nationals

Haren takes the hill vs. Giants

August 15, 2013, 9:50am

Dan Haren will try to continue his recent success when he takes the hill for the Nationals in the finale of their three-game series against the Giants. The right-hander has lowered his ERA from 6.15 to 4.99 since coming off the disabled list July 8, allowing 10 earned runs over his past six starts (and half of them came in one outing on July 22). Here are today's lineups: For the Giants: 2B Marco Scutaro SS Brandon Crawford 1B Brandon Belt C Buster Posey RF Hunter Pence 3B Pablo Sandoval LF...

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Nationals recall Storen, send struggling Mattheus to Triple-A Syracuse

August 15, 2013, 9:02am

Nationals

When Nationals manager Davey Johnson indicated yesterday that he hasn't been pleased with the bullpen's performance of late, he wasn't kidding. This afternoon, the Nats made a roster move they hope will shore up their relief corps. Right-hander Drew Storen was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, where he's been doing well of late. In his past three outings, covering 2 1/3 innings, Storen has struck out four without allowing a hit. In six games with the Chiefs, where he was supposed to work on...

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Nats sign Dominican third baseman Anderson Franco

August 15, 2013, 7:32am

Nationals

Nats sign Dominican third baseman Anderson Franco

The Nationals have been hesitant to dish out large contracts to international free agents since the Esmailyn Gonzalez incident, but they made a splash in the international signing pool today, signing 16-year-old Dominican third baseman Anderson Franco for $900,000, according to Baseball America's Ben Badler. Franco was ranked as the 29th-best international prospect in this year's class by Baseball America. He became eligible to sign today, which is his 16th birthday. Quite a birthday...

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Nationals agree to terms with third baseman Anderson Franco

August 15, 2013, 7:49am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms on a professional contract with international free agent third baseman Anderson Franco. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Nationals Director of International Scouting Johnny DiPuglia made the joint announcement. Franco, who was the top unsigned international free agent according to Baseball America, projects as an athletic right-handed power hitter. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from the Dominican Republic...

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Span on his game-saving catch: "There's no better feeling"

August 14, 2013, 8:01pm

Nationals

Span on his game-saving catch: "There's no better feeling"

There were actually a few factors working against Denard Span as he tried to track down Hunter Pence's liner in the left-center field gap with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. First of all, Span was shading Pence towards right-center field, increasing the amount of ground he had to cover in order to prevent the ball from dropping in, tying the game and possibly giving the Giants the lead. On top of that, Span took a false step when the ball was first hit, coming in a bit before...

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Taking the good with the bad

August 15, 2013, 6:14am

Nationals

What's been different over the last six days that has allowed the Nationals to rattle off five straight wins following an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves? Well, part of what's been different has been the competition. The Braves have the best winning percentage in baseball, while the Phillies and Giants are a combined 29 games under .500. That'll certainly play a factor. Outside of that, however, different Nats players seem to have different theories for what's...

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Nationals focused as win streak builds, feeling different than before Braves series

August 14, 2013, 7:11pm

Nationals

With the Nationals' 6-5 victory over the Giants, the win streak reached five games. It is the Nationals' second five-game win streak of the season, matching an identical streak from May 4-9 against Pittsburgh and Detroit. It was Nationals outfielder Denard Span who made a spectacular catch in center field off the bat of Hunter Pence with two men on to end the game and preserve the win. Span said the team learned from the Braves' sweep last week and concentrated on getting back to...

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Johnson on Span's catch, bullpen issues in dramatic 6-5 win

August 14, 2013, 7:18pm

Nationals

Johnson on Span's catch, bullpen issues in dramatic 6-5 win

Davey Johnson didn't just let out a figurative sigh of relief after Denard Span made a game-saving catch in the top of the ninth, laying out in the left-center field gap to rob Hunter Pence of a hit that would have at least tied the game and possibly given the Giants a lead. Johnson literally let out a sigh of relief as he met with reporters following the Nationals' 6-5 win, their fifth straight victory. "Whew. Heck of a play," Johnson said. "I didn't think he was going to get to it....

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Rachel Levitin: That pesky thing called perspective

August 15, 2013, 5:33am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: That pesky thing called perspective

When it comes time to reflect on the Nationals' 2013 season, my thought is that this one will be all about managing expectations. After last night's victory against the San Francisco Giants - the Nats' fifth win in a row - I found myself on the Metro amid the postgame foot traffic. While sitting there, I gathered nuggets from people's conversations and took notice of those who were wearing curly W attire. The general consensus, as far as I was able to infer, is that the big issue people...

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Johnson believes Gonzalez/Werth spat is "done, over, history"

August 14, 2013, 1:19pm

Nationals

Johnson believes Gonzalez/Werth spat is "done, over, history"

Nationals manager Davey Johnson had more thoughts on the Gio Gonzalez versus Jayson Werth verbal spat in the first inning of Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Giants. Johnson said he has seen disagreements occur with other clubs and believes it demonstrates the passion that Gonzalez and Werth come to the field with every day. "That was a little strange," Johnson said. "But it has happened. I have had other clubs when you are frustrated and you see a little something you don't like. Another...

