• Programming Note: The Washington Nationals lost two of three to the Philadelphia Phillies, and now they welcome the Milwaukee Brewers and their new outfielder Nyjer Morgan to the nation's capital for a three-game series at Nationals Park. Tonight's 7:05 pm EDT matchup between the Nats and Brewers is on Sirius/XM channel 185, MASN HD, 1500 WFED and 106.7 the FAN in DC according to the Nationals' official broadcast schedule. Lefty vs lefty tonight in Nationals Park. Tom Gorzelanny vs Chris Narveson.
• LINKS AND LINKS AND...
• NATS BEAT:
• "'We’ve got to get something going offensively, and it doesn’t help that the leadoff guy hasn’t gotten on base at home yet,' Desmond said.'" - "Ian Desmond trying to gain footing in leadoff spot" - Gene Wang, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "'A lot of pitchers would maybe have shied away. But he kept on going, pitch-for-pitch with him.'" - Ian Desmond on Jordan Zimmermann - "Zimmermann dazzles, but Lee shuts down Nats" - Mark Zuckerman, CSN Washington
• Twitter: Matt Gelb, Philadelphia Inquirer (@Matt Gelb): "How good must Jordan Zimmermann be? 'That might be the best fastball I've ever seen,' Cliff Lee said."
• "Put simply, he was outpitching one of the game's best. "'That might be the best fastball I've ever seen,' Lee said of Zimmermann after the game.'" - "On Zimmermann's impressive night, Lee one-ups him" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "Gorzelanny's main headache figures to be Prince Fielder, who is so hot he is apparently forgetting that he's not supposed to take liberties against quality left-handed pitchers." - "Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals: Hot Brewers head to D.C. to face Nats" - Tom Singer, MLB.com
• "'I knew I hadn’t given up any hits,' Zimmermann admitted. 'But I just tried to throw strikes.'" - "Zimmermann's strong outing goes for naught vs. Phils" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "'I like a fast game and he likes the fast game. We had a pretty good battle going there. I just made that one mistake to [Carlos] Ruiz.'" - Jordan Zimmermann on Cliff Lee - "Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals: Zimmermann sharp but bats come up" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com
• "I was amused the other day to read a Phillies fan posting on a Web site that the Phils should be ashamed to have lost to a 'washed up junkballer' like Hernandez." - "Starting pitching holding its own" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "After a torrid spring, Morse has cooled off considerably. He’s batting just .148 this season..." - "Michael Morse back in the starting lineup" - Gene Wang, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "... in addition to their own No. 6 selection the Nationals have the White Sox's first-round pick (No. 23) and the first pick in the sandwich round (No. 34 overall) as compensation for losing Adam Dunn to Chicago." - "Afternoon Nationals notes (Rodriguez, 2011 draft)" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "'I hope they [Desmond and Espinosa] see it as being an advisor, not trying to get on them. I’m trying to help them out...'" - "SNYDER: Cora provides guidance while playing the game" - Deron Snyder, Washington Times
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Human nature is such that the individual is most happy and relaxed when he or she can share happiness and trust with others."
• Nats Minor Leagues:
• Triple-A Chiefs: "Centerfielder Roger Bernadina powered the Chiefs offense with 3 RBI and Ross Detwiler threw six one-run innings in his second start of the year." - "Chiefs smother PawSox, 4-1, in Game 2" - Syracuse Chiefs News
• Double-A Senators: "Tyler Moore and Steve Lombardozzi both had two hits in the win and Jesus Valdez drove in two runs, one with a double in the fourth and another on a walk in the ninth." - "Senators hang on for a 4-2 win over Trenton" - Harrisburg Senators News
• Class-A Hagerstown Sun: Bryce Harper was 1 for 3 with a double, his first, and a K. - Hagerstown Suns Scoreboard
• SharkNatsTown:
• "2 for 3, 2 Runs, a Home run, 2 RBI, and a SB. How much more Shark-like can you get? That's a 5 tool Shark right there." - "SHARK DEBUTS, NATS LOSE" - Sharkadina, Street Shark: Roger Bernadina's Unofficial Blog
• NATSTOWN:
• "'I just felt that Mike, deep in the count, has seen enough pitches that he'll put the bat on the ball and we'll maybe find a hole out there.'" - "GAME 12 REVIEW: Lee Outduels Zimmermann; Phils Take Rubber Match 4-0" - Dave Nichols, Nats News Network
• "'We didn’t win the game, but I’m okay with an evening when Jordan [Zimmermann] gives us a glimpse of what he’s capable of...'" - "Zimmermann and Flores take the next step" - Jenn, Nationals Fangirls.com
• "Zimmerman’s average fastball speed was 93.4 on the night, so far this season it had been 92.8." - "Ruiz Ruins Zimmermann's No Hit Bid, Nats Lose 4-0" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog
• "The Washington Senators failure to change with the time when it came to signing black ball players probably was one of the reasons the Senators stayed in the bottom tier of the American League in the 1950's." - "Looking Back on Jackie Robinson Day - Washington Senators were Behind the Times" - Mark Hornbaker, Washington Nationals Daily News
• "Bryce Harper strikes out; entire stadium in Lexington awarded free chicken sandwiches" - The Nationals Enquirer
• "The Nationals front office confirmed that there will be no 'Friday Fireworks' and no fireworks at Nationals Park during the National Anthem, after home runs and after wins." - "Off The Field: No More "Bang Zoom, Go The Fireworks" - Cheryl Nichols
• Aaron Crow Update: "Crow's fastball ranges between 93 and 97 MPH, just as it did last year. His slider is also effective, but he had problems with his changeup in ‘10, as well as mechanical flaws that hampered his command.""Prospect of the Day: Aaron Crow" - John Sickels, Minor League Ball
• NL East Updates:
• Braves: "Solid Starts By Teheran, Oberholtzer, And Kent Highlight Thursday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action" - cbwilk, Talking Chop
• Marlins: "'They’ve got to go deep in the game for us,' Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire said. 'To have those three do well [in Philadelphia] is huge.'" - "Florida Marlins’ series with Phillies will lack firepower" - Clark Spencer, MiamiHerald.com
• Mets: "Hot-hitting Troy Tulowitzki belted his major league-leading seventh homer during the second game of a doubleheader, and the Rockies pounded the Mets..." - "Troy Tulowitzki homers twice as Colorado caps sweep of Mets" AP, The Detroit News