Until he ran out of gas a little bit in the seventh inning, Chien-Ming Wang was his ground ball inducing best Sunday, getting seven such outs on the day. And with increasing confidence in his slider, throwing it more as a swing-and-miss pitch with two strikes, the Taiwan native also struck out five without walking a batter in the Washington Nationals 4-3 win over the Florida Marlins, before 26,581 at Nats Park.

Wang was sharp from the very beginning, allowing just one base runner — a single to Marlins pitcher Brad Hand — through four innings. Even after allowing a solo shot to Gaby Sanchez to lead off the fifth, Wang settled right back down, retiring the Marlins in order to finish off that inning.

Wang pitched out of a littel trouble in the sixth. A two-out single by marlins right fielder Mike Stanton put two on, but Wang got 1B Greg Dobbs to bounce out to first to get out of the jam.

In the seventh, Wang met his demise. He had two outs with the Marlins No. 8 hitter, backup catcher Brett Hayes, coming to bat. But Wang left a sinker too high in the zone and Hayes lined the pitch into the left field stands, making it a one-run game.

Manager Davey Johnson went to old reliable, Tyler Clippard, to end the inning, getting pinch-hitter Vinny Rottino to ground to third.

Clippard then had a 1-2-3 eighth and Drew Storen threw a perfect ninth inning for his 38th save of the season.

The win was the Nats 42nd at home this season, setting a team record for most home victories since the move in 2005.

Washington got two RBIs from Marrero, a sacrifice fly in the second and a ground rule double to rigth in the fourth to pace the Nats.

But that was about it from the offense, as the Nats managed just five hits on the day, two from Ryan Zimmerman.

Ten games remain to the 2011 season. The Nationals need one win to tie their previous second best mark since the move, and every win after that is gravy. One thing is for certain though. For maybe the very first time in their brief history in D.C., there is legitimate cause for optimism for the future of these Nationals.

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THE GOOD: Clippard and Storen. 2 1/3 perfect relief innings with three strikeouts. That’s the definition of shut down.

THE BAD: The Marlins defense. The centerfielder botched a routine ball in on a easy line drive to allow the Nats second run to score, then the right fielder made a pretty terrible play on Marrero’s ball, which maybe could have been caught, before it bounced into the stands for the ground rule double.

THE UGLY: Jayson Werth. 0-for-4, and looked at 92 MPH right down the middle to end his last at bat.

THE STATS: 5 hits, 1 BB, 8 Ks. 2-for-6 w/RISP, 3 LOB, zero GISP. No errors.

NEXT GAME: Tuesday in Philadelphia. Game 1 at 1:05 pm features Ross Detwiler (2-5, 3.76) against Kyle Kendrick (8-6, 3.22). Game 2 at 7:05

Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen has pitched in a game once since Aug. 28.  It showed today as he had trouble controlling his fastball, as he allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning of a tied game, leading to a 7-4 loss the the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of s double-header at Nats Park.

The loss drops the Nats record to 65-76.

Storen hit one batter, came close to taking forner Nat Jamey Carroll's head off with another wild offering, walked Carroll on four pitches, allowed two stolen bases, and gave up three hits, including a two-run double by pinch-hitter Tony Gwynn, Jr. to break a four-all tie in the final frame.  He threw 25 pitches, only 11 of which were strikes.

The offense should shoulder some of the blame in this one as well.  They jumped all over Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley in the third with a single, three doubles and a two-run home run by Jayson Werth, driving the normally reliable starter from the contest.  But the Nats hitters could not take advantage of the Dodgers bullpen, as only three batters reached the rest of the game, all via base on balls.

Dodgers relievers pitched 6 2/3 innings of shut-out, hitless relief, striking out six.

Nationals starter Chien-Ming Wang had another rough first inning, giving up two runs on a double by Juan Rivera, but was the victim of poor defense in the third, as an easily caught line drive by Rivera sailed over left fielder Michael Morse's head for another two-run double.  Morse originally broke in on the ball for what have been the first out of the inning, but misread the liner and turned it into two RBIs for Rivera.

Wang settled in after that and retired 11 of his last 12 batters, eventually lifted after 80 pitches over six innings for a pinch-hitter.  He walked none and struck out three in another decent performance for the Taiwan native trying to resurrect his Major League career.

In the second half of the twin-bill, Ross Detwiler (2-5, 3.83) will try to rebound from his last performance, an ugly affair where he allowed six earned runs in three innings to the New York Mets last Friday.  Detwiler will face the much-travelled Dana Eveland (1-0, 1.13), making his second start for the Dodgers.

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THE GOOD:  It didn't rain.  Much anyway.  Werth's homer was his 19th of the season and he hit two other balls hard.

THE BAD:  The offense.  The Nats had a big inning then put away their bats.  GM Mike Rizzo needs to find a way to address the lack of consistent attack in the off-season.

THE UGLY:  Storen.  No other way to put it, it just wasn't his day.  Whether he was rusty from the lay-off, having trouble with a wet ball, or just running up against his wall for the season, this was one of his worst performances as a big leaguer.

THE STATS:  Five hits, six walks, eight strikeouts.  3-for-8 w/RISP, seven LOB, no GIDP.  No errors.

NATS NOTES:  Steve Lombardozzi went hitless in five attempts, flying out to center to end the game.

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson threw out the first pitch.  He spoke with reporters in the press box after the ceremony about the experience, upcoming training camp, and the recent tragedies that have affected the international hockey community.

It's getting to the point when the Washington Nationals come to bat with runners in scoring position, they may as well just lay their bats down. The results would be just about the same.

Last night the problem continued, as the Nats went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners in all, in a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds before 35,089 at Great American Ballpark.

The loss drops the Nationals record to 62-68 as they fall into a tie with the New York Mets for third in the N.L. East.

In their last four games, all losses, the Nats are 2-for-42 with runners in scoring position.  If the Nats simply matched their season batting average of .241 (next-to-last in the N.L.) over those 42 at bats, they would have produced 10 hits.  It's almost silly.

The Nationals stranded 10 runners tonight, bringing the four game total to a whopping 34.  They got at least two runners on in each of the first three innings but failed to score.  Wilson Ramos finally came through, hitting an opposite-field three run homer run off starter Dontrelle Willis in the fourth inning.  But the ineptitude returned, as the Nats left runners in scoring position in every inning from the seventh on.

Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang once again kept his team in the game.  He wasn't particularly sharp -- issuing four walks to go along with six hits -- but he but allowed just one earned run in six innings, striking out four.  However, Wang faltered in his last inning, getting two quick outs then walking the No. 8 hitter, SS Paul Janish, and giving up a hit to Willis, setting up an RBI single by Brandon Phillips to cut the lead to 3-2.

Wang got the final out and left with the lead after six innings.  Unfortunately, when the offense isn't working you need perfect relief pitching, and the Nats didn't get that last night.

Tom Gorzelanny was brought on in the seventh, and the little-used lefty couldn't get out of the inning, giving up a run on two hits and a walk.  In fact, it was his walk to lefty Jay Bruce that came around to score.

