A quick heads up -- with The Washington Times' new website launch, the URL for our sports blogs are going to change. Instead of video1.washingtontimes.com/chatter, you can reach Chatter at www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/chatter.
We're still working out the kinks but the updates should be steady starting tomorrow.
Hi everyone. You may have noticed that The Washington Times has a spiffy, new-look website. The site just went live today, and I think you'll be impressed with the new presentation, content and ability to interact with writers and other readers.
There are still a few kinks to work out, and there may be a few hiccups along the way, so thanks in advance for bearing with us while we sort this all out.
The address for the new Nationals home page is www.washingtontimes.com/sports/baseball/ and the direct link to the Chatter blog is www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/chatter/. Please make sure to bookmark both addresses, because that's where all future postings will be found.
You've probably heard by now that Paul Lo Duca, in his one-game color commentary stint on MASN, said that Ryan Zimmerman has a "little nerve issue" in his left shoulder, saying it's nothing serious and comparing it to the feeling you'd get if you slept on it wrong.
It wasn't a secret Zimmerman had hurt his left shoulder -- he slid headfirst into second last Sunday in Baltimore and had the shoulder wrapped up in the clubhouse this week -- but Lo Duca brought it up after the third baseman took an awkward swing in the eighth inning on Saturday night.
Anyway, manager Manny Acta wasn't concerned by the comments. "That’s his prerogative. I can’t tell Paul what to do," Acta said. "I had no idea what’s going on. I’m not listening to that game upstairs. I have no time for that."
Lo Duca bristled at the notion that the Nationals might be upset by his comments.
"Why? What'd I say on the air, because he slept on it wrong? Come on," he said, before ending an interview with reporters when it was suggested that the general rule is one player shouldn't talk about another player's injuries. "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill," he said as he walked off.
So there you have it. Different ways of handling the question, but from Acta and Lo Duca's comments, there doesn't seem to be much of a flap about what he said.
For his part, Zimmerman said he'd prefer if no one had found out about the injury, "because then I wouldn't have to answer all the questions," he said. "But it's all right."
He'll take his second day of the year off on Monday to rest the shoulder; Acta said he probably would have taken one anyway, with back-to-back day games.
Not much to this one — John Lannan wasn't as good as he was last Sunday in Baltimore, giving up three runs in five innings while lacking the hair-splitting command he had against the Orioles. He made a few mistakes — a homer against Corey Hart and a balk in the fifth inning chief among them — but the Nationals' offense didn't help matters.
"That's why the balk and that mistake [against Hart] comes up," manager Manny Acta said. "The way we're swinging the bat, it puts a little bit of pressure on these guys. You've got to try to shut down the opposition to as low a score as you can."
Little bit of a weird scene after the game — Ryan Zimmerman was answering questions about whether he had sustained nerve damage in his left shoulder when he slid into second after a double last Sunday against the Orioles. But the third baseman said his shoulder is fine, just a little sore.
"They checked it out and said nothing's wrong with it." Zimmerman said. "If it was hurt too much, I wouldn't play, because I don't want to do that to the team."
We're back here tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. for the third of four games in this weekend "wraparound" series. Tim Redding faces Manny Parra.
The official press release is out. The Nationals have indeed purchased the contracts of outfielder Ryan Langerhans, right-hander Brian Sanches and left-hander Charlie Manning, optioned lefty Matt Chico and righty Chris Schroder to Columbus and transferred Ryan Wagner from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.
What does it all mean? Well, we'll see what Manny Acta and Jim Bowden have to say soon, but the hunch here is that Langerhans (who was hitting .306 with 10 doubles, three homers and 24 RBI at Columbus) will be a backup outfielder here. Which means Elijah (.067) Dukes probably will get the bulk of the starts in right field, with some occassional help from Rob Mackowiak, and Wily Mo Pena will continue to start in left field, with some help from Willie Harris.
Pitching-wise, Manning (1.96 ERA, six saves at Columbus) gives the Nats a legitimate left-hander in the bullpen. Chico was a starter masquerading as a reliever, so he'll go back to the minors and get to actually work on things as a starter. Sanches (0.98 ERA, seven saves at Columbus) wouldn't seem to give much of a different look than Schroder, who pitched fine up here until he blew up during that awful sixth inning Wednesday night against the Phillies. But the guy was pitching so well in the minors that he obviously deserved a shot. Schroder, unfortunately, heads back down for the third time this season.
This hasn't been announced yet by the Nationals, but it's already up on the Columbus Clippers' website and should become official later this afternoon. The Nats have ...
-- Purchased the contracts of OF Ryan Langerhans, RHP Brian Sanches and LHP Charlie Manning.
-- Optioned LHP Matt Chico and RHP Chris Schroder to Columbus.
Another move will be required to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, most likely an injured player being transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL (such as reliever Ryan Wagner).
Can you say "Jim Bowden shake-up special"?
More when we have it...
Austin Kearns will undergo surgery tomorrow in Cincinnati to have loose bodies removed from his right elbow. He'll go on the 15-day DL and miss three to four weeks, according to the Nationals.
