State of the Nats - 8/26

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Team Record: 65-65 (24-26)

N.L. East Standings

Wild Card Standings

Offensive Game of the Week: Jayson Werth 8/21 vs. Cubs - 1 for 3, HR (18), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB  

Pitching Line of the Week: Jordan Zimmermann 8/24 vs. Royals - 7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 SO, 114 pitches, 78 strikeouts

Top Storylines

Can they keep it up? - Winners of 11 of their last 16 games, the Nats enter Monday coming off their best stretch of the 2013 season. They haven't gained much ground on the Reds who hold the final NL Wild Card spot, but they are close to overtaking the Diamondbacks to be the first team out. As Mark explained this morning, it is still very unlikely they can make up enough ground to qualify for the playoffs. It makes you wonder where this type of run was a month ago, or even earlier. But regardless of whether it's enough to put them into the postseason, it's encouraging to see the Nats haven't packed it in and given up on this year.

Dog days of the NL East - The Nationals play their next 26 games against division rivals, a stretch that will take them all the way until their final two series of the season. Over the next month they'll play the Marlins three times, the Mets and Phillies each twice, and the Braves for one final matchup of the 2013 season. Most of those teams, of course, are behind the Nats in the standings and it should present an opportunity for Washington to continue their recent surge. It may not be enough to make the playoffs, but a winning season, or perhaps as many as 85 wins by the end of the year, aren't out of the question.

Nats still grinding it out

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CHICAGO — There was the 2-hour rain delay before the game ever began. There were the misplays across the diamond, with three of the four infielders either bench players or manning an unfamiliar position. And, of course, there was the gut-punch of Stephen Strasburg serving up the game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings and the club's second 4-hour game in five days.

Yet the Nationals somehow emerged from all of that with a victory on Thursday, a 5-4, 13-inning triumph over the Cubs that required every ounce of fortitude this team still had in its reserve tank.

"It was pretty unbelievable, but for us to come back like that, that's huge," said Drew Storen, who wound up earning the save. "That's an easy game to just feel sorry for yourself, but we grinded it out. It wasn't the prettiest, but we got the win."

That's the way things are these days for the Nationals. Nothing is coming easily to this team, but every time it looks like Davey Johnson's squad is going to fold, it finds a way to keep fighting.

Instant analysis: Nats 5, Cubs 4 (13)

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: After waiting out a 2-hour rain delay before they took the field, and with a flight to Kansas City still to make tonight, the Nationals had to be antsy to jump out to a quick lead and then hand things over to Stephen Strasburg. They did just that, getting a first-inning home run from Ryan Zimmerman and then plating two more runs in the top of the second. Strasburg took over from there, holding the Cubs scoreless until Brian Bogusevic's homer in the eighth. Efficient throughout, the right-hander was given the chance to go the distance for the second time in 11 days. But he couldn't quite finish it off. Anthony Rendon, playing shortstop in place of Ian Desmond, couldn't make a really tough play on a grounder to the hole, allowing the bottom of the ninth to continue. Donnie Murphy then launched a game-tying, two-run homer, stunning Strasburg and turning the entire game upside-down. Rafael Soriano managed to get the game into extra innings and Tyler Clippard retired the side in the 10th, but the Nationals couldn't push across the winning run. They couldn't do it in the 11th or the 12th, either, despite opportunities. But they finally did it in the top of the 13th when pinch-hitter Chad Tracy's swinging bunt groundout scored Denard Span from third base to give the Nationals the lead. Drew Storen then finished it off to record the save and send the exhausted Nationals off to Kansas City with three wins in four days here in Chicago and a 63-64 record.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals scored only one run over a 10-inning stretch from the third through the 12th, but they

Game 127: Nats at Cubs

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

CHICAGO — Hello one last time from Wrigley Field, where the weather has taken a turn for the worse. There's a fairly intense storm system making its way through the area, and it could impact the start of today's series finale between the Nationals and Cubs. Stay tuned for weather updates.

Once they do get started, Stephen Strasburg will be on the mound, making his first appearance since Saturday night's ejection in Atlanta. Strasburg, who wasn't punished by MLB for hitting the Braves' Justin Upton and then twice throwing behind Andrelton Simmons, should be plenty fresh in the wake of the shortest start of his career. How will his command be? I think a lot of people are very curious about that.

