Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Game 17: Nats at Padres

US Presswire photo
The Nats open a six-game, West Coast trip tonight at Petco Park.
So much for Ryan Zimmerman having no doubts about his ability to return to play tonight. The star third baseman is not in the Nationals' lineup for their series opener against the Padres, apparently still bothered by the right shoulder inflammation that kept him from playing Saturday. Zim insisted the following day the injury was "nothing" and that he'd be good to go for the start of this West Coast trip. Obviously, that's not the case, which can't be considered good news for anyone. Stay tuned.

Steve Lombardozzi will instead start at third base tonight, with Mark DeRosa again taking Zimmerman's regular No. 3 spot in the lineup (though DeRosa will play right field, with Jayson Werth sliding over to center field because the Nationals are facing a left-hander in Clayton Richard).

Gio Gonzalez, makes his fourth start of the season, hoping to benefit from Petco Park's spacious gaps (not to mention a Padres lineup hitting a collective .214 so far this season.

I'm not on this road trip out west, so no live updates. Enjoy the game and the late-night conversation. (And for anyone still having trouble posting comments with the new log-in system, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help navigate you through the process.)...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN DIEGO PADRES
Where: Petco Park
Gametime: 10:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 189
Weather: Cloudy, 64 degrees, Wind 6 mph in from LF
NATIONALS (12-4)
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
RF Mark DeRosa
CF Jayson Werth
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Xavier Nady
C Wilson Ramos
3B Steve Lombardozzi
LHP Gio Gonzalez

PADRES (5-12)
LF Chris Denorfia
RF Will Venable
3B Chase Headley
C Nick Hundley
CF Cameron Maybin
2B Orlando Hudson
1B Yonder Alonso
SS Jason Bartlett
LHP Clayton Richard

UMPIRES
HP Lance Barrett, 1B Paul Emmel, 2B Scott Barry, 3B Gary Darling (cc)

354 comments:

  1. It shouldn't be, but my jaw is on the floor. And not in a good way.

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  2. I hope they get an MRI done!!!! We need a healthy RZ.

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  3. Um, Mr. Zimmerman, about that ENORMOUS contract we just signed after your agent so skillfully assuaged our concerns about your durability issues...

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  4. I never seen so many players in denial about their injuries on one team for so many years. Just this year you have Storen, Morse and now Zim.

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  5. ruh roh, shaggy

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  6. The red flag will be if they announce they are sending him back to DC for an MRI. They won't keep him around for a six-game road trip if they don't expect him to play.

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  7. Who was asking why I was pessimistic about Morse?

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  8. The corollary to the above is they will expect him to play, unless they think there is reason to believe the injury is serious. I.e., as of the moment, they aren't seriously concerned.

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  9. After all the injury problems the 'face of the franchise' has dealt with through the years, and now they have what looks like a playoff contender, they "aren't seriously concerned"?

    Yes THEY are.

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  10. This is really bad news on Zim. Hopefully, he won't need surgery. If he does, it will be really hard to score runs without him and Morse in the lineup. But first thing first, we need to make sure he is healthy.

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  11. Umm, yeah. Knock me over with a feather. Imagine my surprise.

    I officially disavow the "hangover" excuse. It was a longshot anyway.

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  12. But hey, that much more bourbon and maalox for the rest of us.
    Or a nice sangiovese, in my case.

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  13. Maybe we should do our own updates for this late game, for the benefit of the non-viewing public.

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  14. OK, it's the Padres. I'm not taking them for granted, but, it's the Padres. If Zim doesn't play for the Dodgers series, we got trouble in River City.

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  15. Well, this development is shocking ... (not). I swear, I find the front office's inability to be forthright about injuries to be truly astonishing. I don't really see what anyone thinks is gained by continually understating the severity of players' injuries. As a fan, I just find it to be dispiriting.

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  16. Not that it helps us right now...but the Philthies are temporarily shutting Pence down for an MRI.

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  17. Amen... just quit beating around the bush and get him checked out. They wasted a solid two weeks with Morse imo before deciding to shut him down. Deja vu?

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  18. Four days of rest and still having a sore shoulder might lead a fan to worry. Good thing we've been assured there is no structural damage.

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    1. Good thing water is not wet... and ice isn't cold.

      Delete
  19. Thanks for your efforts to help us navigate through posting, Mark.

    As for baseball stuff. Dang. Not encouraging news on the Zimm front. Sigh.

    Nonetheless, there is a game to be played. Sooo, go, GIO! Go, NATS!! Time to pound some Padres! hmmmm...that doesn't sound quite right. Fry the Friars! Or something.

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  20. Even without Zim... I still like our chances to take the series against the Pads solely based on the strength of our pitching staff.
    However... against the Dodgers with no Zim? I hope we can avoid the sweep honestly. I will be ecstatic to return home 3-3 from this West Coast swing.

