Game 80 lineups: Nats at Cardinals

Game 80 lineups: Nats at Cardinals
ST. LOUIS - Hello from Busch Stadium, where it was pouring only about an hour ago but has since cleared up. And, if we are to trust the forecasters, it should remain clear the rest of the evening as the Nationals and Cardinals open their three-game weekend series. The Nats arrive in town banged-up physically and mentally. They of course lost Trea Turner to a fractured right wrist Thursday. They also continue to wait for several key players (Jayson Werth, Koda Glover, Sammy Solís, Shawn...
Continue reading

Sanchez gets first big league promotion with Turner placed on DL

Sanchez gets first big league promotion with Turner placed on DL
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals have promoted Adrian Sanchez from Triple-A Syracuse to take Trea Turner's roster spot, rewarding the 26-year-old infielder with his first call-up to the big leagues after a decade in their farm system. Sanchez, who was hitting .259 with four homers and a .694 OPS in 72 games with the Chiefs, had his contract purchased, a transaction that required a corresponding move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for him. Reliever Sammy Solís thus was transferred from the...
Continue reading

Patient and smooth again, Harper "getting his act back together"

Patient and smooth again, Harper "getting his act back together"
It was one of the calmest, smoothest-looking swings Bryce Harper has taken this season, the kind that you might normally expect to result in a simple, looping single over an infielder's head. Except this one left Harper's bat at 110 mph and was crushed to right-center field for a first-inning double in Wednesday night's game at Nationals Park. If you're looking for evidence of the state of Harper's swing right now, that was as good an example as any. He didn't let his shoulders fly open....
Continue reading

Despite brief bout of back spasms, Strasburg in peak form

Despite brief bout of back spasms, Strasburg in peak form
He may not have the ability to do it consistently every fifth day like Max Scherzer. But there are times, when he has everything working in sync, in which Stephen Strasburg can dominate an opposing lineup like nobody else. And there were times this evening in which that was the case. As Nationals manager Dusty Baker put it: "He had it going on tonight." Save for a mid-game blip in which back spasms may have affected him, Strasburg started and finished against the Cubs in absolute peak form....
Continue reading

Nationals pound Lackey, Strasburg blows away Cubs in 8-4 win

Nationals pound Lackey, Strasburg blows away Cubs in 8-4 win
On Tuesday the Nationals used the unlikely combination of contact and speed at the plate and a low strikeout total from Max Scherzer to beat the Cubs. Tonight, they reverted back to their more typical formula for success: Their lineup clobbered the ball, and Stephen Strasburg made Chicago's batters whiff over and over again. Behind Strasburg's 13-strikeout performance and home runs from Anthony Rendon, Matt Wieters and Daniel Murphy, the Nationals captured an 8-4 victory to ensure at least a...
Continue reading

Glover reveals shoulder injury, leaving his return uncertain

Glover reveals shoulder injury, leaving his return uncertain
It doesn't appear Koda Glover will be pitching for the Nationals anytime soon. And that could dramatically impact the way general manager Mike Rizzo approaches next month's trade deadline. Glover revealed today he has "severe inflammation of the rotator cuff and two strains" in his right shoulder, an injury he admits he had been dealing with prior to landing on the disabled list 2 1/2 weeks ago with lower back stiffness. There is no concrete timetable for Glover's return, but the reliever...
Continue reading

Game 78 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

Game 78 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs
It's been a busy day already here at Nationals Park, but not because of anything the home team has done. Rather, it's the Cubs who are making news after designating catcher Miguel Montero for assignment. You may remember Montero from last night's postgame rant "Don't Blame Me for Stolen Bases! Blame the Pitchers!" Well, the Cubs decided to blame Montero after all, or at least cut ties with him and eat the remainder of his $14 million salary for being a bad teammate. It'll be interesting...
Continue reading

More on Taylor's production and Romero's zeros

More on Taylor's production and Romero's zeros
More from Tuesday night's 6-1 victory over the Cubs ... * There may be no more pleasant development for the Nationals this season than the development of Michael A. Taylor into a more disciplined, more productive hitter, and it was on display again in this game. Taylor was a major contributor to the win, using his legs to swipe two bases and induce a bad throw by catcher Miguel Montero to score a run in the fourth, then using his bat to drive a two-run double to right-center in the fifth. That...
Continue reading

Nats turn to speed-contact combo to score runs in latest victory

Nats turn to speed-contact combo to score runs in latest victory
Any breakdown of the Nationals lineup - the majors' most productive through the season's first half - usually focuses on the power potential up and down the order, the depth of quality that allows this team to score runs in bunches via a string of extra-base hits. The Nationals are, believe it or not, more multi-dimensional than that, though. They do have one of the fastest leadoff men in baseball, not to mention speed in several other lineup slots and several hitters capable of grinding out...
Continue reading

Scherzer tops Arrieta as Nats run their way to 6-1 win over Cubs

Scherzer tops Arrieta as Nats run their way to 6-1 win over Cubs
The latest marquee pitching showdown of the season saw the Nationals' Cy Young Award winner show up with an awfully effective performance. The Cubs' Cy Young? He looked awfully pedestrian. Max Scherzer tossed six innings of one-run ball, retired the last 10 batters he faced and also contributed to the Nationals' offensive onslaught against Jake Arrieta, who was knocked out before recording an out in the fifth inning during the Nats' 6-1 victory. Scherzer's streak of double-digit strikeout...
Continue reading

