Washington, D.C. -- The Washington Nationals spent the off-season and spring training emphasizing pitching, defense and athleticism.  All those things were evident for the Nats on Opening Day, but it appears they should have said something about hitting as well.  LINK TO PHOTOS.

Livan Hernandez and Derek Lowe locked up in a classic pitcher's duel in the 41 degree drizzle, dominating the other's batting order.

In the end, Lowe and his Atlanta Braves shut out the Nats 2-0, before a semi-frozen, not-quite sellout crowd at Nationals Park.

Manager Jim Riggleman credited Lowe for his outstanding performance, saying, "He was real good today, the ball was down all day. Good slider, worked fast, all the cliche things that you want.  It was just a good pitched ballgame."

Which was true.  But the Nats certainly helped Lowe out.  Leadoff hitter Ian Desmond went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two ground outs, leading off every inning he came up. 

Lowe threw 105 pitches in his five and two-third innings, but walked just two in addition to three hits -- all singles.  He struck out six -- including four called strike threes from home plate umpire Tim Welke, who seemed to have a funny strike zone all day.  He sat down 12 of the last 14 hitters he faced, and had one of those runners wiped out on a double play.

Hernandez was terrific in his own right, allowing two earned runs on four hits in six and one-third innings.  He struck out three, and did not walk a batter.  Jayson Hayward got to him for a line drive homer in the second inning, and Livo retired the next 15 in a row until Brian McCann's leadoff single up the middle to start the top of the seventh.

There's an old adage that pitchers are ahead of the hitters the first few weeks of the season, but today's dominant performances might have had something to do with the frigid temperatures and cold breezes.  At least the rain held off to keep things chilly, but playable.

The Nats flashed some leather too, most noticeably their new right fielder, Jayson Werth.  Signed to a seven-year, $126 million contract in the off-season, the slugger made two sliding grabs in his new home park to the delight of the fans.

Unfortunately, the Nats hitters weren't up to the task today.  Only twice did they have more than one runner on base in an inning, and only twice did they have a runner reach third.

It's going to be a problem all season long for this offense, as it's full of hitters whose career on base percentage leaves something to be desired, excepting the Nos. 2 and 3 hitters in Werth and Ryan Zimmerman.

But let's chalk today's performance up to the cold.

THE GOOD:  Livan Hernandez.  The wily veteran settled down after Heyward's solo shot and kept the Nats in this one.  Danny Espinosa went 2-for-3 with a double to the gap in left center.

THE BAD:  Ivan Rodriguez went 0-for-3, grounding out weakly in every at bat.

THE UGLY:  On top of Desmond's 0-for-4, Michael Morse struck out twice in his 0-for-4 day and left runners on base with two outs twice.  The Nats are going to need him to produce hitting in the fifth spot in the order or they will have a lot of trouble scoring runs.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday, April 2 vs. Atlanta at 1:05 pm.  LHP John Lannan faces RHP Tommy Hanson.

NATS NOTES:  Today's attendance was 39,055, short of a sellout by about 2,000, but there were quite a few more empty seats than that at Nats Park.  The weather certainly had something to do with that, but select tickets were available on StubHub prior to the game for $0.75. 

Jayson Werth went 1-for-4 in his Nats debut.  He singled in the first and took second on Ryan Zimmerman's single to put Lowe in hot water, but was stranded when Adam LaRoche popped out to second and Morse grounded to short.

Atlanta Braves (0-0) v. Washington Nationals (0-0)

Thursday 1:05 pm, Saturday 1:05 pm, Sunday 1:35 pm

Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

_________________________

The weather might be more suited for football playoffs than baseball's Opening Day, but they're going to do everything they can to get this one in today.  Game time temperature should be around 45 degrees with a mist or drizzle, and conditions will probably deteriorate during the day.  But it's baseball games that count!

Today is the first game in about 100 years that Bobby Cox won't be managing the Atlanta Braves.  Fredi Gonzalez takes over for the legend.  Nationals manager Jim Riggleman starts his second full season as skipper of the the home team.

The Braves and Nats find themselves on opposite ends of the N.L. East, as Atlanta should contend with the Phillies in the East and be in the wild card discussion regardless, while the Nats hope to avoid their sixth straight last place finish in the division.

Enjoy Opening Day everyone!  And stay warm and dry!

_________________________

Braves

Martin Prado-7

Nate McLouth-8

Chipper Jones-5

Brian McCann-3

Dan Uggla-4

Jason Heyward-9

Alex Gonzalez-6

Freddie Freeman-3

Derek Lowe-1

Nationals

Ian Desmond-6

Jayson Werth-9

Ryan Zimmerman-5

Adam LaRoche-3

Michael Morse-7

Rick Ankiel-8

Danny Espinosa-4

Ivan Rodriguez-2

Livan Hernandez-1

Let's address the weather issue first and foremost.

The weather is supposed to be crappy.  Drizzle all night, showers in the morning, 40 percent chance of rain at 1:05 pm, rising to 60 percent at 4:00 pm and 80 percent by 6:00 pm.  High temp of 44 degrees.  Yuck.

When speaking with reporters earlier today, Nats principal owner Mark Lerner said they would do everything they could to get the game in as scheduled, but would make the call early Thursday morning so fans could prepare.  Lerner said they would not play Thursday night, so if it does get rescheduled it will be Friday at 1:05, which is supposed to be sunny and 55 degrees.

Personally, I don't think there's anyway they don't open the doors tomorrow, whether they end up playing or not.  It's just a personal opinion.  But stay tuned here and on twitter (@NatsNewsNetwork) and we'll publish news as soon as we hear it.  We plan to be at the park early (gates open at 10:30 for fans) so we'll get the news to you as soon as we have it.

As for Fan Fest, our Off the Field page will have plenty of pictures and quotes to share very soon (you really should bookmark or RSS it, we'll be busy over there this year), but I have a few quick impressions.

The weather notwithstanding, things went pretty smoothly.  Sure, there were some long lines on an already crowded concourse to meet and greet the players (though no autographs and folks were hurried through lines to keep them moving), but the number of players available was significantly higher than in years past.

Because the team waited until the day before opening day, they had the entire 25-man roster, plus selected minor leaguers (Bryce Harper, Derek Norris, Cole Kimball) present to shake hands and have pictures with the fans.

And there were plenty of fans there, despite the gloomy weather.  I was honestly shocked at the number of folks in the park.