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    1. I read a news report on Twitter that said something to the effect of... Zim said it felt 100% throwing, but felt it a bit when contact hitting. Listed as day to day.

      Maybe it truly isn't as bad as we think. Perhaps another couple days rest and he will be good to go against the Dodgers.

      Go Nats!!!

      Delete
  21. I'm sure other teams downplay injuries just as much for various reasons. What's frustrating is the injury itself. The fact that they sugarcoat things initially is just how these things are dealt with. Zimmerman is a serious, finely tuned athlete. He didn't get to where he is by moaning and groaning every time his arm felt sore. You can't expect him to go, "Oh, I dunno guys! This one looks serious!"

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  22. This member of the non-viewing would love it if a member or members of the viewing public happened to post updates in this thread for my later reading delectation. Kaithxbai.

    Section 3, My PFB Sofa said...

    Maybe we should do our own updates for this late game, for the benefit of the non-viewing public.
    April 24, 2012 6:59 PM

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  23. of the non-viewing *public*

    (This is why I can't watch 10 PM starts. It's not even 8 PM yet. Yes, I have been known to make such mistakes early in the morning as well. Exactly what is your point? :-))

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  24. Ah the Nats....some things never change.....

    Still I Love the pitching and DJ's managing this year.

    As you can tell I am a happy fan...nights at the Ballpark have been really fun and quick well played baseball for the most part................

    Still...."Davey's best bench ever: comment....not so much....just about 2 hits better than Nats worst bench in baseball last year.....Nady, Roger, DeRosa...they just can not hit anymore or in Roger's case ever.

    Biggest problem for this team other than no bench....Nats medical staff.....just clueless as ever....Zim will get an MRI in about 2 weeks after resting it and be on in DL in 4 weeks and out till August 1......does anyone really think they know what they are doing with these medical cases?

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  25. Tomorrow: "We just want to make sure he's 100% before putting him back out there"

    Thursday, upon putting Zim on the 15 Day DL: “we know he wants to play, we just want to make sure that he doesn’t push too hard. We’re not going to risk a couple of months to have him for a couple of weeks.”

    May Day: "The MRI is purely precautionary ... "

    Memorial Day: “It’s really unfortunate that surgery turns out to be necessary, but we have full confidence that Zim will be able to come back strong in 2013, and we have no concerns about his ability to play through the length of his contract”

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  26. Yeah, I don't know what the big deal is regarding the teams' offcial statements. A team notorious for keeping injury information in-house? The New England Patriots, and they seem to do pretty well. The concern is they have so little offense, and one of their better offensive players is dinged. Their 3-4-5 hitters are Mark DeRosa, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche. What the Nats need right now is for Werth to start hitting with power. The clean up hitter needs to earn that money!!

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  27. I am not expecting many home runs at Petco (and depending on the marine layer - not at Chavez Ravine), but I would love some line drives to the gap, so my pick to click today with big hits (not homers) is Ramos.

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  28. Could we just move Zimmerman to 1st base and spare us any more agony? LaRoche can switch to left field, Werth to centre, and Morse to right - just like scrub.

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  29. Wow.. LoMo just had another bad play in Left field. I hope the Fish have a really long year

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  30. What can you say after you say wtf? Is it a good sign that it's the reverse of LaRoche's shoulder? Zim can throw but not hit, Just the opposite of Adam last year. Please, someone tell methat is good news...

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  31. Me thinks I have seen this movie before......

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  32. Re: LoMo-- too busy being on television. Maybe he needs to wait until he pitches a perfect game before he starts appearing on talk shows.

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  33. Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe: Don't Panic.

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  34. Is it hear we go again or here we go again.

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  35. Amanda Comack... just reported that RZ will have an MRI in San Diego.

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  36. Kilgore just tweeted the following:

    Ryan Zimmerman will go for an MRI tonight on his shoulder, per Davey Johnson. Nats fear a strain. "I don't have a good feeling," Davey said.

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  37. That's how players like Lombadozzi, Moore, Brown and perhaps Kobernus get opportunities. Looks like its going to be one of those years.

    See JayB? They are going to try to integrate their best
    prospects, perhaps ply them at the MLB level enoug to
    raise their value and then trade them when it peaks for
    what they need.

    So, the two best 3B the Nats have are injured. Zimmerman and Rendon. Not an suspicious start.

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  38. LaRoche said the same thing about his shoulder before the truth came out.

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  39. So, the two best 3B the Nats have are injured. Zimmerman and Rendon. Not an suspicious start.
    -------------------


    Not even an auspicious start.....;-)

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  40. Man this lineup scares absolutely noone. Our pitchers need to be up to the task because we are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs offensively.

