Dan Kolko

Werth leading off, Desmond sixth, Detwiler takes the hill

August 17, 2012, 11:42am

For the first time this season, the Nationals will have Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse, Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper in the same lineup. This is more along the lines of what we were expecting back in spring. Werth will hit leadoff for Davey Johnson today, while Desmond is back in the sixth spot in the order. Ross Detwiler will get the ball today, as Johnson has elected to flip the lefty and Edwin Jackson in the rotation. Detwiler will pitch on...

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Desmond activated, Izturis DFA

August 17, 2012, 11:29am

Nationals

The Nationals have activated shortstop Ian Desmond from the disabled list today, a move which shouldn't surprise anyone. To make room for Desmond on the 25-man roster, the Nats have designated infielder Cesar Izturis for assignment, a move which, well, surprises me. Izturis only was with the Nationals for nine games after they claimed him off waivers from the Brewers. In that time, he was pretty productive, going 2-for-4 with a double and four runs scored in five games. With Desmond back...

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An overlooked angle of the Strasburg shutdown discussion

August 17, 2012, 6:17am

Nationals

An overlooked angle of the Strasburg shutdown discussion

Will Ian Desmond make his grand return to the Nationals tonight as the team opens a series against the Mets? We'll have to see. As you know, Desmond took part in a simulated game yesterday, and if he feels good today, the All-Star shortstop could find his name back in the lineup tonight after missing 25 games with a left oblique injury. Chien-Ming Wang resumed his rehab from a right hip strain yesterday, starting for Double-A Harrisburg in the Senators' game against Akron. Wang got stuck...

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Leaving the comfort of the road

August 15, 2012, 10:25pm

Nationals

The Nationals come back home from a lengthy 10-game road trip happy to see their families and excited to return to their home clubhouse. No team will ever say it would prefer to play its games on the road. That just won't happen. But the Nats sure play like a team that doesn't mind hitting the road for a while. They're a remarkable 41-23 on the road this season, which already gives them more road victories than the franchise has had in a full season since 1994. They've outscored their...

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Balanced offensive attack knocks out Lincecum (Nats close road trip with 6-4 win)

August 15, 2012, 1:59pm

Nationals

Balanced offensive attack knocks out Lincecum (Nats close road trip with 6-4 win)

The days when Tim Lincecum was nearly unhittable seem oh so long ago. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner went just four innings today, allowing eight hits and four runs before being yanked from the game. The Nationals hit Lincecum hard, notching three extra-base hits off him, including Danny Espinosa's long two-run homer to center which broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Nats a 4-2 lead. How well did Espinosa strike that ball? Well enough to cut it through the San Francisco breeze...

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Morse returns to Nationals lineup in finale vs. Giants (with Giants lineup)

August 15, 2012, 9:58am

Nationals

It's taken a while, but the Nationals have finally posted their lineup for this afternoon's 3:45 p.m. finale at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Michael Morse, who sat out last night's game after jamming his right thumb Monday night, is back in left field. Here's Davey Johnson's batting order against San Francisco's Tim Lincecum: 2B Steve Lombardozzi CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse RF Jayson Werth SS Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P Stephen Strasburg The...

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The Strasburg window in 2012 is closing

August 15, 2012, 8:49am

Nationals

You might have heard by now that Stephen Strasburg's innings will be limited this season. If you haven't, flip on one of the talking-head shows on the national networks. I'm sure you can find some intelligent, thought-provoking discussion on the topic there. Does my sarcastic tone jump off the screen at you? Good. Strasburg has thrown 133 1/3 innings this season. Despite some of the numbers floating around out there, general manager Mike Rizzo does not have a set limit at which he will...

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Another late night, a much different outcome (with Desmond note)

August 14, 2012, 11:09pm

Nationals

Another late night, a much different outcome (with Desmond note)

Of course Jordan Zimmermann would be the Nationals starter to see his team put up 14 runs and 21 hits the night before he takes the mound only to watch the Nationals record just a single run and five hits the night he starts. Only Jordan Zimmermann. The righty's run support has been better lately, but I can't help but wonder if he was jokingly asking teammates last night if they could've just saved some of that firepower from two nights ago and carried it over for his outing. Zimmermann...

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They're dueling in the Bay area (Nats lose 6-1)

August 14, 2012, 7:45pm

Nationals

They're dueling in the Bay area (Nats lose 6-1)

Now this is more along the lines of what we were expecting this series. Yesterday's anticipated pitcher's duel was anything but. Today's has actually come to fruition. Jordan Zimmermann and Madison Bumgarner are locked in quite a battle through five innings at AT&T Park, and Bumgarner's Giants lead 1-0 as we go to the sixth. The Nationals have managed very little off Bumgarner; they've notched just two hits off the Giants lefty, both of which have come from the bat of Danny...

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Werth in Nats lineup, Morse not

August 14, 2012, 3:38pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth was scratched from yesterday's lineup due to a sore right ankle. He underwent an MRI on the ankle today, but apparently everything checked out just fine. Werth is back in the Nationals lineup for tonight, hitting fourth and playing right field. While Werth will take his hacks against Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, Michael Morse will not. Morse was pulled from yesterday's game in the fifth inning due to a jammed right thumb. Manager Davey Johnson told reporters last night...

