Mark Zuckerman

Strasburg dominates early, bullpen comes up big late in 4-0 win

April 04, 2019, 12:30pm

NEW YORK - Stephen Strasburg was brilliant. And his teammates did just enough against Noah Syndergaard to take a lead into the latter innings of today's matinee at Citi Field. But as anyone who has watched only a few moments of Nationals baseball in 2019 already knew, none of this would matter if the majors' most beleaguered bullpen couldn't find a way to do its job and close out a victory. So as impressive as Strasburg's 6 2/3 innings of scoreless ball was, and as impressive as Victor...

195 Hits

Comments

Tags:

Bruised SÃ¡nchez expects to make next start (Nats win 4-0)

April 04, 2019, 9:55am

Nationals

Bruised SÃ¡nchez expects to make next start (Nats win 4-0)

NEW YORK - AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez was sporting a bruise on his right hip this morning at Citi Field, but the Nationals right-hander has made it known he'll be ready to make his next scheduled start. SÃ¡nchez, who was struck by Andrew McCutchen's third-inning comebacker during Wednesday's game in Washington, gave up two runs and put four runners on base in the fourth, then after attempting a few warm-up tosses in the fifth had to depart. "The way I throw, because of my hip, it hurt me,"...

47 Hits

Comments

Tags:

anibal sanchez mark zuckerman matt adams michael a. taylor nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nationals bench gets boost with Kendrick's return

April 04, 2019, 8:28am

Nationals

NEW YORK - Howie Kendrick officially was activated off the injured list this morning, giving the Nationals the right-handed pinch-hitter they've missed for nearly 11 months. Kendrick, who spent the last month rehabbing from a strained left hamstring suffered during spring training, already had completed his long rehab from the ruptured right Achilles tendon he suffered last May. The 35-year-old utilityman's absence was noted throughout the 2018 season, and his return today is being welcomed...

218 Hits

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez howie kendrick mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 6 lineups: Nats at Mets

April 04, 2019, 6:31am

Nationals

NEW YORK - Hello from Citi Field, where the Mets host the Nationals in their home opener only one week after the Nats hosted the Mets in their home opener on South Capitol Street. It was a short night for the Metropolitans, who had a 6:05 p.m. game in Miami and didn't arrive back in New York until 2 a.m. The Nationals are a bit more rested after taking the train up from D.C. following yesterday afternoon's wild win over the Phillies. They've also got some fresh blood on the roster: Howie...

227 Hits

Comments

Tags:

howie kendrick lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals3

Another bullpen meltdown, but another walk-off win

April 03, 2019, 1:04pm

Nationals

Another bullpen meltdown, but another walk-off win

The day began with words of encouragement from the general manager to the embattled bullpen he assembled. "The bullpen's struggling. There's no other way to put it," Mike Rizzo said. "We need to be more aggressive in the strike zone. We need to follow the game plan. We need to perform like the back of their baseball card says. ... We feel good about the skill set of them. Now we have to put the skill set into the performance and get the guys that we signed to perform like they're supposed...

204 Hits

Comments

Tags:

anibal sanchez jake noll juan soto kyle barraclough mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies sean doolittle trevor rosenthal featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Turner lands on IL, Sanchez recalled, Kendrick ready Thursday

April 03, 2019, 9:01am

Nationals

Turner lands on IL, Sanchez recalled, Kendrick ready Thursday

The Nationals officially placed Trea Turner on the 10-day injured list today, and though they are offering no firm timetable for his return the club is prepared to be without its starting shortstop for a significant stretch that figures to last at least a month. "We saw the X-ray, we put him on the injured list and we'll see how he progresses," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "And when the bone heals, we'll have him start baseball activities and then get him back as soon as we...

241 Hits

Comments

Tags:

adrian sanchez carter kieboom davey martinez howie kendrick mark zuckerman matt adams mike rizzo nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

On Tuesday's atmosphere, Turner's injury, Soto's struggles

April 02, 2019, 9:09pm

Nationals

On Tuesday's atmosphere, Turner's injury, Soto's struggles

Some morning-after thoughts following an eventful and emotional night at the ballpark, with the Nationals and Phillies turning right around to play today's series finale this afternoon ... * Nats players were genuinely surprised by the crowd's reaction to Bryce Harper in his first game back in town as a visiting player. They didn't necessarily expect a standing ovation. But they certainly didn't expect the loudest boos they've ever heard directed at one player since this ballpark...

