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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER It was pouring inside Marlins Park this afternoon. |
Then Wang suffered a scary-looking hamstring injury during spring training, and those plans had to be revised. He finally returned from the disabled list last week in Philadelphia, made a long relief appearance Friday in Atlanta and tonight will make his much anticipated first start of the season in Miami.
Wang will be opposed by Josh Johnson, the designated ace of the Marlins staff who has pitched like anything but an ace so far this year (2-3, 4.87 ERA). On the other hand, Johnson has never lost to the Nationals in 14 career starts (7-0, 3.14 ERA).
Meanwhile, one night after doubling in his first career at-bat, Jhonatan Solano makes his debut behind the plate. Sadly, brother Donovan is not in Miami's lineup. Updates and analysis to come from Marlins Park (where it's currently pouring, with the roof wide open)...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Marlins Park
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 186
Weather: Indoors
NATIONALS (29-20)
LF Steve Lombardozzi
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
RF Roger Bernadina
C Jhonatan Solano
RHP Chien-Ming Wang
MARLINS (28-22)
SS Jose Reyes
2B Omar Infante
3B Hanley Ramirez
RF Giancarlo Stanton
1B Logan Morrison
CF Bryan Petersen
C John Buck
LF Chris Coghlan
RHP Josh Johnson
UMPIRES
HP James Hoye, 1B Jim Joyce (cc), 2B Jim Reynolds, 3B Dan Iassogna
6:15 p.m. -- The latest on Michael Morse: He's been able to make throws from the outfield at Potomac, he's scheduled to start in the outfield tomorrow night and he could come off the DL on Friday. Also, there's a good chance he'll end up in right field for the Nats, with Bryce Harper in center and Steve Lombardozzi in left. Full story (and CSN video from last night's rehab appearance) here.
7:10 p.m. -- We are underway with a strike from Josh Johnson to Steve Lombardozzi. You'll be relieved to know the field is nice and dry now after the earlier deluge.
7:20 p.m. -- Well, the Nats gave themselves a chance in the top of the first when Lombardozzi and Ryan Zimmerman each singled. But they squandered it when Adam LaRoche (now 4 for his last 39) and Ian Desmond each struck out. Not a good way to get this one started.
7:33 p.m. -- Like everyone else on the Nats' pitching staff, Chien-Ming Wang can't get Giancarlo Stanton out in a big spot. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Stanton roped a base hit to left, scoring Omar Infante (who reached on a double that fell in past a diving Roger Bernadina). Aside from that, Wang looked pretty sharp. He threw 11 of his 14 pitches for strikes, and he made two nifty plays on comebackers. That said, the Nats trail 1-0 after one.
7:39 p.m. -- And the Nats get the run right back, courtesy a leadoff triple from Danny Espinosa, who crushed a ball 415 feet to the base of the center-field fence and then hustled his way around the bases. First three-bagger of the year from Espinosa. And it was made even better when Bernadina followed with a sharp liner to center, deep enough to bring the runner home and tie this game 1-1 in the second.
7:51 p.m. -- Jhonatan Solano certainly found himself right in the middle of things in the bottom of the second. He fired an impressive throw to third base on a sac bunt attempt, though it wasn't the wisest decision because of how late it was. That left the bases loaded for Reyes. But Bernadina saved the day with a perfect strike to the plate on what would have been a sacrifice fly. Props, too, to Solano for a nice tag. It remains 1-1 after two.
8:01 p.m. -- Momentary panic in the top of the third as Bryce Harper fouls a ball off his right foot and writhes in pain. Trainer Lee Kuntz came out to check on him as everyone in the Nats dugout held his breath. Looks like Harper's fine, though, because he then smoked a line drive to deep left field, snagged by Coghlan on the run.
8:25 p.m. -- Well, that had to be a cathartic top of the fourth for several Nationals. Start with LaRoche, who appeared to break his bat but happily took his leadoff double to right. And then happily scored on Espinosa's single to right. That's actually Espinosa's fourth multi-hit game in his last nine starts. Then Bernadina delivered a double to deep center for his second RBI of the night (though he did get thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple). Regardless, the Nats have taken a 3-1 lead on Johnson and the Marlins.
8:42 p.m. -- What's the last thing you want to do right after being handed a 2-run lead? Why yes, walking the first two batters you face in the next inning! And what's the second-to-last thing you want to do in that situation? Why yes, letting the opponent's No. 8 and No. 9 hitters drive in the runs that tie the game! Not a good bottom of the fourth for Wang, and because of it, Ross Detwiler is warming in the pen and this game is now tied 3-3 heading to the fifth.
