Wire Taps: Mike Rizzo on Washington Nationals’ bullpen issues; Stephen Strasburg’s big start...

The good thing about off days? No late, blown leads. Sorry, Mike Rizzo. [see below].

The bad thing about off days? No baseball. While you wait for the start of tomorrow night’s game with the Mariners, we have the links.

Catch up on the last 24 hours in Nationals news below...

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale talks to Mike Rizzo about bullpen:

GM Mike Rizzo vows to fix long Nationals nightmare - their flailing bullpen
"You look at our team, and all of the great performances and great seasons we’re having, and nobody is talking about it. It’s all about the bullpen and how those guys are struggling. It gets old." - Mike Rizzo

More Nationals’ bullpen chatter:

Minor League Monday: Erick Fedde adjusts to life in the bullpen
"Minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart didn’t waste any time telling him the news: The organization wanted him to pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the season. Fedde was asked if he could do it."

#Stretchburg’s Big Day:

Stephen Strasburg strikes out 11 in Nats win
"It was the kind of outing the Nationals needed from Strasburg, providing some relief for the bullpen and stopping a losing streak."

Nats starters being pushed to the brink with high pitch counts
"Strasburg’s pitch count stood at 110 when Swanson stepped to the plate. It was a hot, muggy afternoon at SunTrust Park. The situation begged for a call to the bullpen."

Glover = Closer:

Glover feeds off Strasburg, looks comfortable as closer
"With the way things have gone the last week for the bullpen, this might be a situation where the pitcher who best displays closer-like abilities will get that shot. Right now, it’s Glover."

Bullpen Report: May 21, 2017
"Koda Glover was the first man out of the Nationals bullpen, and it came with the Nats leading 3-2 with two outs and the tying run on second base in the eighth inning."

Koda Glover might be the new Nationals closer
"The Nationals have always viewed Glover, an eighth-round pick in 2015, as a future closer. The question was whether he was ready this season..."

More random Nationals links:

Dane Dunning trying to settle in with Winston-Salem Dash
"It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for pitcher Dane Dunning of the Winston-Salem Dash, who has played for five different teams and two professional organizations in less than a year."

Nats Power Rankings
"Sometimes, for one’s own sanity, it is important to take a short break from being invested in the marathon of a baseball season."

Ranking the MLB teams after Week 7 of the season
"A funny thing happened on the way to divisional domination -- a skid. The beleaguered bullpen will get reinforcements, but there are other concerns..."

Play Ball! First Professional Sports Venue to be LEED Silver Certified
"Nationals Park, located in Washington, D.C., is home to the Washington Nationals baseball franchise. It was the first professional sports venue to be awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)."