Game 128: Nats at Royals

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The Nationals continue their road trip this weekend with a three game series at the Kansas City Royals, beginning tonight with a 8:10 first pitch. This is the first time the Nats have traveled to Kansas City in their nine years of existence. The two clubs have played just once, in a three game series at Nats Park in 2010.

The Royals have lost five straight games heading into the series, but remain seven games out of the AL Wild Card. This series could, in fact, be the last between the Nats and a team with something to fight for until the second half of September. At 64-62, Kansas City is the only team currently with a winning record the Nats play until they host Atlanta beginning Sept. 16.

Gio Gonzalez (7-6. 3.38) takes the mound for Washington with seven starts against the Royals under his belt. He used to battle them as an American League pitcher and hasn't had a great history. Through 36 1/3 total innings vs. the Royals he holds a 6.44 ERA, 20 walks and seven homers allowed.

Fellow lefty Bruce Chen (5-1, 2.20) will pitch for Kansas City and make his 13th start against the Nationals. Through 12 outings he is 2-2 with a 4.93 ERA with eight home runs given up in 38 1/3 innings. Chen last faced Washington on June 21 in 2010 and went six innings with two runs surrendered.

Denard Span, in particular, has had great success off Chen in his career. Through 21 plate appearances, Span is batting .313 with four walks and two RBI.

Enjoy the game...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 8:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN 2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Mostly sunny, 88 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (63-64)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Bryce Harper
DH Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
C Wilson Ramos
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Tyler Moore
2B Anthony Rendon
LHP Gio Gonzalez

Nats still can't stack up to Braves

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ATLANTA — The disparity between the 2013 Atlanta Braves and the 2013 Washington Nationals is massive, obvious by the outcomes of the 16 games these two rivals have played so far this season. With Sunday's 2-1 loss at Turner Field, the Nationals are now 4-12 against the Braves. Nothing to debate there.

But look at each game individually, and it quickly becomes clear the disparity isn't as large as it feels. Seven of the 16 games between these two have been decided by one run. The Nationals are 1-6 in those games. Eleven of the games have been decided by two runs or fewer. The Nationals are 3-8 in those contests.

Plain and simple, the Braves have done what it takes to win those nip-and-tuck ballgames. The Nationals have not.

"I'm gonna be honest with you: It just seems like they find a way to win," center fielder Denard Span said. "They've broken our hearts time and time again. We've had the leads. I think they've probably come back at least four of those wins, and that can crush a team. I haven't played against a team like that in a while, where they just have our number and you've just got to tip your cap off to them."
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Instant analysis: Braves 2, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: After Saturday night's wild, 15-inning affair that required 14 innings of work out of their bullpen, the Nationals desperately needed a lengthy start out of Gio Gonzalez today. The left-hander got off to a rocky start, allowing two runs in the first inning, but battled back nicely to give his team a chance. The Nats, though, couldn't push home a run against Julio Teheran to save their lives. They went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position through the first six innings. They did finally push one run across in the seventh but stranded the tying runner on third. That left them to rally against the Braves bullpen, never an easy task. Jordan Walden and Craig Kimbrel finished it out, handing the Nationals a tough loss and knocking them back to 15 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

Hitting lowlight: The opportunities certainly were there early on. The Nationals put their first two men on base in their first three

Game 123: Nats at Braves

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

ATLANTA — Oh, hello there. Long time, no speak. Only a few hours after departing Turner Field after their 15-inning victory over the Braves, the Nationals are right back here for the series finale. There were plenty of people drinking coffee in the clubhouse this morning, starting with the media. But everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and pretty much everybody was feeling well enough to play today.

In fact, Davey Johnson has six of his eight regulars in the lineup, with only Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos (who caught all 15 innings last night) getting the day off. Both Bryce Harper (bruised left triceps) and Jayson Werth (stiff back) are playing despite nagging injuries. The Braves, on the other hand, only have three regulars in their lineup: Freddie Freeman, Chris Johnson and B.J. Upton (though Upton hadn't started either of the first two games of the series).

