Josh Land

David Huzzard: Examining the final two months

July 30, 2015, 6:40am

Now that the Washington Nationals are almost fully healthy and have added Jonathan Paplebon, it is as good a time as any to discuss what to expect for the last couple of months of the season. The Nats may not be done adding players before the non-waiver trade deadline tomorrow or via the waiver trade market in August, but those moves are expected to be much smaller and no trade will make the Nats better than having Anthony Rendon back in the lineup. Whether it was from magic, voodoo or a...

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Max Scherzer aims for series win in finale (with lineups)

July 30, 2015, 6:06am

Nationals

Max Scherzer aims for series win in finale (with lineups)

MIAMI - The Nationals send ace Max Scherzer to the mound looking for a series win in the finale against the Marlins. Scherzer is coming off one of his rougher starts of the year, giving up five runs on seven hits over five innings in a 7-5 loss to the Pirates last Friday. This will be Scherzer's first career start at Marlins Park. He fanned 10 over seven innings in a 7-5 win over Miami on May 6 in D.C. Jayson Werth gets a day off with the quick turnaround so Clint Robinson will start in left...

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Bryce Harper on Doug Fister: "That looked like old Dougie"

July 29, 2015, 8:19pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper on Doug Fister: "That looked like old Dougie"

MIAMI - Doug Fister was arguably the Nationals' best starting pitcher last season, leading the rotation with 16 wins and a 2.41 ERA. However, the tall right-hander has not been the same force this year. He entered Wednesday's start against the Marlins winless in over a month and with a 4.50 ERA, the highest in his seven-year career in the majors. The Marlins weren't able to manage much against Fister, who surrendered just two runs on four hits with one walk, two hit batters and four...

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Bryce Harper's impressive power display lifts Nats to 7-2 win

July 29, 2015, 7:25pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper's impressive power display lifts Nats to 7-2 win

MIAMI - With July winding down, Bryce Harper was experiencing a bit of a power outage. The 22-year-old had just three homers in the month and none in the past 10 days. But tonight, the slugger broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth with a colossal three-run homer and then followed with a breathtaking solo shot in the eighth to propel the Nationals to a 7-2 victory over the Marlins. Harper mashed three homers off Marlins starter Tom Koehler back on May 6 at Nationals Park. Tonight, Koehler won the first...

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Bryce Harper launches two homers, Nats win 7-2

July 29, 2015, 4:05pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper launches two homers, Nats win 7-2

MIAMI - The Nationals had a decent scoring chance in the first after Anthony Rendon led off with a walk and then Jayson Werth reached on an error. But Marlins starter Tom Koehler whiffed Bryce Harper and Dee Gordon robbed Ryan Zimmerman with a driving grab to end the inning. Nationals right-hander Doug Fister retired the first five hitters of the game before hitting Derek Dietrich. Fister paid for the mistake when Dietrich scored all the way from first on Ichiro Suzuki's two-out RBI double...

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Nationals game blog: Bryce Harper looks for power surge against Fish

July 29, 2015, 3:04pm

Nationals

MIAMI - The Nationals look for their first win in Miami this season after dropping all four games to the Marlins thus far. Right-hander Tom Koehler brings an 8-6 record with a 3.16 ERA into tonight's start for the Fish. Bryce Harper's first career three-homer game came against Koehler back on May 6 at Nationals Park in a 7-5 win. Harper hasn't left the yard in his last 10 games with only three homers this month. Harper has reached base safely in a career-best 24 straight games dating to June...

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Jonathan Papelbon to Drew Storen: "I just want to come here and win"

July 29, 2015, 2:36pm

Nationals

Jonathan Papelbon to Drew Storen: "I just want to come here and win"

MIAMI - Before putting on his new Nationals uniform, Jonathan Papelbon's first order of business was to clear the air with Drew Storen. "I've spoken to Drew," said Papelbon, speaking at Marlins Park. "I told Drew 'I don't want to come here unless you talk to (Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo) and everyone's OK with it. I don't want to come here and upset anyone. I just want to come here and win.' I think that Drew realized that." Papelbon assumes the closer role with just over...

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Doug Fister dons new number, takes mound vs. Marlins

July 29, 2015, 11:57am

Nationals

Doug Fister dons new number, takes mound vs. Marlins

MIAMI - Doug Fister looks to reverse the theme of his season against the Marlins tonight. Since returning from the DL on June 18, Fister is 1-4 in six starts with a 4.72 ERA. The tall right-hander has surrendered four or more runs in four of those six outings, while opponents own a .324 batting average against him during the slide. Fister will look to get right against Miami, who he owns a 2-0 record with a 1.09 ERA in four career starts against. After experiencing his best stretch of the...

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Now healthy, it's time for Nationals lineup to produce

July 29, 2015, 10:09am

Nationals

MIAMI - The Nationals reached the 98th game before Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon found themselves together in the lineup for the first time this season. The trio combined to go 4-for-10 in last night's 4-1 loss to the Marlins with Zimmerman's second-inning double setting up the Nats only run. "Couldn't get it done (last night)," Nationals manager Matt Williams said after last night's game. "Overall, I think some guys put together some good at-bats, we just didn't come...

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Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Wright Brothers"

July 29, 2015, 5:57am

Orioles

Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Wright Brothers"

We as humans like to simplify the complicated, which keeps the mind muscles calmer, if not correct. History is often simplified because occurrences that matter are often extremely complicated and rarely the clean, concise version we would prefer. When most of us think of the Wright Brothers and the initial flight of mankind at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903, it's about a few feet flown in the air and the rest is history. The rest is history, and therein lays the beauty of David...

