Jordan Zimmermann Is Not Happy...Oh Wait, He Is!

This is how Jordan Zimmermann reacted to what he thought was a double, ending his no hitter with 2 outs in the 9th inning...

Jordan Zimmermann Um

Uhhhhh. You Ok there Jordan?

Nats Dugout Exhibits Teamwork On Alley-Oop Homerun Celebration

It seems like every single night during this crazy homerun barrage the Nationals are putting on there is a variation of their 2014 homerun basketball helmet shot celebration.  At one point Jayson Werth was shooting 3 pointers, Gio Gonzalez was almost decapitated, and on Monday night half the dugout got involved with a 5 man alley-oop helmet dunk after a Jayson Werth homerun. Check out the GIF of this somewhat excessively complicated but hella-fun routine.

Zimermann Is The Mann

Nationals 2, Braves 0

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

Ok, we are joking...sort of, but Jordan is en fuego.

A little over 2 weeks ago, Jordan Zimmermann pitched just his 2nd complete game of his career.  It was the first one where he picked up a win.  Then, just 5 days ago, Zimmermann pitched another complete game, this one a 1-hit shutout gem.  So on Wednesday night as Jordan completed the 8th inning, his 5th straight 1-2-3 inning (17 batters in a row) with only 2 hits up on the Braves scoreboard, fans were wondering if Davey would send Zim out to finish the job.

GIFS: Julie Alexandria Gets The Gatorade Again

Julie Alexandria began her on-screen MASN career on Thursday night in a game against the Cincinnati Reds.  Since then, the Nats have started to break out of a slump going 2-0 with two big wins over a tough NL opponent.   When both games ended, Julie ended up walking away completely soaked in Gatorade.

Check out the GIFs of each of the 2 showers and relive what Alexandria is going to have to watch out for over the course of the next several months.

Decision Making At An All Time Low For Nats

Nationals 0, Mets 2

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

A lack of hitting, some errors in the field, a running mistake, and a bad decision by Jayson Werth were all showcased during Sunday's 2-0 loss to the New York Mets.  The Nats managed just 4 hits on the day, only one more than errors committed, as the Mets took the series victory and the shutout in New York despite also getting just 4 hits.  It was a rough roadtrip for the Nats who ended 3-3 against subpar teams and who will now head home to face a tough upcoming schedule.

Jordan Zimmermann Completes, Nats Crush Marlins

Nationals 10, Marlins 3

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nationals	4	0	2	2	2	0	0	0	0		10	16	0
Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0		3	6	0

Read the full box score at MLB

Ok...Maybe Jordan Zimmermann didn't complete Jerry Maguire.  But he did complete a game.  Plus he totally had me at Hello Play Ball...

Zimmermann threw 103 pitches on Monday night in Miami.  The way the Nationals season is going you might assume that pitch count was through 6 innings.  If you assumed that, you would be wrong.  Zimmermann logged his 2nd career complete game (the first with a W) in a 10-3 victory over the Marlins.

But Zimmermann wasn't the only story of this baseball game.  The Nationals offense was hitting Marlins pitches like they were giant kickballs.

Bryce Harper Goes Deep, Nats Win

White Sox 2, Nationals 5

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

Read the full box score at MLB

Bryce Harper stepped to the plate in the 4th inning and sent a baseball towards outer space, sparking a mid-game rally that helped the Washington Nationals defeat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Wednesday night at Nats Park.  But Harper, who has 6 2-hit games in the first 8, wasn't the only one who was on point.

Nats Sweep The Marlins, Give Up Just 1 Run In 3 Games

Nationals 6, Marlins 1

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

Read the full box score at MLB

The Washington Nationals defeated the Miami Marlins 6-1 on Thursday at Nats Park to start the season off right with a sweep of the fish.  The Nats had a scary moment in the first inning where Bryce Harper took a shot to the face, but with solid defense, a few key double plays, and a 3 run BOMB by Jayson Werth the Nats rolled the Marlins.

