District Daily: Nationals News 5/5
By Kenny DeJohn
Apr 26, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa (8) hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Start your week off with all the hottest news on the Internet surrounding the Washington Nationals:
Red-hot Greinke brings win streak to Washington
Zack Greinke is on a roll, enough that Dodgers management decided to hold off a day on Clayton Kershaw‘s return from the disabled list to keep Greinke on a preferred five-day cycle.
So Greinke starts Monday night’s series opener for the Dodgers against the Nationals and Jordan Zimmermann.
Greinke is 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four lifetime starts against Washington and threw six scoreless innings last July 20 in his only start at Nationals Park. Read full article here.
Espinosa getting job done off the bench
PHILADELPHIA — Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is showing consistency at the plate. Entering Sunday’s action against the Phillies, Espinosa is 24-for-88 (.273) with three home runs and six RBIs.
Hitting coach Rick Schu is not surprised by Espinosa’s success at the plate. According to Schu, Espinosa started making adjustments starting in Spring Training. Espinosa realizes he doesn’t have to hit home runs to reach his potential. For example, he leads the Nationals in bunt base hits. Last year, Espinosa struck out too much and played with injuries. Scouts have often said he thought too much about hitting home runs and that was one of the reasons for his struggles.
“He realizes he doesn’t have to hit the ball out of the park. He is using all of his tools. He can run, he can get around the ball, hit for average, bunt,” Schu said. “He is in a better position, going easy and thinking about doing some things simpler.” Read full article here.
Nationals can’t solve Roberto Hernandez, lose 1-0 in series finale against Phillies
(Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post)
PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Nationals’ lucky break steamrolled them Sunday afternoon. The Philadelphia Phillies scratched Cole Hamels from his start after he came down with the flu Saturday, which convinced the Nationals the world had done them a favor. Rather than one of baseball’s most accomplished lefties, they would face Roberto Hernandez, a journeyman who lugged a 5.74 ERA to the mound.
In the Nationals’ 1-0 loss at Citizens Bank Park, Hernandez made clear the Nationals had run into something far different than luck. He fired 71 / 3 scoreless innings as the Nationals wasted Gio Gonzalez’s dazzling start, cost themselves another opportunity to overtake the scuffling Atlanta Braves and accepted a series loss in the first meeting with the Phillies. Read full article here.