Nationals-Reds Preview
Aaron Harang has been one of the main reasons for the Cincinnati Reds' strong start.
Harang looks for his sixth straight win and tries to help the Reds (21-12) rebound from a poor performance when he faces the Washington Nationals (12-21) on Wednesday night at Great American Ballpark.
Cincinnati gave up five home runs to the Nationals in a 7-1 loss in the series opener Tuesday night. Jose Guillen hit two for Washington, while Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Zimmerman and Matthew LeCroy also hit homers.
Since giving up nine runs - six earned - and nine hits in five innings in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Cubs, Harang (5-1, 3.78 ERA) has had the best stretch of his career, winning his last five decisions.
The Reds have won the last six games he has started.
''We were really pleased with the way Harang threw last year and knew if he could make any improvement at all this year we'd have one of the better pitchers in baseball, and right now he is,'' Reds manager Jerry Narron said.
Harang threw a shutout at Milwaukee on April 23 and has pitched at least six innings in five of his last six starts. He struck out a career-high 12 in Colorado last Thursday.
''That's a shocker to me,'' Harang said of his performance against the Rockies. ''I've never really considered myself to be a guy who overpowers you. I have to throw my pitches to spots. Everything was working. I was throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters early.''
The 6-foot-7, 270-pound right-hander is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two starts against the Nationals, but hasn't faced them since 2003.
The Reds could have center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. back in the lineup for the first time since April 12 Wednesday. Griffey was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained tendon in his right knee, but tested the injury on Tuesday and appears ready to return.
''I feel like I'm turning the corner,'' he said. ''I just need to feel comfortable going out there day-in and day-out.''
Cincinnati has gone 16-9 since Griffey was injured.
The Nationals have had a poor start to the season and haven't gotten the performance they expected out of their ace.
Livan Hernandez (1-4, 6.29) has allowed at least four runs in five of his seven starts, and given up seven earned runs twice this season, including his last start.
Hernandez, who was 15-10 with a 3.98 ERA last season and threw a major league-leading 246 1-3 innings, is on pace to have the worst season of his career.
The right-hander is 2-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 11 starts against the Reds, and the Nationals have lost his last five starts against Cincinnati, including a 4-2 defeat on April 24 in which he gave up all four runs and eight hits in seven innings.
The Nationals will be looking to win three straight for only the second time this season. The homer barrage on Tuesday - which included Soriano's 492-foot shot in the ninth inning - helped Washington win for the third time in four games.
''Any time you hit the ball out, it's a good swing, but some are better than others,'' Washington manager Frank Robinson said. ''Soriano's would have been out of the Grand Canyon.''
The homer was the fourth-longest in the history of Great American Ballpark.
The series concludes Thursday with Zach Day (2-3, 7.11) facing Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo (5-1, 2.36).
Nationals 8 Cardinals 3
The Washington Nationals' five-game losing streak is over. The St. Louis Cardinals' five-game win streak is over. Albert Pujols' (POOL'-hohls) torrid April continues.Pujols tied the major league record with his 13th home run in April. But Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman homered in the first inning to help the Nationals beat the Cardinals, 8-to-3.
Pujols' drive in the eighth matched the mark shared by Ken Griffey Junior in 1997 with Seattle and Luis Gonzalez in 2001 with Arizona. It was Pujols' first homer in four games. He has two games this month to break the record.
He also had an R-B-I single in the fifth and leads the majors with 31 R-B-I's.
Tony Armas worked six solid innings for Washington. He's 2-and-2.
Nationals Third Baseman Comes of Age
At this time last season, Ryan Zimmerman was playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Now, he's one of the most promising young players in the major leagues, batting fifth for the Washington Nationals and slugging game-tying home runs off Billy Wagner.
Talking heads on TV are comparing the 21-year-old third baseman to Scott Rolen. The Nationals' media guide noted Zimmerman's September performance last year was reminiscent of Stan Musial's impressive debut in 1941.
Zimmerman's first major league hit -- at the tender age of 20 years, 339 days -- broke the franchise record for youngest player to record a hit, surpassing Vladimir Guerrero.
It's admittedly heady stuff for the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder, who knew he would be put on the fast track to the big leagues but didn't expect to arrive quite this fast.
"It was a pretty crazy year last year," conceded Zimmerman. "I didn't really stay in one spot for too long. I was bouncing from team to team, meeting a bunch of new people. But it was exciting.
"I don't think anybody expected I'd be here in three months. I wouldn't have expected it. I thought I'd play out the year in Double-A, maybe have a chance to come up late this year. Odds are if I was drafted by a different team it wouldn't have worked out like this. It takes a little luck, and once you get your chance you just have to do what you can do."
After being selected by the Nationals with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft, Zimmerman spent a scant four games with Savannah in the Single-A South Atlantic League before being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. He played 63 games for Harrisburg, batting .326 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs before being called up to Washington on Sept. 1.
