Miami Marlins Win 5-1 Over Washington Nationals In Grapefruit League Action; Dan Haren Debuts With Nats

The second competitive pitch 32-year-old right-hander Dan Haren threw as a member of the Washington Nationals' rotation ended up bouncing off the center field wall in Space Coast Stadium as 21-year-old Miami Marlins' 2010 1st Round pick Christian Yelich tripled to start today's Grapefruit League game at the Nats' Spring home. A sac fly by Nats' catcher Jhonatan Solano's brother Donovan made it a 1-0 game early in favor of the Fish.

Denard Span's a patient man. His OBP at the top of the lineup (and his ballhawkingly-good D) are two of the reasons he's been brought to the nation's capital to play center and lead off for the defending NL East Champs. Span took a leadoff walk to start the Nationals' first this afternoon, bringing Bryce Harper up with a runner on against former Dodgers and current Marlins' starter Nathan Eovaldi. Harper K'd swinging at an offspeed pitch. Bearded outfielder Jayson Werth K'd swinging in the next at bat too and 22-year-old Marlins' '08 1st Round pick Kyle Skipworth caught Span trying to swipe second for an inning-ending DP after Werth struck out, helping Eovaldi pitch around the leadoff walk and preserve the 1-0 lead.

Dan Haren needed 15 pitches to retire the Marlins in order in the top of the second, collecting two Ks along the way, one backwards, one a called strike three on a check swing. 35 pitches through two for the Nats' starter. Haren's line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks, 35 P, 24 S. After Nathan Eovladi made quick work of the Nats in the second, Craig Stammen took over on the hill for the Nationals and retired the first three Miami hitters he faced in order, ringing up Matt Downs on a wicked two-strike slider.

Steve Lombardozzi improved to 4 and 12 on the Spring with a one-out single off 27-year-old Marlins' right-hander Tom Koehler in the Nationals' third, but the Nats' second baseman's hit, which was the Nationals' first, was wasted when Kurt Suzuki flew out and Denard Span grounded into a force at second. Craig Stammen added two more Ks in a 1-2-3 4th vs the Fish, retiring five of the first six Marlins he faced. Bryce Harper battled in a 10-pitch at bat with Koehler, but flew out to start the Nationals' fourth, leaving him 0 for 2 today and 6 for 10 on the Spring. Werth K'd looking in the next at bat and Adam LaRoche swung at a pitch in the dirt and had to run it out. 1-0 Fish after four in Space Coast.

27-year-old lefty Fernando Abad was next up for the Nationals. The former Houston Astro struck left-handed hitting Fish catcher Kyle Skipworth out and got back-to-back groundouts to Lombardozzi at second in a quick 1-2-3 top of the 5th.

Tanner Roark, 26, a right-hander acquired along with RHP Ryan Tatusko from Texas for Christian Guzman in a July 2010 trade with the Rangers, was (6-17) for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs last season with a 4.39 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 47 BB (2.86 BB/9) and 130 Ks (7.92 K/9) in 28 games, 26 starts and 147.2 IP. In the top of the sixth tonight, Roark gave up a run on a Chris Coghlan single which scored Donovan Solano from second after Solano had singled to start the frame and stolen a base. 2-0 Fish. A walk and two singles off Roark in the Marlins' sixth.

26-year-old Marlins' right-hander A.J. Ramos struck out the side in the Nationals' half of the sixth inning. Tanner Roark returned to the mound in the Marlins' seventh, but only recorded one out. A leadoff walk, single and one-out double by Derek Dietrich gave Miami a 3-0 lead. Nats' right-hander Erik Davis replaced Roark and gave up a two-run single that drove both runners he inherited in and made it 5-0 Marlins. Davis retired the next two Marlins he faced to avoid further damage and set the Fish down in order in a 1-2-3 eighth.

The Nationals threatened to rally in the bottom of the eighth with Matt Skole and Carlos Maldonado walking around a "Right Side" Danny Espinosa single. Nats' infielder Will Rhymes came up with the bases loaded against Marlins' left-hander Braulio Lara and popped out unproductively, but a line drive to right by Carlos Rivero allowed Skole to tag and score the Nationals' first run. 5-1 Fish after eight.

Drew Storen came out for the top of the ninth. The Nats' 25-year-old reliever blew a save in his first outing of the Spring and first appearance since last October's NLDS. The right-hander hit the first batter he faced, Jake Marisnick, but erased the HBP with a DP grounder. 23-year-old Marlins' infield prospect Derek Dietrich popped out to end the top of the ninth, after which John Maine came out to face the Nationals in the bottom of the ninth. Tyler Moore just missed a solo HR, bouncing one off the center field wall to start the bottom of the frame. Two outs later Moore was still at second when Matt Skole walked to put two on with two out for Danny Espinosa,

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Spring Training 2013: Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins - Grapefruit League GameThread

Washington Nationals' outfielder Bryce Harper argued his way into today's lineup so that he could play alongside new Nats' center fielder Denard Span, in center, and Jayson Werth, in right. The 20-year-old, 2012 NL Rookie of the Year is 6 for 8 so far this Spring after a 3 for 3 day against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. When he saw his name wasn't listed in today's lineup the 2010 no.1 overall pick reportedly went to his 70-year-old manager, Davey Johnson, to find out why. As Washington Post writer James Wagner quoted Johnson recounting the conversation, Harper asked, "'What am I doing out of the lineup? I want in the lineup,'" and the skipper acquiesced, knowing that trying to slow the youngest National down was pointless.

With Ryan Zimmerman still rehabbing his surgically-repaired shoulder the Nationals have Harper hitting second with Span leading off and Werth third against the Miami Marlins and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, a 23-year-old former LA Dodgers' prospect acquired in the trade last summer that sent Hanley Ramirez to Los Angeles. The Nationals throw Dan Haren for the first time this Spring. The early reports on the 32-year-old former LA Angels' starter were that he was looking a little too good early in camp with his new team. Davey Johnson reportedly told Haren to take it easy and save some bullets for the season. After signing a 1-year/$13M dollar deal with Washington this winter, coming off a season in which a back injury affected his delivery, Haren has something to prove this year. He told reporters this winter, after he signed with the Nationals, that he thought he could have gotten a multi-year deal if not for the injury concerns.

Now Haren will seek to prove his doubters wrong, and prove the Nationals right for bringing him in and bolstering an already-strong rotation with a player D.C. GM Mike Rizzo has said this winter he expects to return to the form that's resulted in Haren having a career (119-97) record, a 3.66 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 7.60 K/9 and 1.89 BB/9 in ten major league seasons. Here's the lineup that will be backing Haren up this afternoon:

#Nationals lineup vs. MIA: Span 8, Harper 7, Werth 9, LaRoche 3, Tracy 5, Espinosa DH, Suzuki 2, Lombardozzi 4, Walters 6...Haren RHP.

' Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) February 27, 2013

' Game time 1:05 pm EST. Today's game is being broadcast on 1580 AM in D.C. and it is available via MLB.com's Gameday Audio.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Dan Haren Talks About First Start Of The Spring; Importance Of Command And Control More Than Velocity

Some interested teams were reportedly concerned about what they saw in Dan Haren's medical records when the pitcher hit free agency this winter. His hip has been an issue since he was in college, though he said it never caused him to miss a start. A back issue last season sent him to the DL for the first time in his 10-year career, but he came back with a strong second half after struggling before the All-Star Break. Then there was the velocity. Haren went from throwing a fastball that sat around 90-91 mph in 2010 to a pitcher with a 89-90 mph fastball in 2011 and then an 88-89 mph heater in 2012. Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo wasn't worried.

As the Nats' general manager told 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s Grant Paulsen in a late January interview, after the Nationals surprised some by signing Haren to a 1-year/$13M dollar deal this winter, Rizzo believed they were going to get a healthy Haren who was more the pitcher he was over the first nine years of his career than the pitcher who worried some last season.

"I saw him pitch with the hip situation all the way back in Pepperdine," Rizzo explained, "So he's had this throughout his baseball career and we feel that he's going to increase range of motion in the hip which I think will translate into added velocity, which isn't his game, but I think that we're going to get back the guy that's pitching at 90-91 [mph] and touching 92 rather than the guy that's pitching at 88-90 and touching 91."

A scout that Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore spoke to after Haren's first start of the Spring this afternoon (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks, 35 P, 24 S) told the WaPost reporter the velocity was there for the veteran right hander over the two innings he threw against the Miami Marlins:

"Haren's fastball, by the way, sat between 89 and 91 miles per hour and touched 93, according to one scout's radar gun. 'Action on every pitch,' he said."

Haren doesn't rely on velocity of course, for him it's more about location, movement and setting up hitters as he explained today. "It's not a thing where I'm going to throw 95," Haren said, "but one pitch is going to cut and one pitch is going to sink but they're going to look the same, and then, you know, maybe getting a hitter to back off the plate and then going away, it's a cat and mouse game more for me, rather than an overpowering game."

The veteran starter said he's more worried about working on some specific areas of his game this Spring than anything else. "I have things that I'm working on," Haren explained after today's outing. "Like I told you guys before, certain sides of the plate, fastballs in to righties. Stuff that I haven't been very good at in the past and this is definitely the time to do it." As for how he felt when he did go inside to right handers today, the pitcher said, "It felt good. Most of them were balls. I threw one strike with it, and the guy fouled it off, but it's a different feel to go in to a righty, where to start the pitch..."

"My game is all command, control," the 32-year-old starter continued, "Keeping guys off balance, in and out. And that's got to be a part of my game this year. I started doing it in September last year, I was just getting beat out over the plate too much and I was having a lot more success toward the end of the year, so I came in dedicated to working that side of the plate this year."

