Nats enjoy All-Star experience

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NEW YORK — Years from now, when they reminisce about the 84th All-Star Game, Bryce Harper and Jordan Zimmermann probably won't remember the outcome, an uninspired 3-0 American League victory over the National League.

No, the Nationals' two All-Star representatives won't remember the score, but they will remember the important vignettes from the last two nights at Citi Field. The player introductions. The Home Run Derby. The camaraderie in the dugout and the clubhouse with fellow All-Stars.

And, of course, Mariano Rivera.

"I had a blast hanging out with the guys," Harper said. "It was a great experience."

The actual Midsummer Classic was devoid of much in-game drama. The AL scratched out three runs. The NL scratched out three hits

Instant analysis: AL 3, NL 0

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Game in a nutshell: This All-Star Game featured as much young offensive talent as you'll ever see on one field at one time. So, naturally, pitching dominated the affair, especially on the American League side. Ten AL hurlers combined to hand the NL only its third shutout loss in All-Star history, allowing only three hits in the process: one by Carlos Beltran, one by David Wright, one by Paul Goldschmidt. The AL lineup, meanwhile, managed to squeeze out three runs, getting a sac fly from Jose Bautista in the fourth, an RBI fielder's choice by J.J. Hardy in the fifth and an RBI double by Jason Kipnis in the eighth. Bryce Harper, the lone Nationals player appearing in the game, went 0-for-2. Mariano Rivera, making his final All-Star appearance, pitched a 1-2-3 inning of relief. Unfortunately, it was the eighth inning, with manager Jim Leyland not wanting to risk there not being a bottom of the ninth. Joe Nathan got that honor, earning the save and snapping the NL's three-game All-Star winning streak. So, for the first time in four years, Game 1 (and potentially Game 7) of the World Series will be played in an American League ballpark. Sorry, Nats fans.

Nationals highlight: Harper's night was fairly uneventful, though he didn't exactly have favorable matchups at the plate against

2013 All-Star Game

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NEW YORK — We've had the Futures Game, interviews, celebrities playing softball, more interviews, the Home Run Derby, even more interviews and then for good measure another round of interviews. At last, though, we're ready for the main event: the actual All-Star Game.

This won't be quite the spectacle that last year's game was from the Nationals' perspective, with only Bryce Harper competing on the field. But Harper is only the second player in Nats history to be in the starting lineup (joining Alfonso Soriano in 2006). Bryce is batting ninth and starting in center field, and he expects to play three innings before departing.

Jordan Zimmermann, obviously, won't be pitching, but the right-hander will get his moment in the spotlight, introduced along with his fellow All-Stars before the start of the game. And, of course, Davey Johnson is here and will get a nice ovation from the New York crowd.

Chase Hughes and I will have all the updates from Citi Field on CSNwashington.com, so please check back throughout the game...

2013 MLB ALL-STAR GAME
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 8:15 p.m. EDT
TV: Fox
Radio: WTEM (980 AM), WWXX (92.7 FM), WWXT (94.3 FM)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, Wind 5 mph in from LF

AMERICAN LEAGUE
LF Mike Trout - LAA
2B Robinson Cano - NYY
3B Miguel Cabrera - DET
1B Chris Davis - BAL

Detwiler may not be ready as scheduled

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NEW YORK -- Davey Johnson caught up with Nats’ reporters before Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, reminiscing about old times as manager of the Mets and going through some quick injury updates.

The biggest revelation was the fact Ross Detwiler may not be ready to return to the Nats’ rotation for his scheduled start on July 23 against the Pirates. Detwiler is on the disabled list currently with a lower back strain. He last pitched July 3 against the Brewers.

Johnson said Detwiler will test the back on Thursday, likely with a bullpen session, and his status moving forward will be determined then. At this point, the Nats can’t commit to July 23.

“It depends on what he does Thursday,” Johnson said. “It may not be right away.”

The Nats will likely use rookie Taylor Jordan for the Tuesday start in the event Detwiler isn’t ready. Jordan would fill the fifth spot in the rotation as the Nats will begin the season’s second half with Stephen Strasburg starting Friday against the Dodgers.

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Selig: Nats TV dispute still unresolved

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Though he continues to meet with both Nationals and Orioles ownership about their ongoing television rights dispute, MLB commissioner Bud Selig offered no evidence today that substantive progress has been made or that a resolution is expected anytime soon.

Speaking with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America at his annual All-Star lunch, Selig expressed optimism that some arrangement will be worked out between the two dueling franchises but gave no concrete reason why he believes it will happen.

"I've spent a lot of time talking to both clubs, even very, very recently," Selig said. "And we continue to do that, and hope we'll have some type of resolution. We'll continue to work with that. It really is a difficult situation, but I'm always hopeful we can work out a resolution, and we are working on that right now."

