Results tagged ‘ Jayson Werth ’
What to Watch For: 9/1
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St. Louis Cardinals (71-61) vs. Washington Nationals (80-51)
RHP Kyle Lohse (14-2, 2.64) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (9-8, 2.63)
On the heels of dominant pitching performances by both Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez, the Nationals send Jordan Zimmermann to the mound Saturday afternoon in search of their fourth consecutive win and third in a row to open their series with the defending World Champion Cardinals.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Werth RF
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Morse LF
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Zimmermann RHP
OH, WHAT A NIGHT!
Gio Gonzalez scattered five hits and three walks to notch his first career shutout (in career start #116) as the Nationals blanked the Cardinals, 10-0, on Friday at Nationals Park. Gonzalez fanned eight while tossing Washington’s first complete-game shutout since Livan Hernandez turned the trick, coincidentally in a 10-0 home win over St. Louis, on June 15, 2011. Jayson Werth reached base in all five plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, three runs scored and two walks. Washington equaled its ‘11 win total with the victory.
AUGUST IN REVIEW
Washington posted the National League’s best record in August at 19-10. The corresponding .655 winning percentage the Nationals best in a single month this season and was the first winning August since the team moved to D.C., with 17 of the month’s 29 contests coming against NL East foes. The Nationals outscored their opposition, 137-98, on the month and their +39 run differential paced the NL and ranked fourth in MLB (Tampa Bay +52, Oakland +44, Texas +40). Washington entered August with a 2.5-game lead in the NL East and exited with an advantage of 6.5 games over second-place Atlanta.
DATE IN D.C. BASEBALL
2005: Ryan Zimmerman is promoted to the big leagues, becoming the first player drafted and developed exclusively by the Nationals to reach the Major League level. Zimmerman is also the first player selected in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft to reach the big leagues. That night, at Turner Field, Zimmerman dons uniform #25 and, facing Jim Brower, strikes out in the seventh inning while pinch-hitting for Jason Bergmann. The Braves win the game, 8-7, in 10 innings.
2008: Tim Redding rides a no-hitter into the sixth and settled for his 10th win as the Nationals post their seventh consecutive win in a 7-4 home triumph over the Phillies.
Twice As Bryce
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The Nationals needed a spark. They needed something, or someone, to step forward and deliver a big hit to kick-start a struggling offense that had scored just six times in a five-game losing streak. Fittingly, they got it from a player aiming to right his own course this season, looking to finish the regular season strong.
Bryce Harper hit a pair of home runs Wednesday night to back Ross Detwiler and the bullpen in an 8-4 victory in Miami. His second home run (seen below) will be the one that most folks remember from the contest, as it made him just the third teenage center fielder ever to log a multi-home run performance, not to mention the fact that it drilled a seat in the sixth row of the upper deck in right-center field. But it was the rookie’s first dinger that opened the floodgates for the rest of the Nationals offense. After going 0-for-9 the first time through the lineup against Marlins rookie starter Jacob Turner, Harper’s blast (which followed a leadoff single by Jayson Werth) was the second hit in a string in which six of seven Nats hit safely.
During that sequence, Michael Morse scorched a ball that would have been a home run in nearly any other ballpark, settling for a triple. In all, six different Washington batters tallied multi-hit games, and catcher Kurt Suzuki checked in with his first home run in a Nationals uniform, padding the lead in the ninth inning. The offense finished the night with 14 hits, a needed jolt as the team gained a game back from the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Washington leads the division by 5.0 as they open an 11-game homestand with four games against the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals Thursday night in D.C.
With 33 games remaining in the regular season, 21 of them right here on the shores of the Anacostia, it will be interesting to see which players step forward to carry the Nationals to the finish line. Adam LaRoche came up huge in April and May with much of the heart of the lineup injured. Ryan Zimmerman and Morse each went on tears in June and July to keep the team atop the division. And recently, Werth has been on fire since returning from his broken wrist to carry the load. With seven games against the Cardinals, three against the newly revamped Dodgers and three more with Atlanta still to play, Washington will need its big bats to step up once again. If Wednesday night was any indication, this team looks ready to get after it down the home stretch.