Kearns had probably been playing with the problem for a while, though he didn't really notice it or bring it up to the club until last Saturday, when he felt something swinging during batting practice. He played that night against the Orioles but hasn't appeared in a game since and hasn't shown any signs of progress. An MRI revealed some loose fragments in the elbow, which can be removed in a fairly minor surgical procedure, to be performed tomorrow by Reds team doctor Tim Kremchek.
The Nationals say they will make a corresponding roster move in time for tomorrow night's game against the Brewers. The logical choice would be outfielder Ryan Langerhans, who is currently hitting .312 with three homers and 24 RBI for Columbus. But Langerhans is what he is: a 28-year-old fourth or fifth outfielder who isn't going to suddenly become an everyday staple for the Nats.
It would be interesting if the organization instead considers Justin Maxwell, the 24-year-old prospect who debuted in the majors last fall and has the tools to become a big-time contributor. The University of Maryland product is hitting only .246 at Class AA Harrisburg, but he's got seven homers, 26 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a .386 OBP that suggests he's becoming a more patient hitter. Maxwell might still not be big-league ready, but the way Elijah Dukes and Wily Mo Pena are playing right now, couldn't you say the same about them?
Nationals president Stan Kasten has spoken in the past about his efforts to connect to the embassy community in Washington, to lay the foundation for the team's presence internationally.
Last night a group of ambassadors from the East Asian and Pacific regions got a tour of the new ballpark and took in a game.
After the 12-2 defeat by the Phillies, they might be sending wires back home for aid for the Nationals.
The group included Chris Hill, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department. Hill, who apparently is involved in the talks with North Korea about nuclear weapons, had pretty good material.
Don Fehr, executive director of the players association, was on hand, and Hill suggested Fehr might come in handy in talks with the North Koreans.
"It's just plutonium, a few missiles, highly enriched uranium ... but we're not sure if they even have them," Hill joked.
Funny stuff.
Kasten followed, and the Nationals president, who has sat across Fehr at the bargaining table in numerous labor negotiations, followed up by jokingly saying, "I fully endorse Don spending as much time in North Korea as possible."
The session, though, was about lobbying the ambassadors for the return of baseball to the Olympics. While baseball will be part of the upcoming games in Beijing, it is out of the Olympics after that, and supporters are petitioning for its return in 2016.
Harvey Schiller, former president of TBS Sports and currently the president of the International Baseball Federation, told the ambassadors, "Everybody in here has a National Olympic Committee. We need your help."
Fehr also spoke of the committment to get baseball back into the games and gave a positive review on his first visit to Nationals Park: "It's a wonderful facility."
Also on hand for the union were three former major leaguers who mingled with the dignitaries -- former Orioles Bobby Bonilla and B.J. Surhoff and a interesting figure in the history of this franchise.
Steve Rogers was the ace of the Montreal Expos in the glory days of the franchise, posting a 158-152 record from 1973 to 1985. He was among the group entertaining the ambassadors.
We talked with general manager Jim Bowden this afternoon, and he's not ready to blame Lenny Harris for the Nationals' continued struggles on offense.
The Nationals have the second-worst team batting average in the majors, but Bowden cast a vote of confidence that Harris can turn it around.
"He's being a part of (the solution) right now," Bowden said. "We might not have the results yet, but we're making progress with them. They look better. You haven't seen it in the game yet, but we're seeing it outside of the game. It's coming. You may see it by the end of the weekend, that's how quick it's coming."
Harris, who became the team's hitting coach in the middle of last season, has come under some scrutiny for a hands-off approach that typically relies on suggesting minor adjustments. But Bowden said the problem doesn't fall on "any one person."
The two go back a long ways, which shouldn't be discounted. Bowden, however, seems to be basing some of his evaluation on the fact that Harris is working with a lot of unrefined hitters. He mentioned Wily Mo Pena and Elijah Dukes as players who are going through "growing pains" in the majors right now.
Those struggles are playing themselves out tonight. The Nationals are down 12-2 in the eighth inning. Enough poor pitching to go around, from Matt Chico to Jesus Colome to Chris Schroder, but it's also troubling that Washington has 11 hits and could only score two. The Nationals were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position through the first six innings (the one hit moved Jesus Flores from second to third with none out in the fourth, before he was stranded there).
They got the leadoff runner on base in the second, third and fourth innings, also getting runners in scoring position with no outs in each of those innings. No runs came out of that, even when a long fly ball would have scored one in the second or the fourth. You're not going to win games that way.
Straight from the laptop of Bill Gluvna, the Nationals' coordinator of baseball media relations, here is the organization's weekly minor-league report, which we present uncut, unfiltered and unabridged for your reading pleasure...
THIS WEEK'S TOP HEADLINE
P-NATS PITCHING IN: Entering today's action, the Potomac Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League own the 7th-best ERA (2.92) in minor league baseball...Potomac relievers have a 2.68 ERA (49 ER/164.1 IP) while the starters have allowed 70 earned runs in 203.0 IP (3.10 ERA)...the P-Nats lead Washington affiliates in wins (27), ERA, and shutouts (5).
