nationals

Bryce Harper hot streak continues in West Virginia

April 29, 2011, 8:42pm

Single-A Hagerstown Suns outfielder Bryce Harper continues on a tear since the team left Maryland for road trip in West Virginia. Harper has hit .438 (14-for-32) with five doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs in his last 10 games. During that span, his slugging percentage has reached .969. Harper's season average is up to .333 (22-for-66) with six doubles, five homers and 18 RBIs. With runners on base, Harper is .412 with two homers and 15 RBIs. In five games from April 21 to April 27, Harper...

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Lannan focused on not changing plan versus Giants

April 29, 2011, 7:43pm

Nationals

Lannan focused on not changing plan versus Giants

Nationals starting left-hander John Lannan takes on the Giants' southpaw Jonathan Sanchez (2-1, 3.21 ERA) in Game 2 today at Nationals Park. The Nationals are seeking their third win in a row. The Giants have been shutout in two of their last three games. Lannan will look to keep the pitching momentum going for the Nats following Jason Marquis' amazing complete game five-hit shutout Friday night, 3-0. Lannan (2-2, 4.05) is coming off a tough loss in a rain-delayed game at Pittsburgh Monday,...

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Desmond remains hot since returning to team

April 29, 2011, 8:18pm

Nationals

Desmond remains hot since returning to team

This has been a pretty good week for Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond. As has been well documented, on Tuesday, his first child Grayson was born. In two games since returning to the ball club, Desmond is 5-for-7 with two doubles, one triple, one homer, three runs, one stolen base and one RBI. Friday, in the 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, Desmond went 3-for-3. Along with a Laynce Nix two-run homer, the offense provided just enough cushion for Jason Marquis to do his job. Marquis...

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New dad Desmond delivers game-winner against Mets

April 28, 2011, 8:12pm

Nationals

New dad Desmond delivers game-winner against Mets

Just two days after his wife gave birth to their new baby boy, Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond returned to the lineup and ignited the offense in the Nationals' 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday night. Desmond slammed a triple in the fourth and later scored. In the fifth, Desmond blasted a solo home run over the fence in left-center for his third homer of the season. "It was nice to be back," Desmond said. "(I was) watching the games the last two days and it seemed like the team...

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Cancer scare behind him, Tyler Moore wielding big bat for Harrisburg

April 28, 2011, 11:46am

Nationals

Cancer scare behind him, Tyler Moore wielding big bat for Harrisburg

Double-A Harrisburg Senators first baseman Tyler Moore feels very fortunate to be back and healthy on the diamond this season. The Carolina League Player of the Year put together the most memorable season of his career in 2010, slugging 31 homers and 110 RBIs as the Single-A Potomac Nationals won the Mills Cup championship. But despite all the success on the field and at the plate last season, Moore was in pain. Before and after games his right leg would be sore. He would wake up early with...

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An early peek at top rookies, biggest surpises and worst messes

April 29, 2011, 9:10am

Nationals Orioles

An early peek at top rookies, biggest surpises and worst messes

Orioles lefty Zach Britton is the best of the rookie pitchers playing key roles among teams in the American League East, but if April is any indication, Britton's biggest competition for the AL's Rookie of the Year award is going to come from the Mariners' Michael Pineda. Like Britton, Pineda, 21, wasn't expected to be in the majors so soon. Britton is in the big leagues because of injuries in the Orioles' rotation.Pineda told the Mariners in spring training that he was going to pitch...

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Nationals' Desmond reinstated from paternity leave

April 29, 2011, 4:54am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today reinstated shortstop Ian Desmond from the Paternity Leave List and optioned outfielder Roger Bernadina to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Desmond, 25, rejoins the Nationals after missing the previous two games. Desmond is batting .205 (16-for-78) with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in 20 games this season with Washington. He...

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Detwiler rolling through April in Syracuse; the hip a distant memory

April 28, 2011, 11:20am

Nationals

Detwiler rolling through April in Syracuse; the hip a distant memory

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs left-handed starter Ross Detwiler may not want April to end. It has been a month to remember. In four starts, Detwiler has gone at least six innings each time, allowed only six total runs, struck out 20 and walked only six. Detwiler has compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.22 ERA. Even more amazing has been his two no decisions. In those two starts, he allowed just two runs in 12 1/3 innings. In his most recent outing, April 25 at Scranton, Detwiler tossed six and...

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Drew Kinback: Nats' Hairston delivers a blow to logic of putting trust in veterans

April 27, 2011, 9:50am

Nationals

Drew Kinback: Nats' Hairston delivers a blow to logic of putting trust in veterans

If you watch Nationals baseball long enough, you eventually find that over time nothing really surprises you anymore. Nationals baseball is full of every strange play and freak occurrence you can probably think up and wrap your mind around. At this point I would not be surprised to see Jayson Werth drop a routine fly ball because some crocodile had slunk up from the Anacostia and run onto the field after him. I really wouldn't. I've seen it all. Until Tuesday night. In the ninth inning of...

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Nationals reinstate Henry Rodriguez from DL; place Gaudin on disabled list

April 28, 2011, 9:54am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez from the 15-Day Disabled List and placed right-handed pitcher Chad Gaudin on the 15-Day DL, retroactive to April 26, with right shoulder inflammation. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Rodriguez missed 22 games after beginning the season on the DL, retroactive to March 22, with right shoulder inflammation. The...

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Drew Kinback: An early look at Jim Riggleman's future in D.C.