The obvious key to today's game: Getting as many innings as possible out of the two starters. So the pressure is on Gio Gonzalez and Julio Teheran to come up big. The pressure is also on Mother Nature to hold off on the heavy rain until at least five innings are played and this game is official. Could be dicey.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Turner Field
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Rain, 68 degrees, Wind 5 mph RF to LF

NATIONALS (60-62)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth

Werth, Gio argument explained

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The dugout argument between Gio Gonzalez and Jayson Werth during the Nats’ win against the Giants on Tuesday night was about just what many had speculated.

Werth thought Gonzalez didn’t hustle to first base on a double play attempt in the first inning and Gio took exception to being called out for it.

Werth declined to comment after the game, and Gonzalez also saved the details.

“It stays between me and Werth,” Gonzalez said.

Luckily Davey Johnson was there to explain it. 

“Oh, just a little camaraderie going on. Jayson sometimes can get a little vocal. He thought that Gio was a little late covering first, and he was,” Johnson said.

With his team showing some life during their fourth consecutive win, however, Johnson saw no issue with the exchange.

“Spirits are high. I like it. It’s no big deal.”

Worth the wait

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If you're going to slog your way through 3 hours and 20 minutes of baseball — with a 77-minute rain delay in between the fourth and fifth innings on top of all that, not to mention a heated dugout argument between teammates — in front of a crowd that included mostly close friends and family by night's end, you might as well emerge victorious.

So despite the fact there were plenty of negatives to harp on the Nationals late Tuesday — the in-plain-view spat between Jayson Werth and Gio Gonzalez, another hamstring injury for Wilson Ramos, a 2-for-13 performance with runners in scoring position — the simple fact they walked away with a 4-2 win (their fourth straight) over the Giants left everyone in the home clubhouse feeling better.

"Nice to win, first of all," Adam LaRoche said. "It's tough burning your starter like that, as well as he was throwing. ... Good win, good little streak we're on. Better late than never, but we're still in a hole pretty good, so we've got a lot of work to do."

Indeed, the Nationals gained no ground on Tuesday, neither in the NL East nor in the NL Wild Card race. But the standings have become secondary for this underachieving club for now. These guys just want to win games, something they hadn't been able to do with any regularity over the season's first four months.
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Instant analysis: Nats 4, Giants 2

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Game in a nutshell: Why have the Nationals and Giants been such big underachievers this season? Look no further than each club's continued struggles to score runs and produce hits in big situations. We saw it on display tonight, with the Nationals going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and the Giants going 1-for-9 in those situations. A strange and very slow-paced game saw both starting pitchers perform well for four innings before an intense thunderstorm struck and produced a 1-hour, 17-minute delay. That knocked both Gio Gonzalez and Madison Bumgarner out and put the game in the hands of the bullpens. Adam LaRoche delivered the biggest hit, a two-run homer in the sixth that gave the Nationals the lead for good. That put Tanner Roark in line to earn his second win in four days, though this one still didn't come easily for the Nationals. Fernando Abad and Ryan Mattheus combined to allow a run in the seventh, trimming the lead to one. Kurt Suzuki provided a key RBI in the eighth on a sac fly. That allowed Rafael Soriano to close it out in the ninth and give the Nationals their fourth straight win.

Hitting highlight: Is LaRoche snapping out of his midseason funk? It's probably too early to declare that, but the results over the last week-plus certainly have been encouraging. With a 2-for-4

Game 118: Giants at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

As noted earlier today, Bryce Harper is really struggling to hit left-handers this season. Despite a .303 batting average and 1.008 OPS against righties, the Nationals' left fielder is hitting a paltry .172 with a .546 OPS against southpaws. Harper is also dealing with some flu-like symptoms, according to Davey Johnson, enough for the young outfielder to get a day off.

The Nationals' two other left-handed-hitting regulars — Denard Span and Adam LaRoche — also have struggled to hit lefties this season, but each will get a chance to start tonight. Not that Davey has many other options to replace those two, especially with Scott Hairston already starting in Harper's place in left field.

Gio Gonzalez gets the start for the Nationals, and it's only appropriate since today is National Left-Handers' Day. Sense a recurring theme here?

Updates to come, so please check back...

