Results tagged ‘ Danny Espinosa ’
Some random notes on Espi, Nady, Harper
* Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa continues to be productive from the right side of the plate. On Friday, he went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. He raised his batting average to .359 [14-for-39].
“I feel like no one can get me out,” Espinosa said. “I feel pretty good. I have a good approach up there. I know what I can’t hit.”
On the other hand, from the left side of the plate, Espinosa has had problems all year long. Going into Saturday’s action against the Red Sox, he is 30-for-156 [.192]. Espinosa doesn’t have an explanation on why he is having problems from the left side of the plate. For most of his life, he says, Espinosa has been successful against right-handed pitching.
“It has been real weird for me,” Espinosa said. “My whole life I was a better left-handed hitter. It’s kind of confusing. I don’t understand it. Left-handed, I feel like, I’m not using my hands. I feel like I’m using my shoulders, my body, almost trying to create too much.
“Right-handed, I try to use my hands. … My strength will get there as long as my hand gets there, but it has been a work in progress, I guess, this whole year. It gets frustrating at times because I was a better hitter left-handed. It’s like, why all of a sudden am I struggling left-handed?”
* Lost in the Nationals’ 7-4 victory was the fact that outfielder Xavier Nady robbed Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of a solo homer in the third inning.
With Stephen Strasburg on the mound and the Nationals leading, 3-2, Gonzalez swung at a 0-1 pitch and hit the ball to deep right field.
Center fielder Bryce Harper shouted to Nady, “You have room, you have room.” Nady climbed the five-foot wall and caught the ball while on running on full speed.
“When I realized that it was in my glove, I kind of shocked myself,” Nady said. “With the sky — once I turned my head and ran — I didn’t pick up the ball until it was close to hitting me in the head. I didn’t pick it up immediately, but I was fortunate enough to hold on to it. I’m still in shock.”
* Although Bryce Harper went 3-for-5 against the Red Sox n Friday, manager Davey Johnson felt the 19-year-old made two mistakes in the games.
In the sixth inning, Harper singled off left-hander Rich Hill to drive in Tyler Moore. Harper was out trying to stretch the single into a double.
Although first-base coach Trent Jewett told Harper to go to second, Johnson felt Harper should have used his instincts and realized he didn’t have a shot to take the extra base.
“[Harper] saw the throw coming to second,” Johnson said. “He was going to hold, but Trent was assuming the ball was going to be [thrown to home plate], so he went on Trent’s instructions. I told [Harper], ‘You have to read that, no matter what he says. [Jewett] is thinking it’s going to be a close play at the plate, then you go give yourself up.’ Harper knew it.”
The second mistake was Harper, who batted second during the game, tried to bunt to reach base.
“I don’t want him to do that,” Johnson said. “I don’t know where that came from, what box of Cracker Jacks he got that out of. … I didn’t ask him about the bunt, but I’ll get to that tomorrow.”
* Stat of the day courtesy of the Red Sox: Harper’s six home runs this season are the most by teenager since Adrian Beltre had seven with the Dodgers in 1998 with the Dodgers.
Espinosa injured in ninth inning vs. Giants
During the ninth inning of their 3-1 loss to the Giants on Wednesday afternoon, the Nationals found themselves in controversy.
On a 2-2 pitch with two outs, Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa was hit on the right hand by a Matt Cain pitch. However, home-plate umpire Sam Holbrook and third-base umpire Greg Gibson ruled that Espinosa swung at the pitch to end the game.
The replay showed that Espinosa, who was in serious pain, did not swing at the pitch. Manager Jim Riggleman argued with Holbrook, but the play stood. After the game, Espinosa was seen with a patch on his left hand and declined to talk to the media.
Riggleman said he wanted an explanation on why Espinosa was called out, but Riggleman didn’t get an answer.
“The third-base umpire had it as a swing, the home-plate umpire had it as a swing,” Riggleman said. “What I was asking was, if it hit any part of the bat, then it’s a foul ball. That’s the explanation I was trying to get. I was never really told that the ball hit only him.
“You can’t walk off the field, the game is over and say, ‘OK, the game is over. We lost, you won. We don’t say anything.’ I was just trying to ask the umpires for somewhat of a lengthy explanation. I wasn’t going to argue with them. I just wanted a clear explanation and I didn’t get it.”
Espinosa expected to play against Braves
Two days after fouling a ball of his right foot, second baseman Danny Espinosa traveled with the Nationals to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Thursday and will come off the bench against the Braves.
Espinosa had to leave Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Mets in the top of the seventh inning after fouling a ball off the top of his right foot.
Espinosa, who had to be carried off the field and into the trainer’s room, appeared to be seriously hurt initially. The good news was that Espinosa was walking on his own power after the game. X-rays on Espinosa’s foot were negative.
“I will play for a few innings just to see how it is. It was just swelling. That’s all it is,” Espinosa said. “I figured it wasn’t broken. I didn’t have any pain in the actual spot I was hurt. What was hurting was the swelling inside my foot that was making my ankle and toes stiff. They checked everything before I left the clubhouse that night, so I wasn’t too worried.”
Espinosa is one of the Nationals’ best players this spring, hitting .324 with two home runs and a team-leading 12 RBIs.
“I feel good. With runners in scoring position, I try to get that runner from third home, even if it’s a ground ball or whatever it is,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa leaves game after fouling ball off foot
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa had to leave Tuesday’s game in the top of the seventh inning against the Mets after fouling a ball off his right foot.
It looked like Espinosa was seriously hurt. He had to be carried off the field and into the trainer’s room. There is no official word on how serious the injury is.
Espinosa is expected to be Washington’s everyday second baseman this season. Entering Tuesday’s action, Espinosa was having a solid spring, going 11-for-33 [.333] with two home runs and a team leading 11 RBIs.
Nationals make two sparkling defensive plays
The Nationals are one of the worst defensive teams in baseball this season, but they made two sparkling gems during Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Marlins.
In the fifth inning, with runners on first and third, two outs and Nationals right-hander Jason Marquis on the mound, Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison hit a shot up the middle that looked like a base hit. But second baseman Danny Espinosa made a great diving play and threw out Morrison for the final out of the inning.
“That was great play,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “The range to get it and then the arm to finish it off was tremendous. I don’t know what more you could do there.”
A natural shortstop, Espinosa sounded like a person who doesn’t need to make adjustments at second base. Espinosa didn’t start playing the position until after the All-Star break.
“I’m trying to feel more comfortable everyday over there to make my routine plays. It makes me feel better,” Espinosa said.
In the sixth inning, the Nationals were able to turn a great double play. With no outs and a runner on first, Dan Uggla hit what looked like a routine groundball to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who booted the ball, but manage to throw out Uggla at first base.
At the same time, Hanley Ramirez didn’t stop at second and decided to go to third. Luckily for the Nationals, shortstop Ian Desmond was covering third as first baseman Adam Dunn threw out Ramirez for the double play.
“I saw that he didn’t stop at second,” Desmond said about Ramirez. “I just knew to run to third. That’s the way they teach you to do it. I ran to third, hoping that Dunn was going to throw it and he did.”
The Rocket
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