Restoring Glory in the Nation's Capital: A Nationals Franchise

[emurray87]

2012 Starting Lineup

Catchers

#3 Wilson Ramos 23 R/R CNT-10 PWR-8 EYE- 3
#7 Ivan Rodriguez 39 R/R CNT-10 PWR-6 EYE-5

Infielders

#4 2B/SS Alex Cora 35 L/R CNT-10 PWR-4 EYE-10
#6 SS/2B/LF/RF Ian Desmond 25 R/R CNT-11 PWR-10 EYE-9
#8 2B/SS Danny Espinosa 23 S/R CNT-10 PWR-11 EYE-10
#11 3B Ryan Zimmerman 26 R/R CNT-14 PWR-15 EYE-13
#15 3B/2B/SS/LF/RF Jerry Hairston Jr. 34 R/R CNT-10 PWR-8 EYE-11
#25 1B Adam LaRoche 31 L/L CNT-11 PWR-13 EYE-11

Outfielders

#14 LF/RF Matt Stairs 43 L/R CNT- 9 PWR-12 EYE- 13
#17 RF/LF/CF Laynce Nix 30 L/L CNT- 10 PWR-13 EYE-9
#24 CF/LF/RF Rick Ankiel 31 L/L CNT-10 PWR-13 EYE-10
#28 RF Jayson Werth 31 R/R CNT-12 PWR-15 EYE-15
#33 LF/RF/1B Mike Morse 29 R/R CNT-12 PWR-14 EYE-11

Starting Pitchers

#21 Jason Marquis 32 L/R STU-9 MOV-13 CTL-12
#27 Jordan Zimmerman 24 R/R STU-13 MOV-12 CTL-11
#31 John Lannon 26 L/L STU-9 MOV-13 CTL-11
#32 Tom Gorzelanny 28 L/L STU-11 MOV-12 CTL-9
#61 Livan Hernandez 36 R/R STU-8 MOV-13 CTL-13

Relief Pitchers

#17 Sean Burnett 28 L/L STU-12 MOV-14 CTL-10
#22 Drew Storen 23 S/R STU-16 MOV-15 CTL-11
#36 Tyler Clippard 26 R/R STU-20 MOV-14 CTL-11
#45 Doug Slaten 31 L/L STU-15 MOV-13 CTL-10
#51 Brian Broderick 24 R/R STU-6 MOV-13 CTL-14
#57 Chad Gaudin 28 R/R STU-13 MOV-13 CTL-10
#60 Todd Coffey 30 R/R STU-16 MOV-12 CTL-12


Up Next: 2012 Baseball America Top Prospects

[emurray87]

Press Release
Baseball America
April 1, 2011--
() denotes top 100 position

1. RF Bryce Harper, 18(1)
AGE: 18 B/T: L/R POTENTIAL: CNT-20 PWR-20 EYE-17 ETA: 2013

Murray's Take-- What's not to love about Harper? He's the #1 prospect in all of the major leagues. Has the potential to hit .300/30hr and could even steal 10-15 bases a season. He will start 2011 in AA Harrisburg at only 18. We will take our time with him and make sure he gets his at-bats at AA with Jayson Werth signed long-term on the big club.

2. C Derek Norris, 22(32)
AGE: 22 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: CNT-8 PWR-12 EYE-11 ETA: 2013

Murray's Take-- Norris looks to be a solid catching prospect. His glove(12) and arm(15) are leaps above his bat at this point(5,8,7). At age 22, could move through the system fast. Norris will start 2011 in A Potomac and could reasonably be in AAA by the end of the year.

3. 2B/SS Danny Espinosa, 23(77)
AGE: 23 B/T: S/R POTENTIAL: CNT-8 PWR- EYE- ETA: NOW

Murray's Take-- Espinosa has Gold Glover written all over him. His bat remains to be seen. He won't hit for much power or average but will make up for it with his plus-plus defense. His range is also above average. Where he sticks long-term is the big question? For now, he will open 2011 as the everyday 2B.

4. CF Eury Perez, 20(--)
AGE: 20 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: CNT- PWR- EYE- ETA: 2013-2014

Murray's Take-- Perez has blazing speed and plus-plus defensive skills. His arm is above average. Has the potential to be a solid leadoff hitter and play CF for the Nationals for a long time. We are very excited about this kid. You could see him top this list in a couple years.

5. C Wilson Ramos, 23(--)
AGE: 23 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: CNT- PWR- EYE ETA: NOW

Murray's Take-- It's good to see two solid defensive catchers in your top 5 prospects when first taking over the team. Norris appears to be the better of the the two in the long term. Ramos will start 2011 as the everyday catcher for the big club. Average hitter with a little pop. His an amazing arm and plays his position very well.

6. RHP A.J. Cole, 19(--)
AGE: 19 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: STU- MOV- CTL- ETA: 2014-beyond

Murray's Take-- Finally we see the first pitcher on this list and Cole looks to be a good one. Has a plus-fastball that sits between 93-95 to go a long with a potential plus-plus curveball and a plus changeup. Has all the make up to join Strasburg at the top of the rotation, but be patient it could take a while. He will start 2011 in June with the Short-Season A Auburn Doubledays when they open up their NY-Penn League schedule.

7. MR Brian Broderick, 24(--)
AGE: 24 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: STU- MOV- CTL- ETA: NOW

Murray's Take-- I'm not sure why Baseball America has him rated quite this high. None of his pitches are above-average with a 91-93 mph fastball, slider, and change. He has the potential to start but his stuff will have to come a long way before that happens. Will start 2011 in the Nats bullpen but most likely will see more time to season his craft at the AAA level this year.

8. 2B/SS Stephen Lombardozzi, 22(--)
AGE: 22 B/T: S/R POTENTIAL: CNT- PWR- EYE- ETA: 2012-2013

Murray's Take-- There's nothing that particularly stands out about Lombardozzi, but buzz around the minors is he does everything well. He is a natural born leader on and off the field. Has the potential to hit atop the Nats lineup but most likely will slot in lower in the order. We like what we see in this kid. At worst is a very solid utility infielder.

9. LHP Tom Milone, 24(--)
AGE: 24 B/T: L/L POTENTIAL: STU- MOV- CTL- ETA: Late 2011-2012

Murray's Take-- Milone is the pitcher's version of Lombardozzi. Doesn't have one tool that sticks out but performs well. His fastball has a hard time topping out in the 90s and sits between 87-89 with no plus pitches. Most likely will shift into a bullpen role with the Nats either later this season or could be a candidate for the big club in 2012.

10. 1B Chris Marrero, 22(--)
AGE: 22 B/T: R/R POTENTIAL: CNT- PWR- EYE ETA: 2011

Murray's Take-- Marrero has light tower power and easily the most power of anyone in our system. He also has gold glove potential at 1B. Will start 2011 in AAA Syracuse and will see some time in a big league uniform.

Up next: Prospects 11-20 along with updated potential ratings.

