As America commemorated 45 years since the first human steps on the moon Sunday, the Washington Nationals were celebrating some milestones and anniversaries of their own on the way to their 53rd victory of 2013, a 5-4 walk-off win over Milwaukee. Gio Gonzalez labored through one of his more difficult starts of the season, but …
Tag: Ryan Zimmerman
May 12
Parity? Nationals put disparity on display
Parity seems to be a buzzword in the major leagues these days. Much has been written about how the low-budget, small-market teams like the Oakland A’s are competitive with big-spending clubs. It was disparity, however, that best described last weekend’s series between Nationals and the A’s. It played out like a three-day infomercial for “Moneyball,” …
May 05
Hang on, help is on the way
What a frustrating weekend for the Nationals and their fans. After beating up on the hapless Houston Astros and another of their characteristic come-from-behind victories in the series opener in Philadelphia, the road trip went south in a hurry. The Nats’ bats fell silent at the hands of AJ Burnett and Roberto Hernandez in a …
Apr 07
Rizzo’s moves take some sting out of Zimmerman injury
A collective sigh of relief swept through Nationals Park when Ryan Zimmerman stepped up to pinch hit Sunday in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves. Although he struck out (a bit awkwardly at that) the appearance was a sign that whatever is bothering Zimmerman’s troublesome right shoulder is not enough of a concern to …
Mar 29
Nationals 2014 Preview: Hitters
Let’s get the predictions out of the way first. I’m calling “World Series or Bust” for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The defending National League West champions have two wins under their belts before most other teams have even played a game, and there should be many more to come. In fact with all their talent …
Jun 17
“Can’t anybody here play this game?”
As the Nationals struggled again to bring runners home in their 2-0 loss in Cleveland on Sunday, their fans must have been fuming. With apologies to Casey Stengel, or whoever initiated the quote that became the title of Jimmy Breslin’s book chronicling the 1962 Mets, the question “Can’t anybody here play this game?” comes to …
May 07
This Day in D.C. Baseball History – Zimmerman’s Hit Streak reaches 25 games
May 7, 2009 Los Angeles, California at Dodger Stadium 24 year-old Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 25 games as the Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9. Zimmerman extended the streak in the top of the first inning when he singled to center-field. For the night Zimmerman went 2 for 5 and scored …
Apr 22
Keep expectations realistic for Anthony Rendon
Welcome to the big leagues, Anthony Rendon. Making his major league debut Sunday against the New York Mets, the Nationals’ 2011 first-round draft pick went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, including one to end a 2-0 loss. He made a nice catch at third base in the first inning, but like the rest of …
Apr 15
Three reasons not to hit the panic button
It’s hard to blame Nationals fans for feeling down after last weekend’s three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. After a big buildup to a supposed early season showdown between the top teams in the National League East – if not the entire NL – the Nats fell flat. Almost every aspect of …
Apr 10
Ryan Zimmerman’s first 1,000 games
To some of you it may seem like yesterday when a young Ryan Zimmerman played in his first game as a Nat, back on September 1, 2005. But in fact Zimmerman has played in 997 games for the Nationals. Ever since that first game Zimmerman has been the face of the franchise. The 28 year-old …
