Dan Kolko

So much for a super-tough stretch of the schedule

June 13, 2012, 5:07am

Remember when some felt this portion of the Nationals' schedule was supposed to bring the team back down to earth a little bit? The Nats are now 22 games into a stretch which has them playing 32 straight contests against teams from either the National League East or American League East. So far in those games, the Nats are 14-8. They've won five straight on the road and now have the top road record in the NL with a .594 road winning percentage. They could notch the second-longest road...

Tags:

Harper, Espinosa homer as Nats continue to roll (Nats win 4-2)

June 12, 2012, 5:35pm

Nationals

Harper, Espinosa homer as Nats continue to roll (Nats win 4-2)

And the beat goes on. The Nationals just keep rolling over American League East teams, and they're up over the Blue Jays 4-2 tonight thanks to homers from Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa. Harper's blast was a solo shot in the third that was absolutely demolished, bouncing off the Blackberry sign in the second deck in right-center. It was Harper's seventh homer on the season, and his average now is above .300. Espinosa's blast came an inning later. It was a two-run shot to center that...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko danny espinosa nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats sign 10 of top 14 picks (plus lineup)

June 12, 2012, 12:23pm

Nationals

Nats sign 10 of top 14 picks (plus lineup)

The Nationals announced they have signed 10 of their first 14 picks from last week's First-Year Player draft. They are second baseman Tony Renda (second round), outfielder Brandon Miller (fourth round), catcher Spencer Kieboom (fifth round), center fielder Hayden Jennings (sixth round), right-hander Derek Self (ninth round), catcher Craig Manuel (10th round), right-hander Brian Rauh (11th round), third baseman Carlos Lopez (12th round), left-hander Elliott Waterman (13th round) and right...

Tags:

dan kolko nationals draft frontstory_nationals3

Let's give Jackson a little love

June 11, 2012, 10:07pm

Nationals

Poor Roger Bernadina. A day after Davey Johnson starts talking about how he's planning on giving Bernadina more playing time, the Nationals outfielder goes out and strains his right hamstring on a hustle play and needs to leave the game. And it happens the day before his birthday. Talk about tough luck. The Nats are hopeful that Bernadina's hamstring is not severely strained and he'll be able to avoid the disabled list, but they'll have to check on him today and see how he recovers from...

Tags:

corey brown dan kolko edwin jackson nationals roger bernadina featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Bernadina leaves with strained right hamstring (Nats rock Blue Jays)

June 11, 2012, 5:18pm

Nationals

Bernadina leaves with strained right hamstring (Nats rock Blue Jays)

The Nationals' injury list keeps growing. This time it's Roger Bernadina who will spend some time in the trainer's room, this after suffering a strained right hamstring while running from first to third on a wild pitch in the fourth inning of tonight's game. Bernadina slid head-first into third and immediately grimaced while asking the umpire for time. He got to his feet, hunched over at the waist and talked things over with trainer Lee Kuntz. The Nats outfielder started to walk off the...

Tags:

blue jays dan kolko edwin jackson nationals roger bernadina frontstory_nationals2

Danny Espinosa's confounding left/right splits

June 11, 2012, 11:32am

Nationals

Danny Espinosa's confounding left/right splits

When hitting right-handed, Danny Espinosa feels like he's on top of the world. He's locked in, is seeing the ball well and is doing some serious damage when he puts it in play. "I feel like no one can get me out," Espinosa said this weekend. "I feel pretty good. I have a good approach up there. I know what I can hit, and I know what I can't hit. I feel good." The problem is, while he's excelling when hitting right-handed, Espinosa is struggling mightily when swinging from the left...

Tags:

dan kolko danny espinosa nationals randy knorr featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Harper returns to Nats lineup, Bernadina starts again

June 11, 2012, 10:52am

Nationals

Harper returns to Nats lineup, Bernadina starts again

Bryce Harper's back kept him out of the starting lineup yesterday. Today, Harper and his back are back. The 19-year-old returns to the Nationals' lineup today as Washington opens a three-game series against the Blue Jays. Tonight, they'll face Toronto righty Brandon Morrow, who is off to a very strong start to the 2012 season, going 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Manager Davey Johnson said after yesterday's game that he will be giving Roger Bernadina some more playing time in the coming days, and...

