Results tagged ‘ Dan Haren ’
What to Watch for: 6.17.13
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Washington Nationals (34-34) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (33-37)
RHP Dan Haren (4-8, 5.70) vs. LHP John Lannan (0-1, 6.14)
The Nationals make their first of three trips to Philadelphia this season as they open a three-game set against former teammate John Lannan at Citizens Bank Park. Dan Haren toes the rubber for Washington, as the club looks to push back over the .500 mark for the season.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Kobernus CF
2. Rendon 2B
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Werth RF
5. Desmond SS
6. Marrero 1B
7. Suzuki C
8. Lombardozzi LF
9. Haren RHP
STREAKING SHORTSTOP
Ian Desmond has reached base safely in 18 straight contests, pocketing a .364 batting average (24-for-66) and .417 on-base percentage with five walks, four doubles, three homers, eight runs scored and 13 RBI over that span. Desmond has recorded hits in 16 of the aforementioned 18 games, including a career-best 15-game hit streak. Defensively, Desmond has played a career-high 49 consecutive errorless games (200 total chances) since last committing a miscue on April 21 at New York (NL), marking the longest current streak of its kind among big league shortstops.
MINOR (LEAGUE) VICTORIES
The Hagerstown Suns yesterday secured a postseason berth with a 38-29 (.567) first-half record in the South Atlantic League’s Northern Division. Manager Tripp Keister’s Suns have won their last three contests and are 5-1 in their last six games. Last week, Brian Daubach’s Potomac Nationals (42-27, .609) grabbed a postseason spot when they were crowned the Carolina League’s First Half Northern Division Champs.
PHINDING PHOOTING IN PHILLY
Washington is 18-12 (.600) against the Phillies under Davey Johnson, including a 4-1 mark in one-run contests. Before going 10-8 against the Phillies in 2011, the Nationals/Expos had won only two season series from Philadelphia the previous 14 years.
What to Watch for: 6.11.13
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Washington Nationals (31-31) vs. Colorado Rockies (34-30)
RHP Dan Haren (4-7, 5.45) vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-3, 4.59)
The Nationals hit the road for a nine-game swing following an off-day on Monday. Washington closed out its recent homestand with a doubleheader sweep of the Minnesota Twins, taking the opener, 7-0, and the nightcap, 5-4. Dan Haren takes to the mound at hot, high-elevation Coors Field, where he is 5-2 in eight career starts.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Bernadina LF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Werth RF
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Rendon 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Haren RHP
OFFENSIVE SURGE
The Nationals have posted double-digit hit totals in each of their last four contests (16 times in initial 58 games). The current stretch of double-digit hit games is a season long, and the most since the team strung together five straight 10+ hit contests from September 4-8 last season. Washington scored 12 runs during its doubleheader sweep against the Twins on Sunday, going 24-for-67 (.358) in the twin-bill, including 8-for-24 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Nationals begin a nine-game road trip to Denver, Cleveland and Philly during which they will cover approximately 3,500 miles. This trip wraps up a stretch in which the Nationals will play 28 of 38 games on the road (10-14 overall thus far). Washington is 2-8 in its last 10 road games, after going 11-10 in its first 21 contests on away from home.
ZIM KEEPS CLIMBING
Ryan Zimmerman owns the Nationals record having appeared in 1,038 contests (Cristian Guzman ranks a distant second with 550 games) and tonight will move into sole possession of sixth place in franchise annals, surpassing Warren Cromartie. The top five: Tim Wallach (1,767), Gary Carter (1,503), Tim Raines (1,452), Andre Dawson (1,443) and Jose Vidro (1,186).
Highlights: 5.30.13
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5.30.13 – Orioles 2, Nationals 0
Stat of the Game: Dan Haren worked into the eighth inning allowing just two runs, tossing his fifth quality start of the season.
Under-the-Radar Performance: Roger Bernadina hit in all four games vs. Baltimore, finishing the series 5-for-16 with a double and two home runs.
It Was Over When: The Orioles added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to push ahead 2-0.