[emurray87]

11. CF Corey Brown, AAA(--)
AGE: 25 B/T: L/L ETA: 2011

Murray's Take-- At age 25 Brown is going to have to show his power at AAA Syracuse or risk being a journeyman AAA/MLB type. Has a good arm but is below-average defensively. Has the speed to remain in center but has plenty of question marks in likely his last year as a prospect. Could see time on the big league club if he can put it all together.

12. 2B/3B Matt Antonelli, AA(--)
AGE: 25 B/T: R/R ETA: 2011

Murray's Take-- It looks like we are getting to the point of the list where the question marks come out. Can Antonelli hit for enough average to stick on the major league club? Has a nack for drawing walks. Average defensively and will most likely stick at 2B. Will start in AA Harrisburg but look for him to get promoted quickly.

13. LHP Sammy Solis, A(--)
AGE: 22 B/T: R/L ETA: 2013

Murray's Take-- Has a power pitcher's frame at 6'5/230 but doesn't have power pitcher's stuff. His fastball is an average offering hitting 94 occassionally riding at 90-92 as a starter. Does have 2 plus-pitches in a changeup and knuckle curve and above-average control. Will start in Low A Hagerstown but at 22 will move quickly. Can he add something to his fastball is the key between having #2 potential and having #4 or #5 potential.

14. MR Tanner Roark, AA(--)
AGE: 24 B/T: R/R ETA: 2012

Murray's Take-- Stereotypical control pitcher. His fastball sits between 86-88 mph but he makes his living spoting his pitches very well. Offers a plus changeup and an average splitter. Has the potential to be a setup man if he can add some velocity to his 6'3/220 frame. At 24, though, time is not on Roark's side.

15. LF Destin Hood, A+(--)
AGE: 20 B/T: R/R ETA: 2014

Murray's Take--Doesn't have anything that sticks out as a plus-skill. He's a wait and see prospect. Hopefully he will develop something. If not he will quickly be off this list. 4th OF potential.

16. 2B Jeffrey Kobernus, A+(--)
AGE: 22 B/T: R/R ETA: 2013-2014

Murray's Take-- At this point doesn't look anymore than a defensive replacement and pinch runner at the big league level. That is if he gets there. Doesn't have much potential.

17. RF J.R. Higley, AA(--)
AGE: 22 B/T: R/R ETA: 2013

Murray's Take-- One of the guys lower on this list that has some potential. At 6'3/210 he has a big body but has plus-range in RF and can play some CF if needed, average at that. Has potential as a 4th OF but he is going to have to show he can hit.

18. RHP Trevor Holder, AA(--)
AGE: 24 B/T: R/R ETA: 2012

Murray's Take-- Holder stands 6'2 but only weighs in at 185 lbs. He's tall and lean with a 90-92 mph fastball. Has 4 average pitches including a slider, curveball, and changeup. At 24, will hopefully move fast. Has the potential to be a #5 starter or compete for a bullpen job in 2012.

19. RHP Brad Peacock, A+(--)
AGE: 23 B/T: R/R ETA: 2012-2013

Murray's Take-- If there is anything to like about him it's his defense. He is a small guy at 6'0/175 but does feature a 92-94 mph that can be plus at times. Also has a changeup that needs some work and a knucklecurve that looks to be his out pitch and has the potential to be another plus-pitch. Should be higher on this list but at 23 and only in High A he will have to move fast as time is not on his side. Average end of the rotation arm or bullpen arm potential.

20. C Adrian Nieto, Rk(--)
AGE: 21 B/T: S/R ETA: 2014+

Murray's Take-- Very raw in both sides of his game. At 21 he will have to figure it out in a hurry but does still have some time. Doesn't have a laser for an arm but does have the potential to be an above-average hitter. Will most likely get bumped up to Low A Hagerstown once a roster spot opens up.

Up next: Opening Day vs. ATL

[emurray87]

Zimmerman Throws 2-Hit Gem on Opening Day


March 31, 2011--

Atlanta @ Washington
@

Today's Probables: RHP Tommy Hanson(0-0, 0.00) v. Jordan Zimmerman(0-0, 0.00)


Jordan Zimmerman took the ball on Opening Day at Nationals Park for the 1st time in his career, looking to bounce back from an injury plagued 2010 campaign and he did just that. Thursday night, Zimmerman threw a complete-game 2 hit masterpiece v. the Atlanta Braves, walking 3 and striking out 3. The final score was Nats 4, Braves 0.

The Nats got on the board in the bottom of the 1st as cleanup hitter Jayson Werth doubled in Danny Espinosa who lead off the inning by singling and stealing 2nd before tagging up and advancing to 3rd on a Ryan Zimmerman fly out.

Washington tacked on 2 more in the 3rd on a Mike Morse RBI-flyout and Jayson Werth scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 Nats.

Adam LaRoche capped off the scoring with a solo-shot in the 6th off Braves starter Tommy Hanson. It was the only homer of the game.

Braves Highlights: 3B Chipper Jones 1-4; C Brian McCann 1-3, BB; SP Tommy Hanson 7 IP, 7 H, 3ER, 3BB, 6K

Nationals Highlights: RF Jayson Werth 3-3, RBI, SB; 2B Danny Espinosa 1-4, SB, R; SP Jordan Zimmerman CG, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 3K

next game- 4/2 v. ATL

[emurray87]

I won't be posting updates like that for every game. simply too much. I will report on a week to week basis ending every Sunday of the season.

[Biggio509]

Restoring glory? They didn't joke first in war first in peace last in the American league for no reason. DC has had a rough history in baseball.

[emurray87]

lNationals Update

March 31, 2011- April 4th, 2011.

The Nationals finished off the short first week of the season with a sweep of the Braves as they sit atop the 1st MLB Power rankings. But with a single series of the season down we are not ready to crown ourselves champs just yet but we do like what we see from our team.

Nats Scores for the week
3/31: Nationals 4, Braves 0
4/2: Nationals 5, Braves 3
4/3: Nationals 4, Braves 3

Hot Players
SP Jordan Zimmerman 1-0, 0.00 ERA
SP John Lannan 1-0, 2.25 ERA
CL Drew Storen 2 Saves
1B Adam LaRoche .500/.667/1.250 2HR 4 RBI
RF Jayson Werth .600/.667/.900 0HR 2RBI SB

Cold Players
3B Ryan Zimmerman .167/.167/.250 0 HR 0 RBI
SS Ian Desmond .100/.182/.200 0 HR 1 RBI
CF Rick Ankiel .182/.250/.273 0 HR 0 RBI

Around the League
Current Top 10 Power Rankings:
1. Washington Nationals(186.0)
2. Cleveland Indians(186.0)
3. Cincinnati Reds(186.0)
4. Chicago Cubs(186.0)
5. Philadelphia Phillies(123.0)
6. Minnesota Twins(123.0)
7. Detroit Tigers(123.0)
8. Oakland Athletics(122.0)
9. Florida Marlins(122.0)
10. Tampa Bay Rays(120.0)

Injury News
Rays OF Johnny Damon will miss 4 months(torn labrum)
Pirates IF Neil Walker out 2-3 weeks(lacerated hand)
Braves SP Derek Lowe out 1-2 weeks(sore shoulder)
Cardinals 2B Tyler Greene out 4 weeks(separated shoulder)

Transaction News
4/4: Twins sign RF Michael Cuddyer to 2 year extension worth 16.5M

NL East Standings
Washington 3-0
Philadelphia 2-1
Florida 2-1
New York 1-2
Atlanta 0-3

[emurray87]

Nationals Update

April 4, 2011-April 10, 2011

Nationals start season hot with 5-0 record, lost 3 straight but ended the week with a 2-0 shutout of the Mets to finish tied with them atop the NL East at 6-3.

