Washington

Daniel Shirey – USA Today Sports Images To say Robert Griffin III won over the hearts of the Washington Redskins and their faithful fans would be a vast understatement. RG3 came into the league last year and, in just his first NFL season, captured the hearts and eyes of Redskins fans and fans of football as well. He immediately became one of the most liked and influential athletes in the league. There are just so many things that make Griffin a polarizing and likeable figure. For starters, he’s pretty great at playing the game of football. In his rookie season he completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions while also rushing for 815 yards and seven touchdowns. However, Griffin is also charismatic and likeable in almost every instance that the public sees him in, which only adds to his likability. However, RG3 has come under criticism over the past week after he released pictures that showed wedding gifts that he had received from fans after his registry at Bed Bath & Beyond was made public. Critics have come forward saying that he shouldn’t be accepting gifts as a pro athlete who makes millions of dollar from people who likely make less money than him. To be frank, that criticism of Griffin is absolutely absurd. He didn’t make his registry public; the Washington Post did that. He didn’t ask fans to buy him gifts; they did that on their own crazy whims. Griffin isn’t at fault here. It would be nice to see him donate some of those gifts to charity, but he shouldn’t be faulted for receiving gifts that he had no control over. Quite simply, he didn’t do anything wrong. Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.

Via Fangraphs (click to embiggen) Not too shabby: Gio Gonzalez (+42.3%) goes 7.1 IP, striking out 5 and walking 2. He gives up 1 ER on a walk who comes around to score after he exits in the aeyth. SYSTEMS ACTIVE: Bryce Harper (+23.8%) jacks a oppo solo shot to put the Nats ahead in the 6th (+18.8%). He also hits a one-out double in extras (+11.6%). Uh-oh: Drew Storen (-22.7%) walks one and lets one of Gio's runner score to tie the game in the aeyth. RAAAAAAR! Tyler Clippard (+11.7%) fans two while keeping it tied with a scoreless 9th. Clutch (if that existed): Ian Desmond (+31.9%) singles in the go-ahead run in the 10th (+33.2%). Forget yesterday, untuck today: Rafael Soriano (+16.6%) keeps the ball in the yard to get the save.Gio has a strong outcome, the bullpen overcomes a minor hiccup, and Bryce Desmond comes through again.

Associated PressBryce Harper is congratulated by Ryan Zimmerman after homering in the sixth.Game in a nutshell: On the final day of the season's longest road trip, the Nationals desperately needed a big-time pitching performance from Gio Gonzalez and some rare offensive support. They got the former — Gonzalez carried a shutout in the eighth — but they didn't get the latter. Bryce Harper's solo homer in the sixth represented their only run in regulation. Even so, the Nationals had a chance to eke out a 1-0 victory, if only their bullpen could hold the lead. It couldn't. Drew Storen entered with one on and one out in the eighth and immediately walked Marco Scutaro before surrendering the game-tying single to Buster Posey. Never fear, though, because Tyler Clippard pitched a scoreless ninth to send the game to extra innings, at which point Harper doubled and later scored on Ian Desmond's clutch single to right field, giving the Nationals the lead again. Rafael Soriano then made up for his blown save last night with a clean bottom of the 10th, and the Nats headed back East with a 24-23 record and relieved to have at least ended this eventful trip on a positive note.Hitting highlight: Just because you're hitting second doesn't mean you have to hit like a traditional No. 2 hitter. Harper didn't quiteRead more »

