Published: Dec. 24, 2011 at 2:51 PM

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (UPI) — The Washington Nationals say they have added another young power arm to their rotation with a trade for Oakland Athletics all-star hurler Gio Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, a left-hander who made his first All-Star Game appearance this past season, joins Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann atop the Nationals’ rotation with the Friday deal.

The Nationals also got minor league right-hander Robert Gilliam while the rebuilding A’s received three pitchers — right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole and left-hander Tom Milone — as well as catcher Derek Norris from the Nats, the Oakland Tribune reported.

Gonzalez, 26, finished 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA for the A’s last season. He fanned 197 batters in 201 innings but also surrendered the most walks in the league with 91.

The move sparked speculation the Nationals will go all-out to woo free agent first baseman Prince Fielder with a lucrative deal in a bid to challenge Philadelphia, Atlanta and Florida in the National League East, The Washington Post said.

In exchange for Gonzalez, a 26-year-old who has won 15-plus games and thrown 200-plus innings in each of the past two seasons, the Nationals are giving up three pitching prospects — right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, and lefty Tommy Milone — plus catching prospect Derek Norris. Peacock, Cole and Norris ranked third, fourth and ninth, respectively, in Baseball America’s recent list of the Nationals’ top prospects.

The package was less than the one the Nationals were willing to send to the Royals for Greinke a year ago: That deal would have cost the Nationals at least one from a group that included Zimmermann, closer Drew Storen or second baseman Danny Espinosa, plus additional prospects.

At the same time, Gonzalez, a first-time all-star in 2011, is not without flaws. A power arm who ranked fourth in the American League in 2011 with 8.78 strikeouts per nine innings, he also led the league in walks, with 91, a year after finishing second with 90. It also appears he benefited from pitching in Oakland’s cavernous Coliseum the past four seasons, recording a career ERA of 3.56 at home versus 4.32 on the road.

The trade was the fourth of Gonzalez’s career since the Chicago White Sox drafted him as a sandwich-round pick (38th overall) in 2004.

Still, the Nationals, whose offseason to this point had been marked by high-profile misses and low-profile hits, suddenly have taken a major step in their quest to contend for a playoff spot as soon as 2012. With Strasburg, Zimmermann and Gonzalez atop their rotation, the Nationals have three young, controllable power arms that could form the nucleus of a formidable pitching staff for the next four-plus years. (Gonzalez doesn’t become arbitration-eligible until 2013 and is under team control until 2015.)

“Whatever team is willing to .?.?. put me in their rotation,” Gonzalez said Wednesday in an appearance on MLB Network Radio, regarding a possible trade, “I’d be more than happy to shine like a star there.”

The Nationals reportedly also are receiving a throw-in, pitching prospect Rob Gilliam, in the trade. A 24-year-old right-hander, Gilliam went 12-7 with a 5.04 ERA for high-Class A Stockton (Calif.) in 2011.

The trade, which cost the Nationals dearly in prospects but relatively little in dollars, is certain to renew speculation that the Nationals will make a run at free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, whose price tag could hit $25 million per year for seven or more years, in an all-out effort to contend next season with Philadelphia, Atlanta and Florida in the suddenly ultra-competitive NL East division.

Read More: Josh Willingham (LF – OAK), Jason Kubel (DH – MIN), Michael Cuddyer (RF – MIN), Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins

Josh Willingham has bounced around a bit the last couple of seasons as the outfielder moved from the Florida Marlins to the Washington Nationals to the Oakland Athletics last season. It seems the 32-year-old slugger may be moving to a fourth team this year, too, as the Minnesota Twins closed in on an agreement with the free agent on Tuesday afternoon.

Willingham batted .246 with Oakland last season in 488 plate appearances, driving in  career-high 98 RBIs and scoring 69 runs in the process. He’s now looking likely the likely option to replace Michael Cuddyer in the Twins outfield, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

If the Twins lose Cuddyer and Jason Kubel and sign Willingham, as Rosenthal is reporting, they would net three high draft picks without losing any according to the veteran reporter. The Twins would gain two picks for Cuddyer, who is considered a Modified Type A free agent, and one for Kubel (a Type B free agent) while not losing any for acquiring Willingham.

This may or may not makes the fellas at Twinkie Town happy as they were waiting on something to happen with Willingham and Cuddyer for the past few days.

When Davey Johnson weighs the factors, he comes to a conclusion that could help shape the Nationals’ offseason and will surely dominate their spring. Johnson left the Florida sun to come here to unusually frigid Texas, but his declaration on the first day of the winter meetings made spring seem vividly near. Johnson believes Harper deserves the opportunity to arrive in Viera, Fla. and compete to make the Nationals on opening day. He believes, essentially, that Harper is not normal.

“I think the main thing is, could he handle it mentally?” Johnson said. “I think, in his mind, he’s already figuring he’ll be starting on the club. He’s done everything in his whole life to compete at a higher level and compete with the best. He’s the kind of individual that probably puts more pressure on himself to perform and expedite the trip to the big leagues. I think he’ll be much more relaxed if he’s there and competing.”

In 1984, when Johnson managed the New York Mets, he worked to convince his general manager, Frank Cashen, that the Mets should promote 19-year-old Dwight Gooden even though he had never pitched above Class A. “Let’s just keep an open mind and see what he does,” Johnson repeated to Cashen.

Johnson got his wish. Gooden made the team, then went 17-9 with a 2.60 ERA in his rookie season, finishing second in the Cy Young vote. The experience — a prodigious, rare talent succeeding despite youth — informs Johnson’s thinking with Harper, who bolstered his case with a dazzling performance in the Arizona Fall League.

“I think this guy’s pretty mature,” Johnson said. “I don’t look at him age-wise like I probably should. But I think he’s going to make this spring very interesting.”

The prospect of Harper making the team, along with other factors, also colors the Nationals’ pursuit of a center fielder. During a four-hour meeting, the Nationals identified three or four potential trade targets, including standout defender Peter Bourjos of the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays’ B.J. Upton.

