15 Nats Clinching GIFs That Will Make You Smile

Here are a bunch of awesome GIFs from the Nationals celebrations last night after clinching the NL East Division Title. You've got hugs, high fives, screaming, dancing, yelling, toasts, smiles, crazyness and more. Check em' out (give them a minute to load I screwed up the sizes).

Adam LaRoche Almost Kills Ian Desmond

This is why I never stand out in the on deck circle. Adam LaRoche was batting against the Braves on Monday night and on the first pitch his bat slipped out of his hands. The bat went flying towards the backstop/dugout/on deck circle and crashed into the netting only feet away from teammate Ian Desmond. Here is what that looked like.

Duck Dynasty At Nats Game

Willie Robertson, one of the stars of Duck Dynasty, was at Nationals Park on Saturday afternoon to watch the Nats take on the Phillies. The bearded TV star is friends and fellow "Buckman" with the bearded Nats first baseman Adam LaRoche in their Buck Commander tv show. Robertson was taking pictures with Nats fans all day long including this group of "Nats" fans.

A Game Of Victory

We just showed you a few sad shots of agony from the Nationals marathon game vs the Dodgers on Wednesday. They were quite sad. But as you know the Nats actually WON the baseball game. Here are some shots after the win. Hint: It isn't a joyous celebration...it is what you would expect after a tough battle...

Washington Nationals: A Different Hero Every Day

The Washington Nationals have done something pretty darn amazing. The Nattys have won 10 games in a row, which included 5 walk off wins in just 6 games, a feat that has only been done a few times in the history of Major League Baseball.  The cool part is that this is a total team effort, and every walk-off had a different Nationals hero. Here is an epic GIF showing all those heroes.

Gio Gonzalez Ice Bucket Challenge Features LaRoche & Span In Hot Tub

Here is a video of Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge while Adam LaRoche & Denard Span watch creepily from the hot tub behind them. Um. Yeah.

Drake LaRoche's Giant Glove

Here is Adam LaRoche's son Drake catching a fly ball with a giant glove almost as big as he is, because Nats.  The GIF is below.

Bryce Is The Man, Nats Beat Mets

Nationals 7, Mets 6

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nationals	0	1	2	0	3	0	0	1	0		7	7	0
Mets	0	0	0	5	0	0	1	0	0		6	7	0

"You're the f**king man!"  That's what the Bryce Harper fan who recorded Harper's second homerun, the game winning homerun, that gave the Nationals the 7-6 victory over the New York Mets.  The Nationals scored all 7 runs on homers, helping out Gio Gonzalez who struggled on the day before he was knocked out of the game early.

Viva LaRoche! Nats Beat White Sox Behind 4 Homers

White Sox 7, Nationals 8

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
White Sox	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	2		7	11	1
Nationals	0	0	0	1	1	4	1	1	x		8	13	0

Read the full box score at ESPN

Adam LaRoche was stuck in a rut.  He hadn't gotten a hit in his first fifteen at bats this season.  But on Tuesday night at Nats Park, after missing 2 straight games with a sore back, the slugger crushed his first two hits of the season, both homeruns, in a 8-7 win over the Chicago White Sox.

(A character from an HBO show joined the President's Race...lame...)

Gio Gonzalez started for the Nationals, but struggled early on raising his pitch count.  Much to his dismay, Captain Hook yanked Gio after 5 innings at 99 pitches.  Gio only gave up 1 earned run, on a bases loaded balk, and struck out 7.

Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, and Adam LaRoche aptly named by FP as Murderer's Row

The Nats were in great position with a 6-2 lead heading into the 7th inning but Tyler Clippard gave up 3 runs and made the game much closer than it should be.  The Nats picked up insurance runs in the 7th and 8th, and Rafael Soriano came on in the 9th to seal the 8-5 victory.  Instead the new closer gave up a 2 run homer to Alex Rios and walked the game winning run before closing the game for his 3rd save of the season.

The Nationals finished the game with 4 homers, all big.  Ian Desmond a solo shot in the 5th, Jayson Werth (with a new walk-up song) hit a 2 run homer in the 6th, and LaRoche added one a few batters later in the 6th for his first hit of the season.  Bob Carpenter (continuing the hits) was so excited he exclaimed, "VIVA LAROCHE!" as the ball cleared the centerfield wall.

Later, in the 8th inning, LaRoche belted a second homer.

"He's baaaack!" - FP Santangelo

The Nats are now 5-2 with another 2 games against the White Sox starting tomorrow at 7...

