Josh Land

Marty Niland: Veterans, bench finally getting into the swing of things

Marty Niland: Veterans, bench finally getting into the swing of things
It's not conventional wisdom for a major league team to "get healthy" on the road, and even less conventional for it to happen against a hot team, but that's just what seems to have happened to the Nationals as they wrapped up their 4-3 road trip. In Pittsburgh, where the Nats have not won a series since 2010, the Nats took two games from a Pirates team that had won six of nine, including a series win over St. Louis. And they did it behind several players whose contributions this season...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
adam laroche guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz roger bernadina ryan zimmrman tyler moore
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Patrick Reddington: In Rizzo we trust

Patrick Reddington: In Rizzo we trust
Redundancy isn't always a bad thing in spite of the negative connotations often associated with the word. In the case of the Washington Nationals' roster, it's actually a key to the way Nats GM Mike Rizzo, and general managers league-wide admittedly, construct their teams. The defending NL East champs have multiple closers for example. If 33-year-old veteran Rafael Soriano has had too much work, the Nationals can turn to the likes of Drew Storen, their '09 first-round pick who saved 42...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger mike rizzo nationals nationals buzz patrick reddington
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Unassuming Zimmermann the stopper the Nats need

Rachel Levitin: Unassuming Zimmermann the stopper the Nats need
Jordan Zimmermann's 2-0 win over Atlanta last night helped the Nationals snap the team's nine-game losing streak against the Braves. It's already apparent that the Nats have a few growing pains in their transition from the 2012 season to 2013, but that's the thing about baseball - you never quite know exactly how a singular game is going to shake out, let alone an entire season, until it's all said and done. What's great about Zimmermann's success this season thus far is that his work...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger jordan zimmermann nationals nationals buzz rachel levitin
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

David Huzzard: Advanced metrics place Harper in select company

David Huzzard: Advanced metrics place Harper in select company
As a disappointing 13-14 April comes to an end for the Nationals, the only thing that went right was Bryce Harper. An April OPS of 1.150 is only so impressive on its own, but consider that the tops in all of baseball last season was Miguel Cabrera with .999 and the only regulars with better than that in April 2012 were Matt Kemp, Bryan LaHair, Josh Hamilton and David Ortiz. Harper is off to a hot start, but there are signs that it won't be ending anytime soon. Watch Harper at the plate....
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
bryce harper david huzzard guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: In Span, Nats have a glove of a different kind

Ted Leavengood: In Span, Nats have a glove of a different kind
Denard Span is no Michael Morse. Morse had the kung-fu warm-up cut - immortalized in his bobblehead - and there was his A-Ha walk-up music. Span had large shoes to fill on many levels. It did not get easier when Morse ripped up the Cactus League for nine home runs and a .357 batting average in spring training. It was reminiscent of the 2011 spring when he had his breakout season, hitting .303 with 31 home runs. There were more than a few call-ins to radio shows bemoaning the loss of Morse and...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
denard span guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz ted leavengood
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

"Bryce Begins" to air on ESPN on Tuesday, April 30

"Bryce Begins" to air on ESPN on Tuesday, April 30
What were you doing when you were 19? Chances are you weren't roaming the outfields of major league ballparks like Bryce Harper was. Harper, the young Nationals phenom, skyrocketed to superstardom during his rookie season. His accomplishments include earning a trip to the All-Star Game and winning the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year Award. His play helped the Nats win the NL East for the first time since the franchise returned to Washington D.C., in 2005. ESPN will air a one-hour...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
bryce harper nationals nationals buzz courtney lofgren espn frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Marty Niland: For Harper, here's hoping best is yet to come

Marty Niland: For Harper, here's hoping best is yet to come
Of all the red-letter days in Washington's baseball history, Nationals fans may well look back on April 28, 2012 as the most important date of all. It was on that date that a 19-year-old rookie named Bryce Aron Max Harper made his major league debut, amid the media spotlight of Los Angeles. He singled and drove in a run for a Nats team that was struggling offensively, and while Washington would fall to the Dodgers, both Harper and the Nats would soon heat up and not look back. Harper...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
bryce harper guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Pete Kerzel

