State of the Nats - 8/19

Photo by USA Today

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.

DL stint brings end to Jordan's season

USA Today Sports Images

ATLANTA — The Nationals placed Taylor Jordan on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain, an injury that will lead the organization to enact its plan to shut down the rookie right-hander for the rest of the season.

Jordan pitched six strong innings Friday night against the Braves, allowed two unearned runs, and didn't note any physical ailments afterward, but manager Davey Johnson said the pitcher mentioned a problem with his back several days earlier and mentioned it again late Friday.

The Nationals had been planning all along to shut down Jordan before season's end, restricting his workload in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. After Friday's start, his total innings count for the year (majors and minors combined) stands at 142.

Jordan won't be given an opportunity to add to that number this

Instant analysis: Braves 3, Nats 2 (10)

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: The Braves jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Taylor Jordan, though it wasn't the rookie right-hander's fault. Both runs were unearned after errors by Wilson Ramos and Anthony Rendon. Jordan did well to keep the damage right there, departing after six innings. The Nationals then chipped away at the Braves pitching staff. They scored one run in the fourth on a double-play grounder. They plated the tying run in the eighth after some fireworks: Bryce Harper, who was plunked two weeks ago by Julio Teheran, was twice hit by pitches tonight, including an eighth-inning fastball in the upper back from Luis Avilan. The crowd of 35,663 gave Avilan as he walked off the field, warnings having been issued to both dugouts by the umpires. Jayson Werth then exacted some justice with a two-out, RBI single, tying the game and leaving the outcome in the hands of both bullpens. Craig Stammen did his job with two scoreless innings, but the Nationals couldn't push home the go-ahead run against Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth. In came Drew Storen for his first appearance since his recall from Class AAA Syracuse, and Storen came through with a scoreless inning that included a big strikeout of Evan Gattis. Ian Krol was given the ball for the bottom of the 10th, but his night didn't last long. Justin Upton crushed a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to end this one and send the Nationals to another crushing loss.

Hitting lowlight: As has so often been the case this season, the Nationals had a few opportunities to plate runs, and they

Game 121: Nats at Braves

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

ATLANTA — Hello from Turner Field, where it's an unseasonably cool, 68 degrees, with a threat of rain throughout the weekend. Who would've thought the Nationals would need to break out their windbreakers for a mid-August series in Atlanta, but will be sweating next week in Chicago (where it's supposed to be humid and in the upper-80s)?

The Nats come to town having come THISCLOSE to a six-game winning streak at home, if not for Rafael Soriano's blown save yesterday evening. They face a much stiffer challenge this weekend, facing those powerhouse Braves, who have won 17 of their last 19 and opened up a commanding, 14 1/2-game lead in the NL East.

Speaking of Soriano, odds are he won't be available to pitch tonight after appearing in three straight games (and nearly suffering two straight blown saves). Tyler Clippard also has appeared the last three days, which could leave the recently recalled Drew Storen as Davey Johnson's closer tonight should the situation present itself.

First things first: The Nationals need a good start from Taylor Jordan, who could be making his final outing of the year before his team-imposed shutdown, and they need to score some runs off Atlanta rookie left-hander Alex Wood, before they can contemplate who is going to close tonight.

Updates to come, so please check back...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Turner Field
Gametime: 7:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 186
Weather: Cloudy, 68 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from CF

NATIONALS (59-61)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth

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 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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Instant analysis: Nats 8, Phillies 5

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: This one didn't get off to a rousing start from the Nationals' perspective. The Phillies pounced on Taylor Jordan for four runs in the second inning, and the Nationals couldn't get anything going against Cliff Lee early on. But they kept chipping away at the left-hander, scoring twice in the fourth and once more in the sixth to get to Philadelphia's suspect bullpen. Then they really went to work, blasting Jake Diekman and Zach Miner for five runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Bryce Harper notching the tying run on a squeeze bunt and Jayson Werth's putting the Nationals ahead with a two-run homer. Tanner Roark churned out two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first career win. Rafael Soriano then finished it in the ninth, giving the Nationals their second straight win and their first this season when they trailed by at least four runs.

Hitting highlight: It really can't be understated just how good Werth has been over a prolonged stretch. He has now played in 58 games since returning from a hamstring injury on June 2, and

Game 116: Phillies at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

We don't know exactly when Taylor Jordan's season will come to a premature end, when the Nationals decide to shut down the rookie right-hander just as they did last year with Stephen Strasburg and the year before with Jordan Zimmermann. But the time is drawing close for Jordan, who enters tonight's start against the Phillies sitting on 131 combined innings this season between the majors and minors.

