Nationals Buzz

Hanrahan finds success in Pittsburgh

2010-09-04T22:36:20Z

On Friday evening, former Nationals closer Joel Hanrahan collected his third save of the season by striking out his former teammate and friend, Ryan Zimmerman.

"All I was thinking was that I didn't want to face Adam," Hanrahan joked on Saturday, but admitted that it's strange facing some of his good friends and former teammates on the mound.

"Between the lines, it's all about business and it was nice to get the job done for our team."

Hanrahan is cruising through an impressive year in Pittsburgh's bullpen with a 3.68 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 60 games. That's just two strikeouts behind starter Zach Duke who leads the Pittsburgh staff.

He's mostly pitched in the eighth inning, but with closing experience and a great year, he might have an opportunity to earn that closing role back.

"I'm playing the percentages -- 70 percent of the time, the best hitters are getting out," Hanrahan said. Beyond that, I'm just being aggressive, being confident and trusting my stuff. Whatever they have me do, I'm going to be ready. When the phone rings, I'm ready to pitch."

Following his trade to Pittsburgh in July of last season, the Pirates gave him an opportunity to pitch in low pressure situations, which ultimately helped the reliever work on his confidence on the mound. He credits most of his success this season with his increased confidence.

But he also misses friends and fans in Washington and noted that it was good to see so many Nationals fans make the trip up from D.C. for the series.

"It's part of the business. I met a lot of great people there and I really enjoyed my time in DC," he said. "Unfortunately, things didn't work out but it's where I got my start so I'll always have that."

Espinosa impresses in first start

2010-09-04T03:11:21Z

In his first major league start, Danny Espinosa showed the organization just a glimpse of his talent and potential. The highly touted September call-up went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. One of those was a monster home run to deep right field. Bench coach John McLaren, filling in as manager during Jim Riggleman's suspension, called it a "missile." It came on a 1-1 pitch from Pirates starter Zach Duke, a changeup middle away.

"It's one of those sweet feelings; you don't even feel the ball when it comes off your bat," Espinosa said. "I was just trying to be aggressive...and I got a good pitch to hit."

McLaren, who watched Espinosa during the Arizona Fall League last season, is impressed with Espinosa's opposite-field power, his range at second base, his throwing ability and his overall improvement over the past year.

"He's just an endless worker, and you're starting to see the results," McLaren said. "He's worked his way up to the big leagues in a short period of time. He's changed positions and he's picking it up quickly. He's fun to watch...I'm excited about this kid. He's a talent."

Drafted as a shortstop, Espinosa will use September to work on defensive positioning at second base, turning double plays and getting acclimated to the big leagues, according to both Riggleman and McLaren. Prior to Friday's game, he worked on turning double plays "better and more efficiently."

He did have an opportunity to practice it in the bottom of the eighth when pinch hitter Delwyn Young hit a double play ball to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

"It's a totally different feed, a totally different turn at second base," Espinosa said, but added that it was also "very exciting."

In his memorable first start, Espinosa impressed more than his coaches and teammates. His parents, sisters and girlfriend were also in attendance for his big night in Pittsburgh.

Nats have a big sixth inning

2010-09-04T01:08:19Z

Greetings from Pittsburgh, where the Nationals are attempting to climb out of an early seven run deficit. After putting up four runs in the sixth inning and knocking Pirates' starter Zach Duke out of the game, they've closed the gap to just three runs.

September call-up Danny Espinosa put the team ahead with his first major league home run back in the third inning. Dunn, Maxwell and Espinosa drove in additional runs in the sixth putting the Nats back in striking distance.

Livan Hernandez exited in the fifth inning on Friday night after allowing eight earned runs including a home run to Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit. Former Pirate Miguel Batista finished the fifth inning and Tyler Clippard took the mound for a scoreless sixth.

Other former Nationals and former Pirates who could make appearances in this game include reliever Joel Hanrahan, outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Sean Burnett.

Road Trip Idea: Pittsburgh

2010-09-01T13:31:46Z

Anybody planning a trip to Pittsburgh for Labor Day to watch the Nationals take on the Pirates at beautiful PNC Park? I know the Racing Presidents are traveling north for the weekend to race those Pittsburgh Pierogies and from talking to many of you, it sounds like NatsTown will be well represented in the 'Burgh for the series.

