Dan Kolko

Strasburg must love the Pirates (Nats win 4-2)

Strasburg must love the Pirates (Nats win 4-2)
I have a feeling most pitchers enjoy facing the Pirates. They've scored by far the fewest runs in the majors and are hitting just .227 as a team. Any pitcher would love to go against that group. Stephen Strasburg really, really loves to face Pittsburgh. Strasburg has struck out seven straight Bucs hitters, and has faced the minimum as we go to the fourth inning. Dating back to his last start against the Pirates - which just happened to be his dazzling major league debut - Strasburg has...
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Dan Kolko

Bernadina hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth

Bernadina hitting second, Espinosa hitting sixth
Davey Johnson has made a couple lineup changes, all right. The Nationals' skipper has tweaked his batting order for tonight's series finale against the Pirates, putting Roger Bernadina in the No. 2 spot and dropping Bryce Harper to fifth. Danny Espinosa will start at second base tonight and will protect Harper in the order, hitting sixth. This is now the fourth spot in the lineup that Harper has at-bats. He's previously hit seventh, third and second. Here are the lineups for both...
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Dan Kolko

Playing the numbers

Playing the numbers
Over the Nationals' last 16 games, they've gotten 15 quality starts. In that 16-game span, the Nats are 8-8. I'm not trying to pile on here, I'm just saying. Stuck on a three-game losing streak, the Nats send their ace to the mound tonight, looking to avoid getting swept by the Pirates. It's a very small sample size, but Stephen Strasburg has allowed only one hit to a player currently on the Pirates' roster. That guy is Neil Walker, who is 1-for-3 with a strikeout off Strasburg....
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Dan Kolko

Strikeout total rises as win total stays stagnant

Strikeout total rises as win total stays stagnant
What would you rather have first, the good news or the bad news? Let's start with the positive stuff, just to kick the morning off right. Making his third rehab start since suffering a left hamstring injury back in spring training, Chien-Ming Wang went seven innings yesterday for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing two runs on eight hits and earning the win. Wang walked one, struck out one and threw 89 pitches, 61 for strikes. The good news ends there. Here comes the bad. The Nationals struck...
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Dan Kolko

Blown chances plague Nats in 4-2 loss

Blown chances plague Nats in 4-2 loss
You'd think the Nationals caught a break when Pirates starter Erik Bedard, who entered the game with a 2.65 ERA, was pulled after just an inning-plus due to a back injury. That left the Nats eight innings to battle against Pittsburgh's bullpen. You'd think the Nats would have a decent shot at tying the game when they loaded the bases with just one out in the eighth, trailing 3-2. You'd think that if a Washington starter (Ross Detwiler, for example) allowed three runs in six innings - a...
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Dan Kolko

Wacky third inning puts Nats in a hole (instant update)

Wacky third inning puts Nats in a hole (instant update)
We had a strikeout of the pitcher, who then reached on a wild pitch. We had a ball deflect off Ross Detwiler and go for a single. We had a 5-2-6 putout in which a runner was tagged out trying to score. We had a runner score from second on an infield single. Yeah, it was a strange bottom of the third inning. The Pirates lead 3-0 after three, and despite the fact that Pittsburgh starter Erik Bedard was pulled in the top of the second inning due to an apparent injury, the Nats still don't...
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Dan Kolko

Moore to start in left field, Harper to center

Moore to start in left field, Harper to center
Those wanting Tyler Moore to get a shot at more playing time, here you go. Moore will start in left field and hit seventh for the Nationals in tonight's game against the Pirates. It will be the rookie's second major league start, both of which will have been in left. With the Nats facing a left-hander in Erik Bedard, Davey Johnson is going with a lineup stacked with right-handed hitters. He'll put Moore in left and Xavier Nady in right field, with Bryce Harper moving over to center and...
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Dan Kolko

Examining Espinosa's offensive struggles

Examining Espinosa's offensive struggles
As managers go, Davey Johnson is a patient and trusting one. He believes in his players, giving them a chance to battle through slumps and hard times. It's one of the reasons why guys love playing for him so much. They feel that if they start scuffling, their skipper will have their back. He won't be quick to turn on them, won't worry about being put under the microscope for putting a guy in the lineup who isn't playing well. But talking to reporters last night, even Johnson had to admit...
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Dan Kolko

Rodriguez's blown save costs Nats

Rodriguez's blown save costs Nats
Adam LaRoche was all set up to be the hero tonight, as his two-run homer leading off the ninth - the 1,000th home run in Nationals team history - gave the Nats a 4-3 lead. Then Henry Rodriguez got the road jitters yet again. Rodriguez allowed a walk-off, two-run homer to Rod Barajas (a .141 hitter this season), giving the Pirates a shocking 5-4 win. It's Rodriguez's second blown save on the season, both of which have come on the road. Rodriguez hasn't allowed a run and has given up just...
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Dan Kolko

Jackson done after seven strong (Nats come back in ninth)

Jackson done after seven strong (Nats come back in ninth)
Outside of the two long solo homers allowed by Edwin Jackson tonight, he really delivered a strong outing. The Nationals starter went seven innings, allowing just the two solo shots to Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones in the fourth inning. He gave up just three Pirates hits, walked one and struck out five. The pitches to McCutchen and Jones were both demolished, but little else tonight was hit hard by Pirates hitters. Unfortunately for Jackson, he finds himself in a tie game as he watches...
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Dan Kolko

