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.
On levels subtler than the final result of the Nationals' opening day loss to the Atlanta Braves, there were signs that the team is progressing in the right direction. The Nationals didn't make an error and had more than a few impressive defensive plays. They ran the bases well, with Jayson Werth going from first to third on a Ryan Zimmerman single to right and
The Nationals mustered only five hits against Braves pitching and dropped their season opener to Atlanta 2-0 at Nationals Park on Thursday. Right-hander Livan Hernandez pitched well - allowing two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings - but was undone by a first-inning RBI single by Brian McCann and Jason Heyward's solo homer to right leading off the second. The game, playing in
Livan Hernandez is done for the day, having come out of the game after 6 1/3 innings and just 77 pitches when Jim Riggleman decided to get left-hander Doug Slaten for Jason Heyward. The second-year slugger walked, but Tyler Clippard finished the inning without allowing a run. It's still 2-0 Braves in the bottom of the seventh, though, and the Nationals will have to come
Livan Hernandez is on a roll, having retired 12 straight hitters despite battling umpire Tim Welke's strike zone on a few occasions. He's thrown just 70 pitches through five innings, and has given up only three hits today. The problem is, the Nationals haven't been able to touch Derek Lowe. The Braves starter has struck out four of the last seven batters the Nationals brought
We're in the top of the fourth inning here, and the Nationals are still down 2-0. But Adam LaRoche just showed for the first time one of the big reasons why the team got him to play first base; he made a diving stop at first base to save a would-be hit from Brian McCann, and threw to Livan Hernandez from his knees. Say what
In Jayson Werth's first at-bat as a member of the Nationals, he did exactly what the team hoped he would do when he was put in the No. 2 hole in the lineup; he worked a five-pitch at-bat against Derek Lowe, taking two of the first three pitches, singled to center and went from first to third on Ryan Zimmerman's single to right, giving the
General manager Mike Rizzo addressed Nationals fans briefly a few minutes ago, making no widespread promises about the 2011 season beyond saying the team is "looking forward to an exciting season." He also called Nationals fans "the best fan base in baseball," and thanked them for their support. We're just under way here - Livan Hernandez threw two strikes to Martin Prado to start the
The Nationals just introduced their 2011 roster a couple minutes ago, trotting their starting lineup out of the bullpen amidst flames shot from a cannon and dry ice that the University of Miami would have loved. Introduced by HBO sports analyst (and Nationals minority owner) James Brown, Jayson Werth got a nice ovation from a half-full Nationals Park, but Ryan Zimmerman got the biggest reception
Good morning from Nationals Park - and a happy opening day to all of you. Here are the Nationals' and Braves' lineups for today's 1:05 season opener. At the moment, it's not raining at Nationals Park, and the tarp is off the field. But we'll keep you posted on the weather and any effects on the game: Braves: Prado - LF McLouth - CF Jones
Now that you've had a chance to weigh in with your 2011 predictions, I'm going to submit mine on the eve of opening day. I'm going to predict the divisions in order of finish, and also add Rookie of the Year to the awards you picked. Here are my choices: NL East 1. Braves 2. Phillies (wild card) 3. Marlins 4. Nationals 5. Mets NL
When Brian Broderick got the news that he had made the Nationals' roster Monday, the announcement came as such a shock that he figured it'd be too late for his parents, Joe and Susan, to fly from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., for opening day. They had looked into tickets the week before, when Broderick's place on the major league team was still in doubt, and
The Nationals will keep their spring training operation in Viera, Fla., through 2013, principal owner Mark Lerner said Wednesday at NatsFest, but he sounded as convinced as ever the team will leave Space Coast Stadium for either Florida's west coast or Arizona. "Our problem is the distance to travel to play other teams," he said, repeating a well-worn refrain about the Nationals' predicament in Viera.
Bryce Harper arrived at Nationals Park for NatsFest today, like Stephen Strasburg more of a draw than an actual major leaguer. Like Strasburg, he'll return to Florida in the morning for the final few days of the Nationals' accelerated minor league camp before his minor league debut on April 7 in Rome, Ga. Harper's left ankle, which he sprained on March 21, won't be of
Now that you've had a chance to weigh in with your 2011 predictions, I'm going to add mine to the discussion in a subsequent post. But first, some trends that came out of yours: * In the NL East, 11 of you had the Phillies winning the division, with another seven picking the Braves. And one highly optimistic fan picked the Nationals to win the
The vibe is different around the Nationals this year - and not just because expectations and payroll have significantly increased. The not-so-subtle difference isn't lost on shortstop Ian Desmond, who said there's more chatter among teammates in situations where players previously kept to themselves. "You can tell the chemistry is a little better this year," Desmond said Wednesday before NatsFest. "On the field, yesterday for
For one day, Stephen Strasburg was back in the middle of the Nationals Park clubhouse, looking more comfortable as the center of attention than he did at any point during his whirlwind rookie season. That could be, though, because Wednesday was the last time the pitching phenom would be anywhere near the epicenter of activity for at least another five months. After his trip to
Good morning, everyone. I'm back in Northern Virginia, where it's become quickly apparent I'm going to need to get reacquainted with my jacket. Opening day is tomorrow, and as many people are in the business of doing this time of year, we're going to make some predictions about the season. But before I put mine out there for your consumption, I'd like to hear from
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' final game of the spring, played an hour earlier than their usual home start time so the team could board a plane back to Washington, had the feel of a formality to be gotten through before the start of the real season. And it's probably good the game didn't mean much, because at the end of a spring where they'd
VIERA, Fla. - Adam LaRoche, who hit his first homer of the spring in the fourth inning today, also played first base for the first time since getting a cortisone shot last week. He said the shot "did exactly what we wanted it to," and though his left shoulder - which has a slight labral tear - is only about 50 percent, LaRoche said he's
VIERA, Fla. - For most of his short career with the Nationals, Jordan Zimmermann has alternated moments of brilliance with games where he labors to get outs. His last start was the former, and today is the latter. Zimmermann has given up four runs in two innings, allowing six hits and a walk, and the Nationals trail the Mets 4-0. There's no question Zimmermann has
VIERA, Fla. - We're still two days away from opening day, but the Nationals have already set their lineup for Thursday's opener against the Braves. With right-hander Derek Lowe on the mound for Atlanta, the Nationals' lineup is about how you'd expect it to look. Here's the lineup the team will field on opening day: Ian Desmond - SS Jayson Werth - RF Ryan Zimmerman
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning (for the last time) from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals finish their Grapefruit League schedule at noon against the New York Mets. The rain in Viera has mostly subsided, so we shouldn't have a problem getting this one in, I don't think. After today's game, players will be in a mad scramble to finish their packing and get ready
VIERA, Fla. - Brian Broderick said he was speechless, but that's not true. He had plenty to say after coming back down the hall to the Nationals clubhouse from manager Jim Riggleman's office, which he'd entered wondering if he was going to get cut, only to find out he had made the Nationals' big league roster. No, the effect of the news on Broderick was
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals finalized their 25-man roster this afternoon, trading out-of-options infielder Alberto Gonzalez to the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Erik Davis. The team had been trying to trade Gonzalez for the last several weeks, giving him more playing time than usual in a likely attempt to showcase him to other teams. He would have likely been cut before opening
VIERA, Fla. - Of all the roster moves the Nationals made today, the one that seems to be drawing the most ire from all of you in the Natosphere (are we still using that term?) is the team's decision to option Roger Bernadina to Triple-A Syracuse. I understand some of the fuss over that decision - manager Jim Riggleman himself said the Nationals still think
VIERA, Fla. - After a series of roster cuts this afternoon, the Nationals' opening day roster is one move from being set. The Nationals optioned Roger Bernadina and Collin Balester to Triple-A Syracuse today, where those players will join Ross Detwiler, and reassigned Brian Bixler to minor league camp. They also moved Henry Rodriguez to the 15-day disabled list, and put Chien-Ming Wang and Elvin
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' 6:05 p.m. game with the Braves, their second-to-last of the spring, has been canceled because of rain. The team will play its final game of the Grapefruit League schedule against the Mets tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. Tom Milone was scheduled to pitch for the Nationals, but they'll likely use Jordan Zimmermann in their final spring game tomorrow. The canceled game
VIERA, Fla. - Ross Detwiler officially was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse early this afternoon, a move that was a virtual certainty once Tom Gorzelanny claimed the last spot in the rotation. Even Detwiler knew it was coming, and was as matter-of-fact about the move on Monday as he was when he made his last start of the spring on Sunday. "This is the business part
VIERA, Fla. - The first thing you notice about Cutter Dykstra is his name. Not his first name - although it's likely he's coming to the Nationals in the first Cutter-for-Nyjer trade in baseball history. It's his last name that gives the minor league infielder some notoriety before he arrives in Washington's organization. The 21-year-old Dykstra is the son of former Phillies All-Star Lenny Dykstra,
VIERA, Fla. - It's difficult to pinpoint exactly where the relationship between the Nationals and Nyjer Morgan went sour. In some ways, it's unclear how rough things actually were. General manager Mike Rizzo, manager Jim Riggleman and third base coach Bo Porter all had good things to say about Morgan after the news he was traded to Milwaukee, and Morgan exchanged hugs and handshakes with
VIERA, Fla. - Adam LaRoche, who has been hindered by shoulder soreness for much of the spring, has a partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing arm, a team source confirmed. But the first baseman, who received a cortisone shot, is scheduled to DH tomorrow, will be back at first base Tuesday and doesn't plan to miss any time once the regular season starts Thursday.