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  41. In my opinion, the FO, medical staff, or Ryan Zimmerman were not trying to hide the extent of his injury. These types of sprains/strains do not hurt as much when you first do it because the inflamation has not yet set in. The inflamation is the body's response to repair the injury and this takes a little while to swing into action. I remember in high school I sprained my ankle in the first quarter of the game, but was able to finish playing the whole game. If I had been asked how bad was my ankle, I would have said there was not much to it. However, the next day I could not walk on it, and I was out of action for a month. The point is, early on, it is sometimes difficult to tell how badly you're really hurt.

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  42. Casey Blake is a professional third baseman..he will make the throws and hit between 220 - 240..a hr every 3 weeks..you can bat him 7th...when he played for the Dodgers he was the most underappreciated player in the NL..he is old and will never be an allstar but could hold the fort for a month or so..if he's interested..he was cut during spring training..good clubhouse guy

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  43. OK, need some help from any of you who have successfully logged in through an AOL address. Our good friend "Sunshine Bobby" is trying to rejoin us, but I can't seem to figure out how to create an AOL login that doesn't result in the handle showing up as a string of 20 numbers and letters.

    If anyone knows how to work around that, please shoot me a quick email with instructions and I'll pass along to Sunshine Bobby.

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  44. Well now we know why we haven't seen the Bourbon and Maalox calls from Sunshine! Wish I could help, but I am on google

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  45. Mark.. I think GONAT started with an AOL account, but then moved to google, so there might be a place to start.

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  46. Can access thru my computer via Google...thru my cell phone...not so much...

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  47. TimDz.. the phone, try going thru the Web Version first on the phone.

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  48. Can't help on the AOL question (didn't know AOL still existed), but just watched Yu Darvish get himself out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam. He showed off a wicked curve, a 94 MPH fastball, and what I guess was a sinker that got Alex Rodriguez to ground into an inning-ending double play. Very impressive pitching (if you put aside the two walks and a bone-headed fielding play that loaded the bases).

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  49. From Boz's twitter feed:
    Thomas Boswell‏@ThomasBoswellWP

    "I don't have a good feeling:" Davey Johnson on Ryan Z'man getting shoulder MRI. Davey usually knows. So I've got a gone-a-while 'feeling.'

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  50. Actually...it now works on the cell too...
    hopefully, no more format changes...

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  51. I'm on google too, just testing it out.

    Thanks for putting such an effort on this Mark. I mostly lurk because I often don't read the posts in real time. But I really enjoy the comments.

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  52. OK, so we will be playing through adversity. Test of character, people, test of character! (LOL).

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  53. Okay.. pep talk for Lombo tonight!

    YOU CAN DO THIS! IT IS YOUR TIME TO GRAB THE SPOTLIGHT! YOU ARE AWESOME! YOU CAN WIN A GOLD GLOVE AT 3B!

    I am going to open a bottle of wine now. It's going to be a long night.

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  54. RE RZ, it can be no coincidence that the injury followed some spectacular plays by him. I remember thinking at the time that he was really taking a beating diving for - and catching - some of those balls. Maybe if he were a bit slower he wouldn't get banged up so much.

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  55. Maybe the Nats could adopt the following position in the first day or two of an injury: "We don't know right now how long ____ will be out."

    Corky

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  56. For me, it all started when they tried to change his throwing motion. It has NEVER looked natural. Why mess with something that worked? He has more throwing problems now than he ever had before.

    He probably has structural problems like a torn labrum. Out for the season. I blame poor coaching.

    Oh yeah... the sky is falling, too.

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  57. I had that feeling this afternoon when I posted. Been down this road with Zim too many times. Just hope nothing serious.

    Should have required a MRI immediately regardless.

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  58. In the line up I am ok with Lombardozzi, defensively not so much. See - I told you guys earlier - Lucy is starting to pick up that football just as we are about to kick it! Honestly though, I know we are all in a panic over zim and are certain he will be out for half the season. But - have you been watching the mlb news at all? There are some serious dl issues out there right now. Several closers are out for the season and there are numerous other issues. I am not sure that the Phils will see Howard this season. Maybe we should just let the Chiefs play the first half of the season here and give every one with an owie some time off.

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  59. Maybe if RZ were quicker/faster he wouldn't have to throw himself around all the time...he could make plays on his feet. I would like to know when he started feeling the pain. His throws have been weak all year. Yu Darvish is a slightly better version of John lannan...lots of junk, nibble constantly, throw a lot of pitches. But oh, does he have a lineup behind him. That team can MASH.

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  60. Mark, can't help with the specific question, but I also tried AOL first, had the same string-of-characters problem, and then just gave up and went to Google (was reluctant to do that at first because of their new privacy policy but decided just to be careful about logging out).

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  61. Now I know why we wear those ugly Phillie and Redglegs uniforms (Red, we should be in BLUE). We are the RED CROSS of Major League Baseball!

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  62. My advice: There's a reason nobody here is on AOL. Just make up an email address and do a google ID. It's not worth rasslin' with AOL's nonsense.