Cast your ballot to send your favorite Nats to the All-Star Game

Cast your ballot to send your favorite Nats to the All-Star Game
Which Nationals hitters deserve to be voted into the starting lineup for the All-Star Game at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16? Maybe you favor youth, and figure left fielder Bryce Harper, all of 20, should be starting after making it as a 19-year-old reserve last year. Or you think first baseman Adam LaRoche and his Gold Glove defense can help the National League win the Midsummer Classic. Or you just want right fielder Jayson Werth and his scruffy beard standing on the base line for pregame...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
all-star game nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Patrick Reddington: How I learned to stop worrying and love Henry Rodriguez

Patrick Reddington: How I learned to stop worrying and love Henry Rodriguez
From the start of spring training, Nationals manager Davey Johnson preached patience. Henry Rodriguez, who led the league in wild pitches in 2011 and managed to throw 10 in 29 1/3 innings of work in 2012, continued his wild ways this spring, but the Nats' 70-year-old skipper said it was just a matter of time before the right-handed reliever figured things out. Rodriguez's 2012 campaign saw him temporarily assume the closer's role and save nine games before flaming out rather quickly and...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
davey johnson guest blogger guestblogger henry rodriguez mike rizzo nationals nationals buzz patrick reddington
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Can Goon Squad affect turnaround for Nats?

Rachel Levitin: Can Goon Squad affect turnaround for Nats?
Three weeks into the 2013 season and the Nationals are struggling to get their 2012 groove back. Fact is, though, it's only April and there are months of baseball still to be played. The biggest factor haunting the Nats in present day is high expectations associated with coming off a successful run last year. "We've been pressing," outfielder Jayson Werth told MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko. "We've been trying to do too much. That's a common side effect. It's just one of those things....
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz rachel levitin
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

David Huzzard: The Espinosa-Lombardozzi debate isn't much of one at all

David Huzzard: The Espinosa-Lombardozzi debate isn't much of one at all
The Danny Espinosa/Steve Lombardozzi debate highlights many fascinating aspects of baseball fandom. It is tools vs. grit, slash line vs. batting average, and strikeouts vs. productive outs. The main issue is that in every meaningful category for their careers, Espinosa is a better player. Look at the two slash lines. Espinosa, for his career, is at .236/.311/.407 and Lombardozzi is at .273/.314/.352. While the increase in contact rate is aesthetically pleasing, it is close to meaningless...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
david huzzard guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: Déjà vu all over again

Ted Leavengood: Déjà vu all over again
There was something eerie watching Drew Storen work a perfect eighth inning against the Cardinals last night. More uncanny is the similarity of Ryan Zimmerman going on the DL on both April 20, 2012 and April 21, 2013. Zimmerman was hitting a lusty .224 with a single home run and seven RBIs last year and fast forward to Sunday, and Zimmerman is hitting .226 with a single homer. Last year, Bryce Harper was summoned just a week later. He was well ahead of schedule and started slow. But he caught...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
anthony rendon bryce harper guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz ryan zimmerman ted leavengood
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Marty Niland: Keep expectations realistic for Anthony Rendon

Marty Niland: Keep expectations realistic for Anthony Rendon
Welcome to the big leagues, Anthony Rendon. Making his major league debut Sunday against the New York Mets, the Nationals' 2011 first-round draft pick went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, including one to end a 2-0 loss. He made a nice foul catch in the first inning, but like the rest of the Washington offense, never got comfortable at the plate against Mets starter Dillon Gee. That might seem disappointing, but it's probably typical for a rookie who has fewer than 60 games of minor...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
anthony rendon guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz ryan zimmerman
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Pete Kerzel