166 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper juan soto mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies ryan zimmerman trea turner wilmer difo featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Scherzer wins early battles, Harper gets last laugh in blowout (updated)

April 02, 2019, 7:16pm

Nationals

Scherzer wins early battles, Harper gets last laugh in blowout (updated)

The first five innings? They supplied great theater, a playoff-like vibe rarely found on a cold April night as Max Scherzer dueled Bryce Harper in front of a raucous crowd on South Capitol Street. The rest of tonight's proceedings? They served as a not-so-subtle reminder of the bigger picture right now in this reborn rivalry: The Phillies mean business in 2019, and the Nationals had better get their act together real soon before this season of promise really turns south. Behind a barrage of...

173 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper jeremy hellickson mark zuckerman matt adams max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies trea turner featured_sidebar ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals3

Harper hoping for cheers, prepared for boos in return to D.C.

April 02, 2019, 1:47pm

Nationals

Harper hoping for cheers, prepared for boos in return to D.C.

Sometime around 6:55 p.m. tonight, just before the announcement of the Phillies' starting lineup, the Nationals will play a brief video tribute to Bryce Harper. Roughly 13-15 minutes after that, Harper will step to the plate to face Max Scherzer for the first time. And what does the former National expect the ovation to be like for all this? "I hope I get a great one," he said. "Of course, I think there'll be some boos and things like that. It's part of the game. I think there'll be some...

175 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Game 4 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

April 02, 2019, 10:33am

Nationals

We've known this day was coming, officially for a month now, unofficially for longer than that. Bryce Harper is playing tonight at Nationals Park, and he's not playing for the home team. How will the new Phillies slugger be greeted by the crowd? Check back shortly after 7 p.m. More importantly, how will Harper fare at the plate against Max Scherzer? The two have only faced each other in live batting practice during spring training. That doesn't come close to counting. Rest assured, Scherzer...

210 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper juan soto lineups mark zuckerman matt adams max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies frontstory_nationals2

What to expect in Harper's first - of many - visits to Nationals Park

April 01, 2019, 8:23pm

Nationals

Nationals fans, by and large, love former Nationals. Think of all the prominent ex-players who have come back as an opponent over the years, and think of the crowd's response to them. Adam Dunn. Ian Desmond. Jordan Zimmermann. Adam LaRoche. Michael Morse. Wilson Ramos. Daniel Murphy. All received, at minimum, warm applause. Some got standing ovations. None was booed. Has anyone who previously played for the Nats ever been on the receiving end of boos upon stepping into the batter's box or...

0 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies sean doolittle featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Corbin steps up with quality start when Nats needed one

March 31, 2019, 8:25pm

Nationals

Corbin steps up with quality start when Nats needed one

Patrick Corbin knew the situation when he took the mound Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. He knew what happened to the home club on opening day, then again on Saturday. He knew the responsibility that rested upon his left arm in his first-ever start for his new team. "I just wanted to go out there and give us a chance to win after those first two games," he said. "I'm not saying we had to win this, but I just wanted to go out there and do my best." Corbin wasn't quite calling the...

272 Hits

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Nats turn to Turner's power, not speed, to secure first win

March 31, 2019, 2:33pm

Nationals

Nats turn to Turner's power, not speed, to secure first win

He's perhaps the fastest player in baseball, and he already has twice as many stolen bases as anyone else in the sport. And because of that, there's sometimes a perception that Trea Turner needs to be a small-ball guy, someone who just needs to put the bat on the ball and then take advantage of his speed. Thing is, Turner also has serious pop in that bat, as evidenced by the 19 home runs he hit last season. So when the Nationals desperately needed someone to deliver them a win - their first...