Updates on Werth, Glover, Kelley, Solís and Heisey

Updates on Werth, Glover, Kelley, Solís and Heisey
Your daily injury updates from the Nationals clubhouse, with several recovering players making progress and others still in a holding pattern as the season's first half nears its conclusion ... * Jayson Werth participated in some portions of pregame workouts today with his teammates, the first time the veteran outfielder has done that since going on the disabled list more than three weeks ago. Werth, out since June 4 with a bone bruise in his left foot, stretched with teammates prior to...
Continue reading

Game 77 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

Game 77 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs
Rarely do you get truly elite pitching matchups like this, with the last two National League Cy Young Award winners squaring off in a game between two very good teams. So let's appreciate Max Scherzer vs. Jake Arrieta for what it is. And then, if you're the Nationals, hope Scherzer has yet another gem in him while Arrieta shows up hittable (as he has been more this year than in the past). Scherzer is on a remarkable run right now; over his last six starts he has an 0.94 ERA and 69 strikeouts...
Continue reading

Cubs' strategy vs. Harper changes, results with Zimmerman remain

Cubs' strategy vs. Harper changes, results with Zimmerman remain
On Monday night, the Cubs pitched to Bryce Harper in the opener of their four-game series with the Nationals. Which may not sound like a big deal, until you recall how little they pitched to the young slugger one year ago when the two clubs met. Over the course of four agonizing days at Wrigley Field in May 2016, the Cubs walked Harper an astounding 13 times. That included six times in one game, with three of those walks handed out intentionally by manager Joe Maddon. The strategy was simple:...
Continue reading

Nats experience range of emotions after comeback falls short

Nats experience range of emotions after comeback falls short
After seven innings tonight, the Nationals were headed toward a frustrating-but-acceptable loss to a very good opponent, unable to do anything at the plate and perhaps destined for a 1-0 defeat. After 8 1/2 innings, the Nationals were headed toward an aggravating, now-less-acceptable loss, letting the Cubs open up a 5-0 lead via a flurry of defensive miscues and fundamental execution by the visitors. But after nine innings, how exactly were the Nationals supposed to feel about this game now?...
Continue reading

Late rally not enough for Nats, who fall 5-4 to Cubs

Late rally not enough for Nats, who fall 5-4 to Cubs
No matter the Cubs' current record, no matter what issues the defending champs are dealing with right now, the Nationals know they're facing a real challenge this week. And if anyone didn't realize it before tonight's series opener on South Capitol Street, they certainly know it now. Behind stellar pitching and the kind of fundamental execution the home team lacked, the Cubs won tonight's game 5-4, sending their legion of their fans that invaded Nationals Park home happy and nearly sending...
Continue reading

Nats working to finalize minor league deal with Francisco Rodríguez

Nats working to finalize minor league deal with Francisco Rodríguez
The Nationals are finalizing a minor league deal with Francisco Rodríguez, hoping the veteran closer might resurrect himself after a horrible start to his season in Detroit that got him released last week. The deal isn't done yet, but a club source said it is expected to be completed soon. At that point, Rodríguez would report to Triple-A Syracuse and attempt to right his wayward ship in a low-pressure environment. Rodríguez, 35, owns 437 saves and a 2.86 ERA over 16 big league...
Continue reading

Game 76 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

Game 76 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs
There is a distinct big-game vibe here at Nationals Park, with the Cubs in town for the first of a four-game series that promises to bring big crowds, plenty of media and (hopefully) some compelling baseball to South Capitol Street. The opener sees Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the Nationals, looking to continue his resurgent first half and improve to 8-1. The left-hander has been brilliant at pitching his way out of jams all season, highlighted by his .107 opponents' batting average with...
Continue reading

Trio of Nats continue to lead in final days of All-Star voting

Trio of Nats continue to lead in final days of All-Star voting
They'll have to wait along with everyone else until All-Star roster are fully announced Sunday night, but based on voting results throughout the last two months, the Nationals sure look like they're going to be well-represented in Miami. The final ballot update was released this afternoon by Major League Baseball, and Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman continue to lead their respective positions in voting, leaving each in position to earn the starting nod for the National...
Continue reading

Underachieving Cubs come to town for rare big series with Nats

Underachieving Cubs come to town for rare big series with Nats
The nature of the Nationals' schedule so far in 2017 - and the overall state of both the National League East Division and the National League as a whole - has left this team in an unusual position: They haven't played very many games the average observer would consider to have been "big." The 10 head-to-head contests with the Mets to date may have drawn some extra attention, but at the time they've played the Nats have led their expected division rivals by a minimum of 3 1/2 games and a...
Continue reading

As ERA balloons to 5.15, Roark tries to find the positives

As ERA balloons to 5.15, Roark tries to find the positives
This is what it has come to for Tanner Roark, who at this stage of a frustrating season has to try to find the positives, even in a start in which he gave up five runs in the top of the first and dug his team into an insurmountable hole. "I'll build off this one and keep chugging along," the right-hander said. For Roark, this was better than previous outings. That five-run first, awful results notwithstanding, featured a flurry of well-placed, soft-contact ground balls that eluded Nationals...
Continue reading