Nationals Scores
4/5: Nationals 8, Marlins 5
4/6: Nationals 7, Marlins 1
4/7: Marlins 7, Nationals 1
4/8: Mets 8, Nationals 3
4/9: Mets 10, Nationals 1
4/10: Nationals 2, Mets 0

Hot Players
SP Jordan Zimmerman 1-0 3.86 1BB 9K
SP Livan Hernandez 0-0 1.50 2BB 2K
MR Tyler Clippard 0-0 2.25 1BB 6K 3APP
CL Drew Storen 3 SVS
1B Adam LaRoche .455/.538/.591 1HR 8 RBI

Cold Players
MR Brian Broderick 0-0 19.29 4BB 2K
SP Tom Gorzelanny 0-1 16.88 2BB 1K
3B Ryan Zimmerman .167/.167/.250 0 HR 1RBI
C Wilson Ramos .100/.143/.100 0 HR 1 RBI
LF Mike Morse .150/.227/.200 0 HR 1 RBI

Around the League
Current Top 10 Power Rankings
1. Boston Red Sox(144, ++)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks(127, ++)
3. Los Angeles Dodgers(125, ++)
4. Detroit Tigers(125, ++)
5. Washington Nationals(124, --)
6. Chicago Cubs(124, -)
7. New York Mets(122, ++)
8. Tampa Bay Rays(121, +)
9. Cincinnati Reds(120, --)
10. Baltimore Orioles(104, ++)

Players of the Week
AL Hitter: LF Ryan Raburn, Detroit Tigers .478(11/23) 2 HR 8RBI
NL Hitter: 1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds .520(13/25) 4HR 10RBI


Injury News
Baltimore SP Jake Arrieta out 3 months(torn bicep)
Baltimore OF Luke Scott out 6 weeks(hamstring strain)
Cleveland MR Chad Durbin out 2-3 weeks(elbow inflammation)
Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki out 6 weeks(plantar fascitis)
Houston OF Michael Bourn out 1-2 weeks(knee contusion)
New York Mets MR Tim Byrdak out 4 months(radial nerve compression)
Seattle OF Ryan Langerhans out 4 weeks(strained PCL(knee))
St. Louis MR Trever Miller out 1-2 weeks(elbow inflammation)
St. Louis SP Kyle McClellan out 4 weeks(sprained UCL(elbow))

Transaction News
-Colorado signed free agent SS Chris Gomez to a 1yr(766k)
-Chicago Cubs signed free agent MR Tyler Walker to a 1yr(1.18M)
-Florida claimed SP Greg Holland off waivers from KC
-Minnesota signed RF Jason Kubel to a 2 yr(16.5M) extension. Claimed SP Fabio Castro off waivers from COL
-Philadelphia claimed 3B Brandon Wood off waivers from LAA

NL East Standings
Washington 6-3
New York Mets 6-3
Florida 5-4
Atlanta 4-6
Philadelphia 3-6

[emurray87]

April 11, 2011- April 17, 2011

Nationals start to slide to 3rd; go 2-4 this week including first extra innings affair. Dropping two series to the Phillies and Brewers. Overall record of 8-7.

Nationals Scores
4/12: Phillies 1, Nationals 0
4/13: Nationals 3, Phillies 1
4/14: Phillies 7, Nationals 1
4/15: Nationals 12, Brewers 2
4/16: Brewers 6, Nationals 4
4/17: Brewers 5, Nationals 4(10)

Hot Players
LF Mike Morse .368/.429/.947 3HR 7RBI 4R
SP Jordan Zimmerman(3 straight weeks) 8IP 4H 0ER 1BB 6K (L)
SP Tom Gorzelanny 7IP 5H 1ER 0BB 11K(W)
CL Drew Storen(3 straight weeks) 3IP 2SV 0H 0ER 1BB 6K

Cold Players
1B Adam La Roche .105/.227/.105 0 HR 2RBI(after two weeks with 3 HR 12RBI)
MR Doug Slaten 2IP 4H 2ER 2BB 2K
SP Livan Hernandez 6.2IP 6H 4ER 4BB 1K

Around the League
Weekly Team Power Rankings
1. Baltimore Orioles(149, ++)
2. Cincinnati Reds(138, ++)
3. Florida Marlins(127, ++)
4. Boston Red Sox(120, --)
5. Tampa Bay Rays(115.5, ++)
6. New York Mets(113.5, +)
7. San Francisco Giants(113, ++)
8. Los Angeles Dodgers(112.5, --)
9. Toronto Blue Jays(112, ++)
10. St. Louis Cardinals(103.3, ++)
14. Washington Nationals(90, --)

Injury News
Note: some big hits to some teams this week
Atlanta: SP Derek Lowe activated
Arizona: SP Zach Duke, 3B Geoff Blum activated.
Baltimore: SP Brad Bergesen out 2-3 months(elbow tendinitis)
Boston: SP Felix Doubront activated; 3B Kevin Youkilis out 4-5 months(torn back muscle); C Jarrod Saltalamacchia out 2 weeks(strained rib cage muscle)
Florida: SP Anibal Sanchez out 3-4 weeks(elbow inflammation)
Houston: LF Carlos Lee out 4 weeks(shoulder soreness)
Los Angeles Angels: LF Reggie Willits, MR Scott Downs activated.
Los Angeles Dodgers: SP Jon Garland, 3B Casey Blake activated.
Milwaukee: C Jonathan Lucroy activated.
New York Mets: SS Jose Reyes out 6 weeks(strained tricep)
Philadelphia: 2B Placido Polanco out 5 weeks(fractured finger)
Pittsburgh: C Chris Snyder activated; CF Andrew McCutcheon out 3 weeks(sprained elbow)
San Diego: SP Mat Latos, LF Eric Patterson activated.
San Francisco: CL Brian Wilson activated.
Seattle: MR Chris Ray out 3 weeks(strained tricep)
Tampa Bay: RF Justin Ruggiano out 3-4 months(broken hand)
Toronto: 2B Aaron Hill out 2 weeks(strained back muscle)

Transaction News
Chicago White Sox: signed SS Omar Vizquel for 1 yr(1.375M).
Florida Marlins: Signed MR Zach Miner to a 1yr 900k.
Houston Astros: claimed MR Guillermo Mota off waivers from SF.
Los Angeles Angels: signed 1B Nick Johnson for 1 yr(660k).
Milwaukee Brewers: signed LF Gary Sheffield for 1yr(880k).
New York Mets: claimed SS Willie Bloomquist off waivers from ARZ.
Philadelphia Phillies: Signed MR Danys Baez to 1 yr 1.595M extension.
Oakland A's: claimed 2B Don Kelly off waivers from DET.
Toronto Blue Jays: Signed free agent SP John Parrish for 1 yr(790k), C Kenji Johjima for 1 yr 1.17M.

