Game 130: Nats at Royals

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After a 7-2 victory over the Royals last night, the Nationals have now won five straight games, all on the road, and 11 of their last 15 overall. They stand above .500 for the first time since July 14 and are 12 games back in the division after the Braves' third straight loss on Saturday. That's the closest they've been in three weeks. Just when they were written off, Washington has pulled off its best stretch of the 2013 season.

Even if the Nats keep it up the division is still a major longshot, but fortunately for them, the Reds haven't been playing their best baseball either. The Nats now sit 8.5 games back from the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot, and Washington has the advantage with their schedule. After they play the Royals today, the Nats face teams with losing records in each of their next 19 games. Conversely, the Reds play expected playoff teams in ten of their next 13, including seven games against the Cardinals.

Today the Nats look for their sixth consecutive win which would be their longest winning streak of the season. Dan Haren (8-11, 4.64) takes the mound against a club he's been very successful against in the past. Through ten career starts vs. the Royals he is 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA.

Pitching for Kansas City will be right-hander Ervin Santana who has been one of their more reliable starters this year. He holds a 3.13 ERA through 167 innings in what has been the best season of his nine-year MLB career.

Enjoy the game...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 2:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN 2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 869
Weather: Mostly sunny, 92 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (65-64)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Bryce Harper
DH Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
1B Adam LaRoche
C Wilson Ramos
LF Tyler Moore
2B Anthony Rendon
RHP Dan Haren

Instant analysis: Nats 6, Giants 5

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Game in a nutshell: Jordan Zimmermann's evening got off to a rocky start, but the Nationals took care of their right-hander by pouncing on Tim Lincecum for six runs, five of them coming in the bottom of the fourth. Zimmermann battled through his struggles to post seven innings of one-run ball, leaving the Nationals bullpen a 5-run lead with only six outs to record. That proved more of a challenge than anyone would have liked. Ian Krol served up a homer to Brandon Belt in the eighth. Ryan Mattheus then failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, forcing Davey Johnson to summon Tyler Clippard to put out the fire. Clippard, as he so often does, came through with two huge strikeouts. Rafael Soriano gave up a run with two outs in the ninth and put the tying runner on second but got a huge catch from Denard Span to end the game and finish off his 31st save, securing the Nationals' fifth straight victory. It's only the second time this year they've won five straight (the other came in early May). They'll go for the sweep tomorrow, with a chance to get back to the .500 mark.

Hitting highlight: Yes, the five-run fourth inning (in which the Nationals sent 10 men to the plate) was mighty impressive. But so, too, was Ian Desmond's solo blast in the bottom of the second. It

Rendon makes the adjustment

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Throughout his amateur and minor-league career, Anthony Rendon knew he could rely on his natural talent and ability to hit a baseball and thrive at each level of the sport.

But as every rookie major leaguer finds out, talent is only one part of the equation at this level, where pitchers quickly develop a book on every hitter and find ways to exploit weaknesses.

Rendon has experienced this over the last several weeks, and he has embraced the challenge.

"It's been fun. You actually have to put in work," he said. "It's not really just a game any more. You have to figure out how to get better. When you're younger, it comes a little easier for you. But up here they study the game, and that's what's been fun about studying the film, just trying to figure out how to beat those guys."
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Instant analysis: Nats 9, Phillies 2

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Game in a nutshell: Maybe the Nationals just need to keep playing sub-.500 teams. Since the All-Star break, they're now 6-2 against the Mets, Brewers and Phillies, but 1-11 against the Dodgers, Pirates, Tigers and Braves. They certainly outmatched Philadelphia tonight, jumping out to an early 4-0 and dealing old pal John Lannan (eight earned runs in five innings) a beating. Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman each homered to get things started, and the hits kept coming after that. Pitching with a big cushion, Dan Haren continued his second-half resurgence, going seven innings to earn the win. The bullpen closed things out with no drama, and the Nationals (and their fans) were able to celebrate a victory once again.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals had two previous cracks at Lannan this season and came away with very little (two runs in 13 innings). But in the first start of his career at Nationals Park in which he wasn't wearing a curly W cap, the left-hander was

Game 110: Nats at Brewers

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After notching a series opening win on Friday, the Nationals take on the Brewers in the second game of their weekend set tonight with Dan Haren (5-11. 5.49 ERA) on the mound. Haren's had a rough time overall this season, but has enjoyed some success lately since returning from the disabled list in early July. Over his last four starts he has a 3.13 ERA, including a seven inning, one earned run performance his last time out against the Mets.

Pitching for Milwaukee is rookie right-hander Donovan Hand (0-2, 3.56) who is still searching for his first major league win. The 27-year-old has pitched in 17 games this season, including five starts. This will be his third consecutive start after joining the rotation full-time on July 23.

