Burnett gives up lead for second straight day (Nats win 4-3)

Burnett gives up lead for second straight day (Nats win 4-3)
Sean Burnett is still in the midst of a career season. He'd just prefer to forget the last 2 1/2 weeks. After an appearance on August 10, Burnett had a 1.81 ERA. He hadn't given up a single run and had allowed just three total baserunners over his previous 10 appearances, spanning nine innings. Since then, things have turned for the worse. Burnett has a 7.50 ERA over his last eight appearances, but even more concerning are the number of baserunners he's allowed. Of the last 35 hitters...

Nats defense hurts Strasburg, then bails him out (Strasburg leaves with lead)

Nats defense hurts Strasburg, then bails him out (Strasburg leaves with lead)
The Nationals have made two errors behind Stephen Strasburg today, both of which left him in jams with runners at the corners and two outs. Both times, Strasburg worked out of trouble to keep the game scoreless. The Nationals' ace can thank Bryce Harper for helping bail him out of the second such situation. Three batters after Ryan Zimmerman airmailed a throw into the stands to allow Allen Craig to reach on a two-base error in the fourth inning, Bryan Anderson lifted a fly ball to medium...

Waiting on the Nats' lineup (Werth a late scratch)

Waiting on the Nats' lineup (Werth a late scratch)
We're less than two hours away from first pitch and are still waiting for the Nationals to send out their lineup for today's game against the Cardinals. The holdup is almost certainly related to Jayson Werth, who was pulled from last night's game in the ninth inning due to a hamstring cramp. Werth didn't sound concerned about the hamstring after the game and said that he hoped to be able to play today. But with it being a day game after a night game and the Nats not wanting the hamstring...

Nats' inability to hold runners frustrating the coaching staff

Nats' inability to hold runners frustrating the coaching staff
Sitting down with Randy Knorr in the dugout late this morning, I told the Nationals' bench coach I'd like to talk about his team's issues with holding and throwing out runners. "Favorite topic," Knorr said sarcastically, a smile creeping across his face. This is a bit of a tired subject for Knorr, who has been preaching the importance of holding runners to Nationals pitchers and catchers this entire season with little success. Knorr, a former catcher who played parts of 11 seasons in the...

Zimmermann blames himself; Storen discusses slow times to the plate

Zimmermann blames himself; Storen discusses slow times to the plate
As off of his game as Jordan Zimmermann was today, the Nationals still held a lead in the eighth inning and were five outs from their third straight win over the Cardinals. That didn't stop Zimmermann from putting the full blame for today's loss on his own shoulders. "I just felt like the offense did a great job. You've got to tip your cap to those guys," Zimmermann said. "They give you six runs, and you do all you can to keep the team in the game and you can't hold it down. So this...

Johnson discusses Nats' 10-9 loss

Johnson discusses Nats' 10-9 loss
Davey Johnson said after today's 10-9 loss to the Cardinals that Jayson Werth was pulled from the game in the ninth inning because of cramping. Werth later said the cramps were in his hamstring, and while he hasn't dealt with that type of a thing during a game in four or five years, he hopes to be able to play tomorrow. Werth and the rest of the Nationals' hitters did their job today, putting up nine runs and battling back to regain the lead in the sixth after the Cardinals had jumped on...

We've got a wild one (Nats lose 10-9)

We've got a wild one (Nats lose 10-9)
The Nationals and Cardinals have played six innings. Seventeen runs have been scored in that time. Five pitchers have been used. Those six innings have taken a whopping 2:22. The Nats led 4-0 and 6-2. The Cardinals then led 8-6. Now the Nationals have the lead yet again, after a three-run sixth inning put them up 9-8. The play which gave the Nationals the lead was as strange as this game has been as a whole. With Jayson Werth at second, Bryce Harper at first and two outs in the sixth,...

The one minor flaw in Zimmerman's defense

The one minor flaw in Zimmerman's defense
When he's stationed at the hot corner, Ryan Zimmerman has the tendency to do the remarkable. I can't even count the number of head shakes Zimmerman has gotten from those of us in the press box this season after another ridiculous stab of a sharp grounder, dive to snag a hot shot or web gem on a tapper down the line. Every now and then, however, Zimmerman gloves a ball, and with plenty of time to make a throw to first, he sprays the throw off-line. Often times, the hurried throws - ones...

Zimmermann's recent struggles appear again

Zimmermann's recent struggles appear again
The Nationals held a 4-0 lead over the Cardinals when Jordan Zimmermann took the mound for the top of the second inning. The guy who led the majors in ERA just a few starts ago proceeded to give up eight runs over his next 2 2/3 innings of work. Zimmermann was pulled after just 3 2/3, making this by far his shortest outing of the season. It was also by far his worst. He allowed eight runs on eight hits, walked one and hit two batters. The Nationals now trail 8-6 as we go to the middle of...

How will the three call-ups fit into the mix?

How will the three call-ups fit into the mix?
Xavier Nady had six RBIs in 40 games with the Nationals this season. He already has three RBIs in his first game since getting called up by the Giants. The veteran outfielder, who signed a minor league deal with the Giants after getting his outright release by the Nationals, has made an early impact with his new team. Who knows, the guy might end up getting playoff shares from two separate teams in the same season. The Nationals clubhouse got a little more crowded today, as John Lannan,...