The ongoing dispute stems from a provision in the Nationals' contract with MASN (the majority of which is owned by the Orioles) that allows them to renegotiate their annual rights fee every five years. The renegotiating period took place prior to the 2012 season, but the two sides were unable to agree to a monetary figure.
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Inactive Zimmermann enjoys experience

NEW YORK — Jordan Zimmermann would rather be pitching tonight in the All-Star Game than watching from the NL dugout, relegated to spectator due to a lingering neck injury. But make no mistake, the Nationals right-hander is happy to be here and is soaking in every moment of the experience.

"Just being in the clubhouse around these guys," he said. "You play against them, but to hang out with them and meet some new guys, it's going to be fun. And then obviously the Home Run Derby and the game are going to be fun to watch."

Selected to his first Midsummer Classic after going 12-4 with a 2.58 ERA through the season's first half, Zimmermann had to ask off the active roster when team doctors told him he needed to rest his neck for a few days to risk further injury.

It's still considered a minor injury, one Zimmermann insists he can pitch through, but one that is requiring more treatment each

Harpers share Derby dream together

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Updated at 12:55 a.m.

NEW YORK — During those long, scorching-hot afternoons in Las Vegas — before the baseball world had ever heard of his youngest son — Ron Harper would throw batting practice to young Bryce, unloading pitch after pitch after pitch to the boy who would someday become a major-league star.

So when they stepped into the spotlight Monday night at Citi Field, Bryce and Ron Harper paid no attention to the crowd of 43,588 watching in person or the millions more watching the Home Run Derby on national TV. As far as they were concerned, they were simply father and son, back in Vegas.

"Having my dad out there throwing to me, I was so calm and cool about it," Bryce Harper said. "I wasn't even thinking about the million people in the stands. All I was thinking was that my family's here, my brother's on the field and everybody that's here is family to me."

By night's end, Harper had put on a show worthy of the 20-year-old's first-ever Derby appearance, reaching the final round of the contest before losing out to Athletics slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Results aside, the experience was far more meaningful to the entire Harper family.

2013 Home Run Derby

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

NEW YORK — They've been holding the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game since 1985, and they've been holding it in primetime since 1998, but tonight for the first time somebody wearing a Washington cap will be participating in the annual display of raw power.

Bryce Harper makes his Derby debut, and there's every reason to believe the Nationals' 20-year-old slugger will feel right at home in this event. He did, after all, win a similar contest as a 16-year-old amateur in 2009. And he'll have a familiar face pitching to him: his father, Ron.

Harper faces stiff competition in the Derby, most notably Orioles masher Chris Davis and Tigers first baseman (and defending champ) Prince Fielder, but he's got as good a shot at winning this thing as anybody else in the field.

Chase Hughes and I are both here at Citi Field to chronicle it, and we'll combine to post updates along the way on CSNwashington.com, so please be sure to check back throughout...

2013 HOME RUN DERBY
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 8 p.m. EDT
TV: ESPN
Radio: WTEM (980 AM), WWXT (92.7 FM), WWXX (94.3 FM)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, Wind 6 mph LF to RF

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Prince Fielder (DET)
Yoenis Cespedes (OAK)
Chris Davis (BAL)
Robinson Cano (NYY)

Highlights from All-Star media day

Courtesy @NationalsPR

NEW YORK — The interview/press conference portion of All-Star workout day is now complete, and Bryce Harper (predictably) has been everywhere.

The Nationals' lone participating All-Star had a big crowd surrounding him during his media availability this afternoon at Citi Field, much of it consisting of international media members who peppered him with questions about his global fan support and asked him to say something in Chinese (Harper politely declined that request). Harper then was ushered upstairs to the official Home Run Derby press conference, where he sat alongside NL teammates David Wright, Michael Cuddyer and Pedro Alvarez.

Jordan Zimmermann was a bit less popular with reporters, which didn't seem to bother the soft-spoken right-hander one bit. Davey Johnson was, of course, a big hit, showing up in full All-Star BP uniform (pretty much everybody else was in street clothes) and answering questions on every topic known to man, including his time in Japan, his thoughts on Chris Davis and obviously his memories of the 1986 Mets.

Here are some highlights from today's sessions...

Harper hitting 9th, starting in CF

USA Today Sports Images

NEW YORK — Bryce Harper likely has never hit ninth in his life, nor is he likely to ever hit ninth again in his life. But for one night, at least, the young Nationals slugger will find himself sitting at the very bottom of a National League All-Star lineup, selected by manager Bruce Bochy to hit ninth tomorrow at Citi Field.

Harper, who has never hit lower than seventh since arriving in the big leagues last season, obviously has never been part of a lineup as deep and talented as this. And perhaps his inexperience compared to the other NL All-Stars, dictates the 20-year-old take a back seat to his teammates for a day.

