Notes and quotes on Desmond, Werth and Zimmerman

Notes and quotes on Desmond, Werth and Zimmerman
CHICAGO - Today's "Coolest Quote of the Day" goes to Stephen Strasburg, who was asked what was going through his mind in the final innings of today's game, when the Nationals were mounting their rally against the Cubs and then subsequently took the lead. "Watching from the dugout, you almost feel like you're in the box there with them," Strasburg said. "That says a lot about the chemistry we have on this team that everybody in there was pulling for the next guy to get the job done. I...

Not a bad way to start

Not a bad way to start
CHICAGO - Was this really opening day? Are we sure, given the weather and the intensity in the late innings, that we didn't hop in a time machine and end up in October? (Insert your jokes about the Cubs having no shot at October.) (Cubs fans, insert your jokes about the Nationals not being able to joke about postseason appearances just yet.) This sure had the feel of a game with a lot more riding on it than just who would get opening day bragging rights. The quality of the pitching on both...

Welcome to Nationals Pastime

Welcome to Nationals Pastime
CHICAGO - Happy opening day, everyone, and welcome to my brand spankin' new blog here on MASNsports.com - Nationals Pastime. Clever title, huh? Feel free to bookmark the link to my landing page, email it to your friends and tell your grandparents, cousins and annoying co-workers all about it. This is where you'll be able to find me from now on, although you can still flip through our Nationals Buzz blog for my full spring training archive, right through yesterday's email from John Lannan...

Strasburg stellar, but can he get some help? (He can)

Strasburg stellar, but can he get some help? (He can)
CHICAGO - You'd like to think on days where Stephen Strasburg goes seven fantastic innings, allowing just one run, that his teammates would be able to scratch across a couple runs for him. That has not been the case today. Strasburg is in line for the loss this afternoon despite a stellar start to the regular season. The Nationals righty went seven innings, allowing a single run on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches, 58 for strikes. Unfortunately, he got zero...

Nats getting them on, but not driving them in (Cubs strike first)

Nats getting them on, but not driving them in (Cubs strike first)
CHICAGO - Twice today, Adam LaRoche and Jayson Werth have come to the plate with two runners in scoring position. Twice today, LaRoche struck out swinging and Werth flew out to right to end the threat. The Nationals have left five runners on base through three innings this afternoon, and left 'em loaded in the third. Today, at least, the Nats haven't had issues with Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa getting on base; instead, they're having issues getting their No. 1 and No. 2 hitters...

Johnson on Lannan: "We're not trading him. We're keeping him"

Johnson on Lannan: "We're not trading him. We're keeping him"
CHICAGO - The Nationals understand John Lannan is angry and frustrated with being bumped out of the rotation and sent down to Triple-A Syracuse. They even appreciate the fact that he feels the way he does, because, as general manager Mike Rizzo says, "If he was any other way, I would wonder about him." But the fact that Lannan has requested a trade doesn't change anything in Rizzo or manager Davey Johnson's minds. They're going to keep Lannan at Syracuse and are in no rush to dump the...

Lidge to close today, plus other non-Lannan notes

Lidge to close today, plus other non-Lannan notes
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...

John Lannan asks to be traded

John Lannan asks to be traded
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...

Dave Nichols: High goals and lofty expectations

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...

No shortage of suitors should Nationals opt to deal Lannan

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...

Washington Nationals open 2012 season with Natitude

Washington Nationals open 2012 season with Natitude
"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...

Nats' opening day lineup plus notes from Chicago

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...

Still digesting the Lannan move

Still digesting the Lannan move
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...

Here's your official 25-man opening day roster

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...

Shocker: Lannan optioned to Syracuse in final round of cuts

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...

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

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

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

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...

Report: Durbin signs with Braves

Report: Durbin signs with Braves
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...

A look at 2012 Harrisburg pitching staff

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...

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

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...