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals ended their five-game spring win streak Sunday, falling 6-4 to the Florida Marlins in a game they had in control until Florida's five-run seventh. Still, there were a few things to like about the way Washington played - particularly Michael Morse homering (again) and Ross Detwiler closing his spring in impressive fashion. "We were playing a pretty good ballgame, and
VIERA, Fla. - In an objective competition, Ross Detwiler probably pitched well enough this spring to put himself in the Nationals' rotation. But no competition in baseball is truly objective; Detwiler came into the spring needing to take a spot away from someone, and with Tom Gorzelanny pitching well enough to secure the fifth spot, the left-hander is likely headed to Triple-A Syracuse as the
VIERA, Fla. - Ross Detwiler's final outing of the spring was one of his best of an impressive spring for the left-hander, even as it had less bearing on his chance to make the roster than any other. Detwiler just finished his day, allowing one run on five hits in five innings against the Marlins while throwing 44 strikes in 65 pitches. He got 10
VIERA, Fla. - Before the Nationals traded Nyjer Morgan this morning, manager Jim Riggleman would talk in approximate terms about how his lineup would look, even as it seemed more and more obvious that Rick Ankiel would be the center fielder and Ian Desmond would be the leadoff hitter. With Morgan gone, though, Riggleman finally confirmed those things today, and we can effectively say what
VIERA, Fla. - It's been increasingly apparent for the last few days that Nyjer Morgan's time in Washington was coming to an end. Now, it's officially over. The Nationals relieved their logjam in center field by trading the center fielder to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Cutter Dykstra and cash. General manager Mike Rizzo said conversations about a deal started several days ago, and the
The Nationals relieved their center field logjam Sunday morning by trading Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers. In exchange for Morgan, the Nats received infielder Cutter Dykstra and cash considerations. Dykstra ranked fourth in the Single-A Midwest League with a .416 on-base percentage and .312 batting average last season while playing for Wisconsin. The 21-year-old scored 66 runs and posted 10 doubles, five triples, five
VIERA, Fla. - At age 35, Livan Hernandez led the Nationals' pitching staff in innings last season, throwing nearly 70 more than any other pitcher. He made eight more starts than anyone on the staff. And in a year when the Nationals shut starters down with elbow, neck, back, shoulder and hip problems, there was exactly one pitcher that stayed in the rotation all year:
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - There are varying schools of thought - and frankly, quite a bit of gerrymandering - about how much spring training stats matter. It's difficult to prove any relationship between spring success and a good regular season, and some players, coaches and managers will jockey between one opinion or the other, depend on what suits them that day. "Guys that go out there
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Livan Hernandez is done for the spring, having posted a 3.60 ERA in four major league games. He's now posted a sub-4.00 ERA in three straight springs - not bad for a guy who said he usually comes into the season off a poor exhibition showing. Last year, his spring performance put him on the opening day roster after he'd signed a
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Michael Morse hit his eighth homer of the spring in the second inning of today's game against the Astros, connecting on a two-run shot to right center after a Matt Stairs walk, to put the Nationals up by two. He's got 17 RBI, along with the eight homers and a .373 average, this spring. Washington currently leads Houston 3-0 in the third
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Adam LaRoche, who was scratched from last night's lineup with shoulder soreness, should return to the Nationals' lineup Monday, manager Jim Riggleman said. Riggleman said he didn't know what the results of LaRoche's shoulder MRI were, but the Nationals feel good enough about his health to put him back in the lineup against the Braves. He should be ready to go for
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Center fielder Nyjer Morgan believes he's on his way out of Washington, but manager Jim Riggleman, at least for the moment, is cautioning the center fielder against jumping to that conclusion. Riggleman said he was disappointed to hear the comments Morgan made to MLB.com on Friday, where the center fielder said he thinks "this place isn't for me." But he also said
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for today's game against the Astros. This looks a lot like what the team could field on opening day, with placeholders for Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche: Desmond - SS Nix - RF Zimmerman - 3B Stairs - 1B Morse - LF Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Rodriguez - C Hernandez - P One other note
VIERA, Fla. - As the spring comes to an end and the Nationals continue to play more of their regulars, their level of play continues to go up. If it's not an omen for the start of the regular season, it's at least a nice place to be less than a week before opening day. They beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Friday night
VIERA, Fla. - We're in the bottom of the sixth at Space Coast Stadium, and while Tom Gorzelanny has continued to cruise along for the most part, he got burned by a one-out walk in the fourth inning. After he issued the free pass to Matt Holliday, David Freese hammered a two-run shot over the right field wall to put the Cardinals up 2-1. That
VIERA, Fla. - Little by little, Tom Gorzelanny appears to be rounding into form for the regular season. He's started tonight's game with the Cardinals by throwing three scoreless innings, striking out three batters. The left-hander threw a nice-looking slider that caught the outside corner and froze Ryan Theriot to start the game, and ended both the first and third innings with strikeouts. He's also
VIERA, Fla. - A couple afternoon updates before the Nationals' 6:05 p.m. start with the Cardinals: * Bryce Harper took batting practice on the minor league side today, and he should be ready to go for Single-A Hagerstown's April 7 opener in Rome, Ga. General manager Mike Rizzo said Harper is doing fine, revising his characterization of the 18-year-old's injury from a medium sprain to
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' updated lineup for tonight's game against the Cardinals, with a few changes necessitated by Adam LaRoche missing the game with a sore shoulder. I've also got the Cardinals' lineup below: Cardinals: Theriot - SS Greene - CF Pujols - 1B Holliday - LF Freese - 3B Berkman - RF Molina - C Schumaker - 2B Lohse - P
VIERA, Fla. - Adam LaRoche, who was scheduled to hit cleanup in the Nationals' new-look lineup tonight, has been scratched after the shoulder pain that was bothering him early this spring flared up, and is waiting to get the results of a MRI he had Wednesday on his left shoulder. But the first baseman, who didn't play in the field until March 7 after dealing
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Zimmerman is back in it, batting third after sitting out for 11 days with a sore groin: Morgan - CF Werth - RF Zimmerman - 3B LaRoche - 1B Bernadina - LF Hairston - SS Ramos - C Cora - 2B Gorzelanny - P
VIERA, Fla. - In all the talk about the Nationals' possible switch from Nyjer Morgan to Rick Ankiel (or possibly Roger Bernadina) in center field, much of the discussion focuses on the sudden hole the Nationals would have at the top of their lineup. Morgan, their leadoff hitter for the last year and a half, was brought to Washington specifically for that job. If he's
LAKELAND, Fla. - The Nationals' spring skid, which spanned seven losses in seven days last week and ended on Sunday, looks firmly and fully out of their system at this point. They won their third straight game Thursday night, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-2 in a game that featured plenty of things to like and very few to be worried about. Jordan Zimmermann, working with
LAKELAND, Fla. - We've played 5 1/2 innings at Joker Marchant Stadium, and this is shaping up to be one of the Nationals' best - and most eventful - efforts of the spring. Jayson Werth took the first pitch he saw from Rick Porcello in the fifth inning deep to left, hitting his first homer of the spring in his 39th at-bat. Two batters later,
LAKELAND, Fla. - If Jordan Zimmermann was trying to regain a measure of respect tonight against the Tigers after getting drilled in his last spring outing against the Cardinals, he's of to a good start. The right-hander has already touched 96 mph on the radar gun and has two strikeouts in the first two innings, as the Nationals lead Detroit 1-0. Zimmermann's fastball is sitting
LAKELAND, Fla. - With less than a week left in spring training, there seems to be very little uncertainty left about how the Nationals will look on opening day. Their pitching rotation, for one, is effectively set. Tom Gorzelanny will be the Nationals' fifth starter, manager Jim Riggleman said Thursday afternoon, and all five pitchers in the team's rotation will start the year in the
LAKELAND, Fla. - Get ready to meet one of the most handsomely compensated No. 2 hitters in the game. Jayson Werth, whom the Nationals had said would bat third at the beginning of the spring, will instead start the year in the No. 2 spot, manager Jim Riggleman said today. Werth hit there in 31 games for the Phillies in 2008, alternating between the No.