The Nationals are prepared to make a trade, but they will proceed with caution and patience. General Manager Mike Rizzo “didn’t panic in July,” when the Nationals nearly traded for a center fielder, one Nationals official said. “And he’s not going to panic now.”

With Harper potentially in the major league fold, the Nationals would feel comfortable shifting Jayson Werth from right field to center field. Even if Harper starts the year at Class AAA Syracuse, the Nationals could use Roger Bernadina in either center or left.

The Nationals do not view Bernadina as a long-term solution. But he is at least a short-term option, one made more palatable by Harper’s imminent arrival and Werth’s capability in center.

“That was one of the reasons that we put Jayson out there” in September, General Manager Mike Rizzo said. “We felt that he played quite well out there. It doesn’t really keyhole us into having to make a trade for a center fielder. We feel that we could have a center fielder in-house already.”

“There’s a chance that we’ve got in-house candidates [to play right field]. Harper and several others could fill that bill, depending on if we deem Harper ready. ”

Another consideration for the Nationals is to try to land a center fielder in their minor league pipeline. In Michael Taylor, Brian Goodwin and Eury Perez, the Nationals have three potential center fielders who are 20 or younger. None is ready for the majors now, and probably will not be ready until 2014. But their presence means the Nationals can afford to consider short-term and long-term options.

“We feel we do have good depth, not only in young controllable players in the majors, but also in the minor league system,” Rizzo said. “But it’s taken us quite a long time to get to the point where we are fairly deep with fairly impact minor league players in the system. We don’t want to erase that with one trade. We’re going to be prudent and careful.”

With Harper, the Nationals may eschew prudence for potential.

“Is he the best candidate out there?” Johnson said. “Is he going to make our club stronger? I’m open to him competing for a spot, whether he can handle it, or whether he makes it until June or July.

“I think you guys asked me last spring, when do you think Harper is going to get there? I said he’s going to have some quality at-bats in the big leagues when he’s 19. He’s 19, isn’t he?”

Read More: Mark Buehrle (P – CWS), Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins

The Washington Nationals have had their name mentioned plenty during Day One of the 2011 Winter Meetings, but the majority has been nothing but rumors and little is known at who or what General Manager is targeting, pretending to target or just straight out going for.

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Nationals are one of four teams to have an offer down on the table for free agent pitcher Mark Buehrle. The 32-year old right handed starter is considered one of the heftier prizes this off season and it is no surprise the Nationals, starving for a front line veteran to lead a young pitching stable, have locked their cross hairs on Buehrle.

The Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins are also known to have contracts down for Buehrle, but the Twins seems to be the weakest of the bunch. The three other teams, including the Nats, have offered three years and somewhere in $36-$39 million range.

Read More: Mark Buehrle (P – CWS), Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins

As a durable, consistent left handed starting pitcher with a proven track record, White Sox free agent SP Mark Buehrle is high up on the list of many teams looking to bolster their starting rotations this off season. Buerhle already reportedly received an offer from the Miami Marlins, and now he will reportedly entertain another team from the NL East.

The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore reported Monday morning that the Washington Nationals have identified Buehrle as their top free agent target and will visit him and his agents at his home in St. Louis on Monday. Kilgore also reported that Buehrle and his representatives met with Nationals management last week in Milwaukee, though it’s unknown when the Nationals will extend an official offer.

For more updates on the hot stove, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the White Sox, check out South Side Sox, SB Nation’s Chicago White Sox blog. And for news from around major league baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

November 12, 2011, 7:48 PM EST

By Daniel Cancel

Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) — Wilson Ramos, the 24-year-old Venezuelan catcher for the Washington Nationals, was rescued yesterday in a mountainous area of central Venezuela two days after being kidnapped by gunmen in front of his family’s home.

Venezuelan commando units found Ramos unharmed in a rural area of Carabobo state and arrested three people, Interior and Justice Minister Tarek El-Aissami said. President Hugo Chavez ordered an aerial operation to rescue Ramos yesterday, he said.

“Ramos was rescued safe and sound,” El-Aissami said on state television. “We have three people detained and he’s on his way back to his family.”

Ramos was the first major league baseball player to be kidnapped in Venezuela even as family members of professional players have been targeted in recent years. The case highlighted the South American country’s crime problem where murders have almost quadrupled since 1999, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory.

Ramos played his first full major-league season in 2011 and hit .267 with 15 home runs and 58 runs batted in while supplanting 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez as the Nationals’ regular catcher.

Ramos made a major-league minimum $414,500 with the Nationals last season. He was preparing to join his local winter league team the Tigres de Aragua when he was abducted.

‘Thrilled’

“The news from Venezuela tonight is reassuring,’’ Mike Rizzo, the general manager of the Nationals, said in a statement. “Though details are limited and we have not yet talked directly with Wilson, we are thrilled with reports that he has been rescued and is being safely returned to his family.”

The Venezuelan catcher was kidnapped while visiting his mother’s home in Santa Ines, Carabobo state on Nov. 9, when gunmen entered at around 7:15 p.m. local time and forced him into an orange SUV, according to a government statement. His kidnappers didn’t contact the family or police.

In 2009, the 11-year-old son of catcher Yorvit Torrealba was kidnapped and returned after a ransom was paid, while the mother of ex-pitcher Victor Zambrano was rescued after being taken. The previous year, the brother of Henry Blanco , another major-league catcher from Venezuela, was shot and killed by kidnappers after being abducted in a Caracas suburb.

Venezuela has the third highest homicide rate in the Western Hemisphere after Honduras and El Salvador, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime .

Anibal Sanchez, a Venezuelan starting pitcher for the Florida Marlins, canceled his December trip home after hearing of the Ramos kidnapping, the Sun Sentinel, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based newspaper, reported yesterday.

