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Once again, John Lannan did some of his best work against the Atlanta Braves. And once again, the Nationals couldn't make it count for much. Lannan, who entered the night with a 3.38 ERA against the Braves, allowed just two earned runs in seven innings on Wednesday night, striking out six batters. But all it got him was another hard-luck loss. The Nationals scored just
John Lannan hasn't pitched poorly tonight against the Braves, but Derek Lowe has just been better against the Nationals. After breaking out for nine runs against Jair Jurrjens last night, Washington has been largely shut down by Atlanta's starter. The Nats have mustered two hits, both from leadoff man Ian Desmond, and two walks. Lannan has given up home runs to Lowe and Braves third
As the Nationals resume their series with the Braves tonight, looking for a series win with John Lannan on the mound, they'll also have Jayson Werth back in center field and Chris Marrero at first base. Werth has returned from a series of nagging injuries, and Michael Morse is back in left field. Here are the lineups for both teams: Nationals: Desmond - SS Werth
After his seven-inning, two-run performance against the Braves last night - during which he whipped up another batch of 86-mph fastballs and looping curveballs on the edge of the plate - Livan Hernandez sounded like a man who knows what might be in his future. It should be pretty easy for the 36-year-old to see what's coming; the Nationals will bring left-hander Tom Milone to
Who would have thought that the Nationals' sure-fire method for getting their offense on track would be to face a team streaking toward its second consecutive playoff berth, match up against one of that team's top starters and pound him out of the game? It sounds odd, but one thing the Nationals can count on in their ability to beat the Atlanta Braves is how
Over the last two years, the Nationals have steadily and consistently increased their level of success against Jair Jurrjens, beating the impressive young pitcher late last season after losing to him in June 2010. This year, they've roughed up Jurrjens the two times they've seen him, scoring 11 runs in 10 innings against him and beating him at the beginning of the month at Nationals
Through Stephen Strasburg's minor league rehab assignment, signs have been pointing toward the right-hander returning to the major leagues on Sept. 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now it's official. Manager Davey Johnson told reporters in Atlanta this afternoon that Strasburg will join the rotation on Tuesday night, pitching in the majors for the first time since tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right
The Nationals announced their roster for the Arizona Fall League this afternoon, confirming that they'll be sending outfielder Bryce Harper back to the desert, this time for a full season of fall ball. Harper, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, played on the taxi squad for the Scottsdale Scorpions last year after signing with the Nationals in August. He was only eligible to
Tom Milone and Brad Peacock, the Nationals' top two pitching prospects at Triple-A Syracuse, were each pulled after pitching five shutout inning in separate legs of the Chiefs' doubleheader with Lehigh Valley on Monday. And with Jordan Zimmermann coming out of the rotation this week, either one could be called upon to pitch for the Nationals on Saturday against the Mets. Stephen Strasburg will make
Stephen Strasburg's tour of the Nationals' minor league affiliates will likely make its last stop Thursday night. Double-A Harrisburg announced on Thursday afternoon that Strasburg will pitch on Thursday against the Portland Sea Dogs. It will presumably be Strasburg's final minor league start before he returns to the majors; he threw five-plus shutout innings on Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse, taking a perfect game into the
So far, the Nationals' early drafts under former general manager Jim Bowden have been characterized by immediate bluster and eventual disappointment. Ryan Zimmerman, the team's first pick in 2005, has turned into a franchise player, and there have been surprises from those first drafts in Washington along the way - Jordan Zimmermann looks like a front-of-the-rotation starter, John Lannan has turned into a fixture in
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Rehabbing Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg surfaced at Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday night hoping to challenge himself against hitters who would battle for quality at-bats. It took him five innings, but that quest was fulfilled at Alliance Bank Stadium. Barely. In the most dominating of his five minor league rehab games by far, Strasburg easily set down 15 straight Rochester Red Wings
After the Nationals blew three leads, rallied once to tie the game, got a manager and a coach tossed, blew a lead in the ninth only to save the game in the same inning and managed to survive two innings in which Henry Rodriguez walked four batters, they are still flying home on a six-game losing streak. Their 5-4 loss to the Reds, the longest
If Jordan Zimmermann's season is indeed over - and he's crossed the 160-inning threshold the Nationals have been targeting for him - it didn't end the way he would have preferred. Zimmermann had his shortest start of the season today, lasting just 4 2/3 inning against the Reds. The final pitch he threw was a fastball on the edge of the strike zone that went
Here are the Nationals' and Reds' lineups for Sunday, as Jordan Zimmermann makes what will likely be his final start of the year and the Nationals try to avoid a sweep in Cincinnati. Ryan Zimmerman gets the day off, with Rick Ankiel back in center, Laynce Nix at first and Alex Cora playing third. Nationals: Desmond - SS Werth - RF Ankiel - CF Morse
For the third time this year, the Nationals are in a losing streak of at least five games. And their problem at this point is the same problem they've had just about every time things have gone wrong for them this year: They can't hit with runners in scoring position. They left six more runners on base on Saturday night, going 0-for-5 with runners in
Chris Marrero's first night in the big leagues has been eventful, if nothing else. He made an error on the first ball hit to him, putting Brandon Phillips on base to lead off the game. Phillips would later score on a wild pitch by Ross Detwiler, and would score another run on Marrero's throwing error in the third inning that helped Joey Votto reach base.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Rehabbing Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg looked almost perfectly ready for the big-time on Saturday night. Strasburg was flawless through five innings before giving up two hits in the sixth for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs versus Rochester at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse, N.Y. His perfect game was broken up when Rochester's Aaron Bates led off the sixth with a single to
The Nationals are rolling out an interesting lineup for tonight's game against the Reds - not just for the presence of Chris Marrero, but for the fact that Jayson Werth is in center field. He'll be back in the No. 2 spot tonight for the first time since July 2, and the Nationals will start Laynce Nix in right field. As they go through September
The Nationals officially called up first baseman Chris Marrero this afternoon, adding their top pick from the 2006 draft to their major league roster after five seasons in the minors. The 23-year-old is expected to get much of the playing time at first base the rest of the season, while the Nationals take a look at him and move Michael Morse back to left field,
So far in Stephen Strasburg's rehab assignment, the right-hander has given everyone a little taste of what they wanted to see - the fastball that pushes triple digits, the curveball that makes a drastic course change on its way to the plate and the tenacity of a competitor who looks like he won't stop until he's standing at the top of the league. But it's
Wilson Ramos' big blow, a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, got the Nationals' offense on the board, but Cincinnati beat Collin Balester in the bottom of the ninth inning. Miguel Cairo ended the game with a walk-off single to score Drew Stubbs from second base for a 4-3 loss for the Nats. Davey Johnson talks about the Nats' 4-3 loss to
It's been an interesting game tonight between the Nationals and the Reds. The Reds took an early lead that was erased by a Wilson Ramos three-run home run. Cincinnati was able to come back and tie it in the bottom of the seventh inning. Now, the game is being delayed due to lighting issues at Great American Ballpark. It's 3-3 in the top of eighth.
