2011 Washington Nationals season

The Nationals formed a new minor league affiliation with the Auburn Doubledays of the New York–Penn League during the winter. The player development contract was officially announced December 14, 2010. On December 16, 2010, the Nationals traded Josh Willingham to the Oakland Athletics for Corey Brown and Henry Rodríguez. On January 19, 2011, they traded minor-leaguers Michael Burgess, Graham Hicks, and A. J. Morris to the Chicago Cubs for Tom Gorzelanny. On February 2, 2011, they traded Justin Maxwell to the New York Yankees for minor-leaguer for Adam Olbrychowski. On March 27, 2011, they traded Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor-leaguer Cutter Dykstra and cash, and the following day they traded Alberto González to the San Diego Padres for Erik Davis. ==Advertising and marketing==

The Nationals′ marketing slogan for 2011 was "Expect It." According to a letter to season ticket holders signed by Nationals Chief Operating Officer Andrew Feffer explained that the slogan let Nationals fans know that the team's rebuilding strategy "is beginning to show returns," and that "we are determined to continue to do what it takes to elevate the franchise to the next level." The letter added that "in 2010, we had a productive stable of veterans and stars in the lineup," that "we now have a solid and exciting pipeline of pitchers," and that the franchise's "improved Minor League system is now regularly producing a steady stream of Major League talent." ==New radio flagship==

Starting with this season, the Nationals changed their flagship station to WJFK-FM (106.7 The Fan), after broadcasting their first six seasons on WTOP 104.1 FM. ==Spring training==

The Nationals held their 2011 spring training in Viera, Florida, with home games played at Space Coast Stadium. ==Regular season==

Season standings National League East National League Wild Card Record vs. opponents Opening Day lineup Notable transactions • December 5, 2010: The Nationals sign free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth to a 7-year, $126M contract. • May 8, 2011: The Nationals received Gregor Blanco from the Kansas City Royals as part of a conditional deal. • June 27, 2011: The Nationals sold Miguel Pérez to the Pittsburgh Pirates. • July 26, 2011: The Nationals traded minor-leaguers Chris Manno and Bill Rhinehart to the Cincinnati Reds for Jonny Gomes and cash. • July 30, 2011: The Nationals traded Jason Marquis to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor-leaguer Zach Walters and Jerry Hairston Jr., to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor-leaguer Erik Komatsu. Roster Attendance The Nationals drew 1,940,478 fans at Nationals Park in 2011, improving over the previous season for the second straight year. It placed them 14th in attendance for the season among the 16 National League teams, also for the second consecutive year. Their highest attendance at a home game was on August 20, when they drew 44,685 for a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, while their lowest was 13,413 for a game against the Phillies on April 12. Their average home attendance was 24,256 per game, fifth-highest of their seven seasons in Washington but an increase from their previous season. Game log ==Player stats==

Batting Table is sortable. Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases Complete offensive statistics are available here. Pitching Note: Pos = Position; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts Complete pitching statistics are available here. Team leaders Qualifying players only. Batting Pitching ==Awards and honors==

All-Stars • Tyler Clippard, P Clippard threw three pitches in the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and was its winning pitcher. ==Farm system==