Instant analysis: Nats 5, Cubs 4 (13)

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: After waiting out a 2-hour rain delay before they took the field, and with a flight to Kansas City still to make tonight, the Nationals had to be antsy to jump out to a quick lead and then hand things over to Stephen Strasburg. They did just that, getting a first-inning home run from Ryan Zimmerman and then plating two more runs in the top of the second. Strasburg took over from there, holding the Cubs scoreless until Brian Bogusevic's homer in the eighth. Efficient throughout, the right-hander was given the chance to go the distance for the second time in 11 days. But he couldn't quite finish it off. Anthony Rendon, playing shortstop in place of Ian Desmond, couldn't make a really tough play on a grounder to the hole, allowing the bottom of the ninth to continue. Donnie Murphy then launched a game-tying, two-run homer, stunning Strasburg and turning the entire game upside-down. Rafael Soriano managed to get the game into extra innings and Tyler Clippard retired the side in the 10th, but the Nationals couldn't push across the winning run. They couldn't do it in the 11th or the 12th, either, despite opportunities. But they finally did it in the top of the 13th when pinch-hitter Chad Tracy's swinging bunt groundout scored Denard Span from third base to give the Nationals the lead. Drew Storen then finished it off to record the save and send the exhausted Nationals off to Kansas City with three wins in four days here in Chicago and a 63-64 record.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals scored only one run over a 10-inning stretch from the third through the 12th, but they

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

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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.

Instant analysis: Nats 4, Cubs 2

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: After a blowout loss on Monday night against their least-effective starter, the Nationals turned to their best pitcher to stop the bleeding and author a gem. Who would have imagined a month ago Jordan Zimmermann would fit the first description while Dan Haren would fit the latter? Obviously, it's been a strange season for the Nationals. Behind yet another dominant start from Haren, they put themselves in position to beat the Cubs. They had to scratch and claw their way to four runs, but that was enough, with Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard each retiring the side in the seventh and eighth and Rafael Soriano navigating his way through a shaky ninth to earn the save. So the Nationals avenged Monday night's 11-1 loss. They also gained a game on both the Braves and the Reds, who each lost.

Hitting highlight: It's been a chore for the Nationals to score runs. It never comes easy. And it certainly didn't tonight, though they somehow cobbled together enough key hits at the right

Haren continues post-DL resurgence

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Since returning from the disabled list on July 8, Dan Haren has been a markedly better pitcher. The difference is striking.

He was diagnosed with shoulder stiffness and administered a cortisone shot, but if you ask Haren, the problem wasn’t physical. The drastic improvement is simply a change in approach. He is more conservative with his pitches and focuses on keeping the ball low.

It sounds simple but whatever, it’s working.

“I’m definitely happier with the way I’m throwing than I was a month ago,” he said. “Before I went on the DL it was a mixture of making a few bad pitches, a little bit of bad luck. Now I’m just more focused on keeping the ball down, keeping the defense in the game.”

Since facing the Phillies in his July 8 return, Haren has held a 2.30 ERA with 42 strikeouts and ten walks in 43 total innings. He went to the DL with a 6.15 season ERA, it’s now 4.82. 

Haren continued his resurgence on Thursday with six innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and two walks. He battled through a 27-pitch first inning with the bases loaded to make it six, salvaging what at first looked like a regression to his early season self.

Soriano blows it in Nats' loss to Giants

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A night after being bailed out by his center fielder on a miraculous catch to end the game, Nationals closer Rafael Soriano once again made matters interesting in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants.  

But this time he wasn’t so lucky, as a pinch-hitting Hector Sanchez launched a towering three run homer to the upper deck in right field, putting the Giants up for good and ruining the Nats’ chances of a sixth consecutive win.

The final blow came in a 3-2 count with two outs, on a pitch Soriano didn’t think he would have to make. The previous pitch, at 2-2, Soriano fired a fastball that was up in the zone, just high enough to earn a ball from home plate umpire Jim Joyce. 

Soriano thought it was a strike and couldn’t recover after thinking the game was over.

“I don’t think it be a bad pitch at all. I think it be a strike. But I don’t make that decision,” he said. “I think the game [should have been] over. That pitch, to me, I think it be a strike. I think that was when the game changed.”

Sanchez even thought he was done.

“It was close you know, I thought he got me,” he said.

Soriano’s next delivery was slightly higher, but right where Sanchez was hoping it would be.

“I was looking high and I got that pitch,” he said.

The Nats had nursed a lead since the third inning, only to see it ripped away at the end in the 4-3 loss on Thursday. They struck early with three runs in the third and knocked Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong out of the game after just 3 2/3 innings. 

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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.