"Lemonade! Lemonade!" A vendor was clearly audible in the mix along with the announcers and other crowd sounds on the broadcast of this afternoon's series finale between the visiting Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants in AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. Giants' lefty Madison Bumgarner was in the process of putting the Nats down in order in what ended up being a 14-pitch, 1-2-3 first in which he struck out the side. Angel Pagan hit the sixth pitch of Gio Gonzalez's first to right for an opposite field single to lead off the home-half of the inning. A walk to Marco Scutaro was followed by a fly to right by Buster Posey on which Pagan advanced to third. Home plate ump Gary Darling liked Gonzalez's 0-2 curve to Hunter Pence, though Pence and the Giants' bench objected to the called strike three. A 2-2 curve to Brett Pill got the Giants' first baseman swinging for out no.3 and got the Nationals' starter out of a scoreless first after 23 pitches. 0-0 in game three of three in AT&T. The Giants' had the National League's 3rd highest average against lefties (.265), and they were ninth in the NL in OBP (.304) and SLG (.372) before this afternoon's matchup against the Nats' lefty Gio Gonzalez. The Nationals entered the game with an NL-worst sweep, (.191/.263/.287), 15th of 15 across the line, with no luck at all (.242 BABIP also 15th) to the Giants' .315 BABIP, which was good for third overall in the National League. But it's really just fair to say the Nationals aren't hitting good (or well, whatever) in general. No need to get specific. Ian Desmond walked in an eight-pitch at bat in the top of the second, but Madison Bumgarner retired the next three Nats in order to get through two scoreless on 34 pitches. Still 0-0. Andres Torres lined one over Denard Span and bounced a ground-rule double into the center field stands with one down in the Giants' second. Two outs later, however, Torres was stranded at second after Gio Gonzalez popped up Brandon Crawford and struck Bumgarner out to end a 15-pitch frame at 38 pitches overall. The Giants' left-handed starter left a 1-2 fastball to Gio Gonzalez up in the zone and surrendered the first hit of the game for the Nationals with one down in the top of the third. Denard Span struck out for the second time in two at bats vs Madison Bumgarner for the second out of the inning though and Bryce Harper flew to right to end the frame. Still 0-0. 54 pitches for Bumgarner. Gio Gonzalez was at 47 overall when Buster Posey grounded to sharply to third with two down in the Giants' third. Ryan Zimmerman made a backhanded play, but the force knocked him back, so his throw was wilder than usual but Adam LaRoche was his Gold Glove self, going up to get the high throw and applying the tag when Posey avoided the first swipe but went past the bag. 3 outs. Adam LaRoche "doubled" when his broken bat fly to left died just inside the line halfway into the outfield. Tyler Moore spit on three offspeed pitches out of the zone from Bumgarner after he'd fallen behind 0-2, but he hit a one-hop liner out to Brandon Crawford at short for the third out of a scoreless Nationals' fourth. Gio Gonzalez needed 18 pitches to retire the Giants in order in bottom of the fourth. After Hunter Pence flew out to right, the Nats' lefty got Brett Pill looking with a 1-2 heater knee-high outside and got a grounder to short from Joaquin Arias on his 65th pitch of the game. Grounder. Desmond. Out. 65 pitches after four. Eight straight and 12 of 13 set down by the Nats' starter after the first two runners of the game reached base. Danny Espinosa was 0 for 2 today and 1 for 29 two at bats into the 10th game of 10 on the Nationals' road trip. Gio Gonzalez bunted Kurt Suzuki over to second after the Nats' catcher connected for the third hit of the game off the Giants' starter, but Bumgarner popped Denard Span up to end a seven-pitch, two-out at bat after which it was still scoreless in San Francisco. 0-0. Gio Gonzalez got t

With a staff led by pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, who thrive on strikeouts, the Nats often force their opponents to whiff when they come to the plate. But did you know that when the Nationals record a strikeout, you have the power to support the D.C. chapter of the RBI League? Each time the Nats record a K, you can tweet with the @Nationals' Twitter handle and the hashtag #whiff. By doing so, you'll record another vote for the D.C. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) League. At the end of each month, the team with the most votes will receive $10,000 for its local chapter of the RBI League. The organization's goal is to "increase participation and interest in baseball and softball among underserved youth," and its graduates include the Dodgers' Carl Crawford, the Yankees' CC Sabathia and the Braves' Justin Upton. P&G's Head & Shoulders is heading the campaign, and in addition to the $10,000 prize each month, the company will donate $1 to the RBI League for each strikeout recorded in the majors this season. So, whenever you see a Nats pitcher freeze a batter or induce a swing with two strikes at a nasty slider, be sure to tweet to the @Nationals with #whiff. Through the MASN Nationals Twitter account, we will be joining the initiative to help the Nats fight for the most tweets in the majors and to help increase the amount of youth thriving in baseball and softball in the D.C. region. Be sure to give us a follow to join along with us as we tweet to help the D.C. youth win.