NL East Standings
Florida Marlins 10-5
New York Mets 10-5
Washington Nationals 8-7
Philadelphia Phillies 6-9
Atlanta Braves 5-11

[emurray87]

April 13, 2011

The Washington Nationals top prospect and #1 overall according to BA, Bryce Harper tore a ligament in his throwing hand and will be out of action for 4-6 weeks. "This isn't seen as a long term concern on Bryce's career but he is going to miss some time for his AA Harrisburg club" GM Eric Murray said earlier in a press conference. "We will go ahead and replace him with another top prospect, as we have sent CF Eury Perez from A Potomac to AA Harrisburg."

The young 18 star OF was hitting just at a .200/.200/.467 pace with 1 home run and 2 rbis in 5 games. "We had been waiting about a week for the trainers diagnosis. We are bummed he can't be in uniform. We eagerly anticipate his return."

[emurray87]

April 18, 2011-April 24, 2011

After 2 and a half weeks of the season and fresh off the news top prospect Bryce Harper will miss at least a month of action, something must have clicked for the Nationals. They swept NL Central foes, the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, both on the road, to improve to 14-7 and retake the #1 spot in the NL East by 1 game.

Nationals Scores
4/19: Nationals 11, Cardinals 6
4/20: Nationals 3, Cardinals 1
4/21: Nationals 3, Cardinals 2
4/22: Nationals 12, Pirates 4
4/23: Nationals 7, Pirates 4
4/24: Nationals 8, Pirates 2

Hot Players
3B Ryan Zimmerman .423/.444/.769 3 HR 3 RBI 10R
RF Jayson Werth .292/.393/.500 1 HR 7 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche .333/.462/.667 2 HR 3 RBI
SP Livan Hernandez 8IP 3H 1ER 4BB 5K (W)
SP Tom Gorzelanny(2 wks) 8IP 7H 1ER 3BB 7K(W)

Cold Players
C Wilson Ramos .136/.174/.182 0HR 2RBI
SS Ian Desmond .105/.182/.263 1HR 3RBI
MR Sean Burnett 2.2 IP 7H 4ER 4BB 1K
SP Jordan Zimmerman(wouldn't exactly call him cold) 2ND, 9.1IP 11H 6ER 6BB 8K

Nats Roster Moves
Optioned MR Brian Broderick to AAA Syracuse. Purchased the contract of OF Roger Bernadina from AAA Syracuse.

Around the League
Weekly Team Power Rankings
1. Washington Nationals(130, ++)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers(128.2,++)
3. Toronto Blue Jays(127, ++)
4. Cincinnati Reds(125.7,-)
5. Boston Red Sox(113.5, -)
6. Florida Marlins(112.4, --)
7. Seattle Mariners(100.9, ++)
8. Chicago White Sox(100.2, ++)
9. New York Mets(97.2, --)
10. San Francisco Giants(95.3, --)

Standings 4 weeks in
AL East: TOR 14-7; BOS 14-8; BAL 12-10; TB 12-11; NYY 9-12
AL Central: CWS 12-10; MIN 12-11; DET 11-11; CLE 10-12; KC 9-13
AL West: SEA 12-11; OAK 11-11; TEX 10-11; LAA 6-16
NL East: WSH 14-7; FLA 13-8; NYM 12-10; PHI 9-13; ATL 6-17
NL Central: CIN 15-7; CHC 11-10; STL 10-12; MIL 10-12; HOU 10-12; PIT 9-14
NL West: LAD 16-7; SFG 11-10; SDP 10-12; COL 10-12; ARZ 9-12

Injury News
News: LAA, SD, TB get hit hard. HOU CF Michael Bourn comes back out again.
Baltimore Orioles: SP Justin Duchscherer activated.
Boston Red Sox: CF Mike Cameron out 3-4 weeks(high ankle sprain)
Chicago Cubs: 1B Carlos Pena out 2 weeks(knee contusion)
Cincinnati Reds: SP Homer Bailey activated.
Cleveland Indians: SS Jason Donald activated.
Houston Astros: CF Michael Bourn activated. CF Michael Bourn out 3 weeks(plantar fascitis)
Los Angeles Angels: MR Fernando Rodney out 4-5 months(shoulder inflammation); 1B Mark Trumbo out 4 weeks(strained rib cage muscle). 3B Troy Glaus out 4 weeks(sprained wrist)
Los Angeles Dodgers: SP Ted Lilly out 4 months(torn back muscle).
Milwaukee Brewers: CF Carlos Gomez out 6 weeks(torn meniscus)
New York Mets: LF Jason Bay activated.
New York Yankees: SP A.J. Burnett out 4 months(forearm inflammation)
Oakland Athletics: SP Rich Harden activated
Pittsburgh Pirates: Activated 2B Neil Walker.
San Diego Padres: SP Aaron Harang out 4 weeks(oblique strain). RF Ryan Ludwick out 6 weeks(fractured thumb)
St. Louis Cardinals: MR Trever Miller activated.
Tampa Bay Rays: LF Manny Ramirez out 4 weeks(plantar fascitis). CF Desmond Jennings out 5 weeks(oblique strain)
Toronto Blue Jays: MR Frank Francisco, MR Brandon Morrow activated

Transaction News
Big Story: Cubs sign C Geovany Soto for 4 more years! Mets busy sign 3, claim 2.
-Chicago Cubs: Signed C Geovany Soto to a 4 yr 35.18M extension. Signed free agent CF Jim Edmonds for 1 yr 1.9M.
-Milwaukee Brewers: Claimed LF Reed Johnson off waivers from CHC.
-New York Mets: Signed free agent 1B Fernando Tatis for 1 yr 1.29M. Signed free agent 1B Mike Hessman for 1yr 1.32M. Signed free agent MR Elmer Dessens for 1 yr 810k. Claimed MR Matt Reynolds off waivers from COL. Claimed 3B Andy LaRoche off waivers from OAK.
-New York Yankees: Claimed MR Boof Bonser off waivers from NYM.
-Seattle Mariners: Signed free agent MR Renyel Pinto for 1 yr 1.18M

[emurray87]

End of April Report

- The streak stays alive at 10 games to close April. Franchise best 19-7 start for the Nationals. Also good for the best in the league by 2 games over the Dodgesr. Lose CF Rick Ankiel. Laynce Nix will replace him. Purchased the contract of 1B Chris Marrero from AAA Syracuse to replace Ankiel on the 40-man

Nationals Player Stats:

