Washington Nationals

"It was tough," Davey Johnson said after the Washington Nationals battled back to tie it at 4-4 in the top of the ninth only to lose it 5-4 on a two-out walk-off single by Domonic Brown in the bottom of the inning. Chad Tracy hit a two-out, two-strike home run off Philadelphia Phillies' closer Jonathan Papelbon in the Nats' ninth, but left-hander Fernando Abad surrendered leadoff and one-out singles in the home-half of the inning, putting runners on first and third, and after Abad struck pinch hitter Steven Lerud out Brown got hold of a 93 mph 2-2 fastball inside and hit a line drive to center for the walk-off winner. "I liked the matchup right there. We just didn't come out on top, that's all." - Davey Johnson on Abad vs Brown in the 9th Johnson said Abad left the pitch up, which he did, though the manager thought it was a changeup instead of what MLB.com's Gameday said was a 93 mph fastball. "But we fought back," Johnson said, "It was a good ballgame. The bullpen did a good job, we can't fault that. But a tough loss." Asked about going to Abad in the ninth, Johnson said he couldn't warm right-hander Drew Storen up quickly enough when the game was tied on Tracy's home run with two down in the top of the ninth. "When we tied it up late," the manager explained, "I couldn't get [Storen] ready in time because I didn't want him to warm up and with the first guy [Ben Revere] left-handed, if Abad gets him I got to Storen, if he doesn't [Abad's] got to hold the guys on, it's that simple." "I liked the matchup right there," Johnson said of the final at bat with Abad and Brown going lefty vs lefty with two down, "We just didn't come out on top, that's all. Tough one. We'll get them tomorrow." "That's big, that's good," Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel said of Brown's walk-off winner. "He stayed on the lefty good, hit the ball off the end of the kind of, but at the same time we got the right results." Your browser does not support iframes. "[Haren] pitched good in spots and he left some balls out over the plate," the Nats' 70-year-old skipper said, "finished up strong, but it's a tough ball game." - Davey Johnson on Dan Haren vs the Phillies Long before the game was decided, Dan Haren started for the Nationals in the first game of three with the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. Haren gave up seven hits, three walks and four runs in 6.0 IP in which he threw 115 pitches, 65 for strikes. Ryan Howard hit a letter-high 2-2 cutter out for a towering home run that reached the second deck in right over the AT&T sign to tie it after the Nats took an early 1-0 lead. Delmon Young hit a two-out, two-run double to right in the third to make it 3-1 Phillies and after the Nationals pulled within one in the fourth, Howard struck again with an RBI single in the fifth that made it 4-2. Nats Tie It In Top Of 9th, Lose It On Walk-Off In Bottom Photo © Howard Smith/USA TODAY Sports "[Haren] pitched good in spots and he left some balls out over the plate," the Nats' 70-year-old skipper said, "finished up strong, but it's a tough ballgame." Rough as some of Haren's recent outings have been though, Johnson didn't seem ready to give up on the veteran right-hander just yet when asked how long they would stick with the inconsistent 32-year-old starter. "We have a lot of faith in him," Johnson said, "He'll be fine." Your browser does not support iframes.

Associated PressPHILADELPHIA — As the ball soared toward the right-field bleachers and the previously raucous crowd of 44,990 fell dead-silent, the visitors dugout at Citizens Bank Park sprung to life. In a season with precious few moments of true elation, Chad Tracy's down-to-the-last-strike home run in the top of the ninth Monday night was about as good as it's been for the Nationals.One pitch away from a ho-hum loss to the Phillies, the Nationals now had new life, Tracy having delivered a game-tying homer on an 0-2 pitch for the second time in 72 hours. The prevailing sentiment in the dugout: This game was theirs now."You gotta play the game, but when you tie it up, I think all of us had a feeling," Tracy said. "We expected to win, sure."A feeling that had vanquished into thin air only 10 minutes later when Fernando Abad surrendered his third single of the bottom of the ninth, this one a soft liner up the middle by Domonic Brown, bringing Ben Revere home with the run that dealt the Nationals a 5-4, punch-to-the-gut loss."You tie it up late, and everybody's emotions are running high and everybody's feeling good," Tracy said. "And then they come out and put some good at-bats together at the end and steal it right back from you."Read more

