Nats Enquirer: July 2013

Watch Ryan Zimmerman's bat trick

Oh sure, the Nats may have lost Tuesday night, but watch the Vine above (by @recordsANDradio) of Ryan Zimmerman performing a neat trick with his bat after the ball bounced off the plate.

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Posted on July 31, 2013 at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Strasburg: "I felt like there wasn't much room for error, so I had to go right after him."

"I felt like there wasn't much room for error, so I had to go right after him."
(Stephen Strasburg, via postgame interview/MASN, 7/30/2013)

Tigers 5, Nationals 1: Death, taxes, no run support for Stephen Strasburg, and Anibal BLEEPING Sanchez straight dominating the Nats.

Strasburg (7 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 98 pitches) couldn't afford to give up a run. That grand slam by Alex Avila certainly didn't help.

10 back of the Braves in the NL East. Wild Card or Bust?

(Screencap of Strasburg during his postgame interview via MASNSports.com video)

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Posted on July 30, 2013 at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Video: Wilson Ramos hits grand slam, takes curtain call

"That’s the team I want to see."
(Wilson Ramos, via Washington Times, 7/28/2013)

Nationals 14, Mets 1: Who are these guys? After Game 1 on Friday, did anyone see this coming?

Up above, video of Wilson Ramos clubbing his third inning grand slam.

Onward and upward?

(Screencap via MASN/MLB.com video)

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Posted on July 29, 2013 at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dantastic!

"After that 11-0 game, I think that could be rock bottom there. We don’t have any time for hitting bottom any more. That’s it. If we’re going to hit rock bottom, that was the time and we have to go from there."

(Dan Haren, via Washington Times, 7/27/2013)

Nationals 4, Mets 1: Pigs fly, cats and dogs live in peace, snowball fight in hell, and the Nats give a starter a little run support. Wait, that was Dan Haren?

He's been Harendous and Dan Harendous, and #HREN Derby. So this is the Dan Haren we've been waiting for? 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Amazingly, three home runs in a Dan Haren start, and he didn't give up any of 'em. Videos here: Desmond, Harper, Span (!?) home runs.

(Screencap via MASN/MLB.com video)

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Posted on July 27, 2013 at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Video: Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off home run

"After how that first game went, that was a huge win. That’s baseball. Unfortunately, it’s a roller coaster ride, and we’ve been down it more than we’ve been up this year...But we’ve just got to keep going. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to go out there every day and try to win."
(Ryan Zimmerman, via Washington Times, 7/27/2013)

Mr. Walk-off strikes again. Video of Ryan Zimmerman's 9th career walk-off home run last night to salvage an otherwise miserable Friday for the Nats. Note that Zimmerman's home run was caught by a fan in a Ryan Zimmerman shirt.

(Screencaps via MASN/MLB.com video)

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Posted on July 27, 2013 at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nationals send Drew Storen to Triple-A Syracuse, Tyler Clippard lashes out

Cruel, cruel, summer: Nationals send Drew Stroren to Triple-A Syracuse.

"This is what's best for him. He'll probably have a hard time coming to grips with that. But it is the best thing for him."
(Davey Johnson, via Nats Insider, 7/26/2013)

Ghosts of Game 5 still everywhere...

And if Storen's father wasn't happy with the Nationals bringing Drew in for mop-up duty during the first game of Friday's doubleheader despite battling the flu, the latest news isn't going to go over well (understandably):

102 degree temperature, sicker than a dog...Let's make him wear it!
— Mark Patrick (@mpos) July 26, 2013

Tyler Clippard blasted the decision:

"I think there's a lot of things that led to this that could've been prevented. You know, you basically send a guy a message this offseason, for having one bad game, that he's not the guy for the job. He's only human. I mean, it's going to get to anybody."
(Tyler Clippard, via Nats Insider, 7/26/2013)

The press release from the Nationals was surprisingly short:

NATIONALS OPTION RHP DREW STOREN TO SYRACUSE

Following today’s doubleheader, the Washington Nationals optioned right-handed pitcher Drew Storen to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Storen, 25, went 3-2 with two saves, 14 holds and a 5.95 ERA in 47 games this season with Washington.

(Up above, screencap of Drew Storen after Game 5.)

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Posted on July 26, 2013 at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A fan in a Ryan Zimmerman shirt caught Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off home run

So a day after Bryce Harper hit a walk-off home run to beat the Pirates, Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off home run Friday night to beat the Mets. If ever there was a must-win game in July, this was it. Interestingly, the ball was caught by a guy in a Ryan Zimmerman t-shirt.

(Screencap via MASN/TV)

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Posted on July 26, 2013 at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Davey Johnson signed 75 Davey Johnson bobbleheads, got ejected, yesterday

So in addition to being ejected for the first time this season, Davey Johnson signed 100 baseball cards and 75 Davey Johnson bobbleheads before yesterday's game. See photographic evidence of the bobble headxs (photo via @JulieAlexandria) above. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

"My hand is sore from signing 100 Japanese bubblegum cards. And followed it up with 75 bobbleheads. It’s hard to sign a bobblehead, let me met tell ya. They wanted me to sign on the hat. I said there’s no chance. The head’s going to be wiggling around. I ain’t going to be doing that. So I signed it on the back."
(Davey Johnson, via Nationals Journal, 7/26/2013)

Here's video of Davey's ejection in the fifth inning after a questionable strike three call on Ian Desmond. Maybe Davey just wanted to retreat to the clubhouse to sign more bobbleheads?

(Screencaps via MLB.com/MASN video)

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Posted on July 26, 2013 at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Video: Bryce Harper talks about his walk-off home run, gets pelted with sunflower seeds

"It was pretty cool. I’m just happy we won the ballgame, I’m serious. I could care less about whether it went over the fence or if it was a double off the wall…I’m just very happy that we won the ballgame."
(Bryce Harper, via Washington Times, 7/25/2013)

Up above, Bryce Harper's postgame interview with MASN's Julie Alexandria after his walk-off home run on Thursday afternoon, in which Ian Desmond pelted him with sunflower seeds. No Gatorade bath:

No Gatorade, but during my walkoff intv. w @Bharper3407 We got hit w sunflower seeds, @IanDesmond20 later admitted to throwing. #RallySeeds
— Julie Alexandria (@JulieAlexandria) July 25, 2013

Losing streak: Over. Second and third games of the winning streak today/tonight against the Mets.

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Posted on July 26, 2013 at 08:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Video: Bryce Harper hits walk-off home run, kills Nats losing streak

And so, Bryce Harper made the first walkoff home run of his Major League career count on Thursday afternoon, effectively killing a six game losing streak and erasing a nightmare 9th inning for the Nats.

All is forgiven, Nats. You may proceed with the winning streak now.