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Chien-Ming Wang, who pitched three innings in his first rehab start at Single-A Hagerstown last week, will make his next start on Saturday for Single-A Potomac, the team announced today. Wang gave up two runs on four hits in his last start, but his fastball was sitting in the high 80s and occasionally touched 90 mph. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2009, but
The Nationals flew back to Washington early this morning having played exactly half their schedule, after a sweep against the Los Angeles Angels cost them a chance to end the first half over .500 for the first time since 2005. They are sitting in better shape after 81 games than at any time since then, but how this year is measured depends on what your
Jordan Zimmermann was masterful for the Nationals (40-41) Wednesday night pitching a complete game. However, the offense, as it has so many times this season, failed the hard-throwing right-hander. A strong effort from Angels (42-40) starter Dan Haren shut down the Nats' offense and didn't allow Washington to salvage a game in the three-game interleague series. Davey Johnson tells the media that Jordan Zimmermann's outing
The Nationals and Angels have played six innings in Anaheim, and once again, they're getting a tremendous start from Jordan Zimmermann, who's allowed just one run and three hits. But as they've done in many of Zimmermann's best outings this year, they're struggling to hit. And to make things worse, they've suffered another injury. Jerry Hairston Jr. came out of the game in the fifth
Here is the Nationals' lineup for their series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, as they try to avoid a sweep in Anaheim. And facing right-hander Dan Haren, they'll have their work cut out for them. Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond and Wilson Ramos all get days off, and Laynce Nix, who left yesterday's game with a sore right Achilles tendon that's been bothering him for
The Nationals have signed former Phillies left-hander J.C. Romero to a minor-league deal, adding him to the roster at Triple-A Syracuse. The 35-year-old, who was released by Philadelphia on June 24, could give the Nationals an effective left-hander at some point down the road, especially with Doug Slaten on the disabled list with left elbow neuritis. Romero's best years came with the Twins in the
At the beginning of spring training, nobody was giving Laynce Nix much of a shot to make the Nationals' roster. Even then-manager Jim Riggleman said Nix would have a tough time fighting through what appeared to be a crowded outfield to win a spot on the roster, and if he made it, it looked like Nix would be pinch hitting, not starting on a regular
An early lead delivered by Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth disappeared in the fifth after an Ian Desmond error. That was just the start of the Nationals' defensive problems in their 11-5 loss to the Angels. After a nice comeback in the sixth inning, fueled by a Laynce Nix home run and an error by Angels' first baseman Mark Trumbo gave the Nationals a 5-3
They've played six in Anaheim, and after the Nationals have mostly turned in pristine baseball games for the last two months, losing when they couldn't hit but winning otherwise, they've booted the ball around Angel Stadium tonight. The Nationals have made four errors, including one from Ian Desmond that went for two runs and helped the Angels take the lead in the fifth inning. Ryan
The Nationals and Angels are tied at a run apiece at Angel Stadium after Jason Marquis - who just had an 11-inning scoreless streak snapped after throwing eight shutout innings against the Mariners last week - hasn't been efficient early. He's walked three batters and allowed five hits, throwing 71 pitches in the first four innings and needing a double play to keep the Angels
Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game with the Angels. I'll post Los Angeles' lineup once it's available. The Nationals have the same lineup as Monday night - remember what Davey Johnson said about preferring to have a consistent lineup? - and Jason Marquis gets the start, looking for his eighth win of the season. Nationals: Bernadina - CF Werth - RF Zim -
New Nationals manager Davey Johnson is one of the more accomplished managers in the history of the game, having taken three of the four teams he's managed to the playoffs, winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 1997 and leading the Mets to a World Series title in 1986. And by at least one measure, he's done it by taking teams to more victories
Yesterday, I asked you two questions: whether you thought the Nationals should have talked to Jim Riggleman about his contract with the team, and what you thought at this point about the team's decision not to resign Adam Dunn. Your responses on Riggleman were more varied than your responses on Dunn, though most of you came down at least in some degree on Riggleman's side.
In Part 3 of his one-on-one interview with MASNsports.com's Ben Goessling, Stephen Strasburg said he's trying to pitch to contact, rather than try to strike hitters out. He also touched on not adjusting his mechanics when he gets back on the mound following rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery.
In Part 2 of his one-on-one interview with MASNsports.com's Ben Goessling, Stephen Strasburg said he has learned a lot of patience from his rehab and being away from the Nationals. Strasburg also touches on what it was like to play for new manager Davey Johnson.
Chien-Ming Wang, who hasn't pitched a game for the Nationals since signing with the team in February 2009, took a step toward getting back to the majors today. He made the first start of a rehab assignment at Single-A Hagerstown, allowing two runs in three innings. Wang struck out three batters, though, and didn't walk anyone, while his fastball topped out around 90 mph. The
Davey Johnson conducted his first press conference with reporters in Anaheim a few minutes ago, and he made a number of interesting points before the Nationals' game with the Los Angeles Angels tonight. Here are a few highlights and observations. * At several points, Johnson made it clear he's not too old or too far removed from managing to handle the Nationals now. He said
Here are the Nationals' and Angels' lineups for tonight's game in Anaheim, as Davey Johnson manages the team for the first time. His lineup looks fairly similar to one Jim Riggleman would have used, though we won't know for a few days what he'll do with the No. 9 spot. But Roger Bernadina is batting leadoff, and Jayson Werth is in the No. 2 hole:
In Part 1 of his interview with Ben Goessling, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg talks about his rehab from Tommy John surgery and says he's enjoying the challenge. Strasburg is excited to keep working hard and would like to be on the mound in September.
VIERA, Fla. - That piece of paper Stephen Strasburg used to write down his thoughts last September, when his golden right arm was in tatters and the hopes of a fanbase were crushed? He's barely looked at it. The mental toll of rehabbing in the stifling Florida heat, after his teammates had gone north and taken camaraderie with them? Strasburg's endured it by playing golf
VIERA, Fla. - Hello, once again, from the Barry Svrluga Memorial Panera Bureau in Viera, Fla., where the weather is much muggier and the Nationals' complex is much sleepier than when I last saw it. I was here today to catch up with Stephen Strasburg, who is working toward the home stretch of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, and I'll have a post with
Since the Nationals came to town in 2005, they've consistently fared poorly in American League ballparks. They'd won just five road interleague series before this season, and last year, they went 0-9 in games in American League parks. Their series win over the White Sox this weekend certainly doesn't mean they've turned a corner in interleague play - they did go to New York and
Here are the Nationals' and White Sox's lineups for their series finale today, which begins at 2:10 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Field. Nationals: Bernadina - CF Werth - RF Zimmerman - 3B Nix - DH Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Ramos - C Hairston - LF Cora - SS Hernandez - P White Sox: Pierre - LF Vizquel - SS Quentin - RF Kornerko
The Nationals officially announced Davey Johnson as their new manager a few minutes ago, saying he will serve as the manager for the remainder of the 2011 season. The deal also says Johnson has a three-year consulting contract with the Nationals that will "allow him to participate in the hiring of his successor," according to a news release. General manager Mike Rizzo has said that
Nationals reliever Drew Storen's grandmother, Ruth Joan Nelson, died on Friday after suffering a heart attack last Sunday. She was 87. Storen will fly home to Indianapolis with his father on Sunday, attend the funeral Monday and rejoin the Nationals in Anaheim on Tuesday for the final two games of their series with the Los Angeles Angels. When he returns to the team, he'll be
The Nationals have made Davey Johnson the fourth manager in team history, and he will manage his first game Monday when the Nats open a three-game interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif. Johnson owns a .564 career winning percentage (1,148-888) in 14 seasons as a manager with the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers. He won
For just the second time in 14 games, the Nationals fell on Saturday afternoon, when their offense couldn't come up with an answer for a patchwork White Sox pitching staff that shut them down. And for the 10th time this year, they were shut out. They lost 3-0 to the White Sox on Saturday, managing just two hits despite the fact that starter John Danks
Here's the Nationals' lineup for today's 4 p.m. game against the White Sox in Chicago: RF - Werth SS - Desmond DH - ZImmerman 1B - Morse 2B - Espinosa 3B - Hairston C - Rodriguez LF - Bixler CF- Bernadina LHP - Tom Gorzelanny This is the fourth time in his career that Ryan Zimmerman has served as a designated hitter. He did so
