Burnett saves H-Rod and roller coaster night at Nats Park

Burnett saves H-Rod and roller coaster night at Nats Park
The Nationals lost another catcher. Bryce Harper hit his first major league homer. Down 5-4, Ian Desmond smacked 2-run double. Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady added insurance solo shots. Nationals led 8-5. Someone please find the off switch for this roller coaster. This is Nationals Park not Kings Dominion. Showing confidence again in his young closer, manager Davey Johnson summoned Henry Rodriguez for the ninth frame. Not feeling confident, Rodriguez walked the bases loaded. With one out,...

Report: Rendon's season "likely over" due to ankle injury (with Nationals' response)

Report: Rendon's season "likely over" due to ankle injury (with Nationals' response)
High Single-A Potomac Nationals third baseman

Sandy Leon earned promotion with play, not proximity to big league club

Sandy Leon earned promotion with play, not proximity to big league club
Nationals catcher Sandy Leon was all-smiles as he got dressed Monday in front of his locker, located between fellow Venezuelan receivers Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores. Leon got the call to the big leagues from Double-A Harrisburg after an unfortunate right knee injury to Ramos, who may miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Leon was not selected because he was closer geographically to where the Nationals were playing the Reds in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the injury to Ramos occurred....

Latest updates on Purke, Rendon and Goodwin

Latest updates on Purke, Rendon and Goodwin
According to a team source, prospect third baseman Matt Purke has thrown three innings within the last week in Florida and looks to be a couple of weeks from returning to the Nationals' minor league system. Purke has been lengthened out and is building strength as he gets ready to return, according to a Nationals team source. The reason for Purke's attendance in extended spring training has not been detailed but it's certainly a good sign that he's pitching again and could be back in late...

Hagerstown's Goodwin could be good to go by end of the week

Hagerstown's Goodwin could be good to go by end of the week
Ever since outfielder Brian Goodwin went down with a quad injury running to first base after a single April 9, many have wondered when the former Miami Dade College star would return to low Single-A Hagerstown. Goodwin was a prized 2011 draft selection by the Nationals and is still touted as a future leadoff hitter/center fielder with the speed and plus-plus tools to become and everyday major league contributor. In just five games, Goodwin showed he was ready to play well in the pros, able to...

Call-up Leon has made huge strides last two seasons

Call-up Leon has made huge strides last two seasons
Due to a torn right ACL sustained by starting catcher Wilson Ramos, another top prospect in the Nationals' system will get a shot at the big leagues earlier than planned. But the Nationals are confident Sandy Leon is ready for this next challenge because of the talent he has shown on the field at Double-A Harrisburg. Assistant general manager Bob Boone and assistant to the general manager Pat Corrales - both former major league catchers - have worked very hard to develop Leon and they have...

Shark sighting: Bernadina starts offense two games in a row

Shark sighting: Bernadina starts offense two games in a row
Left fielder Roger Bernadina's big bat has returned at just the right time, helping to ignite the Nationals' offense two games in a row. Down 2-0 at Pittsburgh Thursday, Bernadina crushed a solo homer to cut the Pirates lead to 2-1. The Nationals eventually won the game, 4-2. Friday, Bernadina taxed Cincinnati starter Mike Leake for 10 pitches in the first frame before blasting a two-run homer over the right-center-field fence to give the Nats a 2-0 lead. Washington rolled to a 7-3 opening...

Report: Nationals and Angels talking Bourjos

Report: Nationals and Angels talking Bourjos
Before the season, the Nationals focused on acquiring a starting center fielder. Some talks centered around Los Angeles Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos. With injuries to the Nationals outfielders, especially to starting right fielder Jayson Werth, this FOXSports.com report indicates those talks may be heating up. The 25-year old Bourjos has seen his playing time dwindle ever since the Angels called up prospect Mike Trout. Bourjos is batting .192 through 21 games this season, but hit .271 with...

Lehman's work ethic "rubbed off" on Harrisburg hurlers

Lehman's work ethic "rubbed off" on Harrisburg hurlers
"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." -- Vince Lombardi Coaching is always crucial to how well prospects move along in the system. Coaching by teammates can also be critical for a player's development. Pitchers have more downtime. Starters have five days between outings. That downtime lends itself to comparing grips on curve balls and split fingers. Guys go over their schedules for throwing sessions with each other and compare notes. The relievers in the...

Rizzo on Espinosa's struggles: "They are called averages for a reason"

Rizzo on Espinosa's struggles: "They are called averages for a reason"
General manager Mike Rizzo endorsed second baseman Danny Espinosa during the weekly "Mike Rizzo Show with Holden and Danny," Wednesday on sports radio 106.7 The Fan in D.C. Espinosa has slumped to .186 this season after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the series opener at Pittsburgh Tuesday night. The switch-hitting 24-year-old from Santa Ana, Calif., has hit just one home run and is 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position early this season. Rizzo said he speaks with Espinosa on a...

