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| Photo by USA Today |
The Nationals will have Stephen Strasburg (3-5, 2.54 ERA) back who was reinstated from the disabled list this morning. He last pitched on May 31 before leaving after two innings against the Atlanta Braves. This is his first time pitching at Progressive Field since the second start of his career. If you remember, Strasburg had issues with the mound condition that day, but still went 5 1/3 innings with only two hits and a run allowed.
Pitching for Cleveland is third-year pro Corey Kluber (4-4, 4.08) who has really hit his stride as of late. Through his last six starts he is 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 35 innings.
Enjoy the game...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CLEVELAND INDIANS
Where: Progressive Field
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, WUSA-9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500)
Weather: Rainy, 75 degrees (60% chance of rain)
NATIONALS (34-33)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
DH Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
3B Chad Tracy
C Jhonatan Solano
LF Roger Bernadina
(RHP Stephen Strasburg)
INDIANS (33-34)
CF Michael Bourn
SS Mike Aviles
2B Jason Kipnis
DH Carlos Santana
LF Michael Brantley
1B Mark Reynolds
C Yan Gomes
3B John McDonald
RF Drew Stubbs
(RHP Corey Kluber)
UMPIRES
HP Dan Iassogna
1B Mark Carlson
2B Gerry Davis (cc)
3B Brian Knight
423 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 423 Newer› Newest»I predict a six pitch inning.
Slowest man on the planet except for Morse. 2 pitches.
oh but the shark does have 4 rbis this year... on pace for 20 in a full season.
LaRoche gets the ofer for the series. That doesn't help things.
This team needs Harper back in the worst way.
" I predict a six pitch inning."
Well they do have a flight to Philly to catch. Certainly have played like they're more interested in that than winning a ball game today.
Game over.
well we can hit sac flys but not just with runners in scoring position.
Easily the most frustrating game of the year. Have we finally reached rock bottom? Who the hell knows anymore.
So glad I wasted my afternoon. So long folks.
Flat. Futility. Fizzle.
eddie yost
Lombo needs to be in Syracuse. I have never seen a team that gets less bang for the buck per hit. We get ten hits and one run and now 7 hits and no runs. Davey seems to have no concept of how bad Lombo and Bernadina are at the plate.
Why are you hitting Lombo, down two runs with two outs in the 9th?
Why is Marrero here?
Kobernus can play second in extras.
What the $&@! are you doing?
A runner at third three times with nobody or one out?
Happy fathers say to me. Thanks Nats.
La Roche took a perfect pitch with a runner on 3rd.
Tough and aggravating loss.... Nats has opportunity after opportunity...
I am sticking with 6-3 on this road trip.... Time to sweep the Philth!
Enjoy the rest of your Father's Day!
If we grounded into a double play every time we had a runner on third today, we'd have won the game 3-2. Just to put into context how bad we were.
so stra gives up 1 hit in 5 innings and takes the loss....I would like to be a fly on the wall when our pitchers get together and talk shop about our hitters
ECK has nothing to do with fundamentals like Span not scoring from 2nd or Lombo getting doubled off.
And why in the world have you decided to blame Lombo? Was he the one who whiffed repeatedly with risp ? Is he the one with a big paycheck? He is a young, part time utility guy who at least made contact.and played part if this game. It was lost long before he came into it.
BUMS.
Span has 23 homers in his six year career and yet, zero for us. He is having his worst season of his career at only 29. There are plenty of serviceable outfielders with speed who do not hit or steal bases. We are paying $6 million plus for 3 years for this singular lack of production.
David Proctor.......Your posts are right on.
Lombo made a crucial boneheaded play. He is not to be blamed for his excessive playing time, of course. That is on Davey. I would never play Lombo except as a pinch runner or late defensive specialist. He has no power at all. I know he is from the area but facts is facts. His career stats are very poor, but his stats this year are pathetic.
But William-- we don't steal bases, or sacrifice or make productive outs, or squeeze or walk the hot hitter or--- wait. What is it that we do?
And the game was far from lost before Lombo came in today. You must not have been watching.
Swami,
We do several things very well. We strike out, strand baserunners, get caught stealing and make errors with the best of them.
Swami:
I am not blaming Lombo. Obviously, today's failure rests with the middle of the order.
But when you're down two runs and down to your last out, why in the world would you not bring up the guy with power to pinch hit for the fellow with no power and a low on base percentage?
Just saying that it 's odd to blame a small cog in the wheel when the veterans we pay tons of money failed epically many times over.
Hopefully, Davey will start playing Rendon. We might have won Friday night if he hadn't benched Rendon that game.
It takes a lot to impress Davey as a pitcher, maybe Palmer, Cuellar, McNally and Dobson....
Legion of Doom making the day special
Davey mentions Denard and Lombo's baserunning mistakes.
Our most effective options with a runner on third are a wild pitch, passed ball, or balk.
I'm like the least Doomy person on here, but this loss really, really sucks. I mean it has to be the worst played game of the season, right? Just awful all around.
Eck gotta go
Yep. Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom. What an idiotic comment. There has scarcely been a single comment on here that I would characterize that way. I still think the Nats will win the division, but you can't give away games just in case you have to play for the wild card. I have been on here for two hours and there have probably been about two comments that were excessively negative.
The most annoying thing on this site are the idiots calling everyone else the Legion of Doom. Make your point, if you have one and make it factual.
Davey by any chance mention any of his own mistakes? No, didn't think so.
No, but he mentioned Denard not running, which is on Jewett, who must be the most conservative base coach ever.
Davey sure has a nice watch on his arm, btw. Is that a Rolex or Omega?