In the bottom of the ninth, manager Davey Johnson elected to go to Collin Balester, keeping his best reliever, Drew Storen, in the pen in case of a save situation.  It never got to that.  Balester gave up three consecutive one-out singles, the last to Miguel Cairo, which brought home the winning run.

It's hard to blame Balester for the loss.  No, he didn't get his job done on this evening.  But the Nats had plenty of opportunity to extend a precarious lead against a mediocre pitcher and failed to do so.  Willis walked five batters and gave up six hits in seven innings.  All but three were wasted, left on base, as has so often been the case this week.

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THE GOOD:  Despite putting runners on the corners with one out, Sean Burnett struck out Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, two of the most dangerous hitters in the N.L., back-to-back to end the eighth inning to keep the game tied at three.

THE BAD:  Ryan Zimmerman was 0-for-5 with three Ks and six left on base.

THE UGLY:  There's just no getting around it.  1-for-13 with RISP and 10 left on base is miserable.  Zim stranded six. Morse stranded five.  Werth stranded three.  Ramos, despite a three-run homer, also stranded four.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, six walks, five strikeouts.  1-for-13 w/RISP, 10 LOB, one GIDP>  E: Desmond (22)

NEXT GAME:  Saturday against the Reds at 7:10 pm.  Ross Detwiler (2-3, 2.61) faces Mike Leake (10-8, 4.09).

NATS NOTES:  RHP Ryan Mattheus was placed on the 15-day D.L. with a right shoulder strain.  There was no immediate corresponding move.  During the game, several sources reported that 1B Chris Marrero would be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before Saturday's game for his Major League debut.   Marrero is hitting .300/.375/.449 with 14 homers and 69 RBIs in 546 plate appearances for the Chiefs.

Chris Marrero takes a cut with the Nats during a spring training game. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

"They're gonna have to sit down." Davey Johnson on what Philllies fans standing for the final out had to do after Ian Desmond's home run.

Many times this season, the Washington Nationals have been burned by the youthful aggressiveness of their middle infield tandem.  Sunday, before another crowd filled with out-town fans, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa delivered on the talent that the Nats see in them, both connecting on solo home runs to tie the game, Espinosa first in the sixth inning, then Desmond in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth, down to his -- and the team's -- last strike.

Then, in the tenth inning, the Nats rallied against former closer Brad Lidge, scoring the winning run when Lidge hit Jonny Gomes with the bases loaded to force in the Nats fifth run of the day.  The unexpected drama allowed the Nats to win the game 5-4, and the series -- with both wins coming in walk-offs -- and marks the Nats fifth win in the last seven games between the two teams.

The Phillies took a 3-2 lead into a lengthy rain delay that started with two outs in the top of the sixth, with Chien-Ming Wang (5 2/3 innings, three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four)one out from pitching a quality start.  After the 1:11 delay, Tom Gorzelanny came on to record the final out of that inning.  In the bottom, Espinosa greeted Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer, a Fairfax, VA native making his MLB debut, with a blast to straight-away center field to even the game.  Espinosa finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs, his first homer and RBIs since July 19.

The Phillies broke the tie in the ninth against closer Drew Storen, who with one out gave up a walk, then consecutive singles to Carlos Ruiz and Michael Martinez, the former Nats farmhand.  Storen then struck out the next two batters, but the damage was done.

It merely was prelude to Desmond's heroics.  The second-year shortstop has struggled most of the season, his average hovering between .225 and .250 and has often been guilty of chasing pitches, being too aggressive or over-eager.  But with lefty Antonio Bastardo on the mound, the 1-2 slider he threw Desmond stayed up, and Desmond hit a rocket to the left field bleachers.

"I've talked to [Desmond] one-on-one the last couple days, trying to clear his mind a little bit," manager Davey Johnson said after the game. "He tries to do so much.  Just tried to simplify with him. He's a very aggressive player, and sometimes he's just overly aggressive.  You don't want to take away from that but you want to be a little more patiently aggressive."

After Sean Burnett pitched a clean inning in the tenth, it was the Nats turn to get back to work.  Ryan Zimmerman, Friday's hero, started the inning with a double down the left field line.  After Lidge couldn't get Michael Morse fishing with his first two pitches, he put the slugger on with a free pass.  Jayson Werth arrived to loud boos as he has all series, and laced a single to left that was too hard hit to score Zimmerman, bringing up Espinosa, who struck out on three pitches.

With the infield playing in, and Lidge trying to induce a ground ball to cut the run off at the plate, the pitcher wanted to keep everything on the inside part of the plate so Gomes could not extend on a pitch.  But the second delivery was too far inside, and Gomes didn't flinch.  Zimmerman trotted home with the winning run, and with that the Nats sent 30,000 Philly fans back up I-95 with a sour taste in their mouths, losers of two out of three tot he Nationals.

Of the legions of Phillies fans at Nats Park over the three-game series, Johnson joked, "This is kinda new for me. I kinda look at 'em as our fans cause they got red on."  But he was philosophical after the chuckles.  "Anywhere I've ever been when the team starts winning the fans come out.  That's what I'm hoping happens here real quick."

"It's a great feeling. We want to get our fans out here. I love playing in front of a packed house," Johnson said of the pro-Phillies crowd. "I know my guys have that same feeling. Even if it's for the other team."

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THE GOOD:  Espinosa had three hits, and Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Zimmerman each had two in a 12 hit attack.

THE BAD:  Until his 10th inning single, Werth had been 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Storen had a rough inning, putting three runners on in a tie game in the top of the ninth.

THE STATS:  12 hits, one walk, 13 strikeouts.  3-for-8 w/RISP, 10 LOB.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Monday at 7:05 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Ross Detwiler (1-3, 2.87) faces Joe Saunders (8-10, 3.91).

MORSE, ZIMMERMAN HOMER TO PACE NATS ATTACK

The Washington Nationals offense has struggled all season long to provide enough support for their pitching.  Last night though the Nats put up six runs against Cincinnati Reds starter Mike Leake through five innings and held on to defeat the Reds 6-4, before 23,888 satisfied customers at Nats Park.

The win lifts the Nats record to 58-62, four games below .500 and just a half game behind the New York Mets for third place in the N.L. East.

Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang spotted the Reds two runs in the first, but the Nationals answered with three of their own in the bottom of the frame and never again trailed in the game, tacking on single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to give Wang some breathing room.

Michael Morse (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Ryan Zimmerman (2-for-4, 2 runs) both hit solo home runs to power the Nats.  Morse's homer was a blast to right center field, and Zimmerman's was a bomb down the left field line that ended up three rows form hitting the concourse.

According to manager Davey Johnson after the game, Zimmerman called his shot in the dugout prior to the at bat.

"Actually, he called that in the dugout," Johnson said with a straight face.  "None of us believed him. He said he was gonna hit a bomb. And he went up there and...I guess the guy was pitching him fastballs in early in the count, and he said 'when he comes in there I'm gonna hit it out of the ball park.' So it didn't surprise any of us. I asked him if he got all of it. He said no, it kind of jammed him."

