US Presswire photo Stephen Strasburg struck out eight over six strong innings. |
Hitting highlight: Moore earned his promotion to the major leagues by crushing home runs left and right in the minors, including 31 each of the last two seasons. But he had yet to connect in his limited opportunities in the big leagues. Until today. Getting his first chance to start at first base with Adam LaRoche given a day off, Moore showed off his power in a big way. He delivered his first career homer in the fourth (a two-run blast to left) and then hammered a solo shot to center in the sixth. Throw in his two-run double in the second, and Moore wound up driving in the Nationals' first five runs of the day.
Pitching highlight: Five days after his 119-pitch, 13-strikeout effort in Boston, there was some question what Strasburg would have left in the tank this afternoon. Turns out he had more than enough to turn in another quality start. The right-hander did serve up a homer to Jose Bautista in the third inning, but he rebounded to retire 10 of the last 12 batters he faced. At only 89 pitches through the sixth, Strasburg could have returned for another inning -- and he certainly appeared to want to come back out -- but Davey Johnson decided not to take any chances and pulled his ace after a perfectly acceptable, eight-strikeout performance.
Key stat: Strasburg has now made 30 career starts in the big leagues, roughly the equivalent of a full season. His totals: a 14-5 record, 2.50 ERA, 169 innings, 131 hits, 216 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Up next: After a day off following their wildly successful road trip, the Nationals open one of the biggest homestands in team history when the Yankees and Rays come to town. Gio Gonzalez faces Phil Hughes in Friday's 7:05 p.m. series opener against New York at Nationals Park.
108 comments:
Wow. Just wow. Bring on the Evil Empire!
Bring on the Yankees!
Nattydread
Mark, is this your first Instant Analysis of an away game you didn't attend? In addition to enjoying your inimitable summary of the action, we don't have to deal with the 200 comment limit on the last post anymore. I commend you Sir.
What is it with first base?
* Morse moves to first and explodes in 2011
* LaRoche comes back from an injury and explodes in 2012
* DeRosa fills in at first and explodes before his injury
* Moore fills in at first and has the game of his life
Maybe we need to rotate Zim and Espi to first to get them going. Who knew it was this easy??
I am a problem solver!
GYFNG!!!!
Mark ---
Very fast as usual. Did you watch this one at home with the baby and a cold beer?
Nattydread
A wonderful road trip. Lets show the Yankees that D.C. is the capital, not New York!
pRAA, if asking Mark to delete someone who was using my Steve M. name is the same in your mind as asking for a comment to be deleted then guilty, you got me. Sheesh.
Holy Toledo! Bring on the Yanks!
Bring on those Damn Yankees!!!
GYFNG!!!!
NatsJack, thanks as always for having my back. I didn't know I pissed in pRAAs Fruit Loops.
So if I save $20 a week through the end of September, that gives me $300 for World Serious tickets. May need to save more.
Hey , guys - save some of those runs for Jordan?
I know a few were concerned about Stras having pitched more than usual last start, glad those fears didn't become reality. Even his mistake pitches just looked like challenge fast balls. Impressive!!!
So we're getting Hughes, Pettitte, and Nova. There's really no reason the Nats can't win at least two of those games. And Zim vs. Pettitte should be quite a show on Saturday.
Tyler Moore just interviewed on MLB. Said Lidge went and got his first home run ball. Kudos to Lidge. Said he has not talked to anyone, including family. He will not turn his phone back on until he is in the states, roaming charges to costly.
NatsJack, nothing like a good road trip!
So in our trip through the NL East, we miss Beckett, Morrow gets hurt, and we miss Sabathia. Nice. Anyone know how the Rays' rotation is lining up? Price and Hellickson and pitching like gangbusters this year, and Moore and Shields are no picnic.
"roaming charges to costly"
Spoken like a true rookie.
Ghost Of Steve M. said...
pRAA, if asking Mark to delete someone who was using my Steve M. name is the same in your mind as asking for a comment to be deleted then guilty, you got me. Sheesh.
