Nats Enquirer

Stras Bounces Back

 

(Stephen Strasburg was mostly good in five innings on Sunday. Strasburg hurt himself with a second inning throwing error, leading to two unearned runs. Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters.)

"You want to bounce back after a not-so-good outing before. It's a new ballgame. I flushed all the stuff that happened before. I just wanted to go out there and do my thing. We were able to go out there and get a W today. That's the bottom line."
(Stephen Strasburg, via The Goessling Game/MASNSports.com, 8/15/2010)

"We're in that gray area, 85 pitches. I just was undecided if I wanted him to go back out there, anyway. Once that stuff was going on, I decided I'm not going to throw him back out there." 
(Jim Riggleman, via Washington Post, 8/15/2010)

Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 3: Jesus, Clip, Burn, and Store. Strasburg gets by with a little help from his friends - might have pitched another inning if not for a delay due to AZ immigration law protestors.

Strasburg's line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. 85 pitches, 57 strikes.

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On the Eleventh Day of Strasmas

(After a rough start his last time out, Stephen Strasburg decided to push the outfield walls back a little deeper at Nationals Park. UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom.)

All I want for Strasmas is Baseball Jesus.

The 10th day of Strasmas was a disappointment (both times). Here's hoping for a little Baseball Jesus at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon.

And it wouldn't be Strasmas without the obligatory "I can't wait to see what he's all about" etc. quotes from the opposing team:

"We get to stand in to see if it's as good as everyone says."
(Kelly Johnson, via AZ Central.com, 8/15/2010)

"He's lived up to the hype. He's got electric stuff, but at the same time he's another pitcher. We're going to go out there and grind against him. It's not going to be easy. But that's a challenge."
(Justin Upton, via AZCentral.com, 8/15/2010)

Will today be the day Riggleman is forced to yank Strasburg from a perfect game in the sixth inning because of pitch count?

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Can We Get a Refund?

 

(Jason Marquis, awful again. Picture of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

"I want my money back."
(Ted Lerner, via Nationals Enquirer, 8/14/2010)

"No matter if you're a year in the big leagues, 10 years in the big leagues, you want to go there and compete, give your team the win and not embarrass yourself. ...It's tough, it's eating me alive inside and all I can do is keep battling and keep working hard to get better and make improvements." 
(Jason Marquis, via Washington Post, 8/15/2010)

It's Official: Jason Marquis Sucks.

Diamondbacks 9, Nationals 2: Did we mention that Jason Marquis sucks?

The glue factory is a-callin': 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 HR, 69 pitches, 39 strikes.

Silver lining: Jason Marquis lowers his ERA to 14.33.

Seriously though, can Ted Lerner have his $15 million back?

Meanwhile...

The Bryce Harper doomsday clock still ticking...but wait, you're telling me there are a few other guys to worry about besides just Bryce Harper? Nats agree to $2million deal with 4th round pick, RHP A.J. Cole, reports Bill Ladson. And a $1 million deal for Sammy Solis.

Here's hoping Stephen Strasburg has better luck today in his eleventh start than his tenth start (scratch, then loss)...

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Where There's a Wil, There's a Way

 

(Wil Nieves went deep? Photo of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

"The runs we got early really helps loosen people up. I think everybody saw that John was himself, really throwing well."
(Jim Riggleman, via Washington Post, 8/14/2010)

Wil Nieves puts Nats on his back.

Wil Nieves 4, Diamondbacks 2: Also, John Lannan was very good -- looking like his old self.

Welcome back, John Lannan.

Wil Nieves hits fourth career home run; cats and dogs also now living in harmony.

Meanwhile...

• Stephen Strasburg throws incident-free bullpen session.

• All quiet on the Bryce Harper front.

  Yunesky Maya throws 3 no-hit innings in the GCL. Can't he just replace Scott Olsen now and save Ted Lerner some money?

• Speaking of wasting Ted Lerner's money: Jason Marquis will indeed start tonight.

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Racing Presidents in Jason Masks

(Happy Friday the 13th. Photo of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

The Racing Presidents celebrated Friday the 13th in style at Nationals Park, with Jason masks.

Teddy still managed to lose.