While MASN is the Nationals' usual broadcast TV home, today's Nats-White Sox game will not be shown there. Today's 4 p.m. game will air on FOX, where a regional audience will get a chance to see the Nats, baseball's hottest team and winners of 12 of 13 games. The Nationals will return to MASN on Sunday, when they meet the White Sox in teh finale
Davey Johnson leaned over the railing in front of the home dugout at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., in mid-March 2010 and pondered the question: Would he ever want to manage again? Johnson had joined the Nationals as a senior adviser to then-new general manager Mike Rizzo. He had been in self-imposed exile since being fired as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers
After one of the strangest 24-hour stretches in Nationals history, was there a more fitting way for the Nationals to keep winning than this? They'd watched manager Jim Riggleman resign Thursday, leaving the team after they'd won 11 of 12 games, and boarded a plane for Chicago not knowing who would manage their first game against the White Sox, let alone the rest of their
The Nationals, as was widely expected, have convinced Davey Johnson, the World Series-winning manager who was serving as a senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo, to come back to the dugout. Johnson will be the Nationals' next manager, team and industry sources confirmed, replacing Jim Riggleman after he resigned yesterday. John McLaren is managing the Nationals tonight, but Johnson will manage the team the
Back to baseball, at least for the moment: Here is the Nationals' lineup for their game with the White Sox tonight at US Cellular Field, which begins at 8:10 p.m. Eastern time. Laynce Nix, who got the game-winning sacrifice fly yesterday, is DHing instead of playing the field; he's been playing with a sore right Achilles tendon. Bernadina - CF Werth - RF Zimmerman -
The Nationals announced today that John McLaren will be their interim manager, succeeding Jim Riggleman, who resigned after yesterday's 1-0 win over the Mariners when general manager Mike Rizzo would not agree to discuss Riggleman's contract status with him. The team gave McLaren the interim title and didn't announce how long he'd be serving in the role, though that isn't a huge surprise; Rizzo could
There was a point, before Mike Rizzo and Jim Riggleman served their respective interim stints as general manager and manager, that the Nationals curried bad publicity regularly. If they weren't in the news for losing on the field, they grabbed headlines for dysfunction off it, culminating with the Dominican Republic bonus skimming investigation of 2009 that led to general manager Jim Bowden's resignation. They'd become
Jim Riggleman's resignation as manager of the Nationals today came as a bolt out of the blue, a sudden, stunning announcement that silenced the clubhouse after the team had just won for the 11th time in 12 games, pulling a game over .500 at their latest point in a season since 2005. But in reality, Riggleman's decision to resign was months in the making. The
John McLaren, who became the Nationals' bench coach before last season on Jim Riggleman's staff, will succeed his close friend as Nationals manager. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told MASN's Debbi Taylor that McLaren will take over as the interim manager, replacing Riggleman after his resignation following the Nationals' win over the Mariners on Thursday. The Nationals, who open a weekend interleague series against the
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has issued the following statement through the team's public relations department concerning the resignation this afternoon of manager Jim Riggleman: "I learned of Jim's decision just prior to today's game. He told me that unless his current contract was extended for another season by the end of today's game he intended to immediately resign as manager and would not
The scene in the Nationals' clubhouse after today's game was the most surreal I've seen in four years on the beat - and, I'm guessing, one of the more surreal things reporters with many more years of experience than me have seen in a clubhouse. While Far East Movement's "Like a G6" thumped as Nationals players packed for their road trip to Chicago and celebrated
In a shocking development, Jim Riggleman has resigned as the manager of the Nationals. General manager Mike Rizzo said that Riggleman was unhappy with the pace of contract extension negotiations and told him that unless a deal was reached, he would resign after today's game. The Nats beat the Mariners 1-0 to sweep their series, but Riggleman held fast to his ultimatum and Rizzo accepted
The Nationals put together one of their scrappier ninth-inning rallies today to beat the Mariners and secure a sweep and their 11th win in 12 games. And as they head on a six-game road trip, they're a game over .500. They beat the Mariners 1-0, getting a bunt single from Danny Espinosa, a break when Adam Kennedy tried to throw to third on Ivan Rodriguez's
Jason Marquis took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and got within 11 outs of it when he struck out Jack Wilson to start the inning. But his first pitch to Michael Pineda was a fastball way up in the strike zone, and Pineda blooped it in front of Roger Bernadina for a base hit. Marquis stranded two runners in the sixth, getting out of
We've played four innings at Nationals Park, and what Jason Marquis is doing with efficiency, Michael Pineda is doing with pure stuff. Marquis has only allowed two walks through four innings, getting three ground balls on five pitches in the first inning and seven groundball outs overall (including a double play). But Pineda, who started throwing 90-91 mph early in the game, is touching the
Outfielder Bryce Harper and right-handed pitcher Brad Peacock will be the Nationals' two representatives in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 10, the Nationals announced today. Both players will travel to Phoenix for the game the Sunday before the All-Star Game. Harper, the No. 1 pick in last year's First-Year Player Draft, is hitting .330/.429/.586 with 14 homers and 45 RBI at Single-A Hagerstown.
As the Nationals try to sweep the Mariners, get above .500 at the latest point in their season since 2005 and put a halt to sportswriters looking up the last time they were at or above .500 this late in the year, you can talk about the game here. You can leave your thoughts or questions on the game or the team in the comments
A couple pregame notes leading up to the Nationals' series finale with the Mariners: * Jim Riggleman said he will likely hit Roger Bernadina leadoff against right-handed pitchers and will probably slide Jayson Werth back into the leadoff spot against lefties, unless there's a left-handed pitcher against whom Bernadina matches up particularly well. But all of the Nationals' lineup shifting seems to be an ongoing
Good morning from Nationals Park, where the Nationals have halted - at least for one day - their experiment with Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot. He'll hit second today, batting behind Roger Bernadina. Werth was hitting .179/.289/.333 in 10 games in the leadoff spot. It could be a temporary switch - with Jason Marquis still hitting eighth, it gets two position players in front
The last time the Nationals were at .500 later in a season than this, they skidded there. It was Oct. 2, 2005, the final game of the season, and a team that had a winning record every day for four months and two days got pounded by the Philadelphia Phillies, ending a season that had harbored playoff hopes until mid-September without a winning record. Ryan
Seventy-four games into the 2011 season, the Nationals are at .500. They beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Wednesday night, evening their record at 37-37 and guaranteeing their fourth straight series win. It's the latest in a season the Nationals have hit .500 since 2005. They've won 10 of 11, and their 21-13 record at home is the third best in the National League. The
The Nationals continue to say that Ryan Zimmerman's revamped throwing mechanics aren't a big issue; manager Jim Riggleman watched the third baseman throw today and said it was the best Zimmerman had looked. But it's fairly easy to see that Zimmerman still isn't completely comfortable with his throws. While he was taking extra infield practice today, he pushed several throws to the high side of
As the Nationals try to guarantee their fourth straight series win and get to .500 at the latest point in a season since 2005, talk about their game with the Mariners here. They'll face former Orioles pitcher (and scourge of beat writers everywhere) Erik Bedard, with John Lannan on the mound for the Nationals. Leave your thoughts or questions about the team in the comments
A few pregame notes from Nationals Park before the second game of the Nationals' series with the Mariners - and the Nationals' latest attempt to reach .500. * Ryan Zimmerman, who was working with instructor Jeff Garber on throws from third base before the game, still didn't look completely comfortable with his new throwing mechanics; a handful of his throws were a little short of
Here is the Nationals' and Mariners' lineups for tonight's game at Nationals Park. Laynce Nix is out of the lineup tonight with a sore right Achilles tendon, and with left-hander Erik Bedard on the mound, the Nationals probably would have been looking to sit him or Roger Bernadina anyway. A couple notes from the park: Ryan Zimmerman is out for early work, practicing throws from
In the Nationals' ninth-inning rally last night, their two best players - Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman - only played bit parts. In fact, had Justin Smoak been able to field a ball between his legs, it would have been Werth and Zimmerman that combined to end the game. Werth reached first after Smoak's error, which meant that Zimmerman's double play two batters later -
