nationals

Late-inning roller coaster ends with Nats on top

April 12, 2012, 2:28pm

The message from multiple guys in the Nationals' clubhouse after today's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Reds was the same: It's too bad we couldn't finish this one off for Gio. Gio Gonzalez pitched seven exceptional innings in his debut at Nationals Park, allowing just two hits and no runs, but even though the Nationals held a 2-0 lead entering the ninth inning, they were unable to get the left-handed starter his first win of the season. "Just an outstanding effort," manager Davey...

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Marty Niland: The Nationals' two-hit starters

April 13, 2012, 5:17am

Nationals

For Nationals fans - and fans of great starting pitching - the past three games may seem like days in heaven. From the beginning of Tuesday's win over the New York Mets, the starters have been on a roll, racking up a string of 18 scoreless innings in the team's three-game winning streak. In their respective starts, Ross Detwiler on Tuesday, Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday and Gio Gonzalez on Thursday showed good control, overpowering stuff and the ability to pitch out of what little trouble...

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Instinct led Zimmerman on decisive dash

April 12, 2012, 2:12pm

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman didn't see the outstretched right palm of Roger Bernadina at home plate, the hitter's signal that he should hold at third. Zimmerman was focused on the ball skittering away from Reds rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco and knew that it had bounced far enough from home plate to allow him to score the winning run in the Nationals' 10-inning 3-2 victory in their home opener Thursday afternoon. Chalk it up to a well-honed baseball impulse, because if Zimmerman had taken to heart the...

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Long and short of it, Nationals' Stammen relishes his role

April 12, 2012, 2:05pm

Nationals

Craig Stammen is pegged as the long right-handed reliever out of the bullpen for the Nationals. But Thursday his role became that of closer as he struck out the side in the 10th inning to help lift the Nationals over the Reds, 3-2. Stammen (1-0) struck out Willie Harris, Drew Stubbs and Zach Cozart. The last strike out of Cozart was particularly emphatic. It was of the looking variety, which brought with it a huge roar from the partisan 40,907 at Nationals Park on home opening day. That...

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Gonzalez, Latos trading zeros

April 12, 2012, 10:24am

Nationals

The Nationals and Reds have combined for just three hits through four innings of play this afternoon, as starters Gio Gonzalez and Mat Latos have looked sharp early in the Nats' home opener. Gonzalez has allowed only two Reds runners to reach base - one on a Jay Bruce double and the other on an error committed by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The Nats left-hander, making his first appearance at Nats Park since being acquired in a trade with the A's this offseason, has only allowed two balls...

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Lidge blows ninth-inning lead (Nats walk off with 3-2 win in 10th)

April 12, 2012, 11:57am

Nationals

Lidge blows ninth-inning lead (Nats walk off with 3-2 win in 10th)

So much for all the headlines about Gio Gonzalez leading the Nationals to a win in his home debut. Gonzalez won't get a victory in the Nats' home opener despite throwing seven shutout innings, and we've got a tie game here heading to the bottom of the ninth. The Reds tied this game 2-2 in the top-half of the ninth after Ryan Ludwick's single to left plated two runs off Nats closer Brad Lidge. Ludwick's grounder could've been handled by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, but the ball skipped...

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LaRoche just keeps on hitting (Gonzalez keeps on dealing)

April 12, 2012, 10:58am

Nationals

LaRoche just keeps on hitting (Gonzalez keeps on dealing)

The emergence of Adam LaRoche as a legitimate power hitter in the middle of the Nationals lineup - and a healthy one, at that - was one of the biggest stories we took from the Nats' opening road trip. Now that the Nats are back at home, LaRoche has no plans of slowing down. Up with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, LaRoche delivered a huge two-run single to center, scoring Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa to break a scoreless tie and give the Nats a 2-0 lead. LaRoche is now hitting...

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Plan for Harper not affected by Morse injury, plus Storen update

April 12, 2012, 8:25am

Nationals

Plan for Harper not affected by Morse injury, plus Storen update

The news that Michael Morse will be shut down for the next six weeks because of a re-aggravated strained lat might lead some to wonder whether the Nationals will adjust their plan for top prospect Bryce Harper. The answer from general manager Mike Rizzo, not surprisingly, is a resounding no. "No. It does not," Rizzo said. "We've got a plan for (Harper), and when he's ready to come up, we'll certainly think about that. But we've got in-house candidates that we feel comfortable with out...

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Storen in good spirits after surgery, expects to return this season

April 12, 2012, 9:09am

Nationals

Storen in good spirits after surgery, expects to return this season

Nationals closer Drew Storen was at Nationals Park with his arm in a sling and in good spirits following surgery to remove a loose body in his right elbow that was causing him severe pain. Storen said the experience has been a new one for him as he has never even suffered a broken arm growing up. "The whole not being able to use one arm is kind of weird," Storen said. "Putting on socks is not exactly easy." General manager Mike Rizzo said the surgery went as well as expected and feels...

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Zimmerman says seventh home opener offers "a little more hope"

April 12, 2012, 7:26am

Nationals

Zimmerman says seventh home opener offers "a little more hope"

Ryan Zimmerman is no stranger to home openers. Today is his seventh, yet none of them has dawned with the immense expectations for success that this afternoon's game against the Reds brings. Still, the Nationals third baseman doesn't seem to think this opener is any different than the others he's experienced. "No," Zimmerman said in the Washington clubhouse Thursday morning. No? Not even a little bit? "I mean, every year, every team thinks it can win. ... Honestly, every team I've...