The Nationals have several lineup changes. With lefty Travis Wood on the mound for the Cubs, Davey Johnson is loading with right-handed hitters, including Scott Hairston and Tyler Moore. Ian Desmond also gets the day off. Desmond tweaked his back during BP yesterday but started the game and looked fine, only to be pulled later for precautionary reasons. Afterward, he insisted he was fine and expected to play today, but it looks like Davey isn't taking any chances.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 2:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Storms, 80 degrees, Wind 7 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (62-64)
CF Bryce Harper
SS Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

No suspensions for Strasburg, Johnson

Associated Press

CHICAGO — Major League Baseball has determined neither Stephen Strasburg nor Davey Johnson will be suspended after each was ejected from the Nationals' game Saturday night in Atlanta, essentially ruling Strasburg did not intentionally throw at Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

No announcement has been made by MLB regarding the situation, but a league source said the commissioner's office reviewed the events of Saturday's game and concluded neither Strasburg nor Johnson merited a suspension, the punishment typically doled out when a pitcher is ejected for intentionally throwing at a batter.

The decision comes on the same day MLB suspended Red Sox right-hander Ryan Dempster five games for intentionally hitting the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez on Sunday night, even though Dempster wasn't ejected from that game.

Strasburg became embroiled in the Nationals-Braves feud, which began when teammate Bryce Harper was hit by three pitches in three games against Atlanta, the last of which knocked the 20-year-old outfielder from the next night's game with a bruised left triceps muscle.
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Marathon men

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ATLANTA — Their starting pitcher had departed some 4 1/2 hours earlier, ejected after plunking a batter in the first inning and then losing all semblance of his command in the second. Their manager had been ejected, too, not to mention their left fielder later in the evening.

Eight relievers (one of them actually a starter) had cobbled together 14 innings of work, though the last six of those innings wouldn't have been necessary had their closer recorded one more out in the bottom of the ninth.

Their star 20-year-old, scratched from the lineup earlier in the day with a bruised left triceps muscle after getting drilled by a pitch the previous night, had been forced into action late.

Then again, pretty much everyone in uniform was forced into action for this 5-hour, 29-minute marathon, with 44 of the 50 active players on the two rosters appearing in the game.

So when it finally ended, when Adam LaRoche had homered in the top of the 15th and Dan Haren had pitched the bottom of the inning — in the rain — to earn the first save of his 11-year career, the Nationals could only sit back and enjoy the feeling that comes only after you pull off an 8-7 victory over your fiercest rivals.

"Golly," LaRoche sighed. "What a battle."
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Instant analysis: Nats 8, Braves 7 (15)

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Game in a nutshell: Tensions were high when this game began, with everyone at Turner Field wondering if Stephen Strasburg would retaliate for Bryce Harper's repeated plunkings by Braves pitchers. Only two batters in, he answered that question, drilling Justin Upton in the left hip with a fastball. Umpire Marvin Hudson immediately issued warnings to both dugouts and Upton quietly took his base, so that should have been the end of it. Except Strasburg completely lost his command in the bottom of the second, throwing seven straight balls, the last three of them wild pitches, the last two of them behind Andrelton Simmons' back. Hudson had no choice but to eject both Strasburg and Davey Johnson, leaving the Nationals in a real bind. Tanner Roark, though, came through with four huge scoreless innings of relief. The Nationals lineup pounded out seven runs and 15 hits off Braves pitching, with Jayson Werth reaching base four times to lead the way. Asked to protect a late lead, Drew Storen struck out the side in the seventh. Tyler Clippard gave up a homer in the eighth, but Rafael Soriano still was given a two-run lead for the bottom of the ninth ... which he still blew. Jason

Strasburg, Johnson ejected

Associated Press

ATLANTA — Stephen Strasburg exacted some revenge for Bryce Harper's recent plunkings. Then the Nationals ace lost all semblance of command and wound up getting himself and his manager ejected.

One night after Harper was hit by a Braves pitcher for the third time in the last three games between the two clubs, Strasburg fired a 97 mph fastball into Justin Upton's left hip in the bottom of the first inning. Upton quietly took his base, and plate umpire Marvin Hudson issued warnings to both dugouts, which should have ended the whole affair.

