Nationals Go Back To Basics On Defense

DENVER, Aug. 6 -- Last weekend, Manager Manny Acta tried something new, both because his team needed it and because, finally, he had the young players who wanted it. He asked his team to take a rudimentary infield practice. The Nationals fielded grounders. They turned double plays. They honed their timing.

For some of those involved, that Saturday afternoon drill felt like more than a practice. It felt like the commemoration of a new team -- one that was willing to learn, even if it meant doing things that might have caused eye-rolling among veterans. In the infield that day, Emilio Bonifacio and Alberto GonzA lez took grounders at second and shortstop; both had been with the Washington Nationals for two days. Meanwhile, the old second baseman, Felipe LA3pez, was gone -- released Thursday night, as part of a veteran purge that altered the dynamic of the team.

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