Astros Lose To Pirates On Error

Since nobody else seems to be doing this well, here's the Astros colliding on an easy popup, dropping the ball, and losing the game:

Bryce Throws His Arms Up In The Air Sometimes

Saying A-yo, Gotta let go...

In the bottom of the 1st inning in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon, Bryce Harper checked his swing with two strikes.  There was an appeal to third base umpire John Hirschbeck who claimed that Harper went through with the swing, and called him out.

Bryce Harper was not happy with the call believing that he did check his swing.  The replay showed that the pitch should have been called a strike, but it wasn't and Harper acted out.  Bryce threw his hands up in the air to which Hirschbeck took exception.

Series Preview: Nats at Pirates

 
Pitching Matchups, Times, & TV Listings

Friday, May 3rd, 7:05PM - Ross Detwiler v. A.J. Burnett (MASN HD)

Saturday, May 4th, 4:05PM - Stephen Strasburg v. Jeff Locke (FOX)

Sunday, May 5th, 1:35PM - Gio Gonzalez v. Wandy Rodriguez (MASN HD)

After splitting a 4-game set with the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals now head north to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates.  The Nationals are currently 2.5 games out of first place and will hope to take this series from the upstart Pirates.  The Nationals seem to have found their rhythm in Atlanta and there are many interesting aspects coming into this series, and we are here to preview all of them.

Rats Beat Nats, Win Season Series

Pirates 5, Nationals 3

Many people never heard the name James McDonald before Thursday night, but after the Nationals 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is a name they won't forget (for at least 2 days).  McDonald dominated the Nats through half of the game, and after 5 innings pitched he had thrown 10 strikeouts and had given up 0 hits.

But just when the no-hitter talk started, McDonald fell apart in the 6th inning giving up 4 hits and 3 runs 2/3 of the frame.  The best offensive run for the Nats when Ryan Zimmerman had a 2 RBI double and then scored on an Adam LaRoche triple (not a typo).

The Nats left 7 runners on base and were 3-10 with runners in scoring position.  Gotta get those guys home.

Jordan Zimmermann had an off game, giving up 7 hits.  Three of those were homeruns (2 by McCutchen) which were good for a total of 4 runs.  At some point in a series where a guy is killing, you have to pitch around him a bit.  Votto and McCutchen are Nats killers.

The Nationals & Pirates won't meet again; the Rats won the season series 3-2.  Atlanta now leads the division by half a game.  It doesn't get any easier with the Orioles, at the top of the Majors with 25 wins...

Nats Bustin' Loose Against The Pirates

Nationals 7, Pirates 4

It was $5 Beer & Peanuts night at Nats Park and the fans got a good deal both in the concessions as well as on the field.  Gio Gonzalez pitched another great one as the Washington Nationals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on a beautiful Wednesday Night in DC.  The 10 strikeout, 4 hit, 3 run performance combined with a little offense helped the Nats leapfrog over the Braves and back into first place in the division.

It was also Military Appreciation Night, the Nats donning their American Flag Curly W jerseys (much cooler than Camouflage).  So can we start a read outloud U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! chant.  Thank you troops!  And to a way way way lesser extent, thank you Nats for the W!

The Nats Bats were Fat.  LaRoche, Desmond, and Nady each hit home runs as Bustin' Loose played in the background.  Bryce Harper picked up his first major league triple on a near-miss homer in the 1st inning as well.  And the big hit was a bases loaded bases clearing double by LaRoche in the 7th.

There was some semi-surprising news.  Henry Rodriguez came in for the save with a 3 run lead.  I'm not sure if he gets in there if the lead is 1.  But he picked it up without allowing a run...his 9th.

And your FP Santangelo quote of the night.  When discussing the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, a baseball team that took on that name after several of the players got married one year, FP had an idea for what a current baseball team would be called:  "The Whatever City Divorced Guys".

Next up for the Nats is the 2nd of the mini-series with the Rats on Thursday...Battle of the Beltways starts on Friday...