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Zimmermann puts in seven strong (Span saves the day in 6-5 win)

August 14, 2013, 5:21pm

Nationals

Zimmermann puts in seven strong (Span saves the day in 6-5 win)

On a night when the Nationals needed a lengthy start from Jordan Zimmermann, having used four relievers after a rain delay last night, Zimmermann delivered. It wasn't the right-hander's finest outing, as he threw 82 pitches in his first four frames and needed to finagle out of a couple of jams. But Zimmermann has found a way to get through seven innings, needing just 30 pitches in his final three frames and retiring eight of the last nine Giants hitters he faced. He leaves with the Nats...

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Desmond continues to dominate Lincecum (spring training note, game update)

August 14, 2013, 4:16pm

Nationals

Desmond continues to dominate Lincecum (spring training note, game update)

Glancing down at the batter-pitcher matchups before tonight's game, it wasn't hard to spot Ian Desmond's career batting line against Giants starter Tim Lincecum. Desmond was 9-for-11 off Lincecum entering tonight, with one homer, two doubles and five RBIs. We can now boost those numbers up a bit. Leading off the bottom of the second, Desmond demolished a 2-2 Lincecum changeup way out to left-center for his 17th homer of the season. The ball cleared the Giants' bullpen and came down about...

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Ramos' injury not serious (Gonzalez, Zimmermann, Strasburg updates)

August 14, 2013, 2:31pm

Nationals

Ramos' injury not serious (Gonzalez, Zimmermann, Strasburg updates)

Wilson Ramos was wearing a smile this afternoon, something you don't often see on a player's face the day after he needed to leave a game due to the aggravation of a previous injury. Turns out, Ramos' left hamstring is not seriously injured, and will likely only knock him from the Nationals' lineup for a couple of days. "(I'm) a little bit happy because it's not too hurt," Ramos said. "I felt a little bit yesterday sore in my hamstring, but it's not in the big part of the...

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Going streaking

August 14, 2013, 6:45am

Nationals

Coming into the season, the Nationals felt like they had a team that was capable of running off numerous lengthy winning streaks. Players and front office staffers believed that with the starting rotation being structured the way it was, with four very talented, young starters and one proven veteran, and with a seemingly improved back of the bullpen, wins would come in bunches. Fast forward to the middle of August and the Nationals have put together just three four-game winning streaks all...

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Harper returns, Ramos out

August 14, 2013, 11:35am

Nationals

After being out of yesterday's starting lineup due to the flu, Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, hitting third and playing left field. Harper pinch-hit in the eighth inning last night and was intentionally walked. He'll try and go a full nine innings tonight. As expected, catcher Wilson Ramos is out of the lineup after aggravating a left hamstring injury last night. This is the third time this season that Ramos has injured his left hamstring, and while the Nationals...

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Ramos re-injures hamstring, Gonzalez dealing with tight back

August 13, 2013, 8:33pm

Nationals

Ramos re-injures hamstring, Gonzalez dealing with tight back

The Nationals picked up their fourth straight win with tonight's 4-2 victory over the Giants, but they suffered a loss, as well. Catcher Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring, which has already twice landed him on the disabled list this season, during tonight's game. The good news is that this time, the hamstring doesn't appear to be severely strained, but manager Davey Johnson said that Ramos will be sidelined for the time being. "He re-injured, not too bad, but it's the same time...

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Postgame reactions to the win and the Gonzalez/Werth dugout spat

August 13, 2013, 8:51pm

Nationals

Postgame reactions to the win and the Gonzalez/Werth dugout spat

Before we get into the 4-2 Nationals victory, let's hear from the guys involved in, and close to, the first-inning dugout confrontation between Jayson Werth and Gio Gonzalez that was seen on the MASN broadcast. Well, we'll hear from some of the guys involved in the incident. Werth declined to comment after the game, and Gonzalez was only willing to say that what happened "stays between me and Werth." Manager Davey Johnson, however, was close by when Werth spoke a few choice words to...

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David Huzzard: A few thoughts on hope

August 14, 2013, 5:32am

Nationals

The Nationals' four-game winning streak is a small glimmer of hope, faint light from a far off place. In "The Dark Knight Rises," Bane shows Batman the means to escape his prison. It is a one-in-a-million shot. One person out of all the prisoners had done it and it was a mystery as to if that were fact or fiction. It is the nature of hope. Hope cannot exist without despair. The 2013 Nationals have been full of despair and this small glimmer of hope shouldn't excite anyone. The Nationals...

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LaRoche LaRocks one (Nats win 4-2)

August 13, 2013, 6:39pm

Nationals

That headline was terrible. I'm truly sorry. It's 10:30 p.m. and we're only in the sixth inning and I've had three cups of coffee. The rest of the night could be interesting. Adam LaRoche has given the Nationals a 3-1 lead after six innings thanks to his two-run homer that was demolished way out to right. The ball was hit with such force that it caromed off the facade above the Nats bullpen and nearly ricocheted back onto the field. That's the LaRoche that we saw pretty often last...

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Gonzalez, Werth involved in dugout dispute (Giants tie it up)

August 13, 2013, 3:48pm

Nationals

Gonzalez, Werth involved in dugout dispute (Giants tie it up)

Gio Gonzalez and Jayson Werth were involved in a bit of a confrontation in the Nationals dugout after the top of the first inning tonight, presumably because of Gonzalez's failure to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side. The play in question came on a Buster Posey ground ball to first base with runners at first and second with one out. Gonzalez hesitated making a move off the mound toward first base, and didn't get to the bag in nearly enough time for Ian Desmond to deliver a...