It's been almost 12 hours since Wilson Ramos hit his walk-off homer to beat the Mariners last night, but this was one of those games that left people buzzing long after it was over. And for the Nationals, it did something important on a practical level: It stopped a losing streak before it got started. Last year, the Nationals were still at .500 on June
By the bottom of the ninth of the Nationals' game against the Mariners on Tuesday night, a collection of players had already retired to the home clubhouse. Livan Hernandez had left after his shortest outing of the year (10 hits in four-plus innings), Laynce Nix had come out early to rest his sore Achilles tendon, John Lannan was in the clubhouse before his start tomorrow
SALISBURY, Md. - Bryce Harper went 0-for-2 with an RBI in his first professional All-Star Game, then proclaimed it a good experience. "I had fun," Harper said after his Northern Division squad lost 6-3 to the Southern Division in the Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Perdue Stadium. "I went out there and swung hard, felt good at the plate. ... I
Heading into the ninth inning of Tuesday's game against the Mariners, the Nationals looked left for dead. They'd collected just three hits and one run off Seattle starter Doug Fister, and the Mariners had dinged Livan Hernandez for 10 hits. They were trailing 5-1, and it looked like they were headed toward their second straight loss. But then Jayson Werth got on base with an
SALISBURY, Md. - Low Single-A Hagerstown's Chris Manno worked a scoreless eighth inning for the Northern Division in the Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Manno, a left-hander, got Lexington's Adam Bailey to swing at a third strike before walking Asheville's Brett Tanos on four pitches. Augusta's Carlos Willoughby flew out to center and Greenville's Brandon Jacobs rolled over on a pitch for
SALISBURY, Md. - Bryce Harper's night at the Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game is over. The Nationals' top prospect finished 0-for-2 with an RBI, yielding right field to Greensboro's Christian Yelich after lining out on the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth inning. Harper, who drove in the game's first run with a groundout, picked on the first offering from
SALISBURY, Md. - Bryce Harper drove in the first run of the Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game, though the RBI wasn't produced with a hit and it wasn't a thing of beauty. But a simple groundout was enough to break a scoreless first-inning tie. Harper's low Single-A Hagerstown teammate, Blake Kelso, got things started with a leadoff single off the glove of
The Nationals began the night celebrating Ivan Rodriguez's 20th anniversary in the major leagues with a video offering congratulations from Nolan Ryan, Harold Reynolds and MASN broadcasters like Johnny Holliday, FP Santangelo, Rick Dempsey, Jim Palmer and Mike Flanagan. They've also apparently decided to commemorate the occasion by offering Internet service at the park tonight not unlike what you would have found in the early
Roger Bernadina has logged 158 plate appearances this season, and he has a .282 batting average after starting this homestand 11-for-24 at the plate. It comes around the same time Bernadina peaked last season, getting to .291 on June 28 after a 9-for-23 stretch. His season after that was a long slide toward mediocre numbers; Bernadina hit just .219 in his final 81 games, with
Before Jim Riggleman became the Nationals' bench coach in 2009, he finished the 2008 season as the interim manager of the Seattle Mariners, taking over for his good friend John McLaren. And as it turned out, Riggleman's short tenure as Mariners manager left quite the imprint on the two franchises. He went 36-54 with the Mariners, improving on McLaren's 25-47 record and lifting Seattle to
SALISBURY, Md. - Bryce Harper's first round of batting practice before Tuesday's Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game seemed a surefire indication that the promising right fielder's troublesome left thumb problem was giving him fits. Taking BP in a group that included shortstop Manny Machado, the top Orioles prospect who plays for Single-A Delmarva, Harper made contact - just not the solid kind
SALISBURY, Md. - Low Single-A Hagerstown right-hander Taylor Jordan won't pitch in tonight's Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He last pitched June 18, holding Delmarva to two earned runs in six innings to pick up his seventh victory of the season. While that outing essentially reduced the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder, a ninth-round draft pick of the Nationals in 2009, to a spectator tonight,
Hello from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Mariners begin a three-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. For two teams from opposite leagues and coasts of the United States, these clubs actually have quite a few links. Jim Riggleman was the interim manager for the Mariners at the end of the 2008 season, becoming the Nationals' bench coach only after the team passed him over
The Nationals announced today they have agreed to terms with 18 players from their 2011 draft class, the highest pick being fifth-rounder Matt Skole, a third baseman from Georgia Tech. Skole, a left-handed hitter, batted .348 with 10 homers and 58 RBI in 61 games for the Yellow Jackets last season. He had a .990 OPS, earning second team All-ACC honors. The team also signed
SALISBURY, Md. - The lineups for tonight's Strike Out Hunger South Atlantic League All-Star Game have just been distributed. Here they are: Southern Division: 2B - Carlos Willoughby (Augusta) LF - Brandon Jacobs (Greenville) C - Bryce Massanari (Asheville) 3B - Adam Duvall (Augusta) 1B - Miles Head (Greenville) DH - Jakob Dalfonso (Rome) CF - Corey Vaughn (Savannah) RF - Kyle Parker (Asheville) SS
SALISBURY, Md. - Top Nationals prospect Bryce Harper just finished his group session with the media before tonight's South Atlantic League All-Star Game at Perdue Stadium. Harper met for seven minutes with about 15 members of the media and tackled a variety of subjects, from how he's fared during his first pro season to playing in the All-Star Game to how he reacts to criticism
Former Nationals closer Chad Cordero announced his retirement today, ending his latest comeback attempt from shoulder surgery that brought his career with the Nationals - and in the major leagues - to a halt. When the Nationals made their surprising surge to the top of the NL East in the first half of the 2005 season, Cordero was the face of the team. He saved
Heading into the final week of June, there are two honors for which Danny Espinosa's name is increasingly being mentioned: an All-Star Game appearance and the National League Rookie of the Year award. The All-Star Game is a possibility, with Espinosa trailing only the Brewers' Rickie Weeks in OPS among NL second baseman. But with Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips winning the vote, Weeks seems likely to
The Nationals are off today, getting a chance to catch their breath after an eight-game, three-series, bicoastal win streak that concluded yesterday with a loss to the Orioles. Before it ended, the run took the Nationals from 27-36 to within a game of .500, and put them in a third-place tie in the NL East with the Mets, only 4 1/2 games out of the
The Nationals' eight-game win streak was bound to end sometime. When it finally reached its conclusion, stopping the team's surge a game short of the .500 mark, the Nationals turned in the kind of mistake-filled effort from which they'd distanced themselves in the last few weeks. After the game, most in the Nationals clubhouse were treating it as a hiccup, not a reversal, but they'll
In the last three weeks, the Nationals finally looked like the team they'd planned to be all season. They went 130 2/3 innings without an error, polishing their fielding percentage until it was tied for the second-best in baseball, and continued to get surprising pitching performances from a starting staff most expected to be mediocre; their starters had allowed just 32 earned runs in 17
The Nationals' winning streak is over after eight games. And the way it ended ran counter to almost everything about the way they've been playing during that run. They lost 7-4 to the Orioles on Sunday afternoon, with Tom Gorzelanny giving up five runs (four earned) in his first start back from the disabled list. The Nationals made three errors, after having committed just one
We're in the sixth inning at Nationals Park, and the Orioles just extended their lead back to three runs on Mark Reynolds' homer after Roger Bernadina hit on in the last inning. But as the Nationals try to sweep Baltimore, they've been far from precise. The Nationals have committed two errors, and Jayson Werth, Bernadina and Laynce Nix have all bobbled balls in the outfield
Even as Ryan Zimmerman is back in the Nationals' lineup, swinging the bat well in his first few games after abdominal surgery, he's trying to get the hang of new throwing mechanics that have him firing from a more flexed arm position than he's ever used in his career. And while Zimmerman has caused the Nationals a few nervous moments with his throws in his
As the Nationals try for a sweep, a season series win over the Orioles and a nine-game win streak, here are the lineups for both teams: Orioles: Â Hardy - SS Markakis - RF Jones - CF Lee - 1B Reimold - LF Reynolds - 3B Tatum - C Andino - 2B Jakubauskas - P Â Nationals: Â Werth - RF Bernadina - CF Zimmerman
For as much as it's discussed in sports, a .500 record really shouldn't have as great a significance as it does. It is the epitome of average - all it means is that on a given day, a team is as likely to win a game as it is to lose it. Essentially, it's the same predictor as flipping a coin - the thing that
In their last 13 games, the Nationals have hit 16 homers - a number that would be impressive in and of itself if they weren't coming in big spots. But more often than not, the deciding blow has come on a ball that left the park. Four times in the team's current eight-game win streak - which is now tied for the second-longest since the
