Mark Zuckerman

Scherzer makes everyone dream of something special again

August 30, 2016, 7:22pm

PHILADELPHIA - This is what it has come to, what Max Scherzer has done to our longstanding sense of baseball and how typically not to get too excited too soon about the possibility of history. Two innings into tonight's 3-2 Nationals victory at Citizens Bank Park, only two measly innings into this one, you couldn't help but think to yourself: Scherzer might just throw a no-hitter. That's not the kind of thought you're supposed to have after two innings. Or, if you do, you're supposed to...

291 Hits

Comments

Tags:

Nationals ride another Scherzer gem to 3-2 victory in Philly

August 30, 2016, 5:50pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Stop us if you've heard this one before: Max Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning tonight at Citizens Bank Park, only to have it broken up on a double down the right field line by Freddy Galvis. It happened last summer. And it happened again tonight, with the pesky Phillies shortstop spoiling another one of Scherzer's attempts to make history with the same kind of hit in the same inning. Of more importance to Scherzer, the Nationals won both times, including...

261 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper mark melancon mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies wilson ramos frontstory_nationals3

Scherzer's strikeout total continues to soar (Nationals win 3-2)

August 30, 2016, 4:03pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - There's still a long way to go, and who knows what could happen between now and season's end. But if Max Scherzer can keep doing what he's been doing up to this point, he's going to wind up in some elite company. Especially in the strikeout department. Scherzer entered tonight's game against the Phillies with a league-leading 227 strikeouts in 182 innings. And after striking out six more batters in the first three innings, he now has left himself on pace to end the regular...

231 Hits

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies frontstory_nationals3

Rehab updates on Drew and Strasburg

August 30, 2016, 2:11pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have understood all along that Stephen Drew's recovery from an inner ear ailment would have no set timetable. The veteran infielder would simply start to feel well enough at some point to resume playing. By all accounts, he's nearing that point. Drew has ramped up his baseball activities over the last two days, taking batting practice and fielding grounders with the rest of his Nationals teammates. His mood and energy level also have been noticeably different to...

295 Hits

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies stephen drew stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 132 lineups: Nats at Phillies

August 30, 2016, 11:31am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Max Scherzer has faced the Phillies seven times over the last two years. In those seven starts, he's 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 10 walks. Needless to say, the Nationals have fair reason to expect more good things tonight when Scherzer takes the mound at Citizens Bank Park. Dusty Baker has his entire regular lineup out there for the second game of this series. That includes Ryan Zimmerman, who sat out last night's game after working extensively in the cage earlier in...

274 Hits

Comments

Tags:

lineups mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals3

Robinson making the most of his rare opportunities

August 30, 2016, 4:47am

Nationals

Robinson making the most of his rare opportunities

PHILADELPHIA - Dusty Baker constantly talks about how hard it is for players to be productive off the bench in the big leagues, how the lack of consistent at-bats makes it difficult to find a rhythm, even when there are rare opportunities to start games and step to the plate four or five times in one night. Which perhaps makes Clint Robinson's performance of late all the more impressive. Robinson hasn't seen a whole lot of action lately, not with the Nationals trying to give Ryan Zimmerman as...

228 Hits

Comments

Tags:

clint robinson mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Roark is dominant yet again in Nats' win over Phillies

August 29, 2016, 7:41pm

Nationals

Roark is dominant yet again in Nats' win over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA - Ask a bunch of people around baseball - players, coaches, managers, executives, scouts, media members - for a list of the best pitchers in the National League, and you're likely to get several recurring names: Kershaw, Arrieta, Scherzer, Strasburg, Bumgarner, Cueto, Lester, Syndergaard, Fernandez. All, of course, are excellent pitchers, all deserving of the recognition they receive. But how many voters are including Tanner Roark on their list? "If they're not," Jayson Werth...

258 Hits

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies tanner roark featured_sidebar bryce harper clint robinson daniel murphy jayson werth marc rzepczynski mark melancon max scherzer stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals3

Nationals ride early offense, then Roark to 4-0 win in Philly

August 29, 2016, 6:05pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - While their offense remains very much in hit-or-miss mode, the Nationals at least know they can still count on Tanner Roark to deliver a big-time start when they most need one. The Nationals scored two quick runs off the Phillies tonight, then sat back and watched as Roark and the bullpen took care of the rest, tossing a combined shutout during what became a 4-0 victory by night's end at Citizens Bank Park. Roark handled the first seven of those shutout innings, never entirely...

