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US Presswire file photo The Nationals look for a series victory this afternoon at Miller Park. |
Gio Gonzalez gets the start for the Nats, seeking to become the first NL pitcher to reach 14 wins (only Tampa Bay's David Price has done it so far). The left-hander is coming off perhaps his best start of the season: zero earned runs, two hits in seven innings against the Mets.
A win today would catapult the Nationals to 21 games over .500 for the first time and secure a superb 5-1 road trip in advance of this week's homestand against the Phillies and Marlins.
I'm off again today, but I'll be back at the park Tuesday for the opener against Philadelphia and the trade deadline. In the meantime, enjoy today's game and discussion...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Miller Park
Gametime: 2:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv, TBS (outside D.C. market)
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 188
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 81 degrees, Wind 9 mph in from RF
NATIONALS (60-40)
2B Steve Lombardozzi
RF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Danny Espinosa
CF Roger Bernadina
C Jesus Flores
LHP Gio Gonzalez
BREWERS (45-56)
RF Norichika
CF Carlos Gomez
LF Ryan Brain
1B Corey Hart
2B Rickie Weeks
C Jonathan Lucroy
3B Cody Ranson
SS Cesar Izturis
RHP Mark Rogers
UMPIRES
HP Mike Estabrook
1B Tim Welke (cc)
2B Paul Schrieber
3B Laz Diaz
422 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 422 Newer› Newest»Mark wrote...A win today would catapult the Nationals to 21 games over .500 for the first time...
When was the last time the Senators were 21 games over .500?
Sorry to see that Corey Brown is not in today's lineup. He already has more HRs in his first year in the majors than Josh Willingham had, at the same age.
Those who have trashed Rizzo for the Willingham trade may wish to reserve judgment until Brown has had some time to provide a more complete resume by way of comparison to Josh.
Anyone watching Brown play CF knows he is a 5-tool player, with speed and athletic grace that Josh never had. Brown looks like a gazelle gliding across the OF grass. His reads are quick, his paths to the ball true and swift, his glove sure and his arm strong. Josh is slow, by comparison, is an average fielder, at best, with an average arm, or slighter better than average. He is no Corey Brown out there, in any way, shape, or form.
Josh can hit with power and, occasionally, for average. Brown can hit for both average and power.
The Nats tried to make Henry a closer before he was ready. He has the tools but not the makeup, as yet. They made the same mistake with Joel Hanrahan about 5 years ago, when he was about the same age as Henry is now. Hanrahan is now one of the premier closers in the NL. The Nats may try and trade Henry, in which case we will evaluate the return for that trade, if one is made.
IMO, after all is said and done, Rizzo's Willingham trade will go down as one of his best.
Laddie...I don't miss Willingham either, and I hope Brown ends up being great, but have we really seen enough for him to earn that much praise? I think way too much is being made of his AAA stats...there's a reason he's been in the minors for so long...Most likely he tops out as a R. Bernadina or J. Maxwell type of guy, not a superstar...
Win today, and Reds and Yanks lose, best record in baseball.On July twenty-freakin'-ninth, and we've got a shot at best record in baseball.
Didn't see that coming.
Pretty freakin' bueno.
For the late-arriving crowd: Go You Freakin' Nats Go!!
(GYFNG!!)
@Laddie: Totally agree. And Davey/Rizzo are handling Brown just right. Let him get enough seasoning in minors, then spot him against mediocre Pitchers so he has the best chance of success.
Brown for Willy would have been a good trade just by itself. Don't forget Willy's history of injuries. Plus his age. If/when MPH Rod matures, I agree it might be one of Rizzo's best (although the best still is Mickey Morse for Langershlang, straight up). Close second: Gio for those four kids. I'm in the minority here, but I think the AL will catch up to Tommy Milone.
honestly I miss Hammer's bat. When fit, he is an on-base machine and he has solid power. this season is likely his career year but boy, is he on fire. I bet he is top five hitter in AL right now. I hope he stays put in Minnesota.
Coming back to return for Hammer's trade, I think it is still early to judge. We have both HRod and Brown under control for few more seasons and time to evaluate that trade.
While going over AL's hitters, how can Trout not win MVP and ROY? Literally he is leading in every category it seems.
60-40 after 100 games is surprising, the fact that it's only 2 games better than the Pirates is stunning!
I think way too much is being made of his AAA stats...there's a reason he's been in the minors for so long...Most likely he tops out as a R. Bernadina or J. Maxwell type of guy, not a superstar...
