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In one of the tightest, most crisply-played games the Nationals have been involved with this year, after a pitching performance that joined Stephen Strasburg's debut as the best of the year, a win turned into a loss on a couple of plays at the plate. There was little the Nationals did wrong in a 1-0 loss to the Marlins - they gave up three hits,
If there's one pitcher who had the power to make Nationals fans regain some hope in the wake of Stephen Strasburg's impending Tommy John surgery, it's Jordan Zimmermann. The 24-year-old is one of the few legitimate studs in the Nationals' group of young pitchers, with the kind of shutdown stuff to put him at or near the front of a rotation. The Nationals hadn't seen
Stephen Strasburg will have Tommy John surgery on Friday in Los Angeles after getting a second opinion on his right elbow from Dr. Lewis Yocum, general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters in Florida. Strasburg will rehab in San Diego before reporting to spring training in Viera, Fla. According to the reports, Strasburg tested surprisingly well on physical examinations, but a second MRI arthrogram confirmed the
Jordan Zimmermann, making his second start of the season after returning from Tommy John surgery, looks much better so far than he did in his first outing. Zimmermann has allowed one hit in his first three innings against the Marlins, striking out three batters. The Nationals and Marlins are scoreless in the top of the fourth. Zimmermann's fastball is sitting in the low 90s, topping
When Jim Riggleman shook up his lineup before Thursday's game against the Cardinals, the Nationals manager admitted he was partially trying different things until something worked. Frankly, I'm surprised the Nationals' current look is what's succeeded. But, at least for a few games, it has. The Nationals are 4-0 with Adam Kennedy in the leadoff spot, and 4-0 with Roger Bernadina batting third. The last
Here are the Nationals' and Marlins' lineups for tonight's game at Sun Life Stadium. Adam Kennedy, again, is leading off for the Nationals, with Roger Bernadina still hitting third, Adam Dunn batting fifth and Nyjer Morgan hitting eighth. If it's working - and everyone's cool with it (more on that in a few minutes) - why change it, right? Nationals: Kennedy - 2B Desmond -
By now, Bryce Harper has entered the nuts-and-bolts phase of his professional career, starting workouts with the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, Fla. From there, he'll play in the team's fall instructional league, possibly move on to the Arizona Fall League and get ready for spring training. The Nationals' longer-term plan for Harper is less clear. They speak of wanting him to move
After waiting nearly three hours to start their game with the Florida Marlins on Monday night, the Nationals made it worth their while, winning 9-3 over the Marlins and running their win streak to three. Jason Marquis got his first win of the year, allowing three runs in 5 2/3 innings, the Nationals' bullpen recorded nine of its 10 outs by strikeouts and once again,
The Nationals and Marlins have sloshed their way through six innings, and Washington is up 5-3 in the top of the seventh. Jason Marquis allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings, though he allowed a homer to light-hitting catcher Brett Hayes in the bottom of the sixth. It turned a good start into an average one, but it's the third time in a row Marquis
After a two-hour, 49-minute rain delay, the Nationals and Marlins are playing in front of a few close friends at Sun Life Stadium. The field is a mess, but they're going to try and get this one in. I'll have a couple posts during the game for the night owls.
According to a story in the Patriot-News yesterday, 44-year-old relieve Orlando Hernandez, the half-brother of Livan Hernandez and a big part of the Nationals' pitch to sign Yunesky Maya, has left the team. The story cited two sources who said Hernandez was upset he didn't get a shot to get to the majors, but player development director Doug Harris shot that down, saying it was
Here are the lineups for the Nationals' and Marlins' 7:10 game at Sun Life Stadium. The Nationals' lineup has mostly the same look as it did on Saturday and Sunday, with Alberto Gonzalez playing shortstop instead of Ian Desmond, Adam Kennedy leading off again, Roger Bernadina back in the third spot and Nyjer Morgan hitting eighth. UPDATE AT 6:09 P.M.: Dan Uggla has been scratched
For two teams that aren't in the same division - and that have managers who profess a great deal of mutual respect for one another - the Nationals and Cardinals sure got on each other's nerves over the weekend. There was Thursday's 13-inning game, where Drew Storen drilled St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday with a pitch on the left wrist. And on Saturday, Nyjer Morgan
The biggest factor in the Nationals' 4-2 win over the Cardinals yesterday was the performance of John Lannan, who allowed a run in 7 2/3 innings. But Lannan's style of pitching only works as well as the defense behind him is playing, and to that end, the Nationals were particularly good on Sunday. They made one error - when Ian Desmond muffed a grounder while
When he's at his best, John Lannan is a study in pitching simplicity. There's nothing fancy about the 24-year-old left-hander; he simply stands on the mound, drives his two-seam fastball down in the strike zone, turns and watches as batters beat it into the ground and toward the Nationals' infielders, and repeats. Pitch counts stay down, games are over in two and a half hours,
The Nationals announced this afternoon they have signed Livan Hernandez to a contract extension that will keep the right-hander in Washington through the 2011 season. Hernandez, who signed a $900,000 minor-league deal in February, has become one of the biggest success stories of the Nationals' season. He's posted a 3.49 ERA in 27 starts, has thrown 175 1/3 innings and is tied for the team
Wilson Ramos, who hasn't played since Aug. 25 after pulling up on his way to second base, is back in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse tonight. The catcher will start for the Chiefs in their 5:00 game against Lehigh Valley. Ramos, who was acquired in the July 29 trade that sent Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins, is expected to be among the Nationals' September
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Cardinals game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the day, and if you want to participate, leave your comments at the bottom of this post. I'll respond to you there, and we'll probably put a live chat into this window in the middle innings. 1:46: Roger Bernadina knocks a ground-rule double over the fence in
The Nationals' 14-5 win over the Cardinals on Saturday night did wonders to mend some of the wounds inflicted on them in one of their toughest weeks of the year. The game was much closer than the final score looked - Washington broke it open in the eighth inning - but in front of a riled-up crowd, the Nationals fed off the adrenaline. "It was
There are weeks in each baseball season that test a team's resolve, where it feels like the baseball gods have conspired against them, doing battle with every bad break, nasty starting pitcher or unfortunate injury possible. This has been the epitome of one of those weeks for the Nationals. They'd scored just seven runs in their last six losses, failing to score a run in
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Cardinals game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis here throughout the night, and if you want to participate, leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll respond to you there. If there are enough of you interested in chatting on a Saturday night, speak up in the comments section and we'll go live. 7:15: The last
Jim Riggleman got a handful of questions about the Nationals' odd-looking lineup today, which has Adam Kennedy leading off, Roger Bernadina hitting third, Adam Dunn hitting fifth and Nyjer Morgan hitting eighth. Essentially, Riggleman wanted to see Kennedy at the top of the lineup, and Ian Desmond has been hot this month in the No. 2 spot. He wanted to keep Dunn behind Zimmerman in
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Cardinals play the third game of their four-game series tonight at 7:05. Judging from the lineup, manager Jim Riggleman has decided on some shakeups to get a few players out of their slumps - Adam Dunn is hitting fifth, and Nyjer Morgan is batting eighth. Here are the lineups for both teams: Cardinals: Schumaker - RF
It's difficult, if not impossible, to quantify what Stephen Strasburg meant to the Nationals from a pure dollars-and-cents standpoint this year, but we can safely assume it was big. We know this much: Strasburg's jersey was the top seller in baseball in June, and the Nationals have sold more Strasburg jerseys than any in their history. Their average attendance for Strasburg home games was 33,446,
A couple of you have been asking about Wilson Ramos, who hasn't been in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse the last two days and didn't catch Yunesky Maya on Friday night. According to two sources with the Chiefs, Ramos pulled up awkwardly heading into second a couple days ago, but is not seriously hurt; manager Trent Jewett has just been resting him. Jewett brought him
The Nationals, as manager Jim Riggleman is fond of saying, were right there on Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. For the third time in four series, they're playing a team contending for a playoff spot, and they were right there. At some point, though, that stops becoming a positive and starts becoming a problem. The Nationals were right there with a chance to
The Nationals are finally on the scoreboard, trailing the Cardinals 4-1 after Willie Harris' pinch homer. But they should only be down 4-2. Before Harris hit his homer into the Nationals' bullpen, Nyjer Morgan got picked off first. It was the 11th time that's happened this year, in addition to the 14 times he's been caught stealing and the four other outs he's committed on
Yunesky Maya - one of the Nationals pitching prospects that will likely be counted on next year to help the team absorb the loss of Stephen Strasburg - struck out six batters in 4 2/3 at Triple-A Syracuse tonight, allowing only an unearned run. He walked three, also balking and throwing a wild pitch, but gave up just two hits and got six groundouts against
After putting their fans through the tragedy of Stephen Strasburg today, the Nationals are rounding out the day with a little comedy - of errors. They committed three in the top of the third inning - via Adam Dunn's glove, Ivan Rodriguez's errant throw to second and Alberto Gonzalez's muffed grounder - and they trail the Cardinals 3-0. It's only the second time in Nationals
The day Stephen Strasburg found out he would need Tommy John surgery, Jordan Zimmermann officially completed his comeback from the same operation, making his first major league start just over a year after having the operation done. Zimmermann's first big-league start of the year didn't go how he wanted - he allowed five runs in four innings -but his recovery from the surgery has to
Mike Rizzo sat in the Nationals Park press conference room around this time yesterday, beaming as the Nationals' newest future cornerstone, Bryce Harper, was introduced to the media. He wasn't going to let it on at the time, but he probably already knew that the No. 1 pick the Nationals took the year before Harper - Stephen Strasburg - would be lost for a year.