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Bruce Boudreau still prefers the Nationals over the Redskins

 

(Bruce Boudreau in a Capitals cap at Nationals Park Friday night, lest there be any doubt about which D.C. team he's really pulling for. Photo of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

Bruce Boudreau opted to take in Friday's Nationals-Diamondbacks game at Nationals Park rather than heading out to FedEx Field for the Skins preseason opener against Buffalo.

Of course, a "Nyjer Morgan hockey mentality" joke would be inserted here if not for the fact that he's still on the DL.

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Beer Ball! Beer Saves Woman From Foul Ball At Nationals Park

 

Video above: a woman's beer saves her from death by foul ball during Thursday night's Nationals-Marlins game. Ball hits bottle, beer douses woman.

Good thing that foul ball wasn't hit at the sleeping guy.

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Marlins Put Nationals to Bed

 

(This Nationals fan fell asleep in the late innings Thursday night/Friday morning at Nationals Park. AP Photo.)

"We've played the Marlins in some great ballgames - they've got us, we've got them. But lately, they've got the best of us. They're playing good baseball. They really are. They're playing good, they're pitching good."
(Jim Riggleman, via Goessling Game/MASNSports.com, 8/13/2010)

Marlins put Nationals to bed yet again.

Marlins 5, Nationals 0:  Following a two hour rain delay, a snoozefest at Nationals Park.

Livo can't stop the bleeding, losing streak at 5. Wake me up in 2011.

Meanwhile...

Willingham's knee is messed up: cartilage damage, possibly a meniscus tear, reports Mark Zuckerman.

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Mike Stanton's Big Night

 

(Not that Mike Stanton. Photo by Lynne Sladky/AP)

"You get your [ass] kicked, you get your [ass] kicked."
(Scott Olsen, via Washington Post, 8/11/2010)

Silver lining: Nats got beat by Mike Stanton, but at least they didn't get beat on a 10th inning balk by Mike Stanton.

Marlins 9, Nationals 5: Scott Olsen cashes in, gets hammered. And Mike Stanton's 5-5 night a not-so-subtle reminder that he's going to wreak havoc on the NL East for the foreseeable future.

Pin this one squarely on Scott Olsen, making his final start of 2010 for the Nationals, right? Surely Mike Rizzo is in no mood to fork over another $250+K of Ted Lerner's money on another start by Scott Olsen. Right? Next! Paging Yunesky Maya...

Ian Desmond celebrates first multi-homer game of his career (2 HRs) by committing his 27th error of the season.

At this hour, Mike Stanton's 7th inning bomb off Joel Peralta still hasn't landed. 430 feet? 450 feet? Marlins players discuss just how far (via Miami Herald):

"More like 480 or 490," Ramirez said.

Said Marlins reliever Brian Sanches: "When it got to the foul pole, it looked like it was still going up."

Stanton said he doesn't know whether it was his longest home run.

"It's right up there," Stanton said. "I don't have a measuring stick."
(via Miami Herald, 8/12/2010)

Can Livan Hernandez prevent a five-game losing streak tonight?

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$250K Doesn't Buy You Much These Days

 

(Scott Olsen stunk Wednesday night, but he cashed in. Screengrab of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

Scott Olsen's 11th start of the season tonight was fairly Marquisian:

1.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 56 pitches. 15 batters faced, 10 reached base.

And it was a lucrative disaster for Olsen. As Adam Kilgore reported on Nationals Journal before the start of the game:

This will be a financially meaningful start for Olsen the moment he throws the first pitch. Incentives in Olsen's contract dictate the he earns $250,000 for both his 11th and 12th this season, and then $100,000 for every start thereafter. Olsen has made 10 starts, meaning he cashes in tonight.
(via Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal, 8/11/2010)

The good news for Scott Olsen is that he doesn't need to go Greyhound: $250K can probably buy him a comfy seat on a charter flight out of Dulles to Syracuse.

In other words: Welcome to Washington, Yunesy Maya, and welcome to Syracuse, Scott Olsen! No chance Mike Rizzo blows another $250+ K on Scott Olsen starts in 2010, right? Right? That's Bryce Harper's money!

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