Triple-A Columbus Clippers
International League West Division
25-22, 3rd Place, 5.0 Games Back
MASTER DE CASTER: INF Yurendell de Caster is 20-for-66 (.303) with 14 runs scored, 4 home runs, 13 RBI and a .413 on-base percentage in 20 May games...de Caster, who signed as a minor league free agent in the off-season, is batting .296 (32-for-108) with 4 homers and 21 RBI in 31 games since being promoted from Double-A Harrisburg April 19...overall, he is hitting a combined .305 with 8 homers, 37 RBI and a .403 OBP in 46 games with Harrisburg and Columbus.
MOCK TRIAL: RHP Garret Mock owns a 3.00 ERA (8 ER/24.0 IP) in 4 starting assignments in May...he has struck out 16 and walked just one in that span...the 25-year-old is 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA and a 3.6 SO/BB ratio (33 K's, 9 walks) in 8 starts...he is scheduled to make his next start Friday vs. Buffalo (Indians)...Mock was acquired from ARI with LHP Matt Chico in exchange for RHP Livan Hernandez, August 7, 2006.
Double-A Harrisburg Senators
Eastern League Southern Division
26-15, T-First Place, 0.0 Games Ahead
CORY IN ALL HIS GLORY: LHP Cory VanAllen is a combined 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 8 games (7 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac...among minor league starters, the Baylor University product ranks 3rd with a .161 (23-for-143) batting average against and 7th in ERA...he is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA (4 ER/ 18.2 IP) through his first 3 career starts at the Double-A level... VanAllen, who was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 First-Year-Player Draft, is scheduled to make his next start Friday at Connecticut (Giants).
ZIMMERMANN WITH TWO N's AT THE END: RHP Jordan Zimmermann earned his first Double-A victory Sunday at Erie (Tigers), holding the SeaWolves to 3 earned runs in 6.2 innings, fanning 8 and walking just one batter...in a combined 7 appearances (6 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac, he is 4-2 and is 2nd among Washington minor leaguers with 43 strikeouts (47, Tyler Clippard) and a 2.04 ERA (1.17, Cory VanAllen)...Zimmermann, selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, has a 3.1/1 SO/BB ratio through 20 games (17 starts) as a professional, fanning 114 against just 30 walks.
OFILIO THE BURN: After going just 5-for-31 (.161) in April, INF Ofilio Castro is batting .438 (21-for-48) in 16 May contests...Castro, 24, is hitting .329 (26-for-79) since being promoted from Potomac April 19.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Despite missing a week after suffering a concussion, catcher Luke Montz leads the Senators in all 3 triple-crown categories: .330 (29-for-88), 8 home runs, 33 RBI...he has a team-best .659 slugging percentage in 26 games, and his RBI total is good for 4th in the Eastern League...the 24-year-old ranks among Nats farmhands with 8 HR (t-2nd) and 33 RBI (3rd)...selected by the Expos/Nationals in the 17th round of the 2003 Draft, Montz has 67 career homers and 278 RBI in 452 games as a pro.
Single-A Potomac Nationals
Carolina League Northern Division
27-15, First Place, 2.0 Games Ahead
HUGO ROSS: LHP Ross Detwiler allowed just one hit and struck out 9 in 4.0 scoreless innings last night at Wilmington (Royals)...Detwiler, Washington's top pick (6th overall) in the 2007 draft, is 2-1 with a 3.54 ERA (8 ER/20.1 IP) with 24 strikeouts in 4 starts this month...overall, the 22-year-old, who became the first player from the 2007 First-Year Player Draft to reach the big leagues, is 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA in 9 starts.
DON'T DISS CHRIS: OF Chris Marrero is hitting .286 (18-for-63) with 12 runs, 4 home runs and 11 RBI in 17 May games...after committing 6 errors in April, he has played error-free ball this month...Marrero, Washington's 2006 first round pick (15th overall), leads the club with 19 walks and has hit 6 home runs and 19 RBI in 40 games.
NOVOA'S ARK: LHP Yunior Novoa is 2-0 with 2 saves and has tossed 12.0 consecutive scoreless innings spanning his last 7 appearances...he has 16 strikeouts and has not issued a walk in that stretch...Novoa, 23, is 2-0 with 3 saves and a 1.17 ERA in 11 games overall...he owns an 11.5 SO/BB ratio (23 K's and 2 walks), and is limiting opponents to a .177 BAA (14-for-79).
Single-A Hagerstown Suns
South Atlantic League Northern Division
23-22, 5th Place, 6.0 Games Back
IT'S A THRILL TO WATCH BILL: INF Bill Rhinehart leads the South Atlantic League and is tied for 2nd in minor league baseball with 43 RBI...he ranks among the South Atlantic League leaders in doubles (t-1st, 15), total bases (2nd, 92), slugging (3rd, .536), hits (4th, 54) and batting average (7th, .325)...the 11th round pick in last June's draft is hitting .481 (25-for-52) with 7 doubles, 3 homers and 38 RBI with RISP...the University of Arizona product was a 2007 New York-Penn League mid-season All Star.
BURGESS KING: OF Michael Burgess paces the SAL and Washington farmhands with 11 home runs...the 19-year-old has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games, going 13-for-38 (.342) with 7 extra-base hits (4 doubles and 3 home runs) and 5 RBI...Burgess entered the season as the No. 4 prospect and 2nd-best hitting prospect (behind only Chris Marrero) in the Washington chain according to Baseball America.
MR. BOOMBASTIC: OF Boomer Whiting is batting .364 with 18 runs scored, 11 RBI, 9 steals and a .485 OBP in his first 14 games, after beginning the season at extended spring training in Viera, FL...he is 10-for-24 (.416) with 5 RBI and 5 stolen bases in his last 5 games...Whiting, who led the New York-Penn League with 37 stolen bases last season, was selected in the 28th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville.
Join Mark Zuckerman for his weekly live chat on the Nats at 1 p.m. today. Send your questions in advance to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com, then go to this site at 1:00 to join in.
Jason Bergmann did everything he possibly could to get his second win since coming back from the minors. He threw seven shutout innings for the second straight start. But unlike the Nationals' 1-0 win over the Mets last week, that wasn't enough this time.
Cole Hamels struck out 11 in seven innings for the Phillies, and this felt like one of those games where the Nationals would get one chance. They did, in the fourth inning, but couldn't do anything with runners on first and third and one out.
That's been a problem for the Nationals all year, but became particularly costly in the ninth inning when the Phillies got a leadoff double off Jon Rauch and Greg Dobbs brought Eric Bruntlett in by blooping a hanging slider to center field.
"Everybody played well enough to win that ballgame," Rauch said, "and I didn't do the job at the end of the game."
If you want to play the what-if game, there's also some material to work with in the ninth inning. Credit Elijah Dukes for drawing a walk off Brad Lidge, especially when he had the patience to take two sliders for strikes and not swing on 2-0 or 3-1 pitches. He then stole second and third (without a sign from the dugout), and Rob Mackowiak drew the second walk in a row off Lidge. But Felipe Lopez swung at Lidge's first pitch, grounding to second.
Manny Acta didn't criticize the decision, saying Lopez would have been a hero if he got the ball through the hole. But with Dukes pulling off a risky move by stealing third and getting the Nationals to a point where a wild pitch ties the game, you'd probably like to see Lopez make Lidge throw a couple pitches there.
One other point to note: Despite struggling at the plate, Jesus Flores continues to show he's developing into a major-league catcher quicker than expected. Bergmann had high praise for the way Flores calls a game and is able to light a fire under a struggling pitcher with a few words. He also made a sensational play in the ninth inning, blocking the plate and tagging out Dobbs to end the inning and prevent the Phillies from scoring a second run.
In fact, the entire relay on that play worked well, from Lastings Milledge making a silding stop to prevent Shane Victorino's double from going to the wall, Cristian Guzman coming out to the outfield grass to take the relay and firing a strike to the plate, and Flores blocking Dobbs from getting his foot to the bag.
Series finale is tomorrow at 7:10 p.m. -- Matt Chico making the spot start against Jamie Moyer.
A couple of us in the press box were discussing the Value Over Replacement Player of the Nationals' outfield -- in other words, the number of runs a player contributes over a replacement player that could be had for almost nothing, given the same number of plate appearances. A VORP of 1, for example, means the player contributes one run per season more to a team's total than a theoretical replacement.
Of the 666 position players in baseball currently listed by Baseball Prospectus, here are a few numbers of interest:
No. 479 (tied): Willie Harris, -0.8
No. 535: Lastings Milledge, -1.4
No. 572 (tied): Rob Mackowiak, -2.1
No. 642: Elijah Dukes, -5.1
No. 655, Wily Mo Pena, -6.7
No. 664 (tied), Austin Kearns, -9.6
And if you were wondering, the Nats player with the highest VORP is Cristian Guzman, who comes in at 13.4, good for 36th place among all major-leaguers.
(Full disclosure: I'm kind of a geek, too).
Not a whole lot of significant news to report heading into tonight's game against the Phillies, which could actually be considered good news for the Nats...
-- Austin Kearns had an MRI this morning on his right elbow, which revealed no cause for significant concern. Manny Acta said some loose bodies were found in Kearns' elbow, but nothing that's going to require any surgical procedures or DL time. It'll still be a few more days til Kearns (who is celebrating his 28th birthday today) is ready to return to the lineup.
-- Johnny Estrada had his right elbow examined yesterday by the esteemed Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham. Andrews found nothing more significant than the ulnar nerve irritation that had already been diagnosed. Estrada hopes he'll be ready to return in about a month.
-- Nick Johnson is now wearing a large cast that runs from his left wrist all the way up past the elbow. Cause for concern? Not really, Nick said. This was the plan all along. He'll wear this cast about two weeks while keeping everything in place and allowing the damaged tendons in his wrist to recover.
Starting lineups for tonight's windy, chilly game at Nationals Park, where the home team looks to improve to 4-1 against the Phillies this season...