Maybe the biggest hit of all for the Nats came in the first inning.  The Nats scored one run off Morse's RBI double, then loaded the bases when Jayson Werth drew a one-out walk.  Laynce Nix (.188/.266/.306 since July 1) struck out for the second out of the frame.  But Ian Desmond laced a 1-0 pitch just past the shortstop to drive in two and give the Nats the lead they would never relinquish.

For his part, after surviving a rough first inning Wang went on to retire the next twelve batters and went into the sixth inning with a 6-2 lead.  A double by Joey Votto, followed by two ground outs, pushed across the Reds third run.  Johnson then let Wang hit for himself in the bottom of the frame and let him start the seventh inning, all while having Todd Coffey and Tyler Clippard warming up.

Wang (W, 2-2, 4.22) had more trouble in the seventh, giving up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Fred Lewis.  One out later, Edgar Renteria doubled Lewis home.  The hit end both Renteria and Wang's nights, as Renteria strained a groin muscle going into second base and had to be helped off.

"He got the ball up a little late," Johnson theorized in the post-game.  "I was probably one hitter too [late], I let him go too long. I had Clipp ready for Renteria but..."

"[Wang] threw a lot of good pitches.  Actually, he threw more breaking balls tonight.  I was real pleased with is effort."

The late runs bloodied up Wang's final line a little.  He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits.  He walked just one and did not strikeout a batter for the second consecutive game.  His good sinker wasn't evident early but got better as the night went along, recording nine ground ball outs against four fly balls.  He threw 78 pitches, 51 for strikes.

After the injury time out, Clippard came in and quietly retired the next two batters, getting Votto to pop up to second and striking out Brandon Phillips.  Clippard allowed a two-out single in the eighth with no further damage, and Drew Storen was positively filthy in the ninth, striking out two before retiring shortstop Paul Janish on a sinking liner to left that Brian Bixler make a sliding grab on to end the game.

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THE GOOD:  Zimmerman and Morse both with homers and a pair of hits.  Clippard and Storen combined for 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.

THE BAD:  Laynce Nix.  0-for-3, stranded three runners.

THE UGLY:  Danny Espinosa.  0-for-4, strikeout.  Average down to .223.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, one walk, six strikeouts.  2-for-8 w/RISP, four LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (9), Desmond (18).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday against the Reds.  Ross Detwiler (1-2, 3.20) faces Johnny Cueto (8-5, 1.94).

NATS NOTES:  Manager Davey Johnson indicated twice after the game he could move Morse back to left field when rosters expand, both to give Morse more experience playing outfield and also to get a look at Chris Marrero at first base.  "Ideally, when LaRoche comes back we'll have LaRoche at first and probably [Morse] in left field," Johnson said.  "We got a guy down there [in the minors] that can play a little first base."

Huh.

Just when you think you've seen just about everything, something else happens that you would never have thought of.

In his first two games for the Washington Nationals this season -- his first two in the big leagues since 2009 -- Chien-Ming Wang was the definition of "hittable", allowing 15 hits over nine innings leading to an ERA of 6.00, which was aided by six unearned runs he'd allowed in the starts as well.

But last night, at venerable Wrigley Field, Wang did the unthinkable, holding the Chicago Cubs hitless into his sixth inning of work, leading the Nats to a 3-1 win.  It was Wang's first win in the Majors since June 28, 2009 as a member of the New York Yankees against the New York Mets.

Wang, simply, was scintillating in his own particular way.  He doesn't overpower hitters and rarely strikes anyone out, but when his hard sinker is tumbling the right way, as it did last night, he has an uncanny ability to generate weakly hit ground ball after ground ball.  Against the Cubs, 11 of the 18 outs Wang recorded were of the ground ball variety.  He gave up one hit, a ground ball single past second baseman Danny Espinosa and walked two.

In the effort, Wang threw 81 pitches, 53 for strikes, and maintained his 91-92 MPH fastball into the sixth inning.

The Nationals three-run outburst in the top of the sixth provided all the scoring for the evening's affair.  Michael Morse hit his team-leading 20th home run of the season, a solo shot off Cubs starter Matt Garza (L, 5-9, 3.81).  Two batters later, Jonny Gomes followed suit with a two-run shot with Jayson Werth aboard.

Having reached his limit after pitching six full innings, Wang turned things over to the bullpen, which has been shaky at times the past month or so.  Sean Burnett held the Cubs scoreless in the seventh inning, but the Nats lost their shutout bid in the eighth when Starlin Castro clubbed a solo homer off Tyler Clippard.  That was all the damage the Cubs could do though as Drew Storen finished them off for his 30th save of the season.

The night belonged to Wang though.  It's been a long, arduous journey for the Taiwanese Michael Jordan, and his sense of satisfaction in earning a big league win after his surgery and two years worth of recovery and rehabilitation must have been what kept him focused during the tedious process.  One can only imagine the emotion and pride he must have felt as dozens of his countrymen waited for him, chanting his name, outside the visitor's entrance to the stadium when the final out was recorded.

Regardless of what happens with Wang the rest of the way, and into the off-season, his performance last night was indelible, remarkable and honorable, the culmination of two year's worth of labor.  Whether he can continue to succeed and feed off this performance, forcing his name into discussions about the rotation next season, remains to be seen.  But for one night, he was as good as he ever was.  And that was pretty darn good.

Sometimes, this game is more than just the final score.

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THE GOOD:  Jonny Gomes makes an impact, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

THE BAD:  Danny Espinosa went 0-for-4, lowering his average to .226.

THE UGLY:  Ian Desmond had a rough night at the plate, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

THE STATS:  Six hits, two walks, eight strikeouts.  0-for-2 w/RISP, five LOB, zero GIDP, one DP.

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 8:05 pm in Chicago.  Ross Detwiler (1-1, 2.66) faces Rodrigo Lopez (2-3, 5.17).

***Photo link courtesy of Max Wasserman via Twitter.

At first blush, the outlook looks pretty grim.  In two starts, Chien-Ming Wang -- the Taiwanese Michael Jordan -- has put up some pretty ugly numbers.  After yesterday's 6-4 to the Atlanta Braves, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Washington Nationals, Wang has allowed 12 runs -- six earned -- in nine innings pitched.  That works out to a 6.00 ERA that's being gracious as to how well he's really pitched due to the errors that have allowed half the runs he's given up to go unearned.

Wang has allowed 15 hits and two walks in that time frame, for an unsightly 1.889 WHIP.  And the kicker: he's struck out just two hitters.  These sound like the numbers a Single-A non-prospect would put up if he were suddenly injected into a Major League rotation.

But this isn't a Single-A non-prospect we're talking about.  This is a guy that had back-to-back 19-win seasons and was on his way to a third when a base-running incident of all things derailed what was once a very promising career.  He has finished second in a Cy Young vote and started Game One of a playoff series when he was with the New York Yankees.  This is a guy that you look for the silver lining with.

