nationals

Wang hasn't allowed a hit versus Cubs through five

August 09, 2011, 5:33pm

Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang has pitched very well so far against the Chicago Cubs. Wang has not allowed a hit through five innings and has induced 10 ground ball outs. He has walked two and hit one batter, but otherwise has looked much improved from his early struggles in his first two starts. Matt Garza has been equal to the task, striking out eight Nationals' through five innings. Garza has struck out every hitter in the Nationals lineup at least once, except for Ryan...

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Potomac's Hood has two homers; Olbrychowski adds splitter

August 09, 2011, 9:09am

Nationals

Potomac's Hood has two homers; Olbrychowski adds splitter

WOODBRIDGE, Va. -- A few news and notes as I take in an early afternoon Carolina League Single-A matchup between the Potomac Nationals and the Salem Red Sox. P-Nats right-hander Adam Olbrychowski has added a splitter to his repertoire. The Pepperdine pitcher has won two of his last three starts and is coming off a career-high eight innings in Friday's win. Destin Hood hit home runs No. 10 and 11 in his first two at-bats. The solo shots off of Salem's Stolmy Pimentel were no-doubt-about-it...

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Mark Hornbaker: Can Morse stay in "Beast Mode" long enough to win batting title?

August 08, 2011, 4:43pm

Nationals

Mark Hornbaker: Can Morse stay in "Beast Mode" long enough to win batting title?

The Washington Nationals' first baseman Michael Morse, is putting up some offensive numbers Washington baseball fans haven't seen in nearly a half century. The 29-year-old Morse has a legitimate shot at winning the 2011 National League batting title. Currently Morse is third in the NL with a batting average of .324 and trails only Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers who has an average of .326 and league leading Jose Reyes of the New York Mets who is batting .336 in 98 games. If Morse does...

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Potomac's Olbrychowski records best outing of summer, won two of last three

August 08, 2011, 10:30am

Nationals

Potomac's Olbrychowski records best outing of summer, won two of last three

Single-A Potomac Nationals right-hander Adam Olbrychowski is on a roll recently in Woodbridge, Va. The Pepperdine hurler has allowed three hits or less in three of his last four starts. His most recent start, Aug. 5, was his best in over a month and his top outing since he returned to a starting role nine games ago. Friday at Myrtle Beach, Olbrychowski went a career-high eight innings, allowing three hits, one run, three walks and had six strikeouts for his fourth win of the season, a 6-1...

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News and notes from baseball as pennant races get tight

August 08, 2011, 12:21pm

Nationals Orioles

News and notes from baseball as pennant races get tight

The National League East is all but over. The other five division championships have boiled down to a two-team race with the exception of the American League Central. The Detroit Tigers lead the surprise Cleveland Indians, but how about the Chicago White Sox, the third place team that started a four-game series Monday in Baltimore? The White Sox are defined by inconsistent play this season, but they are coming off a weekend sweep in Minnesota, a team they were 8-28 against in the previous 36...

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Freitas and Nieto show off catcher depth in Hagerstown

August 07, 2011, 6:40pm

Nationals

Freitas and Nieto show off catcher depth in Hagerstown

Recently promoted catcher David Freitas has done quite well as the lead catcher for the Suns, batting .288 with 100 hits in 102 games. He has cranked out 25 doubles, 12 homers and 63 RBI. "David has had an incredible year," Harris said. "He is an extremely mature player both offensively and defensively and we couldn't be happier with his progress." Freitas could get his chance soon with the Potomac Nationals because Devin Ivany was placed on the disabled list and Brian Peacock was...

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Callis: All looks good with top picks except for Purke

August 06, 2011, 12:53pm

Nationals

Callis: All looks good with top picks except for Purke

The deadline to announce if draft picks have been signed is inching ever closer. Jim Callis, executive editor of Baseball America, is pretty confident the Nationals will be able to sign most of their top five selections, including first round selection, third baseman Anthony Rendon out of Rice. "Rendon had a shoulder injury that hampered him this spring but I still thought he was the best player in the draft," Callis said. "I still think he will command a major league contract that could...

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Potomac foursome reaches Top 10 in Carolina League hitting

August 05, 2011, 11:12am

Nationals

Potomac foursome reaches Top 10 in Carolina League hitting

The Single-A Potomac Nationals have battled all season long to get their offense going. Throughout the ebb and flow of the season, four prospects have been able to maintain their consistency in the pitching-rich Carolina League. Destin Hood (.279), Jeff Kobernus (.275), Justin Bloxom (.272) and Eury Perez (.271) rank eight through 11 at the top of the league in hitting. Nationals director of player development, Doug Harris, has taken notice of their offensive consistency, and believes it is...

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Another Bryce making a name for himself in Nats' system

August 04, 2011, 1:51pm

Nationals

Another Bryce making a name for himself in Nats' system

I checked in this week with Gary Cathcart, manager for the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays, who are off to a nice start at 26-19 and have recently battled out of a losing streak to win four straight games. The roster is filled with elite college players and quality late round draft picks working hard to make a statement in the organization. One of them is named Bryce. As in, Bryce Ortega. The Doubledays third baseman has been tearing the cover off the ball, now hitting .381 with...

