Lifehouse to perform at Nationals Park

Lifehouse to perform at Nationals Park
For those fans with a ticket to the Nationals' September 3 game against the Mets, you're in for a special treat. As part of the Washington Nationals Grand Slam Labor Day Weekend festivities, popular rock band Lifehouse will be on hand to perform a postgame concert on the field at Nationals Park. The concert will be immediately following Saturday's 7:05 p.m. game and is expected to last about an hour. Lifehouse has had several hits over their time on the music scene, including such songs...
    

Boras: Goodwin could be a Michael Bourn-type center fielder

Boras: Goodwin could be a Michael Bourn-type center fielder
The Nationals selected outfielder Brian Goodwin from Miami-Dade Junior College with one of their three first-round selections. His combination of speed and skill was a perfect match for the Nationals' seemingly never-ending quest for a lead-off center fielder of the future. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said on draft night that they felt the 6-foot, 195-lb., Goodwin had a "huge upside." Goodwin batted .382 (60-for-157) with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 42...
    

Mark Hornbaker: Can Nationals' progression match 1920s Senators?

Mark Hornbaker: Can Nationals' progression match 1920s Senators?
Even with the Nationals in the midst of a six-game losing streak, I feel like this team is heading in the right direction overall. The Nationals organization is doing a very good job putting together the nucleus of a solid and soon to be a winning baseball team together in the nation's capital. I believe this team is on its way to become a team to reckon with in the National League East. I think during the next season or two we could find the Nationals contending for a playoff spot....
    

6-foot-9 prospect Meyer has overpowering fastball, and is still growing

6-foot-9 prospect Meyer has overpowering fastball, and is still growing
Wait a minute. He's 6-foot-9. He played at Kentucky. Shouldn't we contact John Calipari? Or John Wall? Kentucky right-hander Alex Meyer said he knows Washington Wizards star guard Wall pretty well (they had the same academic adviser at UK), and the Wildcats did pretty well without him playing basketball (2011 Final Four appearance), so he will stick instead to throwing 97 mph fastballs, thank you very much. The tall and lanky pitcher was introduced last week with Rice third baseman Anthony...
    

Dave Nichols: Time for a glimpse at Nats' future

Dave Nichols: Time for a glimpse at Nats' future
It's getting to be the time of the year when folks start turning their attention away from baseball and on to other pursuits. The kids are going back to school, football season kicks off next week and, before you know it, it's going to start getting chilly and hockey and basketball will begin again. With the local teams out of the pennant race, it would be easy to ignore their September progress, but real baseball fans will want to stay tuned. The Washington Nationals could be on the cusp...
    

Peacock singled out by The Sporting News as "next in line"

Peacock singled out by The Sporting News as "next in line"
Nationals right-hander pitcher
    

Marrero recalled from Triple-A by Nationals

Marrero recalled from Triple-A by Nationals
The Washington Nationals today recalled first baseman Chris Marrero from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Marrero batted .300 (fifth in IL) with 30 doubles (tied for sixth), 14 home runs, 69 RBI and 59 runs scored in 127 contests this season with the Chiefs. His 145 hits rank second in the league, and thanks to 58 walks (tied for eighth) he has posted a .375 on-base...
    

September calling: Lombardozzi almost perfect in the field

September calling: Lombardozzi almost perfect in the field
Nationals manager Davey Johnson has mentioned a few of the organization's top prospects the last few weeks as possibilities for September call-ups when rosters expand. Pitchers like Brad Peacock and Tom Milone, field players Chris Marrero, Corey Brown and Steve Lombardozzi and veterans such as Craig Stammen, Yunesky Maya and Roger Bernandina have all been talked about as those players at Triple-A Syracuse that could be donning Washington Nationals uniforms as early as next week. This week,...
    

Facing adversity, Nats call on offense to prove they are better than 2010

Facing adversity, Nats call on offense to prove they are better than 2010
Before Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Davey Johnson said he felt good about the team and where they were despite being shut down two games in a row. But following an 8-1 loss in the series finale, the Nationals look back on three games where the offense could not put three hits together. Washington slapped four doubles in Thursday's game, but never could get back-to-back hits. Michael Morse had the lone RBI single in the seventh. "It is disappointing," Johnson...
    

Nationals place Mattheus on D.L.

Nationals place Mattheus on D.L.
The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Ryan Mattheus (right shoulder strain) on the 15-Day Disabled List. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Mattheus, 27, is 2-2 with six holds and a 2.40 ERA in 32 relief appearances this season with Washington.
    

Mattheus shoulder tightens again, Nationals search for answers

Mattheus shoulder tightens again, Nationals search for answers
Nationals right-handed reliever Ryan Mattheus lasted only two batters in Thursday's 8-1 setback to the Arizona Diamondbacks, leaving for what was reported as right shoulder tightness. It was the same injury that got him removed from the Aug. 18 game against the Cincinnati Reds. Mattheus struck out the only batter he faced in that game and manager Davey Johnson noticed the pitcher working his shoulder in the dugout and alerting him of the tightness. A week later, he felt it again versus...
    

