Justin Maxwell News

Browse more photos>> Top 20 Washington Nationals Prospects for 2010. All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change.

Right-hander Drew Storen has been touted as a closer. If he makes the big league team, how about starting him off as a setup man, and then working him into the closer role by midseason? -- Shane B., Vancouver, Canada It's almost certain Storen will be invited to Spring Training and I could see him start the regular season as a setup man.

The Washington Nationals, under General Manager Mike Rizzo, are doing some fall housecleaning.

The Tigers dropped into a first-place tie with the Twins after looking listless in a 5-1 loss at home to Freddy Garcia and the White Sox.

I dare say that no 103-loss team in Major League Baseball history has ever been as hot as the Washington Nationals.

As an organization, the Washington Nationals have been touting for years their efforts to build a winner from within, to stockpile talent on the minor league level, develop it and then reap the benefits.

Written by Associated Press on Sep 30th, 2009 and filed under Featured , Sports .

Justin Maxwell hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 Saturday for their sixth straight victory.

The shortstop tore his right hamstring running Tuesday, an examination by team doctors revealed.

ATLANTA, Oct. 2 -- No matter the style in which the Washington Nationals end their 2009 season, they will likely be remembered more for their first week (winless) than their final week (wonderful). All the ugly truths have long been self-evident. When the season ends, the Nationals will have more losses than any other team in baseball. For all of Washington's spring training goals, the aspiration to claim the 2010 No. 1 pick and draft Bryce Harper was never quite included in the plan.

But here in the season's final days, baseball's poorest team is finishing as among its hottest. With Friday's 6-3 defeat of the Braves at Turner Field, the Nationals have a five-game winning streak -- no team in the National League has a longer one. They are firing on all cylinders, including a few they didn't even know they had. They're getting opposite-field power from September call-ups Ian Desmond and Justin Maxwell. They're getting quality starts from Livan Hernandez, the potbellied, late-August, low-budget acquisition. They're getting doubles from Adam Dunn, who started the night in an 0-for-26 slump. No 103-loss team is having more fun.

ATLANTA, Oct. 1 -- On Sept. 15, Justin Maxwell -- hitting .204 at the time, looking overmatched against big league pitching -- found himself in the Washington Nationals' starting lineup against Phillies ace Cliff Lee.

Hitting coach Rick Eckstein and first base coach Marquis Grissom approached the outfielder with a suggestion. They'd studied other tall hitters -- Alex Rios, for instance, and Dave Winfield. All, when batting, started their swings with their hands at chest level. The 6-foot-5 Maxwell started his swing with his hands almost behind his ears.

Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez pitches against the Washington Nationals. WASHINGTON -- Here's another sign of how bad a season it's been for the New York Mets : Francisco Rodriguez became the first pitcher since Lee Smith in 1995 to allow two game-ending grand slams in the same season.

Willie Harris has been playing almost every day since center fielder Nyjer Morgan broke his left hand on Aug.

The Washington Nationals will try to sweep the New York Mets this afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at Nationals Park.

Justin Maxwell's grand slam off All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Nationals a 7-4 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday, Washington's first win all season when trailing after eight innings.

Pinch-runner Justin Maxwell scored thanks to two wild throws on a potential inning-ending double play grounder in the eighth and the Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Mike Morse homered for the third straight game and Ross Detwiler earned his first career win as the Washington Nationals beat the Mets 2-1 Monday night.

Welcomed by Cristian Guzm?n, Justin Maxwell crosses home plate with the winning run against the Dodgers.

What-if scenarios at this point have little utility, because Friday night's game is over, John Lannan lost, and that's that. Imagining what should have happened only aids the torment, because neither life nor pitching is fair, especially when a 101-loss support staff with worst-in-the-majors fielding comes in to lend assistance. There's a reason Lannan still has nine wins when he should have 12 or 13. If he had good support, Friday night's game might still be going, and Lannan might still have a shutout.

"We have genuine excitement about the potential of next year's club," said GM Mike Rizzo.