Nats Player Dresses Up As The Easter Bunny, Easter Natitude

Happy Easter everyone.  Some of the Nationals got together to celebrate the holiday including this mystery National dressed as the Easter Bunny (I waited all night to find out who it is, no dice):

Tweeted By Zach Duke

Tweeted By Ross Detwiler

The Easter Bunny clearly has #NATITUDE this year. #Nats twitter.com/Munsonism/stat…
— Tar Heel #Natitude (@Munsonism) March 31, 2013

7 Washington Nationals Make MLB Top 100 Right Now

The MLB Network recently ran their "Top 100 Right Now" the top 100 players in the Major Leagues at the current time.  The list included play last season including post-season play (which is clearly how 2 Dodgers made the top 5 and an Angels player was #1)

MLB Network counts down the top MLB players overall, taking into account players in their prime who are coming back from injuries, younger players expected to break out and veteran players with proven track records. The ranking includes World Series MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, A.L. and N.L. MVPs, Rookies of the Year, Gold Glove Award winners and All-Stars. MLB NETWORK

The Nats had 7 players on the list, up from 4 during the 2012 offseason:

92.  Jordan Zimmermann
75.  Ian Desmond
73.  Adam LaRoche
54.  Bryce Harper
49.  Gio Gonzalez (Last Season #88)
29.  Ryan Zimmerman (Last Season #22)
26.  Stephen Strasburg (Last Season #98)

Not sure how Bryce Harper is #54 when they describe the list as considering "younger players expecting to break out".

A few notable things:

• Michael Morse was #95 last year and #85 now on the Mariners
• They put Mike Trout as #1 after basically 1 season in the majors, and Bryce didn't crack the top 50.  Can't wait for Bryce to see that, he will not take it lightly.
• They put RA Dickey the NL Cy Young winner at #50, 1 behind Gio Gonzalez who lost.
• Stephen Strasburg, who wasn't the Nationals best pitcher last season finished almost 25 spaces ahead of Gio, who was.
• No Jayson Werth
• This is just a list, and I don't think it was done very well

The Nationals tied for the lead with 7 players on the list with the St. Louis Cardinals, and I swear I'm not lying, the Philadelphia Phillies.  WHAT?  The Phillies!?  In case you forgot they finished 17 games behind the Nats last season.

And your top 5:

5.  Clayton Kershaw
4.  Matt Kemp
3.  Miguel Cabrera
2.  Justin Verlander
1.  Mike Trout

Keep ranking the Nats players low...

Jayson Werth & Adam LaRoche Doing Harlem Shake At The Daytona 500

This was some odd news that was brought to my attention by @JaysonWerthsBeard.  After winning the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson and his crew decided to randomly put together a quick Harlem Shake video (which hasn't been released yet).  According to this report from USA Today, Washington Nationals players Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche were involved, although I don't see them in the video?:

"Once there, the pit crew began lobbying for the Harlem Shake. Within 15 minutes, several props, two motorcycles and a photographer had been rounded up for the impromptu video shoot, which also featured Washington Nationals players and Daytona 500 fans Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche."

Willie Boss Hog is from Duck Dynasty...wonder what that means.  Were they wrestling.  Hopefully nobody gave Werth any wristlocks.

Ryan Zimmerman, Tyler Clippard, and Craig Stammen were also at the race with their teammates, no word if they got in on the action.

Via @MikeMCC1717

"Baseball players take it to a whole new level," Johnson chuckled. "So we had some fun."

Adam LaRoche Curtain Call: 100 RBI Season On A Homerun

On Tuesday night in Washington, DC, during the 2nd to last game of the season, Adam LaRoche hit a solo homerun to give him 100 RBIs on the season.  That was his 33rd homer of the season, a new career high.  LaRoche had a huge smile on his face as he rounded the bases and as he high-fived teammates in the dugout the large Nats Park crowd demanded a curtain call.  Here is the GIF:

Nats Bats Bustin' Loose Against Cubs

Nationals 9, Cubs 1

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	4	0
Nationals	1	0	4	0	0	1	3	0	x		9	13	1

Read the full box score at MLB

If you are a big fan of shipyard foghorns then you would have been right at home at Nats Park this week.  In the first two games against the Cubs, the Nats hit 12 homers, 6 of them on Wednesday in a blowout 9-1 win.

Gio Gonzalez flirted with a no-hitter into 6 innings and ended with a shutout victory on 3 hits in 7 innings of work.  With a few helpful calls from the ump, and a lot more great pitches, Gio shut down the struggling Cubbies.  That makes 16 straight scoreless for the G-Man and 18 wins.

Another Homer For LaRoche, Another Hug For Drake

On Tuesday night against the Cubs, Adam LaRoche jacked a line drive homer over the wall of the away bullpen, his 26th of the year.  Afterwards he did what he does after all his homeruns.  He gave a hug to his son Drake.  (See other hugs and read about Drake here)

Nationals @ Diamondbacks: Game Preview

Nationals vs Diamondbacks

9:40 PM Chase Field

MASN-2

Story Lines:

• Nats are looking to win their 5th straight game after sweeping the Astros.
• The D-backs are currently in third place, but are over .500 and looking to stay in the playoff picture. 

