Game 31 lineups: Nats at Phillies

Game 31 lineups: Nats at Phillies
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have gotten off to some good starts in recent years (think 2012, 2014, 2016) but they've never gotten off to a start as good as this one. Yes, at 21-9 the Nats have produced their best record through 30 games not only in club history but in franchise history (that includes the Expos years). That they've been able to do this in spite of the bullpen issues, the fifth starter issues and the Adam Eaton injury should serve as some significant evidence just how good...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Orioles and White Sox lineups

Orioles and White Sox lineups
After reaching base five times in last night's game, Seth Smith remains atop the Orioles lineup for tonight's opener of a weekend series against the White Sox. Hyun Soo Kim is starting in left field. Former Orioles pitcher Miguel González pitches for the White Sox, opposing left-hander Wade Miley. In case you're counting, there are three Garcías in the starting lineup for the White Sox. Avasaíl García is serving as the designated hitter, Willy García is playing left field and...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 29 lineups: Nats at Phillies

Game 29 lineups: Nats at Phillies
PHILADELPHIA - As was the case in Washington, it poured in Philadelphia this morning. But as is the case in D.C., the rain has mostly cleared out now and so the Nationals and Phillies shouldn't have much trouble getting the opener of their weekend series in tonight at Citizens Bank Park. If and when they play, Stephen Strasburg will be on the mound for the Nats in a ballpark in which he has enjoyed an awful lot of success. Strasburg has 1.64 ERA in seven career starts here, including seven...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 28 lineups: Diamondbacks at Nats

Game 28 lineups: Diamondbacks at Nats
The Nationals are seeking their fourth home series victory today on Weather Day at Nats Park. National League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer faces his former club, looking for his fourth win of the season. He arrives 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA. Scherzer pitched in Arizona in 2008-09. Right-hander Braden Shipley makes his first start of 2017 for the Diamondbacks, called up from the minors. He is 4-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 11 career starts (13 games). Shipley is a 2013 first-round selection out of...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 27 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks

Game 27 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks
As impressive as Ryan Zimmerman was in April, there was no bigger surprise on the Nationals roster in the season's first month than Gio Gonzalez. After a ragged 2016, Gonzalez burst onto the scene to begin this year, going 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in five starts. Now we find out if the lefty can keep it going and not fall back into the same traps that befell him last season after a strong start. He'll face a tough challenge tonight in the Diamondbacks, who, as we saw last night, can grind out...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 26 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks

Game 26 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks
After the most impressive offensive week and month in their history, the Nationals start anew tonight when they host the Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series. This is a good Arizona club that comes to town with the National League's second-ranked offense and second-ranked pitching staff. One of those pitchers is Taijuan Walker, who takes the mound tonight. The young right-hander and former top Mariners prospect has opened the season 3-1 with a 3.94 ERA, having struck out 33...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 25 lineups: Nats vs. Mets (updated)

Game 25 lineups: Nats vs. Mets (updated)
The tide has turned for the Nationals, who in the last 48 hours have not only lost Adam Eaton to a season-ending ACL tear but also have lost two straight to the previously collapsing Mets. Now they need a win today just to avoid a three-game sweep. They'll be asking Joe Ross to bounce back from a ragged start in Colorado in which the right-hander lost velocity and appeared to lose stamina earlier than normal. Was that the thin Coors Field air or cause for concern? We'll perhaps get a better...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 23 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

Game 23 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
When the Nationals last played in D.C., Blake Treinen was the closer, Trea Turner was on the disabled list, Joe Ross was in the minors, the Capitals and Maple Leafs were only two games into their first-round playoff series, the Wizards hadn't opened their playoff run yet and the Nats needed Bryce Harper's walk-off homer to avoid falling to .500. So, basically, nothing has really changed since then, right? Who knew the Nationals' 10-game road trip through Atlanta, New York and Colorado would...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 22 lineups: Nats at Rockies