Perhaps it was your lapdog Gonat or maybe NatsJack who had every comment I made last week that expressed an opinion counter to yours deleted. Same difference.
At least 2/5ths if not 3/5ths of the Yankees' starting rotation isn't good enough to pitch for the Nats.
Speaking of Beckett, I bet he wishes he'd thought to say "That's a clown question, bro" a few times last September. Y'think?
what Swami said ...
pRAA.... If anybody deleted your comments, it was Mark himself. I haven't had any direct communication with Mark since April.
Great call by Davey to pull Stras. Love watching him pitch and will love it even more when he's able to go deep into the season because of good decisions like this.
Also, big props to the rook. One he'll remember for a while.
Wish we were in the AL East now! (Might change my mind on that next week.)
NatsJack in Florida said...
pRAA.... If anybody deleted your comments, it was Mark himself. I haven't had any direct communication with Mark since April.
June 13, 2012 4:20 PM
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Me neither and I don't even know what he is talking about. Maybe Mark can chime in.
What NatsNut said......
NatsJack.....I'm thinking of going to ATL myself, Saturday game most likely and possibly Friday. Got to talk to the boss about that one.
SF Nats -- I'd trade Wang for C.C. but that's about it. You?
SF Nats -- Position players is another story....
pRAA, they are good friends and like them I really don't know about deletions of your comments.
I am blessed by all the good friends I have in NatsTown and I wouldn't call any of them lap dogs.
So glad for Moore. Been rooting for him since the time he started lighting it up in 2010. Hope he keeps it up.
Seems like the Nats are starting to get lots of mlb-wide recognition. You cannot tell me they have any idea who Tyler Moore is. I wonder if the Blue Jays even had a scouting report on him. I can just hear new nats fans, or people who follow casually saying "who did you say had 5 rbi's?" It wasn't Bryce?" No - it was another one of this year's terrifying trio!!! Hah! What a 1-2-3 punch! We have to have some terrific coaching and managing in the minors, folks.
Section 222 -- I was thinking CC could make the Nats rotation as the 5th starter. And Kuroda and Pettitte aren't bad, but I'm not sure either of them would be an upgrade over any of the Nats starters. Again, neither of them would be any better than 5th.
As of the end of the game, the Nats pushed the Phillies to 10 game behind. Last time the Philthies were that far out was 2006.
Mark - does your twitter post mean we won't be able to watch Sunday's game on tv? The weekend series with the evil empire seems a little confusing - can you clear it up? In more words than twitter allows?
222,
We missed Morrow, but now so does everyone else who is playing the Jays this month (i.e. Philthies and Marlins).
And for the TB Rays, we'll get Price, Hellickson and Moore. Price is going today and will face off against Stras. Hellickson will get Gio.
We have off tomorrow and both teams are off Monday.
@AdamKilgoreWP:
Funny how subltly Strasburg's cockiness comes out. On Bautista's HR: "It went out here. I don’t know if it would've gone out anywhere else."
Oh - and I kind of missed Clip today -- he has had a bit of a swagger thing going on lately. It's cool.
Did we really break two of their starting pitchers in this series?
Jim Salisbury @JSalisburyCSN
Brad Lidge about to enter game in Toronto to try to help Nats go 10 games up on last place Phils in NL East
________________________________
This guy is brutal on his own team. His Tweets just hit at the heart of Philthie fans. I couldn't image a DC Beat Writer being so cold.
Now to settle in and turn the DVR on! Got to love it.
I think TBS is nationally but we get MASN Locally. MLB Network is showing Friday's game as well -We get MASN on that one for sure.
baseballswami said...
Did we really break two of their starting pitchers in this series?
June 13, 2012 4:47 PM
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Its real bad as Toronto saying Drabek felt a pop in his elbow. At least Morrow will be back.
I will go out on a limb and say the Orioles won't finish in Last Plase this year in the AL East.