Aside from working on his command, Haren said his goals for the rest of Spring Training are simple. "Just build up arm strength," the pitcher said. "The first inning today was just an example of how Spring Training can be, falling behind 3-0, falling behind most of the first four or five hitters I was 1-0 to, so, that's not my game. Working first pitch strikes, keeping the ball down in the zone, working in and out... and as the Spring goes along it will get more crisp. I'm not a guy when you're going to watch me and it's going to be like, 'Wow, his stuff looks amazing today,' you know, it's more of a thing where I just work to get people out. It doesn't have to look good, I just want to get them out."

Though he doesn't think he's going to wow people who watch him, his stuff was sharp today and Haren did make some hitters look uncomfortable in his second inning of work as he struck both Marlins' catcher Kyle Skipworth and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez out in a 15-pitch inning. It's not about his velocity or his stuff, but as the pitcher explained, he might fit in well amongst the other pitchers in the Nats' rotation and bullpen.

"My fastball usually hovers around where [Stephen] Strasburg's changeup is," Haren joked, "It's going to be quite a different look for guys, but when I try to throw hard is when I get in trouble. I start elevating the balls, leaving balls down the middle. I just, whatever I have that day I'm going to be trying to work the corners, but that said, I minimize walks, so I walk the tightrope and throughout the course of my career I've been able to stay upright. I think it's going to be good though. We've got a lot of hard-throwers in the bullpen too, so coming in after me it's going to be tough for the opposing team I think."

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals: Spring Training 2013 - Updates From Davey Johnson On Wilson Ramos; NL East And More...

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson's biggest concern when he talked with reporters this morning was the weather. The 70-year-old skipper said he hoped that 26-year-old lefty Ross Detwiler could get today's start in since Detwiler will be leaving soon to join the US Team in the World Baseball Classic on March 9th, but rain threatened to delay the 1:05 start time of the Nats' Grapefruit League game with the Atlanta Braves. In discussing other topics with reporters, Johnson touched on Wilson Ramos and the catcher's rehab, Chad Tracy and his injured arm and the state of the NL East heading into the 2013 season.

' Update: Detwiler did end up getting to pitch, here's his line:

#Braves get a pair in the 3rd. Final line for Det: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K. 41 pitches, 28 strikes

' Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 26, 2013

There were several reports this morning that 25-year-old Nats' catcher Wilson Ramos was going to attempt to get some sliding drills in for the first time since undergoing two separate surgeries on his knee to repair a torn ACL and meniscus last summer. Davey Johnson said that Ramos taking that next step was news to him, though it's news the manager has been waiting to hear. "I've been asking, 'When he's going to slide?" Johnson said, "Because he's not going to be able to even DH until he slides and the word I heard is that [team Dr. Wiemi Douoguih] is coming in on [March] 6th and then he would let him know if he could slide."

"That's what I heard today from a man called Lee Kuntz," Johnson said, referring to the team's head athletic trainer. "I haven't even heard that a trainer was going to let him slide," the Nats' manager continued noting the tarp covering the field at the Braves' Spring Home, "although this would be a good tarp right here when it rains to go out there and slide."

Once Ramos takes the next step in his rehab, whenever he does, Johnson said he'll be ready to get some live action in for the first time since the surgeries last summer. "I've said he's game-ready for the last week," Johnson joked, "But what do I know? But there's no major hurry, I mean, as far as I'm concerned, except that he missed all of last year, didn't play winter ball [and] I want him to get him swinging the bat a little bit. But he's swinging the heck out of it in BP. I like his stroke. So, he's very comfortable in his own skin, so I'd rather be on the cautious side with him before he gets involved in games to make sure that doctors -- he feels like he's close -- but if we get the doctors on the same page I'll be ready to let him go run out there."

"I told him, I said, slow as he is he doesn't ever have to slide, he's going to get tagged out in front of the base," Johnson told reporters, but the Nats' skipper then admitted, "That's what I told the trainer, I didn't tell [Ramos]."

Another injured National, Chad Tracy, took a fastball to the arm from Jonathan Albaladejo in Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins. Johnson said Tracy had a day off and he's ready to get back on the field. "Tracy's ready to go," Johnson said, "Of course, he had yesterday off, he didn't do much and then today he said he felt fine. So he'll probably be in the lineup tomorrow."

The talk then turned to the Atlanta Braves the Nationals were set to face for the first time in 2013 this afternoon. Johnson said that though the Nats won the NL East in 2012, the Braves and Phillies have been successful for a long time and will be contenders again this season. "I think Atlanta, their history has been great," Johnson said, "they've always had good young players come along. I thought the last couple of years they had a strong left-handed presence in their lineup and I thought they needed a little more right-handed presence in their lineup, and they certainly did that with the two Upton boys. So I think their lineup is much more balanced."

"I agree with you though," Johnson told a reporter, "They're going to miss [Martin] Prado and they're going to miss Chipper [Jones]. Those two guys, a lot of tools, a lot of talent, and it's more of a balanced lineup." Asked how closely he followed other teams in the division and their offseason moves, Johnson said, "I think you pay attention to all of them. I don't look at anybody as no 'weak sister'. Obviously, Philadelphia and Atlanta, what they've done over the last decade, you have to say those are the teams you've got to beat in the division. But, the other teams, we had our problems with the Marlins last year. I look at all of them as tough competitors."

The Nationals are built to compete for years, however, in their manager's mind, even if he doesn't plan on being around past this season. "The Lerner family has hired really good baseball people in the front office," the Nats' skipper said, "And I think [Mike Rizzo] has done a great job of putting together this group of guys. There's pretty good depth. There's maybe a little bit of a gap, a lot of our young hosses are down at Double-A, but the future is very bright. I mean, there's still an upside to a lot of guys at this level."

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Atlanta Braves 9-5 Over Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon Keep Hitting, Bullpen Roughed Up

The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals started their first Grapefruit League game of 2013 a little late, with rain delaying the first pitch for over an hour. When they did roll up the tarp and start playing, however, the scheduled starters were on the hill since they knew what the weather held and prepared accordingly. In the top of the first, 25-year-old fourth-year Braves' lefty Mike Minor gave up a walk to Danny Espinosa, a chopper by Bryce Harper that bounced over Freddie Freeman at first and sent Espi around to third and a groundout to ATL third baseman Juan Francisco by Tyler Moore that brought Espinosa home for an early 1-0 Nationals' lead. An RBI single by Ian Desmond brought Harper in to make it 2-0 Nats, but that's all the scoring Washington did in the first as Anthony Rendon struck out with the bases loaded to end the opening frame.

Ross Detwiler threw an efficient 13-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the first vs the Braves, getting two groundouts around a backwards K. The Nats' 26-year-old left-hander got Atlanta's right fielder Jason Heyward looking with a curve for the strikeout and retired the Braves in order to start his first Spring Training outing of 2013. In his second inning of work, Detwiler got Freddie Freeman to fly to deep left center on the first pitch he threw. One pitch, one out, but Tyler Moore dropped a pop off B.J. Upton's bat in the next AB to put the Braves' first runner on. A Dan Uggla single put two runners on, but Detwiler struck Juan Francisco out and got a groundout to first from catcher Christian Bethancourt to end his second scoreless frame. 16 pitch inning. 29 pitches through 2.0 scoreless.

Bryce Harper's second double of the day left him 2 for 2 early in the game and 5 for 7 early this Spring as the 20-year-old picked up where he left off last Sept/October before a little bit of a struggle in the first four games of the NLDS. Two outs after Harper's second hit he was still standing at second base when Braves' right-hander Cory Rasmus struck Chris Marrero out to end the top of the third.

Ross Detwiler gave up four hits and the lead in the Braves' third with Ramiro Pena, Reed Johnson, Justin and B.J. Upton all singling as Atlanta rallied to tie it and end the Nationals' lefty's day after 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 Ks, 41 P, 28 S. Ryan Perry replaced Detwiler on the mound and got Dan Uggla looking to end the third and keep it tied at 2-2 in the Braves' Spring home, Champions Stadium at ESPN's Wide World of Sports.

27-year-old right-hander David Carpenter took over for Atlanta in the fourth, giving up a single by hard-hitting Nats' prospect Anthony Rendon, which left the 22-year-old Nats' infielder 1 for 2 today and 3 for 8 so far this Spring. Rendon was stranded two outs later, and he retook the field where he turned a slick 5-3 inning-ending DP after Ryan Perry had given up leadoff and one-out singles by Juan Francisco and Ramiro Pena, respectively. Reed Johnson rolled the grounder to third and Rendon stepped on the bag before throwing to Tyler Moore at first.

Bryce Harper singled off first baseman Freddie Freeman's glove for what was ruled a hit, leaving Harp 3 for 3 today and 5 for 8 this Spring. The Nats' outfielder went first-to-third' on a single by Tyler Moore and then scored on an RBI single by Ian Desmond to make it 3-2 Nationals. Braves' lefty Dusty Hughes (a 30-year-old veteran who pitched at Triple-A Gwinnett in 2012) stopped the damage there. One batter into the Braves' fifth it was tied when 28-year-old Braves' outfielder Jordan Parraz took Ryan Perry deep for a solo HR that made it 3-3. 26-year-old Braves' 2010 23rd Round pick Evan Gattis doubled to center in the next at bat and then scored on an RBI single by Freddie Freeman that gave Atlanta a 4-3 lead. An RBI single by Juan Francisco brought Freeman in to make it 5-3 Braves.

Atlanta went up 7-3 after five as Perry and Brandon Mann finished up an inning in which 11 Braves batted and five runs scored. Bill Bray took over in the bottom of the sixth, making his second appearance of the Spring out of the Nats' bullpen. The left-hander gave up two doubles in the home-half of the frame, the second by left-handed hitting veteran Blake DeWitt was an RBI two-bagger that made it 8-3. Jeremy Accardo worked a scoreless seventh for the Nationals. One and two-out singles put runners on the corners and a wild pitch that got by Sandy Leon brought the Braves' 9th run in, 9-3 Atlanta.