This area is dying for good baseball.  National and out-of-towners can make all the fun they want, but I saw families, fathers and sons, businessmen playing hooky...and there wasn't even a game.  Now granted, we're talking maybe a couple thousand max, but there were games that didn't draw that last season.

Some of the other impressive things I saw and heard:

• Frank Howard, who really should have some semi-official sort of role with this franchise, told his nine consecutive strikeout story no fewer than three times.  And I enjoyed it each time.
• Bob Boone revealed his favorite player growing up was Al Rosen, not his father Ray.
• Phil Wood's personal collection of memorabilia, jerseys and other "stuff" is darn impressive.
• Mark Lerner described Bryce Harper as a "kid on a sleepover" taking his first flight with the team coming up from Florida.
• Lerner also said that other than a few single seats, Opening Day was sold out.  Even without inviting the marauding hoards from Philly to invade the park.
• Stephen Strasburg is really, really anxious to get back on a big league mound.
• Lastly, on our internet radio show on PrimeSportsNetwork.com, MLB.com's Bill Ladson went on the hook for 82 wins.

All in all, a busy, exhausting day at the park.  And I have to be back in about nine hours of this posting.  Hopefully we'll get the game in, and the 2011 season can start unfolding before our eyes.

I, very predictably, took some heat yesterday in the comments section of my 2011 Predictions and Projections Edition.  Specifically, about my comments on Michael Morse, who I predict to be the Washington Nationals "biggest disappointment" for the upcoming season.

I tried to couch it in my post, and again in the comments, that I hope Morse is capable of repeating last season's statistics of .289/.352/.519 with 15 home runs.  But the thing that stuck was I labeled him a disappointment since I don't expect him to come close to 30 home runs and I'm not optimistic enough on him.

And I think that if he doesn't hit 20-plus home runs this season, Nats fans will consider it a huge disappointment.

Yes, he's had a terrific spring training, tied for the MLB lead in spring homers with nine.  You know who he's tied with?  Jake Fox, another man without a position, for the Baltimore Orioles.  Ever heard of Jake Fox?  Fox has compiled a .236/.285/.423 slash line in 166 games in the Majors since 2006.

An old baseball adage goes:  One should never make roster decisions based on performances in March or September.

Anyway, back to Morse.

I want to make it clear, again, that I'm not "hating" on Morse.  I genuinely like the guy.  He's had his troubles in the past, but he seems to have put all that behind him and he's been healthy the last two seasons and has done nothing but rake, in the minors and the bigs.

But I've tried to make an honest, realistic projection for him this season, and there are plenty of warning flags to keep my estimates at a reasonable level as opposed to various anecdotal predictions of 30 home runs for him.

Lifetime, Morse boasts a .291/.353/.456 slash line in 237 games and 685 plate appearances.  The guy can clearly hit.  But his at bats have been managed very carefully in his career thus far.  His numbers dip significantly against righties (.279/.341/.421) and playing every day, he'll have to face a higher percentage of righties overall and won't be able to be protected in the lineup.

He is this team's No. 5 hitter, for better or worse for the foreseeable future.

The other thing about his career stats so far, in a very limited sample size, is his BABiP (Batting Average on Balls in Play).  Morse settles in at .348, which is considerably higher than league average.  It's not unusual to see a speedster with a high BABiP, as they are able to leg out hits slower runners can't, inflating their BABiP.  But we don't normally see this from a slugger.

Morse's sample size for plate appearances is still small enough in his Major League career that this bump could very well be a mirage, and a correction to league average will eat into his slash line pretty quickly.

In addition, Morse's walk rate for his career is 7.0 percent and last season was up to 7.5 percent, both lower than MLB average of 8.5 percent, so his inflated OBP is coming primarily from those extra hits dropping in rather than any plate discipline.

One last esoteric batting stat for you:  Morse's Home Run per Fly Ball rate in his time in D.C. is hugely inflated.  At 15.4 percent, it's over league average by almost double (7.6 percent).  As a comparison, Barry Bonds' career HR/FB was 18.2 percent and Ryan Zimmerman's is only 9.7 percent.

With an adjustment for playing every day in a run-producing slot in the lineup, facing a higher percentage and quality of right handed pitchers, and normalization of a few key statistics based on a small sample size, I think I'm justified in saying that I would be happy if Morse can duplicate his offensive output from last season, and I do not expect him to break out further than what he did last year.

My official projection for Morse:  380 plate appearances, .272/.337/.461 with 17 home runs.  And even then, I'm being optimistic compared to most available independent projections.

Now, should we talk about his defense?

We did this last season with varying degrees of success, so we'll try it again.

Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments section, but as always, please refrain from vulgarity when ripping my predictions to shreds.

2011 Record:  The final number comes first.  I've been waiting until rosters were set to make last minute adjustments to estimated playing time before finalizing my win projection.  There's been a lot of movement in the win total number over the last week with all the transactions that GM Mike Rizzo has made in sculpting his Opening Day roster.

First, despite being sent down, I still think Roger Bernadina will get the most playing time in center field for the Nats this year, unless a trade happens to acquire a legitimate center fielder and leadoff man.  Rick Ankiel is injury prone and not great to begin with, and I think The Shark will be swimming again sooner than later.

But the bigger problem of not having a high-OBP guy at the top of the order will haunt the Nats just as it has in their entire history in D.C.

The best chance for improving upon the 69-win season the Nats recorded last year is in the starting rotation, as they'll (hopefully) get a full season from a healthy Jordan Zimmermann, the apparent No. 2 to Stephen Strasburg. 

The Nats think Jason Marquis can give them what they expected out of him last season, John Lannan to provide his consistent ground ball routine, and Livan Hernandez not to regress to his 2008-09 performance.  But I don't see all of those things happening in concert, which would have to happen for the Nats wins to significantly improve.

If Michael Morse gets exposed playing every day for the first time in his career, or Adam LaRoche ends up under the knife to correct his torn rotator cuff, these numbers are off the board completely.  And if they BOTH happen, the Nats are looking at 100 losses again.

As for the defense, Rizzo stated on many occasions he wanted to get more athletic and better defensively this off-season, yet traded and demoted his two fastest, most athletic players in Morgan and Bernadina, giving the center field job to a 31-year old former pitcher and left field to man-without-a-position Michael Morse.  Expect plenty of catchable balls to fall in between them.

I'll officially set my prediction at 68 wins, just like I did last year.

There's just not enough pitching to compete yet.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise?  Wilson Ramos.  The young catcher will get his chance this year and not look back.  Had a dominating winter league and follwed that with a strong spring.  It's his time.