NATS
2B Lopez
SS Guzman
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
CF Milledge
C Flores
LF Pena
RF Dukes
P Bergmann
PHILLIES
SS Rollins
CF Victorino
2B Utley
1B Howard
LF Burrell
RF Jenkins
3B Feliz
C Ruiz
P Hamels
A friendly reminder: Washington Times sports columnist Thom Loverro will be the Sports Reporters program today on SportsTalk 980-AM at 4 p.m.
Unless he's needed out of the bullpen tonight, Matt Chico will start Wednesday's series finale against the Phillies. Shawn Hill, who received a cortisone shot in his ailing right elbow on Saturday, will be skipped this time around the rotation but expects to return the next time around.
"It's a precautionary type of thing," manager Manny Acta said. "We all know how Shawn is, and if it was up to him, he would be out there. But let's face it, he just got a cortisone shot. I think we feel it's best for the team and for everybody that he should just take that turn off."
So Chico gets the call again after making three relief appearances and getting himself back together after a miserable 0-5 start to the season.
"He has looked comfortable and he's thrown the ball well, especially the last time in Baltimore," Acta said. "Hopefully he's relaxed enough now."
Chico, who has maintained a starter's mentality all along, said the transition shouldn't be difficult. He, too, is pleased with the way things have gone since he got bumped out of the rotation. "I think I've found myself," he said.
The Nationals would have to shift gears if Tim Redding struggles to get through five innings tonight, or if this one goes deep into extra innings and Chico is needed out of the bullpen. But the club's preferred plan is to have Chico be the fill-in starter on Wednesday.
From the Nats' community relations department...
Lastings Milledge will be appearing at the ESPN Zone tomorrow (along with radio announcer Charlie Slowes) to answer questions from fans and sign autographs. Milledge will be there from noon to 1 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to win tickets to a future Nats game.
Looks like Austin Kearns needs at least another day to rest his injured elbow, which kept him out of yesterday's game in Baltimore. The Nats' starting lineup for tonight's opener against the Phillies looks like this...
2B Lopez
SS Guzman
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
CF Milledge
RF Mackowiak
C Flores
LF Harris
P Redding
So in addition to Kearns sitting out, Dmitri Young makes his first appearance in the field this season. Keep an eye on that, because both Nick Johnson and Aaron Boone had been playing quite well at first base, saving some errors from teammates. Dmitri, as we all know, doesn't come close to comparing to either of those guys in the field. Will be interesting to see at what point Manny Acta pulls him for a defensive replacement if the Nats have the lead late.
Well, that was quick (sort of). The Nationals' win over the Orioles at Camden Yards took 2:22; the two rain delays lasted 2:28. Anyway...
John Lannan was as efficient as he's been all season. The left-hander threw 71 of his 105 pitches for strikes, establishing a two-seam fastball early and throwing a curveball and slider early in counts as the game went on. He threw a few changeups, but said it was cutting on him. That made it a little too much like a slider to throw effectively, but that was about the only thing Lannan did wrong today.
He went 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five.
"He threw 70 percent of his pitches for strikes," manager Manny Acta said. "That's Greg Maddux-like on his good days."
Other things to note: Austin Kearns has a sore right elbow that he sustained while swinging in batting practice yesterday. He said it didn't bother him during Saturday's game (where he went 0-for-3 and struck out to end the eighth inning with the bases loaded), and could play tonight against the Phillies. He's officially day-to-day.
During the second rain delay, which lasted 27 minutes in the eighth inning and started just as Luis Ayala came in to relieve Lannan, the right-hander used the extra time to watch film of Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora. He got both out on fly balls to end the eighth (Roberts' sacrifice fly scored Adam Jones) and preserve the lead.
"For a half-hour, he didn't move" from the computer, Lannan said.
The Nationals start a three-game series with the Phillies back at home tomorrow night. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., with Tim Redding facing Brett Myers. See you then.
Nationals manager Manny Acta said this morning that right-hander Shawn Hill will likely miss his scheduled start Wednesday against the Phillies after receiving a cortisone shot in his right elbow Saturday morning. Hill said he's capable of pitching, but with the injury troubles he's had in the past, the Nationals don't want to take the chance. "For the good of the kid, we're probably going to skip him," Acta said.
He didn't say who would start in Hill's place, adding the decision would probably be made tomorrow. Matt Chico is a candidate to make the spot start out of the bullpen, though it's possible the Nationals could call up a minor leaguer.
Acta said he's not anticipating Hill missing more than one start. And once the cortisone shot takes effect, Hill said, he might be able to make progress toward a normal throwing schedule between starts--which he hasn't had all season after starting the year on the disabled list.
"The past couple starts, it's just been the elbow, the irritation, just getting fluid in there where I'm not able to get the full extension," Hill said. "So if that goes away from the cortisone shot, which it most likely will, just being soft tissue stuff. Hopefully after this start or the next start, I'm not going to jump right into it, start long tossing and bullpens, but ease back into a more normal routine."
One other note: Austin Kearns was a late scratch from the lineup this morning, being removed from the seventh spot in the lineup for Elijah Dukes. Acta said he'd discuss it after the game.