Stephen Strasburg and Mike Rizzo met with the media a short while ago to discuss his elbow injury and his upcoming Tommy John surgery. It was probably the most animated and open we've seen Strasburg in a while; the 22-year-old said he aims to be "the best at everything," and now, that includes Tommy John rehab. Here are the highlights of what they said: --On
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Cardinals resume their four-game series after a 13-inning Nationals win last night - and the bombshell of Stephen Strasburg's need for Tommy John surgery this morning. Nonetheless, the show must go on. Here are the lineups for tonight's game: Cardinals: Craig - RF Jay - CF Pujols - 1B Holliday - LF Lopez - 2B Feliz
There are lots of questions floating around early this afternoon about Stephen Strasburg's torn ulnar collateral ligament, which will likely require Tommy John surgery that will cause him to miss most of next year. So I'll handle a few of them in an FAQ format, and you can ask any others by leaving them in the comments section. We'll probably also do a live chat
Stephen Strasburg has a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament that will probably require Tommy John surgery, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said this morning. Strasburg, who came out of last Saturday's game against the Phillies in the fifth inning after throwing a changeup to Domonic Brown, was initially diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm. He was examined in Philadelphia
In about 10 minutes, the Nationals will announce the results of Stephen Strasburg's MRI arthrogram, and what their plans are for the pitcher the rest of the season. Like I said last night, it would seem odd if they're having a conference call "with all of the major players," as a team spokesman put it, to say everything's fine. I'm hoping to have an initial
A Nationals spokesman told beat writers a few minutes ago that the team will hold a conference call in the morning to update the media on Stephen Strasburg's health. To me, there's no way you hold a conference call to say everything's fine. We'll have much more in the morning, but I'd be preparing for bad news on Strasburg, who left his start last Saturday
When Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond were coming up together through the Nationals' system - heck, even the Montreal Expos' system - their paths to the big leagues seemed circuitous at best, uncharted at worst. By the time last season started, each one had been in the organization for more than five seasons, and Bernadina's 26 games in the majors were all the two players
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Cardinals game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you'd like to chime in, leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll respond to you there. 7:25: We're in the middle of the second, and Jordan Zimmermann has already found some trouble. He walked Felipe Lopez on four straight fastballs to start
Bryce Harper just finished up his introductory press conference at Nationals Park, flanked by Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and agent Scott Boras. But the show mostly belonged to the 17-year-old, who said all the right things and had enough one-liners to keep reporters laughing. Here are the highlights, and my observations, from the 20-minute press conference: --If it wasn't apparent already, Harper isn't awed or
Bryce Harper's first batting practice session at Nationals Park had plenty of observers, many of them in a position of influence in the Nationals organization and all of them impressed. One of them was Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein, the man who will be overseeing the hitting philosophy used with Harper in the minors and, he hopes, will eventually be working with Harper in the
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where Bryce Harper just finished putting on a show during early BP. We'll have plenty more from the No. 1 overall pick's introduction at Nationals Park. But for now, here are the lineups for tonight's Nationals-Cardinals game: Cardinals: Lopez - SS Jay - CF Pujols - 1B Holliday - LF Winn - RF Molina - C Schumaker - 2B Feliz
Bryce Harper is taking his first round of batting practice at Nationals Park this afternoon, with plenty of Nationals executives, coaches and his agent Scott Boras looking on, and he's putting on a show. Dressed in Nationals workout gear and sporting a mohawk, Harper has already knocked one off the facing of the third deck, and then put one in the third deck. He hit
At 5:45 p.m. today - nearly 10 days after they signed him, almost three months after they drafted him and more than a year after his future with the team because a near-certainty - the Nationals will finally introduce Bryce Harper to the public in Washington. It won't be as festive an affair - if festive is the word you want to use - as
The Nationals' offense, once again, drug them down on Wednesday night, unable to do much other than strike out against Cubs starter Ryan Dempster while Jason Marquis was throwing his . The Nationals have scored 13 runs in their last six games, and if you take out an 8-1 victory over the Phillies - their only win in that stretch - they have five runs
Major League Baseball just announced it has suspended Nyjer Morgan for seven games after the Nationals outfielder threw a ball into the stands in the ninth inning of the team's 8-1 win over the Phillies. Morgan was also fined an undisclosed amount and is appealing the suspension, which was scheduled to begin tonight. As such, Morgan is still in the lineup. According to MLB's news
The outing Jason Marquis had for the Nationals on Wednesday was the one they've been waiting for him to put together all year. In fact, it's the kind of performance they paid $15 million to secure over the next two years. Marquis finally calmed his sinker down after a year-long rodeo with the pitch, getting 10 groundouts with it. He made pitches with "conviction," as
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Cubs game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you've got thoughts on the game, leave them in the comments section. I'll respond to you there. 7:23: The Nationals and Cubs have played one, with Jason Marquis surviving his own walk, a balk and Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error on Marlon Byrd's grounder.
MASN color commentator Rob Dibble is taking several days off, after comments he made on his Sirius XM radio show about Stephen Strasburg's injured forearm attracted national attention. After Strasburg came out of Saturday's game against the Phillies with a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm, Dibble said on his radio show that the Nationals were being cautious with Strasburg, but went on to
Nationals outfielder Josh Willingham had successful surgery on Wednesday to clean up cartilage damage in his left knee. Willingham was put on the disabled list with a torn medial meniscus last week, and team trainer Lee Kuntz said the surgery, performed by Dr. Wiemi Douoguih, filed down and smoothed out rough edges in the outfielder's cartilage. Willingham is slated for a four-to-six week rehab, and
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman finally confirmed what has been suspected all week and reported in various corners - that Jordan Zimmermann will return to the majors on Thursday to take the injured Stephen Strasburg's spot in the rotation. Zimmermann, of course, is making his own comeback from injury, having returned from Tommy John surgery that ended his season last August. It's easily forgotten in the
Here is the Nationals' weekly minor league report, courtesy of PR man Bill Gluvna. Your usual dose of farm system updates and puns is below. I'm a particularly big fan of, "I'm Chuck James!" Unfortunately, the entire pun (a Chappelle's Show reference) isn't there. But hey, we've got to keep it clean for the kids: MOORE POWER!: With 28 home runs and 102 RBI, Single-A
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the lineups for tonight's Nationals-Cubs game: Cubs: Fukudome - RF Castro - SS Byrd - CF Ramirez - 3B Hoffpauir - 1B Soriano - LF DeWitt - 2B Soto - C Dempster - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Bernadina - LF Morse - RF Kennedy - 2B Nieves -
Another reporter asked me last night if I thought John Lannan showed up Jim Riggleman in his postgame comments, and I said no; nothing Lannan said stuck out to me in that regard. I saw a few of you mentioning it today. Here it is, so everyone knows what we're talking about: In his postgame interview with Debbi Taylor, Lannan was asked about the bullpen
The Nationals' loss to the Cubs last night was largely uneventful for seven innings, as the Nationals struggled to mount any kind of a rally against Carlos Zambrano while the Cubs struck two big blows against John Lannan. But things got awfully interesting in the last two innings; the Nationals came a run from tying the game in the ninth, partially because they left the
There might not be a more volatile pitch in baseball than the slider. Good ones become devastating weapons, a wipeout pitch that can turn a starter into a star; bad ones hang in the strike zone before they become souvenirs. It's the pitch most linked to Tommy John surgeries for the stress it puts on a pitcher's elbow, but its allure - more powerful than
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Cubs game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and you can weigh in by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below this post. I'll respond to you there. 7:15: John Lannan threw 19 pitches in the first inning, 14 of them strikes and 13 of them fastballs, and escaped without a run