The trip to Pittsburgh is an easy 4-5 hour drive, tickets are affordable and PNC Park is one of the best venues in Major League Baseball. Need more convincing?

The Pirates have discount tickets available for Friday and Sunday, but most of their sections are reasonably priced. They also offer special pricing for children and an All You Can Eat section.

On Friday, they are giving away a Pirates fleece. On Saturday, Pirates players will greet fans and take photos before the game. Fans can also enjoy post-game fireworks and Luke Bryan in concert. Come Sunday, the Pirates will unveil a new statue of Bill Mazeroski statue outside the right field gate at PNC Park, so be sure to check that out too.

Of course, you'll want to stop at Primanti Brothers (Section 107-110) for those memorable, one-of-a-kind Pittsburgh sandwiches. To work off the good Pittsburgh food, there's a Steelers/Gatorade 5k at Heinz Field (across from PNC Park) on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

I'll be there -- visiting friends and family, but writing when I can -- so if you can't make it, be sure to check Nats Buzz for updates. See yinz guys in Pittsburgh.

Note: I've refrained from using any "City of Champions" references so as to not upset colleague and friend Ben Goessling.

Lopez Impressed with Nats' Improvement

2010-08-29T18:14:09Z

Cardinals infielder Felipe Lopez, who played for the Nationals from 2006-2008, talked briefly about his time in Washington over the weekend.

Lopez was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds before the trade deadline in 2006 and after two seasons in Washington, he was released in July of 2008. He's played for the Brewers, Diamondbacks and Cardinals since leaving Washington, but Lopez said his family does miss living in the nation's capital.

"My wife is from here and my kids enjoyed being at grandma and grandpa's house all the time," Lopez said. "I miss that and the ballpark is really nice too. It's a good place to be."

Lopez couldn't quite explain his struggles in Washington, or the team's poor play during his time as a National, but he believes the team has a bright future.

"They've done a nice job developing guys from their own farm system," he said. "They are getting better. They have good offense. They just have a lot of young pitchers that sooner or later, they're going to be established and know how to play the game. I think they are going to be a good team in the future."

Lopez credits Ryan Zimmerman for much of the team's improvement and even for keeping the team motivated during those tough years.

"He's a great teammate, a great person and just a great ballplayer all around," Lopez said. "That's the kind of guy you want to have on your team."

As he prepares for the final stretch of a tough race to the playoffs in the NL Central, Lopez stressed that fans should be excited about the future here in Washington.

"All I can say is keep supporting the team because it makes a difference. When you have a lot of fans and support from the city, it makes a lot of difference."

100th Win at Nationals Park

2010-08-29T02:34:45Z

With a new look to the lineup, strange plays, two ejections and over 30,000 fans on hand to watch, the Nationals collected their 100th win at Nationals Park on Saturday night by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 14-5.

Moreover, the 14 runs scored tonight were the highest single-game total in DC since baseball returned in 2005. That's a lot of good news following a tough week in NatsTown.

This season, the Nats are inching closer and closer to a .500 record at the new ballpark with their impressive 33-31 record at home. To date, they are 100-125 at Nationals Park and Nats fans have had a lot to do with that.

"The crowd was going nuts. Our team feeds on that kind of stuff," Desmond said after the game. "Important games, there's a lot of fans. The crowd's kinda going wild. We've got a bunch of gamers over here and I guess it takes that to rise to the occasion, but it was nice."

When you come out to the game and get loud, players notice and for some reason, they really step up their game.

"In my perspective, it's really a lot of fun to go out and play well when we have a large crowd like that," Dunn added.

Clip and Save (a life)

2010-08-29T00:40:07Z

On Saturday, the Nationals hosted their second and final blood drive of the season in partnership with Inova Health System. Several hundred fans turned out for the drive to donate blood to 15 local hospitals in Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Only 37 percent of people in the United States are eligible to donate blood and of those, fewer than 5 percent donate on a regular basis and hospitals are always in need of more blood donations.

"Whenever people can do it, there is always a big need for it. We need a constant supply coming in all the time," said Inova representative Terry Craddock.

"And the Nationals have amazing fans and an amazing ability to get their fans to do what we need them to do. They do make it fun with giveaways, tickets and it's just a fun time for the donors."

Those who donated received two tickets to an upcoming Nationals game, a Build-A-Bear bloodhound stuffed animal and a visit with Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard.