PHILADELPHIA - Before Monday's game with the Washington Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel insisted he saw promising signs when asked about Ryan Howard's lack of power this season. Read more Ryan Howard news

Via Fangraphs (click to embiggen) Unimpressive: Dan Haren (-21.4%) slogs through 6 IP, with an uncharacteristic 3 Ks and 3 BBs, giving up 4 ER. Why do you taunt us? Jayson Werth (+0.2%) singles in a first-inning run for the early lead (+9.8%), but Ian Desmond (-4.8%) GDPs to end the two-on threat (-7.6%). Good at the bottom: Steve Lombardozzi (+7.1%) is 2-3 with an RBI double in the 4th to get the Nats (briefly) within one (+11.5%). Kurt Suzuki (+1.3%) is also 2-4 with a double. More taunting: Desi singles in a run to get the Nats back within one in the aeyth (+8.3%). You can't make me love you: Chad Tracy (+34.6%) only makes it worse, hitting a game-tying solo shot with two outs in the 9th (+36.7%). So close: Fernando Abad (-37.0%) almost works around 2 hits in the 9th, but gives up the losing run with two down.

Manager Davey Johnson told reporters today he hoped John Lannan's past struggles in Citizens Bank Park, where the left-hander was (2-5) with 6.05 ERA in nine starts in his career before signing on to pitch here, continued tonight when Lannan took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time against the team that drafted him out of Siena College in the 12th Round of the '05 MLB Draft. The Nationals developed Lannan, brought him to the majors, then, after six seasons, allowed him to become a free agent after a contentious 2012 campaign in which they payed him $5M dollars to serve as what the Nats' skipper described as a "very luxurious insurance policy" late last Spring, when the Nationals announced the decision to send the veteran lefty to Triple-A Syracuse so they could keep option-less '07 1st Round pick Ross Detwiler in the starting rotation. Lannan was coming off the DL to make the start against the visiting Nats tonight. He wasn't sharp early. Lannan walked Anthony Rendon with down in the game-opening frame, then hit Ryan Zimmerman on the front foot and gave up an RBI line drive single to left by Jayson Werth that made it 1-0 Nationals after a half inning in CBP which ended when Lannan got a 6-4-3 DP from Ian Desmond. 19-pitch inning. Nats' right-hander Dan Haren started his 14th start of the season for Washington with a 16-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the inning in Philadelphia. Kurt Suzuki hit a 2-2 two-seamer outside to right for a one-out opposite field single off Lannan in the top of the second. Steve Lombardozzi lined a 2-2 change to left for the second consecutive single off the Phillies' left-hander, but Lannan cut down the lead runner when Dan Haren tried to get a little too cute with a slug bunt attempt the opposing pitcher jumped on. The 1-5 putout was followed by swinging K by Jeff Kobernus as the former Nats' starter once again worked out of trouble. Seven pitches into the Phillies' half second it was a 1-1 game after Ryan Howard crushed a 2-2 cutter from Haren and hit the 18th home run of the year off the Nationals' right-hander into the second deck in right in Citizens Bank Park. Howard's eighth. 1-1 after two. 27-pitch inning for Haren. Ryan Zimmerman caught a pop in front of the third base dugout and negotiated the steps as he went down into the Nationals' dugout with the third out of the inning in his glove. Zimmerman got his helmet, batting gloves and bat and then went out and singled to center with one down in the top of the third, lining one back to the mound, by John Lannan and into center field in Citizens Bank Park. Jayson Werth K'd swinging at a full-count change for out no.2 of the inning. Ian Desmond's fly to center ended the Nats' third with Lannan at 61 pitches overall. Denard Span sat tonight after fouling a pitch off his foot in Sunday's loss in Cleveland. His replacement, IF/OF Jeff Kobernus, made a sprinting and leaping attempt to catch a fly to deep center field off Michael Young's bat, but the Nats' center field came up empty and Young took third when the ball hit the wall just out of Kobernus' reach. Back-to-back walks to Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard loaded the bases for Domonic Brown. Dan Haren got Brown swinging for the second out of the inning, but a Delmon Young double to right and by a diving Jayson Werth brought in two runs before Ryan Howard got thrown out at third to end the inning. 3-1 Phillies. Nationals' catcher Kurt Suzuki was 2 for 2 tonight after doubling to left-center off John Lannan with one down in the fourth. Steve Lombardozzi's double in the next at bat brought the Nats' catcher around as the Nationals reduced to the Phillies' lead to 3-2 with one down. Lombardozzi stole third with two outs after Dan Haren lined out, but Jeff Kobernus K'd swinging to end the top of the inning with the Phillies still up by one. 77 pitches for Lannan. With some help from his defense, Dan Haren retired the side in order in a 15-pitch bottom of the fourth in Philadelphia,