Next Up, Carlos Maldanado

On Monday night there was a lot of joking around in a half serious way about playing Bryce Harper in the catcher position.  The reason that it was half-serious is because for the second time in 3 days, the Nationals lost a catcher to injury.

On Saturday night the Nats lost starting catcher Wilson Ramos for the season with a torn ACL and just 2 games later AA-call-up Sandy Leon found himself laying on the ground in agony as well.  Leon's injury was a sprained ankle caused by a collision at the plate.  Four innings of a Major League career, 1 strikeout looking, and down to the DL, his Major League chance possibly washed away.

While Bryce Harper could put on the catcher's gear, that is the last thing the Nationals want.  In their mind Harper never played catcher and never will again.  Especially after watching all these violent collisions around the league, and within the organization where catchers careers are ruined, you'd have to be insane to put Bryce there.

So the organization has made the decision to bring up Carlos Maldonado.  He is the AAA catcher that was overlooked on Saturday night for the likes of AA Sandy Leon.  Maldonado played a few games in 2006 & 2007 for the Pirates (21) and a handful for the Nats in 2010 (4), but has been a career minor leaguer since 1997.

At 33 years old Maldonado is being brought up just to fill in.  Not as exciting as Leon, who at 23 years old is 10 years younger and was somewhat of a "prospect".

So for the Nationals not much changes.  Jesus Flores is the everyday catcher and Maldonado will be around to back him up...here's hoping these guys can stay healthy and can we ELIMINATE the home plate collision from the game already?

By the way, I've heard Pudge Rodriguez's name mentioned by fans...

Series Preview (x2): Padres/Pirates @ Nationals

The National's are coming back to DC for their next three series: a two gamer against the Padres, a two gamer against he Pirates, and then a three gamer against the O's.  You know I'll be excited for the O's match up, but here is a look at those first two short match ups:


Padres:

• Monday: 7:05 PM, Stauffer (0-0) vs Detwiler (3-2). *Tim Stauffer started the season on the DL.
• Tuesday: 1:05 PM, Bass (1-4) vs Strasburg (3-0).

 Pirates:

• Wednesday: 7:05 PM, McDonald (2-2) vs Gonzalez (4-1).
• Thursday: 7:05 PM, Happ (2-3) vs Zimmermann (2-3).

(The final game of the Reds series hasn't started because of a rain delay.  If cancelled, these pitching match ups will almost certainly shuffle.) 

All four of these are very winnable games and if you can you should try to make it out to the yard.   Tuesday seems like a good one to call out sick for, with Strasburg on the mound going for his 4th win of the season.  How about swinging by the stadium after work on Wednesday to watch Gio go for his 5th?

Your sound for these two series comes from Ozzy Osbourne, a man that graces the version center jumbo-tron in a Capitals jersey during home games.  We won't be seeing him up there till next season now, so enjoy Crazy Train.

Mental wounds not healing, Lifes a butter shame, I'm going of the rails on a crazy train.
Is this describing how it feels to be in a slump, how it feels to hit yourself in the head with a bat, or being a fan of any of the Washington area sports teams? I'll let you decide...

Strassy Strikes Again

Nationals 4, Pirates 2

One of the things that we notice here is that despite the city's lack of success from it's sports franchises there are a lot of amazing things that happen.  Well maybe not a lot, but there are a few times in each sport where some great sports moments happen.  And because of the lack of success, DC Sports fans seem to miss a lot of those moments.

For example, did you actually watch the game live when Josh Hamilton was hitting 4 homers against the Orioles?  Did you watch the next game where the O's led of the game with back to back to back home runs (an American League first)?  I know I know, the Orioles don't count.  But hopefully you were tuned in to the Nationals game Thursday night to see Stephen Strasburg strike out 13 guys (7 in a row at one point) in just 6 innings of work.

On Thursday night the Nationals defeated the Pirates 4-2 to avoid the sweep behind that great pitching performance by Stephen Strasburg, bombs by Bernadina, LaRoche and Ankiel, and 3 scoreless no-hit innings by the bullpen.