Biggest Disappointment?  Michael Morse.  He's a great story and had a ridiculous spring, but players don't become regulars in the Major Leagues at 29 for a reason. 

I just don't see anything in his history, other than his resemblance to Jayson Werth, that leads me to believe he's going to break out this year any more than he did last season while they were managing his at bats.  If he duplicates last year, I'll be happy and surprised.

I know that's going to make me a bad guy around these parts, and I'll be perfectly happy to have folks tell me they told me so at the end of the year.

Best off-season move:  Signing Jerry Hairston.  He'll platoon with Ankiel in center (and Bernadina later this summer), and serves as insurance for both Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa.  He's not a world beater, but he is a credible Major League player at three different positions.

Worst off-season move:  Trading three mid- to low-level prospects for Tom Gorzelanny.  He can't throw strikes.  Never has.  I can't imagine Steve McCatty figuring him out now.

Most Critical Decision of the Year?  What's replacing Five Guys at Nats Park?

Seriously though, it's whether or not to exercise the option on manager Jim Riggleman's contract.  We discussed the situation at length last week, but now that the cat is out of the bag, the decision will be looming over NatsTown all season.

Whether you like Riggleman's "smart ball" or not, Rizzo thinks he's put together a team that will compete this year, adding veterans with every spring training decision he made, so if the team doesn't perform to his expectations, it'll be the manager's job on the line.

What are the middle infielders going to do?  I expect Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa to both continue their career progression.  I have always been high on both of them and continue to be coming into the new season.

I'm not predicting All-Star games, but I think they are both capable of 15-15 seasons, which is pretty sweet out of your double-play combo.  Desmond goes .268/.320/.397 and Espinosa goes .248/.312/.415

As for defense, I'll go out on a limb and say Desmond will cut his errors down to 20-25, and Espinosa will be in the talk for a gold glove, but will lose out to a more veteran player.  But his time will come.

What about Wang?  We asked the same question last year.  At this point, I don't envision ever seeing Chien-Ming Wang take the mound at Nats Park.

Teams Leaders  The DC-IBWA made their predictions a few weeks ago and I posted my answers at the time, but I will now adjust for playing time after spring training.

HR: Ryan Zimmerman, 34

RBI: Adam LaRoche, 98 (if healthy)

SB: Roger Bernadina, 19

Wins: Jordan Zimmerman, 12

Saves: Drew Storen, 18

Starts: John Lannan, 32

More starts (Detwiler/Maya/Gorzelanny): Ross Detwiler, 14

More at bats (Ankiel/Hairston/Cora):  Jerry Hairston

Most catcher at bats:  Wilson Ramos

All-Stars:  One, Ryan Zimmerman

Wins and Place:  68, fourth.

Most important development for 2011?  The successful recovery of Stephen Strasburg from Tommy John surgery.  I said it a few weeks ago and I stick by it:  There is no more important player to this franchise and his successful recovery is paramount to anything else that happens in NatsTown this summer.

It's a 12-18 month recovery process, and everyone will be watching and hoping Strasburg can follow Zimmermann's timetable and return to a major league mound in September.

Will we see Bryce Harper in D.C. this season?  No.  I can't imagine in any way that Harper makes his big league debut this year, short of him hitting .400 with 20 home runs the first two months of the season and the Morse/LaRoche doomsday scenario being in place at that time.

You went the entire post without even mentioning Jayson Werth?  Um...yeah. 

 

Okay, so short of an MVP season Werth won't come close to justifying his contract.  Does that mean if he puts up 25 homers and 75 RBIs in the No. 2 spot that he'll be a huge disappointment?  Probably. 

 

But that's where the money clouds the issue, because that's the player he is.  He benefited greatly by playing his home games in Citizen's Bank park the last few years.  In fact, the last two years he hit 39 homers at CBP and just 24 on the road.  Normalize those numbers for playing his home games at Nats Park, and what you get is a good overall hitter, but not the home run slugger he has been and will be portrayed as.

 

And we won't even get into Rizzo's proclamation about how he thinks Werth will get better with age.

__________________

 

There you go -- have at them! And remember, have fun this season!  Don't get bogged down with wins and losses, enjoy the baseball for what it is and you'll get more out of it.

The Washington Nationals today made a series of moves to trim the roster in preparation for coming north for Opening Day.

The Nats optioned Roger Bernadina, Collin Balester and Ross Detwiler to Triple-A Syracuse and re-assigned Brian Bixler to minor league camp.

In addition, they placed reliever Henry Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list and starter Chien-Ming Wang and reliever Elvin Ramirez on the 60-day D.L.

The moves reduce the spring training roster to 26.

These moves signify a dramatic shift in the team's roster construction, as it's now evident that Rick Ankiel will platoon with Jerry Hairston, Jr. in center field, Laynce Nix and Matt Stairs are the backup outfielders, and Brian Broderick and Chad Gaudin are the long men in the Nats bullpen.

The only position left to be settled is utility infielder, between Alex Cora and incumbent Alberto Gonzalez.  But as with every position up for battle this spring, the incumbent is expected to lose the battle, with Gonzalez being heavily shopped and with several teams interested according to sources, he could be traded any minute.

All this means is that four non-roster invitees and a Rule 5 pick have made the Nats Major League roster, and another Rule 5 guy is hidden on the disabled list.

Bernadina is the particularly surprising cut.

Here's a player entering his prime (27 in June), who hit 11 homers and stole 16 bases in 18 attempts in 2010. He hit .290/.356/.451 through May before tiring as the season went along, finishing at .246/.307/.364.

Not only did Bernadina lose out on half of a platoon with Michael Morse in left field and the center field starting job to Rick Ankiel (lifetime .248/.312/.441), but also to journeyman Laynce Nix (lifetime .243/.286/.425) for the backup outfielder spot, with 43-year old Matt Stairs claiming a reserve role as pinch-hitter.

Bernadina will have to go to Syracuse and wait for Ankiel to inevitably get hurt as he's the only option in the Nats system to fill that spot once it's available.

Balester was perhaps the Nats best reliever during spring training, but because he has an option was sent out in favor of Broderick, a Rule 5 draftee that would have to have been offered back to the St. Louis Cardinals if he didn't stay on the roster, and Gaudin, a journeyman that had a decent spring outing in his own right.

With the incumbent losing every position battle this spring, GM Mike Rizzo has taken complete ownership of the roster construction.  He no longer has any crutch to lean on with respect to prior management's ideas of putting the team together.

