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US Presswire photo Jason Marquis was brilliant in out-dueling Tim Lincecum tonight. |
Marquis, who needed only 96 pitches to complete his first shutout in nearly two years, is now 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA. He was aided tonight by an opportunistic Nationals lineup that scored three runs off Lincecum, two of them on a Laynce Nix homer.
Ian Desmond also continued his hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a stolen base. In two games since rejoining the club following the birth of his son, the young shortstop has five hits and has collectively hit for the cycle.
Rich Dubroff has the full report of an impressive night at Nationals Park on CSNwashington.com.
34 comments:
Two nights ago I ripped the Nats for the implosion against the Mets.
I made a big deal on how you had to hold leads in the late innings on top of producing the key plays and runs at the key time.
That is what we saw tonight, what a great game. Now the only way to beat Lincecum is to hope he isn't sharp in the early innings, pounce on him and hold on for dear life. That is what the Nats did and then Marquis showed us the stuff we had thought that we would get last year.
The big question, looks like Marquis is the real deal now and I guess we have to thank National management for not giving up on him.
Just wonder if it may be a good deal to talk now, in April about extending his contract past next year. He could possibly get some support from Marquis due to last year but I feel that if Marquis continues these kind of starts that he may be really expensive after this year.
Just a thought on a great evening, today could be the best win of the year. Be interesting to see if this spurs the team on to better days.
Great game for Marquis and nice to see what he can for us when healthy. On the batting side of the equation, FP mentioned that Jason was at the park at 2:00 working on his hitting before the game. Guess it must have paid off (although he was already hitting the ball pretty well - see April 24 game in Pittsburgh). One idle thought that occurred to me last night: *somebody* wants another Silver Slugger. :-)
Can *do* for us, I meant.
More players need to go on paternity leave. Mrs. Desi should think about having triplets next time.
Jus' wonderin' how many players hitting in the 7th hole have led the league in stolen bases??
Gooooo Desi, Goooooooooooooo Nats!!
Golfersal: Probably too late for an extension. In this walk year, and assuming he continues on the same path, Team Marquis will definitely want to test the FA waters so as to allow the marketplace to determine his value. And from the club perspective, at this point, the Nats would be negotiating against themselves.
Team Marquis (again, assuming the same level of performance) is now in position to go to a contender in June/July and get into the playoffs, then go the FA route. That's a pretty good scenario! Nats get value for Jason, and oh by the way, can reacquire him as a free agent. That's a win/win.
Reiterating, and Mark emphasized this during his Beltway webcast interlude earlier this week*: it's a function of Marquis' continued fine performance.
*non-compensated plug
It's great to see Marquis do well after last year's disaster. And because the better Marquis performs the better return the Nats will get when Rizzo traded Marquis in July. Capps for Ramos was a great move last year so hopefully Rizzo can get someone as good for Marquis.
Marquis was never part of the long term plan and I would guess that Rizzo is already eyeing some MLB ready prospects on teams that might be contending for a trade.
And Jason Marquis would look good in pinstripes (especially needed in the Bronx given Phil Hughes circulatory issues). Staten Island boy returns to the fold. Always thought Staten Islanders were more Yankee fans than Mets fans.
Marquis' trade value just went way up. And the value of Matt Stairs............. we really need someone in that roster spot ( Bernie, the shark?),how long can the fo let this go without admitting they made a huge mistake? Nice to see some of the other "veterans" contributing. and - just how badly hurt is Zim,- will we see him by June 1st? when will Harper move to Potomac? Mark - the fans want to know!
Marquis notion: what if the Nats are actually in the hunt come June/July? What a tremendous problem to have!: keep Jason in his walk year, or bail on a contending season?
(comment written with less than one cup of coffee in belly)
Anon, last years disaster was based on an injury. He tried to gut it out. He couldn't do it because he was INJURED. If you haven't followed Marquis, this is what he is and what Rizzo bought last year. He is a winning pitcher before the All Star break. The year before the Nats got him he was the Rockies All Star.
You all may remember July 6, 2009 when Marquis shut out the Nats 1-0. That brought his record to 11-5 after that game Marquis started his normal 2nd half slide and finished the season 4-8 to finish 15-13.
In 2006 almost to the same day July 7 he won 8-2 for the Cardinals and took his record to 11-6 and finished the season 14-16.
