Dan Kolko

Can they keep this up?

April 17, 2012, 11:07pm

Teams aren't supposed to win games when they score three runs or fewer. Teams aren't supposed to be cruising along when they have a collective slugging percentage of .348 or be in first place when their five top outfielders have combined to drive in nine runs in 12 games. Yet, here the Nationals are. Two weeks into the season, Washington owns a 9-3 record and sits atop the National League East by a game and a half. The question now going forward is whether this pattern can continue. Can...

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Final notes from the clubhouse after the Nats' 1-0 win

April 17, 2012, 7:32pm

Nationals

Final notes from the clubhouse after the Nats' 1-0 win

Things got a little tight in the ninth inning of tonight's game when Brad Lidge, in trying to protect a 1-0 lead, allowed a leadoff double to Jed Lowrie, then walked J.D. Martinez on four pitches. For a time there, it looked like tonight might be the second time in five days that Lidge was going to blow a game for Gio Gonzalez after the Nationals starter had thrown seven scoreless innings. But Lidge regrouped, retiring the next three hitters in succession to close it out. Jayson Werth has...

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Another gem from Gio

April 17, 2012, 7:06pm

Nationals

Gio Gonzalez was representing the D.C. sports scene after tonight's dominant outing, sporting a Caps throwback t-shirt. The guy must love the nation's capital, huh? After tonight's outing, Gonzalez has now thrown 14 scoreless frames in his two starts at Nats Park this season, and he earned his first win as a National by holding the Astros to just two hits and two walks on a brisk night. It was another overpowering outing which saw Gonzalez outmatch Astros hitters, striking out eight,...

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Another tight one, another Nationals win

April 17, 2012, 5:20pm

Nationals

It's a good thing the Nationals' starters keep turning in gems, because they're not getting a ton of offensive support. Tonight, Gio Gonzalez got just enough help, and the Nationals rode their left-handed starter and bullpen to a tight 1-0 win over the Astros. Gonzalez has his second straight fantastic outing, going seven innings of scoreless ball, allowing just two hits and two walks. He struck out eight Astros hitters and, at one point, retired 13 straight hitters without allowing a ball...

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Nats lead as we cruise through six (Gonzalez done after seven strong)

April 17, 2012, 4:28pm

Nationals

Nats lead as we cruise through six (Gonzalez done after seven strong)

The No. 1 rule of being on a baseball beat is to never talk about how quickly a game is moving. So I won't. I'll just say that Gio Gonzalez and Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez have been incredibly efficient through five and a half innings of play, and those of us in the press box thank them for it. Gonzalez has been cruising right along so far tonight, allowing just two hits and two walks through six frames, and he has a 1-0 lead going to the bottom of the sixth. Prior to a Jose Altuve...

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Jackson's surprise gift brightens up the clubhouse

April 17, 2012, 2:11pm

Nationals

Jackson's surprise gift brightens up the clubhouse

Edwin Jackson's usually a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of guy. But today especially, his smile lit up the Nationals' clubhouse. Jackson got a surprise today when manager Davey Johnson called for Jackson to come into his office. The Nats skipper didn't want to talk about the hurler's latest outing or anything on-field related, but instead, he had a gift waiting for Jackson. Johnson picked up a small box and passed it across the desk. Inside the black case was Jackson's 2012 St. Louis...

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Today's Nats, Astros lineups

April 17, 2012, 11:44am

Nationals

As promised, both Mark DeRosa and Xavier Nady are in manager Davey Johnson's lineup today, as the Nationals will load up with right-handed hitters against Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez. Interestingly, DeRosa is in right today with Nady in left. This will be DeRosa's first action in right field this season. Wilson Ramos also gets a day off today, as Jesus Flores is behind the plate to catch Gio Gonzalez. Here are today's lineups: Nationals SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa 3B Ryan...

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Ankiel's arm could play a major factor

April 17, 2012, 9:42am

Nationals

The word was already out prior to last night. But if by some chance you didn't know, now you know: Rick Ankiel has a rocket for an arm. Ankiel's laser of a throw from center field to the plate last night was a cool moment. It allowed the 16,245 in attendance at Nationals Park a chance to stand and applaud the work of the Nats center fielder and perhaps give a high-five to their neighbor - if they were the high-five-a-random-stranger type. But Ankiel's throw was more than just a highlight....

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More on the offensive and defensive stars of Monday's game

April 17, 2012, 6:35am

Nationals

More on the offensive and defensive stars of Monday's game

As I continue to recover from the ridiculous allergy attack I suffered in the press box during last night's game - bar none the worst allergy experience of my life - I wanted to pass along some more notes from the Nationals' 6-4 win over the Astros. Steve Lombardozzi was the star of the show last night, and as Byron Kerr wrote, Lombardozzi said he'll never forget his four-hit performance, an effort which helped lift the Nationals to a win. But don't get any ideas about the 23-year-old...

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Strasburg talks improved curveball, tipping pitches after Nats' win

April 16, 2012, 7:49pm

Nationals

Strasburg talks improved curveball, tipping pitches after Nats' win

Stephen Strasburg thinks the Astros knew what was coming tonight. Even if they did, Houston still couldn't do much to slow Strasburg down. In Strasburg's six innings tonight, Astros hitters managed to score just two runs on six hits. The Nationals righty walked only one batter and struck out five, but when he came off the mound in the sixth inning, he told manager Davey Johnson he had a feeling he was tipping his pitches, specifically when Houston had runners in scoring position. Stephen...