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Rachel Levitin: How will Jonathan Papelbon mix in with Nationals bullpen?

July 29, 2015, 5:56am

Nationals

It looks like there's a new closing pitcher on Washington's roster. All-Star pitcher Jonathan Papelbon was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in exchange for minor league pitcher Nick Pivetta, and now it'll be interesting to see how the team's newest player integrates into the clubhouse. Outside of the business of baseball, many fans have expressed displeasure with the selection. That aside, I think the effect Papelbon has on the clubhouse and on...

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Best of the Decade: Baseball finally returns to D.C.

July 29, 2015, 4:14am

Nationals

Best of the Decade: Baseball finally returns to D.C.

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. After a long 33-year wait, baseball finally returned to Washington on April 14, 2005. Since the Senators rolled out of D.C. following the 1971 season, the nation's capital watched as Major League Baseball awarded...

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Drew Storen reacts after losing closer role to Jonathan Papelbon

July 28, 2015, 7:12pm

Nationals

Drew Storen reacts after losing closer role to Jonathan Papelbon

MIAMI - Following tonight's 4-1 loss to the Marlins, Drew Storen reacted for the first time to the news that he lost his closer role when the Nationals acquired veteran right-hander Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies earlier in the day. "Really, all I'm gonna say is that obviously I'm aware of the move," Storen said. "I've talked to (Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo) about it. I've talked to my agent. We've had some ongoing discussions. Until those have progressed, I'm just gonna...

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Mike Rizzo: "Papelbon is our ninth-inning pitcher"

July 28, 2015, 5:43pm

Nationals

Mike Rizzo: "Papelbon is our ninth-inning pitcher"

MIAMI - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo formally announced the acquisition of veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon during tonight's game with the Marlins. The Nationals sent right-handed prospect Nick Pivetta to the Phillies in exchange for Papelbon and cash considerations. Rizzo spoke to the media at Marlins Park during the game: What do you like about Papelbon? "Well, he's a proven elite closer in the game of baseball. A guy that comes with a track record, and he's done it in some of the...

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Domenic Vadala: Nick Markakis' return to Camden Yards a "Baltimore moment"

July 28, 2015, 5:19pm

Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Nick Markakis' return to Camden Yards a "Baltimore moment"

I, along with much of Birdland, had been anticipating July 27 for some time. Like most cities, Baltimore celebrates and appreciates its sports heroes. Over time we've seen many athletes play here only to leave and return in other uniforms, such as Eddie Murray, Bill Ripken, and even Rafael Palmeiro - albeit in a different manner given that he wasn't drafted here and brought into the big leagues with the Orioles. And we saw the same thing with Nick Markakis the other night when he came in as a...

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Offense stymied, Nats lose 4-1

July 28, 2015, 3:50pm

Nationals

MIAMI - Ryan Zimmerman wasted no time delivering for the Nationals in his first game back from the DL. After Bryce Harper walked to start the second, Zimmerman ripped a double down the left field line, giving the Nats runners at second and third. With one out, Wilson Ramos lifted a fly ball just deep enough to right, allowing Harper to tag and sprint home for the game's first run. Jayson Werth struck out in his first at-bat after also being activated from the DL earlier this afternoon. Update:...

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Nats shake up bullpen by acquiring Jonathan Papelbon (updated)

July 28, 2015, 3:26pm

Nationals

Nats shake up bullpen by acquiring Jonathan Papelbon (updated)

MIAMI - The Nationals have reportedly made a trade with the Phillies for closer Jonathan Papelbon. The acquisition of the veteran right-hander seemingly demotes current Nationals closer Drew Storen to a setup role for the third time in his six-year career. The Nationals have not officially announced any deal, though multiple media outlets have reported its completion. The Washington Post and FOX Sports were the first to report. Papelbon, 34, was 17-for-17 in save opportunities with a 1.59 ERA...

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Nationals game blog: Jordan Zimmermann starts series opener against Marlins

July 28, 2015, 3:17pm

Nationals

MIAMI - On a day with trade rumors flying around and a deal actually made, there's still a baseball game to play tonight. The Nationals open a three-game series tonight against the Marlins in Miami to start a stretch of six straight games against National League East division foes. The Nats have the third-best record in the NL since June 19 at 18-12 (.600) behind only the Cardinals (21-12) and Giants (19-12). Over that stretch, the Nationals are outscoring their opponents 118-90. But a major...

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Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Wright Brothers"

July 28, 2015, 12:21pm

We, as humans, like to simplify the complicated, which keeps the mind muscles calmer, if not correct. History is frequently simplified because occurrences that matter are often extremely complicated and rarely the clean, concise version we would prefer. When most of us think of the Wright Brothers and the initial flight of mankind at Kitty Hawk, N.C., in 1903, it's about a few feet flown in the air and the rest is history. The rest is history, and therein lays the beauty of McCullough's...

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enoch pratt free library gary thorne hitting the books kate powell

Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman return to Nationals lineup

July 28, 2015, 12:10pm

Nationals

MIAMI - The Nationals welcome veterans Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman back from the disabled list tonight as they begin a three-game series with the Marlins. Werth hasn't seen action since May 15 when a fastball fractured his left wrist in San Diego. The 36-year-old had a slow start to the season before the setback, batting just .208 with two homers and 12 RBIs after recovery from left shoulder surgery delayed his 2015 debut. Werth was 11-30 (.366) over nine minor league rehab games at Single...