USA Today Sports ImagesJeff Kobernus can't haul in Michael Young's third-inning triple off the wall.Game in a nutshell: Fresh off a frustrating, shutout loss in Cleveland, the Nationals arrived in Philadelphia hoping to find some kind of offensive spark against an old pal: John Lannan, making his return from the DL and his first career start against the franchise that drafted him. The Nationals had their chances early against the lefty but managed only two runs in five innings against him. That wasn't enough, not with Dan Haren once again laboring (four runs allowed over six innings). So the Nationals needed to mount a late rally against the Phillies bullpen a seemingly daunting task, though one they actually were up to. Ian Desmond delivered a two-out RBI single off Mike Adams in the top of the eighth. Chad Tracy then delivered the biggest blow: a solo homer off Jonathan Papelbon on an 0-2 count with two outs in the ninth, keeping the game alive. Alas, Fernando Abad couldn't get the game into extra innings. The left-hander gave up three hits in the bottom of the ninth, including Domonic Brown's two-out, game-winner up the middle. Thus, the Nationals still wound up losing, dropping their fourth consecutive series opener and falling below .500 once again.Hitting highlight: It's been a rough season for Tracy, and that's putting it mildly. But perhaps the events of the last three nights will be the spark that turns things around for the veteran pinch-hitter. On Saturday in Cleveland, Tracy launched an 0-2 pitch for a game-tying homer. So, of course he had to do the exact same thing in tonight in Philadelphia. With the Nationals down to their final out, down by a run, Tracy again fell behind in the count 0-2 to Papelbon. He fouled off two pitches, then lofted the next one high down the right-field line. John Mayberry Jr. kept backtracking til there was nowhere left to go. The ball landed several rows up, and Tracy circled the bases with another huge home run, perhaps turning his previously disappointing season around.Pitching lowlight: This was by no means Haren's worst start of the year, or even close to it. But the right-hander wasn't particularly sharp, either, and in some ways was fortunate to only give up four runs over his six innings. The home run once again plagued him, with Ryan Howard crushing a ball into the second deck in right field, the 18th homer surrendered by Haren this season. We've come to expect those from Haren. We haven't come to expect walks. Yet he issued three free passes tonight, including back-to-back ones in the third that helped prolong the inning an allow two runs to score. Haren somehow managed to slog his way through six innings, using up 115 pitches, but he once again departed in line for the loss, his ninth of the year. Thanks to Tracy's late heroics, Haren was spared a no-decision.Key stat: The Nationals have caught only 13 percent of basestealers this season, the worst mark in the majors and four points worse than last season's 17 percent rate.Up next: The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday when Ross Detwiler makes his second start since returning from the DL. Fellow lefty Cliff Lee gets the nod for the Phillies.