His history is undeniable. He helps his teams in the 1st half of the season and then gets a tired arm. Every team knows this so Anon at 8:14 and everyone else that thinks it, there is no great trade value for Rizzo unless he gives him some rest in June and July to conserve him for the 2nd half.
The other note on Marquis is he typically went 7 to 8 innings in 2009 before the All Star break. I think you have to keep him under 90 pitches to keep him fresh and Riggleman has only kept him under 90 once so far this season. So do you ride Jason hard now and get what you get or ration him for a longer run?
Masnstinks,
1) Marquis trade value depends on continued success and health; not just a good April and no under no circumstances do you extend him - that would be a Bowden move - buy high; sell low.
2) Why exactly do we 'really need that roster spot'?; do you really think Bernie gets us more wins at this stage? I for one really do think he's better of playing every day in Syracuse.
3) Best guess on Harper - Potomac on June 1st and Harrisburg for a month at the end of the year; start the season at Harrisburg next year; finish at Syracuse with a Sept. callup. Start 2013 in DC.
4) I would not let Zim back until he's 100% healthy; let's not turn a muscle strain into a muscle tear.
The team is performing miraculously well considering we have at least 2 replacement level players in the lineup every day. Kudos to Riggleman.
"How many pitches now!"
"94 Skip"
(Manager pacing worriedly in dugout)
"How many now!"
"95 Skip"
"Ok...but the second he hits 100, I want his butt out of there. By God, they pay me to manage and I'm gonna manage!!"
re: Harper as a PNat on 6/1...
Assume continued performance akin to the last 10 games. PNats start a 14 game homestand on 6/6 that goes into their AS break. Thinking that should they bring him up in June, it would be during this homestand so that he can get settled in at one location, take a 3 day break, then hit the road with the PNats thereafter.
(now too much coffee in belly)
Speaking of the P-Nats, do they have their field squared away now?
(posted with waaay too much coffee in my Central Nervous System)
JD-
Point 1 - Right on
Point 2 - I 100% disagree. You have 13 position players, 8 you play and 5 on the bench. The Nats have been play with a 4 on the bench essentially and that has hurt Riggleman and the team and while you can't say it has cost you a game, intangibly it could have.
Point 3 - On Harper, take your own advice on your point #1. Depends on continued success and health. That is how his timeframe will be determined success and progress.
Point 4 - Agreed. As sad as Zim's own health is, he has to be 100% when he comes back and solve this. Who would have thunk that the same type of injury he had at the end of 2010 has sidelined him much of 2011. SAD
Anon8,
One more thing to consider on Harper; the Nats want to help their affiliates; I think that this is why they are letting him stay in Hagerstown a bit longer.
I think that Stairs was brought in with the idea that he will influence a handful of games with a big hit knowing full well that he as most other power pinch hitters will fail most of the time + they like his intangibles. BTW Stairs history and this includes last year supports this thinking.
I think that Bernadina is still thought of as a potential everyday player and having him sit on the bench in DC makes no sense.
On another note, leave it to Ozzie Guillen to be suspended for in-game tweeting:
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6450727
Also, Kenny Williams is somewhat of a whippersnapper compared to me, but I like his take on social media. ;-) (Yeah, Ozzie, tweeting is your *private* life.)
(and still waaay too much coffee in my system)
JD most baseball teams have a propaganda program and the Nats are now telling you that Bernadina can be an everyday player. Sure, on a losing team. Don't buy that garbage for a second. He is going to be a spot starter or a platoon guy and at best a placeholder next year until Bryce Harper is ready and he will be a .240 to .260 guy which is good for a role guy.
Bernadina has options so he was expendable, plain and simple. The great thing about Bernadina is he has speed and can play defense and can also pinch hit and would help now.
Back in 2007 Chris Marrero was at Hagerstown for 58 games before being promoted to Potomac. He hit .290 with 14 homers there. The minor league season is barely 20 games deep in a 140 game schedule. I would think the Nats are gonna wait at least another month before they promote Harper, if he stays halfway hot that is.
Anon8, when the Nats signed Marquis I had hoped they did their research. You nailed it! That is what Marquis is. Clear and consistent history and unfortunately most on here dont want to do any homework or research. The start in 2009 before he shutout the Nats he shutout the Dodgers.