Right-hander Shairon Martis threw a no-hitter for Double-A Harrisburg in the first game of a doubleheader at New Hampshire on Friday night. The Senators won 3-0 as Martis worked seven innings, walked one and struck out nine, improving his record to 8-5 and lowering his ERA to 2.81. Catcher Derek Norris had an RBI single in the first and solo homers by Chris Rahl in
In a move that should surprise few, the Nationals placed reliever Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day disabled list after the right-hander left Thursday's game with a sore shoulder for the second time in a week. Mattheus was placed on the DL with a right shoulder strain. He left a game last week against the Reds with a sore shoulder after lifting weights the night before,
Here are the Nationals' and Reds' lineups for tonight's game at Great American Ballpark, as the Nationals try to end a three-game losing streak. Nationals: Desmond - SS Bixler - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Espinosa - 2B Gomes - LF Ramos - C Wang - P Reds: Phillips - 2B Lewis - LF Votto - 1B Bruce - RF
When the Nationals got to the All-Star break, there were few bigger - or more welcome - surprises on their roster than Laynce Nix. He was hitting .274/.315/.502 in the first half, slugging 12 home runs and giving the Nationals the play of a solid starter for the price of a cheap veteran. They were able to weather the loss in production from trading Josh
When the Nationals claimed their second walk-off victory in three days on Sunday, they had every reason to ride a wave of optimism as far as it would carry them. That only increased on Monday with a 4-1, hassle-free victory over the National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nationals were two games under .500, having won five of seven and beaten a pair of playoff-bound
Headed into the eighth inning of tonight's game, the Nationals were trailing by only a run, with Tyler Clippard on the mound a chance to keep the game close still in play. Fast forward two innings, and the Nationals wound up with an 8-1 loss, extending their losing streak to three games and sealing a 5-5 record in a homestand that began with five wins
When the eighth inning of Nationals-Diamondbacks started - about 40 minutes ago - the Nationals trailed by a run and Tyler Clippard was on to keep the game close. Now it's 9:43 and the Nationals trail 5-1. What happened in those 40 minutes? Clippard had his worst outing of the year, giving up three runs (inculding a homer to Paul Goldschmidt), Ryan Mattheus pitched to
In seven games this season, the Nationals and Diamondbacks have combined to score only 39 runs, as two hit-or-miss offenses run into a top-end pitching staff (in Arizona's case) or a respectable one (in Washington's). We're through six of the eighth and final game these two teams will play this season, and they've still only combined for 41. John Lannan had a shutout going through
Ivan Rodriguez, who has had rehab assignments start and stop several times on his way back from a strained right oblique, will get started again on Saturday. He will catch five innings for Single-A Potomac during its game at Frederick, beginning a rehab assignment in the final two weeks of the minor league season before hoping to return to the majors when rosters expand in
Davey Johnson's association with Mike Flanagan was mostly marked by a series of comings and goings; the Orioles drafted Flanagan the summer after Johnson was traded to the Braves, Flanagan was the pitching coach the year before and after Johnson managed the team, and the two were fixtures at a number of Orioles alumni events. The one time their paths intersected, though, was in 1996
Double-A Harrisburg first baseman Tyler Moore, who has 28 home runs this season, and pitcher Brad Peacock, who posted a 2.01 ERA at Harrisburg before being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in July, were named to the Eastern League's season-ending All-Star team today. Peacock was 10-2 before he got promoted after the All-Star Futures Game in July, and Moore (who won the Nationals' player of the
As the Nationals finish their series with the Diamondbacks - weather permitting - they'll have Jayson Werth back in their lineup; the right fielder is back from the groin strain that caused him to miss Wednesday's game, and he'll bat fifth. Here is the Nationals' full lineup. I'll post Arizona's when it becomes available: Desmond - SS Bixler - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse -
I wanted to pass this along this morning - former MASNSports.com blogger Kristen Hudak dug it up, and there's some great stuff in here. It's a video of MLB Network's Ron Gant and Al Leiter talking about a sequence in the first inning of last night's Nationals-Diamondbacks game, where Livan Hernandez and Wilson Ramos spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide on a
For much of August, the Nationals' offense has finally been on an upward swing. Ryan Zimmerman had torn through one of the best stretches of his career, reaching base in 29 consecutive games and hitting in 28 of those. Michael Morse blossomed into a legitimate cleanup hitter, and Jayson Werth filled in behind him to give the Nationals a legitimate heart of the order for
The Nationals' offense woke up a little too late on Wednesday night against the Diamondbacks. And after they began their 10-game homestand with five wins in seven games, they'll need a victory tomorrow just to stay above .500. A belated rally served only to dress up the score in their 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks, after the Nationals couldn't solve right-hander Daniel Hudson. Before the
The Nationals, who could have traded for Diamondbacks starter Dan Hudson last year, are getting a first-hand look at why general manager Mike Rizzo wanted him. The right-hander has retired 12 of the last 13 hitters he's faced, striking out three tonight with a biting fastball and sharp slider, and the Diamondbacks have a 2-0 lead on the Nationals. Livan Hernandez got hurt by his
Stephen Strasburg is still working his way through the minor leagues, pitching where most teams are still using designated hitters. But one sign he's close to returning to the major leagues cropped up at Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon. After throwing a side session, Strasburg took a quick round of batting practice with the Nationals, stinging four line drives in the five pitches he saw.