9:08 p.m. -- And Wang continues to struggle in the fifth. He gives up a leadoff double to Ramirez, then plunks Stanton in the elbow. So in comes Ross Detwiler to try to pitch out of the jam. He nearly did it, striking out Morrison on a 95 mph fastball at the knees. But he walked Petersen to load the bases, then watched as Zimmerman made a great diving stop of Buck's hard smash but threw wide of second, allowing a run to score. A double play prevented any more damage, but it does leave the Marlins with a 4-3 lead.
9:23 p.m. -- Pretty nifty pickoff move from Detwiler to nab Reyes in the bottom of the sixth. It remains 4-3 as the Marlins bullpen takes over for Johnson.
9:38 p.m. -- The good news: Solano gunned down Hanley trying to steal again. Methinks the kid may stick around here for a little while. The bad news: Stanton just homered off Ryan Perry. Seriously, who saw that coming? It's 5-3 as Tom Gorzelanny enters.
9:55 p.m. -- Is it over yet? No, it's only the middle of the eighth. The Nats haven't had a hit, though, since Bernadina's double in the fourth.
9:58 p.m. -- Well, we did just get to experience a nice little moment as Donovan Solano stepped to the plate to pinch-hit. Donovan tapped his bat on brother Jhonatan's shin guard. Jhonatan responded by tapping Donovan on the arm.
10:15 p.m. -- That'll do it. The Nats lose 5-3 and get swept by the Marlins, who now sit a mere 1/2-game behind them in the NL East. Tough way to end what was shaping up to be a fantastic road trip, though the Nats do still end up going 5-4.
261 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 261 Newer› Newest»ooooh! i'm first.
but (as you all know) with nothing to say.
except gyfng
I think a serving a fried fish for dinner is in order! (Or Sushi)!
GO SOLANO! GO CMW!
GYFNG!!!
I don't get why the roof isn't closed - trying to water the grass? This just seems odd. Our line up these days has at least one third to one half players that we originally thought would be in Syracuse or on the bench. Obviously they are at least holding their own out there and getting some major league experience and playing time.Question for you -- I thought LoMo was an outfielder? He plays first now? Was that always the case? Go Nats - please don't let the fish wriggle off the line tonight!
Let's ride this Solano ship until it busts.
A Taiwanese-Colombian battery.
Didn't see that coming.
GYFNG!!
You build a $600 million ballpark with a retractable roof ... and you don't CLOSE it when it's raining on a game day?
Who's in charge down there, Nook Logan?
Nice lineup given all the injuries.
I guess too many rookies in the OF with Brown over Bernadina ??
We gotta hit boys...we don't have Reyes, Ramirez, Stanton caliber hitters yet.
I think Harper can be among those but I don't see anyone else that matches up with those three (Sorry Ryan and Adam) in our lineup...Maybe Morse after he returns.
Funny stuff, guys. Another question for you, since I am in an inquisitive kind of mood. How many different outfield alignments do you think we have used in 49 games? Every day I check for the outfield "DuJour". You never know. Waiting to see who surprises me tonight. Last night it was Corey Brown with the suicide squeeze. A very nice one, indeed.
Isn't the draft coming up soon? Who are we getting? Remember those years when we all had it down to how many minutes remained and we knew who it would be months before?
swami: Logan Morrison moved to 1B when the Marlins sent Gaby Sanchez down to AAA. Before this year he seems to have had only one game at 1B as a major leaguer. But he seems to have started out at 1B in the minors, before being converted to OF -- presumedly because the Marlins knew they had Mr. Sanchez coming up through their system.
of course, our pitching is what stands out compared with the rest of the NL East.
Atlanta, Mets, Marlins, Phillies have or will have at least 2 reliable super hitters in their lineups...but can I name them of the top of my head ?
Marlins: Reyes, Ramirez, Stanton
Phillies : Victorina, Howard when healthy
Braves: Heywood, McCann, Freeman when he can see....
Mets : David Wright...
Braves: Michael Bourne, Heywood, McCann
Nats: Harper, Morse, Zimm when healthy ??
LaRoche is cooling down....4 for his last 38 or .105 BA.
Maybe he could use a rest more so than Zimm.
"A Taiwanese-Colombian battery.
Didn't see that coming."
Good one, Sunshine. When we had Colome pitching to Flores, we had an "all Jesus battery."
Morrison has also been troubled by knee issues, so playing first takes some of the stress off of that while keeping his bat in the lineup.
Jeff (and others) remember that LaRoche is a notoriously slow starter, so he may just be sliding back to what he usually does in the first half of the season, but after a tremendous start.
Yes, LaRoche like most power hitters can be streaky. I suspect the day off will help tomorrow.
And I think the Marlins leaving the roof open while it's raining is absurd and the Nats should call them on it and play under protest to MLB. This is exactly how someone is going to get hurt, playing on a wet outfield that has no business being wet.
