Mark Zuckerman

With Doolittle held out, Kintzler can't close out ninth

September 30, 2017, 7:55pm

Brandon Kintzler had plenty of ninth-inning experience with the Twins this season. Before he was traded to the Nationals on July 31, the right-hander had 28 saves in 32 attempts for Minnesota. The Nats, of course, have used Kintzler primarily as their seventh-inning reliever since that trade, entrusting the eighth inning to Ryan Madson and the ninth to Sean Doolittle. It's a formula that has worked exceptionally well for two months and leaves this team fully confident in its bullpen heading...

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Scherzer getting "precautionary" MRI for hamstring cramp

September 30, 2017, 7:16pm

Nationals

Scherzer getting "precautionary" MRI for hamstring cramp

Anyone who has been watching the Nationals for at least the last two months has known the results of any one particular game have not mattered much for a team that essentially had locked up a postseason berth long before it officially clinched on Sept. 10. One thing - and only one thing - truly has mattered for the Nationals during this homestretch: Keeping everybody of significance healthy. So when Max Scherzer was pulled with one out in the top of the fourth tonight for reasons that weren't...

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Scherzer pulled in fourth with apparent leg issue (Nats lose 4-1)

September 30, 2017, 4:36pm

Nationals

Scherzer pulled in fourth with apparent leg issue (Nats lose 4-1)

The last thing the Nationals needed in Game 161 of the season was to pull Max Scherzer in the top of the fourth inning for any reason other than performance, but that's what they got tonight. Scherzer was removed from his final postseason tune-up with what appeared to be a right leg issue after he landed awkwardly while throwing a pitch to the Pirates' Josh Bell. Whether his removal by manager Dusty Baker was a move of extreme caution or reason for actual concern is the question that now...

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Drew activated, Kelley to 60-day DL with bone chips

September 30, 2017, 3:34pm

Nationals

Drew activated, Kelley to 60-day DL with bone chips

The Nationals made a 60-day disabled list player swap just before tonight's game, adding Stephen Drew to the active roster while shelving Shawn Kelley for the remainder of the season. Drew, who has been out since July 26 with a tear in his abdomen, is now active but isn't ready to play quite yet. Kelley, who had to depart his Sept. 22 relief appearance with a numb arm, was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow. The moves don't have any real immediate impact but were necessary transactions...

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Rendon gets a breather, Harper tries to get more at-bats

September 30, 2017, 1:58pm

Nationals

Rendon gets a breather, Harper tries to get more at-bats

If Anthony Rendon is going to make one final case for MVP votes, it'll have to come in Sunday's season finale. Rendon is not in the lineup for tonight's game against the Pirates, a decision made in conjunction with manager Dusty Baker in an attempt to stay fresh heading into the postseason. Baker described the star third baseman as being "just a little fatigued" and thus in need of a breather. Rendon has started the last four games and 12 of the Nationals' last 14. "We discussed it...

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Game 161 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

September 30, 2017, 10:52am

Nationals

It's not necessarily high on their priority list right now, but the Nationals do still have a chance to win 99 games this season and thus set a new franchise record. To get there, they need to win both tonight and Sunday afternoon against the Pirates, which is far from an impossible task. And it only helps to have Max Scherzer on the mound tonight for his final regular season start. The ace right-hander enters tonight with a 2.55 ERA and needing to have a strong outing if he wants to leapfrog...

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What Doolittle hopes to learn from first blown save

September 28, 2017, 8:15pm

Nationals

What Doolittle hopes to learn from first blown save

It was bound to happen eventually, at least that's how the Nationals figured it. Sean Doolittle had been perfect since his acquisition from the Athletics in July, going 21-for-21 in save opportunities. Could they reasonably expect that conversion rate to remain at 100 percent straight through the end of their season? So maybe Thursday night's blown save against the Pirates - especially considering the fact the Nationals still came back to win 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth - wasn't the worst...

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Doolittle blows first save, but Nats rally to win 5-4 in ninth

September 28, 2017, 6:33pm

Nationals

Doolittle blows first save, but Nats rally to win 5-4 in ninth

What had been commonplace throughout the season's first three months had become wholly unexpected ever since. Give the Nationals bullpen a late lead? In April, May and June, that often meant disaster was looming. In July, August and September, it meant victory was assured. Since their mid-July acquisition of Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, and continuing with their acquisition of Brandon Kintzler two weeks later, the Nationals bullpen had been darn near automatic, giving up a lead only one...

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Harper sitting tonight, plans to play rest of weekend

September 28, 2017, 2:38pm

Nationals

Harper sitting tonight, plans to play rest of weekend

Bryce Harper is not in the Nationals lineup tonight, but Dusty Baker wants to make sure you know nothing's wrong with the star outfielder. Really wants you know. "No, nothing," the manager said. "No. Don't be alarmed. Nothing. Again, nothing." The Nationals simply don't want to push Harper too much too fast on the heels of his return from a major left knee and calf injury. After playing a total of nine innings in right field and taking seven plate appearances the previous two nights in...

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Game 159 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

September 28, 2017, 11:09am

Nationals

And we're back on South Capitol Street for the final weekend of the regular season. The Nationals wrap things up with four games against the Pirates. A few months back, this series looked like it could carry some significance for at least one of the two teams, maybe even both. Instead, they're just playing out the string, with the Bucs having struggled over the last month and fallen out of contention and the Nats having long since clinched a division title and now just prepping for the Cubs...

