8-5 Win over

Tuesday, Sep. 9

at 7:10 p.m. on MASN

at Shea Stadium in New York

NL East	W	L	Pct	GB
New York	79	62	.560	-
Philadelphia	77	64	.546	2.0
Florida	72	70	.507	7.5
Atlanta	62	81	.434	18.0
Washington	55	88	.385	25.0

September 7, 2008
Cincinnati 4 - Chi Cubs 3
Washington 4 - Atlanta 4 (Top 10)
San Diego 10 - Milwaukee 1 (Bot 9)
St. Louis 3 - Florida 1 (Top 9)
Philadelphia 6 - NY Mets 1 (Bot 8)
Houston 3 - Colorado 2 (Bot 5)
Pittsburgh 0 - San Francisco 0 (Bot 2)
LA Dodgers 2 - Arizona 0 (Bot 1)
Philadelphia - NY Mets (8:05)

Toronto 1 - Tampa Bay 0
LA Angels 3 - Chi White Sox 2 (Top 9)
Cleveland 3 - Kansas City 1 (Bot 8)
Detroit 7 - Minnesota 5 (Top 8)
Boston 4 - Texas 0 (Top 6)
NY Yankees 2 - Seattle 0 (Bot 2)

Full Scoreboard

Exploring the Green Line: Hank's Oyster Bar

Posted by Jon Desenberg on Sep. 6, 2008 at 3:42 PM

I promised early in the season to devote time to the best bars and restaurants of the Green Line Metro, places you could get to quickly before or after the Nats game. Of course, after reviewing The Red Derby, Acadiana, and Corduroy I kind of forgot about my promise, sorry. So let's get re-started with the closet thing DC has to the classic sea food haunts of Maine, Hank's Oyster Bar.

Hank's is just a little fancier than those places, after all its right off East Dupont's restaurant row, 17th NW, about 7 blocks from the U Street metro stop on the Green Line. But its still "shack" style, in an upscale way, not accepting resevations and putting tables elbow to elbow, and with a small but fun little bar with about four stools. But try sitting in the great sidewalk patio, especially for their great Sunday brunch.

Start with one of their special coctails, especially the "Hanky Panky", cirtrus vodka with lemoncillo lemon liquor, and soda.

The fresh seafood is prepared just as you'd expect in Maine, down-home style like BB-Q Oysters or an Oyster Po Boy, the best Ive had since New Orleans. But start with the raw bar, which may be in the top five in the whole city, especially the Wellfleet Cruiser oysters or the Sake Oyster Shooters.

Entrees like the rockfish with delicious home-made chroizo or the Ipswich Fried clams are two favorite entrees.

The most "old school" part of Hank's though might be the "Meat & Two" which features a diffrent classic diner entree every night of the week, paired with your choice of two of the great side's, like Roasted Cauliflower or the amazing Mac and Cheesy.

I was in on Thursday and had the Fried Chicken with Spicky Honey, and was amazed at the authentic, hot, fresh, non-fast food flavor.

Wednesday through Saturday Hank's is open till 11, and its worth leaving the game a couple innings early to enjoy it...

Hank's Oyster Bar

1624 Q St. NW

Washington DC 20009

T 202.462.HANK (4265)

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Better Late Than Never

Posted by Mark Hornbaker on Sep. 6, 2008 at 9:58 AM

On this day in the year of 1954 the Washington Senators played a black ballplayer for the first time. His name was Carlos Paula and he was from Havana, Cuba. The 26 year-old Paula started in left field for the Senators on September 6, 1954 seven years after Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut.

Carlos will play in only nine games in total for the Senators in 1954. It was in 1955 when Paula became a regular in the Senators’ starting lineup. During the’55 season Paula played in 115 games for the Senators and had an impressive .299 batting average.

In 1956 Carlos Paula will struggle at the plate with a .183 batting average in 33 games. With Jim Lemon having a breakout year with the bat and the addition of rookie centerfielder Whitey Herzog there was no room for the struggling Paula in the Senators’ outfield. On June 23, 1956 the Washington Senators optioned Carlos Paula to the Minneapolis Millers. Carlos will never make back to the Majors.

