Washington Nationals

SAN DIEGO — Everth Cabrera was looking for a fastball. Jordan Zimmermann threw him a cutter. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Washington Nationals News

"He pitched an unbelievable game and swung the bat better than most of the guys in the lineup. It’s a waste we couldn’t pull this one out. That’s a tough loss." (Davey Johnson on Jordan Zimmermann, 5/19/2013) "I just made two mistakes." (Jordan Zimmermann, via Washington Times, 5/19/2013) Padres 2, Nationals 1: Wasted effort. 85-pitch complete game loss for Jordan Zimmermann. Unfortunately, he had to be perfect, but a HR, throwing error too much to overcome. Steve Lombardoza caught stealing twice. Davey, why'd you send him in the 9th with no outs and Zim at the plate with a 3-2 count? "I got my best up there, 3-2 count. I’m expecting us to put it in play. I’d do it every time." (Davey Johnson on decision to send Lombo with Zim at the plate, 3-2 count, 5/19/2013) The sun rises, the sun sets, and Danny Espinosa goes 0-3 with 2 strikeouts. (Screencap of dejected J-Zimm via MASN/TV) Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Won't waste my time watching this one... I will just be frustrated and throw things at my TV... It's Duke pitching and Espinosa at second... A sure combination for a loss...at least it will be to the Giants, my second favorite team. Duke shouldn't even be on a major league roster and Danny, poor Danny, just right out sucks. The only issue with Danny is which of his four game at bats will result in his two strikeouts or which will result in a weak liner for an infield out. My question is how can two wise baseball men like Mike and Davey tolerate ESPINOSAs poor performance before getting a replacement and jettisoning him AND how can they even think Duke should be on the roster let alone start vs the Giants? While the Nats are my team, I admire the Guants because they hold their players accountable for performance, which Rizzo and Johnson clearly do not! And hate to say it, but that is the reason the Giants will SERIOUSLY contend this year and the Nats won't. Won't waste my time watching this one... I will just be frustrated and throw things at my TV... It's Duke pitching and Espinosa at second... A sure combination for a loss...at least it will be to the Giants, my second favorite team. Duke shouldn't even be on a major league roster and Danny, poor Danny, just right out sucks. The only issue with Danny is which of his four game at bats will result in his two strikeouts or which will result in a weak liner for an infield out. My question is how can two wise baseball men like Mike and Davey tolerate ESPINOSAs poor performance before getting a replacement and jettisoning him AND how can they even think Duke should be on the roster let alone start vs the Giants? While the Nats are my team, I admire the Guants because they hold their players accountable for performance, which Rizzo and Johnson clearly do not! And hate to say it, but that is the reason the Giants will SERIOUSLY contend this year and the Nats won't.

Photo by USA TodayOver the last few years since my grandmother passed away, my parents have been slowly going through her belongings, items and boxes that scattered across a large basement at her house in Laurel, Md. Among the discoveries they have made is the fact my great grandfather - on my Dad's side - was the batboy for the Washington Senators sometime in the early 20th century. We don't know the exact years, but he was around evidently when Walter Johnson was active as a player. In searching through the boxes, my parents made quite the find: a pamphlet autographed by 'The Big Train' himself, signed at his 50th Birthday Testimonial Dinner at the Mayflower Hotel. The event was held on Nov. 6, 1937, just two years after he retired as manager of the Cleveland Indians.Inside the program is plenty of interesting stuff, especially considering the time period. For example, the advertisements themselves are rather unique. It doesn't seem like many of the companies are still in business and their slogans are appropriate only for back then. My favorite would have to be Burnstine's pawn shop that says: 'You can hock anything here but your wife.' A car ad bragging their vehicle can hit 35 miles per hour is also pretty funny.There is also a story called 'Life is Just a Game of Innings' that recalls Johnson's career in nine installments, adapted to reflect the game of baseball. It also serves as the night's dinner menu, I believe, as abstract as that sounds. I have pictures of each page below for you all to see.Read more »