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, Wind 8 mph out to RF

NATIONALS (57-60)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Fired-up Nats still can't win

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Desperate for some kind of emotional spark, something that might snap them out of their season-long fog and set them on an upward path at long last, the Nationals got their wish in the fifth inning Tuesday night when their 20-year-old star took a fastball off his hip and then started jawing at the opposing pitcher, clearing both benches and bullpens.

Bryce Harper may have stoked the flame, but it's tough to keep the fire going when you can't deliver a single clutch hit in a key situation.

That has been the story of the Nationals' entire season, and it once again was the story on Tuesday during a 2-1 loss to the Braves that left them staring up at an almost-unfathomable 14 1/2-game deficit in the NL East.

"You get one of your guys hit, get people fired up, maybe get a little motivation there," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "I don't know. I've seen it go both ways."
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Instant analysis: Braves 2, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: After a particularly frustrating loss Monday night that left them 13 1/2 games back in the NL East, the Nationals might have needed something to stoke their fire when they took the field on Tuesday. They got just that when Bryce Harper (two innings after homering) was drilled in the hip by Braves starter Julio Teheran. Harper took a couple of steps toward the mound and jawed at Teheran, prompting both benches and bullpens to empty. No actual fight ensued, and order was quickly restored, but the Nationals suddenly regained their passion. Unfortunately, all the passion in the world can't make up for a lack of hits in key spots. So it was that they again squandered scoring opportunities and squandered a strong start by Gio Gonzalez. Held to zero or one run for the 31st time in 113 games this season, the Nationals lost another tight ballgame in frustrating fashion. The Braves now have won 12 in a row and have opened up a commanding, 14 1/2-game lead in the division.

Hitting lowlight: Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Nationals couldn't deliver a clutch hit in several big spots in the

Game 113: Braves at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

The last time Gio Gonzalez took the mound for the Nationals, the results were ... well, they weren't pretty. Gonzalez became only the second pitcher in Nats history to give up 10 runs in a start, matching the illustrious Jason Simontacchi for that dubious mark. Was that a mere blip on the radar or cause for action concern? We'll find out this evening.

We'll also find out if the Nationals can produce at least a little bit in key situations at the plate. They went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position last night, the latest frustrating offensive showing in a season chock-full of them, but Davey Johnson has a new twist tonight: Ryan Zimmerman is batting second for the first time in his career, with Bryce Harper leading off and Jayson Werth hitting third. As Davey put it: "I was throwing things up against the wall, and this one stuck."

Julio Teheran starts for the Braves, seeking their 12th straight win and a 14 1/2-game lead in the NL East. The Nats have had some success against the right-hander this season, scoring nine runs on 23 hits in 18 innings over three head-to-head encounters.

There is a threat of rain later this evening, but the forecast shows it should stay dry until about 9 p.m. Check back for updates...

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (outside D.C. market), MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 89
Weather: Chance of storms, 75 degrees, Wind 9 mph RF to LF

NATIONALS (54-58)
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth
1B Adam LaRoche

Nats glad to move on from Biogenesis

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For Gio Gonzalez' teammates on the Washington Nationals, there was a clear sense of relief to see their comrade have his named cleared on Monday in the Biogenesis scandal of performance enhancing drugs. There have may have been more joy, however, in knowing they likely won't have to talk about it ever again.

Several players that spoke on the issue expressed a sense of exhaustion about the entire subject. They want to see the game played clean and fair, and wish it wasn't so hard to keep it that way.

"I’m so over it. I don’t even care anymore. Literally don’t care," Adam LaRoche said.

"This stuff has been going on for a long time," Ryan Zimmerman said. "Everyone knows how we all feel about it."

The root of their frustration seems to have a lot to do with the fact they want a level playing field. Those that use performance enhancing drugs gain an advantage over those who don't cheat and they feel that's unfair.

"For a guy that doesn’t do anything, for 95 percent of the guys that don’t do anything, it’s a tough game to play every day. It’s not fair for other guys to have an advantage like that," Zimmerman said. 

"My career has gone okay without that or whatever those guys have tried to do. But I think it’s more unfair for the guys who are the last two or three on the roster who play the game the right way. They fight to try and make the big leagues and maybe sometimes the last two or three guys who made it used these kinds of things, those are the guys I really feel bad for. They try to do it the right way."