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Have yourself a ballgame, Steve Lombardozzi (Nats win 6-3)

April 16, 2012, 5:23pm

Nationals

Have yourself a ballgame, Steve Lombardozzi (Nats win 6-3)

Entering tonight's game, Steve Lombardozzi had eight career major league hits. The Nationals second baseman is already 4-for-4 tonight, and his two-out, two-run single in the sixth gave Washington the lead just a half-inning after the Astros scored twice on Stephen Strasburg to tie the game. Ryan Zimmerman followed Lombardozzi's hit with a two-run base-knock of his own, and the Nationals now have a 6-2 lead as we go to the seventh. Making just his second start of the season in place of...

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Strasburg filthy, Ramos homers (updated)

April 16, 2012, 4:31pm

Nationals

Strasburg filthy, Ramos homers (updated)

I mean filthy in a good way. Stephen Strasburg has been in a zone through the first five innings of tonight's game, allowing three hits and striking out four Astros. Three of the four strikeouts have been by way of the curveball, which has been especially nasty tonight. Strasburg is getting great bite on the curve, and is buckling Astros hitters' knees with his offspeed stuff. He's needed just 61 pitches to get through the five innings and is showing no signs - zero - of wear after...

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Chien-Ming Wang to face hitters Wednesday

April 16, 2012, 2:21pm

Nationals

Chien-Ming Wang to face hitters Wednesday

The news on Chien-Ming Wang continues to be positive. Wang, who is down at the Nationals' complex in Viera, Fla., rehabbing his strained left hamstring, will throw a simulated game tomorrow. This will be his first time throwing to hitters since suffering the hamstring injury March 15 in a spring training start against the Yankees. The Nationals will continue to take things very slow with the veteran right-hander, but if all goes well in Wang's simulated game, he could be ready to begin a...

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Espinosa getting a "mental break" day (plus tonight's lineups)

April 16, 2012, 1:15pm

Nationals

Espinosa getting a "mental break" day (plus tonight's lineups)

For the most part, Davey Johnson's lineups have been pretty consistent over the first 10 games of the season. Today, the Nationals lineup has a bit of a new look. Danny Espinosa will get the day off today, as Johnson wants to get his second baseman a "mental break" day. Steve Lombardozzi will start at second and hit second tonight against the Astros. Espinosa is hitting just .194 in 36 at-bats this season with 10 strikeouts. Lombardozzi, meanwhile, has gotten only seven at-bats through...

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Scuffling at the plate, Zimmerman still excels at the hot corner

April 16, 2012, 10:23am

Nationals

Scuffling at the plate, Zimmerman still excels at the hot corner

OK, so Ryan Zimmerman is hitting just .179 (7-for-39) with two RBIs through the first 10 games of the season. But even though the Nationals third baseman isn't getting balls to fall in, he's still bringing his A-game on the defensive side. "If I'm not getting any hits, I'll just take hits away," Zimmerman said yesterday. "That's the plan." The plan was executed to perfection yesterday. Zimmerman made a couple spectacular defensive plays in Sunday's loss to the Reds, two of which...

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Clubhouse Cliff Notes

April 16, 2012, 2:31am

Nationals

It's Monday morning, which means it's time for another edition of Clubhouse Cliff Notes. In this entry, you'll find a few of the most interesting/funny/insightful things spoken in the Nationals clubhouse over the last week. Again, I might re-use a quote that you've seen in one of my previous entries, but I'll do my best to keep this stuff fresh with new material. Here we go: Mark DeRosa April 11 postgame Context: On winning the first two series of the season, both on the road Quote:...

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Clippard battling minor shoulder discomfort

April 15, 2012, 3:39pm

Nationals

Clippard battling minor shoulder discomfort

Davey Johnson revealed after today's game that All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard is battling some shoulder discomfort, although it wasn't enough to keep him out of today's game. Clippard and Johnson both say that the discomfort didn't affect the righty's performance today (Clippard allowed three runs in the 11th inning) and isn't anything major. Instead, they say, this is something that 27-year-old experiences every season around this time. "It's just normal stuff I've been going...

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Questionable calls leave Detwiler at a loss

April 15, 2012, 3:30pm

Nationals

Questionable calls leave Detwiler at a loss

Here's Ross Detwiler on the umpiring in today's game: "I'm not going to make any comment on the umpiring." Later, Detwiler was asked if he thought he had struck out Ryan Ludwick on a 1-2 pitch in the first inning, two pitches prior to Ludwick hitting a grand slam that gave the Reds a 4-0 lead. The Nationals lefty cracked a wry smile but didn't speak a word. Yeah, he wasn't pleased. Detwiler allowed five runs today over five innings, but only one of the runs was earned. As I described...

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Johnson talks umpiring, situational hitting in Nats' 8-5 loss

April 15, 2012, 2:54pm

Nationals

Johnson talks umpiring, situational hitting in Nats' 8-5 loss

The first question Nationals manager Davey Johnson was asked in his press conference following today's 8-5 extra-inning loss to the Reds was about the umpiring. That's how much a couple first-inning calls that didn't go the Nats way affected the course of this game. It started with a close play at first in which Adam LaRoche appeared to touch first base only to hear first base umpire Mike Everitt say LaRoche had missed the bag and call Scott Rolen safe. That kept the inning alive. A...

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Nats finally fall in extras

April 15, 2012, 1:18pm

Nationals

In two of this series first three games, the Nationals went to extra innings with the Reds and were able to scratch across the game-winning run. Not today. The Nationals battled back from an early 5-0 deficit to force extras, but the Reds scored three times off reliever Tyler Clippard in the 11th inning and held on for an 8-5 win. Joey Votto's two-run double was the big knock for Cincinnati, putting the Reds on top. Washington brought the potential tying run to the plate with no outs in the...