With the Nationals, Zimmerman batted .397 with 10 doubles in 58 at-bats.
"I realized once you start doing well, everyone sees why you're doing well and switches it up," said Zimmerman. "This season, they're pitching me a lot different. I'm starting to adjust to what they're doing to me, and I'm starting to hit what they're throwing. It's all adjusting and learning.
"It's tough for me because I'm so young. A lot of guys do their learning in Double-A, and I'm learning up here. It's a little more magnified when I struggle, but it's all a part of being young and being up here."
Zimmerman projects as a power hitter, but his nine homers at Double-A were more than he hit in three years at Virginia, and he has gone yard just once in the majors -- a memorable game-tying blast off the Mets' flame-throwing closer, Wagner, in the second game of this season.
"The thing about that home run, not only was it the first but it was the first one that meant something, too," said Zimmerman. "If you're younger and trying to prove yourself, something like that makes you feel you can contribute.
"If you want to be good at anything, there's going to be pressure on you. Nobody remembers who gets the single in the second inning, it's the guys who perform late. And that's what sports is all about, performing under pressure. If you want to be good, if you want to be remembered, you have to perform late."
There aren't many baseball observers who don't think Zimmerman will flourish and become more prolific at hitting home runs because of his size and obvious skills. Zimmerman noted his power numbers have always been better playing with wooden bats, which is why he found his power stroke in Double-A
"He's still maturing right now," said veteran Washington catcher Brian Schneider. "His body can still fill out. There's so many things can happen that are positive. He's 21 and still growing. He's becoming a man."
Emotionally, Zimmerman is already a man. His confidence without being cocky and understanding of what he needs to do to be successful are above most players with his limited professional experience.
And while his offensive game may still be blossoming, his defense is already major-league quality. Rolen may be the only other third baseman in the game who could have duplicated the diving grab Zimmerman made on a sizzling liner down the line against the Phillies Wednesday night.
"He's real smooth over there at third, he's made some great plays," said Nats first baseman Nick Johnson. "He's an impressive guy, nothing seems to faze him. It's all about just having a plan and not deviating from it, and he's handling it great."
Asked if he sometimes forgets Zimmerman was still taking college courses a year ago, Schneider said he doesn't.
"It's always on my mind, even though it's mind-boggling when you think of it," the catcher noted. "I was 23 when I broke in and I thought that was quick. He's dealing with a lot right now -- the new ballparks, the pitching, everything that goes with traveling in the big leagues.
"He knows he's young, but he knows he can still play at the same time. He's so down to earth. It's not getting to him."
While Zimmerman doesn't look too far ahead, he knows there is an opportunity for a long and productive major-league career now that he's made the jump to the big leagues so quick.
"I think that motivates me even more," said Zimmerman. "I have the opportunity to play for 14 or 15 years and only be 35. A lot of guys that age haven't been in it that long. It's a great opportunity and one a lot of people don't have. I have to do what I can to stick around for that long and have a great career."
Bannister makes debut as Mets host Nationals
David Wright and the New York Mets hope to carry momentum from their thrilling win on Opening Day when they host the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Wright blasted a solo homer to lift the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Nationals on Monday in the season opener for both clubs.
Tom Glavine tossed six strong innings to record the win while Xavier Nady went 4-for-4 with an RBI in his New York debut.
On Wednesday, the Mets will give the ball to another newcomer, rookie righthander Brian Bannister.
A longshot to make the club in spring training, Bannister went 1-2 with an 0.95 ERA in the Grapefruit League to win a spot in the starting rotation. His scheduled start was moved forward because of minor injuries to veterans Pedro Martinez and Victor Zambrano.
The Nationals counter with John Patterson, who emerged as one of the best young pitchers in the National League last season. After battling injuries earlier in his career, the righthander went 9-7 with a 3.13 ERA and 185 strikeouts.
Washington had a chance to forge a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning on Monday, but newcomer Alfonso Soriano was thrown out at home plate on a strong throw by shortstop Jose Reyes.
Soriano had two singles in his Nationals debut and Jose Vidro added three hits and an RBI.
Nationals add three coaches to staff
The Washington Nationals Friday hired Mitchell Page as hitting coach, Tony Beasley as third-base coach and Davey Lopes as first-base coach.
They will join pitching coach Randy St. Claire and bench coach Eddie Rodriguez under manager Frank Robinson's 2006 staff.
The 60-year-old Lopes contributes 20 years of playing experience, 15 years of coaching knowledge and three campaigns of managerial status to the Nationals. He hit .263 with 155 home runs, 614 RBI and 557 stolen bases during a 16-year career with the Dodgers (1972-81), Oakland ('82-84), the Cubs ('84-86) and Houston ('86-87).