C Wilson Ramos .193/.230/.253 0 HR 11 RBI 7R
C Ivan Rodriguez .231/.412/.231 0 HR 1 RBI 1R
1B Adam LaRoche .258/.394/.438 5 HR 16 RBI 15R
2B Danny Espinosa .324/.383/.500 3 HR 11 RBI 10 R 3 SB
SS Ian Desmond .237/.299/.392 4 HR 12 RBI 13R 4 SB
3B Ryan Zimmerman .226/.255/.415 6 HR 13 RBI 20R
IF Jerry Hairston Jr. .286/.375/.286 0 HR 2RBI 6R 1 SB
IF Alex Cora .313/.450/.375 0 HR 2 RBI 3 R 1SB
LF Mike Morse .295/.351/.534 5 HR 17 RBI 12R
CF Rick Ankiel .200/.273/.275 1 HR 4 RBI 7R
RF Jayson Werth .319/.443/.543 5 HR 17 RBI 26R 5 SB
OF Laynce Nix .189/.286/.378 2 HR 11 RBI 3R
OF Matt Stairs .273/.333/.636 1 HR 4 RBI 2R
OF Roger Bernadina .167/.167/.167 0 HR 0 RBI 0R 1 SB

SP Jordan Zimmerman 3-1 2.29 39.1IP 31H 13BB 31K
SP Livan Hernandez 1-1 2.21 36.2IP 21H 12BB 20K
SP John Lannan 4-1 2.73 33IP 25H 6BB 18K
SP Jason Marquis 4-1 4.02 31.1IP 30 H 9BB 21K
SP Tom Gorzelanny 4-1 2.48 32.2IP 24H 11BB 31K
MR Tyler Clippard 1-0 1.04 8.2IP 5H 4BB 10K
MR Chad Gaudin 0-0 1.86 9.2IP 6H 5BB 12K
MR Sean Burnett 1-0 7.11 6.1IP 13H 5BB 4K
MR Doug Slaten 0-1 5.56 11.1IP 13H 5BB 11K
MR Brian Broderick* 0-0 8.22 7.2IP 7H 5BB 5K
CL Drew Storen 0-1 8SV 12.1IP 6H 5BB 16K

Nationals Scores
4/26: Nationals 2, Mets 0(12)
4//27: Nationals 5, Mets 1
4/28: Nationals 7, Mets 1
4/29: Nationals 6, Giants 2
4/30: Nationals 8, Giants 0

Standings * denotes wildcard
AL East: TOR 17-10; BOS 17-10*; TBR 15-13; BAL 14-13; NYY 11-16
AL Central: MIN 16-12; CWS 15-13; DET 14-13; CLE 12-15; KC 11-16
AL West: TEX 14-13; OAK 14-13; SEA 14-14; LAA 7-20
NL East: WSH 19-7; FLA 15-11; NYM 13-14; PHI 12-15; ATL 8-20
NL Central: CIN 17-10; CHC 15-12; MIL 14-13; STL 13-14; HOU 12-15; PIT 12-16
NL West: LAD 18-10; SDP 13-14; SFG 12-14; COL 12-15; ARZ 11-16

Transaction News
Big Story: RF Quentin, CL Frasor ink extensions.
-Arizona Diamondbacks: Signed free agent CF Jonathan VanEvery for 1yr 650k.
-Atlanta Braves: Claimed RF Willie Harris off waivers from NYM
-Chicago White Sox: Signed RF Carlos Quentin to 1 year 6M extension.
-Cincinnati Reds: Claimed MR Justin Germano off waivers from CLE.
-Kansas City Royals: Claimed RF Jason Lane off waivers from TOR.
-New York Mets: Signed free agent 2B Marcus Giles for 1 year 640k. Claimed SS Adam Everett off waivers from CLE.
-Pittsburgh Pirates: Claimed MR Dennys Reyes off waivers from BOS.
-St. Louis Cardinals: Claimed SS Adam Everett off waivers from NYM.
-Toronto Blue Jays: Signed MR Jason Frasor to 2 year 9.2M extension.

Players of the Month
Rookies of the Month: AL: SP Kyle Drabek, Toronto NL: 2B Danny Espinosa, Washington
Hitters of the Month: AL: DH Vladimir Guerrero, Baltimore NL: 1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati
Pitchers of the MonthL AL: CL Koji Uehara, Baltimore NL: CL Jon Axford, Milwaukee
Note: Will continue to do transaction news but not injury news. Too time consuming

[emurray87]

Top 20 Prospects-revisited

1. Bryce Harper, RF, AA(DL)
AA: .200/.200/.467 1HR 2RBI
2. Derek Norris, C, A+
A+: .229/.357/.514 5HR 18RBI
3. Eury Perez, CF, A+/AA
AA: .237/.341/.368 1HR 6RBI 4SB
A+: .250/.302/.271 )HR 7RBI 8SB
4. A.J. Cole, SP, SS A
NO STATS
5. Brian Broderick, MR, AAA/MLB
MLB: 0-0 8.22 7.2IP 7H 5BB 5K
AAA: 0-0 10.13 2.2IP 6H 0BB 4K
6. Stephen Lombardozzi, 2B/SS, AA
AA: .193/.357/.257 2HR 11RBI 3SB
7. Tom Milone, SP, AA
AA: 2-2 4.19 38.2IP 13BB 33K
8. Chris Marrero, 1B, AAA/MLB
MLB: .000/.000/.000 0HR 0RBI
AAA: .309/.350/.588 8HR 22RBI
9. Corey Brown, CF, AAA
AAA: .183/.237/.322 3HR 8RBI 1SB
10. Sammy Solis, SP, A
NO STATS
11. Tanner Roark, MR, AA
NO STATS
12. Destin Hood, LF, A+
A+: .231/.388/.308 0HR 12RBI 2SB
13. Jeffery Kobernus, 2B, A-
A-: .230/.380/.345 3HR 11RBI 5SB
14. J.R. Higley, RF, AA
NO STATS
15. Trevor Holder, SP, AA
AA: 2-1 5.30 37.1IP 16BB 26K
16. Brad Peacock, SP, A+
A+: 2-1 3.00 27IP 18H 15BB 26K
17. Adrian Nieto, C, RK
NO STATS
18. Rick Hague, SS, A+
A+: .250/.337/.333 1HR 12RBI
19. Robbie Ray, SP, RK
NO STATS
20. Brad Meyers, SP,AAA
AAA: 0-3 4.58 33.1IP 31H 8BB 23K

[emurray87]

May 1, 2011- May 8,2011

Mike Morse and Tom Gorzelanny, both off to hot starts in April have suffered injuries as the Nationals lose 8 straight. Morse suffered an oblique strain and will be out 5-6 weeks. Already suffering from the loss of Rick Ankiel their outfield depth is growing thin. Laynce Nix will shift from CF to LF and Roger Bernadina will start in CF until Ankiel's return. Gorzelanny will be out for 2-3 months after herniating a disk. They have recalled OF Jeff Fraziar and SP Yunesky Maya to replace them.

"We have already lost Rick(Ankiel) and now Mike(Morse). Those are two huge holes to fill. We have considered adding Bryce Harper to the 40-man once he returns from his injury in a week to replace Gorzelanny on the 40-man. We are hoping Roger(Bernadina) and Laynce(Nix) can continue to do a fine job in their stead and we will continue to try and improve our outfield depth any way we can." GM Eric Murray said this morning, "We are searching for answers this morning to hopefully stop this skid. I know our guys have a lot of fight in them. I will be scanning the waiver wire in the next few weeks to see if there is anything we can find."