In the series the Nats gave up only 1 run, a solo homerun by Justin Ruggiano.  After Strasburg and Gonzalez set the bar for the Nats pitching staff with 2 shutouts Jordan Zimmermann was one bad pitch of a shutout of his own.  Zim gave up a homer to Justin Ruggiano in the 2nd inning, but after that the Marlins couldn't reach homeplate.  The Nats 3rd starter gave up 8 hits, 2 walks, and lots of ground balls, but only the 1 run in 6 innings of work.

Bryce Harper continued his monumental start going 2 for 4 for the 3rd straight game.  Harper also had that risky play at the plate (he could have easily been thrown out) as well as a caught stealing of third base with just 1 out and the cleanup hitter at the plate.  Bryce is now 6 for 12 with 2 homers and 3 RBIs on the season.

"THAT BALL IS ROCKED" - Bob Carpenter

But the real star of the game was Jayson Werth.  After contributing defensively for two games, his offense finally broke through.  Werth went 2 for 4 including crushing a 3 run homer to put the Marlins to rest in the 7th.

The Nats went with an uneventful H-Rod (Or Mr. Henry as he is now known) 7th, Clippard in the 8th, and Stammen closing down the 9th.  In case you are counting the Nats bullpen has a 0.00 ERA with 2 saves.

Despite having just one more hit than the Marlins (9 to 8) the Nats dominated the ballgame.  The Marlins were a good warm-up, but they are far from a good baseball team.  The Cincinnati Reds on the other hand, who the Nats begin a 3 game set with tomorrow, are the cream of the crop in the National League.  It should be a real test for Haren, Detwiler, and even Strasburg.

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...

Bryce Harper Gets Biebered, Impersonates The Rock, Then Disses Nats Fans Sort Of

On Saturday afternoon at Natsfest, Gio Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard hosted a "talk show" in front of Washington Nationals fans.  Their guests included Ian Desmond, Jordan Zimmermann, and Rookie of the Year, Bryce Harper.

Gio was very personable, although most of his questions were "Tell us about yourself", "What toys did you buy" and "How bout the fans".  Desmond talked about how he wanted Spring Training to start, Zimmermann talked about getting married in the offseason while Gio kept talking about his smile, and Bryce Harper once again provided some stomach churning awkward moments (just like on Kimmel).

Harper comes on stage to a familiar song, does a weird WWE Rock move, then proceeds to dis the entire Natsfest and Nationals fans...sort of.  Watch the video to see what he says that gets the crowd all up in arms:



More Videos From Natsfest:

• Danny Espinosa's Beard Takes Over
• DCSN Historic Newsreel William Howard Taft
• Welcome To DC Denard Span
• Chicken Mode meets the DC Mayor
• Images From Natsfest

Gio Gonzalez Breaks Jordan Zimmerman's Neck

With a big lead on the Cubs, Gio Gonzalez was having fun in the dugout on Tuesday night.  The camera's caught Gio pulling off a finishing neck-snap Jack Baur move on Jordan Zimmerman.  The GIF after the jump!

Lee Stops Nats, Offense Struggling, 4 Losses In A Row

Phillies 4, Nationals 1

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

Read the full box score at MLB

Cliff Lee pitched 7 tough innings and the Washington Nationals fell to the Phillies 4-1 on Sunday afternoon in Philly.  It was the 4th loss in a row for the Nationals who now lead the division by just 5 games.

Jordan Zimmermann struggled a bit giving up 3 walks and 5 hits, but he still held the Phillies to just 3 runs, and if the offense can't score, they can't win (As Bob Carpenter told us)

LaRoche, Bernadina, & Tyler Moore each had two hits, but aside from those three the offense was quiet.  Cliff Lee was on point, striking out 5 and walking 0 batters in a 7 hit 1 run performance.

