nationals

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

September 19, 2012, 9:06pm

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...

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David Huzzard: How replay could have helped the Nats

September 20, 2012, 6:24am

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 8:24pm

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 7:39pm

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 6:31pm

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 5:25pm

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 3:58pm

Nationals

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...

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Zimmerman gets another cortisone shot, offseason surgery possible

September 19, 2012, 11:10am

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 2:01pm

Nationals

"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...

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

September 14, 2012, 8:51am

Nationals

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...

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Espinosa, Morse in Nats lineup

September 19, 2012, 9:08am

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 10:13am

Nationals

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...

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

September 19, 2012, 7:40am

Nationals

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...

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Espinosa: Bone bruise "best news we could've gotten"

September 18, 2012, 2:28pm

Nationals

Espinosa: Bone bruise "best news we could've gotten"

After injuring his left shoulder diving for a ball Sept. 8 against the Marlins, Danny Espinosa quickly learned something wasn't right. He couldn't get his bat to the ball quickly enough, forcing him to be late on pitches. When he did make contact during a game or in batting practice, he just didn't have enough strength in the shoulder to turn on the pitch and get the desired result. The symptoms all pointed to a labrum tear, which is what first baseman Adam LaRoche had last year, an injury...

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Rachel Levitin: If you still can't find a reason to watch the Nats, here's some

September 19, 2012, 5:47am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: If you still can't find a reason to watch the Nats, here's some

The novelty of postseason fever seems to be all the rage these days. As great and historic as this whole postseason thing is and sounds, it's not the sole reason for watching the Nationals in 2012. It's a great selling point, but it's not the only one. Perhaps this can be deemed a wake-up call of sorts, not unlike the time I went on to discuss why everyone should stop talking about Stephen Strasburg as if he were the messiah. Or maybe this is more reminiscent of the time I preached about...

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Nats-Dodgers postponed, straight doubleheader tomorrow

September 18, 2012, 1:35pm

Nationals

Nats-Dodgers postponed, straight doubleheader tomorrow

Tonight's Nationals-Dodgers game has been postponed due to weather, and a straight doubleheader between the two teams has been scheduled for tomorrow. The first game will begin at 4:05 p.m., with tomorrow's regularly scheduled contest to follow. It'll be a single-admission doubleheader. Manager Davey Johnson said that Jordan Zimmermann and John Lannan will likely be his two starters tomorrow, in that order, although he had yet to confirm that with pitching coach Steve McCatty. Aaron...

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Tuesday's Nationals-Dodgers game at Nationals Park postponed

September 18, 2012, 2:05pm

Nationals

Tonight's Nationals-Dodgers game scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., has been postponed due to inclement weather. The team will play a traditional, single-admission doubleheader tomorrow, Wednesday, September 19, beginning at 4:05 p.m. The second game will follow approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the first game or at 7:05 p.m., whichever is later. All tickets for tonight's game must be exchanged at the Nationals Park Box Office for seats...

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Daubach: Nationals' Karns was the "best pitcher in our league"

September 17, 2012, 6:10pm

Nationals

Only two months into this minor league season, I heard rave reviews from a couple of well placed sources about the progress of right-hander Nathan Karns. Finally healthy, after recovering from shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the 2010 season, Karns rolled through the 2012 season and earned Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. He made a quick jump from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac early in the season. And the Nationals didn't just pick Karns because he had a...

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With rainout Tuesday, Johnson could turn to bullpen for spot start Sunday

September 18, 2012, 1:51pm

Nationals

With rainout Tuesday, Johnson could turn to bullpen for spot start Sunday

With Tuesday's opener against the Dodgers postponed until Wednesday, manager Davey Johnson will have to make an adjustment in his starting rotation later on in the week. According to Johnson, Wednesday's starters will be Jordan Zimmermann for the 4:05 p.m. start and John Lannan for the second game. With no days off the rest of the regular season, that leaves an opening down the line for Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Zach Duke, Craig Stammen, Tom Gorzelanny and Chien-Ming...

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Morse in Nats lineup, good news on Espinosa

September 18, 2012, 12:30pm

Nationals

Morse in Nats lineup, good news on Espinosa

Michael Morse will take batting practice and is listed in tonight's lineup. If all goes well in the cage, Morse will be playing left field and batting fifth. There was some good news on Danny Espinosa this afternoon. After leaving Sunday night's game early, Espinosa underwent a MRI on his left shoulder. The scan revealed he had a bone bruise in the capsule of his shoulder. He received a cortisone shot yesterday and could possibly play tomorrow. Espinosa had feared a torn labrum and said the...