Rizzo gave Jayson Werth one of the richest contracts in baseball.  He traded three prospects for Tom Gorzelanny and inserted him into the rotation, a pitcher both the Pirates and the Cubs relegated to the bullpen.  He signed Rick Ankiel and his lifetime .312 OBP and gave him the center field job and given journeyman Laynce Nix the backup spot .  He's dedicated a roster spot to Matt Stairs, a 43-year old pinch-hitter.  He traded Nyjer Morgan, once heralded as the present and future center fielder.  And he failed in his quest in the off-season to land a legitimate arm for the rotation.

This is Rizzo's team, and to a certain extent, Riggleman's.  They deserve the praise or criticism when it's time to dole it out.  Let the games begin.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Well, Mike Rizzo was right about one aspect of it when he said, "It was Ankiel winning the job, not Nyjer losing the job.”

Because on Dec. 21 -- the day the Washington Nationals signed Rick Ankiel -- he "won" the job and it was the last day Nyjer Morgan was in their plans, in my humble opinion.

Morgan's comments to the media earlier last week about his impending departure were only the final few taps on the nail that had already been driven.

Morgan's history in D.C. is well-told at this point.  For ten weeks in the summer of 2009, upon his joining the Nats via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was the second coming of Lou Brock.  Morgan got on base, created havoc once he got there, played stellar center field defense, and as a bonus, he had a larger-than-life alter ego named "Tony Plush" that endeared himself to the fans of NatsTown.

But all that came to a crashing halt on Aug. 27 that season when he broke his hand sliding headfirst trying to steal third base against the Chicago Cubs.

He was never the same player again.

Though the team touted him that off-season as one of the cornerstones of the franchise, proudly proclaiming they had their center fielder of the present and future, Morgan could not deliver on those promises in 2010, batting .253/.319/.314 and leading the N.L. in caught stealing for the second consecutive season. 

He also had regular breakdowns in center, taking bad routes, throwing to the wrong base or missing the cut-off man with his wet noodle of an arm.

On top of the on-field performance issues, Morgan was distraction off the field as well.  He threw a temper tantrum on a ball in play that led to an inside-the-park home run, twice unnecessarily instigated contact on opposing catchers, and incited a brawl against the Florida Marlins.  He was suspended twice; one of the suspensions was upheld and he missed eight games at the end of the season as a result.

The Nationals, GM Mike Rizzo and Manger Jim Riggleman, both talked Sunday about how hard Morgan played in this camp, that he was a model citizen, and that the decision to send him packing was based on Ankiel rather than Morgan.

“It wasn’t really what [Morgan] didn’t show as much as what Ankiel did show,” Rizzo told reporters Sunday morning. “He could go get the ball in the outfield. His arm was really a weapon. He can create a lot of damage with one swing of the bat. I focus it more on what Ankiel did than on what Nyjer didn’t do. After the first week, he played really well. He did everything he had to do. It was Ankiel winning the job not Nyjer losing the job.”

To which I respectfully say: hogwash.  Ankiel has hit .218/.271/.455 this spring.  That doesn't beat anyone out of a job.  Those are spring numbers of a guy that's had a job the whole time.

This move makes the Nationals a worse team.

Morgan has a lifetime .308/.361/.387 line against right-handed pitchers.  That's perfectly acceptable for a leadoff hitter. If the Nats had tried this off-season to find a right-handed hitting platoon partner for Morgan in center, they would have had a complete player in the position.

Instead, they loaded up on left-handed hitters to try to replace him.  Roger Bernadina was the in-house candidate when he lost the starting left field job to Michael Morse, but Riggleman is perfectly happy giving the job to Ankiel, a player that he and hitting coach Rick Eckstein were already familiar with -- and fond of -- from their time in the St. Louis organization together.

Now Bernadina, a player entering his prime who had double digit home runs and steals last season, finds himself battling journeyman Laynce Nix for the reserve outfielder slot.

But let's be clear -- Ankiel can't really hit.  He's got some pop when he makes contact, but he does so so infrequently (.248/.312/.441) that it really doesn't matter.  Ankiel's claim to fame is a 25 home run season in 2008, but he hasn't hit 25 home runs combined since that season.

And he's even worse than Morgan against lefties (.232/.282/.386), so Jerry Hairston, a second baseman by trade, will play center against southpaws.

Plus, Morgan was the only option to lead off for this team.  With him gone, and Ankiel hitting sixth or seventh, Ian Desmond will be forced into a role that does not suit him and could potentially ruin his value with the bat if he allows the pressure to dictate what type of player he "should" be.

No, if this decision was about what makes this team better, Morgan was the answer.  Many fans, tired of his antics, will not be sorry to see Morgan go.  But his leaving has ramifications throughout the Nats lineup.

And casts even more doubt on the decision-making process in NatsTown.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

The Washington Nationals re-assigned catcher Jesus Flores and pitcher Craig Stammen to Triple-A Syracuse today, cutting the Nats spring training roster to 35 as Opening Day rapidly approaches.

Neither move is unexpected.  Flores, returning from major shoulder surgery, needs to see more pitching to get his stroke back after missing the better part of two seasons.  He played well over the winter in Venezuela, but he needs to play every day to get himself back into "game shape."

Stammen found himself in a three-way battle for the "long man" spot in the bullpen, which he manned capably last season, with Chad Gaudin and Brain Broderick.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Gaudin has been lights-out this spring and Broderick, a Rule 5 draftee, must remain on the Nats active roster or be offered back to the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Both men took the news as a challenge to work their way back onto the big league roster, showing class and determination.

This speaks to the volume of Major League talent GM Mike Rizzo has accumulated for the Nationals.  He has developed an inventory of players such that two players that have been starters on this team in the past didn't even make it to final cuts.

Flores and Stammen are both Major League players though, and we'll see them resurface -- in D.C. or elsewhere -- before too long.

So much for a quiet off-day in spring training.

By now, you've all read the reports.  Rick Ankiel has won the centerfielder job.  Matt Stairs has a place on the bench.  Jayson Nix could very well be a backup outfielder. 

And now, for the coup de grace, the Washington Nationals have signed LHP Oliver Perez to a minor league deal.

It's enough to make one wonder about the decision-making process in NatsTown.

To be polite, Ankiel's best days (not that they were all that great to begin with) are in the past.  In 2008, the then 28 year old Ankiel completed a remarkable transition from left-handed fireball pitcher to Major League outfielder, hitting .262/.337/.506 with 25 home runs and 71 RBIs for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

The tragic story of a pitcher that lost the ability to throw strikes had its happy ending.

