After Sunday's 10-7 loss to Frederick, the high Single-A Potomac Nationals are now three games back, behind Wilmington with seven games to play.
Tonight, the P-Nats (29-33) begin a four-game set at Carolina (29-34). The final three games are at Wilmington (33-31). So, if the P-Nats can stay within three games of the Blue Rocks, they will have a chance at the second-half division title.
Wilmington has six games remaining, all at home. The Blue Rocks face Myrtle Beach tonight. The Pelicans...
John Lannan is starting to heat up at the right time.
The expected replacement for Stephen Strasburg in the Nationals rotation (once Strasburg is shut down) was named the International League Player of the Week for August 20-26.
Lannan, who has spent nearly this entire season with Triple-A Syracuse, threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout Saturday in a 1-0 win over Gwinnett. The left-hander threw just 87 pitches, walked one and struck out two.
Over his last four starts for Syracuse, Lannan...
If it's not too painful, let's take a little time to nibble on some leftovers from this weekend's three-game sweep in Philadelphia.
Settle in. Grab some coffee. There are a few topics to discuss.
Topic No. 1: Mike Rizzo and Davey Johnson met after yesterday's game and Johnson was heard getting a bit heated during the discussion in his office, shouting, "You come down and manage the team!"
Yes, this happened. Is this a big deal? Is it a sign of the team morale deteriorating or an...
One reason for the Nationals' four-game losing streak is the bullpen's inability to hold the game at one or two runs.
In every one of the four games the Nationals have lost since Wednesday, relievers have allowed at least one run.
On Thursday, the Braves scored three runs in the ninth to extend a 2-1 lead to 5-1. Atlanta won the game by that score.
On Friday, the Phillies tallied a crucial run in the eighth after the Nats had pulled with 3-2 on a Tyler Moore two-run homer just an inning...
Few people in this world are as unique as my mother, now 74. Often, I marvel at her peerless insights into human nature. Other times, her devil-may-care unpredictability makes me want to scream.
Davey Johnson, the Nationals' excellent skipper, is a lot like my mother.
Here are seven ways they are alike:
Unpredictability: My mother's behavior and schedule are impossible to pin down. She could be anywhere at any time. For my sons' birthday parties, she might show up before, during or after...
PHILADELPHIA - Both Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche took full responsibility for their share of the baserunning error in the seventh inning of today's 4-1 loss to the Phillies, an error which turned a promising Nationals rally into just a one-run inning.
The veterans both thought LaRoche's fly ball to right had left the yard and let up on the gas, Werth casually jogging into third base and LaRoche making a turn around second and heading for third. The logjam that resulted allowed the Phillies...
The month of August - and July before it - have been the two best months in the history of the Nationals franchise. The Nationals have a winning record for every month of this season. But so far they are a combined 33-18 for these past two months, even after the weekend disaster in Philadelphia.
In 2005, there was the magical month of June when the team went 20-6. But what followed - a 9-18 July - was misery. It is important to remember the history of the franchise in order to gain some...
PHILADELPHIA - Davey Johnson didn't hold a team meeting following today's 4-1 loss to the Phillies, the Nationals' fourth straight defeat.
With his team still holding the best record in baseball, Johnson didn't feel it was necessary.
He did, however, have a closed-door discussion with general manager Mike Rizzo following the game which got heated at one point. Some shouting could be heard from Johnson's office, although that's not necessarily anything out of the ordinary. Emotions can...
PHILADELPHIA - Adam LaRoche thought his fly ball was out.
Jayson Werth did, too.
Heck, much of the stadium probably thought that LaRoche's deep fly to right had bounced off a seat or something before caroming back into the playing field. Turns out, it hadn't. The ball had bounced off the very top of a metal railing atop the scoreboard, a railing which is in play.
LaRoche calmly circled the bases, as did Werth, who had only made it to third base on the play after starting the at-bat on...
PHILADELPHIA - The way Jordan Zimmermann and Cliff Lee have been dealing today, the first team to finally get on the board might just take this series finale.
We're scoreless through 4 1/2 innings today, and neither team has really threatened much thus far. Tyler Moore's one-out double in the top of the fifth has provided the lone runner in scoring position for either team.
The two starters have allowed a combined five hits thus far this afternoon, only one of which has been surrendered by...
High Single-A Potomac Nationals shut out Frederick 3-0 in a rain-shortened affair Saturday night to move within one game of the Keys and two games of the division with a week to play.
