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| Associated Press |
Hitting highlight: It really can't be understated just how good Werth has been over a prolonged stretch. He has now played in 58 games since returning from a hamstring injury on June 2, and during that time he is hitting .355 with 13 homers and 38 RBI and a .440 on-base percentage. And the veteran right fielder delivered big-time tonight. He singled home a run in the fourth, singled and scored a run in the sixth and then provided the biggest blast of the game in the seventh. Stepping up to face Zach Miner fresh out of the bullpen, Werth crushed the reliever's first pitch to left for a two-run homer that gave the Nationals the lead. It also happened to be the 1,000th hit of Werth's career, earning a curtain call from the crowd of 32,676.
Pitching highlight: It looked early on like this would be a "lowlight" night for Jordan, who was torched for four runs in the second inning. The Phillies batted around in the frame, with Darin Ruf crushing a high, 93-mph sinker for a two-run homer to lead the charge. But give credit to the rookie right-hander for battling back and putting up three zeroes after that disastrous frame, giving his teammates a chance to rally. Jordan really has come a long way in his short time in the big leagues, learning how to overcome adversity and how to get batters out the second and third time he faces them. His total innings count (majors and minors) is now at 136. It's possible that'll be it for him, though the Nationals could still give him another start or two. Either way, Jordan definitely has made a case for consideration in the 2014 rotation.
Key stat: Roark has now faced 12 batters in his big-league career and retired 11 of them.
Up next: The series concludes Sunday when Stephen Strasburg faces Kyle Kendrick. Note the unconventional 5:05 p.m. start time.
53 comments:
Brooms out tomorrow! Let's sweep these bums.
,2nd of 20 game win streak.
The Nats like playing the part of the underdog.
Harper gatoraided. werth
Ghost, you heard Davey yesterday. He said "Well, everybody's written us off. I Guess we have to prove them wrong." Maybe the team likes being the underdog a lot better than the team expected to do great things.
Of course, it's 2 games against a bad team. But fun to watch nonetheless.
Ghost Of Steve M. said...
The Nats like playing the part of the underdog.
Excellent point, Ghost.
Wild card or bust.
NJ, actually down 4-0. Lombo walk and steawas huge.l
Bad team? Wassem told us Phillirs are the real second place team.
I predict a pie for Roark here...
This game felt like 2012. Taylor Jordan kept the lead from getting out of hand then they chipped away. Every player contributed. Roark, clutch. Ramos, clutch. Rendon, clutch. Werth, star!
Reds lose.
I hope sjm308 enjoys his extended stay overseas.
LOL, Purke and Giolito are Ace prospects. Robbie Ray and AJ Cole are up there. None of them are sure things and if you tell me Ray is ahead I'm taking your word on it.
Someone in another thread talked about extending JZimm and made a case that we shouldn't extend him. I was thinking about it I tend to agree. JZimm will be on the wrong side of 30, he's going to want to be paid as an ace, and we have guys like Cole and maybe Giolito who should be ready then. It doesn't really make much sense to extend him, in my opinion.
And he made it clear in his quote today that he wants to get paid.
I missed the early innings and happened to tune in just as the Nats scoring started. Niice. And, yeah, I untucked. Congrats to Jayson (nice shower, Bryce). Great win.
Have a nice, long trip, sjm. :-)
Gotta go, cat on keyboard.
Ghost, just coming back from the game, and that was exactly I told my wife after the seventh -- that this was the first game I've been to (out of about two dozen) since the White Sox series that felt like the 2012 team.
Sure it was against a lousy team. But they've got a lot of games left against the Phil's, Mets, and Marlins. At least they can and need to establish themselves as a team that can win consistently against teams they should beat.
One game at a time.
4 year would ne fine that takes him to age 31
I do not understand this team but I enjoyed last two wins.
Why is the game time 5:05 tomorrow?
NatsJack, what I like is the raw talent of these arms and they seem willing to learn and refine and add to their repertoire.
We better hope the Nats have their 5 and keep Ohlendorf as your long man and insurance. Then Rizzo can spend the dough on JZim and Desi and a 4th OF who's a RH and slide RZim to 1st and beef up the bench!
He doesn't become a free agent for 2 more years though. So if we extend him for 5 years (pretty standard), it'd be in his 30s. Not necessarily bad, pitchers can pitch in their early 30s. It's more the cost-benefit. If he wants to be paid like an ace, I think he can be replaced in-house.
NatsJack....regarding the "system...."
Is that a result of good scouting, development or a bit of both....
Davey wants to watch the PGA.
OR
They want Stras' fastball to get lost in the shadows.
Either way Rizzo would get credit for hiering the right people, so it must be neither.