What to Watch For: 8/24
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Washington Nationals (77-47) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (58-67)
RHP Edwin Jackson (7-8, 3.69) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (6-9, 4.20)
Following an off day, the Nationals travel to Philadelphia to open a three-game set with the Phillies as part of a five-game road trip. Edwin Jackson looks to get back in the win column as he follows up on his season-high 11 strikeouts in his last outing.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Lombardozzi 2B
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Morse LF
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Werth RF
7. Espinosa SS
8. Suzuki C
9. Jackson RHP
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
The Nationals tonight begin a shorter-than-usual two-city, five-game road trip with the first of three weekend contests at Citizens Bank Park. Following Sunday’s finale, the Nationals are slated to jet south to enjoy an off day (Monday) and a two-game series in Miami. However, Tropical Storm Isaac could potentially affect Washington’s travel plans. The Nationals are fresh off a 4-2 homestand that included series wins over the Braves (2-1) and Mets (2-1). Washington outscored their two opponents on the homestand, 21-18.
START ME UP
Coming off a dominating performance in his last outing, albeit a tough-luck loss in which he fanned 11 in 7.0 innings, Edwin Jackson accepts the starting assignment tonight against the Phillies. It is his fourth-career start against the NL East rivals, and third of the season. Note that Jackson has won games against 25 MLB teams and in 21 ballparks, but has yet to do so against either Philadelphia or at Citizens Bank Park.
NOTES OF NOTE
One year ago today (entering play on August 24, 2011), the third-place Nationals trailed the first-place Phillies in the NL East standing by 21.0 games. This year, the two clubs have swapped spots in the standings as Washington holds a 19.5-game advantage over the third-place Phillies in the NL East. Washington is 12-6 against the Phillies since Davey Johnson became manager, including a 4-1 mark in one-run games. Before going 10-8 against the Phillies in ‘11, the Nationals/Expos had won only two season series from PHI the previous 14 years (the Nationals went 10-9 in ’06; the Expos went 11-8 in ‘02). In four seasons (2007-‘10) as a Phillie, Jayson Werth hit .282 with 99 doubles, 95 homers, 300 RBI and 60 stolen bases. He earned a World Series ring as a member of the 2008 Phillies. Johnson played parts of two seasons for the Phillies (1977-‘78) and batted .273 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 122 games.
What to Watch For: 8/22
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Atlanta Braves (70-53) vs. Washington Nationals (77-46)
RHP Kris Medlen (4-1, 2.03) vs. LHP Ross Detwiler (7-5, 3.25)
The Nationals used the power of a pair of home runs and a dominant, 10-strikeout performance by Stephen Strasburg to dispatch the Braves for the second straight night by a score of 4-1 on Tuesday. Kris Medlen and Ross Detwiler, who have both pitched well of late, match up as the Nats go for the series sweep of Atlanta.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Werth RF
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Morse LF
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Detwiler LHP
BEARD IS BACK
Since Jayson Werth’s return from a broken left wrist, the Nationals are 14-2 when he is in the starting lineup, as he is tonight. Werth has posted a .381/.466/.544 slash line this month, with seven doubles, a triple, 11 runs scored, eight RBI and 10 walks against just five strikeouts in 18 games played.
ROSS IS BOSS
Ross Detwiler makes his second start of the homestand tonight versus Kris Medlen and the Atlanta Braves. Detwiler is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA (4 ER/27.0 IP) and a 0.93 WHIP in four starts at Nationals Park since the All-Star break.
HOMER, HAPPY
Per Elias Sports Bureau, the Nationals have won 20 straight games in which they have hit at least one homer. This is the longest such streak in MLB this season, in Nationals (2005-present) history, and franchise annals. The last team with a homer-and-win streak to reach 20: the ’08 Rays won 20 straight games in which they homered, July 21-August 22.
Finding A Way
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If there is a theme that has defined this season for the Washington Nationals, it may just be that no matter the opponent or the type of game, more likely than not the team seems to be able to find a way to end up on the right side of the final score. Following last night’s wild, 13-inning win over the division rival Braves, the Nats are now tied for second place in the Major Leagues with nine walk-off wins, which have come in nearly every manner one could imagine.
Danny Espinosa’s heads up baserunning helped win the game Monday night.