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals and Diamondbacks are getting ready for the third game of their series tonight. Jayson Werth, who strained his groin on Tuesday, is out of the lineup; Laynce Nix will start in right field and Jonny Gomes will play left against Daniel Hudson and the Diamondbacks. Here is the Nationals' full lineup. I'll post Arizona's when it's available:
Last summer, when the Nationals were entertaining trade offers for Adam Dunn, one name that kept coming up was White Sox prospect Daniel Hudson - a 6-foot-3 right-hander from Lynchburg, Va., who was at the center of Chicago's package of players in return for Dunn. You know how things ended: Talks broke down, the White Sox eventually dealt Hudson to Arizona as part of a
Jayson Werth left the Nationals' 2-0 loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night in the ninth inning after straining his groin chasing an Ian Kennedy base hit in the seventh. (At least, we think it was his groin. That's what a Nationals spokesman said, though manager Davey Johnson called it a hip flexor and Werth said both groin and hip flexor in an otherwise coy
To be clear, the reason Jordan Zimmermann didn't get a win in his penultimate start of the season was the same reason he's taken losses in five other impressive outings before Tuesday night: The Nationals didn't score enough runs for him. Zimmermann gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings, taking a shutout into the seventh before giving up a home run to Sean Burroughs
Jordan Zimmermann will have one more start this year, meaning the Nationals' top starter can't get to double-digit victories this year. Wins have lost some of their weight for pitchers, and it's because of losses like the one Zimmermann sustained on Tuesday night. He allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings, but dropped to 8-11 when the Nationals couldn't score a run on the Diamondbacks.
Jordan Zimmermann took a shutout into the seventh inning, and manager Davey Johnson sent him back out to the mound after he'd thrown 95 pitches through six innings. But the seventh, as it's been several times this year, proved to be Zimmermann's undoing. Hitters were batting .385/.429/.667 off him in the seventh inning this year, after hitting below .250 against him in the rest of
When the Nationals and Diamondbacks played a four-game series in Phoenix in June, they spent much of the weekend trading beanballs in a spat that culminated with Jason Marquis getting ejected in the Sunday game after hitting Justin Upton for the fourth time in the series. Since then, Marquis has been traded to the Diamondbacks, and then-manager Jim Riggleman - who was also suspended for
Stephen Strasburg will make the fifth start of his rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery on Saturday at Triple-A Syracuse, manager Davey Johnson said. Strasburg, who struck out six batters in three innings on Monday night at Single-A Hagerstown, will likely make one more rehab start after this one, possibly also at Syracuse, before returning to the major leagues. He has said he's ready to
Agent Scott Boras, who now represents 20 percent of the Nationals' 40-man roster (and that's without counting Stephen Strasburg), was at Nationals Park today for a press conference introducing three of his clients the Nationals just signed: draft picks Anthony Rendon, Alex Meyer and Brian Goodwin. And asked about the future of one of his clients - catcher Ivan Rodriguez - Boras, not surprisingly, said
The Nationals will start their game with the Diamondbacks at 7:25 p.m. after opening the gates to the ballpark at 6:40. The team had closed the gates to inspect the ballpark after today's magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Virginia. Because of the delay, the Nationals will allow fans to exchange their tickets from tonight's game for seats to another home game this season. I would tell
When a magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the East Coast just before 2 p.m. today, a handful of Nationals players and manager Davey Johnson were already at the ballpark, getting ready for a team picture. For the players that hadn't felt a quake before, it was an unnerving experience. Reliever Tyler Clippard was planning to bike to Nationals Park from the apartment he shares with closer
The Nationals and Diamondbacks are here at Nationals Park for tonight's game, but after the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast today, the team has delayed opening the gates until it can inspect the structural integrity of the park. And I'm typing this from the sixth-floor press box. Awesome. We'll keep you posted on the status of the game, but the guess here
As the Nationals resume their four-game series with the Diamondbacks, looking for their sixth win in eight games, they'll return to their normal lineup with Rick Ankiel in center field tonight. Ankiel sat out against left-hander Joe Saunders last night, as the Nationals gave Brian Bixler a start. Here is the Nationals' full lineup. I'll post the Diamondbacks' lineup once it's available: Diamondbacks: Bloomquist -
All season, Jayson Werth has talked of being "close" to finding his swing, as though it were an animal whose scent he was tracking through the woods. This season has been a series of adjustments and counter-adjustments at the plate for Werth, all delivering only sporadic results and all coming under the scrutiny that rightly goes with a seven-year, $126 million deal. At the end
As Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty has worked with Ross Detwiler over the years, trying to straighten out his delivery to the plate like a piece of warped steel, he's kept something in the back of his head that longtime Orioles pitching coach Ray Miller told him long ago: Never give up on a left-hander. And with Detwiler, the Nationals haven't given up, no matter
On Monday afternoon, Nationals manager Davey Johnson spent much of his pregame media session talking about his long-standing belief that developing players for the future doesn't have to prevent a team from winning in the present. And on Monday night, Ross Detwiler went out and backed up his point. The left-hander, who went with the sixth pick in the 2007 draft, is finally getting a
There have still been times this month where Jayson Werth has looked off at the plate, but by and large, he's heading in the right direction. After singling in the ninth inning of the Nationals' win over the Phillies yesterday, he started his night tonight with a double and a run in the second inning. And in the fourth inning, Werth hit one of his
In his last outing, Ross Detwiler flashed better stuff than he might have had at any point in his short career. He's looked like that same pitcher again early tonight. Detwiler has thrown just 40 pitches through four innings, 26 of them strikes. He's hitting 94 mph again with his sinker, and has notched strikeouts on both his curveball and changeup. The Nationals have a
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who is in the midst of one of the longest tears of his career, will share NL Player of the Week honors with Padres catcher Nick Hundley, MLB announced today. Zimmerman hit .500 (12-for-24) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs, one walk and five runs scored in six games last week. Zimmerman's efforts helped the Nationals go 4-2
The Nationals are entering the final series of their last homestand before they're able to expand their rosters. By the time they return home from a six-game road trip to Cincinnati and Atlanta, they'll be able to add as many as 15 players to their roster - though it's virtually impossible to imagine them calling up Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon or Matt Purke. Still, there
