Josh Land

Gap widens after Nats shut out for second straight night

August 12, 2015, 9:27pm

The reeling Nationals offense wasted a brilliant performance from Jordan Zimmermann, falling to the Dodgers 3-0. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw retired the first 16 Nationals, taking a perfect game into the sixth before Michael A. Taylor ripped a one-out double over Joc Pederson's head in center. But Kershaw calmly coaxed two groundouts from Zimmermann and Yunel Escobar to strand Taylor. Anthony Rendon smoked a leadoff single in the seventh and Kershaw responded by fanning Bryce Harper, Ryan...

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Zach Wilt: Some good news for the Orioles

August 12, 2015, 7:17pm

Orioles

Throughout the summer, there are days when I can't wait to sit down at the keyboard to share my thoughts on the Orioles and days in which I wish I had a bit more time to wait until the story turned positive. There's nothing more fun than blogging about your favorite baseball team when they're hitting extra-inning game-winning grand slams on the road, like I did this time last week. It's a bit more difficult after they've been no-hit and have just concluded an important road trip with just...

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Kershaw outduels Zimmermann in Nats' 3-0 loss

August 12, 2015, 7:15pm

Nationals

Kershaw outduels Zimmermann in Nats' 3-0 loss

A leadoff walk to Joc Pederson in the third turned into the Dodgers' first run. Jose Peraza followed with a broken bat floater that Ian Desmond barehanded on one hop and fired to first for the out. But Pederson advanced to second, where he would score from on Carl Crawford's two-out single. Jordan Zimmermann has allowed one run on two hits, with one walk and four strikeouts, through four innings. Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw is perfect through four innings with four strikeouts. Update:...

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Nationals game blog: Jordan Zimmermann aims for series win

August 12, 2015, 5:00pm

Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann is 0-2 with a 4.25 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. That stretch began with an abbreviated four-inning outing against the Dodgers, which was interrupted by a power outage at Nationals Park on July 17. After a lengthy delay, Zimmermann wasn't able to continue. He gave up two runs on a homer to Adrian Gonzalez before the lights went out. Despite the rough patch, Zimmermann was much sharper in his last start, limiting the Rockies to one run on four hits with no walks...

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Bryce Harper returns for matchup with Clayton Kershaw (with lineups)

August 12, 2015, 3:11pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper returns for matchup with Clayton Kershaw (with lineups)

Bryce Harper returns to the Nationals lineup for tonight's series finale against the Dodgers. The 22-year-old was scratched yesterday with soreness and swelling in his left knee, resulting from two diving attempts in right field in Monday's 8-3 win. Harper looks to build on a current 10-game hitting streak. He's batting .361 (13-for-36) over the stretch, but - despite leading the National League with 29 homers - the young slugger hasn't left the yard since jacking two bombs in a win in...

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Rachel Levitin: Rough run puts Nationals 2 1/2 games back in division

August 12, 2015, 6:47am

Nationals

It's been a rough run for the Washington Nationals as of late. They dropped last night's contest in a 5-0 shutout versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, and are trying to scrape their way back to the top of the National League East as baseball's regular season days die down. The Nats currently sit 2 1/2 games back in their division. Now - with the wild card - sitting a couple games back in the standings isn't necessarily the end all to a season with playoff hopes. However, the issue now lies in...

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Domenic Valada: Wild card teams can channel momentum for postseason run

August 12, 2015, 6:34am

Orioles

Domenic Valada: Wild card teams can channel momentum for postseason run

First off, while I recognize that it departs from my self-proclaimed status as a "baseball purist," let me preface this by saying that I really love how MLB approaches the postseason now. Some people still clamor for the old system of having two divisions and thus the two division champions going to the LCS series. If you feel that way, I can respect that. However, the fact is that over the years, some really good and deserving teams missed going to the postseason due to that system. So, the...

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Nationals lose ground after 5-0 shutout loss

August 11, 2015, 9:47pm

Nationals

Rookie right-hander Joe Ross labored through the shortest outing of his young career and the Nationals failed to score against Dodgers ace Zack Greinke for the second time this year, falling 5-0 to slide 2 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East. Ross had displayed pinpoint control through his first seven starts, walking just four batters while striking out 47 over 45 innings since making his major league debut on June 6. But on Tuesday night, the 22-year-old had to battle out of...

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Joe Ross knocked out in fifth, Nats lose 5-0

August 11, 2015, 8:11pm

Nationals

Joe Ross knocked out in fifth, Nats lose 5-0

Rookie Joe Ross is battling control issues for the first time in the big leagues. The right-hander entered tonight's game with just four walks in his seven starts in the majors. He had never walked more than one in a game. Tonight, Ross issued back-to-back walks to Andre Ethier and Yasmani Grandal to start the second. But Ross settled down and retired the next three Dodgers in order in escape the early jam. Ross wasn't as lucky in the fourth. Ethier lifted a changeup to the gap in left-center...

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Nationals game blog: Ryan Zimmerman looks to continue hot streak

August 11, 2015, 5:43pm

Nationals

The Nationals will face Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke without the services of Bryce Harper. Harper, the National League's home run leader, was scratched from tonight's lineup with soreness in his left knee. The Dodgers have lost four straight, not winning since Greinke last took the mound on Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. Greinke, the NL's Cy Young favorite, had his worst start of the year that night, surrendering six runs over six innings while taking his 11th win of the season. Nationals...

