Though circumstances dictated they go with a bullpen game this afternoon in Philadelphia - Austin Voth will start, for those who haven't heard yet - the Nationals shouldn't need to take this unconventional route again unless someone else gets hurt.
That's because Erick Fedde appears ready to return from the COVID-19 injured list after making a five-inning rehab start Saturday for Single-A Wilmington.
Fedde, whose last appearance for the Nationals was a seven-scoreless-inning gem in Arizona...
We've been wondering for days now who would be starting the Nationals' series finale in Philadelphia, taking Stephen Strasburg's spot in the rotation. Well, we finally have our answer. Today's starter will be ... Austin Voth.
Manager Davey Martinez came to that decision based on the fact Voth has been a starter his whole career up until this season, and he's had four days off since his last appearance (50 pitches in relief of Strasburg). It's certainly the most logical choice among the...
Who's the Nationals' starting pitcher today? This wouldn't normally be a question without a definitive answer hours before first pitch, but it is the case for today's series finale in Philadelphia.
That's because the Nats are choosing to go with a bullpen game this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Not necessarily because they want to, but because they believe it's their best option at this point.
This would've been Stephen Strasburg's turn to pitch, but the right-hander is back on the...
The Nationals pitching staff has been far from perfect through the season's first two-plus months, but too often that group has seemingly done enough to emerge victorious only to take a loss because its cohorts in the lineup weren't able to provide ample support.
This afternoon in Philadelphia, Joe Ross and Kyle McGowin collectively gave up three hits and six total baserunners through seven innings. You'd think that would be enough to put the Nats in position to win. Or at least to have a...
Yan Gomes is out of the Nationals lineup for the third straight day with a tight right hamstring, and until the veteran catcher can comfortably squat behind the plate for an entire game without being hindered, he'll remain out of the Nationals lineup.
"This is going to be a day-to-day thing with him," manager Davey Martinez said in his Zoom session with reporters before today's game in Philadelphia. "The position he plays, with him squatting and stuff, I just want to make sure that he can...
The Nationals managed to turn two runs and six hits into a win Friday night. They did so thanks to Max Scherzer's dominance over 7 2/3 innings, then Daniel Hudson and Brad Hand's relief work after that. In order to win today in Philadelphia, they're either going to need a comparable effort from Joe Ross and any relievers who follow him or a much more complete offensive showing.
A more complete offensive showing would be nice, especially against Phillies right-hander Spencer Howard, who...
Juan Soto became Juan Soto again - not on the two-run homer he hit for the Nationals in the eighth inning Tuesday night in Atlanta, not on the two-run homer he hit in the fifth inning Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Juan Soto became Juan Soto again when he took an outside fastball from Braves left-hander Max Fried and hit a line drive single to left in the top of the fourth Tuesday, driving in a pair of teammates. The ball left his bat at a modest 93.7 mph and traveled a mere 245 feet in the...
If they were going to produce a three-game winning streak and win a key road series against a division rival, the Nationals were going to need quality and length today from Patrick Corbin, plus a continuation of the power display their lineup showed the previous 48 hours.
They almost got the first. They didn't come close to getting the latter.
Corbin was outstanding for five innings, but wilted during a four-run bottom of the sixth that spoiled his start, and the Nationals lineup was rendered...
When Kyle Schwarber walked into Davey Martinez's office this morning in Atlanta, the Nationals left fielder told his manager his right knee was still sore after a hard landing while attempting to make a diving catch Wednesday night. Martinez told Schwarber he wouldn't be starting this afternoon's series finale against the Braves, but to get treatment on his knee, and then if he thinks he can pinch-hit later in the game, to let him know.
"I couldn't even get the words out," Martinez...
The Nationals have a chance this afternoon to take three of four from the Braves, and who saw that coming a few days ago? They've put themselves in position with a combination of power at the plate (four homers the last two nights), one gutsy start on short rest (Jon Lester) and a whole lot of innings out of their bullpen (11 innings the last two nights).