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  63. Maybe if RZ were quicker/faster he wouldn't have to throw himself around all the time...he could make plays on his feet.

    You *are* kidding, right?

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  64. Well this RZ news really stinks. I'm not a boubon and maalox kind of guy but a double vodka on the rocks might be in order for the next several nights.

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  65. String of numbers. It's the new Anonymous.

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  66. Z will be back.....Much of our bench will not

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  67. So a question out to our experts on the minor leagues - Do we have anyone that can fill in if he goes on the DL? Or will we move one of the outfielders up an move DeRo to 3B?

    And I am sending bubble wrap to the team. Apparantly I put it away too soon.

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  68. Not kidding..when I read "Maybe if he were a bit slower he wouldn't get banged up so much" I bristled. How much slower would you like? Perhaps comparable to a tree? A 3B makes most if his plays in a circle with about a 12 foot radius..he's not a shortstop, and he's not built like one. He should be making fewer plays? Isn't his WAR low enough?

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  69. That's like saying "If the Dalai Lama were nicer..."

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  70. DeRo at third and batting third does not a good lineup make. We need a bit more offense here...Lombo provides more offense than anyone else on the bench

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  71. WaPo:

    “I certainly don’t want to think about anything over a week or 10 days,” Johnson said. “Just have to wait until I hear from that report tonight around 9. I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

    Ok. So its 930

    Oremus

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  72. Although, "maybe if he were slower and didn't make plays he wouldn't get hurt" *is* pretty dumb, I'll give you that.

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  73. Bring up an outfielder from the minors or trade for one if Z is sidelined for a bit. Additional OF gives you better punch than Bern/Nady will give you.
    Keep DeRo as backup util/ infielder

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  74. Waddu, the question becomes 9 east coast or west coast time.

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  75. Losing Zimmerman stinks but is really not that big of a deal. He is obviously a decent player, but nothing close to what many Nats fans might believe. He has hit just 14 HR and 73 RBI in his last 150 games. Hardly irreplaceable. This is why signing him to a big extension at least a year before they had to was panned by most national baseball writers. He is making more money than anyone on the Rangers team and would likely be their 7th hitter. His stats are almost identical to those of David Murphy and Mitch Moreland over the last 200+ games played. Biggest thing we will miss is the defense.

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  76. If Zimm does go on the 15-day, yes, they do get to bring someone in.

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  77. So, they won 2-1, and Showalter still looks ticked off in the press conference. Funny guy.

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  78. "“I certainly don’t want to think about anything over a week or 10 days,” Johnson said. “Just have to wait until I hear from that report tonight around 9. I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

    Ok. So its 930"

    9:00 Pacific Time. Midnight in DC.

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    Replies
    1. Oh yeah
      East coast bias at its best/worst
      Gyfng

      Delete
  79. Hey, everybody, it worked! Have I missed anything? Anybody get injured? Oh. Wait. RZim? MRI?

    The next words we will be hearing (after "day-to-day," of course) will be "placed on the 15-day disabled list."

    And for those of us thirsty early tonight, I've got the solution.

    Barkeep, bourbon and Maalox all around for my friends.

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  80. I want to agree with F&I because, well, he's right, BUT..when you look at his career #'s the first couple of years he was a full time starter he was very good, and the hope is that he gets back to those #'s. Will he never be as good as he was before he started breaking down? Possibly. The Nats bet he would be, but the events the last 5 days point his career arc continuing from the last few years. Will he ever be fully healthy again? When he come back is it time to move him to 1B?

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  81. Welcome Back Sunshine! I have a feeling that we will need more bourbon and Maalox for the next few weeks

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  82. Nice 3 hr. nap and ready to go.
    Who are those two guys behind the screen at Citi Field.

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  83. So I'm just getting onto NI after a whole day away from the Interwebs. I check my Twitter feed and see Comack and Kilgore tweet that Zimmy is going for an MRI.

    THERE'S that old familiar sinking, sick feeling I remember from the Natstown of old!

    Jeezum Crow, are all our hitters going to miss half the season with "muscle strain"? Surely there's another term than that for what Morse has. How does a muscle strain keep you out of commission for months and months?

    I'll have to check my text messages early every morning this week to see how the Nats are doing against the Padres and Dodgers. I can barely stay up for first pitch.

    Like 1a, I will welcome any insightful play-by-play on these games here in the comment threads.

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  84. Section 3, My PFB Sofa: I wonder if Matt Swartz feels that way today? My guess is no.

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  85. Davey (on MASN Nats Xtra) says Wang is going to Potomac on a 5-day rotation, and Rizzo says he's a starter, not a reliever.

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  86. Can't speak for Schwartz, but I'm starting to wonder ...

    MRI, huh? Man.

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  87. Well as we sit here and wallow in despair: MASN just showed a happy smiling GIO, so there is our silver lining

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  88. Where's that Time Machine? Maybe we can pick up Kevin Mitchell on the way to getting Willie Mays.

