Ross Detwiler has been a victim of poor play by the Nats' defense, which put him in situations he wouldn't otherwise be in. Last night, he had to pitch through two errors, one each by Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman.

  Jason Marquis is scheduled to start on Sunday, his first major league start since having bone chips removed from his elbow in May. The Nats hope he's a piece of the long-term starting rotation puzzle.

  The Nationals managed to hit four solo home runs last night, but couldn't secure the win thanks to three fielding errors that ended up costing four runs.

  Nyjer Morgan was placed on the DL yesterday over his objections. This move means we'll likely get to see an outfield of Michael Morse, Roger Bernadina and Josh Willingham.

  Tyler Moore, currently at A Potomac, hit two home runs yesterday, but is still very raw as a batter -- he currently sports just a .293 on-base percentage.

  Willie Harris got a hit off of Stephen Strasburg in his simulated game, and showboated a bit. Check it out.

  Danny Espinosa hit three home runs on Wednesday, and Byron Kerr sat down with him to talk about his great night.

  The Nats have some tough decisions to make in terms of their starting rotation: Stephen Strasburg is likely to be available Tuesday, Jason Marquis is available now, Yunesky Maya will be ready in late August and Jordan Zimmermann will be ready around the same time. And what about Chien-Ming Wang? Jim Riggleman has said he doesn't want to move to six starters, so somebody's going to have to get the boot...

  Nyjer Morgan was scratched last night with tightness in his right hip flexor, just as he seemed to be hitting his stride. He hopes to be ready to start again this week.

  Nationals Park will add another art exhibit next year, 30 stainless steel orbs illuminated by LEDs that show the trajectory of a fastball in motion.

  Yesterday's game was played in front of the smallest crowd ever at Chase Field, just 15,670. Also, Adam Dunn is fifth in the NL with a .924 OPS.

  Though he wanted to have signed an extension before the beginning of this year, Adam Dunn has managed to play solid baseball despite the trade rumors flying around him.

  Danny Espinosa hit three home runs last night at AA Harrisburg. The Nats believe he has a good chance at being a middle infielder in the majors next season.

  The Nationals grounded into three double plays last night, including Pudge Rodriguez' 20th twin-killing of the season.

  It's official -- if all goes well with Strasburg's simulated game tomorrow and his bullpen session on Saturday, he'll be activated from the DL and will face the Marlins at home on Tuesday.

  Garrett Mock will make his first rehab start with the Hagerstown Suns tonight, his first rehab start since having neck surgery in April.

  Adam Kennedy has benefited from increased playing time following Cristian Guzman's trade to the Texas Rangers.

  Though Adam Dunn was placed on waivers, there is no reason to be concerned: Rizzo was not satisfied with what he was offered before the trading deadline (and the likelihood of being offered more is slim to none), and the Nats scored points in the clubhouse and among their fans in keeping him, so it wouldn't make sense to turn around and deal him.

  While there wasn't one single thing that went wrong in last night's loss, there were three larger issues -- Scott Olsen's problems getting lefties out, Joe Saunder's dominance and Collin Balester's lack of control. Oh, and the fact that the Nats have scored just four runs in two games in what is undeniably a hitter's ballpark.

  Balester has made four relief appearances in the majors, and has plunked a hitter in the head in two of them. Neither Rickie Weeks nor Mark Reynolds were seriously injured, but his confidence has to have taken a hit.

Yunesky Maya, the Nationals' big Cuban signing, has been optioned to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

According to a Bustey Olney tweet:

Heard this: Adam Dunn hit the waiver wire today, giving teams 48 hours to place claims on the slugger

This doesn't necessarily mean that Dunn is going anywhere, but it appears that Nats aren't yet sold on extending his contract...

  In hitting his 300th home run last night, Pudge Rodriguez became one of just five players to hit 300 as a catcher, along with Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. Wow. Pudge says he's got a lot left in the tank, and believes he could play into his 40s.

  Stephen Strasburg played catch yesterday and reported no problems. He'll pitch a simulated game on Thursday, potentially lining him up for an August 10 start against Florida if all goes well.

  Though Bryce Harper posted comments on Facebook to the effect that he is considering going back to school (if in fact that was him), he would be a fool to do that. Leon Saffelle points out that he didn't graduate early from high school and play a year with a wood bat just to go back for another year of school.