Now I get the tweets about clown questions by nats writers.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22250429&topic_id=21753540
Apparanlty Stras cut his finger when he was trimming his nail.
The scheduling gurus put in a brief West Coast trip to Denver for the Nats at the end of the month. Nats leave from Baltimore to Denver and then to Atlanta.
MicheleS said...
Apparanlty Stras cut his finger when he was trimming his nail.
June 13, 2012 4:59 PM
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That's why Zim bites his fingernails ;)
@MicheleS
Pay attention to the background comments after Tylers first home run.
Priceless!
MicheleS: Saw the game here (Greece) on ESPN America so can tell you MASN was the feed at least for us...
regarding SS's response to Joey's HR, sometimes you just acknowledge it and move on. I think that would have been a HR in any park.
Even the young Phillies fans are tough on 'em!
http://www.mlb.com/cutfour/article.jsp?content_id=33215294
Shoot. I woulda paid Tyler Moore's roaming charges so he could call his Mom. I am over the moon excited for him!
No game till Friday night. This is almost as bad as the AllStar break. But I know they need it.
Jane, I'd split Tyler's bill with you. I was high up on ladder between two houses today, with both house's AC units going, and though I brought a radio, I couldn't hear much. Then I heard about Tyler's RBI double, and later heard that he had just hit a 2 run dinger. I told my co-worker that somewhere there was a very happy and proud Mom and Dad.
GYFNG,!!!
can i still buy tickets at park for any of teh games?
also, Zim better get it together, he is stinking the joint up, all these years Zim needed help, now he has it and now he is dogging it!
this weekend, looking at going Friday and sunday
we are BIG TIME NOW!!!! Hey angelos... Whose youur DADDY!!!!!
mick said...
can i still buy tickets at park for any of teh games?
Try stubhub.
WOW, what a road trip...and even tbs is showing the sunday finale against the Yanks....and the main attraction in this mans mind isn't the spankees!! GO NATS!! yeeee hawwwww
Yes, Mick, I'm sure Zim is dogging it. Because lack of production in sports is invariably an indication of a lack of effort by the athlete.
/snark
Yes, Zim is struggling; he may even end up having a career-worst year. If he doesn't pull out, he may end up with a season like the one that David Wright had last year (struggled to hit .250, little power, etc). You know, the same David Wright who has been trading off the NL 3b Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for the past few years? The same David Wright who is a legit MVP candidate this season? The Nats will live with Zim, and sooner or later will prosper because of Zim. Geez Louise, it's like sports talk radio knuckleheads have invaded NI.
John C., let's also remember the corollary: that guys who make the same mistake over and over -- say, swinging at sliders in the dirt -- are making that mistake because nobody told them not to. If they only knew not to do it (say, because they read our comments), they'd fix all their problems.
No game for the next 48 hours - time to bask in the afterglow before the evil empire and it's fans invade.
Wow, what a road trip. Two sweeps in a row. Lovin it.
Thank you, John C. - you saved me several hundred keystrokes.
Mick, have you any idea what the term "dogging it" means?
Someone asked about Zim's offseason conditioning. He and Lombo were at the Park in the training rooms every day all winter. It was mentioned when Ramos came home after the kidnapping. I remember thinking that's a long, lonely grind.
Also, and I don't know if I can find it, there was a discussion awhile back of Zim's training regimen and the routine was quiet extensive.
Need some help here:
Going to both Friday's and Saturday's games. I love the Nats. But I grew up a Yankees fan; the first time I followed - or even understood - baseball was the fabled 1961 season.* Ever since then, I was a Yankees fan live or die, and it was never a problem for me until 2005.
I still cheer for the Bronx Bombers, even though I can't follow them nearly as closely as I do our Nats. I'll cheer for the Nats this weekend, but I'll feel awful doing it - like I'm picking a winner in a fight between my wife and my mother.
Should I consider psychotherapy?