David Proctor, here's further context on how bad it was today. The hit that scored Cleveland's first run was their first hit of the day. So, if the Nats pitchers had one hit the Indians, that one hit being a ground ball through the infield, they still would have lost!
I did expect more out of Span. I do believe, minus the injuries, this is the team Davey and Rizzo wanted. Too many nights this team is flat out bad and of course it lies on the players but management did not do its job.
DP, agree, probably the most frustrating game I have seen them play all year. Its just unfathomable to me that you have 1st & 3rd twice with no outs and bases loaded once with no outs and fail to score a single run. What are the odds that happens? Lack of execution is an understatement. Really hope we don't repeat this tomorrow vs. Lannen of all people.
The mighty Cards just lost 2 of three to the Fish. The Marlins brought their closer in when it was 7-2 in the 9th (bases loaded) to do the job. Or, you could say, the Cards had the bases loaded and couldn't do the job.
We are still 3-3 on this road trip. We get Lannan, Lee and Kendrick next, Should be able to get 2 of 3. Lannan will be pumped, true, but he is just coming off the DL
Clip had two days off and Storen only pitched to one batter yesterday.Davey will have a super-quick hook for Haren with Ohlendorf to the ready. He will not make the mistake (I SINCERELY hope) of leaving Rendon out of the lineup. Lee will be tough, but he isn't invincible. We have our rotation back, finally.
Team OBP for May was .286. Team OBP since Werth got back -- . .344 (and that's with him rusty for his first couple of games). Yes, it's frustrating to go 2-11 RISP. But that isn't going to happen in every game.
I would have felt worse if we had lost the game yesterday after having a 5-run lead, because you are not supposed to lose those games. The frustration of this game was the Indians trying to give it to us with errors and misplays, and us not taking advantage.
LaRoche has got to get in the cage and work on defeating the shift, because you can bet every team noticed how well it worked. There is a reason Solano is a back-up catcher and Lombo and Bernadina are on the bench, so although I hope they will come through, I don't actually expect them to. I do expect RZ to come through, and I admit to disappointment in his performance today.
I still think it's too early to give up on Span. Span is not performing to his career norms. He has a career .353 OBP and this year he's at .313. He's a career .383 hitter and he's at .254. Those numbers are likely to go up because he's been fairly consistent in his career.
Also, Kluber is not Masterson. He may have pitched well, but he was (obviously) hittable and had control problems.
Almost unbelievable to me that all the coaching staff is just untouchable. Why do we have then if they have no effect? Davey just gets miffed because he is Gladys and his Pips are not making him look like a star. Especially with a youngish team they will need more practical advice and not just scouting reports. I could give them scouting reports
DP, re. Span, do you mean a career .283 hitter?
Yes, typo. It'd be quite something if he were a career .383 hitter!
I am certainly not giving up on Span, particularly as he is close to perfect in CF and makes it look easy. But he is getting banged up like a catcher, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a swollen foot tomorrow. I am not that fond of his being more aggressive, and I expect Werth will have a word with him to go back to his previous approach of taking more walks.
Davey might not like it, but it's clearly not working for Span. How many times have we heard a hitter say (after the fact) "They wanted me to change my approach and I wasn't that comfortable...." Even if that was the case, Span, as the new guy, wasn't likely to stand up to Davey. I know Davey likes the aggressive, swing-early-in-the-count strategy, but that doesn't work for EVERY hitter.
DP, funny, I read that a few times and thought, wow, he really is having an off year!! Love his D but he needs to step it up, get on base more and score runs which should be the goal of a lead-off hitter.
Also, if Span ignored the stop sign and got thrown out at the plate, how would Davey like that??? Trent Jewitt seems to have this knack of sending runners when he shouldn't and not sending them when he should.
This is just a weird year. I don't know. Guys look lost at the plate, even when we score runs. Guys like Zimmerman. Zimmerman is a good hitter (despite what some here may say sometimes) but I feel like the entire year he's just been off. His numbers aren't that bad, it's just a something I feel by watching him. He's not swinging the way he normally does.
Desi is fine. Werth is mostly fine.
I agree with you NL about Span. I think he needs to just go back to what works for him. He looks uncomfortable. He looked much better earlier in the year.
Rendon is fine, Harper is fine when he's playing. Suzuki has never been a particularly good hitter, he just spoiled us at the end of last year and beginning of this year. Ramos returning will be good, I think.
Who knows.
Line-up really misses Harper, any word on when he may return?
Let's just face the cold hard facts. Someone put a hex on the team.
swami, yea it was Davey when he said "WS or bust" in spring training.
That was definitely the most frustrating in a season (half-season) of frustration.
Paul-- good call.
Span has been trending down for years. His OBP for the last 3 years are .331, .328, .342 and this year, .313. He has been lousy stealing bases the last three years as well. Rizzo made a bet that somehow these 3 years were a temporary blip. I still think the might get back to .340 obp, which is at least decent, but a guy with dwindling power, dwindling obp and okay speed is not what you need leading off. I would move him back to 7th in the order and let Rendon lead off and bat Harper 2nd, which maximizes the at bats of your two guys who get on base the most.
Jewett - still doesn't get it. The rest of the club: welcome to .500 city for the year.
This is just sad. I'm sad.
That said, I put this on the managers and coaches. Rizzo has got us great talent. Rendon just a blessing. Our pitchers are great. BP getting much better with good young talent.
On a down note, I agree with DP, William O, PB
, Swami and the other "real posters" (real as no rose colored googles) the core vets are not doing well. Lombo, bern and Tracey are not only playing bad, but seem to get rewarded for bad play when they should be demoted. Put in young players that want to play and give 100% ---let performance determine who plays.