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers Syracuse Won, 6-4 @ Toledo, 2:00 p.m. Ohlendorf (3-4, 4.96) vs. J. Alvarez (3-2, 1.69) Harrisburg Won, 6-4 @ Reading, 1:35 p.m. Treinen (3-4, 5.04) vs. Wright (0-1, 9.00) Potomac Lost, 4-3 (10 inn.) @ Winston-Salem, 2:00 p.m. Gilliam (0-0, 2.25) vs. Jaye (1-0, 3.00) Hagerstown Lost, 5-0 @ Kannapolis, 5:05 p.m. Anderson (3-1, 2.43) vs. Olacio (1-5, 6.75) Syracuse 6 Toledo 4 • Rosenbaum 7IP, 5H, R, ER, 5BB, 6K • Davis (SV, 5) 1IP, 2H, 0R, BB, K • Kobernus 3-5, R, 2-2B, RBI • Owings 2-5, 2-2B • Rahl 2-6, R, 2B, 2RBI The Chiefs batters roasted the Mud Hens pitchers for 15 hits as they scored five runs early and held off a late Toledo charge for a 6-4 win. Danny Rosenbaum rebounded again from a poor outing with seven innings of one-run ball, though he did walk five and allow five hits with six strikeouts. Jeff Kobernus singled and doubled twice to lead the offensive outburst. Erik Davis loaded the bases in the 9th with two singles and a walk but induced a popup to end it and earn his fifth save. Roster move: RHP Jeremy Accardo activated from the 7-Day DL. Harrisburg 6 Reading 4 • Jordan (W, 1-0) 6IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 9K • Herron ⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 2K • Barrett (SV, 7) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K • Hague 3-3, 2R, 2B, HR, 3RBI • Rendon 2-4, R, 3B, HR, BB, 3RBI Taylor Jordan threw six scoreless innings with just one hit and one walk allowed while setting down nine on strikes for his first AA win, as Harrisburg held off a late surge from Reading for a 6-4 win. Ricky Hague and Anthony Rendon both homered and drove in three runs to power the Senators attack. Tyler Herron’s return to AA after a four-year absence was one to forget with three runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Aaron Barrett locked it down 1-2-3 in the 9th for his seventh save. Winston-Salem 4 Potomac 3 (10 inn.) • Ray 6⅓ IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 9K • Grace (BS, 4) 2⅔ IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K, 2-1 IR-S • Mirowski (L, 3-3) ⅔ 2H, R, ER, 0BB, 0K • Nieto 3-4, 2R • Difo 2-4, BB, RBI, CS Robbie Ray flirted with a no-hitter into the 7th, but couldn’t finish the inning. For the second night in a row, the Potomac ‘pen blew the lead, allowing Winston-Salem to tie it in the 9th and win it in the 10th. Ray struck out nine and walked three and finished with six and 1/3rd innings pitched, with two runs charged on two hits. Adrian Nieto and Wilmer Difo combined for five hits; Justin Miller had the sixth and the only extra-base knock. Roster move: UT Francisco Soriano reassigned from Syracuse. Kannapolis 5 Hagerstown 0 • Encarnacion (L, 3-3) 3IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, BB, K • Rauh 4IP, 2H, R, ER, 2BB, 5K • Norfork 1-3, 2B, BB • Ramos 1-3, BB Kannapolis scored in each of the first four innings while three pitchers combined to shut out Hagerstown, 4-0. The Intimidators moundsmen issued seven walks, but with just four hits, the Suns couldn’t cash any of them in. Pedro Encarnacion took the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk with just one strikeout. Khayyan Norfork and “Help Me” Wander Ramos both went 1-for-3 with a walk as the Hagerstown offense stranded nine and went 0-for-8 with RISP.

