nationals

Lidge to close today, plus other non-Lannan notes

April 05, 2012, 10:27am

CHICAGO - Yes, a baseball game will be played at Wrigley Field today. No, John Lannan will not be here for it. We've talked a ton about Lannan over these last three days, but there are other notes to pass along as we close in on first pitch. Manager Davey Johnson said today that Brad Lidge will be his closer today, but don't take that to mean that Lidge will be in for the ninth inning every time the Nats have a save situation prior to Drew Storen's return from elbow inflammation. Johnson...

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John Lannan asks to be traded

April 04, 2012, 3:53pm

Nationals

CHICAGO - Barely 24 hours after being skipped over for a spot in the Nationals' rotation and instead optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, left-hander John Lannan has asked the Nationals for a trade. In an email to members of the local media, Lannan explained his decision, saying he has met with Nats general manager Mike Rizzo twice since being informed yesterday that he would not make the team's 25-man opening day roster, and told Rizzo, "I believe a trade would be the best solution for everyone...

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Dave Nichols: High goals and lofty expectations

April 05, 2012, 5:30am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: High goals and lofty expectations

Well, here we are, at the outset of another baseball season. Only this year, for the first opening day since the franchise arrived from Montreal in 2005, there are real expectations for this team. We're not talking about pie-in-the-sky predictions of barely major league players and castoffs surprising everyone (including their mothers) and playing out of their heads, either. We're talking about real live, honest-to-goodness expectations that this, at long last, will be the first good...

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No shortage of suitors should Nationals opt to deal Lannan

April 05, 2012, 6:12am

Nationals Orioles

No shortage of suitors should Nationals opt to deal Lannan

With John Lannan preparing to pitch for Triple-A Syracuse while requesting a trade via email to reporters, there will be a list of teams looking at the possibility of acquiring the lefty. But it's not like the Nationals need to trade him. They can't afford to give him away, and teams might not go for their asking price, considering Lannan makes $5 million. Plus, if Stephen Strasburg is on an innings limit of 160 this season, Lannan might be needed late in the season. Every team needs...

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Washington Nationals open 2012 season with Natitude

April 04, 2012, 2:09pm

Nationals

"Ignite Your Natitude" during Opening Weekend and throughout the season The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and the start of the 2012 season at Nationals Park on Thursday, April 12 when the team hosts the Cincinnati Reds at 1:05 p.m. Though Opening Day is expected to sell out, select tickets still remain and Standing Room Only tickets are available for $15 at nationals.com/tickets. Due to the anticipated sellout, all gates will open at 10:30 a.m. to allow fans more time...

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Nats' opening day lineup plus notes from Chicago

April 04, 2012, 1:16pm

Nationals

Nats' opening day lineup plus notes from Chicago

CHICAGO - Hello from the Windy City, which actually isn't that windy at all today. It's a beautiful 55 degrees here and for someone who hasn't seen the city before (the one-day trip with my dad to see a game at Wrigley when I was 13 doesn't really count in my mind), the cab ride in along the water provided a nice little mini-tour. I look forward to a getting a taste of Chicago (literally) when a few of the other beat reporters and I head out to grab some deep-dish pizza sometime over...

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Still digesting the Lannan move

April 04, 2012, 5:35am

Nationals

So much for there not being any surprise roster decisions at the end of Nationals spring training. So much for the Nats setting their rotation over a week ago, leaving only a couple bench spots and the final bullpen job up for grabs. So much for that whole "John's my guy" thing. Given the way the Nationals had acted ever since Chien-Ming Wang went down with a hamstring strain in mid-March, an injury which officially opened up a spot in their rotation, the decision to option John Lannan...

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Here's your official 25-man opening day roster

April 04, 2012, 7:29am

Nationals

Here's your official 25-man opening day roster

With all the hoopla surrounding the Nationals' decision to option John Lannan to Triple-A Syracuse and slide Ross Detwiler into the starting rotation, a couple other roster decisions might have gotten overlooked. The Lannan move opened up a roster spot that allowed the Nationals to keep right-hander Craig Stammen, who would have been ticketed for Syracuse's rotation had Lannan broken camp with the major league club. Stammen put together a very strong spring, posting a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3...

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Shocker: Lannan optioned to Syracuse in final round of cuts

April 03, 2012, 3:55pm

Nationals

Shocker: Lannan optioned to Syracuse in final round of cuts

In 2009 and 2010, the Nationals gave John Lannan the ball as their opening day starter. On Tuesday, flush with quality pitchers, unwilling to use Lannan out of the bullpen and confident that he had been outpitched in spring training, they optioned the left-hander and his $5 million contract to Triple-A Syracuse. Lannan's surprise demotion was the biggest of a series of transactions announced after the Nats' 8-7 loss to the Red Sox that got them down to the 25-man roster limit. The Nationals...

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Nationals select contracts of three players, finalize opening day 25-man roster

April 03, 2012, 4:07pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today selected the contracts of outfielder Brett Carroll, outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady and first baseman Chad Tracy. The clubs also optioned left-handed pitcher John Lannan to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, released right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin and placed right-handed pitcher Drew Storen (15-Day, retroactive to March 26), right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang (15-Day, retroactive to March 26), outfielder Rick Ankiel (15-Day, retroactive to...

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Detwiler and Stammen together again, this time in D.C.

April 03, 2012, 3:48pm

Nationals

Detwiler and Stammen together again, this time in D.C.