What to Watch for: 5.26.13
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Philadelphia Phillies (24-25) vs. Washington Nationals (25-24)
LHP Cole Hamels (1-7, 4.45) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-5, 2.66)
The Nationals fell 5-3 last night, despite outhitting the Phillies 11-6, but turn to Stephen Strasburg in the series rubber match, as Ross Detwiler moves two slots in the rotation. With Detwiler set to return Tuesday, the team looks to put it all together on offense today against a struggling Cole Hamels.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Harper RF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Desmond SS
6. Moore LF
7. Solano C
8. Lombardozzi 2B
9. Strasburg RHP
DAN THE DOUBLE-DIGIT MAN
By fanning 10 on Saturday vs. Philadelphia, Dan Haren became the first Nationals pitcher to record a double-digit strikeout effort not only this season, but since Edwin Jackson punched out 10 Cardinals on August 30, 2012 in D.C. Washington starters went 80 games between double-digit strikeout tallies. Haren’s 14 career games of 10+ punch outs is the most among current Nationals. The remainder of the staff has 18 combined 10+ K efforts: Stephen Strasburg (8), Gio Gonzalez (7), Jordan Zimmermann (3)
2ND TO ONE
With Jeff Kobernus’ Major League debut on Saturday, he became the second Nationals second-round draft selection to reach the big leagues. The first was Jordan Zimmermann, who is 32-28 with a 3.24 ERA in 91 starts for Washington since being tabbed with the 67th-overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
BABY STEPS
With 10 hits on Friday and 11 more on Saturday, the Nationals have recorded consecutive double-digit hit totals for the first time since doing so in three straight contests, April 9-11 vs. the White Sox (13, 11, 10).
What to Watch for: 5.19.13
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Washington Nationals (23-20) vs. San Diego Padres (19-23)
RHP Dan Haren (4-4, 4.76) vs. RHP Andrew Cashner (2-2, 2.84)
Washington goes for the series win in San Diego as the Nationals send Dan Haren to the mound in a battle of right-handers. Haren is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in his last five outings, which include three quality starts.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Lombardozzi 2B
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Moore LF
6. Bernadina RF
7. Espinosa SS
8. Suzuki C
9. Haren RHP
RECAPPING JORDAN’S GEM
Jordan Zimmermann took the loss in Saturday’s 2-1 setback at San Diego, but in doing so he registered his Major League-best third complete game this season and eighth quality start (tied for MLB lead). Zimmermann tossed just 85 pitches last night, establishing a new Nationals (‘05-present) record for fewest pitches thrown in a non-rain-shortened, complete-game start. He bettered the previous record of 89 pitches, set by Pedro Astacio in a 5-0 win vs. Atlanta on August 15, 2006.
BARK AND BITE AT PETCO
Thanks in part to three homers in three games this series, Adam LaRoche now has 10 career home runs at Petco Park, which is tops among all players who have never called the park “home” during its existence (Todd Helton, Andruw Jones & Justin Upton are tied for second on that list with nine HR). LaRoche is a career .328 (42-for-128) hitter with 13 doubles, 10 homers and 28 RBI in 35 games at Petco Park. LaRoche’s most career home runs by ballpark: Turner Field (37), PNC Park (36), Nationals Park (23), Chase Field (15), Petco Park (10).
MIDDLE MEN
The 3-4-5 hitters in Washington’s lineup have hit a combined .341 (45-for-132) with nine home runs and 27 RBI while pocketing 16 walks and scoring 26 runs in the team’s last 12 games. Those same spots in the order are batting a combined .274 (128-for-468) with 24 HR & 71 RBI overall this season.
What to Watch for: 5.14.13
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Washington Nationals (21-17) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (15-22)
RHP Dan Haren (4-3, 5.17) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-2, 1.62)
The Nationals opened their 10-game California trip with a 6-2 victory on Monday night and hope to keep their winning ways going against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Dan Haren takes the mound for Washington riding a three-game winning streak over which he has fashioned a 3.15 ERA, striking out 12 and walking just two.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Espinosa 2B
2. Lombardozzi LF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Desmond SS
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Moore RF
7. Ramos C
8. Perez CF
9. Haren RHP
BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S BEST
Nationals starting pitchers rank second in the Major League Baseball with a 3.19 ERA (83 ER/234.0 IP). Last season, Washington paced the National League in starters ERA at 3.40.
GOING STREAKING
Adam LaRoche enters tonight’s action riding a 10-game hit streak, one shy of his career-long of 11 (accomplished twice, last July 22-August 3, 2012). During the stretch, which began on May 2, LaRoche has gone 14-for-34 (.412) with two doubles, four RBI, six walks and five runs scored, posting a .488 OBP and a .958 OPS. LaRoche joins Ian Desmond (10 games, April 24-May 3) as the only Nationals to put together double-digit streaks this season.
NO DOUBLE DIPPING
With just 20 GIDPs, the Nationals have been the second-toughest club in the NL to double-up this season (NYM, 15 GDP). Denard Span, who has not grounded into a double play since September 24 last season, currently ranks third in the NL with 137 at-bats without a GIDP.
What to Watch for: 5.9.13
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Detroit Tigers (19-12) vs. Washington Nationals (18-15)
RHP Doug Fister (4-0, 2.38) vs. RHP Dan Haren (3-3, 5.01)
The Nationals look for a two-game series sweep of the Tigers, following Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory behind Jordan Zimmermann. Dan Haren rides a two-game personal winning streak into this afternoon’s affair against Detroit righty Doug Fister.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Bernadina LF
3. Harper RF
4. Zimmerman 3B
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Ramos C
9. Haren RHP
JORDAN RULES
On Wednesday night, Jordan Zimmermann became the first Washington Nationals (2005-present) pitcher to garner a win in three straight starts despite Nationals bats posting three or less runs of offensive support (3-1 on Wednesday vs. Detroit, 2-0 on May 1 at Atlanta, 1-0 on April 26 vs. Cincinnati). Zimmermann has pocketed the win in seven consecutive starts at Nationals Park.
THE AMERICAN WAY
The Nationals are a perfect 4-0 this season against the American League (1-0 vs. Detrit, 3-0 vs. Chicago). Washington is also 22-15 in interleague play since the beginning of 2011. The corresponding .595 winning percentage paces NL clubs (fourth in MLB) in that 2+ year span, during which Washington is 12-7 (.632) at Nationals Park against the AL.
BRYCE HITS 10TH HOMER
Bryce Harper slugged his 10th homer of the season in his 111th at-bat of the season on Wednesday. In doing so, Harper reached the double-digit home run plateau quicker than any National (2005-present) with the exception of Adam Dunn, who blasted his 10th homer of the 2009 campaign n his 103rd at-bat, May 10 at Arizona.
What to Watch for: 5.3.13
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Washington Nationals (15-14) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-12)
LHP Ross Detwiler (1-2, 2.03) vs. RHP A.J. Burnett (2-2, 2.83)
Dan Haren turned in his best start yet as a National as Washington earned a split of the four-game set in Atlanta with a 3-1 victory Thursday night. Nationals pitching has allowed just one run in the last 21 innings heading into tonight’s series opener in Pittsburgh, which will pit two of the top 20 ERAs in the league against one another with Ross Detwiler (ninth) and A.J. Burnett (20th) matching up.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Desmond SS
3. Harper LF
4. Zimmerman 3B
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Moore RF
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Detwiler LHP
ATTENTION SPAN
In Thursday’s win at Turner Field, Denard Span sparked the Nationals offense with three hits (two doubles, two RBI, a walk and a run scored). In so doing, he reached base four or more times for the 34th time in his career. Span’s teams are now 24-10 (.706) when he reaches base four or more times in a single game (1-0 with Washington, 23-10 with the Twins).
EXTRA, EXTRA
Nearly 30 games into the season, Ian Desmond has more extra-base hits (17) than singles (16). Desmond is one of only nine big leaguers with at least 100 plate appearances on the season to be able to stake this claim, joining Mike Napoli, Chris Davis, Justin Upton, Anthony Rizzo, Coco Crisp, J.P Arencibia, Adam Dunn and Chris Young.
NEW FRONTIERS AHEAD
The Nationals are 8-8 this season against NL East rivals after posting MLB’s top intra-division winning percentage last season (48-33, .593). Starting with tonight’s lid-lifter at PNC Park, the Nationals will play 18 straight games outside the division.
Canceling The Noise
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As Greg Maddux so astutely pointed out to Tom Glavine in the hilarious Nike ad from the late ’90s, chicks dig the long ball. In fact, so does every baseball fan and writer, as home runs are, incidentally, the loudest happening on a baseball field. Perhaps it’s no surprise then, that Justin Upton and the hard-swinging Atlanta Braves garnered many of the season’s early headlines.
While the Nationals have plenty of potential for pop in their own lineup, there is no denying that the pitching will lead them as far as they go this season. So it was only fitting that, after an 8-1 loss which left their final April record at just 13-14, Washington quietly rebounded with a pair of dominant pitching performances to earn a four-game split of a tough road series in Atlanta.
Dan Haren and the Nationals are quietly back within 2.5 games of first place.
Following Jordan Zimmermann’s beauty on Wednesday, veteran Dan Haren shredded his way through the Braves lineup with stunning efficiency on Thursday, allowing just a solo home run over eight innings.
At one point, Nationals pitchers had retired 28 straight Atlanta hitters, one better than the equivalent of a perfect game over the two-day stretch. They ran up an 18-inning scoreless streak as well, and have allowed just one run over their last 21 frames entering this weekend’s series in Pittsburgh.
It was, perhaps, a bit ironic that on the day that Upton was honored with the National League Player of the Month – and Evan Gattis the NL Rookie of the Month – it was the rival Nationals bullying their way to another big road win, sucking the air out of the Turner Field crowd.
Even more so, the Nationals were able to jump on nemesis Kris Medlen early for the only three runs they would need. They didn’t do it by leaving the ballpark, but rather thanks to a pair of doubles by the pesky, opportunistic Denard Span, who scored the game’s first run, then scooted a ball down the third base line to plate the rest of the Washington scoring an inning later.
And so, quietly, the Nationals have put a lackluster April behind them, and are just 2.5 games back of first place in the first week of May. With the ever-improving Ross Detwiler set to take the hill Friday night, Washington looks to carry that momentum, led by their pitching, into the Steel City.
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