nationals

Nationals' All-Stars Strasburg, G. Gonzalez, Desmond sense "new standard"

July 03, 2012, 2:04pm

The Nationals have made headlines and statements with the way they have played this season because of the amount of talent the organization has accrued the past few seasons. It is unchartered territory for the Nationals. The franchise used to be challenging for a top draft pick. Now, they are challenging for the NL East crown. One reason? Or should I say three reasons? I.D., Gio and Stras, of course. The three Nationals honored with invitations to next week's All-Star game represent the...

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Storen to begin rehab assignment Thursday, Rodriguez close to returning

July 03, 2012, 1:18pm

Nationals

Storen to begin rehab assignment Thursday, Rodriguez close to returning

Drew Storen is getting closer to returning by the day. The Nationals reliever, who has yet to appear in a game due to an elbow surgery, will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday, likely with Single-A Potomac, according to manager Davey Johnson. The team plans for Storen to pitch every-other day and appear in four games. That puts him on track to return to the Nationals the first game back after the All-Star break. "That's the plan," Johnson said. "I think that would be enough." Storen...

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Updates on Kimball, Karns, Paul and Hague

July 03, 2012, 12:39pm

Nationals

Updates on Kimball, Karns, Paul and Hague

Right-hander Cole Kimball has continued his rehab from a torn rotator cuff at Double-A Harrisburg. Kimball has made stops with the Gulf Coast League Nationals, Single-A Hagerstown and Single-A Potomac, accumulating an 0-1 record with a 6.75 ERA in five games, four of them starts, totaling 5 1/3 innings. His roughest outing was June 28 at Salem, when he allowed three homers in 2/3 of an inning. It will be a good move for Kimball because he will be reunited with Harrisburg pitching coach Paul...

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Nats lineup vs. Lincecum (with Giants lineup added)

July 03, 2012, 11:07am

Nationals

Nats lineup vs. Lincecum (with Giants lineup added)

The Nationals will square off against the Giants and starter Tim Lincecum tonight. Lincecum is 3-8 with a 5.60 ERA this season, but has put up quality starts his last two times out. He delivered seven shutout innings his last start, which came against the Dodgers. Here's Davey Johnson's lineup for tonight: 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 Giants: RF...

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An interesting question regarding Harper's possible All-Star inclusion (updated)

July 02, 2012, 3:59pm

Nationals

An interesting question regarding Harper's possible All-Star inclusion (updated)

Being selected to the All-Star Game is an honor, regardless how a player gets there. Bryce Harper wasn't voted in as a starter or selected as a reserve by his peers or the manager of the National League All-Star team, Tony LaRussa. He will, however, have a shot to participate in the Midsummer Classic thanks to the All-Star Game Final Vote. The Nationals' 19-year-old outfielder is up against Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn, David Freese and Aaron Hill for the final spot on the NL roster. Fans...

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Will Yoder: Hard to choose the Nats' first-half MVP

July 03, 2012, 11:46am

Nationals

Will Yoder: Hard to choose the Nats' first-half MVP

The Nationals are about to wrap up their best first half in franchise history. At 45-32, Washington has the best record in the National League, is 3.5 games ahead of the second place team in the NL East, and is on pace to win 95 games this season. What has been perhaps most impressive about the team's run so far this year is that when former cellar-dwellers come out of nowhere in this fashion, they usually do so on the shoulders of one identifiable superstar. Whether it be a franchise player...

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Will Yoder: June swoon may dictate Nats' path at trade deadline

June 26, 2012, 5:49am

Nationals

Will Yoder: June swoon may dictate Nats' path at trade deadline

The Nationals may still have the second-best record in the National League at 41-30, but the team is currently in a tailspin. The Nats have lost seven of their past 10 contests and have been outscored 25-34 in that span. The club will be the first to admit it: Their offense is struggling and the team, as a whole, is suffering. Earlier in the year, the team was able to get by game-to-game with one-run victories, but it seems the luck has run out as the edged-out wins just aren't happening....

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Clippard named MLB's top relief pitcher for June

July 02, 2012, 1:23pm

Nationals

Clippard named MLB's top relief pitcher for June

The month of June treated Tyler Clippard pretty well. The Nationals' new closer went 10-for-10 in save opportunities during June, holding opponents scoreless over 11 2/3 innings. He solidified the back of the Nats' bullpen and found out that he'll more than likely remain Davey Johnson's closer even when Drew Storen returns from his rehab from elbow surgery. Now, Clippard has been named the MLB Delivery Man of the Month for June. The award is given to the most outstanding relief pitcher...

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Some shocking Zimmermann numbers

July 03, 2012, 9:49am

Nationals

Believe it or not, Jordan Zimmermann has only one win at Nationals Park since last year's All-Star break. One win. In 11 starts. This despite posting a 3.13 ERA during those 11 outings at home. Zimmermann's last home win came on Aug. 18, 2011. In his eight home starts since, he has an 0-4 record and has received 10 runs of offensive support while in the game. Despite all the talk about the Nationals' two All-Star starters (Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez), Zimmermann currently leads...

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Harper looks to join trio of Nats in Kansas City for Midsummer Classic

July 01, 2012, 11:16am

Nationals

Harper looks to join trio of Nats in Kansas City for Midsummer Classic

It was a continuous debate, at least for the past month or so, whether Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper should/would make the All-Star team. So with the announcement of the rosters for the 83rd annual Midsummer Classic, I'm happy to report the debate has been settled - kind of. Harper wasn't selected by the fans or National League manager Tony LaRussa - that honor was reserved for Nationals pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, along with infielder Ian Desmond. But Harper is among...

