nationals

Harper's in the hit column (Nats lose in 10 innings)

April 28, 2012, 7:17pm

After starting his major league career by going 0-for-2, Bryce Harper found his way into the hit column. And he did it in style. Up with two outs in the seventh inning, Harper smoked a 3-2 belt-high fastball from Chad Billingsley to straight-away center field. The ball was hit so hard that, despite the fact it looked like it barely got more than 25-30 feet off the ground, it traveled all the way to the base of the wall in center. Harper sprinted around first, and as he approached second,...

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With Harper, don't expect too much too soon

April 28, 2012, 3:31pm

Nationals

With Harper, don't expect too much too soon

Bryce Harper, the 2010 No. 1 pick, will make his major league debut. Stephen Strasburg, the 2009 No. 1 pick, will be on the mound. Matt Kemp, who leads the universe in hitting with a .452 average and 10 home runs, will hit third for Los Angeles. The Nationals and Dodgers are both in first place in their respective divisions. Is this just about as exciting as an April baseball game can get, or what? The eyes of a large part of the baseball world will be on the Nats-Dodgers game tonight, as...

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Harper grounds out in his first at-bat (flies out in his second)

April 28, 2012, 6:12pm

Nationals

Harper grounds out in his first at-bat (flies out in his second)

There would be no 500-foot home run, no legendary welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment which people will be talking about for decades to come. Bryce Harper's first major league at-bat ended in a slow ground ball back to Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley, who tossed to first to nab a sprinting Harper by a step. That's it. The kid's a bust. Get rid of him. Harper will smash many homers in his career, but when he came to the plate in the second inning with baseball fans across the country tuning...

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Ready or not, here he comes

April 28, 2012, 6:10am

Nationals

Happy Harpmas. Is that what we're going with? Anyone got a better idea for a Bryce Harper-themed holiday name? This is certainly an exciting day in NatsTown, one which will see Stephen Strasburg on the mound and Harper in left field. It's a day Nationals fans (and many baseball fans everywhere) had been waiting for, although it comes a bit earlier than most of us had expected. When the Nationals optioned Harper to Triple-A Syracuse back in spring training, they said part of their rationale...

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As promised, Harper hitting seventh in his debut

April 28, 2012, 1:35pm

Nationals

As promised, Harper hitting seventh in his debut

I'm not going to lie, it was a little strange typing Bryce Harper into the lineup that you see below. I'm still not used to the 19-year-old phenom being in the Nationals' batting order, and I'm probably not the only one. Harper will bat seventh and play left field in his major league debut tonight, and he'll take his hacks off Dodgers righty Chad Billingsley, who is 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA so far this season. The Nationals will send Stephen Strasburg to the hill, as he looks to notch his...

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Nationals recall outfielder Bryce Harper, place third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on DL

April 28, 2012, 12:03pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today recalled outfielder Bryce Harper from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and placed third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to April 21, with right shoulder inflammation. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The 19-year-old Harper is expected to make his debut during tonight's game in Los Angeles-NL. The first-overall selection in the 2010...

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An uphill climb in L.A. (Nats lose 3-2)

April 27, 2012, 8:14pm

Nationals

Adam LaRoche is doing his best to keep the Nationals in this one, but they've still got some work to do. The Nats trail 3-2 as we go to seventh, thanks to a solid outing by Ross Detwiler and the one guy who has provided consistent offense for this team in 2012 - LaRoche. The first baseman's two-run homer in the sixth inning has gotten the Nats back to within a run, but with Clayton Kershaw still on the hill, they'll have to battle it out against the tough lefty to try and even this game...

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Lidge to DL with abdominal injury, Perry recalled

April 27, 2012, 3:55pm

Nationals

Lidge to DL with abdominal injury, Perry recalled

Ryan Zimmerman isn't the only Nationals player heading to the disabled list. The Nats announced that they've placed right-handed pitcher Brad Lidge on the 15-day DL with an abdominal wall strain and recalled right-hander Ryan Perry from Triple-A Syracuse. Lidge, who has spent quite a bit of time on the disabled list over the course of his career, finds himself sidelined yet again. He battled a bout of vertigo earlier this season, and now The 35-year-old has two saves and two blown saves...

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"America's Night of Hope" at Nationals Park postponed

April 28, 2012, 8:45am

Nationals

Due to the possibility of inclement weather on April 28, Joel Osteen Ministries has decided to move "America's Night of Hope" to tomorrow, Sunday, April 29, at 4:00 p.m. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m. and original tickets will be accepted for admission. For more information, call: 1-888-567-JOEL (5635).

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Dodgers take early lead, outlast Detwiler and Nationals, 3-2

April 27, 2012, 6:42pm

Nationals

The Nationals opened their series in Los Angeles against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers with phenom Bryce Harper arriving for Saturday night. Kershaw crashed that good feeling early and often, as the Dodgers hung on for a 3-2 win over the Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning, sandwiched around an error that got Steve Lombardozzi on base. Kershaw (2-0) notched his 12th straight win at home, going eight innings, allowing just...