It all began on Opening Day, as Ryan Zimmerman scored on a wild pitch in extra innings. Since then, there have been clutch, game-winning, extra-inning hits by Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos and Bryce Harper. Ian Desmond has sent the Nats home happy twice, once on a sacrifice fly, and once with a dramatic home run. Of course, there was the crazy, 4-6 fielder’s choice hit by Adam LaRoche against the Giants on July 5th that allowed Harper to score the winning run. Then, Zimmerman scored again to win on a wild pitch just 12 days later against the Mets. But were any of those endings as improbable as the one that took place Monday night?
Werth nearly (effectively) ended the game in the eighth, as his bid for a two-out, tie-breaking grand slam came up a few feet short in the left field corner. LaRoche just missed his own chance for walk-off glory in the 10th inning, his towering fly ball to right field coming to rest in Jason Heyward’s mitt a step in front of the wall. And Werth again nearly sent the crowd into a frenzy in the 11th, backing up Heyward again, who had to jump at the wall in right to corral the ball. And while a big hit nearly decided things on three separate occasions, in the end, it came down to the littlest of little things, which the Nationals got right and the Braves got wrong.
In a season full of walk-offs, Chad Tracy’s may have been the most bizarre yet.
After Danny Espinosa was unable to advance Desmond – the runner at first following a leadoff single, who was forced out at second on a bunt attempt – he more than atoned for his poor small-ball execution. On a check-swing chopper off the plate by Kurt Suzuki, Espinosa raced to second base, and seeing that third baseman Chipper Jones and shortstop Paul Janish had both converged with catcher Brian McCann not covering, he continued all the way to third. That put runners at the corners with just one out, forcing the Braves to pull the infield in. That setup created an entirely different scenario as Chad Tracy stepped to the plate, the winning run just 90 feet away.
While the focus of what happened next will remain on Dan Uggla, Suzuki’s role in causing the moment of confusion needed for Espinosa to score should not be overlooked. Instead of running full bore towards second base, the Nationals catcher stopped just a couple of steps off the bag and waited. By not moving into Uggla’s line, he was able to take away any chance of a tag-and-throw double play. With the speed of Espinosa, that was really Uggla’s only play. In fact, if you watch the video, he never really squares himself to throw home, indicating that the double play was very much on his mind. But once Suzuki stalled, that became impossible, and the game was already over.
Lost in the madness is the fact that the Nationals became the first team in the Major Leagues to 76 wins, moving them 30 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history. They also expanded their NL East lead to 6.0 games over Atlanta, surpassing the 5.5-game advantage the 2005 Nationals held on July 3 for the largest division lead in franchise history since the team moved to Washington.
You don’t get to 30 games over .500 without finding new and creative ways to win. The Nationals have done just that to get where they are today.
What to Watch For: 8/19
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New York Mets (57-63) vs. Washington Nationals (74-46)
RHP Jeremy Hefner (2-4, 4.76) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (15-6, 3.29)
Washington never got going as the New York Mets shut out the Nationals 2-0 Saturday night to even the series at a game apiece. In today’s rubber match, Gio Gonzalez will be opposed by righty Jeremy Hefner, who has suffered two of his four losses this year in his previous two starts against Washington, allowing five runs (and three home runs) in 12 innings of work.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Werth RF
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Morse LF
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Gonzalez LHP
THE STAKES AT HAND
Having split a pair here in D.C., the Nationals and Mets will settle the series outcome with today’s rubber game. The Nationals are 5-2 in rubber games this year, having won on August 15 at San Francisco (6-4), July 1 at Atlanta (8-4), June 21 vs. Tampa Bay (5-2), May 3 vs. Arizona (2-1) and April 11 at NYM (4-0).
HOMER HAPPY
Despite missing significant time due to injuries to Michael Morse, Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos, the Nationals have hit 129 homers in 120 games or 1.08 long balls per contest. In seven previous years in D.C., Washington hit more than 1.0 home run per game only once: in ‘06 the Nationals blasted 164 long balls in 162 games (1.01 per game).
D.C.’S DYNAMIC DUO
Thanks to DL stints for Morse and Zimmerman, Washington played the season’s first 50 games with only one or none of their middle-of-the-order bats. In those 50 games, the Nationals went 29-21 (.580) and averaged 3.8 runs per game. In 66 games with both in the lineup, Washington is 44-22 (.667) and is averaging 5.0 runs per contest (without either Morse or Zimmerman, Washington is 1-3 and averaging 2.5 runs per game since June 2).