Anthony Rendon doubled in a run in the Nationals' eighth with Chris Marrero taking a walk from former Nats' prospect Juan Jaime and then scoring on Rendon's second hit of the game. Sandy Leon hit the second-straight double to bring Rendon around as the Nationals pulled within four at 9-5. Rendon Update: 2 for 4 today, 4 for 10 so far this Spring. Cole Kimball threw a quick inning of relief in the bottom of the eighth, retiring the Braves in order in his second appearance this Spring. The Nats went down in order in the 9th and the Braves got the win. 9-5 final.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

"World Series Or Bust!" Washington Nationals' Davey Johnson: A Brief History Of Bold Pronouncements Pt. 2

"World Series or Bust!" It's the unofficial motto of the 2013 Washington Nationals. The quote is the latest in a series of bold preseason pronouncements by Nats' skipper Davey Johnson, who famously declared early in 1986 that for his New York Mets coming off a 98-64 second place finish in the NL East in 1985, just winning the division wasn't enough. "We're not going to win," Johnson is said to have said as soon as he arrived at Spring Training, "We're going to dominate."

As Johnson explained it in 2011, at a 25th Anniversary celebration of the '86 World Series championship, he wasn't blowing smoke. "We had dominant talent," Johnson said in an interview posted on YouTube, "And if the manager of the team doesn't realize they're dominant, then how can they believe we're dominant. And we were, won 108 games, actually won 116 games to win the World Series."

Johnson, who was already in the Washington Nationals' organization, working as a special assistant to GM Mike Rizzo, was asked to and agreed to return to the bench in the majors after Jim Riggleman resigned abruptly in late June of 2011. The then-68-year-old manager took over a 40-38 team and guided the Nationals to an 80-81 record and a 3rd place finish in the NL East and he came away convinced he could help the team take the next step, declaring after his return in 2012 was officially announced in November of 2011 that he was setting his sights high. The goal? "A pennant," Johnson said.

"Winning the pennant. Winning the division. Winning the National League," the manager continued. The Nationals took the division for the first time, finishing 98-64, but fell short of Johnson's stated goal of winning the National League and getting to the World Series. So, of course that's the goal this time around, but the team is built to remain competitive. Johnson said today that though he's in his last season, the team was put together the right way:

"The Lerner family has hired really good baseball people in the front office. And I think [Mike Rizzo] has done a great job of putting together this group of guys. There's pretty good depth. There's maybe a little bit of a gap, a lot of our young hosses are down at Double-A, but the future is very bright. I mean, there's still an upside to a lot of guys at this level."

"I said last year, we were not quite a .500 club," Johnson said before Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta when his bold "World Series or Bust" pronouncement was brought up again, "And I inherited a club in [2011] that in mid-season [was] a little different than I would have put together. But I said if we play up to our potential we can win our division. And then, being as this is my last year, it wasn't any great, earth-shaking news, 'World Series or bust,' because I think that we've already won [the division], we've been in the postseason and with that experience and with the talent level that's here, our goal should be higher."

"There's no sense in me romancing anybody," Johnson said, "and telling you that, 'Jeez, we'll be lucky if we win the division,' or be lucky if we go far in the playoffs. Maybe I'm just covering my [butt]. But my [butt] is going to be gone anyway. But, I think, I'm not telling these players anything that they don't believe themselves."

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Spring Training 2013: Washington Nationals vs New York Mets - Grapefruit League GameThread

In his first year in the National League following the December 2011 trade that brought him to the nation's capital from the Oakland A's, left-hander Gio Gonzalez won 21 games, going (21-8) with a 2.89 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 76 BB (3.43 BB/9) and 207 Ks (9.35 K/9) in 32 starts and 199.1 inning pitched for the NL East champion Washington Nationals. Gonzalez finished 3rd in Cy Young award voting, living up to the expectations Nats' GM Mike Rizzo set when he acquired the left-hander in a 4-for-2 deal that sent three of the Nationals' top pitching prospect and their top backstop prospect to the Athletics.

Unfortunately, the big story involving the 27-year-old this winter has been about Gonzalez's alleged ties to a Coral Gables, Florida-based anti-aging clinic called Biogenesis and its chief, Anthony Bosch, who was accused in a Miami New Times' report of having supplied performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes.

The latest revelations in that ongoing story have supported Gonzalez's original denial of any connection to the clinic, Mr. Bosch or any PEDs. An ESPN investigative report last week, quoting two sources with knowledge of the clinic's activities and citing information found on a "computer printout," from the clinic, uncovered evidence that they thought proved Gonzalez had never received any banned substances:

"According to two sources familiar with Bosch's operation, however, the Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, previously identified as being named in Biogenesis documents, did not receive banned substances from Bosch or the clinic."

Gonzalez told reporters late last week that he had received word from the MLBPA that he had passed blood and urine tests conducted in the days after the Miami New Times' report was originally published. There's still no official word from Major League Baseball on their investigation into the claims made in the Miami New Times' article.

Tonight, Gonzalez gets to put all that behind him and return to the mound for the first time this Spring. The left-hander and a team full of Washington Nationals' bench players, prospects and fringe-y, bubble-types is in Port St. Lucie, Florida's Tradition Field tonight to take on the New York Mets in Game 3 of the Grapefruit League season. Here's the Nationals' lineup that will take the field behind Gonzalez:

Tonight's #Nats lineup from Port St. Lucie vs. #Mets: twitter.com/Nationals/stat'

' Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 25, 2013

The Nationals and Mets are on the MLB Network tonight and you can also watch the game on MLB.tv at 6:00 pm EST.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo Talks Drew Storen, Stephen Strasburg And Gio Gonzalez On The MLB Network

They touched all the bases with D.C. GM Mike Rizzo this morning on the MLB Network's Hot Stove Show. The CBSSports.com report on Drew Storen's back spasms? Check. The Strasburg shutdown? Check. Gio Gonzalez's alleged ties to the Biogenesis clinic? You betcha. The Washington Nationals' 52-year-old general manager and Executive VP of Baseall Ops answered them all and at the end of the interview Rizzo had host (and former major leaguer) Harold Reynolds saying he wanted to get on board and sign on to play with the Nats after hearing the GM's enthusiasm.

There's no room, Harold.

The Nationals' general manager said he thought the team was set up nicely to compete for the next couple years with a lot of their young players locked up for the near future. "I think as you look at us in '13," Rizzo said, dispensing with the "Two thousand," and, "Coming off what we felt was a strong '12, didn't finish the way we wanted to but a strong season, nonetheless, we like the young core players that we have in the system. We've got control of a lot of our young players for multi-years beyond '13 and we feel each and every year they're getting a little bit better."

We saw Ian Desmond have a breakout season last year," Rizzo continued, "We're looking forward to another young player or two take the next step in their progression, and we feel that we have a good plan set up and the landscape long-term is good and our focus on '13 is to also have a strong season."

The team has been built the right way too from the ground up, as Rizzo explained when asked about the organization's philosophy. "The draft and player development is really the only way I know how to build a franchise and build a club," the former scout, scouting director and assistant GM said, "You're solely dependent on your scouts and your minor league coaches, managers, trainers, etc. I think the epiphany came to me in '09 when we were allowed to really open up the checkbook and go out and go land some big-time scouts and some coaches that we knew were really good and pay for those guys and bring them over. And without finding the talent and then developing the talent, you really are going to struggle to have any kind of consistent basis of winning. And we feel that we've brought in the right people to do that and we're proud of not only the players that we have in the system but also the personnel that we have in the Washington Nationals' scouting and player developlment systems."

Rizzo was just getting started. Check out the rest of the interview with the MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian below:

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals 6-4 Over New York Mets In Prospect-Filled Grapefruit League Action

Eury Perez has the plus-plus speed that could one day make him a leadoff man. David Wright tried to barehand a rolling bunt off the Washington Nationals' 22-year-old outfield prospect's bat, but the Gold Glove winning third baseman bobbled it and let Perez on in the top of the first of tonight's Grapefruit League game in Port St. Lucie, Florida's Tradition Field. The Nats didn't score on 25-year-old New York Mets' right-hander Collin McHugh in the opening frame. Gio Gonzalez took the mound for the first time this Spring in the home half of the inning. An error on Nationals' shortstop Zach Walters and a walk by Mets' shortstop Brandon Hicks put two runners on in front of Wright, but Gonzalez popped the Mets' slugger up and though some shoddy defense allowed both runners to advance into scoring position on the fly, the Nats' left-handed starter struck Ike Davis out with a 2-2 bender and popped Marlon Byrd up to strand the two Mets' runners and complete a 24-pitch bottom of the first. 0-0.

Chris Marrero and Matt Skole both ripped into balls in the top of the second. Marrero, the Nats' '06 1st Round pick, singled through short on a hard hit ground ball to start the inning, but he was doubled up on a grounder to third by Carlos Rivero. Skole, the Nationals' 2012 Minor League Player of the Year, crushed a fastball from McHugh, doubling to the right-center gap with two down in the inning, but Skole was stranded at second when catcher Chris Snyder flew out to the top of the wall in left field where Mets' outfielder Jamie Hoffman made the catch.

Gio Gonzalez threw a 93 mph heater by Hoffman to start the Mets' half of the second with a swinging K. The Nationals' starter got help from Corey Brown, who made a diving catch on a pop down the right field line then Gonzalez fired up the heater again and threw one by a frozen Mets' catcher John Buck to complete his second scoreless frame on 11 pitches. Gio's Line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 35 P, 19 S.

' WATCH: Corey Brown's diving catch:

Eury Perez beat out a high hopper to second in spite of a nice effort by Mets' second baseman Wilmer Flores. 2 for 2 for Perez tonight. The Nats' outfielder was running with Steve Lombardozzi trying to make contact at the plate. When Lombo tucked a double inside the left field line that bounced into the home team's "bullpen" Perez scored easily from first for a 1-0 lead. A single to left by Corey Brown chased Collin McHugh in favor of right-hander Brandon Lyon. Tyler Moore got jammed by Lyon, but the Nats' outfielder powered a pop-up to center for an RBI hit that scored Lombardozzi for a 2-0 Nats' lead. Carlos Rivero drove Brown in with an RBI double by third and into left and the Nats led 3-0 after two and a half in Tradition Field.

