Hernandez Leads Nationals Past Mets, 5-1

Game 23, Mets at Nationals

Livan Hernandez threw eight strong innings and also homered, leading the Nats to a win over the Mets at RFK Stadium. Hernadez won his third game of the season, allowing just one earned run on nine hits, two walks with five strike outs. Jose Guillen and Brian Schnieder also homered for Washington.

Chad Cordero got the final two outs to earn his fifth save. How did he get a save with a four-run lead? Well, Luis Ayala allowed two batters to reach, putting the tying run in the on-deck circle. When this happens, even if a team has as much as a five-run lead, a pitcher cam come on in relief and earn the save if he gets out of the inning with the lead protected and then ends the game. Seems to be a pretty generous rule, doesn't it?

Box Score and Recap

Myers Outlasts Loaiza, Phils get 3-0 Win

Game 22, Phillies at Nationals

Esteban Loaiza and Brett Myers provided one of this season's early pitching masterpieces as both hurlers took shut outs deep into the game. Myers finished with a no-decision after seven innings of four-hit, seven-strikeout baseball.

Jimmy Rollins homered off Loaiza to lead off the ninth inning, and the Phillies got the win 3-0. Loaiza finished with eleven Ks in eight-plus innings.

The loss was the seventh in the last ten games for Washington, and the team fell to 11-11 on the year.

Box Score and Recap

Patterson pitches Nats Past Phillies, 3-1

Game 21, Phillies at Nationals

John Patterson pitched another solid game, allowing just one run in six and two-thirds innings as the Nationals defeated the Phillies. Brad Wilkerson and Nick Johnson homered for Washington.

Patterson has been excellent for the Nats so far - is ERA stands at 0.98. Facing Phillies starter Jon Lieber, who was 4-0 and had pitched brilliantly so far for the Phils, the Nats had to have a great start from Patterson, and they got it. Patterson contributed offensively, going 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Box Score and Recap

Phillies Hold Off Nationals, 5-4

Game 20, Phillies at Nationals

Was it just a tease?

The Nats lost for the sixth time in eight games as the Phillies jumped out to 5-1 lead and held on to win by one. The Nats fell to 10-10, and their 8-4 first place start seems to be a thing of the past.

Despite three hits each from Jose Vidro and Brad Wilkerson, the Nats couldn't string together the BIG innings they way they had just a week ago. The Nationals tried to rally in the late innings, and had men on base against Phils' closer Billy Wagner in the ninth, but couldn't come through with the big hit.

Starter Zach Day struggled with his control, walking five and allowing five runs in five innings.

Box Score and Recap

Nationals Pile Up Hits in 11-4 Rout of Mets

Game 19, Nationals at Mets

Washington salvaged their series with the Mets and avoided falling under .500 since losing their season opener with an 11-4 win Sunday at Shea Stadium. Livan Hernandez regained his composure after allwoing three first-inning runs, pitching six more scoreless innings to notch his second win.

Brad Wilkerson had four hits, inclduing a home run and Jose Guillen drove in three for the Nats. Jose Vidro and Nick Johnson also had two hits for Washington.

Box Score and Recap

The Nationals return home to face the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series beginning Monday night at RFK stadium.

Mets spank Nationals, 10-5

Game 18, Nationals at Mets

The Nats lost for the fifth time in six games, including their third loss in a row, as teh Mets racked up ten runs on 16 hits Saturday. The Mets put up all ten runs over the fourth and fifth innings as the bottom half of their order did the damage. Mets' hitters six through nine (Mientkiewicz, Wright, Diaz and Seo) combine to go 8 for 14, with seven runs and six RBI.

The Nationals did manage to rally for four runs of the Mets pen after the game was out of reach, as Jamey Carrol, Tony Blanco, and Christian Guzman had two hits each. Tomo Ohka was tagged for the loss, allowing the first four Mets runs.

The loss drops Washington to 9-9 on the year.

Box Score and Recap

Mets Defeat Slumping Nationals, 3-1

Game 17, Nationals at Mets

Mets starter Tom Glavine rebounded from two poor starts to silence the Nationals' bats on Friday night, and Cliff Floyd homered to lead the Mets to the win. It was the Nationals' fourth loss in their last five games.

Glavine struck out seven in seven innings, allowing just one run on two hits. Esteban Loaiza took the loss for Washington, giving up three runs and walking five.

The Nats' lone run came on Christian Guzman's home run in the sixth.