Hand faced the Nationals earlier this season on July 4 and went five innings with six hits, three walks, and three earned runs. Washington ended up winning that game 8-5.

Davey Johnson has Denard Span back at the top of the order batting leadoff, with Bryce Harper hitting second against Hand. Wilson Ramos gets the start for the second straight day after posting two hits and a run in Friday's win.

Enjoy the game...


WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Miller Park
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, WUSA-9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 869
Weather: Partly cloudy, 75 degrees, Wind 11 mph out to CF

NATIONALS (53-56)
CF Denard Span
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman

Instant analysis: Pirates 4, Nats 2

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: You had to figure runs would come at a premium tonight, with a perfect storm of events coming together. Stephen Strasburg on the mound for the Nationals. Francisco Liriano starting for the Pirates, a tough lefty against a lineup that struggles against lefties. And Bryce Harper and Ian Desmond out of the lineup to rest some nagging bumps and bruises. Sure enough, both starting pitchers absolutely dominated. Strasburg was brilliant for eight innings, allowing only Pedro Alvarez's second-inning homer while striking out a season-high 12 batters. But once again, the Nationals offered him no run support and left him in line to take the loss. Liriano carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, finally surrendering an infield single to Anthony Rendon. The Nats remained in the game, though, because of Strasburg's dominance and trailed 1-0 when the ninth inning arrived. Drew Storen and Fernando Abad, though, combined to give up three runs in the inning, though, and suddenly that 1-run deficit became a 4-run deficit. Which proved really costly after Jayson Werth crushed a two-run homer, his fifth in four days. Alas, the Nationals still needed two more runs, which they didn't get. So, the losing streak is now at six games, with the Nats having dropped 11 of their last 13 to fall to five games below the .500 mark.

Hitting lowlight: Liriano is having an outstanding season, there's no question about that. But it's hard to really judge opposing

Free-falling

Associated Press

The Nationals want to believe this will turn around, they really do. They want to believe they've been the victim of bad luck, so much bad luck that the cosmos are bound to repay them one of these days.

"I think at some point, the tide's got to turn," Jayson Werth said. "The luck's got to swing in our favor. And hopefully when it does, we can grab hold of it and run with it."

That may or may not be true, but the following statements absolutely are true in the wake of Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Pirates:

— The Nationals have lost five straight games and 10 of 12.

— The Nationals are four games under .500, their lowest point since September 2011.

— The Nationals, at this moment, have more losses this season (52) than the Royals and Angels, the same number of losses as the Mets and Mariners and only one fewer loss than the Cubs.
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Game 95: Nats at Marlins

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The Nationals have lost five of their last six games, scoring more than two runs only once in those five defeats. With one more chance to end the season's first half on a high note, Davey Johnson has decided to shake things up. Whether it works or not, he certainly deserves credit for creativity.

Johnson has Bryce Harper batting leadoff for the first time in his career and Anthony Rendon hitting second. Denard Span is still in the lineup and in center field, but he slides all the way back to seventh after hitting .208 through his first 12 games in July. He hit .235 in the month of June and now holds a season average of .255. It makes you wonder why Span wasn't pulled from the leadoff spot earlier, but here you go.

The Nats' new-look lineup will go up against Marlins' right-hander Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 5.73 ERA). The 23-year-old is making just his third start of the 2013 season and his first against a team other than the Atlanta Braves.

Pitching for the Nats is rookie Taylor Jordan (0-2, 3.45) who is making his fourth career start. He will face the Marlins for the first time after growing up in Merritt Island, Florida.

Enjoy the game...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Marlins Park
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 869
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS (47-47)
LF Bryce Harper
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche

Game 94: Nats at Marlins

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Losers of four of their last five, the Nationals will send Dan Haren (4-10, 6.00 ERA) to the mound in Miami Saturday night to face rookie standout and N.L. All-Star Jose Fernandez (5-5, 2.83). Fernandez has yet to lose at Marlins Park and will be making his first start against the Nats. He last pitched on July 7 in St. Louis and allowed three earned runs for the first time since May.

Washington took an ugly loss in the series opener on Friday night, watching Stephen Strasburg falter with the worst start of his young career. Miami has won two straight games after losing their previous five after a terrific month of June. Haren will take a stab at the Fish in his seventh career start against the franchise. He holds a 1-4 record with a 3.43 ERA in 39 1/3 total innings vs. the Marlins.

Anthony Rendon gets the night off with Steve Lombardozzi playing at second. Other than that change, the lineup is the same as it was on Friday.

