• Programming Note: The Washington Nationals and New York Mets meet in the Citi Field home opener this afternoon at 4:05 pm EDT. The game will be broadcast locally on MASN HD and WHFS 1580 AM and Sirius/XM subscribers can find it on Ch. 183 outside of D.C. Nats' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann takes the mound against Mets' knuckler R.A. Dickey. Saturday night it's going to be Tom Gorzelanny vs Chris Capuano in a Lefty vs Lefty matchup on the hill and Sunday (I think I'll be there) hometown boy Jason Marquis returns to NY to face off against Chris Young and the Mets...
• LINKS AND LINKS AND...
• NATS BEAT:
• "Drew Storen dominated the eighth and ninth, spotting his fastball while touching 97 miles per hour and mixing in a slider..." - "Last night’s Nationals leftovers" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "He's just such a pro," Jim Riggleman said. "He doesn't get flustered or anything. He just kept getting good at-bats, and he connected." - "LaRoche, bullpen power Nats to win" - Mark Zuckerman, CSN Washington
• "The numbers speak for themselves," oufielder Jayson Werth said. "(He's a) great defender, a good guy, he's positive, he's fun to be around." - Werth on LaRoche - "Adam LaRoche asserts himself with game-winning homer" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "Don't look for Nationals reliever Brian Broderick to appear in tight games anytime soon..." - "Riggleman looking out for Broderick" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com
• "'I guess that’s the only safe place to hit it right now is in the seats, feels like,' LaRoche said." - "LaRoche homer helps Nationals top Marlins in 11' - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• HagersHarpertown:
• "'I had big butterflies going out there tonight,' said Harper, who batted third in the order. 'After that first pitch was thrown, I felt really good.'" - "Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper makes his professional debut for the Class A Hagerstown Suns" - Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com
• "Bryce Harper, the Nationals’ 18-year-old phenom outfielder, will see significant playing time in center field for Class A Hagerstown..." - "Harper to see time in CF, beginning this weekend" - Dave Sheinin, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "Bryce Harper updates his fans and the media members how his time in the minors has been so far..." - "Harper with two base hits in professional debut" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Nats vs Mets:
• "Old friend Willie Harris has picked up the slack, with a .353 average, a homer and four RBI already this season. " - "Nats Insider: Series preview: Nats at Mets" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "'When I go out there, I have a pretty high expectation of myself,' Dickey said after his first start on Sunday. 'I just want to try to meet that expectation every time...'" - Washington Nationals at New York Mets - April 8, 2011 | Alden Gonzalez, MLB.com Preview
• "Mets veteran right-hander R. A. Dickey (1-0, 0.00) will bring his knuckleball to Friday afternoon's Mets home opener..." - "A peek ahead: Nats to wrap first 2011 road swing in Queens" - Mike Henderson, Hendo's Hutch | Washington Nationals Daily News
• Your Daily Message from the Dalai Lama on Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Compassion and love give meaning to our activities and makes them constructive."
• NatsSHARKTown:
• "Fearful of his skills, the Bisons' manager did everything he could to prevent the Shark from playing." - "Nationals 'Shark Up', Feast on Marlins" - Sharkadina, Street Shark: Roger Bernadina's Unofficial Blog: Nationals
• NatsTown:
• "Stephen Strasburg claims his dad doesn't know the Lerners' email address, was a Dibble fan." - The Nationals Enquirer
• "Well, with apologies to Oprah and Julie Andrews (how's that for obscure references in a baseball blog)?, let me share with you some of my favorite things about the 2011 Nationals..." - "A few of my favorite things" - MASN, Nationals Buzz: Dave Nichols from NNN Guest Post.
• "The Nationals starting pitching hasn’t look dominant, but it’s looked quite good. The starters have a 3.74 ERA right now, good for 8th in the NL." - "A Getaway Friday" - Charlie, The Nationals Review
• "Friday’s News and Notes" - Sue Dinem, NationalsProspects.com
• "The Nats are not a poorly built team. At least it feels that way. There are issues here and there but overall there isn't one thing that stands out." - "The Thousand Cuts Philosophy and More on Streaks" - Harper, Nationals Baseball
• "Mr. Venison Leads Nats To Victory" - DangerNat, Nationals Inquisition
• Non-Mets-NL EAST UPDATES:
• Marlins: "Edwin Rodriguez has a website" - Craig, Fish Stripes
• Phillies: "'I'm happy because I have a chance to play,' [Wilson] Valdez said. 'Everybody here is ready to play. I was ready for a chance.'" - "Wilson Valdez's play showing Philadelphia Phillies made right decision at second base" - Brad Wilson, Lehighvalleylive.com
• Braves: "Three years ago, Brandon Beachy was pitching for Indiana Wesleyan University. Undrafted, he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves after a successful summer season in the collegiate Valley League." - "Prospect of the Day: Brandon Beachy" - John Sickels, Minor League Ball
• Joe Posnanski on Golf? I'll take it: "Posts The Slum of First-Round Leaders" - Joe Posnanski, SI.com