SB Nation DC - Nationals Vs. Mets: Washington Completes Sweep With 2-0 Winhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2012-09-12T22:39:11-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/30717512012-09-12T22:39:11-04:002012-09-12T22:39:11-04:00Mets Vs. Nationals Final Score: Washington Wins Again, 2-0
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<p>The <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Nationals</a></span> took care of business on Wednesday night against the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Mets</a></span> at Citi Field, completing the sweep with a 2-0 victory.</p>
<p>With <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> out of the rotation now, manager Davey Johnson has turned to John Lannan to pick up the slack. He didn't disappoint against New York, throwing five and two-thirds innings while only allowing two hits and a walk.</p>
<p><span>Ryan Zimmerman</span> provided the eventual game-winning run in the top of the fourth with a solo home run off of rookie <span>Matt Harvey</span>. <span>Ian Desmond</span> provided the other run on one of his two hits, another solo blast in the eighth off of <span>Jon Rauch</span>.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link">Harvey</span> pitched effectively but ultimately took the loss, pitching five frames while punching out 10 Nationals hitters.</p>
<p>The Mets couldn't muster up very much in the way of offense throughout the game, something that has plagued New York in a big way at home. The Amazins' only managed seven hits, all singles.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog <a href="http://federalbaseball.com">Federal Baseball</a> and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com">SB Nation DC</a> for all the latest news and updates.</i></p>
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https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/12/3324518/new-york-mets-vs-washington-nationals-final-boxscore-recapMatt Verderame2012-09-12T17:27:52-04:002012-09-12T17:27:52-04:00Rany Jazayerli: 'There Are So Many Reasons Why Shutting Down [Stephen] Strasburg Is A Mistake'
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<p>We thought we were done with this. We really were. <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> is out of Washington's rotation, <span>John Lannan</span> is set to take his place, and the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nationals</a> are set to enter the postseason with a modified rotation of <span>Gio Gonzalez</span>, <span>Jordan Zimmermann</span>, <span>Ross Detwiler</span>, and <span>Edwin Jackson</span>. Done. Over. Finished.</p>
<p>And then we <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8369941/history-shows-washington-nationals-shut-stephen-strasburg-too-soon">clicked on over to Grantland</a> and read Rany Jazayerli's thoughts. To put it mildly, they gave us pause.</p>
<p>The reason we've spotlighted this while passing over the rants of the likes of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/cal-ripken-and-michael-wilbon-on-strasburg/2012/09/05/c10cde72-f774-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_blog.html">Cal Ripken</a>, <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/19777638/plan-hasnt-changed-for-stephen-strasburg-tommy-john-disagees-with-it">Tommy John</a>, and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/rob-dibble-slams-stephen-strasburg-and-mike-rizzo/2012/08/17/a72db602-e865-11e1-8487-64e4b2a79ba8_blog.html">Rob Dibble</a> is simple: we prize objective, empirical data over subjective personal experience. As should we all. Jazayerli's piece should serve as the white paper for all those who are convinced that the Nationals made an error.</p>
<p>You should read the whole thing, but here are the passages that jumped out to us.</p>
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<p>The Nationals are making Strasburg pay for sins inflicted on pitchers from a different generation.</p>
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<p>Strasburg is the product of an era in which a pitcher's well-being already comes first. This approach has succeeded in reducing injuries significantly, but not entirely. There's only so much risk that can be squeezed out of the equation, no matter how much you protect a pitcher's arm. Some pitchers will get hurt no matter how well you protect them. You know which pitcher illustrates this best? Stephen Strasburg.</p>
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<p>But the main reason the Nationals are wrong to shut down Strasburg is simply this: The risk they're trying to mitigate has already been mitigated for them.</p>
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<p>We'll make a personal confession: we understood the Nationals' reason behind the shutdown and knew why they wouldn't change their mind. However, throughout this whole period of controversy, the motto of the British Special Air Service kept knocking around the back of our mind: <i>Who Dares, Wins. </i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/12/3323016/stephen-strasburg-shutdown-grantland-rany-jazayerli-washington-nationalsSamuel Chamberlain2012-09-12T16:23:56-04:002012-09-12T16:23:56-04:00Nationals Vs. Mets: Michael Morse, Danny Espinosa To Miss Series Finale
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> will go for the series sweep against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> on Wednesday without the services of <span>Michael Morse</span> or <span>Danny Espinosa</span>. Morse is suffering from an injured left hand that has affected him for about a month. He finally got an X-ray and MRI on Wednesday and will miss at least a couple of days as results revealed it was only a <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkZuckerman/status/245973561519529984">bone bruise</a>. </p>
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<p>Morse says he has a bone bruise on L hand. Doesn't know timetable for return but relieved it's nothing more serious.</p>
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) <a data-datetime="2012-09-12T19:54:01+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/MarkZuckerman/status/245973561519529984">September 12, 2012</a>