A scouting report on the Washington Nationals heading into Saturday night's game against the San Diego Padres and veteran left-hander Eric Stults would surely have noted the defending NL East Champs' .194/.268/.299 line vs LHP, which had them dead last in the National League in each of the three team stats. The Nats' offense produced like one that struggles against left-handed pitching, getting no-hit through five before Kurt Suzuki singled to center in the first at bat of the Nationals' sixth. Washington managed just four hits and one run against San Diego on Saturday night, and they lost 2-1 in spite of a strong start on the part of right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, who surrendered seven hits and two runs, one earned, in eight innings pitched over which he threw just 85 pitches, 60 of them strikes. Stults threw 89 pitches, 62 of them for strikes over eight innings. Zimmermann induced nine ground balls outs and struck out six of the 30 batters he faced. Stults struck out five and got 11 groundouts from the 28 Nats' batters he plowed through. The Padres' manager was impressed with Zimmermann's work on the mound in Petco Park. "I thought today, more than what we've seen just in video in [Zimmermann's] past games, the use of the changeup came into play." - Bud Black on Jordan Zimmermann vs the Padres "He was efficient," Bud Black said, "both pitchers were really efficient. You look at the ball-to-strike ratio [for] both guys. Zimmermann was outstanding in that regard, so was 'Stultsy'. I thought today, more than what we've seen just in video in [Zimmermann's] past games, the use of the changeup came into play. He's got a nice, tight slider, no doubt about it, but I thought the use of the changeup, especially early in the count to our guys, was something that we didn't project going into this game and he used it to his advantage." Zimmermann told reporters it was an adjustment he made in-game in reaction to the Padres trying to jump on his fastball early in the count. "I'm going to throw strikes and get ahead," Zimmerman said, "and I noticed the first couple innings they were bouncing on my first pitch fastball, so I mixed up some offspeed and got them to roll over and I think I had like a five or six-pitch inning mixed in there so that's going to help the pitch count." "He pitched very well," Black continued, "You know, this guy's a bulldog. You look at his internal numbers, [they] are outstanding. Look at his record, his ERA, this guy has come into his own after his Tommy John surgery. He's a guy, there's no doubt about it, he's one of the best pitchers in the Nationals League. And to beat him in a low-scoring, tight game. Kudos to our guys." Your browser does not support iframes. "We're not hitting very smart," Johnson said, "I mean, we're swinging at his changeups around the knees or in the dirt. We're not making him throw the ball over -- you know, it's a sign of some inexperienced hitters at times - Davey Johnson on Nats' offense vs Stults Nats' skipper Davey Johnson was impressed with both starters, but bothered by the fact that his hitters didn't take advantage of what the scouting reports told them about Stults. "We're not hitting very smart," Johnson said bluntly, "I mean, we're swinging at his changeups around the knees or in the dirt. We're not making him throw the ball over -- you know, it's a sign of some inexperienced hitters at times. And you've got to be more patient than that against a guy like this. And that's... we're still growing. We're still growing as an offense. And some young guys just need to be a little more patient. Don't try to hit a pitcher's pitch. And that's been some of the problems all year offensively." "[Stults] didn't have a very good fastball," Johnson said, "But you don't look for the junk because he's going to throw the junk out of the zone and have you chasing it. Make him throw it over, make him get it up, and we, all night long we're swinging at... we'll learn

