cubs - Blog

Cubs wait out Strasburg, emerge with 1-0 lead in NLDS

October 06, 2017, 7:50pm

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg looked unhittable for five innings Friday night. Then the Chicago Cubs came to bat in the sixth inning. That's when everything changed. The Cubs scored twice against the Nationals starter, who had a 0.86 ERA after the All-Star break as well as a streak of 35 consecutive scoreless innings, on their way to a 3-0 win against the Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park. The Cubs' Javier BÃ¡ez reached on a high chopper that...

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Strasburg strong to start in Game 1 (Cubs win 3-0)

October 06, 2017, 4:00pm

Nationals

Strasburg strong to start in Game 1 (Cubs win 3-0)

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg came out strong to begin National League Division Series Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals starter struck out two in the first inning, getting both Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo swinging. Strasburg began the second by catching Willson Contreras looking at a third strike. With two outs, he walked Addison Russell, but then induced a towering fly ball to right field from Jason Heyward to end the frame. The Nats got a one-out single by Bryce Harper in the...

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Opposite dugout: Defending champion Cubs begin postseason with bull's-eye on their backs

October 05, 2017, 9:21am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Defending champion Cubs begin postseason with bull's-eye on their backs

Manager: Joe Maddon (4th season) Record: 92-70 (won NL Central) Who to watch: 3B Kris Bryant (.295/.409/.537 with 29 HR, 73 RBIs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (32 HR, 109 RBIs), C Willson Contreras (23 HR, 75 RBIs), LF Kyle Schwarber (30 HR, 59 RBIs), RHP Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA), RHP Jake Arrieta (14-10, 3.53 ERA), LHP Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA), RHP Wade Davis (2.30 ERA, 32 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-4 Pitching probables: Oct. 6: RHP Kyle Hendricks vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:31 p.m.,...

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Baker seeks World Series ring to add to his complete life

October 06, 2017, 4:23am

Nationals

Baker seeks World Series ring to add to his complete life

Facing the Chicago Cubs in the post season is a big deal for Dusty Baker. But he countered, then again, he has history with a lot of teams the Nationals could play in the 2017 playoffs. Baker managed the Cubs from 2003 to 2006. The first two seasons they won 88 and 89 games. The last season they finished 30 games under .500. "What comes to my mind is how well we started off and how things certainly could have been different," Baker said. "One pitch, one out, one hit, one something. And then...

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Turner's speed was a factor in last Cubs series before he left with broken wrist

October 05, 2017, 2:21am

Nationals

Turner's speed was a factor in last Cubs series before he left with broken wrist

The last time the Nationals faced off against the Cubs, shortstop Trea Turner stole seven bases in a three-game span. In one of those games, he stole four bases. Turner was hit by a pitch in the June 29 game and left with a broken wrist. Pedro Strop hit him with a pitch in the seventh inning. The Cubs won that game 5-4. Up 4-2 in the ninth, the Nats allowed three runs. Blake Treinen took the loss. The broken wrist forced Turner to miss a significant portion of the season. Did that moment upset...

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Nats align workout schedule as they prepare for postseason opener

October 02, 2017, 4:58am

Nationals

Nats align workout schedule as they prepare for postseason opener

The game times for the National League Division Series games against the Chicago Cubs are locked in. Game 1 Friday will begin at 7:31 p.m. Eastern time and Game 2 is set for first pitch Saturday at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time in D.C. The games will be broadcast nationally by TBS. MASN will broadcast exclusive one-hour pregame and postgame shows during each game of the playoffs. The Nationals will have workouts Tuesday and Wednesday at Nats Park. Manager Dusty Baker will meet with the media Tuesday...

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David Huzzard: Nats need not concern themselves with playoff matchups

September 15, 2017, 5:48am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Nats need not concern themselves with playoff matchups

There is going to be a side story to the Dodgers-Nationals series this weekend, and like many side stories, it is flat and pointless, a time-filler to help get to the end of the season. Kind of like my run on sentences. This story is not a tale as old as time but it is one that is asked all the time of fans, players, media and front office staff: Who would you rather play in the first round? The Cubs have suffered a World Series hangover and limped through the season, but still have Anthony...

