nationals

Starting the second half with a bang

July 14, 2012, 5:48am

For the first six innings of last night's ballgame, the Nationals played about as well as a team can play. They did it all. They brought their bats to the party, putting up five runs on a pitcher who they had never beaten in 15 starts, knocking two-time All-Star Josh Johnson from the game after just 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Zimmerman stayed scorching hot, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond combined for five hits, and Jesus Flores ended an 0-for-17 skid with a big two-run single in the sixth. They ran...

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Wang suffers loss in rehab start for Senators, but throws strikes

July 13, 2012, 7:27pm

Nationals

Wang suffers loss in rehab start for Senators, but throws strikes

Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang settled down after a rocky start, but took the loss as Richmond defeated Double-A Harrisburg 4-0 in the opening game of a doubleheader Friday night. Wang, on the disabled list due to a hip injury, allowed a Gary Brown double to lead off the game and committed a throwing error which gave the Flying Squirrels a 1-0 advantage. Another single and then a double play made it 2-0. Wang had a 1-2-3 second frame and a scoreless third. But in the fourth, Wang...

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Nationals sign first-round pick Lucas Giolito

July 13, 2012, 11:44am

Nationals

It took a while, but the Nationals have signed their 2012 first-round pick, prep right-hander Lucas Giolito. With just minutes remaining until the league-imposed signing deadline of 5 p.m. this afternoon, the Nationals reached terms with Giolito, the 17-year-old they selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the June draft. The two sides agreed on a deal which gives Giolito a bonus of $2.925 million, according to reports, an amount which exceeds the Nationals' bonus pool limit. The Nats will...

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Cortisone shots for everyone (Nats win 5-1)

July 13, 2012, 5:06pm

Nationals

Cortisone shots for everyone (Nats win 5-1)

The All-Star break can't slow down Ryan Zimmerman. In his last 14 games before the break - after getting a cortisone shot in his sore right shoulder - Zimmerman hit .333 with five homers and 18 RBIs. If you were concerned about four days off affecting Zimmerman's recent tear at the plate, worry no more. So far today, Zimmerman is 2-for-3 with a two-run homer off that weird multicolored sculpture in left-center. That home run has helped propel the Nationals to a 5-0 lead over the Marlins...

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Nationals agree to terms with first-round pick RHP Lucas Giolito

July 13, 2012, 1:37pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with 17-year-old right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito, their first-round selection (16th overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake School in California. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark and Nationals Director of Scouting Kris Kline made the joint announcement. The 6-foot-6, 230 lbs....

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Nationals-Marlins lineups for the start of the second half

July 13, 2012, 12:31pm

Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann (5-6, 2.61 ERA) will take the mound in Miami, looking to lead the Nats to a win in the second-half opener. The Nationals will be facing Josh Johnson (5-5, 4.06 ERA). For the Nationals: LF Steve Lombardozzi CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman RF Michael Morse 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Jesus Flores P Jordan Zimmermann For the Marlins: SS Jose Reyes 2B Omar Infante 1B Carlos Lee LF Logan Morrison 3B Hanley Ramirez RF Justin Ruggiano CF Emilio Bonifacio C...

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Zimmermann looks to reel in the Fish for the first time (plus shameless plug)

July 13, 2012, 10:43am

Nationals

Zimmermann looks to reel in the Fish for the first time (plus shameless plug)

Only twice this season has Jordan Zimmermann allowed more than three earned runs in a start. One of those two outings came against the Marlins. Zimmermann gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings against the Fish back on May 28 in Miami in a game that the Nats lost 5-3. Surprisingly, Zimmermann has never beaten the Marlins in six career starts against them, making them the only National League East team he's yet to conquer. The righty has put up an 0-3 record and a 4.81 ERA against...

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Deadline day arrives plus Strasburg chatter

July 13, 2012, 5:56am

Nationals

Deadline day arrives plus Strasburg chatter

By the time the clock hits 5 p.m. today, the Nationals' minor league system could be significantly stronger than it is right now. Today marks the last day that teams can sign their 2012 draft picks, and for the Nationals, there's really only one guy they have left to do business with: Lucas Giolito, the 16th overall pick in the June draft. Giolito is a hard-throwing high schooler out of Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) School who can hit 100 mph with his fastball, has a power curveball that...

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Storen allows one run, strikes out five in another Potomac rehab outing

July 12, 2012, 7:10pm

Nationals

Storen allows one run, strikes out five in another Potomac rehab outing

Nationals reliever Drew Storen continued his rehab assignment with Single-A Potomac by pitching two innings, allowing a solo homer and striking out five batters Thursday night. Storen allowed three hits in getting the six outs, spanning the seventh and eighth frames in an 8-3 loss at Wilmington. He faced nine batters, induced a ground out and threw one wild pitch in his fourth assignment for the P-Nats. Storen is recovering from having a bone chip removed from his right elbow that has caused...

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By the numbers: Zimmermann looking to reverse trends against Fish

July 13, 2012, 4:30am

Nationals

By the numbers: Zimmermann looking to reverse trends against Fish

As the Nationals embark on the start of the second half of the season, Washington enjoys a four game lead in the National League East and faces off against a team that has had their number for what seems like several seasons. The Nationals have won just one season series against the Marlins (10-8 in 2007) and are 64-88 all-time in Miami. Even this year, the Marlins are the only NL East team with a winning record so far this season against the Nats (3-2). The Nats are 6-2 against the Braves,...