National Sport

Venezuela has the second-highest number of Latin American players in the Major Leagues after the Dominican Republic and baseball has been the national sport since U.S. oil workers introduced the game at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many players return home during the offseason to either spend time with family or play in the winter league that runs from October until January.

“We’re enormously happy,” Rafael Rodriguez, president of the Tigres de Aragua said on state television. “The important thing is for him to be with his family and to check on his emotional state, the baseball issue is secondary right now.”

While veteran players who receive higher salaries use armored cars and bodyguards when they return to Venezuela in the off season, younger players are more at risk, Jose Grasso, President of the Venezuelan Baseball League said today in a phone interview.

Abraham Ramos, Wilson’s father, told state television that his son was headed home and doing well after speaking with him.

“He told me to calm down that everything is fine,” Abraham Ramos said. “I feel like the happiest man in the world. We’re waiting for you son.”

–Editors: Paul Tighe, Allen Wan

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.net -0- Nov/12/2011 04:50 GMT

November 16, 2011, 2:08 PM EST

By Daniel Cancel

(Updates with Chavez’s comments in 13th paragraph.)

Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) — Wilson Ramos, the 24-year-old Venezuelan catcher for the Washington Nationals, was rescued yesterday in a mountainous area of central Venezuela two days after being kidnapped in front of his family’s home.

Venezuelan commando units, under orders of President Hugo Chavez, rescued Ramos after exchanging gunfire with his captors in a rural area of Carabobo state, Interior and Justice Minister Tarek El-Aissami said. Six people were arrested.

Ramos, who was the first Major League Baseball player to be kidnapped in Venezuela, said earlier today that he was still shaken from the incident and thankful to the police for their swift action, according to comments on state television. The case highlighted the South American country’s crime problem where murders have almost quadrupled since 1999, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory.

“I’m still pretty nervous but, thank God, everything went well,” Ramos said on state TV. “When they rescued me, it was a harrowing moment due to the gunfire but they did a great job.”

Ramos said his kidnappers, who spoke with Colombian accents, didn’t talk to him much although they said they were going to ask for a large ransom. The captors didn’t contact his family or police during the more than 50 hours he was held.

‘Thrilled’

In addition to the arrests, El-Aissami said police are searching for four Colombian citizens who fled during the shootout. A fifth Colombian, who lived close to Ramos’ parents, is being sought for his role in organizing the abduction, he said.

Ramos, who is 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, played his first full major league season in 2011 and hit .267 with 15 home runs and 58 runs batted in while supplanting 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez as the Nationals’ regular catcher.

Ramos made a major-league minimum $414,500 with the Nationals last season. He was preparing to join his local winter league team, Tigres de Aragua, when he was abducted.

“The news from Venezuela tonight is reassuring,” Mike Rizzo, the general manager of the Nationals, said late yesterday in a statement. While “we have not yet talked directly with Wilson, we are thrilled with reports that he has been rescued and is being safely returned to his family.”

Blindfolded

Ramos said that he still expects to play with the Tigres, the Associated Press reported.

“As soon as I feel all right, I’m going to start playing,” Ramos said. “They didn’t physically harm me, but psychologically, I underwent a great deal of harm.”

Ramos was kidnapped while visiting his mother’s home in Santa Ines, Carabobo state, on Nov. 9. Gunmen entered the house at about 7:15 p.m. local time and forced him into an orange SUV, according to a government statement. Ramos said today that he was moved to a second vehicle and led to a mountainous area, where he was thrown on a bed with a blindfold.

Chavez said today on state television that it was a “clean operation” and that his government is working to combat “mafias” dedicated to organized crime in Venezuela.

The 57-year-old socialist leader, who played amateur baseball during his teenage years as a left-handed pitcher, said that he spoke with Ramos by telephone and invited him to play a softball game soon.

“Beware of my curve ball,” Chavez said. “Not even Wilson Ramos can hit that pitch.”

Targets

While Ramos was the first major leaguer to be kidnapped in Venezuela, family members of players recently have become targets.

In 2009, the 11-year-old son of catcher Yorvit Torrealba was kidnapped and returned after a ransom was paid, while the mother of ex-pitcher Victor Zambrano was rescued after being taken. The previous year, the brother of Henry Blanco, another major league catcher, was shot and killed by kidnappers after being abducted in a Caracas suburb.

Anibal Sanchez, a Venezuelan starting pitcher for the Florida Marlins, canceled his December trip home after hearing of the kidnapping, the Sun Sentinel, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida- based newspaper, reported yesterday.

Venezuela has the second-highest number of Latin American players in the major leagues after the Dominican Republic, and baseball has been the national sport since U.S. oil workers introduced the game at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many players return home during the off season to spend time with family or play in the winter league that runs from October to January.

Bodyguards

“We’re enormously happy,” Rafael Rodriguez, president of the Tigres de Aragua, said on state television. “The important thing is for him to be with his family and to check on his emotional state. The baseball issue is secondary right now.”

Venezuela has the third-highest homicide rate in the Western Hemisphere after Honduras and El Salvador, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

While veteran Venezuelan players who receive higher salaries use armored cars and bodyguards when they return in the off season, younger players are more at risk, Jose Grasso, president of the Venezuelan Baseball League, said yesterday in a telephone interview.

“We can’t look after every Venezuelan player on holiday with their family or at the beach but I think that after this incident Major League Baseball will include security advice in its training to local players,” Grasso said. “Some players with higher salaries have bought armored cars but that’s not going to resolve our crime issue either.”

–Editors: Paul Tighe, Sylvia Wier

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.net.

Wilson Ramos, the 24-year-old
Venezuelan catcher for the Washington Nationals, was rescued
yesterday in a mountainous area of central Venezuela two days
after being kidnapped in front of his family’s home.

Venezuelan commando units, under orders of President Hugo Chavez, rescued Ramos after exchanging gunfire with his captors
in a rural area of Carabobo state, Interior and Justice Minister
Tarek El-Aissami said. Six people were arrested.