In the 7th inning, with Jayson Werth on base and 0 outs, Adam LaRoche crushed a ball that went all the way to the top of the wall.  It hit the wall and bounced back into play.  Instead of looking for a signal from an umpire, LaRoche & Werth each assumed it was a homer and jogged around the bases.  LaRoche was tagged out and Werth was stuck on 3rd.  A runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs turned into just one baserunner with 1 out.  

A younger player like Harper or Moore probably would have kept running when they saw it bounce in.  But veterans LaRoche & Werth were jogging around.  The Nats ended up just getting 1 run in that inning, their only run of the game.  A lot of the blame can go on the 3rd base coach who should know the rules AND be looking at the umpire AND let the baserunners know what is happening.

Plays like that, and the Espinosa steal from the other night, are not good.

Nats have Monday off to regroup from their 4 game losing streak...

Related Stories:

• Stephen Strasburg Shutdown Rap
• Jayson Werth's Barehanded Grab

Braves Freeze, Nats Win

Nationals 5, Braves 4

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13		R	H	E
Braves	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		4	12	1
Nationals	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		5	12	0

Read the full box score at MLB

It took 13 innings to do it, but the Nationals cashed in on an error (may be called a single by now) by Dan Uggla to defeat the Braves and go up 6 games in the division.  With runners on 1st and 3rd with 0 outs, Chad Tracy hit a grounder to 2nd, but Uggla froze up and dropped the ball and the Nats went on to win as ice water poured over Chad Tracy's head.

The Nats came out strong in the first inning with a few RBI hits capped off with an Ian Desmond 2 run homer, his first hit since returning from the DL, his 18th homer.  Then for 12 straight innings, the Nats couldn't produce any offense.

The Nats had several attempts with runners on 3rd and less than 2 outs that they couldn't send home.  There was not much clutch on the night.  The Nats stranded 12 guys on the night.

Jayson Werth hit 2 doubles and Suzuki, Zimmerman, LaRoche, and Desmond each had 2 hits on the night.

Jordan Zimmermann couldn't find his spots for most of the night and struggled his way through over 100 pitches in 5 innings.  He gave up 8 hits and 4 runs, which included a dagger 2-run homer by Jason Hayward to help the Braves tie the game and seal a no-decision for J-Zimm.

The Nats ran out of pitchers and had Edwin Jackson warming up, but with the big Braves mistake, Davey Johnson didn't have to insert him into the game.  Craig Stammen picked up the win after pitching 2 innings (and on deck to pitch a 3rd).

Another one tomorrow...

Related Stories:

• Bryce Harper Smashes His Bat On Home Plate Again
• Nats Fan Goes Head Over Heels For Foul Ball

The Giants & The Bum Bum Song

Giants 6, Nationals 1

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

Read the full box score at MLB

Mad Bum is on the mound, Mad Bum is on the mound...

Pitching anyone?  If you like bad outfielding, bad baserunning, and another team's pitcher having a great game where the most crowd pleasing play in baseball, the homerun, cannot happen, then Tuesday nights Giants 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals was the game for you.

Madison Bumgarner pitched a complete game, giving up just 1 run.  Basically some poor outfielding by Hunter Pence and a booted ball by the shortstop allowed the run, but it still counted as earned.  6 K's, 1 Walk, and just 5 hits and the "run".

His counterpart Jordan Zimmermann pitched just 5 2/3 innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits.  Zimm didn't do awful, but Bumgarner shut down the Nats offense, giving up just 5 hits, 2 to Danny Espinosa and 1 to Jordan Zimm.

The Nats cut the lead to 2-1 in the 7th inning, but in the 8th the Giants pushed the game out of hand.  Drew Storen gave up 4 runs and only got one out on the 5 batters he faced.  With the lead 6-1 the Nats had no shot.

The Braves won, and the division lead is back down to 4.5.

One more tomorrow in San Fran, a "day" game...