Ross Ohlendorf threw a quick, impressive, 9-pitch, 1-2-3 inning vs the Mets in the third, touching 94 on the SNY radar gun with his fastball while retiring Wilmer Flores, Collin Cowgill and Brandon Hicks in order. A swinging bunt in the top of the fourth left Eury Perez 3 for 3 with three infield singles. Mets' right-hander Elvin Ramirez (a Rule 5 pick by the Nationals in 2010 who was returned to New York) didn't even bother throwing to first when he fielded Perez's dribbler. The Nats' OF stole second on John Buck with Steve Lombardozzi at the plate, then Perez scored to make it 4-0 on Lombo's RBI single to right.

Ike Davis crushed a fastball from Ross Ohlendorff and hit a 400ft plus home run to deeeep center fielder to get the Mets on the board. 4-1 Nationals after four in Port St. Lucie. Ohlendorf threw a scoreless fifth in his third inning of work, finishing the night after 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB and 3 Ks.

2012 Nats' Minor League Pitcher of the Year Nathan Karns came out throwing heat in his Spring debut in the 6th, hitting 93, 94 and 95 with fastballs to Brandon Hicks, who flew out to center. Karns went to a full count with David Wright, throwing 95-6 mph heaters the Mets' third baseman fouled off. Wright singled on a 97 mph fastball from Karns, however, before leaving the game for a pinch runner. [Acknowledges ST guns are often "hot".] Ike Davis K'd looking for the Nats' right-hander's first strikeout. Karns got a grounder to third from Marlon Byrd and a force at second to end an impressive 20-pitch inning against New York.

Anthony Rendon had HR no.2 of the Spring pulled back over the center field wall by Mets' outfielder Matt Den Dekker. The Nats' 2012 1st Round pick flat crushed a pitch from 25-year-old right-hander Gonzalez Germen, who pitched at Triple-A Binghamton in 2012, but the Mets' outfielder leapt at the wall with his glove just above the fence and made a spectacular catch. Destin Hood hit an opposite field RBI double to bring Zach Walters in from second and make it 5-1 Nationals in the 7th. Nathan Karns came back out for another inning of work and collected his second K with a 93 mph fastball up high to Mets' OF Andrew Brown then dropped down to 84 to get Travis D'Arnaud swinging for out and K no.3 in his second scoreless innings of work.

Nats' lefty Patrick McCoy gave up a run in the eighth, surrendering a single by Den Dekker and hitting Brian Bixler before Zach Lutz hit an RBI double. 5-2. Mets' outfielder Juan Nagares hit a two-out, two-run single to right off McCoy to get the Mets within one at 5-4 before the Nationals' left-hander retired Kirk Nieuwenhuis on a check-swing strike three with an 0-2 bender. 5-4 Washington after eight. Nats' OF prospect Michael Taylor singled in the top of the ninth and moved into scoring position on a bunt by Will Rhymes. Rhymes reached safely when the bunt stayed fair and a hard-hit single to right by Anthony Rendon loaded the bases against Mets' lefty Rob Carson. A swinging bunt by a jammed Adrian Sanchez brought Taylor in from third to make it 6-4 Nats.

Ryan Mattheus came out to end it in the ninth, giving up a single by Travis D'Arnaud before getting Matt Den Dekker looking to end the game. 6-4 Nationals final.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Spring Training 2013 - Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins: Grapefruit League GameThread

The Washington Nationals started their Grapefruit League season on the road on Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Florida's Tradition Field with a game against the Mets, but this afternoon they're playing their first home game of the Spring in Viera, Florida's Space Coast Stadium, where they'll take on their NL East rivals from Miami. Coming of a 2012 season which saw him go (12-8) with a 2.94 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 43 walks (1.98 BB/9) and 153 Ks (7.04 K/9) in 32 games and 195.2 IP over which he was worth +3.5 fWAR, 26-year-old right-hander Jordan Zimmermann starts his 2013 campaign against a Marlins squad that bears little resemblance to the team he was (1-1) against last season, posting a 4.24 ERA over three starts and 17.0 IP.

Zimmermann's talked early this Spring about working to try to get comfortable with his changeup. The right-hander has thrown the pitch in previous seasons, but this year, the '07 2nd Round pick out Auburndale, Wisconsin says he wants to use it as more of a weapon. "I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep throwing it this Spring Training here and try to get it where it's comfortable throwing it any time," Zimmermann told reporters last week.

"I'm going to throw it a lot down here and see what happens," Zimmermann said, because it's Spring Training and as he admitted, "I don't really care about what the results [are] down here. Just [get] some work in with it and throw it to someone other than your team." The Marlins will be the first test subject for the pitch Zimmermann hopes to feature more often this season.

This afternoon's game is available in audio form only, but the positive side to that is 106.7 the FAN in D.C. will be airing the game live (It's also on 1500AM) and that means the Spring debut of everyone's favorite radio team: Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler. It's been too long since the last time we heard C&D! They'll be broadcasting live starting at 1:05 pm EST when Zimmermann throws his first pitch to the Fish. Zimmermann on the hill. C&D on the air. It's Sunday there's baseball. What else do you want? How about the Nats' starting lineup courtesy of @NationalsPR on Twitter:

Today's lineup vs. MIA: Span 8, Rendon 5, Harper 7, Moore 9, Tracy 3, Desmond 6, Espinosa 4, Suzuki 2, Lombo DH. Zimmermann RHP

' Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) February 24, 2013

Who's listening to the Nationals?

As always, you can follow us on Twitter @FederalBaseball for updates on the game if you're out and about and unable to listen along. Or join us in the GameThread comments section below to discuss what you're hearing...

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals And Miami Marlins Settle For 2-2 Tie In Grapefruit League Action; Jordan Zimmermann Sharp, Anthony Rendon Homers

Ian Desmond fielded a grounder to short and threw to Chad Tracy at first base for the first out of Washington Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmermann's first Grapefruit League outing of 2013 this afternoon in Viera, Florida's Space Coast Stadium. A 1-1 change to Miami Marlins' outfielder Chris Coghlan caught the attention of Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler, who were calling their first game of the Spring on 106.7 the FAN in D.C., as the Nats' 26-year-old starter has talked often this winter about wanting to feature the pitch as more of a weapon this season. Zimmermann missed with this one, going to a 2-1 count with Coghlan, but got a groundout to second for the second out of the inning and after a line drive to center by Greg Dobbs fell in front of Denard Span for a hit, got another groundout to short by former Nat Austin Kearns to end a 12-pitch scoreless frame. 0-0 in Florida.

Bryce Harper started Grapefruit League action by going 1 for 3 on Saturday, singling in his first Spring at bat against the New York Mets and the Nats' 20-year-old left fielder singled again in his first AB on Sunday, sending a screaming grounder to right field for a two-out hit off Marlins' starter Henderson Alvarez, one of eight players acquired from the Toronto in this winter's mega-trade with the Blue Jays.

An 11-pitch, 1-2-3 second had Jordan Zimmermann at 23 pitches total after two scoreless. Marlins' shortstop Chris Valaika, a 26-year-old, '06 Reds' 3rd Round pick signed as a free agent last November, doubled to right field over Tyler Moore's head for a leadoff hit off Zimmermann in the bottom of the second. A walk to right fielder Bryan Petersen put two on. A sac bunt by Chone Figgins allowed Nats' third base prospect Anthony Rendon to show off his arm, and a groundout to first by Coghlan brought in the Marlins' first run. 1-0 Fish after two and a half. A 20-pitch 3rd had Zimmermann at 43 after 3.0 so he was done for the day:

Jordan Zimmermann done after 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. 43 pitches, 26 strikes. @zach_duke on to pitch for the #Nats

' Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 24, 2013

Left-handed long man Zach Duke replaced Zimmermann in the fourth, throwing a scoreless frame vs the Fish in his own Grapefruit League debut. With rain starting to fall in Florida, Bryce Harper singled to go 2 for 2 in his first two at bats today, this time off 24-year-old Marlins' right-hander Alex Sanabia. 3 for 5 thru two games for Harper. A rain delay followed, sending fans scurrying for cover and holding up play for...

While we wait...

' via Twitter (@AdamKilgoreWP):

A scout passed along some good info on Zimmermann's start. 93-95 mph w/ fastball, 83-84 with change. Good difference. wapo.st/YQGi68

' Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) February 24, 2013

Post Rain Delay Highlights: After over an hour, (1 hr, 6 minutes) the game resumed with a cast of unknown Marlins on the field in place of the little-known starters. A former National, Jonathan Albaladejo took over for Miami and completed a scoreless fourth in which he managed to hit Chad Tracy, sending the veteran from the game in favor of pinch runner Chris Marrero. Albaladejo threw a scoreless bottom of the fourth. 31-year-old right-hander Yunesky Maya gave up a leadoff single, but got a double play and a swinging K from Marlins' outfielder Bryan Petersen to end a scoreless top of the fifth.

Steve Lombardozzi doubled off Marlins' right-hander Ryan Webb with one down in the Nationals' fifth, and scored one out later when 22-year-old Nats' 2011 1st Round pick Anthony Rendon hit a two-run, opposite field home run to right field to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead over the Fish. Rendon's first Grapefruit League HR, he was 3 for 13 with three doubles last Spring. Chris Marrero stabbed a line drive and turned an unassisted double play to end Yunesky Maya's second scoreless inning of work in the sixth. Maya came back out for the seventh and completed another scoreless frame. 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB for Maya, 30 P, 20 S.

Jeremy Accardo, one of the Non-Roster invitees in camp with the Nationals was able to retire the Fish in the eighth and preserve the Nationals' 2-1 lead in spite of giving up a two-out walk and single that put runners on the corners in the top of the frame.