Lopes, a four-time NL All-Star second baseman, won a Gold Glove in 1978, and played in 50 post-season contests as his clubs earned six post- season berths. He played in four World Series contests and collected a ring with the 1981 Dodgers. He paced the National League in stolen bases two times, including a career-high and league-leading 77 swipes in 1975.
Lopes spent eight of the past 11 years as a member of Bruce Bochy's coaching staff in San Diego. Lopes also managed the Milwaukee Brewers for two-plus seasons (2000-02).
The 54-year-old Page served as hitting coach for the National League-champion St. Louis Cardinals, who ranked among the Senior Circuit's top two clubs in runs scored for three straight seasons (2002-04), including 2004, when they paced the NL in runs (757), hits (1,544) and slugging percentage (.460).
Page, who also served as Kansas City's first-base coach from 1995-97, had an eight-year career with Oakland (1977-83) and Pittsburgh (1984), during which he hit .266 with 72 homers and 259 RBI in 673 contests. He was named AL Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News in 1977 after hitting .307 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI and 42 stolen bases for the Athletics. Page joined the Nationals last season as a minor-league hitting instructor.
Meanwhile, Beasley, 39, managed five seasons in the Pirates' system, all of which yielded post-season berths. He earned a .590 winning percentage (372-258 record) with the Pirates, during which he managed in Altoona, Hickory and Williamsport. He joins the staff despite accepting a position as the Yankees' roving minor-league infield instructor in December.
Nationals may be Sosa's salvation
It looks like no one will have the last laugh between the Cubs and Sammy Sosa.
The Cubs missed a chance to win without Sosa in 2005 and now have imported Jacque Jones to become their third right fielder in three years. Sosa, meanwhile, is adrift after his 2005 season in Baltimore, which was far worse than any of his 13 with the Cubs.
Sosa could wind up with the Washington Nationals, who have been talking to him and his agents, Adam Katz and Tom Reich, over the last week. That could give him a last shot to rebuild his damaged legacy, which has gone downhill fast since the 2003 corked-bat incident. It's definitely a better option than selling himself to the highest bidder in Japan.
But the Nationals' interest comes with strings attached. For one thing, he might have to accept a minor-league deal with a non-roster invitation to spring training--and wouldn't that amuse the non-roster guys he treated like dirt while in his prime? And for another, whether it's a major-league deal built around incentives or a minor-league contract, he will have to prove himself in spring training.
That means that while Washington's Alfonso Soriano and other younger countrymen represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Sosa would be in Viera, Fla. (an outback outpost between West Palm Beach and the Kennedy Space Center), trying to show Nationals manager Frank Robinson he has something left.
While Sosa is one of the greatest players ever from the Dominican, the timing of this first international tournament featuring major leaguers is horrible for him. He is coming off a season when he hit .221 with only 14 home runs, leaving him 12 short of 600, a milestone that a few years ago looked like a footnote on the way to 700, maybe more.
If Sosa goes to Washington, he probably will have to shift to left field, as Jose Guillen (recovering from minor shoulder surgery) returns as the incumbent in right. The Nationals envisioned Soriano in left when they traded for him, but he has remained insistent on playing second base, which could be open at the start of the season as Jose Vidro recovers from knee surgery.
Washington has no shortage of outfield candidates, even without Sosa. General manager Jim Bowden recently signed Michael Tucker to a one-year deal and has Ryan Church, Marlon Byrd and 24-year-old Brandon Watson, a speedster who hit .355 in 88 games in Triple A, competing for spots. The Nationals also will have the perennially rehabbing Alex Escobar in camp.
RFK Stadium wouldn't seem to suit Sosa. It was rated as the ninth-toughest park in the majors for power hitters last season.
Presence demanded
Don Cooper, the White Sox's pitching coach, said he was joking when he said last week that Freddy Garcia agreed to pitch for Venezuela in the WBC because he had death threats. But the pressure to do well for your country is no joke for Venezuelan players, not after the 2004 kidnapping of Ugueth Urbina's mother.
The risk of injury is an often-discussed concern for teams. Perhaps no team is worried more than the Seattle Mariners, who could have their 19-year-old ace, Felix Hernandez, on the Venezuelan roster. They have filed an objection to Major League Baseball about his participation, hoping he can be excused because of his age.
"I'm confident common sense will prevail," Mariners GM Bill Bavasi said.
There's no doubt some players, most likely pitchers, will be injured during the tournament. So will some pitchers who are with their major-league teams, working in traditional exhibitions.
While the Sox breathed a sigh of relief about Mark Buehrle taking himself out of Team USA's pool of players, they probably should hold their breath until they see him on the mound in spring training. Buehrle, who never complains about his arm, came up sore after his 14th-inning relief stint in Game 3 of the World Series. He said he didn't know if he could go in a possible Game 6. He will bear careful attention this spring.