Game 22 lineups: Nats at Rockies
DENVER - Left-hander Gio Gonzalez takes to the hill on a getaway day here at Coors Field. The Nationals have an opportunity to go 9-1 on this 10-game road trip with a win today. It is also Science Day here at Coors Field, with thousands of school children coming through the gates three hours and 40 minutes before first pitch. There is, however, a good chance of precipitation. Snow is in the forecast this weekend in Denver. The Nationals' 15-6 record is tied for their best start in franchise...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 18 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 18 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - The Nationals are on Sunday Night Baseball, looking to complete a series sweep of the Mets and head out to Colorado on a seven-game winning streak. Max Scherzer gets the ball for this finale at Citi Field, looking forward to facing New York on the big national TV stage. Scherzer has been phenomenal against the Mets in his career, going 5-3 with a 1.83 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). Zack Wheeler makes his first start against the Nationals since 2014, before he endured his litany of arm...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 17 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 17 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - It's another gray, overcast, chilly day at Citi Field. And I'm talking the about the weather, not Mets fans' emotions about their team right now. The Amazins are hurting, as was clearly evident last night when Terry Collins had to resort to pinch-hitting starting pitchers and sending injured players up to bat in extra innings because nobody else was available. They're hoping Jacob deGrom starts today after getting scratched Friday night with a stiff neck, but they've got lefty...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 16 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 16 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - Hello from Citi Field, where it's about 30 degrees colder than it was yesterday at SunTrust Park in suburban Atlanta. It's going to be quite chilly out there for the series opener between the Nationals and Mets, and that's not what you ideally want for a team dealing with several minor leg injuries. With that in mind, several regulars are not in tonight's starting lineup: Trea Turner (who has been activated off the disabled list), Jayson Werth (groin), Ryan Zimmerman and Matt...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 14 lineups: Nats at Braves (Solís to DL)

Game 14 lineups: Nats at Braves (Solís to DL)
ATLANTA - And we're back at SunTrust Park, as the Nationals and Braves prepare for the second game of their three-game series, hoping for a little less drama (or at least a lot less umpiring drama) than they got last night during what ended as a 3-1 Nats victory. We know who will be pitching the first inning for the Nationals tonight: Joe Ross, who makes his long-awaited 2017 debut after spending the last 2 1/2 weeks at Triple-A Syracuse. We don't know yet who will be pitching the ninth...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 12 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

Game 12 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
You wouldn't have thought the Nationals' toughest opponent through the season's first two weeks would end up being the Phillies, but here we are nonetheless. The Nats have lost three of their five head-to-head matchups so far with their rebuilding rivals from a couple hours up the road, including yesterday's disheartening 4-2 defeat via another late home run off a reliever. The Nationals will try to reverse the trend today, looking to at least take this weekend series and even up their...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 9 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (Drew placed on DL)

Game 9 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (Drew placed on DL)
The Nationals today send Max Scherzer to the mound with a chance to sweep the Cardinals. Now, hit the rewind button 48 hours and ask yourself how that statement would've sounded to you at the time. The Nats have righted the ship a bit here the last two nights, riding a ridiculously productive lineup to a pair of blowout wins and now have their ace pitching this afternoon's series finale. It's been a nice bounceback after a rough weekend in Philadelphia. Scherzer will be facing his hometown...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 7 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (Turner to DL)

Game 7 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (Turner to DL)
The Nationals are back in town, home for the entire week to face the Cardinals and Phillies, hoping for some better results than their weekend in Philadelphia. The bullpen probably will have a major say in how this all turns out, but first things first ... Tanner Roark is on the mound for the Nats in tonight's opener against St. Louis. He pitched well in his season opener, allowing two runs in six innings against the Marlins. If he can go six or seven tonight, the Nationals bullpen should be...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 5 lineups: Nats at Phillies

Game 5 lineups: Nats at Phillies
PHILADELPHIA - If you asked anybody on the first day of spring training to name the Nationals' No. 5 starter to open the season, I don't think you would have found many people who would have replied: Jeremy Guthrie. Yet when the Nats take the field this evening at Citizens Bank Park, the man on the mound will be none other than the right-hander celebrating his 38th birthday in most surprising fashion. The lack of need of a permanent fifth starter until later this month is what prompted this...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 3 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

Game 3 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins
I know what you're thinking: There's no way they can play baseball in D.C. today. Well, that may prove to be true, but I don't think we're going to get definitive word on that for a while. Because as hard as it is raining right now, and as much as it's expected to continue raining this afternoon, it is expected to stop at some point, perhaps sometime around or shortly after scheduled first pitch at 4:05 p.m. So in other words, stay tuned. If they do play, the Nationals will be going for...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins
The hoopla of opening day is over. The frustration of the day-off-after-opening-day is over. Now we begin the grind of the baseball season, Game 2 of 162. For the Nationals, there is good news before they take the field tonight against the Marlins: Anthony Rendon is in the lineup, his left calf feeling better a full nine days after he fouled a ball off it in Florida. Not that there was ever serious concern about him, but as we've seen, until a guy is actually in the lineup, you just never know...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Game 1 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

Game 1 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins
The day has come at last. The 2017 season is here, and it all gets underway this afternoon on South Capitol Street when the Nationals host the Marlins in Game 1 of 162 (or more). There will be plenty of pomp and circumstance leading up to first pitch at 1:05 p.m., from the introduction of both teams to the ceremonial first pitches thrown by one member of each of the five branches of the military to the national anthem by the U.S. Army Brass Quintet and flyover by the F/A-18E Super Hornets to...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments