Byron Kerr

Skole on return to baseball: "It has been a long wait, but I am really excited about it"

October 02, 2013, 12:56pm

The Nationals' minor league Player of the Year for 2012 is back on the field and only a couple of days away from heading to the Arizona Fall League. In the first post in a two-part series, I got to speak with third baseman Matt Skole on a myriad of subjects. First and foremost, he spoke about the long summer of rehab. Skole was injured on a freak play at first base in the first month of his Double-A season for Harrisburg. After tearing a ligament in his non-throwing arm, Skole underwent Tommy...

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Taylor Hill honored with a minor league Gold Glove

October 01, 2013, 4:26pm

Nationals

Taylor Hill honored with a minor league Gold Glove

Nationals minor league right-hander Taylor Hill was named a minor league Gold Glove award winner on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Minor League Baseball and the Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Inc. The Gold Glove is awarded to players that exhibit stellar defense at their position for the season. The 24-year-old Hill joins second baseman Steve Lombardozzi as the second Nationals farmhand to be honored with a Gold Glove. Lombardozzi received his minor league Gold Glove in 2011. Hill made...

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Mirowski adds third pitch, now preps for Arizona Fall League

October 01, 2013, 9:59am

Nationals

Mirowski adds third pitch, now preps for Arizona Fall League

One of the under-the-radar hurlers that is making a nice move within the Nationals organization is right-handed reliever Richie Mirowski. Along with Aaron Barrett and Robert Benincasa, Mirowski is one to watch for in 2014. Mirowski went 8-3 with a 1.50 ERA in 32 games for high Single-A Potomac. In 48 innings, Mirowski had 59 strikeouts and 11 walks, yielding an amazing .180 batting average against. Potomac manager Brian Daubach said Mirowski added a third pitch that became one of his biggest...

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Jordan's meteoric rise this season built off of tough rehab from Tommy John surgery

September 30, 2013, 6:34am

Nationals

Jordan's meteoric rise this season built off of tough rehab from Tommy John surgery

Right-hander Taylor Jordan made a solid impression in his first season at the major league level after advancing two levels in 2013. Jordan recovered nicely from Tommy John surgery and got off to a good start with high Single-A Potomac. In six starts, Jordan went 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA with 29 strikeouts and six walks in 36 1/3 innings. After his promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, Jordan continued to pitch well. That is actually an understatement. He went 7-0 with an 0.83 ERA in eight starts...

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Tanner Roark one of the most pleasant surprises of 2013 for Nationals

September 29, 2013, 4:35am

Nationals

One of the most pleasant surprises of 2013 was the emergence of Tanner Roark. Just one season ago, he was battling in the minors, fighting through a 17-loss campaign. But in 2013, on the recommendation of Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams, manager Davey Johnson was convinced Roark could make a difference at the back end of a rotation that was having a rough go staying consistent. Dan Haren had a difficult first half, allowing too many home runs and starter Ross Detwiler had been out...

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A.J. Cole has tremendous return to Nationals organization, works on breaking ball

September 27, 2013, 11:39am

Nationals

Right-hander A.J. Cole made one of the most impressive jumps this season, moving up from high Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg. This was a far cry from his previous season with the Oakland A's organization, when he dropped down from high Single-A to low Single-A. But fortunately, in the Michael Morse triangle trade that also involved Seattle, Cole was made available to the Nationals again and general manager Mike Rizzo snatched him back. Potomac manager Brian Daubach had Cole when he...

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Solis and Purke take positive steps forward as they prepare for the Arizona Fall League

September 26, 2013, 10:14am

Nationals

Solis and Purke take positive steps forward as they prepare for the Arizona Fall League

Two of the top left-handers in the Nationals system are preparing to start play in early October in the Arizona Fall League. Sammy Solis and Matt Purke are two of the eight Nationals prospects invited to play for the Mesa Solar Sox. This season was big for both south paws as they returned to the field following injuries. Solis recovered from Tommy John surgery and Purke from shoulder rehabilitation. High Single-A Potomac manager Brian Daubach said both starters made positive steps pitching...

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Bryce Harper jersey ranked No. 15 in MLB sales

September 26, 2013, 8:17am

Nationals

Bryce Harper jersey ranked No. 15 in MLB sales

Major League Baseball announced its current list of the top 20 jersey sales, and Bryce Harper is ranked No. 15 on the list. He is the only Nationals player in the Top 20. The list is based on sales of Majestic jerseys from MLB.com/Shop since the All-Star break. Here is the list: 1. Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees 2. Matt Harvey, New York Mets 3. Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers 4. Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles 5. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants 6. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles...

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Renda, Martinson, Hood updates from fall instructional league

September 25, 2013, 8:37am

Nationals

Renda, Martinson, Hood updates from fall instructional league

I am getting reports that fall instructional league is off to a good start. As you would imagine, the camp emphasizes fundamentals and different individual aspects tailored to each player's specific needs. Second baseman

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Taylor makes positive strides in Potomac's run to title series

September 24, 2013, 9:42am

Nationals

Taylor makes positive strides in Potomac's run to title series

High Single-A Potomac Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor again made positive strides this season, improving his approach and refining his defense to post impressive numbers for the Carolina League's Northern Division champions. Potomac hitting coach Mark Harris told me early in the season that Taylor had calmed down his approach at the plate and had focused on one thing while up at-bat, and that helped him get into a consistent rhythm. Taylor hit .263 in 133 games, with 41 doubles, six...