Bro. Juniper, a blogger I enjoy (David Pinto at Baseball Musings) likes to refer to Strasburg/Flores as "the Jesus battery."
jeffwx, you're giving Reyes WAY too much credit. His OPS at the moment is .681. That would put him around 6th among current Nationals regulars, behind LaRoche, Harper, Lombo, Desmond and Zimmerman. For all of them but Zimmerman it's not close
Yeah, he's had one or two great seasons among lots of injury-plagued ones. But so have many of our players. If they don't get credit for what they've done in the past, why does Reyes?
FWIW, Hanley's current .796 OPS also checks in well behind both LaRoche and Harper. Sure it seems like he's been killing us for years, but let's not pretend we're playing the Rangers tonight.
BB, And Ty Cobb's career OPS was worse at times. Reyes is of course not a power hitter but I find Hanley, Reyes and Stanton to be premier hitters like a Harper will be, a Morse was last year. Reyes can flat out hit...not with power but he is special (anyone who bats .341 and gets a batting title is a run producer.) and Zimmerman could be when healthy. Two ifs for this year but our pitching more than compensates and if Morse hits like he did last season, then we have what we need. Next year, Morse at first, Adam is gone and Michael Bourne wears a curly W (Harper/Bourne/Werth) I:(Morse/Espi/Desmond/Zimm/Ramos)
B: Lombo/Brown/Bernadina/Tracey.
P: Stras/Gio/Zimm/Wang?/Det?
World Champs in 13
Could be worse....The Pirates and O's of the 90's (1890's ;) would water down the side of the rubber that the opposing pitcher was using so that it would be like pitching in mud, put soap chips in the dirt so the pitchers could not get a grip, pad foul territory so it could roll back fair, pack the field in front of the plate so hard, one could hit a...Baltimore chop...
Maybe the fish want the outfield wet so Harper gets one less triple ?
Pinocchio dolphin, anyone?
I think a serving a fried fish for dinner is in order! (Or Sushi)!
er, not sure about that turn of phrase, Sunshine, given recent events with our catchers.
Let's ride this Solano ship until it busts.
On a game note: Go, Wang! Go, NATS!! Don't go, FISH!!
Doesnt the grass need the rain? Sunshine Bobby, this surely must be the first Taiwanese-Colombian combo in MLB history!
I am hoping for an extra striping outting from CMW abd enough run support to depress the Miami fans all night. May the Solano family feel even more proud tonight.
That is definitely some sorry-looking grass.
Doesnt the grass need the rain?
jeffwx, I understang that you like Reyes. I just don't understand why you're giving him the benefit of the doubt but not Zimmerman, when Zimmerman is both a better hitter this season and a better hitter historically if you look at OPS.
I'm 100% in agreement with you next year- things look great, and Bourn would make them look even greater. I hope he's the #1 target in free agency, and I think he probably will be.
should be Harper in RF hitting 2nd and Brown in CF, hitting 7th.
Have we learned anything from the early days of the Astrodome:
The actual dome was 18 stories above the playing field and consisted of "Lucite" skylights that were planned to allow the natural grass playing field to stay alive. However, these translucent panels presented a problem. During afternoon games outfielders were blinded by the sunlight. Thirty percent of the panels were coated with paint to reduce the problem but that caused another problem. The natural grass playing field died because enough sunlight was not reaching it. A new type of turf that became famous at stadiums throughout the country during the 1970s was developed. Named after the team, Astroturf was a green surface of nylon grass.
David said...
should be Harper in RF hitting 2nd and Brown in CF, hitting 7th.
May 30, 2012 4:50 PM
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Agreed. Typical Davey on that. Solano got a hit so Davey starts him. I guess Flores needs more time.
jeffwx said...
LaRoche is cooling down....4 for his last 38 or .105 BA.
Maybe he could use a rest more so than Zimm.
May 30, 2012 4:09 PM
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I said it 2 weeks ago that the guy needed a break and many other said it too. At the time, they could have put Tracy or Tyler Moore at 1st. Instead Davey kept putting LaRoche out there because he represented the best bat. A shame to see him cool off so much.
I'm disappointed that Brown is not getting a full shot here. Why does Bernie have to be in the lineup? Don't we pretty much know who he is?
BB, agreed...If Zimmerman can stay healthy, I agree that he can be a premier hitter like he was in 2009-2010.
Harper, of course, looks great. I'd love to see Harper/Morse/Zimmerman be our big 3 that we could stack up against any other team in the NL East.
Atlanta: Bourne/Heywood/McCann/Freeman/Prado ?
Miami: Stanton/Rameriz/Reyes
Phils: Howard/Ruiz/Victorino
Mets: Wright/????