The Nationals officially put Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list with a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm a couple minutes ago, recalling reliever Collin Balester from Triple-A Syracuse. Balester, a converted starter, was in the majors for a two-week stint in late July and early August, posting a 5.40 ERA in five appearances that were most noteworthy for the two batters he hit
Nationals trainer Lee Kuntz met with the media today for a round of injury updates. Here's what he had to say, coupled with one update on Ian Desmond. Desmond is out of the lineup for the second straight day, resting a sore right thumb he's had to contend with at various points during the season. Manager Jim Riggleman was planning to give Desmond the day
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Cubs' lineups for tonight's game: Cubs: DeWitt - 2B Castro - SS Nady - 1B Ramirez - 3B Baker - RF Soto - C Soriano - LF Colvin - CF Zambrano - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Bernadina - LF Rodriguez - C Morse - RF
The Nationals have extended their agreements with Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg, as we discussed the last two days. And in a fan Q&A for his blog on MASNsports.com, general manager Mike Rizzo said the Nationals are hoping to secure long-term agreements with their Single-A affiliates at Potomac and Hagerstown. That's not surprising. Both are located close to Washington, and they make sense for the
Good morning. I'm going a little bit Buster Olney-style with this, cobbling together a couple notes in bullet-point format. But if you're going to imitate somebody, might as well imitate the best, right? - Jordan Zimmermann, who will be called up to pitch for Stephen Strasburg on Thursday, according to a source in the organization, represents a shot of hope for the Nationals. He's seen
The term "dog days of summer" is made for nights like these, when a baseball team with little of consequence left in its season is playing games simply because the schedule dictates that it must. Motivation comes from abstract places, and some nights, it's not there at all. Was it surprising, then, that the Nationals played one of their worst games of the year on
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Cubs game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the game, and if you'd like to weigh in with your thoughts, leave them in the comments section. I'll respond to you there. 7:11: We're underway here, on what might be the most pleasant night we've had for baseball all summer. Livan Hernandez cruised through the first
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said a few minutes ago that Stephen Strasburg, who came out of his start on Saturday with a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm, won't make his scheduled start on Thursday. He will be evaluated further, and Riggleman said it's likely Strasburg will go on the 15-day disabled list. If Jordan Zimmermann, himself coming back from Tommy John surgery, isn't
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the lineups for tonight's game with the Cubs: Cubs: DeWitt - 2B Castro - SS Byrd - CF Ramirez - 3B Nady - 1B Colvin - RF Soriano - LF Soto - C Coleman - P Nationals: Morgan - CF Kennedy - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Bernadina - LF Rodriguez - C Harris - RF
The Nationals have another one of their minor league affiliates back in the fold, announcing today they have agreed to a new two-year contract with Double-A Harrisburg, extending the franchise's 19-year affiliation with Harrisburg. A few of you were asking over the last couple days if the Nationals were going to move their Double-A team to Richmond, where the San Francisco Giants currently have an
Some members of the Nats' beat writer crew jokingly refer to Single-A Potomac's Tyler Moore as "my boy," for the high volume of copy I devote to him. Frankly, it's a little hard not to write about the guy. He just won his fourth Carolina League Player of the Week Award in six weeks, going 11-for-24 with four homers, two doubles, 13 RBI and six
There's a high probability the Nationals' rotation won't look the same at the end of this week as it does now. Stephen Strasburg presumably had an MRI on his right forearm yesterday, and the Nationals will announce the results, as well as their plan for the pitcher, later today. Jordan Zimmermann looks ready to be in the majors after five shutout innings on Friday, and
PHILADELPHIA | After his start against the Phillies on Sunday, his fourth loss in five games since returning from the disabled list, Scott Olsen got the standard opening question most pitchers get from reporters after their outings: What did he think of his start? "It was OK," Olsen replied curtly. And that's the problem: It was just OK. At a time when the Nationals are
PHILADELPHIA | Maybe it was a one-hour, 44-minute rain delay, and maybe it was the effect of facing four pitchers in six days with a combined 15 All-Star appearances between them. Or maybe it was just an offense that's been thinned by injuries showing signs of stress. But the Nationals' offense looked listless on Sunday. That much is tough to refute. They were shut out
PHILADELPHIA | We're in a rain delay at Citizens Bank Park, and as you can see from this picture, it could be a little bit. So here are a couple minor league updates while we wait it out: Yunesky Maya started for Single-A Potomac today, and the results weren't pretty; he gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings, including five runs in
PHILADELPHIA | Welcome to MASN's live blog for today's Nationals-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. In my never-ending quest to improve the in-game coverage around here, I'm playing around with something new again today. I'm going to post updates and analysis throughout the game in the window below -- and I'll tweet most of the things I post there. I'm going to keep that window
The Nationals announced today they have extended their contract with Triple-A Syracuse for another two years, keeping the organization's top farm team where it's been for the last two years. Washington moved its Triple-A team to Syracuse from Columbus, Ohio after the 2008 season. It's the first time since the team came to Washington that it has extended a contract with its Triple-A team; the
PHILADELPHIA | Just a quick update on Stephen Strasburg, before I get in front of a computer and am able to type more: The Nationals will get an MRI on Strasburg's strained flexor tendon later today. They're not making any decisions about Strasburg's next start, or the rest of the season, until then. General manager Mike Rizzo said Strasburg did some light throwing this morning,
PHILADELPHIA | Good morning from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals and Phillies finish their three-game series at 1:35 this afternoon. Here is the Nationals' lineup for Sunday -- I'll post the Phillies' lineup once I get it. Nationals: Morgan - CF Desmond - SS Dunn - 1B Zimmerman - 3B Bernadina - LF Morse - RF Kennedy - 2B Nieves - C Olsen -
PHILADELPHIA | If the Nationals' 8-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night wasn't their best game of the year, it was certainly close. They scored three runs in the first inning off Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick, first silencing the boos and taunts from the Citizens Bank Park sellout crowd and then turning them on the Phillies' erratic pitcher. Ian Desmond had four hits, scored
PHILADELPHIA | Stephen Strasburg, who was in the middle of one of his best starts of the season, instead has stopped the collective heartbeat of the Nationals' organization once again. Strasburg left Saturday's game against the Phillies, which was shaping up to be one of his best starts of the year, with a strained flexor tendon in his forearm. He will have an MRI in
PHILADELPHIA | Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, where Stephen Strasburg is facing the two-time National League champions for the first time. Strasburg's bullpen session in front of the typically harsh fans was tame; there were fans packed three-deep against the railing above the Nationals' bullpen, but most of them were just snapping pictures or taking video, not
PHILADELPHIA | Last month, Stephen Strasburg was scheduled to face the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park, until his schedule got thrown off course by his shoulder inflammation and stint on the disabled list. But from my perspective, that just created an even more perfect backdrop for the Nationals rookie's first meeting with the two-time National League champions. Strasburg takes the mound tonight at Citizens Bank
PHILADELPHIA | Back at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon, after my first foray into the world of south Philadelphia cheesesteak shops. For those who were offering suggestions on Twitter, thanks for all your ideas. I wound up at Pat's, since a number of you said that's a place I've got to visit at least once. Besides, my good friend Matt Anderson, who grew up in
The two plays Adam Dunn made - or didn't make - in the Nationals' 1-0 loss to the Phillies seem to be the ones everyone is talking about today. And with good reason; had Dunn gotten a better jump, or had better range, Raul Ibanez's go-ahead double probably would have been a groundout to first. Ian Desmond's throwing error, which bounced off the top of
PHILADELPHIA | The Nationals' 1-0 loss to the Phillies on Friday was the kind of game they've made a fairly consistent habit of losing lately, especially on the road. They've lost 16 of their last 23 one-run games, and dropped 15 straight by one run on the road. Friday's loss squandered a solid performance from Jason Marquis - which is to say, the kind of
PHILADELPHIA | Every once in a while, you get those games from Nationals rookie shortstop Ian Desmond that serve as a three-hour primer about what he is - aggression and recklessness, rough edges and baseball smarts all in one package. It's why the Nationals are being patient with the mistakes: because they see so much good in Desmond once his game eventually rounds into form.