*My parents were immigrants who couldn't distinguish Babe Ruth from Mario Mendoza. A couple of weeks ago, when the Nats were on the Sunday night national broadcast, my mom happened to be around and she saw Davey in the dugout. "Isn't he too old to be playing?" she asked. I love my mom...
RIGHT again huh section 222? Yeah Brown and Moore just a couple of AAAA guys and that 34 year old has been Werth you worship? an All Star right? Doh!
pRAA.... If anybody deleted your comments, it was Mark himself. I haven't had any direct communication with Mark since April.
The problem is ITS NOT a made up handle right? It cam directly, do not pass go, do not go to jail from me? So, all I have to do is sit back and watch you hang yourself as Mark seems somewhat determined to enforce his rules.
If I know why you picked that handle, Mark sure as shootin' does as well.
Change your handle and stop looking for trouble dude.
Brown and Moore are a tandem set. Good friends who have been helping each other out Davey. Time to unite them with Bryce and Lombo. Stop screwin' around with the decrepit ones.
Someone asked about Zim's offseason conditioning. He and Lombo were at the Park in the training rooms every day all winter.
Careful . . . next thing you know is that some of the armchair athletes here will change their complaint to: "Sheesh, of course he's tired, he was working out every day over the winter and needed some time off!" and then start blaming the Nats trainers for that, too.
Moore and Lombo seem pretty tight. 2 things about Zim -- once last year he was actually kidding around in the dugout (yea, hard to believe) and he showed his "guns" -- quite impressive. Also - before he hurt his shoulder he was all over the place on the basepaths and making defensive plays. He can get very physical. Last year the aforementioned David Wright broke a bone in his back making a defensive play. When you have guys that go all out they are going to hurt themselves. You know Harper is going to ding himself up. And not just with his own bat.He might actually injure himself with his own hair today. Have you seen that picture? Wow.
NJ.. snorted my drink thru my nose..
Seems to me a bond like that can only be forged in Paris. In the springtime.
Candide.. Raised a Cubs fan.. Last year, despite being dressed in Cubs attire at the 7/4 game, cheered for the Nats the entire time. I put the Cubs geer away after that.
Peric,I've never responded to you vile before, but though you are a somewhat knowledgable fan, you really come across as a childish troublemaker. What makes you feel that you have to have such a superior attitude? Man, we're all just baseball fans trying to share our love, and support, for the Nats. You're no better then anybody else. Give your opinion, and disagree with others without the snotty attitude.
Just a Joe Seamhead editorial. Now back to our regular scheduled programming.
GYFNG!!!
Just a question. How many games have Moore and his best buddy, Brown played together?
Doh numbskull I thought you were no longer technologically disabled. Sheesh still ancient and creaking ... as bryce would say ... clown comment
bro.
Best thing about Tyler Moore? I don't have to care about Chris Marrero any longer.
Chris Marerro = Larry Broadway.
a somewhat knowledgable fan, you really come across as a childish troublemaker.
And you Joe Seamhead come across as an ignorant child who is too preoccupied to follow along.
Last time I looked I didn't adopt a specific handle that would almost certainly denigrate another poster. Mr. pRAA did.
who is childish again? Just re-read Mark's rules and let me know when you're done.
Sheesh the IQ level continues to diminish here.
Chris Marerro = Larry Broadway
Actually a worse fielding version of Nick Johnson truth be told.
In competition with Anthony Rendon at this point.
Marerro has proven he can hit Broadway did not.
Tone it down , folks. Last time things escalated Mark had to come in and clean house. We should be giddy,euphoric Nats fans for the next 23 hours. Enjoy it! The Nats have had a fantastic week!
Great answer, ye who calls people names.
People in glass houses NJ. But you know that dude.
Peric. if you believe our IQ Level continues to dimish here, may I suggest that you head over to Nats Journal or perhaps Federal Baseball? Maybe the IQ level is higher at one of those blogs?