As the Nationals begin a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, they'll make a minor change in their lineup; Brian Bixler starts in center field today, hitting second and replacing Rick Ankiel, who sits with left-hander Joe Saunders on the mound. Here is the Nationals' lineup. I'll post the Diamondbacks' lineup once it's available: Diamondbacks: Roberts - 3B Johnson - 2B Upton - RF Young
When Jayson Werth signed with the Nationals in December, leaving the Phillies for an offer estimated to be worth about twice as much as what the Phillies were willing to pay him, he knew he would be inviting the scorn of Phillies fans whenever the Nationals played them. (In addition to being some of the most boisterous, passionate and vociferous fans in baseball, Phillies fans,
In a jubilant postgame clubhouse, after Jonny Gomes' hit-by-pitch gave the Nationals a walk-off win over the Phillies in unusual fashion, Ryan Zimmerman was asked if this is a series the team would have won in past years - with record crowds packing Nationals Park to cheer on the visiting team and two games heading into the ninth inning with the Phillies three outs from
The Nationals were a strike away from a series loss to the Phillies in the ninth inning of Sunday's game. Instead, they'll send the Phillies - and their fans - home having notched two walk-off victories against Philadelphia. They won 5-4 in the 10th inning on Sunday, with Jonny Gomes taking a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to end the game an inning after Ian Desmond - who
The Nationals were down to their last strike a minute ago, staring at another loss to the Phillies with Nationals Park once again stuffed full of Philadelphia fans. And then Ian Desmond hit what might have been the biggest homer of his short career. The shortstop hit a 1-2 pitch from Antonio Bastardo on a line to left field, pulling the Nationals even with the
We're back under way at Nationals Park, with Roy Halladay having come out of the game after a 71-minute rain delay. And having survived last year's Cy Young winner, the Nationals wasted little time in tying the game. Danny Espinosa, who drove in his first run since July 17 earlier today, also hit his first homer since that day, blasting a solo shot to right-center
This is not to be confused with my post of the same headline on Friday night. But we're in another rain delay. The Nationals and Phillies, who have been playing under threatening skies and jagged lightning for the last couple innings, went into a rain delay at 3:17. This is the only storm in the forecast today, but it could be nasty for a little
The Nationals scored two runs on Roy Halladay in the first inning, continuing to improve their results against last year's Cy Young winner. But after the way the top of the second inning played out, they might be regretting they didn't do more in the first. Chien-Ming Wang gave up a two-run homer in the first inning, throwing a sinker inside to Carlos Ruiz on
Good morning from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Phillies' lineups for today's 1:35 p.m. start: Phillies: Rollins - SS Victorino - CF Utley - 2B Howard - 1B Pence - RF Ibanez - LF Ruiz - C Martinez - 3B Halladay - P Nationals: Desmond - SS Ankiel - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Espinosa - 2B Gomes
When the Phillies are in town - and especially when their fans show up to Nationals Park in droves - there is a different feel to those games than there are to the other 72 the Nationals play at home each year. The atmosphere is more combustible, with Phillies and Nationals fans trying to outdo each other, and it seems like things just happen a
Early on Saturday morning, the Nationals scored one of their most uplifting victories of the year, rallying for six runs in the ninth inning against Phillies closer Ryan Madson and winning on a walk-off grand slam from Ryan Zimmerman. About 20 hours later, they finished one of their ugliest performances at home - or, at least it was home in name only. They fell 5-0
We're through three innings at Nationals Park, in a ballpark that's as electric as it's been in months. That, of course, is because it's largely stocked with Phillies fans who are booing everyone from Jayson Werth to the kid that gave the "Play ball" announcement, but hey, it's entertainment! That energy seems to have been passed on to John Lannan and Roy Oswalt, the two
Chien-Ming Wang will make his fifth start since coming back from shoulder surgery tomorrow, and in his first four outings, he's given the Nationals enough reason to think he can still pitch in the major leagues that manager Davey Johnson discussed the chances of Wang returning in 2012 - a scenario that would have looked like an impossibility a few months ago. Wang, who has
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here are the Nationals' and Phillies' lineups for tonight's game: Phillies: Rollins - SS Victorino - CF Utley - 2B Howard - 1B Pence - RF Mayberry - LF Ruiz - C Valdez - 3B Oswalt - P Nationals: Desmond - SS Ankiel - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Nix - LF Werth - RF Espinosa - 2B
The full package of what makes Ryan Zimmerman one of the game's best players was on display last night: He continued hitting, raising his average to .396 in his last 25 games. He made a superb defensive play in the fifth inning, sprawling out to rob Hunter Pence of a base hit and firing to first from somewhere between a sidearm and underhanded position. But
When Ryan Zimmerman came to the plate shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, facing a pitcher against whom he was 1-for-7 in the last two years, he went to the thought that always runs through his mind in those situations. The bases were loaded and the Nationals and Phillies were tied after a furious Washington rally in the ninth, but Zimmerman deflected the pressure the
Heading into the ninth inning of a long, dreary night at Nationals Park, the Nationals were down 4-2 to the Phillies, looking like they'd lose again at home before a largely pro-Phillies crowd. And then Jayson Werth got a rally started with an 11-pitch at-bat, setting up another stage for Ryan Zimmerman to steal. The Nationals' third baseman is no stranger to walk-off homers -
See what I did there? All puns aside, the Nationals might have wished they could have come back tomorrow and try this one again. Livan Hernandez gave up four runs on six hits in the third inning, and the Nationals already have Tom Gorzelanny warming up in the bullpen. It's 4-1 Phillies after 3 1/2 innings at Nationals Park. We'll have to see how Hernandez
Bryce Harper is officially going on the 7-day disabled list at Double-A Harrisburg, after a doctor confirmed he strained his right hamstring while trying to run from first to third last night. Harper would be able to return on Aug. 25, but with only 11 days left in the minor league season at that point, it seems hard to believe the Nationals would bring him
We got six minutes and four batters of baseball in at Nationals Park before the skies opened up. At 7:11, the Nationals and Phillies went into a rain delay under pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Roy Oswalt, who is coming off a back injury, had already warmed up for the bottom of the first, but now he's going to sit until the rain passes. (I
The Nationals haven't released an official update on Bryce Harper's strained right hamstring today. But manager Davey Johnson said out loud today what's been pretty easy to surmise since Harper limped off the field during Double-A Harrisburg's game last night: He's not likely to play again during the 2011 minor league season. The Senators' season ends Sept. 5, though they are up by two games
