nationals

Tigers-Nationals lineups for Friday's game on MASN

March 22, 2013, 7:18am

VIERA, Fla. - Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Tigers are playing the Nationals today. Yes, for the third time in six days, and the second time in five days at Space Coast Stadium. Today's contest will be broadcast on MASN HD beginning at 1 p.m. Play-by-play voice Bob Carpenter and analyst F.P. Santangelo will have the call. Here are today's lineups: For the Tigers: CF - Quintin Berry RF - Don Kelly DH - Victor Martinez 1B - Prince Fielder C - Brayan Pena LF - Matt...

Comments

Tags:

nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals1

Weekly Wrap: Nats trimming down roster

March 21, 2013, 7:03pm

Nationals

We're nine spring training games and just 10 days away from the Nats' season opener. As opening day is drawing closer, the Nationals have continued to trim their roster. On Monday, the Nats made a handful of cuts. Pitchers Erik Davis, Yunesky Maya and Ryan Perry, catcher Jhonatan Solano, infielder Chris Marrero and outfielder Corey Brown were sent to Triple-A Syracuse. Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Zach Walters were sent to minor league camp. Catcher Chris Snyder was also granted...

Comments

Tags:

nationals nationals buzz nats olivia witherite weekly wrap

Cherry blossoms likely at Nationals Park and Harper could have a big year

March 21, 2013, 7:09pm

Nationals

The Nationals begin the 2013 campaign with a home series against the Miami Marlins. It could also be a spectacular week to view the cherry blossoms in D.C. The National Park Service has announced that the peak viewing time this year has now been pushed back to April 3-6. The Nationals open April 1 at 1:05 p.m. against the Marlins, and are also home April 3-4 against Miami. The left-field pavilion at Nationals Park is lined with cherry blossom trees. This season, the timing might be perfect...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper byron kerr fernando abad nationals frontstory_nationals2

LaRoche on knuckler-induced laughs, Ramos on nine-inning stint

March 21, 2013, 5:38pm

Nationals

LaRoche on knuckler-induced laughs, Ramos on nine-inning stint

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The pitch fluttered toward the plate, and Adam LaRoche had trouble suppressing a laugh. The ball thrown by Tim Hudson, one of LaRoche's former teammates with the Braves and a good friend, dipped and dropped, a cross between a blooper pitch and a knuckleball. What most fans didn't see were the silent hand signals between LaRoche and Hudson before the at-bat with one out in the second inning. Hudson has had some fun at LaRoche's expense in the past, and LaRoche said...

Comments

Tags:

adam laroche nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Johnson on plate collision debate: "We don't need any more rules"

March 21, 2013, 2:22pm

Nationals

Johnson on plate collision debate: "We don't need any more rules"

VIERA, Fla. - This has been the most vanilla of spring camps for the Nationals. No positional battles. No roster intrigue. Nothing but minor injuries (knock on wood). And barely any kind of controversy at all. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Just making an observation. That makes the daily media session with manager Davey Johnson a little different. The chats are generally brief - last year's could last upwards of 20 minutes, but this spring it's been more like 10 minutes or so, with...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontfeatured_nationals

Change in grip on splitter has Haren more hopeful

March 21, 2013, 5:11pm

Nationals

Change in grip on splitter has Haren more hopeful

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - After getting knocked around in his last two starts, all right-hander Dan Haren wanted was some progress, some incremental achievement to show he could still be effective. Tonight at Champion Stadium against the Braves, he weathered a one-inning blip, set down 10 straight hitters and wasn't happy with his his outing ended. After getting an assortment of bad swings and weak grounders one time through the order, Haren allowed a tape-measure homer to Jason Heyward that...

Comments

Tags:

dan haren davey johnson drew storen nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel frontstory_nationals1

Haren, Nationals down 3-0 early (Nats lose 4-3)

March 21, 2013, 2:50pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Dan Haren doesn't look very comfortable on the mound and the Nationals are down 3-0 after two innings at Champion Stadium. Haren ended the first inning by striking out Justin Upton and having catcher Wilson Ramos throw Andrelton Simmons out attempting to steal third. But it was all downhill in the second inning for Haren. Juan Francisco's single and a Chris Johnson double set up a two-run single by Tyler Pastornicky down the left-field line. After Matt Pagnozzi...

