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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Space Coast Stadium hosts its final game of the spring today.
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All the regulars will get one or two at-bats today, Davey Johnson said, except for Jayson Werth, who is sitting this one out after getting hit with a pitch in the funny bone yesterday. He's fine and should play tomorrow against the Yankees in D.C., but they figured no sense taking a chance today. Bryce Harper's thumb also appears to be fine, and he is in the lineup today, hoping not to get jammed too badly on any pitches.
Gio Gonzalez is on the mound for the Nationals, his final tune-up before he faces the Marlins for real on Wednesday. He's opposed today by somebody named Domingo Tapia. Your guess is as good as mine.
ESPN has today's game on the air, and it is available in the Washington area. I'll, of course, have plenty of updates here as well...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Space Coast Stadium, Viera
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN
Radio: None
Weather: Sunny, 65 degrees, Wind 8 mph out to CF
NATIONALS
CF Denard Span
RF Roger Bernadina
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
LHP Gio Gonzalez
METS
LF Collin Cowgill
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Lucas Duda
RF Mike Baxter
3B Zach Lutz
CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
C Anthony Recker
SS Omar Quintanilla
RHP Domingo Tapia
1:08 p.m. -- And we're underway on a beautiful, 67-degree afternoon in Viera. You know what will be even more beautiful, though? Nationals Park on Monday.
1:17 p.m. -- Kind of an eventful first inning for Gio Gonzalez, though the end result was a zero on the board. He struck out both Collin Cowgill and Zach Lutz but in between allowed a broken-bat single to Daniel Murphy, a long flyball to Lucas Duda and a walk to Mike Baxter. There were also several borderline pitches called balls by plate umpire Paul Nauert, which drew the ire of the fans here. After all that, it's still scoreless.
1:30 p.m. -- That swollen thumb sure doesn't seem to be affecting Bryce Harper, huh? He just singled again in the bottom of the first, the 11th straight time he's reached base (10 hits, 1 walk). Ho-hum.
2:03 p.m. -- Adam LaRoche hasn't had a great spring, but he's certainly gotten hot over the last week or so. He just belted his fourth homer, a towering blast to right to put the Nats up 1-0 in the bottom of the second. Moments later, Danny Espinosa continued his torrid spring with his own blast to right-center. That puts the Nats up 2-0. ... Wait, make it 3-0 as Denard Span scores Kurt Suzuki with a base hit to left. ... Wait, make it 4-0 as Harper drives in Gonzalez with a sac fly (though that ends his streak at 11). The Nats are really fileting Tapia today, huh?
2:17 p.m. -- It looks like all the Nats starters (other than Gonzalez and Suzuki) are done for the day after three innings and two at-bats. Next stop: Washington, D.C. Still 4-0 as we go to the fourth.
2:27 p.m. -- And now Gio is done for the day (and the spring). His final line: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 66 pitches, 39 strikes. Good stuff from the lefty. And with that, I am outta here. I need to head to Orlando to tape tonight's debut episode of "The Baseball Show" on Comcast SportsNet. More details coming on the blog later this afternoon, but be sure to tune in at 11 p.m. tonight and every Thursday night this season to watch the show. It's been a blast -- talk to you all from Washington!
83 comments:
Hooray- it's finally the last ST game!!!!
Bryce is part of the foxhole crew, that says he's fine even when he's hurting.
He could have a broken leg and a fractured right arm and he'd still say he's fine!
GooooooooooooKid!!!! GooooooooooooNats!!!
cough, cough.. cough.. didn't feel well, So I JUST HAD to leave the office. Didn't want to get anyone at the office sick. I am SOOO Sick, I will be OFF tomorrow as well
Mmm. not sure how I feel about this
David O'Brien@ajcbraves4m
#Braves Venters to have injured elbow checked by Dr. Andrews
On the one hand, don't want anyone injured ever, on the other hand, he plays for the Braves
Go (north), NATS!
Don't wish Dr. Andrews on anyone.
Agreed. I hope Venters is okay.
The best thing about the end of ST is no longer having to follow games on Gameday.
Theo. I think you can stream it on the ESPN site
lol again @ Stammen in the Bernadina web gem.
S'actually on ESPN on fIOS, Michele
I'm watching on tv.
That ball went FAR!
And an ESPI BOMB..
La (Roche) Bomba!
This is a little out of date, but,
In The Book, Tom Tango, Mitchel Lichtman and Andy Dolphin found that the win value for a stolen base between 1999 and 2002 was .018 wins. On average, a runner who successfully stole a base would increase his team's chance of winning by roughly 1.8 percent. On the other hand, a runner who was thrown out attempting a steal cost his team .043 wins.
Obviously, the value of a stolen base varies greatly by situation. This is what I was looking at in my article on
"Theft Prevention." The value of a stolen base in WPA (win probability added) can be nearly 10% in the late innings of a close ballgame. That says to me it is worth it for relievers to work on the skill of holding baserunners.
http://ladyandthenats.blogspot.com/2013/03/theft-prevention.html
B2B. Me likey.
Yikes on the Mets battery throws.
Theo, you know you can purchase MLB.tv on a month-by-month basis and there are no blackouts for spring training. So, for next year...
Wow, not a good throw and the Zook is safe.
Taking advantage of a Single-A pitcher.
Who is this guy assuming the No. 5 pitcher always lines up against other No. 5 pitchers? Not so much after the first rainout or off-day.
This is getting extreme.
Mark Simon @msimonespn now
NL East wins picks- Nationals 105, Braves 84, Phillies 81, Mets 70, Marlins 63
Wait, make that 4-0. And don't bait us. :-)
1:54 p.m. -- Adam LaRoche hasn't had a great spring, but he's certainly gotten hot over the last week or so. He just belted his fourth homer, a towering blast to right to put the Nats up 1-0 in the bottom of the second. Moments later, Danny Espinosa continued his torrid spring with his own blast to right-center. That puts the Nats up 2-0. ... Wait, make it 3-0 as Denard Span scores Kurt Suzuki with a base hit to left. The Nats are really fileting Tapia today, huh?
Yawn. Espi just reaches up and snares that one... What else is new?
I wonder if it's safe to bring the Espi jersey out??
Such a pleasure to see the Nats on TV again. Even better to be able to see them in person, at last.
I am hoping this year to overcome some of my many anxieties that manifest as I watch the Nats play. But you all possibly could help with one really big one.
Is it really the kiss of death for the Nats to be so prominently touted as World Series favorites by so many this year? Granted, Davey, with his "WS or Bust", has helped, and granted they are a darn good team anyway, but superstitious folks like me figure that teams pegged from the get-go to take it all don't often succeed.
So, anyone know how the SI favorites/cover teams have done the past few years, as one data point? Mind you, I'll be satisfied (I think) with a really good year, knowing the playoffs are often a crapshoot, but in terms of setting expectations now, I'd like to know--if anyone knows--whether the preseason favorites usually fall short or fulfill their "destinies"
Great slide by Suzuki to beat the tag last inning but you've gotta wonder a bit about Jewett's judgement so far in sending runners....
That is one of the weirdest deliveries I've ever seen. It's like he touches his toes before he lets it go.
1a, will the Mets pitcher get a quick hook, or will the manager cast his lot with his starter no matter what?
It may never be totally safe with Espi, but he sure looks good at the moment...
pk24, I would say the same except spring training is the time for the 3B coach to learn what his runners can do. I'll be more upset if he is that aggressive in the regular season. Bo Porter was overly aggressive when he first started.
Anyone else see that Brad Peacock was named the Astros #4 starter?
Congrats to him.
That'll be a tough division to pitch against.
I am so tired of watching a small screen with a feed from a website that is giving my computer Lord knows what virus. Let the regular season begin if for no other reason then to spare my computer.
lol, 222.
I hope you are right NatsLady. Jewett really hung AL out to dry I when he waved him around the other day. Even Eury Perez would have been hard pressed to score on that play.
I think I read that the last time SI picked a World Series winner was the 1999 Yankees, although a few have made it to the WS.
DId the Mets just make a pitching change? You get the feeling no one is paying attention?
Did anyone see that Brad Peacock was named the #4 starter for the Stros?
It'll be a tough division to pitch in, but good for him. He had a rough time in AAA in the A's org, (seems like all Nats pitching prospects struggle in the As minor league system) but seems to have righted his ship this spring.
Here's to a great season by BP and a not so good one for Lannan. ;-)
Ah, a double steal. My favorite play! :)
Thanks, sm13. And that's what I was afraid of....Such is life, I'll try to enjoy the ride.
I did enjoy the Bob Boone interview, though. :-)
DId the Mets just make a pitching change? You get the feeling no one is paying attention?
Pretty sure most pundit predictions are wrong, on the winning and losing side. I wouldn't sweat it.
Hah! Look at the Goon Squad field!
Already have the DVR set. Safe travels, Mark.
2:27 p.m. -- And now Gio is done for the day (and the spring). His final line: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 66 pitches, 39 strikes. Good stuff from the lefty. And with that, I am outta here. I need to head to Orlando to tape tonight's debut episode of "The Baseball Show" on Comcast SportsNet. More details coming on the blog later this afternoon, but be sure to tune in at 11 p.m. tonight and every Thursday night this season to watch the show. It's been a blast -- talk to you all from Washington!
Chad Tracy with the Web Gem! Nice.
Boy, these ESPN guys are sure worried about Halladay.