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Bryce Harper to be activated, Ryan Zimmerman to the DL (updated)

April 27, 2012, 12:55pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper to be activated, Ryan Zimmerman to the DL (updated)

The star of tomorrow will make his debut tomorrow. The Nationals have announced that Bryce Harper will be activated from Triple-A Syracuse and will replace third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 25-man roster. Zimmerman will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Harper, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, will make his major league debut at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Speaking on a conference call with reporters late this afternoon, general manager Mike Rizzo said that this wasn't...

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Lombardozzi hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth

April 27, 2012, 3:02pm

Nationals

Lombardozzi hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth

Before we dive even deeper into Bryce Harper cracking the Nationals lineup tomorrow, let's look at the Nats lineup today. There's an interesting twist to manager Davey Johnson's lineup against the Dodgers: He's dropped second baseman Danny Espinosa to sixth in the order and has Steve Lombardozzi playing third base and hitting in the No. 2 spot tonight. Johnson has said he likes slotting Espinosa into the two hole in his lineup because he likes having run-producers towards the top of the...

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Nationals recall right-handed pitcher Ryan Perry, place right-handed pitcher Brad Lidge on disabled list

April 27, 2012, 3:47pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today recalled right-handed pitcher Ryan Perry from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and placed right-handed pitcher Brad Lidge on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to April 22, with an abdominal wall strain. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Perry went 1-0 with two saves and a 2.00 ERA in eight relief appearances with Syracuse this season. The 25-year-old is 5-6 with two...

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Left field rotation not helping us forget about Morse

April 27, 2012, 11:48am

Nationals

Left field rotation not helping us forget about Morse

Of all the current Nationals who have faced Clayton Kershaw in their careers, guess who has recorded the highest batting average against the Dodgers left-hander? If you went with Craig Stammen, you are either a genius or your sarcastic sense of humor really backfired this time. Not surprisingly, most of the Nats who have faced Kershaw have struggled against him, but Stammen has actually gone 2-for-3 with a double in his career against the 2011 National League Cy Young Award winner. Kershaw...

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Teahen a nice choice at third if Zimmerman is out for extended time

April 27, 2012, 10:25am

Nationals

Teahen a nice choice at third if Zimmerman is out for extended time

With the status of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman up in the air, the Nationals have been essentially playing on the penalty kill (using the NHL analogy) for almost a week. Zimmerman has not played since Saturday, out with right shoulder inflammation. It has to be testing general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson as to what they should do for next week when Arizona and Philadelphia arrive at Nationals Park. You would expect the team to continue with just 24-man roster through the...

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Nationals renew agreement with physical therapist Gordon

April 27, 2012, 7:53am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals have renewed their working agreement with Angela T. Gordon, MPT, ATC, retaining her as the team's physical therapist. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Gordon provides comprehensive outpatient physical therapy services for the Washington Nationals' players, covering the team's pre-season evaluations in Florida and 40 home games during the regular baseball season. Among the job...

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Strasburg on RGIII, Gio's curve and the Nationals' young staff

April 26, 2012, 10:11am

Nationals

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg knows first-hand what it is like to be the No. 1 selection of a franchise and can empathize with what Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is going through as he gets ready for the opportunity to join the Washington Redskins. But Strasburg believes Griffin has the makings of an elite quarterback in the NFL because of his physical talent and his overall makeup. "You don't see too many quarterbacks that have all the tools that he has," Strasburg...

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Before using brooms, Nats need their bats (Nats lose 2-1)

April 26, 2012, 7:54pm

Nationals

Before using brooms, Nats need their bats (Nats lose 2-1)

If the Nationals scored seven runs yesterday, does that mean they've used up their offensive allotment for the next three days? The Nats have managed just two hits tonight off Padres starter Edinson Volquez, and have yet to touch home plate as we go to the seventh inning. Wilson Ramos and Adam LaRoche are the only two Nationals hitters to have registered a tally in the hit column. Both guys reached scoring position with two outs (Ramos in the third inning, LaRoche in the fourth), but Ian...

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Nationals begin spring training negotiations with Lee County

April 26, 2012, 5:15pm

Nationals

The Nationals have officially begun negotiations with Lee County and the city of Fort Myers that could lead to the team moving its spring training facility as early as 2014.

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Dave Nichols: A dose of reality in an unreal start

April 26, 2012, 4:24am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: A dose of reality in an unreal start

The Nationals, now 14-4, own the best record in the National League, just a half-game behind the Texas Rangers for the best record in all of baseball. Heady stuff. Of course, a .778 winning percentage is impossible to keep up, but the Nats have taken strong advantage of a weak early schedule to race out to a good start. The pitching has, of course, been the big story. Dominant starters, shutdown relievers, two closers (for now). But the team - and the fans - got a shock this week with Ryan...