The win streak is at eight. The Nationals guaranteed themselves a series win - and a shot at a .500 record tomorrow - on Saturday afternoon, getting a pair of home runs from Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse and 6 1/3 innings from Jordan Zimmermann in a 4-2 win over the Orioles before 36,614 at Nationals Park. The victory was the Nationals' eighth in a
Since the start of the 2010 season, Michael Morse has logged 465 at-bats. He's homered 28 times, driven in 83 runs and hit .297. Just for fun, here's Jayson Werth's stat line in 2010: 554 at-bats, 27 homers, 85 RBI and a .296 average. He finished eighth in the National League MVP vote. Any remaining doubters about Morse's ability to be a legitimate force in
The Nationals are getting into rarefied territory now, at least in terms of their short and inauspicious history in Washington. Their seven-game win streak is tied for the third-longest since they moved to the District in 2005, trailing only the 10-game run they had their first season in Washington and their eight-game streak from Aug. 2-9, 2009. And the way they won on Friday -
The Nationals' winning streak just keeps going. They endured a 56-minute rain delay and a sloppy, soggy back-and-forth game with the Orioles, but at the end of the night, they had an 8-4 win over Baltimore and their seventh straight victory. The streak is now tied for the longest since 2005, the team's first year in Washington. Jason Marquis gave up 12 hits, and the
When the Orioles brought Vladimir Guerrero to the plate in the fifth inning, pinch hitting for Zach Britton with men on second and third, it was the right decision. And it paid off - Guerrero drove in a run with a single, providing the first of two Orioles runs in that inning that tied the game at four. But the move came with a cost;
Pitching on an extra day's rest after his five-game suspension, Jason Marquis has had one of his rougher starts this season. He's only given up two runs, but the Orioles had five hits in the first three innings. And in the fourth, Marquis' dance with trouble finally got him burned. He allowed a one-out double to Derrek Lee, and when Wilson Ramos couldn't pick a
The Nationals and Orioles are about to start the first game of their series at Nationals Park, after Wizards guard John Wall just drilled a first pitch into the ground about 40 feet from the pitchers' mound. Drew Storen had to save the ball from getting away, and what's worse, Wall did not do the Dougie when the song played. Anyway, you can talk about
The tarp is on the field at Nationals Park, and the start of tonight's Nationals-Orioles game will be delayed. The storm system currently dumping rain on Nationals Park looks to be blowing through pretty quickly, though, so we should be underway before too long. We'll keep you posted on the start time. And if you're at the park, you might be able to see the
Hello from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Orioles start their second interleague series of the year tonight at 7:05. Here are the lineups for both teams: Orioles: Hardy - SS Markakis - RF Jones - CF Wieters - C Scott - LF Lee - 1B Reynolds - 3B Andino - 2B Britton - P Nationals: Werth - RF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B
After improving their record to 33-36 by sweeping the Cardinals last night, the Nationals moved themselves out of last place in the National League East at the latest point in their season since 2007. And they're taking a six-game win streak into one of those stretches against teams they theoretically should be able to beat. They begin a three-game series tonight with the Orioles, who
The Nationals won for the sixth straight time Thursday night, in a fashion they'd probably care not to repeat. Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen each gave up home runs, forcing the game into extra innings and necessitating Danny Espinosa's walk-off home run in the 10th. But in doing so, the Nationals showed themselves, once again, that they can have plenty of confidence in the way
The first wins of the Nationals' streak, those were the hardest ones. They came when nothing was going right on offense - to the point manager Jim Riggleman scrambled his lineup in a search to get his team hitting - and the only way the Nationals could win a game was to get strong pitching, make every defensive play possible and hope a couple runs
The Nationals have won six straight games, and once again, they homered their way to victory - in especially dramatic fashion. For the second straight night, the team hit four homers. The final one of those, from Danny Espinosa, was a three-run walk-off shot in the 10th inning to give them a 7-4 victory and a series sweep of the Cardinals. The shot came after
Entering tonight, Drew Storen had blown only one save this season. Tyler Clippard had only blown three leads. It's been next to impossible for a team to come back on both of them. But the Cardinals have done it tonight. After Albert Pujols homered on a fastball over the plate off Clippard in the eighth inning, Storen left a sinker up to Yadier Molina, who
John Lannan came into tonight having allowed two runs in his last 26 1/3 innings. He's been nearly as strong tonight. The left-hander has thrown only 67 pitches in six innings, throwing 44 for strikes and getting double plays to end the last two innings. He's got 12 groundouts against only one flyout, and aside from Matt Holliday's homer, he's made few mistakes, getting the
Let's begin with a few numbers: * Heading into the seventh inning last night, the Nationals hadn't hit back-to-back homers all season. They've now done it twice. * In their last 10 innings at the plate, they've hit six homers. * They got their first leadoff homer to begin a game tonight since July 28, 2009. They hit back-to-back homers for the first time to
As the Nationals try to sweep the Cardinals, get their first six-game win streak since 2009 and their first season series win over St. Louis since 2007, talk about the game here. Leave your thoughts on the game or the team in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also have a few longer posts throughout the night with analysis on the
As of this afternoon, the Nationals are in fourth place in the NL East, the latest in the season they've been there since 2007. They're also only 5 1/2 games out of the wild card race. It's still unlikely they'll go on a playoff run, and too soon to expect they've turned a corner. But is it too soon to dream? That's my question to
Adam LaRoche had surgery on his left shoulder this morning at Washington Hospital Center, the Nationals announced. The first baseman should be ready for "full participation" in spring training next year, though the Nationals haven't announced exactly what the operation fixed in LaRoche's shoulder. The first baseman has said he had a large tear of his left labrum, but team doctor Wiemi Douoguih, who performed
The tarp is currently covering the infield at Nationals Park as a steady rain falls over the field. There are a couple of passing storms in the forecast, but we should be able to play tonight's game between the Nationals and Cardinals. Just a couple pregame notes from manager Jim Riggleman's press conference today: * Rick Ankiel is still out of the lineup, and the
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals are trying to finish a sweep of the Cardinals and get their first six-game win streak since they ended 2009 on a seven-game run. Here are the lineups for both teams: Cardinals: Greene - SS Rasmus - CF Pujols - 1B Holliday - LF Berkman - RF Molina - C Schumaker - 2B Descalso - 3B Lohse
The Nationals have won five straight games for the first time since 2009. Last week, they took a season series from the Padres for the first time since 2003, when they were still the Montreal Expos. And tonight, they've got a chance to reach another milestone of sorts by winning a season series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The last time the Nationals did that
The rallying cry for the Nationals' offense all season has been that eventually, they would be rewarded for putting men on base. The line drives that were getting caught would find open space, and players in slumps would break out with hits in key situations. But for the first 2 1/2 months of the season, that sunny view of the Nationals' offense largely hasn't come
There is something about the way Livan Hernandez pitches that is almost detached from results. He does the same thing between every start, sometimes throwing around 100 pitches in the bullpen to perfect the feel of his mechanics, like a violinist drilling a complex passage of a concerto over and over. And when he pitches, he rarely alters his approach; he throws four different pitches,
It's finally safe to say the Nationals are on a roll. After one of their most dominant wins of the season Wednesday night, it'd be tough to say anything else. They hit four homers and cranked out 15 hits against the Cardinals, with Michael Morse tallying his second multi-homer game in three weeks. And Livan Hernandez pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits in
For weeks, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman has been talking about an inevitable course correction for the team's offense. Hard-hit balls were going to start falling in for hits, he insisted, and he kept repeating a simple refrain: He'd rather the Nationals keep putting men on base and fail to drive them in than not put them on base at all. That refrain was built on
The Nationals' six-run seventh inning last night was built on two things - their ability to hit with two outs and a sloppy Cardinals team. They've kept those things going early tonight. After Michael Morse hit a second-inning homer off Kyle McClellan into the Cardinals' bullpen, the Nationals added a second run in the third inning after Jayson Werth reached first on an Albert Pujols
The Nationals are in search of their first five-game win streak since the end of the 2009 season, and as they face the Cardinals, you can talk about the game here. Leave your thoughts on the game or the team in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also have a few longer posts throughout the night with analysis on the game.