Swift,
21 home runs? 7 triples? 19 doubles? 70 runs? 58 RBI? IN JUST 1/2 a season of AAA?
NONE OF THOSE guys you list COULD EVER DO THAT and NEVER DID. Morse didn't even do that in AAA at the same age and he raked through two AAA leagues.
That's really raking. The knock against Brown was the inconsistent hitting. But not the typical inconsistency you see. He would rake for part or whole season than go completely the opposite.
As Brown says himself this has to do with confidence. A lot of his confidence came from his fast and close friendship with Mississippian Tyler Moore. As a result he and Tyler develop a synergy when they are in the lineup together and they did spend some time with Harper as well.
Another case where the signing of Werth HURT and did not help. It may be hindsight but is Werth the one Johnson decided to bring on road trips while he is on the DL? No, its Desmond not Werth.
Werth == bench bat.
From the little I've seen of CBrown, he looks like a legit CFer. The power seems to be there, but translating from AAA is hard to do.
Let's hope that he is on the 25 man roster next year, and gets some chances to show his stuff. I'd still have some hope for MPHRod in the pen.
However, Brown's 5 strike outs and 0 walks, and Tyler Moore's 9 walks against 28 strike outs might be disconcerting making the FO leery. Even Harper has fallen off the wagon a bit with his 137 strike outs but his 70 walks are pretty decent for the 1/2 point.
All three have to keep that ratio pretty even if they can.
Fact is, this is Brown's 6th season in pro ball, and no one--fangraphs, baseball prospectus, baseball america, etc.--ranked him even among the Nats top 10-20 prospects at the beginning of the season.
Yes, he had a tremendous half season in AAA. That merited a call up, and I hope he performs well. But anointing him as a sure thing is jumping the gun.
Close second: Gio for those four kids. I'm in the minority here, but I think the AL will catch up to Tommy Milone.
They already did. But the trick with him, and unfortunately not so much with Rosenbaum is that he knows how to adapt. Its why he will likely get close to 20 wins this year.
Excuse me peric, but Werth is rehabbing in Syracuse, and Desi is on rest rehab. Werth changed the culture of expecting to lose, and help create an atmosphere these rookies could grow and prosper in. Pudge and Werth's signings were the sea change that propel the current chemistry of the Nats. There is more to building a championship calibier organization than just stats, youth and potential.
peric says
It may be hindsight but is Werth the one Johnson decided to bring on road trips while he is on the DL? No, its Desmond not Werth.
Assuming there are no major injuries, if one were to use a model of trend projections, the Nationals worse case scenario would be 90-91 wins. This would mean the team going 500. Based on performance and again, with no major injuries, the Nats probably finish 35-27 or 36-26 over the next 62 games. This is fun!!
If they thought Corey Brown was a part of the future, he would be in the lineup today against a RH minor league starter. Looks like they are giving Bernandina the nod over Brown and his AAA numbers. Comparing Corey Brown to Josh Willingham is actually too funny to even comment on at this point.
60-40 after 100 games is surprising, the fact that it's only 2 games better than the Pirates is stunning!
The Pirates staying right on top of the Reds and it looks like the new ownership is committed to bringing in a winner. They succeeded far more rapidly than expected. Like the Nats they got rid of their AAAA pitching and position players like Milledge.
Its going to be very hard for the other owners seeing the Pirates, Nats, and A's making playoff runs while they are saddled with bloated payrolls and losing. LIke Jeffrey Loria ... none more deserving than he.
Peric-I think Davey is right with you on Werth, and is dreading the day he has to put him back in that lineup. Jayson who???
peric... the Pirates are the story of MLB, even over us
Fear and Ignorance said...
If they thought Corey Brown was a part of the future, he would be in the lineup today against a RH minor league starter. Looks like they are giving Bernandina the nod over Brown and his AAA numbers.
Sure Angel'O's fan. And how are they doing right now? Eh?
Its all about the depth chart and going with who 'brung' you to the dance.
And that's Bernadina. Otherwise, given that Tyler Moore is hitting better than Roger Bernadina AND hits better against right handed pitching? He would be in there? Brown and Bernadina provide far superior fielding ... still there's always Harper in CF again ... Davey seems willing to put out an all offense little defense outfield.
If Werth were back Roger and Brown the left-handers would sit for Werth the right hander. And Werth is decidedly worse offensively than both Bernadina and Brown. Jury is still way out on Brown at the major league level.
