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Marty Niland: Forget jinxes, Nats are going to the playoffs

August 23, 2012, 8:00pm

Don't read this if you are superstitious. Is the word "playoffs" taboo in your household? Do you use euphemisms to talk about that sort of thing? Then maybe you can find a new argument about the Stephen Strasburg shutdown to read. Believe in jinxes? Stop here. This is for fans who dare to dream. Because the Nationals are going to the postseason. Not only that, they will win the National League East and have home-field advantage as deep as they go. There. It's been said. It's not the...

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David Huzzard: Rizzo should be considered NL's Executive of the Year

August 23, 2012, 5:11am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Rizzo should be considered NL's Executive of the Year

Livan Hernandez, John Lannan, Jordan Zimmermann, Jason Marquis, and Tom Gorzelanny were the pitchers who took the mound for the first five games of the 2011 season for the Washington Nationals. One season later, and the opening day rotation lined up Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson, and Ross Detwiler. Four out of five starters is a significant change and two of them had never thrown a pitch in the Nationals organization before 2012. The man responsible for...

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James Baker: The roller coaster of emotions

August 23, 2012, 4:51am

Orioles

James Baker: The roller coaster of emotions

The Orioles continue to take their fans on a roller coaster of emotions. Yesterday, fans of the Orioles experienced both crest and fall with the announcement of playoff ticket invoices and the crushing defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers. In the middle of an uneventful Tuesday in Baltimore, the Orioles surprised their fans with the announcement of the year so far: Playoff tickets are on sale now. Baltimore. Orioles. Playoff tickets. Think about those words for a bit and now try to...

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Rachel Levitin: Enough with the Strasburg shutdown hoopla

August 22, 2012, 4:54am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Enough with the Strasburg shutdown hoopla

It's impossible to avoid the name Stephen Strasburg upon mention of the Washington Nationals these days. Everyone around the country from sportscasters to politicians to your average Joe wants to weigh in and share their two cents about why they feel the Nationals' ace shouldn't be shut down later this season due to a post-Tommy John surgery innings limit. I, for one, just have to say it - I'm sick of hearing and having to talk about Strasburg. He's not the only guy on the team. For the...

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Zach Wilt: Praising the 'pen

August 21, 2012, 6:47am

Orioles

Ten years ago, baseball experts would say that winning one- or two-run games was what defined a great a team. Good teams find a way to win close games, bad teams lose them. Sabremetrics and advanced baseball statistics have changed the way we think about the game today and now many would say that the Orioles' 42-18 record in games decided by one or two runs this season is a fluke. Doubters see this as the stat that will ultimately lead to another collapse and say this trend is too historical...

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Stephen Walker: Enjoying Espinosa more and more

August 20, 2012, 3:25pm

Nationals

Stephen Walker: Enjoying Espinosa more and more

During the dark days of 2009, with the Nationals mired in first place in the Bryce Harper draft sweepstakes, I looked to the minor leagues for solace. I decided to attend a Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) trip to Woodbridge, Va., to watch the Single-A Potomac Nationals, at that time the defending Carolina League champions. Excitement ran high as recent draftees, including Drew Storen, had just joined the team. Seeing potential future stars numbed the pain I felt watching the big...

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Ted Leavengood: The bullpen down the stretch

August 20, 2012, 5:14am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: The bullpen down the stretch

Watching Bryce Harper come alive yesterday afternoon and make the difference in a 5-2 win over the Mets, one that pushed the Nationals' lead on the Braves to five games, was heartening. Nothing could be better than to see the Nationals' best 19-year-old get hot down the stretch. But just as important may have been the performance of Craig Stammen and Tyler Clippard. Both pitchers have had hiccups over the past month. Two of the Washington 2012 bullpen stalwarts shut down the Mets in the...

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Domenic Vadala: Why do some teams get the calls?

August 19, 2012, 1:59pm

Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Why do some teams get the calls?

We all saw what happened Friday night in Detroit, so I'll spare you another testimonial or play-by-play account. However, while we don't know what type of internal training or reporting that Major League Baseball requires of its umpires, I think we can all agree with Mark Reynolds in that there's very little outward accountability for the umps. There are a couple of different ways to look at this. First off, it's the natural inclination of an employer to protect his/her employee when...

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Marty Niland: Road-warrior Nats overcome past failures

August 17, 2012, 5:21am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Road-warrior Nats overcome past failures

The Nationals are returning home this weekend as conquering heroes. Not only have they completed one of the best road trips in team history at 8-2 and amassed the best road record in the majors, they have been passing key tests that they failed earlier in the season, showing how they have grown and matured as a team. Remember back in late April when the Nats hit the West Coast for the first time? After taking two in San Diego, they stumbled in the series finale against the Padres before...

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Matthew Taylor: Machado surpasses Powell for youngest Oriole to have multi-homer game

August 17, 2012, 5:10am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Machado surpasses Powell for youngest Oriole to have multi-homer game

Manny Machado hit his first two major league home runs against the Kansas City Royals' Luke Hochevar on Aug. 10, becoming the youngest Orioles player to record a multi-homer game. That honor previously belonged to one John Wesley "Boog" Powell who, like Machado, got his first two major league home runs in the same game. Powell's first four career home runs came as part of multi-homer games, and they were all two-run shots. Powell homered twice against the Twins on May 2, 1962. He followed...

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James Baker: O captain, my captain!

