Mark Zuckerman

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

August 25, 2016, 11:09am

The Nationals didn't expect to find themselves in this position, needing to beat the Orioles tonight to avoid a four-game sweep, but here they are nonetheless. They'll ask Max Scherzer to stop the bleeding and give this team the dominant start it so desperately needs. No word yet if the newly acquired Marc Rzepczynski - I'm getting good at spelling his name without having to check first - will be here in time to be activate for tonight's game. At this point, the Nats haven't announced a...

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Nats acquire lefty Rzepczynski from A's for infielder Schrock

August 25, 2016, 7:44am

Nationals

Nats acquire lefty Rzepczynski from A's for infielder Schrock

Desperate for left-handed relief after Felipe Rivero was traded, Sammy Solis was injured and Oliver Perez was ineffective, the Nationals have acquired veteran Marc Rzepczynski from the Athletics for minor league infielder Max Schrock. The trade also includes cash coming from the A's to the Nationals to cover some of the roughly $600,000 Rzepczynski is still owed this season. Rzepczynski - his name is pronounced "zep-CHIN-skee" but he also goes by the nickname "Scrabble" - owns a 3.87 ERA...

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Turner matches franchise record with 8-for-8 streak

August 24, 2016, 8:44pm

Nationals Orioles

Turner matches franchise record with 8-for-8 streak

Trea Turner knew he had gone 8-for-8 over the last two nights - "I mean, if you don't, you're lying," he said. "Everyone thinks about it." - but he didn't know he had tied a franchise record in the process. Not until Turner went back to watch video of his final at-bat of Wednesday night's game, his ninth-inning strikeout, did he see a graphic on the screen pointing out he needed one more hit to break the record set previously by the Expos' Andre Dawson in 1983 and the Nationals'...

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Nats stuck in losing streak, but encouraged by near-historic ninth

August 24, 2016, 8:15pm

Nationals Orioles

Nats stuck in losing streak, but encouraged by near-historic ninth

They came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth at the end of a miserable night during a miserable week during which it has felt like they've been fighting an uphill battle every step of the way. Three quick outs and the Nationals' fourth straight defeat would be in the books, a second straight lopsided loss to the Orioles. It didn't quite happen like that, though. The end result - a fourth straight loss - may have been the same, but the manner in which it happened, with the Nationals...

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Roark is latest starting pitcher to labor (Nationals lose 10-8)

August 24, 2016, 4:21pm

Nationals Orioles

Roark is latest starting pitcher to labor (Nationals lose 10-8)

For all their pitching struggles and overuse in the last two weeks, the Nationals had to at least take solace knowing one of their most reliable starters would be on the mound tonight: Tanner Roark. Then Roark took the mound and picked up where the rest of the Nationals pitching staff left off. And that's not a good thing. Roark labored mightily through his first inning, throwing 39 pitches to nine batters, with four of them scoring to give the Orioles a commanding early lead. It has been a...

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Cole slated to start Saturday, but Giolito available this weekend

August 24, 2016, 1:47pm

Nationals

Cole slated to start Saturday, but Giolito available this weekend

The Nationals plan to keep A.J. Cole and have him start Saturday night against the Rockies, but manager Dusty Baker said that plan remains tentative and Lucas Giolito will be available to rejoin the big league rotation this weekend if needed. Pressed into emergency duties Monday when Stephen Strasburg had to be placed on the disabled list with a sore elbow, Cole impressed in only his second career big league start, going seven innings in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles. That performance appears to...

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Game 126 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

August 24, 2016, 10:50am

Nationals Orioles

The Beltways Series has moved down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway - has anyone ever pointed out you don't need to take either town's beltway to drive from one ballpark to the other? - for the next two nights. The Nationals can only hope the results improve from the last two nights at Camden Yards. The good news: Tanner Roark and Max Scherzer take the mound for these two games against Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez (filling in Thursday for the injured Chris Tillman). Whether the Nationals can...

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What's the state of the Nats pitching staff tonight?

August 23, 2016, 9:32pm

Nationals

What's the state of the Nats pitching staff tonight?

BALTIMORE - The Nationals have spent the better part of a week trying to get their bullpen back in order. Just when it looked they had done it, they were forced to cobble together yet another game Tuesday night, needing 5 1/3 innings from their relief corps after starter Reynaldo Lopez was bumped early. It could have been a lot worse, though. Matt Belisle (three innings), Oliver Perez (one inning) and Yusmeiro Petit (1 1/3 innings) joined forces to get the staff through what wound up an 8-1...

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Lopez reverts to earlier form in 8-1 loss to Orioles

August 23, 2016, 7:27pm

Nationals Orioles

Lopez reverts to earlier form in 8-1 loss to Orioles

BALTIMORE - There's no denying Reynaldo Lopez's electric stuff, and that stuff's ability to be successful against big league hitters. But at the moment, there's also no denying Lopez's inability to have success against anybody other than the worst team in baseball. The Nationals rookie has now made five major league starts. He's 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Braves, a team currently on pace to lose 104 games. And he's 0-2 with a 10.32 ERA against the Dodgers, Giants and Orioles, all...

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Only replay can catch Turner trying to steal (Nats lose 8-1)

August 23, 2016, 4:28pm

Nationals Orioles

Only replay can catch Turner trying to steal (Nats lose 8-1)

BALTIMORE - Apparently, the only way Trea Turner can be called out trying to steal a base is via slow motion replay. Turner twice tonight has had stolen bases wiped out by replay challenges, a pair of disappointing outs that have contributed to snuffing out potential Nationals rallies and helped leave them in an early deficit against the Orioles. Turner led off the game with an infield single against Kevin Gausman and then stole second, setting the table nicely for the Nationals out of the...