PHILADELPHIA | Let's get this out of the way first: Jason Marquis' best start of the year should not be a five-inning outing in August when he gave up four hits, walked four and threw 94 pitches. He'd be the first one to admit it. But compared to the rest of Marquis' work this year, Friday's start looked like a masterpiece. This, after all, was
PHILADELPHIA | The Nationals' early-season trademark, as much as anything, was their ability to win games they should have lost. They'd overcome a mediocre outing from their starter, hold iPad-thin late-inning leads, and generally make a habit out of surviving. In the first two months of the year, they were 9-6 in one-run games. At that point, it looked less like a product of good
PHILADELPHIA | The good news for the Nationals: Jason Marquis, for the first time this year, gave them a chance to win. The bad news: For the first time this year, they had a chance to win against Roy Halladay, and didn't get it done. Despite Marquis turning in his first solid outing of the year, allowing one run in five innings, the Nationals squandered
Jordan Zimmermann, making what could be his final minor-league start before returning to the majors, was stellar again for Triple-A Syracuse tonight. He threw five shutout innings, giving up one hit and one walk against Louisville. He struck out five, and according to a tweet from the Chiefs' radio broadcasters, he retired 11 in a row at one point, letting one ball out of the
PHILADELPHIA | Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night here, and you can leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section. And from the fourth through the sixth innings, I'll be chatting live in this space about the game and the team. 7:18: Missed opportunity there in the first
Outfielder Josh Willingham, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a torn meniscus in his left knee, is currently at home in Alabama resting. He'll come back to Washington next week for an examination of his knee when the team returns home next week. But general manager Mike Rizzo wouldn't guarantee that the left fielder would need surgery. "Surgery hasn't been scheduled. I don't
Here's the current state of the Nationals' rotation: Stephen Strasburg is in it, until he runs out of innings. Livan Hernandez is in, and John Lannan appears to be a fixture again. Scott Olsen looks in, even though he's struggled lately, and for the moment, Jason Marquis is in. Jordan Zimmermann, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, pitches for Triple-A Syracuse tonight, and the
Bryce Harper's professional career will begin sometime next week, when the Nationals introduce him to the media at Nationals Park and send him to the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, Fla., for the end of their season. But Harper won't play any games for the rookie league team, general manager Mike Rizzo said today. Rizzo said Harper will work out with the team
PHILADELPHIA | Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals and Phillies start their three-game series tonight at 7:05. Jason Marquis faces Roy Halladay, in what, as the Post's Adam Kilgore pointed out earlier this week, bears excellent reverse lock potential. Here are tonight's lineups: Nationals: Morgan - CF Desmond -SS Dunn - 1B Zimmerman - 3B Bernadina - LF Morse - RF Rodriguez -
The first two starts Jason Marquis made in a Nationals uniform came against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he got hammered in both of them. At that point, it looked more like a fluke than a regular occurrence; Marquis had a long track record as a reliable - not spectacular - big-league pitcher, and it was easy enough to write off his first two outings as
UPDATE AT 3:43 P.M.: The Nationals have transferred Mock to Triple-A Syracuse, where he'll pitch on Tuesday. Garrett Mock - remember him? - made a rehab start for Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday, the next step in his return from the neck surgery he had in April. He gave up four runs in five innings, done in more by an aggressive Erie lineup than anything else,
Wilson Ramos, called up from Triple-A Syracuse to give the Nationals a second catcher while Wil Nieves is on leave to be with his wife and their newborn daughter, went 0-for-4 in his first game with the Nationals, striking out twice. But the 23-year-old at least did it while building some good at-bats. Ramos, who was acquired in the trade that sent Matt Capps to
The Nationals' 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves this afternoon - coming after they had been thumped in the first game of the series and nipped in the second - will go down as one of their better victories of the second half, if only for the number of resurgent players that contributed to it. John Lannan, continuing to re-establish his spot in the rotation,
Michael Morse has been getting his chance all month to prove he belongs in the lineup every day, and for the most part, that's meant the game catching up to Morse as he logs enough at-bats to flatten out any spikes in the bell curve. But Morse will continue to get chances the rest of the year with Josh Willingham out for the year. And
The Nationals officially put Josh Willingham on the 15-day disabled list this morning with a torn medial meniscus, making a move that will likely lead to season-ending surgery for the left fielder. Willingham had played through pain in his left knee all season, and an MRI done in April showed an issue with his meniscus, though doctors weren't sure at that time if it was
The Nationals and Braves finish their three-game series at 1:10 p.m. today, with John Lannan facing Derek Lowe, whom the Nationals have had the most success against of all the Braves' top pitchers. Lowe hasn't recorded a win against Washington in his last four appearances, or a quality start in his last three. In those last three outings, the Nationals have scored at least four
Two quick, unrelated things before I go to bed, grouped in this blog post only for the sake of convenience: Catcher Wil Nieves and his wife Yormarie welcomed their first daughter into the world on Wednesday. Marie Isabel Nieves, born at 5:28 p.m., measured 20.5 inches and weighed 7.06 pounds. Both mother and child are doing well, according to the Nationals' PR staff. Nieves could
The Nationals' 3-2 loss to the Braves on Wednesday night has to be several degrees more frustrating than their 10-2 defeat on Tuesday night for a couple reasons. First, Livan Hernandez battled Tim Hudson to a stalemate, with both pitchers leaving the game after seven innings and the game tied at two. That's a victory of sorts for the Nationals, who came into the night
The Nationals and Braves are tied at two in the top of the eighth inning, having given up a couple runs on a double-play groundout and a single in the fifth inning. Livan Hernandez, as he has most of the season, turned in a commendable outing. He overcame nine hits and some spotty defense to last seven innings, allowing just two runs. But they'll have
So far, this is shaping up to be a momentous occasion indeed: The Nationals have an early lead on Tim Hudson. The Braves pitcher has been one of the Nationals' most reliable tormentors; his worst start against them in his last four outings was a seven-inning, two-run performance in May, and he is 10-1 with a 1.49 ERA against them in his career. But tonight,
Here are the Nationals' and Braves' lineups for tonight's game at Turner Field. Wilson Ramos, who will be added to the roster for tonight's game, will not be in the lineup; Ivan Rodriguez will catch Livan Hernandez. Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Rodriguez - C Kennedy - 2B Morse - RF Harris - LF Hernandez - P
We're putting together another edition of Nationals GM Mike Rizzo's blog this week, and I'm taking questions for a fan Q-and-A in this installment. If you've got questions, leave them in the comments section and I'll pass them along. You've read enough from Rizzo by now to know that he's not going to spill everything in response to a question about Adam Dunn's contract negotiations,
Since the Nationals traded for Wilson Ramos on July 29, they've said the catcher is big-league ready now, but he likely wouldn't come to the majors until Sept. 1 so the Nationals wouldn't upset the current structure of their roster. That's code for not taking a roster spot away from Wil Nieves, who's been a sturdy receiver, if a limited hitter, and loyal teammate for
There's an excellent post from one of my favorite baseball writers (Maury Brown at the Biz of Baseball) about the number of players that signed for more than their slot recommendation, and how that will be addressed in the next collective bargaining agreement. Brown, with the help of Baseball America's Jim Callis, looks at the staggering number of players who signed over-slot contracts. Nationals fourth-rounder
Before the season, the Nationals' outfield was set in two spots - center and left. Right field, everyone knew, would be where the uncertainty resided, where the Nationals would try to piece something together from a group of three or four players. Recently, though, it's been the other two spots that have caused the uncertainty. Nyjer Morgan has been on the disabled list with hip
Things started so well for the Nationals on Tuesday night; Scott Olsen didn't allow a run in the first five innings of his start against the Atlanta Braves, and Washington took a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning against Braves rookie Mike Minor with a pair of doubles from one player who hadn't done much lately (Michael Morse) and another who hadn't gotten many chances
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Braves game at Turner Field. If you'd like to discuss the game, leave your comments here, and I'll respond to some of them there. I'm probably going to keep the game updates on the sparser side tonight after burning the midnight oil (and then some) last night, but I'll chime in a couple times. 8:27: In a spot
Outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who was scheduled to play a rehab game at Double-A Harrisburg tonight in preparation from his return from the hip tightness that put him on the disabled list, was scratched from the Senators' lineup tonight. A source in Harrisburg said Morgan was scheduled to drive up for the day, but hadn't seen the outfielder at the ballpark all day, so the Nationals
The Nationals and Braves start a three-game series at Turner Field tonight. Here are the lineups for tonight's 7:10 start. Josh Willingham is out of the lineup again, Alberto Gonzalez gets another crack at the leadoff spot, and Kevin Mench gets his first start in a Nationals uniform. Nationals: Gonzalez - 2B Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B Dunn - 1B Rodriguez - C Morse
The Nationals' 2010 draft class is set, with 25 of their top 26 picks in the fold and all negotiations done. So how does it shape up? General manager Mike Rizzo and his top scouting lieutenants - assistant GM Roy Clark and scouting director Kris Kline - had plenty of good things to say about it last night. In addition to Bryce Harper's $9.9 million
The Nationals moved right-hander Luis Atilano to the 60-day disabled list this afternoon, officially ending the starter's season after he had elbow surgery last month. The move also clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Bryce Harper, who signed a major league deal with the team last night.