Clippard enjoyed meeting with the donors and learning more about the process. He has never given blood, but he's not afraid to and he looks forward to scheduling an appointment this offseason.

"There's a lot of other things in this city and this world that we can contribute to and be helping out with that are a lot more important than what we do as far as baseball players," said Clippard. "It's nice to kinda see that and be part of it too."

Clippard also recorded public service announcements promoting the blood drive.

"The important thing for us is that we're a vehicle for people to be able to donate blood," said Israel Negron, Director of Community Relations for the Nationals. "We can provide that special touch whether it's Tyler Clippard coming out and signing autographs, the tickets or the baseball bloodhound, all those things. It's a part of what we do and having people donate blood is so important."

----
h/t on the headline to Steve Repsher.

Lannan, Dunn Appear on Bravo's Top Chef

2010-08-26T00:41:17Z

Spoiler Alert!

On Wednesday evening, the Nationals were featured on Bravo's hit reality television cooking show, Top Chef. The Emmy award winning show filmed its seventh season in Washington D.C. this past spring and John Lannan, Adam Dunn and Matt Capps participated in the episode, "Making Concessions."

"I didn't realize this at the time but it's a huge show," Lannan said. "I think I'm going to get more attention for this than the game I pitched last night."

In the episode, the six remaining chefs -- Amanda Baumgarten, Ed Cotton, Tiffany Derry, Kelly Liken, Kevin Sbraga and Angelo Sosa -- battled to see which contestant could prepare the best upscale ballpark food.

"They had to take stuff that they thought would be at a ballpark, but put their own twist on it," Lannan said. "They were scrounging around trying to make stuff. They [only] had a certain amount of time to make this meal."

Dishes included a tuna tartare, a chicken skewer, shrimp, corn and risotto fritters, an Italian meatball sub, an open faced crabcake BLT and a sweet glazed pork.

"Honestly, everything tasted great," Lannan said of the experience. He was particularly fond of Ed's risotto fritters, which ultimately won the challenge.

Here's the recipe for the winning dish.

Throughout the episode, the contestants reminisced about their favorite baseball memories. Angelo mentioned that he's half Dominican and always wanted to be a baseball player. It was unclear which contestant threw in a "Go Phillies" chant (I'm guessing Kevin), but rest assured it wasn't the winner, Ed, who hails from Boston and cheers for the Red Sox.

If you missed it, the episode re-airs at 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. and again throughout the week.

Photograph from Bravo TV.

Wing eating contest at Nats Park

2010-08-25T15:28:59Z

Give Hard Times Cafe a point for creativity. The famed local eatery is trying to spice things up during these late summer baseball games by hosting a wing eating contest on Friday night.

How many spicy chicken wings can you eat in 90 seconds?

If you're ready for that challenge and confident in your ability, send an email to entertainment@nationals.com to explain why you should be chosen to compete in the contest. Think through that email carefully as only two contestants will be chosen. You also have to be 21 or older to participate.

On Friday, fans can swing by Hard Times Cafe at 6 p.m. to watch the contest.

It's unclear if there is a prize for the winner, but both contestants will receive two complimentary tickets to Friday's game.

Special screening of Ken Burns' "The Tenth Inning"

2010-08-23T20:06:07Z

If you loved Ken Burns' classic Baseball documentary, you'll probably want to pencil this event onto your calendar. On Thursday, September 23rd, Burns will join filmmaker Lynn Novick for a preview screening of his new film, the Tenth Inning, at Lisner Auditorium in Washington D.C. at 7 p.m.

This preview screening is a PBS and WETA event which will feature a discussion with Burns, Novick and ESPN writer Howard Bryant.

The Tenth Inning, a two-part, four-hour documentary, premiers on September 28 and 29th on PBS. It's the latest chapter in the Baseball series. The film will focus on the national pastime from the 1990s to the present day.

Burns kicked off a cross-country tour to promote the film at Nationals Park earlier this season.

Reservations are required in advance, but tickets are free. Call 703-998-2065 or go to http://www.weta.org/local/wetaevents/tenthinning/rsvp.

This Week at Nats Park

2010-08-23T16:52:59Z

There is so much happening at Nationals Park this week and plenty of good reasons to ignore the rainy forecast. But, in case you need it, here is the Nats' hotline for inclement weather: 202-675-NATS, Option 5.

Now for the good stuff...

