Nats Enquirer

About that pitch that broke Danny Espinosa's wrist back on April 14

2013-05-24T18:38:40-04:00

Ouch! There's the pitch that broke Danny Espinosa's wrist back in April. Screencaps via MASN/MLB.com.

"I was thinking after a couple weeks some of it would start to go away. And before we went on the California trip, I said when we get home, I want to get it checked out again. It's not getting worse, but by no means has it gotten any better. So I wanted to get it checked out. I got it checked out yesterday and that's when we found out."
(Danny Espinosa, via CSNWashington.com, 5/24/2013)

Forget his shredded shoulder: that Paul Maholm pitch that hit Danny Espinosa in the wrist back on April 14? Turns out Danny's been playing with a broken wrist ever since; they're hoping a few days of rest will help, hoping to avoid a trip to the DL.

For some reason, Nats aren't considering calling up Anthony Rendon on Saturday when Detwiler returns from the DL?

"[Rendon] wouldn’t be in that picture right now. For me he’s not."
(Davey Johnson, on Rendon not getting the call up, via CSNWashington.com, 5/24/2013)

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Meet Gio Gonzalez's new puppy, "Stitch"

2013-05-24T09:01:00-04:00

Move over, Hollywood. Gio Gonzalez got a new dog. Meet "Stitch".

There they are above, via a photo posted by Gio on Instagram Thursday night ("Me and the fat guy #stitch.") Heres to hoping Gio doesn't get rug burn on his forehead this time.

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Video: Ryan Zimmerman on "A Night at the Park"

2013-05-24T08:00:00-04:00

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Up above, CSNWashington.com video of Ryan Zimmerman talking about the fourth annual "A Night at the Park", which took place Thursday night at Nationals Park to support the ziMS Foundation. Good stuff. You can also make a donation to the ziMS foundation here.

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#Nattingly?

2013-05-23T22:42:52-04:00

It's not even June yet, but apparently it's not too early to begin speculating about Davey Johnson's successor. World Series or Bust!

And so, with Don Mattingly on the hot seat in LA, CBS Sports' Danny Knobler did just that in a column on Thursday, speculating that if Mattingly gets fired, he could be on Mike Rizzo's radar as Davey's eventual replacement. Then again, if your name isn't Jim Riggleman, you might as well consider yourself to be on Mike Rizzo's radar for 2014. Via CBSSports.com:

"People who know Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo say Rizzo is and has always been a Mattingly fan. The Nationals considered Mattingly as manager once before, according to sources, although they never officially interviewed him for the job at that point....

Eventually, though, they will need someone to take over for Johnson, who has said that this will be his final year as manager. Both ownership and the front office are believed to strongly favor hiring a high-profile manager, rather than simply promote someone like Randy Knorr or Trent Jewett from Johnson's coaching staff."

Back in 2009 Mattingly turned down an opportunity to interview with the Nats. Different job back then, of course.

Also, it's not even June yet. World Series or Bust, right Davey?

(Screencap via MLB.com video)

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Bryce Harper did everything except untuck his shirt yesterday...

2013-05-23T08:36:05-04:00

Confront his fear of walls? Check (video here).

Hit an opposite field home run? Check (video here).

Make a great sliding catch in the eighth? Check (video here).

Hurt his knee again on that catch and scare the crap out of Davey Johnson late in the game because of said knee? Check ("It’s a little swollen." said Harper after the game).

Score the eventual game-winning run on an Ian Desmond single with his helmet flying off? Check (video here).

Write "Pray 4 OK!" on the brim of his cap? Check (video here).

Hold a baby? Check (Photo via his sister).

The only thing Harper didn't do yesterday was untuck his shirt like Rafael Soriano after a must-win game (seems odd to say that in May). Still, all is apparently forgiven between Harper and Raffy.

West Coast trip from hell ends 4-6. Nats 4 1/2 back of the Braves in the NL East.

(Screencaps via MLB.com, MASN/TV)

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Gio Gonzalez in Steve McCatty Playgirl t-shirt

2013-05-22T23:08:55-04:00

We'd be remiss if we didn't post something about the t-shirt Dan Haren made for Nats pitchers featuring the pic of Steve McCatty in that 1984 issue of Playgirl, which officially blew up and became a "thing" on Tuesday:

Haren got T-shirts of McCatty's Playgirl shot made today. "UNTUCK" on back. "Utter joy," Clippard said. "This is the best day of my life."
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 21, 2013

Anyway, there's Gio above (Photo of TV via @NatitudeProblem) in a shot from Nats Xtra on MASN before Wednesday's Nats-Giants game. Sleeves cut off, too.

Meanwhile, a pretty nice little outing for Gio on Wednesday: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 116 pitches, 73 strikes. Should've been good enough for the win, but, you know, these are the 2013 Nats.

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Rafael Soriano rips Bryce Harper for miscue

2013-05-22T11:02:06-04:00

So Rafael Soriano took the opportunity to rip Bryce Harper last night for misplaying Gregor Blanco's game-tying triple in the ninth inning. Via USA Today Sports:

"With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn't go over your head,'' Soriano said in Spanish...
"It may not have been a catch-able ball, but if we're positioned the right way, there might have been a different outcome. With two outs, I could tell my four-year-old son, 'You know where you need to play,' and he would go to the right spot to make the play. It's not an excuse, and I'm not speaking badly about anybody, but I think that's how you play the game.''

The hits just keep coming for the Nats...

[Update]: Via James Wagner of the Washington Post: Soriano claims he was joking to that USA Today reporter, thought it was off the record. Raffy spoke with Harper, apparently everything is good.

(Screencap of Soriano during his postgame interview via MASN video.)

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Bryce Harper on that triple over his head: "I don’t want to hit the frickin’ wall full-on."

2013-05-22T08:11:15-04:00

So what happened on that deep fly ball by Gregor Blanco that went over Bryce Harper's head in the 9th inning that turned into a game-tying triple? Harper appeared to flinch as he approached the wall and misplayed the ball (see video here).

Turns out Harper was thinking about running into another wall:

"I don’t want to hit the frickin’ wall full-on. Of course that crosses your mind after you jam into a wall. It doesn’t really feel very good. It sucks that I couldn’t make the play. I totally put that loss on me."
(Bryce Harper, via Washington Post, 5/22/2013)

"I better figure it out soon. Or I’m going to be in Triple-A. That’s how I feel."
(Bryce Harper, via Washington Times, 5/22/2013)

(Screencaps via MASN/TV)

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Another wasted effort

2013-05-22T07:35:42-04:00

Above: Yunesky Maya admiring his work in the 10th. But the loss should be pinned on Ryan Mattheus.

"I don’t feel good. I wanted to put up a zero."
(Yunesky Maya, via Washington Post, 5/22/2013)

Giants 4, Nationals 2: Stephen Strasburg pitched like an Ace, but two runs isn't enough. Rafael Soriano blows the save in the 9th after Harper misplays a flyball for fear of crashing into another wall.

Welcome back! Yunesky Maya returns from exile in Syracuse and coughs up 2-run walk-off HR to Pablo Sandoval in the 10th (video here).

Death, taxes, and another 0-3, 2 strikeout game for Danny Espinosa.

Nats fall back to .500. West Coast road trip from hell ends today at 3:45.

(Screencap via MASN/TV)

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Watch as Stephen Strasburg brushes back Buster Posey

2013-05-22T00:24:13-04:00

Just Stephen Strasburg brushing back Buster Posey in the sixth inning. You could watch it all day. Strasburg pitched like an Ace tonight, pulled after 7 innings...

(vine via MASN/TV)

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