Nationals Scores
5/1: Giants 11, Nationals 4
5/2: Giants 5, Nationals 1
5/3: Phillies 7, Nationals 6
5/4: Phillies 4, Nationals 3
5/5: Phillies 6, Nationals 5(10)
5/6: Marlins 1, Nationals 0
5/7: Marlins 7, Nationals 6
5/8: Marlins 9, Nationals 4

Standings
AL East: TOR 22-12; BOS 21-14*; BAL 19-16; TBR 18-17; NYY 16-19
AL Central: MIN 19-15; CWS 19-16; CLE 17-17; KCR 16-18; DET 16-19
AL West: OAK 19-16; TEX 17-18; SEA 16-19; LAA 8-27
NL East: FLA 20-14; WSH 19-15; PHI 16-18; NYM 16-18; ATL 14-22
NL Central: CHC 20-14; CIN 19-15; STL 18-17; PIT 17-18; MIL 17-18; HOU 13-21
NL West: LAD 21-14; COL 18-16; SDP 17-17; SFG 16-18; ARZ 14-20

Weekly Power Rankings
1. Toronto 123.5 +
2. Chicago Cubs 114.9 ++
3. Florida 108.9 +
4. Colorado 107.3 ++
5. Los Angeles Dodgers 107 -
6. Minnesota 105.6 ++
7. Boston 105 --
8. Baltimore 101.7 ++
9. Oakland 98.7 +
10. Chicago White Sox 98.7 ++
18. Washington Nationals 86.6 --(fell from #1 to #18 after losing 8 straight)

International Signing
Washington Nationals scouting director Kris Kline has announced the first international signing from the Great White North. The Nationals have signed 15 year old closer Yann Vidal out of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. At 15, he is 6'0 205 with plenty of room to grow. He features a 91-93 mph which is already a plus-plus pitch as well as a curveball that could be a plus-pitch in the future. He will be assigned to the Viera Nationals of the GCL. Their rookie affiliate.

First Year Draft Pool Released
1. RF Morgan Tomlinson, 21, Florida
2. SS Chris Clark, 22, Illinois-Chicago
3. SP Gabriel Diaz, 19, Clear Brook(HS) TX
4. SP Mike McClain, 22, Long Beach State
5. CF Diego Medina, 17, West Point(HS) AL
6. CF Antonio Castro, 23, Texas-Arlington
7. SP Joey Howard, 22, Cal-State Fullerton
8. 1B Michael Cox, 17, Lake Travis(HS) TX
9. RF Josh Bailey, 17, Rittman(HS) OH
10. LF Victor Villarreal, 17, Maywood Academy(HS) CA

-Tomlinson looks like a no doubt top 5 pick selection this year and could move very quickly once signed. Villarreal looks like the biggest risk-reward player in this class. Has great power potential but is looking for almost $7 million in a signing bonus. McClain, out of Long Beach State looks like a steal for whoever gets him. Tall, power arm will get eaten up in a month.

First trade of the season
The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to send OF Bobby Abreu, minor league 1B Casey Haertner and $3M in cash to Pittsburgh in return for C Ryan Doumit and minor league SP Rudy Owens.

[CardsFan2006]

Originally Posted by emurray87

18. Washington Nationals 86.6 --(fell from #1 to #18 after losing 8 straight)

So basically... they started playing like the Nationals. Sorry, so obvious, but I couldn't resist.

[emurray87]

Originally Posted by CardsFan2006

So basically... they started playing like the Nationals. Sorry, so obvious, but I couldn't resist.

Yeah I pretty much expected this. Everything has come in streaks and now that Morse and Ankiel will both miss time I don't think things are going to get better.

[emurray87]

May 9- May 15, 2011

After an 8 game slide found us looking up at the Marlins in the standings. Just last week we sat comfortably 4 games up on the Fish. We are hoping this week gets better.

The losing streak was snapped at 9 with a 4-3 win against Atlanta on May 11th. Went 4-2 overall this week ending the week with a 23-17 mark and in a tie with the Marlins now for First in the NL East.

Next week: 3 game set v. Pittsburgh, 2 game set at Mets, 3 game set at Baltimore

Nationals Scores
5/10: Braves 5, Nats 4
5/11: Nats 4, Braves 3
5/12: Nats 3, Braves 1(10)
5/13: Nats 3, Marlins 1
5/14: Marlins 5, Nats 4(12)
5/15: Nats 2, Marlins 1

Hot Players
OF Roger Bernadina .308/.333/.308 0 HR 3 RBI 3SB
OF Jayson Werth .250/.280/.583 2 HR 4 RBI

Cold Players
C Wilson Ramos .125/.125/.188 0 HR 1 RBI
OF Laynce Nix .143/.250/.143 0 HR 1 RBI
MR Sean Burnett 0-2 20.26 1.1IP 3ER 0BB 0K

Roster Moves
Added AAA OF J.P. Ramirez to the 40-man roster to take the place of Gorzelanny who went on the 60-day DL last week. CL Yann Vidal assigned to RK Viera Nationals

Weekly Team Power Rankings
1. Red Sox 117.1 ++
2. Cubs 116 o
3. Twins 109.5 ++
4. Blue Jays 106 --
5. Marlins 104.5 -
6. Athletics 104 ++
7. Indians 102.5 ++
8. Nationals 102.5 ++
9. Dodgers 101.9 --
10. Rockies 100.5 --


Standings
AL East: BOS 26-15; TOR 24-16*; BAL 22-19; TBR 20-21; NYY 20-21
AL Central: MIN 23-17; CLE 21-19; CWS 21-20; DET 18-23; KCR 17-23
AL West: OAK 23-18; TEX 21-20; SEA 19-22; LAA 10-31
NL East: WSH 23-17; FLA 23-17*; NYM 20-20; ATL 18-24; PHI 17-23
NL Central: CHC 24-16; CIN 22-18; MIL 21-20; STL 20-21; PIT 19-23; HOU 16-24
NL West: LAD 24-18; COL 21-19; SDP 20-20; SFG 19-21; ARZ 17-23

Major Transactions around the League this week:
Struggling Angels ship OF Abreu to Pirates; Cards ink Berkman for 3; Cubs ink Wood for 2 more years.

Atlanta Braves: Claimed 2B Juan Castro off waivers from LAD.
Boston Red Sox: Signed free agent MR Travis Blackley for 1 year 480k.
Chicago Cubs: Signed MR Kerry Wood to a 2 year 12M extension.
Cincinnati Reds: Signed free agent OF Eric Byrnes for 1 year 630k.
Detroit Tigers: Signed free agent 1B Hank Blaock for 1 year 580k. Signed free agent 3B Joe Crede for 1 year 1.13M.
Kansas City Royals: Claimed MR John Parris off waivers from TOR. Claimed CL Casey Janssen off waivers from TOR. Claimed C Koyie Hill off waivers from CHC. Claimed SP Doug Mathis off waivers from San Francisco.
Los Angeles Angels: Traded OF Bobby Abreu and minor league 1B Casey Haertner along with $3M cash to Pittsburgh Pirates for C Ryan Doumit and minor league SP Rudy Owens. Signed free agent SP Bryan Bullington for 1 year 880k. Claimed OF Marcus Thames off waivers from LAD.
Minnesota Twins: Signed MR Matt Capps to a 1 year 8M extension. Claimed SP Will Smith off waivers from KC.
Oakland Athletics: Claimed MR Enerio Del Rosario off waivers from HOU. Claimed SP Doug Mathis off waivers from KC.
San Francisco Giants: Signed free agent MR Darrel Rasner for 1 year 517k.
St. Louis Cardinals: Signed RF Lance Berkman to a 3 year 43.5M extension.
Seattle Mariners: Claimed MR Robbie Weinhardt off waivers from DET.

