Davey Johnson: "I don't have any answers"

Davey Johnson: "I don't have any answers"
Twice during his brief, three-minute postgame press conference tonight, Nationals manager Davey Johnson - a man who rarely is at a lack for words - uttered a simple phrase that sums up how perplexed the Nats are by their 42-42 start this season. "I don't have any answers," Johnson said quietly. The Nationals fell to the Brewers 4-1 tonight, marking their second straight defeat at the hands of a team that sits in the cellar in the National League Central. Going into yesterday's game,...
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The scoreless streak is over (Nats lose 4-1)

The scoreless streak is over (Nats lose 4-1)
Let's look on the positive side of things. Anthony Rendon's solo home run in the seventh, the second homer of his big league career, has brought the Nationals to within three at 4-1 and prevented them from getting shut out for the second straight day. Their scoreless streak has been snapped at 15 innings, and they'll turn the lineup over and get their big bats to the plate at least once more before this game ends. However, the Nats do still trail, and they'll either get Kyle Lohse for...
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Ramos expected to return to Nats' lineup tomorrow (the deficit increases)

Ramos expected to return to Nats' lineup tomorrow (the deficit increases)
Assuming all goes well tonight, the Nationals should have Wilson Ramos back in their starting lineup tomorrow. Ramos, who has missed the last 43 games with a strained left hamstring, will play in his fifth rehab game tonight. He'll serve as the designated hitter for high Single-A Potomac, and is slated to play a full nine innings. Barring any setbacks, manager Davey Johnson said Ramos will not only be activated off the disabled list tomorrow, but he'll likely be behind the plate in the 11...
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Haren ready to return, with what he feels is an improved repertoire

Haren ready to return, with what he feels is an improved repertoire
At 2 p.m. today, Dan Haren stepped on the mound at Nationals Park and started firing away as a rotation of hitters took their hacks. It was just a simulated game against three hitters with whom he shares a clubhouse - Chad Tracy, Tyler Moore and Steve Lombardozzi - but it was yet another step in the right direction for Haren, who has been on the disabled list the last 10 days with right shoulder inflammation. Haren threw 65-70 pitches split up over three simulated innings, with a couple of...
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Detwiler back on the mound

Detwiler back on the mound
Left-hander Ross Detwiler makes his first start tonight since feeling stiffness in his lower back following Friday night's effort at Citi Field in New York. Detwiler is 2-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 12 starts this season. His opposition is Brewers righty Kyle Lohse. He'll be backed up in his start against Milwaukee by what is becoming a familiar batting order, now that some of the bumps and bruises the Nationals have been dealing with have healed. For the Brewers RF Norichika Aoki SS Jean...
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Nats sign catcher Kelly Shoppach to minor league deal

Nats sign catcher Kelly Shoppach to minor league deal
The Nationals have bolstered their catching depth, agreeing to terms with veteran Kelly Shoppach on a minor league deal. Shoppach, 33, will report to Triple-A Syracuse. A nine-year major league veteran, Shoppach played 35 games with the Mariners this season, posting a slash line of .196/.293/.346 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 107 at-bats. Shoppach's best offensive season came in 2008, when he hit .261/.348/.517 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs with the Indians. Considered a solid...
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On Strasburg, Espinosa and Span

On Strasburg, Espinosa and Span
Stephen Strasburg's ERA this season - a miniscule 2.24 - is 24 points lower than his rotation mate Jordan Zimmermann's. Somehow, Zimmermann has 12 wins on the season, and Strasburg has one-third that many. Yet there are those who still view pitchers' wins as a crucial statistic. Doesn't make much sense to me. The Nationals are scoring an average of 4.71 runs per game when Zimmermann gets the start. When Strasburg pitches, that total is nearly cut in half. Strasburg has gotten 2.44 runs...
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Strasburg on lack of run support, Harper on the drop

Strasburg on lack of run support, Harper on the drop
Stephen Strasburg has gotten the lowest run support of any starter in the major leagues this season, at 2.44 runs per game. The Nationals have scored more than three runs in just three of his 16 starts, including tonight's 4-0 loss to the Brewers. Strasburg has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in last eight starts (and one earned run or fewer in seven of those eight), but it hasn't mattered. Still, despite having just four wins to go along with his 2.24 ERA - a mark that's sixth-best...
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Johnson discusses Nats' 4-0 loss

Johnson discusses Nats' 4-0 loss
Over the course of 162 games last season, the Nationals were shut out eight times. Tonight marked the ninth time they've been shut out in their first 83 games this season. The Nats lost to the Brewers 4-0 tonight, wasting another stellar outing from Stephen Strasburg, who threw seven scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to 2.24. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base, this after putting up 23 runs in their last two ballgames. "The other guy pitched a...
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Storen comes apart in the eighth (Nats lose 4-0)

Storen comes apart in the eighth (Nats lose 4-0)
Over the last five weeks, Drew Storen has reverted to his 2011 form, when he saved 43 games, struck out nearly a batter per inning and posted a 2.75 ERA. Storen had allowed an earned run in just one of his last 17 appearances coming into tonight and had talked about how he was feeling really confident against left-handed hitters lately, largely thanks to his improved feel of his changeup. Tonight, called upon to work the eighth inning in a scoreless game, Storen wasn't able to carry over...
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Nats sign seven international free agents

