nationals buzz

Dave Nichols: Breakout over weekend gives hope for the stretch

July 29, 2013, 10:51am

The good news: The Nationals have won four of their last five games. The bad news? They trail the Braves by 8 1/2 games heading into play this week. Some more good news: The Nats still have nine games head-to-head with Atlanta before the end of the season. By getting the deficit back under that nine games, the Nats still kind of control their destiny. It's a tough road, but it looks better than before the series with the Mets over the weekend, which started with the Mets clobbering the Nats...

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Rachel Levitin: Time to light a fire under Nationals

July 25, 2013, 5:29am

Nationals

Every weekend from April through the end of July, I play softball in a co-ed league in Glover Park, and every weekend between those months, the Nationals comes up in conversation. It's the usual fare of "Were you at that game?" or "Did you see that play?" But last weekend, my first base coach shared a thought with me that I hadn't considered yet this season: The Nationals aren't getting angry enough about the fact that they're on a legitimate skid right now. After wasting yet another...

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David Huzzard: For Rizzo, deadline is no time to panic

July 24, 2013, 5:03am

Nationals

David Huzzard: For Rizzo, deadline is no time to panic

With the Nats having not won a game after the All-Star break and in the midst of a 2-10 stretch, there are many looking at the Nationals as sellers. The only problem is the Nats don't have a lot to sell, and that isn't because they don't have talent. Any contending team would love to have Jordan Zimmermann, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez or Ian Desmond. The only issue is that they are integral to the Nats' success going forward. The core pieces of the roster...

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Ted Leavengood: Nats need to find a straw to stir the drink

July 23, 2013, 4:32am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: Nats need to find a straw to stir the drink

Reggie Jackson famously described his presence on the Yankees and other teams as "the straw that stirs the drink." In his 1984 autobiography, he said, "if the other ingredients were there ... if the mix was just about right, I could make the difference." The Washington Nationals desperately need that kind of presence in their lineup. It has been showing all along, but Davey Johnson kept saying that when everyone was healthy, everything would be OK. Everyone is healthy, the mix is about...

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Dave Nichols: Nationals have 10 days to decide whether or not they're contenders

July 22, 2013, 5:11am

Nationals

The Nationals were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their first series back from the All-Star break, losing close ballgames Friday and Saturday, while having their lunch handed to them Sunday, with Jordan Zimmermann getting rocked for seven earned runs in two innings. It's the stuff of nightmares for a team that needs to win just about every series from here on out to remain relevant in the standings. Forget about the playoffs for a moment. The Nats, at 48-50, sit in third place in the...

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Win opportunity to throw out first pitch at Nats Park

July 19, 2013, 7:34pm

Nationals

Win opportunity to throw out first pitch at Nats Park

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this first pitch thrown out by singer Carly Rae Jepsen at Tropicana Field a few nights ago. (Spoiler alert: It's terrible.) After watching this, you're probably thinking: I could throw a better first pitch than that. Well, MASN is giving you the chance to show off your arm at Nats Park! One lucky winner playing MASN's "Touch 'Em All" Rewards Program will be randomly selected to throw out the first pitch in front of thousands at Nationals Park on...

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Osceola County commissioners delay Kissimmee stadium vote until Aug. 19

July 15, 2013, 7:59pm

Nationals

Osceola County commissioners delay Kissimmee stadium vote until Aug. 19

The Osceola County Board of Commissioners met tonight to discuss whether to proceed with a $98 million proposal to construct a new spring training facility for the Nationals in Kissimmee, Fla., but delayed until Aug. 19 a vote on the matter. By delaying the vote for slightly more than a month, reported the Orlando Sentinel, the commissioners will allow taxpayers, opponents of the proposed complex and the Chamber of Commerce of Kissimmee/Osceola County additional time to review details of the...

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Marty Niland: Home cooking will be crucial to Nats' stretch run

July 15, 2013, 6:28am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Home cooking will be crucial to Nats' stretch run

Even after Sunday's 5-2 extra-inning win over the Marlins, it's hard to describe the Nationals as doing anything but limping into the All-Star break with a 48-47 record. However, the Nats still have a chance to take advantage of a post-break schedule that's loaded with home games, division opponents - and for the most part - kinder, gentler road trips. After starting July with a 5-2 homestand in which the offense finally seemed to be getting in gear, last week's disastrous 2-5 swing...

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Nationals' Kissimmee plans appear back on track

July 11, 2013, 8:38am

Nationals

Just when it seemed like the Nationals' long trek toward a new spring training home had gained some traction, there are indications that the team's hopes for a new complex in Kissimmee, Fla., may have encountered an unexpected road block. According to this blog from the Orlando Business Journal, Osceola County has temporarily tabled talks on construction of a new two-team complex that would house both the Nationals and Houston Astros. The Nationals, who currently play Grapefruit League...

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Rachel Levitin: Harper's All-Star turn shouldn't obscure spotlight on Zimmermann

July 11, 2013, 7:06am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Harper's All-Star turn shouldn't obscure spotlight on Zimmermann

A lot of the All-Star Game chatter concerning the Nationals this year will be focused on Bryce Harper - and for good reason. It makes sense given the context of the scenario, his age, and the debate of whether or not he should be hitting in the Home Run Derby. But all of that aside, I think people need to shine a little more light on Jordan Zimmermann's first game as an All-Star. He's bounced back from Tommy John surgery and could be a No. 1 starter on a majority of teams in Major League...