One night after Yunesky Maya struggled through 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits, the Nationals sent him back to the minors. Maya was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday afternoon, with the team calling up reliever Collin Balester in his place. Manager Jim Riggleman also said left-hander Tom Gorzelanny will pitch for the team on Sunday, coming off the disabled list to
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals are chasing their first five-game win streak since the end of the 2009 season. They'll send Livan Hernandez to the mound, facing the Cardinals' Kyle McClellan. Here are the lineups for both teams: Cardinals: Theriot - SS Rasmus - CF Pujols - 3B Berkman - 1B Brown - RF Jay - LF Molina - C Schumaker -
Even before Adam LaRoche knew he'd miss the rest of the season with surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, there was some question about who would man first base for the Nationals in the coming years. With all due to respect to LaRoche - who's a solid player and consummate professional - people with the team and industry felt there was
On Ryan Zimmerman's first night back in the Nationals' lineup, the team had its biggest comeback win of the year. Whether that's coincidence or not is hard to prove, but there's no question something felt different at Nationals Park on Tuesday night. The Nationals drew 26,739 fans for their series opener with the Cardinals, some of whom were there to see St. Louis. But those
First baseman Adam LaRoche, who played 43 games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder before shutting things down last month, will have season-ending shoulder surgery on Thursday morning, general manager Mike Rizzo said after the game. LaRoche and his agent, Mike Milchin, met with Rizzo, manager Jim Riggleman and the Nationals' medical staff on Tuesday afternoon, and decided to have surgery. It ends
On the night they got Ryan Zimmerman back in their lineup, the Nationals celebrated with one of their most stirring wins of the year. Debbi Taylor catches up with Ryan Zimmerman following the Nats' 8-6 comeback win over St. Louis The Nationals trailed 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, when they surged for six runs, four of them coming with two outs, to take
The Nationals were down 6-2 at the start of the seventh, rolling through their relievers that normally pitch when a game is out of reach. Now, they've got Tyler Clippard warming in the bullpen. What changed? The team put together its best of the year, scoring six runs in the seventh, four of them with two outs, to take an 8-6 lead. And Yunesky Maya
Before we get any further, one caveat: Not all the events of the fifth inning were Yunesky Maya's fault. After he'd given up a single to Ryan Theriot, a ground rule double to Colby Rasmus and intentionally walked Albert Pujols, he got what should have been an easy double play ball off Lance Berkman. But Danny Espinosa was late getting to second, and by the
We're in the fourth inning here, and few of the developments at Nationals Park tonight have been good for the home team. Yunesky Maya hasn't been able to get the ball down in the strike zone with any consistency, and he's paid for it with a pair of Cardinals homers to each bullpen; Albert Pujols launched a 69-mph hanging curve into the Cardinals' bullpen in
The Nationals and Cardinals are just underway from Nationals Park, with Ryan Zimmerman back at his familiar spot at third base. Talk about the game right here - and if you've got thoughts or questions about the game or the team, I'll respond to you in the comments section. You can log in with accounts from Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, AOL, Disqus or OpenID, or
The Nationals are opening their redesigned scoreboard walk in center field tonight, with a handful of concession options from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. They opened up the area to the media this afternoon, and I spun through there with a few reporters to try it out. Here's my quick synopsis: * I'd had Shake Shack once in New York, and it's better than
On the day Ryan Zimmerman will return to the Nationals' lineup, the team has a handful of other injury issues to keep track of. Here is a rundown of a few of them: * Adam LaRoche met with general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Jim Riggleman and trainer Lee Kuntz this afternoon for an update on the first baseman's torn labrum in his left shoulder. The
Ryan Zimmerman's long-awaited return to the Nationals' lineup takes place tonight, when the third baseman takes his familiar No. 3 spot in the batting order for the team against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zimmerman, who had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn abdominal muscle, said he's not completely pain-free yet, but he's healthy enough to play every day. "We waited until I got
The Nationals have officially activated Ryan Zimmerman from the disabled list, but the corresponding move is a bit of a surprise: They sent reliever Craig Stammen to Triple-A Syracuse. I thought they'd send down Brian Bixler, but at least for now, they'll go with a six-man bullpen and 11-man pitching staff. I'll have more on the thinking behind the move later today.
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Cardinals' lineups for tonight's series opener: Cardinals: Â Theriot - SS Rasmus - CF Pujols - 1B Berkman - LF Molina - C Brown - RF Schumaker - 2B Descalso - 3B Garcia - P Â Nationals: Â Werth - RF Desmond - SS Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Ramos -
His last time out, Yunesky Maya had a quality start for the first time in his career, allowing one run in six innings against an underwhelming Giants team that had trouble when Maya was finally able to use his fastball and get ahead in the count. Tonight, he'll have the advantage of unfamiliarity; no one on the Cardinals' roster has ever faced the 29-year-old right-hander,
While I was in San Diego last weekend, I spent a little time walking around Petco Park, and I've got another self-guided tour of the ballpark for you. This stadium, along with San Francisco's AT&T Park, are my two favorites in baseball, and like I did from San Francisco, I've got a podcast with a quick self-guided video and photo tour of Petco. You can
For a 30-36 team, the Nationals couldn't be riding back into town on a much bigger surge of optimism than they are right now. They just returned from a grueling 11-game, three-city trip on the West Coast - which is supposed to be a death knell for East Coast teams - with their first winning record on a multi-city trip since May 2008. And, they'll
I'm back on the East Coast, having missed a week of sweltering weather and landing in front of a stretch of days with temperatures in the 70s. And backed by what must have been a fierce tailwind, my flight from San Diego to Washington Dulles landed 25 minutes ahead of schedule today. That's a pretty good run. Anyway, like I mentioned yesterday morning, I was
SAN DIEGO - As I wait for my flight back to Washington at San Diego International, a few Nationals thoughts: * Alex Cora admitted after the game yesterday that the Nationals caught a break in the ninth-inning rundown where he was called safe at third after attempting to sidestep Chase Headley. The Padres angrily protested the call, which would have ended the inning had it
SAN DIEGO - This Nationals roster was constructed to win games like Sunday's, and the half-dozen like it the team has played since jetting three time zones west. In their ideal state, the Nationals should be swallowing up ground balls, chasing down would-be base hits in the outfield and pitching well enough to get the ball to a deep bullpen. Hitting, as outfielder Jayson Werth
SAN DIEGO - In spite of all the Nationals' problems scoring runs in this series, they won three of four games. They beat the Padres 2-0 this afternoon, and the only damage done by their lack of offense for eight innings was that Jordan Zimmermann, who struck out 10 in seven innings didn't get the win. But the team did, and they finished their 11-game
SAN DIEGO - Jordan Zimmermann's final line today: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HBP. His game score - the metric invented by Bill James to compare starts by different pitchers over different eras - was an 80. To put that in perspective, Stephen Strasburg had a 75 in his debut last year. And Zimmermann will get a no-decision. The
SAN DIEGO - Hey, what do you know - the Nationals and Padres are playing a low-scoring game! Jordan Zimmermann has struck out seven batters through four innings, blowing his fastball by the Padres for eight swinging strikes so far. He's looked dominant against a weak lineup, but all those strikeouts could be coming at a cost; Zimmermann has thrown 72 pitches through four innings,
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals and Padres are just underway at Petco Park, with Jordan ZImmermann facing Tim Stauffer as the Nationals try to finish their first multi-city road trip with a winning record since May 2008. Talk about the game here. If you've got questions or thoughts on the team, leave them in the comments section and I'll respond to you there. I'll also
SAN DIEGO - Good morning from Petco Park - well, it's morning here at least, as the Nationals get ready for their series finale with the Padres at 4:05 p.m. Eastern time (1:05 local time). A couple notes from the Nationals' clubhouse. * Ian Desmond is sitting out with the sore left quadriceps muscle he first injured running to first back on May 13 against
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals will bat Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot again today, and hit their starting pitcher (Jordan Zimmermann) in the No. 8 hole as they try to win their four-game series against the Padres and complete their first winning multi-city road trip since May 2008. Ian Desmond, who's been battling a leg injury, also gets the day off. Here are the
SAN DIEGO - Before Saturday's game with the Padres, the Nationals took some bold measures to inject some offense into their lineup - they put Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot, and hit John Lannan eighth. And the final result was exactly the same as the night before: they scored two runs. But for the second straight day, they held the Padres - who might
SAN DIEGO - Outfielder Roger Bernadina, who was scratched from the Nationals' lineup on Saturday night after feeling tightness in his left hamstring while shagging fly balls during batting practice, said he's hopeful he'll be able to play tomorrow. But Bernadina was still walking with a noticeable limp after the game, and with an off-day coming on Monday, it seems more likely he'll sit out
SAN DIEGO - For all four seasons he's been in the major leagues, John Lannan has more or less known what he is as a pitcher. His game is all about steady repetition of his two-seam fastball, down and away. It might not be his most effective pitch, but without it, his offspeed pitches have little chance to be effective. Intuitively, Lannan's always grasped that.