Tags:

blue jays bryce harper dan kolko jesus flores lineups nationals roger bernadina frontstory_nationals1

Another example of how far the Nats have come

June 11, 2012, 5:57am

Nationals

Another example of how far the Nats have come

If you couldn't tell by his actions in the ninth inning yesterday, when he was ejected with his team one strike away from being swept, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wasn't too pleased with the umpiring over the weekend. "I've got guys battling their butts off and it's not right," Valentine said after yesterday's game. "Good umpires had a real bad series this series, a real bad series. And it went one way. There should be a review." I doubt a review is coming, and personally, I...

Tags:

bobby valentine dan kolko davey johnson nationals red sox ryan zimmerman frontfeatured_nationals

Clippard: "They're a good club. I think we're better. I think we're a lot better"

June 10, 2012, 3:27pm

Nationals

Clippard: "They're a good club. I think we're better. I think we're a lot better"

BOSTON - This has been a season where the Nationals have been able to make a number of statements to the baseball world. They've sat in first place in the very tough National League East for much of the season. They've won both of their series with the Phillies, the reigning five-time division champs. They've now moved to 12 games above-.500, rare territory for this organization. Was this weekend's sweep over the Red Sox, at Fenway Park, another statement of sorts? "Absolutely," Tyler...

Tags:

dan kolko jordan zimmermann nationals red sox ryan zimmerman tyler clippard featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Bernadina's poke, Harper's jets provide game-winning run

June 10, 2012, 2:40pm

Nationals

Bernadina's poke, Harper's jets provide game-winning run

BOSTON - Bryce Harper came to the plate with one out in the ninth, after having sat around for much of the afternoon. Not an ideal situation for a guy who has been an everyday player his entire life. What had the 19-year-old - who was getting the day off because of a tight back - been doing for the previous eight innings? "Just blowing bubbles with my bubble gum," Harper said. "I was just sitting there trying to stay in the game as much as I could, just in case I had to pinch hit against...

Tags:

bo porter bryce harper dan kolko davey johnson nationals red sox roger bernadina frontfeatured_nationals frontstory_nationals1

Bernadina's ninth-inning knock gives Nats a Beantown sweep

June 10, 2012, 12:41pm

Nationals

Bernadina's ninth-inning knock gives Nats a Beantown sweep

BOSTON - He might not be able to lay down a sacrifice bunt in a key spot, but Roger Bernadina can rip a go-ahead, ninth-inning RBI double to break a tie and give the Nationals a 4-3 win. What an interesting ballplayer. Bernadina's huge double off Alfredo Aceves with two outs in the ninth inning scored Bryce Harper from first and gave Washington a one-run lead in the ninth. Harper came on as a pinch hitter with one out, and drew a five-pitch walk off Aceves, laying off three straight...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko nationals red sox roger bernadina tyler clippard frontfeatured_nationals

Looking lost against Lester (we're all tied up)

June 10, 2012, 11:27am

Nationals

Looking lost against Lester (we're all tied up)

BOSTON - The Nationals have been punchless against Red Sox starter Jon Lester today, putting up just one run and three hits through six innings. Would things be different if Bryce Harper was in the lineup? We'll never know. We do know that without their top hitter (it's still a little unbelievable that a 19-year-old is the Nats' best position player right now) the Nats haven't been able to get anything going today. Their 2-5 hitters are a combined 0-for-11 with six strikeouts, three of...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko jordan zimmermann michael morse nationals red sox frontfeatured_nationals

Harper battling back tightness, Nats insist he's fine

June 10, 2012, 9:19am

Nationals

Harper battling back tightness, Nats insist he's fine

BOSTON - He might not be thrilled about it - or happy about it at all - but Bryce Harper will be on the bench for today's series finale against the Red Sox. Manager Davey Johnson has decided to give his 19-year-old outfielder a day off to ease some tightness in his back. Johnson had bench coach Randy Knorr and a trainer come to him and inform him that Harper has been receiving treatment on the back, and with Harper having played in all of the 37 games the Nationals have played since his...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko davey johnson nationals frontstory_nationals3