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. As the Nationals start their series against the Phillies, Michael Morse gets a night off at first base to rest his left elbow, where he got hit by a pitch against the Cubs last week. Laynce Nix, who is 11-for-25 with three homers in his career against Roy Oswalt, starts at first. Here are the Nationals' and Phillies' lineups for
Nationals right-hander Ryan Mattheus left the Nationals' win over the Reds last night in an unnerving scene, throwing three warmup pitches before the seventh inning and walking off the mound. The Nationals later called the injury right shoulder tightness, but Mattheus said even that characterization made it sound more serious than it was . Mattheus was lifting weights after pitching Wednesday night, and was sitting
Jordan Zimmermann grew up in Auburndale, Wis., a speed bump of a town on US-10 that has a bar, a church, and not much else. It hosts Farm Technology Days each summer, has a "Bring Your Tractor to School" Day each year and counts two successful professional athletes among its natives - Zimmermann and former Green Bay Packers tackle Mark Tauscher. Jesus Flores hails from
The Nationals finished a series win over the Reds on Thursday night, beating them 3-1 to take two out of three games. And they got more than a little help from the outfielder they acquired from Cincinnati last month. Jonny Gomes drove in two runs with a sixth-inning double to put the Nationals up 3-0. An inning earlier, he saved a run with an impressive
Jesus Flores homered off Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo in the fifth inning, but that was the first run the Nationals had scored against the right-hander. And when Arroyo retired the first two batters he faced in the sixth, Reds manager Dusty Baker probably thought he could finish the inning without any trouble. The Nationals quickly took advantage of the tiring starter, though, getting a walk
We've played 4 1/2 innings at Nationals Park, and Jordan Zimmermann, after having a couple of underwhelming outings, has been sharp most of the night. He's only allowed five hits in five innings, holding the Reds scoreless. The right-hander is pitching against Bronson Arroyo - a pitcher with whom the Nationals, for some reason, have an incredibly hard time. But they've managed to take a
Matt Purke sat at a dais in a major league ballpark on Thursday afternoon, his agent on his left and the general manager of a big league club on his right. He shook hands, slipped on a jersey over his shirt and tie and did a half-spin for photographers. It was the kind of typical grin-and-grab session that awaits most first-round picks, only it didn't
Here are the Reds' and Nationals' lineups for tonight's series finale at Nationals Park: Reds: Phillips - 2B Sappelt - LF Votto - 1B Bruce - RF Cairo - 3B Stubbs - CF Hanigan - C Janish - SS Arroyo - P Nationals: Desmond - SS Ankiel - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Espinosa - 2B Gomes - LF Flores
Matt Purke, the Nationals' third-round pick in this year's draft, will meet with the Washington media for the first time at 3:45 p.m. today, continuing one of the more interesting stories in the Nationals' 2011 draft class. A left-hander from TCU, Purke was projected by many to be a top-10 pick, until concerns over his signability and a shoulder injury (which turned out to be
In the four-plus years since he was drafted sixth overall by the Nationals, Ross Detwiler has only shown the kind of stuff to warrant that high draft status on a handful of occasions, and rarely in a full game. He finally did it on Wednesday night. The pieces were there - a sinker that touched 95 mph with a sharp downward tilt, and a big-breaking
For eight innings, the Nationals' offense had been lulled to sleep by Johnny Cueto. It woke up on the first pitch of the ninth inning, which Ryan Zimmerman drilled to the Red Porch in center field. From there, the Nationals pieced together a rally on a walk, a single and an error, and put themselves in position to steal a game from the Reds. But
We've played three innings at Nationals Park, and the Nationals are down 1-0 to the Reds. But despite giving up five hits in the first three innings, Ross Detwiler is showing the stuff that made him the No. 6 pick in the 2007 draft. He hasn't done that much in 22 big league starts before tonight. Detwiler has struck out six batters in three innings,
For the first 11 games he started this season, Ian Desmond hit at the top of the Nationals' lineup. It wasn't an ideal fit - Desmond had never hit there in the majors, and his on-base percentage in his rookie year was just .308. But then, the Nationals didn't have an ideal fit for the leadoff spot, so they figured they'd try Desmond there. The
Stephen Strasburg makes the third start of his rehab assignment tonight at Single-A Hagerstown, and it's clear from Davey Johnson's remarks this afternoon that the Nationals manager doesn't want to wait too much longer to have him in the major league rotation. Johnson has been playing the same game that fans and reporters play, scribbling out the prospective dates of Strasburg's starts and trying to
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals will have a different look to their lineup as they try to secure a series victory against the Reds. Ian Desmond is back in the leadoff spot for the first time since April 14, as manager Davey Johnson drops Rick Ankiel to second in the batting order. Here are the lineups for both teams: Reds: Phillips -
After Michael Morse went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer in the Nationals' win over the Reds, manager Davey Johnson pulled out one of his classic tricks: He casually mentioned that he might put Morse back in left field in September, when the Nationals can call up Chris Marrero, so they can get a look at the prospect and give Morse more time in
At the end of last season, when the Nationals were moving ever closer to letting first baseman Adam Dunn leave in free agency, there was no bigger proponent of keeping Dunn than the man sitting next to him in the clubhouse and hitting in front of him in the lineup: third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. It was easy - and quantifiable - to tell why Zimmerman
As victories go, the Nationals' 6-4 win over the Reds on Tuesday night was far from their best work. They made two errors, misplayed several other balls in the outfield and left Chien-Ming Wang in the game a couple batters too long. But they still managed to start their series with a victory, thanks to an offense that continues to nudge its numbers in the
At the seventh inning stretch, the Nationals have a 6-4 lead over the Reds, having added to the margin in the fifth with a Ryan Zimmerman home run that came within a few rows of reaching the left field concourse. But their lead also got smaller after a curious decision from manager Davey Johnson. Johnson let pitcher Chien-Ming Wang - who'd gone six innings despite
The Nationals' offense has been putting up its best numbers of the season all month, entering tonight with a .754 team OPS in 12 games. The way they've started tonight isn't going to hurt those totals. They have a 4-2 lead over the Reds after four innings, having rallied for three runs and four hits off Reds starter Mike Leake in the first inning after
Here are the Nationals' and Reds' lineups for tonight's game at Nationals Park: Reds: Stubbs-CF Renteria-SS Votto-1B Phillips-2B Bruce-RF Hernandez-C Alonso-LF Frazier-3B Leake-P Nationals: Ankiel-CF Espinosa-2B Zimmerman-3B Morse-1B Werth-RF Nix-LF Desmond-SS Ramos-C Wang-P