Box Score and Recap

Atlanta Gets by Nats, 2-1

Game 16, Braves at Nationals

Atlanta squeaked by Washington 2-1 Thursday with the help of Mother Nature. With rain falling most of the day, Christian Guzman's throw to first on Raul Mondesi's bases-loaded grounder in the ninth got past Nick Johnson, allowing both Braves' runs and giving Atlanta the win.

The costly error only adds to Guzman's poor debut to his Nationals career, as he has struggled to a .140 batting average to start the year.

The Nationals wasted a great pitching performance by John Patterson, who shut-out Atlanta on two hits for seven innings. Closer Chad Cordero takes the loss with his second blown save of the season.

Box Score and Recap

The Nationals completed their first-ever homestand with 4-3 record, and now head out on the road to face their division-rivals, the New York Mets at Shea Stadium beginning Friday night.

Day, Ayala, Cordero Combine to Shut-out Braves

Game 15, Braves at Nationals

Zach Day threw seven shut-out innings and Jose Vidro drove in both Nationals' runs with a homer in the third to lead Washington past Atlanta Wednesday night at RFK Stadium.

Day allowed just three hits, walking four with one strike out.

The victory ended a two-game slide by Washington.

Box Score and Recap

Nats Swept by Marlins with 6-3 Loss

Game 14, Marlins at Nationals

The Marlins beat the Nats for the fourth time in five meetings as Brian Moehler threw five solid innings and Carlos Delgado homered for the Fish.

Brian Schnieder homered for Washington, and Christian Guzman had three hits to break out of a season-long slump.

Livan Hernandez took his second loss, allowing six runs in five innings.

Box Score and Recap

WIllis beats Nats for Second Time in 10 Days

Game 13, Marlins at Nationals

Dontrelle pitched six strong innings, earning his second win against Washington in 10 days as the Marlins took the opener of a two-game series, 9-4.

Willis eneterd the game having not allowed a run in his first two starts, was finally touched in the seventh, ending his consecutive scoreless inning streak at 24.

Vinny Castilla had two hits for Washington, raising his batting average to .436. He also scored twice.

The loss ended Washington's five-game winning streak.

Box Score and Recap

Game 12, Diamondbacks at Nationals

The Nationals won their fifth straight game on Sunday, sweeping a three-game series from Arizona with a 7-3 victory. The Nats scored six runs in the seventh after trailing for almost the entire game. Jose Vidro drove in three runs, and Nick Johnson drove in a pair to lead the Nats offense.

The division-leading Nats welcome rivals Atlanta and Florida for a pair of two-game series starting with the Braves on Monday, before concluding the home stand with three games against the New York Mets next weekend.

Box Score and Recap

Game 11, Diamondbacks at Nationals

A strong start by John Patterson and a seven-run seventh inning helped the surging Washington Nationals maintain their hold on first place in the NL East with a 9-3 win over Arizona on Saturday. Vinny Castilla had his second straight outstanding game, driving in four runs and smacking his third homer of the year. Patterson struck out six in seven innings, allowing just four hits.

Box Score and Recap

Game 10, Diamondbacks at Nationals, Home Opener

Vinny Castilla doubled, tripled and homered to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 victory over Arizona on Thursday and into first place in the NL East. Nats starter Livan Hernandez was brilliant through the first eight innings, shutting out what had been a productive D-backs offense up to this point in the year. Chad Cordero got the final two outs in relief of a tired Hernandez in the ninth for his second save.

The two teams take a break on Friday before resuming the series on Saturday.

Box Score and Recap

Game 9, Nationals at Braves

Jose Guillen socked two more home runs to lead the Nationals to 11-4 win over Atlanta and a 5-4 record on their season-opening nine game road trip. Guillen’s second homer of the night helped break open a 5-4 game in the ninth inning, as the Nats hung six runs on the Braves thanks in large part to Termel Sledge’s bases-loaded triple. Guillen leads the majors with five home runs.

The Nats open their first-ever home stand in Washington on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Box Score and Recap

Game 8, Nationals at Braves

The Nationals stunned Atlanta with three runs in the ninth off Braves’ closer Danny Kolb, defeating Atlanta 4-3 on Tuesday. Brian Schnieder’s two-run double in the ninth proved the difference, allowing Washington to overcome and outstanding start by Braves’ right-hander Tim Hudson. Esteban Loaiza allowed three runs over seven innings, and Chad Cordero worked the ninth to earn his first save of the year.

