Washington Nationals

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDERPHILADELPHIA — I hate using the term "must-win" in baseball, especially on June 19. But let's be honest: This is about as close to a "must-win" game as the Nationals have faced all season. They've lost three in a row. They risk getting swept (and passed in the standings) by the Phillies. And they're clearly at a potentially fragile juncture of the season, knowing they not only can't afford to fall any deeper into a hole but that they need to start climbing upward ASAP.So, it's up to this lineup to finally get something going against Kyle Kendrick, against whom they've had success in the past (he's 4-6 with a 4.90 ERA in 20 career games against the Nationals). Tonight's key, in my mind: The two guys at the top of the lineup. Denard Span is in a major funk right now, hitting .164 with a .220 OBP this month. Anthony Rendon, on the other hand, has been fantastic since his return from the minors, hitting .395 with a .435 OBP. If those two guys can get on base, the opportunities will be there for Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond.Gio Gonzalez gets the start for the Nationals, facing the exact same Phillies lineup that scratched out four runs against Ross Detwiler last night.Updates to come, so please check back...WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIESWhere: Citizens Bank ParkGametime: 7:05 p.m. EDTTV: MASN, MLB.tvRadio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 187Weather: Clear, 78 degrees, Wind 3 mph LF to RFNATIONALS (34-36)CF Denard Span2B Anthony Rendon3B Ryan Zimmerman1B Adam LaRocheRead more »

The Washington Nationals activated infielder Danny Espinosa from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. Read more Danny Espinosa news

Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell was asked in a recent chat with readers what to make of the fact that Danny Espinosa had cleared out his locker in the Washington Nationals' clubhouse after he was told that he would be put on the DL: "Davey said, 'I love him. He thinks i hate him." Probably a tip there that Espinosa hated the move. It's not that the Nats wanted him to heal, it's that their stated position was that WHENEVER he was well, they expected him to report to AAA to work on his hitting. In other words, he was sent to the minors. The Nats call it the DL, which is literally accurate. But if your team says, 'Get better. Then go to AAA,' you have been demoted." Espinosa has been playing for the Syracuse Chiefs since June 13th, going 2 for 17 with 10 Ks so far for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate. This afternoon, the Nationals officially announced that they had reinstated the 26-year-old infielder from the DL and optioned him to Triple-A where he'll continue to work on his swing and try to battle his way back up to the majors. The WaPost's Mr. Boswell also speculated as to why Espinosa might have been unhappy with the Nationals' decision: "You can easily see why Espinosa didn't want to give up his second base job for any significant amount of time: Anthony Rendon. After a nervous 1-for-11 start in MLB, Rendon's hitting .367/.472/.467. While he's made five errors, and will make more at 2nd since it's a new position, he seems to be having a ball and has plenty of quickness, good hands to play second. His arm may not be as big as Espinosa's cannon, but it's special." Since returning to the majors for the second time this year, after a stint filling in for an injured Ryan Zimmerman early this season, Rendon's been on fire at the plate. The 23-year-old, 2011 1st Round pick is 17 for 43 (.395/.435/.605) with six doubles and a home run in 11 games since returning to the Nats, and he now has a .338/.408/.485 line on the year in his rookie campaign. "[Rendon] is certainly making a case to get a lot of playing time," Rizzo said, "He's a guy that we've had obviously high hopes for since we drafted him." - Mike Rizzo on 106.7 the FAN in D.C. on Anthony Rendon On 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s The Mike Rizzo Show with Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier this morning, the Nats' GM was asked about both Rendon and Espinosa and what the future held for each player. "[Rendon] is certainly making a case to get a lot of playing time," Rizzo said, "He's a guy that we've had obviously high hopes for since we drafted him. We thought he would be a quick-to-big leagues guy. We gave him a major league contract right out of the draft, so, he's a big part of our plans, and I think that he's a guy that helps the lineup and is going to be around with us for a long time." "If we can get him back to where he was those times in 2010 for that four and a half month stretch then we've got ourselves what we thought we had..." - - Mike Rizzo on 106.7 the FAN in D.C. on Danny Espinosa As for Espinosa, and what he needs to do in the minors, Rizzo said, "He's been reinstated from the disabled list and he's been optioned to Triple-A and will continue to play for the Syracuse club down there. He's working diligently on his stroke from both sides of the plate. He'll get ample at bats down there to kind of work through some things and when we feel that he's ready and capable to perform and to contribute on the big league level we will bring him up to the big leagues." Espinosa embracing return to minors - Rick Maese, Washington Post Photo © Howard Smith/US PRESSWIRE "Until then though," Rizzo said, "It's slow progress and he needs to redo a lot of things in his swing from both sides. And he's working extremely well and has got a very positive attitude down there. Tony Beasley, the manager, has told me that he's making some approachment adjustments and, again, he's a player that we love here. He's a great athlete and