Harper leads extra-base barrage as Nats win 7-6

Harper leads extra-base barrage as Nats win 7-6
The Nationals treated Mets right-hander Jeremy Hefner like a guy with a 7.20 ERA, and had an lead to show for their efforts. Ian Desmond led off the second inning with his third homer of the season and Bryce Harper crushed a two-run homer into the left field stands at Citi Field in the third, staking the Nats to a 3-0 lead. But it's now 5-3 Mets in the fourth, as the Mets have battled back and taken advantage of some wildness that led to a troubling lack of composure from lefty Gio...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
bryce harper gio gonzalez ian desmond nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel frontstory_nationals3
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Pete Kerzel

Zimmerman still missing from Nats lineup, but Espinosa returns (updated)

Zimmerman still missing from Nats lineup, but Espinosa returns (updated)
Ryan Zimmerman's sore left hamstring remains an issue, and the third baseman is again out of the lineup for today's 3:05 p.m. game against the Mets at Citi Field. The game will air nationally on FOX. Zimmerman has not played since being removed from Wednesday's game against the Marlins in Miami, and Chad Tracy is again at third base in his place today. The Nationals, however, get second baseman Danny Espinosa back for today's game. Espinosa missed four games after being struck in the...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
chad tracy danny espinosa lineups nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals1
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Patrick Reddington: Facing Stephen Strasburg

Patrick Reddington: Facing Stephen Strasburg
Then-27-year-old 2001 first-round pick Gavin Floyd downplayed the significance of facing a then-21-year-old Stephen Strasburg when the two first-round picks met for the first time during the Nats' 2009 No. 1 overall selection's rookie campaign in 2010. "It's the last thing you need to worry about, is the opposing pitcher," Floyd told MLB.com before the game in the nation's capital, "You're facing their lineup, not the opposing pitcher." The match-up brought the best out of the White...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz patrick reddington stephen strasburg
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Racing Presidents bring something extra to Nats' fan culture

Rachel Levitin: Racing Presidents bring something extra to Nats' fan culture
Last Friday night, I found myself surrounded by native Chicagoans and fellow D.C. transplants at a bar near Union Station when a group of Braves fans walked in. I hadn't been able to watch the Nats-Braves game that night and didn't check my iPhone for any scores, so I decided to do the easy thing and ask those Braves fans, "Who won the game?" They cheerfully obliged my question by saying, "The Braves," with a smile on their faces. My group grabbed a table by a few folks donning Nationals...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz rachel levitin
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

David Huzzard: For starters, Nats battling tougher early schedule in 2013

David Huzzard: For starters, Nats battling tougher early schedule in 2013
Through 14 games last season, the Nationals were 10-4 coming off an 11-4 loss to the Houston Astros in their 14th game of the season. It was a hot start - and an important one, as the Phillies were missing key pieces, the Marlins weren't playing up to expectations and the Braves were missing Tim Hudson. The Nats' hot start catapulted them into a division lead they would only relinquish once during the rest of the season. It was an impressive start, but it came against the eventual 101-loss...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
david huzzard guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: Dark cloud removed, could Zimmermann earn "Smiley" nickname?

Ted Leavengood: Dark cloud removed, could Zimmermann earn "Smiley" nickname?
Baseball has a way of evening out the numbers over time. For the past few seasons, Jordan Zimmermann has been known as a hard-luck pitcher, the kind who cannot buy a run when he needs it, whose run support every time he takes the mound seems to be wanting. Or at least that is the way it used to be. In 2011, he was the best pitcher in the Washington rotation with an ERA of 3.18, but he had a losing record, only eight wins against 11 defeats. His 2012 statistics suggest a pitcher who should...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz ted leavengood
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments
Josh Land

Marty Niland: Three reasons not to hit the panic button

Marty Niland: Three reasons not to hit the panic button
It's hard to blame Nationals fans for feeling down after last weekend's three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. After a big buildup to a supposed early season showdown between the top teams in the National League East - if not the entire NL - the Nats fell flat. Almost every aspect of the game was a disappointment at some point in the series, from Ryan Zimmerman's crucial throwing errors in Friday and Saturday's losses to the bullpen on Friday to the starting pitching and...
Continue reading
0
  0 Comments
Tags:
guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz
LinkedIn Pinterest
0 Comments



LATEST ORIOLES NEWS

LATEST NATIONALS NEWS

       
63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72