Pitching Match Up:

• Stephen Strasburg
• 12-5 with a 2.97 ERA

• Trevor Cahill
• 9-9 with a 3.76 ERA.

Who to Watch:

• Adam LaRoche
• Hitting .667 against Cahill in the last 5 seasons.

Player Pick Em: Mid Week Update

One series in the book, here is how the competition is setting up.

Out Front:  Gio Gonzalez (9.0 innings, 3 runs, 7 Ks)

On Deck:  Michael Morse (.333 with 2 homeruns and 4 RBIs)

In the Hole:  Danny Espinosa (.412 with a homerun and 3 RBIs)

Best of the Rest:  

• Ryan Zimmerman (.235 with 3 RBIS)

• Jayson Werth (.308)
• @meganreio
• @turtlezoot

• Adam LaRoche (.105 with 2 RBIs)

Standings:
@turtlezoot (3)
@meganreio (2)
@natsrgreat (1)
@DArkMEATHOOK (1)
@Sc0ttieDoesntNO (1)
@SCviaDC (1)
@Natsgirl19 (0)
@Yop1963 (0)
@MrNatsVL (0) 

Player Pick 'Em

Here's how the game works.  You comment, email Dru, or tweet @Dru90 with your pick all the way up until first pitch this week (Monday 8:05).    You can go with the baseball expert Dru, the editor Chris, or the new to baseball Camilla.  If you think all 3 of us are way off, you can bet on the field.  Everyone is invited and we will keep score.  Who knows the Nats the best?

Last Week's Winner: Adam LaRoche with a .478 average, 4 homeruns, and 10 RBIs.

• @meganreio

This week's contenders:

•  Jayson Werth (Dru):  I liked the way he performed in his first few games back.  He seems to be seeing the ball well and I think he is poised for a great week.
• @meganreio

• Adam LaRoche (Chris):  He did really well the last two weeks.  Why not make it three?

• Ryan Zimmerman (Cammy): She picked him last week and didn't win, but Zim was also slightly injured/sat out a few games.

Standings:
@turtlezoot (3)
@meganreio (2)
@natsrgreat (1)
@DArkMEATHOOK (1)
@Sc0ttieDoesntNO (1)
@SCviaDC (1)
@Natsgirl19 (0)
@Yop1963 (0)
@MrNatsVL (0)

Marlins Error Leads To Nationals Rally, Win

Nationals 10, Marlins 7

Danny Espinosa had struck out two times on the day to extend his lead in the National League in the category.  But with two strikes and two outs in the 8th inning, Espinosa blasted a homerun to give the Nationals a lead that they would keep for the remainder of the game.  The crowd was amped up and the stadium was shaking as the Nationals went on to beat the Marlins 10-7 on Saturday night at Nats Park.  And it all started with a simple error.

In the 8th inning on a routine Adam LaRoche groundout to the firstbaseman, the Marlins pitcher Mike Dunn took his eye off the ball on the throw and dropped it allowing LaRoche to reach.  That saved out was all the Nationals needed to take it to the Marlins.

Down 6-4, the Nationals cut it to 1 on a Steve Lombardozzi single.  The next batter Tyler Moore hit a huge game-tying single, and Danny Espinosa followed it up with a 3 run shot to left field to take the lead.  Bryce Harper added another insurance run on a towering homerun to the mid-upper deck in right field.

Espinosa had 2 big errors that allowed 2 runners to score, but he picked himself up at the end of the game.

Before the 8th inning rally, it was looking like the Nationals were going to lose a 2nd straight game to the Marlins.  Jordan Zimmermann gave up 5 runs (4 earned) and couldn't make it into the 6th inning for the first time all year 21 other starts.

The offense was struggling aside from Adam LaRoche who crushed 2 more homers (hugging his son after 1), and now has homered 4 times in the last 3 days.

New Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki got the colorful start and went 0-3 with a strikeout, including a few clutch outs.

The Nats go for the series win tomorrow afternoon...

Adam LaRoche's Son Drake Gets A Hug

After Adam LaRoche's 2nd homerun of the game on Saturday night against the Marlins, the firstbaseman came into the dugout (or hugout as the Nats might call it) to partake in one of the Nationals classic hug celebrations.  The receiver of the hug this time was his 9 year old son Draake.  Awwwwww:

This is from an article by Amanda Comak about LaRoche & His son:

After Adam LaRoche left Wrigley Field Thursday night and met up with his family following an 0-for-3 performance with three strikeouts (and a pivotal walk), he had to face his toughest critic.  His nine-year-old son Drake walked right up to him and said "Dad, what were you doing?" "I said, 'Drake, you're exactly right.'"

I think Drake knows exactly what his dad has been doing lately with 4 homers in 3 days.  Go Dad!