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Bryce Harper scratched, Clint Robinson starts (with lineups)

August 11, 2015, 3:48pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper scratched, Clint Robinson starts (with lineups)

The Nationals get their second crack at Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke tonight. The National League All-Star starter handcuffed the Nationals in D.C. on July 19, striking out a season-high 11 while yielding just three hits over eight scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 5-0 shutout win. Greinke's 1.71 ERA is still the best in the majors, but he was tagged for six runs in six innings in his last outing in Philadelphia on Thursday. Nationals right-hander Joe Ross is set to make his eighth start...

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Best of the Decade: Jayson Werth's epic Game 4 walk-off homer

August 11, 2015, 2:53pm

Nationals

Best of the Decade: Jayson Werth's epic Game 4 walk-off homer

As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday through mid-August, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history. Jayson Werth's arrival in D.C. late in 2010 was not unanimously approved. Many debated the seven-year, $126 million contract given to a 31-year-old who had only once been in an All-Star. Almost two years later, in...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: A closer look at Anthony Rendon's collision at home plate

August 11, 2015, 5:59am

Nationals

Matt of Matt's Bats: A closer look at Anthony Rendon's collision at home plate

During Sunday's Rockies-Nationals game, a lot of people questioned the ruling on the field in the 7th inning when the umpires called Anthony Rendon out at home plate. With Rendon on second and the score tied at 4-4, Ryan Zimmerman hit a single to right field. Rendon tried to score, testing the arm of Carlos Gonzalez. CarGo nailed a perfect throw to catcher Michael McKenry, who applied the tag to Rendon. Home plate umpire Alan Porter called Rendon out. Almost immediately, Nationals manager Matt...

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Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond trigger offense to start road trip

August 11, 2015, 5:59am

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond trigger offense to start road trip

The Nationals offense showed no jet lag after flying cross-country to face the Dodgers in the opener of a lengthy 10-game road trip. Washington rapped 13 hits and poured in eight runs as the lineup continues to show signs of gelling. The scorching bat of Ryan Zimmerman started the Nationals' attack in the second with a leadoff double ripped into the right-center field gap. Two batters later, Ian Desmond jumped on a hanging curveball from Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson and deposited it over...

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Matt Kremnitzer: O's likely forced to hold steady during Miguel Gonzalez's rough stretch

August 11, 2015, 5:33am

Orioles

Matt Kremnitzer: O's likely forced to hold steady during Miguel Gonzalez's rough stretch

How bad does a starting pitcher have to perform before he gets removed from the rotation? For the last couple of months, Miguel Gonzalez seems to be pushing those boundaries. He was up to his usual tricks the first couple months of the season, but he's been off his game since late June. In the middle of that month, Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list with a right groin injury. Since his return outing on June 25, things have not gone well. In nine starts (46 1/3 innings), he has posted an...

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Gio Gonzalez dominates in Nationals' 8-3 win

August 10, 2015, 9:53pm

Nationals

Gio Gonzalez has pitched at a high level for the past two months. The left-hander raised it another notch Monday night, throwing eight scoreless innings in an 8-3 Nationals win. "I just thought he was in command the whole night," Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters. "The key for him is pitch count early and keeping it down. That allowed him to get through eight (innings). He pitched really well." Despite not losing since June 15, Gonzalez had labored through his last three...

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Nats start road trip with impressive 8-3 win

August 10, 2015, 6:44pm

Nationals

Nats start road trip with impressive 8-3 win

Ryan Zimmerman continued swinging his red-hot bat, ripping a double to right-center in the second. It was Zimmerman's 10th extra-base hit in his last 13 games since returning from the disabled list. Two batters later, Ian Desmond launched left-hander Brett Anderson's hanging curveball over the wall in left for a two-run homer. Desmond leads the Nationals with six home runs and 15 RBIs since the All-Star break. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has thrown two scoreless innings, yielding two...

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Orioles recall right-hander Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie, place right-hander Chaz Roe on 15-day disabled list

August 10, 2015, 6:10pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-hander Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie and placed right-hander Chaz Roe on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. Givens, 25, has gone 1-0 and worked 4.0 scoreless innings in three appearances with the Orioles this season. In 35 games with Double-A Bowie this season, Givens went 4-2 with a 1.73 ERA (57 1/3 IP, 11 ER) and 15 saves. He struck out two over 2.0 scoreless innings and earned the save on August 8 vs. New...

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Orioles Orioles News Release

Nationals game blog: Important road trip begins in L.A.

August 10, 2015, 5:41pm

Nationals

The Nationals are set to begin an 11-game, 10-day road trip, which is likely to prove crucial for playoff positioning. "Look, it is what it is," pirtcher Max Scherzer said. "You have to win all these games. You have to find a way to dig deep and win these series. I know we're playing some great teams. We're going to face the Dodgers, Giants and (the Rockies) again. It's going to be an absolute grind. "That's what August is about. You have to grind through the schedule and keep going at...

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Jayson Werth looking to build momentum (with lineups)

August 10, 2015, 3:35pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth looking to build momentum (with lineups)

The Nationals hope yesterday's performance from Jayson Werth is a sign of what's to come from the veteran outfielder for the remainder of the season. The 36-year-old had his first multi-hit game since returning from the disabled list on July 28 after missing 61 games with a fractured left wrist. Werth connected on a fastball in the second inning, drilling it over the wall in the right-center alley for a solo homer. He added a single in the third and turned his leadoff walk in the sixth into...