Ramos, who was the first Major League Baseball player to be
kidnapped in Venezuela, said earlier today that he was still
shaken from the incident and thankful to the police for their
swift action, according to comments on state television. The
case highlighted the South American country’s crime problem
where murders have almost quadrupled since 1999, according to
the Venezuelan Violence Observatory.

“I’m still pretty nervous but, thank God, everything went
well,” Ramos said on state TV. “When they rescued me, it was a
harrowing moment due to the gunfire but they did a great job.”

Ramos said his kidnappers, who spoke with Colombian
accents, didn’t talk to him much although they said they were
going to ask for a large ransom. The captors didn’t contact his
family or police during the more than 50 hours he was held.

‘Thrilled’

In addition to the arrests, El-Aissami said police are
searching for four Colombian citizens who fled during the
shootout. A fifth Colombian, who lived close to Ramos’ parents,
is being sought for his role in organizing the abduction, he
said.

Ramos, who is 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, played his first
full major league season in 2011 and hit .267 with 15 home runs
and 58 runs batted in while supplanting 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez as the Nationals’ regular catcher.

Ramos made a major-league minimum $414,500 with the
Nationals last season. He was preparing to join his local winter
league team, Tigres de Aragua, when he was abducted.

“The news from Venezuela tonight is reassuring,” Mike
Rizzo, the general manager of the Nationals, said late yesterday
in a statement. While “we have not yet talked directly with
Wilson, we are thrilled with reports that he has been rescued
and is being safely returned to his family.”

Blindfolded

Ramos said that he still expects to play with the Tigres,
the Associated Press reported.

“As soon as I feel all right, I’m going to start
playing,” Ramos said. “They didn’t physically harm me, but
psychologically, I underwent a great deal of harm.”

Ramos was kidnapped while visiting his mother’s home in
Santa Ines, Carabobo state, on Nov. 9. Gunmen entered the house
at about 7:15 p.m. local time and forced him into an orange SUV,
according to a government statement. Ramos said today that he
was moved to a second vehicle and led to a mountainous area,
where he was thrown on a bed with a blindfold.

Chavez said today on state television that it was a “clean
operation” and that his government is working to combat
“mafias” dedicated to organized crime in Venezuela.

The 57-year-old socialist leader, who played amateur
baseball during his teenage years as a left-handed pitcher, said
that he spoke with Ramos by telephone and invited him to play a
softball game soon.

“Beware of my curve ball,” Chavez said. “Not even Wilson
Ramos can hit that pitch.”

Targets

While Ramos was the first major leaguer to be kidnapped in
Venezuela, family members of players recently have become
targets.

In 2009, the 11-year-old son of catcher Yorvit Torrealba
was kidnapped and returned after a ransom was paid, while the
mother of ex-pitcher Victor Zambrano was rescued after being
taken. The previous year, the brother of Henry Blanco, another
major league catcher, was shot and killed by kidnappers after
being abducted in a Caracas suburb.

Anibal Sanchez, a Venezuelan starting pitcher for the
Florida Marlins, canceled his December trip home after hearing
of the kidnapping, the Sun Sentinel, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-
based newspaper, reported yesterday.

Venezuela has the second-highest number of Latin American
players in the major leagues after the Dominican Republic, and
baseball has been the national sport since U.S. oil workers
introduced the game at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many players return home during the off season to spend
time with family or play in the winter league that runs from
October to January.

Bodyguards

“We’re enormously happy,” Rafael Rodriguez, president of
the Tigres de Aragua, said on state television. “The important
thing is for him to be with his family and to check on his
emotional state. The baseball issue is secondary right now.”

Venezuela has the third-highest homicide rate in the
Western Hemisphere after Honduras and El Salvador, according to
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

While veteran Venezuelan players who receive higher
salaries use armored cars and bodyguards when they return in the
off season, younger players are more at risk, Jose Grasso,
president of the Venezuelan Baseball League, said yesterday in a
telephone interview.

“We can’t look after every Venezuelan player on holiday
with their family or at the beach but I think that after this
incident Major League Baseball will include security advice in
its training to local players,” Grasso said. “Some players
with higher salaries have bought armored cars but that’s not
going to resolve our crime issue either.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Daniel Cancel in Caracas at
dcancel@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Joshua Goodman at
jgoodman19@bloomberg.net.

For the last game at the Florida Marlins’ first stadium, the atmosphere was far from funereal.

There were standing ovations for manager Jack McKeon, who’s beginning his latest retirement; for Charlie Hough, who threw the first pitch in franchise history; and even for Washington Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez, a hero on the Marlins’ 2003 World Series championship team.

When Logan Morrison stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth, fans were on their feet again. Then he struck out, and the place went silent.

The Marlins bid their much-maligned stadium goodbye Wednesday with a 3-1 loss to Washington.

“Thanks for the memories,” McKeon said.

Next year the Marlins move into a new ballpark with new manager Ozzie Guillen, who held his introductory news conference before the game. The Nationals also have a brighter future thanks to Strasburg (1-1), who threw a gem in his fifth start since returning from elbow surgery.

The top pick in the 2009 draft allowed one hit and struck out 10 in six scoreless innings to earn his first win since July 2010. He gave up his first two walks this season but was otherwise dominant.

“It felt pretty good out there to go out and pound the strike zone like I know I can,” Strasburg said.

Having the right-hander for a full season should make a big difference for the Nationals, who finished 80-81 — their sixth consecutive losing season. Florida wound up last in the NL East at 72-90.

Too much rain often meant too few fans at the Marlins’ stadium, but on a sunny afternoon the atmosphere was lively, with the crowd of 34,615 in a sentimental mood. The 80-year-old McKeon received a long standing ovation before the game, then stepped down with a record of 1,051-990.

“I hate to see it end,” McKeon said. “It’s emotional, no question. What got me were the fans. That was special.”

The crowd included more than 20 former Marlins honored after the game. Among the old-timers were Hough, who was the pitcher for the franchise’s first game in 1993 and returned to the same mound to throw out the final ceremonial first pitch.