By now, you've probably heard plenty about the whipped cream pie Nationals president Stan Kasten hit general manager Mike Rizzo with during the team's press conference to announce the signing of Bryce Harper. Nats Daily News' Ian Koski alertly photographed the ambush, and the Nationals' PR staff has video of it here. My one contribution to the photographic account was here. Kasten said the Nationals'
We'll have plenty more on the Nationals' signing of Bryce Harper throughout the day, but here are some of my thoughts on the deal, as they come to me: -Stan Kasten said that the deal looked different than either side thought it would, and I'm guessing that means Harper got less bonus money to land a major league deal. The $9.9 million overall figure has
For the second year in a row, the Nationals went down to the wire with advisor Scott Boras to sign the No. 1 overall pick in the June Draft. And once again, they got their man. The team agreed to terms on a major-league deal with top pick Bryce Harper, landing the 17-year-old outfielder just before the midnight deadline. The deal, worth $9.9 million over
The Nationals have crossed three of their four big-ticket draft picks off their list; the team just announced it has agreed to terms with Oviedo (Fla.) High School right-hander A.J. Cole, Washington's fourth-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Cole, who had committed to the University of Miami, will receive a $2 million bonus, according to a team source. The bonus is the highest ever
The Nationals have inked two of the four draft picks they were trying to lock down at the signing deadline. Second-round pick Sammy Solis, a left-hander from the University of San Diego, has officially agreed to terms with the team, the Nationals announced. Solis, whose signing was reported several days ago, will get a $1 million bonus. The 6-foot-5 left-hander has a fastball that touches
The Nationals have officially locked up one player before the deadline to sign 2010 draft picks, agreeing to terms with left-hander Robbie Ray, their 12th-round pick in the June First-Year Player Draft. Ray, who had a full scholarship to the University of Arkansas, signed for $799,000. He would have gone higher in the draft had he not been seen as a risk to go to
On the day their negotiations with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper will reach their conclusion, the Nationals promoted their current top right field prospect, Michael Burgess, from Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg. Burgess, a sandwich pick in the 2007 draft, was hitting .262/.351/.470 at Potomac, with 12 homers and 70 RBI. His average and on-base percentage are both the highest marks he's had in
Jordan Zimmermann threw five innings for Triple-A Syracuse yesterday, allowing a run on six hits while walking one and striking out three. It was the latest sign that the right-hander is just about ready to make his return to the majors from Tommy John surgery; and if Jason Marquis struggles again on Friday, Zimmermann could be in the rotation as soon as next week. It'd
We've reached the final day of the window for teams to sign their 2010 draft picks - the point at which any posturing from either the Nationals or Scott Boras over Bryce Harper carries almost no weight. By midnight, we'll know if Harper is going to be a handsomely-paid member of the Nationals' organization, as almost everyone in baseball suspects, or if he will spurn
As a competitor, Stephen Strasburg has few equals. That's why, after he lasted just 4 2/3 innings in the Nationals' loss to the Marlins last week, manager Jim Riggleman had no doubt about what to expect from Strasburg in his next start on Sunday. "I know he's going to go out and throw bullets," Riggleman said before Sunday's game. Strasburg did. His first fastball was
A year ago, Stephen Strasburg was sitting almost exactly where Bryce Harper is now, stewing while the Nationals and advisor Scott Boras played hardball over how much his future is worth. Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, agreed to a four-year, $15.1 million deal with the Nationals less than two minutes before last year's deadline, becoming the richest draft pick in baseball
If there was a point at which the Nationals' bullpen was going to break down and prove the loss of Matt Capps was a crippling blow it wasn't able to handle, Sunday would have been the time for it to happen. The Nationals' relievers had worked 22 innings in their last five games, pressed into early action after Stephen Strasburg (4 1/3 innings), Scott Olsen
Stephen Strasburg's day is done, after five innings and three runs (one of them earned), along with seven strikeouts. The Nationals and Diamondbacks are tied at three. And why Strasburg came out when he did was a little curious. He hit for himself in the top of the fifth inning, suggesting he'd stay in the game. But the Nationals got Tyler Clippard up in the
The Nationals trail the Diamondbacks 3-1 after three innings, and though Stephen Strasburg has been solid on the mound, his error in the field has hurt them. Strasburg has three strikeouts in three innings, but when he was trying to throw to first after fielding Stephen Drew's groundout, the ball slipped out of his hand and flew wildly over Adam Dunn's head. Mark Reynolds scored
Welcome to MASN's live chat for today's Nationals-Diamondbacks 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
At this point, the Nationals plan for Jason Marquis to make his next start in Philadelphia on Friday. But that's as binding a commitment as manager Jim Riggleman would make to his struggling starter on Sunday morning. Riggleman said that "when the dust settles, we'll probably run Jason out there again" on Friday, six days after he failed to get through the fifth inning for
It's a rainy Sunday morning at Nationals Park, but the forecast calls for showers on and off all day. Hopefully things will clear out in time for the first pitch between the Nationals and Diamondbacks at 1:35 p.m. Here are the lineups: D-backs: Young - CF Johnson - 2B Upton - RF LaRoche - 1B Montero - C Reynolds - 3B Drew - SS Parra
The Nationals have put two of their three remaining big-ticket draft picks in their shopping cart, signing second-round pick Sammy Solis and fourth-rounder A.J. Cole, according to a report from Baseball America. The magazine reported the Nationals gave Solis, a left-hander from the University of San Diego, a $1 million bonus, and broke a fourth-round record by awarding a $2 million bonus to Cole, a
The first three starts Jason Marquis made this season for the Nationals were all dreadful, and when an MRI showed bone chips in his right elbow, it was almost a logical salve. Certainly, that had to be why the 31-year-old, who signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Nationals in December, wasn't performing at the level the Nationals paid for and expected. His first
The fifth start of the year for Jason Marquis looked a lot like the first four: Ugly. He allowed five runs in four-plus innings, giving up seven hits and three homers. Miguel Batista hasn't been much better in relief, and the Nationals trail 8-2 after six innings. Marquis got through the first inning without any trouble, but looked like he was throwing batting practice the
Welcome to MASN's live chat for tonight's Nationals-Diamondbacks 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
General manager Mike Rizzo gave the media an update on the Bryce Harper negotiations earlier this afternoon - and like team president Stan Kasten's comments on the subject yesterday, it mostly amounted to a lot of posturing. For the Nationals, that's probably a good sign, because it means things are still on track. Rizzo expects things to go down to Monday night's deadline, as almost
The Nationals have less than three days to sign their picks from the 2010 draft, and with some players, that means jumping into the recruiting game like college programs do. Enter Robbie Ray, a high school left-hander from Brentwood, Tenn., who throws between 90 and 92 mph, boasts a sharp changeup and pitched three perfect games last year. He only slid that far in the
Good afternoon. Here are the Nationals' and Diamondbacks' lineups for tonight's 7:05 start, as Washington tries to seal a series and season win over Arizona: Diamondbacks: Young - CF Johnson - 2B Upton - RF LaRoche - 1B Montero - C Reynolds - 3B Drew - SS Parra - LF Kennedy - P Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Dunn - 1B Zimmerman -
For Jason Marquis, the stakes get higher every time he fails to be the pitcher the Nationals paid $15 million to get for the next two seasons. He's back on the mound tonight, starting for the second time after missing more than three months with elbow surgery and making his fifth start of the year. Marquis didn't go more than 4 1/3 innings in any
The Nationals finally got their 50th win of the season last night, crossing that threshold after a five-game losing streak that had put them a season-low 17 games under .500. But with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, they got things back on track, for at least a night, and saw their former ace make one of his best starts of the year. Now,
The differences between the John Lannan that led the Nationals pitching staff in 2008 and 2009 and the John Lannan that took the mound for them on Friday night were subtle at best. The left-hander stands a little more croughed on the mound now, and instead of hair buzzed close to his head, Lannan now sports a floppy head of hair that peeks out from
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Diamondbacks game at Nationals Park. I'll post updates, analysis and reaction here throughout the game, and if you want to chime in, leave your comments below this blog post. I'll respond to you there. 7:09: Impressive first inning for John Lannan. He retires the Diamondbacks in just 11 pitches, freezing Kelly Johnson with a fastball and getting Justin
We're officially less than 80 hours from the deadline for teams to sign their 2010 draft picks, which means Nationals president Stan Kasten was in the mood to say even less than usual about the progress of the team's negotiations with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper on Friday. But at least he promised that before starting his interview with reporters - and Kasten is
Right-hander Yunesky Maya, the Cuban pitcher who signed a four-year deal with the Nationals last month, made his debut in the organization today, throwing three no-hit innings for the Nationals' rookie ball team in the Gulf Coast League. He got eight groundouts and struck out one batter. He could make another start for the GCL team before moving up in the minor leagues, and it's