This will be Jordan's eighth big-league start, and perhaps the thing that has stood out most about him to date is his ability to keep the ball in the strike zone. He has issued only seven total walks since arriving in D.C., never more than two in any individual start.

Speaking of control artists, Cliff Lee gets the nod tonight for the Phillies. This is a guy who over his last 111 starts has issued 112 walks. Stop for a moment and think about that. It's mighty impressive.

Updates to come...

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, Wind 7 mph out to CF

NATIONALS (55-60)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth

Game 111: Nats at Brewers

Photo by USA Today

In a season where the Nats have hovered consistently around the .500 mark, there have been many ups and downs. But for some reason, lately it seems the peaks and valleys have been more extreme. They win three straight, then they lose two at Detroit and panic ensues. Now the Nats are back to winning with two consecutive victories out in Milwaukee and a chance for a sweep on Sunday.

Today the Nats will trot out RHP Taylor Jordan (1-3, 3.31 ERA) who is coming off his first major league win, a dominant start against the Mets in which he allowed just one run over six innings of work. Jordan is making just his seventh major league start, but his second against the Brewers. The rookie threw 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed in a Nats' win on July 4.

Pitching for the Brew Crew is veteran right-hander Kyle Lohse. Signed late in the offseason as a free agent, Lohse has pulled together a pretty nice year for Milwaukee. Through 134 1/3 innings in 2013 he boasts a 3.22 ERA and a 7-7 record. In an overall struggling staff this year, Lohse has been Milwaukee's best starter. He pitched eight innings with just one earned run against the Nats on July 3.

Enjoy the game...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Miller Park
Gametime: 2:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv (free today)
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 869
Weather: Sunny, 71 degrees, Wind 7 mph out to RF

NATIONALS (54-56)
CF Denard Span
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Steve Lombardozzi
C Kurt Suzuki
RHP Taylor Jordan 

McCatty still in D.C. hospital

USA Today Sports Images

DETROIT — Steve McCatty remains in a D.C. hospital two days after he was admitted with high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, but the Nationals hope their pitching coach will be released on Wednesday and rejoin the club sometime soon after that.

"Cat's doing alright," manager Davey Johnson said before tonight's game against the Tigers. "They're just keeping him the hospital tonight, and then they'll probably let him out tomorrow. Just being really careful with him, and I'm glad they're doing that."

McCatty, 59, was taken to the hospital Sunday morning after he experienced atrial fibrillation at Nationals Park before the club's series finale against the Mets. He has been receiving medication for the condition since and was hopeful of joining the Nationals on their Monday afternoon charter flight to Detroit.

Doctors, though, want McCatty to remain in the hospital until the medication takes full effect and allows him to travel without concern. It's unclear when that will be the case, but it's unlikely he'll return to the dugout in time for Wednesday afternoon's finale of this brief, two-game series in Detroit, his hometown.
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State of the Nats - 7/29

Photo by USA Today

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

Top Storylines

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.

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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Instant analysis: Nats 14, Mets 1

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: Remember when the Nationals were a disaster? You know, like, three days ago? Well, they've suddenly won four of their last five games and look capable of going on a sustained run. OK, OK, so we've been down this road before, and given the way this season has gone, you'd be wise not to get too excited yet. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying today's lopsided victory, a complete thrashing of the Mets pitching staff. The Nationals rapped out a season-high 18 hits, getting at least one base hit from seven of their eight starting position players (all but Adam LaRoche). Wilson Ramos hit a grand slam. Denard Span hit another homer. Ian Desmond went 4-for-4 with two doubles. Ryan Zimmerman had three hits. Nobody was happier about all that than Taylor Jordan, who in his sixth career start finally earned his first career win, allowing one run over six innings. The Nationals have by no means turned their season around. But they're back to 52-54, and they're actually feeling good about themselves for the moment. So that's an improvement.

Hitting highlight: There were no shortage of options here, so let's not limit this to only one specific player or one specific inning, but instead to one specific part of the Nationals' lineup: the bottom of

Game 106: Mets at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

The way things had been going around here only a couple of days ago, the fact the Nationals today have a chance to win four of their last five is rather remarkable. But that's the position they find themselves in after walk-off wins Thursday and Friday and then yesterday's 4-1 victory over the Mets. Funny how this game works.