Since then though, Ankiel, 32 in July, hasn't come close to replicating those numbers.  He hasn't hit 25 homers combined in the last two seasons and his career .248/.312/.441 over eight seasons describes a journeyman struggling to hang on.

Nix, 30, is the very definition of journeyman, working on his fourth organization.  His slash line (.243/.286/.425) is even worse than Ankiel's in his eight big league seasons.

At least both Ankiel and Nix play a decent outfield and are capable of manning center, though both are more suited for left field.

Matt Stairs, however, is a pinch-hitter.  Only.  He's 43 years old and can no longer play the field with any acumen.  He is the Major League record holder for career pinch-hit home runs, and is seems like extending that record is the only thing that keeps him hanging on. 

In the last two seasons, his 240 plate appearances have netted 11 home runs, but with a slash line of .213/.333/.426, suggesting his approach is homer or bust in every appearance.  21 of his 43 hits the last two years resulted in doubles or home runs.

Oh, and all three are left-handed hitters.  It would make sense for the Nats to carry one older, more experienced part-time outfielder bench player on their roster.  But three?

If all three make the roster, it spells doom for others in the system, namely Nyjer Morgan and especially Roger Bernadina -- two younger, more athletic left-handed hitters.

Nyjer Morgan, 30, has his fans -- and detractors -- in the organization.  There are those that feel he really is the player that was showcased for ten weeks in 2009 after the trade that brought him over from the Pirates, when he hit .312/.373/.401 with 34 steals.  There are an equal number that have grown tired of him misplay balls in the outfield, get thrown out on the bases and generally sulk his way to a .253/.319/.314 slash line last season.

His maturity issues add a whole another level of complexity to his rosterability.

But the real victim in all of this rush to add big league experience to a roster that should be in a full-blown youth movement is Roger Bernadina.

The Shark may never be anything more than a fourth outfielder.  But he has an intriguing combination of pop and speed -- 11 HR, 16 SB/2 CS in 461 plate appearances in 2010, his first full season in the majors.  And he is entering the prime of his career, turning 27 in July. 

He's a guy that virtually screams "breakout player", yet it seems like the Nats are going to allow him to languish in Triple-A instead of finding out if they actually have a big leaguer on their hands.

Ankiel, Nix and Stairs almost certainly will not be on this team next season, and definitely not in 2013, when the bulk of the Nats talent should be mature enough to actually compete in the National League East.  Bernadina, on the other hand, could be a contributing member of that squad in the prime of his career.

But the Nats, in their desperation to win as many games as they can in 2011 to justify Jayson Werth's horrible contract, won't know what they have with Bernadina, if they retain his services at all. 

This Nationals team is EXACTLY the type of team that should be playing its youngsters.  They threw Ian Desmond to the wolves last year and he responded, and Danny Espinosa will be given the same treatment this year.

Bernadina showed some promise last season before running out of gas in the longest season of his professional career.  He apparently lost a share of the left field position due to Michael Morse's hot spring, and since he has an option remaining on his contract, will in all likelihood be sent down to make room for a couple of re-treads trying to hang on in the name on "professionalism" and "Major League experience".

As for the signing of Perez?  Heaven help the Nationals if he actually steps foot in Nats Park.  Too many things have to go abysmally wrong for Perez to be an option.  The organization is already touting his relationship with Spin Williams, their minor league pitching coordinator, with whom Perez worked in Pittsburgh. 

But there's no covering up the fact that Perez has walked six batters per nine innings the last two season, nor the fact that his very public complaining about being relegated to the bullpen with the Mets led to his release.

But Perez is a Scott Boras client, and Mike Rizzo has yet to meet a Boras client he wasn't willing to sign, as the Nats now have 11 on the roster.

Seems like the more things change around NatsTown, the more they stay the same.

According to a tweet from Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the center field battle has lost a competitor, as he reports that the job has come down to the incumbent, Nyjer Morgan, and off-season free agent acquisition Rick Ankiel.

Either Roger Bernadina is slated to be the fourth outfielder, or he will find his way to Triple-A Syracuse, a victim of the fact he has an option remaining.

Morgan, 30, and Ankiel, 31, couldn't be more dissimilar, save for their handedness and lack of production against left-handed pitching.

Ankiel is a lifetime .232/.282/.386 hitter in 360 plate appearances against left-handed pitching.  Morgan hits .200/.292/.269 in 334 lifetime appearances versus southpaws. 

Either way, Jerry Hairston, Jr. will get his at bats and playing time in centerfield, though he's not ideal since he's an infielder by trade and only .262/.321/.383 lifetime vs. LHP.

So let's take a look at the tale of the tape.

HITTING

Morgan is a speedster, though erratic.  He makes his living beating ground balls in the dirt and hope they go through or he can beat it out to first. 

Ankiel is theoretically a slugger, hitting 25 home runs in the 2008 season, but hasn't combined for 25 since.  He slugged .387  and .389 in 2009-2010. 

Both players walk rates are significantly below league average.

BASERUNNING

Morgan has produced some impressive stolen base numbers -- but has equally destructive caught stealing numbers.  He's led the N.L. in CS in both of the last two seasons.

Ankiel has 10 stolen bases in eight seasons.

DEFENSE

Morgan's fleetness allows him to get to a lot of balls, sometimes in spectacular fashion.  Though for every highlight reel catch, Morgan misjudges a fly, misses a cut-off man, or throws to the wrong base with his wet noodle for an arm.

Ankiel is renown for his cannon of a left arm, once a flame-throwing pitcher that lost the ability to throw strikes.  He's not fast in center, but he plays within himself and makes the plays he should.  He has below average range for the position.

PERSONALITY

Morgan's less-than-sunny disposition is widely documented, including in this space.  Last year, he famously threw his glove in anger during a ball in play against Baltimore, went out of his way to run over opposing catchers twice, threw a ball at a fan in Philadelphia, incited a brawl in Florida, then flexed like a WWA heel after being ejected, and was suspended for eight games at the end of the season.  He "cleanly" drew contact with Albert Pujols in yesterday's game, triggering three beanballs and a heated exchange from Tony LaRussa and Jim Riggleman, old friends.

Ankiel is widely assumed to ascend to a coaching gig when his playing career is over.  Noted for "playing the game the right way."  Regarded as a mentor to younger players during his time in St. Louis.  Has a quiet, unassuming manner.

