Detwiler not perfect, but not far from it (Captain Hook strikes again)

Detwiler not perfect, but not far from it (Captain Hook strikes again)
Mark Ellis ended Ross Detwiler's perfect night with a solo homer leading off the fourth inning. Outside of that, the Dodgers have done almost nothing against Detwiler thus far. The Nationals lefty has faced just two over the minimum through five innings, needing just 63 pitches to get to this point. He has a 4-1 lead going to the sixth. Detwiler was absolutely dominant in his first three innings of work, retiring all nine hitters he faced, with four strikeouts. It was a fairly small...

Johnson gets an apology from ump (plus Clippard notes)

Johnson gets an apology from ump (plus Clippard notes)
One part of last night's blown call at home plate that Nationals manager Davey Johnson failed to mention after the game was that he actually received an apology from home plate umpire Alan Porter. Porter blew a call in the top of the fourth inning, giving the Dodgers a run when Adrian Gonzalez was clearly tagged out before Matt Kemp crossed home plate. The umpires declined to comment to reporters after the game, but Porter apparently fessed up to his error shortly after it...

Cole Kimball added to Arizona Fall League roster

Cole Kimball added to Arizona Fall League roster
The Nationals have confirmed that right-handed power reliever Cole Kimball has been added to their Arizona Fall League affiliate, the Salt River Rafters, which begins play October 9. Kimball appears on the active roster of the Rafters here. Kimball has fully recovered from right rotator cuff surgery, which ended his season in July 2011. This will be Kimball's second tour in the Arizona Fall League, making the splash there in 2010. He has since recovered from shoulder surgery that forced him...

Dodgers-Nats lineups

Dodgers-Nats lineups
Ross Detwiler starts as the Nationals look to wrap up a playoff spot tonight, something they can accomplish with a win over the Dodgers. Detwiler has been on a bit of a roll lately, going 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA over his last six starts. He faces Chris Capuano, who hasn't won since Aug. 12. For the Nats: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P Ross Detwiler For the Dodgers: 2B Mark Ellis LF Shane...

Chien-Ming Wang to start for Nats Sunday

Chien-Ming Wang to start for Nats Sunday
Davey Johnson has decided on his starter for Sunday's game against the Brewers. He's going with Chien-Ming Wang. Wang pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the Nationals last night, allowing two hits and striking out one. That performance was enough to get the veteran right-hander the start on Sunday. Johnson said he liked how Wang threw yesterday, and saw good sink on Wang's two-seam fastball. "The other guy I was (considering) was (Craig) Stammen, but I really like the role (he's in),"...

This and that as Nationals pile up club records during magical season

This and that as Nationals pile up club records during magical season
When the Nationals defeated the Dodgers, 3-1, in Game 1 of their doubleheader, they reached a club record of 90 wins on the season with 14 games left in the regular season. The Nationals now have 45 wins at home and on the road this season. The 45 wins at home are a new club record, as they won 44 games at home in 2011. Nationals Park has become a true home-field advantage; the Nationals are 89-64 (.582) there since beginning of 2011. Even in 2010, the home-field advantage was apparent as...

About last night

About last night
It was nearly one of the most thrilling, electrifying wins of the season, and if it had come to fruition, it would have clinched the Nationals a playoff spot in dramatic fashion. Down six, with six outs to go and three of their key hitters out of the game, the Nationals went on the comeback trail, bringing 12 men to the plate in one inning, tying the game and sending Nats Park into a frenzy. "It was an awesome inning to be a part of," said Michael Morse, who had a home run and a two-run,...

Flores "in shock," Clippard says "it's a tough one to swallow"

Flores "in shock," Clippard says "it's a tough one to swallow"
Jesus Flores had a pretty good view of the controversial play in the fourth inning tonight when home plate ump Alan Porter incorrectly called Matt Kemp safe at home. When Ryan Zimmerman placed a tag on Adrian Gonzalez for the third out of the inning, Kemp was still a good distance away from Flores and home plate. And the Nationals' catcher says he was blown away by what he saw as a "terrible call." "I didn't know they were arguing about the play, because when I saw Zimmerman tagging...

David Huzzard: How replay could have helped the Nats

David Huzzard: How replay could have helped the Nats
June 16: Tyler Moore crosses home plate ahead of the tag but is called out by home plate umpire Tim Timmons. September 15: Adam LaRoche is ruled to have come off the bag by Marvin Hudson. The runner is called safe and the following batter, Jason Heyward, hits a two-run, game-tying homer. September 19: Home plate umpire Alan Porter forgets to watch Matt Kemp running to home as Ryan Zimmerman makes the tag on Adrian Gonzalez. The umpires decide to award the Dodgers with an additional run. Every...

Johnson talks blown call, comeback after Nats' 7-6 loss

Johnson talks blown call, comeback after Nats' 7-6 loss
When home plate umpire Alan Porter ruled that Matt Kemp had touched home plate before Ryan Zimmerman tagged out Adrian Gonzalez for the final out of the fourth inning, it didn't seem like a huge deal. The Nationals were already trailing 5-0 at the time and starter John Lannan had been knocked out of the game. Kemp's run just added another tally onto what seemed like a lopsided affair. Turns out, that run ended up playing a major factor in the outcome of today's game. And Davey Johnson...

