nationals

Wrapping up the Nats' 4-3 loss

March 16, 2012, 3:20pm

TAMPA, Fla. - The Nationals and Yankees needed an extra frame to settle things today, and the pinstripes earned a 4-3 walk-off win when catcher J.R. Murphy drove in former Nat Justin Maxwell with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th. Atahualpa Severino gave up the game-winning run. And the excitement was palpable at George Stenibrenner Field. Kidding. There were a couple handshakes and that was about it. Nats catcher Jesus Flores appeared to get hit by a foul ball in the one place no...

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Rush defense: Nationals' Jackson focusing on stopping the run

March 17, 2012, 4:34am

Nationals

One issue Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson may want to concentrate on is how easy it was for opposing hitters to steal second base on him last season. According to "The Fielding Bible, Volume III," Jackson struggled holding runners at first base in 2011. It is a problem that has plagued Jackson for the past few seasons. "The Fielding Bible" has formulated the term defensive runs saved, or DRS, to show how valuable a player can be by preventing runs from scoring while he is in the...

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Gonzalez's first blemish a minor one

March 16, 2012, 1:40pm

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - All in all, Gio Gonzalez's third spring start wasn't all that bad. The Nationals' lefty went just 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and three walks and throwing 69 pitches in that time. But he allowed only a single run (his first given up this spring) and struck out six Yankee hitters, including three in a row at one point. Still, Gonzalez wasn't thrilled with his outing, calling it "a minor setback." There were highs for Gonzalez, like the perfect second and third innings...

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Chien-Ming Wang discusses his injury

March 16, 2012, 2:10pm

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - You already know what Nationals manager Davey Johnson had to say about Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring injury. Now here are quotes from Wang about how he's holding up. The Nats righty told reporters back in Viera today that he isn't feeling any worse than he did after initially suffering the injury, which is a good thing, considering the day-after swelling that can often accompany a muscle pull. "After the issues, we had an MRI check it," Wang said through an interpreter....

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Nationals extend working agreements with four minor league affiliates

March 16, 2012, 11:19am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today announced they have agreed on two-year Player Development Contract extensions (2013-14) with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League, the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League, the Potomac Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League and the Auburn Doubledays of the Short-season Single-A New York-Penn League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager and...

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Gonzalez settles in after rocky start (updated)

March 16, 2012, 10:26am

Nationals

Gonzalez settles in after rocky start (updated)

TAMPA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez threw 32 pitches in a lengthy first inning, allowing two hits, a walk and a run. Since then, he's looked much more like the Gio Gonzalez that we've seen early in spring. Gonzalez retired all six Yankees he faced since that rocky first, throwing a total of 25 pitches, 18 for strikes. The Nationals lefty has five strikeouts through his three innings of work, four of which have been of the swinging variety. Bryce Harper, meanwhile, has gone 0-for-2 so far, striking...

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Harper in center, Nats grab early lead

March 16, 2012, 9:24am

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - The Nationals made a late change to their lineup - there have been a lot of those lately - a bit prior to first pitch, moving Bryce Harper from right field to center, and having Brett Carroll slide over to right. This marks Harper's second start in center field in the last three days; the 19-year-old was the Nats' starting center field against the Braves on Wednesday. Here's the Nats' updated lineup that is facing CC Sabathia: SS Ian Desmons 3B Steve Lombardozzi 1B Mark...

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Chien-Ming Wang expected to miss at least a couple weeks (plus Morse note)

March 16, 2012, 7:49am

Nationals

Chien-Ming Wang expected to miss at least a couple weeks (plus Morse note)

TAMPA, Fla. - Tests have confirmed that Chien-Ming Wang suffered a left hamstring strain yesterday, not a tear as some might have originally worried. Nationals manager Davey Johnson said prior to today's game against the Yankees that the hamstring injury will cause Wang to miss at least a couple of weeks. "The only thing I know - he was tested and it's a pull or a strain or whatever you want to call it," Johnson said. "It's going to be probably a couple weeks, minimum. He's done...

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Notes on Nats' cuts plus today's lineup

March 16, 2012, 4:28am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - I swung by Space Coast Stadium quickly before leaving for Tampa hoping to bump into Chien-Ming Wang in the locker room - not too forcefully, of course - but no such luck. Wang's injured hamstring was getting attention from the Nationals' training staff, so we'll have to wait until talking with manager Davey Johnson before getting any news on Wang's status. Left fielder Michael Morse (lat strain) and catcher Wilson Ramos (foot) are both on the trip to Tampa, indicating that...

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Bernadina feeling more pain, Lannan getting a mixed bag

March 15, 2012, 2:57pm

Nationals

Bernadina feeling more pain, Lannan getting a mixed bag

VIERA, Fla. - I wouldn't want to have been in Roger Berndina's shoes lately. Within the last week, the Nationals outfielder has been drilled by a pitch directly on his elbow, had a tooth pulled and gotten hit by another pitch just above the same elbow. Can't the baseball gods pick on somebody else for a while? Bernadina was a late scratch from last night's game against the Braves because he was still feeling light-headed as a result of having the tooth pulled. He shook off any lingering...

