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• After Monday's loss the Washington Nationals are 5-2 seven games into the current nine-game road trip with two more to play in Miami before the Nats head home to the nation's capital for three with Atlanta and three with New York. The Nationals are 15-11 in the month of May. The surging Marlins are 19-8 in May after an 8-14 start to the season. Following the Memorial Day win, Miami's just 2.5 games behind the #FirstPlaceNats with two more to play in Marlins Park tonight and tomorrow. Edwin Jackson takes the mound tonight for the Nats. The 28-year-old right-hander is looking for his first win since April 14th. SInce then the Nationals are 1-5 in E-Jax's starts with Jackson (0-2) over the same stretch. It won't be easy tonight. Marlins' right-hander Anibal Sanchez will be on the hill. The 28-year-old right-hander held the Nats to five hits and two runs in an April 21st start in Washington which Miami lost 3-2, but Sanchez received no-decision and is still (7-0) in 18 career starts against the Marlins' NL East rivals with a 2.10 ERA, 46 walks (3.71 BB/9) and 95 K's (7.66 K/9) in 111.2 IP. Can the Nats beat the Fish? We'll find out tonight... unless you're in North Carolina? Find out why Carolinians can't watch... RIGHT NOW!!!:
• THE BIG STORY!!! (Today in Two Parts):
• "The region, whose fans identify more with Atlanta than the District or Baltimore, is nevertheless considered by baseball officials to fall within the Washington/Baltimore market, so the Time Warner decision not to carry the stations prompted complaints of discrimination from MASN." - "Court shuts out Nationals, Orioles fans' viewing in N.C." - Dave Sherfinski, Washington Times
• "'[Steve] Lombardozzi has become the Nationals’ typical leadoff hitter, batting first in six of the Nationals’ past nine games. 'My primary lineup is Lombo leading off,' [Davey] Johnson said.'" - "Steve Lombardozzi becoming a leading man for the Nationals" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• NATS BEAT:
• "'The last time I talked to [head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz], he said I might let him play the field the 6th,' [Davey] Johnson said. 'I might let him play the field a lot earlier than that.'" - "Michael Morse to start rehab Tuesday at Class A Potomac" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington
• "A lineup that not long ago featured more black holes than a Carl Sagan novel is starting to produce in a manner more befitting a first-place club." - "Harper, Zimmerman lead offensive surge" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "[Michael] Morse will play for Potomac on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Nationals re-evaluate the slugger and determine the next step for him as he nears a return to the active roster." - "Michael Morse to play in Potomac on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus updates on Flores, DeRosa" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "Outfielder Michael Morse is inching closer to a return from the disabled list, and he will report to Class A Potomac on Tuesday to begin his rehab assignment." - "Morse's rehab stint starts Tuesday in Potomac" - Tom Green, nationals.com: News
• "Ian Desmond has taken the leap the organization hoped he would at the plate. And [Bryce] Harper has already matched Werth's production through about the same number of at-bats." - "The Baseball Page: May 27, 2012" - Brian McNally, Washington Examiner
• "Phenom Bryce Harper was called up earlier than most people thought he would be and he has shown everything and more in his first month in the majors." - "Nationals not waiting til next year with latest moves" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "Nothing fascinates me more than watching a fine team discover itself. Wildly different personalities blend into one team identity." - "For the Nationals, the worse it gets, the more silver linings they stumble upon" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post
• "The 26-year-old [Jhonatan] Solano will make his big-league debut, and he'll do so on the same field with his younger brother Donovan, called up by the Marlins last week." - "Moore to Syracuse, Solano coming up" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "'Jordan [Zimmermann] pitched a good ballgame. He just made a bad pitch to [Giancarlo] Stanton,' manager Davey Johnson said." - "Weary Nationals lose to Marlins 5-3" - Steven WIne, AP/WTOP.com
• "[Chad] Tracy will fly to Philadelphia on Monday night and meet with a doctor Tuesday. Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Tracy had a lot of swelling in the area..." - "Nationals place Tracy on DL before MRI" - Tom Green, nationals.com: News
• "[Jhonatan] Solano will most likely share the catching duties fairly evenly with Carlos Maldonado until [Jesus] Flores returns to full health -- which the Nationals do not anticipate being a long time." - "Nationals option Tyler Moore to Triple-A, expected to recall catcher Jhonatan Solano" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "'I didn’t play a whole lot, but I got to experience the atmosphere and experience how things work,' [Tyler] Moore said. 'It was real beneficial for me. '" - "Nationals call up Jhonatan Solano, option Tyler Moore" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "Meanwhile, today will be a big day for [Chad] Tracy, who is in Philadelphia to undergo an MRI on his injured groin." - "Nationals Pastime: Looking back on a wild holiday weekend" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com
• "'I can throw anything in any situation,' [Jordan] Zimmermann said. 'I just have to get it down a little more. That was right over the middle...'" - "Two bad pitches, one tough loss" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "The [Giancarlo] Stanton home run was his 11th in May and it derailed an otherwise smooth start from [Jordan] Zimmermann." - "Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins - May 28, 2012" - Tom Green, MLB.com WSH Recap
• "The Nationals showed little signs of wear, but the Marlins snapped Washington’s three-game winning streak and shrank its lead over the Marlins and Mets to 2 1/2 games." - "Nationals vs. Marlins: Miami rallies to snap Washington’s three-game win streak" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post
• "At his current pace, [Bryce] Harper would be the most productive 19-year-old in major league history." - "DALY: Harper's stellar start is a gold mine for stat freaks" - Dan Daly, Washington Times
• "Coming into the season, the Nats considered catcher to be a strength - with the tandem of Ramos and Flores - and sufficient enough depth that they traded catcher Derek Norris to the A's over the winter..." - "Nationals Pastime: Moore optioned to Syracuse, Solano to be recalled" - Pete Kerzel, MASNSports.com
• "Anibal Sanchez has toed the rubber against the Nationals 18 times in his career. He has never left with a loss." - "Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins - May 29, 2012" - Zack Meisel, MLB.com Preview
• "You knew it was only a matter of time before Ryan Zimmerman started getting hot at the plate." - "Instant analysis: Marlins 5, Nats 3" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "The difference between the Washington Nationals moving their winning streak to four games or dropping their second contest of their nine-game trip, was two pitches." - "Zimmermann laments mistakes in Nats' loss to Marlins" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "Because catcher Jesus Flores is day to day with a strained right hamstring, and with uncertainty surrounding how long he will be out, the Nationals wanted to bring in some help." - "Nats option Moore, call up help at catcher" - Tom Green, nationals.com: News
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "The many factors which divide us are actually much more superficial than those we share."