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals got one hit after the fourth inning of tonight's game with the Padres. They got two after the first inning. And it didn't matter. For the second straight night, the Nationals overcame their lack of offense to beat another team with an anemic lineup, winning 2-1 against the Padres after beating them by the same score Friday night. John Lannan,
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals and Padres have played five innings at Petco Park, and Washington leads 2-1 after scoring a pair in the first inning. But as has been the case so many times for the Nationals this year, they've been unable to add on. They've only got two hits since the first inning, both of them singles from Brian Bixler - who's got
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals are wearing 1936 Washington Senators uniforms tonight, donning the block W logo of the first team in Washington as part of a throwback night at San Diego's Petco Park. The Padres are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Pacific Coast League Padres, who began play in San Diego in 1936 and won a league championship the next year with a
SAN DIEGO - Though he continues to insist he did not hit Arizona's Justin Upton on purpose Sunday, and still believes he did nothing to warrant a five-game suspension from Major League Baseball, Nationals right-hander Jason Marquis has dropped his appeal of the suspension. He'll begin serving it tonight. Marquis, who allowed a run in six innings last night, was scheduled to pitch Thursday against
SAN DIEGO - As the Nationals have continued to struggle to put men on base, getting their leadoff hitters on base less than any spot in the lineup other than their pitchers, they've tried just about everyone they can think of in the leadoff spot: Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Roger Bernadina, Rick Ankiel and Jerry Hairston Jr. Their newest leadoff hitter - Jayson Werth -
SAN DIEGO - For their third game against the Padres, the Nationals are trotting out what's easily their most unusual lineup of the year. But when their offense continues to struggle, what does it hurt to mix it up? Jayson Werth is leading off for the Nationals tonight against San Diego. And in a tip of the cap to one of Riggleman's managerial mentors, Tony
SAN DIEGO - Last night, as they do on many nights, the Nationals gave Tyler Clippard the ball in a close game and asked him to carry them through one of the toughest parts of the game. Clippard entered in the seventh inning against the Padres with the Nationals up 2-1 and threw only 23 pitches in two innings, striking out three and walking one.
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals this season have made a habit of losing the kinds of games they lost on Friday night, doing just enough to take an early lead, but not fattening their margin and eventually letting teams come back to beat them in a low-scoring game. Against the Padres on Friday night, though, they managed to avoid most of those tendencies. Jason Marquis
SAN DIEGO - Through four innings Friday night, Jason Marquis had a no-hitter going. Through five, he'd allowed one hit, and still had a shutout. But by the sixth inning, his night was on the verge of falling apart at the same juncture the Nationals have lost a handful of games this season. Entering Friday night, they had been outscored 27-11 in the sixth inning
SAN DIEGO - Once again, the Nationals didn't do much on offense on Friday night. But the way Jason Marquis and their bullpen pitched, they didn't need to. Marquis took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and gave up one run in six innings. Tyler Clippard pitched two scoreless innings, and Drew Storen struck out Nick Hundley looking to end the game, as the Nationals
SAN DIEGO - Jason Marquis took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and lost it on the first at-bat of that inning. After that, he gave up three walks and two hits to the next 11 batters. But somehow, he escaped it with only one run, and the Nationals still lead the Padres 2-1 heading into the seventh. Marquis started to lose something on his
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals and Padres have played four innings, and by virtue of some stellar pitching from Jason Marquis and one big blast from Michael Morse, Washington has a 2-0 lead. Marquis has only allowed a walk through four innings, and all four of his strikeouts have come on swings and misses. He's spotting his fastball effectively, and has had a good slider
SAN DIEGO - As the Nationals try to even their series with the Padres tonight at Petco Park, talk about the game here. You can leave your thoughts and questions on the game or the team in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also have a couple longer posts during the game analyzing the action on the field. You can sign
SAN DIEGO - For most of the season, since he first felt it on a cold day in Syracuse, Cole Kimball had been battling discomfort in his shoulder - tightness when he first started throwing, which got better after he'd warmed up and taken Excedrin to deal with the pain. After five seasons in the Nationals' minor league system, the 25-year-old was finally within reach
SAN DIEGO - The bullpen session Stephen Strasburg threw at Petco Park on Friday was nothing out of the ordinary - the 22-year-old threw a steady diet of fastballs from the mound and threw a few changeups while playing catch, all around 50 percent effort, like he's been doing in his Tommy John rehab. And the fact he was in San Diego at all was
SAN DIEGO - Stephen Strasburg threw a bullpen session at Petco Park today, pitching in front of Nationals staff members in his hometown - and apparently on MLB Network, which picked up the session on its ballpark cam. But he's already left the building, a team official said - and he managed to slip out before reporters could catch him. Strasburg had said on Tuesday
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals put right-hander Cole Kimball on the disabled list today with right shoulder inflammation, the team announced. In his place, they called up reliever Ryan Mattheus, who had thrown 10 shutout innings so far this season at Triple-A Syracuse. Mattheus, who was one of two players the Nationals got from the Rockies at the 2009 trade deadline in return for Joe
SAN DIEGO - Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Padres, as Jason Marquis faces Mat Latos and the Nationals try to even the series. I'll post the Padres' lineup once it's available: Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Nix - LF Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Ramos - C Cora - 3B Marquis - P
SAN DIEGO - Ryan Mattheus, a reliever the Nationals got from the Rockies in a trade for Joe Beimel at the 2009 trade deadline, looks like he's headed to the majors. Triple-A Syracuse put out a press release a couple of minutes ago that Mattheus' contract has been purchased by the Nationals. The move means the Nationals will have to take a player off their
SAN DIEGO - Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will continue his rehab from abdominal surgery tomorrow night at Triple-A Syracuse. He'll play third base in the Chiefs' game tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Zimmerman has played four rehab games between Single-A Hagerstown and Single-A Potomac. My guess is he'll play Saturday and Sunday at Syracuse, getting the chance to play back-to-back games, and if all goes
SAN DIEGO - Last night, the Nationals trotted out a lineup with one of the wrinkles that seems to annoy fans most: Rick Ankiel in the leadoff spot. And though Ankiel got on base three times in five plate appearances, he didn't score a run, and got thrown out trying to steal third base with one out and Jayson Werth at the plate in the
SAN DIEGO - There are mistakes the Nationals make on an occasional basis, mistakes they've made with regularity more recently and mistakes they've been making all season. Their 7-3 loss to the Padres on Thursday night had all three kinds. And whether or not that makes it one of the low points of the 2011 season, there seemed to be little denying it was one
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals lost 7-3 to the Padres on Thursday night, in what might be one of their flattest efforts of the season. They ran themselves out of a run in the first inning, and made another out on the basepaths in the fifth. Livan Hernandez started the sixth by giving up three straight hits, and the Nationals' bullpen walked five batters in
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals are investigating derogatory comments made by their 15th-round pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft on his Twitter account, general manager Mike Rizzo said through a team spokesman. Zach Houchins, a shortstop from Louisburg (NC), had made a number of racially and sexually offensive remarks and used several slurs on his Twitter account in the past three months, prior to
SAN DIEGO - We're in the fourth inning here at Petco Park, and the Nationals trail the Padres 2-1. Had both teams been less aggressive - or more sensible, depending on how you see it - on the basepaths, though, the Padres' lead would be 3-2. Rick Ankiel drew a leadoff walk to start the game, then stole second as Ian Desmond struck out. But
SAN DIEGO - I was hoping to get this done before the dateline changed from San Francisco to San Diego, but shooting and editing video is a skill with which I'm not quite familiar yet. At any rate, the podcast with my self-guided tour of San Franciso's AT&T Park is up. You can watch it here. Or, you can get it by subscribing to my
SAN DIEGO - Nationals pitcher Tom Gorzelanny is scheduled to make a rehab start Monday night, meaning he could be back in line to jump into the rotation by the end of next week. The Nationals are off Monday, and if they pitched everyone on regular rest, they could have Gorzelanny back by next Saturday, instead of having Yunesky Maya make another start. But manager
SAN DIEGO - There are a few Nationals injury updates to pass along, so we'll just run through them in rapid succession: * Danny Espinosa, who got hit in the left hand with a pitch at the end of Wednesday's game in San Francisco, is back in the lineup tonight. X-rays showed no broken bones in his hand, assuaging the second baseman's worries, and he'll
SAN DIEGO - Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's series opener at Petco Park, as the team tries to get off to a good start against the Padres, who won two of three at Nationals Park two weeks ago. Jayson Werth, who has missed the last two games after jamming his right ankle, is back in the lineup tonight. He'll bat third. And Danny