Enjoy the game...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Marlins Park
Gametime: 7:15 p.m. EDT
TV: FOX, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 186
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS (47-46)
CF Denard Span
SS Ian Desmond
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman

Aggressive Nats take down Lee

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — As Davey Johnson described the quick-burst offensive attack his Nationals broke out Wednesday night in a 5-1 victory over Cliff Lee and the Phillies, the veteran manager noted the good vibe he got watching his guys hit in the cage some five hours earlier.

"I really like the way we took BP today," Johnson said. "We were real aggressive in BP, and we took it into the game. It was great."

Wait, how do would one even attempt to not be aggressive in batting practice?

"There's a big difference," Johnson insisted. "Sometimes we come into batting practice and we look like we try to hit everything to right field. Today we were hitting everything on the rooftops in left. We knew who was out there, and we knew he was gonna come in on us, throw the fastball and come at us. The guys approached him that way, and that was a great way to approach him."
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Out of answers

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Davey Johnson has tried to remain positive throughout the Nationals' offensive struggles this season, insisting he has faith in his hitters and that he's confident things will get better before it's too late.

But after watching that lineup, on the heels of a 23-runs-in-48-hours explosion, turned into mincemeat by Wily Peralta, Kyle Lohse and the Brewers bullpen on back-to-back nights, the Nationals manager looked and sounded as hopeless as he's been all year.

"It's putting me in the looney bin," Johnson said.

Wednesday night's 4-1 loss left the Nationals right back where they started, sporting a .500 record, with a lineup that still can't produce on a consistent basis and a pitching staff and defense that can't be perfect even though they know they have to be given the offensive woes.
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Harper's impact should be significant

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It's been seven full weeks since Bryce Harper slammed face-first into the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium, a frightening collision that initially left everyone worried the young Nationals star had suffered a head injury but ultimately did more damage to his left knee than anything.

The Nationals were four games over .500 that night in Los Angeles, having struggled some through the season's first month-and-a-half but only one game out of first place in the NL East and still feeling good about their overall standing.

The club's mostly unsuccessful results since then are not entirely attributable to Harper's bursitis, but it's not unfair to to call his absence the biggest factor contributing to a 20-23 record since his collision.

So it's also not unfair to suggest Harper's healthy return tonight,

Rookie becoming invaluable to Nats lineup

Associated Press

Anthony Rendon has had the uncanny ability to hit a baseball where they ain't since the moment he first picked up a bat as a child in Houston. So why would the fact he's now trying to perform that same task in a slightly larger venue faze the Nationals rookie one iota?

"The game hasn't changed since I was a little kid," Rendon said. "The strike zone, the plate's the same size. The bases probably got a little longer, but that's pretty much it."

Calm, cool and collected, Rendon couldn't appear to be any more comfortable than he is these days in the big leagues. Since he returned from the minors three weeks ago, he's done nothing but notch hits. And more hits. And even more hits.

He was back at it again Wednesday night, recording hits in each of his first three at-bats and then nearly homering in his final plate appearance, pacing the Nationals' lineup during a 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.
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Instant analysis: Nats 3, D'backs 2

Associated Press

Jordan Zimmermann allowed two early runs and earned his NL-leading 11th win.

Game in a nutshell: Some early offensive fireworks by each team probably surprised everyone in attendance, but pitching quickly took over after that. Jordan Zimmermann allowed two runs in the top of the first, then put up six consecutive zeroes in his latest dominant start at home. The Nationals chipped away at Wade Miley, getting a run in the first on Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double, a run in the fourth on Tyler Moore's solo homer and the go-ahead run in the fifth when Denard Span and Anthony Rendon singled and Span scored on Zimmerman's double-play grounder. Tyler Clippard tossed a scoreless eighth and Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth to earn his 21st save, give Zimmermann his 11th win and get the Nationals back over the .500 mark, with a chance to sweep the series tomorrow afternoon.

Hitting highlight: He's impressed nearly every game he's played over the last three weeks, but Rendon really stood out in this one. The rookie second baseman had hits in his first three at-bats, a pair of singles to center field and a double to right. He continues to hit

Instant analysis: Nats 7, D'backs 5

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Gio Gonzalez allowed two runs to earn his first win since May 5.

Game in a nutshell: Fielding a lineup without Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper or Wilson Ramos, and with an apparently gimpy Jayson Werth batting third, the Nationals figured to struggle at the plate all night. So imagine everyone's surprise when they busted out for five runs in the bottom of the third, capped by Adam LaRoche's three-run homer. They added another run in the fifth and then a much-needed insurance run in the eighth after the Diamondbacks had started to chip away at the lead, drawing as close as two runs late. Gio Gonzalez gladly accepted all the run support, earning his first win since May 9 in the process. Rafael Soriano earned his 20th save. And the Nationals got back to the .500 mark with a solid victory in the opener of this three-game series.