Harper has never hit lower than seventh in the major leagues, and 185 of his 190 career starts have come hitting either second, third or fifth.

Harper also will be slightly out of position in center field, though he spent much of his rookie season there for the Nationals.

The full NL lineup, as announced by Bochy (manager of the defending World Series champion Giants):

All-Star agenda

USA Today Sports Images

NEW YORK — Good morning from the Big Apple, where baseball always is on center stage but for the next 48 hours will occupy every stage in the city with the All-Star Game coming to town. It was only five years ago that old Yankee Stadium hosted the Midsummer Classic in its final season of existence, but this time the festivities take place in Queens, as the Mets get to host this event for the first time since 1964.

The Nationals' presence at this All-Star Game won't rival last year, when Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez all took Kansas City by storm. But even though Harper is the lone member of the organization playing tomorrow night — Jordan Zimmermann is here but will sit out to rest his lingering neck strain — there still will be plenty of attention lavished upon the Nats.

Harper, of course, draws a crowd all by himself, and plenty of eyes will be on him both tonight in the Home Run Derby and then tomorrow night in the All-Star Game. But don't discount the significance of Davey Johnson's presence here. The 70-year-old manager, in what by all accounts will be his final All-Star Game,

Should Zimmermann skip All-Star Game?

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The suggestion appeared to come out of the blue. Jordan Zimmermann, after another quality start last night in the Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Phillies, told reporters there's a chance he will skip Tuesday's All-Star Game to let his lingering stiff neck have more time to heal before the second half of the season begins.

Seriously? One of baseball's best pitchers, who has shown outward signs of being injured, might ask out of his first All-Star Game appearance because of a stiff neck?

Yes.

Before vilifying Zimmermann, though, let's get our facts straight. The right-hander has indeed been dealing with a lingering neck injury for nearly two months. Davey Johnson has mentioned it more than once following his starts, and Zimmermann himself had

MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox reign

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By Steve Roney
CSNwashington.com

There were undoubtedly those who figured the Red Sox would rebound from last year's last-place, 69-win season, but anyone who says they picked them to have baseball's best record at about the midpoint of the season is either lying or a huge fan of clam chowder. The AL East in general is top to bottom the best division in baseball -- though it can't match the NL Central's elite top three, all five divisional teams are within striking distance of first place, and only Toronto (at 44-46) owns a losing record.

Here's how Nationals Insider Mark Zuckerman, Nats writer Chase Hughes, and I see the rest of the major leagues shaking out:

1. Boston Red Sox (56-37; LW: 3) - Hughes: Boston has the majors’ best offense and much of it was built on the fly this offseason. Ben Cherington is a clear frontrunner for executive of the year.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (54-34; LW: 1) - Zuckerman: They've hit .338 with RISP. That's not sustainable over a full season, is it?

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (54-36; LW: 2) - Zuckerman: The pitching staff remains deep and talented. The lineup could probably use another bat, though.

4. Oakland A's (54-38; LW: 6) - Roney: Does anyone have a bigger All-Star gripe than Josh Donaldson? A .316/.385/.529 slash line with 15 homers and valuable defense should be enough to garner some midseason recognition.

Harper on HR Derby and All-Star Game

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper has participated in only one Home Run Derby in his life: an amateur showcase in 2009 in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the then-16-year-old clubbed a 500-foot homer and was presented a trophy by none other than Davey Johnson.

So when he got the call from Mets slugger David Wright late last week, offering an invitation to compete in his first official MLB Home Run Derby, Harper knew he couldn't say no.

"I was just trying to think about for a couple of days, see if I really wanted to do it," he said. "I thought it would be pretty cool. And I didn't want to tell David Wright: 'No.'"

Harper will be the second-youngest player in Home Run Derby history, bested only by Ken Griffey Jr., who was 39 days younger when he competed as a 20-year-old in 1990.

Nats who's hot/who's not - 7/10

Photo by USA Today

Record: 4-3

Runs per game: 6.0

Opponent runs per game: 4.6

Team ERA: 4.50
Team average: .298
Team average against: .281

HOT:

Jayson Werth, OF - .435 BA, 10 H, HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, SB

Werth may have come up short at the end of the Nats' loss on Tuesday night in Philly, but overall he had a tremendous week at the plate. The Nats' outfielder now has hits in his last six games and 10 total during that span. Werth seems to be thriving while batting fifth in the order. In the five hole he is hitting .289 this season with a .904 OPS in 11 games. He has hit primarily at second this season, but has a much better on-base percentage when he hits either fourth or fifth in the lineup.

