Getting to 50 at a quicker pace

Getting to 50 at a quicker pace
The Nationals needed this one. After five difficult losses, John Lannan and Sean Burnett rode some early offense to a 4-2 victory over Arizona. With the Braves and Phillies waiting on the road, this was exactly what the Nats needed to separate themselves from years past. Friday's win was the 50th of the season for the Nats and now the team is just nine wins away from last year's total of 59. With 47 games remaining, if the Nats can go 25-21, just a little bit above .500 the rest of the...
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Harris battling "mental grind" as Nats' skid continues

Harris battling "mental grind" as Nats' skid continues
The Marlins completed the three game sweep with a 5-0 win on Thursday, outscoring the Nats 22-7. The outfielders did their best to get on base against a very difficult Ricky Nolasco (13-8). Roger Bernadina led off the game with a double. Left fielder Willie Harris earned a walk against Nolasco and got a base hit in the seventh off of Jose Veras. Michael Morse had a tough 0-4. Harris said this shutout loss was similar to what happened to them throughout the series against the...
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Lannan looking to continue recent good feeling

Lannan looking to continue recent good feeling
Nationals left-hander John Lannan will make his 17th start Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a 2-1 record with an 0.47 ERA in three career games versus the Snakes. He is also coming off a quality start at Los Angeles, where he went six innings, allowing only two earned runs on five hits, two walks, two strikeouts and a homer. It was his first win since May 28 and his first quality start since June 2. Lannan got out of his biggest jam in the fourth inning. Ryan Theriot...
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Harper is "begging to play"

Harper is "begging to play"
With less than a week remaining until the August 16 deadline, Tim Chambers, Bryce Harper's college coach, remains confident that Harper will sign with the Washington Nationals before midnight Monday and said it would be "silly" if both sides don't figure it out in time. "In my opinion, Bryce is the greatest amateur player ever to play baseball, and I am talking Mickey Mantle and others," Chambers said. "He won the Golden Spikes Award. He achieved all of his goals. What else can he...
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Sanchez continues hot hitting in Hagerstown

Sanchez continues hot hitting in Hagerstown
Another future star in the Nationals organization is tearing it up in his first week at Hagerstown. It is shortstop Adrian Sanchez. The Maracaibo, Venezuela product turns 20 years old on Monday, and is hitting a ridiculous .448 with 13 hits in seven games for the Suns, with one homer and 7 RBI. He has had multi-hit outings in six of the last seven games he has played. The switch-hitting Sanchez was a non-drafted free agent signed at the beginning of 2007 and had hit .272 in 124 games the...
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Uggla and Ramirez find way to solve Strasburg

Uggla and Ramirez find way to solve Strasburg
Okay, so he is human. The Marlins scored six runs on Stephen Strasburg in Tuesday's 8-2 win at Nats Park, doubling the most earned runs Strasburg had allowed in nine previous major league starts. Second baseman Dan Uggla got on Strasburg early with a two-run blast in the first inning and then a two-run double in the third. Uggla said Strasburg wasn't in the same groove as the first time he faced him on July 16. "It is his first start back. He was out there, kind of feeling for it a...
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Olsen done with Arizona, ready for Fish

Olsen done with Arizona, ready for Fish
Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen does not want to talk about the loss to Arizona last week in which he allowed a three-run homer to Mark Reynolds. Olsen says that is in the past and it is time to focus on Florida. After he called the outing "terrible (and) awful", you can understand why he wants to just move on. He has had seven days to prepare for another matchup against his former team and needs the win to get the Nats back in the series. Game Two has Olsen (3-3, 4.12) facing off...
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Maya to pitch Friday in GCL game

Maya to pitch Friday in GCL game
Nats pitcher Yunesky Maya is scheduled to pitch two to three innings Friday for the GCL Nationals, according to pitching coordinator Spin Williams. Maya, who pitched for Cuba in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics, threw 30 pitches in two innings earlier and Williams says Maya "has done everything pretty good. His velocity is 88 to 90 MPH and he has two breaking balls and a straight change." If everything goes well on Friday, Maya will have one more game before getting a shot in...
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Wang will pitch sideline session Friday

Wang will pitch sideline session Friday
Nationals pitcher Chien Ming-Wang is making slow progress in his rehabilitation from major shoulder surgery, but there are encouraging signs. Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams told me Wang will throw a sideline session in Viera, FL on Friday. "It was major shoulder surgery, similar to the Drew Brees injury, and we are still a long way away. But I am encouraged with the progression I am seeing from him compared to the last time I worked with him. I used to see tension on his face...
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Mock remains optimistic despite loss in second rehab start

Mock remains optimistic despite loss in second rehab start
Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock had a rough second rehab start Monday night in Woodbridge, taking the loss in Game Two of the doubleheader with Lynchburg, 5-2. Mock allowed three runs on eight hits in four innings, hit two batters, did not issue a walk and struck out two. He threw 52 pitches, 37 for strikes. "It went okay," Mock said. "I was up in the zone early, got settled after the first inning. I threw all my pitches for strikes and finished the four innings in one piece. It...
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Strasburg back for big series against the Fish

