nationals

Marty Niland: Nats will turn back the clock, recall Washington's glory days

June 29, 2012, 5:19am

A visit to Nationals Park will be like a trip back in time for fans attending Thursday night's game between the Nationals and the San Francisco Giants. Turn Back the Clock Night will recall the last (and only) time Washington celebrated a World Series championship: 1924, when the Senators and the then-New York Giants met in a Fall Classic that many historians rate as one of the best. For this game, the curly W won't be in fashion. The centerpiece of the celebration will be the uniforms,...

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Ryan Perry and Cole Kimball both start tonight; Destin Hood returns

June 28, 2012, 12:52pm

Nationals

Ryan Perry and Cole Kimball both start tonight; Destin Hood returns

Right-hander Ryan Perry gets his second professional start tonight as Double-A Harrisburg plays host to Altoona. Perry went three innings in his first start and was very solid. If Perry can have some "easy" innings tonight, as Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart termed them, he will likely be extended to four innings. Harrisburg right fielder Destin Hood returns to the lineup after getting a day off this week. Hood hit the ball well in his first game back, but the Nationals want to monitor...

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Coors Field doesn't like Edwin Jackson (updated)

June 28, 2012, 12:04pm

Nationals

Coors Field doesn't like Edwin Jackson (updated)

As I mentioned earlier, Edwin Jackson hasn't been treated so well at Coors Field over the course of his career. Jackson entered today having allowed 21 earned runs over 12 innings at the Rockies' home park, good for a 15.75 ERA. Those numbers have gotten worse early in today's ballgame. Significantly worse. Jackson received a rude welcome by Rockies hitters, who touched him up for five first-inning runs on six hits. The Nationals' starter didn't truly retire a single one of the first...

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Plenty of positives to peruse

June 27, 2012, 9:42pm

Nationals

The Nationals only scored two runs after the fourth inning last night. Boy, this offense stinks. Get it together, guys. What can we take out of yesterday's 11-5 thumping of the Rockies? Plenty, and not just that the Rockies are not very good at baseball. Tyler Moore sure looks like he'll be hanging around the big leagues for a while, and manager Davey Johnson told reporters last night that he might be forced to find a spot for Moore even against right-handed starters. It's not hard to...

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Nats, Rockies lineups for series finale

June 28, 2012, 9:41am

Nationals

Facing yet another left-handed starting pitcher, Davey Johnson's lineup looks much the same as it has the last three days. Adam LaRoche returns to the lineup today after a day off, as does Jesus Flores. Tyler Moore remains in there in left field, hitting seventh. This will be the fourth straight lefty starter the Rockies will send to the mound this series. Today's Colorado starter is Josh Outman, who has struggled in 13 games (five starts) this season, going 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA. How does...

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Nationals Wounded Warrior Softball Team reps will play in celebrity game on ESPN

June 28, 2012, 11:17am

Nationals

Washington Nationals Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team players Saul Bosquez and Matt Kinsey along with three-time All-Star and ESPN analyst Rick Sutcliffe, who is a Kansas City native, will join the star-studded roster for the 2012 Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game on ESPN. Chris Rose and Kevin Millar, hosts of MLB Network's "Intentional Talk," will join the game as the in-park announcers for fans at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, July 8th. Bosquez, US Army, Operation...

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Looking at Harper's struggles and some All-Star numbers

June 27, 2012, 12:11pm

Nationals

Looking at Harper's struggles and some All-Star numbers

Is it a little strange to anyone that the team with the best record in the National League doesn't have a single position player in the top three in All-Star voting as his respective position? Obviously, the Nationals' pitching is what has carried them to a 42-30 record and a 3.5-game lead in the NL East. That goes without saying at this point. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez will both almost certainly make the All-Star team and there's a slim chance a Nationals reliever does, as...

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Clown decision: big oversight not having Bryce Harper in home run derby

June 27, 2012, 7:33am

Nationals

Clown decision: big oversight not having Bryce Harper in home run derby

OK. It is time for someone to step in here. Please don't let the All-Star Game Home Run Derby go the way of the NBA slam dunk contest. Calling on commissioner Bud Selig or Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. Someone step in with a "sponsor" exemption. Nationals slugger Bryce Harper needs to be in the home run derby. This event needs a kick. Nothing like the spice of "that's a clown question, bro" to ignite this made-for-TV spectacle. Something has to happen, because National League captain...

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The runs, they keep on comin' (Nats win 11-5)

June 27, 2012, 6:12pm

Nationals

The runs, they keep on comin' (Nats win 11-5)

Is it possible for the Nationals to play the rest of their games in Coors Field? Or at the very least, can they work something out with the league office to allow them to face the Rockies every night? Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. The laser show that began last night has continued today. The Nats lead the Rockies 9-1 through four innings. They've hit three home runs, have seven extra-base hits and forced the Rockies to go to their third pitcher of the night beginning the fourth...

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Dave Nichols: Nats reap benefits of exercising patience with flawed prospect

June 28, 2012, 5:14am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Nats reap benefits of exercising patience with flawed prospect

How 'bout that Tyler Moore? In the last two minor league seasons, Nats rookie Moore has hit a combined 62 home runs - 31 each season - and 202 RBIs. That's an awful lot of pop, enough that he should have received a fair bit of notice in the offseason prospect lists. However, his defensive limitations, and being older than other prospects at each level, have tempered long-range expectations for the Mississippi native. Those tempered expectations may be the only reason he remains property...