Posting this before I head to the park -- here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Diamondbacks, which my weather forecast tells me should be played. A bit of a different look for the Nationals tonight: Alberto Gonzalez leads off as manager Jim Riggleman gives Roger Bernadina a day to rest his leg. Josh Willingham is back in the lineup, hitting in
From time to time, when I see a player or team repeatedly prove they have the Nationals' number, I'll ask myself who the biggest villains in the game are from the Nationals' perspective. After their sweep at Nationals Park, the Marlins proved they still occupy a prominent place in that discussion. They are 34-13 against the Nationals since the start of the 2008 season, and
There was a point at which the Florida Marlins' mastery of the Nationals looked to be a thing of the past. The Nationals went 6-6 in their last 12 games against the Marlins in 2009, ending a run of 20 losses in 23 games, and followed it up by starting this year 3-3 against them. The Marlins looked like a team that would merely play
Josh Willingham, who is out of the lineup for the second straight game, is resting a sore left knee, and manager Jim Riggleman said before the game he expects Willingham to return to the Nationals' lineup tomorrow. "We talked last night after the game, and he's chomping at the bit to go," Riggleman said. "He wants to play today. But just being real conservative with
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll post updates, analysis and reaction here throughout the night. If you'd like to discuss the game, leave your comments here, and I'll respond to you there. 9:49 p.m: We're in the top of the third inning, and the Marlins lead the Nationals 2-0. Mike Stanton, who went 5-for-5 on Wednesday, homered in
The Nationals just announced the start of tonight's game against the Marlins will be delayed. They're expecting to have more information in 35-40 minutes, but we don't have a start time yet. I'll post updates here. UPDATE AT 8:30: The tarp is off the field, and we're shooting for a 9:00 start here. If anything changes, I'll let you know, but we should be safe
The Nationals and Marlins finish their three-game series tonight at 7:05, and for now, it appears the festivities will start on time. The grounds crew just pulled the tarp off the field, and the sun is out, though there's more rain in the forecast. Josh Willingham is out of the lineup again today, resting his sore left knee. Before the game, manager Jim Riggleman discussed
The Nationals and Marlins have their lineups out early today, so I'll post them before I head to the park. Willie Harris is back in left today for the Nationals, as Josh Willingham gets another day off to rest his sore knee. Adam Kennedy bats sixth today for the Nationals. Marlins: Ramirez - SS Morrison - LF Sanchez, G. - 1B Uggla - 2B Ross
The first 15,000 fans at tonight's Nationals-Marlins game will receive a DVD of Stephen Strasburg's major league debut from June 8, when the Nationals rookie struck out 14 batters in a win against the Pirates. The DVD includes MASN's original broadcast of the game, as well as post-game interviews, press conferences, a day-after with Strasburg, a recap of the key moments from the game and
Here is the Nationals' minor league report for the week, courtesy of PR man and minor league maven Bill Gluvna. Read on for your usual dose of punny goodness and farm system updates. One quick minor-league note: I was talking to minor league operations director Mark Scialabba the other day, and he made a particular point of how well the team at Single-A Vermont is
The Nationals' fourth straight loss, which came on Wednesday night, was virtually sealed by the time Scott Olsen walked off the mound four outs into his 11th start of the season. They were down 5-1 by that point, with two more runs soon to come in and be charged to Olsen's account. The final result was a 9-5 loss to the Marlins, a defeat that
When the Nationals got Scott Olsen back from the disabled list two weeks ago, the addition was the first of three key moves that looked like it would bolster the team's rotation for the second half of the season. But all three of those pitchers - Olsen, Jason Marquis and Stephen Strasburg - have turned in ugly starts since coming back to the majors, none
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll have periodic updates and analysis throughout the night. And if you're interested in discussing the game, leave your comments at the bottom of this blog post. I'll respond to you there. 7:26: It's already 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning, courtesy of five hard-hit balls off Scott Olsen. Four went
When Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his July 27 start, complaining of tightness in his shoulder and difficulty warming up, the Nationals quickly knew they'd have a low-intensity, but high-profile reworking of his between-starts workout routine on their hands. Because the slightest twinge in Strasburg's arm has radiated panic since he was at San Diego State, all of the Nationals' moves to keep the rookie
The Nationals have started making trainer Lee Kuntz available to the media once a homestand to give a laundry-list update on all of the team's walking wounded. Here are the updates from that session today, plus one that came out of manager Jim Riggleman's pregame press conference. --Outfielder Josh Willingham, who is getting the night off tonight, has been playing through a knee injury, Riggleman
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Marlins' lineups for tonight: Marlins: Ramirez - SS Morrison - LF Sanchez, G. - 1B Uggla - 2B Ross - CF Stanton - RF Murphy - 3B Paulino - C Volstad - P Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Dunn - 1B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - RF Kennedy - 2B Rodriguez - C
With Nyjer Morgan on the 15-day disabled list, we're getting a chance to see a different configuration of the Nationals' outfield. On most nights, that means Josh Willingham in left, Roger Bernadina in center and Michael Morse in right. That's worth watching because the Nationals' outfield in 2011 could look more like that than you think. Several industry sources have said in the last two
It's easy to tell this much from Stephen Strasburg's start against the Marlins on Tuesday night: It was his worst in the major leagues. But where can Strasburg improve headed into his next start on Sunday against the Diamondbacks? A closer look at the stats reveal a couple of points: -First, hitters have been swinging and missing less against Strasburg in his last few starts.
Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty stood just outside the entrance to the coaches' office in Nationals Park's home clubhouse on Tuesday night, fielding one question after another about the one subject on everyone's mind: How would Stephen Strasburg respond after his first outing where an opponent dictated when he left a game? It's a pertinent question, even if there were those in the home clubhouse
Getting Stephen Strasburg back on the mound was supposed to give the Nationals reason for optimism. Instead, his return turned into one of their ugliest games in recent memory. Strasburg lasted just 4 1/3 innings, and the Nationals managed just five hits against Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez in an 8-2 loss to Florida. It was Strasburg's shortest start in the majors, and the Nationals left
Stephen Strasburg's night is over, after 4 1/3 innings and an ugly start to the fifth inning. He gave up two doubles - though the second one could have been an error on Josh Willingham, who had it go off his glove as he retreated for it. But there were plenty of problems for Strasburg, who allowed six runs and six hits in his shortest
Stephen Strasburg's return to the majors isn't going particularly well. In fact, this could be his ugliest start in 10 big-league appearances to date. He allowed four runs on three hits in the first three innings, and gave up a leadoff double to Mike Stanton in the fourth. Strasburg's four-seam fastball has been flat tonight, and the Marlins are teeing off on the pitch. They
Welcome to MASN's live chat for tonight's Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates, analysis and reaction throughout the night, 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
One of the stranger pregame ceremonies you're likely to see in baseball this year just wrapped up at Nationals Park a few minutes ago. The Nationals, a franchise that has spent the better part of five years minimizing its connection to the Montreal Expos, spent some time honoring Andre Dawson, a Hall of Famer who never played a game in Washington. The ceremony felt at
A couple quick pregame notes. I'll have more on the Andre Dawson ceremony in a little bit: --Ross Detwiler (strained right hip) is feeling better, though the Nationals still haven't received the results of his MRI. Manager JIm Riggleman said the Nationals aren't going to get too far ahead of themselves when determining how soon the left-hander could come back. --Nyjer Morgan got an MRI
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals begin a three-game series with the Marlins tonight. As part of their pregame ceremony honoring Andre Dawson and inducting Dawson and Gary Carter into their Hall of Fame Ring of Honor, the Nationals are wearing tri-colored Expos caps in batting practice today. I'll try to get a picture posted either here or on Twitter later today. Here
The Nationals made a couple of minor league player moves today, moving right-hander Orlando Hernandez and second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi to Double-A Harrisburg. Hernandez, who signed with the Nationals last month, was seen as something of a guide for Yunesky Maya. The fact that he's headed to Harrisburg either means that the Nationals are comfortable enough to have Maya on his own and put Hernandez
Stephen Strasburg returns to the mound for the Nationals tonight, two weeks after he was scratched from a start against the Atlanta Braves, inducing panic at Nationals Park and indirectly making Miss Iowa, Katherine Connors, a household name among Nationals fans. Everything has checked out fine with his right shoulder; Strasburg has thrown a bullpen session and a simulated game without pain, and the Nationals
The Nationals will debut their new Hall of Fame Ring of Honor before Tuesday's game, when they also honor former Expos outfielder (and newly enshrined Hall of Famer) Andre Dawson. Nationals Daily News had a full list of the names, and a few pictures of how they look in the stadium. The full list of 18 includes players and owners from the Expos, Homestead Grays
A pair of Nationals minor leaguers were honored by their respective leagues today. Tyler Moore won the Carolina League's Batter of the Week Award for the third time in four weeks, after going 11-for-23 with four homers, 10 RBI and eight runs at Single-A Potomac last week. He's leading the league in homers (21), doubles (36), RBI (83) and is second in slugging percentage (.510).