"I feel like I haven't changed anything all year, or changed anything from last year," then-(7-1), 26-year-old Washington Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmermann told reporters after the Nats' 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers this past Tuesday night in Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. Zimmermann was asked what was different this time around that could account for his early-season success. "It's just the way the ball is bouncing right now," Zimmermann said, "And I'm pitching to contact, throwing strikes and I feel if I keep that up I'm going to have a lot more quality starts." If there was one difference, Zimmermann said it was the offense the Nationals had generated in his starts. "It's just, getting a lot more run support this year," the right-hander said, "which is always good." So, of course, Zimmerman threw eight innings on 85 pitches Saturday night in San Diego, and lost 2-1 to the Padres on a pick attempt gone wrong that moved the eventual winning run into scoring position after he and his teammates managed just four hits and one run off left-hander Eric Stults over eight innings in the second-longest start of the Padres' 33-year-old, seven-year veteran's major league career. "It's baseball," Zimmermann said after the one-run loss in the third game of four with the Padres. "We're not going to hit every night and tonight was one of those nights. Their guy threw great and we just couldn't quite get to him." "We're not going to hit every night and tonight was one of those nights. Their guy threw great and we just couldn't quite get to him." - Jordan Zimmermann on 2-1 loss to Padres The Padres scored the second of the two runs they needed to beat the Nationals in the bottom of the eighth when Alexi Amarista botched a sac bunt attempt, but reached first safely, took second on Zimmermann's errant throw by first on the aforementioned pick attempt and scored on a line drive single to center by Everth Cabrera. The other run of the two the Padres scored came in the bottom of the second when 26-year-old San Diego slugger Yonder Alonso hit his fifth home run of the year and just the third Zimmermann's surrendered in 66.2 IP this season into the Petco Porch in right field. "I just made two mistakes," Zimmermann told reporters after the loss, using a variation of the cliche which was actually true in this case. "The home run to Alonso, it was a good pitch. It was up. You can't really complain about that. But the throwing error by me, down the line is what cost us." - Jordan Zimmermann on "two mistakes" he made in loss "The home run to Alonso, it was a good pitch. It was up. You can't really complain about that. But the throwing error by me, down the line is what cost us. I mean, if I don't make that, we're still out there playing." The Nationals' starter said he just pulled the throw to first as he attempted to check the runner and it got by the Gold Glove of Adam LaRoche and into foul territory. When he was throwing the ball toward home, Zimmermann was at the top of his game again tonight. He finished eight innings on 85 pitches, induced nine ground ball outs and struck out six of the 30 batters he faced, retiring ten in a row at one point. The Padres' hitters were aggressive all night, which Zimmermann liked. "That's perfect for me," the pitch-to-contact advocate said, "I'm going to throw strikes and get ahead and I noticed the first couple innings they were bouncing on my first pitch fastball, so I mixed up some offspeed and got them to roll over and I think I had like a five or six-pitch inning mixed in there so that's going to help the pitch count." Zimmermann was being modest, or just honestly didn't know, but he actually had a four-pitch inning in the fourth, and was at 41 pitches after four in Petco Park. He followed that up with an eleven-pitch fifth, an eight-pitch sixth, thirteen-pitch seventh and twelve-pitch eighth that had him up to 85 after eight. Did he think Davey Johnson would have sent