Drew Storen gave up a leadoff single by Marlins' 21-year-old, 2010 1st Round pick outfielder Christian Yelich. 24-year-old OF/1B Kyle Jensen singled off Storen too, to put runners on 1st/3rd with no outs and an RBI groundout by 25-year-old backstop prospect Jake Jeffries then tied the game at 2-2. BS for Storen in his 2013 ST debut. Cue Twitter outrage... Tanner Roark pitched around a leadoff walk and tossed a scoreless 10th for the Nationals. 23-year-old Marlins' lefty, Cuban-born prospect Raudel Lazo, gave up a one-out single by speedy Nats' prospect Eury Perez. Perez tried to go first-to-third' on a single by Matt Skole in the next at bat, but go thrown out for out no.2. An error on a grounder to the mound put Skole on third. Carlos Rivero? Fly to center. Ballgame. 2-2 tie.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann Happy With Change; First Outing Of The Spring vs Miami

When Jordan Zimmermann talked to reporters earlier this week, the Washington Nationals' starter said he was going to focus on using his change as more of a weapon this season so that opposing hitters had something else to think about when facing him. The 26-year-old, '07 2nd Round pick has used a change in the past, but said he just wanted to get more comfortable throwing the pitch in any count to keep hitters off-balance. "I'm at a point right now where I feel comfortable throwing it," Zimmermann said, "but I don't know if I'm to the point where I want to throw it 2-0 yet."

In his first start of the Spring this afternoon, Zimmermann went 3.0 innings on 43 pitches, 26 of them strikes, allowing a run on two hits by the Miami Marlins. "I threw strikes," Zimmermann said, and he was, "attacking the hitters" and still able to, "... mix in a few changeups, which were mostly good ones and I'm happy with the first outing." Zimmermann has thrown the change in the past, but he's working this Spring on taking something off of it too, so there is more of difference between it and his fastball which sits around 93-4 mph.

' LINK: "Building A Better Jordan Zimmermann"

"There were a few that were 88-89," Zimmermann said of his changeups in past seasons, "and I'd like to be in the 86-7 [mph] range if I can get it there." Told this afternoon that scouts had the change at around 83-84 mph, as the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore reported, Zimmermann was happy to hear it.

"That's perfect, right where I want it," the right hander said.

Zimmermann said he wasn't surprised to feel as good as he did, and get the results he did in his first outing, noting that he had been throwing off a mound for a while now and was concentrating on, "... just going out there and attacking and throwing strikes. And I threw a few that were on the corner I thought could have gone either way, but for the most part I was getting ground balls, getting early contact and that's what I was trying to do." Facing live batters for the first time felt good, Zimmermann told reporters, "That means the season's getting close and it's right around the corner."

' LINK: Washington Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann Trying To Get Comfortable With Change

The ground balls were just a sign that he was able to keep the ball down in the zone against the Marlins' hitters in Zimmermann's mind. "I threw a fastball to [Matt] Downs that I struck him out on that was sinking more than normal and it's good, if I have a little more movement and keep it down I'm going to get a lot of ground balls." Joking about the ball moving a little more than usual with reporters, Zimmermann said, "I don't know what happened, if the ball had a little scuff on it or what'"

He was happy with the way he was throwing the change today. "It feels good right now," Zimmermann said, "I have a good feel for it. I threw a changeup to [Greg] Dobbs at the end, got him to roll over to first. He was sitting on the heater. So that was good." As for what he'll work on in his upcoming starts, Zimmermann said just more of the same. "Like I said the whole time, I want to keep working on this changeup and get it to where I can throw it 2-0 and just throw it whenever I want basically. And that's the main goal right now."

Zimmermann's not just throwing it in any situation, however. "I'm just trying to pick the right situation," he explained, "And try to throw it as much as possible. I threw it 2-1 today to the guy I walked and got behind 3-1, so I don't know if I'd do that during the season, but if I get a little bit better feel I definitely will, but I thought I'd give it a try right there." That player Zimmermann walked was Marlins' outfielder Bryan Petersen. The free pass put two runners on and allowed a sac bunt and a groundout to push the only run he allowed across the plate.

Not the result he was hoping for in that situation. "That's definitely not what I was looking for," the right-hander joked with reporters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals Drop Grapefruit League Opener To New York Mets, 5-3; Stephen Strasburg Makes Spring Debut.

The 2013 Grapefruit League season started this afternoon with the defending NL East champs on the road in Port St. Lucie, Florida's rechristened Tradition Field with new Washington Nationals' center fielder Denard Span taking a fastball outside from the New York Mets' right-hander Shaun Marcum. The 28-year-old Nats' center fielder grounded to first for the first out of the year. One out later, Bryce Harper's first swing of the season resulted in a scorched line drive that drew "Ooos" from the crowd before it landed foul down the line in right. The 20-year-old Nationals' left fielder singled through the right side for the Nationals' first hit of the Spring, but he was stranded at first when Tyler Moore flew to right to end the first.

Baseball's back.

Nats' starter Stephen Strasburg gave up a leadoff single to center by Mets' center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, but was throwing heat according to those in attendance:

Stephen Strasburg's first batter: 95, 96, 96, 96, 97, 97, 97. Last one a single for Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

' Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 23, 2013

Nationals' manager Davey Johnson told reporters before the game that his 24-year-old ace would be on a 45-pitch limit in his first start of the Spring, and the Nats' skipper said he'd prefer a two-inning outing though a pitch-efficient Stras might stretch it to 3.0. The right-hander threw a total of 31 pitches before the first was over. After Nieuwenhuis' hit, power-hitting Mets' shortstop Ruben Tejada took a fastball to left and over the wall for a two-run blast that gave NY a 2-0 lead. A couple groundouts and a two-out single to right-center by Marlon Byrd stretched Strasburg to 31 pitches, but he got a called strike three with the 31st pitch to get Lucas Duda looking and end the bottom of the inning.

A mustachioed Ian Desmond singled with one down in the Nats' second and scored on a double to left by '06 Nats' 1st Round pick Chris Marrero, who's come out of the gate swinging according to reports out of Florida, after an injury-shortened season in 2012 [torn hamstring]. Chris Snyder's first home run of the Spring soared out to left-center off Marcum and it was 3-2 Nationals when Strasburg retook the mound in the bottom of the second. An 11-pitch, 1-2-3 inning had the Nats' right-hander at 42 pitches total after 2.0 IP, so he was done for the day in his first start of the Spring. 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 42 P.

' Even early in Spring Training, you want to score a run when you get a runner on third with one down. Steve Lombardozzi walked to start the Nats' third, taking a free pass from top Mets' prospect pitching Zack Wheeler. Lombardozzi took second on a passed ball and third on a Bryce Harper groundout before he was stranded when Tyler Moore and Chad Tracy K'd swinging through 96 mph fastballs from Wheeler, the '09 SF Giants' 1st Round pick acquired by NY in the July 2011 trade that sent Carlos Beltran out west.

' Craig Stammen needed 19 pitches to retire the Mets in the third, with David Wright reaching on an error at third by Chad Tracy before Ike David rolled one to Chris Marrero at first to end the inning. Chris Snyder hit a two-out single up the middle in the Nationals' fourth to leave the veteran catcher 2 for 2 in his first game with the Nats, but Zack Wheeler completed his second scoreless to keep it 3-2 after three and a half in Tradition Field. Stammen gave up three singles and the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with Justin Turner and Jordany Valdespin singling with two down to score Marlon Byrd from second two outs after Byrd's leadoff single. 3-3 game.

' 23-year-old, 2011 Mets' 2nd Round pick Cory Mazzoni, a right-hander who pitched at High-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton in 2012, gave up back-to-back singles to start the Nationals' fifth with Eury Perez lining to center and Lombardozzi grounding one back up the middle that was deep enough to allow Perez to reach second. A fly to right by Bryce Harper and a called strike three on Tyler Moore brought Chad Tracy to the plate with runners on second and third (after Will Rhymes -- running for Lombo) and Perez pulled off a double steal. Tracy K'd swinging too, however, and the Nats stranded two runners. 3-3 game in the 5th.

' Left-handed reliever Fernando Abad gave up a two-out walk to the Mets' left-handed hitting first baseman, Ike Davis. Abad got up 0-2 on 28-year-old Mets' outfielder Andrew Brown, but eventually issued the second of back-to-back two-out walks before striking Lucas Duda out to end a longer-than-necessary bottom of the fifth.

' Davey Johnson told reporters that he wasn't going to push or judge Bill Bray early this Spring as the veteran lefty works to fine tune his mechanics after a serious groin injury last year forced him to change his delivery. The reliever who signed as a free agent with the Nats this past December gave up back-to-back singles by Landon Powell and former National Brian Bixler before getting a double play grounder out of 28-year-old former Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielder Jamie Hoffman. Former D-Backs and A's OF Collin Cowgill doubled off the wall in center with two down to bring Powell in and make it 4-3 NY. Micah Owens booted a grounder to first by Omar Quintanilla and after Bill Bray picked it up, the pitcher forgot about the runner on third and allowed a hustling Cowgill to score to make it 5-3 New York.

' 25-year-old Mets' '09 7th Rounder Darin Gorski got Corey Brown looking to end the Nationals' sixth after an error in left by Andrew Brown let Will Rhymes on with two down. Still 5-3 NY. 26-year-old Nats' right-hander Erik Davis, who was acquired from the Padres for IF Alberto Gonzalez in a March 2011 trade and added to the 40-Man roster this winter to protect him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft, needed 21 pitches to get through a scoreless bottom of the seventh against the Mets, collecting 2 Ks along the way and impressing SNY Mets' announcer Keith Hernandez with his stuff.

