Much better, but still not enough

Associated Press

The good news for the Nationals on this late-August Monday morning: They're playing unquestionably their best baseball of the season right now.

The bad news for the Nationals (and their fans): It's still not going to be enough to make up for the first four-plus months of this underachieving season.

They simply dug themselves too big a hole. Plus, the five NL clubs who have been in position to make the postseason for quite some time now have shown no signs of collapse, the other requirement for a last-ditch pennant race in D.C.

So it's not entirely the Nationals' fault. Even with yesterday's frustrating 6-4 loss in Kansas City, they've gone 11-5 since that embarrassing home sweep at the hands of the Braves earlier this

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 11, Cubs 6

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: The Nationals jumped out to an early 6-1 lead behind another homer from Jayson Werth and a two-run single from Kurt Suzuki. But Ross Ohlendorf and Tanner Roark gave the entire lead back in the bottom of the fifth amid a flurry of base hits. Roark, an Illinois native pitching in front of more than 100 friends and family in the right-field bleachers, did bounce back by striking out the side in the sixth and that actually left him in line for his third win in two weeks when Scott Hairston launched a three-run homer in the top of the seventh, putting the Nationals back on top. Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman added two more insurance runs in the eighth, and that was more than enough cushion for Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano to close this one out and give the Nationals their second straight victory at Wrigley Field.

Hitting highlight: There were plenty of offensive highlights tonight, but let's focus on the guy who gave the Nationals the lead

Nats who's hot/who's not - 8/21

Photo by USA Today

By Steve Roney

CSNwashington.com

The Nationals' past week, at a glance:

Record: 3-4

Team slash: .269/.343/.377

Team ERA: 4.28

Runs per game: 3.6

Opponent runs per game: 4.9

Opponent slash: .227/.292/.438

HOT

Dan Haren, SP/RP: 1-0/1 SV/1.38 ERA/0.85 WHIP/13 IP/11 K

Nobody on the Nationals, or in the majors in general, is as hot as is Haren right now. Whether it's a result of mechanics, being truly healthy (my colleague Mark Zuckerman noted that his ERA since returning from the DL is 2.16), or just getting his head screwed on right, he has been truly dominant all month. On top of his microscopic August ERA (1.33), he also pitched in during the 15-inning marathon against Atlanta, recording his first career save.

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B: 8-27/1 HR/3 RBI/.387 OBP/.943 OPS

We all figured he would, but Zimmerman has begun to hit his way out of his recent slump. Barring a scorching finish, his season numbers won't be all that impressive, but he has raised his average back to a respectable .270, muscling up on the ball, and getting on base like a machine -- like he always has. Imagine if he'd hit this way all year.

State of the Nats - 8/19

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Team Record: 60-63 (24-26)

N.L. East Standings

Wild Card Standings

Offensive Game of the Week: Jayson Werth 8/17 vs. Braves - 2 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2B

Pitching Line of the Week: Tanner Roark 8/17 vs. Braves - 4.0 IP (in relief), 0 ER, H, BB, 6 SO, 50 pitches, 37 strikes

Top Storylines

Any chance at NL Wild Card? - Losing two of three against the Braves this weekend didn't do any favors for the Nationals' disappearing hopes of a playoff spot this October. They had chances in each game they lost, but saw the Braves capitalize on mistakes and prevail with the series win. Now the Nats continue their road trip with a 9.5 game deficit separating them and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds aren't offering much help for the Nationals as they've won nine of their last 12 games, but they did lose two in four-game series against the Brewers this past weekend. They now return to Cincinnati to play the Arizona Diamondbacks who have won five of their last six. The Diamondbacks, as you see above, are the other team separating the Nats and the final Wild Card spot. The Nats have 39 games left on their schedule, the Reds 38 and the Diamondbacks 40. The Reds obviously have the edge right now, but stranger things have happened.

Nats still can't stack up to Braves

USA Today Sports Images

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

USA Today Sports Images

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

Instant analysis: Nats 8, Braves 7 (15)

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: Tensions were high when this game began, with everyone at Turner Field wondering if Stephen Strasburg would retaliate for Bryce Harper's repeated plunkings by Braves pitchers. Only two batters in, he answered that question, drilling Justin Upton in the left hip with a fastball. Umpire Marvin Hudson immediately issued warnings to both dugouts and Upton quietly took his base, so that should have been the end of it. Except Strasburg completely lost his command in the bottom of the second, throwing seven straight balls, the last three of them wild pitches, the last two of them behind Andrelton Simmons' back. Hudson had no choice but to eject both Strasburg and Davey Johnson, leaving the Nationals in a real bind. Tanner Roark, though, came through with four huge scoreless innings of relief. The Nationals lineup pounded out seven runs and 15 hits off Braves pitching, with Jayson Werth reaching base four times to lead the way. Asked to protect a late lead, Drew Storen struck out the side in the seventh. Tyler Clippard gave up a homer in the eighth, but Rafael Soriano still was given a two-run lead for the bottom of the ninth ... which he still blew. Jason

Beaten and bruised by the Braves

USA Today Sports Images

ATLANTA — The curveball came in from Ian Krol at 77 mph, hanging right over the plate. And it departed via Justin Upton's bat with far more velocity, clearing the fence in left-center and leaving the Braves mobbing their star slugger at the plate while the Nationals trudged away having suffered yet another disheartening loss to this Atlanta club.