Zimmerman, If he can stay healthy, will be part of our big 3.
Gonat,
LaRoche is simply regressing to the mean. Did you consider the possibility that he was extremely lucky when he was sizzling hot and is less so now?
LaRoche is not a .350 hitter and he's not a .150 hitter. He's now at .282 .378 .515 which is still very good.
There were people advocating that we exercise his option for next year now and also add 2 more years and I said at the time that there's no rush to do any of this and you certainly don't do it off one hot month.
JD, also, I think we have enough first basemen trying to fill in the outfield (Morse/Moore/Tracey). Let a 1B go, to allow for an OF with more experience on the roster.
JD, he went into a slump because he was very tired. He has regressed because he was over-used. No, he is not a .350 hitter but he could be a .300 hitter. I've sadly seen it too many times before with over-use. Cal Ripken is retired. Most players need an extra day off here and there and Cal did too.
I liked when Davey called it a mental break.
Solano is in the lineup so Flores get an extra day off, and Johnson can decide who he wants -- Solano or Leon -- when Leon becomes available (whenever that is; nobody seems to know/be interested). Not because he got a hit last night.
Sorry Gonat,
LaRoche is a lifetime .268 hitter and you generally don't get better at the age of 32. I don't buy that he's a .300 hitter; he never hit .300 once in his career.
I also don't buy the tired argument; it's May not August and he did have several days off due to injury.
jeffwx, you're giving Reyes WAY too much credit. His OPS at the moment is .681. That would put him around 6th
Why are you looking only at OPS? His OBP is .342, which isn't bad, but, as we all know, he wrecks havoc on the basepaths. He has 15 SB already, and has scored more runs than anyone on the Nats other than Ian.
Further, he had an awful start (as many guys with big contracts do their first year -- Werth?) While he batted .220 in April, in May he's batting .292 with an OBP of .377
How many times have we seen guys like him: because of his speed he gets on base with either a walk, or error because of a hurried throw (or a bunt or other infield hit), steals second, takes third on a grounder, scores on a sac fly, and: boom, it's 1-0 and nobody even hot a hit yet (or, only an infield hit).
I hate when opposing players do that!
I'm not saying his doing great this year . . . but he's pretty darn good (and a pain-in-the-butt opponent) despite his current stats.
Theo,
I agree. It makes sense to let Flores heal one more day with a day off coming.
Gonat said...
JD, he went into a slump because he was very tired. He has regressed because he was over-used.
I dunno. The team got a day off just six days ago -- last Thursday. On Friday he went 0-for-4. But then on Saturday and SundayLaRoche went 3-for-7 with 2 doubles and two walks. So, I don't see how it's so obvious that he's tired. I mean -- he might be, but he was raking on Sat and Sun -- who could have guessed he'd follow that with two hitless games? Most people were thinking he was coming out of his slump, no?
Ron in Reston-- LOL! Good one!
________________________________________________
And I think the Marlins leaving the roof open while it's raining is absurd and the Nats should call them on it and play under protest to MLB. This is exactly how someone is going to get hurt, playing on a wet outfield that has no business being wet.
Mark tweeted that as of tonight we will have had 5 different starting catchers and are only now going to our sixth starting pitcher.That's just insane. Well - good on the pitchers, crazy on the catchers. Let's not go any deeper. Will there be a Detweiler sighting from the bullpen tonight?
natslady - last night's pnats anthem -- worst ever - not only multiple key changes, but actual register changes. Couldn't find the melody anywhere - even the "civilians" were noticing. Non- musicians may ignore this post. There were scant few of us fans there, too. I think the threat of bad weather scared some people away. Mikey had his big smile on, though.
Isn't Detwiler CMW's designated reliever (like Gorzy is Stras's)?
Swami--yuck. My student (who has a sweet though soft voice and does a decent job with the Anthem) isn't going to sing, though. She is more interested in horses and in preparing for boot camp...
Wang wins tonight. You can bet the mortgage on it. GO NATIONALS!!!!
I am thinking that Detweiler is available from today on -- if CMW doesn't need it ( yeah, right) than he could follow strassie the next time. That would be some combination - right handed power followed by left handed power. Don't know if they will try to keep Det on some kind of schedule to eventually have him move back to the rotation when Stras is toast or if they will just treat him like any other reliever. Should be interesting.
In case anyone missed the influence of some fan blog
http://www.wusa9.com/sports/article/207022/444/Nationals-Website-Removes-Danny-Espinosa-From-All-Star-Campaign
NatsJack -- I made the same point about Zim - periodic days off may prevent dl time later on. Coming off the dl or a long absence, they surely tire more easily. Zim and LaRoche both look tired to me. Lombo could cover for Zim and I am sure that someone can play first - not as well as ALR, of course, but I am sure than can play. When MM comes back he could do some time there, too. Or are we done with that?