Comments

Tags:

dan haren nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel frontstory_nationals1

Soriano gets to root of tooth pain, Bernadina returns and says he's "close"

March 21, 2013, 12:47pm

Nationals

Soriano gets to root of tooth pain, Bernadina returns and says he's "close"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Rafael Soriano's wisdom tooth issues will hopefully be a thing of the past very soon. The Nationals closer was scheduled to undergo a root canal this afternoon near the team's Viera spring headquarters and manager Davey Johnson said he thinks the right-hander might be able to pitch as scheduled Friday against the Tigers at Space Coast Stadium. "I think he had a root canal at 2 o'clock," Johnson said before the Nationals battled the Braves at Champion Field on...

Comments

Tags:

cole kimball davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel rafael soriano roger bernadina spring training frontstory_nationals3 ian desmond

Nats unveil plans for opening day ceremonies

March 21, 2013, 2:39pm

Nationals

Nats unveil plans for opening day ceremonies

Opening day may not be until April 1, but the Nationals have begun filling in the blanks about who will participate in what ceremonies to mark the 2013 season's first game at Nationals Park against the Miami Marlins. First, there's free stuff in your future - assuming you're one of the first 20,000 fans through the gates for the 1:05 p.m. contest. That's how many opening day caps will be distributed, courtesy of GEICO. Additionally, Nats fans are encouraged to wear red to show their...

Comments

Tags:

nationals nationals buzz opening day pete kerzel frontstory_nationals1

Another road start for Haren (plus Nats-Braves lineups)

March 21, 2013, 8:17am

Nationals

Another road start for Haren (plus Nats-Braves lineups)

VIERA, Fla. - Dan Haren gets another crack at finding his velocity and command tonight when the Nationals venture to Champion Field for a 6:05 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves. So far this spring, Haren hasn't looked very good, posting a 5.79 ERA in four starts. A look inside the stats makes Haren's spring starts look even more confounding. In 14 innings pitched, he's yielded 15 hits and nine runs. But most of the damage has been of his own doing - Haren's allowed only three walks,...

Comments

Tags:

dan haren nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals3

Nats acquire pitcher Ian Krol to complete Morse deal

March 20, 2013, 1:34pm

Nationals

Nats acquire pitcher Ian Krol to complete Morse deal

JUPITER, Fla. - The player to be named is no longer nameless. The Nationals today acquired left-handed pitcher Ian Krol from the Oakland A's, completing the Jan. 16 deal for outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse. Morse was shipped to the A's in exchange for Krol and right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen. Oakland then flipped Morse to Seattle for catcher John Jaso. The 21-year-old Krol was drafted by the A's in the seventh round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. In four seasons on...

Comments

Tags:

ian krol nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals3

Johnson willing to give Rodriguez chances to overcome command issues

March 20, 2013, 1:56pm

Nationals

Johnson willing to give Rodriguez chances to overcome command issues

JUPITER, Fla. - Henry Rodriguez will be given every opportunity to work through his command issues, manager Davey Johnson said yesterday after another rough outing from the hard-throwing right-hander. "He's a power arm and he hasn't pitched a lot. ... He didn't pitch winter ball," Johnson said when asked about Rodriguez's struggles. "Once he's healthy, I need to go to him more, try to wear him down and get him comfortable going out there. It's just a matter of him getting enough...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson henry rodriguez nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

With opt-out looming, Young's strong effort will force decisions

March 20, 2013, 1:10pm

Nationals

With opt-out looming, Young's strong effort will force decisions

JUPITER, Fla. - Chris Young's outing Wednesday against the Miami Marlins - five scoreless innings of two-hit ball with nine straight batters retired at one point - may have created quite the win-win dilemma for the veteran right-hander. Young's most effective of three starts this spring lowered his Grapefruit League ERA to 3.00 and set the stage for some serious decision-making. Because he has a March 24 opt-out clause in the minor league deal he inked in February, there's no guarantee...

