Daily Nats Blurbs

[General]

Robert Fick will start at catcher for the Nationals on Sunday.
Fick will be giving regular catcher Brian Schneider, who caught all 12 innings on Friday and then caught Saturday's game, a rest.

[General]

In his third day back from the DL, Jose Guillen went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk Monday against the Rockies.
Guillen was hitting sixth tonight, but he won't stay there for long if he keeps hitting like this. His homer came off Rockies closer Brian Fuentes

John Patterson (forearm) allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings in his rehab start Monday for Triple-A New Orleans.
Under normal circumstances, we assume that Patterson would be activated this weekend. However, since everyone in the Washington rotation is pitching so well, the club might give him one more rehab start. Shawn Hill is likely to lose his spot when Patterson returns

[General]

Jose Vidro is listed as day-to-day with a bruised chest sustained during Tuesday's game.
Brendan Harris could start in Vidro's place on Wednesday.

[General]

Ryan Zimmerman went 4-for-5 with three RBI against the Rockies on Wednesday.
The rest of the club went 7-for-33 and didn't garner an extra-base hit. Zimmerman is batting .278 with nine homers and 41 RBI on the season

[General]

Marlon Byrd left Friday's game in the fourth inning with an undisclosed injury.
Byrd might have been hurt on an attempted diving grab earlier in the game. Damian Jackson replaced him in center field.

[General]

Chad Cordero took his second loss of the season after giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief Friday against the Yankees.
It would have been interesting to see just how things would have played out if manager Frank Robinson had brought in Cordero to protect a two-run lead at the start of the eighth. Instead, Gary Majewski entered and gave up four hits to blow the lead, with Mike Stanton and Cordero getting big outs to preserve the tie. Cordero then allowed two runs in the ninth. As little work as Cordero has had lately, he should have been able to handle a two-inning save. He had made one appearance in seven days, that coming in a blowout loss.

[General]

Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run, walk-off homer off Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday.
Marlon Anderson hit a pinch-hit one-out single off Wang and Zimmerman followed with a deep drive to left. The homer was his 10th of the season.

[General]

John Patterson (forearm) is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list on Friday and start against Baltimore.
Patterson said he could easily throw between 75 and 90 pitches and give "six strong innings" upon his return. "To jump up too quick might not be the right thing to do," he said. "But it's totally off of how I feel."

[Giants666]

Inside Pitch: It's All About The Pitching

The Nationals know their best chance for success is through starting pitching. That's what has made the last week or so frustrating.
Washington's starters are not giving manager Frank Robinson enough innings, and the result is an overtaxed bullpen.

Tony Armas Jr. was the latest culprit, failing to make it out of the fourth inning Monday night in Boston. That meant Robinson had to ask for 4 1/3 innings out of his relief corps, leaving the unit gasping for air.

In fact, Armas has looked like a different pitcher over the last two weeks, and that's not good news for the Nationals. On June 4, Armas was 6-3 with a 3.34 ERA. In three starts since, he's given up 14 runs and twice has been unable to make it out of the fourth inning, raising his ERA to 4.44. Armas has routinely been falling behind hitters, raising his pitch count and making it difficult for him to last deep into games. "He threw a lot of balls and was not getting ahead of hitters and was not getting deep into the game," manager Frank Robinson said following Monday's loss. "In other words, I am concerned about him."

Following the game, Washington recalled right-hander Jason Bergmann from Triple-A New Orleans. Bergmann gives the Nationals a 12-man pitching staff for the first time in two weeks, but the move is necessary given the current state of affairs.

"We need a pitcher," Robinson said. "We need another arm in the bullpen."

REPLAY: Tony Armas Jr. couldn't make it out of the fourth inning, and the Nationals couldn't add to their early lead against unknown Red Sox starter Kyle Snyder in a 6-3 loss to Boston.

Washington scored three early runs off Snyder, who was waived by the Royals last week, but they were shut out over the game's final six innings. That wasn't enough run support for Armas, who allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings - his second consecutive short outing.

NATS NOTES


2B Jose Vidro clubbed a solo homer in the first inning Monday night at Fenway Park, ending a long drought for the veteran. Vidro hadn't homered since May 25, a span of 85 at-bats, and he hadn't come through with an extra-base hit since June 5, a span of 48 at-bats. He later added a double in the sixth inning, a hit that might have been stretched into a triple if Vidro didn't have to retreat after missing second base.
1B Nick Johnson sat out his second consecutive game Monday with a lower back strain, and he may not return until the weekend. Johnson, who hurt himself swinging during his first at-bat Friday night, said he still feels pain when he makes certain movements. He's aiming to return to the lineup this weekend against the Orioles.
OF Alfonso Soriano spent extra time before Monday's game at Fenway Park fielding balls off the fabled Green Monster. Soriano, who is in his first year as a left fielder, said he wasn't too worried about learning the nuances of the 37-foot-high wall in short order. Manager Frank Robinson said he might consider using Soriano as his designated hitter at some point during this series, but Soriano said he prefers to stay in the field.
INF Brendan Harris, who played well in a utility role, was nonetheless optioned back to New Orleans to make room for RHP Jason Bergmann. "We need a pitcher," manager Frank Robinson said. "We need another arm in the bullpen."
THE NUMBERS GAME - 4.45: The Nationals' collective bullpen ERA through June 16, 90 points higher than the unit's ERA in 2005.

HE SAID WHAT? "We played like a minor league team." - OF Alfonso Soriano, after an 8-1 loss to the Rockies, capping a four-game sweep at RFK Stadium.

[General]

Alfonso Soriano wore a wrap on his right hand and wrist during Tuesday's game against Boston.
Soriano said he pulled something while hitting in the batting cage, but the injury doesn't affect him. This is something to monitor the next few weeks as it could hurt his power numbers

[General]

Ramon Ortiz has been excused from the Nationals trip to Boston due to family issues.
Ortiz could miss his scheduled start on Saturday while he takes care of a sick family member. If he has to miss the start Mike O'Connor will start in his place.

[General]

Nationals activated John Patterson from the 15-day disabled list.
Patterson will start Friday's game against the Orioles.

[Providence A's]

and how did Mr. Patterson do?

[McKain]

6 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, no walks, 3 Ks

Damn good performance by him.

[Providence A's]

do you think he can help get the Nats back to .500?