JD said...
Sorry Gonat,
LaRoche is a lifetime .268 hitter and you generally don't get better at the age of 32. I don't buy that he's a .300 hitter; he never hit .300 once in his career.
I also don't buy the tired argument; it's May not August and he did have several days off due to injury.
May 30, 2012 5:22 PM
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LaRoche is a slow starter and was historically around .210 in April and .289 in July and .314 in August and .287 in Sept
what is the trade deadline? how many moves to Nats have with players from AAA to the majors?
what is the trade deadline? how many moves to Nats have with players from AAA to the majors?
ummm, did WUSA do fact-checking before running with that? I ask because I just looked, and Espinosa's name appears on the ballot here, a page that is linked to from the front page of the team site. Not familiar with the influential blog in question.
djinFl. said...
In case anyone missed the influence of some fan blog
http://www.wusa9.com/sports/article/207022/444/Nationals-Website-Removes-Danny-Espinosa-From-All-Star-Campaign
May 30, 2012 5:59 PM
I tried to get to a ballot but have maxed out my voting allowance. I can only see my choices.
And the screen grab shown on the WUSA site doesn't show every Nats position player, so maybe the catchers and outfielders should be concerned as well. Or not. ;-)
Actaully if you look at the front Page of the Nationals, that's where you see the shot of no Espinosa and write in of Lombo at 2B.
I've been doing good old-fashioned ballot box stuffing at the ballpark. I suppose I should do my civic duty online as well. :-)
1A.. I think they are only showing the ones that are healthy (sigh) and no espi
It looked like the Nats page is suggesting write-ins not on the ballot submitted by the team.
MicheleS: yes, that's the shot I was talking about. It could simply be an issue of space available in that graphic, but I realize that wouldn't fit in with Internet conspiracy theories so y'all should just run with it. :-)
Good point on the healthy ones, MicheleS. At any rate, Espi's on the actual ballot (printed and electronic), so I don't see the issue. But that's just me.
dj, yes, which is what teams usually do, I believe.
djinFl. said...
It looked like the Nats page is suggesting write-ins not on the ballot submitted by the team.
May 30, 2012 6:18 PM
Anyhoo, gotta go get dinner ready. Later.
FWIW Dept:
Nyjer Morgan set an MLB record for most at bats to begin a season without an RBI.
GYFNG!
UGH.. Amanda just reported that Maldanado has a sore back. BUBBLEWRAP!!!
As far as the roof being open, the report last night was that the Marlins groundscrew was having trouble with the grass and it was very dry. That may be why they let it rain on the field. Just a SWAG.
Get out! Maldonado has a sore back?!? Jeez Louise. We don't have anybody left! Is the potential trade for the BosSox back up guy rumor still active?
I'd bet that ALR is tired. The schedule tires ME out, and all I do is watch, yell, clap and type. And occasionally eat too many hotdogs.
Did I hear last night that Henry closed a door on his pitching hand couldn't pitch for a day or two?
Jim Joyce sets Desi up. Unreal.
Cliff Lee already given up a run in the 1st vs Mets
Any updated game time status on JFlo?
NL - Re: H-Rod -- Davey said that on the pregame interview with Charlie and Dave. Not sure if it was mentioned on the TV broadcast. I wonder if he's available tonight.
Even though the Nats didn't score, they made JJ work hard. 20 tough pitches.
Beating the same drum again. 0 for 2 RISP. 1 for 14 this series. 2 Ks. We start the game at .225 RISP. DFOcus when men are on guys.
Gonat, a tweet from someone said JFlo Friday. Not that we will note who is behind the plate bacuse we will all be looking adoringly in the direction of right field. And rightly so,
Lucky Stanton didn't hit that 400
Take note LaRoche and Desi. Stanon has had a hit RISP in all three games now. What is deal guys?
Doubtful Morse will be in RF for a while. I am thinking bench as a PH to start and then in LF where the throws are easier
Oh man. The mini bar is stocked but I need room service maalox already
Why does Standon hit ones we leave in bad spot for hits, and our guys just foul them off so often. We need to work on this. they are 1 for 1 RISP this game.
Our fifth string catcher and our fragile, high-maintenance old guy pitcher in his first start since last fall. This could be interesting. Of course, the Marlins execute getting the run in - the Nats don't. Have you seen this movie before? It does not end well. LaRoche maybe needs a mental health day. Lombo and Zim hit the ball hard right off though!! Friday we could see Morse and JFlo at Natspark - can I get a "Hallelujah"?
