Treinen solid early, Desmond homers to tie game (Nats lose 3-1)

Treinen solid early, Desmond homers to tie game (Nats lose 3-1)
Rookie Blake Treinen has been solid thus far in his second major league start, but he did come a little undone in the third inning. Treinen matched Pirates starter Edinson Volquez at the outset, retiring the first eight batters of the game. But he then ran into trouble. Treinen walked Volquez with two outs in the third. Josh Harrison then singled for the Pirates' first hit of the game and Neil Walker walked to load the bases. The Nats right-hander followed by plunking Andrew McCutchen,...

Notes on Treinen, Jordan, LaRoche's rehab and more

Notes on Treinen, Jordan, LaRoche's rehab and more
With Gio Gonzalez on the disabled list, rookie right-hander Blake Treinen gets a chance to show his strong showings over two prior stints with the Nationals this season were no fluke. Treinen, 25, has pitched to a 0.77 ERA over 11 2/3 innings spanning four appearances (one start). In his first major league start on May 6, Treinen allowed no earned runs (three total) on seven hits while striking out two and walking none in five innings. Tonight, he'll look to perhaps top that in Pittsburgh....

Williams sticking with his regulars in series opener at PNC Park

Williams sticking with his regulars in series opener at PNC Park
PITTSBURGH - Matt Williams had said he planned on giving Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond a day off during this four-game series against the Pirates. Neither of those two players will be sitting in the series opener, however. Werth is starting in right field, hitting third, while Desmond is at short, batting fifth. Blake Treinen makes his second big league start after officially being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. He has a 0.77 ERA in four major league appearances coming into tonight. The...

Zimmerman could play the outfield before he plays first base

Zimmerman could play the outfield before he plays first base
One way the Nationals could add the most power to their lineup prior to Bryce Harper's July return would be to get Ryan Zimmerman back on the field and keep Anthony Rendon at third base. So Zimmerman would play at first base? Nope. Adam LaRoche returns Sunday and he would be back at his usual spot on the right corner of the infield. So where would Zimmerman play? How about left field? Zimmerman is more of a power hitter than Nate McLouth, who is a better defender in left field....

Nationals recall right-hander Blake Treinen from Syracuse

Nationals recall right-hander Blake Treinen from Syracuse
The Washington Nationals today recalled right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Treinen, 25, joins the Nationals for his third stint this season. On May 6 at Nationals Park, in the first starting assignment of his career, Treinen suffered the loss in a matchup with Clayton Kershaw despite blanking the Dodgers through 5.0 innings. Thanks to a...

Williams on Roark, Simon, Treinen and homestand

Williams on Roark, Simon, Treinen and homestand
After the 2-1 loss to the Reds on Wednesday night, Nationals manager Matt Williams addressed the media and announced that Blake Treinen will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse for Thursday's opener at Pittsburgh. Right-hander Ryan Mattheus will be sent back to Syracuse to make room for Treinen on the 25-man roster. Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche confirmed he will play in a rehab game for high Single-A Potomac on Thursday night in Woodbridge, Va., as he recovers from a right quad...

Span on his first home run of season and loss to Reds

Span on his first home run of season and loss to Reds
Nationals center fielder Denard Span had himself a series. He finished the three games with nine hits against the Reds, including a 5-for-5 performance Tuesday and a leadoff solo shot Wednesday. It was his first homer of the season. The home run off of Reds starter Alfredo Simon gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, they could not muster much else offensively, leaving two men on only one time. That chance arrived in the second inning, when Ian Desmond and Tyler Moore led off with...

David Huzzard: Nationals reaching a critical juncture

David Huzzard: Nationals reaching a critical juncture
There is some solace in the fact that a team that has had its opening day lineup on the field for all of three innings and has relied largely on backups is only 1 1/2 games back of the division lead, but how much longer can backups be expected to tread water? The injury to Wilson Ramos was one the Nationals were built to withstand. They acquired Jose Lobaton expressly for that purpose. The loss of Ryan Zimmerman was a blow that was not going to be easily recovered from. Zimmerman was off to a...

The importance of getting Span on track (updated)

The importance of getting Span on track (updated)
What can a five-hit game do for a guy's numbers less than two months into the season? Well, for Denard Span, it can boost his batting average and on-base percentage in a big way and get him back closer to the type of numbers he would expect to have to this point in the season. Span entered yesterday's game batting .239 with a .287 on-base percentage, significantly below his career averages. Largely because of Span's rocky start, the Nationals had the lowest on-base percentage out of the...

Williams updates LaRoche, Harper and Gonzalez's recoveries

Williams updates LaRoche, Harper and Gonzalez's recoveries
Manager Matt Williams said Wednesday during pregame that first baseman Adam LaRoche is right on target to be activated Sunday or Monday from the 15-day disabled list. LaRoche has been nursing a right quad strain. He has been on the disabled list since May 10. He is expected to play rehab games in the next day or two. "Adam is going to go play," Williams confirmed. "He has got another test today. We are not sure on what exact day he is going to start playing. Could be tomorrow, could be...

