when Ryan Zimmerman (the third baseman who won the game with a walk-off homer) was asked about Ian Desmond (the shortstop who almost lost it with an error only to save it with a missile on a relay throw home): "He's young," Zimmerman said. "I think he's very, very
Livan Hernandez left the game in the eighth inning with a 5-2 lead, having pitched seven-plus innings and thrown 111 pitches in 99-degree heat and earning a well-deserved standing ovation. And then everything came apart. Tyler Clippard entered the game with two runners on base, and quickly gave up two singles and a sacrifice fly. Still, the Nationals had a chance to get out of
Ryan Zimmerman, trailing the Reds' Joey Votto in the race for the National League's final All-Star spot by some unspecified, yet assuredly narrow margin (MLB and Sprint want you to vote!), is certainly doing plenty to make his case. Since the five nominees for the Final Man Vote were announced on Sunday, Zimmerman is 4-for-7 with two homers, five RBI and a walk. He hit
We're in the top of the third at Nationals Park, and already, the Nationals have a 3-2 lead on the Padres. That's thanks in no small part to Padres lefty Clayton Richard, who has already walked four batters, two of which scored in the first inning. He got behind Josh Willingham 3-0 with the bases loaded in the second inning, but Willingham swung at the
When Nationals manager Jim Riggleman first laid out the Nationals' plans for Stephen Strasburg, he hinted the rookie probably wouldn't pitch the first series after the All-Star break. But now, the Nationals might be reconsidering that. Riggleman said today it's possible Strasburg will pitch in the first series after the All-Star break in Florida. He said there are a number of matchups the team might
Welcome to MASN's live chat for tonight's Nationals-Padres game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction 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're at the game and
Stephen Strasburg finally discussed his All-Star candidacy with the media this afternoon, two days after he was left off the National League squad. And in the wake of the month-long buzz about the rookie making the team, despite the fact he's made just six major-league starts, Strasburg himself said he didn't deserve to be there yet. "I heard about it a little bit, but I
Before I head out the door for Nationals Park... Here's an interesting piece from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com suggesting the Phillies could wind up being sellers before the trade deadline, though they remain buyers for now. Rosenthal and Morosi suggest the Phillies could make a deal for a big-name pitcher like Cliff Lee (again?!) or Dan Haren. But the most interesting
After 83 games - roughly the halfway point of the season - I started working on a big reader poll about the first half of the season, what the Nationals should do in July, how they should handle key decisions coming up, etc. But I think I'll save that for this time next week, when we're at the All-Star break and everyone's in a more
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and manager Jim Riggleman addressed the Nationals' All-Star selection (Matt Capps), their Final Man Vote candidate (Ryan Zimmerman) and their most high-profile snub (Stephen Strasburg) after Sunday's game. And while Riggleman was more diplomatic about Strasburg -- who has a 2.45 ERA in six starts but who has been in the majors for a month -- missing the team, Rizzo finally
It's tough to know how the Nationals should feel about this series against the Mets. On one hand, they got one quality start and had two pitchers depart before the fourth inning, including Craig Stammen on Sunday. On the other, they managed a split with the National League's third-best team despite not leading at the start of a inning for four days. The Nationals' two
On his way to Nationals Park this morning, Matt Capps called his mother, Kathy, as he typically will on a Sunday. They talked for a few minutes, about nothing out of the ordinary, and Matt Capps hung up as he pulled into the ballpark. But later in the morning, "probably about 10:00 or 10:30," Kathy Capps got another call from her son. The second phone
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's game between the Nationals and Mets. I'll probably be a little sparse on the in-game updates for the first few innings - I'm hacking away at a feature on Matt Capps, who made his first All-Star team today, but I'll join you in greater frequency once that's posted, and in the meantime, you can discuss the game in
I'll have much more on this later, but I wanted to let you know Matt Capps is the Nationals' All-Star representative for the National League team. The closer, who leads the NL in saves, will represent the team on July 13 in Anaheim. Stephen Strasburg was not among the pitchers named to the team, though Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said on TBS's All-Star selection show
A happy Fourth of July from Nationals Park, where the Nationals finish their four-game series with the Mets today at 1:35. Here are the lineups for both teams: Mets: Pagan - CF Cora - 2B Wright - 3B Davis - 1B Bay - LF Francoeur - RF Barajas - C Tejada - SS Takahashi - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Zimmerman -
When the Nationals paired Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen together in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, this wasn't how they imagined the two handing off games to each other. Storen has pitched in four of Strasburg's six starts, but he has only followed Strasburg immediately twice. And in both of those games, he's entered the game in the sixth inning, not the eighth or ninth.
