CHATTER
Only at The Washington Times: Mark Zuckerman and Ben Goessling blog on the Washington Nationals.
Latest Blog Entries
Nats lose 6-2
This was Jordan Zimmermann's worst result as a major-league pitcher, but that was probably as much a reflection on the hitters he was facing as the night he had.
Thru 6: Another one slipping away
Jordan Zimmermann was far from his best tonight--he was good against just about everybody besides the Cardinals' best hitters, and they made him pay.
Thru 3: One mistake for Zimm
The Nationals trail the Cardinals 1-0 after three, the only difference being the one mistake Jordan Zimmermann's made in what's shaping up to be another otherwise impressive start.
Death by walks
The Nats issue 11 free passes in a 9-4 loss to the Cardinals, leaving Manny Acta exasperated.
Thru 6: Nats take 4-3 lead.
Daniel Cabrera has somehow managed to pitch six fairly effective innings, and a pair of two-out hits in the sixth has given Washington the lead.
Thru 3: Typical Cabrera
Daniel Cabrera is, per usual, all over the place so far. On the bright side, Ryan Zimmerman hit a homer in the first to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
Out of the East at last
The St. Louis Cardinals are in town, and the Nats couldn't be happier to be done with their division for a while.
An uneventful ninth: Nats win 4-1
Well, one late-inning lead into the closer-by-committee plan, the Nationals came out with a win.
Thru 6: Nats up two
The Nationals finally put together the string of hits we were wondering about three innings ago, and now they take a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning.
Thru 3: Nats tied 1-1
The Nationals look more competitive in this one than they did last night, but where that will get them remains to be seen.
Nats acquire Kensing from Marlins
Desperate for a proven arm to shore up their battered bullpen, the Nationals made a trade this afternoon to acquire right-hander Logan Kensing from the Florida Marlins for Kyle Gunderson, a 48th-round pick in 2007.
Thru 6: Nats still trail
Manny Acta keeps talking about the blown leads by his bullpen being deflating, and maybe this is a side effect of that.
One other piece of news
Forgot to post this earlier: Both Wil Ledezma and Steven Shell cleared waivers this week; Ledezma has accepted his assignment to Class AAA Syracuse, while Shell opted to become a free agent.
Thru 3: Nats down 5-0
Doesn't look like we're going to get the first look at the Nats' new late-inning relief plan tonight, at least not by the way the first three innings have gone.
Closer-by-committee for Nats
After Garrett Mock and Joel Hanrahan combined to blow a four-run lead in the eighth inning of a 13-11 loss to the Phillies last night, manager Manny Acta said today the Nationals will use a closer-by-committee approach, putting Hanrahan in lower-pressure situations until he gets his confidence back.