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals optioned catcher Jesus Flores and right-hander Craig Stammen to Triple-A Syracuse today in a pair of moves that, while expected, eliminated two players from opening day roster contention who have seen significant time with the team in the past. Flores hadn't played in almost two years after dealing with numerous shoulder injuries, most notably a torn labrum that kept him
VIERA, Fla. - Though I'm sticking to my position that the Oliver Perez signing is largely not worth the fuss that's been given to it so far, a few of you have raised a good point on Twitter and in the comments section here: The Nationals are going to have a logjam in the rotation at Triple-A Syracuse. That would have been the case with
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning (once again) from sunny Florida; I'm back for the final week of spring training, after a few days to pack for an upcoming move and recharge. Since I graduated from high school, I've moved more than a dozen times, and I've grown to hate it so very much. But my wife and I made a good dent in the packing
The Nationals added another arm to their bullpen inventory this afternoon, claiming left-hander Lee Hyde off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. Hyde was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. He's a 26-year-old who's flashed a power arm in the minors, striking out a career average of 8.5 batters per nine innings. But Hyde's walks kept him in the minors for his entire time with Atlanta; he's averaged
The Nationals have added a veteran arm to their organization in a very low-risk move, signing Oliver Perez to a minor league deal. That news comes according to multiple reports. Perez, who has 195 career starts under his belt, was cut by the Mets earlier this week. He also has experience as a reliever, and was trying to make the Mets' roster as a lefty
VIERA, Fla. - Drew Storen hasn't taken his spring struggles lightly. He's been peppering anyone he can think of - current and former coaches, teammates, the guys in the video room - with questions, searching for any hint of what he figured was a small, correctable hitch in his delivery that had resulted in a double-digit ERA and whispers that the Nationals' closer-in-waiting might be
VIERA, Fla. - Left-hander John Lannan is continuing to deal, and the Nationals have taken a 1-0 lead against the Houston Astros at Space Coast Stadium. Lannan has faced the minimum number of hitters through five innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Oswaldo Navarro singled with one down in the third, but was erased at first on a nifty pickoff throw by catcher
VIERA, Fla. - Today, center field. Tomorrow, maybe shortstop. Down the road? Jerry Hairston Jr. doesn't much care where he plays, so long as his manager keeps penning his name on the lineup card. Since Nationals manager Jim Riggleman envisions getting Hairston 400 to 500 at-bats in 2011, and since Hairston doesn't have a regular position, that versatility is a bonus. The 13-year major league
VIERA, Fla. - Livan Hernandez will start the Nationals' March 31 season opener against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. After the veteran right-hander, manager Jim Riggleman still hasn't decided how his five-man rotation will shake out. "We're still tossing around a couple of ways we could go. If (John) Lannan and (Tom) Gorzelanny are in there, we're still tossing it around a little bit
VIERA, Fla. - In addition to providing an update on Bryce Harper's injured ankle, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo weighed in on a number of topics during a brief meeting with the media Tuesday morning. * Rizzo considers the battle between Nyjer Morgan, Rick Ankiel and Roger Bernadina for the team's everyday center field job to be a continuing competition. "They all bring a different
VIERA, Fla. - It' s been a busy morning with an update on Bryce Harper's sprained ankle and an opportunity for reporters to chat with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo on a number of subjects. So we're a little late getting to the lineups for today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Houston Astros. Here's the Nationals' lineup: CF - Jerry Hairston Jr. SS - Ian
VIERA, Fla. - Bryce Harper has been diagnosed with a "medium" sprain of his left ankle, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Tuesday morning, but it is unknown if the injury will prevent the top pick in last June's draft from playing in Single-A Hagerstown's April 7 season opener in Rome, Ga. "It's not a mild sprain - it's called a medium sprain," Rizzo said.
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals snapped a seven-game losing streak with a convincing 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, a result that will be relegated to footnote status because the two teams spilled out off benches and out of bullpens during a seventh-inning fracas that Washington manager Jim Riggleman believes was rooted in a case of mistaken intent. At the center of
JUPITER, Fla. - The benches and bullpens have cleared at Roger Dean Stadium in the top of the seventh, after ex-Nationals pitcher Miguel Batista, now with the Cardinals, hit Ian Desmond in the back with a pitch. It was the third time today that a player has been plunked. Washington's Laynce Nix was hit in the shoulder by St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter in the
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals, seeking to end a seven-game spring losing streak, have drawn first blood against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The first five hitters of the fourth inning reached base against St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter and the Nats used four consecutive hits to take a 4-0 lead. Ian Desmond drew a leadoff walk and scored when Laynce Nix tripled to
JUPITER, Fla. - Some news and notes from Nationals manager Jim Riggleman before today's game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium: * The Nationals still don't have a timetable for third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's return to game action. Zimmerman has not played since last Monday because of a left groin injury. "I'm really letting the trainer and Zim determine that. I guess
JUPITER, Fla. - Bryce Harper sprained his left ankle in a minor league intrasquad game at the Nationals spring training complex in Viera on Monday morning. According to a series of tweets from The Nats Blog, last year's top overall pick in the June draft hurt his ankle and was carted off the field. A Nationals spokesman just emailed a statement to the media saying
JUPITER, Fla. - Here are the lineups for the Nationals and Cardinals for today's 1:05 p.m. Grapefruit League game. For the Nationals: CF - Nyjer Morgan SS - Ian Desmond RF - Laynce Nix 1B - Adam LaRoche LF - Michael Morse C - Ivan Rodriguez 2B - Danny Espinosa 3B - Alex Cora P - Livan Hernandez For the Cardinals: SS - Ryan Theriot
VIERA, Fla. - Tom Gorzelanny took a step toward nailing down the fifth spot in the Nationals rotation Sunday, tossing an effective five innings in Washington's seventh straight defeat. But a 6-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers did little to clarify the center field derby, a three-man competition between incumbent Nyjer Morgan, newcomer Rick Ankiel and holdover Roger Bernadina, who has already lost a chance
VIERA, Fla. - Tom Gorzelanny's day is done. The lefty worked five innings before turning the game over to right-hander Todd Coffey in the sixth with the Nationals trailing 2-0. Gorzelanny allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out three. He threw 84 pitches, 47 of them strikes. After three Grapefruit League starts, Gorzelanny has a 3.97 ERA. That mark isn't really
VIERA, Fla. - Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny had been mostly effective through 2 2/3 innings before Don Kelly homered to right field to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. WIth two down in the third, Ryan Raburn singled to left before Kelly, a late entry into the lineup because right fielder Magglio Ordonez was scratched, lofted a no-doubt-about-it blast over the wall in right off an
VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman tested out his sore left groin by hitting soft-toss pitches before Sunday's game and said he felt no problems with the nagging injury that has sidelined him since Monday. "I feel real good," he said "I think tomorrow I'm going to take some ground balls." ZImmerman is hesitant to put a timetable on his return to Grapefruit League games, preferring
VIERA, Fla. - Less than two weeks before his March 31 opener against Atlanta, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman still hasn't decided on a primary center fielder, a fifth starter and several of his bullpen slots. But some of the toughest decisions Riggleman will face as he firms up his 25-man roster will be bench spots, and those considerations represent a sea change for an organization
VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman will test his sore left groin by hitting today, but Nationals manager Jim Riggleman still isn't sure when his third baseman will be ready to play in a game. Complication Riggleman's decision is the scheduled off day Wednesday, the Nationals' lone one of the spring. "We've just got to make a determination: Do I play him before the off day,
VIERA, Fla. - Here's today's Nationals lineup for the 1:05 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers. The game is being televised on MASN, with Bob Carpenter, F.P. Santangelo and Debbi Taylor handling the broadcast duties, so make sure to tune in. LF - Roger Bernadina CF- Rick Ankiel RF - Jayson Werth 1B - Adam LaRoche C - Wilson Ramos DH - Ivan Rodriguez 3B
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Six straight losses don't really worry Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, certainly not at this point of spring training. A four-run first inning, Jason Marquis' first bump in the road in a solid comeback spring, doesn't trouble the right-hander. And Tyler Clippard thinks his continuing struggles can be easily enough addressed before the Nats head north. A 7-4 loss to the
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - For the second straight afternoon, a Nationals pitcher with a sparkling ERA had first-inning trouble. On Friday, it was right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, who saw his spring scoreless innings streak end at 11. Today, the Mets roughed up righty Jason Marquis, who brought an 0.75 ERA into the game, for four runs. Marquis' ERA jumped to 3.41. And it could have
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - As a rookie last season, shortstop Ian Desmond sometimes batted eighth over the first four months of the season. It was a low-pressure spot in the order, and Desmond struggled to generate offense. Desmond struggled in the No. 8 hole, batting .254 with a .304 on-base percentage. When he assumed the second spot in the batting order for much of
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Catcher Ivan Rodriguez and second baseman Danny Espinosa returned the Nationals' lineup Saturday. Neither had played since the team's last trip to Digital Domain Park against the Mets on Tuesday; Rodriguez felt tightness in his left calf during pregame drills and was scratched from the starting lineup, while Espinosa fouled a ball off his right foot and sustained a contusion
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Greetings from Digital Domain Park, where the Nationals will attempt to halt a five-game losing streak this afternoon against the Mets. Driving down Interstate 95 today with WTOP's Craig Heist made me realize how much I miss games in Vero Beach, which housed Dodgertown before is Los Angeles-based namesakes bolted for a new complex in Arizona two spring ago. Dodgertown
VIERA, Fla. - Drew Storen doesn't have the answers for what's going wrong, and the Nationals' second-year reliever isn't about to get confounded by the persistent questions about his missteps, either. After getting battered around again Friday afternoon by the St. Louis Cardinals, Storen's ERA increased from 10.13 to 12.79 amid speculation that he might be in danger of losing what once seemed a sure
VIERA, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann hit a wall, finally proving human after starting spring training with 11 scoreless innings. Adam LaRoche is hitting his stride, a little earlier than usual for an admitted slow starter. Those were the two extremes in the Nationals' 10-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. While wins and losses mean nothing at this point, Washington's fifth consecutive defeat
VIERA, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann came into Friday's game against the Cardinals having not allowed a run. He left after four innings, pondering his most ineffective of four spring training starts. The right-hander exited after allowing six runs on eight hits and walking two. He threw two wild pitches, one that plated the run that gave the Cardinals a 6-2 lead in the top of
VIERA, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann's unscored-upon spring has ended. The Cardinals just took a 1-0 lead against the right-hander, who had not yielded a run over 11 innings in his first three appearances But they had to get some fortuitous bounces to do so. Jon Jay led off the game with a bad-hop single over second baseman Brian Bixler's glove, a ball that Bixler was
VIERA, Fla. - A couple of late lineup changes for the Nationals, who are taking a decidedly conservative approach with the injuries to second baseman Danny Espinosa and catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Both players were removed from the lineup originally posted for Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals after pregame warmups. Rodriguez, who was pulled from Tuesday's original lineup against the Mets in Port St.