Tyler Clippard, RP - 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.333 WHIP

Clippard continued his season of reliability this past week with three more scoreless outings, all coming late in Nationals' wins. He has still only allowed one run since the month of May and now sits with a 2.15 ERA on the year. In two games against the Padres, Clippard notched two strikeouts in perfect innings, earning his 15th hold of the season on July 5. With Drew Storen's season continuing to devolve and Craig Stammen's recent struggles, Clippard has been by far the Nats' best right-handed reliever not named Rafael.

Around the NL East: Breakups at the bottom

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By Steve Roney

CSNwashington.com

Atlanta Braves (51-38)

Would you have picked the Braves to lead the NL East for pretty much the entire first half of the season, and yet produce only one All-Star? Stranger things have happened, sure, but unless first baseman Freddie Freeman can continue to hold off Dodger wunderkind Yasiel Puig in the Final Vote, Craig Kimbrel will be the lone Brave in New York for the Midsummer Classic. Still, outside of Freeman and Mike Minor, there aren't many with legitimate gripes. So far, the sum is greater than the parts in Atlanta.

The outfield for the ages that hasn't yet materialized, though they will likely earn a bit of ignominy, as both Upton brother are almost a lock to hit 100 strikeouts by the All-Star break. Second baseman Dan Uggla more than beat them there, currently sitting with 111, though he does lead the team with 16 home runs. Chris Johnson continues to be a nice surprise, and Brian McCann is mashing like it's 2009 since his delayed debut. 

Player of the Week: McCann, C: 6 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG

Harper in HR Derby

USA Today Sports Images

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper has accepted an invitation to compete in next week's Home Run Derby, adding another chip to his growing All-Star resume.

Harper was officially named this evening as one of the eight participants for Monday's derby in New York, accepting NL captain David Wright's invitation to compete. Harper and Wright will be joined on the NL squad by Rockies teammates Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer. The AL foursome features the Orioles' Chris Davis, the Yankees' Robinson Cano, the Tigers' Prince Fielder and one more slugger to be named.

Harper will participate in the derby on Monday, the first Nationals player ever selected for the home-run-hitting contest. He'll then start in the NL's outfield on Tuesday night, the youngest NL starter ever voted in by fans.

There was some question whether Harper would accept the

Zimmermann, Harper are All-Stars

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Updated at 8:50 p.m.

Bryce Harper has been elected by fans as an All-Star Game starter for the first time in his career, and teammate Jordan Zimmermann has been selected by fellow NL players to make his first career appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

Ian Desmond, meanwhile, will have to wait a bit longer to learn his All-Star fate. The shortstop is one of five NL players in the "Final Vote" competition and will need to beat out a star-studded group that includes Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Giants outfielder Hunter Pence in online balloting to earn his second straight All-Star selection.

While Zimmermann's selection seemed a foregone conclusion — he entered the day with an NL-leading 12 wins and a 2.46 ERA — Harper needed a late surge in fan voting to earn the starting nod for the July 16 game at New York's Citi Field.

When the most recent balloting totals were released by MLB on Tuesday, Harper found himself in fourth place among NL outfielders, trailing Atlanta's Justin Upton by about 15,000 votes. But perhaps bolstered by his return from the disabled list and the home run he hit on his first swing in five weeks, Harper made up the difference and in the process made some history.
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Who deserves All-Star nod?

We're now about 24 hours from the announcement of this year's All-Star Game rosters, with the online voting window officially closed. So it's too late to make a last-minute push for anybody, lest they end up in the "Final Man" vote next week.

Last year, it was pretty obvious which members of the Nationals deserved to go to Kansas City, and Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper all were selected (with Desmond forced to miss the festivities due to an oblique strain that later landed him on the DL).

This year? Well, it's not quite as clear-cut. There's one, maybe two, slam-dunk choices, then several more than could go either way. Let's run through them all...

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN
The case for: Tops in the NL with 12 wins, sixth with a 2.46 ERA, third with a 0.945 WHIP, fifth with 120 2/3 innings pitched. He's

Zimmermann building All-Star case

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By Michael Huberman
CSNwashington.com

With about four more starts to go before the All-Star Game on July 16, Jordan Zimmermann’s teammates have little doubt over whether the right-hander deserves to be on the National League roster.

Shortstop Ian Desmond took it even one step further after the Nationals’ 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night.

“I think he should probably start the game,” Desmond said. “He’s pitched unbelievable all year long, and if I were the manager that’s the horse I’d want.”

“Who else?” said Denard Span when asked if Zimmermann should start for the National League. “I’m not sure what the other starters numbers are. I can think of (Cardinals pitcher) Shelby Miller and a couple other guys, but you know you got to at least put him in the conversation."

“I mean every time he’s gone out there, he’s thrown the ball well, maybe except for once or twice. But other than that he’s gone at least seven innings and had quality starts, so I think his name should be in the conversation.”