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.
PHILADELPHIA - I feel like I've written that headline about five times this season already. But Michael Morse, who looked like he could provide a jolt of power for the Nationals' offense at times last year and through most of this spring, might finally be getting hot.
He's hitting .290 in his last nine games, having homered twice and driven in seven runs in that time. Oh, Morse will strike out a bunch - he's got 10 Ks in his last nine games - and his two homers are his only two extra-base hits, but he's at least starting to do something productive at the plate.
And his homer last night, which accounted for the Nationals' one run against the Phillies, was another good sign; Morse drove a fastball low and away to right field, hitting a missile out of Citizens Bank Park much in the manner that Jayson Werth used to do when he played here.
"I didn't change a thing. Just see the ball, hit the ball," Morse said. "I had a couple good balls to hit. I just squared them up."
Morse has maintained he hasn't changed his approach in recent games, but he might finally be settling down after a jittery start to the season. He's a streaky hitter, and he might be on the verge of putting something together. That would be a big boost for a Nationals offense that, as it's currently constituted, simply has to have Morse producing if it's going to score enough runs to win.