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Craig Stammen received the news Tuesday that they had made the Nationals' opening day roster. Just one year ago, the pair had roomed together in Syracuse for the Triple-A Chiefs with hopes of working their way back to the majors. That quest has been realized. Detwiler will be the Nationals fifth starter and Stammen will pitch out of the bullpen. Stammen remembers the work they put in with the Chiefs for the opportunity to get back to...

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Report: Durbin signs with Braves

April 03, 2012, 12:52pm

Nationals

Earlier this afternoon, Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he would wait to get through the exhibition game against the Red Sox before announcing which of two right-handers - Chad Durbin or Ryan Mattheus - had claimed the final spot on the team's 25-man roster. The belief was that Johnson wanted to make sure everyone got through today's game healthy before revealing who made the cut. Turns out Johnson won't have to wait that long, and that's probably good news for Matthews. According...

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A look at 2012 Harrisburg pitching staff

April 03, 2012, 12:52pm

Nationals

A look at 2012 Harrisburg pitching staff

Here is the pitching roster announced for manager Matt LeCroy and pitching coach Paul Menhart for the 2012 Double-A Harrisburg Senators (All are right-handers unless otherwise noted): Mike Ballard (LHP) Erik Davis Paul Demny Marcos Frias Christian Garcia Robert Gilliam Patrick Lehman Jeff Mandel Patrick McCoy (LHP) Hector Nelo Kevin Pucetas Danny Rosenbaum (LHP) Joe Testa (LHP) The staff includes Potomac Nationals player of the year Danny Rosenbaum, George Washington University's Patrick...

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Ramos' homer, Desmond solo shot get Nats within 6-4

April 03, 2012, 12:38pm

Nationals

Ramos' homer, Desmond solo shot get Nats within 6-4

The Nationals are no longer searching for their first hit of the afternoon against Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz. Nor are they staring at a scoreboard full of goose eggs. Adam LaRoche's leadoff single in the fifth, a sharp grounder down the right field line, ended a string of 12 straight hitters retired by Buchholz to start the game. After Jayson Werth struck out, LaRoche moved to second on an infield single by Mark DeRosa. A fielder's choice grounder by Xavier Nady erased DeRosa at...

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Jackson cruises through three, runs into trouble in fourth (updated)

April 03, 2012, 11:54am

Nationals

Jackson cruises through three, runs into trouble in fourth (updated)

After three spotless innings of three-up, three-down baseball, Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson has run into some trouble in the fourth. Leading off the fourth, Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury worked the count full, then laced a clean single to left, the first hit for either team in a crisply played game. Dustin Pedroia followed with a line drive to left that went for a run-scoring double and a 1-0 Red Sox lead. Adrian Gonzalez flew out to left, with Pedroia successfully testing left fielder...

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Storen passes his latest rehab test

April 03, 2012, 10:03am

Nationals

Prior to today, Drew Storen already had a full bullpen session under his belt as he works back from elbow inflammation. But this afternoon, working off the bullpen mound at Nationals Park, Storen cleared his next hurdle in his rehab - he threw with some conviction, trusting his arm and pounding the catcher's mitt with force. "I let it go a little bit today, probably for the first time in a while, and didn't feel bad at all," Storen said. "So I'm happy with that." Storen, who said...

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For Strasburg, a memorable first major league opener in store

April 03, 2012, 8:47am

Nationals

For Strasburg, a memorable first major league opener in store

It's hard to believe, but Stephen Strasburg's opening day start in Chicago on Thursday will be his first opener as a major leaguer. Imagine the butterflies accompanying most players on their first opener - and then factor in the emotionally charged intensity that accompanies the right-hander on a typical start and you have to wonder whether Strasburg will be battling himself. Remember, Strasburg's first minor league start in his rookie season was on April 11, 2010, when he pitched for the...

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Bernadina's knee looks good, Johnson expects him to be starter in center

April 03, 2012, 10:36am

Nationals

Bernadina's knee looks good, Johnson expects him to be starter in center

Nationals outfielder Roger Bernadina went through batting practice and pregame workouts prior to Tuesday's exhibition against the Boston Red Sox with no lingering issues from the right knee bruise suffered in Monday's game. Bernadina was running around without limitations in the Nationals Park outfield during pregame and showed no ill effects getting hit on the knee by a failed pickoff throw. The 27-year old Curacao native was listed in the starting lineup, playing center field and batting...

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Three up, three down from spring training

April 03, 2012, 4:13am

Nationals

Three up, three down from spring training

ORLANDO, Fla. - I'm finally leaving the state of Florida, a bit more tired and with a much heavier farmer's tan than when I arrived. While we still have one exhibition game remaining before opening day gets here, spring training is officially over. The Nationals have worked their way into playing shape, finalized all but one spot on their 25-man roster and welcomed one fantastic new beat writer who will be covering them this season. I'm completely unbiased on that last front. Before I...

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Today's Red Sox-Nationals lineups

April 03, 2012, 9:23am

Nationals

The Nationals have just finished batting practice, fans are starting to stream into Nationals Park and the last exhibition game of the spring will start at 3:05 p.m. Remember, today's game is going to be televised live on MASN/MASN HD, so you can tune in and get a look at the Nats in their last game before Thursday's opener in Chicago against the Cubs. Here are today's lineups. For the Red Sox: CF - Jacoby Ellsbury 2B - Dustin Pedroia 1B - Adrian Gonzalez DH - David Ortiz 3B - Kevin...