nationals

Frustration slowly building, but confidence remains

April 23, 2013, 8:02pm

Davey Johnson says it's time to get mad. He's frustrated with the Nationals' 10-10 start to the 2013 season and wants to see his boys get their act in gear. That should start, Johnson says, with a little anger. How exactly do the guys do that, though? Do they smash bats over their knees following strikeouts? Do they throw their gloves to the ground after failing to get to a fly ball in the gap? Do they smack a security guard after yet another loss? (I sure hope not.) Johnson's point, of...

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David Huzzard: The Espinosa-Lombardozzi debate isn't much of one at all

April 24, 2013, 5:11am

Nationals

David Huzzard: The Espinosa-Lombardozzi debate isn't much of one at all

The Danny Espinosa/Steve Lombardozzi debate highlights many fascinating aspects of baseball fandom. It is tools vs. grit, slash line vs. batting average, and strikeouts vs. productive outs. The main issue is that in every meaningful category for their careers, Espinosa is a better player. Look at the two slash lines. Espinosa, for his career, is at .236/.311/.407 and Lombardozzi is at .273/.314/.352. While the increase in contact rate is aesthetically pleasing, it is close to meaningless...

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Davey Johnson: "It's time to get mad"

April 23, 2013, 6:54pm

Nationals

Typically a guy that preaches the need to keep an even keel over the course of a 162-game season, Davey Johnson has seen about enough. His Nationals team - the same one that was picked by many to win the World Series, the same team that Johnson felt was talented enough that he declared its motto to be "World Series or bust" - is now a .500 squad, owners of a 10-10 record. After tonight's 2-0 loss to the Cardinals, the Nats have now lost eight of their last 11 games, and Johnson is starting...

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LaRoche's four strikeouts a symbol of Nationals' recent offensive woes

April 23, 2013, 7:07pm

Nationals

The frustration that the Nationals feel as an offense can be summed up in the roughest of nights at the plate for first baseman Adam LaRoche. Four times he faced one of his best friends, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, and four times the right-hander struck out LaRoche. The strikeout in the sixth was the toughest to take with the bases loaded and his team trailing by 2-0. Manager Davey Johnson said maybe it is time to get mad. It is obvious that everyone in this clubhouse is extremely...

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The offensive issues continue (Nats fall to Cardinals 2-0)

April 23, 2013, 4:57pm

Nationals

The offensive issues continue (Nats fall to Cardinals 2-0)

Ross Detwiler has turned in four really strong starts, but he only has one win to show for it. The Nationals left-hander allowed two runs over six innings tonight against a tough Cardinals lineup, but he leaves on the hook for the loss with the Nats trailing 2-0 heading to the seventh. The Nats offense was struggling coming into tonight, and they've had major issues with Adam Wainwright this evening. The Cardinals righty allowed just one hit through five innings and then worked his way out...

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Davey Johnson's theories on Detwiler's success, Nats' struggles

April 23, 2013, 2:27pm

Nationals

Davey Johnson's theories on Detwiler's success, Nats' struggles

Prior to last night's game, MASN cameras caught Nationals manager Davey Johnson doing push-ups against the dugout bench. Yes, the Nats' 70-year-old skipper was getting in a quick workout before first pitch. Dan Steinberg of The Post has the GIF of the push-ups. This afternoon, Johnson was asked what exactly was going on there. "I was trying to get some blood flowing, that's all I was doing," Johnson said, breaking into a smile. "I didn't know it was gonna be televised. Trying to get...

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Stammen's consistent outings are backbone of Nationals bullpen

April 23, 2013, 2:24pm

Nationals

Lost in some of the rough outings for the bullpen has been the consistent pitching of right-hander Craig Stammen. More often than not, Stammen has come in during high-pressure situations and delivered. A case in point was Monday night versus St. Louis. Stammen relieved starter Dan Haren, who had allowed a hit by pitch, two singles and walk. Already with a run in, the Cardinals were one big hit away from blowing a close game wide open. But Stammen steadied the inning. With the bases loaded,...

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Waiting for the offense to come around

April 23, 2013, 5:40am

Nationals

It seems there's been a bit of a power outage in D.C. over the last couple weeks. The Nationals, a team that on paper has a balanced, skilled lineup with a nice mix of guys who reach base at a high clip and can mash the ball out of the park, have seen their bats go quiet recently, to the surprise to some of the guys in the clubhouse. "We're not getting the big hits," Adam LaRoche said. "A lot of quick innings. Not a ton of baserunners. And five or six guys that aren't swinging the bat...

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Johnson discusses Haren, offensive struggles after 3-2 loss

April 22, 2013, 6:59pm

Nationals

Johnson discusses Haren, offensive struggles after 3-2 loss

As Davey Johnson sat down in front of reporters for his postgame press conference tonight, he let out a deep sigh. The Nationals are now 10-9 on the season after tonight's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals. They're treading water at the moment, searching for signs that they're making progress and on the way to snapping out of this funk to open the 2013 season. Dan Haren failed to retire a batter in the sixth inning for the fourth straight start but, compared to his previous three outings, tonight...

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Dan Haren: "It's close. It's going to turn around"

April 22, 2013, 7:29pm

Nationals

Dan Haren: "It's close. It's going to turn around"

Dan Haren was asked after tonight's game whether he viewed his outing - in which he allowed three runs on six hits over five-plus innings - as a step in the right direction after failing to reach the sixth inning in any of his previous three starts. "Not really," Haren said. "I want more out of myself than five innings, giving up three runs and (Craig) Stammen bailing me out of that jam. I've been around for 10 years. I'm used to throwing seven, eight innings every time. I've thrown 200...