Box Score and Recap

Game 7, Nationals at Braves

The Atlanta Braves walloped the Nationals 11-2 in the opener of their three-game series Monday night in Atlanta. Braves’ starter Mike Hampton held the Nats to one run over seven innings, and Rafael Furcal, Andrew Jones and Adam LaRoche drove in three runs each to lead the Braves. Jose Guillen homered for the third time for Washington. Zach Day struggled, giving up seven runs in four and one-third innings.

Box Score and Recap

Nats Fall to 3-3 with Shut-out Loss to Fish

Game Six – Nationals at Marlins

Josh Beckett shut down the Nationals and the Marlins’ hitters victimized the Nat bullpen again, scoring six runs in the eighth en route to an 8-0 win. Beckett was nothing short of sensational, striking out eleven for the Fish’s second complete game shutout of the Nats in three nights. Juan Encarnacion did the damage from the plate for Florida, belting an eighth-inning grand slam off Antonio Osuna. The Nationals head to Atlanta for three games with a 3-3 mark, before their long-awaited debut at RFK on Thursday night against the Arizona Diamndbacks.

Guillen's Homer Leads Nats Past Marlins in 10

Game Five – Nationals at Marlins

Jose Guillen is the hero again, hitting a solo homer in the tenth to lead the Nats to a 3-2 win over the Marlins in Miami. Ryan Church and Vinny Castilla also hit solo shots to account for the Nationals’ run total. Livan Hernandez was much better this time around than in his opening day start. Hernandez went seven strong, allowing just one unearned run. Chad Cordero picked up his second win despite allowing the Marlins to tie the game in the ninth on a home run by Carlos Delgado.

Willis Shuts Out Nationals

Game Four – Nationals at Marlins

The Marlins crushed the Nationals behind Dontrelle Willis’ gem, winning 9-0 in the series opener. The Nats managed just five hits off the Fish’s young southpaw, while the Marlin’s offense racked up ten hits – including three homers – off the Nationals pitching staff. Miguel Cabrera smashed two homers for Florida.

Vidro's homer in 10th gives Nats second win

Game Three – Nationals at Phillies

Jose Vidro’s game-winning homer in the tenth inning propelled the Washington Nationals to their second straight win, 5-4 over the Phillies. Brad Wilkerson had four more hits, and Vidro had three RBI to lead the offense. Esteban Loaiza was strong early, holding Philadelphia scoreless until the sixth before faltering. The Nats bullpen pitched well, allowing just one hit over the final 3-plus innings.

Nationals Get First Win!

Game Two – Nationals at Phillies

Brad Wilkerson became the first Washington National, and first MLB player in 2005, to hit for the cycle as the Nats rallied past Philadelphia 7-3 for the team’s first win. It was the second time in his career that Wilkerson hit for the cycle. Jose Guillen helped rally the Nationals with a go-ahead, two-run homer of Phillies’ reliever Tim Worrell in the 8th inning.

Nats Fall to Phillies in Opener, 8-4

Opening Day – Nationals at Phillies

The Phillies used a four-run fifth inning to pull away from the Nats, defeating Washington 8-4. Termel Sledge blasted a three-run homer off Jon Lieber in the sixth, and Nick Johnson, Vinny Castilla, and Brian Schnieder each had two hits. Livan Hernandez struggled, allowing seven runs in less than five innings. Pat Burrell (3 for 3, 2 RBI) and Kenny Lofton (2 for 3, 3 RBI) did most of the damage for the Phillies.

Player Projections

In preparation for my rotisserie baseball season, I utilized two player projection systems – one for hitters and one for pitchers. The hitters’ projections are based on an early version of the Bill James methodology (found here) used for his Baseball Abstract publications. The pitchers projections are based on Baseball Think Factory’s projections system, which can be found here.

So here’s how things look for the 2005 Washington Nationals:

Nationals Hitters

Brad Wilkerson (OF): 153 G, 533 AB, 99 R, 137 H, 35 DBL, 3 TRP, 29 HR, 90 RBI, 88 BB, 13 SB, 6 CS, .257 AVG, .363 OBP, .494 SLG, .857 OPS

Christian Guzman (SS): 147 G, 562 AB, 92 R, 164 H, 25 DBL, 9 TRP, 7 HR, 60 RBI, 37 BB, 10 SB, 5 CS, .291 AVG, .335 OBP, .403 SLG, .738 OBP

Jose Vidro (2B): 136 G, 501 AB, 63 R, 153 H, 32 DBL, 14 HR, 68 RBI, 63 BB, 3 SB, 1 CS, .305 AVG, .383, OBP, .455 SLG, .837 OPS