Rodriguez received a big ovation the first time he batted in the second inning.

“I got goose bumps,” he said.

Fans were on their feet again at the end.

“It was great to see the fans’ support,” losing pitcher Chris Volstad said. “There have been a lot of memories for a lot of people. To be part of all that is very special.”

The entire Marlins team and owner Jeffrey Loria congregated in the left-field corner before the sixth inning to tear the last number off the 2-year-old sign counting down the games remaining in the stadium. Florida played 1,504 games there and went 781-723.

It was also the franchise’s finale as the Florida Marlins. In conjunction with the move to a ballpark near downtown, the team officially becomes the Miami Marlins on Nov. 11.

The unusual 4:10 starting time appeared to make it difficult for hitters to see the ball in the early innings as shadows crept across home plate. Volstad (5-13) allowed no hits in the first four innings. Strasburg gave up a single and two walks in the second, but a double play helped him escape.

The pace of the game made it clear players were heading into the offseason. In the fifth inning all five Nationals batters swung at the first pitch, including Ian Desmond, who hit a two-run single.

The relative brevity of the finale was a big change for the Nationals, who ended the season with a 14-inning win in 2010 and a 15-inning victory in 2009.

On this occasion, there wasn’t even any rain, and that won’t be a concern for the Marlins in the future. Their new ballpark has a retractable roof.

NOTES: The Nationals finished 23-40 in the stadium. … The Marlins drew 1.52 million fans at home to finish last in the NL in attendance for the seventh consecutive year. … Florida’s batting average of .247 was the lowest in team history. … Marlins founding owner Wayne Huizenga was booed when introduced after the game. Many fans have never forgiven him for dismantling the 1997 World Series champions in a payroll purge.

Read More: Roger Bernadina (RF – WAS), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Ryan Mattheus (P – WAS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Drew Storen (P – WAS), Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins

Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg didn’t deliver just a “dominant’ performance in Wednesday’s 3-2 Nationals season finale victory. What he delivered can only be described as “Strasburgian.”

Not hampered by a pitch limit, the young Nats phenom stepped on the mound during the final game at Sun Life Stadium in Florida and announced to Major League baseball: “I’m back.” Strasburg earned his first and only victory in 2011 by pitching six innings, giving up only one hit, no runs, walking two and racking up an astounding 10 strike outs. He threw 79 pitches, 54 for strikes and at one point hit 100 mph on the radar gun. It was a huge cherry on top of the Nationals 2011 cake and a performance Nationals fans will no doubt be talking about until the start of the 2012 season. Strasburg, who just returned from Tommy John surgery recovery, finishes the season 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in five games.

The Nationals were able to get on top of the Marlins in the fifth when shortstop Ian Desmond hit a two-run single. The Marlins were able to get one back off reliever Ryan Mattheus to make the score 2-1, but Roger Bernadina added an insurance run in the eight on an RBI single. Nationals closer Drew Storen recorded his 43rd save in the ninth.

The Nationals complete their 2011 campaign 80-81 and third place in the NL East.

With two games remaining, the Nationals franchise (79-80) still has a chance at its first winning season since 2003.

Florida led 4-3 when pinch-hitter Laynce Nix and Ian Desmond started the ninth with singles. Mujica retired the next two batters before Morse hit his 30th homer on a 1-1 pitch.

The game marked the start of the final series at the stadium the Marlins are leaving for a new home near downtown. Two games remain in the stadium that has been their home since their first season in 1993.

Jack McKeon announced before the game he’ll retire as Florida’s manager at the end of the season after a three-month career comeback at age 80.

Logan Morrison hit his 23rd home run off Washington’s Tommy Milone, who allowed three runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Florida’s Anibal Sanchez needed 104 pitches to get through five innings in his final start. He allowed three runs, two earned.

Rookie Atahualpa Severino (1-0) earned his first career win. Henry Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save in five chances.

The Marlins took a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Omar Infante reached on a two-out infield single, Mike Stanton walked and Gaby Sanchez followed with an RBI single. Washington then came from behind for the third time.

The final series in the ballpark notorious for wet weather got off to an appropriate start with a 57-minute rain delay.

The Nationals scratched out an unearned run in the third. Ian Desmond reached on an error by shortstop Emilio Bonifacio, stole second, took third on a balk and came home on a groundout by Rick Ankiel.

Florida took a 2-1 lead in the third when Omar Infante tripled and scored on a single by Mike Stanton.

The Nationals went ahead 3-2 in the fourth thanks to an RBI double by Desmond and a run-scoring single by Ankiel.

Washington’s Craig Stammen retired all five batters he faced, but his wild pitch allowed the tying run to score in the fifth.

NOTES: Marlins RHP Javier Vazquez takes a streak of 25 consecutive scoreless innings into his final start Tuesday. The start could be the last for Vazquez, 35, who says he’s leaning toward retirement. … Miami native Chris Marrero drew a big cheer when he singled for the Nationals in the eighth inning. … The Marlins chose RHP Michael Brady as their minor league pitcher of the year and OF Christian Yelich as their minor league player of the year. … With a single, Jayson Werth improved to 4 for 27 against Anibal Sanchez. … Sanchez’s balk was his fifth, most in the majors.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — When the season ends Wednesday, the Washington Nationals will begin the process of searching for their 2012 manager. Their list, general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday, is not long. They know what they want and who they’re looking at.

And when it’s over, the guy in the dugout next spring may well be the same one who’s there now: Davey Johnson.

But their list of candidates could dwindle soon if third base coach Bo Porter is hired elsewhere. Porter interviewed for the Florida Marlins‘ managerial opening Monday and is thought to be high on their list. The Marlins are expected to move swiftly with their decision on who will replace 80-year-old Jack McKeon, who announced Monday that he plans to retire after the season.

“Bo Porter is an outstanding third base [coach] and baseball man,” Johnson said Monday. “I hope he’s back. I hope [his interview] went well. But I hope we don’t lose him.”