Harper gets first day off since call-up

June 10, 2012, 6:37am

Nationals

BOSTON - Since getting called up to the majors on April 28, Bryce Harper had started all 37 games that the Nationals had played. That streak ends today. With the Nats looking to earn the sweep of the Red Sox, Harper will get the first day off of his major league career. Roger Bernadina will start in center, with Tyler Moore in left and Xavier Nady in right. Johnson said after Thursday's game that Harper had been dealing with some "tenderness" in his back, and there was a chance that the...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko nationals featured_sidebar frontfeatured_nationals tyler clippard

Middle infield duo excelling defensively

June 09, 2012, 5:02pm

Nationals

Middle infield duo excelling defensively

BOSTON - There was a time not too long ago when the Nationals' middle infield defense was considered a liability. OK, their defense as a whole was a liability, with the team leading the majors in errors in both 2009 and 2010. But up the middle, the Nats struggled mightily. This season has been a different story. Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa have been exceptional defensively, making the routine plays and the fancy ones, as well. Today, both guys flashed the leather, with Desmond ranging...

Tags:

adam laroche dan kolko danny espinosa davey johnson ian desmond nationals tyler clippard frontstory_nationals1

Johnson talks after Nats' 4-2 win

June 09, 2012, 4:38pm

Nationals

BOSTON - For the ninth time this season, the Nationals put up five hits or fewer and still won. This is what happens when you have the level of starting pitching, and pitching in general, that the Nationals do. Gio Gonzalez and four Nats relievers combined to hold the potent Red Sox lineup in check today, allowing just two runs and five hits in a 4-2 Washington win. Gonzalez gave up just two hits through six innings, but he allowed three of the four hitters he faced in the seventh to reach...

Tags:

dan kolko davey johnson gio gonzalez nationals red sox frontfeatured_nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats top Red Sox 4-2, earn another series win

June 09, 2012, 3:01pm

Nationals

Nats top Red Sox 4-2, earn another series win

BOSTON - Bench coach Randy Knorr joked before today's game that the Nationals have rarely had a game this season where they've been leading big in the late innings and could calmly roll to a win. The 10-2 victories this season have been very few and very far between. A 4-2 win might put more strain on the bullpen - and the manager - but it is still a win. And the Nats will gladly take today's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Adam LaRoche hit a solo homer, Michael Morse drove in a run with an RBI...

Tags:

dan kolko gio gonzalez nationals red sox featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

More of the same from Gonzalez (Red Sox make it a ballgame)

June 09, 2012, 2:02pm

Nationals

More of the same from Gonzalez (Red Sox make it a ballgame)

BOSTON - In the second inning of today's game, I looked down at the stat sheet beneath my scorebook here in the press box. Gio Gonzalez's 2012 numbers jumped off the page and smacked me in the face. The lefty entered today with a 7-2 record and a 2.31 ERA on the season. I obviously knew Gonzalez has been exceptional this season. After all, he was named National League Pitcher of the Month for May. But the stats Gonzalez has posted this year have been fantastic. They've only gotten...

Tags:

adam laroche dan kolko gio gonzalez ian desmond michael morse nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Ankiel's experience paying dividends with Nats' phenoms

June 09, 2012, 12:19pm

Nationals

Ankiel's experience paying dividends with Nats' phenoms

BOSTON - One of the Nationals' team buses got stuck in some heavy traffic in downtown Boston today. It just so happened to be the bus carrying manager Davey Johnson. The skipper didn't arrive at Fenway Park until sometime around 2:45, less than 90 minutes until first pitch. As a result, bench coach Randy Knorr handled today's pregame session with reporters. What a treat that must've been for him. It was a little bit surprising to hear Stephen Strasburg say last night that he's been...

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko nationals rick ankiel stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Gonzalez on mound, Morse serving as DH

June 09, 2012, 8:32am

Nationals

BOSTON - With right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound for Boston, Steve Lombardozzi is back in the leadoff spot. Gio Gonzalez (7-2, 2.31 ERA) will take the mound, and Michael Morse will DH for Game 2 at Fenway Park. Rick Ankiel will be in the starting lineup today, making the first time he's gotten a start since May 29. For the Nationals: LF Steve Lombardozzi RF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche DH Michael Morse SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa CF Rick Ankiel C Jesus...