Tag Archives: Stephen Strasburg

Pitching matchup – game 144

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What was originally scheduled to be the most significant series of the year for the Washington Nationals (89-54) and the Atlanta Braves (81-63) is now scheduled for standard fanfare – and it begins tonight as the two division rivals open a three-game series in what will be their final meeting of the regular season.

Since drawing to within four games of the Nationals on August 28, the Braves have played .500 baseball and watched their deficit jump to 8 1/2 games while the Nationals have scored a league-high 96 runs. Now, rather than hoping to close the gap that separates them from the Nationals, the Braves will look to put distance between themselves and the myriad teams hoping for a wild card.

Tonight’s matchup pits Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler against Braves righty Kris Medlen, who has returned to the rotation in his first full season since a 2010 Tommy John surgery, in what will be a rematch of their last meeting on August 22 at Nationals Park. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 143

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Today is September 12, 2012, and if you have been living the past week underneath a rock, cut off from all forms of communication, then you probably still believe that Stephen Strasburg will take the mound tonight at Citi Field for his final start of the 2012 season with the Washington Nationals (88-54). Well, I am sorry to say that Strasburg will not be pitching tonight, as he was shut down last Saturday afternoon effective immediately following his lackluster three-inning effort the previous night.

Instead, John Lannan will make his third start of the year for the Nationals after spending an overwhelming majority of the season with the Syracuse Chiefs. With Lannan on the mound, the Nationals will look to complete a three-game sweep of the New York Mets (65-77). In doing so, they will have swept the Mets twice this season and won 12 of their last 13 games at Citi Field dating back to 2011. Standing in their way will be rookie right-hander Matt Harvey, who will make just two more starts before he is shut down. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 141

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It was an eventful weekend for the Washington Nationals (86-54), who dropped two of three games to the Miami Marlins and had their lead in the National League East cut to 5 1/2 games. In addition to failing yet again to take a season series from the Marlins, the Nationals also received word that young right-hander Stephen Strasburg would be shut down prior to his final expected start of the season. How did Strasburg take the news?

“I don’t know if I’m ever going to accept it, to be honest with you,” Strasburg said. “It’s something that I’m not happy about at all. That’s not why I play the game.”

You can read more about the abrupt end to Strasburg’s season in today’s edition of “Nationals notes.” For now, it is on to a three-game series with the New York Mets (65-75). Tonight, the Nationals will face rookie right-hander Collin McHugh, who will be making the third start of his young career. For the Nationals, left-hander Gio Gonzalez will be in search of his 19th win. Continue reading →

Nationals notes

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Yesterday, the Washington Nationals were shut out by right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Miami Marlins for the second time in just over a week. With the loss, the Nationals’ lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East was cut to 5 1/2 games. The Nationals are still, however, carrying the best record in baseball and are primed to represent the first playoff appearance by a Washington baseball team in a very long time. My only question is: How did the Washington Redskins do yesterday?

My curiosity about the Redskins is, of course, not of my own volition. I could not care less about them (Am I allowed to express that opinion?). But now that the NFL season is underway, the Redskins have usurped the D.C. media and the Nationals have been placed on the back burner – or possibly even the back corner of the refrigerator next to the pasta salad you are afraid to disturb. Now, with all of your favorite venues likely discussing Robert Griffin III, you are going to have to visit Positive Mental Natitude a bit more for your fix of Nationals news. And the big story is… Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 140

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Though it took about six hours to complete and required a two-hour and 33-minute rain delay, the Washington Nationals (86-53) rallied to beat the Miami Marlins (62-78), setting up this afternoon’s rubber match. Nationals outfielders Jayson Werth and Corey Brown were the heroes of the day, driving in the tying and game-winning runs, respectively.

“We had a nice little rain delay. I got a little massage, changed clothes, had a chicken salad and then we tied it up,” Werth said. “It was well-written.”

Now, on the heels of two extra-innings games and news that Stephen Strasburg has been shut down effective immediately, the Nationals will try to take the series – and the season series for the first time since 2007 – as they battle veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco. Right-hander and birthday-boy himself, Edwin Jackson, will take the mound for the Nationals. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 139

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Last night, Stephen Strasburg took the mound at Nationals Park in what is expected to have been his last home start of the season. Prior to the first pitch, manager Davey Johnson noted that there would be no limits imposed on the young right-hander and that the game flow would ultimately dictate his outing, which it certainly did.

Strasburg only managed to pitch three innings, allowing the Miami Marlins (62-77) to jump out to an early 5-2 lead in their eventual 9-7 extra-innings loss.

For Strasburg, who insisted his struggles stemmed from a lack of fastball command, the short outing might net him another home start, as Johnson offered a cryptic answer when asked whether it could affect his innings limit.

“It might,” Johnson said.