VIERA, Fla. - If ever there was a concrete example that Nationals manager Jim Riggleman is planning a closer-by-committee arrangement to start the season, it came this morning in his meeting with reporters. That's when Riggleman first mentioned using left-hander Sean Burnett as a seventh-inning set-up guy, seconds before invoking Burnett's name as someone who might be used in the ninth inning. Burnett can't be
VIERA, Fla. - If there's a surprise in Nationals camp, it's right-hander Brian Broderick, the Rule 5 draft pick who has forced his way into the team's bullpen discussion. In 8 2/3 spring innings over five appearances, Broderick has allowed four hits, a run, walked one and struck out four. He's got a 1.04 ERA. "I would have to say I'm surprised because I'd never
VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman's left groin injury continues to slowly heal and Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman hopes to have his third baseman resume some baseball activities by later this weekend. "I would say that this weekend he'll get back into some baseball stuff, hitting and fielding, and maybe early next week get him in some games," said Riggleman. Zimmerman hasn't played since tweaking
VIERA, Fla. - Here's the Nationals' lineup for Friday's 1:05 p.m. game against the Cardinals at Space Coast Stadium: CF - Nyjer Morgan SS - Ian Desmond RF - Jayson Werth 1B - Adam LaRoche LF - Michael Morse C - Ivan Rodriguez 2B - Danny Espinosa 3B - Alberto Gonzalez P - Jordan Zimmermann
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Every spring training, there are a couple of games that are complete washouts, conflagrations of unimpressive pitching and invisible offense. For the longest time, the Nationals' 7-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night looked like it would fall squarely into that forget-it-and-move-on category. What went right? Early on, very little. What went wrong? Until a late rally, what
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Yunesky Maya's night against the Atlanta Braves is done. Once again, the right-hander looked very good at times and displayed lapses of concentration at others. First the good: Thanks to a wacky 1-5-1-3 double play he started in the first, Maya got through the first three innings without allowing a run. Now, the bad: He showed spotty control, walking two
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - You hear a lot about the hustle Jayson Werth brings to the Nationals, and that quality was never more evident than in the first inning of Thursday night's St. Patrick's Day tilt between the Nats and Atlanta Braves. With one out in the top of the first, and Rick Ankiel on second after legging out a double to left-center, Werth
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Some news and notes from Nationals manager Jim Riggleman's pregame chat with reporters before Thursday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. * Riggleman thinks right-hander Yunesky Maya looks more comfortable in a starting role than he does coming of the bullpen. So Riggleman is particularly interested in seeing whether Maya can continue to be in the mix for the fifth
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Ian Desmond's place atop the Washington Nationals' batting order Thursday night was more a byproduct of the absence of outfielders Nyjer Morgan and Roger Bernadina from the travel squad. But with center field still unclaimed two weeks before the Nats' March 31 opener, could Desmond eventually fulfill that role? Nationals manager Jim Riggleman was careful to couch an answer to
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Jim Riggleman announced three cuts Thursday afternoon. First baseman Chris Marrero, outfielder Corey Brown and right-hander Cole Kimball were all optioned, presumably to Triple-A Syracuse. Marrero, a first-round draft pick in 2006, has long been considered the team's first baseman of the future, but he has been slow to deliver on his potential. However, Marrero followed up a strong 2010
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have posted their lineup for tonight's 6 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista. Yunesky Maya gets the start for Washington, as he attempts to remain in the mix to be the club's fifth starter. Here's the lineup: SS - Ian Desmond CF - Rick Ankiel RF - Jayson Werth 1B - Adam LaRoche LF - Michael
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Nationals and Astros never seem to play games that a) are clean or b) follow a discernable plot. There always seems to be some twist in them, whether it's a walk-off throwing error by Bryce Harper in spring training, a rain-delayed 10-10 contest that has to be finished in another city or a no-call on a check swing that leads to
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - We're in the seventh inning at Osceola County Stadium, and the Nationals have taken a 7-3 lead over the Astros, getting help from a home run from an unlikely source: Nyjer Morgan. The center fielder blasted a long homer to right field in the fifth inning. The three-run shot put the Nationals up 5-3, and they added another run later in the
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - After putting himself in the middle of the race for the Nationals' final rotation spot, Ross Detwiler might have fallen a step behind Tom Gorzelanny and Chad Gaudin today. He allowed three runs, two of them earned, in three innings while giving up four hits and walking two. Detwiler hung his curveball, which has been a solid pitch for him this spring,
KISSIMMMEE, Fla. - X-rays on Danny Espinosa's right foot came back negative this afternoon, meaning the Nationals second baseman didn't break any bones after fouling a pitch off the top of his foot last night. Espinosa is day-to-day, and will continue to be re-evaluated by the Nationals' medical staff, a team spokesman said in an e-mail. Manager Jim Riggleman said this morning that Espinosa will
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Nationals' fight for the final spot in the rotation is getting into its most crucial stretch of the spring, with Ross Detwiler pitching today, a day after Chad Gaudin and Tom Gorzelanny made strong cases for the spot. But with a pair of off-days in the first five games of the regular season, the Nationals can afford to take their fifth-starter
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The morning after he fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot, Danny Espinosa's health appears to be such a low injury risk that the Nationals can almost pronounce him in good health without an X-ray. Manager Jim Riggleman said Espinosa hadn't had an X-ray taken as of Wednesday morning, adding the second baseman was pushing to play today against
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for today's game against the Astros in Kissimmee. Michael Morse, who sat out last nights' game because of a bad reaction to medication he was taking for an abscessed tooth, is back in the lineup today. He'll play left field and bat fifth. Here is the full lineup: Morgan - CF Cora - SS Werth - RF
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The lasting effects of the Nationals' night against the New York Mets probably won't reverberate beyond this week; Ryan Zimmerman's groin injury is nothing major, and the Nationals don't believe Ivan Rodriguez's calf strain is, either. Michael Morse was scratched because his stomach reacted badly to medication he'd been given for an abscessed tooth, and after Danny Espinosa provided a
PORT ST. LUCIE - Danny Espinosa, the promising Nationals rookie who fouled a pitch off his right foot in the seventh inning of tonight's game with the Mets, is day-to-day with a right foot contusion. And while he'll have a precautionary X-ray tomorrow, he's confident there are no broken bones in his foot. Espinosa was helped off the field by two Nationals coaches in the
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals might have just been dealt their nastiest injury of the spring: Danny Espinosa had to be helped into the clubhouse by two coaches a minute ago, with little weight on his right leg. Two Nationals players said Espinosa fouled a pitch off his foot. We might not know anything about Espinosa's foot until he gets an X-ray, but
