Dan Kolko

Taking the good with the bad

Taking the good with the bad
What's been different over the last six days that has allowed the Nationals to rattle off five straight wins following an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves? Well, part of what's been different has been the competition. The Braves have the best winning percentage in baseball, while the Phillies and Giants are a combined 29 games under .500. That'll certainly play a factor. Outside of that, however, different Nats players seem to have different theories for what's...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko jayson werth nationals frontstory_nationals1
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Span on his game-saving catch: "There's no better feeling"

Span on his game-saving catch: "There's no better feeling"
There were actually a few factors working against Denard Span as he tried to track down Hunter Pence's liner in the left-center field gap with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. First of all, Span was shading Pence towards right-center field, increasing the amount of ground he had to cover in order to prevent the ball from dropping in, tying the game and possibly giving the Giants the lead. On top of that, Span took a false step when the ball was first hit, coming in a bit before...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko denard span nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Johnson on Span's catch, bullpen issues in dramatic 6-5 win

Johnson on Span's catch, bullpen issues in dramatic 6-5 win
Davey Johnson didn't just let out a figurative sigh of relief after Denard Span made a game-saving catch in the top of the ninth, laying out in the left-center field gap to rob Hunter Pence of a hit that would have at least tied the game and possibly given the Giants a lead. Johnson literally let out a sigh of relief as he met with reporters following the Nationals' 6-5 win, their fifth straight victory. "Whew. Heck of a play," Johnson said. "I didn't think he was going to get to it....
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko davey johnson denard span nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Zimmermann puts in seven strong (Span saves the day in 6-5 win)

Zimmermann puts in seven strong (Span saves the day in 6-5 win)
On a night when the Nationals needed a lengthy start from Jordan Zimmermann, having used four relievers after a rain delay last night, Zimmermann delivered. It wasn't the right-hander's finest outing, as he threw 82 pitches in his first four frames and needed to finagle out of a couple of jams. But Zimmermann has found a way to get through seven innings, needing just 30 pitches in his final three frames and retiring eight of the last nine Giants hitters he faced. He leaves with the Nats...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko jordan zimmermann nationals frontfeatured_nationals
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Desmond continues to dominate Lincecum (spring training note, game update)

Desmond continues to dominate Lincecum (spring training note, game update)
Glancing down at the batter-pitcher matchups before tonight's game, it wasn't hard to spot Ian Desmond's career batting line against Giants starter Tim Lincecum. Desmond was 9-for-11 off Lincecum entering tonight, with one homer, two doubles and five RBIs. We can now boost those numbers up a bit. Leading off the bottom of the second, Desmond demolished a 2-2 Lincecum changeup way out to left-center for his 17th homer of the season. The ball cleared the Giants' bullpen and came down about...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko ian desmond jordan zimmermann nationals frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Ramos' injury not serious (Gonzalez, Zimmermann, Strasburg updates)

Ramos' injury not serious (Gonzalez, Zimmermann, Strasburg updates)
Wilson Ramos was wearing a smile this afternoon, something you don't often see on a player's face the day after he needed to leave a game due to the aggravation of a previous injury. Turns out, Ramos' left hamstring is not seriously injured, and will likely only knock him from the Nationals' lineup for a couple of days. "(I'm) a little bit happy because it's not too hurt," Ramos said. "I felt a little bit yesterday sore in my hamstring, but it's not in the big part of the...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
davey johnson gio gonzalez nationals stephen strasburg taylor jordan wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Harper returns, Ramos out

Harper returns, Ramos out
After being out of yesterday's starting lineup due to the flu, Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, hitting third and playing left field. Harper pinch-hit in the eighth inning last night and was intentionally walked. He'll try and go a full nine innings tonight. As expected, catcher Wilson Ramos is out of the lineup after aggravating a left hamstring injury last night. This is the third time this season that Ramos has injured his left hamstring, and while the Nationals...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
bryce harper dan kolko giants lineups nationals wilson ramos frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Going streaking

Going streaking
Coming into the season, the Nationals felt like they had a team that was capable of running off numerous lengthy winning streaks. Players and front office staffers believed that with the starting rotation being structured the way it was, with four very talented, young starters and one proven veteran, and with a seemingly improved back of the bullpen, wins would come in bunches. Fast forward to the middle of August and the Nationals have put together just three four-game winning streaks all...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
adam laroche dan kolko featured_sidebar nationals rafael soriano
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Postgame reactions to the win and the Gonzalez/Werth dugout spat

Postgame reactions to the win and the Gonzalez/Werth dugout spat
Before we get into the 4-2 Nationals victory, let's hear from the guys involved in, and close to, the first-inning dugout confrontation between Jayson Werth and Gio Gonzalez that was seen on the MASN broadcast. Well, we'll hear from some of the guys involved in the incident. Werth declined to comment after the game, and Gonzalez was only willing to say that what happened "stays between me and Werth." Manager Davey Johnson, however, was close by when Werth spoke a few choice words to...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
adam laroche dan kolko davey johnson gio gonzalez jayson werth nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Ramos re-injures hamstring, Gonzalez dealing with tight back

Ramos re-injures hamstring, Gonzalez dealing with tight back
The Nationals picked up their fourth straight win with tonight's 4-2 victory over the Giants, but they suffered a loss, as well. Catcher Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring, which has already twice landed him on the disabled list this season, during tonight's game. The good news is that this time, the hamstring doesn't appear to be severely strained, but manager Davey Johnson said that Ramos will be sidelined for the time being. "He re-injured, not too bad, but it's the same time...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko davey johnson gio gonzalez nationals wilson ramos frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

LaRoche LaRocks one (Nats win 4-2)

