nationals

Lehman's work ethic "rubbed off" on Harrisburg hurlers

May 10, 2012, 2:44pm

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." -- Vince Lombardi Coaching is always crucial to how well prospects move along in the system. Coaching by teammates can also be critical for a player's development. Pitchers have more downtime. Starters have five days between outings. That downtime lends itself to comparing grips on curve balls and split fingers. Guys go over their schedules for throwing sessions with each other and compare notes. The relievers in the...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr danny rosenbaum harrisburg senators nationals patrick lehman paul menhart syracuse chiefs frontstory_nationals3

Blown chances plague Nats in 4-2 loss

May 09, 2012, 6:11pm

Nationals

You'd think the Nationals caught a break when Pirates starter Erik Bedard, who entered the game with a 2.65 ERA, was pulled after just an inning-plus due to a back injury. That left the Nats eight innings to battle against Pittsburgh's bullpen. You'd think the Nats would have a decent shot at tying the game when they loaded the bases with just one out in the eighth, trailing 3-2. You'd think that if a Washington starter (Ross Detwiler, for example) allowed three runs in six innings - a...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals pirates ross detwiler

Playing the numbers

May 10, 2012, 11:11am

Nationals

Over the Nationals' last 16 games, they've gotten 15 quality starts. In that 16-game span, the Nats are 8-8. I'm not trying to pile on here, I'm just saying. Stuck on a three-game losing streak, the Nats send their ace to the mound tonight, looking to avoid getting swept by the Pirates. It's a very small sample size, but Stephen Strasburg has allowed only one hit to a player currently on the Pirates' roster. That guy is Neil Walker, who is 1-for-3 with a strikeout off Strasburg....

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko danny espinosa nationals stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals2

Rizzo on Espinosa's struggles: "They are called averages for a reason"

May 09, 2012, 12:08pm

Nationals

Rizzo on Espinosa's struggles: "They are called averages for a reason"

General manager Mike Rizzo endorsed second baseman Danny Espinosa during the weekly "Mike Rizzo Show with Holden and Danny," Wednesday on sports radio 106.7 The Fan in D.C. Espinosa has slumped to .186 this season after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the series opener at Pittsburgh Tuesday night. The switch-hitting 24-year-old from Santa Ana, Calif., has hit just one home run and is 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position early this season. Rizzo said he speaks with Espinosa on a...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr cole hamels danny espinosa davey johnson henry rodriguez mike rizzo nationals frontstory_nationals3

Bernadina hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth

May 10, 2012, 11:58am

Nationals

Bernadina hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth

Davey Johnson has made a couple lineup changes, all right. The Nationals' skipper has tweaked his batting order for tonight's series finale against the Pirates, putting Roger Bernadina in the No. 2 spot and dropping Bryce Harper to fifth. Danny Espinosa will start at second base tonight and will protect Harper in the order, hitting sixth. This is now the fourth spot in the lineup that Harper has at-bats. He's previously hit seventh, third and second. Here are the lineups for both...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko danny espinosa lineups nationals pirates roger bernadina frontfeatured_nationals

Strikeout total rises as win total stays stagnant

May 10, 2012, 4:58am

Nationals

Strikeout total rises as win total stays stagnant

What would you rather have first, the good news or the bad news? Let's start with the positive stuff, just to kick the morning off right. Making his third rehab start since suffering a left hamstring injury back in spring training, Chien-Ming Wang went seven innings yesterday for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing two runs on eight hits and earning the win. Wang walked one, struck out one and threw 89 pitches, 61 for strikes. The good news ends there. Here comes the bad. The Nationals struck...

Comments

Tags:

chien-ming wang davey johnson nationals rick ankiel ryan zimmerman featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Nationals select Neary as Honorary Bat Girl

May 08, 2012, 1:46pm

Nationals

How's this for a Mother's Day present? The Nationals and Major League Baseball have announced that Laurie Jo Neary, a mother of three who was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in 2008, is the winner of the team's Honorary Bat Girl program. The program recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and have demonstrated a commitment to "Going to Bat" in the fight against the deadly disease. Neary was diagnosed with the breast cancer four years ago and has since undergone...

