nationals

Rizzo: Nationals have ongoing dialogue in pursuit of re-signing Wang

September 25, 2011, 9:32am

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday the team continues to speak with pitcher Chien-Ming Wang's representatives as they look to nail down a contract extension. Wang finished up his return to baseball after two seasons away with a serious shoulder injury, by throwing six innings of one run ball and contributing an RBI single in the Nationals 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves Saturday. Wang's record is an impressive 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA. He recorded 16 strikeouts in his final four...

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The results are in: Fans "liked" Social Media Weekend

September 26, 2011, 8:26pm

Nationals

The results are in: Fans "liked" Social Media Weekend

Hats off to you, Nationals fans. During MASNsports.com's inaugural Social Media Weekend, our goal was to text, tweet and post to you, the fans, and show you guys some love for rooting hard for your team and staying loyal to both the Nationals and MASN. Judging by the results, you guys shared the love right back. Through our always-expanding social media platforms -- Facebook, Twitter and our text messaging service -- we wanted to give a little something back by offering chances to win great...

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Morse singing a different tune

September 26, 2011, 8:00am

Nationals

Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been pleased with progress his hitters have made this season. The best story has to be Michael Morse, who has hit 29 homers and has 91 RBIs, both career highs and team-leading totals. "He is one of the great surprises," Johnson said. "He has been the most consistent guy all year long. He has had to play left field, then first base, then back to left field. He has been given the opportunity, and he has made the most of it. The same could be said for Ian...

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Rizzo: Harper will continue to play all outfield positions

September 25, 2011, 8:54am

Nationals

Rizzo: Harper will continue to play all outfield positions

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo spoke about the future of top outfield prospect Bryce Harper, who will begin play in the Arizona Fall League on Oct. 4. Rizzo said they will play Harper at every outfield position so he continues to gain experience at the position. Harper was primarily a catcher in high school and at the College of Southern Nevada. He played right field in SIngle-A Hagerstown and right field at Double-A Harrisburg. "I still want him moving to several of the outfield...

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Dave Nichols: Dawn of a new era for baseball in the District

September 26, 2011, 7:28am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Dawn of a new era for baseball in the District

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been in this business for 50 years. He was a world champion as a player and again as a manager, and has specialized in taking teams on the precipice and pushing them over the edge to greatness. So he's seen this movie before from the inside. This season has had plenty of storylines, but the biggest story of all to emerge might just require hindsight to see it after a couple of years - years that Nats fans hope are filled with deep playoff runs. ...

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Braves-Nationals lineups for home finale

September 25, 2011, 9:04am

Nationals

Here is today's starting lineups for the final home game of season: Braves: Bourn - CF Prado - LF Jones - 3B Uggla - 2B Freeman - 1B Diaz - RF Ross - C Wilson - SS Minor - P Nationals: Desmond - SS Werth - CF Zimmerman - 3B Morse - LF Marrero - 1B Espinosa - 2B Gomes - RF Ramos - C Detwiler - P

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Baseball to add wild card by '13, report states

September 24, 2011, 3:20pm

Nationals

Baseball to add wild card by '13, report states

Baseball purists, look away. A report announced today a plan to add an additional wild card spot in each league, as well as a one-game playoff to determine which team will move on to their respective Divisional Series. The new playoff scenario, reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, is a "done deal" according to Sherman's source, and will likely be put into effect either in 2012 or, at the latest, 2013. However, another of Sherman's sources said the proposed change will not go...

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Desmond drops weight, feels swifter as season comes to a close

September 23, 2011, 7:09pm

Nationals

Desmond drops weight, feels swifter as season comes to a close

It has been noticeable during recent at-bats that Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond appears to be completely recovered from a nagging quad injury that had him stepping carefully early on in the season. The shortstop went 6-for-18 in Philadelphia, with three runs, a stolen base, two doubles and an RBI. Friday, Desmond once again took advantage of the opportunity to lead off and show his speed, generating a pair of infield singles in the 7-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves. In his first at-bat,...

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The final homestand of 2011

September 23, 2011, 2:59pm

Nationals

Well, Nationals fans. It's almost over. We're just three games away from the end of the 2011 season at Nationals Park. While the season doesn't officially end for the Nationals until next week, this weekend's three-game series with the Braves is the final homestand for our boys in the nation's capital. If you're heading to the park to take in one final game, there are plenty of perks to get you out there to root on the Nationals, who are aiming for that coveted .500 mark. Tonight in the...

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Dominican teenagers showing Nationals' depth at pitcher and catcher

September 23, 2011, 8:54am

Nationals

The Nationals' instructional league roster is chocked full of several prized teenage prospects from the team's Dominican academy, including 19-year old right-handed pitcher Ivan Pineyro. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris is pleased with what he has seen from these young players so far in camp, and credits the coaches and scouting department for working so hard to get them ready to play at this level. Harris singled out Nationals international scouting director Johnny...