Chien-Ming Wang settles in after wild pitch to go 2 1/3 innings

Chien-Ming Wang settles in after wild pitch to go 2 1/3 innings
In his first appearance with the Nationals since June 30, right-hander Chien-Ming Wang fought back from a first offering wild pitch to go 2 1/3 innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in Game 2 of a doubleheader. The Nationals eventually lost the game 7-6. He had been active since September 4, when he returned from a lengthy rehab assignment at Double-A Harrisburg. Wang had allowed 12 total runs in his final two minor league appearances. But Wednesday, manager Davey Johnson said Wang...

How's this for a comeback? (Nats lose 7-6)

How's this for a comeback? (Nats lose 7-6)
Josh Beckett had pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Davey Johnson had essentially thrown in the towel, taking Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche and Jayson Werth out of the game. It sure looked like the Nationals were going to have to wait another day to lock up a playoff spot. Well, maybe not. Six Nats runs came around to score in the bottom of the eighth, turning a laugher for the Dodgers into a fantastic ballgame. Twelve Nats came to the plate as they smacked two homers...

A different John Lannan (Beckett shutting down Nats' bats)

A different John Lannan (Beckett shutting down Nats' bats)
In John Lannan's first three major league starts this season, he allowed a total of five earned runs, pitched to a 2.41 ERA and earned the win in all three games. I was starting to believe the Nationals would be best off just running Lannan out there every day. You can't argue with guy who wins every time he takes the mound, can you? It wasn't the same Lannan out there today. And there's no chance Lannan moves to 4-for-4 in the win category. The lefty went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing...

Quotes after Nats' 3-1 win in Game 1 (plus Game 2 lineups)

Quotes after Nats' 3-1 win in Game 1 (plus Game 2 lineups)
The Nationals are at the 90-win mark. One more and they've locked up a postseason spot, marking the first time since 1933 that there will be a playoff baseball team in D.C. But again, the Nats insist they don't have eyes set on clinching a Wild Card spot. Their goal is the NL East title, and their magic number to lock up the division now sits at nine. "The only thing that's going to mean anything to me is when we clinch the pennant," manager Davey Johnson said. "That's the only number...

Zimmerman gets another cortisone shot, offseason surgery possible

Zimmerman gets another cortisone shot, offseason surgery possible
It's been nearly three months since Ryan Zimmerman had the cortisone shot which turned around his season. Today, Zimmerman is getting another dose of cortisone to help his ailing right shoulder. Manager Davey Johnson said today that Zimmerman will get another cortisone shot before today's game, his fourth such shot this season. Minor offseason surgery to clean up the shoulder is a possibility, Johnson said. Zimmerman's shoulder inflammation has been bothering him a bit recently, and he's...

"Team Cortisone" looking just fine (Nats win 3-1)

"Team Cortisone" looking just fine (Nats win 3-1)
I've decided that I'm calling the duo of Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa "Team Cortisone". Both guys have an ailing shoulder, both guys got a cortisone shot help alleviate the pain and let them keep playing. And both guys have looked just fine in the first game of today's doubleheader. Zimmerman is 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Espinosa is 2-for-2. Each also made a sparkling defensive play in the fifth inning. Espinosa ranged to his left and to glove a grounder off the bat...

A primer on the new postseason set-up in Major League Baseball

A primer on the new postseason set-up in Major League Baseball
As the Nationals continue to whittle away their magic number for clinching the National League East, it seems like an appropriate time to take a closer look at how the postseason will work in 2012. Major League Baseball has done some tinkering with the format, changes necessitated by the addition this season of an extra wild card team in each league. Here's the basics you'll want to know (but for reasons I'll explain later, I'd caution against marking them in ink on your...

Espinosa, Morse in Nats lineup

Espinosa, Morse in Nats lineup
Because of injuries, Michael Morse hadn't played since Sept. 11 and Danny Espinosa feared he'd have to miss some time. Well, both are in the Nationals' lineup for the first game of today's doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Morse sat out with a left wrist ailment while Espinosa hurt his left shoulder, an injury since revealed as a bone bruise and not a torn labrum. For the Nats: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse SS Ian...

Johnson wants right-hander for Sunday; believes Zimmermann still throwing "very good"

Johnson wants right-hander for Sunday; believes Zimmermann still throwing "very good"
Right-handers Craig Stammen and Chien-Ming Wang are the likely candidates to get a spot start on Sunday, according to manager Davey Johnson. Johnson does not want any of his regular starting rotation to have to come back on three days rest and prefers a right-hander against the Brewers' power-hitting lineup. He has not made his selection yet, wanting to wait to see how his bullpen is taxed here in the Dodgers series. "It depends on these next couple of games," Johnson said. "It could be...

Souza excels in full season, ready to make noise at instructional league

Souza excels in full season, ready to make noise at instructional league
Right-hand hitting outfielder Steven Souza, Jr., took a big step forward in 2012, putting together a full season that displayed his power and skill on the baseball diamond. With a .290 average, 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 70 games at low Single-A Hagerstown, Souza earned a promotion back to high Single-A Potomac and kept on going. He finished the year with a combined .297 average in 97 games, with 23 homers, 85 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Although Souza missed some time with various injuries to...