LaRoche LaRocks one (Nats win 4-2)
That headline was terrible. I'm truly sorry. It's 10:30 p.m. and we're only in the sixth inning and I've had three cups of coffee. The rest of the night could be interesting. Adam LaRoche has given the Nationals a 3-1 lead after six innings thanks to his two-run homer that was demolished way out to right. The ball was hit with such force that it caromed off the facade above the Nats bullpen and nearly ricocheted back onto the field. That's the LaRoche that we saw pretty often last...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
adam laroche dan kolko nationals tanner roark frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Gonzalez, Werth involved in dugout dispute (Giants tie it up)

Gonzalez, Werth involved in dugout dispute (Giants tie it up)
Gio Gonzalez and Jayson Werth were involved in a bit of a confrontation in the Nationals dugout after the top of the first inning tonight, presumably because of Gonzalez's failure to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side. The play in question came on a Buster Posey ground ball to first base with runners at first and second with one out. Gonzalez hesitated making a move off the mound toward first base, and didn't get to the bag in nearly enough time for Ian Desmond to deliver a...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko gio gonzalez jayson werth nationals frontfeatured_nationals
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Nats and Giants share frustrations on disappointing 2013 campaigns

Nats and Giants share frustrations on disappointing 2013 campaigns
Earlier this afternoon, before sitting down with reporters for his daily pregame press conference, Nationals manager Davey Johnson met up with Giants manager Bruce Bochy and some of the San Francisco coaches. Johnson has struggled to come up with answers for why his offense has struggled this season, but he's not alone. While the Nats rank fourth-worst in the majors in runs scored this season, the Giants are actually one spot lower, having scored four fewer runs than the Nats. The Giants are...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko davey johnson giants nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Harper battling the flu, plus Ohlendorf, Detwiler updates

Harper battling the flu, plus Ohlendorf, Detwiler updates
Davey Johnson is feeling much more spry today than he did Sunday, when he spent the final two innings of the Nationals' win over the Phillies on a training table with back pain. Johnson got a couple of shots in his back yesterday to numb the affected area and then an injection of cortisone, and that seems to have done the trick. The 70-year-old skipper was all smiles and even said he might be closing in on throwing batting practice sometime soon, a goal of his from earlier in the...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
bryce harper dan kolko davey johnson nationals ross detwiler ross ohlendorf featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Harper out of Nats' lineup against Bumgarner

Harper out of Nats' lineup against Bumgarner
The Nationals' lineup against Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner does not feature Bryce Harper. Scott Hairston will play left field and hit eighth tonight, with Harper getting the day off. We can assume that the reason for Harper's absence is his struggles against left-handed pitching this season. Harper has hit just .172/.270/.276 against southpaws in 2013, while Hairston has a career .268 batting average and .817 OPS against lefties. Bumgarner is holding lefties to a .150 average and...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
bryce harper dan kolko giants lineups nationals frontstory_nationals1
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

A Drew Storen update

A Drew Storen update
The Nationals welcome the San Francisco Giants to town today for the first of three games at Nats Park. Let's just call it the Battle of the Underachievers. These two teams rival the Angels and maybe the Blue Jays in the most disappointing department this season, with the Giants in last place in the National League West, sitting 13 games under .500, and the Nats still three games under .500 even after their sweep of the Phillies this weekend. Two tough lefties will take the mound tonight in...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko drew storen featured_sidebar nationals frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Offensively, Nats showing signs of life

Offensively, Nats showing signs of life
Individually, you can decide how much you choose to make out of the Nationals' offensive explosion this weekend. Yes, it came against the Phillies, who own the fifth-worst team ERA in the majors. Yes, it was just three games, which in no way means that the Nats have snapped out of their season-long offensive funk and gotten on track. Some of you might choose to view this as the start of something positive, a sign that the bats are waking up down the stretch. Others might brush off the...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko davey johnson nationals wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Johnson discusses Strasburg's gem and Werth's injury after 6-0 win

Johnson discusses Strasburg's gem and Werth's injury after 6-0 win
Davey Johnson couldn't bear to watch Stephen Strasburg finish off his shutout in tonight's 6-0 Nationals win. That had nothing to do with Strasburg or anything Johnson was seeing on the field. Turns out, Johnson's back was acting up so much that the Nats' 70-year-old skipper had to head back to the trainer's room to apply some heat packs and watch the final two innings of the game while lying down. Johnson will spend part of tomorrow's off-day getting a procedure done on his back that...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko davey johnson jayson werth nationals stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Strasburg on first career shutout: "My stuff was just on today"

Strasburg on first career shutout: "My stuff was just on today"
When discussing his individual goals for this season back in spring training, Stephen Strasburg would often come back to one word that he hoped would eventually be used to describe him. Workhorse. After a 2012 season in which he never worked longer than seven innings and was shut down during a pennant race after 159 1/3 innings, Strasburg was determined to become the guy that would consistently work deep into games, giving his team a chance to win and eating innings for his pitching...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko nationals stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest
Dan Kolko

Could Strasburg tally another career first? (Strasburg shuts out Phillies)

Could Strasburg tally another career first? (Strasburg shuts out Phillies)
Through seven scoreless innings tonight, Stephen Strasburg has thrown just 82 pitches. He's struck out 10, surrendered just four hits and a walk and failed to allow a runner into scoring position. Strasburg has notched a number of firsts this season, and he could be in line for another. His first career complete game is well within reach. This is now Strasburg's 10th career double-digit strikeout game, but despite the strikeouts, the pitch count has remained relatively low. Strasburg has...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
dan kolko jayson werth nationals stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals2
LinkedIn Pinterest



LATEST ORIOLES NEWS

LATEST NATIONALS NEWS

       
62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71