Nats Enquirer

Video of Stephen Strasburg striking out first batter of second rehab start.

(Up above, video of Stephen Strasburg -- video via @natsnq -- striking out the first batter of the game Friday night for the P-Nats.)

And so, the results are in from Stephen Strasburg's latest and greatest (second) rehab start tonight in Woodbridge. By all accounts, Strasburg dominated: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K, 33 pitches, 26 strikes. Nary a baseball left the infield; although he did give up a hit to a kid named Strausborger. Various accounts had him hitting 98, even 99 on Pfitzner Stadium radar gun. After a 1-2-3 third inning, Strasburg reportedly made his way to the bullpen to throw a bullpen session to fulfill his 50 pitch allotment for the evening. He was too damn good,.

So - see you in a few weeks in Washington, Stras? Time to gobble up tickets for Tuesday, September 6th at Nationals Park against the Dodgers?

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Where Ryan Zimmerman's home run landed

So the home run Ryan Zimmerman hit on Thursday at Wrigley Field to extend his hitting streak to 19 games was crushed just a little bit: Over the bleachers in left field and out onto Waveland Ave. Here's the video, via MLB.com.

Above video (via DC Sports Bog) shows the view from the street. That poor little baseball never stood a chance: according to ESPN.com's HitTracker HomeRunTracker, it was 439 ft. from Zim's bat to that garden on Waveland Ave.

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Beastly

(Michael Morse grimaces after getting drilled in the elbow by a Ryan Dempster pitch. Screencap via MASN/TV.)

"Yeah, I'm worried. Because normally, he's got huge arms and is well-protected. But he was in bad shape."
(Davey Johnson, via NatsInsider, 8/11/2011)

Oh no. Davey's worried about Michael Morse. Count us in, too: Did a Ryan Dempster fastball put an end to Beast Mode in 2011? X-Ray results forthcoming...

[Update] Oh, here's good news! MLB.com's Bill Ladson Tweeted the following update Thursday night:

In a text message, #Nats 1B Michael Morse said he has a left elbow contusion. He expects to be OK. Morse is listed as day-to-day. #MLB.
(via @Washingnats, 8/11/2011)

The other bad news:

Cubs 4, Nationals 3: Bases loaded, no outs in the 9th, and Nats can only scratch out a run.

Nats drop 2 of 3 to Cubs. Onward to Philly...hope Mike Morse was on that plane...

 

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Video: Bryce Harper's Harrisburg Ejection

And so, Bryce Harper was ejected for the first time in a Double-A game last night after a (bad) strike 3 call. There's the video above. (We saw it for the first time over at Adam Kilgore's place.) Quite the outburst from Young Mr. Harper; and it's surprising it took so long for someone on the coaching staff to get between Harper and umpire Max Guyll.

Apparently Harper wasn't the only one upset with Guyll's strike zone. From Geoff Morrow of the Patriot-News:

Sixteen of the 18 players who started Wednesday night's Eastern League game between Richmond and Harrisburg weren't too happy with the size of home plate umpire Max Guyll's strike zone.

Body language, stare downs and brief post-strikeout arguments easily revealed as much through the first seven innings at Metro Bank Park.
(via Patriot-News, 8/11/2011)

...and then Bryce Harper exploded.

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Michael Morse sings "Take on Me" in his Hammer Time t-shirt.

(There's Michael Morse in his new Hammer Time t-shirt. Screen grab via MLB Network/Intentional Talk.)

So here's video of Michael Morse's epic appearance on MLB Network's Intentional Talk on Wednesday, in which he explains, among other things, why he's wearing a Hammer Time t-shirt and his pre-at-bat stretching routine. But the main event: around the 8:00 mark, Morse sings "Take on Me." Holy Moly.  Video via AllStarsPlus.

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Here's The Beast giving thanks for home runs.

(Michael Morse gives thanks to a higher power after his 6th inning solo shot. Screencap via MASN/TV.)

And so Michael Morse hit yet other gargantuan home run Tuesday night, his 20th of the season; this time at Wrigley Field. See it here. Pretty much destroyed that baseball.

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Strasburg to start Friday night for P-Nats; Mike Rizzo will reportedly let him set foot on the field at Pfitzner Stadium.

(A year later, the P-Nats finally get their man. Image via P-Nats official website.)

Strasburg makes second rehab start in Potomac Friday night.

And so, despite all the mean things the P-Nats and Prince William County execs said about Mike Rizzo last month in a row over the (allegedly shitty)  field conditions at Pfitzner Stadium, Rizzo threw the P-Nats a bone and will send the crown jewel of the Nats organization out to the mound at the Pfitz Friday night. Or more accurately, the Suns are on the road Friday night, so Rizzo had no other choice?

Just for fun, let's go back to the spat that erupted between Mike Rizzo, Prince William County, and the P-Nats over the (allegedly) crappy field conditions at Pfitzner Stadium, courtesy of the Washington Times' Nathan Fenno; here's Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, ripping Rizzo in the Washington Times back on July 20.

"Rizzo ought to focus on doing his job, which could probably use some improvement,” Mr. Stewart said, voice shaking. “He’s talking out of his rear end. … He doesn’t know what’s happening because he didn’t bother to check. ...Frankly, he’s not a good manager. He’s received a lot of criticism for his performance for the job he should be doing. He should stick to the job he’s supposed to do instead of getting involved in something he doesn’t know about."

Bet you a dollar Corey Stewart is singing a different tune after hearing the news about Strasmas on Friday at the Pfitz; and bet you a dollar Mike Rizzo has instructed Stephen Strasburg to stay the hell away from the (alleged) potholes in the outfield

 

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Here's Stephen Strasburg surrounded by autograph hounds in Hagerstown

(Stephen Strasburg signs autographs for kids while fending off autograph hounds on his way out of Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown. Screencap via WHAG/Your4State.com)

So how is Stephen Strasburg feeling after his first rehab start? Probably better today than he was feeling early Sunday evening as he attempted to leave Hagerstown, only to be met by a swarm of autograph hounds. But he feels great, Mike Rizzo said Monday night on the Mike Rizzo show on 106.7 The Fan:

"The most important thing was how he felt today after he threw the 31 pitches, and he felt great. He's going to be able to throw his side tomorrow. He continues to...be on track and... rehab is going smoothly."
(Mike Rizzo, via The Mike Rizzo Show, 106.7 The Fan, 8/8/2011)

And so, with a side session scheduled for today (Tuesday), Strasburg appears to be on track for a Friday night start in a location to be determined. In other words, Stras will pitch Friday for Potomac in Woodbridge, barring any setbacks, of course.

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Jayson Werth's Beast Mode t-shirt

(The first letter is obscured by the Wrigley Field ivy, but we're pretty sure that's a "B" and not "L". Screencap via Mid Atlantic Sports Report on MASN/TV.)

And here's a shot of Jayson Werth and Jonny Gomes standing in the ivy and the rain together at Wrigley Field an hour or so  before Monday night's Nats-Cubs game. Hope the rain goes away. So, is Werth hoping to channel some of Michael Morse's Beast Mode mojo with his own Beast Mode shirt? Hope it works.

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More scenes of Strasburgmania in Hagerstown

And there he goes: Stephen Strasburg departs to a standing ovation from ~7,000 adoring fans after 31 mostly glorious pitches on Sunday in Hagerstown.

And here's Strasburg talking to the media after the game, via CSNWashington.com:

Meanwhile, even Santa couldn't stay away from Hagerstown. It was Strasmas, afterall: