nationals buzz

Rachel Levitin: Espinosa proves his value to Nats

July 02, 2014, 5:36am

It's July, it's almost the All-Star break, and infielder Danny Espinosa is still on the Nationals' 25-man roster. After being sent down to the minors in 2013, he had a choice - either embrace the situation and work harder than ever before or settle for where he'd been sent to. Espinosa chose to embrace the situation and seems to have made his way back to the majors with a reputation for being consistent defensively and occasionally productive offensively. Once 2014's spring training was...

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Stuart Wallace: Turning attention to Nats in the All-Star balloting

July 01, 2014, 5:03am

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Stuart Wallace: Turning attention to Nats in the All-Star balloting

With the turn of the calendar from June into July, baseball collectively diverts its attention, albeit briefly, from the games on the field to the ballots for the All-Star Game, which will be played July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis. It is theoretically a matchup pitting the best of the best of each league against one another for not only bragging rights, but also for home-field advantage in the World Series (thanks, Bud Selig!). It's a heavily hyped process and endeavor, but also one...

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Marty Niland: Grading out the Nats at the season's midway point

June 30, 2014, 4:58am

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Marty Niland: Grading out the Nats at the season's midway point

We've reached the midpoint of the 2014 season, and it's time once again to grade the Nationals on their performance so far. This year, the team stands at 43-38, a half-game behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East. A year ago at this time, they were 41-40 and 6 1/2 games behind the Braves. An improvement of two wins may not seem like much, but the Nats have made much bigger gains in the individual components of their play, and appear to be on an upward curve. Starting pitching:...

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David Huzzard: For bench, no impact is better than negative impact

June 26, 2014, 5:47am

Nationals

David Huzzard: For bench, no impact is better than negative impact

One of the reasons for the success of the 2012 Nationals was their bench, and one of the main reasons for the disappointment of the 2013 Nationals was their bench. As it stands right now, the 2014 Nats bench is directly in the middle. The combined contributions of Danny Espinosa, Kevin Frandsen, Tyler Moore, Zach Walters, Jose Lobaton, Scott Hairston, Nate McLouth, Sandy Leon and Greg Dobbs have been nothing and that is great. At a combined 0.0 fWAR the Washington Nationals bench has played...

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Rachel Levitin: Examining which Nats are most deserving of All-Star nods

June 25, 2014, 5:42am

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Rachel Levitin: Examining which Nats are most deserving of All-Star nods

It's almost that time of year again, that time when fans get a say regarding who takes the field at a Midsummer Classic of sorts. It's almost time for the All-Star Game. This year's game will be hosted by the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis and voting runs through Thursday, July 3 at 11:59 p.m. It's always interesting to see who the Nationals get to send to the All-Star affair despite the fact that I've personally never gotten too into that particular exhibition...

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Stuart Wallace: A whole lot of shaking going on

June 23, 2014, 7:34pm

Nationals

Stuart Wallace: A whole lot of shaking going on

To shake or not to shake was a uniting theme between the Nationals and the Atlanta Braves in their recent four-game series that pitted the National League East foes against one another in a fight for first place in the division. For the Nationals, the question was whether to shake off fastballs in favor of other pitches for Friday starter Stephen Strasburg - in particular, against Braves slugger Jason Heyward. For the Braves, it was a continued shakging off of catcher Evan Gattis' signs by...

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Nationals barely visible in All-Star voting

June 23, 2014, 4:51pm

Nationals

The Nationals may be in first place in the National League East, but they are not well-represented in the 2014 All-Star Game voting. Actually, they're barely represented at all. In the most recent All-Star balloting figures, Bryce Harper is the only Nationals player listsed among the top vote-getters. He sits in 15th place among NL outfielders, and has amassed 680,930 votes. Harper has missed nearly two months recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. Before his...

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Marty Niland: Solstice brings a potential defining moment for the Nats

June 23, 2014, 4:18am

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Marty Niland: Solstice brings a potential defining moment for the Nats

The Summer Solstice is a day of celebration in many cultures, and now Nationals fans might want to adopt it as a holiday of their own after a magical and momentous series against the Atlanta Braves. Those who paid close enough attention Saturday evening might have actually noticed the Earth tilting and the momentum shifting at Nationals Park. In the waning moments of the year's latest daylight, the Nats rolled back the tide of disappointment against the Braves, and possibly set the tone for...

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David Huzzard: The hot stretch and an important weekend

June 19, 2014, 5:08am

Nationals

David Huzzard: The hot stretch and an important weekend

Having scored 289 runs on the season, the Nationals offense ranks eighth in the National League in runs scored. But over their last 20 games, the Nationals offense has kicked it into a different gear. For those games, they've scored 93 runs, or 4.65 runs a game, and have produced a 12-8 record. This scoring outburst also happens to include the series against the Cardinals in which they managed to score a grand total of three runs. The main complaint about the Nationals lately has been their...

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Stuart Wallace: Remembering Tony Gwynn

June 17, 2014, 4:52am

Nationals

The outpouring of condolences and stories of prowess seen in the wake of Tony Gwynn's passing yesterday were befitting of the man who embodied so much of what was and still is right with the game of baseball. A tireless worker with a fatherly physique that ran counter to many of his contemporaries and to his talent, Gwynn was the ultimate ambassador of the game. That was the case despite Gwynn playing for a San Diego Padres team often mired in mediocrity and often forgotten in terms of...

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Marty Niland: Counting down the Nats' houses of horrors

June 16, 2014, 5:16am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Counting down the Nats' houses of horrors

Music fans of a certain age are mourning the death on Sunday of long-time radio host Casey Kasem. Long before the days of podcasts, teenagers and young adults would ritually tune in each week, usually on Sundays, to hear the genial Kasem count down the top 40 songs in the nation. Nationals fans, meanwhile, are grieving after a road trip that started with promise and excitement, ended in a season-long four-game skid. After watching their team take three of four in San Francisco from the...

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David Huzzard: How hot has the Nats' starting pitching been?

June 12, 2014, 6:54am

Nationals

David Huzzard: How hot has the Nats' starting pitching been?

Coming into this week, the Nationals had won three consecutive series, but because they were against the underperforming Rangers and the below-.500 Phillies and Padres, it wasn't certain if the Nationals had turned a corner or found a soft spot in the schedule. Starting Monday, the Nationals were going to be tested by the Giants in a four-game series and the Nationals passed the test. Not only have they taken the first three games of the four-game series, they have yet to trail on the...

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Rachel Levitin: A take on the discontinuation of "Take on Me"

June 11, 2014, 6:13am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A take on the discontinuation of "Take on Me"

With the Nationals out of town, this gives folks like me who don't travel to cover the team a little break of sorts. For me, I find Nats road trips to be a time for reflection. That includes thinking about the team's work on the field, but also other things like the discontinuation of A-ha's "Take On Me" being played after the seventh-inning stretch. Reports of this change in musical selections occurred over the weekend in May when the Mets were in town. Just over six weeks into the...

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Stuart Wallace: Treinen a bright spot for Nats so far in '14

June 10, 2014, 5:04am

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Stuart Wallace: Treinen a bright spot for Nats so far in '14

Blake Treinen has done much as of late to solidify not only his spot on the 25-man roster, but in the starting rotation. In his most recent start against the San Diego Padres and rotation stalwart Andrew Cashner, the right-hander scattered five hits and two earned runs over six innings, keeping the Nationals in a game that was eventually lost 4-3 in 11 innings. While the effort did not earn him an elusive first major league win, it was nonetheless one that speaks well to Treinen's talent and...

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Nats losing ground in All-Star Game voting

June 09, 2014, 4:45pm

Nationals

Nats losing ground in All-Star Game voting

The Nationals have made very little progress in the voting for the 2014 All-Star Game. Since the first release of balloting figures on May 28, Washington has seen just two players with a shot at making the National League's starting lineup on July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis. Now just one remains. Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper stands alone as the only Nationals player vying for a starting gig, and he hasn't played in more than a month. Harper has moved up one spot in the most recent...

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Zimmermann throws gem, rewarded with top-notch videobombs

June 09, 2014, 7:50am

Nationals

Zimmermann throws gem, rewarded with top-notch videobombs

Jordan Zimmermannn tossed a fantastic game Sunday, going the distance in the Nationals' 6-0 victory over the Padres. After the game, he talked to Dan Kolko about holding San Diego to just two hits in the shutout. While Zimmermann was the star of the show, the stars of the video may just be teammates Jerry Blevins and Drew Storen. Check out the hilarious antics for yourself below.

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Marty Niland: Nationals face their own Test of Champions

June 09, 2014, 5:32am

Nationals

Just like California Chrome coming off his Preakness victory in mid-May, the Nationals finally seem to be rounding into form. They have won seven of their past nine games, outscoring opponents 53-16. The bats have been hot, with the fifth-best OPS in the National League at .737 since the start of the month. The starting rotation has put together two straight solid turns, and is coming off its strongest stretch of the season. Over the past six games, Nats starters have struck out 44 batters and...

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Ryan Zimmerman's fifth annual A Night at the Park to take place June 16

May 20, 2014, 1:18pm

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman's fifth annual A Night at the Park to take place June 16

On Monday, June 16, Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will host his fifth annual A Night at the Park, presented by MASN. In addition to silent and live auctions, country singers Billy Currington and Jerrod Niemann will perform at the fundraiser. The event will raise money for Zimmerman's charity, the ziMS Foundation, which is dedicated to the treatment and the ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis. MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. Zimmerman's mother Cheryl was...

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David Huzzard: Looking back at the Nats' first draft

June 05, 2014, 5:06am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Looking back at the Nats' first draft

This evening, the Nationals will take part in the First-Year Player Draft for the 10th time. In their existence, they've drafted near the top more often than not, and their first season in 2005 was no different. The Nationals held the fourth pick in what would turn out to be one of the best first rounds of any MLB draft. With the fourth pick that year, the Nationals selected third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Two other third basemen were taken within the first five picks that year. All three of...

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Rachel Levitin: Examining fallout of Zimmerman's move

June 04, 2014, 5:27am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Examining fallout of Zimmerman's move

I didn't want to have to echo someone else's sentiments this morning, but I do find myself in agreement with MASNsports.com's Pete Kerzel. While I concur with Kerzel when he says he understands why the Nationals are turning Ryan Zimmerman into a utility man - since that appears to be what they have an urgent need for - I, too, feel it's more than a little strange. Last week, I floated the thought of moving Zimmerman to second base. I'm still not completely convinced that it's a bad idea,...