I wish Davey would quite d?icking around with Nady and Bernadina AND GET Brown IN THERE WHILE HE'S HOT!!! He was thrashing left handers as well as right handers Davey. WTF you're starting to become Riggleman II. And that would be at the very least, counterproductive.
Good job Danny. Low and center cut in Danny's hot zone.
Danny! Hurrah for you!
Way to go Bernie. Glad to see a no nonsense approach to score the runner.
Gonat, a tweet from someone said JFlo Friday.
Too many walking wounded as it is (see Zimmerman, Ryan and perhaps Morse, Michael and still wondering about Espinosa, Danny) as well as guys on the DL. I don't think Jesus Flores is going to be anything other than insurance for a while. Solano and Maldonado have it covered.
Good call by the ump on Solano. It better be a strike because thats what Wang needs.
We didn't get a hit with RISP, but we did get a scarafice fly. As I mentioned in my note last night Bernadina is the best (not counting tracy) at getting runners in on the team with RISP. Proved it again.
Manassas, great point on Bernadina. His approach has been much better. Got a pitch up and drove it. Glad Ankiel is sitting tonight as 90% chance he would've struck out.
Solano has to know he can't stand up to receive a pitch. Stay in your crouch and raise your mitt.
risky play there - let's see what happens.
BERNADINA!!!!!!!
whi told the catcher to throw to rhird? There was no chance on earth he would be out. Poor defensive play there for sure. Marlins 1-2 RISP presently.
And there's a shark bite!!
A throw to the plate is easier from RF but that was perfect. Not even close. Nice tag by Solano. I was holding my breath with a play at the plate.
Surfers beware. Blood in the water, baybee.
Haha Jack...Wang really does induce those twin killings with that sinker...
Where are the Bernadina haters who say he can't hit and can't play CF. Well, he shows how valuable he is. No Ankiel and this outfield is playing well
And exhale. Harper stays in game.
Everybody loves Ankiel defensively but he is a black hole at the plate. Career 93 OPS+. Not an everyday player.
I just discovered something about Ryan. He can't reach balls on the black. He struck out on that pitch he extended out on and couldn't reach it.
we get thrown out way too much, we either do not know how to get a good lead or we are slow either way forget the stealing.
Matt Purke gave up 5 earned in 5 innings in Hagerstown. Yikes.
A couple years ago we had a former major league steal guy who coached the baserunners. Who was that? Seems like that was the last time we were good at it. Maybe he coached nyger that first year? He was good at stealing then because he actually got on base.
NatsJack in Florida said...
See....Reyes can hit in to double plays.
May 30, 2012 7:52 PM
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Good one!
Hoye seems to have set up a nice strike zone for Wang. This has to be a zone for Wang to take advantage of.
That foot is going to be ugly later on tonight - if Bryce can get his shoe off. He will fight through it, but that's going to hurt. So glad that guys have an off day tomorrow and play at home on Friday. It doesn't get any easier, though - more NLEast Beasts. Freddie Freeman back playing and hit a HR.
Drew said...
Matt Purke gave up 5 earned in 5 innings in Hagerstown. Yikes.
May 30, 2012 8:06 PM
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Not as bad as it looks. Tough 2nd inning and probably hasn't built up the arm strength to throw as many pitches he threw. Gave up 2 in the 2nd and 3 in the 5th.
The guy that coached the stealers was Marquis Grissom.
Hmmm... that stat about Wang getting 5.8 per game in run support in his career may explain those 19 win seasons...
Note to KZim the last pitch to Standton looked like a slider though it might not have beem. but low away is where you put it.
Remirez looked safe to me, but heck we are owed a lot from umps so I am not cmplaining.
Swift Eagle - he played for the yankees - do you think he got run support?
Finally they go away and further away against Stanton. Took the whole series to pitch him that way.
that note was to JZim.
RZim needs to move a little closer to the plate with 2 strikes.
Yes Swami, but I didn't know he was benefiting from the best run support of any starting pitcher ever (100 games)...Maybe the Nats will hit for him too
and that was indeed 2 sliders in a row to get Stanton. Well said Steve, you have said that is how to pitch him many times but that was what JZim tried to do on a slider that didn't slide which is the issue with hanging a slider.
Danny got the message.
Danny stayed off of the change up in the dirt and stayed off of the high fastball and stayed off of the slider in the dirt!!!!
Best at-bat of the year for him!
Good one MicheleS
Looked like a couple solid, professional ABs with great approaches by Desi and Espi...glad DJ continues to keep the faith...
Gonat, great summary. Give Espi the credit he deserves on that. Nice at-bat!!!!
Wow, Berni crushed that..how deep is that Gap! That's a tater in a lot of parks
Danny again! I'm not giving up on him.