Peric. if you believe our IQ Level continues to dimish here, may I suggest that you head over to Nats Journal or perhaps Federal Baseball? Maybe the IQ level is higher at one of those blogs?
May I kindly make the same offer to you Michelle? I was here FIRST well before you were a Nats fan. As Truman used to say, if the kitchen is too hot get the heck out lady.
Boys, boys, boys. Now, when the lovely and talented and dear Ms. MicheleS tells you all to cool it, it's time to put down the verbal swords.
After all, we're all in a state of euphoria here, right. Right?
I was just suggesting this since you seem so disatisfied with the Insiders. Maybe the IQ level would be more to your liking on another blog? OH..And how do you know I wasn't an Anon posting when this First started up?
I am thoroughly enjoying the replay of the game. Sadly, I just got to the part where Drabek got hurt. I hope the kid is okay. Saw the arm angle, ouch. Saw where the Jays put Morrow on the DL.
I was just suggesting this since you seem so disatisfied with the Insiders. Maybe the IQ level would be more to your liking on another blog? OH..And how do you know I wasn't an Anon posting when this First started up?.
Well, because there weren't any on NJ. And last I looked intelligence isn't a weak area where I am concerned. I think you may be confusing me with Natsjack in that sense.
I am thoroughly enjoying the replay of the game. Sadly, I just got to the part where Drabek got hurt. I hope the kid is okay. Saw the arm angle, ouch. Saw where the Jays put Morrow on the DL.
Now, that is what I call an intelligent comment. Yes its ours (and the Nats FO) greatest fear with all of these power arms they've collected. It is kind of scary ... isn't it?
ARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH! Knock it off!!!!!!! So - how about we chat about how much fun it is to be a nats fan today? Tyler Moore just made me smile with his aw shucks attitude - so humble. The rookie trio is fun to watch. So lots of nats hitting home runs this year -- I was asking during the game thread who had NOT hit one this year -- just Morse for the main characters and a few starting pitchers. ho hum - not even a small, elite club anymore. I did not see that coming, by the way. Morse with zero and zim with , what - 2? But everybody else, including the pitchers are hitting it out.
Swami... I'm really craving Morse banging his helmet as he rounds second base. I wonder what the over/under is for Morse homering. I'd have to say Saturday.
Espinosa is gonna be a force in the Yankee series and RZim always rises to the occasion. Didn't he hit a walk-off HR on Father's Day vs Chien Ming Wang of the Yankees? Or was it a grand slam?
Swami.. duly noted.
I just got to the part of the Game where TyMo hit #2 and let's just say what an IMPRESSIVE bomb that was.
Wonk saw the Ank hit, sadly saw Ank strike out! OY!
A little background , pal. I was born and raised a Senator's fan. I've played ball, coached ball, played men's fast pitch softball, put a curse on Bob Short's hemroids, went to the very first game that the Nats played in Philly, and go to every Nats game that I can against the Phillies just because I detest their fans taking over our house.An ignorant child? Maybe in a previous life. Now I'm a Grumpy Old Man of Baseball that lives and breathes the Nats, their farm system, and their fans.
I won't humor you, nor try to offer you a constructive criticism again.
GYFNG!
Morse is making some hard contact. It's going to happen. Harper, Lombo, Tyler Moore, Solano -- 11 home runs. Zim and Morse together? 3 I understand that Morse has not like Dh'ing. Maybe when he is playing in the field again he will unleash the beast!!!
I used to be a semi-regular over at Kilgore's blog until I got sick of you-know-who; I finally left - and haven't been back - when the jerk said something to me that, if it wasn't libelous, was damned close. He's still there, and I'm gone. Somehow doesn't seem right to me, but life ain't fair that way.
Shortly after I got here, someone put up a post slamming Mark for allegedly only asking players softball questions, and Mark came back with guns blazing. I sent him a note of appreciation, and he actually responded, much to my surprise. I became a serious fan of this site as a result, because it looked like the adults were in charge here.
