nationals

Rizzo says Harper delivering as expected in early returns

May 01, 2012, 3:14pm

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made the decision to call up 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper on Saturday. After two games, Rizzo said Harper showed exactly what he had shown in the minor leagues, a player that can hit, hit for power and go after every ball in the outfield. Rizzo said Harper's final at-bat was his best of the weekend when he earned a walk off Dodgers right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen. Harper didn't strike out or flail at every pitch. He measured Jansen well and hung...

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Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut

May 02, 2012, 4:47am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut

The District's baseball skepticism is warranted. A double dose of 100-loss seasons after 30-plus years of no baseball in town will do that to a person. Those miserable 2008 and 2009 seasons are also what brought the Nationals to this point in time. Baseball in Washington is at crossroads of sorts now that Bryce Harper has made his home debut. With the media hoopla surrounding the young stud of a hitter, it wasn't far-fetched to think that the atmosphere at the ballpark might rival that of...

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Zimmerman's progress on schedule for possible Sunday return

May 01, 2012, 2:21pm

Nationals

Zimmerman's progress on schedule for possible Sunday return

Positive news on the progress of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who threw Tuesday during batting practice and his throwing motion looked good. Zimmerman has been out with right shoulder inflammation of the AC joint. Manager Davey Johnson said Zimmerman can't hit until the weekend. The doctors don't think he can re-injure his shoulder by swinging. The injury occurred hitting the ground diving for a ball on defense. So, is there anything that Zimmerman could do to prevent the injury from...

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Johnson talks offense, Harper after Nats' 5-1 loss

May 01, 2012, 7:48pm

Nationals

Johnson talks offense, Harper after Nats' 5-1 loss

The Nationals are without Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman. We know this. But their lack of offense during their five-game losing streak is still surprising and disappointing, especially to the man writing out the starting lineup every day. "I feel like we got the hitters that can hit," Johnson said. "(We're) just not as aggressive as I'd like to see. Our one and two hitters (Ian Desmond and Steve Lombardozzi) were aggressive tonight. They went out and swung the bat and got a couple of...

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Nats fall again, drop 5-1 decision to Diamondbacks

May 01, 2012, 5:45pm

Nationals

Nats fall again, drop 5-1 decision to Diamondbacks

For a few games last week, the Nationals were working on a string of consecutive scoreless innings thrown by their starting pitchers, a total which reached 25 frames. For most of tonight's game, they were watching a different scoreless streak mount. And it wasn't a good one. When Roger Bernadina crossed the plate in the eighth inning tonight, it broke a string of 17 straight innings the Nats had gone without a run. The one run was nice, but Washington could have used a few more of 'em, as...

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Harper hitless as Nats' offensive woes continue (updated)

May 01, 2012, 4:36pm

Nationals

Harper hitless as Nats' offensive woes continue (updated)

The Nationals have managed just two hits and a walk and have struck out five times through five scoreless innings. Here we go again. Washington has not scored in its last 15 innings, and yet again enters the late frames needing the bats to awaken as Davey Johnson's group trails the Diamondbacks 2-0 in the middle of the sixth. Tonight, the Nats are making D'backs starter Trevor Cahill look like a Cy Young award winner, as they've put up little fight against the Arizona right-hander. The...

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Harper could move up in order, Rizzo OK with current roster

May 01, 2012, 3:51pm

Nationals

Harper could move up in order, Rizzo OK with current roster

Davey Johnson was asked if he's been impressed with how calm Bryce Harper has been in his first few days in the majors. "I wouldn't call him calm. He's energetic," Johnson said, before cracking a smile. "I'm thinking about getting a PRP from him and getting some of that blood in me." Not sure that's exactly how the platelet rich plasma treatment works, but the Nationals skipper's joke drew laughs from the assembled media. Johnson said he isn't looking too far down the road in...

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Harper back in left, hitting seventh

May 01, 2012, 2:02pm

Nationals

I tried posting the lineups from my iPhone a couple of hours ago, but apparently that failed miserably. So let's try this again. Bryce Harper is hitting seventh again today, and he's back in left field with Rick Ankiel playing center against Diamondbacks right-hander Trevor Cahill. Ankiel will hit third today, and Jayson Werth is back in the lineup hitting fifth after missing Sunday's game because of a migraine. Nationals SS Ian Desmond 3B Steve Lombardozzi CF Rick Ankiel 1B Adam...

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Relaxed Harper feels no pressure to stick in the majors

May 01, 2012, 3:06pm

Nationals

Relaxed Harper feels no pressure to stick in the majors

While today will be Bryce Harper's official home debut, in some ways, yesterday was his true sporting debut in the nation's capital. Harper used his off-day to go shopping in the D.C. area, and then went on a little tour of the Mall, checking out the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Some fans noticed him walking by - "They saw the rat tail and the tattoos," Harper joked - and asked him to take a few hacks in their pick-up softball game which was taking place nearby. "I was...

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Komatsu could return to D.C.

May 01, 2012, 11:30am

Nationals

Remember Erik Komatsu? The 24-year-old outfielder might be an option for the Nationals yet again. The Cardinals just designated Komatsu for assignment, and if he clears waivers, must be offered back to the Nationals. Komatsu was taken by the Cardinals from the Nationals in December's Rule 5 draft. He was originally acquired by Washington last year from Milwaukee in the Jerry Hariston Jr. trade. There's a chance another team claims Komatsu - who hit .211 in 19 at-bats with the Cardinals...