We're now in the final week of the window for teams to sign their draft picks. For the Nationals, it marks the final approach of a set of negotiations with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper that has been slathered in attention and hyperbole, each twist and turn marked with a flurry of updates and anonymously sourced reports. Uh, not really. A few of you
On what had been a promising road trip for the Nationals, marked with 15 homers and improved defense, they ended both series with games bad enough to kill quite a few of the good feelings they'd cooked up. An 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks last Thursday cost the Nationals a chance at winning their first road series since May 12. The opportunity to win a
If there's a silver lining in Jason Marquis' mostly-bleak return to the majors, it's that almost all of the damage done against him was in his ugly first inning. But after the Nationals pulled within two runs in the second inning, Marquis allowed another run by giving up a hit to A.J. Ellis, the Dodgers' No. 8 hitter who is currently batting .204. It's 5-3
When last we saw Jason Marquis in the majors, he was handing the ball to manager Jim Riggleman, exiting a game against the Milwaukee Brewers without having retired a batter. The first inning of his return on Sunday against the Dodgers looked only slightly better than that. He allowed four runs in the first inning against Los Angeles, though two errors (one by the pitcher)
The Nationals put left-hander Ross Detwiler back on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon with a strained right hip flexor, shutting him down from pitching after he again injured the hip he'd had surgically repaired in February. Detwiler was 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA in three starts, but struggled to compose himself after the Nationals' defense made errors behind him. He allowed 13 runs in
Here are the Nationals' and Dodgers' lineups for today's 4:10 start at Dodger Stadium, where the Nationals will try to take two out of three from L.A. and clinch a winning road trip: Nationals: Gonzalez, 2b Desmond, ss Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Morse, rf Maxwell, cf Nieves, c Marquis, p Dodgers: Podsednik, lf Theriot, 2b Ethier, rf Loney, 1b Kemp, cf Belliard, 3b
It's been more than a year since Jason Marquis won a major league game. Since then, he's had an All-Star season spiral downward to the point he was left off the Colorado Rockies' playoff roster, switched teams, posted a 20.52 ERA in three starts, left the last one before recording an out, tried to pitch through bone chips in his right elbow and had surgery.
Thanks to everyone who attended our get-together at Miss Chatter's house tonight - I had a great time talking baseball with many of you and watching the Nationals and Dodgers on a perfect summer night. And thanks to Miss Chatter for being such a great hostess. Things for the Nationals, though, didn't go quite as well. They fell 3-2 to the Dodgers in extra innings,
Here are the Nationals' and Dodgers' lineups for tonight's 10:10 start. As a reminder, we'll be watching the game at reader Miss Chatter's house in Falls Church -- we're also watching an outdoor movie there at 7:30. E-mail me here or catch Miss Chatter here if you want in. Nationals Bernadina, cf Desmond, ss Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Morse, rf Rodriguez, c Kennedy,
There might not be a more dangerous hitter in the majors right now than Adam Dunn. He's hit six homers in his last six games, including two last night in the Nationals' win over the Dodgers, and has launched 13 since July 1. He's on such a tear that it's worth asking, as the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore did today, if teams will keep pitching
Just a quick reminder: We're all set for our fan get-together tonight - we're watching "The Sandlot" and the Nats-Dodgers game outside at Miss Chatter's house. She's got more information on her website here. Essentially, bring your own drinks and a snack to share, as well as some bugspray. Be sure not to mix those up. We'll get started with the movie around 7:30, and
There were plenty of interesting little stories to come out of last night's Nationals-Dodgers game, and while most of the focus was on Adam Dunn - and rightly so, after the slugger hit two homers, drove in all six runs and commanded the spotlight as his fate remains undecided - I'll work on a few leftovers this morning: --Drew Storen, in earning his first big-league
Adam Dunn's two homers, which gave the Nationals a 6-0 lead in the first three innings of their game against the Dodgers on Friday night, turned out to be all the Nationals would need. They beat Los Angeles 6-3 in the first game of three between the teams, and would secure a winning road trip with one more victory in the final two games of
There are only so many superlatives to describe the way Adam Dunn is hitting baseballs right now. It's a fair bet there aren't enough to match the number of dollars Dunn will command in his next contract. Whoever employs Dunn next season will be getting a player that's quite possibly never played better or made a stronger case he's one of the game's elite power
The Adam Dunn waiver process is in its final stages, where whichever team won the claim on Dunn would have 48 hours to trade for the Nationals first baseman. According to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman, it's not the Giants. Schulman wrote this afternoon that the Giants were not awarded their claim on Dunn, which isn't a huge surprise since San
Shortstop Danny Espinosa, the Nationals' third-round pick in the 2008 draft who could be starting in the team's middle infield as soon as next season, was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Syracuse today, two days after hitting three homers in a game. Espinosa is hitting .262 with 18 homers and 54 RBI this season; he also has a .798 OPS. He could get a
Funny how much things can change in a day. At this time yesterday, we were discussing the reasons the Nationals had for not playing Michael Morse every day, despite the latent power the outfielder has flashed just about every time he's been put in a situation to do so. All of those reasons were predicated on the Nationals' commitment to Nyjer Morgan in center field;
The Nationals officially placed outfielder Nyjer Morgan on the 15-day disabled list after Thursday's game with right hip soreness, but they made another surprising move after the game: They put pitcher JD Martin - who'd been hopeful he would be able to return from a lower back strain quickly - on the 60-day disabled list. That means Martin is likely done for the season, and
On Thursday night, the Nationals missed a chance to win a road series for the first time since May. But it's hard to know exactly where the frustration should lie after their 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Is it with pitcher Ross Detwiler, who struggled to make pitches after the Nationals' defense slipped up behind him and allowed seven runs in four
Outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who has been dealing with a strained hip flexor and underwent an MRI on Wednesday, will be placed on the 15-day DL, MASN's Debbi Taylor reported in the second inning of tonight's Nationals-Diamondbacks game. Morgan, the team's center fielder and leadoff hitter, is hitting .261 this season with a team-high 29 steals and .322 on-base percentage. His trip to the DL means
The way Tyler Moore is swinging the bat for Single-A Potomac, he might be playing his way into the Nationals' future. He hit two more homers tonight, giving him 20 for the season, and powered the P-Nats to a 7-1 win over Myrtle Beach. Moore, the Nationals' 16th-round pick in 2008, is an interesting case. He's showed this year he has raw power, but despite
The Nationals are down 2-1 in the third inning against the Diamondbacks, but Ross Detwiler can't be blamed for all of it. Adam Dunn's error in the second inning helped extend an inning where the Diamondbacks scored both of their runs, only one of which was earned. Detwiler did give up a pair of doubles and walked Stephen Drew, but Dunn's error exacerbated the problem.
Here are the Nationals and Diamondbacks' lineups for tonight's 9:40 start at Chase Field, the final game of four in their series: Nationals Bernadina, cf Kennedy, 2b Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Morse, rf Desmond, ss Nieves, c Detwiler, lhp Diamondbacks Young, cf Johnson, 2b Upton, rf LaRoche, 1b Ryal, lf Crosby, 3b Drew, ss Hester, c Enright, rhp
Right-hander Jason Marquis, who signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Nationals in the offseason only to post a 20.52 ERA in three starts before being shut down with bone chips in his elbow and undergoing surgery, will return to the majors on Sunday. Manager Jim Riggleman told reporters in Arizona this afternoon that Marquis will start for the Nationals on Sunday, taking Scott
Jordan Zimmermann, making his first start at Triple-A Syracuse today, threw three no-hit innings in the Chiefs' 8-2 win over Rochester. Zimmermann is expected to be back in the majors in September after coming back from Tommy John surgery. He struck out three and walked one before giving way to Jeff Mandel.