News and notes on Espinosa, Harper, Rizzo and more

News and notes on Espinosa, Harper, Rizzo and more
Manager Davey Johnson said on "Nats Xtra" postgame that he is concerned about Danny Espinosa's struggles at the plate after Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He confirmed, however, that Espinosa will be in his lineup Wednesday. Espinosa went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. His batting average dropped to .186. Although he struck out in his only pinch-hit, Steve Lombardozzi is hitting .300. Lombardozzi has played third base this season with Ryan Zimmerman out with an injury, but...

Injury-free, Oduber adjusting to new level of competition

Injury-free, Oduber adjusting to new level of competition
Right-handed hitter Randolph Oduber is making the step-by-step transition from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac and getting adjusted to his new surroundings and new teammates. Oduber said teammates Kevin Keyes, Michael Taylor and Wade Moore have developed good camaraderie working the Pfitzner Stadium outfield through the first month of the season. "It is going really good," Oduber said. "Our communication is really good right now. Every inning, we talk and every situation,...

Bryce Harper that kind of a player to pull off a steal of home

Bryce Harper that kind of a player to pull off a steal of home
It was a statement play by Phillies All-Star starter Cole Hamels. With two outs in the first, he hit Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in the lower back with a pitch. With two outs in the opening frame after walking the 19-year old the entire series, the Phillies were looking to put what they thought was a brash young player in his place. Hamels told the Philadelphia media he hit Harper on purpose. Harper and manager Davey Johnson did not publicly say that they thought it was...

Nationals' start the best since return to D.C.

Nationals' start the best since return to D.C.
The Nationals are off to their best start since their arrival in D.C. in 2005. To put the start in perspective, look back at the first 27 games of each season. After 27 games in 2012, the Nationals are 18-9. And before that? * In 2011, they were 13-14. * In 2010, they were 14-13. * In 2009, they were 9-18. * In 2008, they were 10-17. * In 2007, they were 9-18. * In 2006, they were 9-18. * In 2005, they were 14-13. So in the eight seasons the Nationals have been in D.C., they have been above...

Rosenbaum, Lehman part of Harrisburg pitching surge

Rosenbaum, Lehman part of Harrisburg pitching surge
The Double-A Harrisburg Senators' pitching staff has been focused and locked in from the beginning of the season, according to pitching coach Paul Menhart. "It is a great group, they work hard and look to get better every day, it has shown in the way they have been pitching early on," Menhart said. The proof is in the statistics. The staff boasts a 3.11 ERA and leads the Eastern League with 219 strikeouts. They have allowed only 86 earned runs in 27 games. Their 1.25 WHIP is third best in...

Harper does it again, going opposite field and guiding Nats past D-backs

Harper does it again, going opposite field and guiding Nats past D-backs
You might want to see this. Every night, the starters go six innings-plus. And ever since the 19-year old has been called up, something very interesting happens. Thursday, it happened again. Left fielder Bryce Harper crushed an opposite-field RBI double to break a 1-1 tie and give the Nationals a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. The pitching staff held the lead. Thanks to Ross Detwiler and the outstanding bullpen, the Nationals have won their 16th game and seventh series of the...

Danny Espinosa adjusting to new set of challenges

Danny Espinosa adjusting to new set of challenges
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa wants to get going at the plate. Manager Davey Johnson wants his young infielder to do so as well, and sees Espinosa making progress. Shortstop Ian Desmond said it earlier this season when asked why he likes Johnson as a manager. One of the reasons he spotlighted was how Johnson sticks with you, even when you go through a rough spell. "I could go 0-for-5 and he wouldn't pull me. I knew I was going to be in the lineup the next day," Desmond...

Desmond leads by example with walk-off rocket

Desmond leads by example with walk-off rocket
Shortstop Ian Desmond kept going back to belief. It was Tuesday night, after another rough loss where the pitching staff had done their job for the most part, but the Nationals bats had stayed cold. Standing in front of his locker in the Nationals clubhouse, Desmond looked for ways to explain how his team had managed only seven runs in five games. He said that his teammates would not be going 4-for-4 every game or hitting home run after home run. He talked about being surrounded by major...

Rizzo: prospects Purke and Ray making progress

Rizzo: prospects Purke and Ray making progress
Nationals prospect Rick Hague has returned to high Single-A Potomac after starting the season in extended spring training. Since Hague has been called up to his minor league team, the questions are now focused on the status of left-handers Matt Purke and Robbie Ray. Both hurlers have been in Florida continuing to work at the Nationals' facility. It is not known for sure what the current status is for each pitcher, or what they were focusing on in Florida, but it is clear they needed to build...

Harper's close plays showed unbridled potential in home debut

Harper's close plays showed unbridled potential in home debut
Nationals fans welcomed their young phenom Bryce Harper to Nationals Park for his home debut Tuesday in the 5-1 setback to the Arizona Diamondbacks. When announced for his first at-bat, Harper got a large roar from the partisan 22,675 in attendance. He struck out in his first battle with D-backs starter Trevor Cahill, but still got another rousing applause from the hometown fans as he walked back to the dugout. "I went into my first at-bat a little excited, chasing some pitches I shouldn't...