nationals

Ted Leavengood: A glass half-full

May 13, 2013, 3:46pm

Losing two home games against the Chicago Cubs is disheartening and, after the excellent game Friday night, it was as if a switch just flipped and the progress of the prior week vanished in the flash of a Stephen Strasburg meltdown. There wasn't much to like on Saturday and Sunday unless you are a ticket rep for the Nationals. They are selling ducats like snow cones in 100-degree heat. Sky-high expectations bring in the fans and despite the cool weather and the failure of the real Nationals...

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Nats smoked out west again (Mattheus to DL; Abad, Maya coming up)

May 20, 2013, 9:08pm

Nationals

Nats smoked out west again (Mattheus to DL; Abad, Maya coming up)

Sunday's game was pretty ugly. This one rivaled it. The Nationals dropped a 13-4 decision to the Padres on Sunday and followed that up with an 8-0 blowout loss to the Giants tonight in the first game of a three-game set. Zach Duke gets stuck with the loss after allowing four runs over 3 1/3 innings in a spot start, but he was far from the only Nationals player to underperform tonight. Craig Stammen surrendered two runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 frames. Henry Rodriguez gutted his way through...

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Duke done in the fourth (updated again)

May 20, 2013, 7:38pm

Nationals

Making his first big league start since July 10, 2011, Zach Duke could go just 3 1/3 innings tonight, and as we go to the fifth inning, Duke and the Nationals trail the Giants 5-0. Duke didn't pitch incredibly poorly tonight, allowing just one extra-base hit in his spot start, but the Giants just base-hit him to death. They put up seven hits on Duke, knocking the veteran left-hander from the game. Craig Stammen came in to relieve Duke and allowed three runs (two of which were charged to...

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Harper returns, Espinosa, Suzuki sit (with Giants lineup)

May 20, 2013, 2:31pm

Nationals

Harper returns, Espinosa, Suzuki sit (with Giants lineup)

Tonight's Nationals lineup will feature Bryce Harper. It will not feature Danny Espinosa or Kurt Suzuki. Harper returns to the Nats lineup after missing the last two games with a sore left knee, an injury suffered during his collision with the right field wall in Dodger Stadium a week ago. The 20-year-old will return to his normal No. 3 spot in the order and will play right field. Steve Lombardozzi will hit in front of Harper and will play second base. Lombardozzi will replace Danny...

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Bit by injury bug, Braves bullpen has gone from a strength to a question (other notes)

May 20, 2013, 6:25pm

Nationals Orioles

Bit by injury bug, Braves bullpen has gone from a strength to a question (other notes)

The Nationals don't have a lefty reliever in their bullpen, and the division-rival Braves are running out of bullpen lefties as well. The Braves will be without lefties Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty, their main setup guys for All-Star Craig Kimbrel. In addition, the Braves are without Jordan Walden, the right-handed reliever they acquired in a trade with the Angels, and ex-Oriole Luis Ayala, who is on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder. Walden should be back next week, but...

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Deciding on Duke (plus some interesting catching numbers)

May 20, 2013, 11:34am

Nationals

Deciding on Duke (plus some interesting catching numbers)

I came across

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Still waiting for things to turn

May 20, 2013, 5:21am

Nationals

The first quarter of the Nationals' 2013 season has been marked by some pretty dramatic inconsistencies. Their record currently at a decent but disappointing 23-21. The Nationals have had stretches where it looked like they were ready to put it all together and begin playing to their potential, like during their five-game winning streak two weeks ago. The vibe in the clubhouse would begin to change, the momentum would seem to start picking up and you'd start thinking that the Nats would...

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LaRoche and Zimmerman continue to rake (Nats lose 13-4)

May 19, 2013, 2:42pm

Nationals

LaRoche and Zimmerman continue to rake (Nats lose 13-4)

For as ice cold as Adam LaRoche was a few weeks ago, he's that scorching hot right now. LaRoche is on a 16-game hitting streak, with his seventh-inning RBI single extending that run. During those 16 games, LaRoche is hitting .382 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. His on-base percentage is .462. Yeah, that would qualify as being on fire. He's not the only one. Ryan Zimmerman is 2-for-4 with three RBIs today, and he also notched an RBI single in the seventh. Over the last 11 games,...

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Harper, Desmond out of Nats lineup

May 19, 2013, 10:08am

Nationals

After a couple days out of town, I'm back in action. Who missed me? Thanks to the MASNsports.com crew for filling in for me recently. Looks like I missed a couple impressive pitching performances. Anyway, enough about me and on to the stuff that matters. Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals lineup again today, missing his second straight contest with a bruised left knee. Ian Desmond will also sit out today, but his absence is merely due to a scheduled day off. This will be the first game...

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A rocky start (and a rocky fifth inning)

May 19, 2013, 12:49pm

Nationals

A rocky start (and a rocky fifth inning)

Six Nationals have come to the plate so far today. All six have been retired by Padres starter Andrew Cashner. Eleven Padres hitters have come to the plate thus far. Five reached base off Dan Haren, and three came around to score. The Nats trail the Padres 3-0 in the finale of this four-game set, which doesn't bode well for Davey Johnson's club, given the lineup the Nats have in play today and the way that this club has struggled scoring runs late in games. Four of the guys in the Nats...

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Zimmermann's in-game adjustments big reason for fast start

May 19, 2013, 8:05am

Nationals

Zimmermann's in-game adjustments big reason for fast start

Saturday's loss at San Diego was tough all around for the Nationals. Any time a team falls 2-1, there are several moments in the game they would love to rewind and try again. But baseball can be a cruel game, and just like any sport, the opportunity was there. Starter Jordan Zimmermann was blaming himself afterward. One for a home run ball early and the other for his bad throw to check a runner hanging off of first base. But the Nationals would not have been in a tie ball game in the...