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Nationals believe strong finish will turn into good start in 2014

September 23, 2013, 12:14pm

Nationals

Winning Sunday's nightcap was nice, but the realization of the predicament the Nationals put themselves in came Sunday afternoon at home when they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Marlins. "It didn't help it, for sure," said center fielder Denard Span. "It just made it tougher on us to try to pull this thing out. We are going to keep fighting until we are absolutely out of it. We are stumbling right now, but we are going to keep fighting until it is over." But that does not mean that they...

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Strasburg on no-decision, Desmond and Span react to 20/20

September 22, 2013, 8:06pm

Nationals

Strasburg on no-decision, Desmond and Span react to 20/20

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg didn't believe his six-inning no-decision was as "awful" as Nationals manager Davey Johnson described it. The Nationals came back to beat the Marlins 5-4 on a late error. "I went out there and competed," Strasburg said. "That is all I can do. I think my changeup got better as the game went on. I spiked it a little bit early. Curveball was good from the start. And fastball command was kind of hit or miss." He was asked about how his forearm felt after...

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Johnson on Strasburg, team's chances after 5-4 win

September 22, 2013, 7:31pm

Nationals

Johnson on Strasburg, team's chances after 5-4 win

Manager Davey Johnson said the special ceremony prior to game one was a nice moment that he will not forget - and it went better than he thought it would. He spoke after the Nationals walked off in the nightcap with a 5-4 victory over the Marlins. "I was kind of dreading it and then it was very pleasant," he said. "I was very moved by ownership, front office, the fans and the players." It also got him to think of some of his earliest baseball memories. "I don't usually think back and...

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Marlins take early lead on Strasburg (Nats walk off with 5-4 win)

September 22, 2013, 3:29pm

Nationals

Marlins take early lead on Strasburg (Nats walk off with 5-4 win)

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg, making his 29th start of the season and first in two weeks, got off to a slow start Sunday night in the second game of a split doubleheader versus Miami. The Marlins' Donovan Solano led off the game with a double and later scored on a Christian Yelich grounder to first base. Miami led 1-0 after one. In the second, Justin Ruggiano crushed his 18th homer of the season, a solo shot over the wall in left-center field to extend the Marlins' lead to...

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Nationals on 4-2 loss to Marlins; game two lineups set (updated)

September 22, 2013, 1:39pm

Nationals

The Nationals have said for the last week they pretty much needed to win out to have a shot at the National League wildcard. So with a 4-2 loss in the opening game of two on Sunday to the Marlins, the window for a shot at the playoff berth is almost shut. "Any loss right now makes it tougher," said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. "Like I said before, I am not that good at math, but I am good enough to figure it out that losing makes it tougher. But, you just got to keep playing and see what...

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Harper on mentor Werth: "He is like an older brother to me"

September 21, 2013, 4:19pm

Nationals

Harper on mentor Werth: "He is like an older brother to me"

There was touching moment Friday night during the Nationals' 3-2 victory over the Marlins. Following his three-run homer in the first inning, left fielder Bryce Harper was met at home plate by his teammate, right fielder Jayson Werth. Werth had a big smile on his face, looking like a big brother who was happy with what little brother was able to accomplish. You could see in the exchange the pride Werth had for Harper after he hit his 20th homer of the season. Later in the inning, MASN...

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Even if Zimmermann won't admit it, teammates know reaching 20 wins is important

September 20, 2013, 6:42pm

Nationals

Even if Zimmermann won't admit it, teammates know reaching 20 wins is important

Winning pitcher Jordan Zimmermann may deny it, but his Nationals teammates certainly believe that he wants to get to 20 wins on the season, and they think he can get there. Zimmermann tossed the second complete-game shutout of his career Friday night, allowing two hits, striking out nine and walking one an 8-0 victory over the Marlins, earning his 19th victory. Center fielder Denard Span had a good look in on defense watching Zimmermann work and was glad he didn't have to face him in the...

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Johnson wants Detwiler to get innings, plus update on winter ball

September 20, 2013, 1:58pm

Nationals

Johnson wants Detwiler to get innings, plus update on winter ball

Nationals manager Davey Johnson wants left-hander Ross Detwiler to get more innings to test his back injury. The herniated disk in his back, which dates to July 4, has kept Detwiler on the 60-day disabled list for half the season. Detwiler is scheduled to pitch in a game Monday at instructional league in Florida. Then, whether it is winter ball or something else, Johnson wants Detwiler to pitch on regular rest for a month or so to see if he can withstand the rigors of a regular season pitching...

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Desmond, Span and Gonzalez react to hit by pitch warnings

September 19, 2013, 7:22pm

Nationals

Desmond, Span and Gonzalez react to hit by pitch warnings

In the Nationals' 3-2 win over the Marlins, shortstop Ian Desmond was hit by a pitch thrown by Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez in the first inning. Just four pitches after Bryce Harper had connected on a three-run homer. The home run was only the second home run Alvarez had allowed this season in 15 starts. Manager Davey Johnson talked about how the dynamics of the game changed a bit when home plate umpire Bill Welke warned both benches for pitching inside in the bottom of the first...

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Davey says Walters has shot to make team next season

September 19, 2013, 12:47pm

Nationals

Davey says Walters has shot to make team next season

Shortstop Zach Walters put up career-high numbers this season, earning a September call up to the Nationals. Walters crushed 29 home runs and 77 RBIs in 134 games for Triple-A Syracuse. He hit .253 with 32 doubles, five triples and 69 runs scored. In five games with the Nationals, Walter has gone 2-for-2 (1.000) with a run scored and one walk. This week, manager Davey Johnson was asked about sitting shortstop Ian Desmond because of a spasm near his hamstring. Johnson said Desmond is fine and...