Tyler Moore and Brad Peacock named Eastern League postseason All-Stars

Tyler Moore and Brad Peacock named Eastern League postseason All-Stars
Double-A Harrisburg Senators first baseman Tyler Moore and current Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs right-hander Brad Peacock have been named to the Eastern League All-Star team. Moore has batted .269 with 29 doubles, four triples, 28 home runs and 81 RBIs in 126 games this season. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said while Moore's numbers have been off the charts he has also worked very hard on his fielding at first base. "He had a tremendous year," Harris said. "His power...
    

Mattheus: Strasburg heading into home stretch, but still has work to do

Mattheus: Strasburg heading into home stretch, but still has work to do
Nationals right-handed reliever Ryan Mattheus remembers a year after his July 2009 Tommy John surgery and how physically demanding his rehab workouts had become. He can empathize with Stephen Strasburg, who is scheduled to make his fifth rehab start Saturday night in Syracuse for the Triple-A Chiefs. Strasburg is scheduled to pitch a maximum of 80 pitches or five innings and then have another rehab start Wednesday, most likely in Double-A Harrisburg. "I know this part of my rehab, I was dead...
    

Johnson takes blame for not pulling Hernandez, but when is right time?

Johnson takes blame for not pulling Hernandez, but when is right time?
Nationals manager Davey Johnson has said since his first week at the helm that he wants his starters to be able to go seven innings and then have the bullpen take over. Unfortunately, the last two games with Jordan Zimmermann, and Wednesday night with Livan Hernandez, the Washington starter has given up late runs that helped Arizona win those games. Obviously, the Nationals are having trouble scoring runs against the Diamondbacks' lethal starters. But that only exposes the point even more,...
    

Ted Youngling: The legend of Livan Hernandez continues

Ted Youngling: The legend of Livan Hernandez continues
How is it that a 6-foot-2, 245-lb.,36-year-old can be one of the game's most consistent starters? That is the question on everyone's mind as Livan Hernandez puts together yet another incredibly dependable season. Amazingly, Hernandez has started at least 30 games in each season dating to 1998. Despite bouncing around the league having pitched for seven different clubs, Hernandez may be best known for his time with the Nationals/Expos franchise. For a team that has been anything but steady...
    

Johnson and McCatty: No concern for Strasburg's breaking ball command

Johnson and McCatty: No concern for Strasburg's breaking ball command
Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will take it up a notch Saturday night as he embarks on his fifth rehab start in recovery from Tommy John surgery. Strasburg will pitch five innings and/or a maximum of 80 pitches for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs against the Rochester Red Wings at Alliance Bank Stadium. Strasburg, who went through a side session Wednesday at Nationals Park, will look to continue to build on his last two outings where his fastball has had great velocity and his changeup...
    

Second blood drive set for Saturday, August 27

Second blood drive set for Saturday, August 27
Here's the deal, folks: You've got blood, lots of it, enough to spare, and the Nationals have tickets to come see them play. Basically, the Nats are looking for a straight up trade. You give your blood, they'll give you two tickets to a game. Sound fair? I've got a bag filling as I type (not really, that'd be kind of gross). But as someone who has given blood in the past, I'm proud to announce the Washington Nationals' second blood drive of the season to be held this Saturday, August...
    

D-Backs' Upton said early confidence helped him, will guide Bryce Harper

D-Backs' Upton said early confidence helped him, will guide Bryce Harper
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton turns 24 on Thursday, enjoying his fifth season in the major leagues. At age 19, Upton made his major league debut on Aug. 2, 2007 and played in 43 games during the Diamondbacks' pennant race, relying on veterans on the team to gain experience. Upton said he concentrated on his job in those first few weeks in the big leagues. He didn't let the moment get away from him and made sure to work hard in every at-bat and every fly ball that came his...
    

Top Nats selection Rendon ready to prove shoulder is "100 percent"

Top Nats selection Rendon ready to prove shoulder is "100 percent"
The Nationals' top selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, third baseman Anthony Rendon, was introduced at a news conference, alongside fellow top picks Brian Goodwin and Alex Meyer, Tuesday at Nationals Park. Baseball America's Jim Callis has called Rendon "the best hitter in college baseball," and his numbers back that claim up. Last season, Rendon had 26 homers and 85 RBIs and was walked an amazing 65 times. This season, despite shoulder woes, Rendon batted .327 with six homers,...
    

Rachel Levitin: Quake can't shake fans out of baseball routines

Rachel Levitin: Quake can't shake fans out of baseball routines
Tuesday was no average day in Washington, D.C. Residents, tourists, visitors and members of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nationals felt a 5.9 jolt from the earth beneath their feet. The tremor was shallow, at just 6 kilometers underground, and was felt from the epicenter in Virginia to a widespread portion of the East Coast. While the earthquake has nothing to do with baseball itself, baseball as a game did play a role in getting D.C. back to its normal pace. The game between the Diamondbacks...