Nats call-ups and lineup

Nats call-ups and lineup
Rosters have expanded and the Nationals have added four players to their active roster. Left-hander John Lannan, catcher Sandy Leon and outfielder Eury Perez have been officially recalled, while outfielder Mark DeRosa has been activated off the 15-day DL. The Nats also announced that catcher Jhonatan Solano has been reinstated from the DL and optioned to Double-A Harrisburg. More to come. Here's the Nationals lineup for this afternoon: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan...

G. Gonzalez leads Nats to another spanking of World Series champs

G. Gonzalez leads Nats to another spanking of World Series champs
Over the last two nights, the Nationals have outscored the defending World Series champion Cardinals 18-1. A dormant offense has come alive. The top-notch starting pitching has returned, as have the smiles. Tonight, it was Gio Gonzalez wearing the smile for the Nats. To be truthful, Gonzalez always wears the smile, but tonight it was well-earned. The lefty threw the first shutout of his career, allowing just five hits and three walks over his nine sterling innings, striking out...

Zimmerman keeps wins and losses in perspective

Zimmerman keeps wins and losses in perspective
During the Nationals' five-game losing streak, the Nationals managed six runs. Since that spiral, the Nationals have won three in a row, and have scored at least eight runs in each of the wins, outscoring opponents 26-5 in that span. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-5 with two-run home run in the eighth off of the Cardinals' Jason Motte as the Nationals went on to shutout the Cardinals 10-0 on Friday night. Zimmerman said every losing streak has a message. The Nationals did not...

The losing streak seems oh, so long ago

The losing streak seems oh, so long ago
When reporters entered the Nationals' clubhouse after last night's 10-0 shellacking of the Cardinals, the Braves-Phillies game was showing on every TV in sight. As we huddled around Ryan Zimmerman, asking the third baseman about a third straight Nats win, Phillies outfielder John Mayberry crushed a fly ball to deep left in the 10th inning of a tie game. Shouts came out from different parts of the clubhouse. "Get him! Get him!" one player yelled, as the ball traveled towards the left field...

September call-ups can help Nationals win games now

September call-ups can help Nationals win games now
Manager Davey Johnson announced today that left-hander John Lannan, catcher Sandy Leon and outfielder Eury Perez will join the team tomorrow. Lannan won two games for the Nationals this season, and has recently come on strong at Triple-A Syracuse. He had not surrendered a run in his last two outings, scattering 11 hits in 18 innings, both victories. "It's great," manager Davey Johnson said of Lannan. "He's had a great attitude down there and come up and really been excited about coming...

A tale of two pitchers (G. Gonzalez tosses a complete game in 10-0 win)

A tale of two pitchers (G. Gonzalez tosses a complete game in 10-0 win)
Adam Wainwright, who as I mentioned earlier had pitched to a 1.74 ERA and gone 6-1 over his last eight starts, didn't make it out of the third inning tonight. Gio Gonzalez, on the other hand, didn't allow a baserunner through his first three innings of work. The Nationals lead 6-0 after three, and frankly, the Cardinals are lucky that margin isn't even more lopsided. Two Nats runs came around in the first on Adam LaRoche's single to left, giving the Nationals first baseman 81 RBIs on the...

Johnson, Rizzo discuss Rodriguez surgery (plus notes on Lannan, DeRosa, Wang)

Johnson, Rizzo discuss Rodriguez surgery (plus notes on Lannan, DeRosa, Wang)
Nationals reliever Henry Rodriguez and 2012 first-round pick Lucas Giolito both underwent elbow surgeries today. Can the team get some kind of buy one, get one free deal here? Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery out in L.A., with the procedure performed by Dr. Lewis Youcm. Rodriguez, meanwhile, went to New York to have Nationals orthopedist Dr. Wiemi Douoguih remove a bone spur from his right elbow. Rodriguez's surgery was a surprise to reporters, given the reliever is currently on the...

Rodriguez undergoes elbow surgery, Johnson announces three call-ups

Rodriguez undergoes elbow surgery, Johnson announces three call-ups
Davey Johnson made a bit of a surprise announcement during this afternoon's pregame session: Henry Rodriguez underwent elbow surgery today to remove a loose body. Rodriguez, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 2 with a lower back strain, was found to have spurring and a fairly large bone chip in his elbow, Johnson said. "The elbow was in a lot worse shape than anticipated," Johnson said. The hard-throwing reliever will not be able to throw for the next three months. He has spent...

Nationals lineup against red-hot Wainwright

Nationals lineup against red-hot Wainwright
The 1-7 spots in the Nationals' lineup remain the same as the Nats prepare to take on Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright. Kurt Suzuki returns to the lineup behind the plate with his buddy, Gio Gonzalez, taking the mound tonight. Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 3.22 ERA in seven starts against the National League Central this season. Wainwright is 13-10 with a 3.63 ERA this season, but he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last eight starts. In that span, he's 6-1 with a...

Werth, Harper an atypical but effective top two in the order

Werth, Harper an atypical but effective top two in the order
Edwin Jackson wasn't the only veteran Nationals starter to pitch a gem last night. John Lannan got in on that action, as well, and the lefty, who is still down at Triple-A Syracuse for now, is showing that he's more than ready to join the Nats once they're ready to call on him. For the second straight start, Lannan delivered a complete-game shutout, holding Charlotte scoreless last night, striking out 10 and walking none. This gives Lannan a 20-inning shutout streak. Once Stephen...