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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter (Harper scratched)

February 28, 2018, 5:14am

JUPITER, Fla. - Well, it's been quite a morning already in Nationals camp. The day began with a surprise twist to the club's morning "Circle of Trust" meeting: Coaches Bob Henley and Tim Bogar rode in on camels, yelling out "Hump Day!" and eventually making all the players walk through the tunnel they created to symbolize how the Nationals are trying to get over the proverbial hump this season. This was all concocted by manager Davey Martinez, and I'll have plenty more on all this a...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach (updated)

February 27, 2018, 4:33am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach (updated)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We haven't seen a lot of the Nationals' regulars during the first four games of the Grapefruit League season, but now we're about to start getting more of them. Five regulars plus Howie Kendrick (who might as well be a regular) are in the lineup today against the Marlins. That includes Trea Turner (leading off), Matt Wieters (batting second!), Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Michael A. Taylor. And all five of those guys are scheduled to play again tomorrow when the...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

February 26, 2018, 5:04am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - And a very pleasant good morning to you from the (self-proclaimed) happiest place on earth. The Nationals used to make a bunch of trips to Disney to play the Braves. Now that they've relocated to West Palm Beach, they're only making the 2 1/2-hour drive up here twice this spring (today and Thursday). And given how long that trip is, they didn't bring very many players of consequence today. The lineup features Wilmer Difo, Victor Robles and Pedro Severino. The...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach

February 25, 2018, 4:39am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The sun is shining, Max Scherzer is on the mound for the Nationals, most of the regulars are in the lineup, and MASN's Bob Carpenter, F.P. Santangelo and Dan Kolko are in the house. What more could you ask for? Well, there's one more thing you thought you were getting today but actually aren't. Ryan Zimmerman was initially listed as the leadoff hitter for today's game against the Braves, but when the lineup was posted this morning in the clubhouse he wasn't in there...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter

February 24, 2018, 4:23am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter

JUPITER, Fla. - A very pleasant good morning to you from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, spring home of the Marlins and Cardinals and playing host today to the Nationals for the first of seven road games this spring. It's only a 15-minute drive from West Palm Beach, and because of that the Nats are trying something new this year: They're staying back to take batting practice and fielding drills at home, then boarding the bus at 11:45 a.m. and heading straight to Jupiter for the game. A lot of...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (updated)

February 22, 2018, 3:34pm

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (updated)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - No, it doesn't count. No, it won't feature many recognizable names. But you know what? It's still a baseball game and it's going to be played today. Yes, the Grapefruit League has arrived, and not a moment too soon for fans who have patiently waited since October for the Nationals to take the field once again. Today's exhibition opener will be played in the Nats' home ballpark but it won't be a Nats home game. The World Series champion Astros get to play host for...

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NLDS Game 5 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

October 12, 2017, 11:27am

Nationals

The Nationals will hand the ball to left-hander Gio Gonzalez for tonight's deciding Game 5 against the Cubs in the National League Division Series at Nationals Park. Gonzalez got a no-decision in Game 2, going five innings, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The Nats used a five-run eighth inning to come back and beat the Cubs 6-3. "Bottom line, we won," Gonzalez said. "The team won. We won together. I was just trying to keep us as close as possible in this...

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NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Strasburg to start)

October 11, 2017, 8:52am

Nationals

NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Strasburg to start)

CHICAGO - As if this National League Division Series wasn't already dramatic enough, how about this: Stephen Strasburg will start Game 4 for the Nationals after all. Some 18 hours after announcing Strasburg wouldn't be able to pitch this elimination game against the Cubs because he was ill, the Nationals reversed course and named the right-hander as their starter. Strasburg, according to a source familiar with the decision, informed the club this morning he was feeling better and wanted to...

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NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs

October 10, 2017, 10:12am

Nationals

CHICAGO - And so the Nationals' season has come down to this: They need to win Game 4 of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field and force a winner-take-all Game 5 at Nationals Park on Thursday night. All of this, of course, is assuming they're able to play today. Your early-afternoon weather update: It's not raining yet, but the rain is on the way, and it's going to hit sometime later this afternoon. It's just a question of whether the rain is significant enough to prevent...

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NLDS Game 3 lineups: Nats at Cubs

October 09, 2017, 8:43am

Nationals

CHICAGO - It's October at Wrigley Field, but the sun is shining bright, temperatures are in the upper 70s and there's very little breeze to speak of. This is not what you expect from postseason baseball here. But this is what we'll have today for Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Cubs, a pivotal game that will move one of these two clubs one step away from the National League Championship Series. The Nationals at long last have Max Scherzer on the mound,...