Span picks up where he left off in series finale (Reds win 2-1)

Span picks up where he left off in series finale (Reds win 2-1)
"I had a good day," Nationals center fielder Denard Span said Tuesday night. "Today was my day. I saw the ball good, and got to do it again tomorrow." Wednesday arrived and he did it again. Fresh off a career-high-matching 5-for-5 performance in Tuesday's 9-4 Nationals win over the Reds, Span launched the second pitch from Reds right-hander Alfredo Simon into the Nationals bullpen in right field, and the Nationals lead 1-0. Span now has eight hits in the series. Right-hander Tanner...

Rendon gets day off for series finale (with Reds lineup)

Rendon gets day off for series finale (with Reds lineup)
The Nationals are going for the series win against the Reds this afternoon in D.C., but Anthony Rendon will be on the bench for the finale, getting a day off. With Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list, Rendon has become the Nats' everyday third baseman. Kevin Frandsen will get the start at third today. Right-hander Tanner Roark will take the mound this afternoon, looking to earn his fourth win of the season. The Nats will face veteran Alfredo Simon, who's 5-2 on the season, with a 2.45...

Former adversaries, Fister and Span, team up to take it out on the Reds

Former adversaries, Fister and Span, team up to take it out on the Reds
If you ask Doug Fister, Denard Span was always a tough hitter to face. If you ask Span, Fister always got great movement on his pitches, which were incredibly deceptive to the hitter in the box. Unfortunately for the Reds, they had to face both of them Tuesday. The Nationals, led by Fister's seven strong innings and Span's 5-for-5 performance, cruised past Cincinnati 9-4. Fister went seven innings and allowed just six hits and two runs. He walked only one batter, and struck out five. Span...

Williams on Span's stellar performance, Fister's strong start in 9-4 win

Williams on Span's stellar performance, Fister's strong start in 9-4 win
Doug Fister didn't need much run support tonight. Denard Span helped make sure he had plenty anyway. Span went 5-for-5 tonight with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base, leading the offensive charge against Reds starter Johnny Cueto, who came in leading the majors in ERA among starters. Manager Matt Williams had been asked before the game whether he had given thought to moving Span out of the leadoff spot. Let's all have a laugh about that now. Fister took care of...

Reds go after first pitches against Fister, grab early lead (Nats win 9-4)

Reds go after first pitches against Fister, grab early lead (Nats win 9-4)
The Reds picked up where they left off on Tuesday against the Nationals. Fresh off a 4-3, 15-inning marathon win Monday night (Tuesday morning), Cincinnati scored a run in its first at-bat. With one out, Skip Schumaker went after the first offering from Nationals starter Doug Fister and laced the two-seam fastball for a double to left field. Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier also went after the first pitch from Fister, both of which were two-seam fastballs. Phillips grounded out. But...

Williams updates Zimmerman's latest X-ray and LaRoche's on field progress

Williams updates Zimmerman's latest X-ray and LaRoche's on field progress
Manager Matt Williams had another update on third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's recovery from a right thumb fracture. Williams reported the latest X-ray showed the thumb was getting "better". "He is seeing the occupational therapist to get a splint that will allow him to start throwing a baseball a little bit," Williams said. "It is not really throwing, but it puts his thumb in a position where he can start working his arm which is good, which he needs to do. "I don't know if he will be...

Frandsen in left, Moore at first against Cueto

Frandsen in left, Moore at first against Cueto
Kevin Frandsen will play left field and Tyler Moore will be at first base for the Nationals in tonight's game against the Reds. Right-hander Doug Fister makes his Nationals Park debut tonight and gets a stern test in going up against Reds righty Johnny Cueto, who owns a 4-2 record and a 1.25 ERA. For the RedsCF Billy HamiltonRF Skip Schumaker2B Brandon Phillips1B Todd FrazierC Brayan PenaLF Chris HeiseySS Zack Cozart3B Ramon SantiagoRHP Johnny Cueto For the NationalsCF Denard Span3B Anthony...

Hearing from Strasburg, Detwiler, Storen, Rendon and Frandsen after marathon loss to Reds

Hearing from Strasburg, Detwiler, Storen, Rendon and Frandsen after marathon loss to Reds
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg did not factor in the decision of Monday's 4-3 loss in 15 innings to the Reds. But Strasburg was able to go seven innings and allowed just two runs. "Felt pretty good, battled," Strasburg said. "Fastball was up a little bit tonight. Trying to keep it close." A key play in the game came in the seventh when the Nationals were able to get Billy Hamilton caught between third and home plate. Strasburg could see Hamilton leading off of third base. "I...

On last night and today

On last night and today
A 15-inning, nearly five-hour game that results in a loss might seem like it would sting more than your standard, nine-inning, three-hour defeat. You scratch and you claw for that long, use up so many relievers and expend that much energy, and don't come away with a victory, and it's bound to leave you that much more frustrated, right? Think again, according to the Nationals, who were on the losing end of a 4-3 ballgame that carried past midnight and into this morning. "Nah, you can't go...

Stuart Wallace: Examining the changes leading to Storen's resurgence

Stuart Wallace: Examining the changes leading to Storen's resurgence
It has been a superlative-laden start to 2014 for reliever Drew Storen - and a start that has also seen the righthander's performance at an all-time high. While the sample size is still small--15 1/3 innings pitched--the hot start has Storen amassing a 30.9 percent strikeout rate, 3.6 percent walk rate, 93 percent left on base percentage and a 2.10 fielding independent pitching, all of which surpass his current career bests in each statistic. It's this sort of lights-out pitching from Storen...