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<p>Morse will be replaced in the lineup by <span>Roger Bernadina</span> in left field. Also missing Wednesday's game is 2B Danny Espinosa. Espinosa is missing the game due to the death of his grandmother but will be back in the lineup on Friday in Atlanta.</p>
<p>The Mets will give 1B <span>Ike Davis</span> a rest and start <span>Lucas Duda</span> in his place.</p>
<p>Full lineups below:</p>
<p>Washington Nationals</p>
<p>1. <span>Jayson Werth</span>, RF<br>2. <span>Bryce Harper</span>, CF<br>3. <span>Ryan Zimmerman</span>, 3B<br>4. <span>Adam LaRoche</span>, 1B<br>5. <span>Ian Desmond</span>, SS<br>6. Roger Bernadina, LF<br>7. <span>Kurt Suzuki</span>, C<br>8. <span>Steve Lombardozzi</span>, 2B<br>9. <span>John Lannan</span>, SP</p>
<p>New York Mets</p>
<p>1. <span>Ruben Tejada</span>, SS<br>2. <span>Daniel Murphy</span>, 2B<br>3. <span>David Wright</span>, 3B<br>4. <span>Scott Hairston</span>, RF<br>5. Lucas Duda, 1B<br>6. <span>Kelly Shoppach</span>, C<br>7. <span>Jason Bay</span>, LF<br>8. <span>Andres Torres</span>, CF<br>9. <span>Matt Harvey</span>, SP</p>
<p><i>For more on the Nationals, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a> and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation D.C.</a></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/12/3322658/nationals-mets-lineup-michael-morse-danny-espinosaJeff Briggs2012-09-12T09:32:39-04:002012-09-12T09:32:39-04:00Nationals Vs: Mets Preview: John Lannan Steps In For Stephen Strasburg As Washington Goes For Sweep
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<p><a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Nationals</a> ace <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> was supposed to make his last scheduled start of the season Wednesday when the Mets host the Nationals. But with his shutdown becoming a reality after a poor showing last Friday, left-hander <span>John Lannan</span> is set to take his place in the rotation for the remainder of the season and will get the start at Citi Field instead.</p>
<p>Lannan is 2-0 this season with the Nationals -- mostly as a spot starter -- and enters the game with a 3.46 ERA. His last victory came on Aug. 3 against the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a>, when the left-hander pitched six complete innings and gave up three earned runs on four hits while walking five batters and striking out four.</p>
<p>He's spent most of the season with Triple-A Syracuse after losing a spring training competition with another left-hander, <span>Ross Detwiler</span>.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog <a href="http://federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a> and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation D.C.</a></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/12/3320252/nationals-mets-preview-john-lannan-stephen-strasburgBryan Crawford2012-09-12T08:32:33-04:002012-09-12T08:32:33-04:00Michael Morse Injury: Nationals Outfielder Will Miss Time With Left Hand Injury
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<p>After Tuesday night's win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> starting left-fielder <span>Michael Morse</span> is expected to miss some time out of the lineup as he prepares to see a doctor about his injured left hand.</p>
<p>Morse had been dealing with an injury to his right hand which caused him to miss some time last month and as a result, he feels he may have overcompensated, causing him to injure his opposite hand, according to a <a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/nationals-talk/Morse-out-with-left-hand-injury?blockID=771769&feedID=6458" target="_blank">CSNWashington.com report</a>.</p>
<p>After going 0-5 at the plate against the Mets, the 30-year-old decided that he could no longer continue on in his condition:</p>
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<p>"I'm not helping the team when I'm not 100 percent," Morse said. "I'm not helping myself, either. I'm going to get it looked at the next couple days, get down to the bottom of it and try to get back to 100 percent. I'm not 100 percent."</p>
<p>"This has been for like a month now," he said. "I think when I hurt my hand, my thumb, one swing I kind of let go of the bat and I just swung one-handed and I kind of messed my left wrist up a little bit." </p>
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<p><i>For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog <b><a href="http://federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a> </b>and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/"><b>SB Nation D.C.</b></a></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/12/3320012/michael-morse-injury-washington-nationalsBryan Crawford2012-09-12T08:00:42-04:002012-09-12T08:00:42-04:00AUDIO: The SB Nation DC Podcast Has A New Name And New Guests
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<p>After a week off to get themselves fully charged up for the start of the 2012 NFL season, the men behind the SB Nation DC podcast come roaring back to life this week.</p>
<p>In this edition, SB Nation DC senior editor <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/authors/samuel-chamberlain">Sam Chamberlain</a>, ESPN980's <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/authors/scott-jackson">Scott Jackson</a>, and SB Nation DC contributor Charles Walton are joined by SB Nation DC's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins" class="sbn-auto-link">Redskins</a> editor <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/authors/daniel-shiferaw">Daniel Shiferaw</a> in Segment 2 to break down the Burgundy-and-Gold's big win over the New Orleands <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Saints</a> and look ahead to Week 2 against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Rams</a>. In Segment 3, SB Nation DC <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nationals</a> editor and <a href="http://federalbaseball.com">Federal Baseball</a> blogrunner <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/authors/patrick-reddington">Patrick Reddington</a> jumps on to give his take on all things Nats as the march to the playoffs continues.</p>