For now, the Washington Nationals (85-53) will have to focus their attention on the second game in their three-game set with the Marlins. They will face veteran left-hander Mark Buehrle, who will be opposed by Nationals left-hander and recent consistency extraordinaire, Ross Detwiler. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 138

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Last night – in a game where stellar play from Jordan Zimmermann and Kurt Suzuki was overshadowed by two bench-clearing, bullpen-emptying altercations – the Washington Nationals (85-52) completed a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs. More than enough has already been said about the evening, including this adrenal-gland-inciting quote from Nationals reliever Michael Gonzalez. As such, I must move on to tonight’s three-game series opener with the Miami Marlins (61-77), a game that will almost assuredly garner more attention than last night’s.

Tonight, Jacob Turner and the Marlins are in town to take on Stephen Strasburg and the league-best Nationals in what will be Strasburg’s penultimate start of the season and his final at home. To predict the atmosphere at Nationals Park will be buzzing would be foolhardy. It should be nothing short of electric. Continue reading →

Nationals’ offense looks to shut down talks of Strasburg’s shutdown

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In case you are unaware, the Washington Nationals currently hold the best record in baseball at 84-52. They are also leading the Atlanta Braves in the National League East by 7 1/2 games – their largest lead of the season. Oh, and each and every subsequent win will result in a new high-water mark for the franchise since relocating to the district in 2005.

Of course, I cannot exactly fault you if these notes come as a surprise. After all, right-hander Stephen Strasburg is due to be shut down in just under a week’s time. That is what is important, right? ESPN and the rest of the national media certainly think so. Is it possible that they are wrong in heaping all of their attention on Strasburg while virtually ignoring what the team as a whole has accomplished? I would not think so, but Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo does. He discussed his thoughts yesterday morning when he joined Holden & Danny for his weekly segment, the “Mike Rizzo Show,” on 106.7 The Fan. Continue reading →

Offensive production is coming from an unlikely source for the Nationals

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The Washington Nationals, now 83-52, have made discussion of their pitching staff very easy this year. If you want to discuss the Nationals pitching staff, you simply mention how well they have pitched, pepper in some league leading stats, rattle off a few tired comments regarding Stephen Strasburg’s innings limit and move on.

After last night’s victory over the Chicago Cubs, the Nationals hold a National League leading 3.28 ERA, second only to the Tampa Bay Rays in the majors. It does not hurt that they also lead the NL in hits allowed with 1,062 – second overall to the Rays – and lead all of baseball in runs allowed (483) and home runs allowed (103). When it comes to strikeouts, they come in a pathetic fifth overall with 1,111 – 195 of which can be credited to Strasburg.

In fact, for a while, the Nationals pitching staff was performing so well that it was hard to discuss anything else. That is, until the offense caught fire and inserted itself into the picture.

Prior to the All-Star break, the Nationals ranked eighth in the NL and 14th overall in batting with a .251 average. They ranked even lower in on-base percentage with a .314 OBP, 11th in the NL and 21st overall. Since then, the team has upped their batting average to .278 (fourth overall) with an on-base percentage of .331 (eighth overall) and 61 home runs (ninth overall).

These days, it is hard to talk about the Nationals offense without mentioning seemingly routine games like last night’s, which saw 11 runs scored on 19 hits – six of which were home runs. It has been, however, easy to discuss the Nationals offense without mentioning their catchers, who have, until recently, lacked production at the plate. Continue reading →

Detwiler and Jackson are ‘The Other Guys’

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If you have been following the Washington Nationals, the Stephen Strasburg innings limit or any major news outlet for the past five or so months, then you already know that the team plans to shut down the man Sports Illustrated once referred to as “the most hyped and closely watched pitching prospect in the history of baseball” after his start on September 12 against the New York Mets – just prior to the team’s first postseason run since the franchise moved to Washington D.C. in 2005.

You are also likely aware of the fact that Strasburg’s shutdown spells certain doom for the Nationals’ chances at making it through the playoffs to the World Series. At least, that is what most reporters outside of the district would have you believe. And we all know that reporters are never wrong. After all, how could a team possibly survive without its ace? Certainly the other aces – Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann – have nothing to say about it.

The news of the Nationals’ failed 2012 season comes as a bit of a disappointment, especially since left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Edwin Jackson – mainstays in the Nationals’ starting rotation this season – are more than capable of picking up the slack. But no one will ever know because they are looked upon as no more than “the other guys.”

Need proof? Here are Twitter users @JWerthsBeard‘s and @JackoBeam‘s creation, which proves just how little the country believes in Detwiler and Jackson.

"The Other Guys"

Photoshop created by @JWerthsBeard and @JackoBeam

You can read more about how Detwiler and Jackson became Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg over at the D.C. Sports Bog, where Dan Steinberg has graciously detailed the story.