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Looking for warning signs in Tom Gorzelanny's second start of the spring? There are a few. He's only thrown 25 strikes in 44 pitches so far tonight. But when the left-hander has only allowed one ball out of the infield, it's difficult to be too concerned with his performance. Despite struggling to find the strike zone, particularly with his slider,
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals' lineup, which was already missing Ryan Zimmerman and Ivan Rodriguez from its original configuration, has lost another player tonight: Michael Morse was scratched from the game, and Laynce Nix is in left field. Morse seemed fine before the game, and the move wasn't announced until Nix trotted out to left field in Morse's place in the bottom of
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Mets, which looked reasonably close to one they might field during the regular season, is down a couple veterans. Ryan Zimmerman did not make the trip from Viera for the 7:10 p.m. start because of a groin injury; the third baseman told Riggleman he likely needs a couple days off, but Riggleman
VIERA, Fla. - I spent the morning watching the Nationals' top minor leaguers work out in the team's accelerated minor league camp, and caught the beginning of a trio of exhibition games - an intrasquad contest between Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg, another intrasquad between Single-A Potomac and Single-A Hagerstown, and a third game with a group of Hagerstown players scrimmaging against St. Ambrose University,
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game in Port St. Lucie against the Mets. The Nationals will let their pitchers hit for the first time tonight: Bernadina - RF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B LaRoche - 1B Morse - LF Ankiel - CF Rodriguez - C Espinosa - 2B Gorzelanny - P A programming note: I'm over on the minor
MELBOURNE, Fla. - This season, Nationals Park's official capacity will be a little smaller than it's ever been. The Nationals let media members know a few minutes ago that the ballpark's capacity this season will be 41,506. That's down from the 41,888 fans it held at its opening, though the park had been reduced to 41,546 by last season. A Nationals spokesman said in an
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have probably played their two cleanest games of the spring in the last two days, winning one when they beat up on a good young starter (the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco) and losing another when they struggled to do more than jab at another good young starter (the Tigers' Rick Porcello). The difference in Monday's 4-2 loss to Detroit was mostly
VIERA, Fla. - Chien-Ming Wang threw a bullpen session on Sunday, after pitching in an intrasquad game on March 4. He cut that game short after feeling tightness in his arm at the end of the first inning, instead of pitching the second inning he was supposed to throw. Those are the facts of Wang's rehab from shoulder surgery this spring, and the Nationals say
VIERA, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg's rehab from Tommy John surgery continues along its monotonous pace; the right-hander is playing catch from 90 feet now, adding 15 feet to his long-toss sessions in periodic increments. But his progress, as far as the Nationals can tell, is right on schedule; his arm strength is coming back, long tosses are getting less daunting and he's slowly feeling more
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals trail the Tigers 4-1, with Detroit scoring three in the top of the sixth after Washington had pulled even. And Jason Marquis is done for the day, with another impressive spring outing in the books. The right-hander finished his day after five innings, allowing three hits, two walks and a run. He threw 58 pitches, 38 for strikes, and got
VIERA, Fla. - Entering today's game against the Tigers, Jason Marquis had thrown just 70 pitches in seven innings this spring. He's essentially continued on that pace today. Marquis gave up a run - his first of the spring - in the third inning, but has mostly turned in the same kind of work he has all spring, getting early-count groundouts with his sinker. He's
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals officially start the second half of their spring schedule today when the Tigers come to town, and as we wind into the final two weeks before opening day, the team's goals will become more about keeping players sharp and whittling down the last few spots on the roster that are up for grabs. The Nationals still have 42 players in
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for today's 1:05 p.m. start against the Tigers: Morgan - CF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - LF Ramos - DH Hairston - 2B Rodriguez - C Marrero - 1B Marquis - P After Jason Marquis, Todd Coffey, Doug Slaten, Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen and Cole Kimball are all available to pitch
JUPITER, Fla. - As much as any game the Nationals have played this spring, Sunday's 5-1 victory over the Marlins represented the way they want to win games this year. They jumped out to an early lead, got a superb performance from their one starter who might have the upside to become a front-of-the-rotation pitcher, turned a couple hits into outs with impressive defensive play
JUPITER, Fla. - We're in the fifth inning at Roger Dean Stadium, and the Nationals have a 5-0 lead on the Marlins. Jordan Zimmermann has given up just two hits, and Washington chased Ricky Nolasco from the game in the second inning. I haven't been updating the blog much this afternoon because I went to sit in the stands with some scouts during the first
JUPITER, Fla. - Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, whose rehab from shoulder surgery is still progressing at a tedious pace nearly two years after the operation, won't be ready in time to make the Nationals' opening day roster, manager Jim Riggleman said this morning. The news doesn't come as much of a shock; Wang has only thrown one bullpen session since cutting short an outing in an
JUPITER, Fla. - Reliever Elvin Ramirez, the hard-throwing right-hander the Nationals took in last December's Rule 5 draft, is dealing with arm troubles that have shut him down from throwing for several days at a time. He arrived late to camp because of visa issues and hasn't pitched a game yet. And without time to evaluate him, manager Jim Riggleman said it's unlikely the Nationals
JUPITER, Fla. - Good morning (again) from Roger Dean Stadium, where the Nationals take on the Marlins (again) today at 1:05 p.m. If this drive is one of the rougher trips of spring training, it's even worse after springing ahead. Anyway, here is the Nationals' lineup for today's game: Morgan - CF Cora - SS Werth - RF LaRoche - 1B Ankiel - LF Bernadina
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals beat the Yankees today, in a game that typified mid-March action with all of its mixed reviews and mediocre performances. But whatever happened on the field, the news after the game was going to overshadow it - Bryce Harper was optioned to Single-A Hagerstown, ending the 18-year-old's impressive spring in major league camp. I'll keep the game recap short today,
VIERA, Fla. - There was never any question that Bryce Harper, no matter how much he did to remind people he wasn't 18 years old, was going to face this day. He was going to make that walk down to manager Jim Riggleman's office and hear the same words every player who makes that walk this time of year hears: That he was going to
VIERA, Fla. - Bryce Harper's time in the Nationals' major league camp is over. The 18-year-old outfielder was optioned to Single-A Hagerstown after Saturday's game against the Yankees, ending his time in the big leagues after an impressive run through his first spring training. Harper, who was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance on Saturday, hit .389 for the spring. Nonetheless, he'll
VIERA, Fla. - We're headed into the seventh inning at Space Coast Stadium, and the Nationals have pulled within a run of the Yankees because of (who else?) Michael Morse. The left fielder drove in his third run of the day with a single in the sixth inning before being lifted for a pinch runner. He went 2-for-3 today with a run and three RBIs.