This is the third time Porter has interviewed with the Marlins after interviewing twice during the 2010 season – first when Fredi Gonzalez was fired midseason and then after the season when the Marlins opted to go with Edwin Rodriguez, who resigned in June. Porter also interviewed for the Pirates’ opening last offseason but accepted the Nationals third base coaching job under then-manager Jim Riggleman when Pittsburgh opted to go with Clint Hurdle.

Porter, who coached or managed almost all of the Marlins‘ current roster during a 2005-09 stint with the organization at the minor and major league levels, declined to comment.

A report by the Chicago Sun-Times late Monday, however, said the White Sox were in the “final stages” of completing a deal to send Ozzie Guillen to Florida to manage the Marlins in 2012.

Porter also is considered a main candidate for the Nationals’ opening — if there is one — and Rizzo thinks highly of him The GM interviewed Porter for the Nationals’ managerial job before the 2010 season but ultimately hired Riggleman, who’d been the interim manager.

“I brought Bo in here,” Rizzo said when asked about Porter as a candidate for next season. “He’s a terrific baseball guy and certainly a major league-manager candidate.”

If Johnson does return, the Nationals will have to make decisions on the rest of their coaching staff, including Porter. The feeling is that unless Porter is hired as Nationals manager or to manage another major league team, he would return. First base coach Trent Jewett and Triple-A manager Randy Knorr also are thought to be under consideration for the manager’s job.

Knorr is well-liked in the organization and has managed a large percentage of Washington’s current roster while the players were coming through the minor leagues. He is open to interviewing for the position but also would also relish an opportunity to return to the Triple-A level.

“I think Randy Knorr is definitely a major league-manager candidate,” Rizzo said. “His goal is to manage in the major leagues, and I think he’s a great candidate and a great baseball guy, and I feel very lucky to have him in the organization.”

Neither Johnson nor Rizzo has wavered in their stance that Johnson is not a sure thing for the 2012 season, though his three-year consulting contract does include an option for him to manage the team next year. The decision is not expected to come until the season is over and a search following MLB guidelines has been conducted.

“The biggest factor is whether they want me,” Johnson reiterated Monday. “That’s No. 1. And No. 2, I’d like to have a say-so in seeing how much they would want my opinion on trades and free agent signings and that stuff. I love the talent level, and I love what we have in the development stages.”

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will be on an innings limit next season as he continues his comeback from reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow.

General Manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday that he already has “semi-calculated” the number of innings Strasburg will be allowed to throw in 2012.

Strasburg had his ligament-replacement operation in September 2010, then returned to the majors this September. He’ll make the fifth start of his comeback Wednesday at the Florida Marlins on the last day of the regular season.

Thome makes appearance at third base

If Jim Thome is retiring, he made his last appearance in Cleveland as a third baseman.

The 41-year-old took the position for one pitch in the ninth inning during Sunday’s game against Minnesota. Cleveland finishes with three games in Detroit.

Thome got a standing ovation as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. When he walked, the crowd booed pitcher Glen Perkins.

Fans then stood and cheered to start the ninth as Thome went to third base — where he started his big league career in 1991. He had not played there since Sept. 29, 1996. The next year, he moved to first base.

Thome has 604 homers, eighth on the career list, and has not announced whether he will return for a 22nd season. On Friday night, the Indians unveiled plans to build a statue in his honor at Progressive Field.

Rizzo didn’t say what Strasburg’s limit will be.

“We’re still at the beginning of that process. We want to find out how he feels at the end of the season and where he’s at. We’ll calculate it and see what’s a comfortable amount for him,” Rizzo said.

Strasburg had his ligament-replacement operation in September 2010, then returned to the majors this September. He is 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA, zero walks and 14 strikeouts in 18 innings heading into the fifth start of his comeback Wednesday at the Florida Marlins on the last day of the regular season.

Nationals righty Jordan Zimmermann, who had the same surgery as Strasburg in August 2009, was shut down this season after reaching his innings limit. He threw 161 1-3 innings, making his last start on Aug. 28.

With Strasburg and Zimmermann set for next year’s rotation, and the lineup taking shape, Rizzo looked ahead to the offseason by declaring: “I think we’re an outfield bat away and a starting pitcher away from really being a contender in the division.”

Entering Sunday’s home finale against the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals were in third place in the NL East. Washington never has finished that high since moving from Montreal before the 2005 season.

“With the personnel that we have, I think you’re seeing a very young team kind of maturing at the same time and it looks good for the future,” Rizzo said.

He addressed a variety of other topics:

— Rizzo won’t reveal it, but he has a timetable in mind for having a permanent manager in place. Davey Johnson replaced Jim Riggleman on an interim basis in July.

“We certainly have a plan that we’d like to put in place so we can get on with the offseason,” Rizzo said.

Johnson is under contract for next year and Rizzo said he will work for the Nationals even if he’s not brought back as the manager — which appears to be a strong possibility.

“There’s a long process it’s got to go through,” Johnson said, “and I’m very comfortable with that.”

— The Nationals have started contract talks with right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who went 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts coming back from shoulder surgery.

“He wants to be here, we want to have him and so I think there’s a lot of mutual interest,” Rizzo said.

— Washington could use pitching depth to make trades.

“Our pitching depth is the best I’ve seen since I’ve been around here, since the Lerners acquired the team (in 2006). We certainly would discuss trades to fill some of our needs, if the trade makes sense,” Rizzo said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Phillies planned on resting for the playoffs. The Nationals have them reeling. Washington has won eight of 10 against its divisional bully, including three games in the past two days, and leads the season series, 9-8. At worst, the Nationals will have played the Phillies to a draw this season.

“Tomorrow’s the big one,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “I don’t want them to even the series.”