SAN FRANCISCO - Good morning from the Bay Area. I'm on my way to the airport to catch a flight to San Diego, where the Nationals begin a four-game series with the Padres tonight. I spent the morning splicing video and still images for my first turn behind the camera - my little tour of AT&T Park. Look for that later today - and judge
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa got hit in the left hand when he swung at Matt Cain's final pitch of the Giants' 3-1 win Wednesday afternoon. A team spokesman did not have results on X-rays after the game, and Espinosa declined to talk after the game. His left hand was wrapped, but he was packing his bags for the team's flight to
SAN FRANCISCO - In a three-game series against the Giants, the Nationals got 20 innings out of their starting pitchers, who allowed a combined three runs on 13 hits. They won one of the three games. And in both of the losses, they walked away with the same questions about their bullpen. Sean Burnett recaps his outing in the Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Giants
SAN FRANCISCO - For the first time in his career as a member of the Nationals, Yunesky Maya posted a quality start today. He'd thrown just 67 pitches in six innings when manager Jim Riggleman decided to take him out, despite the fact he'd allowed just one run on four hits and managed to pitch out of a jam in the sixth inning. Sean Burnett
SAN FRANCISCO - After a rough start to the season, the Nationals' defense has quietly, and effectively, rounded into form. Their fielding percentage as a team has climbed to .986, sixth-best in the National League, and their UZR over 150 games is only .4 runs below average after they'd played miserable defense in April. And in San Francisco today, the Nationals' fielders are helping Yunesky
SAN FRANCISCO - As the Nationals try to get a series win against the Giants and beat Matt Cain for the second time this season, talk about the game here. You can leave your thoughts or questions on the game in the team in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll have a few longer posts throughout the game, analyzing the action
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth was scratched for the second time in as many days today after injuring his right ankle on Monday night. Werth said he could probably play today, but wouldn't be able to run as effectively as he needs to do. He was hopeful he'll be back in Washington's lineup on Thursday against the Padres. Werth didn't know how
SAN FRANCISCO - It's striking to think about the difference what happened a year ago today, when Stephen Strasburg packed Nationals Park and struck out 14 hitters in his major league debut, and what will happen today, when Yunesky Maya takes the mound, in the second year of a four-year deal, still looking for his first major league quality start. The Nationals have had to
SAN FRANCISCO - Hello from AT&T Park, where the Nationals are hoping to win their series with the Giants today at 3:45 p.m.. Washington's Yunesky Maya takes the mound against Matt Cain. Realistically, the Nationals should already have the series wrapped up. But the price you pay for losing a game where you knocked Tim Lincecum out in the fifth inning and got seven one-runnings
SAN FRANCISCO - The typical baseball evaluation of Jordan Zimmermann, in whatever unscientific terms these things are set, is that he's a No. 2 starter, a pitcher who's capable of being near the top but not at the front of a major league rotation. The Nationals' ideal future is almost always phrased with Stephen Strasburg at the top of the rotation and Zimmermann at his
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals played Tuesday's game against the Giants without their best three hitters from their opening day lineup. They went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men in scoring position. If they were going to beat the world champions at home, it was going to have to be with the kind of pitching performance so good that it could
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals and Giants are in the fourth inning, with Washington taking a 2-1 lead in a game that's featured some defensive mistakes by both teams. But Jordan Zimmermann looks like he's settling in nicely. He struck out the side in the third inning, getting swings and misses on two sliders and a curveball for the three strikeouts, and has retired six
SAN FRANCISCO - As the Nationals try to even their series with the Giants at a game apiece, sending Jordan Zimmermann to the mound to face Jonathan Sanchez, talk about the game right here. You can leave your thoughts or questions about the game or the team in the comments section, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also have a couple longer posts analyzing
SAN FRANCISCO - Right fielder Jayson Werth, who tumbled over the Nationals' bullpen mound while trying to catch a foul ball in the eighth inning, was scratched from tonight's lineup. Laynce Nix will play right field and hit eighth for Washington, with Danny Espinosa hitting third. Werth thought last night he would be able to play after turning his ankle, but he'll sit out and
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals are done with the second day of the draft, having added 28 players to the three selections they made on the draft's first day. Here are a few notes on the proceedings: * Nineteen of the 31 players the Nationals have taken so far are pitchers, and 14 of those pitchers are 6-foot-3 or taller. There's a clear emphasis on
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis, who was ejected from Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks after he hit Justin Upton with a pitch in the sixth inning and suspended for five games on Tuesday, said again he wasn't trying to hit Upton and was hopeful his suspension - the first of his career - would be overturned in the appeal process. The Nationals had
SAN FRANCISCO - Stephen Strasburg talked to reporters a few minutes ago about his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which appears to be nearing its home stretch. Strasburg is throwing three bullpen sessions a week, 30 to 40 fastballs at a time, and while he hasn't been permitted to throw breaking pitches yet, he's building up strength in his right arm. "The idea is to
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis and manager Jim Riggleman have each been disciplined after Sunday's game with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where Marquis hit Justin Upton with a pitch in the sixth inning, following Esmerling Vasquez's hit-by-pitch of Jayson Werth in the fifth inning. Marquis received a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine; he's appealed the suspension, which was supposed to start tonight. Riggleman
SAN FRANCISCO - Here are the lineups for both the Nationals and Giants for tonight's game at AT&T Park. First pitch is scheduled for 10:15 Eastern time, with Jordan Zimmermann facing Jonathan Sanchez: Nationals: Bernadina - LF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Ramos - C Ankiel - CF Hairston - 3B Zimmermann - P Giants: Torres - CF
SAN FRANCISCO - When they're putting together their draft preferences, and when they're working through their selections each June, the Nationals' front office has a simple phrase that governs almost everything that happens in the draft room: Honor the board. The Nationals' scouts and front office staff spend weeks ranking draft picks in order of preference, putting hundreds of names on magnets on the tagboard
SAN FRANCISCO - Anthony Rendon, who just talked to Washington media for the first time a few minutes ago, said he only had a "mild strain" in his right shoulder last season, and will not need surgery. Rendon was mostly limited to DHing during his junior season at Rice, and caused a bit of a stir before the draft when several teams said he needed
SAN FRANCISCO - We're back at it on Day 2 of the First-Year Player Draft, and the Nationals are back to painting with bold strokes. They took TCU left-hander Matt Purke, who went with the 14th pick in the 2009 draft, only to head back to college after Major League Baseball took over the Texas Rangers and vetoed the $6 million contract the team had
SAN FRANCISCO - In a development that surprised no one, Bryce Harper was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team on Tuesday morning. The 18-year-old, who's got 14 home runs at Single-A Hagerstown, will play for the Northern Division team on June 21 at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Md. Hagerstown tied for the league lead with five all-stars - Harper, infielder Blake Kelso and
SAN FRANCISCO - When the Nationals assembled their bullpen this spring - adding hard-throwing righty Henry Rodriguez to a group that was among the league's best in 2010 and putting Cole Kimball, another right-hander with high-90s heat, in the mix to join the group eventually - they thought their relievers would again be the strength of their team. And 60 games into the 2011 season,
SAN FRANCISCO - Once upon a time, the Nationals had 4-0 lead through six innings on the defending world champions, with John Lannan on the way to a well-deserved win. To say that game ended with a Nationals win would be fiction. For the second straight day, the Nationals' bullpen blew a lead, and unlike Sunday's win over the Diamondbacks, they couldn't come back to
SAN FRANCISCO - For the second straight day, the Nationals' bullpen was working with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning. And for the second straight day, we're headed to extra innings. Todd Coffey allowed two runs in one-third of an inning, and the Giants tied the game on a Nate Schierholtz single over Ian Desmond's head in the eighth. Henry Rodriguez nearly allowed the
SAN FRANCISCO - At this point, the Nationals' ability to get to Tim Lincecum seems like more than a fluke. They beat him in San Francisco last year, won against him again in Washington early this year and tonight, they've got a 4-0 lead after knocking him out of the game in five innings. In their last three games against Lincecum before tonight, they're 3-0.
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals finished their first night of the First-Year Player Draft by taking outfielder Brian Goodwin with the 34th overall pick. Goodwin, a 20-year-old from Miami Dade College, could be a center fielder and leadoff hitter, general manager Mike Rizzo said. He played two seasons at the University of North Carolina, but was suspended for the 2011 season after an academic violation.