VIERA, Fla. - Several times this spring, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman hinted he's aware of the clamoring from fans to play Michael Morse every day. And maybe it's a good thing Riggleman and general manager Mike Rizzo put Morse in the lead for the job this morning, because if they hadn't, the cry from fans would be getting even louder. Morse hit his fifth homer
VIERA, Fla. - All spring, ever since Jayson Werth - perhaps somewhat presciently - hinted at an open competition for the two outfield spots next to his, the Nationals' players in left and center field have been jostling around like bumper cars, with the actions of one seemingly sending another in a different direction. Those pieces haven't settled into place yet, but now, we at
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium. Here are the Nationals' and Yankees' lineups for today: Yankees: Gardner - CF Nunez - SS Martin - C Cano - 2B Montero - DH Vazquez - 1B Pena - 3B Maxwell - LF Mesa - RF Burnett - P Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B LaRoche - 1B Morse - LF
VIERA, Fla. - At times this spring, the Nationals have looked sharp, running the bases with aggressiveness, getting decent work from their pitchers and hitting effectively enough to make you think they've got a chance to be better in 2011. You'll have to take my word that that's happened though. Neither of the times they've been on TV have provided much evidence of it. Their
VIERA, Fla. - How should we put this diplomatically? We've played three innings at Space Coast Stadium, and the highlights of the evening have been nowhere near the field. About a half-hour after the game started, a Delta IV rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, sending fans to the concourse to snap pictures and video as it shot into the sky. And as it cleared the
VIERA, Fla. - I'd mentioned earlier this spring I was hoping to incorporate more multimedia elements into this blog, possibly in the form of a weekly podcast. Well, that podcast is finally here. It will probably take a few different forms throughout the season, but for the first edition, I lined up a couple excellent - and entertaining - guests: WTOP's Craig Heist and MLB.com's
VIERA, Fla. - The big news of the day at Space Coast Stadium was the Nationals' latest round of cuts, which sent 11 players to minor league camp, in addition to the team's decision to release reliever Cla Meredith. But there were a few other items concerning the players who are still in major league camp: * Henry Rodriguez will make his Nationals debut on
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager JIm Riggleman met with reporters a few minutes ago to explain the thinking behind some of the team's 12 cuts from major league camp today. Essentially, one theme emerged: The Nationals already have a pretty good idea of who's going to be on their opening day roster, and they're ready to start trimming away players who won't be in that
VIERA, Fla. - We're reaching the point of the spring where one end of the Nationals' clubhouse - the one that holds minor leaguers with only a slim chance of making the team - is starting to look sparse. The team sent a few position players to the minors this morning, and a handful of pitchers were making the walk to manager Jim Riggleman's office
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Astros. We'll see a handful of the team's regulars for tonight's 6:05 start: Morgan - CF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Zimmerman - 3B Ankiel - LF Morse - 1B Rodriguez - C Flores - DH Gonzalez - 2B Hernandez - P Livan Hernandez will throw five innings for the Nationals,
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Nationals are making their next round of roster cuts today, but for at least a little while longer, Bryce Harper will stay in major league camp. A team source said this morning that Harper won't be in this round of cuts, giving the 18-year-old more time to see major league pitching after a week in which he's started to look more
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Bryce Harper played just 2 1/2 innings against the Astros on Thursday night, seeing no more action than he has in most of his games with the Nationals this spring. And yet, the 18-year-old already has a knack for inserting himself in the story. In those 2 1/2 innings on Thursday night, he managed to squeeze in enough action for a complete
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - If Tom Gorzelanny is a virtual lock to be in the Nationals' rotation, he'll have to be better through the rest of the spring than he was tonight. In his first spring start, the left-hander gave up five hits in 2 1/3 innings, getting taken out in the third inning and allowing three runs, though only two of them were earned and
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Ron Villone, once again, is back in the Nationals system. The team has signed the left-hander to a minor-league deal, marking the third year in a row the 41-year-old will be in the organization. He pitched in 63 games for the Nationals in 2009, going 5-5 with a 4.65 ERA. Villone was at Triple-A Syracuse all last year, making 41 appearances and
VIERA, Fla. - Here are the Nationals' and Astros' lineups for tonight's game in Kissimmee: Nationals: Bernadina - LF Espinosa - SS Hairston - 3B Ramos - C Norris - DH Marrero - 1B Frazier - RF Ankiel - CF Bixler - SS Gorzelanny - P Astros: Bourgeois - CF Barmes - SS Pence - RF Lee - LF Hall - 2B Johnson - 3B
VIERA, Fla. - I'm going to keep this really quick, since there's another game to get to in Kissimmee that starts at 7:05. The Nationals improved to 8-3 this spring, beating the Mets 6-5 at Space Coast Stadium in a game delayed an hour by rain. Once again, the Nationals took an early lead, getting up 4-0 as Chad Gaudin turned in five shutout innings.
VIERA, Fla. - We're in the seventh inning at Space Coast Stadium, and the Nationals have a 4-1 lead over the Mets. They've committed two errors - including one on a throw from Ian Desmond - but their relievers have continued to shut down New York after Chad Gaudin threw five shutout innings. The right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 4.09 for the spring, gave
VIERA, Fla. - Things are finally under way here at Space Coast Stadium, and once again, the Nationals are out to an early lead. They scored two runs in the first inning when Adam LaRoche popped a bases-loaded ground-rule double over the center field wall, and added another on a RBI groundout by Ivan Rodriguez. They lead 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Chad
VIERA, Fla. - Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny will pitch in his first major league spring game tonight, throwing two innings against the Astros in Kissimmee. Gorzelanny has been limited this spring because of a sinus infection, and has only appeared in one intrasquad game, where he threw 26 pitches in two innings. But despite that - and despite the way Ross Detwiler has looked early this
VIERA, Fla. - After sitting out the Nationals' 100-mile road trip to Jupiter yesterday with soreness in his legs, outfielder Jayson Werth is back in the team's lineup today - or, at least, he will be if there's a game played at Space Coast Stadium. Manager Jim Riggleman said Werth told trainers he was ready to play today, and he will start in right field
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from a cloudy Space Coast Stadium, where there's rain in the forecast for much of the morning. It looks like it should clear out by gametime, though, and it's likely the Nationals and Mets will be able to get their 1:05 p.m. game in. Here is Part 2 of my interview with Nationals prospect Ryan Tatusko, who answered a few
JUPITER, Fla. - For seven innings, the way the Nationals were playing against the Marlins on Wednesday was unquestionably their best effort of the spring. And even after the four runs given up by Doug Slaten and Tim Wood in the eighth and ninth, the game still looks that way. The Nationals made no errors after committing 13 in their previous six games. They ran
JUPITER, Fla. - We're in the eighth inning here, and the Nationals have stretched their lead to 8-0 after scoring five runs in the seventh inning. Danny Espinosa added another hit, driving in a run with a single to right, and finished his day 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs and a hit-by-pitch. The Nationals have allowed just two hits, and haven't made an error
JUPITER, Fla. - If Jason Marquis' day is done after four innings - and the plan before the game was for the right-hander to go four - he's finished another impressive outing. He allowed two hits in four shutout innings, striking out three batters and walking one. But the most impressive part of Marquis' day - and the most encouraging sign for the Nationals -
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals have scored first in almost every game this spring, which is only worth something in the sense that it means they're getting an edge while their starters are still in the game. And against the Marlins today, they're on top early again. They've got three hits on Javier Vazquez in the first three innings - all doubles - and have
JUPITER, Fla. - A couple days ago, I asked you to submit your questions for Nationals prospect Ryan Tatusko, one of the two pitchers the team got in the Cristian Guzman trade last year. I sat down with him on the back fields of the Nationals' spring training complex yesterday, passed along a few of your questions and followed up with a few of my
JUPITER, Fla. - Good morning from Roger Dean Stadium. I've got a batch of quick-hit news updates for you: * Jayson Werth, who was supposed to be on the trip today, stayed back because of some "general soreness," Riggleman said. The outfielder has some tightness in his legs, and Riggleman didn't want to subject him to the 90-minute bus ride, though like Ryan Zimmerman, he
VIERA, Fla. - Here is the Nationals' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins in Jupiter: Bernadina - CF Espinosa - 2B Nix - RF LaRoche - 1B Morse - LF Stairs - DH Rodriguez - C Cora - SS Gonzalez - 3B Marquis - P Time to hit the road and head south. Talk to you from Roger Dean Stadium.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals' fifth win of the spring was probably also their hardest to characterize. There were some encouraging signs (Nyjer Morgan finally looked like a force at the top of the lineup), some uneventful performances (Jordan Zimmermann's start) and some bad days (the defense made two more errors, including one by Ian Desmond). In the end, Washington made up for
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals are up 3-1 in the seventh inning here, and they've had a handful of solid performances today. But if you look deeper than the box score, there's plenty for the team to improve upon. The Nationals have made two errors today, and now have nine in the last four games. They also allowed their first run when Derek
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Michael Morse is three innings into his second game of the spring at Digital Domain Park. He's already got three homers here. The left fielder hit his third of the spring, all of them in this park, in the second inning off Chris Capuano to put the Nationals up 1-0 over the Mets. They lead 2-0 now, after Jerry Hairston