Before he said that, Johnson had just stopped talking about how he’s liking the visiting manager’s office here “more and more.” The Phillies built their reign over the National League East on the Nationals’ backs, going 51-21 against them from 2007 to 2010. Has the Nationals’ recent success against Philadelphia erased the effects of that supremacy? Well, even John Lannan is beating the Phillies.

Lannan earned his second career win against the Phillies in his 17th try, allowing three runs in five innings. He also earned the 10th win of his season, a new career best. He teetered in the second, allowing five consecutive singles that gave the Phillies two runs and gave him a bases-loaded, one-out jam. It was the kind of situation that had ruined him in the past at Citizens Bank, where he had never won.

“I just had to keep executing pitches,” Lannan said. “One pitch at a time.”

Lannan escaped that mess with two popups and then allowed just one run the rest of the way. Craig Stammen added two scoreless relief innings, and Henry Rodriguez, with Drew Storen resting after closing two games Tuesday, earned the first save of his career.

The towering fly ball Espinosa hit into the right field seats off of Vance Worley, his college teammate at Long Beach State, provided the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning. The two-run homer gave Espinosa 21 for the season, a new franchise record for a rookie. Among rookie second basemen, only Dan Uggla, with Florida in 2006, has ever hit more.

The homer also added another layer to the Nationals’ surge against the Phillies. Against the Phillies this year, Espinosa is 20 for 59 with seven homers, three doubles, six walks and 15 RBI in 17 games.

“I enjoy playing them,” Espinosa said. “They’re a good team. I think everybody enjoys playing a team like that. There’s a lot of people in the stands. It’s just a fun team to play.”

In the second inning, Ramos crunched his 14th home run, a two-run line drive that screamed into the first row above the scoreboard in right field. In a three-run eighth, he added an RBI single. Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is the only NL rookie besides Espinosa with more homers than Ramos.

Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon was decidedly disappointed in his players’ inability to draw a walk.

After all, in the course of 22 innings over two games against the Washington Nationals, including Florida’s 4-3 loss Sunday, the Marlins drew exactly zero free passes.

“You don’t get paid to take a walk. Walks help you win. There’s a lot of cases where that’s the key to winning ballgames. Bases on balls. We walk them, what happens? We get beat. Our guys are allergic to taking walks,” McKeon said.

“They play by the players’ association rules: Thou must swing at 3-1 and 2-0,” he added.

His Marlins won in 13 innings Saturday night despite failing to draw a walk, but they weren’t able to overcome the lack of men on base Sunday against Chien-Ming Wang, who made the longest start of his comeback from shoulder surgery. Wang left with two outs in the seventh inning after allowing three runs, six hits and zero walks, helping Washington edge Florida.

The only thing truly at stake for either club is avoiding a last-place finish in the NL East, but some individual players are keen to make an impression with next year in mind, and Wang (3-3) looked good for much of the afternoon in earning his first win in more than a month.

The right-hander allowed runs on Gaby Sanchez’s 19th homer, a solo shot in the fifth inning, and Brett Hayes’ two-run homer in the seventh — both liners to left that barely cleared the wall.

“He’s nasty — those 91 mph sinkers,” Hayes said.

After his homer pulled Florida to 4-3, Wang departed to a partial standing ovation. Tyler Clippard got the next four outs, and closer Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 43 chances.

For the Marlins, the loss ended an 11-game road trip, their first to take the team to four cities since 2005. They went 6-5.

“Feels like we’ve been on the road since July,” Hayes said. “It’s just that time of the year where you just got to grind through it.”

Florida rookie Brad Hand (1-8) lost his fifth consecutive start, allowing four runs — three earned — and five hits in four innings.

“I think my pitch count was up there, but I was feeling good. Felt strong. Would have liked to stay in the game,” Hand said. “Wang pitched good, so I knew I couldn’t give up many runs.”

It was Wang’s 10th appearance — one lasted 6 1-3 innings — since returning to the big leagues on July 29, exactly two years after an operation on his pitching shoulder. He hadn’t been on a mound in the majors since July 4, 2009, when he was with the New York Yankees.

Wang twice won 19 games in a season with the Yankees, and showed signs of that sort of stuff Sunday, getting groundball out after groundball out. Only four of the 20 outs he recorded were flyballs.

He hadn’t won a game since Aug. 16 against the Cincinnati Reds, going 0-1 in five starts since.

Some head’s-up baserunning by Jonny Gomes put Washington on the scoreboard in the second. Gomes led off with a double to straightaway center, then moved up a base on Espinosa’s groundout to third baseman Greg Dobbs, who left the bag to glove the ball in the hole.

Chris Marrero then sent a fly to shallow right, and Gomes slid in to score barely ahead of the tag from outfielder Mike Stanton’s one-bounce throw to the plate.

Washington scored three in the fourth, which Ryan Zimmerman led off with his second double of the game, a rope down the left-field line. After Michael Morse walked and Gomes struck out, Espinosa lined a single to center, and the ball hopped over the glove of hard-charging center fielder Bryan Petersen and kept bouncing and rolling for several feet.

By the time Petersen corralled it, two runs had scored and Espinosa was on third. Espinosa entered the game with 60 RBIs as a rookie, but none since Sept. 4.

Marrero followed with a ground-rule double that made it 4-0.

NOTES: Marlins RF Stanton made a sliding catch of a soft sinking bloop off Wang’s bat in the third. 2B Omar Infante also was tracking the ball and fell face-first in the grass after tripping over Stanton. … Entering Sunday, Florida had been 13-1 at Washington since the 2010 All-Star break. … On Monday, Florida opens a three-game series at home against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins are only 4-11 against the Braves this season. Florida will start RHP Ricky Nolasco in the series opener, while Atlanta sends LHP Mike Minor to the mound.

“You don’t get paid to take a walk. Walks help you win. There’s a lot of cases where that’s the key to winning ballgames. Bases on balls. We walk them, what happens? We get beat. Our guys are allergic to taking walks,” McKeon said.

“They play by the players’ association rules: Thou must swing at 3-1 and 2-0,” he added.