' The Nats' "Large Animal" and 2012 Minor League Player of the Year Matt Skole walked in an eighth-ining at bat against the Mets' lefty Darin Gorski then went first-to-third' on a one-out single by Zach Walters, but 2011 1st Round pick Anthony Rendon popped to short right for out no.2 and Jhonatan Solano grounded into a force at second to end the Nationals' half of the inning. Cole Kimball gave up a one-out walk to the Mets' Collin Cowgill, but got an inning-ending DP to complete a scoreless bottom of the eighth. Micah Owings reached safely on a grounder to the mound and off Mets' closer Bobby Parnell. An error at third by Brandon Hicks on what could have been a DP grounder brought Corey Brown up with two on and one out. Brown K'd swinging on a diving two-strike knuckle curve. Carlos Rivero grounded out to second. Ballgame.

5-3 Mets final.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Spring Training 2013 - Washington Nationals vs New York Mets: Grapefruit League GameThread

He's been around for a while, but Stephen Strasburg is really just getting started. "I still think I'm a work in progress," the '09 no.1 overall pick told ESPN980's Thom Loverro in an interview that aired on Friday, a day in advance of the starter taking the mound against the New York Mets in today's Grapefruit League opener. "I'm 24 years old and I've had relatively..." Strasburg said, "I guess, relatively, I've have a little over a full season in the big leagues, so I've still got a lot to learn and I think there's a lot of room for me to grow and get better." After going (15-6) with a 3.16 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 48 walks (2.71 BB/9) and 197 Ks (11.13 K/9) in 28 starts and 159.1 inning pitched before he was shut down last season in his first full year back following Tommy John surgery, Strasburg is now (21-10) with a 2.94 ERA, 2.47 FIP, 2.40 BB/9 and 11.21 K/9 in 45 starts and 251.1 IP three years into his MLB career.

Strasburg's talked before about being uncomfortable with all the attention he's received considering that he hasn't done all that much in the game at this point, but nobody has higher hopes of what he can eventually accomplish in his major league career than the pitcher himself. "Obviously, I have high expectations for myself," Strasburg told ESPN980's Mr. Loverro yesterday, "and coming into the big leagues with all the hype and stuff, I've been able to back it up for the most part. And so what usually happens is that the expectations are risen and almost taken to whole new levels and I just want to go out there and I want to be a good guy in the clubhouse and I want to be there for my teammates and I want to go out there and give it everything I have every fifth day."

The Nationals' no.1 starter's fourth major league season in D.C. starts this afternoon in Port St. Lucie, Florida's Tradition Field where the righty and a mix of young players and Nats' starters take on their NL East rivals from New York. Joining Strasburg at the Mets' Spring home will be new Nats' center fielder Denard Span, Steve Lombardozzi, Bryce Harper, country-strong slugger Tyler Moore and more. Here's the Nats' lineup for the Grapefruit League opener courtesy of MLB.com's Bill Ladson:

Here is the #Nats lineup against the #Mets on Saturday. #MLB twitter.com/washingnats/st'

' William Ladson (@washingnats) February 22, 2013

Today's game starts at 12:10 pm EST and it's being aired on the MLB Network. It's time for baseball. Live from sunny Florida. It's the Nats and Mets. Grapefruit League action. Strasburg on the hill. Denard in center. Harper in left and hitting third. Who's watching the NATIONALS?

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Closer Drew Storen And The NLDS: CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman On Storen In Game 5

"It's tough," Davey Johnson told reporters after the Washington Nationals' Game 5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in last October's NLDS. "We've had a great year overcoming a lot of hardship," Johnson continued, "and to not go after them at the end was not fun to watch." The Nats' then-69-year-old skipper was not just referring to closer Drew Storen and his struggles in a ninth inning which saw Storen blow a two-run lead by giving up three hits, two walks and four runs in a 33-pitch, 18-strike frame, but also to that night's starter, Gio Gonzalez, who gave up five hits, four walks and three runs in five innings that night in which he threw 99 pitches, 56 of them strikes. Asked what the problem had been with Storen, in particular, Johnson said he thought his closer was just trying to be too fine.

"I think he felt like he was making good pitches," Johnson said, "but they were missing. I think he just tried to be too fine. He's got a great-moving, live fastball. Just need to throw it over. I mean, he wasn't alone. It seemed like Gio had the same problem. You can't win big ballgames by giving free passes. You've got to trust your defense behind you, go after them. We've been really good all year. Just having a little hiccup here at the end."

Storen, for his part, told reporters afterwards that nights like that night come with the job. "It's the best job when you're good at it and it's the worst job when you fail," the 25-year-old '09 1st Round pick said, surrounded by reporters at his locker not long after the dramatic end of the Nationals' season.

' LINK: Washington Nationals 2012: Drew Storen, Davey Johnson And The Top Of The Ninth In Game 5

"I made good pitches," Storen said, "Can't really... wouldn't change a thing. I have no regrets." The Nationals and their closer had come within one strike of an NLCS matchup with the San Francisco Giants and they had fallen short. The last thing fans in the nation's capital wanted to do with the 2013 campaign about to kick off in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener was relive the end of the 2012 campaign, but a narrative-altering article published Friday night by CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman shed light on a previously unreported aspect of the Nats' closer's ninth-inning meltdown in the NLDS.

Storen has retold the story in interview after interview since that night, Mr. Heyman writes, "But in each retelling, he has always left out one important detail. Exactly how important that detail is, well, that's still up for debate." Storen was throwing on a third straight night after scoreless innings in Games 3 and 4 against the Cards in which he'd walked one and K'd three while throwing 37 pitches, all the while dealing with what Mr. Heyman says was "excruciating pain" in his back. Storen never said anything publicly and seemed unhappy to have to talk about it when asked for the purposes of the article, but sources said, "... that he'd spen[t] much of the final three days in the trainers room receiving treatment for back spasms others described as unbearable."

Storen, the CBSSports.com reporter notes, gave, "... a reluctant acknowledgement that maybe he wasn't quite 100 percent," when asked about the issue, but, Mr. Heyman writes, "... it clearly was a topic he wasn't interested in talking about."

Nats' GM Mike Rizzo "didn't want to talk about" Storen's condition in the NLDS according to Mr. Heyman. Jayson Werth is the only National quoted directly in the article talking about the back issues Storen struggled with during the series:

"'He was having real bad back spasms. That was the third day (pitching) in a row,' teammate Jayson Werth said. 'He was banged up, man. No one knew. For him to just have the balls to go out there, that says a lot about him.'"

"Werth and others didn't talk about it because they seek an excuse for Storen," Mr. Heyman notes, "They just want to set the record straight." Storen says in the article he was fine. "'I was all right. I was good. I was out there,'" he's quoted explaining.

Nats' skipper Davey Johnson was asked on Saturday morning before Washington's 2013 Grapefruit League opener against New York, what he recalled from that night and if he had any reaction to the CBSSports.com report.

"The only thing I recall is he didn't throw many strikes and I attribute it to trying to be too fine," the Nationals' now-70-year-old manager said, "And Gio had the same problem, trying to a little be too fine, wasn't very pitch efficient. And that's just lack of experience. I'm sure it [wasn't] the first time he's pitched with back spasms. But, I'm not worried about [Storen]. He's a great young pitcher."

A lot of players are dealing with nagging injuries that late in the season, Johnson said, "But I don't think anybody was overly tired. Again, I just attribute it more just to a little inexperience situation, trying to do too much. And that comes with lack of experience. But I thought by and large the guys handled it really well in the pennant race and that's a great experience. Just had a few little glitches in the postseason. And you're going to be better for it."

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez Tells Media He Passed Drug Tests Given Two Days After Miami New Times' Report

There's another update in the Gio Gonzalez/Miami New Times/Biogenesis story, this time from the 27-year-old pitcher himself, who told reporters this afternoon at the Washington Nationals' Spring Training facilities that he'd been informed by the MLBPA that he had passed both blood and urine tests given in the days after the publication of the explosive Miami New Times' report on the alleged connection between several Miami, Florida-based major leaguers and a Coral Gables, Florida-based anti-aging clinic accused in the report of supplying performance-enhanching drugs to professional athletes. Washington Post writer James Wagner, citing two sources with "knowledge of the situation" reported last week that the Nats' lefty, "... had blood and urine samples taken two days after the New Times report was published on Jan. 29."

Gonzalez told reporters today that he'd received information on the results of those tests. The Washington Times' Amanda Comak published Gonzalez's statement:

"Like I said before, I've never taken performance-enhancing drugs and I never will," Gonzalez said Friday. "Two days after the story broke, I was tested for blood and urine and both came out negative, like I expected.'

"'Throughout my entire career, it's been like that (negative). I look forward to handling this with MLB, putting this behind me and looking forward to the season.'"

An ESPN report earlier this week produced the names of five more major leaguers tied to the Biogenesis clinic by the records from the so-called "anti-aging" clinic. In the course of their investigation, however, ESPN's investigative reporters Mike Fish and T.J. Quinn received information that backed Gonzalez's claims that though his father was a legitimate client, he personally had never received any PEDs from the Biogenesis clinic or its chief, Anthony Bosch:

"According to two sources familiar with Bosch's operation, however, the Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, previously identified as being named in Biogenesis documents, did not receive banned substances from Bosch or the clinic."

The ESPN authors' sources, "speaking independently," said that Gonzalez was, "... the only Bosch client named thus far who did not receive performance-enhancing drugs." A "computer printout" the ESPN "Outside the Lines" reporters acquired showed that Gonzalez had received "$1,000 worth of substances," none of which were banned by Major League Baseball:

"[Gonzalez] is said to have received $1,000 worth of substances, but under 'notes' are several substances not banned by Major League Baseball: 'gluthetyn' (which a source said was a misspelling of glutathione), 'IM [intramuscular] shots,' and amino acids.

"Glutathione is an anti-oxidant, and one source said the 'IM shots' Gonzalez received were 'MICs,' a medically dubious but legal combination of methionine, inositol and choline, often used for weight loss."