We're about 20 minutes from starting here after what will end up being a two-hour rain delay. Here's the lineup:
Felipe Lopez 2B
Cristian Guzman SS
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Dmitri Young DH
Aaron Boone 1B
Lastings Milledge CF
Elijah Dukes RF
Rob Mackowiak LF
Wil Nieves C
John Lannan P
This was a game the Nationals could have won, but they made enough mistakes and got a spotty enough outing from Shawn Hill that they weren't going to get it done. Hill couldn't get his off-speed stuff over the plate all night, and Baltimore's offense just sat on his fastball, fouling away the ones they couldn't hit, running his pitch count up and hammering his mistakes.
The two plays that really cost the Nationals were with the game tied fifth inning, when Elijah Dukes misplayed Brian Roberts' shot off the right-field wall, turning it into a triple. Manny Acta said Dukes played it incorrectly, while Dukes didn't speak to reporters after the game. Lastings Milledge got a bad break on a Melvin Mora fly ball on the next at-bat, and when that fell for a double, Roberts scored the eventual game-winner.
Milledge said he was playing a shift on Mora to left center, got a bad break on the ball and admitted he should have had it. But he's still in his first season playing center field, and he knows he's still got a lot to learn. Acta didn't waver on keeping Milledge in center after the game -- it's pretty clear he's going to let him learn as he goes.
If you're a look-for-the-silver-lining type person, Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-5, and Jesus Flores was 2-for-3. If he keeps that up (he's now hittting .393), the Nationals are going to have a tough time making him wait until next season to be the everyday catcher. And Dmitri Young is back in the lineup. He went 1-for-4. Washington had 11 hits, but only one went for extra bases.
It's Odalis Perez against Brian Burres at 7:35 p.m. tomorrow at Camden Yards.
Aaron Boone lined a single to right to open the top of the seventh. Mike Pelfrey's no-hitter hopes dashed. Still scoreless.
Uh, we're through 5 1/2 innings here at Shea, and the Nationals have yet to record a hit against Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey. Three walks, that's it. And if you didn't know, the Mets have never had a no-hitter in franchise history.
Jason Bergmann hasn't allowed a run, either, in his first game back from Columbus, only three singles.
So despite the no-no in the works, it's still a scoreless game now in the bottom of the sixth.
Sorry for being out of touch for a little while. I came down with food poisoning Tuesday night and have been struggling to get myself back into working condition. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say I won't miss the Shea Stadium press dining room. They can't blow this place up soon enough...
But back to the actual news of the day, which is that Nick Johnson has been placed on the 15-day DL with a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist. Johnson hurt himself swinging in his final at-bat Tuesday and went home to D.C. yesterday to get an MRI, which revealed the tear. The club says he'll be out four to six weeks, which obviously is a big blow to the Nats both offensively and defensively.
On the bright side, Dmitri Young is returning. He'll be activated off the DL in time for tomorrow's game at Baltimore and will most likely serve as DH this weekend with Aaron Boone at first base. After that, Manny Acta suggested that Young will be the regular first baseman. Dmitri played in only two rehab games with Harrisburg, but he went 2-for-5 with a double and three walks, so he appears to have his swing together.
Hi folks,
Mark Zuckerman is feeling a bit under the weather today up in the Big Apple, so we're letting him sleep in and rest up for the game this evening. You never know when the Nats might try to have him bat cleanup or take a stab at left field, right?
So anyway: We'll be back next week on our new and improved Web site (cross your fingers), with all new technology, a new look, etc. Oh, look, and the Phillies will be in town. So save up your questions, update your bookmarks next Monday, and we'll see you next Wednesday for another live chat with Mark.
Following tonight's 6-3 loss to the Mets, manager Manny Acta announced that right-hander Jason Bergmann will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus to start Thursday's series finale at Shea Stadium.
Bergmann returns to the Nationals after three consecutive strong starts for Columbus. This after two rough outings upon his arrival there following three really rough outings with Washington.
No corresponding move was announced yet, but you would think one of two pitchers is in danger of being sent down: lefty Matt Chico, who could resume starting in Columbus, or right-hander Joel Hanrahan, who has been all over the place. Hanrahan is out of options, but perhaps the way he's been pitching, he could slide through waivers unclaimed.
So much for any lingering bad blood between the Nats and Nelson Figueroa. The Mets designated Figueroa for assignment before tonight's game, removing him from the roster. New York also designated reliever Jorge Sosa and placed outfielder Angel Pagan on the DL. Replacing them on the roster are right-hander Claudio Vargas (the ex-Expo/Nat will start tomorrow night), reliever Matt Wise and infielder Fernando Tatis.
As for the controversy over the Figueroa "softball girls" comment, here's a rundown of everything...
During the third inning of last night's game, with Lastings Milledge at the plate, Elijah Dukes started a chant going in the Nats dugout: "Let's go Mill-edge! Clap-clap--clap-clap-clap!" Several teammates joined in, then did the same thing when Austin Kearns came to the plate next. Figueroa didn't like it and made a mocking "clap" motion toward the dugout at the end of the inning, then trashed the Nats after the game.
