Danny Espinosa makes a diving stop towards the second base then gets up and throws the runner out, saving potentially two more runs and keeping the Nats in game.
Ryan Zimmerman grabs a hot shot out of the air and throws to first to get the hitter. Adam Dunn quickly fires back across the mound to the shortstop who nabs the runner at third trying to take an extra base for a unique 5-3-6 double play.
These may have been plays that would not have been made when the team was struggling to...
Manager Jim Riggleman shuffled the top of the lineup for Sunday's final game of the season against the Florida Marlins, placing Ian Desmond in the lead off spot and Adam Kennedy batting second.
Riggleman said, "I am not going to play (Danny) Espinosa today. I am going to get Adam Kennedy some at bats. He has been sitting for a few days. I would like to get him some at bats. Espinosa has been leading off.
"I know eventually we are not going to have Nyjer (Morgan) so I would like to...
The Potomac Nationals have advanced to the Carolina League championship series which begins tomorrow in Winston-Salem.
It is the second time in the past three seasons the team have reached the Mills Cup Championship. The franchise is going for their fourth league title.
The P-Nats defeated Frederick 10-3 in Woodbridge to win the series 3-1. Bill Rhinehart went 2-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI, while Nick Moresi, Chris Curran and Tyler Moore each added a pair of RBI and Marcos Frias went five...
The Nationals minor league system was honored this season with most valuable player of the year awards handed out to Potomac's Tyler Moore and GCL Nationals Randolph Oduber.
Nationals hitting coordinator Rick Schu says both players deserved their awards and greatly improved from the beginning of the season.
Schu says Oduber, who hails from the island of Aruba and attended Western Oklahoma State College, came in and "really battled all season."
"He had a great season in the GCL," says...
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa burst onto the scene at the beginning of September and ignited the team with his aggressive and exciting play in the Nats infield. He got off to a sizzling start at the plate as well, going 9-for-16 with 3 homers and 10 RBI in his first week.
Coaches at Long Beach State saw the raw talent, energy, and passion from Espinosa when he was in his second year of high school.
Former 49ers coach Mike Weathers recruited Espinosa, and current coach Troy...
With several teams in the Nationals chain doing well all season on the field, including Syracuse playing down to the final week before being eliminated, the spotlight has turned to Potomac and Harrisburg as they battle to stay alive in the postseason.
Harrisburg leads their series 1-0 over Altoona while Potomac looks to bounce back following a tough loss in Game 1 at Frederick.
It's a good reflection on the talent level a team has in its organization if you have affiliates who make the...
Nationals hitting coordinator Rick Schu is preparing to head back to Florida to begin the instructional league, which runs from September 16 through October 13.
This week we will cover a few of the Nats prospects that Schu worked with this season and update some of their offseason schedules.
Hagerstown first baseman Justin Bloxom had his season cut short on August 7 but is working hard to recover from minor knee surgery.
The Kansas State product put up some nice numbers: a .309 average in...
The Nats and Mets are even at 1-1 in the series following Tuesday's 4-1 New York win at Nats Park. After starters Jordan Zimmermann and Yunesky Maya departed in the first two games, the bullpen threw nine innings of shutout ball.
Scott Olsen, Collin Balester and Ross Detwiler combined to throw nine scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, and just a pair of walks.
Olsen threw four innings on Monday. Balester pitched the ninth inning yesterday and two innings today, striking out five of the nine...
Labor Day was fun for the Nationals again this year. The Nats steamrolled their division rival Mets 13-3 behind a spectacular performance from rookie Danny Espinosa. He hit two homers, including a grand slam and a career-high 6 RBI. Washington is now 5-0 on Labor Day since the team's first year in D.C.
Espinosa had an incredible day at the plate. But the at bat that I remember very well was an out. In his second at bat, Espinosa smacked a long flyout to center field in the Nats'...
The 2010 Arizona Fall League begins Tuesday, October 12. This year's team with players from the Nationals organization is the Scottsdale Scorpions. The best of the Nats, Orioles, Rockies, D-backs and Giants are represented on Scottsdale's roster.
The Scorpions open at home October 12 against the Peoria Saguaros. There are six weeks in the season that spans October 12 through November 18.