Your logic escapes me as both Moore (who is definitely hitting at the major league level right?) and Brown will likely be returned to the minors fo rChad Tracy and Werth. Explain that.
Not sure I understand the thinking with Corey Brown? I would think you would give the young man a lot of opportunities now
peric... then why bring up Brown at all, if that iss the thinking? Most of what you say does make sense
Peric-I think Davey is right with you on Werth, and is dreading the day he has to put him back in that lineup. Jayson who???
He keeps telling everyone how happy he will be with his original ST outfield of Morse, Harper, and Werth. (Leaving out Ankiel which speaks volumes about what he was wanted and planned for from the get-go.)
With Tracy back that leaves no room for Moore and Brown who both have still have options.
Peric, those stats are great, but are you really ready to bench a vet like Werth based on AAA numbers?
I know a lot of people want to turn baseball into a math formula, but the stats only tell you what has happened in the past, they don't guarantee future performance
When it comes to judging ballplayers, stats are a tool, not the end all be all
peric... then why bring up Brown at all, if that iss the thinking?
Because someone compared his numbers in AAA to Bernadina and JMax ugh! Brown did far better. In fact better than Morse!! And look what he ended up doing?
Brown is a consummate center fielder as good as you are going to get. Certainly a lot better than Bourn. Jury's out on Goodwin but I suspect Brown may end up as the better glove.
In any case there's no comparison. Brown is a legitimate close to the top of the draft first round pick. He has now shown why that is the case in this past season in AAA. He's the real deal as long as he can keep his confidence up and exercises his eyes with his strobe light glasses.
I'm surprised none of the erstwhile beat writers asked him about that? It often seems like the Syracuse radio guys should be here. They are often better at finding out what's really going on with the players and the team. And it really should be the reverse.
peric... Werth was playing well and hitting with men on base before the injury... one must factor that in
fair enough on Brown and a good post Peric
From what I can see, Corey Brown and Tyler Moore both bring a lot to the table. In other years and on other teams, things might be different. There is just a lot to choose from this year on this team. Although I would love to see an outfield defense of Harper, Brown , Werth - then where would you put Morse's bat? Back at first - then what do you do with ALR? Each move causes a ripple effect somewhere else. Then you bring in the complication of options/ no options. I like it that we have been able to see some of Moore and Brown. I see them as being right on the bubble. The roster choices during the next two months will be interesting to watch. Everybody better be on their toes every day because if they are not, someone else would be glad for the opportunity. Just ask Nady and Ankiel.
Peric, those stats are great, but are you really ready to bench a vet like Werth based on AAA numbers?
Given Werth's past season? And then the injury? Sure. Were it not for the contract. Honestly every was all over Austin Kearns and the guy had a serious problem with his thumb that required surgery. And he wasn't all that much worse than Werth was last season. And Werth was paid more.
And they released Kearns who was great in the locker room and a pretty decent right fielder and CF if needed. Plus he could hit. And where he is he today? Right. Bench bat. Jayson Werth is a bench bat at age 33 going on 34.
also... remember Harper's minor league stats before his MLB debut were being questioned by many in here as well as by many beat writers.
Peric-I agree with you 100% on Werth. The bottom line is that they have an extremely overcrowded outfield situation and need to do something...do you think Werth could be traded if we ate half of his contract? I would honestly unload him in a heartbeat if another team would even take close to half of that $126 million. Don't forget, you also have Rendon in the pipeline with no position. You basically have 8 guys (or more) for 4 future spots (1B and OF-assuming Zim stays put):
Harper
Morse
LaRoche
Werth
Brown
Moore
Bernadina
Rendon-still can't figure out where he fits in...I personally don't think Zimmerman is moving off of 3B any time soon...maybe Rendon goes to 1B in 2014 and just platoons in 2013 if he is up.
F and I... interesting idea on Werth, however would that send a wrong message to other potential free agents to come here in the years to come, just a thought?
I've never been a Werth fan, and yes he was awful in almost every way last season
But, based on his playoff experience, and the fact that his role now will be similar to the one he had in Phila, I still think he deserves to start
And I never compared Brown's stats to Bernadina and JMax. Trust me, I'll never make a "AAA numbers comparison"...I said he probably tops out as a similar MLB player as those 2
Great quote on ESPN today...The only thing a "Moneyball Team" has ever won is an Oscar...