Since 1934 the Redskins and Eagles have squared off 156 times and unlike the heated*rivalry*with the Cowboys and the longstanding tension with the Giants, the Redskins have won over 50 percent of their games against their Pennsylvania counterparts. Similar to the inaugural installment of Redskins-Eagles in 1934, the Redskins swept in 2012 thanks to a […] More...

You'll recall CSN Washington's report earlier this week that Bradley Beal had yet to be cleared to return to baskeball-related activities despite being seven weeks removed from being shut down with a stress injury in his left fibula. J Michael asked Beal himself about his status at the draft lottery yesterday, and this was Beal's answer. "I still haven't been cleared," Beal told CSN after he represented the Wizards at the draft lottery and secured the No. 3 overall pick for the June 27 draft. "It's been six weeks since I've done any basketball-related activities. In the next couple weeks or so I'm going to get another X-Ray and see if the fracture actually started closing and see if can get back out there. Until then I'm still rehabbing, lifting weights and refraining from any basketball activity." The word "fracture" freaked me out upon reading the article. However, a Wizards spokesman told Bullets Forever that, much like John Wall did last December, Beal misspoke and did not mean to indicate that the bone was actually broken. Michael Lee asked Beal a similar question and put in "[stress reaction]" in the quote used in today's story. Semantics aside, the injury itself will likely take over two months to heal, so it's serious enough. Wall's "stress injury" in his knee ended up sidelining him for over three months. Standard aches and bruises don't take this long to heel, so whatever one wants to call it, the effect is the same. While it is the offseason, I'd feel much more comfortable if Beal was healed enough to be cleared soon.

This morning, Rafael Soriano strolled to the back corner of the Nationals clubhouse inside AT&T Park. Dressed in all back, he dropped a bag in his chair and removed silver headphones from ears, hanging them on a hook in his … Continue reading →

I know I am going to get skewered for this and I understand why to some degree, but in a weak draft like this the three pick is really more like a 5-7 in an average year. Ernie is not a great drafter, and we could really get some talent for this pick so i say we should trade it. utah is a team looking to move up and they definitely have some great pieces. If the Jazz offered a package like Favors, Burks/ Hayward/14 pick I would do it. If the Kings offered Cousins and Patterson for the 3 pick and Singleton/Vesely/Booker I would absolutely do it. I am not Mike Wise. I understand that the Wizards have much more than this year, and that yeah we want to make the playoffs now, but 2015-2020 is the most important block. I don't want to trade the pick for veterans. I am a huge fan, however, of trading draft pick for established YOUNG players with high ceilings. I find them to be more of a sure thing than draft picks. Just imagine if last year, we took Orlando up on their offer of Harden for Beal. Beal is good, but Harden- he is a legit superstar. Nobody in their right mind takes Beal over Harden and thats not a knock on Beal. I would also trade the pick to a bad team like Charlotte or Orlando for a 2014 first rounder. That is a much better, deeper draft and who knows maybe we get Wiggins. If Orlando offered a 2014 1st rounder and Tobias Harris for our 2014 and 2013 1st rounders I would do it. If Charlotte offered the same deal with MKG instead of Harris I would have to say yes. Ultimately we are not going to trade the pick and I agree with that. I think that the only way we trade the pick is if someone overpays for it and all the above scenarios are indeed overpaying for a three pick in a weak draft class. But, if someone decides to overwhelm us and give up young players for the pick? Then do it. The point of the fan post was not to say trade the pick but to say do not out rule trading the pick, keep all options open. I am sure Porter, Oladipo, Muhammed or even Noel would be great for us. A top 3 pick usually works out and I expect it to with us. I am edited about the future of our Wall/ Beal/ 3 pick core trio, but I' be more excited about Wall/ Beal/ Cousins trio with Patterson I know I am going to get skewered for this and I understand why to some degree, but in a weak draft like this the three pick is really more like a 5-7 in an average year. Ernie is not a great drafter, and we could really get some talent for this pick so i say we should trade it. utah is a team looking to move up and they definitely have some great pieces. If the Jazz offered a package like Favors, Burks/ Hayward/14 pick I would do it. If the Kings offered Cousins and Patterson for the 3 pick and Singleton/Vesely/Booker I would absolutely do it. I am not Mike Wise. I understand that the Wizards have much more than this year, and that yeah we want to make the playoffs now, but 2015-2020 is the most important block. I don't want to trade the pick for veterans. I am a huge fan, however, of trading draft pick for established YOUNG players with high ceilings. I find them to be more of a sure thing than draft picks. Just imagine if last year, we took Orlando up on their offer of Harden for Beal. Beal is good, but Harden- he is a legit superstar. Nobody in their right mind takes Beal over Harden and thats not a knock on Beal. I would also trade the pick to a bad team like Charlotte or Orlando for a 2014 first rounder. That is a much better, deeper draft and who knows maybe we get Wiggins. If Orlando offered a 2014 1st rounder and Tobias Harris for our 2014 and 2013 1st rounders I would do it. If Charlotte offered the same deal with MKG instead of Harris I would have to say yes. Ultimately we are not going to trade the pick and I agree with that. I think that the only way we trade the pick is if someone overpays for it and all the above scenarios are indeed overpaying for a three pick in a weak draft class. But, if someone decides to overwhelm us and giv

