The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Washington Nationals – INSIDE PITCH
Defense was one of the Nationals’ strong points in 2012. It hasn’t been that way so far this season.
Through 50 games, the Nationals led the majors with 39 errors. That’s not a stat manager Davey Johnson is probably thrilled with because errors often lead to trouble.
The interesting thing is that Washington still ranked eighth in the majors in team ERA despite all of the errors. Translation — the errors haven’t hurt the Nationals too much just yet.
But if they keep making the miscues, they’ll get the Nationals at some point.
The left side of the infield — shortstop Ian Desmond and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman — has had the most trouble. They’ve combined for 15 errors already although both have played better recently.
Zimmerman is working his way back from off-season shoulder surgery, and Johnson has said he expected the third baseman to need some time to get back to form.
But in the end, all good teams need good defense. The Nationals, 6-1 winners over Philadelphia on Sunday, ranked eighth in the majors last year in terms of fewest errors. That’s a big reason they won the National League East. They need to get back to that form again.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Washington Nationals – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 26-24
STREAK: Won one
PAST 10 GAMES: 5-5
NEXT: Orioles (Jason Hammel, 6-2, 5.37) at Nationals (Gio Gonzalez, 3-2, 3.66)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RF Bryce Harper is still paying the price for slamming into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium nearly two weeks ago. He left Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning due to renewed pain in his left knee, and manager Davey Johnson said that Harper probably would sit out a few days. Harper’s knee, injured May 13 at Los Angeles, appeared to be bothering him throughout Sunday’s game, a 6-1 Washington victory over Philadelphia. He slid hard into second and third in the first inning. After he walked in the seventh, Roger Bernadina pinch-ran for him.
–RHP Gio Gonzalez appears to have regained the form that made him a Cy Young Award contender a year ago. In each of his last four starts he’s pitched at least six innings while giving up two earned runs or less, while his ERA has fallen from 5.34 to 3.66. He’s only 1-0 during that stretch due to some poor run support.
–RHP Dan Haren, in a rotation featuring Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman, became the first Nationals pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts in a game this season when he fanned 10 Phillies on Saturday night. Haren bounced back from a poor start in San Diego to hold the Phillies to three runs on four hits over six innings. “Stuff-wise today was about as good as I’ve had all year,” Haren said.
–INF Steve Lombardozzi is 5-for-12 in three games filling in at second base for the injured Danny Espinosa. Lombardozzi doubled in two runs in Sunday’s 6-1 win against Philadelphia and has raised his average to .243.
–RHP Ross Detwiler will not return Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles as planned. Manager Davey Johnson said his strained oblique has tightened up and he’ll go on the disabled list. Detwiler last pitched May 15 and will go on the DL retroactive to that date, so Johnson expects he’ll make his return to the rotation Sunday at Atlanta in his scheduled spot.
–OF Bryce Harper will probably miss a couple of games, according to manager Davey Johnson, after aggravating his injured left knee Sunday against Philadelphia. Harper slid head first twice in the first inning and later fouled a ball off his knee. He was replaced by pinch runner Roger Bernadina after walking in the seventh inning. Harper said the knee probably won’t get better until the offseason, but he doesn’t expect to miss games. He injured the knee when he ran into the outfield wall May 13 in Los Angeles.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I just had to keep on going out there, trying to match his zeros, and we were able to go out there and get it done late in the game.” — RHP Stephen Strasburg on his pitching matchup with the Phillies’ Cole Hamels on Sunday.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Washington Nationals – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF Bryce Harper (sore left knee) is day-to-day. There’s a chance he could miss some time in the four-game, two-city series with the Orioles.
–2B Danny Espinosa (fractured wrist) will miss the next few games as he attempts to recover from a fractured bone in his right wrist, which he suffered when he was hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Paul Maholm on April 14. Espinosa will not participate in any baseball activities for the next two or three days in attempt to let the bone heal. He is listed as day-to-day.
–LHP Ross Detwiler (strained right oblique) was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 26. He left his May 15 start, and he didn’t start May 20.
–RHP Ryan Mattheus (broken right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 20.
–OF Jayson Werth (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 3. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Potomac on May 15, but his hamstring tightened up. Werth was shut down May 17, but he’s unlikely to return to the Nationals before the final days of May.
–C Wilson Ramos (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 16. He could be out longer than the minimum 15 days. It’s the second time this season Ramos has been on the DL for the same injury.
–RHP Christian Garcia (partial tear in forearm tendon) was hurt Feb. 21. He went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22.
ROTATION:
RHP Stephen Strasburg
LHP Gio Gonzalez
RHP Jordan Zimmermann
RHP Dan Haren
LHP Ross Detwiler
BULLPEN:
RHP Rafael Soriano (closer)
RHP Drew Storen
RHP Tyler Clippard
LHP Zach Duke
RHP Craig Stammen
RHP Henry Rodriguez
LHP Fernando Abad
CATCHERS:
Kurt Suzuki
Jhonatan Solano
INFIELDERS:
1B Adam LaRoche
2B Danny Espinosa
SS Ian Desmond
3B Ryan Zimmerman
INF Chad Tracy
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Steve Lombardozzi
CF Denard Span
RF Bryce Harper
OF/INF Tyler Moore
OF Roger Bernadina
———————————————–