Bad idea
In an ideal scenario, the Baltimore Orioles would hit Corey Patterson in the No. 2 spot, between leadoff man Brian Roberts and the run-producing trio of Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada and Jay Gibbons.
"We need a No. 2 guy to move the ball around, hit-and-run and steal, and he seems like he has some of those qualities," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. "But we'll have to see in the spring. If he's not a good guy for that, he'll hit lower in the order."
The last thing the Orioles should do is try to force Patterson into the top of the order, as the Cubs did for years. They should find their No. 2 hitter elsewhere, allowing Patterson to hit sixth or seventh, where he could happily swing for Eutaw Street.
The Orioles considered themselves lucky to get Patterson for only two fringe prospects, infielder Nate Spears and left-hander Carlos Perez.
"Obviously, he's coming off a down year, and normally you don't get a player who has his potential for two minor leaguers," Orioles Vice President Jim Duquette said. "In fact, you never do. Our feeling was it was a worthwhile risk for us to take."
According to the Washington Post, the Cubs also were in serious negotiations with the Nationals about Patterson. Those talks centered around left-handed reliever Bill Bray, a first-round pick in the 2004 draft.
Whispers
Cubs shortstop Ronny Cedeno continues to have an excellent winter in Venezuela. Good seasons by him and left fielder Matt Murton would go a long way for manager Dusty Baker. . . . Can you believe Boston still doesn't know who it will have in center field and at shortstop? The current plan at short has Alex Cora and rookie Dustin Pedroia. . . . Arizona and Los Angeles might have some terrific battles in years to come, as both are loaded with high-level prospects. While center fielder Chris Young was considered the White Sox's top prospect, Baseball America's Jim Callis says he would rank no higher than fifth in the Diamondbacks' system, behind shortstop Justin Upton, shortstop Stephen Drew, first baseman Conor Jackson and outfielder Carlos Quentin. . . . Milwaukee convinced Toronto to pay all but $4 million of the $11.1 remaining on Corey Koskie's contract, giving the Brewers a veteran third baseman for $2 million a year. The downside to that trade was it displaced Bill Hall, a terrific infielder. There's talk in Milwaukee that he or Rickie Weeks could be headed for center field, though GM Doug Melvin's phone must be ringing off the hook about Hall, who would be an excellent addition for Boston, among others. . . . Even after getting Joaquin Benoit signed, Texas faces six potential arbitration cases, including expensive ones with Adam Eaton and Mark Teixeira. . . . Davey Lopes, added to Robinson's coaching staff with hitting coach Mitchell Page and third-base coach Tony Beasley, gives the Nationals a potential replacement if Robinson ever wants out.
D.C. Baseball Plans Await a Thaw
Not long ago, the future of the Washington Nationals seemed on the verge of being settled -- you know, little things such as who will own them and where they'll play. Those plans appeared to unravel last week, and their resolution may say a lot about the future of the tenuous relationship between business and the District government.
Mayor Anthony A. Williams couldn't get enough support on the D.C. Council to approve the Nationals' lease agreement for a new ballpark to be built in Southeast Washington, and he postponed the vote until early January. Unless some resolution is found by the end of the year, the District will not have honored its contract with Major League Baseball, signed late last year, MLB argued.
Some of the prospective bidders for the team have expressed willingness to put up money toward stadium cost overruns. Those offers might pacify council members skeptical of the deal negotiated by the mayor's office. But they call the game hardball for a reason. Baseball officials have told the bidders not to offer the city any financial help to facilitate a deal.
MLB figures potential ownership groups, instead of giving cash to the city, should put that money toward buying the team. It's a Catch-22: The lease deal might proceed if there were an owner in place, but MLB won't anoint an owner until the lease agreement is settled.
Some council members want to locate the new stadium on the site of RFK Stadium, rather than on the pricier site in Southeast. Not so fast, says MLB. The city agreed last year to build a ballpark on the Southeast site, and if the council reneges, MLB will take the matter to arbitration and very likely win.
The team is more valuable to its future owners if it plays in a new stadium in the rapidly developing commercial district in near Southeast. MLB has no incentive to yield on this point and accept the RFK location, which has weaker commercial development prospects.
For those reasons, business insiders watching this process are fairly confident that the Nats will stay in Washington and eventually play in a Southeast ballpark, even if they don't know how or when a deal may be struck.
The whole drama has another backdrop. Business types fear that the new mayor elected 11 months from now may lack the credibility and seriousness to maintain the District's hard-earned reputation as a good place to do business. Their worst fear is a return to the days when the District was known the world round as an unreliable business partner.
They're hoping that the political bumbling going on over baseball will turn out to be an ugly little mess, the product of the "Silly Season" that comes every campaign year -- not a shifting of the political ground in Washington.
|