Comments

Tags:

brian eller nationals nationals buzz nationals park

Examining Espinosa's offensive struggles

May 09, 2012, 7:09am

Nationals

Examining Espinosa's offensive struggles

As managers go, Davey Johnson is a patient and trusting one. He believes in his players, giving them a chance to battle through slumps and hard times. It's one of the reasons why guys love playing for him so much. They feel that if they start scuffling, their skipper will have their back. He won't be quick to turn on them, won't worry about being put under the microscope for putting a guy in the lineup who isn't playing well. But talking to reporters last night, even Johnson had to admit...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko danny espinosa davey johnson nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Wacky third inning puts Nats in a hole (instant update)

May 09, 2012, 4:28pm

Nationals

Wacky third inning puts Nats in a hole (instant update)

We had a strikeout of the pitcher, who then reached on a wild pitch. We had a ball deflect off Ross Detwiler and go for a single. We had a 5-2-6 putout in which a runner was tagged out trying to score. We had a runner score from second on an infield single. Yeah, it was a strange bottom of the third inning. The Pirates lead 3-0 after three, and despite the fact that Pittsburgh starter Erik Bedard was pulled in the top of the second inning due to an apparent injury, the Nats still don't...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals pirates frontfeatured_nationals ross detwiler xavier nady

Military Appreciation Night at Nationals Park

May 09, 2012, 1:18pm

Nationals

In honor of Military Appreciation Night on Wednesday, May 16, the Washington Nationals are proud to offer free tickets to service members and their families when the team goes head-to-head against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning at 7:05 p.m. Military personnel with a valid military ID (active, retired, reservist or dependent) can receive up to two complimentary tickets to next Wednesday's game. Tickets will be available for pick up on May 16 at the Main Box Office on N Street, SE from 10:00...

Comments

Tags:

Nationals News Release nationals

Nats sign lefty Gonzalez to minor league deal

May 08, 2012, 1:13pm

Nationals

Nats sign lefty Gonzalez to minor league deal

The Nationals are bringing on another Scott Boras client. Michael Gonzalez, a left-handed reliever who has spent nine seasons in the big leagues, has agreed to a minor league deal with the Nats, the team announced. Gonzalez will report to the Nationals' Viera, Fla., complex. He has previously spent time with the Rangers, Orioles, Braves and Pirates, posting a career line of 17-21 with a 2.94 ERA and 56 saves. Two of the last three seasons, however, Gonzalez's ERA has been above...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko michael gonzalez nationals frontstory_nationals3

Moore to start in left field, Harper to center

May 09, 2012, 11:34am

Nationals

Moore to start in left field, Harper to center

Those wanting Tyler Moore to get a shot at more playing time, here you go. Moore will start in left field and hit seventh for the Nationals in tonight's game against the Pirates. It will be the rookie's second major league start, both of which will have been in left. With the Nats facing a left-hander in Erik Bedard, Davey Johnson is going with a lineup stacked with right-handed hitters. He'll put Moore in left and Xavier Nady in right field, with Bryce Harper moving over to center and...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko lineups nationals pirates tyler moore xavier nady frontfeatured_nationals

Rodriguez's blown save costs Nats

May 08, 2012, 5:54pm

Nationals

Adam LaRoche was all set up to be the hero tonight, as his two-run homer leading off the ninth - the 1,000th home run in Nationals team history - gave the Nats a 4-3 lead. Then Henry Rodriguez got the road jitters yet again. Rodriguez allowed a walk-off, two-run homer to Rod Barajas (a .141 hitter this season), giving the Pirates a shocking 5-4 win. It's Rodriguez's second blown save on the season, both of which have come on the road. Rodriguez hasn't allowed a run and has given up just...