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Skole, Hague, Demny and Higley highlight Nats' prospects Wednesday work

June 27, 2012, 6:11pm

Nationals

Skole, Hague, Demny and Higley highlight Nats' prospects Wednesday work

News and notes from Wednesday around the Nationals organization. Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns lost to Delmarva 8-4, but got a three-run homer from third baseman Matt Skole, who now has a league-leading 18 round-trippers. Billy Burns swiped three bases to raise his season total to an amazing 28. The lineup is littered with guys buzzing at the plate: Brian Goodwin (.315), Burns (.307), Caleb Ramsey (.299), Skole (.293), Cutter Dykstra (.293), Steven Souza, Jr. (.286) and Bryce Ortega...

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DeRosa in left, Moore at first

June 27, 2012, 2:11pm

Nationals

For the first time since April 24, Mark DeRosa will be in the Nationals' starting lineup. DeRosa will get the start in left field and hit sixth tonight against Rockies left-hander Edwar Cabrera, who will make his major league debut tonight. Cabrera was called up from Double-A to start today. Adam LaRoche will get the day off today, with Tyler Moore starting at first base. Also, it's good to see Marco Scutaro back in the Rockies lineup tonight after getting hit in the head by a Stephen...

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H. Rodriguez to Harrisburg for rehab (update); Hood gets day off

June 27, 2012, 6:25am

Nationals

H. Rodriguez to Harrisburg for rehab (update); Hood gets day off

Right-hander Henry Rodriguez continues his path back to the Nationals as he recovers from a finger injury. Today, Rodriguez is expected to make a rehab appearance for the Harrisburg Senators in a relief role. Outfielder Destin Hood went 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk in last night's game. It was his first game with Harrisburg in over a month. But for today's early game, Hood has the day off. The plan with Hood appears to not have him on an everyday schedule as he gets his...

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Nationals' Tyler Moore signals he should stay with another monster blast

June 27, 2012, 3:50am

Nationals

This just in. There is another future star in the Nats' clubhouse. He hits home runs that bounce off Pikes Peak and he plays left field like he was born for that position. The thumper. The bulldog. He is Tyler Moore. What a shot. Moore's fifth-inning three-run homer landed 15 to 20 rows up at Coors Field in the left-center stands. A thunderous swing that highlighted the Nationals' best offensive output of the season in a 21-hit, 12-5 shellacking of the defenseless Colorado...

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Ryan Zimmerman starting to resemble Ryan Zimmerman

June 26, 2012, 10:39pm

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman starting to resemble Ryan Zimmerman

What do you think was going through Jordan Zimmermann's mind as he watched the Nationals pull away from the Rockies and pile up a season-high 12 runs and franchise-record-tying 21 hits last night? "Guys ... stop ... save some of that for me, please?" That's just a guess. Zimmermann would take 12 runs of support over a span of four starts, much less one. Here's hoping the Nationals keep the offensive roll going and get the guy some runs tonight. Yesterday's offensive production was...

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Wondering how the O's, Nats will react at trading deadline

June 26, 2012, 6:49am

Nationals Orioles

Wondering how the O's, Nats will react at trading deadline

Now that the Chicago White Sox have acquired a third baseman, Kevin Youkilis, the question is whether the Orioles will do the same. The Orioles would be a stronger contender if they had a stabilizing third baseman instead of a revolving door at the hot corner. Wilson Betemit is a fill-in player who can hit, but he's not a regular third baseman. Mark Reynolds is better defensively at first base. Manager Buck Showalter says Chris Davis could be an above-average third baseman, but it's too late...

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An offensive explosion in Colorado (Nats win 12-5)

June 26, 2012, 7:04pm

Nationals

An offensive explosion in Colorado (Nats win 12-5)

I guess the Nationals were getting a little tired of everyone talking about how much their offense stinks. They've exploded for 12 runs and 16 hits tonight, and have only played six innings. The most runs the Nats had scored in a game this season prior to tonight was nine. They'd already matched that total by the end of the fifth inning. Every hitter in the lineup with the exception of Bryce Harper has a hit. Adam LaRoche has two home runs. Tyler Moore has a three-run shot which I'm not...

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Nationals lineup remains the same

June 26, 2012, 1:09pm

Nationals

The Nationals have averaged just 2.5 runs over their last 10 games. Despite the offensive slump, Davey Johnson is sticking with the same lineup tonight that he's used recently against left-handed starters. Washington will face Rockies lefty Christian Friedrich tonight, he of the 4-4 record and 5.65 ERA. Friedrich has gotten the loss in each his last three starts. Yet again, the Nats will get a chance to tee off against a guy with mediocre numbers this season. Gio Gonzalez will look to reach...

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Rachel Levitin: Nats no longer the new kids in the class

June 27, 2012, 5:00am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Nats no longer the new kids in the class

When I leave to go out of town on trips, like today for example, my favorite topic of conversation along the way tends to veer toward sports, baseball in particular. Whether I'm listening in on a stats-based debate or checking game scores on one of the many televisions within the terminal, there's always a lesson to be learned from these types of conversations. There's a little more to those conversations than what appears on the surface, though. It's one thing to strike up a sports...

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Zimmerman to receive Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

June 26, 2012, 6:22pm

Nationals

Zimmerman to receive Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

As I type this, Ryan Zimmerman just reached a career milestone. With a single in the fifth inning in Colorado on Tuesday night, the Nats third baseman collected his 1,000th-career hit, needing only 903 games in which to do so. It's a great accomplishment, particularly for a guy who has battled some nagging injuries in recent memory. And while Zimmerman continues to achieve greatness on the field, it stands to reason things would be the same off the diamond. That certainly rings true, as it...