• NATS MINORS:
• Class-A Hagerstown: "[Nathan] Karns (2-0) struck out a career high ten batters in a complete game one-hitter, leading Hagerstown to a fourth consecutive win." - "Karns Throws One-Hitter in Win Over BlueClaws" - Hagerstown Suns News
• Class-A Hagerstown: Suns 9, Grasshoppers 7 - Billy Burns - 2 for 5, 3 RBIs; Alex Meyer - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's - Hagerstown Suns Scoreboard
• Class-A Potomac: "The Myrtle Beach Pelicans defeated the Potomac Nationals 3-2 in front of a crowd 4,214 on Memorial Day at Pfitzner Stadium." - "Pelicans Defeat Nationals 3-2" - Potomac Nationals News
• Double-A Harrisburg: Phillies 8, Senators 0 - Stephen Kind - 2 for 3, 1 2B; Daniel Rosenbaum - 6.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's - Harrisburg Senators Scoreboard
• "[Matt] Lecroy said [Destin] Hood would visit a doctor Monday. What they found was not good news, because the Senators placed outfielder on the disabled list, retroactive to May 25." - "Harrisburg's Hood placed on disabled list, Kobernus out with thumb injury" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, dropped their series opener to the Louisville Bats, 4-3, on Monday afternoon." - "Bats squeak by Chiefs in series opener" - Syracuse Chiefs News
• Triple-A Syracuse: "After about a month in the big leagues, [Tyler] Moore is on his way back to the Chiefs." - "Tyler Moore coming back, Corey Brown officially a National, Chiefs beaten by Bats" - Ben Meyers, The Auburn Citizen
• "Last Night In Woodbridge" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com
• "Washington Nationals Minor League and Prospect Report for Week Ending May 27" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page
• NATSTOWN:
• "Because there’s a stat for everything, there’s a stat for home-run trot time, and [Bryce] Harper is dominating." - "Morning pixels: Bryce Harper is baseball’s fastest home run trotter" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post
• "Over the holiday weekend, Michael Morse posted a picture on Facebook of the new license plate he ordered in his home state of Florida..." - "Michael Morse's BEAST-38 license plate" - Nats Enquirer
• "On June 5, 2005 the Nationals took over 1st place in the National League East. This was the first time since 1933 a Major League team from Washington was in 1st place this late into the season." - "This Day in D.C. Baseball History – Nats turn it around" - Mark Hornbaker, D.C. Baseball History
• "Fast forward to the end of May, and it's safe to say that no one in Washington is second-guessing general manager Mike Rizzo's move anymore." - "Nobody's second-guessing Gonzalez deal now" - Nationals Buzz, Will Yoder, The Nats Blog
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Phillies: "Due to the Memorial Day holiday, Roy Halladay will have his injured shoulder examined Tuesday." - "Halladay to see doctor on Tuesday" - Marc Narducci, Philly.com
• Marlins: "As Heath Bell ran in from the bullpen in the ninth inning Monday, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen turned toward the railing separating the dugout from owner Jeffrey Loria's seat." - "Miami Marlins continue red-hot May (19-8); Heath Bell gets flawless save" - Joe Capozzi, Palm Beach Post
• Mets: "David Wright moved to shortstop in the fourth inning of Saturday's game against the Phillies as a result of Justin Turner's third-inning injury." - "Turner's injury forces Wright over to shortstop" - Ethan Asofsky, mets.com: News
• Braves: "Freddie Freeman‘s eye problems have not gotten any better and in fact the Braves first baseman has reacted poorly to multiple sets of contact lenses..." - "Freddie Freeman orders prescription goggles, will visit specialist as eye problems persist" - Aaron Gleeman, HardballTalk