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  89. Off topic, but this just came in. I emailed ESPN and asked how they calculated the POFF (Precent chance of making the playoffs) column in their daily standings. Here's what I got back:

    "We have a third party vendor that calculates the percentages. Until the middle of May, it uses last season's data, along with this season's, to determine who is going to make the playoffs."

    Not really what I wanted (I wanted to know WHAT data they used) but it does say after mid-May it relies solely on this year's info.

    Anyway, if you're interested, there it is.

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  90. Ya gotta play 'em one game at a time. We just want to give it our best effort, and the Good Lord willing, things will work out.

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  91. Not even an auspicious start.....;-)

    Thanks Unkyd .... stupid iPhone spell checker ... :(

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  92. Off topic but a great example of sports doublespeak...Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said re: Ron Artest "his most recent lapse in judgment...could have seriously injured another player" COULD HAVE? He gave the guy a concussion...he might not play again this year...COULD HAVE? please

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  93. Just read the news about Zim. Not too surprising, but pretty discouraging. I love most everything about the team, but the consistently incorrect information on injuries is really annoying. They should say "no comment" or "we are still diagnosing" if they need to, but it is bad when they keep saying things are nothing serious and then they turn out to be much worse.

    Hopefully this isn't as bad as we are all worried that it may be. The Nats need all the bats they have.

    Go Nats!

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  94. 10:05, Ian Desmond fouls off Clayton Richard's first pitch. It's on.

    And he beats out an infield ground ball off Richard's glove to short... the Padre's 20th error.

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  95. Anyway, if you're interested, there it is.

    That's how you increase the sample size ...

    BUT new factors have been added as the Nats have almost revamped their entire pitching staff ... the datum would be good at measuring the current population. Its silly to even consider it.

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  96. Game's up on Directv on MASN, not MASN2 which is still on the DTV logo/music.

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  97. Hate to think like the Zim Reaper here, but if Zimmerman has to be shelved for a lengthy amount of time (i.e. coming back around the time Morse is "supposed" to come back), then I think the Nats should do whatever it takes to trade with the BoSox and bring Youkilis over here. I believe he's a FA after this year (maybe a team option but I don't think they'll pick it up) and I know he's not very happy up there.

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  98. Off topic but a great example of sports doublespeak...Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said re: Ron Artest "his most recent lapse in judgment...

    What do you expect from a former WashBalt Bullet?

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  99. Candlesticks always make a nice gift...and btw...DeRosa wouldn't hit 3rd on almost every Single A team in America.

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  100. After Desmond reached on the E6, Espinosa walked on four pitches. DeRosa hitting in the third spot gives the struggling San Diego D the 6-4-3 they needed. Hey, is that THE Orlando Hudson at second? It is! Werth flies to right.

    Here comes Gio.

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  101. then I think the Nats should do whatever it takes to trade with the BoSox and bring Youkilis over here. I believe he's a FA after this year (maybe a team option but I don't think they'll pick it up) and I know he's not very happy up there.

    Sell the farm for a one year rental? NOT ON YOUR LIFE as Riggleman used to say his commercial when speaking of Desmond. YOU stay the course. It looks like its working ... now that it is let's behave like the Redskins and completely demolish everything that's been accomplished. Yep, really smart ... do whatever it takes to get Youkilis ... brilliant fantasy GM work.

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  102. That was a nice drive by Werth, yes, i know it was caught. I saw over on SB Nation that the Werth terrorizes the Padres - so maybe he can pick it up the next 3 games

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  103. @MicheleS, each year I seem to spend some stupid money on some piece of Nats clothing I really don't need.

    Last time at Nats Park (Saturday), I bought a Gonzalez #47 batting practice jersey. I like that BP jersey look, and I figured that he probably took some BP before he got those hits.

    He's quickly become one of my favorite Nats.

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  104. I don't get trying to put blame on the med-staff here. Does anybody _really_ know what transpired over the last couple of days? Who was talking, how the symptoms progressed, and etc.? Sheesh!

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  105. The Padres seem to be planning on keeping Gio's pitch count down, swinging at the first hittable pitch they see. 6-4, LO 6, 4-3. Six pitches.

    0-0

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  106. Wonder why Davey put DeRosa batting third ?
    our poor pitchers

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  107. I actually think it won't take as much as you think it would cost to get Youk. The Sox need pitching, especially relief pitching and that is what the Nats have in abundance. I think Bobby V would love to get rid of Youk, and the Sox would love to get rid of his contract.

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  108. peric, you sound like a nasty piece of work who criticizes those who like baseball but may not quite know all the nuances. you are harsh and critical.

    keep up the good work.

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  109. I never understand putting blame on the medical staff. I presume their responsibility is to diagnose and treat ailments and injuries, which is what they seem to be doing.