Comments

Tags:

chris young davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals3

Werth, Harper making trek to Jupiter worthwhile (Nats win 7-5)

March 20, 2013, 9:51am

Nationals

Werth, Harper making trek to Jupiter worthwhile (Nats win 7-5)

JUPITER, Fla. - Given his druthers, Jayson Werth would probably prefer to have remained back at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, done his work early and called it a day. Instead, he's here at Roger Dean Stadium, plugging along with the rest of what's expected to be the Nationals' regular season lineup. For a guy who didn't relish the 90-minute or so bus trek down Interstate 95 - which manager Davey Johnson is well aware of, but really doesn't care about - Werth is making the most of the...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper chris young jayson werth nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel ryan zimmerman spring training frontstory_nationals3

Case closed: Johnson doesn't think 'pen needs second lefty

March 20, 2013, 8:11am

Nationals

Case closed: Johnson doesn't think 'pen needs second lefty

JUPITER, Fla. - With less than two weeks left in camp, Davey Johnson is still fielding questions about whether he needs a second left-hander in his bullpen. And the Nationals manager continues to insist that he's confident that his hard-throwing right-handers can be effective against even the most dangerous left-handed sticks. One word summed up Johnson's feelings: "Stuff." The Nationals continue to look at left-hander Fernando Abad, a non-roster invitee, as a potential complement to...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals1

If Nats starters can go long, bullpen is set up to close deal

March 20, 2013, 8:30am

Nationals

If Nats starters can go long, bullpen is set up to close deal

The Nationals' group of late-inning specialists, consisting of Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen and Rafael Soriano, could be that 1-2-3 punch at the end of games that manager Davey Johnson envisions. If these three can be like the Atlanta Braves' final three (Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel), the Nationals, as Johnson hopes, can shorten games to six innings. Here is my blog about those three from February. And with a starting five of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan...

Comments

Tags:

braves byron kerr craig kimbrel dan haren gio gonzalez jordan zimmermann nationals ross detwiler stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals2

Nationals-Marlins lineups (plus Bernadina, Soriano notes)

March 20, 2013, 7:48am

Nationals

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals get another look at right-hander Chris Young today against the Miami Marlins, and it could be their last. Signed to a minor league deal Feb. 22 as part of general manager Mike Rizzo's offseason attempt to bolster the Nats' starting pitching depth, Young has an opt-out clause in his contract. He can leave the club March 24 if he doesn't think he'll have a shot at a roster spot - or if he thinks he can find a major league job elsewhere. The Nationals have him...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel rafael soriano roger bernadina spring training frontstory_nationals3

For first base coach Tarasco, focus on preparation leads to new opportunity

March 19, 2013, 6:24am

Nationals

For first base coach Tarasco, focus on preparation leads to new opportunity

VIERA, Fla. - Perhaps no role on a coaching staff is more misunderstood than that of the first base coach. New Nationals first base coach Tony Tarasco knows this. He realizes fans see him point a runner toward second base on a sure-fire double down the line, or grab the batting gloves from a player who has just drawn a walk, and think he has the cushiest job on the diamond. Tarasco, in his first season on Davey Johnson's staff after seven seasons in Washington's minor leagues as an...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel tony tarasco frontstory_nationals1

Johnson cracking the whip and Werth is ready (updated)

March 18, 2013, 1:48pm

Nationals

Johnson cracking the whip and Werth is ready (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - The whip is coming, and Jayson Werth is ready. For several days, Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been pulling his regulars aside and telling them that the somewhat leisurely pace that goes along with a seven-week spring training elongated by the World Baseball Classic is about to change drastically. No more veterans begging off from long bus trips, citing the years they've spent and the presence of rookies. "I'm taking everybody," said Johnson, who pinpointed...

Comments

Tags:

davey johnson jayson werth nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Changing things up, Zimmermann adds to his repertoire

March 18, 2013, 1:02pm

Nationals

Changing things up, Zimmermann adds to his repertoire

VIERA, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann isn't usually prone to wordy dissections of his pitching lines, so when the Nationals right-hander spends more than four minutes responding to questions about his performance, you know he's probably done something of note. In this case, it was the kind of spring start that rarely happens: After surrendering a leadoff single to Andy Dirks on Monday, Zimmermann was as locked in as a pitcher can get, retiring the next 18 hitters in order and spraying ground balls...