Nats sign seven international free agents
The international free agent signing period started today, and the Nationals have made a handful of moves within the first 24 hours, agreeing to terms with seven 16-year-olds. The Nats announced they've signed right-handed pitcher Edwin Adames, catcher Jose Cabello, right-handed pitcher Angel Guillen, left-handed pitcher Jose Jimenez, outfielder Victor Robles, outfielder Dany Rojas and catcher Edwin Trejos. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is now on a...
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Brewers can't touch the Strasburg curve, Nats can't give Strasburg runs (updated)

Brewers can't touch the Strasburg curve, Nats can't give Strasburg runs (updated)
Stephen Strasburg has thrown five scoreless innings tonight, allowing just two hits (one of which came on a blown call at first base) and walking two. He's struck out five Brewers, all five of which have been on the curveball, a pitch that has been truly filthy tonight. Strasburg has dialed the fastball up to 97 mph. He's thrown a few nasty changeups. But it's the curve that's been the money pitch against the Brewers, who had never faced Strasburg prior to tonight. Aramis Ramirez had his...
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Detwiler good to start tomorrow, Haren could rejoin rotation next week

Detwiler good to start tomorrow, Haren could rejoin rotation next week
Davey Johnson wanted to wait until today before making the final determination that Ross Detwiler would be good to start tomorrow against the Brewers. Detwiler felt some stiffness in the left side of his lower back following his last start on Friday in New York, and while Detwiler came out of his side session yesterday feeling just fine, the Nats needed to see how the left-hander was today before ruling him good to go. Well, Detwiler feels fine today. So he's good to go. Detwiler's back...
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Today's Nationals lineup (with Brewers lineup)

Today's Nationals lineup (with Brewers lineup)
The Nationals will use the same lineup as yesterday, with one obvious exception. The Nats will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound instead of Jordan Zimmermann. I know Zimmermann went 3-for-3 yesterday, but if he was in the lineup again today, we'd have some news on our hands. As for the eight position players in the batting order, I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it. For the Nats: CF Denard Span RF Jayson Werth LF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B...
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Nats outright Cole Kimball to Triple-A

Nats outright Cole Kimball to Triple-A
The Nationals have outrighted right-handed reliever Cole Kimball to Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced this afternoon. Kimball was already on Syracuse's roster, but outrighting him takes him off the 40-man roster, opening up a spot. The Nats now have 39 players on the 40-man roster. That does not include reliever Christian Garcia, who is on the 60-day disabled list and is currently on a rehab assignment with Syracuse. Kimball made his big league debut with the Nats in 2011, posting a...
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Another tease or the start of an offensive turnaround?

Another tease or the start of an offensive turnaround?
It's impossible to see what the Nationals have done offensively the last two days and not wonder whether this is it. Has the offense finally woken up for good? Is this the stretch where things turn around and the Nats start playing to their ability, as Davey Johnson likes to put it? This just has to be where the offense kicks things into high gear, right? "Oh, I don't know," Jayson Werth said. "We'll see. One minute, we can't score a run. The next minute, we're scoring too many runs....
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Harper on the homer and his return

Harper on the homer and his return
Bryce Harper stepped up to the plate at Nationals Park for the first time in a while, got a loud ovation from the crowd, looked at a ball out of the zone and then slugged the second pitch he saw for a solo homer. He sprinted around the bases, was greeted by smiles and high fives in the Nationals' dugout and then came out to the top step for a curtain call. Harper's first at-bat off the disabled list, one that came in the bottom of the first inning in tonight's 10-5 win over the Brewers,...
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Johnson discusses Nats' 10-5 win

Johnson discusses Nats' 10-5 win
It didn't take more than 15 minutes into tonight's ballgame, Bryce Harper's first in over a month, for the 20-year-old outfielder to make his presence felt. Up with two outs in the bottom of the first, Harper took the first pitch he saw from Yovani Gallardo, then smoked the second on a line over the left-center field fence for a solo homer that got the Nationals rolling towards a 10-5 win. "Wouldn't you know it?" manager Davey Johnson said of Harper's theatrics. "We kinda expected...
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Nats beat Brewers 10-5

Nats beat Brewers 10-5
The Nationals scored 10 runs or more in one of their first 80 games this season. They've now reached the double-digit run mark on back-to-back days. First, it was a 13-2 romp over the Mets. Tonight, it was a 10-5 win over the Brewers. The last time the Nats put up at least 10 runs in consecutive games was June 26-28 of last year, when they actually scored double-digit runs in three straight games against the Rockies. Jayson Werth went 2-for-5 with five RBIs, Denard Span reached base three...
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Harper homers in first at-bat in 36 days (it's a ballgame again)

Harper homers in first at-bat in 36 days (it's a ballgame again)
Was there any doubt Bryce Harper would do something special in his return to the Nationals' lineup after missing 31 games while on the disabled list? If you were one to have those doubts, you must not have seen much of Harper over the last two seasons. In his first big league at-bat in 36 days, Harper took the first pitch he saw from Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo for a ball and then smoked a 93 mph fastball over the left field wall and into the visitors' bullpen for a solo home...
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