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Twenty-One

Posted by Mike Henderson on Sep. 6, 2008 at 4:30 AM

(Harper and I seem to be on the same page...)

Not to diss the kid, but who the hell is James Parr?

Up to Thursday night, you wouldn't have had any reason to know. (A 20th-century talk show host might briefly have flashed through your mind, but no.)

Henceforth, though, even if he never records another noteworthy accomplishment, he'll be among the select list of pitchers who earned a shutout win in their first major league contest.

Baseball Nation, we hear you yawning. This was against the hacktastic Washington Nationals, right? Who only racked up twenty shutouts before Parr came along, right?

Well, yeah. In fact, isn't it obvious that we should have seen this coming?

When the Nats' hitters encounter a pitcher they've seen before, or even a rookie with any kind of a record, they stand a chance (assuming the entire cast of regulars isn't in sick bay -- welcome back, Ronnie Belliard). Thanks to the miracle of digital video, they can study his work and have some idea what to expect.

On the other hand, when the starter is an unknown quantity such as Parr, the Nats' hitters have no plan, so with their typical plate indiscipline, they just get up there and flail away as if the bus to the airport is about to leave without them.

Nice theory, except it doesn't quite work this time.

In fact, the Nats sent just 21 men to the plate against Parr in his six-inning start. They collectively worked the rookie for 101 pitches, almost five pitches per plate appearance, a very good average.

They sent twelve hitters up against the Braves' relievers, who issued 53 pitches, over four per batter, which is still OK.

You can argue that the Nats' typical 2008 lineup hasn't exactly been Murderers' Row, and you'd get no argument from me. And they did draw just three walks against eight strikeouts on the night.

But if they keep doing what they did Thursday night, good things will happen, as they have been lately. (Perhaps it is not a coincidence that better things have been happening since Rick Eckstein came to town.)

In any event, James Parr earned his win on Thursday. It's especially bitter for the Nats and for this fan because it happened to coincide with the debut of another eagerly-awaited rookie, who didn't do a damn thing wrong except lose a tight contest.

Welcome to the club, Shairon Martis.

Permalink | Posted in Pitching, Team | Comments (2)

Oh, Dmitri ...

Posted by Anthony Wilson on Sep. 5, 2008 at 9:48 AM

You'll remember that in this space several months ago I lamented the shape in which Dmitri Young was in (which was, shall we say, rOund).

Well, despite several months of "intense" workouts, it seems nothing has changed. He's still a fatass.

Wow! Take a looky at that belly. The Nationals Enquirer (which, admittedly, bills itself as "Your source for uninformed opinion, rumors, and misinformation about the Washington Nationals") today reports that Da Meat Hook is back in action. So, given NE's claims of newsworthiness, disregard the "news" story that has him downing 10 dollar dogs and focus on the picture (at left).

Yeah, that's a tremendous gut. The same gut he had when he left the Nationals months ago. Do the Nationals employ trainers? Can't Stan Kasten afford to send D(ie) Young (which is what he's going do to even he doesn't slim up soon) to Jenny Craig or something?

Permalink | Posted in Fitness, Futility, Players | Comments (1)

The Conversation

Posted by Mike Henderson on Sep. 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM

Here's Phillies manager Charlie Manuel speaking to reporters after Tuesday night's game in which Chase Utley took out Jesus Flores on a hopeless attempt to steal home. You all know this part.

I wish every one of my players would play that way. That would be good. Don't say old school. That's good school. That's the way you play the game. Unless you want to put some rouge and makeup and lipstick on you.

That's the part we heard. And he needed to say it. What was he supposed to do, throw Flores a pity party?

But, as I say, we've been all over that. The intriguing question to me is what happened afterward. Might Manuel, for instance, have had a chat later in his office with Utley that could have gone something like this? (Expletives have been replaced by [RF] in honor of former Nats utilityman and frequent Anglo-Saxon speaker Robert Fick.)