Goggles -- lol
This loss is on the guys making the big bucks. How can a KID WITH A MULLET adjust and our so called studs do nothing. The glove is great but ALR is awful at the plate. These guys NEVER other than Desi swing at the first (and Best) pitch.
wasian, I like Rendon, I think he'll be a star and he has a great attitude and personality. But this is the first time pitchers are seeing him. LaRoche and Zimmerman have been around a LONG time. Every team has a book on how to pitch them. There are two tests
(1) Zim and ALR, in particular, need to make some adjustments. With LaRoche, it's pretty easy to see, he MUST overcome the shift, maybe with the occasional bunt (he's done that twice that I recall). Zim, I just don't know, but I agree with a poster above, something just seems slightly "off" with him. He's always hit into a lot of double plays, but he made up for it with power and batting average.
(2) How will the league adjust to Rendon? And will he be able to re-adjust back as Harper did last year? I feel he will, but it remains to be seen.
This team presently treading water wairing for Harper.
When is he coming back, this delay is as frustrating as the pathetic situational hitting.
We play like the Earl Weaver Orioles except Boog Powell, Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson are not hitting 3 run hrs for us. Where did they go ?
Well if they aren't here and Harper is not in the lineup, do some of the stuff that Dave P. mentioned...manufacture runs caus your pitching is good enough to win with a 1 run lead.
One more thing about Eck. It 's one thing to have a complete scouting report, but I truly think it would take a professional hitter to help another veteran hitter come up with a strategy to beat the shift. Or to say to a young guy who is coming up in a critical spot- ok, now what is the plan? What do you think the pitcher might try to do to you? Relax and make contact. Elevate for the sac fly--- anything that will help. I know they " should" know- but in the heat if the game it might help crystallize it and focus in. In game adjustments are non- existent.
Thinking about it, actually the guys have toughed it out pretty good to be at .500 with the injuries to the rotation and Harper/Werth/Ramos, plus the unsuitable configuration of the bullpen. I partly blame Davey and partly Rizzo for the bullpen. If Davey didn't like the bullpen, he should have opened his mouth, and said I don't want Henry, get me JP Howell, or forget Henry, promote Abad. As far as Zach Duke, that was unpredictable, but lesson learned.
Davey also cost us 3-4 wins, for example the day he pulled Gio, and Friday's crazy line-up. A manager should not be costing you games.
Gio has had several games that he pitched well enough to win, as did Stras today. Yesterday we were lucky, but in general, we have been somewhat unlucky, as, for example, when Haren pitched well but got out-pitched, etc. We are easily as good a team as Atlanta, there is nothing to fear as long as we don't dig a deep hole--and we haven't, so far. Just need to put the pieces together and have run of good luck, and we'll catch up.
If I understood FP correctly, Stammen has in essence gotten a promotion to be the 7th inning guy, at least until Mattheus gets back. It will be interesting to see how he does at it.
and I don't think LaRoche is a good clean up guy. His BA is too low.
new lineup when harp is back:
Span, Rendon, Desmond, Harper, Zimmerman, Werth, LaRoche, Ramos/Suzuki
We can be good if the team has the flexibility to adjust to injury/slumps. We don't have the bench or the extra bat to adjust to inevitable adversity. So agree we need more luck and health.
We did have options for the bullpen and when made gave the team outstanding results. I don't see that with the offense.
LaRoche just seems to be the ultimate streaky hitter. The inconsistency drives me nuts. Good pitching? Bad hitting Score runs? Leaky pitching.
Another_Sam - I don't QUITE agree...this is a .500 team until Harper gets back and proves to be fully healthy. Of course, that is the BIG if right now. The club has been downplaying his injury all along, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he misses the rest of the season. In which case, you'd be right.
swami, the only "young hitter" in that situation is Solano. Every other hitter on this team should know what he needs to do in a bases loaded no out situation of a tight game. Unless something unexpected happens, like a pitcher gets injured for the other side and suddenly they are facing unfamiliar guys for several innings, they should (and I believe do) formulate the game plan in pre-game meetings.
Another exception would be if Eck (or anyone else) notices something about the pitcher that is different, such as a different release point, lowered velocity, lack of control, etc., that might cause them to alter the game place. If it is a hot day and your plan is to wear the starter down and get to a weak middle reliever (as Werth likes to do), but you can see that isn't going to work because the starter is throwing bullets, then you alter the plan to go first-pitch hunting.
Alternatively, if you are facing Kershaw and the plan is to be aggressive to get his FB early in the count so he doesn't get you with the curve, but you see he isn't throwing the curve for strikes (ie, having a bad day) then you DO want to wait and let him come to you.
Bottom line, as Span said, these No. 4 and 5 pitchers (like this guy today) should NOT be beating us. But I don't have any idea what Eck could have said to Zim today that he doesn't already know.
kk--have we heard anything on Harper. If I recall, he was supposed to be "re-evaluated" Friday. It will be very concerning if he is not activated for the home stand. If he is activated, I sincerely hope Werth and Span, especially Span, will show him some moves in the outfield. I continue to be amazed at how Span is always in the right place.
This is just a really bad offensive team. The problem starts with the two players who have the largest contracts, Zimmerman and Werth. Neither player has the ability to be a cornerstone player. A good sign is our weakness against lefties. They just don't see the ball well. Zimmerman's power is also on the decline. There's no easy fix here. A new General Manager would be a good start, and then a more rigorous approach to assessing talent. We seem behind the times in seeking out foreign talent and using advanced metrics to find hidden gems. We either pick no-brainers like Harper and Stras, or high ceiling players with injury histories, like Giolito and Rendon. This is just a poorly managed organization. We lost this particular series in large part due to the decision to sit Rendon in the first game, which made no sense. But the offensive woes are deeper than that. Zimmerman, Werth, and LaRoche are just not good enough. The stats don't lie.