Hitting highlight: How rare was the Nationals' five-run explosion in the bottom of the third? Well, it was only the third time all

Surprising stats

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It doesn't matter how many baseball games you've watched in your lifetime, your eyes have a way of deceiving you. You may think you know what you're seeing, but the truth often bears little to no resemblance.

Take the 2013 Nationals. You think you know this team inside and out, right? I certainly did ... until I started doing some research and came up with these following statistical surprises that will leave you scratching your head, furrowing your brow and rethinking everything you thought you knew about these Nationals.

For example, did you know that...

— Stephen Strasburg ranks in the top 10 among all NL pitchers in ERA (2.40), hits per nine innings (6.67) and strikeouts per nine

Instant analysis: Nats 2, Rockies 1

Associated Press

Stephen Strasburg allowed one run and struck out nine over seven innings.

Game in a nutshell: For five innings, this looked like so many other games we've seen this season. Stephen Strasburg pitched great but made one small mistake that proved costly. The Nationals lineup, meanwhile, was completely shut down by little-known right-hander Tyler Chatwood. Another frustrating night at the ballpark? Well, no. For that, you can thank Ryan Zimmerman (who doubled with two outs in the sixth to drive in the game-tying run) and Ian Desmond (who once again homered to put the Nats ahead late). Drew Storen then came up huge in the eighth, striking out Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer in succession to strand the tying run in scoring position. Rafael Soriano closed it out in the ninth — with help from Adam LaRoche, who made a spectacular play at first base to end it — and that secured the Nationals' first three-game winning streak since May 8-10. They're also back over the .500 mark at 37-36.

Hitting highlight: Zimmerman's game-tying double was nice, sure. But how can we not spotlight Desmond, who for the third

Game 71: Nats at Phillies

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

PHILADELPHIA — I hate using the term "must-win" in baseball, especially on June 19. But let's be honest: This is about as close to a "must-win" game as the Nationals have faced all season. They've lost three in a row. They risk getting swept (and passed in the standings) by the Phillies. And they're clearly at a potentially fragile juncture of the season, knowing they not only can't afford to fall any deeper into a hole but that they need to start climbing upward ASAP.

So, it's up to this lineup to finally get something going against Kyle Kendrick, against whom they've had success in the past (he's 4-6 with a 4.90 ERA in 20 career games against the Nationals). Tonight's key, in my mind: The two guys at the top of the lineup. Denard Span is in a major funk right now, hitting .164 with a .220 OBP this month. Anthony Rendon, on the other hand, has been fantastic since his return from the minors, hitting .395 with a .435 OBP. If those two guys can get on base, the opportunities will be there for Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond.

Gio Gonzalez gets the start for the Nationals, facing the exact same Phillies lineup that scratched out four runs against Ross Detwiler last night.

Updates to come, so please check back...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 187
Weather: Clear, 78 degrees, Wind 3 mph LF to RF

NATIONALS (34-36)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche

Espinosa officially optioned to AAA

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Updated at 6:45 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA — What had been planned for more than two weeks became official this afternoon: Danny Espinosa was optioned to Class AAA Syracuse, leaving the Nationals' former starting second baseman a full-time minor-leaguer until he proves his bat is big-league-worthy again.

Espinosa had already joined the Syracuse roster last week, but technically he was on a rehab assignment while recovering from a right wrist injury. Today, the Nationals deemed the 26-year-old healthy and activated him off the 15-day disabled list, then immediately optioned him to Class AAA so he can continue to work on his swing in the minors.

"We're trying to tear down his approach and his swing and make some adjustments, and see if we can get back the Danny Espinosa that we saw such good progress in when he first got to the big leagues," general manager Mike Rizzo said.
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Nats who's hot-who's not 6/19

By Michael Huberman
CSNwashington.com

Record: 3-4

Runs per game: 3.42

Opponent runs per game: 3.42

Batting average: .207

Batting average against: .258

Team ERA: 4.06

HOT:

Anthony Rendon, 2B – 10-23/1 HR/2 XBH/3 R/1.176 OPS

Rendon’s reputation as a hitter was no secret, but his excellent numbers at the plate have to be one of the more encouraging developments for the Nationals this season. In addition to hitting his first career home run, a game-winner Saturday night in Cleveland, Rendon is 17-for-43 (.395) with six doubles and has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games since his return to the majors.

Stephen Strasburg, SP – 0-1/5 IP/1 ER/1.80 ERA/4 BB/4 SO

In his first start since being activated off the disabled list, Strasburg showed little rust. In five innings Strasburg gave up only one hit, and though he received the loss, Nationals fans had to breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of their ace dominating, including one stretch when he retired eight straight Indians’ hitters.