Related Stories:

• Bubbles Attack Jordan Zimmermann (not really)

Bubbles Attack Nationals

Here are some SHOCKING photos from Tuesday night's game between the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals.  And by shocking I mean that nothing else is really happening tonight but I feel like running with something.

Look!  It's BUBBLES!

Look at the bubbles as they try to distract Jordan Zimmermann.  He appears unfazed!  (The bubbles come in from the right, but there is one over on the left too!  What a breaking amazing story!

Here is the journey of one ball that got to the plate before Jordan Zimmermann could throw his pitch.  Amazing. What coverage!

Hope you are having fun staying up all night!

Nationals Pitchers Fooling Around

On Monday night before the Nationals took on the Giants, FP Santangelo sat down with Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, and Jordan Zimmermann to joke around and talk some baseball.

========================================

Gio:  I'm also tryin to get a Colgate Commercial

Stras:  It's not workin'

Zimm:  You couldn't get a Colgate smile 2 years ago with those teeth

Gio:  I got them volcano, some cave teeth, somethin like that

=========================================

More Highlights:

• Gio called their seating arrangement the "Cuban Sandwich" 
• "It's a long season, so, sometimes it's good to just laugh a little" -Strasburg
• They said that they talk a lot of baseball, they study a lot of what's going on in the game, and the jokes are just in between.
• Gio says Strasburg is so intimidating on his pitching days that you need to "bring a bulletproof vest" 
• "If you swing for the fences every time, you're bound to run into one!" -Strasburg
• "It would have been a flyball if it wasn't in Houston" -Zimm on Gio's homer
• Who's pickin up the tab at a restaurant? They all pointed to each other.

Watch The Video Here

More after the jump:

Davey Johnson: Jordan Zimmerman, He's A Bear Out There Ya Know?

On Thursday night during Davey Johnson's post-game news conference, the Washington Nationals manager talked about one of the stars of the game Jordan Zimmerman.  Zim pitched 6 innings, struck out a career high 11 (tied), and gave up just 3 hits in the shutout victory.  Davey said the following:

"He's a bear out there Ya Know"

Oh we know...Zimmerbear!

Michael Morse, Big Man Waiting To Hit Homers, & Drew Storen's Twitter Glove

Nationals 5, Astros 0

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nationals	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	1	1		5	12	1
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	0

Read the full box score at MLB

Michael Morse went Beast mode on Thursday night, jacking two homers including a blast that smashed into some billboards ABOVE the crowd (see where it landed here) to help the Nationals complete the sweep on the Astros in Houston.  The hit continued Morse's hitting streak at 18 games and the 5-0 victory helped the Nats gain a half game on the idle Braves and are now 4 1/2 games up.

Jordan Zimmermann threw less than 90 pitches and was removed after 6 shutout innings.  Zimmermann allowed only 3 hits, struck out 11 guys (tying a career high) and lowered his ERA to 2 in his 9th win of the season.  The Nats used 4 pitchers on the night and all have ERAs below 2.50.

Zimmermann is making a case to be called the best pitcher in the majors at this time.

Offensively aside from Morse's 2 jacks (Click here to watch the Bob Carpenter Morse Rally Song) Roger Bernadina went 3 for 4 on the night and Espinosa also picked up 2 hits on the night.  The 3-4-5 guys continue to drive in runners, all 5 RBIs tonight came from those three.

The Nationals head to Arizona to finish out the week...

Related Stories:

• Bob Carpenter's Big Man Waiting Michael Morse Song
• Davey Johnson Living At The Zoo

Meet The Nat Pack, The Washington Nationals Starting Rotation

On Monday night in Houston the Nats starters were having a great time laughing in the dugout.  It reminded me of some other guys who liked to have a good time laughing.  So I give to you, the Nat Pack.

Stevey Sinatra, Dean Zimmermartin, Gio Bishop, Det Lawford, & Edwin Davis Jr.

Related Stories:

• Bryce Harper Smashes His Bat The Gif
• Gio Gonzalez High Fives Invisible People The Gif