San Francisco Giants' outfielder Gregor Blanco's game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth last night came on a two-out, 1-2 slider up in the zone from Washington Nationals' closer Rafael Soriano. Blanco's triple to right-center got over a leaping Bryce Harper and scored Buster Posey's pinch runner, Andres Torres, from first two outs after the Giants' catcher reached on an infield single that bounced off Soriano's glove and died in the grass to the side of the pitcher's mound. Harper later admitted to having worries about running into the wall after last week's collision in Dodger Stadium, and blamed himself for not making the play. Soriano wondered about the way the oufielder's were positioned on the play. "When you got two outs when you play away," Soriano told reporters after the game, "you're supposed to, you know, a guy hits a ball, it's got to be in front of you, not like what happened tonight." "With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn't go over your head,'' Soriano said in Spanish." - Rafael Soriano in USA Today Sports' article USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz quoted Soriano explaining further in Spanish what he thought of that particular play: "'With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn't go over your head,'' Soriano said in Spanish. "It may not have been a catch-able ball, but if we're positioned the right way, there might have been a different outcome. With two outs, I could tell my four-year-old son, 'You know where you need to play,' and he would go to the right spot to make the play. It's not an excuse, and I'm not speaking badly about anybody, but I think that's how you play the game.'' • Blanco's Game-Tying Triple: Your browser does not support iframes. "[Soriano] is an extremely competitive guy, and usually he's an extremely upfront guy, so I would think that he would have, if he had those things to say to [Harper], he would have pulled [Harper] aside..." - Nats' GM Mike Rizzo on 106.7 the FAN In D.C. Nats' GM Mike Rizzo was asked about his closer's comments this morning in an appearance on 106.7 the FAN In D.C.'s The Mike Rizzo Show with Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier. "This is the first I've heard of it," Rizzo told the show's hosts. "I haven't talked to any of those guys, but [Soriano] is an extremely competitive guy, and usually he's an extremely upfront guy, so I would think that he would have, if he had those things to say to [Harper], he would have pulled [Harper] aside or Tony Tarasco aside, who implements the outfield defense, and made his case to them instead of to the newspapers, and I will have to look into that. I haven't gotten to the ballpark yet here in California, so if there's something that is amiss and there is some issues with it, they should get together and discuss it face-to-face, that's how I like to attack any of the issues that I have." Asked about his comments by reporters this morning, Soriano qualified his statements, telling the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore they were made off the record and not intended as a shot at his 20-year-old teammate: "Soriano told the Post in a telephone interview from San Francisco on Wednesday morning that he thought he was talking casually with the USA Today reporter off the record after they had talked on the record about the game, a normal occurrence when players speak with reporters. He said he saw and heard on Wednesday morning what was published. "'I tried to do my job and I didn’t do it,' Soriano said in Spanish. '(The play) wasn’t an error. He was in the position and I threw the pitch I shouldn’t have. And that’s what happened. And after we finished talking, I made the mistake of saying that to [the reporter]. And he put it in there with what I said.'" Apparently, the two players met this morning at AT&T Park and discussed the issue as Rizzo suggested, here's what the reports on