Scherzer Pitches Well Against the Cards

It was great to see Max Scherzer pitching like an ace today against the Cardinals, as the Nationals won 6-1 and swept the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It was his best start of the season so far: seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. A lot of his success can be attributed to his fastball, which was clocked at an average speed of 95.2 MPH and an 80% strike rate (44 of 55 fastballs were strikes). Ten of those strikes were swing-and-misses, meaning that his fastball had some great movement as well. He admits to making a small mechanical adjustment that affects his fastball control (a shortening of his arm action), which shows the kind of work he puts into his craft. Hopefully, he can bring that same fastball domination to bear against the Cubs in Chicago next weekend.

Opening Day!!!

My favorite day of the year is here! This year is extra special since it coincides with my wedding anniversary (2nd time it has done so for us). Also, I have a Nationals team that appears to be the cream of the NL East. Playoffs, here we come! Oh, and my beloved Orioles have a tough road ahead in the brutal AL East. However, I think they'll still be in the mix come September. Hope springs eternal! Good luck to everyone's teams today! We all can't win, but we can at least stay healthy. ***Make Opening Day a National Holiday***

Wei-Yin Chen

According to reports, the Orioles and the Nationals are interested in lefty Taiwanese pitcher Wei-Yin Chen, who is eligible for free agency in Japan and may test the Major Leagues. according to Dan Connolly's article in the Sun, Chen is 26 years old, has a fastball that sits in the low 90s with a good forkball and curveball. Obviously, the Orioles need the pitching help much more than the Nationals, but the fact that both teams are in the hunt along with the other major free agent players is saying something. Personally, I hope Chen is wearing an O's uniform next season.

Couple of Things...

I won't get into last night's Nats game too much, as I like to do that in my other blog (Zimtown on mlb.com), but Dunn's ridiculous patience in a late game situation really ticked me off. I love his plate discipline normally, but in that situation he needs to be cranking rather than trying to clog the bases. Just a thought...Anyway, the real news this morning comes courtesy of our friends at 106.7 The Fan. Clinton Portis said some things about Lavar Arrington that were just not cool, even if he doesn't like him. In a nutshell, CP said he was disappointed in Lavar for speaking at Sean Taylor's funeral. What? How does he get off saying who should or shouldn't talk at another man's funeral, and how does he claim to know what Lavar feels about Taylor's death? He says that Lavar used to ruthlessly pick on Taylor, to the point where CP and Taylor were going to 'jump him.' Are you in the 8th grade, Clinton? Were you gonna jump him behind the cafeteria? Anyway, this afternoon's broadcast of the Lavar & Dukes show should be mighty interesting, and must listening for any DC sports fan. More later...

Lastings Milledge, Will You Kindly Step Off!

I just read an article posted to my Twitter from my good pal @federalbaseball that references an interview Lastings Milledge granted Jim Bowden on his Sirius/XM radio show earlier this week. Now, I know this is low-lying fruit for anyone who's been a Nationals fan for any amount of time, but I had to comment on some of the remarks from this interview. There's a snippet from Milledge's father before the interview transcript, where he states, "This is the first time I've seen smiles on his face." Two things: One: I saw him smiling plenty of times, even when he'd screwed up in the outfield or swung at a pitch two feet below the zone. Two: He's probably happy to be in a baseball market that is not as ridiculously scrutinized as the New York and Washington markets. I could be wrong, but Pittsburgh fans only seem to be concerned with the Steelers and the Penguins. Anyone who thinks I'm wrong...Prove it! In general, though, Milledge is very complimentary to the guys he played with in Washington, including his good buddy Willie Harris. Milledge doesn't seem like a bad guy...He just seems immature, just like our former GM who can't stop talking about us. Find another topic, Jim! Talk to you later...

Counting Down to Red Sox & Opening Day

The first hour of the Nationals game on MLB.com was unavailable due to audio technical difficulties, but the part of the game I was able to listen to was dominated by one terrible word: Bergmann. Though I couldn't see his pitches, it sounded like he was getting manhandled by the Marlins (A sound I am way too familiar with as a Nats fan...). It was a case when stats lie: he only gave up two runs, both of which were unearned. But, in relief of starter Garrett Mock, Bergmann gave up five hits in 1/3 of an inning. Mock took the brunt on his ERA, but it was Bergmann's shoddy work that really stood out for me. He couldn't even retire Chris Volstad, a career .123 hitter. It sounded ugly, and it made me glad I couldn't watch it on MLB.tv. Ah, only four more days until the Nats are back at Nats Park for the Red Sox exhibition and only six days until Opening Day. The bullpen may explode, but everything will be right with my world again...

Yesterday was a Quality TV Sports Day

Wow, what a Sunday for the Washington Sports Guy! With the wife working and the weather nasty, I knew that I was in for a long day of sports on the telly. 2 NCAA tournament games, Caps/Flames, and spring training action on MLB Network. Oh, and I also had to listen to the out of town radio broadcasts for the Nats and O's.

Well, the O's game was cancelled, so I could concentrate solely on the Nats, though I knew I'd have to stop listening when the Michigan St/Tennessee started. Not a problem, as the Nats raced to a 9-2 lead before the game started, so I turned on CBS with a clean conscience. And what a game it turned out to be! I walked over to my neighborhood watering hole (Lucky's, right in the heart of the Franconia/Kingstowne area) and watched both the tournament and the Caps game on super huge screens. Fortunately for us, the audio was tuned to the basketball game, as the Caps were horrid to start the game. The Flames were a step faster in every aspect of the first period, and that's what ultimately did the Caps in. Still, the Devils loss clinched 1st in the East. Yes! Anyway, gotta go...Talk to you later!

A New Kennedy in Washington

So, Adam Kennedy is the Nationals' probable opening day second baseman, Plan B after dropping out of the Orlando Hudson sweepstakes. Even though the fan side of me screams, "This Sucks," the baseball management side quietly whispers that this is a decent move. Kennedy will cost 1.25 million for one year and will give Ian Desmond the opportunity to improve his defense in the minors. Now, while the middle infield combo of Guzman and Kennedy is surely music to a line drive hitters ears, I think the Nationals are keeping their eyes keenly on both the present and the future. More later...