Now if they're going to take the series in this early start in Atlanta, they're going to need quality innings out of Patrick Corbin. At...
There's no secret to Yan Gomes' success throwing out baserunners this season. Just a lot of hard work and some attention to getting the ball out of his hand as quickly as possible.
Whether it's complicated or not, the mere fact Gomes is throwing out so many opponents is music to the Nationals' ears. After struggling mightily in this department in recent years, they're finally reaping the benefits of a catcher who can stop the running game cold in its tracks.
With another pinpoint throw...
The Nationals hadn't been in very many games like this in 2021. Back-and-forth affairs with late-night swings of leads and emotions were the norm during their championship run in 2019 and also were a regular occurrence during their disappointing 2020 season.
This year? Most games saw one team take an early lead and hold it late, with very little late drama. That made tonight's contest down in Atlanta feel like some kind of blast from the past. An old-fashioned, tension-filled showdown with a...
The Nationals have placed Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain after sending the right-hander back to Washington for an MRI.
Kyle McGowin, who was already in Atlanta as part of the club's traveling taxi squad, was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Strasburg's roster spot and provide another fresh arm for tonight's game against the Braves, in which Jon Lester will be starting on short rest the day after Strasburg's 1 1/3-inning start added more strain to the...
We've seen the Nationals put together isolated offensive explosions this season. Seven times they've scored seven or more runs. How have they done in their next game? They've averaged three runs. So there's been an issue with sustaining offensive success.
Tonight the Nats will try to finally do that and put together back-to-back big performances at the plate in the wake of their 11-6 victory Tuesday night. As was the case then, they're facing a left-hander, this time Drew Smyly. He's got...
For all the positive things that happened Tuesday night during the Nationals' 11-6 win in Atlanta, the departure of Stephen Strasburg in the bottom of the second with yet another physical ailment was by far the most significant development of the evening.
And it's not simply because of what this means for Strasburg, who reported tightness in his right trapezius muscle and will undergo an MRI this morning, according to manager Davey Martinez. This also has a domino effect on several other...
On a night when Stephen Strasburg once again looked off and was pulled in the second inning - officially due to a tight trapezius muscle in his upper right back that will require an MRI in the morning - the Nationals found themselves faced with a dilemma.
Having already lost five straight with a lineup that has turned the act of driving in a run into the most daunting task in the world, they could've packed their proverbial bags and departed with heads hung low. Or they could brush off...
The Nationals won't be turning to a sixth starter to take the mound in a pinch Wednesday night. They'll instead ask the oldest player on their roster to pitch on short rest against the Braves.
Jon Lester, who started the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader against the Brewers, will return to pitch at Truist Park in Atlanta on only three days' rest, manager Davey Martinez revealed during this afternoon's Zoom session with reporters.
That doubleheader created a situation where on Wednesday...
May was not kind to the Nationals, who went 11-17 and fell to a season-worst eight games under .500. If you're looking for silver linings, though, they were outscored for the month by only five runs (116-111). The average score of their wins was roughly 7-3. The average score of their losses was roughly 5-2. The point, if there is one: When the Nats hit, they win. When they don't hit, they lose.
So perhaps the flip of the calendar to June will benefit this team. (Nothing else has worked.) And...
The first strikeout came on a curveball, down and away, out of the zone.
The second strikeout came on a curveball, down and away, though barely in the zone.
The third strikeout actually came on a fastball, up in the zone, but only after he had seen three curveballs and a cutter down.
And the fourth strikeout came on a slider, the fifth such pitch Trea Turner saw from Braves reliever Luke Jackson during a seven-pitch at-bat that encapsulated the Nationals leadoff hitter's frustrating Monday...
The first inning was all too familiar, the Nationals digging themselves into an early hole yet again. The middle innings featured an unexpected (and encouraging) twist, as the lineup came to life and a laboring starter found his groove. But by the time the bottom of the ninth arrived at Truist Park in Atlanta this evening, the result was a re-run for a Nats team that cannot figure out how to change the losing formula that is playing out nearly every night.
This 5-3 loss to the Braves did...