Washington Nationals

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.

The Washington Nationals entered tonight's game against veteran lefty Eric Stults with a National League low .194 AVG against left-handed pitchers. The Nats' .268 OBP was the NL's lowest as well. The .299 SLG was the 15th of 15 as was their .247 BABIP as a team. They got a leadoff walk by Denard Span to get off to a good start in the third game of four with the San Diego Padres this weekend, but a 6-3 DP and swinging K followed in what ended up being a 13-pitch inning Stults, a 33-year-old, seven-year veteran and one-time Dodger, Rockie and White Sock. Luckily for the Nationals, they had Jordan Zimmermann on the mound, who's done to hitters on both sides of the plate what lefites have done to the Nats so far this season. Opponents had a .197/.232/.272 line and a .230 BABIP (5th lowest in the NL) against the Nats' 26-year-old right-hander before tonight, and Zimmermann threw a quick, 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first in Petco Park, collecting two Ks along the way. Stults needed nine pitches to retire the Nationals in order in a quick, 1-2-3 top of the second. The second pitch of the Padres' second was crushed. San Diego slugger Yonder Alonso got hold of a 1-0 fastball up high inside from Jordan Zimmermann and hit what was just the third home run this season off the Nationals' starter to give the Padres a 1-0 lead in Petco Park. Alonso's fifth. Mark Kotsay singled to center in the next at bat, but a flyout to center and a 5-4-3 DP ended the bottom of the inning after just 10 pitches. 20 overall for Zimmermann after two. Danny Espinosa K'd looking to start the third, leaving him 1 for 18 with 10 Ks so far on the Nationals' west coast road trip. Kurt Suzuki walked with one down and then went first-to-third™ on Jordan Zimmermann's sac bunt attempt when Eric Stults' throw to first went through Jedd Gyorko's wickets. #5Hole. Second and third with one down, but a line drive back to the mound bounced off Stolts' leg and right to first base where Yonder Alonso made the play, looked Suzuki back and stepped on the bag before running over to third where Jordan Zimmermann and Suzuki were both caught at the base. A brief, sort-of-rundown ensued that ended with the Nats' catcher being tagged out for an inning-ending 1-3 DP. Everth Cabrera battled for six pitches before singling to center after Jordan Zimmermann had quickly dispatched the first two Padres in the bottom of the third. Will Venable grounded into a force at second in the next at bat, however, and the Nats' right-handed starter was through three on 37 pitches after a 17-pitch frame. The Nationals went down in order in a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 fourth that had Eric Stults at 50 pitches overall after four innings in which he hadn't allowed a hit. Jordan Zimmermann got the first out of the Padres' fourth with one pitch to Chase Headley, who grounded weakly to first. Five groundouts for Zimmermann in 3.1 IP. Yonder Alonso flew to center on a 1-0 change after crushing a fastball the first time up. A groundout to second by Mark Kotsay ended a four-pitch inning that had Zimmermann at 41 overall after four. The Nationals went down in order in an 8-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth that had Eric Stults at 58 pitches overall after five innings in which he hadn't allowed a hit. Danny Espinosa entered the bat-throwing competition and got a nice toss in as he K'd swinging to end the inning and leave himself 1 for 19 with 11 Ks on the road trip. A groundout to third by Jedd Gyorko and a fly to right on a 3-1 fastball by Chris Denorfia had Jordan Zimmermann through 4.2 on 47 pitches. John Baker battled for five pitches before he went down swinging on the Nats' starter's 52nd pitch of the night. Still 1-0 Padres. The Nationals went down in ord... actually Kurt Suzuki singled to start the Nats' sixth. Jordan Zimmermann successfully bunted Suzuki over again this time up, and Yonder Alonso made a successful throw to first this time where Stults had erred. Denard Span flew to center for out no.2, however, and Steve Lombardo

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth, who has already missed 16 days on the disabled list, visited a specialist in Chicago to further diagnose his strained right hamstring, Manager Davey Johnson said. The Nationals long expected Werth to return today, but after … Continue reading →

Nationals left-handed reliever Zach Duke will replace Ross Detwiler on Monday in San Francisco, becoming the first rotation replacement the Nationals needed this season. The Nationals are awaiting results of a third MRI Detwiler underwent this afternoon on the right … Continue reading →