"They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls," he said. "I'm a professional just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. They could show a little more class, a little more professionalism now that they won tonight, but in the long run, they're still who they are."
Not much public reaction from the Nats today. Manny Acta tried to downplay the incident before a throng of New York reporters who were looking for a story.
"I don't have any reaction to it," Acta said. "I mean, they weren't yelling names or anything like that. All they are [doing is] cheering their own guys. You don't see it every day in the big leagues, but I don't think they were doing anything mean."
Privately, several Nats players said they weren't real keen on the chant and would have preferred Dukes didn't start it. But they also felt Figueroa (a guy who spent the last three years out of the big leagues and was getting pounded by the Nats in the game) had no reason to make a big deal out of it and came across looking worse.
So there you have it. Let's get back to baseball...
Johnny Estrada (on the DL with a right elbow injury) had a neurological study and MRI taken yesterday in Washington, then was examined by team doctor Ben Shaffer. According to Shaffer, Estrada has no structural damage in his elbow, simply a case of ulnar neuritis and mild synovitis (in layman's terms: nerve inflammation). He's been given anti-inflammatories and will begin throwing again when the symptoms clear.
I didn't get a chance to write about this in last night's game story, because I didn't hear about it until after our deadline had passed, but Mets starter Nelson Figueroa wasn't too happy with some things going on in the Nationals' dugout during Washington's 10-4 win.
Apparently, a few players (led by Elijah Dukes) started up a clapping, rah-rah chant in the dugout during the third inning as the Nats were rallying. After the game (in which Figueroa was pounded for six runs in five innings), the journeyman right-hander said the following:
"They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls. I'm a professional just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. They could show a little more class, a little more professionalism now that they won tonight, but in the long run, they're still who they are."
Whoa! Nelson Figueroa? Really? The same guy with the career 9-20 record and 4.71 ERA who until this season last appeared in the big leagues in 2004?
It'll be interesting to see if there's any residual effect at tonight's game. Whether there is or isn't, though, there could be a bit of a rivalry brewing between these two teams, even if the Nats are in Figueroa's words "a last-place team." That would be the same last-place team that nearly single-handedly knocked the Mets out of first place in the NL East down the stretch last year.
There's obviously plenty of familiarity between the two dugouts, too, with Brian Schneider, Ryan Church, Marlon Anderson and GM Omar Minaya having previously played/worked for the Expos/Nats, and Lastings Milledge, Paul Lo Duca and manager Manny Acta having previously played/worked for the Mets.
A little healthy rivalry might spice some things up.
The tarp has been removed from the infield, the grounds crew is putting down the chalk lines and we're just about ready for baseball. Not going to be the most enjoyable playing conditions tonight, with temperatures in the 40s and the wind absolutely whipping in from right field. But they're going to play.
No announcement from the Nats on Thursday night's starter, though Manny Acta did say Matt Chico remains in the bullpen. And Chico said that while he probably could pitch in relief tonight and come back to start Thursday, he figures the club wouldn't want to do that. So whether or not he's used in this game could be a minor clue as to the team's intentions.
With that, here are your starting lineups from Shea...
NATIONALS
2B Lopez
SS Guzman
3B Zimmerman
1B Johnson
CF Milledge
RF Kearns
LF Mackowiak
C Flores
P Perez
METS
SS Reyes
RF Church
3B Wright
CF Beltran
LF Alou
1B Delgado
2B Easley
C Schneider
P Figueroa
At the moment, it's not raining here at Shea Stadium, so you'd think the Nats and Mets could play. But the ol' radar map still shows a huge green blob over the entire Mid-Atlantic region, and it appears plenty more is headed this way. The tarp's on the infield and I doubt they'll even attempt to take batting practice. Official forecast shows showers through the early evening and then clearing up later on.
Does that mean they'll try to squeeze this game in tonight? If the Mets have anything to say about it, probably not. They're already facing a rotation dilemma, with starters needed both for Wednesday and Thursday's games after Nelson Figueroa and John Maine pitch the next two nights. They'd rather hold Johan Santana back for this weekend's series against the Yankees, so if tonight was a washout, they could get by needing to make only one roster move.
For that matter, the Nats may not mind a rainout either, considering the fact they're in a stretch of 16 straight days with games, their bullpen is overworked and they, too, need a starter for Thursday's game after shipping out Mike O'Connor yesterday. Candidates include Matt Chico (currently in the bullpen), Jason Bergmann (whose next turn at Columbus lines up for Wednesday and could easily be bumped back a day) and if you believe Manny Acta, Jordan Zimmermann, who has been at Class AA Harrisburg for less than two weeks. Stay tuned.
I'll provide any weather updates if I get them...
The Nationals were swept by the Marlins today, suffering a demoralizing 5-4 loss that saw reliever Luis Ayala give up two homers and forget to cover first base during the decisive three-run eighth inning. Washington is now 1-8 against Florida this season, 14-15 against the rest of the NL.
Following the game, the club optioned left-hander Mike O'Connor to Columbus and recalled reliever Chris Schroder. That is probably a temporary move, though, because the club will need to find somebody to take O'Connor's spot and start Thursday against the Mets. Matt Chico could be the guy, but the Nats could very well promote Jason Bergmann from Columbus or turn to any of their other prospects currently pitching well in the system.
