Johnson on adding a starting pitcher: "I don't think that's in our plans"

Johnson on adding a starting pitcher: "I don't think that's in our plans"
PHILADELPHIA - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the other day that he doesn't envision making any major deals prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, feeling that there are no "big splashy moves that are remaining" for the Nats this season. Still, there are those who feel that with Ross Detwiler having landed on the DL twice in the last two months and Dan Haren proving to be inconsistent in the first half of the season, the Nats would be wise to add another starting...
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A battle of two tough lefties

A battle of two tough lefties
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching this season, and they'll face one of the toughest left-handers in the bigs tonight when they take on Cliff Lee. Lee is 10-2 with a 2.73 ERA this season, and he held the Nats to two runs over eight strong innings back on June 18 in a Phillies win here at Citizens Bank Park. The Nats are hitting .215/.281/.336 against left-handers this season. What's there to that? "I don't know," Adam LaRoche said last...
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Needing more from the bottom two spots in the rotation

Needing more from the bottom two spots in the rotation
PHILADELPHIA - Two days ago, the Nationals deficit in the National League East had been cut to four. Just like that, it's back to six. Two Nats losses here in Philly coupled with two Braves wins over the Marlins, and there goes the momentum again. The good news for the Nats is that they'll now send Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann to the mound in the final two games of this series against the Phillies. Want to know just how good that news is? Let's go to the numbers. When either...
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LaRoche, Zimmerman and Desmond discuss Nats' loss

LaRoche, Zimmerman and Desmond discuss Nats' loss
PHILADELPHIA - Davey Johnson can't really explain why the Nationals look so locked-in offensively one day and then produce so little the next. Neither can Adam LaRoche, who admits it's a bit frustrating the way the Nats have been so feast-or-famine offensively of late. "A little bit," LaRoche said. "We'll get into a game and we'll be in the sixth, seventh inning with two or three hits. Where the night before we had 15 hits. I can't explain it. It's one of those things you try to go...
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Johnson recaps Nats' 4-2 loss

Johnson recaps Nats' 4-2 loss
PHILADELPHIA - Here are the number of runs the Nationals have scored in each of their last 10 games: 13, 10, zero, one, eight, eight, five, 11, two, two. Of those 10 games, the Nats won six. Take your best guess which six ended in a Nationals handshake line on the field after the final out. The Nats have shown in the last couple weeks that they're capable of producing - and producing in a big way - offensively. But they've also followed those big offensive ballgames with ones where their...
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Werth crushes, Jordan impresses (Nats lose 4-2)

Werth crushes, Jordan impresses (Nats lose 4-2)
PHILADELPHIA - As he is before his first at-bat of every game here at Citizens Bank Park, Jayson Werth was booed heavily when he stepped into the batter's box in the top of the second inning tonight. Werth responded to the jeers from his former fanbase by reaching out and crushing a Cole Hamels changeup into the bleachers in left-center, giving the Nationals an early lead. It wasn't a bad pitch from Hamels; the changeup was down in the zone and away from Werth. He stayed on the pitch,...
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On Span sitting, Hairston hitting leadoff and Harper patrolling center

On Span sitting, Hairston hitting leadoff and Harper patrolling center
PHILADELPHIA - Scott Hairston's stocky, solid, 6-foot, 205-lb. frame doesn't really scream "leadoff hitter." Yet, that's what Hairston will be tonight for the 100th time in his career. Hairston is listed atop the Nationals' lineup tonight, as manager Davey Johnson has opted to give Denard Span the night off and put Hairston in there against Phillies lefty Cole Hamels. Hairston hits lefties well, and he hits Hamels very well, so that made the decision easy for Johnson. "I expect him to...
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Hairston leading off, playing left in Nats debut

Hairston leading off, playing left in Nats debut
PHILADELPHIA - Not only is Scott Hairston making his Nationals debut tonight in just his second day with the team since coming over in a trade with the Cubs, he's also in the leadoff spot. I did expect to see Hairston in the lineup tonight. I did not expect him to lead off. Anyone that says they did is probably lying. Hairston will play left field tonight, bumping Bryce Harper over to center. Denard Span will get the night off. This is the first start for Harper in center field this...
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A step forward from Haren or more of the same?

A step forward from Haren or more of the same?
PHILADELPHIA - With the Nationals dropping the opener of their four-game series with the Phillies last night, the Braves capitalized on the opportunity to put some more space between themselves and Davey Johnson's bunch. Atlanta scored six times in the 14th inning of its game with the Marlins last night, and with that victory, the Braves pushed their division lead back to five games. After getting held scoreless and to just four singles by John Lannan, the Nats' slash line against...
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Hearing from Lannan, Desmond and Hairston

Hearing from Lannan, Desmond and Hairston
PHILADELPHIA - John Lannan isn't the type to talk openly about wanting to stick it to an organization or shove a strong performance in anyone's face to prove a point. He could go that route, but Lannan just isn't that kind of guy. That's why the left-hander downplayed the fact that his best outing in years - eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball - came against the team that drafted him, sent him to the minors last season and then cut him loose this winter. "The first time back, I...
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Johnson discusses Nats' 3-2 loss