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Nats make roster moves, await testing on Wang's hamstring

March 15, 2012, 1:45pm

Nationals

Nats make roster moves, await testing on Wang's hamstring

VIERA, Fla. - Shortly after today's 8-5 loss to the Yankees, the Nationals made four roster moves, optioning right-handed pitcher Yunesky Maya to Triple-A Syracuse and outfielder Eury Perez to Double-A Harrisburg and reassigning right-handers Jeff Fulchino and Waldis Joaquin to minor league camp. The moves leave the Nats with 41 players in their big league camp. By the time the roster moves had been announced, Chien-Ming Wang was gone, the right-handed starter having been taken off-site for...

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One concern with Wang set to face Yanks

March 15, 2012, 7:54am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Davey Johnson would prefer that the Yankees weren't in town today. He has nothing against the Pinstripes, other than possibly from his time as a player and a manager with the Orioles, when he would battle with the Yanks a bunch of times each season. But Johnson's concern with Joe Girardi's bunch is that the logo on their helmets will cause his starter today, Chien-Ming Wang, to push things too hard against the team that he played for from 2005-2009. Wang is still in the...

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Nats, Yanks knotted in the sixth (Nationals lose 8-5)

March 15, 2012, 11:19am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - As I check NCAA Tournament scores in between pitches ... We're tied 2-2 here in the sixth inning at Space Coast Stadium. And while the action on the field the rest of the way will be monitored, the main story that will come out of today will be the injury to Chien-Ming Wang, who left the game in the third inning because of a left hamstring strain. We'll have to see what reports manager Davey Johnson gets from the training staff about the righty's status and hope that it's...

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Updates on Morse, Ramos and Flores

March 15, 2012, 7:07am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - The Yankees didn't exactly bring their A-team with them today. Brett Gardner, Russell Martin, Andruw Jones and Bill Hall are the only real recognizable names in New York's lineup, leaving Nationals manager Davey Johnson to wonder why Derek Jeter wasn't able to make the trip. "It would probably be just a half-hour trip in his jet," Johnson joked. Johnson offered a few injury updates during his pregame session with reporters, saying that left fielder Michael Morse still...

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Chien-Ming Wang leaves game after taking awkward fall (updated)

March 15, 2012, 10:03am

Nationals

Chien-Ming Wang leaves game after taking awkward fall (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - Chien-Ming Wang was grooving right along, pounding the strike zone and sitting down Yankees hitters. Then he went down himself. Wang had to leave today's game in the third inning after awkwardly landing around first base. The Nationals right-hander moved toward the first-base bag to pick up a chopper off the bat of Yankees catcher Russell Martin, and as he tried to tap the base, his leg buckled. The veteran hit the ground, landing on his shoulder, but it appeared to be his...

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Harper's throwing adjustment keying seamless position switch

March 15, 2012, 10:07am

Nationals

Harper's throwing adjustment keying seamless position switch

Nationals outfield coordinator Tony Tarasco has worked with Bryce Harper from Day One on getting the No. 1 prospect to make a smooth transition from his early days in high school and college as a catcher to his time now as a professional outfielder. "His progress has taken huge leaps," Tarasco said. "It is pretty impressive considering that he has only played outfield for about a year and also considering that he is coming from behind the plate and going to the outfield. A lot of times you...

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Strasburg admits "immaturity" getting in the way of progress

March 14, 2012, 7:44pm

Nationals

Strasburg admits "immaturity" getting in the way of progress

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's always nice watching a young player begin to grow in front of our eyes, to evolve from a guy getting by on talent to one who starts to really get it. We saw a bit of that with Stephen Strasburg tonight; but we didn't see it until the Nationals starter's jersey was off and he had large bags of ice taped to various parts of his right arm. Strasburg's line tonight wasn't pretty. He went four innings against the Braves, and allowed four runs on five hits with...

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Today's lineup plus some leftover notes

March 15, 2012, 5:40am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals host the Yankees today for a 1:05 p.m. game, and as promised, Bryce Harper is in the lineup, hitting seventh and playing right field. And please, no jokes about him secretly trying to slip on a Yankees uniform. Michael Morse is not in the Nats' lineup again today, but Roger Bernadina is back in there after being scratched from last night's game because of lightheadedness after having a tooth pulled. Bernadina will lead off and play left field. Here's the Nats'...

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Harper's goal remains the same - big leagues or bust

March 14, 2012, 6:08pm

Nationals

Harper's goal remains the same - big leagues or bust

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Despite being quoted as saying he doesn't think he has a good chance to make the Nationals' 25-man opening day roster, Bryce Harper said tonight that his goal remains the same: Start the season in a big league uniform. A

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Strasburg lacking Strasburg-like stuff (Nats lose 6-5)

March 14, 2012, 3:41pm

Nationals

Strasburg lacking Strasburg-like stuff (Nats lose 6-5)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The balls are flying out of Champion Stadium tonight, as the Nationals and Braves have combined to hit four home runs through four innings of play. Two have come off Nats' bats - a two-run shot from Chad Tracy and a solo blast by Jesus Flores - but the two that will draw the most attention were the homers hit off Nationals right Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg allowed four runs in his four innings of work, and surrendered longballs to Dan Uggla (a two-run shot in the...