His Marlins won in 13 innings Saturday night despite failing to draw a walk, but they weren’t able to overcome the lack of men on base Sunday against Chien-Ming Wang, who made the longest start of his comeback from shoulder surgery. Wang left with two outs in the seventh inning after allowing three runs, six hits and zero walks, helping Washington edge Florida.

The only thing truly at stake for either club is avoiding a last-place finish in the NL East, but some individual players are keen to make an impression with next year in mind, and Wang (3-3) looked good for much of the afternoon in earning his first win in more than a month.

The right-hander allowed runs on Gaby Sanchez’s 19th homer, a solo shot in the fifth inning, and Brett Hayes’ two-run homer in the seventh — both liners to left that barely cleared the wall.

“He’s nasty — those 91 mph sinkers,” Hayes said.

After his homer pulled Florida to 4-3, Wang departed to a partial standing ovation. Tyler Clippard got the next four outs, and closer Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 43 chances.

For the Marlins, the loss ended an 11-game road trip, their first to take the team to four cities since 2005. They went 6-5.

“Feels like we’ve been on the road since July,” Hayes said. “It’s just that time of the year where you just got to grind through it.”

Florida rookie Brad Hand (1-8) lost his fifth consecutive start, allowing four runs — three earned — and five hits in four innings.

“I think my pitch count was up there, but I was feeling good. Felt strong. Would have liked to stay in the game,” Hand said. “Wang pitched good, so I knew I couldn’t give up many runs.”

It was Wang’s 10th appearance — one lasted 6 1-3 innings — since returning to the big leagues on July 29, exactly two years after an operation on his pitching shoulder. He hadn’t been on a mound in the majors since July 4, 2009, when he was with the New York Yankees.

Wang twice won 19 games in a season with the Yankees, and showed signs of that sort of stuff Sunday, getting groundball out after groundball out. Only four of the 20 outs he recorded were flyballs.

He hadn’t won a game since Aug. 16 against the Cincinnati Reds, going 0-1 in five starts since.

Some head’s-up baserunning by Jonny Gomes put Washington on the scoreboard in the second. Gomes led off with a double to straightaway center, then moved up a base on Espinosa’s groundout to third baseman Greg Dobbs, who left the bag to glove the ball in the hole.

Chris Marrero then sent a fly to shallow right, and Gomes slid in to score barely ahead of the tag from outfielder Mike Stanton’s one-bounce throw to the plate.

Washington scored three in the fourth, which Ryan Zimmerman led off with his second double of the game, a rope down the left-field line. After Michael Morse walked and Gomes struck out, Espinosa lined a single to center, and the ball hopped over the glove of hard-charging center fielder Bryan Petersen and kept bouncing and rolling for several feet.

By the time Petersen corralled it, two runs had scored and Espinosa was on third. Espinosa entered the game with 60 RBIs as a rookie, but none since Sept. 4.

Marrero followed with a ground-rule double that made it 4-0.

NOTES: Marlins RF Stanton made a sliding catch of a soft sinking bloop off Wang’s bat in the third. 2B Omar Infante also was tracking the ball and fell face-first in the grass after tripping over Stanton. … Entering Sunday, Florida had been 13-1 at Washington since the 2010 All-Star break. … On Monday, Florida opens a three-game series at home against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins are only 4-11 against the Braves this season. Florida will start RHP Ricky Nolasco in the series opener, while Atlanta sends LHP Mike Minor to the mound.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (CBS4) — Stephen Strasburg allowed one run and four hits over six innings in his third start after Tommy John surgery, but Donnie Murphy’s two-run home run in the 13th inning helped give the Florida Marlins a 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

Murphy entered the game at shortstop in the 10th inning as part of a double switch.

John Buck led off the 13th with a single and Murphy hit a 1-1 pitch from Colin Balester (1-4) into the Marlins’ bullpen in left-center field for his first homer this year.

Mike Stanton doubled in Omar Infante later in the inning to give the Marlins a three-run cushion.

Clay Hensley (5-6) struck out the side in the 12th inning for the win. Leo Nunez pitched the 13th for his 36th save.

Wilson Ramos hit his 13th homer in the fifth inning for the Nationals, who have lost the first two games of the three-game series.

Strasburg’s night was much more efficient than his last start Sept. 11, when he threw 57 pitches in three innings. Against the Marlins, he needed just 61 pitches for an outing twice as long.

The right-hander took eight pitches to get leadoff hitter Emilio Bonifacio to fly out to shortstop. It was the last time he’d have such an extended at-bat — he finished three entire innings with eight pitches or fewer.

Strasburg finished the 1-2-3 first by striking out Stanton on three pitches, the final one a 99 mph fastball. It was one of just three strikeouts for Strasburg, the fewest in his 15 career starts, but he didn’t need the strikeouts as he quickly made his way through the Marlins’ lineup.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said before the game Strasburg would have “a much longer leash” against the Marlins, guessing he’d let Strasburg throw around 70 pitches. Strasburg threw 56 pitches over five innings in his first start back from surgery.

“I was more worried the first two times out in the big leagues, with the pressure and publicity and everything, I didn’t want to take him to where he was tired,” Johnson said.

However, when the seventh inning started, Johnson sent out reliever Henry Rodriguez rather than let Strasburg continue. Strasburg left with the game tied at 1 and has not had a decision yet this season.

Florida starter Chris Volstad also left with a no-decision despite a strong performance. Volstad allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out three. Volstad has gone nine starts without earning a win.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the third. Volstad led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Infante’s sacrifice fly to left.

Both teams left runners stranded on third in extra innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, Gaby Sanchez led off with a bloop single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and groundout, but Greg Dobbs grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Ian Desmond led off the 11th for Washington and reached second on a throwing error by pitcher Steve Cishek. Desmond moved to third on Roger Bernadina’s sacrifice bunt. Chishek intentionally walked Ryan Zimmerman and got Michael Morse to ground into a double play.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)