Moore had 2 HR and 5 RBI today against the Blue Jays

The Nats busted out the brooms in Toronto this afternoon, sweeping the Blue Jays and continuing their dominance in interleague play against the AL East.  They are now 15 games over .500 and have a 4 game lead in the NL East.

There are many reasons the Nats are clicking right now.  Starting pitching continues to be superb of course, but what has made the difference is the offense.

Remember how everyone hated Bryce Harper because he ran his mouth without backing it up? Well he has spent the last few weeks backing it up.  His average is over .300 and while he isn’t hitting home runs every day, he has been more consistent than many of the veterans at the plate.

While the return of Michael Morse helped, what made the difference in Toronto was rookie play.  Between Harper, Steve Lombardozzi, and Tyler Moore, the newest Nats went 13-30 with a walk, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 7 runs scored and 7 RBI.

» Continue reading “Nats Sweep Jays, Win 6th Straight”

The injuries for the Nats have gotten so out of control, particularly at catcher, that they have to go deep still into the organization to find a replacement.  Enter TV broadcast color analyst F.P. Santangelo and a crazy fly ball that darted toward the press box in yesterday’s series finale with the Red Sox.

You know it can be bad when broadcasters are involved, but this was actually not nearly as awkward as you would expect.  MLB,com has the whole thing on video.

Hey, maybe it brought the Nats what they needed to complete the sweep of the Red Sox.

Well done, sir. Well done.

With the All-Star Game coming up and voting in full force, the Nationals are a first place team. For the first time since 2005, they are a first place team during All-Star balloting. Still, who could they get in the Mid-Summer Classic?

While they are in first in the NL East, it is difficult to think about who is worthy of being an All-Star. No one on the squad has remained super consistent in 2012. Many started hot, then cooled off. Some are recently returning from injury, not putting in enough work to be considered a true All-Star.

Ryan Zimmerman, who was always considered one of the best shots for the Nats at making the game, has had a disappointing season. There is no outstanding player at the plate or in the field who is the best at his position in the National League.

This is why, for the last two years, the sole Nats representatives have been pitchers. It could very well be the same this season, with the performances the starting pitchers have put in in 2012.

» Continue reading “Nats’ Best All-Star Shots”

After a game that would make the Kardashian family look sane, Bryce Harper’s walk-off single. Nothing more needs to be said.

Most off days mean there won’t be much news.  But today’s off day isn’t like other off days.  Today, hundreds of prospects will desperately refresh their browsers and watch on television as they wait for their name to be called, making their life long dream come true.

That’s right, today is the MLB draft.

This organization built a team the old fashioned way.  They got draft picks, a lot of them, and developed the players within their own system.  They brought up their own players to improve the team long term, from the core, instead of getting veterans to put a band aid over the wound.

Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen, Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper…they were all drafted and developed by the franchise.  All are now playing key roles on the team on a regular basis.

» Continue reading “Draft Days Have Been Kind To Nats”

We’ve mentioned the offensive struggles that this team has faced time and time again.  They can’t get runs home.  They can’t get on base. They need someone with consistency to put them over the edge.

The funny thing is, they had that guy on their roster all along: Michael Morse.  And with his rehab stint in Potomac almost over, the Nats will get their best slugger from 2011 back in the lineup soon.

Morse hasn’t blown anyone away in his rehab games, but most importantly he hasn’t suffered any set backs.  When he does inevitably return to the Nationals (and this could be sooner rather than later) he will be 100% healthy and ready to go.

Last season, Morse batted .303 and hit 31 home runs for the Nationals.  There had been some concerns about the hole that the departure of Adam Dunn created, but Morse was given an opportunity through various injuries and blew everyone away.  He was easily the breakout star of the season, almost making it to the All-Star game.

» Continue reading “Morse Nearing Return To Nats”

Despite the hype and high expectations from them every night, the Nationals pitchers are not infallible.  It is a very solid five-man rotation that gives the Nats a chance to win each and every game, but there is more to a baseball team than their pitching.

Last night, Edwin Jackson pitched a fine game.  He allowed 5 hits, just one earned run, walked three and struck out three.  Allowing 2 runs would normally be enough for a team to win, but instead Jackson gets hung with the blame after an errant throw.  The Nats went on to lose 3-1.

The reality of the Nationals’ season so far is that the pitching has to be perfect in order for the team to get it done.  It may be the reality, but it is far from fair, as is the criticism many of the pitchers get after less-than-flawless outings.

The pitching is rarely (if ever) the reason the Nats lose a game.  An MLB team should be able to score 3-4 runs more often than not.  They should be able to build off of the chance the man on the mound has given them.  Time and time again, the Nats fail to do that.

» Continue reading “NEWSFLASH: Nats Pitchers Aren’t Perfect”

Corey Brown has been off to a hot start in Syracuse this season.  Normally, hot starts like his get a lot of attention in the world of the organization.  Brown was cursed with playing at the same time as Bryce Harper, but with Chad Tracy on the DL, he will get a well-deserved shot.

Brown was hitting .297 with a .399 on base percentage in AAA ball.  He also has hit 12 home runs with 30 RBI and 6 stolen bases.  He has a similar maturity to Harper at the plate (though no one should be expected to be that calm in their first major league season).

Another plus with Brown is the chemistry he has with Harper.  The two worked together extensively in the outfield before Harper’s call-up.  They communicate well, and having each other there will only make each feel more comfortable.

Speaking of comfort, the Nats also called up Carlos Maldonado at catcher, since apparently no one on the team can manage to stay healthy.  Maldonado’s line isn’t nearly as impressive: .211 average with 20 strikeouts this year.

» Continue reading “Corey Brown To Get Shot With Nationals”

…yeah.  That title pretty much says it all.  It’s hard to imagine, but rookie Bryce Harper feels he still has a lot to give and a lot to prove to the Nationals and the baseball world.  And he thinks that is going to come soon.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Harper said this following a 2-4 game that included a walk and an RBI.
2. Since being called up, Harper is hitting .278 with a .366 OPB and a .861 OPS.
3. Harper has hit 12 extra-base hits including 3 home runs.
4. In 26 games, Harper has 27 hits and an impressively mature 13 walks with only 2 strike outs.

For a 19 year-old, this apparently ISN’T “getting going.”  And that is a terrifying thought for the rest of major league baseball who doesn’t wear a curly W on their hat.

» Continue reading ““Just A Matter Of Time” Before Harper “Gets Going”?!”

The Nats’ pitching rotation was a whole lot of confusing heading into the 2012 season.  There appeared to be no room for players the Nats had been developing in Ross Detwiler and John Lannan.  Then, Chien-Ming Wang got hurt.

Once Wang was injured, a new storyline emerged: who would take his place in the rotation? Would it be Lannan, who had been the Nats’ go-to guy (and an Opening Day guy) for the last couple of years? Or would it be Detwiler, who had been refining his stuff for the last year?

Even Davey Johnson was a little confused, first naming Lannan the 5th starter until changing his mind a week later to Detwiler.  The ensuing drama ended with Lannan struggling in Syracuse while Detwiler continues to hold his own in D.C.

» Continue reading “What About Detwiler?”