Nationals Journal: March 18, 2007 - March 24, 2007
Lineups and some minor notes
All right, a couple of posts today, probably. But first, I'll speak up for Vandy alum Dave Sheinin: Was that a walk? I mean, tough shot and all. But he did change his pivot foot, didn't he? Oh, and while...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 24, 2007; 12:24 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (0)
Save & Share:
Five in a row!
If not for a 1-6 start, Nats could be pursuing a Grapefruit League pennant as we speak. A 10-4 win against the Tigers -- featuring a wind-blown homer from Zimmerman -- is now in the books. What matters: Patterson pleased...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 23, 2007; 4:28 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (34)
Save & Share:
Patterson done
Fourth inning was rough for big John. Took him 30 pitches to get through. Only gave up one run, and that was a solo homer to Chris Shelton that got up into the jet stream that blows out to right...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 23, 2007; 2:25 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (6)
Save & Share:
Patterson, Nook, and some random thoughts
So John Patterson is on the mound today. His first batter: three pitches to Neifi Perez, three strikes, have a seat flailing at the third. Struck out the next man, Timo Perez, looking at a curveball. Impressive start. We're through...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 23, 2007; 1:48 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (11)
Save & Share:
Lineups, and the Tuna
So Bill Parcells is here. Makes sense, right? Lineups: Detroit: Neifi Perez -- 4 Timo Perez -- 8 Magglio Ordonez -- 9 Sean Casey -- DH Chris Shelton -- 3 Omar Infante -- 5 Marcus Thames -- 7 Vance Wilson...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 23, 2007; 11:39 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (12)
Save & Share:
Left-over bits and pieces
So I would post the lineups for the game against the Astros, but that would be ... well, about 14 hours too late. Quite a display by the boys last night in a 16-2 win. Yes, everybody could get caught...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 23, 2007; 8:16 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (11)
Save & Share:
In search of 25 good men
So after last night's round of cuts (and I'll get to them in a bit), the roster has a lot more clarity, though most of these moves were telegraphed long ago. (How were they telegraphed? Well, when they signed Ronnie...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 22, 2007; 10:16 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (32)
Save & Share:
It's spring training for ... MASN
So I just got an email from a friend watching the game tonight who was watching the game at home. He was enjoying the MASN broadcast, and they went to an interview with the team's third baseman ... Brian Zimmerman....
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 21, 2007; 9:24 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (12)
Save & Share:
Simontacchi, Redding ... and Wally Pipp?
So Manny Acta said this afternoon that it was imperative that Jason Simontacchi make his next start -- scheduled for Sunday -- if he's going to make the rotation at the beginning of the year. He's supposed to pitch a...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 21, 2007; 7:49 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (2)
Save & Share:
Your lineup
But before we get to that, a quick quiz: What do the following people have in common? Rosie O'Donnell, Kevin Federline and Cristian Guzman. (Hmmm. They could all get on-base about the same percentage of the time? They all get...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 21, 2007; 3:30 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (10)
Save & Share:
Your turn
So I'm sitting here in a vacant press box at HSCS because ... well, do you need to ask? It's just such a glorious place to be, and I don't care if I got here 10 hours before tonight's game...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 21, 2007; 11:03 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (77)
Save & Share:
A Shutout? By the Nationals?
Yes, it's true. I know this is a bit late, but the final was Nationals 3, Marlins 0. And that was a Marlins' lineup that featured Cabrera, et al, so not bad. Chad Cordero works out of bases-loaded jam in...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 5:46 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (21)
Save & Share:
Bowden on Astacio
So some of you have wondered why this move was made. Here's what the GM said in the stands at Roger Dean Stadium only a few minutes ago: "We're very happy with Patterson and Hill and Chico and Simontacchi, Hanrahan's...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 2:52 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (6)
Save & Share:
Chico the man
(Again, easy for the headline writers, no?) Matt Chico just lifted for pinch hitter Ryan Church: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Threw 64 pitches, 39 for strikes, so struggled with his control a...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 2:20 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (7)
Save & Share:
Through two
So the Nationals (and if you didn't notice, they're not exactly fielding a lineup of regulars today) went down in order in both the first and second against Ricky Nolasco. (And seriously, if you haven't checked in in a while,...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 1:38 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (1)
Save & Share:
Old Man Winter
Well, here we go. I heard this earlier today and was going to try to hang onto it, but the club just announced it -- faster than I expected. Pedro Astacio signed to minor-league deal. Chance to make the team....
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 12:20 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (17)
Save & Share:
Your lineups, etc.
Here's what you've got for today's 1:05 p.m. tilt. Sun is now out. Washington: Logan -- 8 Jimenez -- 6 Casto -- 7 Restovich -- 9 Lee -- 3 Belliard -- 5 Thurston -- 4 Flores -- 2 Chico --...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 11:35 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (6)
Save & Share:
Does Snelling prefer "Wallaby Court"???
So I promised yesterday to write at least a little about Kangaroo Court, the mock trial the Nationals undertook for about two hours behind closed doors before yesterday's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. I promised, and then I completely...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 20, 2007; 9:49 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (17)
Save & Share:
About that offense
So the reserves have come in and basically broken the game open with a five-run eighth inning that's still ongoing and in which they batted around against the beleaguered Dodgers bullpen. Singles in this inning from Guzman (25 doubles), Casto,...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 3:36 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (6)
Save & Share:
Top o' the Hill
A headline writer's dream, this guy. Without further ado, Hill's line (he just came out for a pinch hitter): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB (both in first inning), 4 K His spring ERA is now...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 2:17 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (7)
Save & Share:
Through four
Forget about the pitching staff. Maybe it's the offense that'll be a problem. (And we should really get to that discussion, because I keep having people asking me, "Is this team going to be involved in a lot of 9-7...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 2:01 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (10)
Save & Share:
Through two
So Shawn Hill, your No. 2 starter, had a first inning that went kind of (all right, exactly) like this: Walk, fly out, stolen base, dropped pitch and then Furcal gunned out trying for third, single (through Guzman), single, walk...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 1:44 PM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (0)
Save & Share:
My fortune=Nationals fortune?
All right, here's the big secret of spring: Asian Too has kind of replaced Panera as my go-to lunch place (and I've just recently made a pledge to skip out on the in-house Manatee Room for the remainder of the...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 11:55 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (13)
Save & Share:
Any readers left?
I would apologize for not posting for (ahem) four straight days, but I was back with all you folks in the (cold, rainy, misery of the) District. Not much to post from there, I suppose (unless you call going out...
By
Barry Svrluga
|
March 19, 2007; 9:21 AM ET |
Permalink |
Comments (12)
Save & Share:
