Adam LaRoche asked hitting coach Rick Eckstein to check the video for a hole in his bat after his first three at-bats Friday night. He came through to make contact and drive in the game-winning run in the 10th inning. He and the rest of the Nationals will be looking to build on that tonight against Marlins' right-hander Chris Volstad. Here's how they've done against him in the past. Published May 7 2011
I wrote much of my game story from the Nationals 3-2 extra-innings victory about Tyler Clippard and Jordan Zimmermann and the ridiculous control both showed last night as the Nationals struck out 13 Marlins, 12 by those two pitchers alone. But I wanted to go back and take another look at the importance of what Drew Storen and Sean Burnet -- and to some extent the rest of the bullpen -- did to help the Nationals win that game as well. Published May 7 2011
Nationals center fielder Rick Ankiel had an MRI on his ailing right wrist Friday afternoon that came back negative but, ultimately, after four straight days of rest he still didn't feel strong enough to take batting practice and the Nationals were forced to put him on the disabled list Friday night, retroactive to May 3. Published May 7 2011
Rick Ankiel and Michael Morse were both out of the Nationals' lineup again on Friday night but both were also sent to see the doctor here in Florida before coming to Sun Life Stadium. Published May 6 2011
The Nationals have played exactly 31 games of the 2011 season. To say that they have not yet seen the offensive production they were expecting through those first 31 games would be an understatement. As the Nationals continue to attempt to find a way out of the funk that has plagued almost every member of the lineup, the focus has been on staying positive, keeping their approach consistent and not letting the weight of prolonged hitless streaks affect them mentally. For hitting coach Rick Eckstein, it's been a challenging time. But staying positive is the only mentality he knows. Published May 6 2011
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman confirmed some good news this morning in an interview with MLBNetwork Radio that he will be one of Bruce Bochy's coaches at the 2011 All-Star game in Phoeniz, Ariz., on July 12. Published May 6 2011
The Florida Marlins await the Nationals after a three-game sweep by the Phillies and while they don't dominate the Nationals in the same overwhelming way the Phillies have the past few years, the Marlins pitching doesn't offer much in the way of an easy game. First up for the Marlins is right-hander Ricky Nolasco, a pitcher the Nationals missed on their first trip to Florida this season. Nolasco, like several of the Marlins' starters, is having a strong start to the season at 3-0 with a 3.35 ERA. Published May 6 2011
Jerry Hairston Jr. has been a major league player for the last 14 years. In that time, he's faced 826 different pitchers. That volume of opponents doesn't matter. Easily and without hesitation, Hairston said Thursday that Roy Halladay is the best he's ever seen. Published May 6 2011
Rick Ankiel was held out of the Nationals lineup for the third straight day as he continues to nurse a sore right hand after hurting it making two diving plays in the outfield on Monday night. Published May 5 2011
With several players banged up, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman had his work cut out for him in making out the lineup. Published May 5 2011
Tonight in Philadelphia, the Nationals are once again faced with the task of avoiding a sweep. All they have to do is beat Roy Halladay. Sounds simple enough, right? Published May 5 2011
As Matt Stairs' pinch-hit single in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday night landed softly in shallow right field, it carried with it a little extra weight. The hit, which not only snapped an 0-for-13 start to the season for the veteran pinch-hitting specialist, was the 100th pinch-hit of Stairs' career, tying him with Rusty Staub for 18th on the all-time list and giving the long-tenured hitter another piece of memorabilia to take home and decorate his bar with. Published May 5 2011
Condolences go out to Davey Johnson, senior advisor to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, and his family as they mourn the passing of Johnson's stepson Jake, who passed away Tuesday from infection and pneumonia. He was 34. Published May 4 2011
The swelling in the area of Rick Ankiel's right hand and wrist did not improve enough for Nationals manager Jim Riggleman to put him in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Philadelphia Phillies -- but the Nationals still don't feel the injury is going to keep the center fielder out for a prolonged amount of time. Published May 4 2011
Rick Ankiel is not in the Nationals lineup for the second straight day as Jerry Hairston Jr. again fills in for him in center field and Ian Desmond returns to the second spot in the batting order. Published May 4 2011
The Nationals' lone victory in the season series with the Phillies has come against right-hander Joe Blanton but, with Blanton on the disabled list with impingement in his right elbow, the Nationals don't have the good fortune of facing Blanton this time around. Instead they'll get rookie Vance Worley and the element of the uknown could work in favor of either side. Only three Nationals have ever faced Worley in his brief major league career (he's started just three big league games). But one member of the Nationals is quite familiar with Worley. Second baseman Danny Espinosa was teammates with Worley at Long Beach State University. Here are their limited numbers against Worley. Published May 4 2011
Long before the Nationals lost 4-1 to the Phillies on Tuesday night, before the 45,695 fans found their place inside Citizens Bank Park and hours before they'd get their first glimpse at Jayson Werth playing inside their ballpark in a Nationals jersey, the Nationals right fielder took a different tour through the bowels of the park. Published May 4 2011
Ryan Zimmerman came through the surgery to repair a tear in the rectus muscle in his abdomen this morning fine and was resting comfortably back at the team hotel by the time the Nationals arrived at Citizen's Bank Park this afternoon. Published May 3 2011
Rick Ankiel is out of the starting lineup today and the center fielder, who made two diving plays on Monday night -- one that was a catch and another that was not -- and was seen in the clubhouse postgame icing his hand, may be getting a day because of injury. Here are the full lineups. Published May 3 2011
Wilson Ramos hitting cleanup on Monday night was more a product of first baseman Adam LaRoche getting the day off. But while that particular instance may have been a product of circumstance, it may not be long before the rookie is considered for the role on a regular basis -- and another example of how fortunate the Nationals were to have acquired Ramos to add to their arsenal with Ivan Rodriguez. Published May 3 2011
By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