The silver lining is there if you want to look for it.  And the Nats will.  They've been very patient with Wang over the last two years, essentially paying $3 million over the last two seasons for his rehab from major shoulder capsule surgery. 

Both his starts have followed the same pattern:  Get roughed up in the first, dominate in the middle, get roughed up in his last inning.

In his first start, Wang walked the first batter on four pitches, none of which were within six inches of the plate.  It's safe to say he was nervous.  But he then allowed the next four batters to reach as well, and before half the crowd was in their seats he'd given up four runs on 24 pitches in the frame.  He then only needed 24 pitches combined to get through the next two innings, inducing ground balls to retire six out of seven batters faced.  Then in the fourth inning, more trouble.  He got a couple pitches up, there was an infield error on a potential double play ground ball, and two more runs scored.

Yesterday was very similar.  The first inning resulted in two runs.  A ground ball that just eluded a fielder went as a single.  Then a stolen base and two ground outs scored the first run.  Another ground ball single and walk set up the second.  Then for three innings Wang was solid, allowing just one hit that was erased by a double play ball.

In the fifth, his throwing error on a comebacker opened the flood gates.  Maybe he got tired, maybe he was rattled by the error.  But Wang did get two outs without a run scoring until he left pitches up and over the plate to Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla, the last a hanging breaking ball that went for a home run that manager Davey Johnson called "a poor choice" and Wang's third best pitch.

"I mean, he had a good sinker," Johnson said. "He was getting a lot of groundballs. You show [the slider], but you make it bounce. You don't leave that waffle ball right out over the plate. In that situation, if you're going to get beat, go strength to strength. That's part of, I guess, coming back after a long layoff."

But Johnson noted the progress from the first start to the next.  "Everything was a lot crisper." Johnson said.  "He looked stronger.  I thought his ball was moving more.  I was pleased.  The error kind of opened the door for them a little bit and then he made a couple of bad pitches." 

"It was a step in the right direction."

So he's having periods where he's showing the pitcher he once was.  He's always given up a lot of base hits, it's what sinker ball pitchers do.  Jason Marquis and John Lannan are the same way.  Sometimes the ground balls are hit at someone, sometimes they get through.  But it's hard to hit line drives and fly ball against sinkerballers, so those hits that get through are usually singles and teams are forced to string several together to score.  It's a tough way to have to go about things.

But you also have to have impeccible defense behind pitchers like that -- especially in your infield, and in both of Wang's starts, errors started the unraveling.

Wang is throwing strikes, having walked just two in two starts.  He's got decent velocity, sitting 89-91 with his fastball and touching 93-MPH.  His arm strength will continue to build as he adjusts to throwing to Major League hitters again.  He needs to settle himself better in the first inning.  Maybe the extra adrenaline of being back on a Major League mound after so much time away is just overcoming him in the first inning, working against him to keep the sinker from falling until he tires a bit from throwing 25-30 pitches.

But the Nationals owe it to themselves -- and to Wang -- to see if he can be an option for the Major League staff next season.  They can't find that out with him pitching to minor league players.  They need for him to pitch against Major League hitting.  They need to allow him the time to see if he can be a big league pitcher again.  It might be unpalatable to some fans who feel the Nats are simply giving up every fifth day while they trot Wang out in what is essentially Major League rehab, and that viewpoint could be understandable.

But the competitive portion of this season is over.  The Nationals traded two veteran players off the big league roster for minor league talent.  They will be shutting down Jordan Zimmermann after a few more starts.  They'll be recalling a couple of young pitchers (and perhaps a position player or two) in the near future to give them a taste of the majors.  And of course, all of NatsTown awaits The Second Coming.

With the investment both the team and the player has made in this, the Nats simply have to give Wang time to succeed. 

"I think that was an okay first outing." Davey Johnson, on Chien-Ming Wang's return to the Majors.

Chien-Ming Wang as he prepared for his first MLB start in two years. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



You can't blame Washington Nationals fans if they are a little myopic looking at last night's 8-5 loss to the New York Mets and only seeing the team's sixth straight defeat and eighth out of nine, pushing their record even further back from the elusive .500 mark to 49-56.  For a long-suffering fan base, each loss is a reminder of how far this team still needs to go to be taken seriously as a contender.

But for an even larger fan base, this game was bigger than the World Series.  And though the Michael Jordan of Taiwan didn't excel right out of the starting gate, he did return to the Major Leagues after a grueling and arduous two year absence.  He got Major League hitters out, felt good afterward, and returned some national pride back to a country that has only been able to boast six big league players in their history, and certainly none as celebrated as tonight's returning hero, Chien-Ming Wang.

Wang, now 31, made a less-than-triumphant return to a big league mound last night after two years of rehab due to surgery on a torn shoulder capsule, an injury much more common in football offensive linemen.  His delivery from the wind-up, lifting his arms high over his head and arching his upper back and shoulders, was familiar from his hey-day with the New York Yankees in the mid-aughties, when for two and a half years he was one of the better pitchers in the game.

His bread-and-butter, a power sinker, didn't quite have as much power -- or as much sink -- last night as it did in 2006 through mid-2008, when he coaxed ground balls at more than twice the average rate of Major League pitchers.  But Wang did register half of his outs on ground balls in the four innings he pitched, and several of the base hits against were of the "seeing-eye" grounder variety.

The game started out roughly for Wang, obviously nervous or over-hyped on adrenaline taking a big league mound for the first time in what probably seemed like an eternity to him, and the legions of Taiwanese fans and media assembled at Nats Park.  He issued four straight balls to Mets leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, none really close to being a strike. 

The next four batters all reached on singles and after a groundout and double play on a sacrifice fly, the Mets had a 4-0 lead after a half inning.  It was a rather inauspicious debut to say the least.  Wang settled down after that though and retired the Mets in order in the second and gave up a lone single in the third.  But in the fourth, a couple of hard hit balls and errors by Danny Espinosa and Jayson Werth produced two more runs for the visitors.  Wang got out of the inning, but his night was over.

In sum, Wang threw 60 pitches, 39 for strikes, in four innings.  He gave up six runs -- four earned -- on eight hits and one walk, striking out two.  He hit as high as 93 on the radar with his fastball, but his speed varied from pitch-to-pitch between 88-91 most of the time.  After the game, both the pitcher and his manager were pleased with the effort, acknowledging that he still had some work to do but the most important thing was that he was, after all that time, back.

"I was actually impressed," Davey Johnson said in his post game press conference.  "I thought he threw the ball pertly and that first inning he got the ball up.  They've got some good hitters in their lineup that didn't try to do too much with it, hitting little soft line drives.  Second inning he got the ball down more.  I don't think his arm is fully strong, some of his breaking balls were not breaking too good.  But I liked the way he threw.  If he didn't have the rough first inning where he threw a lot of pitches I'd have probably gone another inning with him."

Through his interpreter, Wang indicated he was "happy" with his performance. He said that he was "excited" in the first inning, maybe a little too anxious but that he felt fine.  He indicated that he was "close" to being 100 percent, and that he's got work to do to be competitive.