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Jenn Jenson: The last homestand

September 23, 2011, 5:40am

Nationals

Here we are at the last homestand of the season. For me, it's bittersweet. On the one hand, today's game begins a sort-of-sad countdown: three games left, two games left and before you know it, the last home game will be over. It's an end of sorts because every baseball season is a little different. The players change, the coaches change and the fan experience changes. Sure, these things are changing all the time, but transitions are bigger during the offseason. The end of the season will...

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Success of call-ups with Nationals not going unnoticed by prospects

September 22, 2011, 6:50am

Nationals

September has been a good month for the Nationals as the season winds down and a great deal of the credit for the surge goes to the youth infusion from Triple-A Syracuse and the return of fireballer Stephen Strasburg. Pitchers Strasburg, Tommy Milone and Brad Peacock have been very impressive: Strasburg with an ERA below 1.30 and back-to-back wins for Milone and Peacock at Citi Field in New York last week, are signals that the Nationals' pitching staff is in good hands for seasons to...

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Ted Youngling: Late-inning sigh of relief with Storen

September 21, 2011, 10:21pm

Nationals

Ted Youngling: Late-inning sigh of relief with Storen

Monday afternoon in The Bronx was yet another momentous day for the New York Yankees, as Mariano Rivera passed Trevor Hoffman as baseball's all-time leader in saves collecting his 602nd in victory over the Minnesota Twins. In the spirit of that historic accomplishment, the Washington Nationals sure hope they have a future Rivera on their hands in 24-year-old Drew Storen. Amazingly, in just his first full season in the bigs, Storen has 40 saves for a team that's been in next-to-last place...

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Outfield focus: prospect Michael Taylor makes big jump in system

September 21, 2011, 8:30am

Nationals

Outfield focus: prospect Michael Taylor makes big jump in system

The first week of instructional league is under way in Viera, Fla., with the team going through batting practice, fielding drills and bullpen sessions prior to its opening game against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 23. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris checked in from Florida and told MASNsports.com he is excited about the players they have assembled. We went over several field positions including the outfield, where several of the Single-A Hagerstown players are in...

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Rachel Levitin: Arrive early, stay until the end

September 21, 2011, 4:43am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Arrive early, stay until the end

There's a lesson I learned while I was kid watching ballgames at Wrigley Field: Get there early and stay until it's over - no matter what. That lesson tried my patience for years. Non-baseball fans would ask me, "Why watch such a boring game, especially if the team you're watching isn't making a run for a playoff spot?" Years later, watching baseball in Washington, I know why getting to a game early and staying until it's over (no matter what) makes sense. The game on the field is the...

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Detwiler, Espinosa complete Nats' doubleheader sweep of Phillies, 3-0

September 20, 2011, 4:49pm

Nationals

Detwiler, Espinosa complete Nats' doubleheader sweep of Phillies, 3-0

Nice move by Nationals manager Davey Johnson. Only a few hours before Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park, Johnson decided to switch the starters for each game. Tommy Milone pitched the opener and tossed six innings of shutout ball. Ross Detwiler took the nightcap. Did he ever. The Nationals swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Phillies behind a career night from Detwiler in a 3-0 nightcap victory. Davey Johnson talks to Debbi Taylor after the Nationals' shutout...

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Rizzo: Strasburg may start season finale at Florida

September 20, 2011, 9:49am

Nationals

Rizzo: Strasburg may start season finale at Florida

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg may not have to wrap his season up with Friday's scheduled start against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Many believed that might be Strasburg's final start of the 2011 season. But according to MASN television announcer Bob Carpenter during Tuesday's Game 1 of the Phillies series, Strasburg could get the call in the Nationals' final game of the season Sept. 28 at Florida. Carpenter said he talked to general manager Mike Rizzo prior to...

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Nationals reinstate RHP Ryan Mattheus from DL

September 20, 2011, 7:45am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today reinstated right-handed pitcher Ryan Mattheus from the 15-Day disabled list. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Mattheus missed the last 22 games after being placed on the DL on Aug. 26 with a right shoulder strain. The 27-year-old is 2-2 with six holds and a 2.40 ERA in 32 relief appearances this season with Washington.

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Peacock was quietly selected in the 41st round, but his game is far from silent

September 19, 2011, 8:00am

Nationals

Peacock was quietly selected in the 41st round, but his game is far from silent

Sshhhhh! Nationals pitcher Brad Peacock is a pretty quiet guy. Even his dad admitted on MASN's game coverage last week during his first major league start, "Brad doesn't get too excited out there." But Peacock is not quiet enough to not want to clear a few things up. He is not from Miami, Fla., but from Wellington, closer to West Palm Beach and 73 miles north of South Beach. He is also not a Miami Hurricanes fan. He prefers the Florida Gators. They never offered him a baseball...

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Mark Hornbaker: Nationals are heading in the right direction

September 20, 2011, 5:29am

Nationals

With the 2011 season winding down, the Nationals find themselves in a battle with the Mets and the Marlins for third place in the National League East. Most Major League Baseball fans would not be too excited if their favorite team was seven games under .500, but Nationals fans have a lot to be happy about with the 2011 team. At the beginning of the season, I told anyone who would listen that a successful season for the 2011 Nats would be placing higher than the Mets in the standings....