  Sean Burnett earned his second big-league save ever last night when Jim Riggleman chose to leave him in the game to take advantage of the lefty/lefty matchup. Drew Storen is still expected to assume the role of closer, but for now, Riggleman will use a closer-by-committee setup.

  The sign hung at last night's game protesting Arizona's immigration law read "Mr. Kendrick ... Don't feed hate. Say no to SB1070," if you were curious.

  How much do you love Strasburg? Enough to bid on a pair of his game-worn socks?

  Jordan Zimmermann has come off the disabled list and was optioned to AAA Syracuse. He made six rehab starts and accrued a 2.38 ERA.

  Derek Norris says that he's excited to play in the AFL this fall, particularly because he was kept out last season with a hamate injury sustained during the final at bat of the 2009 season.

  John Lannan made his return to the major league rotation on Sunday, going five innings and allowing two runs. He wasn't at his best, but Steve McCatty said that he was "back to what [he's] used to seeing," a good thing to say about the Nats' Opening Day starter.

  Atahualpa Severino was optioned to AAA Syracuse on Sunday, Justin Maxwell will be called up to take his place today. Severino didn't make his MLB debut during this stint with the major league club.

  The Nats finished their homestand 4-2, winning both series against the Braves and the Phillies. Jim Riggleman says that the Nats aren't that far from competing.

  Stephen Strasburg has resumed playing catch and hopes to be pitching again soon, but the Nats are certainly going to handle him very carefully. He's eligible to come off the disabled list on August 6, but likely won't come back that early.

  Nyjer Morgan was heckled on Nyjer Morgan bobblehead night by Phillies fans. Watch the video on Nats Enquirer.

  U.S. Senator Jim Bunning had some choice words for Stephen Strasburg: "Five-hundred twenty starts, I never refused the ball. What a joke!"

  Jason Marquis says he is physically "back to where [he needs] to be," though he gave up four runs in five innings in his most recent start at Syracuse. He says it's just a matter of perfecting his delivery now.

  Due to Strasburg's scratch on Monday and Livan's early exit yesterday, the Nats' bullpen is a bit stretched. They should be fine, according to Jim Riggleman, unless starter Scott Olsen comes out of the game early today.

  The Nationals have always had a hard time solving Tim Hudson, and yesterday proved to be no different. In 16 career starts against the Nationals, Tim Hudson is 9-1 against the Nats with a 1.50 ERA.

  Now that Strasburg is not pitching Sunday against the Phillies, the Nats need to find a starter. Most likely are John Lannan and Matt Chico, because Marquis and Livan Hernandez will not pitch on short rest.

  Katherine Connors, Miss Iowa 2010 responds to Miguel Batista: "I know I can throw a pitch or two! The question is, can [he] walk the runway in a swimsuit?" I really really hope this story never dies...

  Good (old) news on Strasburg: an MRI and an X-ray have showed no structural damage, but he's dealing with some shoulder inflammation. Good on the Nats for playing it cautious.

  Given the Nats' handling of other pitching injuries, it's possible that Strasburg will be shut down for the season. More likely, however, he'll do a short DL stint if he can't pitch this weekend, and then return to the normal schedule.

  If Adam Dunn is traded, who will replace him? The most logical answer is Mike Morse, whose move to first would solidify Roger Bernadina in right field and would provide at least some of the pop of Dunn's bat.

  Dunn is having the best year of his career (meaning his trade value has never been higher), and happens to be swinging at more pitches than ever before. Sure, he's walking less, but his batting average is 30 points higher than his career average. He was chastised for leaving the dugout, in full uniform, to go see Bob Uecker in the Brewers' broadcast booth during the game last week. And understandably so.

  Although many fans went to see Strasburg vs. Jason Heyward last night, they weren't disappointed in what they saw - a strong outing from Miguel Batista and a Nats team that played well together, for at least a night.

  Scott Olsen will get the start on Thursday, coming off the disabled list and replacing J.D. Martin in the rotation.

  Tonight's game promises to be a must-see, featuring the rookie matchup of the year -- Stephen Strasburg, MLB's 2010 #2 prospect, versus Jason Heyward, MLB's 2010 #1 prospect.