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Some of this, some of that

May 01, 2012, 5:49am

Nationals

Think Danny Rosenbaum is almost ready for a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse? The 24-year-old lefty threw seven shutout innings for Double-A Harrisburg yesterday, allowing six hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Rosenbaum lowered his season ERA to 0.76 and now has gone his last three starts, spanning 23 innings, without allowing a run. In that time, he's given up just 13 hits with two walks and 16 strikeouts. Yeah, Triple-A might be calling shortly. For those who have asked, I can't...

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Early impressions of Harper sure are favorable

April 30, 2012, 10:04am

Nationals

Early impressions of Harper sure are favorable

It's just been two games. Say it with me: It's just been two games. There's no reason to read too much into Bryce Harper's first eight major league plate appearances or his first 17 innings in the Nationals outfield. He'll have plenty more opportunities to show his stuff in the big leagues in the coming days/weeks/years and there are certainly no guarantees that he won't be back playing at Triple-A Syracuse again sometime in the near future. But when we examine Harper's...

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Joe Drugan: Comparing Nationals' starters to some elite competition

May 01, 2012, 4:56am

Nationals

Blogs across NatsTown have spent the better part of a week bemoaning the lethargic offense that the Nationals have shown throughout the season, and they probably deserve it. The team has scored just 74 runs, or just 3.36 runs per game, which is sixth worst in all of baseball. Yet the Nationals are still 14-8 heading into May, and they hold a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. Everyone's heard how awesome this team's pitching rotation has...

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Hague finally returns to Potomac Nationals

May 01, 2012, 3:53am

Nationals

The Nationals have activated shortstop Rick Hague to Single-A Potomac's roster. The 6-foot-2, 190 lb., infielder missed over a year with dislocated shoulder suffered in the first week of last season. Hague went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, scored a run and had two strikeouts in his first game back in Woodbridge, Va., since April 2011. When healthy, Hague is considered one of the top infielders in the system and was one of the top choices to accelerate through the system quickly before...

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Homestand kicks off with All-Star balloting

April 30, 2012, 3:58pm

Nationals

Homestand kicks off with All-Star balloting

The Nationals return home after a six-game road trip out west. Things started out well, as the Nats took two of three in San Diego, but a sweep by the Dodgers has Washington looking to rebound upon its return to Nationals Park. One thing a homestand also ensures is another set of perks and incentives for fans to get out to the ballpark and root root root for the home team and it kicks off with the annual All-Star voting beginning Tuesday when the Nationals open a series with the...

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Baltimore-born Kaline has some advice for phenom Harper

April 30, 2012, 1:19pm

Nationals Orioles

Baltimore-born Kaline has some advice for phenom Harper

Who knows what kind of production teenage sensation Bryce Harper will have with the Nationals this season? But one thing's for certain: Not many players that young have managed to play 100-plus games in a big league season. According to baseballreference.com, nine teenagers have played 100-plus games in the big leagues since Baltimore native Al Kaline, a Hall of Fame outfielder, did it in 1954 with Detroit. "The key for Bryce Harper to be successful is to have a balance of confidence and...

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D.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductees to be honored before May 6 Phillies-Nationals game

April 30, 2012, 12:48pm

Nationals

The six newest members of the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame will be honored prior to the Washington Nationals series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, May 6 at Nationals Park. This year, the legendary sports club will enshrine the following inductees: * Glenn Brenner, Celebrated WUSA Sportscaster (inducted posthumously) * Adrian Dantley, Former NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer * Joe Gallagher, Former St. John's College High School Head Basketball Coach and...

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Low run totals becoming a tired act

April 30, 2012, 4:56am

Nationals

So apparently, Jayson Werth not playing in yesterday's game was less of a manager's decision and more of a migraine decision. Manager Davey Johnson told reporters in Los Angeles after yesterday's game that Werth was scratched from the Nationals' series finale against the Dodgers because he was suffering from a "severe migraine," which forced Johnson to insert Tyler Moore into the lineup just hours after the 25-year-old learned he was getting called up to the big leagues for the first...

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Bryce Harper's catch at wall a reminder of what's yet to come

April 29, 2012, 5:40pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper's catch at wall a reminder of what's yet to come

Those kinds of catches must be second nature to Bryce Harper. But they are new to Nationals fans. Get used to it. The kid can make the spectacular seem routine. Showing no fear, the 19-year old went hard to his left toward the center field wall at Dodger Stadium after a shot off the bat of Juan Uribe on Sunday. Not breaking stride, Harper jumped into the padded concrete wall and caught the ball as the collision occurred. Falling onto his back it took a moment or two for Harper to get back...

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Ted Leavengood: A Hollywood script with much left to write

April 30, 2012, 5:52am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: A Hollywood script with much left to write

No team in the National League East had a better April than the Nationals, and Saturday night the Hollywood script writers worked over time on a fairy tale ending. Bryce Harper's first game in the major leagues was the setting. It drew so much press attention to Dodger Stadium that the Queen of England could have slipped into town unnoticed. Harper may have been the headline for the Nationals' weekend at Dodger Stadium, but Stephen Strasburg's brilliant performance Saturday night made real...