Friday morning Nats news and notes

Friday morning Nats news and notes
Some news and notes before the Nationals open their weekend series with the Padres ... * If you missed the news yesterday, Dusty Baker will be away from the team all weekend as he attends his son's high school graduation in California. Baker flew home after yesterday's loss to the Mariners. And since the Nationals will be heading out west themselves to begin a three-city trip Monday in San Francisco, the manager will simply reconnect with everybody then. That leaves Chris Speier to manage all...
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The critical pitching decision that loomed over a Nationals loss

The critical pitching decision that loomed over a Nationals loss
The modern day manager's job has far more to do with player and media relations than in-game strategy, but sometimes a specific situation does crop up in a ballgame that requires a key decision by the man in charge. And in those instances, the manager in question has to weigh competing factors and pick the one he believes makes the most sense at the time. Neither available option may be that appealing, but in those cases you play the percentages or go with your gut and hope for the best. Dusty...
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Cruz's homer propels Mariners to first-ever win in Washington

Cruz's homer propels Mariners to first-ever win in Washington
His starter beginning to labor, Dusty Baker made the decision to hand over today's game to the Nationals bullpen with one out in the top of the sixth. The ensuing result was not what the veteran manager wanted. Though quite possibly was what too many in the crowd of 18,881 feared. Nelson Cruz's three-run homer off Jacob Turner turned the Nationals' two-run lead into a one-run deficit and ultimately proved the critical moment during a 4-2 loss to the Mariners in their bumped-up series finale...
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Game 46 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners

Game 46 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners
A very pleasant good morning to you all. And it most definitely is the morning, with the Nationals and Mariners today wrapping up their series with a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. The start time was bumped up four hours in hopes of getting this one in before the heavy rain arrives later. It's not an ideal scenario, but as Dusty Baker put it: "It beats the alternative." Baker has all of his regulars in the lineup despite the quick turnaround ... aside from Matt Wieters, who understandably won't be...
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After a 1-2-3 ninth, Baker finally deems Glover his new closer

After a 1-2-3 ninth, Baker finally deems Glover his new closer
This won't come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying close attention over the last week, but Koda Glover is now the Nationals closer. The rookie reliever had essentially taken over the role last week after Shawn Kelley blew a save opportunity against the Phillies, but Dusty Baker was unwilling to go so far as to formally pronounce it. But after Wednesday night's 5-1 win over the Mariners, in which Glover pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, the Nats manager relented (or slipped) and made it...
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With seven dominant innings, Roark finds himself again

With seven dominant innings, Roark finds himself again
Sometimes a pitcher spends hours poring over videos, working on mechanics in the bullpen, analyzing opposing hitters, using every technological method available to him to fix a problem. And sometimes he just takes advice from Crash Davis. Ask Tanner Roark the biggest difference for him during tonight's 5-1 victory over the Mariners, how he was able to succeed in two-strike counts after struggling in those situations over the last month, and you get an answer straight from "Bull Durham." "I...
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Nats score early, get another quality start in 5-1 win over M's

Nats score early, get another quality start in 5-1 win over M's
What's the best way to overcome a suspect bullpen? How about a string of starts that reduce the relievers' workload by a significant amount? The Nationals have figured out that formula in recent days and tonight won their third straight game thanks to seven strong innings from Tanner Roark. Roark's best outing in weeks, combined with another early offensive explosion against the Mariners, produced a 5-1 victory before a crowd of 29,223 that didn't have to sweat much for the second night in...
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Heisey goes on DL with ruptured bicep; Solís rehabbing in Florida

Heisey goes on DL with ruptured bicep; Solís rehabbing in Florida
The Nationals outfield took another significant hit this evening when Chris Heisey had to be placed on the disabled list with what the club says is a right bicep rupture. It's unclear how the injury occurred, but Heisey was on the field for batting practice this afternoon and did not appear to be dealing with any ailments prior to that point. Already playing with a short bench after electing to carry a 13th pitcher upon recalling Joe Ross on Tuesday, the Nationals hurriedly recalled Brian...
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With rain in forecast, Nats move Thursday's game up to 12:05 p.m.

With rain in forecast, Nats move Thursday's game up to 12:05 p.m.
Faced with an ominous forecast, the Nationals are moving up the start time of Thursday's game to 12:05 p.m., hoping to get their series finale with the Mariners in before the worst of the expected rain arrives in the area. It's a highly unusual move for a franchise that rarely, if ever, makes weather-related decisions that far in advance. But there were several factors at play in this case that may have made it necessary. Thursday's forecast calls for morning rain, then a midday break before...
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Game 45 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners

Game 45 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners
Fresh off a 10-1 thumping of the Mariners last night, the Nationals are back at it tonight, looking for another big performance at the plate. Dusty Baker isn't letting up, keeping all his regulars in the lineup against rookie right-hander Sam Gaviglio. Gaviglio, 27, is making only his second career start. He has spent the better part of the last two-plus years at Triple-A, where he sports a 4.38 ERA in 36 games (31 starts). Tanner Roark takes the mound for the Nationals, trying to right his...
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After three days of rest, can Nats bullpen hit the reset button?