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Zimmermann a hard-luck loser

May 18, 2013, 7:00pm

Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann and losses are two things that haven't been paired together too often this year. But on a night when the Nationals right-hander lowered his already-stellar ERA from 1.69 to 1.62, he absorbed just his second loss of the season, snapping a personal four-game winning streak with a 2-1 defeat against the Padres. Zimmermann (7-2) pitched his major league-best third complete game of the year, but was burned by his own error - a pickoff throw that got past first and put speedster...

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Duke to start for Detwiler on Monday (Harper out with bruised knee)

May 18, 2013, 2:01pm

Nationals

Duke to start for Detwiler on Monday (Harper out with bruised knee)

With Ross Detwiler's back a concern, the Nationals will turn to long reliever Zach Duke for Monday's start, according to multiple reports from San Diego. Detwiler was forced to leave Wednesday's start after three innings because of spasms in his lower back suffered when reaching for a throw covering first base. An MRI revealed some "irregularity," so the left-hander will miss at least one start. Detwiler has been one of the Nats' most consistent pitchers, going 2-4 with a 2.76 ERA in...

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Friday's thrilling win in San Diego cannot be understated as Nats look to roll

May 17, 2013, 9:59pm

Nationals

Friday's thrilling win in San Diego cannot be understated as Nats look to roll

It is just one game in 162. That is what all the players say, right? Especially when things are not going well. But that game Friday in San Diego was one to remember and one for the record books. The Nationals beat the Padres 6-5 in 10 innings. It was the 10th inning that had a ton of twists and turns that Dan Brown would have been proud to pen. In the top of that extra-inning frame, Padres reliever Huston Street got the first two outs with relative ease. In walks pinch-hitter Chad Tracy,...

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Zimmermann, Nats fall behind early (Nats lose 2-1)

May 18, 2013, 5:12pm

Nationals

Zimmermann, Nats fall behind early (Nats lose 2-1)

Jordan Zimmermann has been doing an exceptional job keeping opponents in the ballpark of late, which made Yonder Alonso's blast to start the second so striking. Alonso's fifth homer gave the Padres a 1-0 lead over the Nationals, making him the first player to clear the fence against Zimmermann since April 21. The Nats right-hander pitched 36 2/3 innings and four full starts in between homers allowed. Zimmermann came into the game as hot as can be. Overall, he started the year 7-1 with a...

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LaRoche's big bat making indelible mark on Nats' latest run

May 17, 2013, 8:56pm

Nationals

LaRoche's big bat making indelible mark on Nats' latest run

Ever since Adam LaRoche swung the bat in two former familiar homes, he has been locked in. And more recently to start the Nationals' 10-game road trip, he has hit four homers in his past three games, including in back-to-back at-bats in Friday's 6-5, 10-inning thriller at San Diego. The former Brave and Pirate got his groove back May 2 at Turner Field, continued it at PNC Park, and has not looked back well into the final weeks of May. Manager Davey Johnson spoke last week about hoping that...

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LaRoche's two homers, Tracy's pinch-hit homer highlight 6-5 extra-inning win at San Diego

May 17, 2013, 6:41pm

Nationals

LaRoche's two homers, Tracy's pinch-hit homer highlight 6-5 extra-inning win at San Diego

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez got behind hitters early, and San Diego was able to get two runs in the first inning. Gonzalez allowed two walks in the first and both came around and scored on a Kyle Blanks single and a two-base throwing error by right fielder Bryce Harper. San Diego led 2-0 after one inning. San Diego fireballer Burch Smith was elusive early with a difficult to catch up with mid-90s fastball. Smith struck out the side in the second inning. Gonzalez surrendered a hit and...

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Lombardozzi in left, Gonzalez on hill at Padres

May 17, 2013, 3:54pm

Nationals

Lombardozzi in left, Gonzalez on hill at Padres

Gio Gonzalez takes the mound tonight at San Diego looking to build on one of his best starts of the season. Gonzalez held the Cubs to two hits over seven scoreless innings Sunday, and was removed after just 86 pitches while holding a 1-0 lead. The Nationals went on to lose 2-1, but the left-hander seems to be on an upswing, having pitched consecutive quality starts for the first time in 2013. The Nats take aim at their second straight win to begin the Padres series with a pretty standard...

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Middle lineup offense will always be key to Nats' resurgence

May 16, 2013, 9:05pm

Nationals

Middle lineup offense will always be key to Nats' resurgence

The Nationals' offense came alive in the first game of their series in San Diego. Adam LaRoche and Bryce Harper crushed home runs, while Steve Lombardozzi and Ryan Zimmerman offered clutch hits in a 6-2 victory over the Padres. It was just the third time in the past seven games that the Nationals had scored at least six runs, all wins. LaRoche now has a 13-game hit streak, the longest of his career. He has home runs in back-to-back games. To see Harper return after Monday's scary collision...

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Werth has setback, Detwiler to have second MRI

May 17, 2013, 7:19am

Nationals

Werth has setback, Detwiler to have second MRI

Outfielder Jayson Werth was expected to play in his second rehab game Thursday night in Potomac. Instead, the veteran right fielder has had a setback to his sore left hamstring. Werth will not be activated off of the 15-day disabled list Saturday, as was previously anticipated. On Wednesday night, Werth went 1-for-2, ran the bases and made a few defensive plays, showing no ill effects from his ailing hamstring. Afterwards, he said the hamstring felt "pretty good." But manager Davey Johnson...