Bounced right back to Peterson, that was a double and a Harper triple type of attempt. With 1 out, why not.
We are very lucky to have such good beat writers and since she is a frequent guest on beltway baseball, I don't think Mark would mind the plug to Amanda. This is just a great story about Wilson and how he is trying to help raise money for a child in need.
Victoria Cabrera
Johnson is not fooling anybody. Its strange how much better this lineup is without Ankiel. Bernadina with 2 RBIs.
That was much better RISPing. Desi got the runner to third, drawn in infield gave Espi big hole and he hit it. Bernadina aters take note another RBI. I was shocked though he was out at third, I thought with his speed that would be an easy triple.
Can't listen for a while... Reading game day. What was the injury delay in the top of the inning? It was past the point of Harper getting hit in the foot. They didn't give a player's name. Nor a team for that matter...
pitch striles. Way too many pitches per batter. Too many balls.
Come on Wang. THROW STRIKES. You have a lead!!!
Looks like Davey is playing tandem starters.
JaneB, injury to Hanley was a spike in the ankle
What is this all about, I get back to the TV (soory I ahve to comute to the room), and he throws 4 more balls. That make no sense to me at all. We give these pitchers leads in this series and so far they fail to keep it. Maybe Wang can change this.
Jesus Freaking Flores!
Babe Ruth's dead. Throw strikes!
Uh -- Ross? You out there in the bullpen? You want to pitch for a while?
That 1st pitch slider to Buck was a strike. That stinks that he didn't get that call.
Please protect the suicide squeeze here. Try a pitchout Davey.
Please don't give those runs right back....
The ole CAN'T WALK THE LEADOFF HITTER.
I am glad Lmobardozzi can hit because he sure can't throw. that ball was in medium left at firthest, and the runner tags and goes up. That should never happen. Sure wouldn't happen for us well maybe for Harper).
I am so ticked right now that I could....
Wang gives - GIVES - it right back. Winning teams don't do this.
Manassas Nats fan - you do realize that lombo is an infielder with maybe 5 starts in any kind outfield position, don't you? And - Wang gave those runs right back....:(
Watching Wang this inning reminded me of Henry Rodriguez. Bottom of the order with a lead and couldn't find the strike zone. Just pathetic
Wang's trade value dropping with every belt high sinker...
Our starters in all 3 games have betrayed us. we get leads and they ccan;t do the job and hold it.
Of course Wang ticked me off walking two to start the inning. I hate walks.(except maybe to Stanton, but not to their weak hitters, and that is what Wang did)
Lombo just let them tie it up. That's why I say you can't just stick anybody in the OF.
Taking Detwiler out of the rotation won't ruin his confidence. Taking him out for this will.
The thing that irritates me the most is that everyone always makes so many acommodations for this FORMER great pitcher. He can't pitch out of the bullpen - well he got a win from there the last time he pitched! He needs a lot of time to warm up, it's his first start back, yadda, yadda, yadda. His glory days are over - now he's just high-maintenance.
Braves with a 5-1 lead and Hudson falls apart and Venters relieves and promptly gives up a RBI single. Whens the last time you have seen Venters come in for the 6th inning?
Want was just like Henry in this inning except no wild pitches. We ride Henry we need to ride Wang just the same. Probably will bat for him.
I do know Lombo is an infielder. still can throw to thrid.
You get a two-run lead and you allow two walks and an RBI single by the pitcher. Is that good?
Why is Wang batting when you have other relievers? Come on Davey. Tomorrow is a day off. Bring in Perry.
Great Post Swami! That's what I meant about the 5.8 runs...A lot of pitchers can win with that. I've never understood the organization's infatuation with this guy...but one start is not a season, and Miami has a great line up. I always hold out hope...
If you have a MLB outfielder playing LF then CMW, and the Nats, are still leading 3-1. Yes Wang walked the two, but he pitched good enough to get out of the inning without giving up a run.
Lombo didn't let them tie it up Joe...that is on the coaching staff for having him too deep with a pitcher hitting and on Wang for walking the first two hitters. Give me a break!!! That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Do you really think Morse makes that play???
Maybe Bam-Bam can hit one Bye-Bye
I agree with F&I. That was on the outfield positioning which I think is Bo Porter's job to move them around and against a LH pitcher the book says move in your Leftfielder
Advise to harper. Keep hitting them hard. Evntually they will not be within reach, though it seems teams fieled against us better than we field against them.
Seamhead Lombo didn't give the Marlins first and second with no outs. Give it to them.
I don't like Lombo in LF either, but Wang has built his rep by getting out of jams with ground balls. He's not doing that, the runs tonight are on him, not Lonbo...
Tell me why Wang is still pitching? Why? What goes through Davey's mind sometimes.