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - There's no question Drew Storen's early results haven't been good. The second-year reliever has a 18.00 ERA in three appearances, and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in the Nationals' 14-9 win over the Astros yesterday. But the Nationals aren't concerned with the results just yet because they reflect a pitcher throwing without his full repertoire. They've asked
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - If you're the type that is not interested in or amused by media meltdowns, skip this paragraph. There will be Nationals news waiting on the other side of it. Otherwise, here's my current situation: Like most of the Mets media, I'm camped out in the press workroom at Digital Domain Park, apparently the only place in the stadium that has
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Hello from Digital Domain Park. Here are the Nationals' and Mets' lineups for today: Nationals: Morgan - DH Desmond - SS Hairston - 3B Morse - LF Ramos - C Frazier - RF Ankiel - CF Marrero - 1B Bixler - 2B Zimmermann - P Mets: Reyes - SS Harris - RF Wright - 3B Murphy - 1B Evans -
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals are packing up to head to Port St. Lucie for a 1:10 p.m. start against the Mets. I'm heading there, as well, but I had one tidbit to post before I hit the road: Tom Gorzelanny will make his spring debut on Thursday night in a split-squad game against the Astros in Kissimmee.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Hello from the lovely Residence Inn Melbourne, the hotel and home base for me (and, it seems, about half of the Nationals' baseball operations staff) during spring training. Hope you're enjoying your Monday evening. Perhaps somewhat foolishly, I signed up with my wife and a few friends from my church for the Spartan Race - one of those adventure/obstacle course 5K runs
VIERA, Fla. - The longest game the Nationals have played all spring was probably also one of their most deceptive. They ripped the Astros' pitching staff for nine runs in the eighth inning, coming back from an 8-5 deficit to win 14-9, and had plenty of players look great at the plate in the process. But if you pull apart the comeback, it doesn't look
VIERA, Fla. - A disclaimer first: Garrett Mock wasn't helped much by the Nationals' defense in the fourth and fifth innings today. Michael Morse dropped an easy fly ball that would have allowed him to double J.D. Martinez off first if he'd caught it, and Martinez reached in the first place because of catcher's interference on Ivan Rodriguez. But there were plenty of things Mock
VIERA, Fla. - We're in the third inning at Space Coast Stadium - which sounds like it could pass for a library today - and the Nationals have taken a 3-1 lead over the Astros. And much of it has been done by Roger Bernadina, who's leading off and playing center field today. Bernadina bunted his way on in the first inning, also stealing a
VIERA, Fla. - Former Nationals president Stan Kasten popped in at the team's camp this morning, squeezing in a visit to his former haunt in the midst of some other work. What that other work is, Kasten wouldn't say - his grip on information hasn't loosened much since he resigned from the Nationals at the end of last season - but in a lively exchange
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals pitchers are starting their second pass through the rotation this week, which means the team is getting to a point where it can't piggyback two starters in the same spring game anymore. Livan Hernandez threw four innings in an intrasquad game yesterday, and John Lannan will do the same today. Those two pitchers might be the two surest bets the Nationals
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium - and thanks to those of you who chimed in with movie suggestions last night. I wound up seeing "The King's Speech," and enjoyed it thoroughly. Great performances from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, who had a wonderful rapport, and it did a nice job of opening up the themes of Firth's character without beating you
VIERA, Fla. - If you're the type who looks for signs of progress in the midst of spring training results, then the Nationals' 5-0 loss to the Braves on Sunday could have delivered something for you, in the person of Ross Detwiler. The left-hander was impressive again, striking out five batters - including four in a row - in three innings. We've got plenty more
VIERA, Fla. - Ross Detwiler turned 25 today, and celebrated by striking out five batters in three innings of his third spring training appearance, which continued to build the case the former first-rounder could be the surprise of Nationals camp. The occasion was slightly better than the last time Detwiler pitched on his birthday: As a freshman at Missouri State, he got hit in the
VIERA, Fla. - We've played 2 1/2 innings at Space Coast Stadium, and for the second time this spring, Ross Detwiler is showing off how much he's improved over the winter. He's struck out four straight Braves batters, and has five Ks in three innings. The Nationals trail 1-0, but the run they gave up was unearned. From Detwiler's perspective, things couldn't be going much
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals are in a tenuous situation with center fielder Nyjer Morgan this spring. They want him to work through the struggles that led to his letdown of a season in 2010, so manager Jim Riggleman isn't putting much stock in Morgan's rough start at the plate. But at the same time, the Nationals have more competition in their outfield than at
VIERA, Fla. - First baseman Adam LaRoche, who still hasn't played the field because of soreness in his shoulder, is throwing more aggressively, manager Jim Riggleman said. He should make his debut at first base tomorrow. "We're going to give it one more day to let the trainers work on it, have him do some long toss and let him make the call," Riggleman said.
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium, where home plate is currently serving as the finish line of the inaugural Game Day 5K Run/Walk. The course looped around the streets near the park before finishing in the stadium. Wish I would have paid more attention to when the race was - I could have used something to train for. It might have been
TAMPA, Fla. - I'm going to keep this quick, because nothing else about this game was. And frankly, the way the Nationals and Yankees played today wasn't deserving of much attention. The Nationals won 10-8, but only after turning a 7-0 lead into an 8-7 deficit in the fourth inning. They committed two errors, prolonging an inning where Chad Gaudin and Josh Wilkie had already
TAMPA, Fla. - If there's been one thing evident about Bryce Harper as he's gone through his first big league camp, scuffling his way along at times, it's been how far ahead of his age the 18-year-old is. Even when he's struggled, he's impressed Nationals officials with how he carries himself, filing away information from his at-bats against journeymen pitchers. It's difficult to find a
TAMPA, Fla. - Cross another milestone off Bryce Harper's list. He got his first RBI in a spring game a minute ago, ripping a pitch to right off Yankees reliever Romulo Sanchez. He went to second on an error by right fielder Colin Curtis, and Brian Bixler scored. It was Harper's second at-bat of the day, following a groundout to first. He's now 2-for-10 this
TAMPA, Fla. - Things were moving along so nicely for the Nationals this afternoon. Chad Gaudin looked good through the first three innings, the team roughed up CC Sabathia and then continued to hammer Joba Chamberlain, forcing Yankees manager Joe Girardi to remove both pitchers in the middle of an inning. And then the bottom of the fourth rolled around. Gaudin gave up five runs,
TAMPA, Fla. - We're in the third inning here at Steinbrenner Field, and whatever concern the Nationals had about CC Sabathia has been rendered moot. They didn't start Bryce Harper because they didn't want to put him in against the tough left-hander, but it might not have mattered. Sabathia couldn't locate his fastball, and the Nationals hammered him. They scored five runs on six hits
TAMPA, Fla. - Based on the fact right-hander Chien-Ming Wang only threw an inning in his first action of the spring, manager Jim Riggleman said this morning he doesn't expect to see the pitcher ready for the majors until May. "He threw an inning yesterday and said, 'That's enough,' " Riggleman said. "That doesn't sound like he's on pace to get ready for April." Wang,
TAMPA, Fla. - Hello from George M. Steinbrenner Field, where the Nationals take on the Yankees in a 1:05 p.m. exhibition game today. As it turns out, the Nationals might have more players in their lineup who will start for them this year than the Yankees do. Here are both teams' lineups: Nationals: Hairston Jr.- CF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B Morse - RF
VIERA, Fla. - In most spring training games, there are so many disparate parts - starting players sharing the field with reserves, pitchers working on new deliveries or batters fiddling with mechanics - that it's hard to take much out of the final result or pinpoint where a game turned. Friday's game was not one of those cases. The Nationals were rolling along through the
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals gave up a pair of runs in the sixth inning, with Collin Balester allowing a single and a walk before Freddie Freeman drove in two runs with a single. Balester had thrown a shutout inning in his other appearance this spring, but wasn't sharp today - and wasn't helped by a passed ball from Jesus Flores, who also just had
VIERA, Fla. - We're in the third inning at Space Coast Stadium, and if an early indication is worth anything, Jason Marquis looks like he's finally ready to be the pitcher the Nationals paid $15 million for in December 2009. He cruised through his first spring start, giving up one hit and facing the minimum in three innings. Marquis got six ground ball outs in
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals just announced their spring radio schedule. Here it is: March 6 on 106.7 WJFK-FM March 7 on 1580 The Big Talker AM March 17 on 106.7 WJFK-FM March 18 on 1580 The Big Talker AM March 19 on 106.7 WJFK-FM March 20 on 1580 The Big Talker AM March 24 on 106.7 WJFK-FM March 25 on 106.7 WJFK-FM March 26
VIERA, Fla. - Chien-Ming Wang and Tom Gorzelanny got their first live action of the spring this morning, throwing a simulated game on the back fields of the Nationals' spring training complex. Neither one was throwing harder than the mid-80s, but pitching coach Steve McCatty was happy with how both pitchers looked. Wang threw 16 pitches, 10 of them strikes, and topped out at 83
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals made their first round of roster cuts this morning, reassigning starters Matt Chico and Shairon Martis and reliever Joe Bisenius to minor league camp. All three pitchers have pitched in the majors for the Nationals in the last two years; Chico and Bisenius did so last year. If you wanted to, you could take that as a sign the team's