Mick-I don't think any free agent will fault a team for trying to improve. Also, it is not like Werth helped us get Buerhle and I really don't see the Nats going after many free agents in the near future to be honest.
"there's a reason he's been in the minors for so long..."
Sure. Corey did not play up to his potential until this year, for whatever reason. Why was Morse a career sub, until the age of 28?
The Nats already know what they have in Bernie. He has been in the system about as long, or longer, than anyone else, except, perhaps, Desi. I suspect they have made a decision to go with the Shark in the post-season, perhaps for reasons of team chemistry or team morale. That's their call, but I would think they would want to see what they have in Brown.
"have we really seen enough for him to earn that much praise?"
We will have to see how he hits ML pitching, but his defensive abilities are not going to be different no matter who hits the ball to the OF. He already had the rep as one of our best OF defenders, and all he has done since he came up is confirm his rep.
"Most likely he tops out as a R. Bernadina or J. Maxwell type of guy, not a superstar..."
And what is that opinion based upon? I closely watched his approach at the plate yesterday. His lower body is very quiet. His step into the ball is almost non-existent - it's more that he squares his batting posture than he steps into his swing. His swing is level through the hitting zone. His HR to the opposite field, off a curve ball, was hit flat-footed, but he still had the power to drive it out. He is a power hitter, for sure.
He has plenty of speed - not the Shark's cheetah, but a gazelle-like swiftness. He will get plenty of leg hits to pad his BA. He Ks too much, but that is the usual trade-off for a power guy.
He has a shorter swing than Maxwell, and more power than Bernie. He will be better than either at the plate, and is already better in the field. The guy is solid. I see him more of a Grady Sizemore player - understated but very effective.
He has already shown me more than what Josh Willingham had, at his best.
what ever happen to Bang, bang, J Maxwell's silver hammer, lol hee hee
There is a game today, right? ;-)
Go, GIO! Go, NATS!!
I think you are underestimating Werth. Not only is he skilled, smart, and plenty motivated, but his body has had three months off, which Bernadina's and Harper's have not. If Bernie is still hot next week, Davey may ease Werth in from the bench, but if Bernie goes back to his usual Bernie self, he's at best platooning. Within two weeks you will not see Bernadina starting.
Lol Jack! Reyes always seemed to have a bad a hammy during bad times in NY, and when he was really slumping he would forget how to speak English when the reporters showed up...Used to drive D Wright nuts...
Peric
"Otherwise, given that Tyler Moore is hitting better than Roger Bernadina AND hits better against right handed pitching?"
TyMo is hitting better than Morse, especially when it comes to power hitting. TyMo has 6 HRs already, in only 93 ABs - Morse has 7 HRs in 204 ABs. TyMo is hitting 'em out at a rate twice that of Mikey Mo.
All the commentators who have been minimizing the skills of the Nats rookie corps should take a closer look at what the kids have actually been doing on the field. Opinions are just that, but I'll take the facts and the evidence of what I can see with my own eyes.
It took Brown only until his first start to hit his first HR. Morse went (what?) a month after he came back before he hit his first one out?
Facts are stubborn things, and you ignore them at your own cost.
NJ--did you see that the Tweeter is on the DL and will most likely have surgery?
question for any one... of the 15 added in Sept. what is ratio of pitchers to offense?
Werth didn't play like a $126M man last season, but it's going too far to say he was "awful in almost every way last season." In fact, he was average in almost every way--103 wRC+, 2.5 WAR on the season.
If you want to know what awful looked like last year, look at Adam Dunn--59 wRC+, -2.9 WAR.
Laddie--I'm all for TyMo but I don't think you can compare Morse unfavorably to him at this point. Morse was injured, and a lot of those at-bats were part of his delayed Spring Training and a bit of a slump after the All-Star Break. The league will adjust to TyMo, and whether he can adjust back remains to be seen.
Laddie
It's not a question of "minimizing their skills." It's a question of performance, and specifically, whether they can be expected to perform at such high levels from here on out.
In Brown's case, the fact that he failed to consistently perform that well in 5 minor league seasons gives plenty of reason to be cautious.
Tommy Milone hit a homerun on the first pitch of his first start--and he was known to be a good hitter. So, Corey Brown hit well in AAA, and I'm glad he hit a home run in his first start, but to draw significance from that is really, er, strange... I mean, small sample size? The question is whether he can hit ML pitching consistently. Since he's going back down any day now, we're not going have much chance to see until September at the earliest.