You should have been double barrel with Detwiler and a RH up and Wang should have been pinch-hit for.
Tomorrow is a day-off. Come on Davey. Manage!
Uh Oh.... R Zim may be a target next AB
Oy. Day off tomorrow. Bring in Det now. That's my vote.
I am really frustrated that Wang hit for himself right now -- but I am so impressed by Lombardozzi, Bryce and Solano. By all rights they should all three be in Syracuse but they are up here battling and playing hard and learning. It is just so much fun to watch them. Bryce hits the ball just soooo hard! Lombo is just a smart, gritty baseball player. Solano has an arm and passion. Quality guys. It's sometimes hard for me to chill out and realize that we are in first place and really shouldn't be with the losses we have taken and who is playing these games. Bernie having himself a game, too. If they can just hold on and keep battling....
Don't like the way this game is unfolding. Feels like I've seen this before and it doesn't have a good ending.
Gonat said...
Why is Wang batting when you have other relievers? Come on Davey. Tomorrow is a day off. Bring in Perry.
May 30, 2012 8:45 PM
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By the way, I wrote this 15 minutes ago before the top of the 5th.
I am sick and tired of throwing away win-able games.
Sometimes I think Davey would pitch to Henry Aaron to avoid pitching to Mike Lum.
Hey Ross.. remeber that win CMW vultured off you last week. Time to repay that ....
So now you bring Ross in? When there is a big, bad jam? What ever happened to letting guys start with a clean inning? So you demote him and then his first time out of the pen you put him in this situation? Come on! This had to have been the plan to piggyback them. Tomorrow is a day off! Sheesh.....
Our #5 pitchers are not helping this team.
Expos! Get a hold of yourself ! See the win. It's even. Wang is out. Det is going to focus hard now. We are wearing down Johnson. We are the new Nats. We win this game.
Look at Ross as a reliever. 95 on the 4 seam. Its all about stamina with him.
4 pitch walk to a .205 left-handed hitter? WTH is going on here?
Davey Davey Davey, this is on you tonight.
JaneB the past 2 days have reminded me very well of the old Nats against the Marlins.
I don't think it should come as a surprise the way CMW pitched tonight. His numbers at AAA were not great
When the Braves had to change catchers last weekend their announcers talked about how smart the pitcher was to slow the pace down. Not the catcher you are used to.
Well how many different catchers has Det had the last month. Seems he always got the relief catcher of the week. How much does that throw off a pitcher ? NJ?
Lucky to only be losing by 1. I just don't know how Davey and his staff get a "pass" on the horrible coaching decisions tonight.
A bounce our way!!!!
We got them now.
djinFL., yes, it makes a difference but not in that situation. Ross didn't throw strikes.
It could have been so much worse.
Who induces the most GIDPs on our staff, either starting or BP? I figure one of you knows off the top of your head.
Watch out Zimm, they may want payback
What is it with Zim not getting outside plate coverage. Johnson went right back to the outside and got him on a harmless grounder.
Wait, there's a D. Bently concert at Nats Park next week? Gee, why haven't they mentioned that on TV this year?
Desmond with a walk?
Lucky to get out of that mess with only one run scoring. But then the "heart"? of our order eases things up on the opposing pitcher instead of bearing down on him. djinFl -- I have been thinking that the catching carousel has been tough on the staff.FP always says -- "good teams answer" - we'll see...
and Espi follows up with a vintage lousy Espi at-bat.
Swift Eagle -lol
Doesn't Bryce drive a Dierks-Bentley?
They have started publicizing the next concert now. Make sure you pay attention - you will have the info memorized in about two games.
Last inning if Davey pinch-hit for Wang he wouldn't even had needed a double switch with Wang as the 1st batter.
I'm still upset about the decisions in this game, but all in all, Wang fell apart on the team.
Gameday froze! And I know it isn't a rain delay. Did we get six runs or something?
Derek Holland gives up 8 runs in 1.2 innings tonight and the 1st reliever gives up 7 in the 3rd. Texas losing 15-0 to Seattle in the 3rd
So Gonat.. what you are saying is things could be worse. Right?
Jane, alas no. Still 4-3, Marlins up, 1 on, 1 out, bottom 6.
Jane B.. Still 4-3, Fish Bottom of 6th. 2 out.Det just picked off Reyes at first
Det just picked Reyes off first.
Seriously, what was Reyes thinking? Just arrogant.
Michele, call it a wash?
Sofa.. Yup...
Anyway we can get Mark to leave the press box so we can score some runs?
MicheleS said...
So Gonat.. what you are saying is things could be worse. Right?
May 30, 2012 9:21 PM
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Oh yes. I don't even think the offensive minded Rangers can come back from that deficit.
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