MLB: No punishment for Gonzalez

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Updated at 5:36 p.m.

By Mark Zuckerman and Chase Hughes

Major League Baseball's long-awaited announcement of suspensions for players who received performance-enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis clinic in Miami has confirmed what the Nationals expected all along: No punishment for Gio Gonzalez.

The left-hander has been cleared of any wrongdoing by MLB, which officially announced suspensions today but said the investigation found "no violations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program" by Gonzalez.

"I am very pleased that Major League Baseball has cleared my name," Gonzalez said in a statement released by the Nationals. "With this process now complete, I have no lingering sense of animosity, as I quickly realized that the objective of this investigation was to clean up our game. This is an ideal that I share with both Major League Baseball and the MLBPA. I would also like to acknowledge the unwavering support of my teammates, the Lerner Family, Mike Rizzo, Davey Johnson, our coaching staff and Nationals fans everywhere."

Gonzalez's teammates said they're glad the pitcher can put this behind him now and perhaps be vindicated from the initial accusations

"He really shouldn't have been mentioned anyway," said reliever Tyler Clippard, one of the club's union representatives. "I think that it's unfortunate he was on the list to begin with. He's obviously been doing the right things. Gio's a good guy and he wasn't cheating. For him to be on the list in the first place is kind of unfortunate, but I guess this is good for him to get a clean slate."

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Nats trounced again, Harper speaks out

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DETROIT — At the end of yet another lopsided loss, inside a disconsolate clubhouse full of players who slowly are coming to the realization this season is beyond repair, the youngest guy in the room stood up and offered a rare-but-impassioned plea for his teammates, coaches and manager not to give up on 2013.

"You've got to have heart right now," Bryce Harper said following an 11-1 trouncing at the hands of the Tigers. "You've got to play as a family, and everybody's got to want it, starting with the manager on down to everybody."

Whether the Nationals collectively have been showing much heart or not in recent weeks is up for debate. The results on the field are not.

They've lost 14 of their last 20 games, a stretch that had already included scores of 8-3, 9-2 and 11-0 prior to Wednesday's blowout. They've scored zero or one run in seven of those 14 losses, not to mention 30 total times in 108 games this season.
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Instant analysis: Tigers 11, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: In a word: Ugly. In two words: Really ugly. Gio Gonzalez was torched for 10 runs in only 3 1/3 innings, one of the worst starts in Nationals history. Justin Verlander, after allowing an early run in the top of the first, dominated through the sixth before handing it over to the Tigers bullpen. Ross Ohlendorf, in relief of Gonzalez, lasted only 11 pitches before departing with some sort of injury. Even Bryce Harper appeared to wince after a seventh-inning swing, ultimately leaving the game one inning later. Put it all together and you've got the latest disaster of a ballgame for the Nationals, who have reached the two-thirds point of the season with a 52-56 record. At this rate, they'd finish with 78 wins.

Hitting lowlight: Just as they did Tuesday night, the Nationals jumped on a tough opposing pitcher for a quick run in the top of

Game 108: Nats at Tigers

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

DETROIT — As much as the Nationals have struggled over the years against Anibal Sanchez, might they actually be looking forward to facing Justin Verlander today? OK, that might be stretching things a bit. But 2013 Verlander (3.99 ERA, 1.409 WHIP) isn't exactly 2011-2012 Verlander (2.52 ERA, 0.987 WHIP), so perhaps there's a sliver of hope.

Davey Johnson is trying a slightly different look for today's game. Denard Span (15-for-42 in his career vs. Verlander) is leading off, with Bryce Harper right behind him. Meanwhile, the red-hot Jayson Werth (.371/.448/.629 in July) swaps spots with the ice-cold Adam LaRoche (.167/.237/.298 in July).