Tonight, in an early 6:05 start, the P-Nats can complete the sweep of the Keys. Left-hander Robbie Ray (4-11, 4.52 ERA) gets the call against left-hander Tim Berry (4-5, 4.52).
On Saturday, right-hander Matt Swynenberg scattered five hits and four walks, but managed to keep the Keys off the scoreboard.
Jason...
PHILADELPHIA - Cliff Lee has one more win than Orioles first baseman Chris Davis this season.
He has two more wins than you and I.
Baseball is such a strange game.
Lee leads the majors in strikeout-to-walk ratio and his 3.78 ERA is far from awful. But his record this season is just 2-7, an incredibly bizarre mark this late in the season for a pitcher as talented as he is.
The lefty will oppose Jordan Zimmermann this afternoon in what should be a pretty nice battle for the final game of this...
The fans voted for the Potomac Nationals' 35th anniversary team, and it is an impressive lineup, featuring home run hitters Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, and pitchers Andy Pettitte and Dan Haren.
Potomac Franchise 35th Anniversary Team
C - Jorge Posada (1993)
1B - Albert Pujols (2000)
2B - Adam Kennedy (1997-78)
SS - Rafael Belliard (1981)
3B - Roberto Bonilla (1985)
OF - Bernie Williams (1988)
OF - Barry Bonds (1985)
OF - Magglio Ordonez (1995)
P - Andy Pettitte...
PHILADELPHIA - For the second time in as many nights, the Nationals fell behind the Phillies early, battled back in the middle innings, allowed a big insurance run in the eighth and dropped a game to their division rivals.
This one was a 4-2 loss which saw Gio Gonzalez allow three runs over six innings. The key tally was a sixth-inning solo home run off the bat of John Mayberry which turned a 2-2 game into a one-run Phillies lead.
"Felt like a replay of last night," manager Davey Johnson...
PHILADELPHIA - Look out, everyone. The Nationals have lost three games in a row.
The best team in baseball is starting to fall apart.
"Three! Ugh. We're ready to quit," Ryan Zimmerman said last night, tongue firmly planted in cheek. "Everything's going to go into shambles."
In all seriousness, from the reaction of many fans on Twitter last night, you'd think the Nationals' season was crumbling to the ground.
They've dropped three straight games, yes, but still hold the best...
PHILADELPHIA - Davey Johnson said last night that he planned to give Ian Desmond the weekend off to let him deal with his strained right hamstring before hopefully having him back against the Marlins on Tuesday.
The same likely goes for Michael Morse, who is dealing with some tenderness in his right hand after getting hit by a pitch last night.
If Morse doesn't play tomorrow, he'd have a chance to capitalize on three straight days off, including Monday's off-day.
"I don't see any chance...
PHILADELPHIA - For the second straight night, a Nationals starter got hit around pretty good in the first inning but rebounded to keep his team in the ballgame.
For seemingly the 10th time this month, Steve Lombardozzi delivered a big hit in the fifth, tying this game at 2-2.
The Nats fell in an early hole when Gio Gonzalez allowed four of the first five Phillies hitters to reach in the first inning, plating two runs for the home team. Gonzalez recovered, however, minimizing the damage and...
PHILADELPHIA - There's no Michael Morse or Ian Desmond in the Nationals lineup against the Phillies tonight.
Here's the batting order that will face Roy Halladay at 7:05 p.m.:
2B Steve Lombardozzi
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
LF Roger Bernadina
SS Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
P Gio Gonzalez
Morse, who was removed from last night's game after being struck by a pitch in the first inning, reports that the swelling has gone down but that the hand feels...
PHILADELPHIA - When Major League Baseball made the decision to add another wild card in each league this year, most fans and baseball analysts came out in support of the idea.
The decision would create more excitement over the final weeks of the season, people said, keeping more teams in the playoff picture deep into September and creating the possibility for added dramatic finishes.
Davey Johnson wasn't so keen on the idea of a second wild card, however. In the mind of the Nationals...
PHILADELPHIA - The injuries to Michael Morse and Ian Desmond left the Nationals a little shorthanded against the Phillies tonight. But they weren't about to blame their 4-2 loss on their missing cleanup hitter and All-Star shortstop.
"It changes the game a little bit," manager Davey Johnson said. "But we had the right guys up at the right time, just didn't get it done."
"At the end of the day, we're comfortable with anybody we put on the field regardless of what happens," Edwin...