Asked how happy he was to return to the Majors after the two-year layoff, Wang said "I can do it again... Right now I'm back."

Wang is indeed back.  Johnson did not hesitate when asked if Wang would start again in five days, cutting off the reporter who asked the question answering in the affirmative.  Wang does have some work to do, but we saw flashes of it last night in the second and third innings, when he was able to generate ground ball outs and have a little success.

As for the rest of the game, the Nats were forced to play catch-up, and they didn't fare so well.  They pushed five runs across after trailing 6-0, but left the bases loaded twice. In the sixth, Wilson Ramos popped out after two walks and a single loaded them up, and in the eighth, Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman both struck out to end the frame stranding three runners each.

The Nationals are reeling right now, and even the return of a national hero wasn't enough to spur them to victory.  With the trade deadline looming ever larger -- Sunday at 4:00 pm -- there are distractions aplenty, and I'm sure Davey Johnson and the team just want to get back to playing baseball.  They'll have to be patient in that regard and deal with whatever changes may come.  All they can control is how they play between the lines, and for the last two week, that hasn't been very good.

_______________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Laynce Nix went 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Wilson Ramos went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Ryan Mattheus threw two shutout innings, giving up just one hit.

THE BAD:  Jayson Werth went 1-for-4 with a walk but struck out three times.

THE UGLY:  Danny Espinosa went 0-for-5 with two Ks, stranding four.  He also had an error that led to the two-run fourth inning that ended Wang's night.

THE STATS:  Nine hits, four walks, nine strikeouts.  4-for-11 with RISP, 10 LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Espinosa (8).

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:05 pm against the Mets.  Jason Marquis (8-5, 3.95) is scheduled, against R.A. Dickey (5-8, 3.74)

NATS NOTES:  Before the game, OF Roger Bernadina was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the roster for Wang.  Bernadina had an option remaining and the team felt this was the most logical move, citing a need to keep an extra pitcher due to the bullpen being overworked lately. 

Tom Gorzelanny relieved Wang last night and pitched two innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits, striking out one.



All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network



The move won't be official until game time, but reports indicate that OF Roger Bernadina will be sent to the minors to activate Chien-Ming Wang for tonight's start against the New York Mets.  Bernadina, hitting .247/.312/.352 with five home runs, 20 RBI and 16-of-18 in stolen bases, has an option remaining, so he would not have to clear waivers to be sent down.

"Nothing's really official until game time," Johnson said about Bernadina's status.  "He does have options so that is a definite option but nothing will be official until I hand in my lineup card."  With the bullpen as taxed as it's been in the last week or so, the Nats have decided that carrying the extra pitcher was more improtant than the extra outfielder, especially with the acquisition of LF Jonny Gomes earlier this week.

Tom Gorzelanny, who has made 15 starts this season (2-6, 4.46), will pitch out of the pen tonight in case of the need for a long man.  Wang will be on a 80-90 pitch limit tonight as he is still building up arm strength.

Wang is making his first start since 2009 after recovering from foot, hip and major shoulder problems.  He's made six minor league rehab starts (28 2/3 innings), throwing to a 3.14 ERA and 1.116 WHIP across all levels of the Nats minor league system.

Johnson joked that he'd like to get seven innings of one-hit shutout ball from Wang tonight, but championed the Taiwan native for his perseverance and determination in returning to the big leagues after such a long rehab.  "I'm excited, just like everybody else, to see him go out and pitch," Johnson said. 

"It's taken a lot of hard work and whatever because I saw him over the winter and he was still having some problems and when I saw him in the spring he was much freer, much looser. I saw him in a couple starts early in the spring and he was throwing the ball like the old Chien-Ming.  To come back after two years is a great tribute to his work ethic."

Tonight marks the culmination of a two-year journey for Chien-Ming Wang.  Whether it's the beginning of another chapter -- or just prolonging the end of his career -- is the big question that starts to get answered with his first appearance since 2009 tonight against the New York Mets.

You know his history.  He's a two-time 19 game winner for the New York Yankees.  He's been an Opening Day starter and started the first game of the ALDS in 2006.  He's the Michael Jordan of Taiwan. 

Chien-Ming Wang is all of these things.  But he's been shelved so long due to injuries -- first to a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot suffered running the bases during an interleague game in 2008, then to a catastrophic shoulder injury caused by an adjustment to his mechanics dealing with the foot discomfort -- that no one; not the Nats, the legion of Taiwanese media that follow his every move, or Wang himself has any idea what he is now.

Before the injuries, Wang boasted a devastating 93-MPH sinker that generated ground ball out after ground ball out, with Major League hitters continually baffled by a ball that started in the strike zone but darted towards the dirt as it approached home plate, dipping as much as ten inches, leaving them to pound the ball into the turf time and again.

But that was all before the injuries, surgery and extensive -- and lengthy -- rehab.  His injury was compared to the one New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees suffered. The Nationals signed Wang prior to the 2010 season on a $2 million deal with hopes that he'd pitch for them late in the season.  That didn't happen, as the rehab process was slower than anyone anticipated.  The Nats non-tendered Wang after the season, but re-signed him in December last year to a one-year, $1 million deal (plus incentives) and he continued his rehab, appearing in the Nats' instructional league, where reports had his fastball in the low-to-mid eighties.

In late June, the Nats finally decided it was time to send Wang out for a rehab assignment, and he performed admirably in six appearances, all starts, across all levels of the Nats farm system.  He went 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.116 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings pitched.  He struck out 17 (5.3 per nine innings) while walking just four (1.3 per nine).  His fastball generally sat in high eighties to 90-MPH, and touched 91-92 on occasion.

The Nationals don't know what they are going to get out of Wang the rest of the way.  If he bears any resemblance to the Wang of 2006-07, when he was arguably one of the better pitchers in the game, the Nats will have been rewarded for their patience and could potentially have found a veteran starter to add to their future rotation plans.  If upon his return he just can't get Major League hitters out anymore, all it cost the team was a bunch of money.

We'll start to find out tonight either way.

The Washington Nationals announced today they added OF Jonny Gomes to the active roster and designated veteran pinch-hitter Matt Stairs for assignment.

Stairs, 43, batted .154 with one double and two RBIs in 56 games this season. The 19-year veteran reached base in just 19 of his 74 plate appearances for the Nats (.257 OBP).  The MLB all-time leader in pinch-hit home runs, Stairs was brought in to be a dangerous pinch-hitter and solid veteran presence in the clubhouse. He may have fulfilled his duties in the clubhouse, but on the field he did nothing but struggle.

Gomes is hitting .211/.336/.399 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 265 plate appearances for Cincinnati this season.  But he mashes left-handed pitchers to the tune of .333/.439/.537 in 2011 and will most likely form a solid platoon with Laynce Nix in left field and be a valuable right-handed hitting pinch-hitter, though Gomes is regarded as one of the worst defenders in the game today.

Gomes will be active for tonight's Nats game against the Florida Marlins.