Strasburg's 13 strikeouts was the 2nd best of his career, his best coming in his Major League debut when he struck out 14.  (If you weren't at that game, then you really missed out on an amazing DC Sports moment.  After giving up the 2 runs his ERA is now 1.64 and, along with his buddy Gio Gonzalez (.172), is in the top 10 in the Majors.

We haven't really talked much about the bullpen lately so it was nice to see them pitch well.  Mattheus with the hold the 7th, Clippard for the hold in the 8th, and H-Rod for the save in the 9th.  (This hold stat is getting out of control).

It was looking like the Nats offense was going to spoil another great pitching performance when Strasburg gave up two runs in the fourth inning but an Adam LaRoche 2-run shot in the 6th gave both the Nats and Strasburg (3-0) the win.

Next up, the Reds...3 games in Cincinnati

Nats Drop 2nd To Pirates

Pirates 4, Nationals 2

The Nationals lost to the Pirates 4-2 on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.  Most DC fans probably missed this one because the Caps game was on, and it was probably a good thing.  The Nationals struck out 11 times and stranded 10 runners.  Only 5 hits.

Detwiler pitched a mediocre game, giving up 3 runs to the Rats, but with the Nats offensive bats 3 runs is way too much.  He better get that number down to 2 or 1 if he doesn't want to lose every start.  The Nats had 3 players bat that are batting under .200.

Andrew McCutchen had 4 of the Pirates 8 hits (4 for 4), one of those a solo shot off of Stammen.  Meanwhile the entire Nationals roster was swinging for the fences.  Awful.

The Pirates like to score 4-5 runs and the Nats like to score 2-3 runs so something better pop up out of nowhere if they want to avoid being swept on the road for the second time this season.

This was the Nats 3rd straight loss.  The Orioles and Nats are trending back downward...

H-Rod Blows, Rats Beat Nats

Pirates 5, Nationals 4

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Henry Rodriguez came in to save the game for the Nationals and proceeded to blow his 2nd save of the year giving up a 2 run shot to Rod Barajas and the Pirates took the first of the series 5-4.

Edwin Jackson gave up 2 solo shots but other than that only gave up one more hit the entire 7 full innings he pitched.  Another great pitching performance down the drain.  The offense only gave E-Jax 2 runs to work with, so he wouldn't have gotten the win anyway.

The two "best" hitters on the team are Edwin Jackson and Bryce Harper.  A pitcher and a rook.  That is a dagger.  Although LaRoche came back and hit another bomb.

Ryan Zimmerman came back to the lineup and batted third, moving Bryce Harper to 2nd.

Another one in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.  Happening during the Caps game...so....

Where Drew Storen At!?

Series Preivew: Nationals @ Pirates

Ahoy! We were so close.  We had the Phillies at the edge of the plank, hands bound, about to take the plunge.  Our fearless captain Bryce Harper was leading the way.  It didn't take long for him to get his sea legs did it?  He looked like he was shot out of a canon when he stole home!  After a stretch of losses, the team has definitely righted the ship so set a course North.  Next stop Pittsburgh, who were last years feel good story for awhile, but look to be back to their old (terrible) ways this season.

• Tuesday: 7:05 PM, Jackson (1-1) vs Burnett (1-2).
• Wednesday: 7:05 PM, Detwiler (3-1) vs Bedard (2-4). *Capitals playoff game some point this day
• Thursday: 7:05 PM, Strasburg (2-0) vs Correia (1-2).

Pittsburgh has a pair of good pitchers who are past their prime in AJ Burnett and Erik Bedard.  It's possible they could steal a game, but look for the Nats to ride their wave of momentum from the Phillies series and swab the deck with both of them.  I'm going to say Tuesday is the game to watch out of this series.

If you haven't guess it yet from my o-so-subtle language (Arrrr!) Pittsburgh's team is the Pirates.  I have no idea why Pittsburgh has a team called the Pirates, especially since Pennsylvania was the only landlocked colony of the original 13.  (Finally my history degree is useful.)

The Pirates might think they can win this series behind their Salty Dogs, but we are going to show them that sometimes youth (Nats have the second youngest roster in MLB) is much better than experience!