Yankees' Girardi impressed with Nats, Harper and the Park

Yankees' Girardi impressed with Nats, Harper and the Park
The Nationals and the Yankees are ready to do battle at Nationals Park for the first time in franchise history. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he has had some experience working games in D.C., and is impressed with the Nationals of today and the new park. The last time he faced the Nationals, they were still playing at RFK Stadium. "I think it is great that baseball is here in Washington," Girardi said. "I had a chance to come here in 2006 when I was with the Marlins. They were building...

Auburn Doubledays release opening day roster

Auburn Doubledays release opening day roster
The short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays have released their 29-man 2012 opening day roster. Most of the team was available Thursday for a workout and their mini-camp will continue through the weekend until they open Monday night at Batavia. Notable pitchers include 2007 Nationals sixth-round pick southpaw Jack McGeary, who is recovering from 2010 elbow surgery, and left-hander Bryan Harper, Bryce's older brother. The roster includes recently signed picks Tony Renda, Brandon Miller and...

Hagerstown's Purke placed on 7-day DL with shoulder stiffness

Hagerstown's Purke placed on 7-day DL with shoulder stiffness
Left-hander Matt Purke was placed on the seven-day disabled list prior to Wednesday's game due to shoulder stiffness, according to a club source. The Hagerstown southpaw has made three starts, going 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA. He has struck out 14 and walked 12, surrendering one homer. The Nationals' No. 2 prospect spent the first two months of the season in extended spring training, working to build strength and lengthen out his innings following shoulder inflammation. Purke told me last week...

The view from mile post No. 61 is impressive

The view from mile post No. 61 is impressive
The view from mile post No. 61 is pretty significant for the Washington Nationals. Without the jinx police knocking on my keyboard door, here is the rundown of some powerful team statistics as to where the 38-23 Nationals stand heading into Friday's clash with the equally red-hot New York Yankees at Nationals Park. Both teams arrive with six-game winning streaks, the best in the majors. DAYDREAM ALERT: (Of course, pennants are not won on June 14, it has happened to the Nationals once before...

Marrero and Mattheus look good in Harrisburg, other minors notes

Marrero and Mattheus look good in Harrisburg, other minors notes
First baseman Chris Marrero had a nice debut with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators on Wednesday. Marrero went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored in game two of a double dip. Marrero is now batting .450 (9-for-20) with three doubles, one homer and four RBIs in seven minor league rehab games as he recovers from a torn left hamstring in winter ball. Reliever Ryan Mattheus pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing no hits, no walks and striking out one. Mattheus is returning from plantar...

Hagerstown's Meyer fires six innings of shutout ball

Hagerstown's Meyer fires six innings of shutout ball
Right-hander Alex Meyer served up his best performance as a professional with six innings of shutout baseball Tuesday night, allowing just two hits. Meyer struck out five Hickory Crawdads and walked just one in a 4-0 Hagerstown victory in a rain-shortened affair at Municipal Stadium. Meyer showed a 93 mph sinker and had better quality on his fastball by keeping it down in the zone, according to a club source. Meyer benefited from three outstanding defensive plays behind him and has done a good...

Buzz in Harrisburg: Marrero, Mattheus and Kobernus join Sens

Buzz in Harrisburg: Marrero, Mattheus and Kobernus join Sens
Some big news at Double-A Harrisburg, as the Senators welcome major league rehabbing players Chris Marrero and Ryan Mattheus, and activate Jeff Kobernus from the disabled list. Marrero went 7-for-17 (.412) with two doubles, one homer and four RBIs in six games with low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac. He has recovered from a torn hamstring suffered in winter ball, as well as a sore shoulder and now a bruised thumb. Mattheus has been battling back from a nagging plantar fasciitis...

Harper, like Trout, has energized Nationals' power play

Harper, like Trout, has energized Nationals' power play
Outfielder Bryce Harper rested for eight innings Sunday. Back in the lineup Monday, he picked up where he left off with an RBI single in the first inning that scored Steve Lombardozzi. Harper finished 3-4 with two runs, a walk, a stolen base and an RBI, and is now hitting .295. .295? Yes, this rookie is here to stay. There was a recent article in USA Today about how important rookie Mike Trout was to the Angels' turnaround, saying that Trout had more of an impact on his team's play than...

Potomac's Freitas named starter for Carolina All-Star game

Potomac's Freitas named starter for Carolina All-Star game
Another catcher in the Nationals' system who has had an outstanding start to the season is David Freitas of the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. The 23-year old Freitas leads Carolina League backstops with a .282 average and has hit nine doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs in 46 games. On Monday, Freitas was named a starter for the California-Carolina League All-Star Game, which will be played June 19 in Winston-Salem, N.C. "David continues to make strides in all parts of his game and has...

Watching big three weave magic could be a pennant run preview

Watching big three weave magic could be a pennant run preview
The weekend series the Nationals just completed against the Boston Red Sox felt like a playoff test. Sure, the Red Sox are not having the start they are used to. But Fenway Park is always one of the toughest venues for the visiting team. Boston is built to win in this park. The Nationals have had a good start to the season. They have played well at home and on the road. They have avoided long losing streaks and have been able to bounce back quickly when a rough patch occurs. Following the...

Suns' Purke looking to get ahead of hitters in third start (updated)

Suns' Purke looking to get ahead of hitters in third start (updated)
Left-handed prospect Matt Purke is set to make his third start of the season today at 5:05 p.m. for the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns at the Kannapolis Intimidators. Purke is 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in two starts. He has walked eight batters and has nine strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. The 96th overall selection in the 2011 amateur draft said it will take time for him to build back to where he was before the two extra months of extended spring training he had to undergo due to an undisclosed...