Jack, that was a re-post of Laddie's opinion, I forgot to put in italics...There's no way I would ever use stats to tout AAA players over established major leaguers...
Here's my take. What TyMo and Brown have earned this year is an opportunity to be in the mix next year and that's it. How it will all shake out next year depends on health, trades, fa signings, spring training performance and more.
To compare 100 at bats of TyMo to a proven hitter like Morse is not a serious exercise. To even consider Rendon at this stage is a real stretch. Let the kid play healthy and productive for 1 pro year before we start reshaping the whole defensive alignment.
The ball Moore hit for a HR was a curve between the belt and the letters that didn't break. If he hadn't hit it out of the park he would have been fined $50 in the post-game kangaroo court. Please wait to anoint him until he has been around the league, played every day for a month, etc. If everybody could bat against Randy Wolf every day, everybody would be an All-Star. Moore is fun to watch right now, and he's better than I thought he'd be. But let's not start planning our 2030 summer vacations around his Cooperstown induction.
Let's hope the poopy Phillies team continues to play this way for the rest of this week. I will be stunned if Cholly keeps his job after this season.
GO GIO! GYFNG!
What I love about Davey and Rizzo is they use both stats and their eyes when it comes to these decisions...
It drives the Stat-Geeks nuts when Rizzo won't put an exact number on the Stras limit, but says "It's around 160-190 innings, but I'll decide by what I see"... They use the stats as a guide or a tool, but not the sole basis for every decision...
Haladay is getting hit around in Atlanta.
Doc Halliday==> not looking good. Pretty much got shelled in the first inning, got a strikeout but it was a WP and only out of a bases loaded jam because Paul Janish had to bat (popped up).
Not to ruin a good apples vs. oranges vs. pears vs. grapes discussion of Nats OFs, but I'm just happy to have the luxury of having Messrs. Bernadina, Brown, Harper, Lombardozzi, Moore, Morse, and (soon) Werth to choose from and among as the Nats head into August and September.
Two other minor notes:
-- Did anyone already point out that Logan Morrison may be out of the season in Miami?
-- Did folks see this piece from the NYTimes Magazine? Note especially the lede (which concerns the Nats-Yankees extra-inning game earlier this season):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/sports/baseball/catcher-russell-martin-masters-the-games-mind-games.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
Eagle, yes. Davey--uses pitch counts but is more concerned that his pitchers, when they are tired, don't get knocked around.
Umm. I am getting the TBS feed. Lets see if it lasts. Wonder if Smoltz told Stras in person to fake an injury. MLB network has Thursdays game.
Great example NatsLady...
Thanks for the link Eugene, there were many examples of "game-management" by the Yanks in that series. I thought their hitters really slowed the pace of the Nats pitchers by stepping out, etc...and the Nats allowed the Yanks to dictate the pace...Of course it helps that the umps have a policy "If Jeter doesn't swing, it's not a strike"
Hopefully the Nats learned a few things...
Ah, Lombo. He put a smack on that one!
LOMBO!
Whoa...did Lombo have a cortisone shot today??
Steve "Ricky Henderson" Lombardozzi!
I like how TBS has the pitch-track on every pitch...wish MASN did that
I can't get the TBS feed, not sure why, I get the stations around TBS. Will have to check with my cable company. #annoying
Doc Halliday==> not looking good.
The Phillies are getting long-in-the-tooth and the new Nationals inspired to help his Brewers draft rules by Selig will make it harder for teams to rebuild.
Right now Texas, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and the Nats with a good bundle of high-end talent but not a lot of depth are in the cat bird seat. Tampa is sitting on their talent, not trading it. I guess Tampa is expecting Jimmy Shields to end up like Halladay sooner and so ...
The whole pitch count/ innings flap - blah, blah, blah. If you watch the Nats every day you will see that Davey removes his pitchers most often for OFFENSE. The game is close, the pitcher's spot is coming up - pinch hitter. He wants to add on - pinch hitter. He also seems to want his relievers to be integral to the games and stay in involved. We don't want our pitchers to fall apart in September the way the Braves relievers did last year. Some of that " in my day" stuff just gets annoying. And it was actually IN my day so I can say that.
Astros farm system rapidly improving through trades. So, I guess Houston might be considered right up there with Tampa Bay and Texas.
Gio looks like he's not coming over the top here...Almost side-arm on the last 2 pitches...Not good
Some of that " in my day" stuff just gets annoying. And it was actually IN my day so I can say that.