Another shoe will drop Friday, as a spot on the 25-man roster must be opened for Chien-Ming Wang, scheduled to start against the New York Mets that night.  Barring a trade of someone on the current active roster, it's likely that LHP Ross Detwiler will be sent to AAA-Syracuse and LHP Tom Gorzelanny will be moved to the bullpen to activate Wang.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Jordan Zimmermann has been a model of consistency for the Nationals this year, giving the team a solid start seemingly every time he takes the mound. Tuesday night he finally faltered, giving up six runs on seven hits in five innings as the Nats fell to the Astros, 7-6.

The loss drops the Nats to 48-49 and they slid a half-game behind the New York Mets for third in the N.L. East and just one game ahead of the last place Florida Marlins.

The 25-year-old starter looked good early on, striking out two batters in the first. But in the second, a line drive from Carlos Lee struck Zimmermann on the ankle. He gave up a two-run homer two batters later but rebounded and looked good until the fourth, when the Astros knocked him around for four more runs.

Zimmermann left the game after the fifth, leaving with the most earned runs against (6) and fewest innings (5) in a start this season.

The offense, though, tried to pick up their starter. Michael Morse knocked another breaking ball over the left field wall in the third inning to tie the game at two, and three innings later the offense added three more runs, two of which were from a home run from Jerry Hairston, Jr., who made his return from the DL by going 3-for-4.

Even though they had scored five runs to this point, the offense had left the bases loaded in the first and had runners on base in every inning. They went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

Down 6-5, Todd Coffey relieved Zimmermann to start the sixth and got two outs before giving up a single, walk and a single to give the Astros a two-run lead. In the seventh, Morse added his second double of the game to lead off the inning and a line-drive single by Jayson Werth put runners at first and third with no outs.

Wilson Ramos hit a hard ground ball up the middle, but it deflected off pitcher David Carpenter and ricocheted to second baseman Angel Sanchez, who scooped it and started a double play. Morse scored on the play, but the momentum for a rally had ended.

The Nats threatened again the ninth when, with two outs, Morse was hit by a pitch and Werth walked. Wilson Ramos, though, struck out to end the game and even the series at one game apiece.

________________________________________________

THE GOOD: Ian Desmond batting second and Michael Morse continuing to rake. Davey Johnson tried to spark Desmond’s bat by moving him up to the second spot in the order, and the shortstop came up with a big 2-for-5 day with an RBI. Morse, a day after picking up three hits and a home run, had three hits again – a home run and two doubles. He’s been retired twice this series, and one was a lineout.

THE BAD: Danny Espinosa’s return to the leadoff spot was not a success, as the second baseman went 0-for-5 with a strikeout and 3 LOB. Johnson decided to move Bernadina from the spot, but I’m not sure Espinosa is the leadoff answer the team is looking for.

THE UGLY: Jordan Zimmermann was not sharp after taking a line drive off the ankle, and his fourth inning was one to forget as he gave up four runs on five hits. The big inning was the deciding factor as the Nats could not completely overcome the deficit.

THE STATS:  11 hits, five walks, six strikeouts.  2-for-10 with RISP, nine LOB, one GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (7)

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at Houston at 2:05 pm EDT.  Livan Hernandez (5-9, 4.09) faces Brett Myers (3-10, 4.86).

NATS NOTES: Before the game, the Nats activated RHP Chad Gaudin from his rehab assignment and then designated him for assignment.  The club has ten days to allow him to trade him.  If Gaudin clears waivers, he could be asked to accept a minor league assignment.

Chien-Ming Wang started for Triple-A Syracuse, the highest level of minor leagues hitters he's faced in his five rehab starts.  He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out four in the Chiefs' 12-inning 4-3 walk-off win over Buffalo.  Wang threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes and coaxed nine ground outs two fly ball outs.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

HARPER AND PEACOCK GO TO FUTURES GAME

MILONE, ANTONELLI GARNER AAA ALL-STAR NODS

WANG CONTINUES PROMISING REHAB ASSIGNMENTS

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League (38-50)

Pitching Report:

Tom Milone: He was named to the International League All-Star team, and his mid-season numbers back the selection up: 7-5 record (103 IP), 3.15 ERA, 107 strikeouts to just 7 walks and a .233 batting average against. His final start before the break was once again great, tossing seven shutout innings with just two hits against.

Yunesky Maya: He gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings on Saturday, raising his ERA on the year to 4.45.

Josh Wilkie: He added two more innings this week, giving up one unearned run and two strikeouts. In four July appearances, he has yet to give up a run.

J.C. Romero: He pitched a scoreless inning on Sunday, bringing his ERA in Syracuse to 1.50. It’s just six innings in AAA, but with Sean Burnett struggling we could see Romero soon after the All-Star break.

Collin Balester: He was sent back down to AAA this week, and pitched three innings of scoreless relief with three hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: He went 2-for-5 on Sunday with a double and an RBI, raising his average in Syracuse to .348. He has just one walk in 92 at-bats so far in AAA, but he’s not striking out any more (14.5% in AAA compared to 14.3% in AA), which tells me he’s just being more aggressive at the plate. He needs to show he can draw walks, though, because he’s not going to be able to maintain a .348 average. Still, it’s encouraging to see him hit so well at the highest minor league level.

Chris Marrero: Three multi-hit games this week brought his average on the year to .301, and his overall line (.301/.373/.433) is very solid up to this point in AAA. He’s getting better as the year is going on, and if he finishes the year this strongly, he’ll force the Nats to consider him a potential long-term first base option (or a trade piece).

Matt Antonelli: He’ll join Milone at the All-Star game after hitting .311 in 44 games for Syracuse. His patience is fantastic (24 walks to 25 strikeouts) and he can hit for some power as well (.450 SLG). Overall, I think he has some good potential to be a backup infielder at the major league level.

Jesus Flores: Flores was called up to replace Ivan Rodriguez, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Corey Brown: He hit .152 in his last 10 games, and his average still sits at just .206 on the year. He does have nine home runs and 12 doubles (as well as solid walk numbers), but he absolutely needs to hit for contact better. He’s just 5-for-32 (.156) so far in July.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League (53-36)

Pitching Report:

Chien-Ming Wang: He made another step in his return to the majors this week, throwing five innings in Harrisburg with two hits and no runs against. He needed only 43 pitches and had nine groundouts. He only gets 30 days for a rehab assignment so the team will need to make a decision on him soon.  Wang will make his next rehab start Wednesday, July 13 with Potomac.

Brad Peacock: He pitched a scoreless 1-2-3 inning in the Futures Game on Sunday (with a strikeout). It’ll be interesting to see what they do with Peacock after he gets back from Arizona, because he clearly is ready for a new challenge. So far, in 98 innings in AA, Peacock is 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA and 129 strikeouts. He was also named the #42 midseason prospect in baseball by Baseball America. Today it was announced Peacock was promoted to Triple-A per multiple sources.

Shairon Martis: Martis, 24, had another great start in Harrisburg, giving up one run on four hits in seven innings on Wednesday. His ERA is a stellar 2.68 and he has just about a strikeout per inning.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: In his first four games at AA, Harper hit .357/.400/.357 with two RBIs and a stolen base. Baseball America named him the top prospect in baseball, and it’s hard to argue against it. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Futures Game, but did have a ridiculous throw from left field to home plate. Here’s Ben Goessling’s recap of the game.

Derek Norris: He went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs on Monday, but went 0-for-11 the rest of the week and battled an injury in the middle of the week. His average has dropped below .200 to .197, but his OBP is .360.

Tyler Moore: He had five hits this week and is hitting just .243 in his last 10 games, but his power hasn’t suffered at any point this year, mashing 17 home runs and 23 doubles in 86 games.

Bill Rhinehart: Rhinehart continues to punish Eastern League pitching.  In his last ten games he's hitting .394/.500/1.000 with six homers and 11 RBIs.  He's 26, so his time as a prospect is running out, but he's having an All-Star season in Double-A nonetheless.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League (39-48)

Pitching Report:

Daniel Rosenbaum: He gave up just one earned run in five innings Friday, lowering his season ERA to 2.76. He did surrender six hits and four walks but he managed to get through five innings.

Josh Smoker: Two more scoreless innings for Smoker, who lowered his ERA to 1.95. He has 37 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings, but has given up 22 walks as well.

Cameron Selik: He struggled in his one start this week, surrendering four runs on six hits and three walks in five innings. He has given up nine runs total in his last two starts, and has a 4.42 ERA in 10 Potomac starts.

Sammy Solis: Solis made his second Potomac start on Sunday, pitching seven shutout innings with four hits, two walks and five strikeouts. He made his first start Tuesday, giving up three runs in six innings with five strikeouts. MASN’s Byron Kerr recapped his debut.

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: He had five (!) walks this week, raising his total on the year to 11. It’s very encouraging to see his patience improve his week, and he did add two two-hit games and five runs scored.  Perez is hitting .278/.305/.325 with 26 steals this season in 255 at bats.

Destin Hood: He’s hit in nine of his last 10 games (.289 overall) and had eight RBIs last week. Even with the injury, Hood has very impressive numbers this season - .270/.360/.464, 40 runs, 25 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 53 RBIs and nine stolen bases. A sleeper prospect if I’ve ever seen one.

Jeff Kobernus: A slump at the end of the week (1-for-9) hurt his line, but he had two 3-for-5 games earlier in the week with two doubles and two RBIs. He doesn’t walk much (just 15 on the year), but if he can keep his average up, he’ll get a look.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League (52-36)

Pitching Report:

Robbie Ray: He struck out seven in six shutout innings this week, walking two and giving up just four hits. He’s averaging a strikeout an inning so far and has given up just two home runs in 56 innings.

Taylor Jordan: He was fantastic this week, giving up two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Monday and then tossing seven shutout innings with just four hits against Saturday. He is now 9-4 on the year with a 2.48 ERA.

A.J. Cole: Cole was also impressive in his start Thursday, striking out seven and giving up just three hits in six innings. He has 57 strikeouts in 47 innings and opponents are hitting just .227 against him. The two young guns – Ray and Cole – have been better than expected in a level they seem to be dominating. Very encouraging.

Christopher Manno: His last run against was on June 19, 6 2/3 innings ago. This week, he pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings with seven strikeouts and a walk.

Hitting Report:

David Freitas: I’m still amazed by his batting eye (50 walks to 51 strikeouts) and even when he slumps a little bit (.258 in his last 10 games), he still draw walks (five this week). The former University of Hawaii standout has done more than prove he can hit low-A pitching, and he’s ready for a new challenge.

Blake Kelso: He had a hit in five of six games this week and also had four walks. Between Kelso and Freitas, the Suns have two on-base machines, as Kelso has an OBP over .370. Kelso does have 13 errors on the year, but offensively there’s a lot to like.

________________________________________________

Pitcher to Watch: Christopher Manno, Hagerstown Suns. He’s long overdue for a promotion (AA or A+), but nonetheless, he’s been nearly unhittable in low-A, giving up just 18 hits in 38 2/3 innings. He also has an amazing 63 strikeouts this year to just 14 walks. He has 11 saves and owns a 0.93 ERA for the year.

Hitter to Watch: Matt Antonelli, Syracuse Chiefs. Named an All-Star replacement this week, Antonelli has regained prospect status after injuries derailed his career the last two years. He has raked in AAA so far, showing versatility and fantastic discipline. I think we’ll see him in D.C. before September.

WANG NOT THROWING HARD

By all accounts of this morning's first official workouts, Chien-Ming Wang still isn't close to throwing full out from a mound.

From Zuckerman: 

Now, I'm by no means a pitching expert, and my eye for these things isn't anywhere in the same area code as Steve McCatty and the rest of the coaching staff. But Wang sure wasn't throwing the ball with much oomph. He's got a very slow, deliberate motion, so that can make things look a little deceptive. But the ball wasn't coming out of his hand with nearly as much velocity as the other guys pitching alongside him.

And Goessling: 

Most of the other pitchers looked fine, but Wang's arm strength just isn't there yet. He's going to start on the DL, and it could be a couple months before he's ready to pitch in the majors.

And Kilgore: 

Several pitchers threw bullpen sessions, including Chien-Ming Wang, and the low level of intensity of his session shows why he believes he'll probably have to start 2011 in the minors, building up innings.

Anyone surprised by this development?  I was very surprised Mike Rizzo brought Wang back after Wang's failure to pitch competitively last season.  It's almost like he's doing him a favor.  Wang himself said the other day that he wouldn't be ready before May.  Didn't we hear that last season as well?

I frankly don't expect to ever see Wang pitch at Nats Park.

STRASBURG PLAYS CATCH

Stephen Strasburg, recovering from the world's most famous Tommy John surgery, threw lightly from about 45 feet with trainer Lee Kuntz.  It's the first baby step in a process that will last all season and perhaps into the off-season and next year.  But the Nats have to be extremely cautious with their franchise arm.

FLORES BACK BEHIND THE DISH

Jesus Flores participated fully in the bullpen sessions, taking pitches and throwing back tot he pitchers without any difficulty.  If you remember back to this time last season, he had to endure the indignity of handing the ball to a trainer to send back to the pitcher he was catching.  Flores returning to Major League duty will be one of the more interesting stories to watch this spring.

MORE POSITION PLAYERS REPORTING

Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel arrived at the clubhouse in Viera today.  It's encouraging that many of the position players are in camp, taking BP and shaking the rust loose before the official reporting date.  But the Nats really aren't speical in that regard, it's happening all over baseball and it happens every season.  Most of these guys are as anxious to get started as the fans are.

What will be really interesting is when Bryce Harper hits the big league clubhouse, expected in the next day or so.  Will he be another media distraction?  How will he fit into the clubhouse?  Is Ladson's rental car safely parked far enough away to escape BP homers from crashing into the windshield?

 
Oh, and the phemon is now on twitter (@BHarp34).  Of course he is.

Almost any time someone from the Nationals talks about the rest of the season, they mention the reinforcements coming -- specifically the return of injured starting pitching.  But just how realistic is it that any of the pitchers currently on the disabled list will actually contribute meaningfully this season?

Ross Detwiler:  Detwiler is recovering from hip surgery and is probably the closest to returning to the Nationals.  He was on a rehab assisgnment in Potomac and Harriburg, and last week was activated from the MLB DL and assigned to Harrisburg.  In three games, Detwiler has a sparkling ERA (0.84) but is putting a lot of runners on base (1.594). 

He went six innings his last time out, and officials have described his time in the minors as his "spring training", in order to build his arm strength up.  He could return to the rotation at any time once the team is comfortable that his arm is game ready.  In 15 games last season, Detwiler went 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA and 1.586 WHIP.

FORECAST:  Detwiler will return to the MLB rotation mid-July.

Jordan Zimmerman:  Zimmermann underwent Tommy John surgery and has speadily progressed in his rehab, to the point that the team has slowed him down on occasion, and he has not met any setbacks that are common with TJ rehabs.  He has thrown a couple of simulated games at Nationals Park and is set for his first rehab assignment, this Saturday in Woodbridge for the P-Nats.  He is expected to throw two innings.

He's had good velocity in his simulated games, but the Nats are going to be very cautious with Zimmermann, who they envision to be the No. 2 starter behind Stephen Strasburg in 2011.

FORECAST:  If things progress smoothly through his rehab starts, Zimmermann could make a couple of MLB starts in September.

Chien-Ming Wang:  Wang has been slow to recover from his shoulder surgery, with GM Mike Rizzo describing it to the Washington Post the other day as more of a "football injury".  Regardless, Wang hasn't had any real setbacks, per se, just that his recovery has been slow.

He's been throwing live BP at extended spring training in Viera, FL and is schedueld to throw 45 pitches of live BP tomorrow.  There is no timetable on his return to action of any kind, including a rehab assignment.

FORECAST:  I'll be surprised if Wang makes an appearance for the Nats this season.  I was intrigued by this signing, hoping that Wang could return to the form that made him a two-time 19-game winner for the Yankees.  But every time he is talked about by Nats officials, the plan gets moved back a little bit more.

Jason Marquis:  Marquis played catch in the outfield from 90 feet on the last homestand, and has since returned to his off-season home in New York and the team's facilities in Florida to continue his rehab.

After he has his surgery, the Nats put an August timetable on his return, but considering we're at July 1 and he hasn't thrown from a mound yet, that looks doubtful.

FORECAST:  The first year of Marquis' contract is full-bust.  He might get an appearance or two in September, but significant progess needs to be made in the next couple of weeks or even that is in jeopardy.

Garrett Mock:  Mock was sent to the minors after one start, then discovered a nerve injury in his neck that caused tension in his shoulder.  He had corrective surgery, and had been throwing as late as mid-May.  But considering the dearth of information about Mock's injury and lack of a timeline from team officials, it's hard to be enthusiastic about a return to the majors this year.

FORECAST:  Mock will resurface later this summer and spend the rest of the season in the minors.  Even when he does get healthy, Detwiler, Luis Atilano, Matt Chico and others have stepped in front of him for now.

Scott Olsen:  Olsen went on the DL May 22 with tightness and weakness in his surgically repaired shoulder.  He was undergoing therapy and actually threw 33 pitches in a bullpen session in early June.  But Olsen experienced soreness the next day and was again shut down.

He was sent back to extended spring training in Viera and as of June 22 had just started a throwing program.

FORECAST:  Olsen doens't throw another pitch for the Nationals this season.

John Lannan:  I saved the most frustrating for last.  Lannan, expected to be a major part of the Nationals pitching staff this season, was ceremoniously dumped to Double-A Harrisburg last week after three consecutive miserable starts where he allowed 10+ hits in less than five innings.  He did have a stretch of four games earlier this season where he gave up two earned runs or less in each.

Lannan has had two starts now for the Senators.  His first was sparkling, giving up just one run on four hits in seven innings.  Last night, however, Lannan was rocked for six earned runs on 10 hits and three walks in five innings.  In Double-A. 

Lannan insists that the soreness he had in his elbow, which caused him to miss a start earlier this season, is not troubling him.  Yet, he is confounded why his sinker does not have the life on it that causes him to generate weakly hit grounders.

He does not strike anyone out, and his K rates have gotten worse every year in the bigs, leading Fangraphs to call Lannan the Luckiest Man in Baseball.  This year his walk rates have gone up in addition.

FORECAST:  If Lannan does not have a physical problem, then he really needs to figure out why he can pitch well one game and get hammered the next.  Still, I think we'll see Lannan get his troubles figured out and return to the rotation by August 1.

According to multiple sources, the Washington Nationals have signed right-handed starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.  The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Wang is coming off two seasons worth of injuries.  He missed the second half of 2008 with a foot injury, sustained running the bases during interleague play, and most of 2009 with shoulder surgery.

Before the surgery in 2009, Wang was 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA and 2.024 WHIP in 12 appearances (nine starts).

Wang is a two-time 19 game winner for the New York Yankees, posting sub-3.80 ERAs in both of his full-season campaigns.  He also led the AL in fewest home runs allowed in 2006 and 2007.

Still in rehab from his surgery, Wang will not be ready to join the rotation until mid-May at the earliest.

One of the things I love most about sports media is how stories break.  It's fascinating to me that different sources have completely different information, and it's a cat-and-mouse game...between rival reporters, between the teams and reporters, between agents and the teams.

Competely fascinating.

What we have here, this morning (afternoon now) is not a failure to communicate, per se, but differing parties getting different messages.

On one hand, you have Peter Abraham, Boston Globe reporter, tweeting that Wang has decided on signing with the Washington Nationals, going so far to specualte that Wang "could be in the rotation by May," as he is that cloose to returing from last season's shoulder surgery. 

Abraham is supposedly close to the pitcher according to sources, which leads to the question of why a Boston writer is so close to a player that has spent his entire career thus far in New York.

Jon Heyman, of SI, tweeted that Wang was choosing between the Nats and one other team "within 10 days."

On the other hand, you have Nats beat reporters Bill Ladson and Ben Goessling saying that although the Nationals are interested and monitoring Wang, that reports that he's signed are false and not close.

But we also have Chico Harlan saying the Nats are the leader in the clubhouse.

And apparently, according to XM Homeplate, Wang is throwing for the Dodgers today.

So the truth lies in there somewhere.

Wang is an interesting case study.  He's the original John Lannan.  He's been successful on the major league level without the ability to miss bats.  He's a sinkerball pitcher that coaxes ground ball after ground ball, with a lifetime K/9 of 4.2.

What's even more interesting is last season in his 12 starts (where it was obvious that he was hurt, going 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA), his K/9 was 6.2, the highest it had ever been in his five big league seasons.

As an investment, the Nationals have to take a chance on a 30-year old pitcher with a lifetime 4.16 ERA if he's really healthy.

Then, they just need to find a couple guys behind him to pick the ball up.