Manny Acta didn't call this the low point of the season -- and considering the 2-15 stretch the Nationals went through earlier this year, he's probably right -- but boy, this one was rough. From Mike O'Connor to the Nationals' three hits (and six total baserunners), there wasn't much to like.
A few postgame tidbits: Acta stayed with his protocal of not jumping to conclusions after a start like this one. He didn't explicitly say O'Connor would start in five days, but that sounds like the plan right now. "Up to now, yeah, [he'll start]. We don't make decisions right away after a bad outing or bad at-bats."
O'Connor said his biggest problem was not being able to throw his off-speed pitches for strikes, which is one of the major parts of the left-hander's game. "I think it was an issue of just not executing, getting the ball down. I don't think it's anything major I need to change," he said. He had no problems with Acta lifting him in the middle of Jorge Cantu's at-bat. "The way I was throwing, I can't say anything about him taking me out at that point. It's his decision to make."
There were different opinions on what's changed about Andrew Miller; Lastings Milledge said he looked like the same pitcher that struggled against the Nationals twice, while Ryan Zimmerman said Miller's nastiest pitches -- namely his mid-90s fastball that breaks in on right-handers -- were in full effect. "He's a lefty that cross-fires and throws mid-90s. It's not an easy thing to do." Zimmerman acknowledged the Nationals' offense is struggling again, but had some interesting things to say about their pitching.
"As the pitching goes, we go," he said. "Look at the team in the other clubhouse. They've been playing well all year because their guys are throwing well. When we went through that good stretch (an 8-3 homestand), we had solid starting pitching. It seems kind of unfair to throw it on the starting pitching, but if you look at any good team in Major League Baseball, they have good starting pitching."
We're back here tomorrow for the finale of this three-game homestand -- Shawn Hill faces Florida lefty Scott Olsen at 1:35 p.m.
We're in the fourth inning here at Nationals Park, and Washington is already down 5-0 thanks to a harrowing outing from Mike O'Connor.
Let's sum it up this way: In the first inning, Cody Ross led off the game with a first-pitch home run. In the third, he drew a leadoff walk and scored on a wild pitch. Same thing in the fourth inning -- though that wild pitch was from Joel Hanrahan. But the only reason O'Connor wasn't in the game by that point is because Manny Acta had pulled him in the middle of the at-bat against Jorge Cantu after he'd thrown six straight balls.
O'Connor's final line: 3 1/3 innings, six hits, nine runs, six walks, one strikeout and one wild pitch. Thirty-eight of his 78 pitches were strikes.
Hanrahan gave up a grand slam to Dan Uggla that made it 10-0 Marlins in the fourth. The Nationals, meanwhile, have just one hit and one walk off Andrew Miller.
The Nationals are back at home for a three-game series against the Marlins before heading back out on the road against the Mets and Orioles. Some news:
* Elijah Dukes and Jesus Flores joined the team today, though neither one is in the lineup tonight. Dukes, however, had some interesting things to say. He said his hamstring is 100 percent, and while he admits he'll have to work at coming off the bench, he doesn't think he'll be there long. "They don't need to look at me for that answer. They need to look moreso at the organization and just the players in front of me, not what I can do," he said. "I know what I can do on the field. It ain't on me about how much I want to play and stuff. I want to play, so I'm just waiting for my chance to get out there and do what I do."
And on his ejection last Sunday after arguing balls and strikes with umpire Jason Klein following his second called strikeout of the game: "I don't know. I was just tired. He was calling some BS calls. I said what I said and he threw me out, so whatever."
* The Nationals traded for minor-league catcher David Wallace before the game, sending a player to be named to Cleveland. Wallace will join Columbus tonight, presumably to fill in for Flores while he's in the big leagues. Wallace, 28, has never played in the majors.
Here's the lineup:
Felipe Lopez 2B
Cristian Guzman SS
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Nick Johnson 1B
Lastings Milledge CF
Austin Kearns RF
Wily Mo Pena LF
Wil Nieves C
Tim Redding P
The Nationals will place both Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada on the 15-day DL tomorrow and probably won't have either of their veteran catchers available for a while.
An MRI taken today on Lo Duca's right hand revealed a fracture of the fourth metacarpal bone. It probably was already slightly broken weeks ago when Lo Duca was hit in the hand by a pitch and landed on the DL for the first time, then was made worse last night when he fouled off a pitch in the seventh inning and recoiled in agony. The club says he's likely to miss four to six weeks, though that's a very rough estimate.
Estrada, meanwhile, is headed back to the DL also with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow. Basically, the surgery he had during the offseason to repair the elbow hasn't worked and possibly even made it worse. Estrada said he's talked to a few other players who have had similar injuries who said it took them a year to fully recover, though he remains confident he'll be back to play this season.
Who replaces those two? Jesus Flores will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus tomorrow and will become the regular starting catcher, with some help from Wil Nieves. Elijah Dukes also will be activated off the DL and will be available for the first time since straining a hamstring on Opening Night.