If the Rox can hold it together for one more inning, they will hang another loss on Colbert. Jhoulys Chacin could go complete game shutout. Wow!!! Amazing catch.
It appears RZ is on pace to have a typical RZ year which is pretty darn good... .275/25 Hrs/95 RBIs
.350 OBP
If anything, he doesn't have as good a cleanup hitter behind him. Last year Morse and ALR hit much better than ALR today.
It was good to see ALR disgusted by the play of the team. He knows time is wasting to get it together. You can't win a division (or win a Wild Card berth) by playing .500 baseball week in and week out.
I've been thinking about Span and the run he didn't score. The issue is not whether there should have been a stop sign or whether he should have run through it. The ball was hit hard, and a stop sign was logical in that situation and of course he needs to pay attention to the 3B coach. So up to that point I have no problem with Jewett's call or Span's play.
The issue is whether Jewett should have reversed his call and sent Span home at the first sign that the ball was being misplayed, or Span should have been looking back at the outfield once he saw the standup stop sign on so he could notice a misplay and take advantage of it. And of course, we suspect Span's foot was bothering him, making it impossible to turn the speed back on if he was able to get an instruction from Jewett or notice himself that the ball was loose.
I'd have to review the replay to see if it's possible to see where Span was when the misplay occurred and whether a reversed call by Jewett would have been effective, but I have a feeling that if Kobernus had been put in to pinch run (which would probably have been a good idea anyway), we might have tied the game on that play.
jeffwx, yes, that's true, but OTOH, Desi is better and more consistent. I think Davey would move him up, but he wants ALR to break up the string of RH bats. That is another good effect of having Harper back. Not only is he a great hitter, but he is a great left-handed hitter.
Well the Yanks are collapsing...up 6-0 in the 9th
now 6-4 over Angels against Mariano
222, agreed. I'll mark that against Davey--I was thinking Kobernus as soon as Span hit himself in the foot. If Davey is not alert enough to use pinch runners in these situations (and we've seen it before) then Knorr needs to step up.
yes, good point NL, Harper does provide the power hitting left hand bat that the team desperately needs
and now 6-4 against Mariano 1st and 3rd, Trout on deck...
I hope this difficult month has taught Bryce the importance of his health to this ball club.
We need Roy Hobbs, not Roy Hobbled.
NatsLady, I give you credit; after every horrible outing you still see a silver lining. I find that admirable and love your outlook.
from 6-0 in the 9th to 6-5 with Mariano still on the mound...1st/2nd Trout up.
So it aint over till its over in this grand game
Fillies lost, but they did get a run. Yanks are in deep trouble. The scrubs and subs overperformed for about two months but that was more than you could expect. Texeira lasted what, two games?
SCN, I try. Not giving up unless we are mathematically eliminated--and I don't expect that to happen.
yep...the greatest reliever in baseball history against the greatest hitter of the last decade
Pulouz up bases loaded 6-5, 2 outs in 9th
The mighty Pulouz has struck out against Mariano with the bases loaded.
Bottom 9
1.Mike Trout doubles (21) on a ground ball to left fielder Vernon Wells.
2.Albert Pujols walks.
Pitching Change: David Robertson replaces CC Sabathia.
Coaching visit to mound.
3.Mark Trumbo singles on a line drive to right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, deflected by pitcher David Robertson. Mike Trout scores. Albert Pujols to 3rd.
Injury Delay.
4.Howie Kendrick strikes out swinging.
Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter J. B. Shuck replaces Chris Iannetta.
5.J. B. Shuck walks. Mark Trumbo to 2nd.
Pitching Change: Mariano Rivera replaces David Robertson.
Coaching visit to mound.
6.Erick Aybar grounds out to first baseman Lyle Overbay. Albert Pujols scores. Mark Trumbo to 3rd. J. B. Shuck to 2nd.
7.Alberto Callaspo singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Mark Trumbo scores. J. B. Shuck scores.
Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe replaces Brendan Harris.
With Brad Hawpe batting, Alberto Callaspo advances to 2nd on defensive indifference.
8.Brad Hawpe singles on a soft fly ball to left fielder Vernon Wells. Alberto Callaspo to 3rd.
9.Peter Bourjos singles on a fly ball to left fielder Vernon Wells. Alberto Callaspo scores. Brad Hawpe to 2nd.
Coaching visit to mound.
10.Mike Trout walks. Brad Hawpe to 3rd. Peter Bourjos to 2nd.
11.Albert Pujols strikes out swinging.
Jeffwx, what I'm saying is that those career numbers are not good enough for the resources tied up in him. His career OPS is around 830, good but not great, especially for a power-premium position like third base. Moreover, that OPS is skewed to the years before 2011, when he had more power. Part of this is due to injury, which Rizzo was aware of before giving him the extension, and part has to do with a hole in his swing, which is obvious to anyone but Zimm fans. Werth has a career OPS of around 821, again good but not great. Instead of averaging his performance and taking into consideration his age, the Nats bet he would continue at his 2009 pace, which he has not lived up to, obviously.
Incredible.
Albert Pujols...my spanish is bad
yes, DJB, as a nats senior exec recently said, we have 2 100m million dollar contracts, but no 100 million dollar players.