Except one inning later, Strasburg suddenly couldn't find the strike zone. He walked Jordan Schafer on four pitches, then uncorked three consecutive wild pitches to Andrelton Simmons, the last two sailing well behind the Atlanta shortstop's back and allowing

Game 122: Nats at Braves

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

ATLANTA — It's another cold, rainy day here at Turner Field, and this time it could prevent baseball from being played. At the very least, it's supposed to drizzle all evening. At worst, it could be heavy enough to cause a delay or even postponement. We'll see.

If they do get started, all eyes will be on Stephen Strasburg as he takes the mound in the wake of Bryce Harper's three plunkings by Braves pitchers over the last 11 days. Will Strasburg retaliate, and if so, who gets to wear one of his fastballs? The safest bet would probably be Justin Upton, batting second tonight for Atlanta. But much could depend on how the umpires handle this, whether they issue warnings to both dugouts before the game even begins, which would lead to automatic ejections and future suspensions.

In other news, the Nationals just announced they've placed Taylor Jordan on the 15-day DL with a lower back strain and recalled Tyler Moore from Class AAA. Reading between the lines, this would suggest the Nats have decided to shut down Jordan after 142 innings. Ross Ohlendorf will be ready to return in four days and take his rotation spot. Until then, they'll have an extra position player in Moore, who had been raking at Syracuse. (Over his last 28 games, he was hitting .371 with seven homers and 31 RBI.)

Stay tuned for updates...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Turner Field
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Showers, 68 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from RF

NATIONALS (59-62)
CF Bryce Harper Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Nats who's hot/who's not - 8/14

Photo by USA Today

By Steve Roney
CSNwashington.com

The Nationals' past week, at a glance:

Record: 4-1

Team slash: .305/.388/.470

Team ERA: 2.80

Runs per game: 6.0

Opponent runs per game: 3.0

Opponent slash: .244/.294/.339

HOT

Tanner Roark, RP: 2-0/0.00 ERA/0.67 WHIP/6 IP/1 K 

Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Ro-ark. The rookie reliever made his first three career appearances this week, picking up the win in the most recent two. He doesn't have overpowering stuff -- he's thrown two-thirds of his 70 pitches for strikes, with only two swings and misses -- but he's gotten the job done in fairly high-leverage situations. Working two innings in each of his appearances, he's been able to serve as a very effective bridge to Rafael Soriano, who has saved both his victories. Without more swinging strikes, his .190 BABIP will rise -- along with his ERA -- but Roark has had a dream start to his career.

Jayson Werth, OF: 10-19/2 HR/6 RBI/.591 OBP/1.486 OPS

Put simply, this is what we've been waiting for from Jayson Werth. Not the video game numbers of the past week, or even the past month -- but his incredibly hot tear has brought his season numbers (.327/.399/.529, 17 HR) in line with his pay grade for the first time since he donned a Nats jersey. In fact, the 34-year-old is exceeding even those expectations: the batting average, if it holds up, is the highest of his career, though his .444 BABIP since the All-Star break portends a looming regression. The Nats are likely playing for bragging rights and to set the table for next season; if Werth can continue to swing a hot bat, both he and the team can end the year on a high note, which will bode well going forward.

Tuesday morning tidbits

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Catching up on some things after a couple of days off...

— By almost every measure other than won-loss record, Stephen Strasburg has been better this season than in either of his two previous "full" seasons: 2010 and 2012. (Yes, I know neither of those actually was a full season, but I'm just trying to refer to everything other than his abbreviated 2011, when he made only five starts after returning from Tommy John surgery.)

Strasburg's ERA (2.83), WHIP (1.039) and hits allowed (6.7 per nine innings) all are better this year than in '10 or '12, but perhaps the most significant sign of his progress is this simple one: He's throwing more innings than ever before.

Indeed, Strasburg is average 6.36 innings per start this season. Compare that to his 5.69 mark in 2012 and his 5.67 mark in 2010. And Strasburg's number this year is skewed a bit by a pair of two-inning starts (May 31 when he strained his lat muscle in

Ramos, Strasburg make magic vs. Phillies

Photo by the Associated Press

In the Nationals’ 6-0 win over the Phillies on Sunday, all eyes were on Stephen Strasburg as he put in the best pitching performance of his career. He tossed a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts, needing just 99 pitches in a display of pure efficiency.

In admiring the outing, however, don’t overlook the role of catcher Wilson Ramos. The 26-year-old backstop has a way of staying behind the scenes, soft-spoken yet intense in a locker room full of personalities. The fact he was behind the plate for this particular game is likely no coincidence. 