Gio Gonzalez gets the nod for the Nationals, hoping to keep this potent Detroit lineup in check and get his team back on the winning track before they head out of town for a weekend in Milwaukee.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at DETROIT TIGERS
Where: Comerica Park
Gametime: 1:08 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 176
Weather: Cloudy, 74 degrees, Wind 6 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (52-55)
CF Denard Span
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

State of the Nats - 7/29

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Team Record: 52-54 (20-21)

N.L. East Standings

Wild Card Standings

Offensive Game of the Week: Jayson Werth 7/22 vs. Pirates - 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Pitching Line of the Week: Stephen Strasburg 7/24 vs. Pirates - 8 IP, ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 12 SO, 118 pitches, 80 strikes

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Can they keep it up? - Having won four of their last five games, the Nats would probably prefer not taking a day off in interest of continuing their momentum. But fortunately for them, the recent three game winning streak came with the back of their rotation pitching. They'll pick back up on Tuesday with Strasburg on the mound - who is coming off a dominant start against Pittsburgh - and Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann to follow. If the Nationals are going to start making a run anytime soon, now would be a good time. The Tigers are up next and have been hot lately, but after the Nats leave Detroit they play nine of their next 12 games against teams with losing records. They have been saying for weeks, if not months, that 'now is the time.' But really, now is the time.

Harper's walkoff HR powers Nats to win

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The Nationals knew at some point they would break their six-game losing streak and finally get a win after the All-Star break. But in their wildest dreams, they probably didn’t picture it would happen like this.

Two manager ejections, three Pirates errors in the first inning, a four-run lead blown in the ninth, the First Lady in attendance, and Bryce Harper’s first career walkoff home run is all it took for the Nats to finally get back into the win column. 

Now at 49-53 on the season, the Nationals can’t take too much from what amounts to just one victory, they’re still eight games out of the division lead and have plenty of work to do to catch up. They do acknowledge, however, the feeling of a win is a nice change of pace for the first time in 11 days. 

Bench coach Randy Knorr - who replaced Davey Johnson as manager after his ejection in the fifth inning – couldn’t overstate the dramatic turn of emotions in the ninth inning of the Nats’ 9-7 win over the Pirates.

“To tell you how it feels, just walking into the clubhouse right now, you’d think we won the World Series or something,” he said. “But that’s the way the game is right now. And hopefully this carries over for us. I think we’re going to get on a roll here. I think it was a big game for us.”

All-too-familiar result

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At the end of a brutally frustrating, brutally long and brutally hot Saturday night at the ballpark, one that concluded with an all-too-familiar-result for the home ballclub, the question seemed less to be how the Nationals lost yet another low-scoring game but how they intend to keep themselves from imploding to the point this season no longer becomes salvageable.

It's one thing to lose baseball games. It's another to keep losing them over and over and over in the same fashion, wasting brilliant pitching performances and squandering scoring opportunities left and right.

Add Saturday's 3-1, 10-inning loss to the Dodgers to the ever-growing list of candidates for "Most Frustrating Loss of the Year." Just don't expect the Nationals to succumb to the frustration and take it out on each other.

"I think we're doing fine," shortstop Ian Desmond when asked about the state of clubhouse morale. "I don't think you could do any better than what we're doing. I think a lot of teams, under the situation that we're in, would probably be a little bit more distressed inside the clubhouse than what we've been. I think we're doing a pretty good job, and I think that will pay off in the end."
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Instant analysis: Dodgers 3, Nats 1 (10)

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Game in a nutshell: If you thought Friday night's game was frustrating, how about the first three innings of this one? The Nationals put six men on base against Zack Greinke and couldn't bring any of them home, leaving many in the sellout crowd of 41,816 to boo the home team. Fortunately, Gio Gonzalez was in top form, dominating over six scoreless innings. And then, the Nats finally got a big hit with a man in scoring position when pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina singled to right to score Chad Tracy in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, Drew Storen immediately gave the run back in the top of the seventh on a pair of two-out hits. The game now tied, the Nationals had more opportunities to plate the go-ahead run and simply couldn't do it, frustrating the crowd even more. By the time the Dodgers scored twice off Craig Stammen in the top of the 10th, those who remained could barely muster the energy to react. The Nationals went down in the bottom of the inning, losing for the seventh time in nine games and falling below the .500 mark for the first time since June 19.

Hitting lowlight: Pick an inning. Any inning will suffice. The Nationals stranded the bases loaded in the first. They stranded two runners in the third. They stranded two in the seventh. They left