Zimmerman, Desmond return as G. Gonzalez guns for 19th win

Zimmerman, Desmond return as G. Gonzalez guns for 19th win
The Nationals have Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond back in the lineup after both infielders sat out Sunday's 8-0 loss to the Marlins. Manager Davey Johnson has planned to give Zimmerman Sunday off and Desmond asked for a bit of a breather to rest his sore hamstring. The Nats will have both their third baseman and shortstop on the field tonight when they open a three-game set with the Mets. Gio Gonzalez will take the mound for the Nats, shooting for his 19th win of the season. Should he get...

Back in the saddle again

Back in the saddle again
Yesterday was the first Nationals home game I've missed all season. Good thing I didn't miss anything. Oh, Stephen Strasburg was shut down, the Nats and Marlins played a game which finished nearly six hours after it was scheduled to begin, Jayson Werth hit a dramatic game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth and the Nats then won it in the bottom of the 10th? Yup, sounds about right. You step away for one day and everything goes nuts. Thanks to Pete Kerzel for filling in yesterday...

Zimmerman, Desmond get day off in finale vs. Marlins

Zimmerman, Desmond get day off in finale vs. Marlins
After Saturday's marathon, rain-delayed, 10-inning victory over the Marlins, the Nationals lineup will have a different look for the Sunday series finale. Both third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and shortstop Ian Desmond will get the day off, meaning a new left side of the infield. Chad Tracy will play third and Danny Espinosa will man shortstop, with Steve Lombardozzi taking over for Espinosa at second base. Here's the lineup that will face right-hander Ricky Nolasco: 2B Steve Lombardozzi CF...

This is getting ridiculous (Nats crush Cubs 9-1)

This is getting ridiculous (Nats crush Cubs 9-1)
A day after hitting six home runs in a game against the Cubs, tying a Nationals team record, the Nats have hit six home runs in a game against the Cubs. It's déjà vu all over again. The Nats have put eight runs up through seven innings and now have 12 homers in their last 15 frames. Are the Nationals this good or are the Cubs this bad? Can it be both? The Nats have hit back-to-back homers twice tonight. Roger Bernadina and Bryce Harper did it in the third and Ian Desmond and...

More home runs for the Nats, more shutout innings for Gonzalez (updated)

More home runs for the Nats, more shutout innings for Gonzalez (updated)
Going back to last night, the Nationals hit nine home runs in a 12-inning span against the Cubs. They hit six jacks last night, two of which came off the bat of Adam LaRoche. They added three more through the first three innings tonight, and have a 5-0 lead on the hapless Cubs. All three homers so far tonight came in the third inning. Roger Bernadina led off the frame with a solo shot to center, his fourth on the season. One pitch later, Bryce Harper banged one off the back wall of the Cubs...

Chipping away at the magic number, enjoying a special debut

Chipping away at the magic number, enjoying a special debut
The Nationals' lead over the Braves in the NL East is now 7 1/2 games, the highest it's been this season. They're back to 31 games above .500, tying the high-water mark for the year. Their magic number to win the division is 20 with 27 games left on their schedule. By no means are the Nats looking ahead or counting their chickens. But they are starting to realize the end is in sight. You go into the clubhouse postgame and you'll notice the Braves game put up on every TV in sight. During...

Hitting catching up with pitching, helping Nationals win again

Hitting catching up with pitching, helping Nationals win again
Starting pitching carried the Nationals for most of the first half of the season, but if this team is going to go far in the postseason, the offense will have to also carry a heavy load. On Tuesday, they looked like they could carry that burden with ease. The Nationals tied a team record with six homers in one game, two from Adam LaRoche, and cruised past the overmatched Chicago Cubs 11-5. "It feels good," LaRoche said. "On top of that, having guys surrounding us in the lineup, the way...

Nats do major damage early (it's a party for the home team)

Nats do major damage early (it's a party for the home team)
Chris Rusin wasn't fooling anyone. The Cubs' rookie left-handed starter faced 11 Nationals hitters tonight. He retired just two of them before being pulled from the game. Rusin leaves after surrendering five runs in just an inning plus four batters. He gave up eight hits (including two home runs and four extra-base hits) and walked a batter. Things could have been even worse if Michael Morse hadn't run into an out at third base in the first inning. Replacing Rusin is right-hander Jaye...

The clubhouse reaction to the Strasburg news

The clubhouse reaction to the Strasburg news
Outside the Nationals' clubhouse, the decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg has been met by many with a mixture of shock and disgust. Inside the Nationals' clubhouse, word that Strasburg will only get two more starts before his 2012 season is brought to an end was largely met with shoulder shrugs. Are some guys a little frustrated that Strasburg won't be there with them as they make the final push for the postseason? Sure. Are some guys disappointed they won't have their ace if and when...

Johnson on Burnett's struggles, late-inning drama (plus Werth, LaRoche updates)

Johnson on Burnett's struggles, late-inning drama (plus Werth, LaRoche updates)
Today's actual game might get lost in the shuffle amidst the news that Stephen Strasburg will make two more starts this season before getting shut down. Let's just say I don't anticipate too much talk about Kurt Suzuki's offensive performance on ESPN or MLB Network tonight or tomorrow when the Nationals are mentioned. But the game itself was a thrilling battle between two playoff-caliber teams, one which the Nationals won 4-3 despite some hiccups in the late innings. Thanks to six...