  FJB has introduced a new stat: out rate, a measure of plate appearances that end in an out, either at the plate or on the bases. According to out rate, Nyjer Morgan is the worst lead-off man in the majors.

  Jordan Zimmermann gave up six earned runs over five innings yesterday at Hagerstown. Not a good start for young Jordan.

  Ross Detwiler, working with Steve McCatty, has adjusted his delivery to relieve stress on his hip and hopefully prevent further injuries in the future.

  Facing his first trade deadline as the full-fledged GM of the Nationals, Mike Rizzo has some important decisions to make, primarily regarding Adam Dunn.

  Rachel Saslow has penned an interesting article on what exactly makes Strasburg so good, in terms of science and his mechanics.

  Stephen Strasburg, Mike Rizzo's "silent assassin," is showing flashes of competitiveness and intensity that the Nationals would like to see more of. They knew he had the stuff he needed, but his competitive edge is what sets him apart from many other pitchers.

  Adam Dunn, who was held out of the lineup on Sunday, left the team's dugout in the second inning to head to the Brewers' radio booth and catch up with Bob Uecker.

  If the Nats were to trade Matt Capps, they would be thinning their bullpen, but could get a pretty big haul in return.

  After losing out on Dan Haren, the Yankees have turned their attention to Dunn. That makes the Yankees, the White Sox (still) and the Tigers (who just lost Magglio Ordonez) potential trade partners for the Nats.

  Ross Detwiler gave up five unearned runs yesterday on two errors. The Nats know they need to play cleaner baseball, but it seems very difficult to do.

  For whatever reason, the difference between the Nats at home and away is huge. At home, they're four games above .500; away, they're 17-36 and have been outscored by 42 runs.

Continue reading this post »

  Last night's complete game pitched by Livan Hernandez "couldn't have come at a better time," according to Jim Riggleman, given that the bullpen had pitched 7.1 innings in the two previous games.

  Ben Goessling has written a great piece on Hernandez' turnaround. He's varied his pitches from years past, meaning hitters can't wait on his fastball quite as much and have to guess more.

  The Nats have not won more than three in a row this season, and haven't done that since June 10. They built some momentum against the Reds, but now have to travel to Milwaukee to play a tough Brewers team.

  David Laurila interviewed Derek Norris, "catcher of the future" (hopefully) and the number two prospect in the Nats' organization, about his rough year so far.

  Shairon Martis went 3.1 innings at AAA Syracuse yesterday, giving up nine hits and four runs. Justin Maxwell went 2-2 with two doubles.

  No official announcement has been made about Sunday's starter, but it's likely to be Matt Chico.

  Nyjer Morgan has been having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year, but he feels like things are about to turn around. He stole three bases yesterday, and didn't get caught.

  Following yesterday's start, Strasburg's ERA went up to 2.32, good enough for sixth in the majors (and better than Ubaldo Jimenez.) His strikeouts-per-nine dropped to 12.4, which is still a full two strikeouts better than anyone else. He seems to finally be getting comfortable in his new job, telling a heckling fan to "look at the scoreboard" and joking about bunts in his press conference.

  The Nats' bullpen had a huge seventh inning last night, after Drew Storen loaded the bases with no outs. Between Storen, Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard, the Nats were able to get out of the jam allowing just one run.

  The Cincinnati Enquirer interviewed Rob Dibble, a former Red, about his current color man job. He says he's a lot more careful about what he says, because there are "some lines you cannot cross" in the booth.

  For the first time in a long time, the Nats' bats outside of 3-4-5 produced, with Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham accounting for only two hits total.

  Yesterday's sold out Strasburg start in Cincinnati was the Reds' first sellout on a weeknight in four years. Even the great Pete Rose wanted to see Strasburg!

  Jordan Zimmermann pitched four scoreless innings at A Potomac, striking out four and giving up just two hits. He'll make one start at A Hagerstown and then will move to AA Harrisburg.

  Finally, according to Bill Ladson's twitter, Luis Atilano will be placed on the DL with elbow soreness.

  Luis Atilano has given up 24 hits, 19 earned runs and 10 walks in his last four starts (including Syracuse), striking out just seven.

  After going down 8-1 last night, the Nats battled back to 8-7 (and still lost). But they never gave up, and that's what matters.

  A "person close to [Pat] Listach" said he would be interested in managing the Cubs, following Lou Piniella's retirement.