Jordan Zimmermann will try to become the first major league to reach eight wins as the Nationals attempt to win their four-game series against the Padres. Before the game, Ryan Zimmerman shared what looked an amiable conversation with the Petco … Continue reading →

Bryce Harper will miss tonight’s game against the Padres and possibly tomorrow with bruising and swelling in his left knee, one of several lingering effects from his violent collision with the right field wall at Dodger Stadium on Monday in … Continue reading →

And so, Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals lineup for Saturday night's game due to a bruised left knee. Sounds like he'll miss the rest of the weekend in San Diego: Bryce Harper will miss today and likely tomorrow with a bruised left knee. He had an MRI on his abdomen yesterday, which came back clean. — Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 18, 2013 Bryce Harper said his left knee is barking a little, still sore from wall collision. Thinking a day or two. Wants to be ready for SF — Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 18, 2013 Meanwhile, Jayson Werth is off to Chicago to see yet another doctor about his hammy... Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter. Related articles Bryce Harper and Johnny Manziel hug it out at Petco Park Bryce Harper runs into Dodger Stadium wall, leaves game shaken up and bleeding... Video: Davey Johnson on Bryce Harper's crash into Dodger Stadium wall Bryce Harper felt carsick today, but was most upset about having to shave his beard Video: Bryce Harper's new GEICO commercial

Count me among those surprised that as hard as Bryce Harper hit the right field fence in Dodger Stadium earlier this week, he was able to get back into the lineup. According to reports today, there are some lingering effects. Harper's out of the lineup tonight with what reporters on the scene in San Diego say is a sore left knee: Bryce Harper will miss today and likely tomorrow with a bruised left knee. He had an MRI on his abdomen yesterday, which came back clean. — Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 18, 2013 Bryce Harper said his left knee is barking a little, still sore from wall collision. Thinking a day or two. Wants to be ready for SF — Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 18, 2013 Bryce Harper is not playing today becauseof a sore left knee. #Nats #Nationals #MLB — William Ladson (@washingnats) May 18, 2013 It's not all that surprising, considering Nats' GM Mike Rizzo, in an interview earlier this week on 160.7 the FAN in D.C., compared the bruising Harper sustained in the collision as being similar to that which one suffers in a car accident: "He's sore like any kind of accident you get into. It's kind of a little bit like if you get into a car crash or something, get into a fender bender where you just get jostled or an airbag hits you or something like that, you're just sore and that's where he's at right now." "He's sore on the left side of his body, which is the side that took the brunt of the collision, but other than that, once the soreness is gone he'll be able to perform for us." Harper returned to the lineup and went 2 for 9 with a home run in the last three games, but he's not going to be in the lineup tonight. As for other injury updates, here's what the Twittering class had to report tonight: Jayson Werth now gone to Chicago to see another specialist, Davey said. Hammy still tightening when he breaks out of box. Aiming for Fri — Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 18, 2013 Jayson Werth seeing a specialist in Chicago for hamstring, will return Friday at earliest. — Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 18, 2013 Ross Detwiler had a third MRI done today & another specialist will look at it. Then #nats will know extent of injury. — Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 18, 2013 Here's tonight's lineup: Today's lineup at SDP: Span, CF; Lombardozzi, LF; Zimmerman, 3B; LaRoche, 1B; Desmond, SS; Moore, RF; Espinosa, 2B; Suzuki, C; Zimmermann, P — Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) May 18, 2013 Game Time 8:40 pm EST tonight from San Diego