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Which division opponent poses the biggest threat?

July 12, 2012, 11:45am

Nationals

Which division opponent poses the biggest threat?

It was announced this afternoon that Bryce Harper was named as the Nationals' team winner of the 2012 Heart and Hustle Award, given out by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. The award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game of baseball. What a shocker - Harper winning an award for demonstrating passion and hustle. If there was ever was an award that screamed out "Bryce Harper," it's this...

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New guest bloggers enter the lineup for the second half

July 10, 2012, 3:24pm

Nationals

New guest bloggers enter the lineup for the second half

Can you believe we've reached the All-Star break already, Nats fans? Opening day seems like only yesterday, yet here we are in the dog days of summer, halfway through the season. For the Nationals, it's been a dream start to 2012. The Nats currently sit with the best record in the National League at 49-34 and are in position to not only capture the NL East crown, but the franchise's inaugural postseason berth since moving to Washington seven years ago. As for us at MASNsports.com, it's...

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We're talkin' trade

July 10, 2012, 10:34pm

Nationals

With the All-Star Game behind us - and boy, I'll miss it oh, so dearly - we can now start looking ahead to the second half of the season and some of the hot topics which await us. One of those hot topics is the trade deadline and how the Nationals might attack negotiations with other clubs given their legitimate playoff aspirations. There's been talk for a while now about the Nationals having interest in a center fielder with speed who can stabilize the leadoff spot. That's a hole that...

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Taking a look ahead

July 12, 2012, 6:13am

Nationals

Remember that stretch earlier this season where the Nationals played 32 straight games against teams from either the National League East or American League East? That was a massively important span of games in the Nats' first half. It was a portion of the schedule which was either going to validate the Nationals as legitimate contenders or show them as a team still a year away from being able to compete with the big boys. The Nats came through that 32-game stretch with an 18-14 record....

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Finding roster room for Storen, Tracy

July 10, 2012, 11:29am

Nationals

There was a time not too long ago when the Nationals were being given 100/1 odds to win the World Series. At the All-Star break this year, the Nats' odds of being the last team standing are 11/1, according to Bovada. The Nationals are behind only the Yankees (9/2) and Rangers (5/1) when it comes to overall odds to win the World Series. Bovada has the Nats' odds of winning the National League pennant at 9/2 and has them the clear favorites to come away with the NL East, putting them at 4/5...

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Nelo takes loss in Eastern League All-Star Game; Souza earns SAL weekly honor

July 11, 2012, 6:44pm

Nationals

Nelo takes loss in Eastern League All-Star Game; Souza earns SAL weekly honor

Chris Rahl and Erik Davis made contributions, but in the end, the Eastern division beat the Western division All-Stars 5-4 in the Double-A Eastern League Midsummer Classic from Reading, Pa. With the scored tied 4-4, Harrisburg closer Hector Nelo was not on target in the bottom of the ninth. Nelo got the call with two outs and walked Troy Hanzawa. Kevin Mahoney singled and Hanzawa went to third. Eric Campbell then singled in Hanzawa for the game-winning run, and Nelo took the loss. Rahl...

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Rahl wins Eastern League home run derby; Wang starts Friday for Harrisburg

July 10, 2012, 7:47pm

Nationals

Rahl wins Eastern League home run derby; Wang starts Friday for Harrisburg

Chris Rahl added to what has been a powerful start to the season by winning the home run derby at the Eastern League All-Star festivities in Reading, Pa., Tuesday night. Rahl outpointed Richmond's Daniel Mayora by scoring bonus points for hitting a crane positioned past the outfield wall. Rahl has 10 homers in the first 79 games for the Senators this season, after hitting five all of last season. He has hit more home runs only once in his career, with 13 back in 2006. The Senators also...

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Nats factor into National League victory in All-Star Game (updated)

July 10, 2012, 6:49pm

Nationals

Nats factor into National League victory in All-Star Game (updated)

Could we have Game 1 of the World Series in the nation's capital? The National League All-Star team is helping do its part to at least make that a possibility. The NL squad is dominating the American League All-Stars tonight, and has an 8-0 lead. Three San Francisco Giants have played a major factor in the lopsided score. Pablo Sandoval ripped a bases-clearing triple in the first inning, Melky Cabrera crushed a two-run homer in the fourth and starter Matt Cain pitched two scoreless...

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Who's your first-half Nationals MVP?

July 09, 2012, 11:20pm

Nationals

Was I the only one less than wowed by last night's Home Run Derby? Sure, Prince Fielder put on a show, and it was fun watching Mark Trumbo demolish a few baseballs, especially since I hadn't gotten much of a chance to catch the Angels outfielder doing his thing out west in the first half of the season. But Robinson Cano and Matt Kemp - the two derby team captains - combined to hit just one home run, and my sleeper pick to win the competition, Andrew McCutchen, was eliminated in the first...

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Desmond's sacrifice a prime example of Nationals' real focus

July 10, 2012, 9:51am

Nationals

It was the most unselfish move. The decision made with the big picture in mind. It was an individual sacrifice for the good of the team. Players work their whole careers for a shot at the All-Star Game. Whether voted by the fans or the manager, it is usually a once-in-a-lifetime accolade that can define a player's legacy. Ian Desmond earned that invitation with a breakout first half. Playing acrobatic defense at short, Desmond led the team at the plate. First as the leadoff man and then in...