Mark Zuckerman

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

August 23, 2016, 4:28pm

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...

273 Hits

Comments

Tags:

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...

416 Hits

Comments

Tags:

injuries joe ross mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime dusty baker featured_sidebar

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...

403 Hits

Comments

Tags:

lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime reynaldo lopez koda glover orioles frontstory_nationals2

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...

312 Hits

Comments

Tags:

baltimore orioles danny espinosa mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

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...

253 Hits

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole baltimore orioles mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime stephen strasburg dusty baker featured_sidebar lucas giolito ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals2

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...

258 Hits

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole anthony rendon baltimore orioles mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime trea turner daniel murphy frontstory_nationals2

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...

354 Hits

Comments

Tags:

baltimore orioles injuries mark zuckeman nationals nationals pastime stephen strasburg dusty baker featured_sidebar mike rizzo frontstory_nationals3

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...

291 Hits

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole baltimore orioles lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime stephen strasburg ben revere jayson werth frontstory_nationals3

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...

298 Hits

Comments

Tags:

danny espinosa dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime trea turner anthony rendon daniel murphy featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

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...

255 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves chris heisey dusty baker gio gonzalez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime shawn kelley featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

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...

269 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves blake treinen bryce harper chris heisey gio gonzalez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime yusmeiro petit dusty baker jayson werth ryan zimmerman shawn kelley frontstory_nationals3

Turner proving to be more than "speed guy" (Nats lose 7-6 in 10)

August 21, 2016, 8:31am

Nationals

Turner proving to be more than "speed guy" (Nats lose 7-6 in 10)

ATLANTA - The Nationals made the decision to make Trea Turner their everyday leadoff hitter because of his ability to get on base and then let his legs do the rest. Nearly a month into the experiment, they're learning there's a lot more to Turner's game, including some legitimate power potential. Turner enters today's series finale against the Braves sporting not only a .319 batting average, but also a .546 slugging percentage. That latter mark would rank eighth in the National League if he...

305 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime trea turner dusty baker ryan zimmerman bryce harper gio gonzalez chris heisey yusmeiro petit shawn kelley frontstory_nationals3

Game 123 lineups: Nats at Braves

August 21, 2016, 6:50am

Nationals

ATLANTA - It's another steamy day at Turner Field, with (of course) a chance for rain this afternoon as the Nationals and Braves wrap up their four-game series. The Nats, who are already 11-1 against Atlanta this season, are going for a rare, four-game sweep. Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth are getting the day off. For Rendon, it's his first since July 19. He had started 28 consecutive games at third base. That was necessary in part because Stephen Drew has been on the disabled list, and...

307 Hits

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon atlanta braves gio gonzalez lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime wilmer difo daniel murphy jayson werth stephen drew yusmeiro petit frontstory_nationals3

Bullpen running on fumes, with no break in sight

August 21, 2016, 4:47am

Nationals

Bullpen running on fumes, with no break in sight

ATLANTA - Stretches of 20 consecutive games, particularly at this juncture of the season, are taxing on everybody on a ballclub, but the effect probably is most noticeable on a bullpen. And it's quite noticeable on the Nationals' bullpen right now. Nine days into their 20-days-without-a-break stretch, Nats relievers look, at times, like they're just trying to hang on and survive. They have pitched a combined 31 1/3 innings (an average of 3.48 per game) and have allowed 22 runs (18 earned) on...

352 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves bullpen dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime blake treinen featured_sidebar gio gonzalez koda glover mark melancon matt belisle shawn kelley frontstory_nationals3

Nationals surviving tough stretch thanks to resurgent lineup

August 20, 2016, 8:07pm

Nationals

ATLANTA - The notion of the dog days of August can be a tired clichÃ©, but sometimes there is truth to it. The Nationals certainly understand what it means right now, nine days into a stretch of 20 consecutive game days with no break, the heat and humidity and cross-country travel adding even more challenges to an already difficult schedule. Make no mistake, the Nationals are still winning games at a steady pace. After tonight's 11-9 victory over the Braves, they're 6-3 in this current...

315 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves dusty baker mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nationals ride eight-run inning to 11-9 win over Braves

August 20, 2016, 6:20pm

Nationals

ATLANTA - Buoyed by the return of Ryan Zimmerman from the disabled list, the fully healthy Nationals lineup put together its most productive inning of the season tonight, riding an eight-run top of the fourth to an 11-9 win over the Braves. Zimmerman, playing his first game in nearly three weeks since suffering a bruised left wrist, homered on the first pitch he saw and wound up with three hits and a sacrifice fly to lead a Nationals lineup that racked up 17 total hits on a muggy Saturday night...

247 Hits

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon atlanta braves daniel murphy mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman trea turner frontstory_nationals3

Homer for Zimmerman on first swing off DL (Nationals win 11-9)

August 20, 2016, 4:07pm

Nationals

ATLANTA - It took all of one pitch for Ryan Zimmerman to hit the virtual reset button on his difficult season. Returning to the lineup after a three-week stint on the disabled list with a bruised left wrist, Zimmerman smoked the first pitch he saw tonight over the left field wall. The 394-foot laser off rookie right-hander Tyrell Jenkins left his bat at 111 mph and gave the Nationals an early 1-0 lead over the Braves, though Atlanta would come right back to take the lead with a flurry of hits...

249 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman frontfeatured_nationals

Back from latest injury, Zimmerman tries to hit reset button

August 20, 2016, 2:18pm

Nationals

Back from latest injury, Zimmerman tries to hit reset button

ATLANTA - Ryan Zimmerman has returned from injuries before. Too many times in recent years for his tastes. He has always done so hoping to pick up where he left off before he landed on the disabled list. This time, manager Dusty Baker wants the veteran first baseman to think differently about his return. He doesn't want him to pick up where he left off. He wants him to hit the reset button. "I encouraged him to start his season all over," Baker said. "Forget whatever has transpired in the...

299 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 122 lineups: Nats at Braves (Zimmerman activated)

August 20, 2016, 11:22am

Nationals

Game 122 lineups: Nats at Braves (Zimmerman activated)

ATLANTA - They're not 100 percent healthy, but the Nationals are getting closer. And for the first time in a while, they've got a fully healthy lineup at their disposal. That's because Ryan Zimmerman has been activated off the disabled list (as has Jose Lobaton, for that matter). A.J. Cole and Pedro Severino were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to clear roster space for both returning players. Dusty Baker could go with a lineup of regulars tonight against the Braves, but he won't do that...

374 Hits

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves lineups mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals1

On Werth's streak, Revere's catch and Glover's odd win

August 20, 2016, 5:24am

Nationals

On Werth's streak, Revere's catch and Glover's odd win

ATLANTA - Some more thoughts and reactions from Friday night's wild 7-6 Nationals win at Turner Field ... * It was never going to be the kind of streak that drew national headlines or would be recalled by people at the drop of the hat years from now, so Jayson Werth didn't put more stock in it than it deserved. Still, the end of the veteran's streak of consecutive games reaching base had a slight bittersweet tinge to it. Werth went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, bringing the streak to a halt...