Nationals Fangirl » Wilson Ramos

Enough already

Jenn — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:39:38 +0000

Good grief! How many injuries can a team endure? Michael Morse (right lat), Drew Storen (right elbow), and Chien-Ming Wang (left hamstring) have been out all year. Ryan Zimmerman (right shoulder), Rick Ankiel (left quadriceps), and Adam LaRoche (right oblique) are back on the field, but Brad Lidge (hernia), Mark DeRosa (left oblique), and Jayson Werth (left wrist) are not. Werth will be out for months.

And now Wilson Ramos? I almost don’t want to hear the extent of his knee injury.

The Nationals are fortunate to have a terrific backup catcher in Jesus Flores, but my heart breaks for Ramos. After the kidnapping ordeal last fall, the last thing I want for him is time away from his teammates.

Get well soon, Wilson. We miss you already.

Photo: Wilson Ramos suits up in the bullpen before a game against the Houston Astros on April 19.

Another day, another walk-off win

Jenn — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:02:02 +0000

The 2012 Nationals have a flair for dramatic endings.

In last night’s 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, the good guys never led until the bottom of the 11th, when Wilson Ramos hit a walk-off single to score Steve Lombardozzi from third.

It was a joyous ending to a stress-filled inning.

With the game tied at 3, Tyler Moore and Ian Desmond led off with 2 outs. Ugh! The Nats were running out of players, with only Ramos and starting pitchers left on the bench. Ryan Mattheus and Sean Burnett were the only men in the bullpen.

Next, Steve Lombardozzi singled on a 1-1 count, Bryce Harper walked after starting in a 0-2 hole, and Jason Werth walked on 5 pitches. A single wins it, but up to this point the Nationals had left 21 (21!) men on base.

Enter Ramos, who of course worked a full count. On pitch number six, game over. Yay Wilson! Go Nats!

Photo: A shaving-cream-covered Wilson Ramos hugs Jesus Flores after hitting a walk-off single in the Nationals 4-3 win over the Phillies.

Edwin Jackson makes himself at home

Jenn — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:24:39 +0000

Edwin Jackson made quite an impression in his first regular-season start at Nationals Park.

The right-hander threw an efficient complete game: 9 innings, 9 strikeouts, and only 92 pitches. He walked one, allowed one earned run, and added to the fun by hitting a single in the bottom of the fourth.

And to the delight of fans (and the bullpen), who had endured an extra-innings marathon the night before, Jackson took care of the Cincinnati Reds in a quick 2 hours and 33 minutes.

That was some performance.

Photos: (1) Edwin Jackson throws a complete game to beat the Reds on April 14; (2) Jackson hugs Davey Johnson after the game; (3) MASN’s Kristina Ackra interviews the player of the game; and (4) Jesus Flores and Wilson Ramos show their love and approval with a cold Gatorade shower.