One can argue, you have to sign Zimmerman, like the Yanks had to sign Jeter. Baseball is also a business and Zimmerman is part of the teams marketing strategy to our region.
yes, NL, when we lose a 6 run lead, at least it takes several innings ;)
Another team that was projected to walk away with their division.
Jeff Wilson @JeffWilson_FWST 1m
Ron Washington speaks to #Rangers after sixth straight loss. Elvis Andrus says manager wants to see more energy.
jeffwx--LOL!! Good one.
"effwx, what I'm saying is that those career numbers are not good enough for the resources tied up in him. His career OPS is around 830, good but not great, especially for a power-premium position like third base. Moreover, that OPS is skewed to the years before 2011, when he had more power. "
I really don't understand your hate for Zim. He had 25 HRs last year, the second most of his career. 2012 was after 2011. And almost all of those came in the second half of this season. He started off kind of slow again this year, but he's been hitting more homers regularly as of late. I believe 6 of his 8 home runs are in the last 2-3 weeks. He'll finish with his normal 25 homers.
Zim's power is fine. He's 28, not 35. He's not declining (except maybe defensively).
Did any of you hear what Rendon said about his promotion to the majors? Basically said, the pitchers are better, but it's not like the plate gets any bigger in the big leagues. They still have to throw it over the plate. The strike zone is the same. If he can command the strike zone, he just tries to barrel it up when it's over the plate.
I found it interesting.
Even though Zim has made some interesting throws while he is still rehabbing his shoulder, he is still fun to watch on defense. His defense as a whole is still there, his throws are getting better. Still more f those in our future, I fear, but the man can pick it with the best . Mr. Met, David Wright air mailed one today. It happens. Even more after recent shoulder surgery. Thought maybe I saw one of those today by Cle??
David-- keep Eck away from him!!!
come on Zim is still the FOF and he's fine, still dealing with shoulder issues and his throwing is an issue (see steve sax) but he can still hit. all good players go thru some periods where they struggle just unfortunate that its happening to Zim, ALR and Werth at the same time, we need to string together some wins, get healthy which means getting Harper and Ramos back & we "should" be fine...there you go, a dose of optimism, wow, that was tougher than I thought, do think we need to be within 4 or so at the ASB.
We are ranking with the Mets and Marlins in offensive categories, and yet we hover around .500. Probably should be grateful.
jeffwx, don't you think shutting down Strasburg also showed either a misevaluation of talent, or some other factor beyond winning? The stated rationale was that we would be back soon, which obviously doesn't seem as certain now with our current level of talent. Did he shut down Stras to keep him as a marketing tool, even if it did cost them a chance at the World Series? If so, I have problems with that.
I just thought of another thing to be sunny about. Many of the wins we piled up last year, especially in the early part, were due to Stras' pitching. Now, I 100% agree with the way he was handled, pitching on a regular schedule, the shutdown, etc. HOWEVER, this year, he has already had one DL stint--non-arm-related. The effect of that is he rested his arm for two weeks, at least not going full-bore. Even moreso for Detwiler.
I'm not saying either injury was faked--certainly not Strasburg's unless he is a much better actor than he shows in the Toyota commercials. But he may last longer, he will last longer, into October if carefully managed.
We need the rotation to function seamlessly from now until the AS Break. Offense may not be great, but just enough.
Then, if Morse is still healthy, Rizzo will get him back as a 3 month rental.
"Then, if Morse is still healthy, Rizzo will get him back as a 3 month rental."
Don't see that happening.
which--Morse staying healthy or Rizzo getting him back?
Both, but I was talking about Rizzo getting him back.
@Natslady: both.
These hitters should be ashamed of themselves. Outside of Rendon they are all embarrassing themselves and this team and letting their pitchers down big time.
Why not? The M's won't need him, they are going nowhere fast. They'll take some cash and a prospect.
NL, if Rizzo rents Mikey, its to put butts in the seats but hope you're right and if it happens, i hope it works.
Harper's week of rest is dobe in 12 hours.
What is the new plan. The knee should no longer be swillen
They aren't going to re-sign Morse, and they are unlikely to make him a qualifying offer for fear he might accept. Why wouldn't they trade him?
watched the games with my kids this Father's day, decided not to post during game
my observation 3rd and 6th inning, no outs, runners on the corner, big guns are up...not one of them could at the very list hit a fly ball sacrifice. when i said that our players are average, i meant it. ALR' DP and his lack of effort to run it out, almost made me turn the TV off..I wish I had now so i dd not have see, bases loaded no outs and no runs.
also...Doc... I do not know you, never have seen you post before...you said I was like Pericand was I born from the same Father..really?? Peric personally attacks people, i do not and never done this... Your post was uncalled for and i doubt you would like it if I asked if you and Sandusky had the same Dad
I really do not feel that we have a bad team. Losing Harper has been huge, switching Espi and Rendon , and re- doing the bullpen have been key. Days like today-- that many hits, being given gifts that are squandered and not scoring at all-- is it really possible for that to keep repeating itself? I mean, inches and a ball gets through that today ends up a DP. Seems like the odds are that some of these things have to go the other way at least sometimes. Sometimes Bob Davidson calls a balk and you score.
Nats are simply a 500 half ass baseball team...no excuses today, team was not facing Cy Young
I mean, i would like them to do it (asap) but i doubt it will unless he doesn't mind not playing everyday when Harper is back. Its not his decision but he can't be angry either. I think it would be a good move actually, and should be able to get him extremely cheap
baseballswami
3rd and 6th inning today says it all
paul b--agree on the butts in seats, Morse still has a lot of fans around here. You don't have to put him in the outfield, he can DH, pinch hit and play an occasional game at 1B (which is what the M's are doing now, they seem to have given up on the RF experiment.)