  Chase Hughes wonders whether the Nats have an actual rival. Being such a young team, I would say a true rivalry is premature, but it does bring me some amount of joy when the Phillies lose...

  Danny Espinosa homered again at AA Harrisburg, his fourth dinger in the last three games.

  If you're planning on seeing Dave Matthews at Nats Park, particularly if you're coming from out of town, you should read this.

  Johnny Holliday looks back on the year that brought Stephen Strasburg through the farm system and up to the majors.

  The Mets have signed former National Chad Cordero.

  The White Sox are still "desperately" trying to acquire Adam Dunn, but the Sox GM Kenny Williams isn't optimistic about completing a deal because the Nats' asking price is too high.

  Jeff Bergin argues that the Nats should keep Dunn, whose strikeouts have lowered his perceived value though his statistics are right in line with other top-notch sluggers.

  The Nats have lost three in a row, six of their last eight, 14 of 21 and 38 of 58. They try to remain upbeat, but it's certainly not very easy.

  Nats Triple Play has a good piece on the issue of rebuilding vs. contending. There is some middle ground, but teams can't seem to find it -- at some point you just need to build, not rebuild.

  Pudge Rodriguez's batting average over the last 25 games has dropped to .202, and he is one away from leading the National League in double plays caused. Despite his offensive woes, he tries to stay optimistic.

  Justin Maxwell (who was hitting .105) was optioned to Syracuse and Luis Atilano was recalled. Atilano will get the start tonight.

Continue reading this post »

  Steve McCatty has been encouraging Stephen Strasburg to shake off pitches he doesn't want to throw. If he's going to be beaten, he's going to be beaten throwing what he wants to threw.

  Regardless of how Strasburg pitches for the rest of the season, the most important thing is that he finishes the season healthy.

  Though they're out of the playoff race this year, the second half of the season is important for the Nationals, who hope to attract free agents in the offseason.

  Scott Olsen will make his first rehab start at AA Hagerstown on Saturday against the Rome Braves.

  Ben Goessling selects six Nats for whom the second half of the season means a great deal.

  Mark Zuckerman wonders if Strasburg is still a big deal around the majors.

  Ten different pitchers have started games for the Nats this season, a number which figures to increase when a number of pitchers join the rotation in the second half.

  Two Nats minor leaguers, J.R. Higley and Steven Souza, were suspended 50 games for taking a banned substance.

  78,000 Stephen Strasburg jersies were sold in through July 1, more than Ryan Zimmerman has sold in his career. This also makes his jersey the highest selling in all of MLB in June. 

  It's now been made official: Pudge Rodriguez will be the first-ever fans' choice bobblehead, being given out August 28.

  Buster Olney reports that the Nats have had several conversations regarding a potential Adam Dunn trade. It appears Dunn has become frustrated and has lost interest in signing a long-term deal with the Nationals. Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said that having Adam Dunn "would be awesome for [his] ballclub."

  Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble were ranked the fifth-worst broadcasting team by GQ.

  Mark Zuckerman summarizes the best and the worst of the Nats' first half. The best game: July 3 against the Mets, when Adam Dunn almost hit a walkoff grand slam against Francisco Rodriguez.

  35.1% of the pitches Ian Desmond swings at are outside of the strike zone, good for 5th highest among 21 eligible shortstops. He also swings at 66.5% of the pitches he sees.

Continue reading this post »

  This is the fifth consecutive season the Nationals have headed into the All-Star break with at least 50 losses. They also managed to strand 13 runners in yesterday's game, second most all season.

  Mike Rizzo wants to win as much as he can in 2010, but also wants to be sure he builds for the future. He said it would take an "extraordinary offer" to take Adam Dunn, but didn't deny the possibility.

  Since May 14, the Nats have gone 19-35, leaving them 13 1/2 games back of the Braves. They also haven't won consecutive series in that timeframe.

  In his last seven appearances, Tyler Clippard has taken three losses and given up 13 runs. On Saturday, he entered with a one run lead, and ended up giving up four runs.

  Jesus Flores was shut down once again after feeling pain in his surgically repaired shoulder. Unfortunately, his injuries have begun to take an emotional toll on him.

  Jason Marquis threw his first live batting practice session yesterday, but wasn't ready to set a timetable for his return.