[emurray87]

May 16-22, 2011

Bryce Harper returns to action this weekend in AA Harrisburg as the Nationals hope to keep pace with the Marlins. #2 prospect C Derek Norris will join him in Harrisburg. He was recently called up as an injury replacement. His line: .220/.354/.386 5 HR 24 RBI in 36 games at High A Potomac.

In major league action, it was a so-so week for the Nats. They finished the week 3-4 to bring their record to 26-21 overall. We dropped two games below the Marlins this week as they went 5-2 to finish 28-19.

Nationals Scores:
5/16: Nats 3, Pirates 1
5/17: Pirates 7, Nats 2
5/18: Mets 4, Nats 2
5/19: Nats 5, Mets 2
5/20: Orioles 6, Nats 2
5/21: Orioles 3, Nats 2
5/22: Nats 5, Orioles 2

Roster Moves:
Although minor, the Nationals have decided to eat 8.67M of SP Oliver Perez contract in order to release him. He was struggling in a crowded AA Harrisburg bullpen. Also released MR Carlos Martinez from AA Harrisburg.

"It was a numbers game. Perez still had 3 more years left on his deal paying him $13M per year so it will save us a lot of money in the long term. We wish Oliver the best in his future endeavors. We are sorry it couldn't work out here in the D.C."

Up Next: Going to finish off the Rest of May with End of the Month Report. Includes 3 game sets against Milwaukee, San Diego and the first 2 of a 3 game set against division rival Philadelphia.

Weekly Team Power Rankings
1. Red Sox 139.8 o
2. Marlins 110.2 ++
3. White Sox 108.3 ++
4. Blue Jays 104.4 o
5. Reds 102.6 ++
6. Nationals 100.6 +(managed to move up 2 spots with a 3-4 record)
7. Brewers 98.8 ++
8. Twins 98.6 --
9. Rangers 97.8 ++
10. Rockies 96.7 o

Standings
AL East: BOS 33-15; TOR 27-20*; BAL 25-23; TBR 24-24; NYY 24-24
AL Central: CWS 27-21; MIN 26-21; KCR 22-25; CLE 22-25; DET 21-27
AL West: TEX 25-23; OAK 24-24; SEA 23-25; LAA 14-34
NL East: FLA 28-19; WSH 26-21*; ATL 24-25; NYM 23-24; PHI 21-26
NL Central: CIN 26-21; MIL 25-23; CHC 24-23; PIT 24-25; STL 23-25; HOU 16-31
NL West: COL 25-22; LAD 26-23; SDP 23-24; SFG 22-25; ARZ 21-26
MLB Transactions(5/16-5/22)
A month after being claimed off waivers, OF Harris strikes it rich in ATL; ChiSox keeps Buerhle with 3 year extension; Royals and Diamondbacks pull off 2-for-1 minor league swap.

Atlanta Braves: Signed LF Willie Harris to a 2 year 11M extension.
Chicago Cubs: Claimed MR Jairo Asencio off waivers from ATL.
Chicago White Sox: Signed SP Mark Buerhle to a 3 year 45M extension.
Cleveland Indians: Claimed C Lucas May off waivers from KC.
Kansas City Royals: Traded minor league RP Steven Shell to Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league SS Chris Owings and minor league 2B David Nick. Claimed 1B Justin Huber off waivers from SFG. Claimed RF Mark Kotsay off waivers from MIL.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Claimed 2B Adam Kennedy off waivers from SEA. Claimed SS Jordany Valdespin off waivers from NYM.
Philadelphia Phillies: Claimed LF Scott Thorman off waivers from DET. Claimed SP Chris Narveson off waivers from MIL.
Seattle Mariners: Claimed SP Luis Mendoza off waivers from KC. Claimed SP Sergio Mitre off waivers from MIL.

[emurray87]

END OF MAY REPORT

- After a red hot start in April, things cool off in D.C. during May. Lose a couple key guys, Morse, Ankiel, and now Roger Bernadina, who should all be back by the end of June. Gorzelanny will be lost until after the all-star break. The Nationals find themselves in Third Place now in the NL East behind the resurgent Braves and the Marlins. Overall record stands at 29-26 after 10-19 month of may.

- Lost another OF as Roger Bernadina will miss 3 weeks with shoulder tendinitis and Mike Morse has suffered a two week setback. Both will now be back late June. Purchased the contract of LF J.P. Ramirez from AA Harrisburg to fill the roster. Laynce Nix will shift back to CF and Matt Stairs will get the starts in LF at 43 years young. Tried to claim several Outfielders off waivers this week unsuccessfully. Designated MR Shairon Martis for assignment. He was with our Low A affiliate Hagerstown and was really struggling.

- Minor League OF Nick Arata tears labrum. Career's over. Wasn't really on our radar but we hate to see someone lose the chance to play this great game.

- After struggling to a league worse 14-42 record, the Los Angeles Angels have fired long time skipper Mike Scoisia. They have hired Rodrigo Perez to replace Scoisia. This will be his first ML managerial stop.

Nationals Team Stats
C Wilson Ramos .178/.204/.253 1 HR 19 RBI 13 R
C Ivan Rodriguez .120/.241/.120 0 HR 1 RBI 1 R
1B Adam LaRoche .224/.338/.383 8 HR 28 RBI 26 R
1B Chris Marrero .278/.316/.444 1 HR 7 RBI 3 R
2B Danny Espinosa .265/.318/.355 3 HR 15 RBI 7 SB 19 R
SS Ian Desmond .282/.332/.431 7 HR 22 RBI 7 SB 31 R
3B Ryan Zimmerman .215/.262/.338 8 HR 19 RBI 2 SB 32 R
IF Jerry Hairston Jr. .329/.392/.443 1 HR 10 RBI 1 SB 10 R
IF Alex Cora .200/.314/.233 0 HR 2 RBI 1 SB 3 R
LF Mike Morse(DL) .293/.355/.515 5 HR 18 RBI 12 R
CF Rick Ankiel(DL) .200/.273/.275 1 HR 4 RBI 7 R
RF Jayson Werth .330/.421/.605 13 HR 43 RBI 5 SB 42 R
OF Laynce Nix .183/.271/.270 2 HR 15 RBI 10 R
OF Roger Bernadina(DL) .203/.244/.216 0 HR 3 RBI 4 SB 5 R
OF Matt Stairs .237/.341/.500 3 HR 6 RBI 6 R
OF Jeff Frazier .286/.306/.343 0 HR 2 RBI 4 R
OF J.P. Ramirez .000/.000/.000 0 HR 0 RBI 0 R