    Not sure exactly how they can keep these "muscle strains" and such from happening. These players are tough guys who are predisposed to play through pain. I don't see how the medical staff can keep that from happening.

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  110. OK so who knows what the date is that free agents Wang and Jackson can be traded? I've heard May/June, but am looking for something more definitive.

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  111. Wonk. I agree.. I don't think blaming the medical staff/trainers, etc. is appropriate. the Nats are only going to tell the public (IE Other teams) as little as possible.

    The reference above to the Patriots was good. NFL teams don't tell you anything about injuries, why should MLB teams be different until they have the definitive diagnosis.

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  112. I truly resent the Wonk's calm and rational reaction to the Zimm news, that's just not cool...

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  113. It's Ground Ball Night at the ol' ballpark! LaRoche and Nady both ground out to the right side. Wilson Ramos works a full count before taking strike three, maybe a little low.


    Hey, how come Tony Gwynn's statue only has two arms? Cheap!!

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  114. It may be premature to trade Jackson. I think Lannan is a better bet. Several teams are interested in him and he's not doing much for anyone as the most expensive minor leaguer.

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  115. Yeah, Wonk, if you ain't making somebody's day worse, you ain't trying. Because that's the point of life, making people unhappy.

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  116. I'm better on a double no-no tonite

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  117. Jeff, nobody is interested in Lannan.

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  118. Clayton Richard has given up 16 hits and 16 runs in his last 11 innings...but will likely take a no hitter into the 7th against us

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  119. I read a recent artcle that no teams are interested in lannan, a middling starter getting paid way too much...what the nats could do is trade lannan and apromising youngster, ridding themselves of lannan's contract, and getting a decent player in return...Rolen?

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  120. Section 3/Area 51, Then why are we paying him 5 million/year to keep a minor league spot ?

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  121. Scott from Borke,
    Do you remember where that article was from ?
    I tried to google but couldn't find the link.

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  122. Hudson had a great first half of 09, but reinjured his wrist and by the time the playoffs rolled around he was on the bench..was ok for minnesota...wrist issues are chronic.

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  123. I have found links on clubs interested in Lannan

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1141807-mlb-trade-rumors-lannan-for-byrd-swap-makes-sense-for-both-cubs-and-nationals

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  124. no, but they keep him around because cutting him you still have to pay him, and he's great insurance in case of injuries and becasue strasburg wil be shut down in august/Sep

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  125. Jeffwx.. I think the $5m came because he was Arbitration eligible. It all has to do with the Arb rules and how they come up with the amounts. There was link at some point that discussed this. Anyone? Remember the link?

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  126. Then why are we paying him 5 million/year to keep a minor league spot ?

    Two reasons: (a) we're going to need another starter when Stras is shut down (and we don't now if CMW can fill it yet, or even so, there could be another injury; (b) what else can we do with him?

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  127. Ummm, Byrd was traded to the Red Sox. And the Cubs were more interested in dumping Byrd than acquiring Lannan. IMHO.

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  128. Thank you Scott. I was going to say it's because they signed a contract and he has a lawyer on retainer.


    Oooh, that foul ball got Ramos, ummm, right there. Oww.

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  129. thanks jeffwx, interesting read...theo epstein is on the phone, mr. rizzo..better man up

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  130. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times, the Cubs want Lannan in order to fill a void in their starting rotation

    But what does Theo know ;)

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  131. byrd to red sawx...forgot..and yeah, the cubs were dumping byrd..but the nats wouldn't miond dumping lannan

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  132. Gio struck out Hundley, but he walked Maybin on 7 pitches. O(ld)-Dog pops to second, before my All-Name Team first baseman, Yonder Alonso, walked. But that's as far as it gets, Bartlett grounded into a force.


    Interesting that now that Pudge is gone, Wilson Ramos is what, 1 for 8 throwing out base-stealers? Coincidence? You decide.


    0-0, after 2.

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  133. MicheleS, I don't think a baseball team gets nearly as much advantage as a football team does in downplaying its players' injuries. In football, planning your offense or defensive schemes can vary greatly depending on the health of the opposing "skill" players. Not so much in baseball. How much time do you think the Padres pitching coach had to spend to prep the staff to face DeRosa instead of Zimmerman? Hardly any at all. Same thing defensively - you either put on a Ryan Howard shift or you don't - everything else is minor in comparison.

    So I think it's more likely as described earlier - these are just tough to diagnose accurately. There doesn't seem to be an advantage to hiding the reality.

    Or they're just stoopid. Never ascribe evil motives when sheer incompetence may explain it.

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  134. Jeff, that was then, this is now.

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  135. Scott from Burpe,
    true, but me thinks left hand pitchers like Lannan will be worth it to some team esp as injuries loom.
    Cubs and other teams still have a need for pitching.
    Check out the red sox and yankee pitching staff. Think they can use some help and can afford 5 mill/

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  136. If every trade rumor were true, they would play pickup games to field a team.