227 Hits

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin sean doolittle trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Turner's walk-off blast saves Nats from another bullpen mess

March 31, 2019, 12:55pm

Nationals

Turner's walk-off blast saves Nats from another bullpen mess

The Nationals have a bullpen problem. But they'll worry about that later tonight, because right now all they care about is celebrating their first win of 2019, thanks to the power supplied by one of the fastest players in baseball. Trea Turner, who had already clubbed a three-run homer earlier in the afternoon, drilled a walk-off shot into the fierce wind blowing in from left field to deliver a much-needed 6-5 victory over the Mets after the Nats' shaky bullpen suffered through a late...

281 Hits

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin sean doolittle tony sipp trea turner trevor rosenthal featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Sipp's faith in readiness pays off in Nationals debut

March 31, 2019, 8:56am

Nationals

Tony Sipp can admit it now, after the fact, because everything worked out well Saturday. But as he jogged in from the Nationals bullpen to make his season debut in the seventh inning of what at that point was a 4-4 game against the heart of the Mets lineup, the veteran reliever had no idea what to expect. "It was definitely a lot of questions that I had," he said today. "I believe I was ready, but then you run out there and you're thinking: 'Am I ready?' It's a tie ballgame. It's a...

207 Hits

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets tony sipp featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Game 3 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

March 31, 2019, 6:23am

Nationals

It's a cold, gray morning here on South Capitol Street, and the infamous Skittles tarp has been covering the infield. But don't despair: The forecast calls for the rain to end soon and the sun to come out. It's going to be cold and windy, but the Nationals and Mets will be finishing their season-opening series as scheduled. You hate to say this after only two games, but let's go ahead and say it: The Nats really need to win today. It's not just about avoiding a season-opening sweep at the...

271 Hits

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals2

Searching for some positives in an 0-2 start

March 30, 2019, 8:19pm

Nationals

Searching for some positives in an 0-2 start

It's been an admittedly negative first couple of games to the Nationals season, what with back-to-back losses to the Mets that included defensive gaffes, baserunning gaffes and bullpen gaffes. But today's a new day, so let's try to think positively if only for a few minutes. Here are some encouraging developments through the first 18 innings of the 2019 season in D.C. ... * Juan Soto is doing Juan Soto things, The 20-year-old left fielder has picked up right where he left off as a...

246 Hits

Comments

Tags:

juan soto mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets ryan zimmerman tony sipp featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Rosenthal tries to put happy face on ragged return to mound

March 30, 2019, 2:36pm

Nationals

Rosenthal tries to put happy face on ragged return to mound

It had been 19 months since Trevor Rosenthal last took the mound in a major league game, and so the veteran reliever understandably was happy about that important fact. "It was an exciting day, obviously," he said. "Getting out there for the first time, the situation, it was a good experience and something I really enjoyed and look forward to happening again." Rosenthal said all this with a smile on his face, but behind the smile was the recognition that he's only allowed to look on the...

241 Hits

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets trevor rosenthal featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Nats shake off ragged start, only to watch bullpen blow up late

March 30, 2019, 12:55pm

Nationals

Nats shake off ragged start, only to watch bullpen blow up late

They were sloppy in the field and sloppy on the bases again, digging themselves into an early hole that had South Capitol Street grumbling again only 48 hours after a fundamentally flawed opening day loss. But when the Nationals clawed their way back to tie up the game thanks to the exploits of young outfielders Juan Soto and Victor Robles, the ballpark came back to life, now believing things were pointed in a positive direction after a ragged first 11 innings to the season. And then the...

228 Hits

Comments

Tags:

juan soto kyle barraclough mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets stephen strasburg trevor rosenthal victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Nats will look to run today vs. Syndergaard

March 30, 2019, 8:17am

Nationals

Nats will look to run today vs. Syndergaard

If Thursday's season opener was an indication of things to come, Trea Turner is going to run a lot this season. If the Nationals did their scouting, Turner shouldn't be the only one running a lot today against Noah Syndergaard. A perfect convergence of natural speed, organizational philosophy and matchups comes together this afternoon when the Nats face the Mets and their No. 2 starter. Syndergaard, for all his talents as a pitcher, is one of the majors' worst at stopping the running game....