August 16, 2012, 5:20am

Orioles

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, Jason Hammel, Wei Yin Chen - all have been essential to the Orioles' success this year, but as of right now, to this blogger, the most important Oriole is one William Nathaniel Showalter. Honestly, has there been one person that is more responsible for the Orioles' year? Showalter has been the rock, the steady-handed captain of this improbable team. He is calm, cool and clearly in charge. When you look at the team the...

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David Huzzard: It's a wonderful life in Natstown

August 16, 2012, 5:07am

Nationals

David Huzzard: It's a wonderful life in Natstown

This week, the focus on Stephen Strasburg's innings limit has kicked into a higher gear, and as far as the national media is concerned, Mike Rizzo is the Grinch who stole Strasmas. Most of the stories this week have painted the citizens of Natstown as ignorant little Whos too caught up with the winning to be as enraged as they should be. Let us not hover too long on that tale, but shift instead to a different tale of morality. Instead of casting Rizzo as the mean old Mr. Grinch we will have...

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Rachel Levitin: With cultural shift comes opportunity

August 15, 2012, 5:43am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: With cultural shift comes opportunity

Cultural change comes with winning in baseball. That's why this is a good time to embrace the changes. It's fair to say that the consensus is that this Nationals ballclub is a good ballclub. They've garnered respect throughout their division, league and all of baseball. In fact, they've got the best record in all the game at the moment and continue to set club milestones as the season progresses. There's a Joe DiMaggio quote in the aisle leading from the clubhouse to the dugout. It says,...

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Neal Shaffer: Don't look now, but O's are redefining what's possible

August 15, 2012, 5:20am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: Don't look now, but O's are redefining what's possible

If you've read me over the course of the season either here or at The Loss Column, you've probably noticed a pattern: I'm excited by the results, but hesitant to draw big conclusions. Baseball's a superstitious game and I'm somewhat the same myself. I wouldn't want a selfish declaration to jinx things for everyone. Nobody ever said "fan" and "logic" always went together. So today I'm still hesitant to say anything like "the Orioles have finally turned a corner" or "this group is...

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Zach Wilt: Comparing the call-ups of Wieters, Machado

August 14, 2012, 5:23am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Comparing the call-ups of Wieters, Machado

In many ways, 2009 seems like so long ago. Then, in others, it seems like just yesterday. In watching every pitch of every at-bat of Manny Machado's fantastic young major league career, I can't help but think back to Matt Wieters' call-up on May 29, 2009. I will never forget Andy MacPhail telling viewers on MASN, "It's time," after the Orioles' 7-2 win on May 26, 2009 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The two games in between the news and Wieters' actual debut were an absolute frenzy. It...

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Stephen Walker: Choosing to see the rainbows

August 14, 2012, 5:09am

Nationals

Stephen Walker: Choosing to see the rainbows

Lately, in my Ellicott City neighborhood, we have experienced the strange phenomenon of pouring rain falling from half-sunny, half-cloudy skies as thunder booms in the background. Whenever this happens, a rainbow appears right above my neighbor's house. I can see it from my driveway. Strangely, a lot of folks who walk or drive by look irritated by the clouds, rain and thunder. Most fail to notice the rainbow. The few that do glance for about 15 seconds or so, then go back inside. Me, I stand...

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Ted Leavengood: Behind the smiles, a major league staredown

August 13, 2012, 6:15am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: Behind the smiles, a major league staredown

Let's forget the final game in Phoenix, though the Nationals did not go easily in their only loss in nine games. Rather, it is easier to remember the loose and easy smiles all around the dugout and positive demeanor of the eight-game winning streak. What's not to like when you are 27 games over .500 with the best record in baseball? But in truth, there is a very serious confrontation under way. Like arm wrestlers locked into combat across a barroom table, the Nationals and the Braves are...

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Domenic Vadala: Are Orioles getting hot at the right time?

August 13, 2012, 5:32am

Orioles

Despite only splitting this weekend's series against the Kansas City Royals, the Orioles seem to have turned it up a tick in the past few weeks. This is not in the least bit surprising to me; in fact, I expected it. The Birds have always finished strong under Buck Showalter. In 2010, he had them take the competition to the opponents who figured that they'd walk all over the O's due to their record. And who could forget last September, which I believe was the launching point for 2011?...

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Marty Niland: The last Washington pennant race in 1945

August 10, 2012, 4:59am

Nationals

Marty Niland: The last Washington pennant race in 1945

The kind of success the Nationals are seeing this year isn't even a once-in-a-generation thing. It's more like several generations. A ballclub from the nation's capital hasn't contended for a title this late in the season since 1945, when a Senators team full of rookies, castoffs and even an amputee pitcher made an improbable run that went down to the last week of the season and ended all too early, literally. If it wasn't for Senators owner Clark Griffith, baseball might have been called...

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David Huzzard: Nats capitalize on their schedule to find success

August 09, 2012, 5:12am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Nats capitalize on their schedule to find success

At 68-43 with 479 runs scored and 396 runs allowed, the Nationals have played great baseball. But one of the best things the Nationals have done is take advantage of opportunities on their schedule. The Nationals started the season on the road against the Cubs, who were believed to be in rebuilding mode before the season began, and the Mets, who were projected to be a last-place club in the NL East. Starting against these two teams was viewed as an opportunity for the Nationals to get off to a...