Washington Nationals' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann had a 1-0 lead before he even took the mound last time out. A Ryan Zimmerman RBI single in the top of the first in Los Angeles gave him a lead to work with. The Nats' 26-year-old right-hander left a 2-0 pitch up for Dodgers' left-handed slugger Adrian Gonzalez to line to right for a two-out single in the home-half of the first, but that was the only hit he allowed in his first two innings of work on the mound in Dodger Stadium Tuesday night. A two-run double by Zimmerman and an RBI single by Adam LaRoche made it 4-0 Nationals early in LA, and though Zimmermann had a lead to work with all the way in what ended up a 6-2 win, the start was not without its adversity. "I think when the guy was on third with no outs and he got out of that," Johnson told reporters, "just shows you what kind of pitcher [Jordan Zimmermann] is." - Davey Johnson on Jordan Zimmermann A leadoff single by Nick Punto in third was erased with a double play grounder in the second at bat of a scoreless, 15-pitch inning. Speedy Dodgers' leadoff man Dee Gordon singled to start the fourth, stole second and took third on a throwing error by Zimmermann's catcher, Kurt Suzuki. With a runner on third and no one out, Zimmermann plowed through the middle of the LA lineup, popping up Adrian Gonzalez, striking out Matt Kemp and getting over to cover first on a sharp grounder to LaRoche by Andre Ethier that the Nats' Gold Glove-winning first baseman somehow snagged. A leadoff triple on which Bryce Harper had his run-in with the right field fence put a runner on third to start the second straight inning in the bottom of the fifth, and that one scored for one of the two runs Zimmermann allowed that night. The Nationals' 2007 second round pick pitched around a leadoff double in the sixth and another leadoff single in the seventh. Three of the Dodgers' nine hits on the night came in the eighth, when he gave up another run before he was lifted with his team up 6-2 in what ended up his seventh win of the season once Tyler Clippard finished the eighth and Drew Storen pitched a scoreless ninth. Your browser does not support iframes. Asked if he was impressed with his pitcher's ability to work out of trouble all night after the game, Nationals' manager Davey Johnson pointed back to the threat in the fourth and the way Zimmermann worked around a runner on third with no outs as the perfect example of what the Wisconsin-born starter is all about. "I think when the guy was on third with no outs and he got out of that," Johnson told reporters, "just shows you what kind of pitcher he is." "He pitched a great ballgame," Johnson said afterwards, "Another great ballgame. Probably got a little bit tired there at the end, but heck of a ballgame, you know, he's been outstanding." "I feel like I haven't changed anything all year, or changed anything from last year, and it's just the way the ball is bouncing right now." - Jordan Zimmermann on early season success Through eight starts this season, Zimmermann is (7-1) after the win in Los Angeles, with a 1.69 ERA, 2.64 FIP, nine walks (4.0 BB%) and 39 Ks (17.3 K%) over 58.2 IP so far in 2013. While the Nats' right-hander has garnered more and more attention from the national baseball press over the last few seasons, after the win in LA, he said that he really isn't pitching differently than he has in the past and though he may appear more sure of his ability to get major league hitters out, confidence has never been a problem for the pitcher. "I've always been confident," Jordan Zimmermann told reporters after the start against the Dodgers, "And I feel like I haven't changed anything all year, or changed anything from last year, and it's just the way the ball is bouncing right now. 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." The results of his approach so far in 2013? A 49.4% ground ball per

Photo by USA TodayThough it took extra innings last night, the Nationals beat the Padres for their second straight win and will now look for three in a row with Jordan Zimmermann on the mound. The Nats' right-hander leads the majors in wins with seven and will look for his eighth against a club he has had success against in the past. Zimmermann has started three games against San Diego, holding a 1.42 ERA across 19 innings pitched. He has taken the mound twice at Petco Park, going 1-0 with a 0.69 mark.Pitching for the Padres will be 33-year-old lefthander Eric Stults. Stults split time with the White Sox and Padres last year and posted a 2.91 ERA through 99 innings. This year, however, he has struggled with a 4.57 mark in eight starts.Stults will be making his first career start against the Nationals. The only two Nats that have faced him in their career are Dan Haren and Adam LaRoche. LaRoche is in the lineup tonight and is 0-for-2 against the lefty in two plate appearances.One standout of the Nats' lineup is the absence of Bryce Harper, I will try and update this as more information comes out.Enjoy the game...WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN DIEGO PADRESWhere: Petco ParkGametime: 8:40 p.m. EDTTV: MASN, WUSA 9, MLB.tvRadio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 188Weather: Partly cloudy, 64 degrees, Wind 7 mph LF to RFNATIONALS (23-19)CF Denard SpanLF Steve Lombardozzi3B Ryan Zimmerman1B Adam LaRocheRead more »