Not saying it's a certainty by any means. If all our hitters are healthy AND productive, he wouldn't be needed.
I don't think Rizzo would do it until late July for that exact reason--Morse won't be willing to be a part-time player with his free-agency on the line. Unless it's for a short period of time (3 months) and for a contender.
These hitters should be ashamed of themselves. Outside of Rendon they are all embarrassing themselves and this team and letting their pitchers down big time.
AGREED ALR is worse than he was in April
However, Morse must know his future lies in the AL as a DH/1B. If he can help a contender and show off his big bat at the same time, I think he would be happy.
let me add Eck has to go, just to change things...the man is stealing his pay check
AGAIN...3rd and 6th inning, no outs, runners on the corner, big guns are up...not one of them could at the very least hit a fly ball sacrifice.
We make way too many pitchers look like Cy Young
Eck leving coyld not hurt, so lets try it.
Mick - I agree. If it's only on the players then why have a hitting coach at all? Sometimes it's not that the person has a wrong message, or isn't working hard-- it's just time for a fresh look, a new voice. I have said this before-- in any other organization, any other major league city, the coaching staff would be on the hot seat and would be questioned. Happens every season. Managers and coaches go-- new group, new voice, new approach. Again-- if they have zero effect on the hitters, then why are they paid?
The rookie plays like the club pro, and the old pros play like clueless rookies. Maybe the club pro should give the other guys some lessons in how to swing the club.
Do you realize that Rendon took only 4 swings today? On his first swing, double to the LF corner. In his next AB, his 2nd swing is a clean single to right. In his 3rd AB, his 3rd swing is a line single to right, with Span on 2nd base, but Trent holds Span at 3rd base. In his 4th AB, with an 0 and 2 count, Rendon took his 4th swing and finally missed one, striking out.
Four swings, 3 hits, 1 XBH, and a clutch single with a man in scoring position. The Nats need Harper hitting behind the club pro, who is now 18 for his last 39. Zim and ALR did not deliver in the clutch. Once again, the club pro got nearly half the team's hits, all by himself (3 of the 7).
And Strasburg, like Gio, pitched well enough to win. The staff holds the bad guys to 2 runs, you should win the game.
I wonder how the hitters feel about Eck. Of course they say everything polite about him in public. But you know McCatty rules the pitchers with an iron hand. Sometimes on other teams you see the manager go out to the mound, but you never see that here, it's always McCatty and he straightens them around 9 times out of 10.
My gold standard for Manager/Head Coaches will always be Joe Gibbs, and here's why: He cut his teeth n the Air Coryell staff, and came here wanting to throw it all over the place. Then...0-5. So he took a step back, and started pounding Riggo-all the way to a championship, the next year. Later, when he had a stable of WRs, and Big Arms, he threw it all over the place. A great leader gets the most out of what's available to him. Davey needs to see that we can win by manufacturing 2-3 runs, most nights, and letting his awesome pitching carry the day. More judicious ABs, sacs to advance runners... It's not as sexy as hairy-chested three-run HRs, but we'd be in first place, in spite of our (sometimes) sloppy D. Get your head in the game, Skip...
thank you swami....on a positive, Rendon is one hell of a player!
My problem with the Zimm and Werth contracts is that they blocked talent progression. Ideally, Rendon should be at 3rd, and Zimm traded at the end of the year for a power 2nd base and young arms.
DJB.....very interesting post...I wonder if Rizzo would consider it?
Harper out has nothing at all to do with the 3rd and 6th inning...nothing at all
bottom of order was so bad, Nats should have conceded 3 outs every time they batted. swinging at first pitches, sharks, typical soft ground out to second or first, etc.. bottom of order is not even fun to wtach
tomorrow, I am afraid Lannan will get justice...Haren will surrender at least 2 HR's and Nats will be in 3rd place by Thursday evening.
It is going to be quite interesting to see what happens , not all that long from now, when the Johnson era ends. Will a guy who is more of a disciplinarian have a clubhouse revolt on his hands? Is it time for us NOT to have a character who tells hilarious stories, changes his tune a lot , reveals private things to the press? When the guys are asked about him it is like this -- don''t you just love playing for Davey? What do you say? I wonder how it really is. Does he have a good handle on things? Does his World Series or bust lack of a filter get old? I mean- this is going to be quite a adjustment.
swami...good points
I think Nats need a fire cracker of a manager who number one, looks like he cares, has a clue about what is going on in the game and most important will tear into the ass of any player who under performs privately.
Davey has NO PASSION it seems...he was a great manager at one time, will be in the Hall of Fame, but now he is at the bottom...the game has passed him by...he cannot motivate and his loyalties are to the wrong players and coaches, plain and simple
Friday night, Earl Weaver or Billy Martin would have kicked dirt on that lazy ass 1st base umpire to at least show his players he cares and is involved in the game and most importantly, that he hates to lose. Where was Davey???
>tomorrow, I am afraid Lannan will get justice...Haren will surrender at least 2 HR's and Nats will be in 3rd place by Thursday evening.
Nats are going to CRUSH Lannan, eke out a win against Lee, clobber Kendrick. Lincecum is going to pitch a perfect game tonight. ATL is going to lose two games to the Mets and the Nats will be 3 games over .500 and back 3.5 games by Thursday.
OK, maybe not a perfect game, but a no-hitter.
I hope you are right...but Lannan has a score to settle. Honestly, would you put any money on Haren tomorrow?
I'm not fearful of Lannan.... I'm fearful of Haren... But I think we win and start the series on a bang...
We had an opportunity to win the series... Just played dumb baseball today and Friday...