What to Watch for: 8/17
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New York Mets (56-62) vs. Washington Nationals (73-45)
LHP Johan Santana (6-8, 4.58) vs. LHP Ross Detwiler (6-5, 3.18)
Following a stellar 8-2 road trip, the Nationals return home for six games against their NL East rival New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. The Nats will shuffle the rotation to send Ross Detwiler to the hill in the series opener against fellow southpaw Johan Santana. Washington will feature the quintet of Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Ian Desmond in the lineup together for the first time all season.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Werth RF
2. Harper CF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Morse LF
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Detwiler LHP
SMOOTH ROAD
At 41-23 (.641), Washington owns the best road winning percentage in MLB, taking 14 of their last 17 road contests. Washington is 14-4-2 in road series in 2012, including a 6-0-2 (win-loss-split) mark in road series play dating to June 25. With 41 wins outside of D.C. in the books, the Nationals have assured themselves of their first winning road record since landing in The District in 2005.
SLEEPING IN OWN BED
As well as the Nationals have played on the road (chronicled above), note that the Nationals have more home games remaining than any club in MLB. In fact, 27 of Washington’s final 44 contests (61%) will take place within the comfy confines of Nationals Park, more than any other team in baseball. The Nationals own a 32-22 mark at home, yielding a .593 winning percentage (4th in NL/6th in MLB).
AUGUST AND EVERYTHING PRIOR
The Nationals are an 12-4 thus far in August and are the only big league have played winning baseball every month this season: July (17-9), June (15-10), May (15-13) and April (14-8). Including September of ’11, Washington has posted five straight winning months.
The Road Warriors Return
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As we hit the home stretch of the regular season, there will be much use of the “C” word, as people refer to the various opportunities the Nationals could clinch: a potential playoff spot, possibly a division title, even home-field advantage. But on Wednesday, August 15, the Nationals already clinched something significant. By winning their 41st road game, they broke the previous franchise mark for victories away from Washington D.C. (40 in 2005), thereby guaranteeing themselves a winning road record in the 2012 season.
The return of Ian Desmond gives the Nats the healthiest lineup they’ve had all season.
To really appreciate how good the Nationals have been on the road this season, consider the following: at 41-23, their .640 road winning percentage is not simply the best in the league, it’s better than any other team’s home winning percentage. In other words, at this juncture in the season, Washington statistically stands a better chance to win on the road than any team that hosts them.
For some perspective, imagine this: the last team to accomplish this feat for a full season was the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who went an otherworldly 59-22 (.728) away from Safeco Field on their way to a 116-win season. Not even the 1998 Yankees, who went an astounding 52-29 (.642) away from New York in a 114-win campaign, finished the season with a better road record than the rest of baseball’s home marks. All three National League division winners (Braves: 56-25, Astros: 55-26, Padres: 54-27) were better at home that year.
All of this is even more encouraging knowing that they will see Ian Desmond – who has been sidelined with an oblique injury since shortly after the All-Star break – activated for Friday night’s series opener against the Mets. After he took his first full workout on Tuesday in San Francisco, Desmond decided to have a little fun with his manager, giving him a scare about the timetable for his return.
“I’m hurting,” he told Davey Johnson following his first session of hitting again at full strength. “My ears are hurting from the loud sounds coming off my bat.”
Steve Lombardozzi has stepped up in a big way, and earned himself a spot on the roster despite Desmond’s return.
And while Washington will not get catcher Wilson Ramos back until next season, with Desmond’s return they will field the healthiest version of their projected everyday lineup so far this season. Nationals fans have yet to see Desmond, Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse all on the same field at the same time. It is conceivable that in spite of the club’s unprecedented success thus far in 2012, that the Nationals best baseball is yet to come.