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NLDS Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

October 07, 2017, 9:54am

Nationals

The Nationals will go with the same lineup - save for starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez - as they employed Friday night this afternoon when they try to square the best-of-five National League Division Series against the Cubs at a game apiece. Today's key matchup: Nats speedster Trea Turner against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester. Lester is notorious for his inability to throw to first base, which gives teams with base-stealing threats an advantage. Turner stole two bases against Lester on June 29 at...

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NLDS Game 1 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

October 06, 2017, 11:00am

Nationals

It feels like we've been waiting around for this postseason for an extraordinarily long time. The Nationals clinched their division title way back on Sept. 10, but truth be told, they knew a lot earlier than that they were going to win the National League East and make the postseason. And they've known for most of that time they almost certainly were going to face the Cubs in the National League Division Series. Well, at long last the day has come. It's Oct. 6, and a highly anticipated...

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Game 162 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

October 01, 2017, 7:25am

Nationals

And so we have reached Game 162. It's not the end, because obviously there are some very important games yet to be played in 2017. But the regular season ends today for the Nationals, who with one more win over the Pirates would get to 98 and match the franchise record set in 2012. It'll be Gio Gonzalez on the mound for today's finale, looking to wrap up his excellent season on a high note and perhaps earn some more Cy Young love in the process. Of course, given what happened to Max Scherzer...

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Game 161 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

September 30, 2017, 10:52am

Nationals

It's not necessarily high on their priority list right now, but the Nationals do still have a chance to win 99 games this season and thus set a new franchise record. To get there, they need to win both tonight and Sunday afternoon against the Pirates, which is far from an impossible task. And it only helps to have Max Scherzer on the mound tonight for his final regular season start. The ace right-hander enters tonight with a 2.55 ERA and needing to have a strong outing if he wants to leapfrog...

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Game 160 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

September 29, 2017, 6:32am

Nationals

The Nationals are prepping their starters for the National League Division Series and if tonight's starter Stephen Strasburg is the Game 2 starter, he will have eight days off. Game 2 of the NLDS is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7. Strasburg has had a tremendous year, going 14-4 with a 2.68 ERA. Tonight is a good test for the Nats hitters, facing a very good right-hander in Gerrit Cole (12-11, 4.23) for Pittsburgh. Right fielder Bryce Harper back in the lineup batting second. Manager Dusty...

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Game 159 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

September 28, 2017, 11:09am

Nationals

And we're back on South Capitol Street for the final weekend of the regular season. The Nationals wrap things up with four games against the Pirates. A few months back, this series looked like it could carry some significance for at least one of the two teams, maybe even both. Instead, they're just playing out the string, with the Bucs having struggled over the last month and fallen out of contention and the Nats having long since clinched a division title and now just prepping for the Cubs...

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Game 158 lineups: Nats at Phillies

September 27, 2017, 11:36am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals and Phillies wrap up their season series tonight. Many thanks to Byron Kerr for covering the last two games; he's back home tonight hosting "Nats Xtra" on MASN, so I made the drive to Philadelphia to cover this final road game of the regular season. The Nationals have been very good away from home this year, with a 50-30 road record that is best in the National League. And, get this: If the Nats win tonight, they'd become the...

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Game 155 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 24, 2017, 6:41am

Nationals

NEW YORK - Though their chances of securing home field advantage throughout the postseason are slim - they still trail the Dodgers by 4 1/2 games - the Nationals are on the verge of securing home field advantage at least for the National League Division Series. They enter play today with a seven-game lead over the Cubs, with eight to go. Thus, their magic number to clinch home field advantage for the first round is two, and if things go right, that could be locked up this afternoon. In order to...

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Game 154 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 23, 2017, 11:35am

Nationals

NEW YORK - First, the most important news of the day: Bryce Harper (along with Brian Goodwin and Stephen Drew) batted in another simulated game today, facing Nationals minor leaguers Steven Fuentes and Alex Troop. By all indications (i.e., from what I could tell from my vantage point up in the press box) things went well, which means it should be decision time for the Nats with Harper, who doesn't seem to have any more hurdles to cross before playing in an actual game. Stay tuned for any...

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Game 153 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 22, 2017, 11:41am

Nationals

NEW YORK - You want to see the kids? Well, tonight you get to see the kids. After playing his regulars three straight nights in Atlanta, Dusty Baker is giving them the series opener against the Mets off, instead going with a lineup full of youth, energy ... and inexperience. We'll see how that pays off against New York right-hander Robert Gsellman, who has been touched up for 13 runs and 20 hits in nine innings against the Nationals this season. Edwin Jackson, meanwhile, gets the start against...