INTANGIBLES

Morgan was acquired by Mike Rizzo in a trade in 2008 and Rizzo has been insistent upon making good on the trade.  Was a hockey player growing up and took to baseball when his hockey career stalled in major juniors.

Ankiel was on St. Louis teams when Jim Riggleman and Rick Eckstein coached for LaRussa [ed. and Jim Riggleman was the Cardinals minor league coordinator].  Was a pitcher growing up and didn't start playing outfield until his pitching career famously imploded.

BOTTOM LINE

If Morgan wins the job, Ankiel will make the team regardless.  If Riggleman decides he's had enough and goes with Ankiel, Morgan could very well be shipped to the minors or released.  I can't imagine the Nats living with Morgan on their bench.

Either way, it's bad news for Bernadina.  He's apparently lost the left field job to Michael Morse and now center field to two very flawed players.  It doesn't speak very well for his future in the organization, nor for the organization's committment to younger players in what is spposed to be a building process.

I generally don't like to critique other people's writing in this space.  I do a lot of that in private, and it's a good way to make sure what I write is at least halfway relevant and up to date. 

But what's the point of having a blog -- especially one that describes itself as being "dedicated to the constructive criticism of the Washington Nationals" -- and not commenting when something grabs my attention?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as it's based on an educated, rational thought process.  There's room for anecdotal evidence and statistical analysis and to ignore one over the other is usually folly.

Today's column by Jason Reid in The Washington Post raises a question that has, to this date, been unasked and for good reason.  And quite frankly, I think Mr. Reid's conclusion and his methodology leave something to be desired.

Before we begin, Harper at Nationals Baseball also has a critique of Mr. Reid's work today.  You should read that piece too, because I generally agree with his points as well.

Mr. Reid asserts that the Washington Nationals organization should exercise the option on manager Jim Riggleman's contract, signaling "Riggleman’s importance to the future", before the season begins.  In his piece, Mr. Reid argues that "It’s not hard to manage with essentially a one-year deal. It’s downright impossible."

Mr. Reid provides no statistical evidence or analysis to back this statement up.  This is his opinion, though he offers it as if it is an incontrovertible fact.  He never once mentions Riggleman's career managerial record, other than to cherry-pick the Nats improvement in record from 2009 to 2010, as if that was all due to Riggleman's stewardship.

He goes on to cite the reasons he thinks the Nationals would be wise to exercise Riggleman's contract, including Riggleman's handling of the bullpen last season and the antiquated notion of the manager being "in control" of the clubhouse.

On the last point, Riggleman himself has gone on record stating his desire for the clubhouse to police itself.  He's just not that type of guy.  Yet Mr. Reid cites these qualities as reasons to give Riggleman a long-term deal.

The evidence shows that Riggleman is not a very good manager.  In 11 seasons, his lifetime winning percentage of .442 is equivalent to a 71-91 season.  In fact, his clubs have finished the season with a winning percentage higher than .469 in just two of those 11 seasons, neither of which happened as manager of the Nationals.

If the Nationals were a legitimate pennant contender this year, I might be inclined to agree with some of Mr. Reid's opinion.  But they are not.  The Nats will have had a successful season if they escape last place in the National League East.  If the starting pitching does not improve over last season, they might have a hard time matching their win total from last season.

No, this is not a team that needs to be extending anyone's contract on faith, feeling, or opinion.  A growing team -- all parts of it -- must be evaluated on its performance alone.  The players, the field manager, the general manager, the training staff, the public relations, the business managers -- every single one of them.

This ownership has proven a reluctance to change.  Remember, they didn't fire Jim Bowden -- he resigned.

If they want to retain Jim Riggleman, they are perfectly welcome to, but Riggleman should have to earn it.  There's no reason to do it now, other than the antiquated notion that a "lame duck" manager can't properly motivate his players; that he'll be tuned out otherwise. 

If any single player on a team that has lost 300-plus games over the last three years needs to be motivated to perform by the manager they should be removed from the roster TODAY, and that burden should fall on Mike Rizzo, not Jim Riggleman.

There will be plenty of time for contracts when the season is over, when any progress (or lack thereof) has been proven.  Picking up Riggleman's option before the season starts removes any flexibility Rizzo might have with respect to his field manager for 2012.

One last point on Mr. Reid's column, and this is the tricky one.  Granted, I may be more sensitive to others on this point, but I have to mention it, because it was the motivation for me to write this column in the first place.

Mr. Reid states, very clearly, why we should trust his opinion over anything else: 

"Unless you’ve spent significant time in baseball clubhouses, it’s impossible to understand the dynamic that exists among managers, coaches and players — especially on bad teams."

This, my friends, is elitist sports journalism at its worst. 

Mr. Reid may be a terrific writer.  He spent a lot of time on the D.C. NFL team's beat.  He's a respected journalist in D.C. and elsewhere.  Maybe because this is his first Nats column he left like he needed to let us know "he's been there".  He painstakingly cites the eight seasons he spent covering the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Riggleman's four seasons as bench coach.

In that case, maybe Mr. Reid should have done a little research about the Dodgers.  Walter O'Malley, long-time Dodgers owner, famously never gave out more than one-year contracts to his managers, Hall of Famers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda. 

Worked pretty good for them.

Our friends at C70 at the Bat, a respected St. Louis Cardinals blog and founding member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, asked us to help them out with a series they call "Playing Pepper", where they ask a few questions about the upcoming season to bloggers and independent journalists for all the big league teams.

We were honored that they asked for our opinion about the Washington Nationals and you can find the article here.

Less than two weeks until real baseball.

The Washington Nationals have made another round of roster cuts, according to multiple reports trickling out of Viera.  News today that RHRP Cole Kimball, 1B Chris Marrero and CF Corey Brown were all sent over to the minor league side should not come as a shock to anyone that follows this team.

Kimball, 25, a hard-throwing -- but wild -- reliever was exciting to watch in camp, and he struck out three more yesterday in his two innings of work against Houston.  But he also walked two and gave up a hit. 

He's been solid this spring, allowing just one earned run and five hits in eight innings, walking three and striking out eight.  Hard to think what else he could have done to make the team, but at this point the Nats just have too many pitchers in the bullpen out of options, and a building team can't be in the business of throwing away resources.

Kimball will make his MLB debut this year, just a little later than he would have liked.

The Marrero and Brown moves are completely expected.  Both have serious issues to work on in the minors this year to earn a promotion.  Marrero needs to prove himself defensively and continue to show progress with the bat on his way up the ladder, and Brown needs to show discipline at the plate to go along with his intriguing power/speed combination.