If so, there is no better time for it than this week in Washington, where they will face the division rival Mets and Braves. While the Mets have dropped off the pace in the NL East race, they remain a dangerous club with tough pitching, including former Cy Young Award-winner Johan Santana, who throws in the series opener on Friday. And we hardly need to tell you the importance of the Braves series, which will see two of the top three teams in the National League dueling it out for NL East supremacy and postseason positioning. As others have noted, it may be the most important series played in our Nation’s Capital in several generations. So it is comforting to know that the Nationals are not only playing some of their best baseball yet, but there are reinforcements on the way as well.
From the Desk of Mark Lerner: Envious No More
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Just about every night, I remind myself, be careful what you wish for.
For years now, we watched with silent envy as teams played meaningful games late into the season. We were thrilled to play a role — any role — in the season’s outcomes, to affect the standings from the outside.
Some call it playing the “spoiler.” Whatever they called us, it fit at the time.
But when everyone went home at night, all we could do was picture and dream what a pennant race was like from the inside.
Well no longer. Friends, we are in the midst of a real pennant race. And, bonus, this one appears to have started a bit earlier than most.
Honestly, my early impression is that it is equal parts pleasure and agony.
As if the late innings of a tight game are not grueling enough, let me tell you that I literally cringe every night about 7:10 p.m. upon checking the out-of-town scoreboard for the first time. Not much changes either during my 62 subsequent glances, as I wait for the scores to flip or turn over at inning’s end.
The man known as “Kurt Klutch” has already made his presence felt with the Nationals.
Honestly, this is so fun and much more invigorating than I imagined during all those blank nights. This is daily drama that only our sport can provide.
The ups and downs … they are amazingly addictive, but as we all know, the nightly outcomes cannot always work in our favor.
And it is in those moments that I remind myself … be careful what you wish for.
*It has been a busy week with the additions of Kurt Suzuki and Cesar Izturis. Suzuki has made an immediate impression in the clubhouse — he is so upbeat and personable, it is as if he’s been with us for 3-4 years, not 3-4 days. I know he’s still feeling his way, trying to learn about our pitchers and their various strengths. But our fans should feel comfortable with not only his talents behind the plate, but also in a one-on-one setting.
*A little bit was made about the Suzuki acquisition being some sort of commentary on the play of Jesus Flores, especially since Wilson Ramos went down in early May. I can assure everyone that Mike Rizzo does not feel this way. This was an opportunity to acquire another front-line catcher. Mike was understandably nervous about the worst case scenario: losing Flores to injury. This trade makes us better and deeper. And as we’ve seen all season long, our depth is a big part of what has set us apart.
Danny Espinosa has played the hero role lately, with the Nationals rookies in support.
*I know I wrote about the agony that comes with a pennant race, but one recent high point was Saturday night’s big comeback win over the Marlins. That was as loud as I have heard our ballpark. The only other moment that could potentially stack up was Ryan Zimmerman’s game-ending homer to open up Nationals Park on March 30, 2008. As up-to-the-task as Danny Espinosa was in Saturday night’s critical at-bat, I genuinely believe that the fans primarily fueled that six-run eighth inning. We’ll need much more of this in the next 2 months.
*I do not think it is any exaggeration to think that Adam LaRoche should be a part of any NL MVP discussion. At the very least, he is the NL Comeback Player of the Year. He carried us in April and has never let up. He leads all big league first basemen in home runs with 23. Yep, that’s one more than even Albert Pujols (22).
*I’d also like to welcome Jayson Werth back to the active roster. And he is not just back and working himself into shape. Rather, he is helping us win games. Wrist injuries are probably the most disruptive ailments that can plague hitters, and for him to come back and to have already raised his batting average above the .300 mark? It is a remarkable testament to his will and determination. His body’s ability to heal quickly is something to behold.
Bryce Harper continues to dazzle with the bat and the glove.
*I’d be remiss if I did not mention the many contributions of our rookies: Bryce Harper, Steve Lombardozzi and Tyler Moore. Go back to Saturday. Bryce, Steve and Tyler accounted for half of the runs in the aforementioned six-run eighth inning. Some say the best thing about rookies is that they become second-year players. Well, in my mind, the best thing about these rookies is that they are not going anywhere any time soon.
I hope to see everyone during our next homestand. Remember, the next homestand includes a big 3-game series against the Braves. I’ve had friends tell me that this might be the biggest baseball series in D.C. since the 1933 Fall Classic. This is what it’s all about.