April 28, 2011, 4:33am

Nationals

Drew Kinback: An early look at Jim Riggleman's future in D.C.

I peg manager Jim Riggleman as a whiskey man. I don't base this off much of anything or know if he actually partakes in the American firewater, but let's pretend a little bit. He just looks and carries himself like a whiskey man: staunch, regal, a touch of book-smart intellect mixed with barroom pugilism. A lover and a fighter. It is the sort of thing you want in a baseball manager running a team of bosky greenhorns and slightly fossilized gray-hairs. I've always imagined Riggleman walking...

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Minor league starting lineups 4/27/11

April 27, 2011, 3:44pm

Nationals

Here is a look around the Nationals system at the starting lineups put on the field of play for Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Harrisburg lineup Steve Lombardozzi 2B Josh Johnson SS Jesus Valdez LF Tyler Moore 1B Derek Norris C Bill Rhinehart RF Tim Pahuta 3B Jonathan Tucker CF Ryan Tatusko P Potomac lineup Game 1 Cutter Dykstra 3B Jeff Kobernus 2B Destin Hood RF Steven Souza 1B Stephen King DH J.P. Ramirez LF Sandy Leon C J.R. Higley CF Francisco Soriano SS Syracuse lineup Boomer...

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Burnett gets roughed up in ninth, suffers first loss

April 27, 2011, 8:02pm

Nationals

Burnett gets roughed up in ninth, suffers first loss

The Nationals had worked their way into a chance to win it in the ninth inning on Wednesday. After scoring a run on a sacrifice fly by catcher Wilson Ramos, Washington led 3-2. Heading into the top of ninth inning, the Mets had hitters five, six and seven coming up next. The Nationals manager Jim Riggleman elected to give the ball to lefthander Sean Burnett to get three outs. Sean Burnett discusses his blown save with the media after the Nats' 6-3 loss New York had a different idea,...

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Gorzelanny feeling good about start against Mets

April 26, 2011, 3:48pm

Nationals

Gorzelanny feeling good about start against Mets

Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny looks to earn his first win as a Washington National Wednesday night when he takes to the hill against the New York Mets, who send knuckleball right-hander R.A. Dickey (1-3, 4.10) to the mound. Gorzelanny (0-2, 4.96) is coming off a tough loss last week in St. Louis in which he went five innings and allowed two runs. He surrendered only two hits, but struggled with control, giving up four walks and striking out three batters in a 5-0 setback. The Nats lefty allowed...

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Dave Nichols: Nationals face daunting schedule over next two weeks

April 27, 2011, 8:33am

Nationals

The 2011 Washington Nationals have been hovering around .500 most of the season. They currently sit at 10-12 as a result of dropping five of their last six games, including Tuesday night's 6-4 loss to the New York Mets, an imminently winnable game as manager Jim Riggleman said in his press conference after the game. "A little something happen here or there and we could have won that ball game," Riggleman rationalized after the loss. That seems to be a popular sentiment. But the fact that...

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Ramos makes case to be regular catcher

April 26, 2011, 7:43pm

Nationals

The Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos provided most of the offense for the Nationals Tuesday against the New York Mets and continues to make a case to be the regular backstop for this team going forward. This case doesn't have to go to an arbitrator. The numbers don't lie. Ramos is now batting .378 which is 128 points better than the next offensive starter (Danny Espinosa .250) and well over 150 points better than Jayson Werth (.220) and Adam LaRoche (.219). On Tuesday, Ramos had one of...

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Nationals place Desmond on paternity leave list, recall Bernadina

April 26, 2011, 11:13am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today placed shortstop Ian Desmond on Major League Baseball's Paternity Leave List and recalled outfielder Roger Bernadina from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Bernadina batted .267 (12-for-45) with three doubles, one home run and two RBI in 13 games with the Chiefs. The 26-year-old is tied for ninth in the International League with five...

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Drew Kinback: With Nats, there's simply no margin for error

April 26, 2011, 5:01am

Nationals

Drew Kinback: With Nats, there's simply no margin for error

It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen on a Monday night. I was reading over the standard Nationals news from the usual rogue's gallery of sources when I decided to take a break and take in something non-baseball related. I find a quick dose of tabloid entertainment, a music video off YouTube or a random news story usually cleans out the colon of your baseball mind. Man cannot survive on baseball alone - unless you are Pete Rose at a sporting memorabilia convention. Somehow, someway I...

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Shane McCatty off to solid start for Suns

April 25, 2011, 7:38pm

Nationals

Shane McCatty off to solid start for Suns

Single-A Hagerstown Suns right-hander Shane McCatty is coming off his best outing of the season Saturday. He tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on three hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts against the Hickory Crawdads. The 6-foot-3, 205-lb., McCatty now has a 3.27 ERA in four relief appearances with seven strikeouts, two walks and four earned runs allowed. Imagine being the 23-year-old. You have to answer to two pitching coaches every night - one in Hagerstown and another...

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Drew Kinback: Nats-Pujols marriage not a far-fetched notion

April 25, 2011, 5:57am

Nationals

Drew Kinback: Nats-Pujols marriage not a far-fetched notion

In March, I got the unique opportunity to spend all month in Viera, Fla., following the Nationals during their 2011 spring training campaign. I run the online rag known as Nationals Inquisition and spring training is usually the Super Bowl of my blog. I've attended the Nationals' Viera sessions since 2007 and have seen many curious and wondrous things in the Sunshine State during this time. But on March 25, I saw something at a Nationals game that was plain inspiring. The game was one of the...