Nats Enquirer

Danny Espinosa KOs Cliff Lee, Phils

(Danny Espinosa returns to the dugout after his second HR on Tuesday night. Screen grab of TV/MASN.)

"We can hit 'em. They're great pitchers, obviously. But they've had losses before. And no one in this game has been perfect."
(Danny Espinosa, via post-game/MASN, 5/31/2011)

Nationals 10, Phillies 2:  Just a 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI night for Danny ROY Espinosa off Cliff Lee. No biggie.

Sad news: Phillies fans unable to throw back Danny's HR balls on this night.

Ho hum, just a 3-5, 2 RBI night for Michael Morse (with a great start to a DP in the 8th). No biggie.

Good news: Jason Marquis earns sixth win. Better news: Jason Marquis' trade value just keeps going up...

More good news: Zim will play 3rd in extended spring training game this week.

Here's hoping for a series win Wednesday afternoon...

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

Watch Phillies fans heckle Jayson Werth

Here's video of Phillies fans heckling Jayson Werth on Monday at Nationals Park. Jayyyyson. Jayyyyson. We get the sense he'll be hearing that a lot over the next seven years...

(H/T DC Sports Bog, who posted this video earlier on Tuesday.)

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

 

 

Phillies fan throws back Danny Espinosa's home run ball at Nationals Park

(Screen grab via MLB.com.)

[Update: YouTube clip was apparently taken down.] This video clip on MLB.com captures Memorial Day 2011 at Nationals Park perfectly: Danny Espinosa homers to tie the game off Roy Halladay in the 5th inning, and some a-hole Phillies fan in a Chase Utley jersey throws the ball back onto the field.

DC Sports Bog has more from the latest Phillies fan invasion of Nationals Park. We'd like to add that it's a good thing Teddy didn't win for the first time on Memorial Day: he would've gotten booed out of the joint.

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

 

Nett Loss

(Sean Burnett torched another one on Monday. Screen grab via TV/MASN.)

"It's hard to walk away from this one. Livo threw another good game, and our offense put up four on Halladay, which isn't going to happen too much. It's a game you have to win, and we had it won if I could execute and get the lefties out that I'm supposed to."
(Sean Burnett, via Nationals.com, 5/30/2011)

Nationals get to Halladay, still lose

Phillies 5, Nationals 4: They had Roy on the ropes all day and still have nothing to show for it. Ho hum, just another 1-run loss. Expect it?

Ho hum, Sean Burnett blows another one, faces the music.

10 hits, 4 runs off Halladay sure sounds good, but there aren't any silver linings on this day.

First and third with no outs in the 7th, and nothing to show for it but a baserunning blunder by Cora. Later, a fitting end via Werth K.

Ho hum, Teddy loses another one. Werth can't be happy.

Note to Mike Rizzo: It might be time to put Matt Stairs out of his misery. 3-34 for the pinch hitting specialist, good for .088.

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

 

What's luck got to do with it?

(Ian Desmond, Nats, couldn't catch a break in the 9th on Sunday. Screen grab of TV/MASN)

“Is that unlucky?"
(Jim Riggleman, via Washington Post, 5/30/2011)

“It’s not about breaks. It’s about playing the game the right way. It’s not about luck. We’re not unlucky."
(Ian Desmond, via Washington Post, 5/30/2011)

Padres 5, Nationals 4: What's luck got to do with it? Nothing? Everything? Something in-between?

This much seems clear: the Nats can't catch or make a break in 2011.

And now Roy is looming Monday afternoon...

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

No Help

(Jayson Werth's 4th inning gaffe was the difference on Saturday. Screengrab of MLB.com)

"The balls were sailing pretty good out there today. I had a chance and turned on it, I just didn't pick it up. I kind of stutter-stepped after it and was half a step behind it."
(Jayson Werth, via Nationals.com, 5/28/2011)

Padres 2, Nationals 1: Same old story. A fine starting pitching performance is wasted, no timely hitting to be found.

Note to Mike Rizzo: Please just go ahead and release Matt Stairs.

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

Michael Morse's pie in the face, Gatorade shower

(Michael Morse, shaking off the effects of a deadly combo Friday night. Screen grab via masnsports.com.)

"The full Gatorade bath? That’s something I’ll never forget."
(Michael Morse, via Washington Post, 5/28/2011)

Video of Michael Morse's post-game interview with MASN's Debbie Taylor is definitely worth your time; simply to see the after effects of a deadly pie in the face - Gatorade shower combo.

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

Morse-Off!

(There's a Michael Morse at the bottom of that pile. Screen grab via MLB.com.)

Nationals 2, Padres 1: Michael Morse delivers walk-off HR.

Drew Storen plays vulture, earns John Lannan's W.

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

 

Watch this catch by Bryce Harper

Here's a video of Bryce Harper making an adventurous catch a week or so ago in Greensboro that could probably be best described as being "Milledgesque". Who knows, maybe the wind was a factor?  At the very least, he made the catch despite things getting dicey there at the end. Harper's bat makes it easy to forget that he's still learning a new position, you know?

Meanwhile...if you had Memorial Day Weekend as your date for Bryce Harper being promoted somewhere else -- you lose!

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

 

 

"I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on around here."

Washington Nationals' Jayson Werth is seen in the dugout as the Nationals play the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park in Washington on April 14, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

 

"I’ve got some ideas obviously, and some thoughts, none I really want to share with the world. I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on around here. I’m not really going to get into it right now. It is what it is. It’s unfortunate. We’re a way better ballclub."
(Jayson Werth, via Washington Post, 5/25/2011)

"Good players are resilient. They bounce back. I believe in these guys in here. We've got a great group of guys. We've got a lot of talent. We just need to keep going. A lot of these guys are kind of still learning. We've got to make sure they continue to develop, regardless of whether they're winning or losing, because I think that's important to the future of this club. But things need to change."
(Jayson Werth, via MASNSports.com, 5/25/2011)

 

Guess it was only a matter of time before Jayson Werth started venting his frustration to the media about his lot in life. And yesterday was that day.

The losing part is obvious. But is Werth calling out Mike Rizzo for the roster around him? Or does this mean the Jim Riggleman Axe watch is officially ON?

 

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