A Night Full of Stars
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In a season full of moments that seem to compete against one another for space in our collective memories, Saturday night brought the latest installment of drama for the 2012 Nationals. Rallying from two runs down with a six-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth, the Nats sent their home park into perhaps the loudest frenzy of the season to date.
Danny Espinosa had the loudest hit – and reaction – of the night.
But it wasn’t just the six-run inning that caused the commotion, it was the way in which the runs were scored, and the events that set up the comeback in the first place. Steve Lombardozzi squirted a base hit past the pitcher and up the middle to score Adam LaRoche to cut the lead to one. Tyler Moore followed with a two-out knock the other way to plate Jayson Werth to tie the game. Then Danny Espinosa crushed the go-ahead, three-run shot over the bullpen in left before Bryce Harper hit the longest Nationals Park home run of his young career, an absolute rocket deep into the second deck down the right field line. The final three hits, including the two monstrous homers, all came not only with two outs in the inning, but also with two strikes on each batter.
The Nationals also made three errors on the night, contributing either directly or indirectly to four Marlins runs. Espinosa made two of them (and Lombardozzi the third), only adding that much more to the redemptive value of their clutch hits.
More than anything, though, Saturday night’s triumph was another complete team effort. A month from now, most people will only remember Espinosa and Harper going back-to-back to give the Nationals the lead, but there were a number of unsung heroes Saturday night. Here are our top five:
Ryan Mattheus earned the win Saturday night.
5. The Bullpen
The life of a reliever can seem like a thankless one. Even those who are lucky enough to have the most visibly defined roles – like closer Tyler Clippard and set-up man Sean Burnett – are expected to succeed every time out. But then there are those expected to pick up the slack in games like Saturday’s, to keep the team close when it is trailing in the late innings. After Jordan Zimmermann left the game, the trio of Tom Gorzelanny, Michael Gonzalez and Ryan Mattheus combined for three innings of work, allowing just a single unearned run. All three are having very solid seasons for the Nats, and Mattheus was rewarded for the trio’s effort with his fourth win of the season, as he was the pitcher of record when the offense sparked the comeback.
4. Justin Maxwell
Some of you are probably wondering who this is, while others of you are scratching your heads, knowing that Maxwell hasn’t worn a Nationals jersey since the 2010 season. And while that is true, the Olney, Maryland native and former National has found a home for himself with the Houston Astros, who faced the Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta last night. Maxwell opened the scoring in that game with a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Paul Maholm, Atlanta’s trade deadline pitching acquisition. After the Braves tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, Maxwell drilled an even longer home run off Maholm to open the seventh, and the Astros held on for the 3-2 victory. Coupled with the Nationals come-from-behind win, the Braves loss pushed Washington 3.0 games clear in the National League East.
3. Steve Lombardozzi
Lombardozzi’s two-out single up the middle in the eighth scored the first run of the six-run rally. While those who have watched the rookie all season have become accustomed to seeing him hit the ball right over the second base bag, we haven’t seen him do it nearly as often from the right side. A switch-hitter, Lombardozzi was batting just .200 (12-for-60) as a righty coming into that at-bat. But he delivered another clutch hit, as he has been wont to do this year. And despite a rare miscue, he also played some tremendous defense Saturday night, including this gem, which saved a run.
2. Tyler Moore
With the return of Werth, Moore has acknowledged that his role will be largely off the bench down the stretch for the Nats. Taking cues from Chad Tracy and Mark DeRosa, he knows he’ll have to make the most of his spot starts and especially his pinch-hit opportunities, like the one he got Saturday night. After falling behind in the count, usually pull-happy Moore stayed back and sent a line drive to the opposite field, scoring – of all people – Werth to tie the game.
1. Adam LaRoche
By the time Espinosa and Harper went deep, it was easy to forget that LaRoche had already homered twice Saturday night. Even more impressively, he hit both against tough lefty Mark Buehrle, giving him nine home runs vs. left-handed pithing this year, a new career mark. LaRoche also reached on an error and scored the first run in the six-run eighth. In a resurgent year, the first baseman leads all National League first basemen with 23 home runs and 69 RBI.
Enjoy the highlights below as the Nats look to cap a winning homestand with a series victory over the Marlins Sunday afternoon.
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