"John C. said...
Like Ghost, I'm mystified by the allegation that Suzuki calls a better game than Ramos. I'd be interested in knowing what that statement was based on."
Bob Boone, former catcher now Nats FO guy, was asked on the ESPN broadcast to compare the two catchers, Ramos and Suzuki. The first words out of his mouth were (I paraphrase) "They're very different catchers. Suzuki is a great blocker of balls and handles the pitching staff particularly well." That would imply that he's better than Ramos, wouldn't it?
Well, maybe. Boone's next words were, Ramos is a star in the making (or something like that). That suggest to me that Suzuki might be better right now, but Ramos has the higher ceiling.
Weather forecast for Monday -- Partly sunny, chance of rain 10%, high temp of 65, Oh my oh my!
That would imply that he's better than Ramos, wouldn't it?
Maybe. But it doesn't say anything about whether he calls a better game.
Sports Illustrated just arrived. Stras on the cover. Prediction that our boys win the Serious.
Wow.
In other (non) news, there's a piece in the Washington Post weekend section tomorrow about six Nats fans. I'm one of them. I didn't think they'd cut my dog out of the photo that I sent from us at Pups in the Park. We don't take photos of ourselves at the games and it was the only one I had. So skip the photos and have fun reading the article.
Is Henry scheduled to pitch today?
I'm watching on my cell phone as I work (yeah, right....).
Gee, who was that 1B that picked Tracy's throw? Tyler Moore. Guess he can play there after all. Anyone else tired of the Halladay pity party on ESPN?
"Section 222 said...
That would imply that he's better than Ramos, wouldn't it?
Maybe. But it doesn't say anything about whether he calls a better game."
Pitch calling is a very big part of how a catcher handles the pitching staff. Perhaps the biggest part.
Who is this Holland who is on the mound? Too lazy to look.
Morse with 8 spring dingers.
Not a bad inning from Holland. His breaking ball looks good.
Pitch calling is a very big part of how a catcher handles the pitching staff. Perhaps the biggest part.
Maybe, but it's not everything. And you don't know what Boone meant when he said it. He could have said, "Suzuki is a great blocker of pitchers and he calls a really good game." But he didn't.
Section 222, I presented a data point. Deal with it.
Yup.
Anyone else tired of the Halladay pity party on ESPN?
SCNatsFan, just noticed that. Best wishes to Morse in NW corner. Hope he proves those FG folks wrong and has a monstrous season for Ms.
Ugh, Stras shutdown, they're going on and on ...
Steve McCatty answers dumb, tired questions very well. Hey, you guys! Did you know that we don't have many lefties in the pen? Shocked! Whatever will we do? Also tried to bait him on pitch counts. Completely sensible, logical answer.
Mac: if that's all you've got, I'm gonna file it under "wild inference"...
I think they asked about the pitch counts due to his background as a young pitcher with the A's.
I despise watching the Nats on ESPN. Ugh. Missing Carp and FP.
HEY! My SI arrived and freaking David Price is on the cover.
You must have lost the regional cover lottery, sc. :-)
Ugh, I was watching on delay. Now I'm getting the SS spiel. Blah blah blah.
Michael Morse hit his 9th spring homer today. Go Beast!
Mac, just expressing my opinion on whether your data is meaningful to the question of whether Zook calls a better game than Ramos. I think it's a stretch to interpret Boone's comment that way, that's all. Nothing personal.
Morse just hit his 9th!
Nats fan - me,too! I want to scream!!! They had the plan but the Nats did not listen to them???? Shut the "&&$))( up!!!!' Thank you, Tyler!
Yay, it's over. One more game and it starts for real. (Ewww, that sounded kinda "Main Event-ish." Sorry.)
UnkyD, again, it's a data point. Take it for what it's worth in the absence of any other information on the question John C. raised. This isn't a Supreme Court argument here.
Mac, relax. You ended your quote of the Boone interview (which I really appreciated learning about by the way), with a question -- "That would imply that he's better than Ramos, wouldn't it?" So don't get bent out of shape if people answer your question and don't agree with you. We're all just trying to make the time between now and Monday at 1:05 pm go faster.
SCNats Fan, here's the link to the NIDO Spreadsheet for the drink you might want to buy sm13. :-)
That may be my first Coke! Does that deserve a small wooohooo/
Most people are able to answer a simple yes or no question with a simple yes or no. There's no additional credit available for pounding it in.
Geez, we're getting touchy. I never thought I would be wishing the weekend would go faster to get to Monday! We need a real game.
Once again I'm down a drink!
Sec. 3, My Sofa said...
I never thought I would be wishing the weekend would go faster to get to Monday!
My kid is 7. I look forward to going back to work on Mondays, so I can get some rest.
But, yes, your point is taken.
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