Nice tackle out there tonight, Chase. [Pregnant silence.]

How's that shoulder feeling? Little sore? Yeah, I bet.

Good. Maybe it'll remind you that you did a really stupid [RF] thing out there tonight.

Maybe next time you won't walk away so [RF] fast.

And don't be thinking you're such a [RF] hero. I've been there, pal. I went through it in Japan. It's a [RF] wonder I can even eat a [RF] meal these days.

Just tell me one thing, Chase. The next [RF] time I lose my second baseman, like I did last year when you let a fresh [RF] rookie pitcher put the [RF] cuffs on you, what the [RF] am I supposed to do?

You gotta think about it, huh?

Why don't you think about it tonight while you're up there riding the [RF] plate like the Lone [RF] Ranger.

Or, Manuel might have added, when Utley's on the pivot at second.

Anyhow, that was Manuel, even if only in my own mind.

This is me: Phillies, if you go to the playoffs, remember you're carrying the flag for the whole NL East. (Assuming, as I do, that if the Phillies go to the playoffs, the Mets will go home.) We would mightily appreciate it if you would try not to lose because some moron cripples himself trying to play the tough guy.

Permalink | Posted in Media, MLB | Comments (2)

A Vicious Rumor

Posted by Mike Henderson on Sep. 2, 2008 at 7:10 PM

The Nationals are on the verge of turning a very important corner. As they complete their fourth season in the District, the organization is both building a core of young players like Elijah Dukes, Jesus Flores, Lastings Milledge and Ryan Zimmerman (not to mention pitchers like John Lannan), and taking cues from veterans like Cristian Guzman and Ronnie Belliard (not to mention pitchers like Tim Redding).

Healthy and properly augmented by some cagey acquisitions, this team could burst through the .500 barrier in 2009.

But caution must be exercised. We've seen how unhappiness on the part of players like Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez could suck the morale out of the team and its fans.

The lesson to be learned: Stable, experienced, adult leadership is what's needed in the home clubhouse at Nats Park.

Now comes a report that GM Jim Bowden has his eye on Manny Ramirez, with whom the words "adult" and "leadership," either alone or in combination, have rarely, if ever, been associated by thinking individuals.

If Bowden wants to save his job... OK, let's be realistic: if Bowden wants to rescue his resume from certain disaster, he will promptly disavow this rumor and sue the Boston Globe reporter who perpetrated it.

Memo to the press (and to anyone in the Nats front office who might still need to hear it): Other, more firmly centered teams, teams that can bear the antics and distractions, are welcome to take their chances with the man-child. We're not there yet, not by a long shot.

Permalink | Posted in Management, Media, Team | Comments (2)

How to Be Professional, Part II

Posted by Mike Henderson on Sep. 1, 2008 at 10:15 PM

Before taking up today's main topic -- which barely merits the electrons I'm going to expend on it, but will, I trust, not displease my editor and reader(s) -- I have a confession to make.

When Nationals right fielder Elijah Dukes took his customary wizard at-bat to win Saturday night's tilt against the Braves at Nats Park, I held my celebration until he touched first base. Was I thinking of an incident a century ago involving Fred Merkle? To my shame, I was.

It behooves us to note that Merkle, despite the bonehead label hung on him by the hyenas of the early-20th-century media, was in fact considered by Giants manager John McGraw to be a pretty smart ballplayer.

Which he was. As is Dukes. (And, yes, Dukes touched the base.)

On Saturday night, upon drawing ball four in the eighth pitch of his at-bat during the bottom of the tenth inning of a tie game with the bases loaded, two out, and the count full, Elijah Dukes thumped his chest.

This joyous gesture annoyed Braves reliever Vladimir Nunez, who had issued the free pass.

I think it was disrespectful . . . If it's a double, triple or grand slam, he can do whatever he wants to celebrate.