  Ross Detwiler earned his first AA win yesterday, going 5 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 3.

Continue reading this post »

  Despite his recent slump, Ryan Zimmerman remains the "face of the franchise," as much as he hates that label. He's also a nice guy, chartering a boat on the 4th and inviting everyone on the Nats' roster to watch the fireworks from the Potomac.

  After announcing that he would use either Tyler Clippard or Drew Storen in the eighth, Jim Riggleman trotted Livan Hernandez out there last night. Hernandez gave up two singles, setting the table for Clippard, who let those runners in. Thankfully, this is all irrelevant, as Ryan Zimmerman hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth.

  Pudge Rodriguez won the fan vote, and will be the bobblehead giveaway on August 28. No official announcement was made, but Nats320 managed to grab pictures of the scoreboard.

  Ian Desmond commits a lot of errors, but he plays aggressive, and that's not going to change.

  Zimmerman, hero of last night's game, says that Desmond is "very talented" and that it's worth it to have him out there instead of benching him, despite his propensity for errors.

  Ross Detwiler started at AA Harrisburg yesterday, giving up two runs in four innings.

  On this day in 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first President to attend an All-Star game, where he threw out the first pitch.

Continue reading this post »

  The Nats have been strong against NL teams, but weak against the American League, despite playing some of the weakest AL teams. They're 15-15 against the NL East, 9-9 against the NL Central and 7-10 against the NL West.

  Snakes in my Pants responds to Patrick's post about the Nats' trade deadline options.

  After breaking his ankle and missing most of last season, Roger Bernadina has really come into his own in 2010. He wants to become the everyday right fielder, but isn't quite there yet.

  When Stephen Strasburg doesn't have his best stuff, it's a good idea to work the pitch count, according to Jason Bay. But on days when he does, don't bother. His last start was his roughest to date, but he still found ways to correct himself, and likely would have continued to dominate had he not been pulled.

  Ryan Zimmerman is still in the race for the last All-Star Game slot! There is still time to vote, people!

  Thomas Boswell argues that it's probably in the Nationals' (and Strasburg's) best interest to not pitch Strasburg in the All-Star Game this year. Give him the time off, and don't put the pressure on him.

Ian Desmond haters, read this. Jim Riggleman and Tim Foli are confident that he'll cut down his errors in the coming season, and will turn into a legitimate big-league shortstop.

Continue reading this post »

  According to The Nationals Enquirer's unofficial count, yesterday was the first time this year Nyjer Morgan earned the rights to wear the Silver Fox. He also called Johnny Holliday "Disco," which is pretty funny.

  Jim Riggleman hopes that the team is able to put together enough wins that Mike Rizzo won't feel the need to break up the club for longer-term pieces.

  Mark Zuckerman breaks down the Nats' 9th inning rally last night to seal the victory. Worth reading, particularly if you missed the game.

  Mike MacDougal is now a free agent after he opted out of his minor league contract because the Nationals didn't have room for him in the Majors.

  The Saturday game against the Mets was picked up by Fox, and features Stephen Strasburg against R.A. Dickey, a knuckleballer. It promises to be a great game.

  Willie Harris' 9th inning at-bat "was tremendous," according to Riggleman. I have to admit, I had written him off as an out when I saw him coming to the dish.

  The Phillies have not contacted the Nats about Adam Kennedy, despite rumored interest after Chase Utley was injured.

Continue reading this post »

  Mike Rizzo reportedly expressed interest in Dan Haren and Carlos Quentin, but Quentin isn't available. Rizzo didn't want to describe the team as buyer or seller, but it should be pretty clear that they aren't going to be buyers...

  The Nats signed another college senior, undrafted free agent Ryan Demmin. He went 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA for the Mankato Moondogs.

  Rizzo wants his team to get "younger, better, more athletic" and always wants more pitching. He has made a list of untouchable players, but declined to name any names.

  The development surrounding Nationals Park has not been moving as planned, and some of the developments might not happen at all, as banks are hesitant to fork over large amounts of cash in this economy.

  Phil Wood has penned a good piece on the Adam Dunn situation, and reports that Mike Rizzo has not been in communication with the White Sox regarding a trade.