Major League Baseball has made no comment about their ongoing investigation over the last week as the information about Gio Gonzalez has come out.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Wire Taps: Washington Nationals One Day Away From Grapefruit League Opener With New York Mets

At 12:10 pm EST tomorrow afternoon [on the MLB Network!!!] the Washington Nationals will kick of the 2013 Grapefruit League schedule with 24-year-old right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the mound against the New York Mets. The Nationals, this morning, announced the names of some of the players who'll make the trip to Port St. Lucie, Florida's Tradition Field. Catchers Sandy Leon and Carlos Maldonado will make the trip, with infielders Ian Desmond, Steve Lombardozzi, Chris Marrero, Anthony Rendon and Matt Skole, outfielders Corey Brown, Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore and more. Actual baseball for the first time since the Nats' season ended abruptly this past October. Until then, it's links and lots of them, starting... RIGHT NOW!!!:

' THE BIG STORY!!!:

' "I sat down and talked to Strasburg at Nats camp in Viera as he gets set to make his first start of the Grapefruit League season..." - "Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg is ready for the season" - Craig Heist, WTOP.com

' NATS BEAT:

' "'Really the first week, the veteran players are going to hardly play,' [Davey] Johnson said. 'Zim. Werth. LaRoche. I'm more concerned with the middle of the diamond.'" - "Davey Johnson's plan for the Nationals' first spring training games" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "Stephen Strasburg has known he'd be pitching in this game for about a week, with manager Davey Johnson setting the spring rotation a bit earlier than he posted the travel roster for Saturday's game." - "Strasburg, Harper, Desmond, Span headline travel roster for Grapefruit League opener" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "There was some concern that [Christian] Garcia's stomach issue could be his appendix, but he says that possibility has been ruled out." - "Ailing Garcia undergoes MRI for right forearm" - Joey Nowak and Andrew Simon, nationals.com: News

' "'As long as it's not my elbow or shoulder, it's something that at minimum we can get it fixed, in a short amount of time, too' [Christian] Garcia said." - "Christian Garcia receives MRI for tightness in forearm" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' AUDIO: D.C. GM Mike Rizzo on 106.7 the FAN In D.C. w/ Danny Rouhier and Bill Rohland

' via Twitter:

A few #Nats regulars making trip tomorrow for Grapefruit League opener vs #Mets: Harper, Span, Desmond, Strasburg.

' Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) February 22, 2013

' "This time tomorrow, the Nationals' bus will be fuming down I-95 to Port St. Lucie, headed toward the first game on the Grapefruit League schedule." - "The Nationals' travel roster for Game 1 of spring training" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "Enjoy baseball's exhibition season for what it is, a sign the real thing isn't far away." - "Spring training games for entertainment purposes only" - Mike Harris, Washington Times

' "Making his first appearance of the spring in Viera, [Mark] Lerner said the team is 'very close' to reaching its self-imposed cap of 20,000 season ticket equivalents..." - "Nats have sold nearly 20,000 season tickets" - Mark Zuckerman, CSN Washington

' "The 6-foot-10 righty is tied with three others as the second-tallest player in major league history behind former Nats reliever Jon Rauch, who is 6-foot-11." - "Nationals Pastime: News and notes on the final workout day before spring games" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The year was 2009. The Nationals had just come off a season in which they had lost 102 games. The opening day lineup included Lastings Milledge in center field..." - "Nationals have come a long way in four years" - Carl Kotala, WTOP.com

' "Yesterday, Jordan Zimmermann was asked what he wanted to work on this spring. 'Change-up,' he replied." - "Jordan Zimmermann is working on his change-up ' again" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "While [Mark] Lerner spoke briefly about last year's success, he spent a lot more time looking ahead to the future of the franchise." - "Nationals owner Mark Lerner arrives at Spring Training" - Joey Nowak, nationals.com: News

' "Enjoying his first full day down from Washington, [Mark] Lerner watched live batting practice, chatted with a few of his players, and spent time with several front office executives." - "Mark Lerner Q&A: Nationals owner talks payroll, spring training site and more" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "A lot going on over at The Yards. ' I don't know how much of it's going to be ready for Opening Day, but it's starting to happen again. The economy is getting there." - Mark Lerner - "Mark Lerner on Nats' spring training future, an All-Star Game in D.C. and more" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

'"For now, general manager Mike Rizzo is just happy to have [Chris] Young in camp, a guy who helps give the Nats the starting pitching depth they've been after." - "Nationals Pastime: Rizzo discusses Young signing (with Saturday's travel roster)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "You'd think a 32-year-old former All-Star who has pitched on several contenders wouldn't get nervous pitching in front of team executives..." - "Amped-up Haren working out kinks" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "The newest member of the Nationals' rotation said he intends to slow things down in his upcoming bullpen sessions before he makes his first Spring Training start Feb. 27 against the Marlins." - "After first 'pen session, Haren lists spring goals" - Joey Nowak and Andrew Simon, nationals.com: News

' "[Dan] Haren, who appears to be a very cerebral pitcher and has stressed the importance of talking with the catchers as part of his adjustment to a new team..." - "Dan Haren was amped up for his live batting practice session" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "Bill Bray is a name likely familiar to Nationals fans who have been following the franchise since its relocation." - "Getting to Know: Bill Bray" - Curly W Live

' "[Dan] Haren assured Johnson he was taking it easy. Later, though, Haren admitted that throwing in front of Johnson, Mike Rizzo and even Mark Lerner had amped him up." - "Dan Haren talks philosophy, Matt Skole keeps raking" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "'People always ask how bad it was,' [Ryan] Zimmerman said. 'I don't like to use the word 'bad' because we're in the big leagues, playing baseball, so it's really not that bad.'" - "Nationals Have Come a Long Way in Four Years" Chris Lingebach, CBS DC

' "Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki said he would love to stay with the Nationals past this season. He feels the team will be successful for years to come." - "Suzuki wants to stay with Nats past this season" - Bill Ladson, All Nats All the Time

' via Twitter:

Desmond, Lombardozzi, Rendon, Harper some of more interesting names on the travel roster for Saturday's Grapefruit League opener vs #mets

' Amanda Comak (@acomak) February 22, 2013

' "A former All-Star with the Padres, [Chris] Young's career has been saddled in recent years by shoulder injuries." - "Nats add veteran Young on minors deal" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "[Chris] Young, 33, has spent the last two seasons with the Mets, but has also seen time with the Rangers and Padres. The 6-foot-10 righty made the All-Star team with San Diego in 2007." - "Nationals Pastime: Nats sign right-hander Chris Young to minor league deal" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The team has been in negotiations with Ft. Myers and Kissimmee but have to receive the financial backing from either town to renovate or build a new facility." - "Nats come to terms with Chris Young" - Craig Heist, WTOP.com

' "Standing 6-foot-10, [Chris] Young was an All-Star for the Padres in 2007, but has been slowed by injury problems, averaging 12 starts per year over that span." - "Nats sign pitcher Young to Minor League deal" - Joey Nowak and Andrew Simon, nationals.com: News

' "The Washington Nationals and general manager Mike Rizzo make no secret about their search for starting pitching depth: it's constantly ongoing." - "Nationals sign Chris Young, increase starting pitching depth" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "The Nationals will add [Chris] Young to their stable of options behind their projected starting five." - "Nationals add Chris Young, bolster starting pitching depth" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' via Twitter:

Early word on Christian Garcia: He'll be shelved for a few days with a forearm strain. Not elbow-related. Considered day to day.

' Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) February 22, 2013

' "VIDEO: Harper's high expectations" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "In camp this spring, [Anthony] Rendon will likely get some time at third base (his natural position), shortstop and possibly even second base." - "Nationals Pastime: Now healthy, Rendon confident he can show his stuff" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The Netherlands opens pool play on March 2 at Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan, against Korea. The team then plays March 5 against Australia." - "Classic could have Bernadina traveling far and wide" - Joey Nowak and Andrew Simon, nationals.com: News

' via Twitter:

#Nationals OF #bryceharper talks to "The Sports Fix" about role models and expectations @espnradio980 goo.gl/UC0Un

' thom loverro (@thomloverro) February 22, 2013

' "Stephen Strasburg headlines the Nationals' Grapefruit League Opener, starting the first game for the Nationals since his shut down last September." - "Pitching schedules for Saturday and Sunday at Nationals camp" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "[Ross] Detwiler will use this spring to try to step forward, at 26, as one of the best left-handed starters in baseball." - "Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler finds his comfort zone" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post

' Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama):

We need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn't bring peace of mind.

' Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) February 22, 2013

' NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

' "I keep writing about how the Nationals have stockpiled lots of depth for part-time roles and Triple-A, and they keep stockpiling even more depth." - "Nationals sign Chris Young to minor league deal" - Aaron Gleeman, HardballTalk

' "A team that enjoyed a breakout season, followed by a daunting playoff collapse. Spring training expectations that include the phrase World Series." - "Izturis sees Reds-Nationals matchup as a real possibility" - Tim Schmitt, www.daytondailynews.com

' "Speaking of fierce forces, all Tyler Clippard needs here is a little blood on his neck and he's a focused Hanson brother trying to listen to the National Anthem." - "MLB Photo Day is Here, Embrace the Awkwardness" - Tim Ryan, The Big Lead

' "This is kind of a special ICFBN. Sure, the free e-books and old-timey baseball annuals are nice, but did you know that video existed of Walter Johnson pitching?" - "Internet Christmas for baseball nerds, part XXXI" - Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation

' "Challenge answered: The best memes of Jayson Werth and his beard" - Mike Oz, Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports

' NATSTOWN:

' "Last year the Nats had amazing starting pitcher health." - "Dream a little dream of pitcher health" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

' "Just five guys on a cart" - Nats Enquirer

' "I think that Washington D.C. could become primarily a baseball town, with the Redskins always being right there in the picture also,' [Mike Rizzo] continued." - "Mike Rizzo: D.C. could become 'primarily a baseball town'" - Dan Steinberg, Washington Post