Good afternoon from Nationals Park, where the Nationals return home to begin a 10-game homestand against the Reds. Most of the discussion before today's game centered on the five draft picks the Nationals signed before last night's deadline - and what that will mean for their 40-man roster as they try to call up players in September. At present, the Nationals have three players (Bryce
Now that the Nationals have their top draft picks in the fold, completing what assistant general manager Roy Clark called the best draft he's ever been involved with in 27 years in the business, they'll get to the work of putting those players in place to live up to those lofty pronouncements. They will likely send their top picks to Viera, Fla., to work out
During Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's first two full years on the job, there have been commendable decisions and questionable ones. But there's no debating where Rizzo has made his mark. He built his reputation in baseball as a talent evaluator, first as a scout and later as a scouting director tasked with running drafts and signing players. He landed Stephen Strasburg in the Nationals'
The Nationals wound their negotiations with their top four draft picks down to the wire again. And once again, they shelled out a staggering sum of money to land the players they took early in the June draft. But once again, they got their men. According to a club source, the team signed Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon (the sixth overall pick), Kentucky pitcher Alex
We've got an hour before the deadline for major league teams to sign their draft picks, and there's no word from the Nationals about the fate of their top four draft picks. To say that's a surprise, though, would be stretching it - they signed four players on draft deadline night last year. They didn't go into the final hour with four unsigned last year,
By now, the Nationals should be used to this. It's a reality of doing business with Scott Boras - and they've done quite a bit of business with the super-agent in the last three years. But it does lead to some tense moments on the third Monday of August. And this year, they're looking at three sets of negotiations with Boras. Teams have until midnight
The series finale between the Nationals and Phillies this afternoon has been postponed, as rain continues to soak Citizens Bank Park. The teams will make up the game in a split doubleheader on Sept. 20. That means they'll play four games in September in Philadelphia, instead of three. And that means it's more likely Stephen Strasburg would make a start in the park where he
The first half of Danny Espinosa's rookie year couldn't have played out much better for him or the Nationals. He put himself on a trajectory to hit 30 home runs, when most thought he'd only be capable of 15-20 in a season. He played spellbinding defense at second base, with tough plays becoming almost second nature to him because of his upbringing as a shortstop.
The Nationals (57-62) got the best of the Phillies (78-41) Friday night, but tonight was a different story. Philadelphia beat the Nationals 11-3 as Washington kicked the ball around on defense, leading to seven unearned runs for the pitching staff. John Lannan (8-8) did his best to keep the Nats in the game, but unraveled in a third inning that started with an Ian Desmond
Sloppy defense has defined the Nationals tonight. Danny Espinosa's error in the first inning, Ian Desmond's throw that pulled Michael Morse off the base in the third inning and Morse's fielding error in the sixth. All of the errors have led to runs for the Phillies, who lead 8-3. Collin Balester has gone three innings and allowed one unearned run, mostly shutting down the Phillies'
Rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa was stout on defense Friday night, but his game Saturday didn't start out that way. Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a grounder toward the middle that Espinosa was unable to handle. It looked like left-hander John Lannan was going to get out of the inning unscathed, but Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit an opposite field
Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Phillies, as John Lannan tries to get his first-ever win at Citizens Bank Park. Michael Morse is back in the lineup for Washington, hitting fourth: Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Nix - LF Ramos - C Desmond - SS Lannan - P
On Friday night, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and the Nationals were playing on three different baseball fields across two states, the two prospects' considerable talent still a ways from being brought to bear in the major leagues. Still, it only took a quick look at what the two prospects did on Friday to get another reminder of the sheer talent the Nationals could be putting
The Nationals' series-opening game with the Phillies had a few close calls, but Washington (57-61) pulled out the 4-2 win. Closer Drew Storen gave up a run in the ninth inning, but closed out the Phillies (77-41) for his 31st save. Starter Livan Hernandez (7-11) pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing one run, which was unearned, on four hits. He walked one and struck out three
The Nationals will start their series with the Phillies without Michael Morse, who will sit out tonight after getting hit on the left elbow with a pitch on Thursday afternoon against the Cubs. X-rays on Morse's elbow were negative, but the Nationals are holding him out to let his elbow recover. Jonny Gomes will hit cleanup for Washington tonight against Cole Hamels, and Brian Bixler
The Nationals are breathing a little easier this morning than when they left Chicago last night; Michael Morse, who left yesterday's game after getting hit on the left elbow with a pitch, is fine. X-rays on Morse's elbow were negative, and though he could sit out a day or two, he shouldn't miss extended time. As we said yesterday, Morse has become almost indispensable to
Michael Morse left the Nationals' game against the Cubs today after getting hit on the left elbow with a pitch, and if he's got anything more than a bruise, the Nationals' offense could be in bad shape for the rest of the season. It's no stretch to say that Morse has become one of the most dangerous hitters in the National League this season, ranking
Every year, Ryan Zimmerman seems to go on one of these runs, where he's locked in for weeks at a time. But there's probably only been one other streak in Zimmerman's career like the one he's on now - his 30-game hit streak back in 2009. And right now, Zimmerman looks capable of pushing his current tear into that realm. He's had a first-inning hit
As the Nationals finish their series at Wrigley Field this afternoon (a day later than they expected), here is their lineup for today's game against the Cubs: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Nix - LF Desmond - SS Ramos - C Zimmermann - P
Bryce Harper was ejected from Double-A Harrisburg's game with Richmond on Wednesday night after slamming his helmet in protest of a called third strike in the seven inning of the Senators' 3-1 loss. Harper had a nose-to-nose confrontation with home plate umpire Max Guyll before manager Tony Beasley broke it up. Beasley was ejected, as well, and Harper finished his night 0-for-3 with a pair
The Nationals couldn't do enough against Rodrigo Lopez and his pedestrian stuff. Ross Detwiler again did enough for them to hang around, but not enough for them to win. And like they've done in most of Detwiler's starts, the Nationals ended the night with a loss. They fell 4-2 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, dropping Detwiler to 3-11 in his career.