There's some talk in the blogosphere (I guess we call it the Natosphere, huh?) about the Nationals' middle infield situation today, after Daniel Espinosa hit three homers last night for Double-A Harrisburg. I thought I'd weigh in here. Espinosa, a third-round pick in 2008, is seen by many as a possible solution in the middle infield next season. He's made 15 errors at shortstop this
Okay, NatsTown, you've made your point. You've raised a ruckus in the comments section here. You've shared your thoughts on Twitter, made a stink on message boards, sent e-mails, called into sports talk shows and even marched to the front door of manager Jim Riggleman's house. Well, maybe not that last one. At least not that I know of. But you've made yourselves clear: You
There wasn't much for the Nationals not to like on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. Sure, there were nits to pick about Craig Stammen's WHIP (10 walks and hits in 5 1/3 innings) or reason to fret about Nyjer Morgan's hip (a strained right hip flexor scratched him from the lineup). But the 7-2 win over Arizona was as complete a victory as the Nationals have
The Nationals have a 6-1 lead on the Diamondbacks in the seventh inning, having added two more runs on Adam Kennedy's double and a single by Adam Dunn, who now has four RBI tonight. In other news, shortstop Daniel Espinosa hit three homers tonight for Double-A Harrisburg, including a two-run blast to put the Senators ahead for good in the 10th inning of a 5-3
In the fourth inning at homer-happy Chase Field, the Nationals' bats have them off to a good start against the Diamondbacks. They lead Arizona 4-1 in the fourth inning, with two homers from Adam Dunn accounting for three of the runs. Dunn now has 28 homers for the season, and has surpassed Joey Votto for the National League lead. Niether one was cheap, either; both
UPDATED AT 6:41 P.M.: Nyjer Morgan was scratched from the Nationals lineup; he's been a little banged up lately, so he gets a night off. Roger Bernadina leads off and plays center, and Michael Morse plays right field. Here are the Nationals' and Diamondbacks' lineups for tonight, as one team tries to secure at least a split in the four-game series. Alberto Gonzalez gets the
It seems like every time Craig Stammen pitches, we're writing something about how it's a key outing for the right-hander to prove he should stay in the rotation. But in some ways, that's what he has to do each time out. It's life on the edge of the majors, and Stammen, though he's been pitching better his last two times out, still has a residence
So here's what I'm thinking for this weekend's get-together -- reader Miss Chatter has graciously volunteered her house in Falls Church to show an outdoor movie before the Nationals game on Saturday night. We were talking about doing this in May, but I was on the West Coast road trip that week, so it didn't happen at that point. The tentative plan is to show
Stephen Strasburg is tentatively scheduled to make his next start next Tuesday against the Marlins, assuming his simulated game goes well on Thursday and there are no further issues with his inflamed right shoulder. He's thrown 109 2/3 innings this year. Add a couple to that total for his simulated game on Thursday. Assuming he makes that start, the Nationals still let him finish the
Short of Ryan Zimmerman hitting a homer and adding a pair of hits to his impressive start to August, there wasn't a whole lot for the Nationals to like on Tuesday night in a 6-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scott Olsen gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings, a two-out walk in the fifth innings priming the charge for Arizona's explosion. Collin Balester
In his first big-league game as a reliever, which came nine days ago in Milwaukee, Collin Balester caused a harrowing moment when he drilled Rickie Weeks in the head with a fastball. It happened again on Tuesday night. Balester, trying to pitch inside against Mark Reynolds, hit the third baseman in the head with a 95-mph fastball in the sixth inning, causing Reynolds to leave
The Nationals and Diamondbacks were tied at one after four innings, and it looked like they'd finish the fifth that way. But then Scott Olsen walked Miguel Montero with two outs, putting two runners on for Mark Reynolds, who clubbed a homer to center to put Arizona up 4-1. It split open what had been a decent game so far for Olsen. Washington's main source
The Nationals optioned Cuban right-hander Yunesky Maya, who officially signed a four-year, $8 million deal with the team last weekend, to their Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, Fla., today. Maya will throw in front of minor-league pitching coordinator Spin Williams, and will likely throw a simulated game or make a rehab start before heading to the majors. He'll also be able to work out
ESPN's Buster Olney reported this afternoon that the Nationals placed Adam Dunn on waivers today. Don't get too worked up about that; here's a quick primer on what it means. If Dunn was placed on waivers, he would have been placed on revocable waivers, meaning the Nationals can dangle him to see what kind of interest there is in him, pull him back if he
In the week since Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his start last Tuesday, the concerns about the rookie's mechanics, which had lain mostly dormant since the Nationals took him with the No. 1 overall pick last June, erupted again. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, among others, said Strasburg's delivery put unnecessary stress on his shoulder and would lead to more serious injuries than the
Right-hander Jason Marquis pitched six innings for Triple-A Syracuse last night, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out four. If he's not ready to go after elbow surgery in May, he's a start away from being there, at most. The question then becomes: What do the Nationals do to get him in the rotation? They can talk about
The last two days, the Nationals' bullpen has been presented with two close games in the wake of the trade that sent Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins. On Saturday night, Drew Storen gave up a run before Ryan Zimmerman saved a win for the Nationals with a walk-off homer. On Sunday, Storen pitched two scoreless innings, keeping the game against the Phillies tied through
Ivan Rodriguez hit his 300th homer as a catcher in the second inning of tonight's Nationals-Diamondbacks game, making him the fifth catcher ever to accomplish the feat. He joins Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. The solo shot gave the Nationals a 2-0 lead over the Diamondbacks, and they currently lead 3-1 in the third inning. Josh Willingham, who's been slumping just
It's been a couple months since we last had a reader get-together/tweet-up/what have you. So I'm checking to see how this weekend might look to get one lined up. Essentially, these are just a chance for me to meet some of you, watch a Nats game and chat a little bit about the team and what we're doing around here. Most of the games are
Here are the Nationals' and Diamondbacks lineups for the start of their four-game series at Chase Field. Tonight's game starts at 9:40 local time. Nationals: Morgan, cf Kennedy, 2b Zimmerman, 3b Dunn, 1b Willingham, lf Bernadina, rf Rodriguez, c Desmond, ss Hernandez, rhp Diamondbacks: Young, cf Johnson, 2b Upton, rf LaRoche, 1b Montero, c Reynolds, 3b Drew, ss Parra, lf Lopez, rhp
We're doing a bit of trade deadline analysis around here today - I talked to Nationals GM Mike Rizzo about it for his weekly blog, which should be posted later tonight - l and I thought I'd add a few observations of my own. The Nationals, of course, made two trades leading up to Saturday's deadline, sending Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins and infielder
The Nationals made a pair of moves this afternoon, neither one of them surprising. They officially recalled Justin Maxwell from Triple-A Syracuse, adding him to the roster and putting a fifth player back on their bench after the Cristian Guzman trade. Maxwell, who was at Nationals Park yesterday to fly west with the team, is in his fourth big-league stint this year. But this time,
Remember Shairon Martis? He pitched his way into the Nationals' rotation last spring and won five games in the first two months of the season, only to lose some of his aggressiveness on the mound and get sent back to Triple-A Syracuse. He hasn't been heard from since. I started thinking about Martis when I saw that he'd thrown six shutout innings for Triple-A Syracuse
The Nationals' loss to the Phillies on Sunday was something of an opportunity missed, a lost chance to sweep their frequent tormentor for the first time since the Nationals came to Washington. And while the Nationals still did plenty of things right in a six-game homestand against the best two teams in the NL East, the 11-inning loss on Sunday kept it from being a
John Lannan began the season as the Nationals' unquestioned ace, and lost that title sometime before Stephen Strasburg stormed into the majors. What drove Lannan from the top of the Nationals' rotation was something more internal and abstract. For whatever reason, the left-hander lost the ability to do what he'd done so well the last two years: pound his sinker for weak groundouts. Many said
By all accounts, this was a very good six-game homestand for the Nationals. In a six-game stretch that began with Stephen Strasburg getting scratched and included rampant speculation both about his immediate health and Adam Dunn's long-term future, the Nationals managed to take four of six games from the top two teams in their division. The margin between very good and great came on Sunday,
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for today's Nationals-Phillies game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the afternoon, and if you'd like to take part in the discussion, you can leave your comments in this thread, and I'll respond to you there. 1:35 We're underway here at Nationals Park -- the day-after recap video of Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off got a loud response from
Stephen Strasburg played catch this morning, making two sets of 25 tosses. Pitching coach Steve McCatty said Strasburg threw from about 90 feet, and felt fine afterward. "In my mind, he's fine," McCatty said. "He'll play catch again tomorrow, and then a little side. I think he's fine. He felt free and easy, felt good. It's just catch. I know who it is, so it
The Nationals received $1.1 million from the Texas Rangers in the deal that sent Cristian Guzman there, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. The Nationals will pay the remainder of Guzman's contract, which was for $8 million this season. The Nationals got Double-A pitchers Ryan Tatusko and Tanner Roark from the Rangers in exchange for Guzman. Without the Rangers including a second
Good morning from Nationals Park, where the Nationals are going for their first sweep of the Phillies today. The Phillies beat guys behind me are discussing the Brad Lidge/Charlie Manuel situation, all with an impression of the Phillies manager. One of them sounds like Sylvester Stallone. Anyway, here are the lineups: Phillies: Rollins - SS Polanco - 3B Werth - CF Howard - 1B Francisco