My goodness, Mr. Nunez, where've you been? May I respectfully suggest that you consult Nelson Figueroa about the very latest etiquette rules for celebration.

Oh, by the way: Too bad your team lost, pal. Good game.

To close on a happier note, I got to sit next to a nice young couple from Philadelphia on Monday afternoon at Nats Park.

They knew their baseball, as folks from that baseball-steeped town darn well should, and we had about as pleasant and lively a baseball conversation as I've enjoyed this year with casual strangers.

As I've said before in other forums, the common wisdom that all Philly fans are jerks is far from true. (Any beer-filled hooligan at a sporting event can be a jerk in any town. It happens in D.C. too.)

The Philly phaithphul are following their team into a tough end of the pennant race, at the conclusion of which the also-rans will likely be going straight home.

So when you see a Philly fan at Nats Park on Tuesday or Wednesday, wish 'em luck. But, as one of our presidential candidates might say, not too much luck.

Permalink | Posted in Team | Comments (4)

Youth and Experience

Posted by Mike Henderson on Aug. 31, 2008 at 8:15 AM

There's little I can say about the Nationals' 21-year-old triple-A ace Shairon Martis that the numbers don't reveal. Martis is the young Curacaoan whom the Nats picked up from the Giants in '06 in exchange for the end-of-season services of veteran left-handed specialist Mike Stanton.

Somewhat sadly, I have yet to attend a game in which Martis has pitched. It'd be fun to see him called up to Nats Park in September, although given his youthful workload, I suppose I could wait until 2009. (Update: He's likely on his way to D.C. on Monday.) He put in 115 innings in 2006 (plus a mercy-rule-shortened no-hitter and near-perfecto at the World Baseball Classic), 151 in 2007 as the P-Nats' workhorse, and 115-plus so far this season (plus an Olympics loss).

Martis won't be at the Arizona Fall League, but should be a prominent member of the Nats' 2009 spring training roster. Brian at NFA sees Martis as a potential number-4 starter, based on his strikeout totals. That sounds like a reasonable projection, perhaps even a bit conservative, given that he's been fanning about a man an inning lately at Columbus and maintaining a pretty consistent ratio of about two strikeouts to every walk.

Here's wishing Martis a healthy winter and a strong spring under the curly W.

Permalink | Posted in Minors, Pitching | Comments (3)

Blogger Night at Nationals Park

Posted by Mark Hornbaker on Aug. 31, 2008 at 6:52 AM

This past Friday evening I attended a blogger get together that was held in conference room #4 at Nationals Park. This small get together was very enjoyable as Collin Balester and special guest, MASN announcer Bob Carpenter spoke to the group. Next, the group was able to ask some questions to both Bob and Collin. At one point Collin was asked to show us how he gripped the ball when he throws his pitches. It might not sound like much but Collin took the time to show us how he grips the ball and the different arm angles he uses when he pitches. In all, I was very impressed with Collin’s confidence.

After taking some questions, Bob had to excuse himself, as he had to leave so he could get ready to announce that evening’s game. Collin was kind enough to hang out for a while longer to sign some autographs and to take some pictures. Once again we had a great time at Blogger Night.

I want to thank both Spin Man and Kimnat who are both members of WNFF Nats Message Board Washington Nationals Fan Forum (WNFF) and the Nationals Message Board MLB Nationals Message Board for putting this event together. It was my pleasure to meet Kimnat, Tom Terp, DaveBinMD, and some of the other bloggers that attended the event.

FYI: The Nationals Inquisition did a very nice write up on Friday evening’s event. I hope the blogger night at Nationals Park becomes an annual event.

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Nats Express change Saturday

Posted by Ian Koski on Aug. 30, 2008 at 4:49 PM

Heads' up for those planning to the Nats Express from RFK tonight -- you'll find it in Lot 7 because of the D.C. United game, not in its usual Lot 8.

UPDATE: To be clear, this only applies to Saturday night's game. It goes back to normal on Sunday.

Permalink | Posted in Stadium | Comments

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