Consider the drama we've seen between the Nationals and Mets in the last two years. We saw Willie Harris make game-saving diving catches in not one, but two New York ballparks, causing the Mets to develop what I've heard is a strong dislike for him. We heard Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa refer to the Nationals' bench as "softball girls," and we watched Elijah Dukes give
Simply an unbelievable finish here at Nationals Park today. The Nationals won 6-5, beating the Mets and closer Francisco Rodriguez in a fashion I'm not even sure they'd believe. After Cristian Guzman's leadoff walk in the ninth, Nyjer Morgan moved him over with a fielder's choice. Willie Harris singled to right, and Ryan Zimmerman walked. That loaded the bases for Adam Dunn, who launched a
It's little consolation for Stephen Strasburg that the Nationals scored two runs too late for him to get a win against the Mets today. But we're tied in the seventh inning after a little rally from the Nationals, and some poor defense from the Mets. They scored a pair of runs in the sixth, though both of them were unearned after a Ruben Tejada error
You can blame it on a small strike zone from home-plate umpire Scott Barry, who is behind the plate for the first time today and trying to judge Stephen Strasburg's unusual stuff. But Stephen Strasburg might be in more trouble today than he's been in during any of his first five major-league starts. He threw 74 pitches through three innings, though he rebounded with a
Welcome to MASN's live chat for today's Nationals-Mets game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction to Stephen Strasburg's sixth big-league start 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.
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the lineups for today's 4:10 p.m. start between the Nationals and Mets. As a reminder, Fox is televising the game nationally - hence the early start time - so you won't be able to find it on MASN. But we'll have complete coverage of the game here and on Twitter. One change to the Nationals' lineup: Willie Harris
The last time the Nationals saw Mets starter Jonathon Niese, they stamped out six runs, drew five walks and knocked the left-hander out of the game in 4 1/3 innings. It was in an 8-6 loss to the Mets on May 11, but that game was the one hiccup in a series that suggested the Nationals would be trending upwards for most of the season.
The Nationals have signed 44-year-old Orlando Hernandez to a minor-league contract, according to two club sources. Hernandez, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007, has been working out at the Nationals' rehab facility in Viera, Fla., for several weeks. The team officially signed him and reported the contract to MLB yesterday. The right-hander, who is the half-brother of Nationals starter Livan Hernandez, last pitched
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Mets game. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and we'll run a live chat between the fourth and sixth innings of the game. If you want to talk about the game in the meantime, leave your comments at the bottom of this entry and I'll respond to them there. I'll put up a live chat window
Jim Riggleman gave his customary update on the Nationals' rotation-in-recovery this afternoon - Jordan Zimmermann makes his first rehab start tomorrow for Single-A Potomac, Jason Marquis is "throwing pretty pain-free," Garrett Mock is a ways away and Ross Detwiler, who is building up arm strength at Double-A Harrisburg, might be the closest to returning of the Nationals' injured pitchers. But then Riggleman added this caveat:
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Mets' lineups for tonight's game: Mets: Pagan - CF Tejada - SS Wright - 3B Davis - 1B Bay - LF Barajas - C Francoeur - RF Cora - 2B Niese - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Guzman - 2B Dunn - 1B Zimmerman - 3B Willingham - LF Rodriguez - C Morse - RF
In last night's 2-1 win over the Mets, the Nationals got something they haven't had for the better part of a month: clutch hitting. Now, they didn't get it in especially large doses, but it was enough for a win against a contending team and it set them up to, at worst, split the series with their divisional rival. They have three games left with
A couple minor transactions to pass along, concerning key players from the 2009 team: -The Nationals activated catcher Carlos Maldonado, who had missed a month with a broken right thumb, from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Maldonado was called up to fill in for Ivan Rodriguez while he was on the disabled list last month. -Mike MacDougal, who saved 20
The symbolism was hard to miss: The Nationals, coming off the third-worst month in franchise history, were headed toward losing another game in the fashion they dropped so many in June - a low-scoring game where their starter pitched well enough to win, but the team instead went home with a loss. They were trailing 1-0 in the seventh, having just pinch hit for Livan
In the bottom of the third inning, the Nationals had Wil Nieves on third with one out. He didn't score. They got Ian Desmond there with one out in the fifth - after a double that could've been a game-tying homer had it gone a foot in any other direction. He didn't score, either. They had runners on first and second with one out in
The Nationals are down 1-0 to the Mets after three innings here at Nationals Park, and Livan Hernandez is spending quite a bit of time getting himself in and out of trouble already. Hernandez has thrown 48 pitches through three innings, but has given up four hits and one run to the Mets. He stranded runners on second and third in the second inning. He
Welcome to MASN's live chat for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction 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're at the game and
It's officially July, which means Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, and plenty of others, will be inundated with questions about who's staying and who's going, who's a candidate to head out of town in a trade and who can make plans to be here for the long term. That's a rite of the month in every major-league clubhouse, and to get out in front of it,
Back at Nationals Park this afternoon for the first of four between the Nationals and Mets. Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Mets and starter Johan Santana; I'll post the Mets' lineup once it's available: Mets: Feliciano - CF Tejada - SS Wright - 3B Davis - 1B Francoeur - RF Carter - LF Blanco - C Cora - 2B Santana
I realize that's an obvious title for this blog post, and now that I'm typing on a MacBook, you expect more of me. I haven't quite adapted to my new creative powers yet, as you can see. Bear with me. I'll get there. Anyway, I was looking back at some numbers from the Nationals' month of June, and it wasn't until I compared it to
