Washington Nationals

USA Today Sports ImagesKurt Suzuki and Tyler Moore contributed to the Nats' four-run fifth.Jordan Zimmermann has pitched as well as anyone in baseball through the season's first two months, and more often than not the Nationals have needed it. Only once during his previous six starts had Zimmermann's teammates provided more than three runs of support.So imagine how the right-hander felt when he looked up at the scoreboard at Nationals Park after five innings Friday night and saw a "5" listed next to the home team's name."Definitely nice to get a five-run cushion tonight and kind of put it on cruise control," he said.And cruise Zimmermann did, churning out seven quality innings against the Phillies and riding the rare run support to a 5-2 victory that made him the NL's first 8-game winner.Read more

In order to make room on the 40-man roster for the call-up of infielder Jeff Kobernus from Class AAA Syracuse, the Nationals will designate right-handed pitcher Yunesky Maya for assignment, Manager Davey Johnson said following Friday’s game. Kobernus will serve … Continue reading →

The Nats returned from a lengthy west coast road trip Friday night, and Jordan Zimmermann welcomed fans and Phillies back to Nationals Park with a dominating performance. In the fourth inning... [[ Visit LetTeddyWin.com for full standings, photos and more... ]]

Photo by USA TodayIn need of depth on their bench, the Washington Nationals are calling up second baseman Jeff Kobernus from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and designating relief pitcher Yunesky Maya for assignment. Kobernus’ contract will be purchased to place him on the 40-man roster as Maya will now go through the waiver process.Kobernus joins the Nats to provide an extra position player with Danny Espinosa out with a loose bone chip in his right wrist.“We’re doing something with Maya and calling up Kobernus,” Davey Johnson said. “We’re already one player short with four players on the bench, I like to have at least five. And with Espinosa down, we can’t go with three.”Kobernus, 24, has spent four seasons in Washington’s minor league system after being drafted by the club in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He has yet to make his major league debut.Read more »

WASHINGTON – Steve Lombardozzi had three hits and Jordan Zimmermann became the National League’s first eight-game winner as Washington used a big fifth inning to beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Friday in the teams’ first meeting of the season. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Washington Nationals News

Before tonight's game the Washington Nationals announced that Danny Espinosa had been playing with a fracture in his right wrist since Atlanta Braves' lefty Paul Maholm hit the Nats' infielder in a mid-April matchup in the nation's capital. Espinosa had X-rays done then, but no break was revealed. When the issue continued to bother the infielder during the Nationals' recently-completed road trip, the 26-year-old Espinosa took another trip to the doctor, this time seeing a Baltimore, Maryland-based hand specialist who diagnosed the injury announced today. "I looked at the films and [Espinosa] has a little chip floating around in his wrist," Davey Johnson told reporters this afternoon. - Davey Johnson on Danny Espinosa's injured wrist "I looked at the films and [Espinosa] has a little chip floating around in his wrist," Johnson told reporters this afternoon. "The report I got from the trainers is if he can stand the pain it shouldn't get any worse. Knowing how that is, I called the doctor and said, 'Well, what we want to do is -- what's always best for the team is what's always best for the player.' And I wanted to know if that chip would move around and get exacerbated and cause more [of a] problem, or what was the real problem in there and the problem, is it's a broken bone." The Nats' skipper said he would have Espinosa rest and see if he can get by the pain and stay in the lineup. After tonight's game, with the Nats' bench short, the team announced that they had designated 31-year-old right-hander Yunesky Maya for assignment after calling him up this past weekend. RHP Yunesky Maya has been designated for assignment. The #Nats will call up infielder Jeff Kobernus. #MLB #Nationals — William Ladson (@washingnats) May 25, 2013 Taking Maya's place will be 24-year-old, Nats' '09 2nd Round pick Jeff Kobernus, a utility infielder who has played second, third, left and center at Triple-A Syracuse early this season. Kobernus was left unprotected and selected by the Detroit Tigers in this past winter's Rule 5 Draft, but when he didn't make the Tigers' opening day roster, he was returned to the Nationals' organization. In 43 games and 193 plate appearances this season for the Syracuse Chiefs, Kobernus has a .333/.378/.420 line with eight doubles, two triples, a home run and 21 stolen bases in 27 attempts. • MLB.com video on Jeff Kobernus: Your browser does not support iframes. "[Kobernus is] a terrific contact bat. He can steal you a base when you have to. He’s a plus, plus runner and kind of an energy-type of exciting type of player." - Mike Rizzo on Jeff Kobernus on 106.7 the FAN in D.C. Nats' GM Mike Rizzo offered the following scouting report on Kobernus during his weekly appearance on 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s eponymously-titled "Mike Rizzo Show" this past Wednesday: "Kobernus is a speedy utility-type of player that plays second, third, short and the outfield for us. He’s a terrific contact bat. He can steal you a base when you have to. He’s a plus, plus runner and kind of an energy-type of exciting type of player." Maya, who signed a 4-year/$8M dollar deal as an international free agent in 2010, surrendered a walk-off home run in this past Saturday's loss to the San Francisco Giants. In 16 games, 10 starts and 59.0 IP in the majors, the right-hander is (1-5) with a 5.80 ERA. Maya's (1-4) with a 5.07 ERA in eight starts and 49.2 IP so far this season. Kobernus, drafted out of the University of California at Berkeley, will be making his MLB debut when he first gets in a game with the Nationals who drafted him with the first pick of the second round of the 2009 Draft.