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Opposite dugout: Cubs gaining momentum to start possible playoff preview with Nats

August 03, 2017, 8:05am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Cubs gaining momentum to start possible playoff preview with Nats

Manager: Joe Maddon (3rd season) Record: 57-50 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 3B Kris Bryant (.274/.388/.511 with 20 HR, 47 RBIs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.263/.392/.523 with 26 HR, 70 RBIs), C Wilson Contreras (.276/.347/.508 with 18 HR, 65 RBIs), RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-3, 3.80 ERA), RHP Wade Davis (2.43 ERA, 22 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-2 Pitching probables: Aug. 4: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Kyle Kendricks, 2:20 p.m., MASN Aug. 5: RHP Edwin Jackson vs. RHP John Lackey, 2:20 p.m., MASN...

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Gausman bounces back, offense blows it open in rout of Texas

July 19, 2017, 5:59pm

Orioles

Gausman bounces back, offense blows it open in rout of Texas

So this series has been very different. The Orioles pitching staff got bounced around over the weekend by the Chicago Cubs, but they have turned the tables against Texas. For the second night in a row, the offense joined in the act. Right-hander Kevin Gausman produced the third straight quality start for the Orioles tonight as they beat Texas 10-2 at Oriole Park. They have taken the first three in this four-game series and broke this game open late with a seven-run seventh inning. Gausman's...

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O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Rangers

July 19, 2017, 3:02pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Rangers

The Orioles have taken the first two games of their four-game series against Texas by scores of 3-1 and 12-1. They host the Rangers the next two nights to conclude this series. In three weekend games versus the Cubs, the O's pitching staff allowed 27 runs on 41 hits. In the last two games against Texas, they have allowed two runs on nine hits. With Chris Tillman and Dylan Bundy, they recorded two straight quality starts for the first time since June 1-2. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-7, 6.39...

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Catcher Caleb Joseph on trying to get Kevin Gausman going tonight

July 19, 2017, 1:13pm

Orioles

Catcher Caleb Joseph on trying to get Kevin Gausman going tonight

Catcher Caleb Joseph will be back behind the plate tonight in the latest attempt to get pitcher Kevin Gausman on the right track. In his first second-half start on Friday against the Cubs, Gausman faced 17 batters, allowing eight runs and a career-worst four homers over three innings. He has gone from a pitcher with an ERA of 3.61 last year (which was 3.10 in the second half) to the current ERA of 6.39. Gausman recorded 18 quality starts in 30 outings last year and has recorded five quality...

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Opposite dugout: Cubs still alive despite lackluster first half

July 13, 2017, 4:46pm

Orioles

Opposite dugout: Cubs still alive despite lackluster first half

Manager: Joe Maddon (3rd season)Record: 43-45 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 1B Anthony Rizzo (.259 with 20 HR, 56 RBIs), 3B Kris Bryant (.269 with 18 HR, 38 RBIs), C Willson Contreras (.261 with 65 hits), RHP Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.35 ERA), RHP Wade Davis (2-0, 1.80 ERA, 16 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (3-0 in 2014) Pitching probables: July 14: LHP Mike Montgomery vs. RHP Kevin Gausman, 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 15: RHP Jake Arrieta vs. LHP Wade Miley, 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 16: LHP...

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Treinen reflects on ninth-inning collapse; more on Baker ejection

June 30, 2017, 3:40am

Nationals

Treinen reflects on ninth-inning collapse; more on Baker ejection

A couple of plays could have ended the game: * Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini's grounder to Daniel Murphy with one out in the ninth. Murphy appeared to have trouble getting the ball out of his glove and was only able to shovel to Stephen Drew for the lead runner Jeimer Candelario. * Javier BÃ¡ez singled. Tommy La Stella drove a 1-1 pitch over the outstretched arms of 6-foot Drew. Could the 6-foot-2 Trea Turner have gotten to it? Jon Jay's two-run double cleared the bases and gave the Cubs the...

