Nats Enquirer

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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Video: Stephen Strasburg enjoys Wale, Lil Wayne, Garth Brooks

2013-05-21T13:35:16-04:00

So Stephen Strasburg will need to be almost perfect to help save Davey's sinking ship tonight. Up above, video of Strasburg doing an interview with Dr. Dre's Beats TV during the Nats stop in LA, in which he discusses how his grandmother taught him to play baseball, and reveals what's on his iPod:

"I'm extremely eclectic. I got a little bit of everything. I got some Wale, Lil Wayne, Slipknot, Incubus, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean."

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Bryce Harper returns to lineup: "If I bang it up or something it's right back to square one."

2013-05-20T22:07:48-04:00

So Bryce returns to the Nationals lineup tonight, batting third: there he is above taking BP as seen on MASN tonight. And here's Harper talking about how sliding could be a problem tonight on MASN's Nats Xtra pregame show:

"It was more of just running on it. Sliding. things like that. I think the slide's probably gonna hurt the worst. If I bang it up or something it's right back to square one. So hopefully I don't do that."

Please don't slide.

Meanwhile, Jayson Werth could miss another two weeks. That hammy is strained.

(Screencap via MASN/TV)

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Ryan Mattheus' choice of Spring Training t-shirt for postgame interview was perfect

2013-05-19T20:37:22-04:00

Repeat after me: It's only Spring Training. Oh, wait...

Padres 13, Nationals 4: Spring Training called. It wants its March-split-squad lineup back. Bryce Harper's status up in the air for tomorrow. Jayson Werth back by the All Star Break, maybe?

Dan Haren (5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 HR, 1 WP) stunk out the joint; Ryan Mattheus (1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB) turns 7-4 game into a dumpster fire. Much respect to Mattheus for standing up and facing the music after the game (video here, via MASN).

Henry Rodriguez pitches for the first time in 8 days, his inning included a SMH-Rod wild pitch, a walk, an error, and three stolen bases. He got out of it without giving up a run!?

Silver lining: Danny Espinosa goes 0-4 but only strikes out once. Good thing he's trying to play through that little shoulder thing. Season ending surgery in 5...4...3...

Cheer up, Nats fans: Zach Duke starting tomorrow. He'll probably pitch the first no-no in Nats history or something...

(Screencap of dejected Ryan Mattheus via MASN/TV)

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Jordan Zimmermann: “I just made two mistakes."

2013-05-19T10:31:06-04:00

"He pitched an unbelievable game and swung the bat better than most of the guys in the lineup. It’s a waste we couldn’t pull this one out. That’s a tough loss."
(Davey Johnson on Jordan Zimmermann, 5/19/2013)

"I just made two mistakes."
(Jordan Zimmermann, via Washington Times, 5/19/2013)

Padres 2, Nationals 1: Wasted effort. 85-pitch complete game loss for Jordan Zimmermann. Unfortunately, he had to be perfect, but a HR, throwing error, too much to overcome.

Steve Lombardozzi caught stealing twice. Davey, why'd you send him in the 9th with no outs and Zim at the plate with a 3-2 count?

"I got my best up there, 3-2 count. I’m expecting us to put it in play. I’d do it every time."
(Davey Johnson on decision to send Lombo with Zim at the plate, 3-2 count, 5/19/2013)

The sun rises, the sun sets, and Danny Espinosa goes 0-3 with 2 strikeouts.

(Screencap of dejected J-Zimm via MASN/TV)

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