The rivalry established between the Washington Nationals (24-23) and the Philadelphia Phillies (23-24) last year is set to heat back up as the Phillies come to Washington for the first time this season. Though with the two teams trudging through the first two months of the season, the rivalry will probably not be as fierce as in 2012 when there were marketing campaigns and stray pitches and stolen bases fueling the fire. The Nationals are returning home from a disappointing road trip that caused them to slip four and a half games behind the Atlanta Braves, after being just one game behind them before their trip. The Phillies have been playing under .500 since April 14, but are just one game behind the Nats, so the outcome of this series has the potential to change the shape of the NL East, for as much as it matters this early on in the season. The Phillies are 11-9 in May and have won four of their last six games against the Miami Marlins and the Cincinnati Reds, and they have continued to deal with injuries to the sixth-oldest roster in baseball. The Nats went 9-9 against the Phillies last season, winning four of six series against them, and will look to carry on their record of success against them this weekend. Pitch Perfect The Nationals pitching continues to be what keeps the team afloat during the offense’s struggles, and Jordan Zimmermann, who will pitch the series opener, has been leading the charge. Zimmermann has the third-lowest ERA in the National League and is tied for the second-most wins. He will be given the task of setting the series off on the right note as he faces Kyle Kendrick. Kendrick has made a strong start to his season. The righty has a career 4.19 ERA through seven seasons with the Phillies, but has opened 2012 with a 2.82 ERA and has been the Phillies’ most effective starter behind Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. Lefty Cole Hamels, who has a tense history with the Nationals, will close out the series on Sunday. Despite strong outings by Hamels, the Phillies have lost the last four games he has pitched in. He has not pitched with a lead since April 7, and holds a 2.87 run support average, ranking 101st of 107 qualifying pitchers, according to MLB.com. Hamels frustration at his team’s inability to win despite his best efforts led him to refuse to speak to the media after his last start. The Nationals will get a crack at facing Hamels – who pitched for a 1.93 ERA with 31 strikeouts in four meetings with the Nats in 2012 – and will see if his frustration spills out of the clubhouse and onto the field. The Nationals will be doing a little shuffling of their own starting rotation to accommodate Ross Detwiler’s schedule for returning from injury. They will skip the fifth man’s spot in the rotation and allow Stephen Strasburg to face the division rival Phillies on Sunday. Detwiler is slated to return on Tuesday, during the home portion of the Baltimore Orioles series. Hit Me With Your Best Shot The Nats have an edge over the Phillies in the pitching department, but even with as much as the Phillies have struggled to inspire their offense, they still beat the Nationals in most offensive categories. The Phillies are hitting .248 in May, which ranks 19th in the majors, while the Nationals are in last place with a .214 average. Overall they are averaging 3.55 runs per game, which is fourth lowest to the Nationals’ second-lowest 3.38 runs per game. However, the Phillies’ -31 run differential is worse than the Nats’ -26, even though the Nationals only scored a total of nine runs in the final five games of their road trip. Injures have speckled both rosters all season, and the most recent blow for the Phillies landed on second baseman Chase Utley, who was a leader of the Phillies’ offense but is now on the disabled list with an oblique strain. Despite each team’s struggles, one will win th

Via Fangraphs (click to embiggen) Outperforming his FIP: Jordan Zimmermann (+6.5%) goes 7IP, with 1 K and 0 BBs, allowing only 2 ER with a ton of ground ball outs. Look, I'll get to the apology: Adam LaRoche (+28.4%) continues to make mock of me, hitting a game-tying RBI triple (+23.4%) in the 5th. Davey = jeenyus: In new lineup spots, Kurt Suzuki (+11.3%) is 1-3 with a walk and and a go-ahead RBI single (+14.2%), while Steve Lombardozzi (+16.2%) is 3-4 with a two-run double (+17.9%). Copycats: Bryce Harper (+6.3%), Ryan Zimmerman (+0.3%) and Tyler Moore (+6.7%) each have a hit, a walk, and a run scored. Work on your hitting: J-Zim is -12.2% WPA at the plate, going 0-3 with 4 LOB.