The Nationals and Cubs are in the top of the sixth inning at Wrigley Field, and Ross Detwiler is treading water again. He's pitched out of some jams, but he's given up seven hits, and surrendered two homers, including a solo shot for Reed Johnson in the bottom of the fifth. It's 4-2 Cubs, and Detwiler, who pitched five innings last Thursday against the Rockies,
When the Nationals traded for Jonny Gomes on July 26, acquiring the outfielder for a pair of minor leaguers, the move was mostly written off as the Nationals adding a spare part, an outfielder who didn't seem to fit into their future plans and whose best benefit might be that he could bring back a compensation pick if he left in free agency. By the
We talked this morning about Chien-Ming Wang's third outing of the year being a key opportunity for the right-hander to prove he can still pitch in the majors. He's seized it tonight. Wang allowed one hit in six shutout innings, walking two batters and putting himself in line for the win when the Nationals scored three runs in the top of the sixth. He's still
Stephen Strasburg will make the second start of his rehab assignment at Single-A Potomac on Friday night, the P-Nats announced this afternoon. Strasburg, who threw 31 pitches in 1 2/3 innings on Sunday, is on his way back from Tommy John surgery. He'll pitch at Pfitzner Stadium for the first time after going straight to Double-A Harrisburg last year; the Senators are also home on
Here are the Nationals' and Cubs' lineups for tonight's game at Wrigley Field. The two teams will start their series tonight after getting rained out on Monday, and will use the same lineups they'd planned to use last night: Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Gomes - LF Desmond - SS Ramos - C Wang
Stephen Strasburg will throw a side session today, beginning the process of routine work after the first start of his rehab assignment on Sunday. If all goes well for Strasburg today - and by all accounts, he felt fine after throwing 31 pitches for Single-A Hagerstown on Sunday - the Nationals should make a decision on where he'll pitch next. Strasburg is slated to start
The Nationals' and Cubs' game at Wrigley Field tonight was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up at 2 p.m. on Thursday, which was scheduled to be the Nationals' off-day before the team flies to Philadelphia on Friday. instead, the teams will start their series tomorrow night at 8 p.m. We'll have more on what this means for the pitching matchups as
Here are the Nationals' and Cubs' lineups for tonight's game at Wrigley Field: Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Gomes - LF Desmond - SS Ramos - C Wang - P Cubs: Castro - SS Barney - 2B Ramirez - 3B Pena - 1B Byrd - CF Soriano - LF Colvin - RF Soto -
Chien-Ming Wang's third start, which comes tonight at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, comes at a point where the Nationals should start to get some idea of whether the right-hander can still be an effective starter in the majors. They believe he can; he showed some signs of success with his sinker last Wednesday against the Braves before getting in trouble in the middle innings.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Stephen Strasburg's first rehab start at Single-A Hagerstown is in the books, with the right-hander flashing almost the same fastball (97 mph consistently, and 98 mph once), the same competitive streak (he said he didn't like giving up the ball after 1 2/3 innings, and shot a couple snappy retorts at reporters' questions) and the same curveball (he froze Wilfredo Gimenez for
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Stephen Strasburg's first rehab start is over, after 1 2/3 innings and 31 pitches, 25 of which were strikes. He allowed three hits, including a home run, to a Greensboro lineup that was swinging at just about everything he offered. But Strasburg showed flashes of the same dominant stuff the Nationals saw all of last year. He was sitting consistently around 97
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - We're about 20 minutes from Stephen Strasburg's first rehab start at Single-A Hagerstown; I'm camped out along the railing behind the visitors' dugout (they kicked all the press out of the press box - go figure), and I'll be live-blogging Strasburg's start from Municipal Stadium. I'll only run this for the inning or two Strasburg is scheduled to pitch - I'll have
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Hello from Municipal Stadium, where Stephen Strasburg will pitch in a game today for the first time since Aug. 21, 2010, when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. After having Tommy John surgery last Sept. 3, Strasburg begins a month-long rehab that should have him back at Nationals Park early next month, if all goes well. Strasburg is
The Nationals gave up season-highs in hits and runs in a 15-7 loss to the Rockies on Saturday night. And again. it looks like they might need to figure out where things are headed with Livan Hernandez. The 36-year-old was gone before retiring a batter in the fifth inning for the third time in five starts. Saturday was his worst start of the year; he
Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game at Coors Field, as they try to win their second of four against the Rockies: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Gomes - LF Desmond - SS Ramos - C Hernandez - P
A week ago, Ian Desmond was playing baseball on something of a day-to-day basis, not knowing if the trade rumors containing his name would lead to anything fruitful or not. The Nationals, the thinking went, could include Desmond as part of a package for a center fielder, move Danny Espinosa back to his natural position of shortstop and call up Stephen Lombardozzi from the minors
When the Nationals have needed to gather themselves, as they did on Friday night, they've done it on several occasions behind right-hander Jordan Zimmermann. And with another strong outing from the right-hander, they ended a two-game losing streak with a win over the Rockies. Zimmermann allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight batters and allowing just four hits. While Zimmermann was putting
Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game at Coors Field against the Rockies: Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Nix - LF Desmond - SS Ramos - C Zimmermann - P
Stephen Strasburg must be about ready to get back on a mound. That's as easy to gather by the amount of discussion about the right-handed thunderbolt as it is by looking at the upcoming schedule at Single-A Hagerstown. And somewhat surprisingly, there's almost as much chatter that the Nationals shouldn't use Strasburg this season as excitement about his return. On his Sirius XM radio show
In just his second start of the year, Ross Detwiler did enough to keep the Nationals in the game - especially after they knocked Rockies starter Esmil Rogers out with 112 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. But whereas the Rockies were able to survive a night where their starter couldn't get through the sixth inning, the Nationals were once again unable to do it. They
They've played five innings in Denver, and Ross Detwiler did an impressive job keeping himself from early damage. He stranded two runners who got on base with walks in the first four innings. But four of the five hits he's allowed have come in the last two innings, and the Nationals trail the Rockies 2-1. Detwiler has managed to throw only 66 pitches in the
If the Nationals have had a weakness this season, it's been the same as it has been most years: playing inside their division. They are eight games under .500 against National League East opponents, having already lost eight times to the Marlins and six to the Phillies. Against everybody else, they're four over .500. Keep that in mind as they start their final three-city road
By most metrics, Chien-Ming Wang's second start in the majors was better than his first one; he pitched deeper into the game (working five innings and 86 pitches instead of four and 60) and had better movement on his sinker, getting 10 groundouts against three flyouts. But more than anything else, his outing in the Nationals' 6-4 loss to the Braves on Wednesday afternoon was
The Nationals lost a chance to sweep the Braves on Wednesday afternoon, falling 6-4 in the series finale between the two teams. Chien-Ming Wang put the Nationals in a 6-0 hole, though only two of his six runs were earned after his throwing error in the fourth inning. But by the time the Nationals could rally for four runs in the sixth inning, they had
The Nationals had just pulled within two runs of the Braves in the sixth inning on a Jayson Werth home run when a steady rain turned to a downpour. We started a rain delay at 3:03 p.m. with the Nationals down 6-4 and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth. Washington was down 6-0 after five innings, after another shaky start from Chien-Ming Wang.
