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Wire Taps: New/old Gio Gonzalez; New Low-A affiliate; Another Bryce Harper lookalike

All the Washington Nationals links that are fit to link, all in one place. Catch up on the last twenty-four hours in Nats news.

By Will Kubzansky
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With more than a quarter of the season now gone, it's safe to say we still have no idea who these Nationals are, and this series has been a perfect example of that. First they're hitting, then they're not, then the Phillies are tied with them for first. It's an odd series of ups and downs, but Dusty Baker seems to be doing a good job to steady the ship.

Here's the latest from the Big Apple.

This isn't the old Gio Gonzalez - but that doesn't mean he's not good
Gonzalez, who enjoyed twenty wins in 2012, struggled to regain his form over the past few years. This season, he's gotten back to the same place statistically, but it's in a much different way than before.

Another Bryce Harper lookalike showed up to a Nationals game
Again. A different one. Is it creepy? Still, yes.

The Nationals could soon have a new Low-A affiliate
The Batavia Muckdogs are apparently moving to Waldorf, MD, and will likely affiliate with the Nationals, changing the Nats' Penn League affiliate from Auburn to Waldorf.

A lovely Vin Scully anecdote about the Senators bringing their own dirt to Polo Grounds
The Nationals, one century ago, took issue with the "trick dirt" at Polo Grounds, which bears the question: Should Dusty Baker bring his own dirt to Citi Field?

How Reynaldo Lopez, at 6'0, turned into one of the hardest throwing prospects in the Nationals organization
Lopez's bonus was $17,000 dollars, more than $2 million less than his teammate Lucas Giolito earned.

Wilson Ramos accidentally threw his bat into the stands, and a young fan ended up with a Bryce Harper bat
Ramos' bat fell into the hands of a fan decked out in Expos gear, who handed it to a young Nationals fan. The usher took the bat back to the dugout, with help from MASN sideline reporter Dan Kolko. Kolko immediately asked for another bat from the Nationals dugout as an exchange, and the first person to offer one was Bryce Harper. That certainly made baseball fun (again) for the small fan.

Tonight's Game: Nationals vs Mets - 7:10 PM (MASN, MLB Network, WJFK)
Probable Pitchers: Stephen Strasburg (6-0, 2.95 ERA) vs Matt Harvey (3-5, 4.93 ERA)

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