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Ted Leavengood: DÃƒÂ©jÃƒÂ vu all over again

April 22, 2013, 6:46pm

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: DÃƒÂ©jÃƒÂ vu all over again

There was something eerie watching Drew Storen work a perfect eighth inning against the Cardinals last night. More uncanny is the similarity of Ryan Zimmerman going on the DL on both April 20, 2012 and April 21, 2013. Zimmerman was hitting a lusty .224 with a single home run and seven RBIs last year and fast forward to Sunday, and Zimmerman is hitting .226 with a single homer. Last year, Bryce Harper was summoned just a week later. He was well ahead of schedule and started slow. But he caught...

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A mixed bag from Haren (Nats lose 3-2)

April 22, 2013, 4:58pm

Nationals

We saw two sides of Dan Haren tonight. For most of his first five innings of work, we got the sharp, effective Haren. That Haren has good control, works quickly and shows impressive movement with his sinker and offspeed stuff. Haren looked especially good in his first two innings, as well as the fourth, where he was able to work around a couple hits and let his defenders put in work behind him. In the sixth inning, we saw the other Haren - the one that was on the mound through the veteran...

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Desmond thinks Nats made "huge step in the right direction" despite loss

April 22, 2013, 7:13pm

Nationals

Desmond thinks Nats made "huge step in the right direction" despite loss

Monday's 3-2 setback to the Cardinals was the Nationals' second straight loss and seventh in their last 10 games. But shortstop Ian Desmond saw something in the tough defeat, which he believes the team can use to build on for their next game. "We played a much better game," Desmond said. "This was one of our better games of the year. We played good. That one ball just drops in. We are close. That was a good sign." Desmond was up in a critical situation with men on second and third base...

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Haren trails again (Rendon's first major league hit is a big one)

April 22, 2013, 3:54pm

Nationals

Haren trails again (Rendon's first major league hit is a big one)

There haven't been many innings that Dan Haren has completed this season in which he's held a lead. Four innings, to be precise. Haren trails again after three innings here tonight after allowing a two-run double to Allen Craig in the third. Denard Span nearly made a remarkable grab of Craig's deep fly ball to the wall in left-center, leaping at the fence and making a stab at the ball. The Nationals' center fielder got his glove on it but couldn't squeeze the third out, and the ball...

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Soriano unavailable after birth of child, plus notes on Haren, Rendon, Ramos

April 22, 2013, 1:38pm

Nationals

Soriano unavailable after birth of child, plus notes on Haren, Rendon, Ramos

A little more than six months after Drew Storen allowed four runs to the Cardinals in the ninth inning in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, he might be called upon for another save opportunity against St. Louis. Rafael Soriano is not with the Nationals today after leaving to be with his wife in New York for the birth of the couple's second child, a boy. As a result, Storen would get the ninth inning if the Nats get a save opportunity. "We've been kind of planning this day for...

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LaRoche on Nats' defensive struggles: "Very surprising"

April 22, 2013, 2:47pm

Nationals

LaRoche on Nats' defensive struggles: "Very surprising"

The Cardinals are back in D.C. for the first time since they rolled out of here with a dramatic series win over the Nationals in the National League Division Series last October, and while Nats players have put that loss behind them and know this is a new season, they admit it'd be nice to get a little payback over the next three days. "Are we going to make it a bigger deal than what it is? No," Danny Espinosa said. "Would it be nice to beat them? Yeah." Said Adam LaRoche: "I don't...

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Rendon excited for debut at Nationals Park

April 22, 2013, 1:56pm

Nationals

Nationals' top prospect Anthony Rendon is excited to make his home debut tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals. The former Rice star was eager to get back on the field after his first game in New York on Sunday. Rendon went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and made a catch error at third base. Today, he returns to the starting lineup, batting sixth and at third base. "It was good," Rendon said. "Good to get the first one out of the way. I don't think you can do any worse. You can't go...

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Haren hoping to turn things around against the Cards

April 22, 2013, 11:35am

Nationals

Haren hoping to turn things around against the Cards

The Cardinals return to D.C. today for the first time since rudely knocking the Nationals out of the 2012 playoffs in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. I'm guessing Pete Kozma won't be getting too many free beers in the district over the next three days. The Cards, like the Nats, have a 10-8 record on the season. They've won six of their last 10. Shelby Miller, St. Louis' young stud, will take the mound tonight. He's gotten off to a really nice start to the season, going...

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Returning home still searching for some answers

April 22, 2013, 5:27am

Nationals

Returning home still searching for some answers

Leading into this week's sets of games against the Cardinals and Reds, two tough, talented playoff teams from a year ago, the Nationals went on the road last week to face the two National League East teams everyone expects to finish at the bottom of the division for a second straight season. Six games against the Marlins and Mets? That'll be the remedy for whatever has been ailing this Nationals team early on this season, right? Not really. Instead of getting things back on track in Miami...

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2013 D.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductees to be honored before April 28 Reds-Nats game

April 22, 2013, 7:21am

Nationals

2013 D.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductees to be honored before April 28 Reds-Nats game

Ten new members of the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame will be honored prior to the Washington Nationals series finale against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, April 28 at Nationals Park. This year, the renowned sports club will enshrine the following inductees: * Elgin Baylor - Former NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer * Bobby Beathard - Former General Manager, Washington Redskins * Dave Bing - Former NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer * Maurice "Maus" Collins - Former Head...