I feel off this week. I don't know what it is. Most likely it was the trip this weekend and then the off day Monday. I just feel like I am stuck in some weird week that is running backwards. It was really dark this morning too. I didn't realize the year is starting to get late and soon it will be autumn and all that fun stuff. I guess I just feel like I have lost my sense of time.
The important thing is the Nationals played a game last night, and while Maya did not look very good at the beginning of the game, once he settled down and got comfortable he pitched well enough to give us hope that he can be better. Let us not look past the comment near the bottom of this game story that points out just how bad Pudge has been doing for awhile now. It is almost to the point where Pudge would be better bunting every time he comes to the plate with a runner on first, and this is a case where bunting isn't giving an out away it is saving one. --Dave Nichols from natsnewsnetwork.com
Among the players the Nats called up yesterday was Joe Bisenius*. My only comment when I saw that name was "Who?" I don't really follow the minors that much outside of reading what other people write about them (thanks sd), but I don't recall ever reading that name. He is an interesting story as it has been a bit of a struggle for him and I know all of us National's fans hope he finds success and a home in Natstown**. --Mark Zuckerman natsinsider.com
* The name Bisenius reminds me of some name that should appear in the Starz series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."
** At first I hated this marketing campaign, but it has really grown on me. It was probably during the Phillies invasion when I just imagined Gerard Butler lining up Phillies fans and kicking them off the Red Porch and screaming, "THIS IS NATSTOWN!!!"
It is time for the jump.
What is a reliever? For the most part they are failed starters. So, in a way it is good to see the Nationals having failed starters of their own becoming decent relievers rather than having to buy 20 minor league free agents every season. --Byron Kerr from masnsports.com
What fun would the world be without teenage celebrities? Probably a lot more fun, but then we wouldn't get to make fun of them. Of course lumping Bryce Harper in with Justin Bieber doesn't exactly seem right, but whatever. Harper gets the treatment of having his interview picked apart by the good people at deadspin. --David Mathews from deadspin.com
More on the game last night and how Maya showed something special by not just folding after the long, long , long homerun by Ike Davis. --Mark Zuckerman csnwashington.com
Espinosa might not have done it with the bat last night, but that doesn't mean he didn't impress with the glove. --Adam Kilgore at washingtonpost.com
The year is stacked with solid rookies. I think in any other year Desmond might get a few votes for fifth place, but I am not even sure this year he is top ten. --Results of Twitter poll conducted by Bill Ladson from nationals.com
The Nationals most special rookie is currently on the DL and won't be back until September of next year at the absolute earliest, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have one of the 32 fastest fastball of all time. --Joe Posnanski from si.com
September is fan appreciation month. If anyone at the Nationals is reading this I have never won anything at Nats Park or RFK for that matter. So I think row CC section 132U should be selected for a prize Friday night. Preferably food. --Cheryl Nichols at natsnewsnetwork.com
Former National and native Candian is making his season debut for the Toronto Blue Jays. Good luck Shawn Hill. --John Lott at montrealgazette.com
Nyjer Morgan got in fights on the ice too. I know, the news that a hockey player got in a fight is big. This is still an interesting look at the personality of Nyjer Morgan. I think it is important in all this to remember that although he has lacked focus on the field this year Nyjer is not a bad guy. --Jon Paul Morosi from foxsports.com
Around the NL East
Jason Heyward has had a pretty good year, and an even better rookie year than former Braves slugger Henry Aaron. Of course this makes me wonder how comparable the two eras are. --Alex Remington from yahoosports.com
And the Phillies are in first. --David Brown from yahoosports.com
General Baseball
One of the most entertaining characters in baseball is still playing baseball at the age of 63. Spaceman Bill Lee is still having fun and throwing Leephus pitches and getting batters out. --Barry Petchesky at deadspin.com
Since getting a new manager the Orioles have been playing better, but not everyone is a fan. --Keith Olberman* at mlb.com
* Just as an observer it is funny to me that a lot of people freaked out that Pujols and La Russa went to Glen Beck's rally, but yet no one finds it at least a little bit ironic that Keith Olberman has an mlb sponsered blog. They are pretty much the same guy. If you remove their political views from the equation they are both political commentators that speak in hyperbole and appeal to one side and disgust the other.
If I ever got to sit right behind home plate and the umpire made a flat out terrible call I might get ejected, but I don't think I would heckle the oppossing catcher. The big story of this game should have been Hoffman getting his 600th save, but all it gets is a little mention at the end. --AP from yahoosports.com
Pitching like a winner is my favorite baseball cliche to make fun of. It is even better than talking about scrappy, gritty, short people getting their uniforms dirty. Anyway, Sabathia hasn't pitched like more of a winner than Felix Hernandez, but might still win the Cy Young because...just because. --Geoff Baker at seattletimes.com
It is sad when any area loses baseball. The sad tale of how MLS is displacing America's pastime in one of America's great cities, Portland Oregon. --Maury Brown at fangraphs.com
Early game today which means lots of green, red, and blue dots on my work computer, and hopeing I see in play run(s) for the Nationals and in play out(s) for the Mets. I just hope that Livan is better than he was in his last two starts. The fact that he hurt his knee really has me worried. That is where all his problems from before came from.