As the Nationals try to sweep the Braves and end their nine-game homestand with a winning record, talk about the game here. You can leave your thoughts or 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 throughout the game.
Here are the Nationals' and Braves' lineups for this afternoon's game at Nationals Park: Braves: Bourn - CF Prado - 3B Freeman - 1B Uggla - 2B Hinske - LF Gonzalez - SS Ross - C Beachy - P Constanza - RF Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Nix - LF Desmond - SS Flores
Stephen Strasburg appears ready to begin a rehab assignment, and if all goes well in a side throwing session tomorrow, he'll make his first start on Sunday for Single-A Hagerstown. He'll likely only throw an inning or two, but if he progresses without a setback, the Nationals appear to have him on track to progress quickly and return to the majors in early September. He
For most of his career, John Lannan has been a strange kind of left-hander. He's relied on his fastball to generate weak contact, which is certainly an approach many lefties have taken, but without the put-away breaking ball that some have, he hasn't been able to carve out any kind of platoon advantage. Lefties hit .263 off Lannan in his career, only eight points worse
The first 30 games Davey Johnson has managed for the Nationals must have felt a little like an out-of-body experience. The manager who'd built his career with teams that could mash the ball out of the ballpark, who preaches his mantra of "score early and defend late," found himself back in a major league dugout for the first time in 11 years with a team
The Nationals officially appear to be back on a hot streak. It's easy to tell, because it's not often that their offense is this good. They beat up on the Braves for nine runs, 14 hits and three homers - including a Rick Ankiel grand slam - in a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night that gave them their fourth straight win and guaranteed a series
Well, it's safe to say Rick Ankiel is on a little bit of a tear. He entered Tuesday's game hitting .338 since coming off the disabled list on July 1, and he homered twice on Monday night. And his biggest blow came in the fourth inning tonight. Ankiel hit his first grand slam in nearly four years off Derek Lowe, ripping a fastball to straightaway
Here are a few pregame items of interest from Nationals Park, before the Nationals take on the Braves tonight: * Davey Johnson didn't have a firm date for when Stephen Strasburg might start his minor league rehab assignment - he was still thinking it might be the 7th or the 10th of this month - but he said as far as how Strasburg's simulated game
Here are the Nationals and Braves lineups for tonight's game at Nationals Park: Braves: Bourn - CF Prado - LF Freeman - 1B Uggla - 2B Gonzalez - SS Conrad - 3B Ross - C Constanza - RF Lowe - P Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth - RF Gomes - LF Desmond - SS Ramos -
Stephen Strasburg got on a mound this morning for what might have been the final time before he begins a minor league rehab assignment, throwing three innings of a simulated game in Viera, Fla. According to Mark DeCotis, the esteemed columnist from Florida Today, Strasburg threw 51 pitches, 32 of them strikes - and I trust those numbers implicitly, because Mark tracks pitches in spring
For the last few days, Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been talking about the top item on his wish list - a right-handed long reliever for his bullpen - and bending general manager Mike Rizzo's ear about what it would take to get one. His request should be answered tonight. The Nationals optioned Atahualpa Severino back to the minors, and will call up Collin Balester
For all their talk about having the kind of clubhouse to keep them on an even keel, the Nationals haven't shown much steadiness on the field in the last 2 1/2 months. They lost 10 of 12 in late May, and then won 18 of their next 25. They came into Nationals Park last Saturday having lost 13 of their last 17, dropping them all
After ending a six-game losing streak on Friday night with a win over the Mets, the Nationals have quickly started a small winning streak. They beat the Braves 5-3 on Monday to get their third straight win and pull back within four games of the .500 mark. Livan Hernandez pitched six innings for his first win since June 26, and Rick Ankiel had the fifth
We've played 4 1/2 innings at Nationals Park, and the Nationals have a 2-1 lead over the Braves, having scored their two runs on Jair Jurrjens thanks to the first and the last hitters in their lineup. Rick Ankiel led off the game with a solo shot - the first first-inning homer of his career, and in the second inning, after the Braves walked struggling
Atahualpa Severino is still in the Nationals' bullpen, but for the second year in a row, his call-up around the trade deadline doesn't seem like it will last long. Manager Davey Johnson said he'd like another long reliever - preferably a right-handed option - to pitch in case a starter's night ends early. The Nationals' starters have struggled lately, and with Jason Marquis leaving in
Stephen Strasburg could start a rehab assignment in the next week to 10 days, manager Davey Johnson said before today's game, and be on track to return to the Nationals in September. And while things are far from certain, it looks likely he could be back in the majors by the early part of that month. Single-A Hagerstown is home from Friday-Monday, at which point
Good afternoon from Nationals Park. Here is the Nationals' lineup for tonight's game against the Braves; I'll post Atlanta's lineup once it's available: Braves: Bourn - CF Prado - 3B Freeman - 1B Uggla - 2B Heyward - RF Ross - C Gonzalez - SS Jurrjens - P Constanza - LF Nationals: Ankiel - CF Espinosa - 2B Zimmerman - 3B Morse - 1B Werth
The Nationals made a couple of roster moves today, signing 30th round pick Bryan Harper and giving Matt Stairs his unconditional release. Harper, who was a pitcher for the University of South Carolina, tweeted today that he'll be joining the Nationals and heading to their rookie ball team in Viera, Fla. on Thursday. He's also got a little brother in the Nationals' system - perhaps
Now that the trade deadline is over, manager Davey Johnson sees the Nationals' chief goal the rest of the year as answering as many questions for next year as he can. That's why we could see a youth movement in the starting rotation in the next two months - starting on Thursday, when Ross Detwiler rejoins the Nationals' starting staff against the Rockies. Detwiler will