After the game Ramos gave much of the credit to Strasburg and his teammates – including Ryan Zimmerman’s defense – for culminating the shutout. But he did concede he takes some pride in calling a game so brilliant.

“I was excited,” he said. “That’s what I want to do every day when I’m behind the plate, put zeroes up on the scoreboard. That’s my job.”

If Ramos was, in fact, just doing his “job,” he may be getting a lot better at it. We profiled Ramos back in April and showed how nearly everyone in the Nats’ pitching staff has fared better with Ramos behind the plate than another catcher. The numbers were consistent and striking, and since they’ve become even more extreme.

State of the Nats - 8/12

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Team Record: 57-60 (23-24)

N.L. East Standings

Wild Card Standings

Offensive Game of the Week: Jayson Werth 8/10 vs. Phillies - 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R

Pitching Line of the Week: Stephen Strasburg 8/11 vs. Phillies - 9 IP, 0 ER, 10 SO, 4 H, BB, 99 pitches, 66 strikes

Top Storylines

Momentum? - After taking a brutal sweep by the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park this week, the Nats turned things around by getting a sweep of their own over the Philadelphia Phillies. As Mark noted at the end of the Braves series, the Nats have only been able to beat bad teams since the All-Star break and are 1-11 against the likes of the Braves, Dodgers, Pirates and Tigers. The Phillies certainly fall in the 'bad teams' category and the upcoming Giants do as well. Even if the Nats continue to win this week against the struggling defending champs, it will be hard to read too much into it. In particular, if the recent offensive improvement is legitimate, it will have to carry over into this weekend's series in Atlanta. We'll see.

Strasburg shuts out Phillies

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Stephen Strasburg took the mound on Sunday evening looking to shake off a rocky bullpen session where he didn’t feel he had his best stuff. His catcher, Wilson Ramos, even agreed, calling it a “struggle.”

In the second inning he tweaked his groin and saw trainer Lee Kuntz and pitching coach Steve McCatty meet him at the mound. After seeing Strasburg stumble off the rubber and wince, Ramos thought he would soon leave the game.

And in the fifth inning Strasburg took a 87 mile per hour fastball off his right forearm on a bunt attempt. He stepped out of the batter’s box shaking his wrist to relieve the pain.

But somehow through a variety of obstacles, Strasburg emerged on Sunday with the first complete game of his career and a 6-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. He struck out ten with just one walk in a true masterpiece, his best outing yet in four MLB seasons. In the ninth and with the shutout near, the crowd of 32,355 gave him a standing ovation and chants of  ‘let’s go Strasburg,’ bringing back memories of his historic professional debut.

While the fastball off his arm may have just plain hurt, the sore groin and bad warmup session might have been blessings in disguise. Not having his best stuff, for instance, helped Strasburg get locked in. He needed only eight pitches in the first inning and all were strikes.

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Instant Analysis: Nats 6, Phillies 0

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Game in a nutshell: Stephen Strasburg was dominant in his 23rd start of the season, recording ten strikeouts in the first complete game shutout of his young career. It was the tenth time in his four MLB seasons he's tossed up double digit Ks and the second time this season. He capped it off with a quick ninth inning that brought the crowd on their feet for a standing ovation and 'let's go Strasburg' chants. Strasburg's teammates gave him a good amount of help on offense with a run in the first inning and five more later on. He got even better as the game progressed with a big lead, retiring 15 of 16 batters at one point. Jayson Werth stood out on offense with three singles as five different Nats players had multiple hits. Desmond and Adam LaRoche both scored a pair of runs in this one as the Nats blew out the Phillies to complete three-game sweep.

Hitting highlight: The Nats jumped all over Kyle Kendrick in the fourth and fifth innings, adding five runs across the two frames. Ian Desmond scored the first run in both innings that featured seven Nats' singles and two walks.

Game 117: Phillies at Nats

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I was talking to a cameraman on the broadcast crew in the elevator up to the pressbox this morning who has been working baseball games for over 25 years, and never has he been to a Sunday baseball game with a 5:05 start. Well, here we go today with a rare evening matchup as the Nats and Phillies face off in a prelude to Sunday Night Baseball.