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Trea Turner fractures wrist in loss to Cubs, no timetable set for return

June 29, 2017, 4:48pm

Nationals

$Trea Turner fractures wrist in loss to Cubs, no timetable set for return$

The Nationals fell to the Cubs 5-4 on Thursday when Blake Treinen struggled in the ninth inning and allowed three runs. But the news got worse after the game when the Nats announced that postgame X-rays revealed shortstop Trea Turner has a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist. A similar injury was suffered earlier this season by the Braves' Freddie Freeman. He was injured May 17 against the Blue Jays and is still out of the lineup. The diagnosis for Freeman was approximately eight to 10...

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Baker on Ricketts' statement: "We're not playing Todd"

June 29, 2017, 10:16am

Nationals

Baker on Ricketts' statement: "We're not playing Todd"

All-Star balloting is set to end tonight one minute before midnight Eastern. The All-Star teams are set to be unveiled at 7 p.m. Eastern Sunday on ESPN. The race for first base in the National League is coming down to the wire and today's opponent is making a late push. The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo trails Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman by only 75,000 votes: Rizzo at 1,915,790, Zimmerman has 1,989,104. Major League Baseball sent out a visualization data map showing where the votes for...

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Clubs trade early offense on hot Thursday (Nats lose 5-4)

June 29, 2017, 12:39pm

Nationals

Clubs trade early offense on hot Thursday (Nats lose 5-4)

The Cubs used a pair of two-out base hits to get to Nationals starter Joe Ross in the first. Ross struck out the first two batters in the game in Jon Jay and Ian Happ. But then Anthony Rizzo doubled. On the very next pitch, Willson Contreras singled to left field to score Rizzo. Ryan Raburn made a nice throw to Daniel Murphy to nail Contreras at second base to end the inning. The Cubs led 1-0. In the bottom of the first, Trea Turner walked and stole second. It was his sixth stolen base of the...

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Nats find quick-strike offense with back-to-back homers again

June 28, 2017, 7:18pm

Nationals

Nats find quick-strike offense with back-to-back homers again

A big part of the Nationals' quick-strike offense this season has been the ability to hit back-to-back homers. In their 8-4 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night, the Nationals pulled off the feat for the seventh time this season. With the Nationals leading 1-0 in the second inning, the club attacked Cubs starter John Lackey with back-to-back homers by Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters, extending their lead to 3-0. It was the start to a four-run rally that provided Stephen Strasburg with a...

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Game 79 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

June 29, 2017, 8:12am

Nationals

The Nationals have an opportunity to win a series today against the defending world champion Chicago Cubs. Right-hander Joe Ross gets the call, stepping in at 4-3 with a 5.40 ERA. He opposes veteran left-hander Jon Lester (5-4, 3.83 ERA). After the game, the Nats head to St. Louis for a weekend series against the Cardinals. Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy is in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak. He hit a home run on Wednesday. Murphy is hitting .378 with 10 doubles, one triple, five...

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Harper on Bryant's injury: "Hopefully, he's doing OK"

June 28, 2017, 7:04pm

Nationals

Harper on Bryant's injury: "Hopefully, he's doing OK"

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant stepped on third base awkwardly as he concentrated skyward in pursuit of a Matt Wieters' popup in the fifth inning. Bryant twisted his ankle on the base but still made the catch for the out. But after the play he limped off the field with help from the Cubs trainer and did not return. The Cubs reported Bryant was diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate ankle sprain. Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Bryant's childhood friend and fellow Las Vegas native, said he...

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Lackey digs big hole, Strasburg on target (Nats win 8-4)

June 28, 2017, 3:50pm

Nationals

Lackey digs big hole, Strasburg on target (Nats win 8-4)

What a beginning to this game for Stephen Strasburg. John Lackey? Well, not so much. Strasburg allowed a single by Kris Bryant in the first inning, but nothing else. He proceeded to strike out the side in the second. Facing Lackey, Bryce Harper doubled with two outs in the bottom of the first. He came home on a Ryan Zimmerman RBI single. In the second, Anthony Rendon (No. 15) and Matt Wieters (No. 7) slammed back-to-back home runs. It marked the seventh time this season two Nats have left the...