I hatehatehate these childish arguments. I really don't care to read about your personal issues with each other; if you can't resist, could y'all please come to tomorrow's get-together, exchange email addresses and carry on your feuds elsewhere, in private?
Thanks.
A couple of things that I've noticed about Zim's swing include letting the first pitch strike float by, the way JWerth used to do too much of last season. Other posters have noticed the same thing.
Also, probably for the good, Zim isn't lifting his left front leg lately, as high as he has in past seasons.
Davey thinks that he might be hurt. OK Davey, why don't you ask him????
MicheleS - we have a friend who grew up a Cubbies fan, and she's totally in the tank for the Nats. I think she's looking to buy a "That's A Clown Question, Bro" tee shirt...
Short would have left one year sooner but there was a clause in WTOP's radio contract that gave the team the right to demand specific performance of his promise to provide major league baseball games.
Thank the lawyers.
Nice story on some die-hard Expos fans still pulling for the Nats, eh?
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Nationals+still+cheered+some+Expos+Fans/6771320/story.html
Just finished the Replay and besides the Obvious TyMo and Stras comments: Lidge's slider is nasty when it is on! I hope that is a good sign for him. I hope Beast gets on track soon. I know he hates being the DH and it looks like he is just a hair off on his timing. Slightly disappointed that Kristina didn't bust GIO on his twitter stuff yesterday.
Let's bring on the Yanks!!!! GYFNG!!!
Seriously - how long has Bryce been up? Seems like years already. I love watching him play, but he is also quite a character.Something tells me he will be regularly quoted through the years. That was a classic - and not rude,either. Even though it seems funny now, I think he was truly insulted. How do they stand him and Gio on the same airplane?
MicheleS -- Lidge's 9th inning was completely overlooked with the win streak, Strassie pitching and Tyler Moore. He looked really good and I was completely skeptical when he went in. Another weapons in the bullpen would be so sweet right now.
Well, I just got through the latest Peric vs the world tirades and in between there was actually some intelligent baseball discussed. I also confirmed that I am in the camp of Seamhead, MichelleS, NatsJack etc but that is old news.
I am really going to miss being there tomorrow but a bottle of red wine and Bonnie Raitt will be a decent excuse. I will toast all of my immaginary friends (as well as Wonk & Michelle & Nats Jack who I have actually met).
As usual, I skipped the in-game comments, hope it didn't get bad in there as well. MichelleS, you nailed it on Lidge & like Swami, I was hoping Davey had someone else warming up when he entered. He was a force in ST and if he can come in and handle the 7th then its even better for Clip & Storen.
I have been retired for over 3 years now and this might have been one of those "aha" moments when I could just stay home, not go to the gym, work out in the yard and listen to pure heaven as Charlie & Dave helped me enjoy a beautiful day. I also got to go in at various times and watch (man is dvr great!)the plays I needed to see again like Moore's first 2 rbi's and his home runs.
Have fun tomorrow Nats Insiders and thanks again Mark for all you do. Candide, like you, Mark has answered both of my emails and that is just so impressive.
Go Nats!! & Go NatsInsider!!
Yanks nip Atlanta 3-2! That makes the Nats' lead five games and in soul possession of first place.
With all due respect to MicheleS, that's worth at least a lower case "wooo-hooo!!"
(Copyright, MicheleS, 2011).
Look, until you all stop engaging these unfortunates, and until Mark simply deletes them mercilessly, they will continue to foul the nest. There is no alternative. Ignore them without exception, or live with it.
I understand sofa but every now and then a decent valuable baseball point will be made by Mr. Know it All, so I will live with it. pfb how this season is going!!
Just realized the 5 game lead that the Nats have over the tied for second place Braves and Mets is the widest margin of any current division leader!
Now our 6 game winning streak will go up against the Yanks 6 game winning streak. Let's make ours a 9!
Swami, I think Bryce and Gio on the same airplane may actually be a part of why we're in first place! That's a barrel of monkeys in action.....
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