USA Today Sports ImagesPHILADELPHIA — What had been planned for more than two weeks became official this afternoon: Danny Espinosa was optioned to Class AAA Syracuse, leaving the Nationals' former starting second baseman a full-time minor-leaguer until he proves his bat is big-league-worthy again.Espinosa had already joined the Syracuse roster last week, but technically he was on a rehab assignment while recovering from a right wrist injury. Today, the Nationals deemed the 26-year-old healthy and activated him off the 15-day disabled list, then immediately optioned him to Class AAA so he can continue to work on his swing in the minors.The Nationals dropped Espinosa from their 25-man roster on June 4, informing the .158-hitting second baseman he was being placed on the DL to let his injured wrist heal, with the understanding he would remain at Syracuse once healthy. Espinosa immediatelyRead more »

Even if it's not obvious to everyone watching, or evident in the results on the field and in the standings, Washington Nationals' shortstop Ian Desmond told reporters last night that he sees signs of improvement in the 34-36 Nats, who are tied for second in the NL East after last night's loss in Philadelphia. "We're a good ballclub," Desmond said, "We've played some really good games, obviously we've played some not-so-good games, but we've got to give ourselves a chance to kind of come into our own this year." Is it the lack of consistency that's held the team back? "I think what you guys and what the fans see as a consistent effort or a consistent performance on the field is different than the way we see it," Desmond said, "We're playing cleaner games, we're playing better, we're getting better at bats. Right now it's not resulting in wins, but we're taking steps in the right direction, I've been saying it for weeks..." "I think what you guys and what the fans see as a consistent effort or a consistent performance on the field is different than the way we see it." - Ian Desmond to reporters after Tuesday's loss Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo, it seems, would agree with Desmond's assessment. On his weekly radio show on 106.7 the FAN in D.C., the Nats' general manager told hosts Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier this morning that he too sees signs of improvement. "I think you see the solidification of the rotation," Rizzo said. "I think that the starting pitchers have thrown extremely well. They've all given us a chance to win ballgames, including [Dan] Haren's [start Monday] night, he gave up four runs against the Phillies in this park, you're giving your club a chance to win. I think that the rotation has really solidified themselves. I like where the bullpen is at right now. I think our two lefties [Fernando Abad and Ian Krol] are throwing well and the back of our bullpen is throwing well. I feel that's coming along." "We just haven't gotten that big at bat and a big hit and a big rally to get us jumpstarted and get us over the hump." - Mike Rizzo on 106.7 The FAN in D.C. "I think our defense has been much better," Rizzo continued, "We've played much cleaner games in the last couple weeks. So, I think that's improving and we've been getting on base at a pretty good clip the last week, we just haven't driven them in. It was exemplified by those games at Cleveland, we had all those guys on base with less than two outs and couldn't get them in. So, the opportunities have been there. We just haven't gotten that big at bat and a big hit and a big rally to get us jumpstarted and get us over the hump." Could the Nationals get a boost from a returning Bryce Harper? The latest reports earlier this week said that the Nats' 20-year-old outfielder had been cleared to start walking and jogging as he ramps up the activity and begins working his way back. Though they offered no timetables when the team trainer spoke to reporters, Rizzo updated everyone on Harper's status on this morning's show. "I haven't seen him personally," the GM said, "He's improving daily. He'll be doing some baseball activities in the next day or so and then we'll evaluate him on a daily basis and I'm not going to put a time limit on it because I haven't physically seen him in his rehab myself, but all the reports I'm getting back are positive." "I'm talking about [Ryan Zimmerman]. [Jayson] Werth and [Adam] LaRoche. They're not doing the things we know they're capable of, they can lead by example." - Davey Johnson on 106.7 the FAN In D.C.'s The Sports Junkies Nats' skipper Davey Johnson told 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s The Sports Junkies this morning that it's the middle of the Nats' order he wants to see get things going. "I think the big key for us," Johnson said, "is really the middle of our lineup has to start really stepping [forward]. And they're certainly capable. I'm talking about [Ryan Zimmerman]. [Jayson] Werth and [Adam] LaRoche.

By Michael HubermanCSNwashington.comRecord: 3-4Runs per game: 3.42Opponent runs per game: 3.42Batting average: .207Batting average against: .258Team ERA: 4.06HOT:Anthony Rendon, 2B – 10-23/1 HR/2 XBH/3 R/1.176 OPSRendon’s reputation as a hitter was no secret, but his excellent numbers at the plate have to be one of the more encouraging developments for the Nationals this season. In addition to hitting his first career home run, a game-winner Saturday night in Cleveland, Rendon is 17-for-43 (.395) with six doubles and has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games since his return to the majors.Stephen Strasburg, SP – 0-1/5 IP/1 ER/1.80 ERA/4 BB/4 SOIn his first start since being activated off the disabled list, Strasburg showed little rust. In five innings Strasburg gave up only one hit, and though he received the loss, Nationals fans had to breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of their ace dominating, including one stretch when he retired eight straight Indians’ hitters.Read more »

Phillies southpaw Cliff Lee threw eight complete innings of five hit baseball and held the Nationals to just two runs, and the Phillies came away with an easy 4-2 victory over Washington at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Lee’s victory was his ninth of the year against just two losses. “Lee came right after us [...]