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Ross throws off mound, ready to ramp up workload again

August 23, 2016, 2:17pm

Nationals

Ross throws off mound, ready to ramp up workload again

BALTIMORE - Joe Ross threw off a bullpen mound today, the right-hander's first such throwing session in three weeks, and finally appears ready to ramp up his rehab in an attempt to rejoin the Nationals' rotation for the stretch run. Ross, out since July 3 with right shoulder inflammation, threw roughly 25-to-30 pitches off the mound in the visitors' bullpen at Camden Yards this afternoon and was admittedly "excited" about how things went. "It feels really good. That's why I'm pretty...

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Game 125 lineups: Nats at Orioles

August 23, 2016, 11:32am

Nationals Orioles

BALTIMORE - It's another beautiful day here at Camden Yards, a far cry from the heat and humidity everyone has been dealing with for weeks. The Nationals and Orioles return for the second of their four head-to-head games this week, the Nats needing a win tonight to even up the series after last night's 4-3 loss. Reynaldo Lopez gets the start, and if the rookie pitches anything like he did his last two times out, the Nationals will like their chances. Those starts, of course, both came against...

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Espinosa snaps out of long funk with first homer in 50 days

August 22, 2016, 9:20pm

Nationals Orioles

Espinosa snaps out of long funk with first homer in 50 days

BALTIMORE - It's been a long summer for Danny Espinosa, one that began with perhaps the best sustained stretch of his career but then devolved into another prolonged slump that made the earlier success feel like ancient history. Back on July 3, the Nationals shortstop was in the middle of what must have felt like a dream: A weekend series against the Reds that included five homers, 15 RBIs and as much goodwill as Espinosa had received in a long time. That was the last time he homered. Until...

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Cole makes the most of a tough situation, impresses Nats

August 22, 2016, 7:14pm

Nationals Orioles

Cole makes the most of a tough situation, impresses Nats

BALTIMORE - A.J. Cole didn't expect to be summoned to Atlanta on Thursday and be available to pitch for the Nationals out of the bullpen in case of emergency. So when his services weren't needed and he headed back north to Pawtucket, R.I., to rejoin Triple-A Syracuse, the right-hander figured he wouldn't be seeing a big league mound again for a while. Baseball, of course, is a funny game. And so it was that Cole found himself tonight not in Pawtucket, not in Triple-A, but on the mound at...

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Cole sharp early, but Orioles get him in 4th (Nats lose 4-3)

August 22, 2016, 4:06pm

Nationals Orioles

Cole sharp early, but Orioles get him in 4th (Nats lose 4-3)

BALTIMORE - A.J. Cole was doing his best Stephen Strasburg impersonation early tonight, but then the rookie right-hander ran into an Orioles lineup that has caused trouble for far more advanced pitchers this season. Cole surrendered a solo homer to Jonathan Schoop in the bottom of the third, then a two-run shot to Mark Trumbo in teh bottom of the fourth, leaving the Nationals in a 4-2 hole. Filling in for the injured Strasburg, Cole was sharp early, striking out five of the first nine batters...

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Strasburg, Nationals describe DL stint as precautionary

August 22, 2016, 2:44pm

Nationals Orioles

Strasburg, Nationals describe DL stint as precautionary

BALTIMORE - Stephen Strasburg didn't think the stiff elbow he's been experiencing lately was significant enough to keep him from pitching tonight, but the Nationals told their ace right-hander not to chance it, preferring to have him make what they hope will be a brief stint on the disabled list before returning for the stretch run. "They thought it was best interest to let it recover now, instead of trying to gut it out and essentially be not available later on," Strasburg said this...

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Game 124 lineups: Nats at Orioles

August 22, 2016, 11:36am

Nationals Orioles

BALTIMORE - Well, tonight's opener of the annual Beltways Series has an entirely new and unexpected storyline, huh? If you missed the news earlier, the Nationals have placed Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list with right elbow soreness and recalled A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse to start tonight in his place. We will certainly be getting more information shortly, but first some background to the situation: Strasburg went through all of his normal between-starts routines over the weekend...

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What was behind the Nats' surprisingly poor defense in Atlanta?

August 21, 2016, 9:55pm

Nationals

What was behind the Nats' surprisingly poor defense in Atlanta?

ATLANTA - The Nationals, for the vast majority of the season, have been a stellar defensive club, ranking among the best in baseball in most fielding categories. So what in the world happened this weekend? The Nationals booted, dropped and threw away the ball at Turner Field, committing nine errors (five of them alone during Sunday's 10-inning loss) that led to seven unearned runs over four days. "I'm hoping we got it out of our system," manager Dusty Baker said. "Because we won three out...

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Nats pitching staff still running on fumes after long week

August 21, 2016, 3:33pm

Nationals

Nats pitching staff still running on fumes after long week

ATLANTA - There are battles worth fighting, and then there are days when the long-term picture must take precedence. The Nationals found themselves at the convergence of those two scenarios this afternoon at Turner Field, and though they battled to an extent in an attempt to beat the Braves, they weren't necessarily devastated when they ultimately lost 7-6 on Jace Peterson's 10th-inning homer, sparing their overworked bullpen the need to throw any more pitches at the end of a long week. "You...

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Pitching staff, defense falter in Nats' 10-inning loss to Braves

August 21, 2016, 2:18pm

Nationals

Pitching staff, defense falter in Nats' 10-inning loss to Braves

ATLANTA - They tried to overcome some of their ugliest defensive play of the season and a cobbled-together bullpen, but the Nationals couldn't pull off one more victory at Turner Field to complete a series sweep, and instead were left to stew over a 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Braves at the end of a long week of baseball. Leading by three runs in the sixth, the Nationals let the Braves claw back to win. Yusmeiro Petit, the only fully fresh arm in their bullpen, recorded 1 1/3 scoreless innings...