Jose Guillen (OF): 150 G, 547 AB, 80 R, 150 H, 26 DBL, 2 TRP, 32 HR, 96 RBI, 34 BB, 5 SB, 4 CS, .274 AVG, .317 OBP, .504 SLG, .820 OPS

Nick Johnson (1B): 154 G, 523 AB, 88 R, 139 H, 31 DBL, 22 HR, 77 RBI, 93 BB, 6 SB, 3 CS, .266 AVG, .377 SLG, .450 OBP, .827 OPS

Vinny Castilla (3B): 119 G, 409 AB, 42 R, 94 H, 21 DBL, 2 TRP, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 29 BB, .231 AVG, .282 OBP, .406 SLG, .688 OPS

Endy Chavez (OF): 107 G, 383 AB, 54 R, 109 H, 19 DBL, 4 TRP, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 29 BB, 20, SB, 8 CS, .285 AVG, .334 OBP, .393 SLG, .727 OPS

Brian Schnieder (C): 132 G, 417 AB, 36 R, 102 H, 24 DBL, 2 TRP, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 38 BB, .244 AVG, .307 OBP, .404 SLG, .711 OPS


Nationals Rotation

Livan Hernandez: 14-12, 3.85 ERA, 34 GS, 234 IP, 231 H, 110 R, 100 ER, 22 HR, 72BB, 177 K

Esteban Loiaza: 12-10, 4.41 ERA, 29 GS, 196 IP, 214 H, 105 R, 96 ER, 21 HR, 58BB, 137 K

Tony Armas: 6-8, 4.58 ERA, 22 GS, 116 IP, 113 H, 64 R, 59 ER, 13 HR, 57 BB, 97 K

Tomo Ohka: 10-9, 3.89 ERA, 29 GS, 169 IP, 178 H, 80 R, 73 ER, 17 HR, 39 BB, 102 K

Zach Day: 7-9, 4.61 ERA, 20 GS, 119 IP, 127 H, 67 R, 61 ER, 11 HR, 51 BB, 66 K

John Patterson: 7-8, 4.21 ERA, 23 GS, 139 IP, 132 H, 72 R, 65 ER, 16 HR, 58 BB, 125 K


Nationals Closer

Chad Cordero: 4-4, 25 SV, 3.99 ERA, 60 G, 70 IP, 61 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 6 HR, 35 BB, 72 K

National Pastime

With the Washington Nationals opening their inaugural season in 2005, I will post regular updates about the team, including live blogging during some of the games. The first order of business, though, is to figure just who this team is.

Who’s in Charge?

Jim Bowden is the team’s general manager, although his contract only takes him through April. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson will manage the team – having been held over from the Expos where he served for two years.

Key Acquisitions:

During the off season, the Nats traded for Jose Guillen – previously a member of the Anaheim Angels, Oakland A’s, and Cincinnati Reds. Guillen gets a fresh start in DC after ending his time in So Cal on a bad note.

The Nats two biggest free agent signings came on the left side of the infield, with Vinny Castilla taking over at third base and Christian Guzman at short. Castilla has spent time with Atlanta and Colorado, enjoying a resurgence last season with the Rockies. Guzman spent his entire career with Minnesota. The Nats also picked up Esteban Loaiza from the Yankees. Loaiza was a surprise in 2003 with the Chicago White Sox, but faltered after a mid-season trade to the Bronx last year.

Hold Overs:

Jose Vidro and Nick Johnson will anchor the right side of the infield. Vidro is a former all-star caliber at second base who has spent his whole career with the Expos. Johnson was a highly regarded Yankees prospect who has battled injuries in his young career.

The outfield is a little unsettled, but it looks like Brad Wilkerson, probably the Nats best hitter, will play left and Guillen will be in right. Center field is an issue, as last year’s starter, Endy Chavez looks as if his place in the line up is in jeopardy. Ryan Church had a solid spring and Termel Sledge is looking to breakout with the big club.

The pitching staff will be anchored by 1997 World Series MVP (with the Florida Marlins) Livan Hernandez. Hernandez is an innings-eater – something especially important for a relatively inexperienced team. He’ll be joined in the rotation by Loaiza, Zach Day, Tony Armas, Tomo Ohka, and John Patterson. The closing duties appear to be Chad Cordero’s.

In my next post, I’ll examine player projections for the key players, and discuss the team’s outlook in the difficult and competitive National League East.