Stephen Strasburg (5-9. 3.01 ERA) will try and continue his success this season against the Phillies whom he tossed eight innings of one-run ball against on May 26. His career numbers against the Phils aren't quite as pretty with a 4.43 ERA across 22 1/2 total innings. He is making his 23rd start of the season overall.

Pitching for Philly is right-hander Kyle Kendrick who is 10-8 with a 4.36 ERA this season. Kendrick has faced the Nationals three times this season, allowing a combined seven earned runs through 19 2/3 innings. Each of his last outings against Washington (6/19, 7/11) he has lasted at least seven innings with just a run allowed.

Stay tuned for updates throughout the game...

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 5:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Chance of storms, 84 degrees, Wind 7 mph RF to LF

NATIONALS (56-60)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
1B Adam LaRoche
C Wilson Ramos
2B Steve Lombardozzi
RHP Stephen Strasburg

Looking at contract statuses

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Are the Nationals officially out of the pennant race in 2013? No. Obviously, they haven't been mathematically eliminated from anything, and their 9-game deficit in the Wild Card standings — while daunting — isn't so huge that it couldn't be overcome with a major turnaround.

But let's be honest: This club isn't going to be playing this October. Players started to acknowledge that over the last few days as they were swept by the Braves, with Jayson Werth perhaps providing the most-honest assessment of the situation when he started talking about next year and beyond.

So while there are 48 games remaining on the 2013 schedule, there is growing attention now on 2014 and questions about what general manager Mike Rizzo will need to do to his roster between now and next Opening Day.

With that in mind, it's probably worthwhile to take a look at the contract status for everyone on the current roster (plus a couple of key players currently in the minors). These statuses will play a

Familiar feeling

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You could point to Stephen Strasburg's inability to hold a runner on first base, a recurring problem that led to an early run. You could point to Tyler Clippard's rare meatball of a changeup to Justin Upton in the eighth, a waist-high pitch that landed in the bleachers. And you absolutely could point to the Nationals' continued woes at the plate with runners in scoring position, which left the crowd of 33,002 in a state of complete exasperation Monday night.

At this point, though, it really doesn't matter how the Nationals lose games. It only matters that they continue to lose games, digging themselves into a hole that grows with each passing day at a time when they can't afford to fall any deeper into the abyss.

"Two months left, and we're 13 games back," Clippard said with a sigh.

Not to nitpick, but the deficit actually is 13 1/2 games now after Monday's 3-2 loss to the Braves, the latest in a long line of agonizing losses suffered by the Nationals this season.

"I mean, that's baseball," manager Davey Johnson said. "But boy, we needed that one."
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Instant analysis: Braves 3, Nats 2

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: With plenty of incentive in the opener of a three-game series against the Braves, the Nationals burst out of the gates to take a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning and give Stephen Strasburg a chance to pitch ahead for a change. But the bats were mostly silenced after that, and Strasburg gave up a couple of runs to put the Nats in a 2-1 hole. A sacrifice fly did tie things up in the sixth, but a big-time squandered scoring opportunity in the seventh loomed large, and Tyler Clippard promptly served up the go-ahead homer to Justin Upton in the top of the eighth. The Nationals couldn't push the tying run across late, despite the unavailability of closer Craig Kimbrel in the Atlanta bullpen. So this all-important series opened on a decided down note, with the Nationals now four games under .500 and staring at a daunting, 13 1/2-game deficit in the NL East with 50 to play.

Hitting lowlight: When they make the commemorative DVD of this season, they might just want to show every Nationals at-bat

Game 112: Braves at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

The Nationals have been asking for a chance to prove themselves against the Braves for some time now, and tonight they get their first opportunity in two months to take on the NL East leaders. Atlanta is red-hot, having won 10 in a row, opening up a commanding, 12 1/2-game lead in the division. Suffice it to say, the Nats are in must-win territory here.

Stephen Strasburg takes the mound for the series opener, hoping to continue his dominance of the Braves this season — he's got a 1.93 ERA in three starts — but hoping to earn his first win over Atlanta. He'll be opposed by left-hander Mike Minor, who has a 5.06 ERA in three starts against the Nats, yet is 2-0.

Updates to come, so please check back...

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Partly cloudy, 77 degrees, Wind 7 mph out to LF

NATIONALS (54-57)
CF Bryce Harper
SS Ian Desmond
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth C Wilson Ramos