But now we're getting down to the nitty-gritty.

There are several questions that still need to be answered before opening day:

1) Who starts in center field?

2) Who will be the closer?

3)  Who will be the backup catcher?

4)  What is the backup plan if Michael Morse is exposed as an every day player in left?

By my count there are 41 players left (hmm, 38 accoring to Goessling) in big league camp, pending any other cuts that become public today.  Some we can be pretty comfortable crossing off the list as potentials for the final roster, like catchers Derek Norris and Jhonathon Solano, and Chien-Ming Wang, who will probably start the season on the disabled list.

(ed.  Norris was re-assigned to double-A Harrisburg per team press release today.)

What of the others?

With Morse now entrenched in left field (for the time being), center field becomes a very interesting battle.  The organization wants Nyjer Morgan to win the job.  He's their vision of a prototypical leadoff man (at least against righties, where his OBP and SB% are both miles ahead of his performance against LHPs). 

But his spring at the plate has been anything but convincing (.222/.333/.333, 5 SB/2 CS) and he still continues to have troubles playing his position, whether it's misjudging fly balls, throwing to the wrong base or missing the cut-off man.

Neither Roger Bernadina or Rick Ankiel have seized the opportunity either, leaving the battle for center one of attrition, unfortunately.  Several team officials have gone out of their way to praise Ankiel, and by all accounts he probably has a job in coaching whenever he decides he doesn't want to play anymore.

So let's assume Morgan "wins" the job and Ankiel is the backup in CF and LF, spelling Morse against righties on occasion.  The leaves Bernadina, who played all year last year, fighting it out with Laynce Nix as the fifth outfielder.

As for the closer's role?  Who knows?  The bullpen is a jumble right now with several players out of options and others, such as Tyler Clippard, fighting their way through a less-than-stellar spring.

Drew Storen was groomed for the job, and is one of the most promoted players by the Nats P.R. machine.  It would be a travesty if he falls victim to having all his options remaining.  The Nats added veteran Todd Coffey to the mix, which will include Sean Burnett and Doug Slaten as well.

Henry Rodriguez, the flame-throwing reliever acquired in the Josh Willingham deal, is out of options.  So regardless of his late arrival due to visa problems and issues throwing strikes, he'll have to stay on the roster -- there's no way he makes it through waivers.

Elvin Ramirez and Brian Broderick are both Rule 5 selections that have to remain on the active roster or be returned to their original team unless a trade can be worked out.  Ramirez has a big arm but hasn't made much noise in spring training, but Broderick is getting plenty of opportunity to show off that grounder inducing sinker of his (8.2 IP, 1ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 3.0 GO/FO).

Craig Stammen and Collin Balester, who both were effective in their roles last season, could very well end up the victims of the options game.

Three-fifths of the rotation is set in stone, with Livan Hernandez, Jason Marquis and Jordan Zimmerman all locked into their roles, and John Lannan looks pretty secure in the fourth spot.  That leaves Tom Gorzelanny, Chad Gaudin and Ross Detwiler battling for the fifth spot. 

As I wrote yesterday, Detwiler remains the most intriguing (and only one with real upside) candidate, but Gorzelanny came over in a trade for prospects and Gaudin had thrown very well this spring, perhaps now competing with Broderick as the "long man" in the pen Stammen occupied much of last season.

It's two weeks before Opening Day.  A lot can still happen.  An injury could pop up, GM Mike Rizzo might make a trade, anything really.  But still, an awful lot of question marks yet for a team many think could be the surprise of the National League East.

The Washington Nationals were cruising today, leading the Houston Astros 7-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bullpen having thrown five shutout innings.

But as Yogi once said, "It ain't over til it's over."

A five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Astros to an 8-7 win, before 3,328 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, FL.  The Loss drops the Nats to 10-8 for the spring.

The Astros sunk their teeth into Tyler Clippard in the ninth, crushing him for five runs on four hits and two walks.  The dagger came off the bat of Anderson Hernandez of all people, as he drove in Chirs Bogusevic from third after Bogusevic's triple tied the game one batter earlier.

It's not like the Astros got lucky in the frame:  they pounded Clippard for two doubles and a triple to go along with the game-winning hit.  The lanky righty faced nine Astros batters, and five of them scored.

The implosion was a black mark against an otherwise effective bullpen performance.  Sean Burnett was perfect in one inning of work, Cole Kimball struck out three, but walked two and gave up a hit in his two innings, and Doug Slaten got his job done, retiring all five batters he faced.

Ross Detwiler started and was not as sharp as he'd been earlier in the spring, but he battled through his three innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks, though he did not strike out anyone.

Of all the candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation, Detwiler still remains the most intriguing.  His size (6'5"), handedness and pedigree (No. 6 overall pick in 2007 draft) make him an enticing prospect.  The lanky lefty altered his mechanics in the off-season to deliver the ball more over his plant foot instead of the pronounced cross-body motion that has precipitated hip surgery, stalling his breakthrough.

Entering today's game he had struck out 10 in nine innings of spring training work, giving hope that he would finally seize the opportunity and secure a spot in the rotation and develop into that home-grown No. 3 starter behind Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman for the start of 2012.

That might still be the case, but since he still has an option left, he's going to have to outright win the fifth spot, and with just two or three more appearances left before the end of spring training, Detwiler is running out of time to prove that he deserves that spot.

Whether he wins the job or not, Detwiler will pitch at the big league level this season.  But he needs to prove healthy, effective -- and consistent -- before that happens.

NATS NOTES:  Nyjer Morgan hit a three-run home run, his first of any kind since 2009.  Wilson Ramos (2-for-4) added a blast to center as well.

Alex Cora went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.

Michael Morse went 0-for-3, but drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Nats went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left three on base.

Jayson Werth committed a throwing error, airmailing home plate on a short fly to right, allowing a run to score.  Brian Bixler booted a grounder at third base, but no harm was done.

Washington plays against Atlanta in Orlando on Thursday at 6:05 pm.

The Washington Nationals couldn't get much offense going last night, managing just six hits off six New York Mets pitchers, en route to a 5-2 loss in Grapefruit League play before 6,646 at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, FL.

But the big news -- which could have been catastrophic -- was that Danny Espinosa fouled a ball of fhis right foot and had to be helped by team trainers into the clubhouse.  As it turned out, the rookie second baseman sustained a contusion to his right foot and is day-to-day. 

Espinosa is hitting .324 this spring with two homers and leads the team with 12 RBIs.