' "To celebrate George Washington's 204th birthday the town of Fredericksburg planned a daylong celebration. To cap off the day the city invited baseball legend Walter Johnson to duplicate George Washington's legendary throw of a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River." - "Big Train's Throw Across the Rappahannock River" - Mark Hornbaker, D.C. Baseball History

' "Washington Nationals notes: Nats add P Chris Young to stable of MLB depth" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page

' "NATIONALS LOOK GOOD TO START CAMP" - Alan Zlotoryznski, Fanspeak.com

' "Washington is a 'Football' town; what's yours?" - Todd Boss, Nationals Arm Race

' "Redskins will be #1 team in D.C. for a long time; Nats & Caps currently jockeying for #2" - William F. Yurasko, William World News

' NL EAST UPDATES:

' Mets: "The head of baseball's union has a messsage for the Mets: Act like a big market team." - "MLB Players' Association executive director Michael Weiner tells NY Mets, Fred Wilpon to spend like big market team" - Andy Martino, NY Daily News

' Phillies: "Roy Halladay wasn't asked if it was a big deal to start on Opening Day, an honor he has held for 10 straight years." - "Phillies Notebook: Halladay: Hamels deserves to be Phillies' Opening Day starter" - Ryan Lawrence, Philadelphia Daily News

' Braves: "Jason Heyward and the Upton brothers, newcomers B.J. and Justin, will be in the lineup Friday when the Braves face Detroit in a Grapefruit League opener at Champion Stadium." - "After much fanfare, Braves' new outfield is unveiled Friday in..." - David O'Brien, www.ajc.com

' Marlins: "With two days to go before their spring training opener, the Marlins got the good news they were hoping for regarding Giancarlo Stanton..." - "JUPITER: Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton feels better; Justin Ruggiano out with tight back" - Manny Navarro, MiamiHerald.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg Talks Shutdown; Going Deeper Into Postseason With ESPN980's Thom Loverro

After Stephen Strasburg's final start of the year last September, a 3.0-inning outing against the Miami Marlins at home in D.C. in which he gave up six hits, three walks and five runs, Nats' skipper Davey Johnson told reporters he thought the pressure of a summer long build-up of the story of his impending shutdown had noticeably weighed on the 24-year-old pitcher. "To be honest," Johnson said, "I think he just was thinking too much about the decision that we're going to shut him down and he kind of wore it. Didn't like it. But that's the way it is." The next morning the then-69-year-old manager announced that Strasburg's season was over, one start earlier that expected.

Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo reiterated in a recent interview that the decision to end Strasburg's first full post-Tommy John surgery season early had been made eight months earlier. Rizzo also said the media missed the story last year. Strasburg had a great season, and the Nats took the next step in their evolution into a contender. In an interview with ESPN980's Thom Loverro which aired this afternoon, the Nats' '09 no.1 overall pick said all the media attention and conversation was a distraction, both for him and a distraction that kept people from concentrating on what the team was in the process of accomplishing.

"It was definitely, both sides to it," Strasburg told ESPN980's Mr. Loverro, "Early on I was pretty frustrated that I was getting shut down and I wasn't going to continue pitching. My arm felt great and I chose to think the entire year that they weren't going to do it and that I was going to keep pitching and hopefully be there and help the team get deep into the playoffs and hopefully win the World Series. And when the time actually came, it took a while to settle in and once it did I felt like it was even harder having to listen and see all the speculation and all the debate, like you said, about the shutdown, because we had a clubhouse full of guys that were still playing and had been competing and getting after it all year behind me and we were still playing for something."

"And regardless if I wasn't out there throwing any pitches," Strasburg continued, "I was there for those guys and I just felt like it was becoming such a distraction... but for the most part I thought we handled it pretty well and as strange as it may seem, I think we got just the right amount of playoff experience. We're still hungry and we definitely want to get back there this year and go even farther."

"So your plan is to pitch deep into October then isn't it?" Mr. Loverro asked.

"Absolutely," Strasburg said, "I kind of had a little bit of an idea of how my body feels when you get into October. Obviously I wasn't pitching for a month, but I know what my mental state will be like and I think I'm ready for it. I trained all offseason for it."

Are the Nationals as a team ready to take the next step? Are they being overhyped? "Only time is going to show if we're ready for it or not," Strasburg said. "The great thing is that I think this team is built to last and we just need to keep getting better individually and that's going to make us better as a whole. So, as far as comments of everybody thinking we think we're a lot better than what we are, well, I feel like we did a great job last year and I think that really set the tone for this year. We're just, every single guy in this clubhouse is the type of person that wants to be better than they were the last year."

Strasburg finished his third season in the majors at +4.3 fWAR with a (15-6) record, a 3.16 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 48 walks (2.71 BB/9) and 197 Ks (11.13 K/9) in 28 starts and 159.1 IP. The Nats' right-hander will make his first start of the Spring tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 2/23) in the Nationals' Grapefruit League opener against the New York Mets.

' Here's the lineup that will take the field behind Strasburg in the first game of the spring:

Tomorrow's #Nats lineup: Span 8, Lombardozzi 4, Harper 7, Moore 9, Tracy 5, Desmond 6, Marrero 3, Snyder 2, Owings DH. Strasburg 1.

' Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) February 22, 2013

' Listen to the full Strasburg interview with ESPN 980's Thom Loverro in the ESPN 980 Audio Vault HERE.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals: Spring Training 2013 - Jordan Zimmermann Trying To Get Comfortable With Change

"[Jordan Zimmermann] was throwing some pretty good changeups, [and] his late-breaking slider. He looked good," Davey Johnson told reporters this afternoon after watching his 26-year-old right-hander toss a live BP session at the Nats' Spring home. The Washington Nationals' skipper and Nationals' catcher Wilson Ramos have been impressed with what they've seen from Zimmermann early in Spring Training, especially one changeup in particular that caught Ramos off guard and bounced off a mitt he'd already closed, expecting a fastball.

Washington Times' writer Amanda Comak talked to the Nationals' '07 2nd Round pick last week about adding the pitch to his repertoire as more of a weapon this season so that opposing hitters have something to think about when preparing to face the starter who finished the 2012 campaign at +3.5 fWAR with a (12-8) record, a 2.94 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 43 walks (1.98 BB/9), 153 Ks (7.04 K/9) in 32 starts and 195.2 IP.

"Last year he wanted to get comfortable enough to use it a handful of times in a game," the Times' Ms. Comak wrote. In 2013, Zimmermann plans on throwing it more often, "... to keep hitters guessing. This year it may be more of a weapon for him on its own," the Times' reporter added.

' Further Reading: Building A Better Jordan Zimmermann - Federal Baseball

Zimmermann's still not completely comfortable with the pitch, however. "I just was throwing it a lot more this offseason," Zimmermann explained, "And I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep throwing it this Spring Training here and try to get it where it's comfortable throwing it any time." It's a pitch Zimmermann has planned on adding to his repertoire for several years now. Last year, the starter said, "It was definitely [a] trust issue of it there, and not knowing when to throw it. A lot of guys like to throw it when they're down 2-0 and you get something down the middle that guys are looking for the heater and you're going to roll over [it] or something like that. And I was [at] the point where I wasn't very confident and I'm not going to throw it 2-0 and then get down 3-0 and really have my hands full."

The work he's done this offseason has Zimmermann more comfortable with the pitch. "I'm at a point right now where I feel comfortable throwing it, but I don't know if I'm to the point where I want to throw it 2-0 yet," Zimmermann said, "Maybe 2-1 or something like that maybe I would think about throwing it, but it's just going to take a lot of work and I can't wait to face some teams where I can throw it a little bit and at least let them see it and know that I have something."

"I'm going to throw it a lot down here and see what happens," the right-hander said, admitting, "I don't really care about what the results [are] down here. Just [get] some work in with it and throw it to someone other than your team." As for what he needs to improve before he's completely comfortable with the pitch, Zimmermann said he has just thrown the change a little too hard in the past.

"There were a few that were 88-89" Zimmermann said, "and I'd like to be in the 86-7 [mph] range if I can get it there." According to fangraphs.com, Zimmermann's change had an average velocity of 86.6 mph last season. Combined with his 93-4 mph fastball, 86-7 mph slider and 78 mph curve, the pitcher has quite an arsenal of pitches with which he'll attack opposing hitters in his fifth major league season in 2013.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals Sign Veteran RHP Chris Young To Minor League Deal With Invite To Spring Training

Asked in his interview with ESPN980 hosts Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro yesterday if the defending NL East Champion Washington Nationals were done adding to their roster as they get set to defend their division title, D.C. GM Mike Rizzo repeated his offseason mantra. "We like the team we have," Rizzo said, "I often say, we like the team we have. We like where we're at, but we're never satisfied. If we can upgrade at a singular position we would. We're always looking to get more depth and more insurance as Davey [Johnson] likes to refer to it. We're always scouring the waiver wires and talking to guys about what makes us a little bit better, a little bit deeper, a little bit [less susceptible] to injuries and that type of thing. As close as we are to the roster as it is, we still keep an open mind on things that could be and might be."

One of the things the Nationals have admitted to wanting to add to is the starting pitching depth in the organization after the team traded some of its top pitching prospects over the last two winters. The Nats announced a deal that will add to the organization's starting depth this afternoon. Washington signed 33-year-old, 6'10'' right-hander Chris Young to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The nine-year major league veteran pitched for the New York Mets in 2012, going (4-9) with a 4.15 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 36 walks (2.82 BB/9) and 80 Ks (6.26 K/9) in 20 starts and 115.0 IP over which he was worth +0.5 fWAR. Young, who's pitched for the Rangers, Padres and Mets in his MLB career, was recovering from shoulder surgery (torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder) last year when he signed a minor league deal in late March to return to New York for a second season.

Over the course of his career, the Princeton-educated starter is (53-43) with a 3.79 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 3.46 BB/90 and 7.46 K/9 in 159 starts and 890.2 IP.