Nats sign lefty Gonzalez to minor league deal

Nats sign lefty Gonzalez to minor league deal
The Nationals are bringing on another Scott Boras client. Michael Gonzalez, a left-handed reliever who has spent nine seasons in the big leagues, has agreed to a minor league deal with the Nats, the team announced. Gonzalez will report to the Nationals' Viera, Fla., complex. He has previously spent time with the Rangers, Orioles, Braves and Pirates, posting a career line of 17-21 with a 2.94 ERA and 56 saves. Two of the last three seasons, however, Gonzalez's ERA has been above...
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Dan Kolko

LaRoche returns, Harper will hit second

LaRoche returns, Harper will hit second
Both Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche return to the Nationals' lineup tonight against the Pirates. And just in time, with Jayson Werth going to the DL. Take a look at Davey Johnson's new 2-3-4 in the batting order. Bryce Harper takes over in the No. 2 spot and will play right field tonight. Here are the lineups for both teams: Nationals Ian Desmond, SS Bryce Harper, RF Ryan Zimmerman, 3B Adam LaRoche, 1B Danny Espinosa, 2B Rick Ankiel, CF Wilson Ramos, C Roger Bernadina, LF Edwin...
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Dan Kolko

Zimmerman activated, Werth to DL

Zimmerman activated, Werth to DL
The Nationals announced this afternoon that they have reinstated third baseman Ryan Zimmerman from the disabled list. Jayson Werth will, in essence, take Zimmerman's place. Werth has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 7, after having surgery yesterday to repair a broken left wrist. The Nats' right fielder is expected to return somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 weeks from now. This DL stint is Werth's first since 2008. He entered this season as one of just nine National...
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Dan Kolko

And now we move on

And now we move on
Anyone else heard enough about that Phillies pitcher hitting that 19-year-old phenom? OK, good. We can talk about something else now. While tonight will mark the first game of many that the Nationals will play without right fielder Jayson Werth, they could very well be getting both Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche back in their lineup in Pittsburgh. We can be almost certain Zimmerman will come off the disabled list today after missing the last 17 days because of inflammation in his right...
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Dan Kolko

Hamels suspended five games for plunking Harper

Hamels suspended five games for plunking Harper
What's the price of honesty these days? Five games, apparently. Phillies starter Cole Hamels has been suspended five games for intentionally throwing at Bryce Harper last night. In reality, however, Hamels was suspended not because of his actions, but because he was honest about his actions. If he had denied any wrongdoing, no suspension would have come down. Major League Baseball did not announce any disciplinary action had been taken against Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann, who hit Hamels...
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Dan Kolko

Werth out around 12 weeks after wrist surgery is deemed a success

Werth out around 12 weeks after wrist surgery is deemed a success
Jayson Werth, who suffered a broken left wrist while diving for a ball in last night's loss to the Phillies, was set to have surgery today, an industry source confirmed this afternoon. The surgery is expected to keep Werth out somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 weeks, which means the Nationals right fielder is not expected to return until August. Werth was examined by a specialist today, and was expected to consult with the Mayo Clinic. The 32-year-old Werth had played in all but one game...
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Dan Kolko

Final thoughts on the Hamels/Harper situation

Final thoughts on the Hamels/Harper situation
I swear, this is my last entry on the Cole Hamels/Bryce Harper plunking and subsequent stealing of home. Well, that is until someone else steps in and tosses more fuel on the fire and makes this an even bigger deal. Hey, it could happen. This story has taken on a life of its own over the last 14 hours or so, after Hamels admitted that he hit Harper on purpose because he wanted to carry on the "old school" way of handling things and then Nationals GM Mike Rizzo called out Hamels, telling the...
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Dan Kolko

Still digesting Werth's injury and a thrilling weekend

Still digesting Werth's injury and a thrilling weekend
Instead of doing another "Clubhouse Cliff Notes" entry, which I plan on posting Monday mornings when the team is coming off a homestand, I decided to put that aside for now. There's just too much to discuss coming out of the Nationals' exciting three-game series with the Phillies this weekend. I'll start with Jayson Werth's wrist injury, which unfortunately will in some ways overshadow all the fantastic baseball we saw over the past three days. Even a good hour after the game last...
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Dan Kolko

Hamels on Harper: "I was trying to hit him. I'm not going to deny it"

Hamels on Harper: "I was trying to hit him. I'm not going to deny it"
These days, you rarely see a pitcher admit that he hit a player on purpose. Fans and media members get all over pitchers when they deny intentionally plunking a hitter, but in reality, there's no reason to come clean about it. All it will get you is a fine and possible suspension. That's why the postgame comments made by Phillies starter Cole Hamels are so surprising. Hamels drilled Bryce Harper in the back with a first-pitch 93 mph fastball in the first inning of today's game. It surely...
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Dan Kolko

Diagnosis on Werth is broken left wrist

Diagnosis on Werth is broken left wrist
It was pretty clear even before the official diagnosis came in: Jayson Werth broke his left wrist tonight. The Nationals' medical staff and manager Davey Johnson later confirmed what the highlights appeared to show. Werth broke his wrist while attempting to make a sliding catch in the sixth inning of tonight's game. According to Johnson, the break was a clean one. There's no timetable as of yet for exactly how long Werth will be out, but it will be a matter of months, not weeks. The...
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