He's also doing something else. He is the finishing school for the Nats top prospects and I like it when he takes on that mantle. That's a reason why his bullpen is full. Its a really tough juggling act trying to win while developing prospects to their fullest potential but with the organization and the minors right behind him Davey is having unexpected wild success. 30 out of the 42 total on the 40-man (including 60-day DL) are prospects developed from the farm according to Kilgore. That's quite a number for a 60-win team this far into the season.
The Nats are doing it with youth NOT by signing old bench bats like Werth. And Davey is a big part of that.
Gio and Jesus out of sync here...Darling thinks Jesus not setting up where Gio wants him
Crap. Gio doesn't look good.
Be prepared for the "We never should have traded T.Millone Posse" Lol, they'll be here in a few....
Gio is getting royally squeezed. Plus - Gio and Det have big time trouble controlling their emotions when something doesn't go right. Sometimes Stras, too. They need to calm him down. Offense should be able to handle Rogers for some more runs. Bases loaded, one walked in, one lucked in - not nearly as bad as it could have been. Gio, Det and Henry can share a sports shrink.
I'm loving the TBS feed too. Fun to hear what some other announcers think of the Nats. Isn't Ron Darling a Mets announcer though? What's he doing calling this game?
I was listening to Uecker, but found out he's no fun at all, no humor, all business. Charlie and Dave have way more fun...I guess Harry Doyle was just a movie character...
I may have to switch over. The masn audio feed from Miller Park, or where the media is located, makes the crowd noise too high through their mikes. It's very hard to listen to the announcers. Very bad balance. Blue last night, too loud today. Hoping Gio settles in and lets the rest of the guys do their jobs.
Uecker's first joke..."Rawlings paid me to not use their equipment"
Apparently his bobble-head has him using a Rawlings glove...
Nice recovery inning by Gio.
Awful rundown.
My cable company says the TBS broadcast is blacked out, so I'm stuck with MASN. Oh, well.
Gio is not getting the low strike called and it's killing him.
What happened? How did they get a run? Is Gio getting any calls? Ouch! No, JFlo. He's staying? in? Unreal.
NatsLady...Braun on 1st, single to left by Hart, Braun to 3rd and then home on a poorly executed run down by the Nats...
OK, well, they will just have to make up for it by getting some runs. Usually the Nats are so good with fundamentals.
Braun walked, Hart singled and Braun went to 3rd. Hart was caught going to 2nd and while they tagged him Braun scored.
Gio is not getting the low strikes called but he's not pitching well. Flores got a foul ball on his right shoulder but he's staying in.
Yes, it was a tough one, Morse threw it in to Ryan, and Hart broke for 2nd. To me it looked as if Ryan held the ball too long, they were able to get Hart, but Braun scored during the run down
Didn't get to see a good replay, but you could also probably blame Morse for throwing to 3rd and not to 2nd...didn't appear to have a chance to get Braun at 3rd...
Ok if everyone is touching JFlo's shoulder and he isn't flinching in pain, he is good.
So after last night, and then Lombo's lead off hr- now everyone wants the long ball and they are forgetting about just getting on base.Everyone swinging for the fences. Someone told them this guy just came up, hasn't had many starts and so he must be easy to hit, right? Interesting how the predicted Bernie cool - off is happening just in time for Werth to return. Day off tomorrow and then another brutal NLEast stretch. I don't care how many games any team is out of it in the NLEast - we are going to have a target on our backs for every game and everyone is going to play us tough. There is no such thing as an easy game.
Boy, ALR has a pretty swing....
Let's see how things go the 2nd time through the order before panic mode...
Ron Darling on the TBS broadcast correctly blamed that run on Zim. He needed to get rid of the ball so that someone with the play in front of him could hold Braun at third while hopefully tagging out the hung up Hart. I thought I'd check the recording to see if our knowledgable color man and play by play guy would be willing to criticize the FoF? Or even say that the other infielders should be yelling at him to throw home. Of course not. Braun is apparently one of the best base runners in the league.
That's just shameful.
Sec 222, Agree that Ryan didn't play that one properly...
However, the good base running play was by Hart, who saw Morse throw to 3rd...If Morse throws it to 2nd, none of that ever would have happened
Swift -- Morse made a lousy throw too, no doubt. But Zim should have, at worst, let Hart get back to first rather than giving up the run. Bad play there.