Comments

Tags:

adam laroche dan kolko nationals pirates featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

News and notes on Espinosa, Harper, Rizzo and more

May 08, 2012, 6:59pm

Nationals

News and notes on Espinosa, Harper, Rizzo and more

Manager Davey Johnson said on "Nats Xtra" postgame that he is concerned about Danny Espinosa's struggles at the plate after Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He confirmed, however, that Espinosa will be in his lineup Wednesday. Espinosa went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. His batting average dropped to .186. Although he struck out in his only pinch-hit, Steve Lombardozzi is hitting .300. Lombardozzi has played third base this season with Ryan Zimmerman out with an injury, but...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper byron kerr danny espinosa mike rizzo nationals ryan zimmerman featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette

May 09, 2012, 5:40am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette

Phillies fans aside, the atmosphere at Nationals Park over last weekend was vibrant and full of life. The fact is that Nationals Park feels different when the seats are filled. If it takes a division rivalry to pack the place, then so be it. But it's a whole other thing to sink to the level of the proposed enemy of the evening. Nationals fans tend to be well-behaved while a certain contingent of the rival fan base tends to get a bit more riled up than their counterparts. After sitting...

Comments

Tags:

guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz rachel levitin

Hamels' old-school opinion an insult to intimidating pitchers

May 09, 2012, 5:10am

Nationals Orioles

Hamels' old-school opinion an insult to intimidating pitchers

Before we move on from the new-found and legitimate Nationals-Phillies rivalry, there's one question that has to be clarified: What does Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels mean when he says he was bringing back old-fashioned baseball by drilling Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in the back? Hamels hasn't said a word since he was suspended. Hamels, who deserved the five-game suspension that he received from Major League Baseball, is confused on the term. In old-school baseball, pitchers never...

Comments

Tags:

frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles

Jackson done after seven strong (Nats come back in ninth)

May 08, 2012, 5:11pm

Nationals

Jackson done after seven strong (Nats come back in ninth)

Outside of the two long solo homers allowed by Edwin Jackson tonight, he really delivered a strong outing. The Nationals starter went seven innings, allowing just the two solo shots to Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones in the fourth inning. He gave up just three Pirates hits, walked one and struck out five. The pitches to McCutchen and Jones were both demolished, but little else tonight was hit hard by Pirates hitters. Unfortunately for Jackson, he finds himself in a tie game as he watches...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals pirates frontfeatured_nationals

Zimmerman activated, Werth to DL

May 08, 2012, 9:21am

Nationals

The Nationals announced this afternoon that they have reinstated third baseman Ryan Zimmerman from the disabled list. Jayson Werth will, in essence, take Zimmerman's place. Werth has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 7, after having surgery yesterday to repair a broken left wrist. The Nats' right fielder is expected to return somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 weeks from now. This DL stint is Werth's first since 2008. He entered this season as one of just nine National...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko jayson werth nationals ryan zimmerman frontfeatured_nationals frontstory_nationals3

LaRoche returns, Harper will hit second

May 08, 2012, 11:01am

Nationals

Both Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche return to the Nationals' lineup tonight against the Pirates. And just in time, with Jayson Werth going to the DL. Take a look at Davey Johnson's new 2-3-4 in the batting order. Bryce Harper takes over in the No. 2 spot and will play right field tonight. Here are the lineups for both teams: Nationals Ian Desmond, SS Bryce Harper, RF Ryan Zimmerman, 3B Adam LaRoche, 1B Danny Espinosa, 2B Rick Ankiel, CF Wilson Ramos, C Roger Bernadina, LF Edwin...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals frontfeatured_nationals adam laroche bryce harper ryan zimmerman

Injury-free, Oduber adjusting to new level of competition

May 07, 2012, 1:45pm

Nationals

Injury-free, Oduber adjusting to new level of competition

Right-handed hitter Randolph Oduber is making the step-by-step transition from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac and getting adjusted to his new surroundings and new teammates. Oduber said teammates Kevin Keyes, Michael Taylor and Wade Moore have developed good camaraderie working the Pfitzner Stadium outfield through the first month of the season. "It is going really good," Oduber said. "Our communication is really good right now. Every inning, we talk and every situation,...