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  137. what the sideline reporter just said and $4 will get you a cup of some exotic fluid at starbucks

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  138. 0-0, after 2.

    I suppose we should add: "and the double-no-no is still going" ;-)

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  139. Is it me, or should Lombardozzi let his hair grow?

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  140. Are we on some kind of time limit for this game? Seems like some softball type speed-up rules are in effect.

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  141. Navy Nats.. I was thinking more along the lines of Trades, not game prep - your right - the prep for DeRo vs Zim would be a lot shorter.

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  142. another probleme with lannan is he went to syracuse and got rocked his first two starts..better the third..but if you want to pitch in the majors you cant go to the minors and get crushed..why would anyone trade for a aaa pitcher who stinks?

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  143. Sect 3...There are some teams that could use a number 3-4 starting pitcher. I agree, we are not one of them but we are blessed.
    S from B, No BS, exactly, might as well get something for Lannan. He grew up a big Mets fan....now Mike Pelfrey, Mets Pitcher, just got injured...Give LannEn his day.

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  144. Well, at least Gio hit the ball, which is more than Lombo or Desi could say there.

    Baja 3, still nada.

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  145. Wow -- Nats doing their best to make Clayton Richard look like an All-Star. Clayton retires the side 1-2-3 with 2 K's, throwing just 8 pitches, all of them strikes. The only one to _not_ strike out was Gio (who, btw, has not struck out once this year).

    OTOH, it was our 8-9-1 batters. But, still . . . just sayin'

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  146. What's A Nat to Do,
    Agreed.
    So who would you trade Jackson/Wang for from your post at 10:18

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  147. jiffywax..lannan has had many days..and he gets pulled after 5 2/3...a bullpen killer

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  148. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  149. SFB, I'm speechless...you get the last post

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  150. Jeff, I like the guy, but *I'm* not the one who doesn't want him. Blame the 30 GMs, not me.

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  151. Chris Dinorfia gets a ground ball up the middle for the Pad's first hit, but that's it.

    Worse than nothing, through three. 0-0.

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  152. PFB...where are you getting your info from....have seen who the starting pitching for teams like the sox/Yanks/Mets.

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  153. Gio apparently doesn't even need the spacious outfield of Petco. Not a single ball hit to the outfield (except for the single). All ground-outs, pop ups, line outs, and K's for Gio.

    And after 3: 0-0. Pads have the only hit in the game so far.

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  154. Jeff, if the Nats were to patterson him, which they won't do, but if they did, yes, there are teams that would take him for the ML minimum, with the Nats paying the rest of it. But that's not the circumstances we have. He comes as-is, and if Rizzo could have moved him, he would have. He tried.

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  155. If so many teams have such bad starting pitching and none have made an offer to Rizzo good enough to get rid of a $5 million a year AAA pitcher, what does that tell you?

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  156. Can we start a petition to get the other Eckstein brother to be our hitting coach...or better yet, use the $150,000 salary he is getting on giving the first 25,000 fans in attendance a free $6.00 hot dog!!!

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  157. We'll see, PFB. The season is young...there will be buyers as staffs start to wear down. You can't have enough pitching but there are teams out there that don't have the ML minimum. W/O the Jackson deal, Lannan would be starting for us now.

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  158. Looks like Werth was just underneath that one, too. He may yet square one up, right, tonight, tho he'll probably have go down the line to get it out.

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  159. if youre gonna blame the hitting coach you may as well blame the gm, and the gm has assembled the best starting roation in the game

    morse had a great year last year, and dunn hit well and earned a ton of money as a free agent...not saying he's a great hitting coach but derosa batting 3rd? there's only so mych coaching a man can do

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  160. SFB, I don't want to win this argument anymore.
    It's ruining my karma
    you're right. Noone needs LannEn

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  161. "W/O the Jackson deal, Lannan would be starting for us now." Not necesarrily...they might have signed someone else.

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  162. If there was a market for Wang in May/June, I would be looking for a major league position player (as opposed to a prospect). The best reasonable scenario would be a 4th outfielder or corner infielder who bats right handed and has some thump. I don't do very well with the trade game, but if it was my birthday and I could have anything I want, I would like a Nick Swisher type player.

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  163. Nick Hundley isn't related to Todd, is he? Don't think so.

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  164. Great.. Carp just jinxed us with that stupid HR stat.

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  165. Gio still dealing through 4; PO3, FO3, K.
    0-0.

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  166. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/?eref=sinav&sct=hp_nv_a

    when you go to cnnsi and click on mlb, you get the above..the website lists 12 stories, including injuries to Pence and a few assorted mets, but no mention of Zimmerman..why is that? anti nats bias? because Zim is not considered a big loss? they have featured Nats pitchers a few times this year, with stories and photos...it wouldn't be much of a loss if we had comeone else to stick on there...can Lombo fill the bill?