Not much. But I'll put money on Davey having the world's quickest hook and Ohlendorf doing OK.
The absolute WORST thing Rizzo could do is bring in a tough guy manager. That's not who these guys are or what they need. I understand they're struggling, and if you want a different style of manager okay, but if you get clashing personalities, that never ends well.
The coaching philosophy may need to change, but the clubhouse is something Davey handles very well and I would not mess with that by bringing in a different character.
Buck would be the perfect manager for this team...can the Lerners talk him into leaving Baltimore? lol
David
not now, I mean next spring, a Showalter type
DP--agreed. They already have Werth who is plenty tough on the young guys. You don't see a lot of scandals or clashes in the clubhouse, at least not in public. You hear a LOT worse about other teams.
I actually only think this club needs a pitching coach and 3rd base coach...
I don't see where/how Tracy earned a start today... Just becuz he hit the Hr yesterday, he is still like 2 and whatever.. And still has a horrible OBP and batting average... Rendon is nice and I can't wait until he and Harp are in the line up together... I like Span a lot, he may not be there in the offense the way we like buthe has saved us a lot with his defense... But he and Jayson need days off...
I don't get as upset about the swinging strike outs but standing there with the bat on your shoulder is when I get upset...
The only clash I can remember since the beginning of last year is Soriano/Harper and that was very quickly diffused.
MrsB loves the Nats
I only think a new batting coach period...I think Cat is OK and I have no problem with Jewett...he was right to hold rendon and Lombo's play was on Lombo
No thanks to Buck...
Kinda weird peeps harping on Lombo... He is what he is... A good utility guy and that's it... People screamed for him to start and now they are ready to send him away...
That's kinda laughable... He was/is better than Espi, with a broken wrist/messed up shoulder... Not too many aren't better....
100% agree--No thanks on Buck. The LAST thing these guys need is a kick in the butt. They are already pressing too hard.
The issue with Lombo is it was something completely in his control. You should never go further than the defender (the 1B) in that situation. On a line driver, you go back to the bag. Lombo just froze. That was unacceptable.
Lombo isn't why we lost the game, but these boneheaded mental mistakes are getting old.
Jewitt is clueless.... He has contributed to a number of losses this year... I didnt see the game but it seemed as if Span was hurt, so why didnt Kobernus PR for him....
Idk, but we had like 3 chances today and didnt cash in on any of them...
The Nats deserved to lose...
These ESPN announcers are IDIOTS. They hate on Lincecum so much, as if no one else ever gave up a run in the first inning.
How about Werth for player-manager?(kidding)
Dont need a Davey type, they have not responded at all to that.
DP, I suggested that long ago.
And I wasn't kidding.
I can't remember who (David, 222, or MNF) that have the link of the condensed games on MLB.com
Just wanted to say thanks... I will look at the condensed game tomorrow morning or so...
I keep freaking out becuz the board is reading est and I'm in cst... Totally all over the place...
But David - I will take your word on Lombo and the play... We've done that to others and got it done to us...
Manassas Nats' Fan said...
Dont need a Davey type, they have not responded at all to that.
June 16, 2013 8:34 PM
Yes they have. They won 98 games last year. There are never any clubhouse issues. You can disagree with Davey's gametime decisions, but I don't see how you can disagree with his clubhouse management. There have been no issues at all.
NatsLady, that would be quite something wouldn't it? I think he could do it, but wow would that be risky.
But with all this said, I know we are better than 500... I actually think the Nats are lucky to be at 500 with the way we have played (very inconsistent) and with the rash of injuries and with a different line up almost every day....
But beat the Philth.... And all will be right in the world....
He won't do it, because he has to focus on playing. But maybe when he is on the bench in a couple of years...
Player-manager
http://ladyandthenats.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-player-manager-in-our-future.html
Please keep in mind that Lannan will be on his first start in a long time. How long will he go? Will he be rusty? Band box? And I also am really looking forward to seeing Rendon and Harper in the lineup together. Hope it's soon.
Uhm - I may be the only one but I'm hoping they can and will get Bo Porter... I was highly upset when Bo left....
I actually think C Tracy will be a good coach... I've seen him discuss the game with players before games at Nats Park... He's a smart guy...
Bo would be fine, but he cast his lot with Houston, which is his hometown, after all. Stros win a game sometimes--like today.
When we have 2 strikes and man in sxoring position we need to cut the swing enough to control it more to keep from striking out. We swing even harder on 3rd strike. Thst is hitting approach.
John kruk says that the reason the Braves K so much because they don't swing at many hittable pitches.
We do the same thing when RISP
Uhmmmmm. Did I read that right? Fish took 2 of 3 from the Cards???
I still think it will be the relatively unknown, not dramatic Randy Knorr. He raised a lot of these babies and took them to championships. I have been watching the dugout interactions and he seems to be doing all of the communicating, interacting and being the liaison . Start watching. Davey is not moving around much or talking to others- Knorr is relaying everything and quite active during games.
Marmol at it again. Wait'll the Cubs see Henry.
MNF - braves seem to hack and everything... Their philosophy looks like 'I have a 50/50 chance of hitting or missing....'
Espinosa 0-4 with 2 K's today. He can't even hit AAA pitching right now.
Hey, Danny took a walk. So did Tyler Moore--and he struck out 3 times.
NL, look at you @ 819pm, i like it but have to agree swami & mick bring up good points re. Davey.
I hit the roof the minute he said "WS or bust" and in the next breath said "this is my last year." that puts un-due pressure on a young team and is a distraction!