A much-needed offensive outburst (Nats win a big one)

A much-needed offensive outburst (Nats win a big one)
The Nationals didn't have a hit off Jacob Turner their first time through the order. The second time through, the Nats did some damage. Finally. The Nats put up a four-spot in the fourth inning, giving Ross Detwiler a 4-0 buffer and finally giving them a lead. Bryce Harper's two-run home run to right (his 13th homer of the season) got the party started, but he wasn't the only guy to hit the ball hard in the fourth. Michael Morse destroyed a ball to center which went for a triple but...

Both Desmond and Morse return to Nats lineup (with Marlins lineup)

Both Desmond and Morse return to Nats lineup (with Marlins lineup)
The Nationals will get a jolt to their lineup as they look to snap a four-game losing streak tonight. Both Ian Desmond and Michael Morse will return after missing almost the entirety of the Nats' recent three-game series with the Phillies due to injuries. Desmond (strained right hamstring) technically appeared in Sunday's game when he was announced as a pinch-hitter, but that was just a ploy by manager Davey Johnson to get the Phillies to bring in a right-handed reliever. Desmond was then...

Nats must play better ball, plain and simple

Nats must play better ball, plain and simple
The Nationals gained more of a buffer on the Braves without even stepping on a field yesterday, as the Padres shut out Atlanta 3-0 to make Washington's lead in the National League East a full five games and six in the loss column. Don't look now, but the Braves have dropped seven of their last 10 contests. I wonder if they're starting to get as antsy down in Atlanta as some are getting here in the DMV. The Nationals arrived in Miami yesterday after having their travel adjusted due to...

Espinosa leading off as Nats face Lee (plus brief Morse, Desmond updates)

Espinosa leading off as Nats face Lee (plus brief Morse, Desmond updates)
PHILADELPHIA - Cliff Lee has one more win than Orioles first baseman Chris Davis this season. He has two more wins than you and I. Baseball is such a strange game. Lee leads the majors in strikeout-to-walk ratio and his 3.78 ERA is far from awful. But his record this season is just 2-7, an incredibly bizarre mark this late in the season for a pitcher as talented as he is. The lefty will oppose Jordan Zimmermann this afternoon in what should be a pretty nice battle for the final game of this...

Morse, Desmond missing from Nationals lineup

Morse, Desmond missing from Nationals lineup
PHILADELPHIA - There's no Michael Morse or Ian Desmond in the Nationals lineup against the Phillies tonight. Here's the batting order that will face Roy Halladay at 7:05 p.m.: 2B Steve Lombardozzi CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche RF Jayson Werth LF Roger Bernadina SS Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P Gio Gonzalez Morse, who was removed from last night's game after being struck by a pitch in the first inning, reports that the swelling has gone down but that the hand feels...

Morse has a bad bruise, Desmond has a hamstring strain

Morse has a bad bruise, Desmond has a hamstring strain
PHILADELPHIA - The bad news is the Nationals' run of injuries continues. The good news is that neither Michael Morse nor Ian Desmond should be out of the Nationals' lineup all that long. X-rays on Morse's hand came back negative after the Nationals' outfielder got hit on the right hand by a Kyle Kendrick pitch in the first inning of tonight's game. The injury looked bad at the time, as Morse dropped to his knees in pain as he got attended to by a trainer, but manager Davey Johnson said...

Nats extend Tracy's contract through 2013 (with quotes); Desmond scratched

Nats extend Tracy's contract through 2013 (with quotes); Desmond scratched
PHILADELPHIA - Rewarding one of their most productive bench bats this season, the Nationals have extended the contract of veteran infielder Chad Tracy through the 2013 season. Tracy signed a minor league deal with the Nats this winter after playing the 2011 season in Japan. The 32-year-old battled for a roster spot in camp and admitted that if he hadn't made the Nationals' 25-man roster, he might have opted for retirement. But Tracy earned a roster spot as a left-handed bat off Johnson's...

Injury updates on Desmond, Suzuki; plus Harper quotes

Injury updates on Desmond, Suzuki; plus Harper quotes
Ian Desmond scared the heck out of his manager and 29,111 fans in attendance at Nats Park tonight when the Nationals' All-Star shortstop came up limping mid-way through his sprint down the first base line in the eighth inning. Desmond appeared shaken up for a minute, then strangely shook off whatever was bugging him and convinced Davey Johnson and a team trainer that he was fine. So what the heck happened there? "I'm not really exactly sure," Desmond said with a smile. "I think it was a...

More Strasburg stuff, plus quotes on Flores, Clippard

More Strasburg stuff, plus quotes on Flores, Clippard
As you might imagine, Stephen Strasburg was the talk of the Nationals' clubhouse after this one. "He was totally locked in tonight," catcher Jesus Flores said. "I love it. He was hitting my spots. We were pitching a lot inside to those guys and then the breaking ball was so effective to them that they (were) pretty much swinging at everything." "He was on," shortstop Ian Desmond said. "He was just painting. Had everything working. It was fun to watch. Changuep, curveball, fastball....

Desmond surge a good sign, even if he still isn't 100 percent

Desmond surge a good sign, even if he still isn't 100 percent
Shortstop Ian Desmond went 0-for-11 in his return from a left oblique strain that forced him to miss 25 games on the disabled list. But in the last two games Desmond has returned to his All-Star form with home runs in his first at-bat. Desmond smacked a two-run shot off of Braves' starter Tim Hudson in the first inning Monday, capping a four-run inning that gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead. He finished with two hits in the 13-inning marathon. On Tuesday, with rain pouring down, Desmond...