<p>The fun starts after the jump.</p>
<p>We should also note that this edition of the podcast has a brand new name. We've decided to dub it "Half Smokes Radio," after the section of the site on which this bit appears every week. If you have a better idea for a DC-centric name, we're all ears.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1357701/SB_Nation_DC_segment_1.mp3">Segment 1</a></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1357719/SB_Nation_DC_segment_2.mp3">Segment 2</a></p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1357729/SB_Nation_DC_segment_3.mp3">Segment 3</a></p>
<p>Hope you like it!</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-redskins/2012/9/12/3319462/audio-sb-nation-dc-podcast-9-11-2012-daniel-shiferaw-patrick-reddingtonSamuel Chamberlain2012-09-11T22:18:54-04:002012-09-11T22:18:54-04:00Nationals Vs. Mets Recap: Tyler Moore Homer, 9th-Inning Rally Clinch Final Series Against New York
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<p>The <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Nationals</a> clinched their final series of the season against the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> on Tuesday night with a 5-3 win. Two rallies in the late innings and a solid outing by <span>Jordan Zimmermann</span> and the bullpen locked up their 88th win of the season. It was pinch-hitter <span>Tyler Moore</span> who came through at the plate, corking a two-run shot in the seventh that would put the Nats back on top, 3-2. They would never look back, adding some insurance in the ninth for the 13th win in 17 games against New York.</p>
<p>Zimmermann didn't have his best stuff, but got through five innings and gave up only two runs. Three straight hits in the fifth would score both runs for the Mets, but that would be all Zimmermann would yield in what would be his final inning. Rookie Christian Garcia, a recent call-up with impressive stuff, struck out three in 1.1 perfect innings of scoreless relief.</p>
<p>On the other side, it looked like knuckleballer <span>R.A. Dickey</span> might go the distance yet again, cruising through the first six innings. But Moore took advantage of the first pitch from Dickey during his pinch-hit at-bat to give Washington the lead for good. Dickey would get out of the inning with the Mets trailing 3-2, but that would be it for him -- his bid to match the 19 wins of <span>Gio Gonzalez</span> coming up short.</p>
<p>Washington added two more runs in their last at-bat to provide a cushion for closer Tyler Clippard. Five straight Nats got on base, with <span>Kurt Suzuki</span> and <span>Bryce Harper</span> each driving in a run. Harper finished with the first four-hit game of his career.</p>
<p>The Nats will go for the series sweep on Wednesday night with <span>John Lannan</span> on the mound. The veteran lefty will be pitching in <span>Stephen Strasburg's</span> turn in the rotation, with the ace now shutdown for the season.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog <a href="http://federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a> and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation D.C.</a></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/11/3318806/mets-vs-nationals-score-recap-bryce-harperBrendan Porath2012-09-11T17:10:50-04:002012-09-11T17:10:50-04:00Nationals Vs. Mets Lineup: Starters Announced For Game 2 Of Series
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> will play the second game in a three-game set against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> on Tuesday night at Citi Field in hopes of securing a series win.</p>
<p>Following a homer-happy win on Monday in which <span>Gio Gonzalez</span> picking up his Major League-leading 19th win, the Nationals have a chance to move one step closer to the postseason for the first time since they moved from Montreal.</p>
<p>Washington is rolling with a familiar lineup against <span>R.A. Dickey</span> -- in fact, it's the same lineup that pounded Mets pitching in the series opener.</p>
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<span>Jayson Werth</span> (R), RF</li>
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<span>Bryce Harper</span> (L), CF</li>
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<span>Ryan Zimmerman</span> (R), 3B</li>
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<span>Adam LaRoche</span> (L), 1B</li>
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<span>Michael Morse</span> (R), LF</li>
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<span>Ian Desmond</span> (R), SS</li>
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<span>Danny Espinosa</span> (S), 2B</li>
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<span>Kurt Suzuki</span> (R), C</li>
<li>
<span>Jordan Zimmermann</span> (R), P</li>
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<p>New York, on the other hand, will go with a much different look, as <span>Ronny Cedeno</span> and <span>Scott Hairston</span> will both watch on Tuesday with the right-handed Zimmermann going for the Nats.</p>
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<span>Ruben Tejada</span> (R), SS<br>
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<span>Daniel Murphy</span> (L), 2B<br>
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<span>David Wright</span> (R), 3B</li>
<li>
<span>Ike Davis</span> (L), 1B<br>
</li>
<li>
<span>Mike Baxter</span> (L), RF<br>
</li>
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<span>Jason Bay</span> (R), LF</li>
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<span>Andres Torres</span> (L), CF</li>
<li>
<span>Josh Thole</span> (R), C<br>
</li>
<li>R.A. Dickey (R), P</li>
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<p><i>For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog <a href="http://federalbaseball.com">Federal Baseball</a> and <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com">SB Nation D.C.</a></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/9/11/3317538/nationals-mets-lineup-jordan-zimmermannMatt Verderame