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Werth turns sentimental in possible Philly finale

September 27, 2017, 8:45pm

Nationals

Werth turns sentimental in possible Philly finale

PHILADELPHIA - Jayson Werth insists he hadn't really thought about it, not entering this series, not even entering Wednesday night's finale. He's made 17 trips to Citizens Bank Park as a member of the Nationals over the last seven years, playing in 52 games. He has long since blocked out the emotions that used to be associated with his trips here, the booing Phillies fans who turned the outfielder into a local villain after he signed a $126 million contract with the Nationals, completely...

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Nats drop finale to Phillies, will face Cubs in NLDS (updated)

September 27, 2017, 7:00pm

Nationals

Nats drop finale to Phillies, will face Cubs in NLDS (updated)

PHILADELPHIA - Trea Turner reached base five times. Jayson Werth hit a pair of balls as well as he has in a while. Michael A. Taylor homered. Sammy SolÃs continued his late-season resurgence. And Bryce Harper again looked healthy, and even picked up his first hit in six at-bats since returning from the disabled list. None of that, though, catapulted the Nationals to victory tonight in an excruciating game at Citizens Bank Park. Tanner Roark's struggles on the mound and a bunch of squandered...

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Goodwin in Florida, could make NLDS roster (Nats lose 7-5)

September 27, 2017, 2:31pm

Nationals

Goodwin in Florida, could make NLDS roster (Nats lose 7-5)

PHILADELPHIA - Brian Goodwin probably won't be returning to play for the Nationals in the regular season. Which doesn't mean he might not still return to play for them in the National League Division Series. Goodwin, out since Aug. 13 with a strained groin, has left the club and is now in West Palm Beach, Fla., playing in instructional league games. The outfielder will stay there through the weekend, manager Dusty Baker said, and could use that as a springboard to joining the active roster...

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Game 158 lineups: Nats at Phillies

September 27, 2017, 11:36am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals and Phillies wrap up their season series tonight. Many thanks to Byron Kerr for covering the last two games; he's back home tonight hosting "Nats Xtra" on MASN, so I made the drive to Philadelphia to cover this final road game of the regular season. The Nationals have been very good away from home this year, with a 50-30 road record that is best in the National League. And, get this: If the Nats win tonight, they'd become the...

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What can Nats reasonably expect from Harper in return?

September 24, 2017, 8:03pm

Nationals

What can Nats reasonably expect from Harper in return?

NEW YORK - When he slipped on first base, felt his left knee buckle and tumbled awkwardly to the ground in the bottom of the first inning Aug. 12 at Nationals Park, Bryce Harper didn't know if he'd play again this season. By the next morning, once an MRI confirmed he had not suffered any ligament damage, only a significant bone bruise and calf strain, Harper's outlook was a whole lot rosier. Even so, Harper and the Nationals knew they had a tight window to get healed, get back in baseball...

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Nationals close out Mets, now ready for Harper's return

September 24, 2017, 12:11pm

Nationals

NEW YORK - The Nationals lineup is on the verge of being whole again, with Bryce Harper having done everything required to recover from the scary leg injury he suffered six weeks ago and now poised to come off the disabled list. The club isn't making it official yet - "We're still trying to make up our minds," manager Dusty Baker said. "We'll let you know tomorrow." - but sources familiar with the plan confirmed that (barring something unforeseen) Harper will be active for Monday...

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When will NLDS rotation order be set? (Nats win 3-2)

September 24, 2017, 9:17am

Nationals

When will NLDS rotation order be set? (Nats win 3-2)

NEW YORK - We've reached the point in the season when it's time for playoff-bound clubs to begin lining up their rotations for October. The Nationals already know which four starters will take the mound for the National League Division Series. The order in which they'll do so, however, has not yet been made public. It is perhaps notable, though, how the Nats currently have their starters lined up during the final week of the regular season. Stephen Strasburg pitched Saturday night against...

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Game 155 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 24, 2017, 6:41am

Nationals

NEW YORK - Though their chances of securing home field advantage throughout the postseason are slim - they still trail the Dodgers by 4 1/2 games - the Nationals are on the verge of securing home field advantage at least for the National League Division Series. They enter play today with a seven-game lead over the Cubs, with eight to go. Thus, their magic number to clinch home field advantage for the first round is two, and if things go right, that could be locked up this afternoon. In order to...

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Lind reaches 200-homer plateau, thanks to key blast in win

September 24, 2017, 4:16am

Nationals

Lind reaches 200-homer plateau, thanks to key blast in win

NEW YORK - On the surface, it may not seem like that big of a deal, given the rate the home runs fly out of ballparks these days. But let's pause for a moment to give Adam Lind some credit, because even in these inflated times, 200 career homers is nothing to gloss over. Lind's opposite-field, two-run shot during the Nationals' 4-3, 10-inning win over the Mets on Saturday night allowed him to reach that milestone. And the 34-year-old slugger, while not one to show off, did admit this was an...

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Murphy takes down Mets again, this time in extras (updated)

September 23, 2017, 6:48pm

Nationals

Murphy takes down Mets again, this time in extras (updated)

NEW YORK - They waited much of the night for somebody - anybody - to deliver the big hit that would break a game that had been deadlocked far too long. In the end, who better to deliver that hit for the Nationals against the Mets than Daniel Murphy? Murphy's leadoff homer in the top of the 10th lifted the Nats to a 4-3 victory and added yet another chapter to his lengthy book of damage inflicted against his former team. Murphy's blast to center field off right-hander Jacob Rhame was his ninth...