The Baseball Show: A wild week

Just because the Nats aren't winning a lot of games, doesn't mean it hasn't been interesting. The last week provided plenty to talk about on Friday's Baseball Show, as Mark, Jim and this week's host Michael Jenkins covered a variety of topics. In the first video above, they talk about Jayson Werth's comments this week and if the Nats should start looking towards next season.

Haren's resurgence continues

USA Today Sports Images

In his absolute lowest moments, Dan Haren never tried to sugarcoat things, never tried to make excuses for his lousy performance, never shied away from the criticism heaped upon him before he was unceremoniously dumped on the disabled list with a dubious physical ailment.

"Baseball is an incredibly humbling game," the veteran right-hander said. "When you're up, it'll just knock you right down. I couldn't have really gotten much lower than I did when I was on the DL. I mean, I was a bad start or two away from getting released, probably. That's just the truth of it, I think. I definitely feel way better the way I'm pitching now. This is more me."

The version of Haren that tossed seven standout innings Friday night during the Nationals' 9-2 thumping of the Phillies, and the version that has consistently pitched well since returning to the active roster one month ago, is exactly the guy the Nats thought they were getting last winter.

It may be too little, too late. But if nothing else, it's restoring Haren's faith in himself, not to mention his teammates' faith in him.
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Instant analysis: Nats 9, Phillies 2

USA Today Sports Images

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

Looking at contract statuses

USA Today Sports Images

Are the Nationals officially out of the pennant race in 2013? No. Obviously, they haven't been mathematically eliminated from anything, and their 9-game deficit in the Wild Card standings — while daunting — isn't so huge that it couldn't be overcome with a major turnaround.

But let's be honest: This club isn't going to be playing this October. Players started to acknowledge that over the last few days as they were swept by the Braves, with Jayson Werth perhaps providing the most-honest assessment of the situation when he started talking about next year and beyond.

So while there are 48 games remaining on the 2013 schedule, there is growing attention now on 2014 and questions about what general manager Mike Rizzo will need to do to his roster between now and next Opening Day.

With that in mind, it's probably worthwhile to take a look at the contract status for everyone on the current roster (plus a couple of key players currently in the minors). These statuses will play a

Davey talks Zim's throwing, future at 3B

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Ryan Zimmerman’s throwing issues over the last two seasons have been well documented, a quick look at the league leaders in errors will tell you that. Zimmerman was tied for third in baseball last season with 19 and already has 17 this year, also good for third. 

Whether it’s purely a mental issue or a physical one - Zimmerman had shoulder surgery this offseason – is not entirely clear. Manager Davey Johnson has been back and forth at times on the issue and still can’t figure it out.

“I don't know if it's physical or mental. Because I see him throw pretty good and in the game he'll want to get a lot of air under it,” he said.

If Johnson had to guess, he’d say it’s all in the third baseman’s head, as Zimmerman tends to be more accurate when he has less time to throw.

“I still think it’s more mental, not just trusting it and cutting loose,” Johnson said. “I see him getting his work in, and he throws it pretty good.”

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."

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

Instant analysis: Tigers 5, Nats 1

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: The Nationals arrived in Detroit feeling good about themselves after winning three straight against the Mets over the weekend, but they quickly realized they were in for a tougher fight against the Tigers. Stephen Strasburg and Anibal Sanchez engaged in a strong pitchers' duel for five innings, each allowing one run and pitching with high efficiency. But then things unraveled for Strasburg in the sixth, capped by Alex Avila's game-changing grand slam. The Nationals couldn't recover from that, so Strasburg was left to take another tough loss, and the Nats' good weekend vibes were smothered. With the Braves up big against Colorado, the Nationals were in danger of falling 10 games back in the NL East by night's end, with Wednesday's 4 p.m. trade deadline looming.

Hitting lowlight: Three batters into this game, the Nationals looked like they might have something cooking against Sanchez. Bryce Harper's leadoff triple and Ryan Zimmerman's RBI single

Wild homestand ends with winning streak

USA Today Sports Images

The Nationals returned from the All-Star break on July 19 with a winning record, a healthy roster and reason to believe they could take advantage of a long homestand to thrust themselves into the thick of the National League pennant race.

So what transpired over the next 10 days? How much time do you have to run through the laundry list?

The Nationals got swept by the Dodgers. Then they fired their hitting coach, against the manager's wishes. They extended their losing streak to six games before snapping it on Bryce Harper's first career walk-off homer. They got blown out by 11 runs in the first game of a doubleheader, then won the nightcap on Ryan Zimmerman's ninth career walk-off homer. After which they sent their former closer to Class AAA, prompting another reliever to harshly criticize the organization. And then, just as their season appeared on the verge of disaster, they rebounded to win three in a row, capped by Sunday's record-setting, 14-1 throttling of the Mets.