SAN FRANCISCO - This would be a busy enough night for the Nationals even if there was no game for the major league team; they took three players on the first day of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, and Ryan Zimmerman got two more hits in a rehab game at Single-A Potomac. But the Nationals do have a game, and it's a notable one; they're
SAN FRANCISCO - As most predicted, the Nationals took University of Kentucky right-hander Alex Meyer with the 23rd pick in the first round of the June Draft. The 6-foot-9 right-hander gives the Nationals another power arm; his fastball has been clocked at 97 mph, and he also throws a hard slider in the high 80s. He probably needs a better handle on his changeup and
SAN FRANCISCO - With the sixth pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals took Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon, a talented two-way player who went into the draft at the top of many mock drafts but slid because of injury concerns. Rendon hit only six homers in 2011 after posting a combined 46 the previous two years, having undergone two ankle
SAN FRANCISCO - Here is the Nationals' and Giants' lineup for the first of three between the teams tonight at AT&T Park. First pitch is at 10:15 p.m., for all you night owls out there. Nationals: Bernadina - CF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Nix - LF Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Rodriguez - C Hairston - 3B Lannan - P Giants: Torres
SAN FRANCISCO - Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who went 2-for-2 with a walk in his first game on Sunday at Single-A Hagerstown, will take his rehab assignment up a level. The Nationals announced today that Zimmerman will continue his rehab assignment tonight at Single-A Potomac, and will play tonight for the team in its game against SIngle-A Frederick at Pfitzner Stadium. Zimmerman, who is
A good (early) morning from Washington Dulles International, where I'm waiting to catch a flight to San Francisco for Nationals-Giants tonight. I'm not going to lie - it was great to look at the forecast for the next week and see a series of high temps with "6" as the first digit. I don't mind summer temps, but it'll be a nice break from what's
In what might turn out to be the most bizarre game the Nationals play this season, it's only fitting it would end this way: Rick Ankiel, who'd just swung at a 2-0 curveball from a left-hander who'd thrown six straight balls, still drawing a bases-loaded walk, and Michael Morse following it up with an 11th-inning grand slam just over the center field fence. There wasn't
When Jason Marquis got thrown out of the Nationals' game with the Diamondbacks on Sunday after hitting Justin Upton in the back with a pitch, it looked like it could come back to haunt the Nationals. And in a sense, it did - though it's hard to pin the Nationals' current situation on their bullpen being stretched too thin when Drew Storen couldn't protect a
The Nationals and Diamondbacks have been trading hit-by-pitches all weekend, and on the final day of the four-game series, things have escalated. Ian Kennedy hit Jayson Werth with a pitch in the fifth inning, and Werth - who got hit for the third time in the series - flipped his bat pointedly while staring at Kennedy on his way to first base, before home plate
While the Nationals and Diamondbacks are scoreless in the third inning in Arizona, the big news of the day for the organization comes from Hagerstown. Bryce Harper got hit in the right leg with a pitch in the first inning of the Suns' game with Greensboro. He came out of the game, but reportedly walked off the field under his own power. Nonetheless, the hit-by-pitch
Here are the Nationals' and Diamondbacks' lineups for today's game at Chase Field: Diamondbacks  Bloomquist LF Johnson 2B Upton RF Drew SS Young CF Montero C Miranda 1B Mora 3B Kennedy RHP  Nationals  Bernadina CF Desmond SS Werth RF Nix LF Morse 1B Espinosa 2B Ramos C Cora 3B Marquis RHP
As the Nationals start their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks today, trying to salvage a series split and regain some momentum after being shut out the last two days, their best player will be on a field more than 2,200 miles away, playing his first game in almost two months. Ryan Zimmerman begins a rehab assignment at Single-A Hagerstown at 4:05 this afternoon, playing in
The Nationals wasted a strong performance by Livan Hernandez on Saturday night and were blanked 2-0 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Once again, a lack of offense was to blame, as the Nats were shut out for the ninth time this season, and for the second consecutive night. Hernandez (3-7) worked seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked four and fanned three. Unfortunately,
The Nats made a roster move before tonight's game, placing left-hander Doug Slaten on the 15-day disabled list and recalling right-hander Craig Stammen from Triple-A Syracuse. Slaten, who was reliable as a situational reliever last year, has had trouble getting left-handers out this season and has allowed inherited runners to score at an alarming rate. Left-handed batters are hitting him at a .321 clip, making
Jayson Werth, who missed last night's game against the Diamondbacks after getting hit on the left elbow with a pitch on Friday, is back in the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against Arizona, which starts at 8:10 p.m. Eastern. He'll bat third. Here are the lineups for both teams: Nationals: Â Hairston 3B Desmond SS Werth RF Morse 1B Espinosa 2B Ramos C Ankiel CF
A happy Saturday morning to all of you. A few quick notes and thoughts before I head out for the day to help with a couple of friends' moves; I'm repaying them for their help with my move a few weeks ago. There really aren't too many tasks worse than moving, are there? Anyway, on to baseball: * When I was at Nationals Park yesterday
The offense of the Nationals was slowed down by Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter. Washington was able to muster three hits all night. Nats starter Yunesky Maya pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, including a home run to Chris Young. He left the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded. Left-hander Doug Slaten let the inherited runners in, but Young's
It started off promising enough, but the Arizona Diamondbacks got to Nationals starter Yunesky Maya. The righty seemed to have calmed down after allowing a home run to Chris Young in the second inning, but that wasn't the case. After getting through the third and fourth innings, the fifth inning brought trouble. Maya began the inning by walking Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter. He rebounded with
As the Nationals try to win their second straight game against the Diamondbacks and match their longest win streak of the year, they'll have to do it without right fielder Jayson Werth, who got hit on the left elbow with a pitch in the ninth inning Thursday, and will be out of the lineup for tonight's game. Laynce Nix is in right field, with Roger
Hello from Nationals Park, where we're all set for today's live chat with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo. I've got a healthy supply of questions from yesterday - thanks to all of you who submitted them - so we'll work through those, as well as any others you submit during the chat. Mike will be joining me in the press box in a few minutes, and
Note: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo will be participating in a live chat here on MASNsports.com at 12:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. Rizzo will take questions on the upcoming First-Year Player Draft and the Nats in general. Of all the things the Nationals did well in their 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks last night, Sean Burnett's contribution is likely to be overlooked. And the left-hander wasn't
The Nationals have won three straight games for the first time since April 20, and they might actually have the ingredients on offense to get on a roll for a while. Michael Morse got four hits, Wilson Ramos drove in three runs and Danny Espinosa added two more hits, continuing to help carry an offense that's still missing two of its key contributors (Adam LaRoche
The Nationals lead the Diamondbacks 3-0 after three innings, and though they missed a chance to add on to their lead in the top of the third, leaving Michael Morse stranded at second, they've built an early lead with the help of Morse and Danny Espinosa, who are probably their two hottest hitters at the moment. Morse is 2-for-2 with a run and a RBI,
The Nationals begin a four-game series with the Diamondbacks tonight, when Jordan Zimmermann faces Zach Duke at 9:40 Eastern time. Here are both teams' lineups for tonight's game: Nationals: Bernadina - LF Desmond - SS Werth - RF Morse - 1B Espinosa - 2B Ramos - C Ankiel - CF Hairston - 3B Zimmermann - P Diamondbacks: Roberts - 3B Johnson - 2B Upton -
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo will be kicking off his exclusive blog for MASNsports.com tomorrow afternoon, with a live chat at 12:30 p.m. I'll be at Nationals Park with Rizzo, who will answer your questions on the upcoming draft and the team. We'll have more information posted here in the morning, but if you'd like to start submitting questions ahead of time, you can do
We won't know for weeks, possibly months, if the Nationals' 2-1 victory over the Phillies on Wednesday was a season-turning win, the kind of victory that can turn a bumbling season into something meaningful - or at least something more respectable than the way the Nationals had been playing lately. But for now, it's enough to say this: For the Nationals, beating the Phillies and
When the Nationals let Adam Dunn leave in free agency over the winter and traded Josh Willingham to the Athletics for reliever Henry Rodriguez and Corey Brown, they explained the moves by saying they were putting a new emphasis on run prevention, which required players with different skill sets than Dunn and Willingham had. And after they made the moves, it didn't seem like they
We're at the seventh-inning stretch at Nationals Park, and the Nationals are still holding a 2-1 lead over the Phillies, largely because of the catch Laynce Nix made in the sixth that's helped his third-inning homer stand up as the go-ahead run. When Doug Slaten, who came in to relieve John Lannan, gave up a sinking liner to left against Domonic Brown, Nix sprinted to
The Nationals have a 2-1 lead on the Phillies after two innings, courtesy of another homer from their left fielder, who continues to craft a surprising season after making the team as a minor league free agent. Laynce Nix hit his ninth homer of the year in the bottom of the third, driving an outside fastball from Roy Oswalt to right-center and putting the Nationals
As the Nationals try for a series win this afternoon against the Phillies with John Lannan on the mound against Roy Oswalt, talk about the game here. You can leave your comments or questions about the game or the team below, and I'll respond to you there. I'll also have a few longer posts throughout the day analyzing the game. As a reminder, you can
Before yesterday's game against the Phillies, the Nationals had what pitcher Jason Marquis called a "reinforcement meeting," a kind of progress report as the team hit the one-third mark of the season. Manager Jim Riggleman said he always has a meeting at that juncture of the season, but it happened to come at a time where the Nationals had a few things to talk about.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who's back in Washington after a 10-day trip scouting players for next week's First-Year Player Draft, met with reporters this morning to talk about the draft and the team. I'll have more on the draft in the coming days, but here are the highlights of what Rizzo had to say about the state of the team: * Rizzo said it
Good morning from Nationals Park, where it's going to be another steamy day as the Nationals wrap up their series with the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:05 p.m. today. Here are the lineups for both teams, as John Lannan tries to reverse a long history of struggles against the Phillies and get his first win against them. Perhaps as a form of exorcism, Lannan's name is
