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Desmond erasing memories of early-season errors with extra-base hits

April 10, 2013, 7:21pm

Shortstop Ian Desmond rolled to another big day at the plate in Wednesday's 5-2 Nationals win over the White Sox. Desmond went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, scoring two runs. On Tuesday, he also had a pair of hits, including his second homer of the season. He now has seven extra-base hits in eight games. Saturday was his first homer, which came after he had made two errors in a game the Nationals won 7-6 in 11 innings at Cincinnati. Desmond said he was itching for the opportunity...

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Nationals announce 2013 Patriotic Series and military branch days

April 11, 2013, 12:19pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today announced the games that will comprise the 2013 Patriotic Series presented by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), during which the team will encourage fans to celebrate the American spirit while enjoying the national pastime at Nationals Park. In addition, the Nationals will launch a special series of games that will pay tribute to each of the five branches of our nation's military throughout the season. To mark Military Appreciation Day, the...

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Rachel Levitin: A changing of the guard?

April 11, 2013, 5:24am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A changing of the guard?

When I moved to D.C. in 2005, I learned all I needed to know about the Nationals (at the time) rather quickly. It was the middle of August, the team was decent and they were on the verge of a winning season. Truth be told, I only went to a couple games before August turned into September. Then Ryan Zimmerman made his major league debut on Sept. 1. My memory's fading and I honestly can't recall whether or not I was physically at that game, but I do know I spent an awful lot of time at RFK...

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Hearing from Desmond and Harper

April 10, 2013, 7:28pm

Nationals

The umpires might have hit a traffic jam on their way to the stadium this afternoon, causing a 16-minute delay, but there are plenty of guys in the Nationals clubhouse who can relate. Ian Desmond is one of them. "I've got no problem with it. I've been stuck in traffic many a time here in D.C.," Desmond said. "I'm surprised they got here as fast as they did. It's always an adventure." White Sox starter Gavin Floyd had a bit of an adventure in the middle innings tonight. After putting...

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Johnson on bullpen struggles, plus Garcia and Kimball updates

April 10, 2013, 2:33pm

Nationals

Johnson on bullpen struggles, plus Garcia and Kimball updates

Apparently, the Nationals experienced some technical difficulties during last night's game when the video system they use to track pitches and locations in real time went down. The system eventually was fixed by the time the game was in the middle innings, but the Nats had to adjust their normal in-game plan without the video. "We couldn't follow it," Davey Johnson said. "Rick (Eckstein, hitting coach) usually goes in there and then reports to everybody about what (the pitcher is) doing....

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Johnson discusses Nats' 5-2 win

April 10, 2013, 7:04pm

Nationals

Some starting pitchers map out their pregame routine so carefully that an unexpected 16-minute delay would totally throw them out of whack. Jordan Zimmermann is not one of those pitchers. Zimmermann needed to wait a bit longer than normal to throw his first pitch tonight because the umpires got stuck in traffic and were late to the stadium. There apparently was an immigration rally at the Capital today, which caused a massive backup, and the unsuspecting umps got caught up in it. The game...

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No delay is going to slow Zimmermann now

April 10, 2013, 6:59pm

Nationals

No delay is going to slow Zimmermann now

The Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann put together another quality start Wednesday night. A delay because the umpires were stuck in traffic was no distraction for the right-hander. He went seven innings and allowed just two runs in a 5-2 victory over the White Sox. Did the delay at the start of the game shake his preparation? "I had plenty enough time," Zimmermann confirmed. "They let me know pretty early. They told me to be prepared to sit around a little bit." So what did Zimmermann...

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Harper visits the second deck (that's all for Zimmermann)

April 10, 2013, 4:28pm

Nationals

Harper visits the second deck (that's all for Zimmermann)

Tonight's game was delayed 16 minutes - not because of rain, but because the umpires were stuck in traffic. C'mon, fellas. Plan ahead here. In Adam Dunn's return to Nationals Park, Bryce Harper crushed a home run to the seats that Dunn used to visit on a consistent basis. Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Harper took the first pitch he saw from White Sox starter Gavin Floyd - an 86 mph cutter - and smoked it into the second deck in right field. The solo shot was Harper's fourth home...

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Zimmermann, Desmond lead Nats to 5-2 win

April 10, 2013, 5:57pm

Nationals

Zimmermann, Desmond lead Nats to 5-2 win

Backed by a strong seven innings of work by Jordan Zimmermann and three extra-base hits from Ian Desmond, the Nationals beat the White Sox 5-2 in front of 24,586 at Nats Park. The Nats' second win over Chicago in as many nights gives them the series win, and Dan Haren will take the mound tomorrow night as Washington will shoot for the sweep. Zimmermann allowed two runs and seven hits over seven tidy frames. He needed just 90 pitches to get his way through seven and surely could've gone...

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Renda ready to get going after move up to Hagerstown

April 05, 2013, 11:27am

Nationals

Renda ready to get going after move up to Hagerstown

Second baseman Tony Renda has moved his way up from short-season Single-A Auburn to Single-A Hagerstown and is the leadoff hitter for the Suns. The second-round 2012 selection (80th overall) says manager Gary Cathcart was instrumental in his improvement and experience for the Doubledays. "Auburn was a great experience for me," Renda said. "I got to play for a great manager in Gary Cathcart. I got to learn how to become a professional, how to go about your business in a professional way....