There are six teams in the league: two based in Peoria, Surprise, Phoenix (last year's Nats...
After finally being taken off the disabled list, Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock guided the Syracuse Chiefs to a victory Friday night, going six innings, scattering four hits, allowing one run with two walks and three strikeouts.
"I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders (with Friday's win)," says Mock.
"Now, I can prepare for the next one and if another start comes I want to be able to compete for six plus innings."
"That is a huge feeling," he added. "I am not on...
Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang continues to take positive steps as he rehabs from major shoulder surgery 13 months ago.
Wang threw 40 pitches in the bullpen early this week at the Nationals training facility in Viera, Florida. He is also playing catch and gets every fourth day off. Wang has been building arm strength and has worked in some long toss sessions.
Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams says Wang is making progress and he is pleased with what the pitcher has been...
Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler notched the win in a rehab start Thursday as Syracuse topped Rochester 7-3.
Detwiler went five innings, scattered five hits, allowed three runs but only one of which is earned. He walked only one batter, had two strikeouts and registered 12 ground outs. Detwiler threw 56 pitches, 39 for strikes.
Detwiler (1-0) said his sinker was working "pretty well" and that his hip felt "alright" after the game. As in the past, he will have to wait to see how...
Potomac Nationals first baseman Tyler Moore has won the Carolina League Player of the Year honors.
Moore has guided the P-Nats to challenge for the Northern division title with a scorching second half of the season, dating back to mid-July, when he was batting below .200. He has hit 22 of his homers since early July. He has raised his batting average 67 points to .262.
"I would have never thought I could be in this position after the first half I had," says Moore.
"I tried to make the...
Cuban-born pitcher Yunesky Maya did quite well in Syracuse Wednesday, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts and earning the win as Syracuse dropped Rochester 7-2.
Maya (1-1) threw 98 pitches, 62 for strikes. Chiefs play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti said Maya had good breaking stuff and was in control most of the night.
Elsewhere, left-hander Sammy Solis was perfect in his two-inning debut for Hagerstown, allowing no hits, no runs, no...
Three top pitching prospects from the Nationals 2010 draft crop will make their professional debuts this week.
Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole and Rob Ray have impressed Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams as they embark on their first game appearances since spring time.
University of San Diego left-hander Sammy Solis will start tonight for Hagerstown and get two innings.
Solis, picked in the second round and standing 6 foot 5 inches and weighing 225 pounds, is a "big body lefty who has a...
Harrisburg Senators second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi has picked up where he left off with Potomac, hitting above .300 in 19 games so far at the Double-A level.
This week, the talented young infielder got word he has been selected by the franchise to participate in the prestigious Arizona Fall League representing the Nationals.
"I found out a couple of days ago. I was really pumped," says Lombardozzi.
"I think it will be a great experience for me to go out there. I have never been out...
Second baseman Adam Kennedy has played well in the last month in a variety of responsibilities. He has been a defensive stopper at second, a rally starter leading off the ballgame, the clutch hitter with a big run-scoring double and maybe, more importantly, a teacher and mentor to young shortstop Ian Desmond.
Kennedy said he told Desmond he is in a good position with this team in more ways than one, especially with a chance to bat second in the lineup on a consistent basis.
"It is a huge...
Manager Jim Riggleman took outfielder Nyjer Morgan out of Sunday's lineup against the Cardinals for going after catcher Bryan Anderson at home plate during Saturday's 14-5 romp over St. Louis.
Riggleman said it was manager's decision to keep Morgan out of the lineup today and felt that Morgan's anger got the best of him last night. He said Morgan was upset all day Saturday because he was placed eighth in the batting order.
"I think it was a culmination of Nyjer's anger brewing for...
Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler is headed back to Syracuse for a rehab start. Detwiler had a solid outing yesterday in Frederick for the Potomac Nationals in their 6-4 victory, going three innings, allowing two hits, one run on the solo shot and four strikeouts.
Detwiler likely will start on Thursday as the Chiefs host Rochester.
He said his hip "feels good, a lot better than expected, and I am able to push a little further now" after last night's road start.
"My sinker was...