Heading into tonight's game, Washington Nationals' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann hadn't lost an outing in the nation's capital since May 17, 2012. The 27-year-old starter, who'd gone 14 starts without taking a loss at home, needed just 10 pitches to get through the top of the Philadelphia Phillies' lineup in the first inning of the first of three for the Phillies this weekend in Washington, D.C. Ryan Zimmerman (one less "n"; no relation) went the other way with a 1-1 sinker from the opposing starter, Kyle Kendrick, for a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, but a fly to right from Adam LaRoche ended the home-half of the first after 13 pitches from the 28-year-old Phillies' right-hander. Ryan Howard hit his 12th double of the year to the warning track in center, bouncing the two-base hit off the wall to start the top of the second. A groundout to short by Delmon Young moved the Phillies' first baseman to third, and a single to right by Domonic Brown on a 1-0 curve from Jordan Zimmermann made it 1-0 Philadelphia early in Washington. Two groundouts later, Brown was stranded, and the Nats' starter was through a 20-pitch second at 30 overall after two. Ian Desmond was 10 for 23 career with two doubles, a triple and two home runs vs Kyle Kendrick before he faced the right-hander in the first at bat of the Nats' second and popped out foul of first out on an 0-1 pitch. 10 for 24. Kurt Suzuki, in the six-spot tonight, walked with one down in a 10-pitch AB, and he was running one out later when Steve Lombardozzi lined one to center that Phillies' center fielder Ben Revere dropped during a sliding/diving attempt. Second and third when Lombardozzi advanced on an ill-advised throw home with Suzuki stopped at third, but Jordan Zimmermann grounded to first to end the second after 27 pitches from Kendrick who was at 40 overall after two. Jordan Zimmermann dropped a cruel 0-2 slider on Kyle Kendrick for a swinging K to start the third. Four pitches and two groundouts later the Nats' right-hander was through a quick, seven-pitch inning at 37 total in 3.0 IP. Bryce Harper walked with one down in the Nationals' second. The Phillies' starter was up to 54 pitches when he issued the second walk in a row to Ryan Zimmerman. Kendrick fell behind Adam LaRoche, 3-1, and walked the third straight batter to load the bases and a fly to right by Ian Desmond tied it up, 1-1, and moved Zimmerman to third, but it was still a tie game after Kurt Suzuki flew to right-center to end the third. Nationals' second baseman Steve Lombardozzi snared a one-hop grounder off Michael Young's bat and threw to first for out no.1 and Zimmermann's eighth ground ball out after spinning and righting himself at second base. A fly to center by Ryan Howard was followed by groundout no.9 from the first 14 Phillies' hitters and Jordan Zimmermann was through 4.0 innings on 51 pitches in a 1-1 game. Tyler Moore was gifted second base when Jimmy Rollins' throw to first on a grounder to short sailed over Ryan Howard and into the first base camera well. Moore tried to score on a Steve Lombardozzi line drive to center in the next at bat, but Ben Revere's throw arrived home well ahead of the runner, who bulldozed Erik Kratz but was out. A pop to second and a fly to center ended the fourth with Lombardozzi at second and the score still tied at 1-1. Domonic Brown was 2 for 2 tonight after a single to right in the second of his first two career at bats against Jordan Zimmermann. A wild pitch moved Brown up to second and Phillies' second baseman Freddy Galvis sent him to third with the second straight single so that a sac fly to right by Erik Kratz could bring in the go-ahead run. 2-1. Back-to-back one-out singles by Kyle Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins loaded the bases with one down, after just 12 pitches by Jordan Zimmermann. Two pitches later, Steve Lombardozzi fielded a Ben Revere grounder to second and made a backhand toss to Ian Desmond to start an inning-ending 4-6-3. 14-pitch inni

USA Today Sports ImagesTyler Moore collides with Erik Kratz on a play at the plate in the fourth.Game in a nutshell: After a grueling road trip out west, the Nationals returned home for the start of a significant homestand, facing a Phillies club that could have caught them for second place in the NL East. But behind yet another strong start from Jordan Zimmermann and a suddenly potent lineup that came through big with a four-run fifth (three of those runs coming with two outs). Steve Lombardozzi was the biggest offensive star, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano cruised through the eighth and ninth innings with no trouble, and the Nationals got this homestand off to a solid start, handing Zimmermann his NL-leading eighth victory and creating a little more space between the two heated division rivals.Hitting highlight: Lombardozzi couldn't have picked a better night to get hot at the plate. With Danny Espinosa now sidelined with aRead more »