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"The Shark" attacks

August 14, 2012, 7:09am

Nationals

The way Roger Bernadina has been playing the last couple months, it's a shame the Nationals have nowhere to put him in their starting lineup. With Michael Morse raking again and Jayson Werth back from a broken wrist, Bernadina has lost out on some playing time. But it doesn't seem to matter to the 28-year-old outfielder from Curacao, who is playing at the highest level of his major league career. Every time he's been given a chance to step into game action recently, it seems like he's...

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That's what you call a beatdown (Rendon promoted to Harrisburg)

August 13, 2012, 11:08pm

Nationals

That's what you call a beatdown (Rendon promoted to Harrisburg)

I got a text message from a buddy during the fifth inning of last night's beatdown in San Francisco. "This is a turnover or two away from becoming an interesting football game," he said. At least the 49ers were able to register a safety to avoid a shutout at the hands of the Skins. That would've been embarrassing for Jim Harbaugh (I mean, Bruce Bochy) and the boys. Not much went wrong for the Nationals last night in their 14-2 win, outside of Jayson Werth being scratched because of right...

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Nats smack around one of baseball's top pitchers (Nats win 14-2)

August 13, 2012, 7:26pm

Nationals

Nats smack around one of baseball's top pitchers (Nats win 14-2)

Ryan Vogelsong came into tonight's game as the National League ERA leader. He had gone all season - 21 starts - without allowing a run in the first inning. He hadn't given up more than four runs in any outing this year and had allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts. Then the Nationals rolled into San Francisco and put up an eight-spot on Vogelsong, knocking the Giants starter out of the game after just 2 2/3 innings. Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double in the first got it...

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Werth scratched due to right ankle soreness

August 13, 2012, 5:41pm

Nationals

Werth scratched due to right ankle soreness

Less than an hour prior to first pitch, the Nationals have announced that Jayson Werth has been scratched from tonight's lineup due to right ankle soreness. With right-hander Ryan Vogelsong on the mound for the Giants, Roger Bernadina will slide into the starting lineup in left, with Bryce Harper playing center and Michael Morse sliding over from left field to right. This is the second day in a row that Werth will not start for the Nats. He entered yesterday's game as a pinch-hitter in the...

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Lombardozzi leading off, G. Gonzalez on mound (with Giants lineup)

August 13, 2012, 3:08pm

Nationals

Lombardozzi leading off, G. Gonzalez on mound (with Giants lineup)

The Nationals begin a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants tonight. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will take the mound for the Nats and will be opposed by Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong. Jayson Werth is batting sixth and playing right field. Since being activated from the 15-day disabled list on August 2, Werth is batting .400 with five RBIs. For the Nats: 2B Steve Lombardozzi CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse RF Jayson Werth SS Danny Espinosa C...

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Showing some love to a quartet of relievers

August 13, 2012, 12:27pm

Nationals

Showing some love to a quartet of relievers

When you have three legitimate aces on your team, it's easy to see how other hurlers can get overlooked. Jordan Zimmermann is having a career year, and is starting to turn heads nationally as a result. Gio Gonzalez's effectiveness on the mound and personality off of it have made him a media and fan favorite. Stephen Strasburg, well, I think I could move to the North Pole for the next few weeks and still find myself inundated with stories from national outlets debating the Nationals' plan...

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Some of this, some of that

August 12, 2012, 11:17pm

Nationals

Yesterday marked the first time in Kurt Suzuki's Nationals career that he experienced a loss. I hope the guy made it through the night OK. After eight straight wins to kick off his tenure as a Nat, Suzuki and his new teammates were on the losing end of things yesterday in Arizona. They battled back from a 7-0 deficit to make things interesting in the ninth inning, bringing the tying run to the plate and allowing manager Davey Johnson to utter one of his favorite lines about there being no...

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Not the best showing in the desert (Nats lose 7-4)

August 12, 2012, 1:55pm

Nationals

Not the best showing in the desert (Nats lose 7-4)

After taking the first two games in Arizona, the Nationals are getting pushed around by the Diamondbacks in the series finale. Boy, are they ever. It's 7-0 after five innings, as the Diamondbacks are outplaying their opposition in all possible phases. Ross Detwiler didn't make it out of the fifth inning, allowing five runs (four earned) over 4 2/3. He only gave up three hits, but left the ball up in the zone much more than he had in his past two outings. The Nats also didn't help him...

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Werth getting a day off (with D'backs lineup)

August 12, 2012, 10:28am

Nationals

Werth getting a day off (with D'backs lineup)

Jayson Werth has been raking lately. Today, he'll be sitting. Werth is getting a day off today, and Davey Johnson has decided to slot in Tyler Moore in the outfield along with Bryce Harper and Michael Morse. Ross Detwiler is on the mound for the Nationals today, looking to continue his recent run of strong starts. For the Nats: SS Danny Espinosa CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman RF Michael Morse 1B Adam LaRoche LF Tyler Moore C Kurt Suzuki 2B Steve Lombardozzi P Ross...

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Finding new ways to keep on winning

August 12, 2012, 7:46am

Nationals

They're now 28 games over .500. The winning streak is now at eight, with the last six of those games coming on the road. The Washington Nationals are red-hot, folks. It doesn't matter if they fall behind by three runs early. Doesn't matter if their starter gives up five runs in less than six innings. These Nationals seem to keep finding new ways to win. They've covered the storyline where their starting pitcher dominates and carries the team to a win. We've seen that one a few...