Marrero shows positive progress with two hits in return to high Single-A

Marrero shows positive progress with two hits in return to high Single-A

Chris Marrero, playing his first game this season with the high Single-A Potomac Nationals, smacked the game-deciding single with two outs in the second inning Friday night, as Potomac downed the Salem Red Sox 5-4 in Woodbridge, Va.Marrero went 2-for-3 in Game 1 of the doubleheader and did not play in Game 2.He had played two games in low Single-A Hagerstown earlier this week. After getting hit by a pitch on his thumb in that first game, Marrero took a day off and then returned Thursday. He went 1-for-3 in that second game with a double.Team doctors checked out the thumb, and he was good to go. Marrero was then moved up to Potomac, where he was the designated hitter Friday. Marrero had not played in a professional game in almost eight months as he recovered from a torn hamstring suffered in winter ball. A shoulder issue slowed his progress in early May until he finally returned this week.With his play last September in Washington, manager Davey Johnson had envisioned Marrero as a potentially important right-handed bat off the bench for the Nationals this season. But the hamstring injury delayed those plans.Chad Tracy is out with a right adductor strain, and he was a potent left-handed bat who could play first base. Tyler Moore is back with the big club and is a right-handed power bat who can also play first base and the outfield. Marrero offers another solution as a right-handed bat, first base substitute and utility hitter off the bench. Hopefully the three hits in the last two days are a good indication that Marrero is back fully healthy and that he can get to the point where he could be that option. Now after serving as the DH Friday, the next step is to get Marrero in the field and see how the hamstring and shoulder absorb the test on defense.

Chris Marrero to Potomac, starts at DH tonight

Chris Marrero to Potomac, starts at DH tonight
Chris Marrero, recovering from a torn hamstring, played two games with low Single-A Hagerstown this week. Now he is headed to high Single-A Potomac, according to club sources. It was the first baseman's first pro action since he tore his hamstring in winter ball. His recovery was slowed a bit this year because he also had to battle shoulder soreness, spending more time in extended spring training. The right-handed hitter finally returned to the field for two games with the Suns this week,...

Hagerstown's Nieto out with ab strain, hopeful for SAL All-Star game

Hagerstown's Nieto out with ab strain, hopeful for SAL All-Star game
Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns catcher

Dickey's varying speeds on knuckleball befuddled Nationals' bats

Dickey's varying speeds on knuckleball befuddled Nationals' bats
There is a reason Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has nine wins already this season: His knuckleball is very good, and Dickey can throw more than one variation of it. His best is a hard knuckleball that caused the Nationals serious trouble in a 3-1 setback Thursday at Nationals Park. In Dickey's first meeting with Bryce Harper, he threw the young phenom seven straight knuckleballs that varied in speed from 75 mph to 81 mph. He then struck out Harper on the eighth pitch, a 63 mph,...

Kline: Two of Nats' top four picks already agreed to terms, Rizzo will work on Giolito deal

Kline: Two of Nats' top four picks already agreed to terms, Rizzo will work on Giolito deal
Nationals director of scouting Kris Kline met with reporters via conference call Thursday to discuss the draft, which wrapped up earlier in the week. The Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito, out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Calif., at No. 16. The 6-foot-6, 230 lb., hurler has an explosive fastball and a power curve. Kline said general manager Mike Rizzo will handle negotiations with Giolito's representatives in hopes of getting him signed before the July 13 deadline at...

Hagerstown's Skole, Ramsey, Nieto and Barrett selected to SAL All-Star game, but more deserving of election

Hagerstown's Skole, Ramsey, Nieto and Barrett selected to SAL All-Star game, but more deserving of election
Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns will have four players and their manager represented at the 53rd annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game June 19 at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. Infielder Matt Skole, catcher Adrian Nieto, outfielder Caleb Ramsey, pitcher Aaron Barrett and manager Brian Daubach have been elected to represent Hagerstown for the Northern Division squad. Skole has been hitting consistently throughout the season, batting .298 with 11 doubles, 12 homers and 53 RBIs in 56...

Jackson remains the same, nets first win in 53 days

Jackson remains the same, nets first win in 53 days
Nationals right-handed starter Edwin Jackson had not recorded a win in more than a month and a half, but he didn't let that frazzle him. On April 14, Jackson through a complete game, two-hitter to subdue the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1. Since then, Jackson threw five straight no decisions, then lost back-to-back games at Philadelphia and at Miami. So Wednesday, when Jackson went seven innings and threw 100 pitches, only allowing two earned runs, the victory tasted even sweeter in a 5-3 dispatch of...

Could interest in Lannan intensify after latest quality start?

Could interest in Lannan intensify after latest quality start?
The Nationals have spoken to a good amount of teams since the beginning of the season regarding left-hander John Lannan. General manager Mike Rizzo said their had been "mild interest" in early April. Now, Ken Rosenthal of FOXsports.com reports that the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers have had "recent discussions" with the Nationals about their former front line starter. It seems that the talks have yet to intensify, but with Lannan's latest impressive start Tuesday, and team's...

Desmond uses inspiration from different place to deliver clutch RBIs

Desmond uses inspiration from different place to deliver clutch RBIs
Shortstop Ian Desmond continues to deliver in the clutch. On Tuesday, Desmond produced three straight RBIs, with his team trailing each time. In the eighth frame, Desmond's RBI single tied the game at 4-4. In the tenth, Desmond reached on an error hit so hard that Ryan Zimmerman scored to knot the contest at five. And finally, in the game-changing 12th inning with the Nats trailing 6-5, Desmond's RBI double scored Michael Morse to even the game again. Whether it has been leading off or...