211 Hits

Comments

Tags:

jayson werth mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies tanner roark anthony rendon bryce harper clint robinson marc rzepczynski mark melancon max scherzer stephen strasburg trea turner frontstory_nationals3

Zimmerman gets day off to work in cage (Nationals win 4-0)

August 29, 2016, 4:28pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Dusty Baker planned to give Ryan Zimmerman his share of days off down the stretch, regardless of the veteran's performance. So the fact Zimmerman was not in the Nationals lineup for tonight's series opener against the Phillies wasn't a shock. Baker, though, didn't want Zimmerman to take the day off altogether. No, the two spent considerable time (along with other members of the coaching staff) in the batting tunnel at Citizens Bank Park earlier in the afternoon working on...

220 Hits

Comments

Tags:

jayson werth mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies ryan zimmerman tanner roark anthony rendon bryce harper frontstory_nationals3

Strasburg, Ross progressing toward September returns

August 29, 2016, 2:31pm

Nationals

Strasburg, Ross progressing toward September returns

PHILADELPHIA - It has taken a while, and it has included a few more bumps than they would have liked, but the Nationals have reached the final leg of their 20-games-in-20-days stretch. That also means they've almost reached September and the home stretch of a season they hope to continue well into October. Make no mistake, the Nationals are well aware of all this. "You start checking off the months until the season goes by. Now, we're down to one-sixth of the season," manager Dusty Baker...

214 Hits

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker joe ross mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime stephen strasburg aj cole lucas giolito mat latos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 131 lineups: Nats at Phils (Taylor up, Giolito optioned)

August 29, 2016, 11:36am

Nationals

Game 131 lineups: Nats at Phils (Taylor up, Giolito optioned)

PHILADELPHIA - Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals wrap up this 20-games-in-20-days stretch with one final series against the Phillies. And there's plenty going on here already. The Nats have made a roster move: Michael A. Taylor was recalled and Lucas Giolito was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. That gives the team a full bench again. With an off-day Thursday, the club can afford to go with four starting pitchers for the moment. And remember, players who are sent down at the end...

242 Hits

Comments

Tags:

lineups lucas giolito mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies stephen strasburg tanner roark clint robinson michael a taylor ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals3

Gonzalez on win No. 100, Harper and Werth on surging lineup

August 26, 2016, 7:29pm

Nationals

Gonzalez on win No. 100, Harper and Werth on surging lineup

Rain in Colorado prevented it from happening in his first attempt. Then an erratic performance in Atlanta prevented it from happening in his next attempt. Fortunately for Gio Gonzalez, the third time was the charm in his pursuit of 100 career wins, thanks to one of the left-hander's better starts in a while and some much-appreciated run support from his teammates during an 8-5 victory over the Rockies. "I'm just happy it came," said Gonzalez, who has notched 62 of those wins while wearing a...

328 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper colorado rockies gio gonzalez jayson werth mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Lineup gives Gonzalez plenty of support for 100th career win

August 26, 2016, 5:25pm

Nationals

Lineup gives Gonzalez plenty of support for 100th career win

Gio Gonzalez kept giving back the leads his teammates provided, but the Nationals kept providing enough run support until the left-hander settled down and then handed the game over to his bullpen, which finished off an 8-5 victory over the Rockies. Gonzalez, who allowed two runs and four hits over six innings, earned his 100th career win. Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy homered for the Nationals, who won their second straight after a four-game losing streak. Werth got the Nationals on the board...

264 Hits

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper colorado rockies daniel murphy gio gonzalez jayson werth frontfeatured_nationals mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime

Howard calls induction into Nats Ring of Honor "a real thrill"

August 26, 2016, 2:55pm

Nationals

Howard calls induction into Nats Ring of Honor "a real thrill"

For a generation of Washington baseball fans, there always has been no bigger figure in this town than Frank Howard. And that's only in part because of Hondo's 6-foot-7 frame. Howard has long been remembered as by far the best to ever play for the expansion version of the Senators that called D.C. home from 1961-71. He wasn't good enough to merit serious consideration for the Hall of Fame, but he was good enough to merit a statue outside Nationals Park, alongside permanent Cooperstown...