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Not everyone happy to see Harper in Home Run Derby

July 09, 2013, 10:48am

Nationals

Not everyone happy to see Harper in Home Run Derby

Denizens of Natstown were pleased that Bryce Harper was voted into the starting outfield at the All-Star Game, no small achievement considering No. 34 has spent so much time on the disabled list recovering from left knee bursitis, which may or may not be related to his frequent run-ins with outfield walls with varying degrees of give. And D.C. was giddy yesterday when the Mets' David Wright named the 20-year-old slugger to his squad for the July 15 Home Run Derby that precedes the Midsummer...

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David Huzzard: How the Nationals can play catch-up

July 10, 2013, 4:48am

Nationals

Coming off of a four-game winning streak the Nationals have dropped the first two in a four-game series to Philadelphia and there is nothing to worry about. But because it is D.C., people are going to worry. After this weekend, the Nationals suddenly found themselves only four games back from the Braves in the division, after the Braves lost two of three to the Phillies, and the Nationals swept the Padres. But then the Nationals played the Phillies while the Braves played the Marlins, and now...

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Ian Desmond ditches goatee between innings

July 09, 2013, 7:16pm

Nationals

Ian Desmond ditches goatee between innings

Between innings, players will get a drink of water, talk to teammates or grab a fresh piece of gum. Ian Desmond shaves his goatee. In the first inning of tonight's game against the Phillies, Desmond - and his goatee - walked up to the plate and then promptly grounded into a double play. By the time the third inning arrived, MASN cameras showed a clean-shaven Desmond, beard nowhere to be seen. Postgame, he said to reporters, "The goatee was weighing me down." After an 0-for-8 drought,...

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Bryce Harper named to Home Run Derby

July 09, 2013, 2:38pm

Nationals

With just 1 1/2 years of big league experience under his belt, Bryce Harper has accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. In his first season alone, Harper was named to the National League All-Star team and was named NL Rookie of the Year. He's followed that up this season by winning a starting outfield spot in the All-Star Game, despite missing 31 contests with left knee bursitis. Well, we can add another accomplishment to his promising career: Home Run Derby participant. Mets...

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Ted Leavengood: A closer look at the Lannan-Haren fight

July 09, 2013, 5:44am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: A closer look at the Lannan-Haren fight

In one corner, there was the champ - or at least the one who was supposed to make the Nationals World Series contenders. Dan Haren stood there weighing in at a cool $13 million. In the other corner was John Lannan - dispatched twice last season by general manager Mike Rizzo as a pretender - weighing in at a paltry $2.5 million. Rarely does a personnel decision get such a head-to-head comparison. But Rizzo fired Lannan to begin the 2012 season. He cut him from the team and then did not offer...

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Win exclusive Nationals prizes with MASN's "Touch 'Em All" social loyalty program

June 28, 2013, 4:10pm

Nationals

When you're watching a ballgame at Nationals Park or on MASN, do you ever find yourself checking your Twitter or Instagram? Maybe you're signed up for our text message alerts so you know when the Nats hit a big home run. When Ryan Zimmerman or Ian Desmond smack a ball out of Nats Park or glove a tough line drive in the infield, do you send out a quick tweet about it? For many fans, social media is a natural way to communicate with us and other Nationals enthusiasts. Well, we think it's...

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Marty Niland: With All-Star start, Harper joins elite company

July 08, 2013, 5:09am

Nationals

Marty Niland: With All-Star start, Harper joins elite company

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper made history last season when he became the youngest position player selected to the All-Star Game at the age of 19, and he's doing it again with his second appearance at 20. Not only will Harper be the youngest position player ever to start for the National League, he is also the first National to be selected to the team twice. Ian Desmond, who was named last year but missed the game with an oblique strain, can join him in that distinction if he wins the...

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Desmond vying for NL All-Star nod in the Final Vote

July 06, 2013, 3:14pm

Nationals

Desmond vying for NL All-Star nod in the Final Vote

There are always a few surprises when the All-Star teams are announced. It's simple math, really - too many deserving players, not enough spots. The need to make sure each National League team is represented is one complicating factor. So is the fact that some positions are just too heavy with potential representatives, while others are thin. The Nationals had two players chosen to the National League All-Star team, and the announcement was made a short time ago live on FOX. Bryce Harper was...

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Nationals relish Ramos' breakout in his return

July 04, 2013, 12:24pm

Nationals

Few players are as well-liked in the Nationals clubhouse as catcher Wilson Ramos, whose teammates see a warrior in their catcher. Nothing has dulled Ramos' enthusiasm to play, excel and contribute - not his publicized kidnapping incident in his native Venezuela two offseasons ago, not the freak knee injury and subsequent surgery that cost him most of 2012, and not the two trips to the disabled list this season with hamstring problems. So the fact that Ramos returned from the DL on Thursday...

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Long rehab behind him, Ramos eager to get back to work

July 04, 2013, 6:23am

Nationals

Long rehab behind him, Ramos eager to get back to work

Catching a new pitcher for the first time might seem like a challenge. For Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who returned from the disabled list today to form a battery with rookie right-hander Taylor Jordan, the new alignment might help keep his mind off the left hamstring injury that kept him out of the lineup since May 15. "It was a long rehab for me. ... I'm excited to be back," Ramos said Thursday morning in the Nats clubhouse. "For me, I feel like I can help the team a little bit. I...