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Ted Youngling: Espinosa a special player, but a work in progress

August 03, 2011, 4:32pm

Nationals

Ted Youngling: Espinosa a special player, but a work in progress

If you want to find the front-runners of the National League Rookie of the Year race, look no further than the NL East. Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals, along with Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves, make up the trio of youngsters looking to take home the crown. If I had a vote, I would go Kimbrel, Freeman and then Espinosa. I believe the fact that the Braves are contenders and their rookies are largely the reason for their success is something that should not...

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Huntsville skipper: Komatsu "has the hitting genes"

August 03, 2011, 10:24am

Nationals

Huntsville skipper: Komatsu "has the hitting genes"

The Double-A Harrisburg Senators received their newest acquisition this week in center field prospect Erik Komatsu. The 5-foot-10, left-handed-hitter came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Jerry Hairston Jr. trade Saturday and made his debut last night. Komatsu played for the Double-A Huntsville Stars under manager Mike Guerrero, who was impressed with the former Cal-State Fullerton player. Komatsu hit .294 with 19 doubles, one triple, six homers, 13 stolen bases and 40 RBIs with the...

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Nationals' "Beast Mode" in full effect

August 02, 2011, 7:29pm

Nationals

The Nationals have started to play some good baseball again, and this time, with an edge. Maybe they call it "Beast Mode." You have seen the Nationals' first baseman Michael Morse and his now-famous t-shirt during MASN's Nats Xtra postgame show interviews, haven't you? If not, here it is. It gained popularity thanks to the outstanding play of Morse, who has continued to mash the ball, hitting his 18th homer of the season, as part of a three-dinger barrage against Braves pitching in...

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Rachel Levitin: Do you root for the name on the front or the back of the jersey?

August 03, 2011, 5:18am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Do you root for the name on the front or the back of the jersey?

The wild and crazy weekend of trade rumors and moves has passed. Before (and after) 4 p.m. Sunday, fans took to Twitter to express their concern about whether or not Drew Storen would stay on the Nationals' roster. With all of that hoopla over a singular player, a thought arose: Is it better to devote one's unconditional fandom to an individual player or to a team? There are pros and cons to measure both claims. To keep it simple, though, I've narrowed it down to a rubric of five items:...

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Catcher Nieto determined to make impression in second chance at Hagerstown

August 02, 2011, 7:22am

Nationals

Catcher Nieto determined to make impression in second chance at Hagerstown

Catcher Adrian Nieto has been moved from advanced Single-A Potomac to Single-A Hagerstown. The organization needs another catcher in Hagerstown, and Nieto will be able to get a lot of playing time there. It is a chance for Nieto to show how far he has come after struggling in Hagerstown last season. Nieto hit just .195 with 44 strikeouts in 2010 for the Suns. This season, he has worked very hard on his plate presence and swing at short-season Single-A Auburn. He came out on fire and was...

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Mark Hornbaker: You never know what will happen at a game

August 02, 2011, 10:45am

Nationals

Mark Hornbaker: You never know what will happen at a game

Like most Washington Nationals fans, I also get a little frustrated when the Nats struggle to win ballgames. I actually have friends that don't quite understand why I keep renewing my season tickets year after year. When they ask me why I keep doing it, I answer quickly: I do it because you never know when you may witness a little bit of D.C. baseball history. I believe the ballgame is more than just the winning and losing of the game. It is more about what you may see at the game. You never...

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Nationals recall Balester from Triple-A Syracuse

August 02, 2011, 10:20am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today recalled right-handed pitcher Collin Balester from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Balester is 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA in eight appearances this season with the Nationals. In 25 career relief appearances with Washington, Balester is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA and a .234 batting average against. Balester, 25, went 2-1 with one save and a 4.35 ERA in...

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Severino returned to Triple-A Syracuse

August 02, 2011, 6:56am

Nationals

Following tonight's 5-3 win over Atlanta, the Washington Nationals optioned left-handed pitcher Atahualpa Severino to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Severino, 26, did not make any appearances during his two-game stint with Washington.

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Club source: Discussions have Strasburg's first rehab start at Hagerstown on Aug. 6

August 01, 2011, 12:55pm

Nationals

Club source: Discussions have Strasburg's first rehab start at Hagerstown on Aug. 6

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg continues to make solid progress as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery in Viera, Fla., and the team is nearing its decision to get him in rehab starts closer to home. Manager Davey Johnson said Strasburg is in "great shape" and is on target to have his first rehab assignment in the first week of August at Double-A Hagerstown. A club source said Hagerstown has been discussed as site for the first rehab start Aug. 6. Strasburg would then move on to high...

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Lefty Rosenbaum to be promoted to Double-A Harrisburg

August 01, 2011, 4:19pm

Nationals

Lefty Rosenbaum to be promoted to Double-A Harrisburg

After a career performance Sunday in Potomac's win over Frederick, left-hander Danny Rosenbaum is headed to Double-A Harrisburg. Rosenbaum was electric Sunday, going eight innings and striking out a career-high 11 hitters, and has been the most consistent hitter at Potomac all season, going 6-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 20 games (19 starts). He has 108 strikeouts and has gone 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in his last 10 starts. The P-Nats will activate left fielder J.P Ramirez and catcher Brian Peacock off...

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Nationals unconditionally release Matt Stairs

August 01, 2011, 10:17am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today unconditionally released outfielder/infielder Matt Stairs. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Stairs, 43, batted .154 with one double and two RBI in 56 games this season with Washington.