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  167. Scott.. that article was done this afternoon before we got the word on the MRI.. How do I know this? Pence is playing for Phillie and hit a 2 run homer against the Dbacks.

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  168. jeffwx said...

    SFB, I don't want to win this argument anymore.


    Wait, don't give up so easily. The rest of your earlier statement was correct:

    We'll see, PFB. The season is young...there will be buyers as staffs start to wear down. You can't have enough pitching but there are teams out there that don't have the ML minimum.

    If Lannan does well and stays healthy, I'd say the odds are greater than 50-50 that some team will come calling. Of course, it'll depend on what they offer . . .

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  169. Oh.. and for the folks talking about attendance.. What are there like 5,000 people there in San Diego?

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  170. Squeeze!!! It might be our only shot!!!

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  171. IBB to Lombo? make him pay GIO!

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  172. time for another first for gio. RBI time

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  173. Understatement of the year by Carp "LaRoche is not exaclty a burner at 3B"

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  174. Denorfia played LaRoche's clean single into a clean double. I'm not sure how good Maybin's arm is, but I was hoping to see LaRoche test him there. Nady grounded him to third, but Ramos grounded the first pitch he saw into a drawn-in infield. Padres walked Lombardozzi to pitch to Gonzales, who would have dumped one in if they hadn't been playing the outfield softball-shallow. So the dual-no-hitter is now a dual one-hit shutout through four and a half.

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  175. Hate to tell you MicheleS but they are averaging more fans than the Nationals are this season. Last season, too.

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  176. F&I.. I figured they had more last year (they were good in 2010), just more commenting since we had such a tussle the other day over attendance. I am more neutral on the subject because Nats have to win (and be a consistent winner) to draw - See Caps

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  177. BTW, Wonk or anybody else, feel free to take the PxP.

    With Gio mowing 'em down, it's a pretty easy gig. Through 5, 0-0.

    Top of the order due up.

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  178. anybody remembers the time that laroche was playing for the Braves and kinda took his sweet time after he fielded a grounder and a Nats player sneaked up on him and he was safe.Laroche looked real bad, not surprised he didn't get a triple.

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  179. late getting in but I am now officially turning off the original sunshine Bobby - Gio pops up to left and Carp makes it sound like its a huge blow - man he is annoying.

    Wonk, not sure how long you have been on but its good to have you and "our" sunshine bobby" back.

    Peric really missed you Wonk.

    On Zim, this is so disappointing. Lets just hope for the best and hope its just a few days but I am not feeling that will be the case.

    I agree with Peric who does not want a trade. I think Rizzo has worked the last 3 years to build our minor leagues and that is where the help will come from. It hurts that Rendon is also out but I am guessing there will be a move made from within the organization. Its always fun to play GM but the reality is, there is not much out there to trade for that can keep us moving in the right direction. We definitely don't need a one year rental or need to get older.

    The only real trade piece we have is Lannan and its smarter to keep him, with Wang appearing fragile, and SS on an innings limit. Besides, Lannan won't bring much on his own and I do not want to give up prospects at this point in the season.

    OK, top of the 6th, here we go! Score some damn runs!!

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  180. I don't get trying to put blame on the med-staff here. Does anybody _really_ know what transpired over the last couple of days? Who was talking, how the symptoms progressed, and etc.? Sheesh!

    Of course we don't know what really transpired. What we do know is that several of us said on Saturday when Mark reported that the medical staff had concluded that there was "no structural damage" but that no MRI had been done that that made no sense. And now, three days later, his shoulder is still sore and he's having an MRI. So defend the medical staff all you want, but the facts that we know suggest that the original diagnosis was wrong, or at least that they have enough doubt about it to order the MRI.

    Now, if the injury turns out to be serious, I suppose that diagnosing it three days late won't make much difference to how quickly he comes back. But, of course, we don't know what Zim did in the meantime. Did he take batting practice today? Did he try to throw? Should he have even made the trip west? (There was certainly time to get the MRI and the results before the team left DC.) I'd like to know the answers to those questions before concluding that the medical staff's initial faulty diagnosis had no impact.

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  181. Hey it's looking like a typical Nats inning with 2 outs. DeRo walks and then the Pitcher Balks him over to 2nd.

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  182. Wow Bud Black said the magic words and got tossed

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  183. Buddy Black must have called home plate umpire Lance Barrett ... well, something romantic. Probably for that balk call. I thought it was a good call, for what my opinion is worth.

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  184. That did look like a balk, not because he strode too far towards home plate, but because of the hitch in the step and the delay in throwing to first.

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  185. God, I am so glad I am off tomorrow.

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  186. So FP says all the jabber jabber and Black getting thrown out might have disrupted Richard's rhythm and lo, the guy almost throws it away on an intentional walk...

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  187. Buuuuuut, LaRoche srikes out and the drama is over (at least for this inning).

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