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Rendon has partial fracture of ankle, Goodwin with quad injury

April 12, 2012, 8:21am

Nationals

$Rendon has partial fracture of ankle, Goodwin with quad injury$

High Single-A Potomac third baseman Anthony Rendon has a partial fracture of his left ankle, according to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. Rendon was injured Saturday at Lynchburg and was helped off the field. "Rendon is in a boot and he is immobilized," Rizzo said. "He is going to see a foot and ankle specialist Friday." Rizzo was optimistic that this is not the worst case scenario for Rendon, and that he will be able to return this season. "They tell me his season is not in...

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Morse in "total shutdown mode" for six weeks

April 12, 2012, 7:33am

Nationals

Morse in "total shutdown mode" for six weeks

Michael Morse's latest setback in his rehab from a strained lat will land him on the shelf until at least mid-May. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said today that Morse, who re-aggravated his lat injury while on a rehab appearance with low Single-A Hagerstown on Monday, will be in "total shutdown mode" for the next six weeks, and will be evaluated after that. "We tried to ramp him up and get him ready as quickly as we could because he's a big piece of our lineup, and it just...

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Minor league roundup: P-Nats score early in win; Ankiel another base hit

April 12, 2012, 4:01am

Nationals

Minor league roundup: P-Nats score early in win; Ankiel another base hit

Here'S a look at how the Nationals' minor league affiliates fared Wednesday: Single-A Hagerstown: The Suns managed four hits, but struck out 10 times in a 3-0 loss at home to Lexington. Rick Ankiel got two at-bats in as the designated hitter, walking and smacking a single. Single-A Potomac: The P-Nats tallied four runs in the first innings to cruise past Myrtle Beach 6-3. Catcher David Freitas had three hits, including an RBI single. Justin Bloxom walked with the bases loaded and later...

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Nats lineup for home opener

April 12, 2012, 6:07am

Nationals

The Nationals open their home schedule today against the Reds. Adam LaRoche will hit cleanup for the Nats. Nationals lineup: SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche RF Jayson Werth LF Xavier Nady CF Roger Bernadina C Wilson Ramos P Gio Gonzalez

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Dave Nichols: Enjoy Nats' good start while it lasts

April 12, 2012, 3:02am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Enjoy Nats' good start while it lasts

Not since 1951 has a Washington baseball team enjoyed an above-.500 start to a Major League Baseball season after a mere six games. Uncanny, isn't it? You would think, in the next 20 years after that, before the city lost baseball, or in the seven since it has returned, it would have happened once. It's not that hard to do. Teams have winning streaks all the time. Just not in Washington at the start of the season. It's great that the Nationals were able to take advantage of lesser teams...

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Strasburg talks about his first win of 2012

April 11, 2012, 4:05pm

Nationals

Strasburg talks about his first win of 2012

FLUSHING, N.Y. - How did Stephen Strasburg react to the Nationals' decision to let him throw a career-high 108 pitches and finish off the sixth inning of today's game despite having the go-ahead runner on base? Is that a real question? He welcomed the heck out of it. Stephen Strasburg talks about going six innings in the Nats' 4-0 win "I just want to be another guy in the clubhouse," Strasburg said. "It's not like I've never thrown over 100 pitches in my life. It's just something...

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The reins are starting to come off Strasburg

April 11, 2012, 2:53pm

Nationals

The reins are starting to come off Strasburg

FLUSHING, N.Y. - For the first time in his professional career, Stephen Strasburg topped the 100-pitch mark today. To the bulk of the baseball world, that's a fairly major storyline. The Nationals, for the first time, really took the reins off their workhorse, their No. 1 starter, and let him throw 108 pitches over six innings in a 4-0 win over the Mets. Strasburg has been handled delicately since being taken with the No. 1 pick in 2009, his innings and pitch totals carefully monitored and...

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Morse's test results sent to Dr. Andrews (plus Nats lineup)

April 11, 2012, 8:12am

Nationals

Morse's test results sent to Dr. Andrews (plus Nats lineup)

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Nationals closer Drew Storen went to see Dr. James Andrews yesterday to get his inflamed right elbow checked out. Looking at Michael Morse's strained lat will be next on Dr. Andrews' to-do list. Morse won't actually make a trip to see Dr. Andrews for now, but the Nationals have sent the renowned orthopedist Morse's test results and are awaiting Dr. Andrews' opinion on what the next course of action should be with the injured left fielder. "If (Andrews) thinks he needs...

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Storen has surgery to remove bone fragment in elbow

April 11, 2012, 3:34pm

Nationals

Storen has surgery to remove bone fragment in elbow

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Nationals closer Drew Storen had surgery to remove a small bone fragment from his elbow today, according to an industry source. The procedure was not considered major, and Storen is expected to return sometime during the middle of the season, likely before the All-Star break. Storen battled elbow issues in spring training, and was shut down when he started feeling tightness in the joint of his throwing elbow. He started picking up his rehab program last week, and while he...

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Nats beat Mets 4-0, win second straight road series

April 11, 2012, 12:48pm

Nationals

Nats beat Mets 4-0, win second straight road series

FLUSHING, N.Y. - The Nationals will head back to D.C. for their home opener possessing two series wins. Washington beat the Mets 4-0 this afternoon, giving them their second straight road series victory and a 4-2 record as they return to the nation's capital. Stephen Strasburg outdueled Johan Santana in an early season battle of the aces, as Strasburg went six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. The Nats righty threw a career-high 108 pitches before giving way to...