IMO Davey has mis-managed the club from day one THIS year...the country club attitude in ST, his absurd need to play Espi for games on end when Rendon was an able substitute. Love the Nats but sometimes changes are needed...we all know Davey is leaving after this year so why not do it now to shake these guys up & take Eck with him.
I would hire Chipper as the new hitting coach - can you imagine the advantage we would have when playing the Barves? and given they are the team we are chasing & likely our only hope for a playoff berth, why not?
ok, i will leave now, i know these are off the wall suggestions but man, we are a .500 team and we shouldn't be!
It's a bit of hindsight to say Rendon was an adequate replacement all along. Rendon NEEDED to play some minor league games. He's played like 70 games down there. Even Harper played well over 100. I even think he benefited a lot from going back down and mashing after his first stint.
Also, Chipper would NEVER take the hitting coach job. He's already been getting hatemail for helping LaRoche.
I wonder what the Tigers would look like if Cabrera and Fielder and Verlander would to miss some time... I wonder how they would look if they hadn't had the same line up since Game 9...
I wonder what the Braves would look like without J Upton and Freeman and Gattis....
Not excusing the poor play but when your big bats miss significant time, you get the results we have seen, or worst...
Uhm... Chipper as a hitting coach - No... I honestly don't think he really helped... Adam has always started off slow and then heated up... It happened again this year... It was just magnified becuz Chipper talked to him too.... I actually think it was a coincidence....
But if Eck were to be replaced tomorrow, I wouldn't cry...
Y'know, I for the life of me don't get the "country club" criticism of spring training. It used to be--long ago--that guys had off-season jobs, or if they didn't they came to ST out of shape. Nowadays, your pro athlete trains year-round. ALR has a gym and full-time trainer on his ranch. They don't come to ST out of shape. This year, because of the WBC, the schedule was longer, and your main goal was to keep guys from getting injured, which we SUCCESSFULLY did.
Then, a couple of weeks before the season started, Davey said they would have to ride the bus to away games, vet or not, and they all rode. Then, we swept the first series in with Miami, which doesn't suggest a bunch of guys sluggish and out of shape. Moreover, Davey managed, the 2012 spring training EXACTLY the same way, when we were 14-4 out of the box. I ain't buying it.
I would be in favor of Chipper- instant street cred. He has said that he wants a job like that and you have to start somewhere. And the Barves would be sooo mad!! He did not seem to care that they were upset. If he ever coaches, that whole team thing will go out the window anyway. Coaches have to let that go. Professional hitter please.
William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
Yep. Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom. What an idiotic comment. There has scarcely been a single comment on here that I would characterize that way. I still think the Nats will win the division, but you can't give away games just in case you have to play for the wild card. I have been on here for two hours and there have probably been about two comments that were excessively negative.
The most annoying thing on this site are the idiots calling everyone else the Legion of Doom. Make your point, if you have one and make it factual.
I just read this post...THANK YOU, so well said..there are those in here who care more about fans saying negative things that are TRUTHFUL than they are about this team winning...name calling, calling people legion of doom, losers, chicken littles, etc...
I think they are really projecting.
Anyway, spring training is 90% for the pitchers. And 10% to see if there are any rookies or minor-league signings with anything to offer.
don't know about chipper or anyone else, i do know that there is No reason Eck should remain employed
Yeah, NL, I was about to say... Nothing has really changed from last year, especially ST.. We did the same thing last year...
It's amazing how close the team stats are so parallel to last year's... We didnt score many runs but our record was better...
But it is disappointing that the tribe saw our 3 best pitchers and we were only able to win 1 game...
I posted a question a few days ago...no one answered...what is Eck's philosophy on hitting that Davey says he is 1000% behind...anyone?
NL @ 9:04 - so what happened to Haren.... Smh
DP, re. Rendon, not a chance he could have been worse than Espi, dude was a black hole in the line-up. Re. Chipper, i know its a reach and was more tongue-in-cheek but we are close to that type of desperation, don't you think?. Eck should just leave his silly notebook behind, tell the team how to find his "notes" and stay in the hotel.
MrsB--in spring training, you mean? Or in general? Haren was supposed to be building up his arm strength. I guess--not enough. Every week he said he was building up, LOL.
paul brandt
good post, what amazes me is that there are people who still defend Espi and Davey sticking with him for as long as he did and they would still play him over Rendon, then again there are people who think the Earth is only 5000 years old, lol
PB said 'Eck should just leave his silly notebook behind...'
====
Bwahahahahahahahaha, I'm dying laughing... Lol...lol... Hahahahahahahah...
I hate seeing him and that damn notebook.. Pointless.
NatsLady said...
MrsB--in spring training, you mean? Or in general? Haren was supposed to be building up his arm strength. I guess--not enough. Every week he said he was building up, LOL.
Well his velocity is up. His command, not so much.
NL - I was talking about Haren in ST... But it was tongue in cheek.. I don't care for Haren... I figure every game he pitches, we lose...
the only glass half full scenario I see with Haren is as a reliever or as part of a trade in July
It seems like every other team has a good 3rd base coach (watching the braves game) except us...
I just really don't like Trent Jewitt...
I would love to see them all set aside one series where there are no stats, there is no notebook- you watch the game, watch the pitcher and the hitters before you, and you go up there and hit. Could not be any worse results than we are getting now.
They just intentionally walked the bases loaded in ATL. THat will lead to either Lincecum walking a run home or a slam. LOL.
I figure every game he pitches, we lose...
that is an accurate statement , no legion of doom in that at all....just reality...Davey and Rizzo seem to be having a Twilight Zone moment when it comes to reality
And they got the double play. SO obviously, I know nothing...
Wow... Giants got the ground ball dp they were looking for...
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