Tuesday is T-Shirt Tuesday, with a special design featuring Stephen Strasburg. The first 10,000 fans will get a t-shirt courtesy of tickets.com.

On Wednesday, the Nationals celebrate Craft Beer Week with a Leinenkugel pregame beer sampling at the Miller Light Scoreboard Walk. For $22, fans receive a Scoreboard Pavilion seat and a voucher for four complimentary Leinenkugel beer samples from 4:30pm to 7:05pm. To purchase tickets, go to www.nationals.com/craftbeerweek.

And don't forget to set your DVRs before heading to the park.

John Lannan, Adam Dunn and former National Matt Capps will be featured on Bravo's "Top Chef" on Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. In the "Top Chef: Washington D.C." episode titled "Making Concessions," Angelo, Tiffany, Kelly, Kevin, Ed and Amanda take over two concession stands at Nationals Park to create game snacks for die-hard baseball fans.

Of course, Thursday is Ladies Night. The theme is Vegas, and as always, the event will include food, drinks, entertainment, an Elvis visit, a meet and greet opportunity with Nationals players and coaches and a ticket to the game.

Tickets are available at nationals.com/ladiesnight. Tickets for the event range from $30-$164, depending on seating location.

Storen Bobbleheads and Other Upcoming Events

2010-08-20T13:45:23Z

If you're not busy tonight, head down to Woodbridge to pick up your one of a kind Drew Storen bobblehead, courtesy of Geico. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive the signature collectible. Stay after the game and enjoy a classic family friendly movie on the new scoreboard.

Also, reminders about two upcoming events:

The final Ladies Night of the 2010 season will be on Thursday, August 26th before the Nationals face the Cardinals. The theme is Vegas, and as always, the event will include food, drinks, entertainment, an Elvis visit, a meet and greet opportunity with Nationals players and coaches and a ticket to the game.

Tickets are available at nationals.com/ladiesnight. Tickets for the event range from $30-$164, depending on seating location.

Nationals fans will also have a final opportunity to give blood at the ballpark on Saturday, August 28th. Blood donors receive two tickets to a future Nationals game, a limited edition Build-A-Bear Workshop bloodhound and the opportunity to meet a Nationals player.

Appointments to donate blood are required and they tend to fill up quickly. Call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (256-6372) or visit www.inova.org/donateblood, click 'schedule an appointment' and enter sponsor code 7665.

Strasburg wired for Wednesday's game

2010-08-18T13:48:36Z

He won't be on the mound, but fans can still enjoy plenty of Stephen Strasburg during tonight's game against the Braves.

Strasburg will wear a wireless mic as part of MASN's regular Wired Wednesday, a feature which brings fans candid thoughts and sounds straight from the dugout each week.

It will give fans an up-close look at the phenom and his interaction with teammates during the game.

The usually stoic Strasburg showed some humor during his presentation of the Top 10 with David Letterman back in June. Maybe we'll get another glimpse of his personality tonight.

Be sure to tune in!

More suggestions for the Braves' organist

2010-08-16T16:47:22Z

For Stephen Strasburg's first game in Atlanta, we asked you to provide song suggestions to Matthew Kaminski, the organist for the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Kaminski seeks tips from fans and tries to match up songs to visiting players and pitchers.

The Nationals face the Braves this week for a three game series and you'll have another chance to show-off of your cleverness. Scott Olsen, Livan Hernandez and John Lannan are the probable starters, so that's a good place to start.

Tweet to @BravesOrganist to send him your ideas, but feel free to brainstorm here too.

Back to School Drive

2010-08-14T16:44:29Z

My close friends know that I've been pining for fall for awhile. I'm ready for sweaters, scarves, boots, pumpkin spice lattes and a nice cool breeze at Nationals games. Tonight, I can pretend it's fall by donating notebooks, pencils and pens to the Nationals' fourth annual Back to School Drive.

Fans may donate new school supplies at the Center Field Gates from the time gates open through the fourth inning. Backpacks, calculators, composition and spiral notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, loose leaf binders, new lunchboxes, paper, pencils, pencil boxes, pocket folders and rulers are among the supplies requested.

Your donations will assist children at Browne and Wheatley Education Campuses in Washington D.C.

If your children are looking for some new school supplies, come out to the ballpark on Sunday when Smithfield will give away a Back to School supply kit to the first 10,000 fans age 12 and under.