That was bad baseball by the No way that run should have scored.Oh, we'll, we'll come back.
Ladie, I agree with everything about your first comments about Willingham except that you said he was an average, at best, outfielder.I think he is overall way below average. He plays more routine singles into doubles with his routes then anybody out there.
Mick,Justin Maxwell seems to have found a home with the Astros, at least when he's healthy.
This plate ump is just terrible! Where is the strike zone? It seems to change from minute to minute.
Bernie doing his best Rick Ankiel imitation.
I still think the umps like this guy who kneel on the inside shoulder of the catcher are just guessing on pitches low and outside....This guy is a bad guesser...
How in the world can you have a good eye at the plate when you have no idea what he will call a strike? This guy hasn't really thrown a lot of them.
OK, TyMo, get your head in the game. Good going, Gio, don't take anything for granted.
Sorry for ranting but this ump is just all over the place. He squeezed Gio, now he has given Rogers some quite generous calls. No wonder our hitters can't get a read on him - he is either throwing a ball at someone, way out of the strike zone, or he is getting some ridiculous pitch called a strike. This is really some of the worse ball and strike calling that I have seen in a long time.
So - has Davey been tossed yet this season? Maybe today?
Was that a flop or did he really get hit?
Why did they take LaRoche out?
I know we need more than 1 run, but having said that, i put the first 2 runs on Esterbrook, who may be having is worse day as an umpire
If he got hit, it just grazed his sleeve.
If that.
You guys gotta stop criticizing the ump. If he saw that HBP, he has amazing eyes.
Whether he really got hit or not, that was definitely not a flop!
my beef with the ump has nothing to do with the HBP call, it has to do with a changing strike zone, batter by batter
Gio didn't want to be out 9-3, so he ran through the bag...funny
wow roenicke has some nerve
Great take-out slide by Gio...Ok, just kidding
I don't see that Davey has been ejected this year (yet).
2012 ejections
http://portal.closecallsports.com/mlb-ejection-list
No batting gloves for Bryce....
same exact pitch is now a strike
Candide--LOL.
And taped handle instead of pine tar...
we will get to this pitcher eventually, i know it
come on Phillies, win at least on verse Braves, lol
Mick - I think so, too. Just enough wildness from the pitcher combined with the jello-like strike zone is not allowing the hitters to get a good read. Getting people on, eventually we will get them in. This game has been a little crazy so far.
the shark show...
I think the Fillies' two runs were both Victorino solos. Think he wants to get outta town or what?
I think Gio has pitched well.
FINALLY got the low strike! About time.
What's up with the removal of ALR?
Rizzo doesn't have the cajones to pull a midseason trade? Or does he?
Can you say inconsistent strike zone?
When Lombo hit his leadoff homer, I flashed back to that game against the Braves where he did the same thing, and Harper made it back to back bombs. I just hoped that our bats wouldn't go to sleep the way they did that day.
Still hoping.
what is up with LaRoche out, injury or.... is sunshine Bobby on to something
Gio is hanging in just fine. We are in this game for sure. Offense could show up now, though.
I'm bouncing in and out between game and domestic responsibilities -- have the announcers said anything about why Adam LaRoche was lifted? I can't imagine it would happen, but you always have to wonder around the trade deadline...
Have a feeling that Adam may have stomach flu. I checked in with Amanda, they haven't heard anything yet.
have not heard from Christina of MASN yet about adam.... hmm?
Sec222- crazy that I thought the same thing. Speculation is ALR has had some back/ side issues. again.
ok , I hope it is flu maybe has what Bryce had
Nats pr just tweeted that ALR left with back tightness.
Raise your hand if you think that Harper stretches that into a triple.
Tyler! Okay getting some offense back
good call Natsjack
Rookie power!!!!!!
I had the same thought about the stomach flu. They are saying back problems. Rizzo has cojones, and no doubt he could get a haul for ALR--if he thinks TyMo is ready for primetime. But I don't think he's going to mess with success.
swami -- Guess who our pitcher was that day? Yup. Gio. And we lost 3-2. Hmmm.
Way to move him over Morse.
I also think it would be low down to trade during a game, especially on a close knit team
sec222.. thanks, you had to remind us... lol
Deja vous all over again? I hope not!!!!
ATL just put up another 3 in the 7th.
seeing where the 3baseman is, surprised Davey did not have Espi try to bunt
What's this about the Nats opening the division series on the road even if they have the best record in the league?