If they do find a way to take today's series finale against the Mets, they may just hand Taylor Jordan his much-awaited first career win. The rookie right-hander certainly has pitched well enough in his first five starts (3.68 ERA) to deserve better than an 0-3 record. Today presents a new challenge for him, facing an opponent for the second time for the first time (if that makes sense).

Check back for updates...

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 187
Weather: Scattered storms, 80 degrees, Wind 9 mph out to LF

NATIONALS (51-54)
LF Bryce Harper
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman

Detwiler out another month

USA Today Sports Images

The Nationals are going to be without Ross Detwiler for quite a bit longer.

An examination with a Los Angeles specialist on Wednesday revealed a problem with a disc in the left-hander's lower back, causing a pinched nerve. Detwiler received an injection and will miss another month, according to manager Davey Johnson.

"It's causing the pinching in the nerve which is causing that to spasm," Johnson said. "I think the procedure is to give him an injection. But he's got to rest it."

Detwiler has already been out since July 4 with what was originally termed a lower back strain by the Nationals. Several attempts to throw off a bullpen mound since have resulted in continued discomfort, so the club sent the pitcher to Southern California to be examined by specialist Robert Watkins.

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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Instant analysis: Pirates 5, Nats 1

USA Today Sports Images

Game in a nutshell: Another night, another dismal performance from a Nationals club that is this close to veering off the train tracks for good. Taylor Jordan pitched well in his fifth career start but was the latest victim of sloppy defense behind him. Not that it would have mattered had Jordan pitched a gem. The Nats couldn't muster anything against rookie Gerrit Cole or the Pirates bullpen, totaling three hits for the night. Wilson Ramos' third-inning homer was the lone bright spot, and not nearly enough to snap this foundering lineup out of its season-long slump. Losers of five straight and 10 of 12 now, the Nationals are four games under the .500 mark and sinking fast.

Hitting lowlight: Rick Schu hasn't seen the Nationals much this season because he's been busy coaching minor leaguers. What the

Detwiler to see back specialist

Photo by USA Today

Continuing to experience setbacks involving his lower back strain, Nationals starter Ross Detwiler will now see back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday in Los Angeles for further testing and a second opinion.

Detwiler has been on the disabled list since July 4 and felt pain in his back after throwing a bullpen session over the weekend. Manager Davey Johnson said the discomfort was so bad he couldn’t even jog while warming up for the workout.

“They’re not sure why it keeps reoccurring,” Johnson said. “They’ve done a lot of tests. I think they want to get another opinion.”

Johnson acknowledged Detwiler could be out for longer than first expected, perhaps an extended absence after already missing three weeks. Detwiler - 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA this year - also missed a month earlier this season with a strained oblique.

“It’s a problem,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking at. Also, Taylor Jordan’s going to be on an innings limit. So we’re thinking about all those things and how to go forward.”

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Ohlendorf earns a shot

USA Today Sports Images

There are no silver linings in a 9-2 loss that completed a three-game sweep over a miserable weekend of baseball. But what Ross Ohlendorf managed to do yesterday for the Nationals at least bodes well for the right-hander, and perhaps the club moving forward.

Pressed into long relief duties after Jordan Zimmermann lasted only two innings, Ohlendorf churned out one of the best (and longest) bullpen appearances you'll ever see: six innings of two-run ball, the equivalent of a quality start even though he didn't start the game.

"I was really glad I was able to pitch so long," the 30-year-old said. "Obviously, it was a tough game for us, but that's my job as the long man: To be able to save the bullpen. I was glad I was able to do it again."

It wasn't just the results Ohlendorf posted over an 88-pitch relief appearance. It was the way he pitched, offering even more

Detwiler still weeks away

USA Today Sports Images

After another throwing session cut short due to a stiff back, Ross Detwiler appears to be several weeks away from returning to the Nationals rotation, leaving the club in a short-term bind that could become a long-term bind if this injury lingers.

Detwiler tried to throw off a bullpen mound this afternoon but cut the session short after about 25 pitches when his back stiffened up again.

"He's still not quite right," manager Davey Johnson said. "So he's going to have to wait a couple of days before trying to get back up on the mound."

The Nationals originally hoped to have Detwiler (who has been on the disabled list since July 4) back for Tuesday night's game against the Pirates, letting him slide into the No. 5 slot in their rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Once it became clear he wouldn't be ready in time for that, the Nationals adjusted their plan to have the left-hander start one of the games in Friday's doubleheader against the Mets.

But that option now is out of the question, according to Johnson.
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