SP Jordan Zimmerman 4-4 3.70 75.1IP 69H 28BB 72K 109 ERA+
SP Livan Hernandez 4-5 3.30 79 IP 58H 30BB 40K 123 ERA+
SP John Lannan 5-3 4.04 62.1IP 57H 12BB 28K 100 ERA+
SP Jason Marquis 5-4 4.33 68.2 IP 81H 21BB 42K 94 ERA+
SP Tom Gorzelanny(DL) 4-1 2.66 40.2IP 42H 13BB 39K 153 ERA+
SP Yunesky Maya 1-1 2.84 19IP 25H 1BB 5K 143 ERA+
MR Tyler Clippard 1-0 1SV 0.89 20.1IP 11H 8BB 25K 458 ERA+
MR Chad Gaudin 1-0 1.69 26.2IP 23H 8BB 26K 240 ERA+
MR Todd Coffey 1-0 2SV 20.1IP 17H 7BB 21K 229 ERA+
MR Doug Slaten 0-3 1SV 5.28 29IP 36H 9BB 30K 77ERA+
MR Sean Burnett 1-2 5.40 20IP 26H 12BB 15K 75ERA+
MR Brian Broderick* 0-0 8.22 7.2IP 7H 5BB 5K 49ERA+
CL Drew Storen 2-3 12SV 2.10 25.2IP 21H 11BB 26K 193ERA+

NATIONALS SCORES
5/23: Nats 6, Brewers 3(10)
5/24: Brewers 5, Nats 0
5/25: Nats 8, Brewers 2
5/27: Padres 9, Nats 4
5/28: Padres 8, Nats 5
5/29: Padres 6, Nats 2
5/30: Phillies 6, Nats 3
5/31: Nats 4, Phillies 3(11)

Standings
AL East: BOS 36-21; TOR 31-25; TBR 29-27; NYY 29-27; BAL 28-28
AL Central: MIN 33-22; CWS 32-25*; KCR 25-30; CLE 25-30; DET 25-32
AL West: TEX 32-24; OAK 30-27; SEA 26-30; LAA 15-42
NL East: FLA 31-24; ATL 30-26*; WSH 29-26; NYM 27-28; PHI 24-32
NL Central: CIN 29-27; CHC 28-27; STL 28-28; PIT 28-28; MIL 28-28; HOU 18-37
NL West: LAD 33-24; SDP 28-27; COL 28-27; SFG 26-29; ARZ 26-29

Players of the Month
Rookie of the Month: AL: 1B Chris Carter, Oakland Athletics NL: 1B Juan Miranda, Arizona Diamonbacks
Pitcher of the Month: AL: CL Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox NL: SP Jon Niese, New York Mets:
Hitter of the Month: AL: 1B Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees NL: 1B Juan Miranda, Arizona Diamondbacks

Transaction News

-Seattle Mariners trade minor league SP Aaron Laffey to San Diego Padres for minor league OF Donavan tate and minor league 2B Jeudy Valdez.

- Houston Astros claim LF Scott Thorman off waivers from PHI. St. Louis Cardinals claimed LF Garrett Jones off waivers from Pittsburgh. Toronto Blue Jays claimed LF Endy Chavez off waivers from TEX. Houston Astros claimed LF Felix Pie off waivers from BAL. Kansas City Royals claimed RF Jason Michaels off waivers from HOU...all guys we tried to claim this week unsuccessfully to provide depth in the OF.

- Astros ink FA C Bengie Molina and OF Jay Payton for 1 year. Dodgers ink FA 2B Luis Castillo for 1 year.

[emurray87]

1. Bryce Harper, OF, AA
AA: .200/.327/.444 2 HR 7 RBI 1SB 7R

-Superstar just returned from the disabled list this week. Will spend the next few months in AA at least. Possibly could spend the whole season in Harrisburg depending on the injury situation. He's the only OF on the 40-man roster who isn't on the big club.

2. Derek Norris, C, A+/AA
AA: .160/.344/.400 1 HR 7 RBI
A+: .220/.354/.388 5 HR 24 RBI

- Norris hasn't made consistent contact since being called up recently to AA Harrisburg. He is still driving in runs (24 in 36 games in Potomac and 7 in 7 games in AA) and getting on base. Looks like a catcher's version of Nick Johnson with more pop in his bat. His defense still needs improvement.

3. Eury Perez, OF, A+
A+:.278/.341/.417 1 HR 17 RBI 15 SB

- His bat is coming along great. At 21, if he can keep up the these numbers he could see a promotion this month. Defensively he is ready for the majors just needs to get on base to utilize his blazing speed.

4. A.J. Cole, SP, A-
A-: 1-2 4.26 ERA 38IP 27H 17BB 45K

- Started the season on the DL in Short-Season Auburn. Since coming off he has put his power arm on display in Hagerstown striking out 45 in 6 starts while only walking 17. Needs to limit the long-ball and he should move quickly and has a solid chance at seeing action as early as 2013(would almost be 21).

5. Brian Broderick, MR, AAA/MLB
MLB: 0-0 8.22ERA 7.2IP 7H 5BB 5K
AAA: 2-0 6SV 3.38ERA 16IP 22H 5BB 10K

-Broderick has setted into the closer role in AAA Syracuse nicely since his early struggles in Washington. Doesn't have prototypical closer stuff but still has a chance to be a solid bullpen arm.

6. Stephen Lombardozzi, 2B/SS, AA
AA: .179/.357/.226 2 HR 19 RBI 5 SB

-Lombardozzi has really struggled making contact this spring. We would have liked to see him ready for a promotion to AAA Syracuse at this time when we sat down this spring. Needs to start putting the bat on the ball. Solid defensively if nothing else could land a roster spot as a utility infielder next spring.

7. Tom Milone, SP, AA
AA: 6-2 3.33ERA 78.1IP 73H 25BB 68K

- Milone continues to pitch well at AA Harrisburg. That was expected of him being 24 years old. Could see a promotion to AAA this summer. Will never be a power arm but has a knack for pitching. Still looks like a bullpen arm in the longterm.

8. Chris Marrero, 1B, ML/AAA
MLB: .278/.316/.444 1 HR 7 RBI
AAA: .309/.350/.588 8 HR 22 RBI

- All Marrero has done this year is produce runs and hit the long ball. We expected a little drop off when he hit the majors. If he can hit .278 consistantly at the major league level he very well could be the everyday 1B by season's end. LaRoche started the season hot but his production has slowed down. Look for Marrero to get more at-bats.

9. Corey Brown, OF, AAA
AAA: .227/.288/.384 7 HR 25 RBI 3 SB

- Brown hasn't produced like we had been looking for. We are happy with the home run totals but needs to hit for more average to have any shot at a 40-man spot in the near future. Could be a trade piece around trade deadline with names like Harper, Perez ahead of him on this list.

10. Sammy Solis, SP, A-
A-: 0-1 4.03 ERA 29IP 34H 7BB 22K

- Solis came off the DL in May and made 4 starts for Low A Hagerstown. He has pitched well with his 3 plus-pitches. Will see at least one more promotion by season's end.