Much as I wrote yesterday, this is the kind of game I had expected all season. At least in the sense of being able to overcome some iffy pitching (which is a part of any season for any team) with some timely, come-from-behind hitting. I know it's just two games, but I like the approach/effort I'm seeing on the field. Keep it up, Nats, please. Make the last six weeks enjoyable for all.
Extending 5 years after next year takes him to ,33, so i would extend this year to 32
Folks, we have won 2, I repeat 2 in a row, stop all the WC card and sjm being stranded in Europe talk!!!
hope we do run off 16 more and we all need to pitch in for sjm to change his ticket but nothing this team has shown any of us leads me to believe that is a possibility.
p.s. hope I am wrong!!
Dodgers have won 36 of last 44. I want to see the same.
MNF, wow, re. Dodgers that's impressive.
TimDz, absolutely both. Strasburg has been the only arm that was Draft ready. All the others have been a mix.
Harper and Rendon were ready like Strasburg. Unfortunately the Nats aren't as good at developing position players.
That has to change. Desi I think was developed by Davey and not the system. Let's see what happens with Espinosa.
If we get hot we could match that.
If you really want to go back (obviously before Rizzo), Ryan Zimmerman developed very quickly. Was he draft ready as well?
Fish win! So much for the Waffle House streak.
@masnKerr: Werth said authenticator wanted his bat. Werth said put the sticker on it and give it back
David, RZim was ready with the glove and was great at working with Frank Robinson on adjustments. His situation is very unique and much of it was his quick signing and maturity. 2 months total in the Minors is rare.
I'm with pb and Jack...win more than you've lost, we'll talk.
what a win by Fish! I mean Nathan almost no-hit braves. and that one run was scored on a wild pitch.
I think his bat was considered ready. that draft was insane. I believe all of Tulo, Braun, Gordon, JUp came from that.
Post of the day goes to Manassas, for explaining why there's a 5:05 start Sunday:
Manassas Nats' Fan said...
Davey wants to watch the PGA.
OR
They want Stras' fastball to get lost in the shadows.
Reds lose. Eight games back in WC.
Yeah, I'm scoreboard-watching.
The fact is that outside of Ian Desmond who was a 3rd rounder, the Nats haven't home grown any star position players other than those Top 6 1st round picks they had (RZim, Harper, Rendon).
The team has to improve and its with the bats and not the gloves with these position players.
Steve M, what do you think of the kid they drafted this year? Drew Ward. I heard a lot of great things about him, but I don't know how he's looked so far.
Harper and Rendon were ready like Strasburg. Unfortunately the Nats aren't as good at developing position players.
Is it that, or is it who the Nats draft. The Nats' game plan from the start was to focus on pitching pitching pitching.
The point being: I think that the minors have had more pitching raw talent than positions players.
Jacoby Elsberry and Jay Bruce also first rounders
David, i know his athleticism was rated excellent. Good raw tools and needs to learn by getting reps.
DC Wonk, yes, that is part of it but you still hope to turn more than they have done in 8 years. Goodwin is a very important prospect in the system.
The Nats tonight really did look like the 2012 Nats. That was fun to watch. For some reason I had a good feeling about the game even when we were down 0 to 4.
I have been trepid about JZimm playing hardball on the money issue, but with what we've got coming, maybe he won't make the team in a couple of years.
Who's JZimm's agent? To me, it sounds like his agent told him to avoid saying something that would weaken his negotiating position. Asking for something fair and saying that he won't give a huge hometown discount seems very reasonable at this point. If nothing else, he knows that the Nats have come to terms with Boras on several occasions. That's a pretty good indication that the Nats are willing to negotiate with someone who isn't noted for settling for discounts for his clients.
"I like it here. Obviously, it's the only place that I know. It would be nice to stay long term, but it has to be something fair. I'm just not going to do a team-friendly deal just to stay here long term. If it's a fair deal, then obviously, we'll definitely think about it. But I'm not going to give a huge team discount. Just something fair is all I ask."
WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!! Had a great time at the game.. reminds me of last year. God the Phillies pen is bad!!! LOVE IT!
"Harper and Rendon were ready like Strasburg. Unfortunately the Nats aren't as good at developing position players."
Is it that, or is it who the Nats draft[?] The Nats' game plan from the start was to focus on pitching pitching pitching.
Pitchers get traded for position players.
It's not compared to perfect, it's compared to the alternative. How do the Nats rank compared to the rest of MLB in developing position players since 2008?
Keeping in mind that pretty much everyone who was any good at all got fast-tracked to the the majors for the first four years or so?
That's (the stranding talk) a joke, son. I say, that's a joke. :-)
Folks, we have won 2, I repeat 2 in a row, stop all the WC card and sjm being stranded in Europe talk!!!
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