After three days of rest, can Nats bullpen hit the reset button?
What's the most important thing to happen to the Nationals over the last three days? Is it their offensive explosion last night against the Mariners? Big-time starts from Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross? Some encouraging results at the plate for Trea Turner? Those are all nice developments, but perhaps the most important one has involved the part of the roster that basically has not been used during this mini stretch: the bullpen. With Strasburg going 7 2/3 innings on Sunday in Atlanta, then a...
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Rendon leads the way on another big offensive night for the Nats

Rendon leads the way on another big offensive night for the Nats
It's too much to ask of this from the Nationals lineup on a nightly basis, but it's sure nice to be reminded what this group is capable of doing on any given night. Ten runs? Check. Fifteen hits? Check. Four homers? Check. An eight-run outburst in one inning? Check. "It's fun to be a part of when you get going like that," first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "It doesn't happen very often, so you just try to enjoy it and keep going." Tonight's 10-1 thumping of the Mariners was the...
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Nats once again break out the bats for Ross in 10-1 rout of Seattle

Nats once again break out the bats for Ross in 10-1 rout of Seattle
Apparently, the best way for the Nationals to score a bunch of runs is to make sure they send Joe Ross to the mound. With Ross back after a three-week demotion to Triple-A Syracuse, the Nationals broke out their big sticks during their best offensive performance in some time, blasting the Mariners during a 10-1 victory at rain-soaked Nationals Park. Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon all homered during an eight-run bottom of the fourth against embattled Seattle starter Christian...
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Eight years later, Manny Acta finally returns to Nationals Park

Eight years later, Manny Acta finally returns to Nationals Park
Baseball has taken Manny Acta all over the place the last eight years, to nearly every ballpark in the majors, to spring training complexes across Florida and Arizona, to winter ball stadiums in his native Dominican Republic and across the Caribbean. It had not, however, taken him to the corner of South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue. No, when Acta - now third base coach for the Mariners - walked into Nationals Park this afternoon, it was the first time he had set foot here since June 12,...
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Game 44 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners

Game 44 lineups: Nats vs. Mariners
The Nationals didn't exactly enjoy a successful road trip, losing two of three both in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. They'll hope their fortunes improve this week at home against the Mariners and Padres. Joe Ross has an opportunity to get things started on a positive note, returning from a three-week stint at Triple-A Syracuse to take the mound tonight. We'll see if the right-hander has been able to adjust his arm slot, get better downward movement on his sinker and save enough in the tank to get...
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Back in majors, Ross will try to rewrite his 2017 story tonight

Back in majors, Ross will try to rewrite his 2017 story tonight
Joe Ross' 2017 season to date has followed a script few, if any, could have seen coming. Even the Nationals front office, which made the decision twice to demote the right-hander to the minors, didn't intend for things to play out like this. Yes, club officials did plan to have Ross open the regular season at Triple-A, recognizing they wouldn't need a full-time No. 5 starter for several weeks. But once he made his debut April 19 in Atlanta, there was no reason to believe he'd be heading...
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Nats starters being pushed to the brink with high pitch counts

Nats starters being pushed to the brink with high pitch counts
The Nationals bullpen is a problem. That shouldn't be news to anybody at this point. But the deeper we get into the season, the more we see how the bullpen problem impacts other parts of the team's roster. And atop that list is a Nats rotation that right now is being pushed nearly to the point of exhaustion. With hardly any relief arms he trusts, Dusty Baker has been forced to ask for more than he wants from his starters. We saw it Sunday in Atlanta, when Stephen Strasburg was still on the...
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Friday morning Nats Q&A

Friday morning Nats Q&A
It's been a couple of weeks since we did one of these, and since I'm sitting at home after making the drive back from Pittsburgh last night - MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr is en route to Atlanta and will be covering this weekend's series - this seemed like a good time to take some questions and attempt to provide some answers. I'm sure there will be plenty of inquiries about the Nationals bullpen, which is perfectly appropriate given the continued disarray of that unit. But hopefully we can...
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Roark trying to re-prove himself: "The game is testing me right now"

Roark trying to re-prove himself: "The game is testing me right now"
PITTSBURGH - It can be easy to forget, because he has been so consistently good for the Nationals over long stretches in his career, but things have never come that easily for Tanner Roark. This is, after all, a guy who was drafted in the 25th round by the Rangers who went 6-17 with a 4.39 ERA for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in 2012. That he turned himself into one of the better starting pitchers in the National League is in itself a remarkable achievement. So while Roark's ragged start...
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Nationals lose 10-4, drop second straight to Pirates

Nationals lose 10-4, drop second straight to Pirates
PITTSBURGH - Needing innings today from Tanner Roark and then quality work from his bullpen, Dusty Baker got neither. Roark's latest abbreviated start, combined with more relief struggles, sent the Nationals today to a 10-4 loss to the Pirates and a series loss at PNC Park. Baker was hoping for much better on a steamy afternoon along the shores of the Allegheny River, hoping Roark would be efficient enough to go six-plus innings and spare his bullpen some unnecessary work. But the Nationals...
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