CATCHING UP WITH THE HARRISBURG SENATORS Five to watch (in no particular order) 1. RHP Paul Demny -- Coming off Tuesday's start in Bowie in which he allowed one single and zero runs in seven innings, Paul Demny is now 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA for the Senators. This is a guy who the Nationals' bosses promised for a long time was seriously legit. (He was rated the No. 28 prospect by Baseball America coming into this year.) And now we're seeing it on a regular basis. Dating back to his eight no-hit innings in Binghamton on May 9, Demny is 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last seven Double-A starts. (He lost one game in a spot start in Syracuse during that time.) The 23-year-old has 77 strikeouts and 27 walks in 73 innings for Harrisburg. He's a sixth-round pick in 2008 out of Blinn (Texas) JC, and he's now living up to those expectations. "Terrific range in center. Always dangerous on the bases (with a tendency to get picked off that he's working on). Potential power." - Senators beat writer Geoff Morrow on Nats' prospect Brian Goodwin 2. CF Brian Goodwin -- A look at his overall numbers doesn't tell Goodwin's story, as he's hitting .243/.347/.378 this season. But he's one of the Senators' move valuable players because he can win games numerous ways. Terrific range in center. Always dangerous on the bases (with a tendency to get picked off that he's working on). Potential power. The club is tinkering with his approach at the plate to cut back on his strikeouts (team-high 76), but he also leads the club in runs (45), triples (7), stolen bases (13), hit-by-pitches (7) and walks (34). He's still a mega prospect, rated No. 3 by BA. The 22-year-old was a first-round pick (34th overall) in 2011. 3. 1B/LF Jimmy VanOstrand -- Certainly he's beyond prospect status, though he was at one time an Astros prospect, the 28-year-old Canadian was signed out of the independent Atlantic League early last season, and he's been a steady offensive force in the upper levels since. A World Baseball Classic veteran, VanOstrand is hitting .298/.360/.465 for the Senators with 10 doubles, three homers, 16 runs and 16 RBIs and is currently riding a four-game hit streak. Look, his chances of reaching the bigs aren't great, but this is one of those quality guys with a quality bat who does whatever is asked. You root for guys like Jimmy. And when he continues to put up numbers like this, with the big league club struggling offensively, you never know. Washington Nationals' organizational spotlight - Geoff Morrow Photo © Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports 4. RHP Neil Holland -- Unique mind with a unique side-armed delivery, the 24-year-old is on a bit of a roll right now out of the Senators' bullpen. Holland hasn't given up a run over his last six appearances, covering seven innings. In that stretch he's walked three and struck out nine. Overall, the Louisville product (11th round, 2010) is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 games. He's struck out 34 in 25.2 innings. 5. LHP Matt Grace -- Since promotion from High-A Potomac, Grace has been nothing short of outstanding out of the Senators' bullpen. The 24-year-old has yet to allow a run in Double-A. Or a walk. In five games and 7.1 innings, the UCLA product has yielded three hits with six strikeouts. Right-handed hitters are 1-for-14 against him. Lefties 2-for-10. Yes, eventually the eighth-round pick in 2010 will encounter some troubles, but it's impressive anytime a young buck dominates in his first taste of Double-A. Promising. • Some stories to consider: Link: Our Nationals' organizational glance features Ian Krol, Tanner Roark, Cole Leonida and Pedro Severino Link: RHP Taylor Jordan continues his sensational 2013 with a second straight Player of the Week nod Link: For those who venture to Metro Bank Park for games, we evaluate the between-inning entertainment Link: Some recent notes on Goodwin, Holland, plus Aaron Barrett and Josh Johnson Link: My voting for the Eastern League all-sta

When the Nationals told Danny Espinosa he was headed back to the minors, the struggling second baseman didn’t have to search hard for his feelings. “I was [ticked] off,” he said. It didn’t take long, though, for him to embrace … Continue reading →

USA Today Sports ImagesPHILADELPHIA — Jeff Kobernus has always been more interested in scoring on someone else's home run than hitting his own, so the rookie's reaction to the first homer of his big-league career last night perhaps wasn't all that surprising. Especially given the situation in which it occurred.With one out in the eighth inning and the Nationals trailing by three runs, Kobernus stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and walloped a pitch from Cliff Lee into the left-field bleachers at Citizens Bank Park."I was just going up there trying to get on base," Kobernus said. "I'm not a home run hitter, but going up there trying to see some pitches and hopefully get on base. We're down three right there.Read more »