Espinosa (1-for-3 before the foul ball) met with reporters after the game to talk about the injury.  "I'm walking around, so I don't think it's anything," Espinosa said. "They checked for fractures, checked for anything, and said it was good."

"It hurts, and [I] might be limping for a couple days, but I wasn't too worried that it was broken."

"If I had to play, I could play," the game Espinosa explained.  "There’s a still job to win, so I’m going to get back as fast as I can and do that.”

The sound you hear is the collective breath of NatsTown, exhaling.

The Nats, as designed, are young in certain areas, but nowhere as glaring as middle infield.  Were Espinosa -- or shortstop Ian Desmond, for that matter -- to go down injured, 35 year old Jerry Hairston, Jr. would become the de facto starter.  At this point inhis career, Hairston sets up much better as a backup and platoon for a left-handed hitting outfielder, not necessarily as an everyday option in the middle infield.

Hairston did log 430 at bats fro San Diego last season, hitting .257/.325/.370 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs, so he is capable of some production.  But the Nats are counting on Espinosa to become a vital part of this team -- both offensively and defensively -- and hope that after 600 or so at bats this season he can be counted on to be part of the Nats first winning team in the near future.

GAME NOTES:  Tom Gorzelanny fared much better in his second spring start than his first outing against Houston. 

The lefty went four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks, striking out four.  That's just about as efficient as Gorzy gets.  He's always had problems with the bases on balls, and to expect that to change at this point in his career is folly.

Craig Stammen took the loss.  He allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk with no strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings.

Henry Rodriguez, behind the other pitchers due to his delayed start to camp because of visa issues, gave up a run on two hits in his inning of work.

Ryan Zimmerman was scratched from the start due to a strained hamstring, and the team has said the team leader will miss about five days with the injury.  Zimmerman missed a handful of games last week with a strained oblique muscle.

***Quotes for this story were found in published reports, including MLB.com and MASN.com.

Washington Nationals right-handed veteran Jason Marquis continued his solid spring on Monday, pitching five good innings against the Detroit Tigers in an eventual 4-2 loss in windy conditions at Space Coast Stadium.

Marquis gave up his first earned run of the spring, but was otherwise effective, allowing just three hits and two walks in the five innings.  Seven of his fifteen outs came on the ground and he surrendered just two fly ball outs.

The Nationals certainly haven't already "given up" on this season, considering it hasn't even started yet, but a healthy -- and effective -- Jason Marquis could be an attractive trading chip down the road if he can perform up to his career norms this season, and the timing could be perfect at the deadline to open a spot up for a younger pitcher ready to be promoted.

GOOD

Doug Slaten, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen all pitched scoreless innings of relief, with a single against Slaten the only baserunner against the trio.  They struck out four combined.

Ian Desmond.  He went 3-for-4 with an RBI and stole a base.

Ryan Zimmerman.  Didn't do anything at the plate, but started two double plays from third base.

BAD

Jayson Werth continues to struggle at the plate.  He went 0-for-4 and stranded four base runners.

Todd Coffey was beat around in his inning of work.  He gave up three earned on three hits, including Victor Martinez' first home run of the spring.

UGLY

Nyjer Morgan had a decent day at the plate (2-for-4, stolen base) but had another misadventure in the outfield, letting a wind-blown pop fly fall out of his glove for a double, leading to the Martinez home run. 

Morgan is in an outright battle with at least three players for the centerfield job, and his outfield defense needs to be his calling card.  He simply cannot allow mental slip-ups like this, or he could be looking for work really soon.

Derek Norris is congratulated by Brian Bixler for his game-winning pinch-hit. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Derek Norris hit a blast to the left-center field warning track with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the Washington Nationals to a 6-5 win over a bunch of guys wearing New York Yankees jerseys before a capacity crowd at Space Coast Stadium on a spectacularly sunny Saturday afternoon, running the Nats spring training record to 9-5.

It was a big moment for the young catcher, bound for the minor leagues this season, as manager Jim Riggleman had the prospect pinch-hit in that situation for Roger Bernadina, slated to get plenty of at bats in the major leagues this year.

Bernadina's prime competition for playing time, Michael Morse, had another terrific day, going two-for-three with an opposite field homer and run-scoring single.  The big outfielder is hitting .500 this spring with a team-leading five home runs.

Yunesky Maya got the win, going four innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits and three walks, striking out three.  The run scored when Bernadina dropped a fly ball in center in a stiff breeze, the runner got three bases on the play, originally scored a triple but later changed to an error.

Maya gets the win against the Yankees. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

John Lannan started and had a rough go of it.  He went four and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs on four hits and three walks, striking out three.

The Yankees only brought a handful of Major Leaguers for the game, including CF Brett Gardner, C Russell Martin and 2B Robinson Cano.  A.J. Burnett started for the pinstripes and went four innings, allowing two earned runs on Morse's home run.

The other big news out of Nats camp was the re-assignment of OF Bryce Harper to Class-A Hagerstown.  The 18-year old phenom more than held his own with the big league club in 13 spring training games.  He went 7-for-18 (.389/.450/.556) with three doubles and five RBIs and played in 13 of the Nats 14 Grapefruit League games.

Harper survived the first two round of cuts, leading to speculation by the fan base that perhaps his good results would change GM Mike Rizzo's plan of starting last year's No. 1 overall pick in the low minors.  Harper did perform well in his initial tryout, but he needs to get four at bats a day and play the outfield on a regular basis to cultivate the immense and obvious talent he possesses.

There's also the "old school" in Rizzo that wants Harper to ride the buses and carry his own bags and pay for his late-night dinners out of per diem like just about every other ballplayer in the history of the game.

Harper took the news with his typical blend of confidence and bravado, but the kid came out in him too. 

“I’ve never not made a team,” he [Harper] said.

"I understood that I wasn’t going to make the team. I understood that completely from the first day. But I got to tell myself, ‘You’re here. You got to act like you’re that star player on the team. You got to come out here every day, and you got to play like you’re the guy.’"

“Hopefully,” he said, “I’ll see you guys in July.”

Harper will make his MLB debut for the Nationals soon enough.  For now, Rizzo is content in allowing the teenager to simply learn how to be a ballplayer.  Saving the franchise will have to wait.

NATS NOTES:  The Nationals optioned reliever Atahualpa Severino to Class AAA Syracuse and reassigned reliever Ryan Mattheus and Tim Wood to minor league camp after the game.

Bryce Harper grimaces after taking a fastball in the upper arm in the ninth inning. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)