Apparently Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth did *something* to the Phanatic's ATV to cause it to break down on the field before Monday night's game in Philly. It had to be pushed off the field and lifted over a fence by Citizens Bank Park staff: A Vine of the hyjinks by @recordsANDradio below: (Screencap via  MASN/TV) Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter. Related articles No pressure, Jayson... Denard Span challenges Ian Desmond over his Wizards fandom Nats win today, Jayson Werth untucks his shirt Denard Span, Adam LaRoche, and the batboy also untucked their shirts Ian Desmond also untucked his shirt last night

In a key series against their northern rivals, the Washington Nationals (34-34) will try to break out of an offensive funk to prevent the Philadelphia Phillies (33-37) from overtaking them in the standings. The Phillies trail the Nationals by only two games in the National League East, and could again surpass the Nats into second place with a series sweep. However, the Phillies have not won a series against any team but the Miami Marlins since May 19, and have not completed a sweep against a team that isn’t the Marlins since taking three games from the New York Mets on April 28. The Nationals won two of three against the Phillies in their first faceoff of the year and went 9-9 against them last year, so they have a history of success backing them up going into this series. But, the Phillies slash line of .250/.307/.397 bests the Nats’ line of .233/.292/.374 in every category as the Nationals continue to be befuddled by their inability to bring home runners the put in scoring position. Leveling With Lannan The Nationals will get their first shot at hitting the Phillies 4.25 team ERA on Monday night against none other than former-National John Lannan. This will be Lannan’s first start since injuring his knee on April 17, as well as his first start against the team he spent eight years with after being drafted by them in 2005. He signed a $2.5 million, one-year deal with the Phillies this offseason, but has made only three starts for them due to his injury. Lannan does not have very good numbers at his new home ballpark – a career-worst 6.05 ERA in nine starts there – which the Nationals have the opportunity to take advantage of in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park. Only four current Nationals have faced Lannan before: Jayson Werth, Adam LaRoche, Ross Ohlendorf and Chad Tracy. Werth has the most plate appearances against him, and has gone 8-for-24 with four homers in his career against the lefty. If the Nationals can make the most of the numbers that are in their favor, perhaps they can start the series off on a good note, despite countering Lannan with Dan Haren, who has a 5.79 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies and six Nationals losses after his last six starts. In The Zone Anthony Rendon (2B) .500 AVG, .524 OBP, .800 SLG, 1 HR (last five games) Who’s Hot? Ben Revere (CF) .464 AVG, .464 OBP, .536 SLG, 2 SB (last six games) Ryan Howard (1B) .391 AVG, .481 OBP, .478 SLG, 2 2B (last six games) Who’s Not? Domonic Brown (LF) .136 AVG, .231 OBP, .136 SLG, 4 SO (last six games) Freddy Galvis (2B) .130 AVG, .200 OBP, .304 SLG, 3 SO (last six games) Probable Starters 6/17, Dan Haren (4-8, 5.70 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 59 SO) vs. John Lannan (0-1, 6.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 7 SO, 3 GS) 6/18, Ross Detwiler (2-4, 3.02 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 25 SO) vs. Cliff Lee (8-2, 2.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 89 SO) 6/19, Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 3.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 82 SO) vs. Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.76 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 56 SO)

Washington Nationals (34-34) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (33-37) Dan Haren (4-8, 5.70) vs. John Lannan (0-1, 6.14)TIME: 7:05TV: CSNWEATHER: 78, partly cloudy, chance of rainMEDIA: Facebook or TwitterAfter a brutal road trip, the Phillies return to the bank and will face the Washington Nationals for the first time this season. They trail the Nationals by 2 games in the NL East and the Braves by 8.5 games. So, here is an opportunity for the Phillies to leapfrog back into second place. First place is clearly a different story… Read more Dan Haren news

Denard Span walked through the Nationals’ clubhouse this afternoon, past the lineup card without his name, with black tape wrapped out his right foot. He needed to sit for another game because he had, for the third time this season, … Continue reading →