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals are back at home today, facing the Atlanta Braves in a 1:05 p.m. contest. Chien-Ming Wang and Tom Gorzelanny will throw two innings apiece in a simulated game at 10 a.m., so there will be plenty of note going on here today. Here is the Nationals' lineup for the major league game: Nyjer Morgan - CF Roger Bernadina - LF
JUPITER, Fla. - For the first time this spring, the Nationals both lost a game and looked sloppy doing it. Their defense committed mistakes all day, and they compounded the problem with several baserunning gaffes. It's bound to happen at some point during spring training, but the Nationals' 7-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals certainly looked like a departure from the crisp, aggressive baseball
JUPITER, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann's first outing of the spring was nothing special; he allowed four hits in three innings, throwing pitches with less break than usual because of a stiff wind at his back. But Zimmermann didn't give up a run, and for the right-hander, the outing was a small checkpoint. Zimmermann felt his arm come completely back from Tommy John surgery last winter,
JUPITER, Fla. - We're (only) in the bottom of the fifth at Roger Dean Stadium, and the Nationals trail 5-2 after an interminable inning from Garrett Mock. Well, it wasn't even a full inning; he was gone after 2/3 of an inning. His defense didn't help him - Danny Espinosa made an error, and Michael Morse missed a chance to throw out a runner at
JUPITER, Fla. - Nyjer Morgan's ears must have been burning this morning. Not three hours after Jim Riggleman talked about the work he's been doing on his bunting, the outfielder got his first bunt down in three attempts. And when Yadier Molina made a late throw, firing high and wide to first base, the Nationals got their first run - Alberto Gonzalez scored from first
JUPITER, Fla. - Bryce Harper, who is on the road with the Nationals today, will travel again with the team to Tampa on Saturday to face the New York Yankees, manager Jim Riggleman said. But he won't start the game against his favorite team. The reason? CC Sabathia is starting for the Yankees, and Riggleman doesn't want to have Harper getting all of his at-bats
JUPITER, Fla. - So far, the position where the Nationals have the most competition this spring, left field, has yielded the best performances. Roger Bernadina and Michael Morse are both 5-for-7, with three homers between them, and Rick Ankiel homered in his first start. At the moment, those three players are mostly competing to win the left field job. If there's a chance that either
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Good morning. I'm writing from my hotel room, where I'll be packing up shortly and heading south to Jupiter for the Nationals' 1:05 p.m. start against the St. Louis Cardinals. That headline is as punny as I'll get today. But whatever happens there today probably won't get me as much face time on national TV as my wife Marissa got yesterday. She's
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals are now 3-0 in spring training, a fact that means nothing in and of itself. But the way they've gotten there is sending an early message: namely, that the team's commitment to competition is working. The Nationals' 8-4 win over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday afternoon came largely on the performances of a few players in heated battles for spots
VIERA, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg can't tell you what comes next month in his Tommy John rehab, once the rest of his Nationals teammates head north to start the regular season. He can barely tell you what happens next week, beyond some educated guesses based on what he's been doing so far. The team's doctors would prefer Strasburg doesn't have too much information. If a
VIERA, Fla. - We're in the fourth inning at Space Coast Stadium, as this game between the Nationals and Marlins continues to crawl along. John Lannan didn't help the pace of things in the third inning, when he ran into some trouble (he gave up three hits, a walk and hit Dewayne Wise with a pitch). But he only allowed two runs, and the Nationals
VIERA, Fla. - Michael Morse raised the ante in the Nationals' left field competition on the first day of spring training. Roger Bernadina appears to have matched it. Bernadina, who's impressed the Nationals early in camp with his bulked-up physique and began the spring with a 2-for-2 performance Monday, just launched a three-run homer off Josh Johnson to put the Nationals up 4-0 over the
VIERA, Fla. - We're about ready to get started at Space Coast Stadium; the Oak Ridge Boys (!) just sang the national anthem, and John Lannan is on the mound for his first spring start. Lannan will likely go three innings today, and Yunesky Maya will follow him. I'll be blogging items of interest throughout the game, so keep checking back for more.
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals announced this morning that they've agreed to contracts with 18 players on their 40-man roster for the 2011 season, and have renewed the contracts of pitchers Tyler Clippard and Jordan Zimmermann. All of the players on the Nationals' 40-man roster are now signed for 2011. Clippard and Zimmermann's contracts were renewed because the Nationals could not agree to terms with
VIERA, Fla. - Here are the Nationals' and Marlins' lineups for today's 1:10 start at Space Coast Stadium: Marlins: Infante - 2B Wise - CF Ramirez - SS Sanchez - 1B Buck - C Helms - 3B Cousins - RF Petersen - LF Raynor - DH Johnson - P Nationals: Bernadina - CF Ankiel - LF Nix - RF Zimmerman - 3B LaRoche - DH
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals are getting ready for their third game of the spring against the Florida Marlins. There are a few comings and goings with Nationals pitchers this morning, so here's a quick update on a few of them: * Henry Rodriguez is in camp, finally arriving after working through visa issues. He'll still have to
VIERA, Fla. - Cla Meredith's short run with the Nationals could already be over. The team announced today that Meredith will have Tommy John surgery in Washington with Nationals doctor Wiemi Douoguih, ending his season after he felt elbow discomfort in a pair of bullpen sessions. The sidearm-throwing reliever, who had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow during the offseason, is with
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' scrappy little spring wagon rolled on today, and the team is now 2-0 after a 5-3 win over the Mets at Space Coast Stadium. That's two more wins than the team recorded in the first 11 games of spring training last year. And us reporters, being the enterprising sort we are, only need two games before we start talking about
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals outfielder Corey Brown, who came up limping after a play at home plate during the team's 5-3 win over the Mets today, has a mild sprain in his left ankle. He's day-to-day, and will be re-evaluated if his ankle isn't getting better in a day or two. Brown said after the game it was already feeling better than when he left.
VIERA, Fla. - Back from the Nationals clubhouse, where Livan Hernandez, Ross Detwiler and Danny Espinosa were all ready to talk to the media before the conclusion of this game (it's 5-1 Nationals in the eighth, by the way). Here are a few snippets from each of them: * Hernandez said he left a couple sinkers over the plate on the hits he gave up
VIERA, Fla. - Bryce Harper officially has a hit in a professional game. He came into the game in the fifth inning, pinch hitting for Jayson Werth, and got his first hit of the spring when he shot a 1-0 fastball to left for a single off Pedro Beato. Harper is playing right field in Werth's place, and will probably get another at-bat or two
VIERA, Fla. - We're headed into the bottom of the fifth, and Danny Espinosa has given the Nationals a comfortable lead. Batting as a right-hander against right-hander Pedro Beato, Espinosa blasted a two-run homer over the right field fence in the fourth to give the Nationals a 4-1 lead over the Mets as part of a four-run fourth. Espinosa has been sharp so far at
VIERA, Fla. - We've played three innings at Space Coast Stadium, and if yesterday's win over the Mets was a good sample of the way the Nats are hoping to win games this year, today's start has not been. The Nationals have run into two outs on the bases, with Michael Morse getting thrown out stealing second and Chris Marrero's belated attempt to advance on
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals and Mets have just gotten started at Space Coast Stadium - Jose Reyes doubled to right off Livan Hernandez to start the game, followed by a Willie Harris flyout to center after a few taunts from hecklers. Really? The guy was practically a model citizen with the Nationals. David Wright just flew out to right, and Reyes beat a tag
VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman talked to reporters a few minutes ago about the news that he'll bat cleanup, not third, for the Nationals this year. As you might expect, Zimmerman said he doesn't care where he bats. "You're batting third or fourth the first time through," Zimmerman said. "It's like hitting leadoff. You hit leadoff the first inning of the game, and you might
VIERA, Fla. - Adam LaRoche, who will be DHing for the next couple days as he nurses a sore shoulder, said he'd be playing first base if this was the regular season. He hasn't had an examination on it, and he doesn't even want to call it an injury. What's causing it, or when it developed, LaRoche isn't exactly sure. But the only reason he's
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Jim Riggleman put Michael Morse at third base in the eighth inning of the team's exhibition opener against the Mets, and Morse (who was drafted as a shortstop) looked good there, making a nice stop and throw in the eighth. If the Nationals need to give Ryan Zimmerman a day off at third, Morse could find himself there again, Riggleman
VIERA, Fla. - For the last 4 1/2 seasons, there's been little question that Ryan Zimmerman would be the Nationals' No. 3 hitter. He's manned that spot in the lineup for three managers, with a parade of first basemen batting cleanup behind him. But Zimmerman doesn't have any sentimental or symbolic claim to the spot. He hit cleanup on a handful of occasions last year,
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals will have to wait at least another day to see their new first baseman play in the field. Adam LaRoche will be the team's designated hitter today, staying away from defense today because of some shoulder soreness. Manager Jim Riggleman said LaRoche just has "spring training soreness" in his shoulder from throwing in drills, and will DH for a couple
VIERA, Fla. - Good morning from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals will start the home portion of their spring schedule today against the Mets. There is some rain in the forecast, but we'll keep you posted on whether it affects the game. Jayson Werth makes his Nationals debut today with a twist - he's batting in Ryan Zimmerman's usual No. 3 spot, while Zimmerman