Strasburg back for big series against the Fish
It's a big game tonight for the Nationals and their young star Stephen Strasburg as he is scheduled to make his first start since July 27 when he was scratched prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves. If he is able to return from the shoulder inflammation, it will be Strasburg's first game since July 21 at Cincinnati. Strasburg has a 5-2 record with a 2.32 ERA, the best among NL rookie starters. Anibal Sanchez gets the nod for the Fish, who arrive six games in front of the Nats in the...
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Mock starts tonight in Woodbridge as P-Nats come home in 1st place

Mock starts tonight in Woodbridge as P-Nats come home in 1st place
Right-hander Garrett Mock makes his second rehab start tonight for the Potomac Nationals in their regularly scheduled 7:03 p.m. game at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. This will be his second start since neck surgery in late April. Mock says he expects to go four innings tonight with a maximum of 65 pitches. Last week, Garret was solid in three innings for Hagerstown against Lexington, allowing one hit, no runs, one walk and striking out three on 34 pitches. He threw 15 more pitches in a...
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Career type year out of Hernandez a boon to Nats

Career type year out of Hernandez a boon to Nats
The best free agent pitching addition for 2010 occurred late in 2009. Pitcher Livan Hernandez was signed to a minor league contract on August 26, 2009 after the New York Mets gave up on him. Hernandez went 2-4 last year in eight starts with the Nats. In the offseason, the Nats resigned him February 24. Since Opening Day - and apologies to a certain phenom pitcher - Hernandez has been the Nats' most consistent starter. In his last 10 starts, Hernandez has gone 3-3 with an impressive 3.15...
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What its like to get the call to Triple-A

What its like to get the call to Triple-A
Shortstop Danny Espinosa was told Thursday he would have the day off after smacking a career-high three homers for Harrisburg, his manager Randy Knorr told him alongside hitting coach Troy Gingrich. As he was leaving the office, Gingrich also told Espinosa in '"oh, by the way"-fashion, that he had been promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. "I was very excited. It was definitely one of my goals this year was to make it to Syracuse." He immediately called his girlfriend and his parents. ...
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Milone strikes out career-high 12 batters

Milone strikes out career-high 12 batters
Harrisburg Senators left-hander Tom Milone enjoyed a career night this week with 12 strikeouts in a victory at Binghamton. Milone went 6 and a 1/3rd innings, scattering seven hits, with no walks and the 12 whiffs. He allowed a single run on a solo homer. Milone has put together a solid season for the Sens, going 8-5 this season with a 2.97 ERA. The Southern Cal product has 61 strikeouts in his last 59 and 1/3rd innings. He has shown tremendous control recently as well, allowing only two...
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Espinosa reflects on 3 HR night

Espinosa reflects on 3 HR night
Harrisburg Senators' shortstop Danny Espinosa, a rising star in the Nats organization, enjoyed a career night Wednesday with three home runs in the Sens 5-3 win at Binghamton, continuing a resurgence that began in June. Espinosa went 3-for-5 with a career high 3 homers, 3 runs and 4 RBI. He is hitting .286 with 4 HR and 13 RBI the last 10 games, raising his season average to .262. "It was a good time. I hit my first one when they were trying to jam me. It was a 1-0 count on an off speed...
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Mock pleased with first outing in Hagerstown

Mock pleased with first outing in Hagerstown
Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock had a solid return to hill Wednesday in Hagerstown, his first game since neck surgery in April. Mock tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk and three strikeouts on 34 pitches. Mock then finished the evening with 15 pitches in the bullpen. The Suns shut out the Lexington Legends 2-0 at Municipal Stadium. "It went well. I kept the ball down in the zone, got some groundballs, it was very smooth." Mock said his pregame bullpen session did...
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Mock ready to get back in the game

Mock ready to get back in the game
Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock makes his first rehab start tonight for the Hagerstown Suns in his first game back since neck surgery in late April. Mock was feeling numbness in his pitching hand in early April and had trouble gripping the ball in his only start at a cold and windy Citi Field against the NY Mets. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on four hits, walking five and striking out three. Mock knew something wasn't right during the outing. He kept blowing into...
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Lombardozzi making push for Double-A

Lombardozzi making push for Double-A
Potomac Nationals infielder Stephen Lombardozzi continues to be one of the top hitters in the Carolina League, and that is gaining attention around the organization. Lighting it up at the plate, Lombardozzi is batting .299 in 103 games this season with 66 runs, 28 doubles, 20 stolen bases and 38 RBI. He has hit .341 in his last 10 games. At a recent game in Woodbridge, Lombardozzi made a classic play to get an out from his second base position. With no one on and Kinston trying to rally,...
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Zimmermann ready for next challenge with Syracuse

Zimmermann ready for next challenge with Syracuse
Right-handed pitcher Jordan Zimmermann has made his way back to the Syracuse Chiefs as he gets ever closer to returning to the Nationals following Tommy John surgery last August. Zimmermann expects to start Thursday or Friday for the Chiefs and work the standard five innings or 80 pitch limit he has been on for the last three starts. "I am pretty excited to be back with Syracuse. I didn't know how long I was going to stay in Harrisburg so it was good to find out I was going to Triple-A. ...
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