With his three-run home run off Burch Smith in San Diego on Friday night, Adam LaRoche extended his career-long hitting streak to 14 games. Another blast a couple innings later confirmed what had been apparent for a week: LaRoche was back to the form that won him a Silver Slugger award in 2012. LaRoche was awful over the first month of the season, posting a .176/.208/.257 line. He was basically hitting like Dee Gordon in a slump. Forget hitting his own weight, he barely slugged his own weight. His numbers in April were actually worse than they were 2011, when he was playing with one shoulder. But after the rough start, LaRoche has bounced back in May, hitting a robust .365/.443/.635 to go along with four long balls. His .452 wOBA in May ranks fifth in the NL--a substantial turnaround after ranking second from the bottom in April. Let's take a look inside the numbers to see how he turned things around. When looking at the 33-year-old's numbers, the thing that immediately jumps out is the difference between his plate discipline stats in April and May. LaRoche is making more contact in and out of the zone. He's also swinging more often despite the percentage of pitches he's seen in the strike zone dropping from 46.3 in April to 40.5 in May. But he's not just hacking at everything; he's swinging at pitches out of the zone at about the same rate he did during April and swinging more often at pitches in the zone. His discipline profile in May is nearly identical to his numbers in 2012, suggesting LaRoche is starting to get more comfortable in the batter's box. His improved approach at the plate has translated into improved walk and strikeout numbers. After posting a 32.6 percent strikeout rate and 9 percent walk rate in April, LaRoche struck out in only 26 percent of his plate appearances while walking in 13 percent of them. In April, LaRoche was taking a lot of hittable pitches but chasing poor ones. Over the first half of May, he's improved in that regard. In the chart below (h/t to Texas Leaguers), you can see how many pitches LaRoche took in April that caught the heart of the plate (Left) compared to his takes during his hitting streak (Right). (Click to enlarge) LaRoche's improved batting eye has led to more favorable hitting counts as well. In April, about 15 percent of the pitches LaRoche saw came in counts in which he was ahead. In May, that number has spiked to 30 percent. Over his career, LaRoche has hit .320/.481/.590 when he's ahead in the count, a situation he's been seeing more often lately. It's also helped that he's seeing less first-pitch strikes--which has a low year-to-year correlation meaning that batters who see a disproportionately high number of first-pitch strikes are unlucky. LaRoche fell behind 0-1 over 66 percent of his at-bats over the first month of the season. During May, that number has dropped to 54 percent, thus helping him to get ahead of pitchers more often. In 2-1 and 3-1 counts, LaRoche doesn't have to worry about breaking balls and off-speed stuff, letting him focus on timing fastballs. He's whiffed on just 1.1 percent of the four-seam fastballs he's seen in May after missing on 11.4 percent of them in April, according to TexasLeaguers.com. Take a look at how much more comfortable he is in this .GIF of his first home run on Friday night compared to his swing-and-miss on a Shelby Miller heaterback in April. There's a lot less wasted motion in the first one and notice how he turns over on his front ankle and loses his balance in the second one. Also, compare two screen shots taken right before the ball crosses home plate in those at-bats. I'm not a hitting coach, but you can see in the home run picture that his top half and bottom half are working together while his hand stay inside the baseball. In the other picture, his bottom half has opened up while his top half remains closed as he flails at the ball. To go along with a smoother swing, luck has finally landed on

Via Fangraphs (click to embiggen) Another wasted CG: Jordan Zimmermann (-1.0% pitching, +10.3% hitting) goes 8 IP, fanning 6 and walking none, giving up a single ER. Too bad the losing unearned run got in scoring position from his errant pickoff throw. He also singled and reached on error on a sac bunt. Hero/not-hero: Steve Lombardozzi (+2.0%) drives in the tying run in the 6th (+16.5%), as well as GDPing to squelch a first-inning rally (-7.2%), and gets caught stealing twice, including the back end of a strike 'em out, throw 'em out in the 9th (-12.6%). Streaking: Adam LaRoche (+4.6%) is 1-3 with a walk. Kurt Suzuki (+6.0%) is 1-2 with a walk. More unhelpful people: Denard Span (-23.2%) hits into a fluky circus-baserunning DP after bouncing a line-drive off the pitcher to defuse a runners 2nd/3rd scoring chance in the 3rd (-16.5%). Ryan Zimmerman (-16.9%) is 0-3 with the front of the 9th-inning K+CS DP (-10.3%). Ian Desmond (-16.6%) is 0-4. Not the worst today! Danny Espinosa (-8.3%) is 0-3 with 2 Ks.

Jordan Zimmermann and losses are two things that haven't been paired together too often this year. But on a night when the Nationals right-hander lowered his already-stellar ERA from 1.69 to 1.62, he absorbed just his second loss of the season, snapping a personal four-game winning streak with a 2-1 defeat against the Padres. Zimmermann (7-2) pitched his major league-best third complete game of the year, but was burned by his own error - a pickoff throw that got past first and put speedster Alexi Amarista on second in the eighth. Amarista came around to score on a single that same at-bat. But even with that, you can't fault Zimmermann for this one. He held the Padres to one earned run on seven hits. He fanned six and walked none. Zimmermann has now permitted just four earned runs in 39 2/3 innings over his last five starts for a 0.91 ERA. Even though the result wasn't the same, the quality of Zimmermann's pitching was. He has now pitched at least into the eighth in four of his last five starts. The Nats only provided minimal support, however, managing just four hits, all off Padres starter Eric Stults, who matched Zimmermann with eight strong innings. Stults gave up one run, walked two and fanned five.