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Ready to close out the first half

July 02, 2012, 6:25am

Nationals

The Nationals' recent three-city road trip might not have seemed that lengthy, given one of the stops was just a 45-minute drive from D.C. The visit to Baltimore was followed by trips to steamy Colorado and Atlanta, where the Nationals literally worked up quite a sweat over the last week. They now return home having gone 5-5 on the 10-game trip, which helped give them a winning month of June. The Nats went 15-11 last month, and after going 14-8 in April and 15-13 in May, they have now put up...

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Washington Nationals team up with Baltimore Orioles to encourage fans to vote the "Beltways Ballot"

July 02, 2012, 1:54pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals have once again partnered with the Baltimore Orioles to help send the "Beltways Ballot" of outfielder Bryce Harper and right-hander Jason Hammel to Kansas City for this year's All-Star Game. Harper and Hammel are candidates on Major League Baseball's Final Vote ballot, in which five players each are chosen from the National and American Leagues to compete for the final spot on their respective league rosters. Fans are encouraged to go online or use their mobile...

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Tyler Clippard named MLB Delivery Man of the Month for June

July 02, 2012, 1:20pm

Nationals

Tyler Clippard named MLB Delivery Man of the Month for June

Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals has been selected as the winner of the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award for June, it was announced today. This Major League Baseball award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher during each month of the regular season as voted on by a panel from Major League Baseball. Clippard converted each of his 10 save opportunities during the month of June while not allowing a run over 11.2 innings pitched. The 27-year-old...

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Johnson gives Gonzalez a little bit too much rope (Nationals win 8-4)

July 01, 2012, 11:44am

Nationals

All-in-all, allowing four runs in five-plus innings in the 100-degree Atlanta heat isn't the worst thing in the world. But when you consider that Gio Gonzalez led 6-1 starting the bottom of the sixth inning, it has to sting a bit that he left the game with just a two-run lead. After Davey Johnson played things very carefully with Stephen Strasburg in the hot conditions yesterday, it could certainly be argued that he went a bit too long with Gonzalez today. The Nationals lefty entered the...

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Ted Leavengood: More All-Stars where these came from

July 02, 2012, 5:44am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: More All-Stars where these came from

Yesterday, Nationals fans saw - for the first time this season, really - the Ryan Zimmerman who has been the most enduring Nationals All-Star since 2006. His two-run double in the first inning off Tim Hudson was the telling blow in an 8-4 win to take another road series against perennial National League contenders, the Atlanta Braves. He had a solo home run as well, his third longball in a week, and another clutch hit in the ninth to help put the game out of reach. He is hitting .378 for the...

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Now that All-Star teams are picked, it's time to dissect selections, snubs

July 02, 2012, 5:29am

Nationals Orioles

Now that All-Star teams are picked, it's time to dissect selections, snubs

The voting is complete, the rosters are selected, so now it's time to dissect how everyone did in the All-Star voting for next week's game in Kansas City. First of all, it's a good thing that fans, players and managers each get to have a say on which players make the team. The system works. Here's the nutshell: Every team needs to be represented, but the rosters should be cut to 27 and starters should be required to play at last four innings. The winner shouldn't get home field advantage...

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Strasburg, G. Gonzalez, Desmond named to NL All-Star team (Harper in Final Vote)

July 01, 2012, 9:13am

Nationals

Strasburg, G. Gonzalez, Desmond named to NL All-Star team (Harper in Final Vote)

Prior to this year, the Nationals had never had more than two players named to the All-Star team in a single season. This season, three Nationals have been selected to the Mid-summer Classic. And that number can possibly grow to four. Nationals pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez and shortstop Ian Desmond have all been named to the National League All-Star team. This is the first All-Star appearance for both Strasburg and Desmond and marks the second straight year that Gonzalez has...

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Pulling Strasburg the right move, even if it failed to net Nats a win

July 01, 2012, 6:21am

Nationals

Pulling Strasburg the right move, even if it failed to net Nats a win

We've talked about how Davey Johnson's patience with his players, even when they're struggling, is part of what makes him so beloved by the guys he manages. Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and Michael Morse can all attest to that. Yesterday, it was Johnson's lack of patience which showed why he is so highly regarded by the guys in his clubhouse. With the temperature in Atlanta sitting at 104 degrees, Johnson saw that Stephen Strasburg wasn't himself very early on in yesterday's game. He...

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Lombardozzi at second, Ankiel in center, Solano behind the plate

July 01, 2012, 7:04am

Nationals

Lombardozzi at second, Ankiel in center, Solano behind the plate

Davey Johnson has made a few changes to his normal lineup for today's series finale against the Braves. Danny Espinosa will get the day off, with Steve Lombardozzi taking over at second base and hitting out of the leadoff spot. Rick Ankiel starts in center field, moving Bryce Harper over to right and Michael Morse to left. Jhonatan Solano will also get the nod behind the plate, giving Jesus Flores a breather after catching all nine innings in yesterday's brutally hot weather. The...

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Potomac's Karns making case for best arm in organization

July 01, 2012, 7:13am

Nationals

Potomac's Karns making case for best arm in organization

Potomac Nationals right-hander Nathan Karns is on the best streak of his career, pitching somewhat under the radar as his team looks to gain momentum in the second half of the season. Karns has posted three consecutive double-digit strikeout performances in three straight victories, two on the road, dating to June 15. During this amazing run, the numbers are close to astounding: 32 strikeouts in three starts over 21 2/3 innings. He allowed just nine hits and two runs with only six walks in...