LaRoche out with tightness in lower back
I didnt think it was a trade!
tightess of back could aloss be flu symptom
Everybody in the league knows Espinosa can't hit a high fastball on the outside corner...so pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!
Sec 222
After the one game play-in, for this year only, it will be a 2-3 format with the first two games being played at the lower seeded team. After this year it will then revert back to 2-2-1 with the first two games at the higher seeded team. They did not have the flexibility to add travel days this year.
Danny back to being a strike out machine. Rogers has really taken advantage of the strike zone today. We haven't. Runner on second no outs , you have to move that runner over and score. Too much swinging for fences instead of hitting for the situation.
Yes Fear, we should bench him immediately.
The wave at Miller Park? Is Terrance there?
Thanks sjm. Interesting.
OK, we got to the Brewers' bullpen. We can do this.
F & I,
You have got to be one of the most negative posters ever. You find something to whine about every day. Reading your posts you'd think we were 40-60,
Hard to believe that was Rogers' first walk. He threw a ton of balls out of the zone. Will need to look at his strike to ball ratio, but he also had lots of balls called strikes.
Those of you watching on TBS see why I always watch the MASN games with Gameday on my computer...The strike zone is often just as crazy as it's been today...Not a new development
During the pitching change I just traveled over to espn transactions. Did you guys know we have reaquired Mike MacDougal & Brian Broderick. I guess Rizzo needs some arms for the minor leagues.
It's the 6th inning. If we don't score it's not a tragedy. Morse isn't there to move the runner; he's there to drive him in. Credit thye pitcher for making tough pitches.
Mr. Rogers leaves the neighborhood.
It's turtle flipping time.
GYFNG!
F & I,
Your Phills sure look fearsom? talk about pathetic.
Sorry, Victorino only one HR + a single. O'Flaherty in for ATL and he just him out.
Come on JD, its just funny to have those immediate reactions. Davey should take his advice, bench Espinosa, call up Rivera for Peric and F & I and make sure that Werth never sees another major league game. Nothing to it, we can ruin this franchise in a matter of minutes.
Go Nats!!
I knew we had Broderick, saw that the other day. Didn't know McDougal had returned to the fold.
Designated rally killer = jesus Flores
Flores. Would have hoped for him to come out of that slump.
John Lannan for Syracuse today: 6 runs and 13 hits in 3 and a third. wow.
JD - rogers didn't make tough pitches. He made pitches out of the zone that were either called strikes or swung at because the ones before it were called strikes. He threw pitches all over the place today. It didn't matter because the strike zone was so random. I also watch with gameday, swift eagle, and you are not ever going to convince me that it's always this bad. This was one of the worst I have seen - so bad that it has affected the course of the game. Not a panic reaction because we are behind, either, just offended as life-long fan of the game.
C'mon Gio !!
I am only upset with gio for letting it get to him. He probably threw more strikes than rogers did.
Game on the line now.
Not a gold star day for umpiring. Both teams are angry.
He was out at 1st.
The walk to Ransom made this inning for the Brewers. Brain fart for Gio.
league needs to fine this umpiring crew... Esterbrook and gang need to give their pay checks back
both teams deserve better!!
Another upside to watching TBS. No Luna or W.B. Mason ads. But theirs are getting old too.
Lombo made in incredible effort. Offense needs to make them pay.
JD, doesn't matter about Lannan in Syracuse, he could have thrown batting practice. His job today was to throw enough pitches and not get injured.
still very doable to come back
Good start.
Some plate discipline and occasional small ball. Two things I hope the Nats will improve upon come October.
do not want to see Esterbrook umpire another Nats game and I assume he will not be doing a any post season?
Lombo is SO clutch. Now we got the boppers coming up.
Yes, the Nats are going to continue to see squeeze plays, steals, intentional run downs, and other forms of small ball b/c the pitchers are just so difficult to hit....
lets go Bryce!!!
Double-steal, if Livo's not careful.
Another in a long line of exhibits about how bad many of the umpires are. And I never see any post-season news releases about any of these moles not being renewed.
How many times have we've seen Livo this year?!
OK... this is the inning!!
OK, never mind the steal... :) :)
Stay back Ryan, going to see a lot of slop here...
Really? Double play, Ryan?
Just awful!!!
Notice how each team handled the bases loaded situation. We have not been good with the situational hitting today. Moving over, then getting in.
bummer of an inning
Does the league ever review some of these calls and discipline thes umps? What a joke.
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