Nats Enquirer

It was all looking so promising there in the first inning...

(Michael Morse came through with the Nats' second and final hit of the day with the bases loaded and no outs in the first. Screencap via MLB.com.)

Dodgers 3, Nationals 1: False start. Nats offense performs amazing disappearing act against Chad Billingsley after loading the bases in the first inning.

Good news: Jason Marquis didn't hurt his trade value (6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB).

Good news/bad news: By the end of the game, Nats fans at Duffy's were paying $2.17 for tallboys. 0-3 day for Werth.

Don't look now, but the Dodgers just stole another base off Jesus Flores. Or was that Matt LeCroy?

Miserable 3-6 road trip: Nats limp home 3 games under .500...

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Down on Upton?

Tampa Bay Rays fans cheer as Tampa Bay Rays' B.J. Upton circles the bases after hitting a walk-off two-run homer off Toronto Blue Jays' Jon Rauch during the ninth inning of an American League MLB baseball game in St. Petersburg, Florida, May 3, 2011. The Rays beat the Blue Jays 3-2. REUTERS/Steve Nesius (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

 

"I think he gets kind of a little misunderstood. People think he’s a little standoffish, maybe a little bit cocky. But he’s a quiet guy. I think that’s the biggest question people ask about him, is about his character. It’s not unfair, because he is what he is. I think a lot of people get the wrong idea. He’s a great guy. He works hard. He wants to win. He’s competitive. A lot of thing’s he’s done in the past on the field have been in kind of the heat of the moment. He wants to win."
(Ryan Zimmerman on B.J. Upton, via Nationals Journal, 7/23/2011)

Nats "have interest" in B.J. Upton. Zim's on board.

Dear Mike Rizzo: As long as a trade doesn't involve Drew Storen, you have our blessing. Oh, and feel free to trade away Ian Desmond while you're at it...

Meanwhile, are the trade rumors affecting Upton?

"It's been (like this) the last two years so I guess there's nothing I can do about it. If that's what they want to do, that's up to them. It's totally out of my hands." (B.J. Upton, via TampaBay.com, 7/24/2011)

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Another One Gets Away

 

(Look out! Henry Rodriguez uncorks a ridiculous wild pitch in the seventh inning, allowing the tying run to score and scaring the crap out of fans behind home plate. Screencap via MLB.com.)

"That’s just a tough one. It's hard to take."
(Davey Johnson, via Washington Post, 7/24/2011)

Dodgers 7, Nationals 6: Nats blow four run lead, lose yet another one-run game. Tom Gorzelanny's last stand?

1-3, 2 RBI night for Jayson Werth: Tall boys will cost $2.19 at Duffy's this afternoon at the start of the game...

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

John Lannan hits home run, gets the silent treatment

(The scene in the Nationals dugout following John Lannan's shocking 2-run home run. Screengrab via MASN/TV.)

Nationals 7, Dodgers 2: So John Lannan hit a home run at Dodger Stadium Friday night. We're still trying to process this. Elsewhere, there are reports of cats and dogs living and harmony, and snowball fights breaking out in hell.

Of course, Lannan got the silent treatment from his teammates after returning to the dugout; then they cracked:

 

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Bryce Harper doesn't really talk to Stephen Strasburg much

Harpermania arrived in Richmond on Thursday, and so Bryce Harper sat down for a chat with the media prior to Thursday night's game with the Flying Squirrels. Harper covered all the usual topics (his development, dealing with media/autograph requests, his slow start in AA, when he expects to be called up to the big leagues, etc.) Video above, via RichmondSquirrels.

At the 4:40 mark in the clip, Harper is asked about Stephen Strasburg:

Reporter: "Has Strasburg talked to you about this process, and how excited are you to be a cornerstone of this franchise with him?"

Harper: "You know, I don't really talk to Strasburg. I talked to him here and there in spring training, but you know, we know the things that we've gone through, but we don't really talk about that. I'm really excited to be a part of this organization..."

 

So Harper and Stras aren't quite BFFs yet.

Meanwhile, Harper's slow start in AA ball continued with a 1-5 night in a Senators loss to the Squirrels Thursday night. Through 12 games, he's now 7-for-40: 175/.250/.175.

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

 

Good news/bad news? The Jayson Werth drink special got a little more expensive yesterday.

(Jayson Werth makes like Morse and smacks himself on the helmet on his return to the dugout after his 6th inning HR Wednesday. Video of HR here, Screengrab via MLB.com.)

 

So news of Duffy's Irish Pub offering tall-boy cans for the price of Werth's batting average, and free shots for every hit during this Sunday afternoon's game against the Dodgers, is good news for Nats fans.  But with his 3-5 game yesterday (2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI) the price of a can of beer at Duffy's went up by 6 cents from $2.12 to $2.18 in a matter of 11 innings yesterday. Bad news? Nah, we'll happily fork over more pennies on Sunday as long as Werth keeps on hitting. Here's to hoping PBR tall-boys cost $2.25 by Sunday.

Astros 3, Nationals 2: Jayson Werth finally does something, but Nats lose a tough one in 11.

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

When Todd Coffey attacks.

And here is video of Todd Coffey making a Powerade cooler pay after he turned a one-run game into a two-run game, giving up couple of hits and a walk with two outs in the sixth inning Tuesday night. Poor cooler.

(video clip via reader: sharkattack)

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Where Ryan Zimmerman's foul ball landed...

 

(Ryan Zimmerman's game tying home run bid in the 9th fell maybe a foot wide to the right of the foul pole. Screen grab via MASN/TV.)

Astros 7, Nationals 6: You still have to like your chances with Jordan Zimmermann on the mound and six runs of support, every time.

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Where Michael Morse's home run landed.

(Michael Morse's 5th inning blast hit off the plexiglass somewhere beyond the Eat Mor Fowl pole. Video here: Screengrab via MLB.com)

Nationals 5, Astros 2: Jason Marquis does his trade value (and Davey's tired bullpen) good with 8 inning, 6 hit, 2 run, 9 K performance. Zimmerman HR ties it, 9th inning single wins it, Storen saves it.

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Here's a Roger Bernadina Shark Mode t-shirt

(via AllStarsPlus)

Move over Beast Mode. Looks like Roger Bernadina now has his own t-shirt, created by 22Fresh: Shark Mode. Coming soon, Roger Bernadina wearing a Shark Mode t-shirt?

(Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere; it's new to us this morning.)

Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.