The scene inside the Nationals' clubhouse minutes later was even more disheartening. Amid dead-silence, Jayson Werth, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond sat side-by-side at their lockers, staring into nothingness. Krol and Taylor Jordan, fellow rookies on a veteran-laden roster, showered and dressed and tried to figure out what to say when asked by reporters about this 3-2, 10-inning loss.

And Bryce Harper sat alone, sporting a bandage on his arm after he twice was hit by pitches — the third time he has been plunked by the Braves in the last three meetings between these two teams — before walking out declining to speak to reporters.

Such is the state of affairs right now for a Nationals club that is stuck in baseball purgatory. They're able to beat up on bad teams but getting beaten up by the good ones. Sometimes in the literal sense.

"It's not easy losing, that's for sure," Werth said. "It's kind of been the story of the year so far. We just play good enough to lose."
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Werth: "I love playing" for Manuel

USA Today Sports Images

ATLANTA — Jayson Werth openly admits he is the player he is today in large because of Charlie Manuel. So when asked today whether he'd like for the suddenly available Manuel to manage the Nationals next season, the veteran right fielder didn't hide his feelings.

"Oh, of course," Werth said this afternoon. "I don't know if he fits into the organization's plan or whatever. But I mean, I love playing for the guy."

Fired by the Phillies today after a 4-19 stretch since the All-Star break, Manuel now finds himself out of work after 12 years managing in Cleveland and Philadelphia, posting a 1,000-826 record, winning six division titles and a World Series. The 69-year-old said he would need some time to contemplate his future, but his name could surface as a candidate to replace Davey Johnson in 2014.

Werth said he spoke to Manuel earlier this season and asked his former skipper about his future plans.

"He guaranteed me he would be managing somewhere next year," Werth said. "This was probably ... I think I was on the DL in May when I talked to him. We'll see. Time changes things. But at the time when I talked to him then, he was adamant he wanted to manage."
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Nats who's hot/who's not - 8/14

Photo by USA Today

By Steve Roney
CSNwashington.com

The Nationals' past week, at a glance:

Record: 4-1

Team slash: .305/.388/.470

Team ERA: 2.80

Runs per game: 6.0

Opponent runs per game: 3.0

Opponent slash: .244/.294/.339

HOT

Tanner Roark, RP: 2-0/0.00 ERA/0.67 WHIP/6 IP/1 K 

Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Ro-ark. The rookie reliever made his first three career appearances this week, picking up the win in the most recent two. He doesn't have overpowering stuff -- he's thrown two-thirds of his 70 pitches for strikes, with only two swings and misses -- but he's gotten the job done in fairly high-leverage situations. Working two innings in each of his appearances, he's been able to serve as a very effective bridge to Rafael Soriano, who has saved both his victories. Without more swinging strikes, his .190 BABIP will rise -- along with his ERA -- but Roark has had a dream start to his career.

Jayson Werth, OF: 10-19/2 HR/6 RBI/.591 OBP/1.486 OPS

Put simply, this is what we've been waiting for from Jayson Werth. Not the video game numbers of the past week, or even the past month -- but his incredibly hot tear has brought his season numbers (.327/.399/.529, 17 HR) in line with his pay grade for the first time since he donned a Nats jersey. In fact, the 34-year-old is exceeding even those expectations: the batting average, if it holds up, is the highest of his career, though his .444 BABIP since the All-Star break portends a looming regression. The Nats are likely playing for bragging rights and to set the table for next season; if Werth can continue to swing a hot bat, both he and the team can end the year on a high note, which will bode well going forward.

Werth, Gio argument explained

Photo by USA Today

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

USA Today Sports Images

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

USA Today Sports Images

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

Harper out with flu; other injury updates

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Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals’ lineup on Tuesday as they host the San Francisco Giants, dealing with flu-like symptoms. Manager Davey Johnson said Harper spent much of the team’s day off on Monday sleeping and was having trouble keeping food down. 

“I think he’s got the flu,” Johnson said. “He hasn’t been able to eat. He said he slept all day yesterday and couldn’t eat much. That’s what we got from [trainer] Lee Kuntz.”

Though Harper is out, he did take batting practice before the game. Scott Hairston is set to take his place in left field and hitting eighth in the lineup.

