Nats Enquirer

Stephen Strasburg hits first career HR, has slow HR trot.

Stephen Strasburg played the stopper role perfectly on Sunday, and helped his own cause with his first career home run in the fourth inning. Video here (and above). Slowest home run trot ever? We had him clocked at roughly 25 seconds round trip.

Nationals 9, Orioles 3: Nats break out big bats, avoid Beltways sweep, break 3-game losing streak.

Of course with every ounce of good Nationals news, there has to be some troubling Nationals news. And so it comes in the form of Strasburg feeling tightness in his right bicep. It always seems worse when the Nats chalk something up as minor.

Here's Stras in happier times, taking his curtain call:

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For the Birds

"I mean, give up six in five innings? That's awful."
(Ross Detwiler, via Nats Insider, 5/20/2012)

Orioles 6, Nationals 5: In front of second largest crowd in Nationals park history, Nats rally but can't dig all the way out of a 6-run hole dug by Ross Detwiler.

"Awful" Ross: 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 HR. Paging Chien-Ming Wang?

Send in the stopper: maybe Stephen Strasburg can stop the bleeding, prevent sweep?

(Screengrab via MLB.com/Fox)

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A Mike Rizzo baseball card, circa ~1983.

Before Mike Rizzo was bald and the GM of the Washington Nationals, he was a scout for the White Sox, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks. Before that, he was drafted by the Angels in 1982, and played a few years of minor league ball. Up above, a Mike Rizzo baseball card, from back in the day when he was swinging a big stick for the Class A Peoria Suns, circa 1983 or 1984.

Look at all that hair! Weird. He sort of looks like a right handed Nick Johnson.

(via @jackobeam)

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Nicked

(Nick Markakis admires his work in the 11th Friday night. Screengrab via MASN/TV.)

Peter Angelos 2, Ted Lerner 1. At this hour, Nick Markakis reportedly still standing at home plate at Nationals Park admiring his 11th inning HR.

Markakis bomb in the 11th seals game 1 of 2012 Battle of the Beltways.

Now Edwin Jackson knows how Jordan Zimmermann feels. Nats can't hit, bunt, steal on this night.

Ian Desmond giveth, Ian Desmond taketh away: 2 hits, HR. GIDP in the 11th kills potential rally.

Meanwhile, Ryan Mattheus didn't appear to be too thrilled with Nick Markakis and his showboating antics. Bet you a dollar Markakis gets drilled with a pitch in the back at some point this weekend by someone. Here's Mattheus barking at the O's dugout as he departed at the end of the inning:

(Screengrabs via MASN/TV)

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Hey! It's not the Battle of the Beltwayzzzzzz anymore!

 

(The Battle of the Beltways resumes this weekend. Photo by brianmka via flickr.)

This time The Battle of the Beltways counts. Sort of.

At least for the first time, it's a competitive Nationals team facing a competitive Orioles team...

Hopefully there won't be too much of  this during the National Anthem at Nationals Park:

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Michael Morse back by June 1?

Wishful thinking? Michael Morse could return by June 1?

"He looks strong. I've been in the workout room when he's working out, and he's doing things that you can't do when you're hurt. He's lifting things and doing things. He's in good shape."
(Davey Johnson, via NatsInsider, 5/17/2012)

Seems like only yesterday Morse was going to be ready by the home opener...and then he ignited his Latitude. To celebrate the imminent return of Michael Morse, here's video (via AllStars Plus) of Morse in his car outside Nationals Park a few weeks ago, promising Nats fans that he'll be back soon: "I'm coming back. BeastMode is coming back." Fingers crossed...

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Whiffsburgh (Revisited)

(Ian Desmond ended his 0-5 night with a K - his fourth of the night. Screen grab via MASN/TV) 

"Tough one. We had runners on, we just couldn't get the big hit."
(Davey Johnson, via postgame interview/MASN, 5/17/2012)

Pirates 5, Nationals 3: Remember Whiffsburgh last week? Tonight: more strikeouts than you can shake Ian Desmond's stick at. James McDonald dominates early, takes no hitter to the 6th. 14 K, 7 LOB for Nats.

McCutchen'd: 2-4, 2 HR, amazing catch in CF (video here).

Raise your hand if you're still trying to figure out why Davey Johnson let Jordan Zimmermann pitch to Andrew McCutchen.

Good news: Adam LaRoche keeps on hitting...

Silver lining: no need to fret about Henry Rodriguez on this night.

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Bryce Harper wearing Ryan Zimmerman's batting gloves?

So why was Bryce Harper was wearing Ryan Zimmerman's batting gloves during last night's Nats-Pirates game, anyway?

(H/T @CapitolNatsJoe, who pointed this out on Twitter last night. Screengrab via MASN/TV.)

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Video of Bryce Harper's first Big League triple

Eventually Bryce Harper will run out of notable Big League firsts; but there he was last night slugging his first triple as a Major Leaguer off the head of Jose Tabata. See video up there, and here on MLB.com.

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Good Henry showed up!

(No worries in the 9th: MPH-Rod showed up Wednesday night.)

"We believe in Henry 100 percent. The only one who can hurt Henry is himself."
(Gio Gonzalez, via Washington Post, 5/17/2012)

Nationals 7, Pirates 4: Gio strikes out 10, Bryce Harper collects first triple, Ian Desmond, Adam LaRoche (3-4, 4 RBI) & Xavier Nady go deep, and Henry Rodriguez didn't blow a 3-run lead in the 9th.

Hey, first place again. Life is good.

(Screengrab via MLB.TV/MASN.)

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