Nationals @ Orioles, Game 2

[welch]

...and, for the record, the awful 1955 Washington team had one position player who batted more than 100 times and hit below .200. He's Juan Delis, got into 54 games, hit .189. His only season in the  majors.

That team won 53 games and lost 101. Pete Runnels, the 2B, hit .284 that year. About a year later, Calvin Griffith gave him to the Red Sox, where he hit over .300 five consecutive seasons and won two batting titles. Boswell would probably say that Espinosa has more potential and more pop. Even Harmon Killebrew, a 19-year-old bonus baby serving his two seasons as a bench ornament, hit .200 in the few games they let him play.

[deeznatz]

Here's what is going to happen.

Assuming Weth and Harp still out.....Kobernus gets the start at 2b, Lombo replaces Moore in LF.  Boom, instantaneous upgrade.  See what Kobernus can do.  Who the hell knows?   maybe the kid figured it out and he can hit .270 and be our 2B the rest of the year.  Never know.

If Harp healthy, he is in right, Kobernus at 2B, Lombo in LF. Same if Werth healthy and Harp isnt.

If both harp and Werth are back, I say Kobernus gets the nod at 2B. 

Solano will start for Suzuki, too.

And....if Kobernus/Lombo falters over next couple of weeks, you can welcome Mr. Rendon to the majors for good.

We have players that can help fix this, we just need to bold moves to be made.  Zimm and Laroche are on track.  Get Harp and Werth back, get these other changes in place and we're good.

Further down the road, get Garcia and Ramos back.  Abad has looked good.

And.....this cant be overstated enough.  Part of what we have witnessed this year, no matter what you want to thnk, is bad luck.  We played the Barves early when they were unstoppable.  Wejust played the Os when they had multiple guys on hot streaks and can out mash anybody, and we were injured.  Infield hits.  Bloopers that drop.  Low Babip.  Things will turn. 

The one area of concern I have now is Desi.  He's been slumping a bit and we need him to be big time. .270 with 20 homers, etc

[spidernat]

The change will be that Espinosa is back to the 8 hole.

[Copecwby20]

Every Friday my church group goes to the old folks home and calls bingo for the residents there. Every Friday we help old people that are still "going through the motions" but not really functioning complete a game of bingo. When there is a B9 called and they don't hear/see it, we guide their lifeless/unaware hand to the right spot and help them keep up with the pace of the game. I won't be there tomorrow night. I'll be at Turner Field, but instead of helping an old, clueless, struggling geriatric complete a somewhat productive game on Friday nights like I'm used to, I'll be watching it from the stands.

[jhuterp]

Nats humiliate their fans once again. And what's frightening is that there's a good chance we still haven't hit rock bottom.

Just got back from the game.  I've been a STH since 2005 and can honestly say that Haren not getting rocked aside, that was the worst effort I've ever seen from a Nationals team and that includes the 100+ loss train wrecks in '08 and '09. 

[sportsfan882]

Not as frustrating as last night's crapshow but much more sad and pathetic.

This team needs a serious shakeup. I am afraid Rizzo is too afraid to veer off course and adjust on the fly. Through out all of these early season struggles he hasn't said anything.

[Copecwby20]

I think my newest parody song reflects the sentiments of many of us right now. Go to the red loft and read it, you freaks.

[TylerDC]

Went to the game tonight. What the freak

[NatsAllThe Way]

I cannot imagine why in the world Espinosa is not on a bus to Syracuse...or to the Potomac Nationals...the man is utterly worthless and hopeless at the plate...and selfish too, since no broken bone heals in 3 days...and who knows what else is wrong with this clown? Our line up contains about 4 pitching spots, as far as hits and run production....
Espinosa by far the worst; Tracy a complete waste of pine tar; Tyler Moore is a zero, and Bernadina is on the edge...
but everyday we keep hearing from writers and sports junkies, Ray Knight and FP about all the talent on this team and how it will all come together....it's still early....sure...I say bring in some more dudes from AAA....at least they will be trying.

Can someone please tell me... since when does the player make these types of decisions?  Don't they have team trainers and doctors advising Davey Johnson that Espinosa can't hit over .150 with a busted wrist and shoulder or whatever else is wrong with him?  Isn't this their career, to figure out stuff like that?  They do it full-time right, as their profession?  I admittedly don't know much about bone chips and pain management..   but it seems to me Espinosa should be on the DL for however long it takes to allow him to swing the bat comfortably.
 If I was Kobernus, I'd be pretty pissed.  They're willing to put a guy up there who is an automatic 1 pitch out (unless he strikes out) rather than play a healthy Kobernus.   

[NatsAllThe Way]

Does that mean that if Strasburg would've come up to Davey after he tore his UCL after the team doctors determined he needed Tommy John surgery.  Strasburg says: "Davey, I'm ok.  I can play through the pain."  Davey would say: "It's your decision, we'll monitor you though".  So he goes out and screams in pain every time he pitches the ball, plays the whole season that way, finishes 2-25, with an ERA of 26.00.?

They are letting the players decide whether they are in the lineup?  Does anyone else understand what is going on here?   

[welch]

Had a chance to sleep on it...still disgusted by the hitting and especially by Espinosa. The guy doesn't hit when he's healthy but is allowed to play with a broken hand and a torn rotator cuff?

Davey sounded short-tempered, angry, at the post-game. Said something about changes. The team needs more than letting Harper play on a bad knee.

My mood is no better this morning.

[OldChelsea]

I cannot imagine why in the world Espinosa is not on a bus to Syracuse...or to the Potomac Nationals[...]

My knowledge of the CBA and player-personnel rules in MLB is quite sketchy generally, but it's probably a matter of either (1) out of options or (2) he's got too much big-league time in now and would have to clear waivers (and the front office doesn't want to lose him on that account).

That having been said though...a bad loss, but this isn't the NFL...two straight losses don't mean you're scuppered for the year...plenty of time to pull it out...but at least we're done with the AngelO's for this season.

[HalfSmokes]

Davey sounded short-tempered, angry, at the post-game. Said something about changes. The team needs more than letting Harper play on a bad knee.

good, he should be angry. He's managing a team that was supposed to be a winner straight into a .500 season

[GburgNatsFan]

I did errands, listened to C&D last night. I feel okay today. I recommend it as a coping strategy.

Had a chance to sleep on it...still disgusted by the hitting and especially by Espinosa. The guy doesn't hit when he's healthy but is allowed to play with a broken hand and a torn rotator cuff?

Davey sounded short-tempered, angry, at the post-game. Said something about changes. The team needs more than letting Harper play on a bad knee.

My mood is no better this morning.

[Copecwby20]

I did errands, listened to C&D last night. I feel okay today. I recommend it as a coping strategy.

I woke up this morning and my liver was laying next to me crying, I recommend it as a coping strategy.

[GburgNatsFan]

For the young.

I woke up this morning and my liver was laying next to me crying, I recommend it as a coping strategy.

[ajcartwright]

as poor play goes on
I get testy, short-tempered
and irritable