  Jim Riggleman's decision to move Ian Desmond to right field, and then switch players around, leaving Alberto Gonzalez in right, didn't make a lot of sense.

Continue reading this post »

  According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Adam Dunn is still on the White Sox' trade radar. Dunn, for his part, hates talking about potential trades, but understands that the front office is going to do what's best for the team.

  Holden Kushner says that Adam Dunn should be resigned to a four year deal, but Josh Willingham should be traded for prospects.

  Alberto Gonzalez has now started three games in a row, and had what Riggleman called the best game of his career yesterday, going 4-4 with an RBI and a run.

  Yesterday's game was "about as clean a game" as the Nats have played in a while, according to Jim Riggleman. It was truly a thing of beauty.

  Despite his 19 errors this season, Mike Rizzo and Jim Riggleman are still firm believers in the potential of Ian Desmond. Riggleman said he would "take nine of him."

  Nyjer Morgan's Monday throwing error (which allowed the baserunners to advance) typifies the kind of mistakes the team has been making recently.

  In his last five starts (between the majors and AAA Syracuse), Craig Stammen earned a 3-0 record with a 2.12 ERA, 16 strikeouts and five walks.

Continue reading this post »

  Ian Desmond says that the Nationals let Stephen Strasburg (and themselves) down last night. Other than the seventh inning, the team played a pretty good game.

  Strasburg is "human," and says he didn't have his best stuff last night. Still, it was good enough to pitch six shutout innings against the Braves before giving up four runs (three earned) in the seventh.

  The Nationals have made an overabundance of errors of late, leading to awesome commentary by Rob Dibble and Ray Knight. You learn defense in Little League, people!

  Strasburg's final line from last night: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. His ERA sits at 2.27 with a 2-2 record.

  The Nationals placed Tyler Walker on the 15-day DL, making room to call Craig Stammen up from AAA in time to start tonight against the Braves.

  The team's "character is being tested," but will not be making any knee-jerk reactions to the poor defense they have shown in the past month.

  Rob Dibble and Ray Knight had a very entertaining exchange in what I assume was the postgame show from Strasburg's start against the Royals, debating whether he was throwing too many strikes. Seriously, watch this.

Continue reading this post »

  Nationals Baseball summarizes the "easy" stretch of the season the Nats just stumbled through, managing to go just 7-17 against some of the worst teams in baseball.

  Strasburg faces his first real test tonight, against the NL East leading Braves, though Jason Heyward may not be in the lineup.

  Dan Steinberg does a bit of investigating to uncover the true story of the "K" signs hanging at Nats Park.

  The Nats have to figure out who will start on Wednesday, meaning one of the eight relievers will have to be sent down to make room for a fifth starter.

  Nats Park finally has its first real bar within walking distance. Thank you Justin's Cafe!

  Over the last 30 days, four infielders have combined to make 25 errors. In that time, errors have led to 29 unearned runs, or 20 more than the league average.

  The Nationals were kind enough to give the Orioles their season-best win streak, four games in a row.

Continue reading this post »

  Pudge Rodriguez is STILL the only National with top five votes for the All-Star game, coming in at #3.

  Stan Kasten gave a very interesting interview to Dan Steinberg transcribed a very interesting interview with Stan Kasten.

  It seems that every time Michael Morse plays, he makes a case for more playing time... so why isn't he getting it?

  Chien-Ming Wang's rehab is a bit off schedule, but he appreciates the Nationals' conservative approach toward recovery.

  Rob Dibble is still cheerleading for Stephen Strasburg, this time arguing that he should make the All-Star team.

  Jim Riggleman and Mike Rizzo have given the okay to an All-Star appearance by Strasburg, if he's selected. But he's going to have to deal with some pretty stiff competition to make the team.

  FJB points out how silly the save statistic is.

  Josh Willingham hit his 100th career home run last night.

  After two wins against the Royals, it's time for the Nats to put the series away.

Continue reading this post »

  Yesterday's game wasn't a particularly pretty win, but after losing six straight the Nats will take anything they can get.

  Mike Rizzo called up Joel Peralta from Syracuse to replace John Lannan on the major league roster. Peralta has 20 saves this year, with a 1.08 ERA in 28 appearances.

  Jeff Bergin wonders who will replace John Lannan in the rotation (his guess: Craig Stammen).

