Shortstop Ian Desmond has been a pleasant surprise through three weeks of the season. With a solo homer and a game-clinching sacrifice fly to center, Desmond helped to guide the Nationals to a 3-2 win in 10 innings over the Marlins. There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Desmond was chosen as the leadoff hitter and many wondered if the talented young player would have the patience at the plate to be the first man up. But through 16 games, the answer is pretty clear that Desmond is a...

Given the injury luck that the Nationals have had so far this season, some might have feared the worst when they heard Ryan Zimmerman was scratched from this afternoon's starting lineup just prior to first pitch. But according to both Zimmerman and manager Davey Johnson, the right shoulder inflammation that Zimmerman is suffering is minor, and shouldn't keep him out for an extended period of time. "It's been bothering me a bit just from diving around and jammed it a little bit,"...

Brad Lidge entered the game with a two-run lead and needing three outs to lock down the Nationals' second straight shutout of the Marlins. He couldn't deliver. Lidge got up on leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez 0-2, then tossed four straight balls to put Ramirez on first and bring the tying run to the plate. Then, two pitches into Lidge's battle with Logan Morrison, the game was tied. Morrison crushed a 91 mph fastball that was basically sitting on a tee into the second deck in right,...

We've got a good old fashioned pitcher's duel here at Nationals Park, as Stephen Strasburg and Anibal Sanchez are matching zeros. Through five innings of play, Strasburg has allowed just three hits and has struck out five Marlins hitters. He's thrown 71 pitches, 43 for strikes, and has overpowered Miami's lineup with a fastball that's topped out at 98 mph and a curveball which has been nasty. Sanchez, meanwhile, has completely held Nationals hitters at bay, allowing just two hits...

Earlier today, the Washington Nationals proudly welcomed the 15 millionth fan in franchise history before the team hosted the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Sarah McCarty from Fairfax, Va., was designated as the 15 millionth fan to attend a Nationals game in Washington since the franchise relocated from Montreal in 2005. McCarty was presented with a Jayson Werth autographed jersey during an in-game presentation shown on the NatsHD scoreboard. McCarty will also receive four Lexus Presidents...

Ryan Zimmerman was written into today's lineup. He was scheduled to hit third and play third base. He was introduced with the Nats' starters to the crowd here at Nationals Park. But Zimmerman wasn't the guy standing at third when Stephen Strasburg threw his first pitch of today's game. Zimmerman has been scratched from today's game, with Mark DeRosa taking over at third base and replacing the Nationals All-Star in the three-hole in Davey Johnson's lineup. No reason has yet been...

Davey Johnson brought his sense of humor to today's pregame press conference. Asked why he thinks Edwin Jackson's been traded so many times in his career (the total is now at six), Johnson took the comical approach with his response. "I don't know; why have I been fired so many times?" he said. A few minutes later, Johnson mentioned that he doesn't normally view left-handers as being good athletes. Why's that? Davey Johnson talks about how the Nats' recent success has attracted...

Quickly, name the leader in saves for the Nationals after 15 games. Brad Lidge? Drew Storen? Tyler Clippard? Keep guessing. It is right-hander Henry Rodriguez, who showed how far he has come as a closer Friday night in a tough ninth inning matchup with the Miami Marlins. Battling the heart of a lethal Marlins order while holding a 2-0 lead, Rodriguez got a couple of key outs, but also walked two batters and uncorked a wild pitch. Last year, that might have rattled the young reliever to...

Whenever ESPN's Keith Law speaks, it seems, the Orioles fans listen. He got them stirred up when he criticized the team's signing of Vlad Guerrero before last year at a time when many fans were excited over the addition. But while Law now looked right with that opinion, he spoke again on the Orioles this week and I think he took a huge swing and a miss. The topic was pitcher Dylan Bundy, the Orioles' 2011 first-round draft pick. Bundy has pitched nine hitless and scoreless innings with 15...

I decided to start with the "bad" because I'd rather end this blog entry on a high note. The Orioles are facing Jered Weaver tonight. That's bad for them. He's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in three starts, with only two walks and 23 strikeouts. He hasn't allowed a run in two of those outings. Weaver is 15-5 with a 2.68 ERA lifetime in the month of April. Over the last three seasons, he's 10-0 with a 1.85 ERA. The last time I checked, it's still April. The Orioles continued to be dogged by...