Livo gets fourth spot

Manager Jim Roggleman just said Livo Hernandez has fourth spot in rotation.
No decision yet on fifth spot.

Pitching intrigue; other news

Update for 10:05 a.m.

Top three spots in the Washington Nationals pitching rotation are set: Opening Day starter John Lannan, Jason Marquis and Craig Stammen, Manager Jim Riggleman says.

A meeting was held at 9 a.m. to determine the fourth starter but no news has been released yet.

Riggleman says a decision on the fifth starter is not expected today.

The contenders for the final two spots, in order of chances for them landing the spot appear to be, for now, Livan Hernandez, Scott Olsen and Garrett Mock.

In regard to other positions, Riggleman said this morning it's a possibility utility players Alberto Gonzalez, who will make team, and Eric Bruntlett could go north.

Today's game called off

Update for 12:51 p.m.

Ticket policy regarding today's rainout which will not be made up:

From Nationals:


Nationals Spring Training season-ticket holders can exchange March 29 tickets for account credit toward the 2011 Grapefruit League season at Space Coast Stadium. Note the 2011 Grapefruit League schedule has not yet been announced.


Those requesting account credit for March 29 should submit a written request. All such requests should reference the refund option and include the March 29 game tickets, the ticket holders mailing address and the season ticket account number, and should be sent no later than Sept. 1, 2010 to:


Nationals Park

ATTN: Spring Training Season Ticket Holder

1500 South Capitol Street, S.E.

Washington, DC 20003


Any Season-Ticket holder sending in their tickets will receive a credit for the value of parking purchased for the March 29th Grapefruit League games at Space Coast Stadium.


Update for 10:10 a.m.

Today's spring training home finale for the Nationals vs. the New York Mets has been called off due to rain and wet conditions.

No word yet on a makeup although discussions are under way about a possible split-squad game on Tuesday at Space Coast but nothing has been decided.

The weather for the remainder of the week is fine.



9:50 a.m. update

We remain wet and in a holding pattern as far as today's scheduled 1:05 p.m. Nationals vs. Mets spring training game is concerned.

There's no indication on when we might get word on postponement but a major factor is the parking lots surrounding Space Coast Stadium are swamped.

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Did I say wet? Space Coast Stadium is one big puddle, the parking lots are swamped and while officially today's spring training home finale has not been called there's no way a game will be played here today.

Large standing puddles dot rightfield and left field, the first base coaching box is underwater and large puddles dot the warning track.

Too bad but there's nothing anyone can do. Any work today will be done in the batting cages.

And oh, by the way, it's still raining and one look at the weather radar makes it appear more is on the way. In fact the Weather Service says some areas, without being specific, could accumulate another inch of rain.

So be it.

But that said, business still needs to be conducted since the Nationals still need to reduce their roster by 11 players by Opening Day which is a week from today.

Nats win, 9-3

Washington Nationals improve spring training records to 8-17, defeating Atlanta Braves, 9-3, before 5,788 fans at Space Coast.

Big news of the day was demotion of Justin Maxwell to Triple-A and awarding of Opening Day shortstop start to Ian Desmond over Cristian Guzman.

Also, lefthander Scott Olsen made a strong case for a spot in the pitching rotation. A decision is expected on Monday, the day of the Nationals final spring training home game.

Has the time flown that quickly?

Desmond gets shortstop nod

Ian Desmond will start season at shortstop for the Washington Nationals with Cristian Guzman getting some time at second and short. Both will be an Opening Day roster, Manager Jim Riggleman told reporters this morning.

Justin Maxwell optioned

The Nationals just announced Justin Maxwell has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, reducing the number of players competing for the right field spot to four: Willie Harris, Roger Bernandina, Mike Morse and Willy Taveras.

More later

Nats preaching strikes

VIERA — It wouldn't be baseball if there wasn't a dichotomy.


And Washington Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman acknowledged it.

Admitting that the Nationals need to keep stressing to their pitchers that they need to be more aggressive, he at the same time contradicted himself.

That's baseball.

"It's a real dilemma," Riggleman told reporters on Friday. "So many things in the game contradict themselves, but we've got to get our pitchers throwing first-pitch strikes. But the other side of that is the highest average in baseball is the first pitch that's put in play.

"It's the old 'don't give them anything to hit but throw strikes.' But we've got to throw more strikes. We've gradually gotten better at that."

Speaking of pitching, Riggleman acknowledged the bullpen has stabilized to where he "would be surprised" if right-handers Matt Capps, Brian Bruney, Tyler Clippard, Jason Bergmann and left-hander Sean Burnett don't form the core of the relievers, with veteran Miguel Batista being counted on for providing the needed long innings.

If that plays out, basically one spot remains open and that could come down to right-hander Tyler Walker or lefty Jesse English, who Riggleman said has been a surprise this spring.

Washington's pitchers, from top to bottom, held their own on Friday as the Nationals beat the error-prone St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 at Space Coast Stadium to improve to 6-16.

Washington starter John Lannan pitched 52/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and walking three. He threw 96 pitches, 63 for strikes. Jason Bergmann, Tyler Clippard and Brian Bruney combined for 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

"We're going to fine." Ivan Rodriguez, who caught Lannan on Friday, said.

"This is a ball club, we can hit and the pitchers have been doing a good job. Our starting pitchers, if you go five, six, seven innings per start, we're going to be fine."

Willie Harris, competing for a spot in right field, went 3-for-3 with a walk for the Nationals. Rodriguez had a two-run home run to center field in the sixth to give the Nationals a 5-4 lead.

Shortstop Decision Soon.

A decision on the winner of the shortstop competition between veteran and returnee Cristian Guzman and phenom Ian Desmond will be made soon, Riggleman said.

"We'll know that in the near future," Riggleman said. "If one of those two guys was going to be on the ball club and not be the shortstop, we need to get him some work some other places.

"We need to make that call probably pretty soon just so whoever we're not going to play there, we can say, 'We're going to have to start moving you around.'

"If Guzman is the shortstop, we work Desmond out in other places or we send him to the minor leagues. If Desmond is the shortstop, we work Guzman out in other places."