How on earth do the Nationals make sense of all that?

"We can't get too excited," center fielder Denard Span said. "We've been up and down all season. We've just got to stay the course, just try to win series. Definitely this weekend's series was very important for us to win three out of four, especially after losing ... six in a row. Just started off with Zimmerman getting that walk-off home run the other night, and we've just carried that momentum the last two days."
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A day, and night, of emotions

Associated Press

The emotional ups and downs of a baseball season can be draining for any club, let alone one expected to be among the sport's best but slogging its way through a prolonged train-wreck stretch of games. What the Nationals have experienced over the last 36 hours alone would normally be enough to fill a month.

It began Thursday afternoon with a wild victory over the Pirates that saw their closer blow a four-run lead in the top of the ninth, only to see their young star produce his first career game-winning homer in the bottom of the inning.

It continued Friday afternoon with an ugly, lopsided, 11-0 loss to the Mets that saw their former closer sent to the mound facing a 5-run deficit despite the fact he was battling flu-like symptoms and wasn't expected to pitch at all.

And then it was capped off Friday evening in the nightcap of a wild doubleheader with a familiar face providing a familiar thrill to lead the Nationals to a 2-1 win, only to be trumped in some ways by the postgame demotion of that former closer to the minors and critical comments from a teammate lobbed toward the organization.
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Instant Analysis: Nats 9, Pirates 7

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Game in a nutshell: After entering the ninth inning up 7-3, Rafael Soriano and Ian Krol combined to blow the lead. But Bryce Harper then hit a walkoff homer - the first of his career - in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. The Nats had jumped out early with four runs in the first inning, more than they had notched in eight of their previous ten games. They were assisted by some sloppy defense on behalf of the Pirates as you'll read in the hitting highlight, but nonetheless an ideal start for the struggling Nationals. Gio Gonzalez was not as sharp as he's usually been lately, but was able to give the Nats 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball. He needed 119 pitches on the day after walking four and striking out 11, still keeping the Pirates to three runs. Craig Stammen took over for Gonzalez and pitched 1 1/3 innings to bring the Nats to the eighth when Tyler Clippard took over. Clippard was solid with his 13th consecutive scoreless inning, preserving the one-run lead. The Nats then got three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, two on a triple by Adam LaRoche with two outs. But Rafael Soriano allowed two runs in the top of the ninth before being replaced by Ian Krol who allowed two more to tie the game at 7-7.

Hitting highlight: The first inning was good times for the Nats on offense, both on their own accord and with a little help from the Pirates' defense. Pittsburgh committed three errors and let in four total runs, only one of them charged to pitcher A.J. Burnett. The first came on an error by Pedro Alvarez at third who couldn't reel in a throw to him during a rundown, Bryce Harper came around to score on that one. The second costly error came on a Denard Span single that saw Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond both score after a throw attempt to second by Gaby Sanchez found its way into the outfield.

Dodgers blow out Nats, complete sweep

What was slated to be a pitchers duel between two of the best young arms in the National League developed quickly into a one-sided disaster on Sunday.

It was just another day at the office for Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, while Jordan Zimmermann turned in the worst start of his major league career. Zimmermann lasted just two innings for the first time in his five MLB seasons, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks.

The Dodgers completed the sweep in their 9-2 victory, sending the Nats to an unfortunate start to the season’s second half. Even in relative good health and with a new-look lineup, the Nats still couldn’t move the needle on offense. They have now scored two runs or less in 11 of their last 12 losses.

“The bottom line is all of us, myself included, haven’t been producing like we should,” Ryan Zimmerman said. “There’s nobody to blame besides us, no coaches or anything like that.”

With Kershaw on the mound, the Nats went with a bit of a different lineup in hopes to break their recent scoring slump. Bryce Harper played center field and batted leadoff for just the second time in his career, and Scott Hairston started in left. Kershaw, however, saw no trouble with the Nationals for the most part. 

Feast-or-famine, rotation help, derby talk

The Nationals' feast-or-famine lineup was left starving once again last night, held to one run by Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies in a disheartening loss. This, of course, merely continues the theme of the last two weeks, which has seen the Nats either score a ton of runs on any given night or struggle just to score one or two runs.

Rob Carlin and I delved into that subject last night on "The Baseball Show," and raised one of the big dilemmas facing Mike Rizzo this month: Even if he wanted to acquire another bat, where would Rizzo put that player and who would get bumped from the current lineup?

Rizzo also faces a decision about the back end of his rotation, trying to determine whether he can count on Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren over the rest of the season or whether another acquisition is

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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