248 Hits

Comments

Tags:

frank howard mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime ring of honor washington senators featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Barrett determined to make full recovery from "traumatic" injury

August 26, 2016, 1:27pm

Nationals

Barrett determined to make full recovery from "traumatic" injury

The road to recovery from Tommy John surgery is long and lonely, and tests the mind just as much as it tests the reconstructed elbow of a pitcher. Aaron Barrett was far down that road in late July, a full 11 months removed from his surgery and fully confident he'd be ready to pitch in a big league game for the Nationals after only one more month of rehab. Barrett was standing on a mound on one of the practice fields in Viera, Fla., on July 22, 10 pitches into a scheduled 20-pitch simulated...

369 Hits

Comments

Tags:

aaron barrett injuries mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 128 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies

August 26, 2016, 11:13am

Nationals

After the excitement and drama of the four-day, two-city Beltways Series, the Nationals get back to business this weekend with the Rockies in town. Max Scherzer saved the bullpen last night with his dominant eight-inning performance. But in order to keep that bullpen from getting burned up again, Gio Gonzalez will need to follow up his rotation mate with a strong start of his own tonight. Gonzalez will be working with Jose Lobaton, a pairing that has enjoyed plenty of success in the past. That...

314 Hits

Comments

Tags:

colorado rockies gio gonzalez lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime wilson ramos frontstory_nationals3

Rzepczynski thrilled to join Nationals after whirlwind day

August 25, 2016, 7:51pm

Nationals

Marc Rzepczynski was taking a nap in Northern California when he was startled to find out he'd just been traded from the Athletics to the Nationals. Not upset, mind you, because he was suddenly heading from a last-place club to a first-place club for the final six weeks of a pennant race. But the veteran left-hander's life was suddenly being uprooted, and his new team needed him on the other side of the country ASAP. "I was actually taking a nap when this happened," Rzepczynski said. "We...

216 Hits

Comments

Tags:

marc rzepczynski mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Scherzer shows he's "the guy" in latest dominant performance

August 25, 2016, 7:18pm

Nationals Orioles

Scherzer shows he's "the guy" in latest dominant performance

Jose Lobaton doesn't get very many opportunities to catch Max Scherzer. He's only been behind the plate with the Nationals' $210 million right-hander eight times in two seasons. But, boy, does he savor those opportunities, especially when they come in particularly big games like tonight's 4-0 win over the Orioles. "He's in the moment," Lobaton said. "He wants to show that he's the guy. I love that. I love that." Scherzer most definitely was "the guy" tonight. With his team mired in...

220 Hits

Comments

Tags:

baltimore orioles dusty baker jose lobaton mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Scherzer piling up strikeouts again (Nationals win 4-0)

August 25, 2016, 3:53pm

Nationals Orioles

Scherzer piling up strikeouts again (Nationals win 4-0)

Max Scherzer strikes out a lot of batters but gives up lots of homers. The Orioles lineup strikes out a lot but hits a lot of homers. Which makes for an intriguing matchup tonight in the finale of the Beltway Series at Nationals Park. One that so far is being dominated by Scherzer. The Nationals ace has retired the first nine Baltimore batters he's faced, striking out six of them. He's done this on a scant 35 pitches. As is so often the case, Scherzer offers up ample evidence early what kind...

225 Hits

Comments

Tags:

baltimore orioles mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime frontstory_nationals2

Rzepczynski available to pitch tonight, Lopez optioned to Triple-A

August 25, 2016, 2:02pm

Nationals Orioles

Rzepczynski available to pitch tonight, Lopez optioned to Triple-A

Marc Rzepczynski has arrived in Washington. And apparently traffic was light enough getting into town from Dulles that the newly acquired reliever has made it to Nationals Park in time to be eligible for tonight's game. "There's a chance," manager Dusty Baker said earlier this afternoon, perhaps underestimating how difficult it typically is to make that 30-mile drive into town during rush hour. Turns out Baker's optimism was warranted, though, and so Rzepczynski will be at his disposal out...