Despite struggling against lefties this season overall with a .546 OPS, Harper has actually fared well against Tuesday’s starter, Madison Bumgarner. In 10 plate appearances against the southpaw, Harper is 3 for 9 with a home run.

Johnson noted that factor and was hoping to have him available.

“He is one of the guys that’s hit him,” he said.

---

Jayson Werth is back in the Nats’ lineup after leaving Sunday’s game in the fifth inning. He was examined by team medical director Dr. Wiemi Duougiuh and had bandages above and below his knee cap after the team’s win. But with a day off, he is ready to get back at it.

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State of the Nats - 8/12

Photo by USA Today

Team Record: 57-60 (23-24)

N.L. East Standings

Wild Card Standings

Offensive Game of the Week: Jayson Werth 8/10 vs. Phillies - 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R

Pitching Line of the Week: Stephen Strasburg 8/11 vs. Phillies - 9 IP, 0 ER, 10 SO, 4 H, BB, 99 pitches, 66 strikes

Top Storylines

Momentum? - After taking a brutal sweep by the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park this week, the Nats turned things around by getting a sweep of their own over the Philadelphia Phillies. As Mark noted at the end of the Braves series, the Nats have only been able to beat bad teams since the All-Star break and are 1-11 against the likes of the Braves, Dodgers, Pirates and Tigers. The Phillies certainly fall in the 'bad teams' category and the upcoming Giants do as well. Even if the Nats continue to win this week against the struggling defending champs, it will be hard to read too much into it. In particular, if the recent offensive improvement is legitimate, it will have to carry over into this weekend's series in Atlanta. We'll see.

Werth, Davey leave Nats' win with injuries

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Jayson Werth continued his impressive season at the plate on Sunday with his second consecutive three-hit day, raising his average on the year to a whopping .328. But the Nationals’ right fielder later left the game in the sixth inning after banging his right knee sliding into home in the fifth. 

He is now considered day-to-day with a good chance he’ll play Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants.

“It’s okay. Just kinda got caught underneath me on that slide home. Kinda stiffened up a little bit,” he said. 

“Doctors looked at it. I didn’t think it was a big deal. But should be okay. Day off tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll know waking up in the morning, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

Werth was treated by team medical director Dr. Wiemi Duougiuh in the game’s later innings and is not expected to receive an MRI. Werth iced it to reduce the swelling and had bandages on the top and bottom of his knee cap afterwards.

"Dr. Wiemi was back there," Davey Johnson said. "Didn't think it was anything other than a pretty good bruise."

Strasburg shuts out Phillies

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Stephen Strasburg took the mound on Sunday evening looking to shake off a rocky bullpen session where he didn’t feel he had his best stuff. His catcher, Wilson Ramos, even agreed, calling it a “struggle.”

In the second inning he tweaked his groin and saw trainer Lee Kuntz and pitching coach Steve McCatty meet him at the mound. After seeing Strasburg stumble off the rubber and wince, Ramos thought he would soon leave the game.

And in the fifth inning Strasburg took a 87 mile per hour fastball off his right forearm on a bunt attempt. He stepped out of the batter’s box shaking his wrist to relieve the pain.

But somehow through a variety of obstacles, Strasburg emerged on Sunday with the first complete game of his career and a 6-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. He struck out ten with just one walk in a true masterpiece, his best outing yet in four MLB seasons. In the ninth and with the shutout near, the crowd of 32,355 gave him a standing ovation and chants of  ‘let’s go Strasburg,’ bringing back memories of his historic professional debut.

While the fastball off his arm may have just plain hurt, the sore groin and bad warmup session might have been blessings in disguise. Not having his best stuff, for instance, helped Strasburg get locked in. He needed only eight pitches in the first inning and all were strikes.

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Werth earns well-deserved praise

Associated Press

Jayson Werth has been an easy target for cynical baseball fans, both from within the District and around the sport, since signing a $126 million contract with the Nationals prior to the 2011 season. That contract figure forever will be attached to Werth's name, and even his staunchest supporters will admit he'll never live up to that mammoth number.

Try for a moment, though, to ignore the money and focus simply on what Werth has done on the field for the Nationals, most notably over the last two seasons. His actual contributions have been immense.

"He's doing an unbelievable job leading this team," Bryce Harper said. "It's a lot of fun to watch, being able to see him get hits against unbelievable pitchers and seeing him do his thing."

Washington fans got an opportunity to shower Werth with some well-deserved praise Saturday night when the veteran right fielder reached a personal milestone and delivered the biggest blast of the Nationals' 8-5 victory over the Phillies all with one mighty swing. His two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh highlighted a five-run rally, putting the Nationals ahead for the first time in a game they once trailed 4-0, and represented the 1,000th hit of his career, to boot.

For that, the crowd of 32,676 coaxed Werth out of the dugout for a curtain call.
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