My quote for today is MARQUIS IS A 1ST HALF STUD AND A 2ND HALF DUD. With that said, way to go Jason, that was a gem and prove me wrong for August and September!
Gee, any chance the bone chips in his elbow had been there a while and had been taking their toll on Marquis as he pitched more into each year and now that they are gone he might have a bit more durability in the 2nd half of the season?
Here's a plug for Nix getting more playing time. On the basis of performance, he has earned more time and Morse deserves less. If it's about playing the players who give us the best chance to win on any given day, Nix does that now. That can change as performance changes, but Nix deserves the chance to build on what he has done so far. Just a thought...
JD -- agreed on Marquis, Harper and Zim -- however, Bernie, or no Bernie - no Major League team should be flying with an empty roster spot -- I don't care if he might at some time change a couple of games - he can't play defense, he makes one out every couple of games, but surely, anyone else could contribute something more than that, even if it's a couple of singles or an inning of defense. Other teams will catch on soon and stop walking him, so that will go away, too.
As per previous comment on Ozzie's tweet, and Kenny Williams commment: To be suspended for communicating a personal tweet, is BBBBBBBBBS!
$18 Million Man Bud Selig and baseball have a way of putting the important things first! Let's see steroids were OK, but tweeting is definitely wrong.
Way to go Ozzie, and it was nice to see Kenny Williams have Ozzie's back. Gee, a GM with gumption!
Cy Young Marquis has never been more than a .500 pitcher with an era hovering around 4.00, but if you combine his terrible stats from 2010 with this year, he'd have to naintain pretty good stats over this full year to reach that average over 2010 & 11 -- stats like this year's 3-0 with a sub 3.00 era. Life tends to even out and so does Jason Marquis -- he may just keep this pitching pace up for the rest of this year. Go for .500 tonight Nats!!
Joe Seamhead, its a good question on the bone chips except you can go back even more years and see the same fall off but maybe the harsh falloff in 2009 was because of the bone chips.
I just think if you don't push him hard in June he may last longer. Many pitchers suffer from arm fatigue in the latter parts of the season.
You can hope that this year is going to be different, its just that I am a strong believer in the past results is your best indicator for future results. Marquis is only 32 years old and the one strong positive was the bone chip surgery was successful and could keep his arm in better shape to go the distance.
I think Mark'd point is don't start thinking Marquis is going to be trade bait as teams will be skeptical.
fpcsteve, I always like the hot hand too and maybe Nix can take some playing time from Ankiel also. Morse over the last 10 games has been bopping himself and I think you have to give Morse playing time too.
It will be interesting to see how Riggleman manages this one.
What is this talk of trading Marquis? Trade him for what? Prospects? We have plenty of them. Another utility player? Got them too. This strategy of trade at the deadline, buy back almost never works. I want to keep him to get as many wins this year as possible and extend his contract for 2-3 years at the end of the season. Every time the Nats get a solid player, some people want to let him go for the next hope. The only deadline trade I hope we make is Pudge.
sm13 said... Cy Young Marquis has never been more than a .500 pitcher
Never? Take Mark'd advice and do some research. Pull a baseball card and you will see he finished 5 seasons over .500 Your comment is ridiculous and he is 99-92 lifetime right now which is over .500
The bigger point is his 2nd half season tired arm and can that change.
He has almost always been strong in the 1st half, last year excluded for the elbow injury.
I looooove me some Desi..... =^D
Making a better point on Marquis numbers for his career, he is 71-50 in his career from April to July 31st. 28-42 for August 1st to the end of the season.
With that type of winning percentage for April to July, he is an All Star but far from it with his career numbers which is why the Nats got him at $7.5 million a season.
LOL @ Jamesfan
We have plenty of prospects??
I hope you're being sarcastic.
Our farm system was ranked 13th best by Baseball America, so we do not actually have plenty prospects.
Matt Capps pitched well for us last year too. So I assume you wanted to resign him. Yeah, because the Nats would be much better of with a 30 year old closer, than a young catcher named Wilson Ramos.
If we can get anything close to what we got in the Capps deal, I hope Rizzo bites their hand off.
Most amazing pArt ofthe night was Nix's foul. Off facade of 2nd deck, crazy
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