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Adam Dunn playing left field, batting cleanup for White Sox

April 10, 2013, 11:37am

Nationals

Adam Dunn playing left field, batting cleanup for White Sox

He didn't make an appearance in last night's 8-7 Nationals win, but Adam Dunn is in the White Sox lineup for tonight's contest. Dunn will hit cleanup for Chicago and will play left field. It'll be interesting to see what type of response Dunn gets from the Nats Park crowd in his first plate appearance tonight. This will be Dunn's first game played at Nats Park since 2010. He wore a Nats jersey from 2009-2010 and slugged 78 home runs during his tenure in D.C. Dunn spoke yesterday about...

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The many ways Denard Span can impact a game

April 10, 2013, 5:19am

Nationals

The many ways Denard Span can impact a game

Michael Morse crushed another home run for the Mariners last night, giving the former Nationals slugger six bombs and nine RBIs through the season's first nine games. Nationals fans might cringe seeing those totals. Morse, after all, is a guy the Nats traded away this offseason, choosing to go with Denard Span in center, Bryce Harper in left and Adam LaRoche at first base rather than keeping things status quo by leaving Harper in center, Morse in left and LaRoche at first. General manager...

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David Huzzard: In battle for NL East, Braves-Nats head-to-head battles are critical

April 09, 2013, 6:39pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: In battle for NL East, Braves-Nats head-to-head battles are critical

The National League East is going to come down to the Braves and Nationals, and it could be even closer than the four games that separated them in 2012. The Nats have the advantage in starting pitching, while the Braves have a slight advantage on offense and in the bullpen, with the defenses being fairly even. The Braves are going to score a lot of runs, but with Paul Maholm, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran at the back of their rotation, they are going to need all the runs they can get to win...

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Drake LaRoche to his father: "It's about time"

April 09, 2013, 8:21pm

Nationals

Drake LaRoche to his father: "It's about time"

When Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche came into the clubhouse after tonight's 8-7 win over the White Sox, he had a visitor waiting for him by his locker. It was his 11-year-old son, Drake, who had a message for his father. "It's about time," Drake said, patting his dad on the back. Drake then turned and walked away. "I think he was getting fed up with the 0-fers," the elder LaRoche joked to reporters later. After starting the season 0-for-15, LaRoche busted out in a big way...

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Johnson discusses Nats' wild 8-7 win

April 09, 2013, 7:37pm

Nationals

There were six home runs hit in tonight's ballgame. The Nationals and White Sox combined to put up 24 hits. Over the final eight half-innings, at least one run was scored in seven of them. "Wasn't pretty," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said as he sat down for his postgame press conference. Johnson then took a deep breath. It was one of those kinds of nights, but at least it ended in a win. Gio Gonzalez needed 99 pitches to get through five innings of work, this after he threw 33...

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Johnson confident in bullpen despite late runs by Reds, White Sox

April 09, 2013, 7:44pm

Nationals

Johnson confident in bullpen despite late runs by Reds, White Sox

The 14 homers the Nationals have hit in the first seven games of the season help mask some troublesome signs early from the bullpen. In Tuesday's 8-7 win over the White Sox, the bullpen allowed two huge home runs that could have lost the game. Up 6-2 in the seventh, Tyler Clippard surrendered a three-run shot to Paul Konerko to make it 6-5. In the ninth, Rafael Soriano gave up a two-run homer to Alex Rios, and an 8-5 lead was dwindled to 8-7. Fortunately for the Nationals, they were able to...

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Werth's bat shining in balanced Nationals lineup

April 09, 2013, 8:34pm

Nationals

First a home run by Jayson Werth. Then, another huge RBI base hit in the next at-bat. Three big RBIs that helped to decide an 8-7 win over the White Sox. The veteran right-fielder believes a move to the second spot in lineup allows him a bit more freedom to take some calculated chances at the plate. "I think I have been more aggressive this year," Werth said. "But usually I am aggressive when I feel good at the plate. When I am not as aggressive, I don't feel as good. It just...

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Werth keeps on crushing (Nationals eke out 8-7 win)

April 09, 2013, 5:13pm

Nationals

In his second at-bat tonight, Jayson Werth smoked a ball 400 feet to straightaway center. It died at the wall, and White Sox center fielder Alejandro De Aza brought it in for a loud out. In his third at-bat tonight, Werth took a shorter path to the seats. He crushed the first pitch he saw from Jake Peavy - a 90 mph two-seam fastball - deep into the left field bleachers. The two-run shot gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead, which they hold after six innings of play. Werth now has three home runs in...

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Adam Dunn: "It's great to be back"

April 09, 2013, 2:08pm

Nationals

Nationals fans will have to wait at least a few innings to give Adam Dunn a true welcome back to D.C. After all, this is interleague play, and Dunn isn't the most skilled defensive player out there. With no designated hitter in the lineup and the visiting White Sox having Paul Konerko already locked in as their first baseman, Dunn won't be starting in his return to Nationals Park. Still, Dunn, who played in D.C. from 2009-2010, is happy to be back in the district, getting a chance to see...

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Gonzalez battling himself this time out (Nats take the lead)

April 09, 2013, 4:41pm

Nationals

Gonzalez battling himself this time out (Nats take the lead)

Gio Gonzalez threw 91 pitches over six shutout innings in his season debut last week, but he seems like a different guy tonight. It's taken the Nationals left-hander 84 pitches to get through four innings against the White Sox, as he's walked two, allowed three hits and had trouble putting Chicago hitters away. Gonzalez needed 33 pitches just to get through the top of the first, and his mental miscue brought in the first run of the ballgame. With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on Alexei...