  Although he's batting an anemic .250 at the plate, Jim Riggleman is sticking with Nyjer Morgan in center because he's been showing some defensive resurgence lately.

  Clip & Save returned last night, just in time for tonight's "Clip & Save" t-shirt Tuesday giveaway.

  Ross Detwiler was taken off the 60-day DL and was sent to AA Harrisburg. Rizzo wants to see more arm strength before he gets called up to the bigs again.

  Was John Lannan unfairly demoted to AA Harrisburg? Do any of the Nationals' other starters give the team a better chance to win every fifth day?

Continue reading this post »

  Too funny to pass up: Jim Leyland's hilarious take on clubhouse chemistry. It's not worth [a hill of beans]!

  He isn't pitching while the team is in Detroit, but Stephen Strasburg gave an interview to the clamoring media. He's as humble as ever, saying that despite the national media attention he is garnering, he isn't the face of the franchise because he hasn't been around very long.

  Livan Hernandez' six walks last night were the most he's issued in more than three years. We all knew Livan would have some bad outings; this just happened to be one of them.

  The Nats are 11-20 in the last 31 games, so it's safe to say they've been in a prolonged slide. Is this what we should expect from the team, or is there going to be a turnaround?

  Adam Dunn has been hitting a lot of homers... without runners on base. He says the pitches he sees are different depending on the situation.

  John Lannan believes he's figured out why his sinker doesn't sink -- he's subconsciously trying to avoid reinjuring his elbow.

Continue reading this post »

  National news coverage alert: ESPN's Jayson Stark says that the future is now in Natstown. ESPN also put together a bit on Jordan Zimmermann's recovery from Tommy John surgery.

  Although it's fun to watch, Thomas Boswell wonders if it really is a good thing for Stephen Strasburg to be a strikeout pitcher.

  If Strasburg makes the All-Star team, he will have pitched the fewest games before the All-Star break ever.

  Scott Olsen was sent to Viera, Florida to play in extended spring training after he felt weakness in his shoulder. The rotation hole will have to be plugged at least a bit longer...

  John Lannan has been roughed up of late, and he doesn't know what's wrong. He's not at risk of losing his spot just yet, but when the Nats' young pitchers make pushes toward the roster, he'll have to prove himself. Last year, he got a double play 20 percent of the time it was possible, this year, he's gotten a double play just 11 percent of the time.

  Tigers manager Jim Leyland says that Pudge Rodriguez will get 3,000 hits before his career is over.

  Michael Morse has accepted the fact that he's a bench player, but is playing like he wants to be an everyday player.

Continue reading this post »

  Dan Steinberg has written a great piece on the MLB authentication process, and authenticating Stephen Strasburg's first game in particular. Worth a read by anyone even remotely interested in baseball.

  The Nats have now signed 22 players from this year's draft, including 12 of their top 20 picks. Of course, that doesn't include Bryce Harper, though Mike Rizzo is optimistic a deal will be made.

  Strasburg is getting all the press, but Drew Storen has been very impressive this year as well.

  If you were planning on bringing K signs to Strasburg's next start, you should probably read this.

  Rob Dibble might be a cheerleader, but he sure is funny when he starts cheerleading about Strasburg. 

  Nationals Baseball wonders if Nyjer Morgan should be platooned, sharing time with Bernadina.

Continue reading this post »

  Due to Strasburg's start, Sunday's attendance in Cleveland was 68% greater than on Saturday night, and 63% greater than their average Sunday attendance. But he did more than drive ticket sales: Strasburg apparel took over an entire merchandise booth in Cleveland.

  Plate umpire Brian O'Nora was impressed by Strasburg's stuff, saying he's "the real deal."

  Since 1900, only Johnny Cueto had more strikeouts before giving up his first walk than did Strasburg.

  As we saw yesterday, Drew Storen is very good at stranding inherited runners, going 12/12 thus far. Had those runs scored, the final line would have looked different, but as it was, Strasburg had another good start yesterday.

  Strasburg had mound issues in his start yesterday, which "got him in a little funk," but he says that it's good for him to experience this now. 

  Jim Riggleman says that he has never seen a player with drawing power like Strasburg. 

  Craig Stammen gave up four runs in his first start at AAA Syracuse after being sent down to make room for Strasburg.

Continue reading this post »