Johnson discusses Nats' 3-2 loss
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals optioned John Lannan to Triple-A Syracuse the day before opening day last season and then non-tendered him this winter. Today, Lannan got his payback. The left-hander, who was twice the Nats' opening day starter but spent the vast majority of last season in the minors, threw eight shutout innings against his former team today, leading the Phillies to a 3-2 win. The Nats made things interesting in the ninth by getting to Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon for two...
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Lannan holding Nats in check, Haren survives shaky start (Nats lose 3-2)

Lannan holding Nats in check, Haren survives shaky start (Nats lose 3-2)
PHILADELPHIA - Through five innings tonight, John Lannan is outpitching the guy the Nationals replaced him with this offseason and sticking it to his former team in the process. Lannan has held the Nats to just two hits over five scoreless innings, and he and the Phillies hold a 2-0 lead. The Nats had their only real chance against Lannan in the fourth. Bryce Harper walked and then appeared to have second base stolen, but slid into the bag incredibly late, allowing Jimmy Rollins to slap down...
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Rizzo, Johnson discuss Hairston acquisition

Rizzo, Johnson discuss Hairston acquisition
PHILADELPHIA - Reporters have still not laid eyes on Scott Hairston since the veteran outfielder was acquired by the Nationals for minor league righty Ivan Pineyro in a trade with the Cubs last night. Hairston's flight out of Chicago was delayed by a couple hours earlier today, and he had yet to arrive in the Nats' clubhouse when the open-media period had ended around 5:30 p.m. That said, the Nats expect to have Hairston in uniform and available tonight, and assuming he is, they feel he...
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Bryce Harper to take part in Home Run Derby

Bryce Harper to take part in Home Run Derby
PHILADELPHIA - Not only is Bryce Harper going to be a starter in the All-Star Game, he'll also be participating in the Home Run Derby the previous night. Harper has accepted Mets third baseman David Wright's offer to take part in the National League team for the Home Run Derby, joining Wright and the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer. The American League team will be made up of the Yankees' Robinson Cano (who is the AL captain), the Orioles' Chris Davis and the Tigers' Prince...
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Hairston on lineup card, Moore optioned (with lineups)

Hairston on lineup card, Moore optioned (with lineups)
PHILADELPHIA - Scott Hairston is not here at Citizens Bank Park just yet, but he is on the Nationals' lineup card and is expected to be in uniform tonight. Tyler Moore is not on the lineup card, and while the roster move is not yet official, he'll be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Hairston. Moore is batting .151/.195/.283 this season, and will now been optioned to Syracuse for the second time in a month. Since returning from Triple-A in late June, Moore went 1-for-11 with...
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More on Hairston, some on Harper (Nats send pitcher Pineyro to Cubs)

More on Hairston, some on Harper (Nats send pitcher Pineyro to Cubs)
If you've seen the news that the Nationals have acquired outfielder Scott Hairston from the Cubs and find yourself unimpressed by Hairston's .172/.232/.434 slash line this season, well, you're probably not alone. As a team, Nats pinch-hitters are batting .174/.208/.313 this season, so why do they need another guy who is hitting well below the Mendoza line and isn't reaching base at a solid clip? Well, if you fall into that line of thinking, I've got two stats for you. * As a team, the...
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Report: Nats acquire outfielder Scott Hairston from Cubs

Report: Nats acquire outfielder Scott Hairston from Cubs
The Nationals have been looking around for a right-handed bench player, someone who can provide some pop and depth in the outfield. They reportedly got such a guy tonight. According to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, the Nats have acquired outfielder Scott Hairston from the Cubs for a minor league pitcher. I don't expect to be able to confirm details at this late hour, but we'll know more tomorrow. The 33-year-old Hairston hit 20 home runs with the Mets last season, and after homering...
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Johnson discusses Nats' 11-7 win, sweep of Padres

Johnson discusses Nats' 11-7 win, sweep of Padres
At close of business today, the Nationals look up and find themselves four games over .500 for the first time since May 17. They also find themselves four games back of the Braves in the National League East, the lowest deficit in the division since May 20. Today's 11-7 win over the Padres - a win that finished off a three-game sweep - combined with Atlanta's loss to the Phillies got the Nats to this point. They've talked for months about wanting to start playing better baseball. That...
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Harper heating up (Nats sweep away Padres)

Harper heating up (Nats sweep away Padres)
Apparently, all Davey Johnson needed to do to get Bryce Harper back on track was threaten to take him out of the lineup. Since Johnson did so, Harper has four RBIs in five at-bats. His last four plate appearances have all resulted in an RBI. Harper went 1-for-2 with three RBIs yesterday, and he came through again in his first trip to the plate this afternoon, slapping a run-scoring single to left that plated Denard Span. It was the type of run we haven't seen the Nationals put up many times...
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Detwiler officially placed on DL, Haren to start Monday

Detwiler officially placed on DL, Haren to start Monday
The Nationals have made it official, putting left-hander Ross Detwiler on the disabled list with a lower back strain. Detwiler's DL stint will be retroactive to July 4, meaning he'll be eligible to come off the DL on July 19, the Nationals' first game after the All-Star break. It's unclear, however, how much time Detwiler will need to get past the lingering back stiffness that has been an issue for the last 10 days or so. Right-hander Dan Haren will come of the disabled list Monday and...
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