lineups - Blog

Game 144 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

September 12, 2016, 10:51am

It's one of the biggest games of the season, a mid-September matchup of the first- and second-place teams in the National League East, one of them trying to move closer to the division title, the other trying to continue a late surge toward a wild card berth that looked implausible only a couple weeks ago. And the pitching matchup for the opener between the Nationals and Mets will be ... Mat Latos vs. Rafael Montero? Such is the state of both clubs' rotations, which have been disrupted by...

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Orioles and Red Sox lineups

September 12, 2016, 10:42am

Orioles

BOSTON - Drew Stubbs is playing right field and batting ninth tonight for the Orioles in the series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Steve Pearce is in left field and batting second. The season series is tied 6-6. Zach Britton has 41 saves and a 0.63 ERA. According to Elias, the only other pitchers in history with at least 40 saves and an ERA under 1.00 in the same season are Dennis Eckersley in 1990 (0.61, 48 saves) and Fernando Rodney in 2012 (0.60, 48 saves). Mookie Betts is...

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Game 143 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

September 11, 2016, 6:33am

Nationals

Few members of the Nationals roster are going to be under the microscope more over the season's final three weeks than Gio Gonzalez, who (in the wake of Stephen Strasburg's injury) is going to be asked to step up and assume a prominent role in a likely postseason rotation. A strong outing today against the Phillies would be an encouraging development. The Nationals lineup, meanwhile, will hope to score some runs prior to the bottom of the eighth today. They'll be trying to do more damage...

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Game 141 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

September 09, 2016, 10:55am

Nationals

On the heels of a bit of a clunker last night, the Nationals are back to work tonight against the Phillies. Tanner Roark, whose role within the rotation has become a bit more important in the last 48 hours, gets the start and will look to rediscover the consistency he displayed for most of the season before a couple of hiccups in recent weeks. Rookie right-hander Jake Thompson starts for the Phillies, one of three pitchers starting in this series who was acquired as part of the Cole Hamels...

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Game 140 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

September 08, 2016, 11:04am

Nationals

There is a healthy amount of anticipation and concern at Nationals Park this afternoon, as everyone awaits an update on Stephen Strasburg's elbow. Dusty Baker is scheduled to meet with reporters at 4 p.m., though I'd offer one word of caution: It's possible the Nats won't provide a definitive diagnosis this afternoon, especially if the MRI results need to be viewed by outside doctors (which would not be unusual at all). Regardless of any Strasburg news or non-news, the Nationals open a...

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Game 139 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Strasburg, Drew return)

September 07, 2016, 10:54am

Nationals

Game 139 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Strasburg, Drew return)

With their lead in the National League East a comfortable 8 1/2 games and their magic number at 16, there is some, but not a ton, of drama left to the Nationals' season. While the actual end result of every game does matter most in the end, at this point you could argue there are more important individual matters still at stake over the final 24 games. And among the most important individual matters is the return of Stephen Strasburg, which begins tonight at Nationals Park. After a 16-day...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

September 07, 2016, 6:30am

Orioles

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. - Chris Davis is not in the starting lineup for today's series finale. Davis left last night's game in the fifth inning with soreness in his left hand, though manager Buck Showalter said the move was just a precaution. Steve Pearce will start at first base. Michael Bourn and Drew Stubbs are making their first starts since joining the Orioles. Bourn will bat second and start in left field, while Stubbs will bat eighth and start in right field. The Orioles are trying for...

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Game 138 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Giolito, Difo recalled)

September 06, 2016, 11:07am

Nationals

Game 138 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Giolito, Difo recalled)

It hasn't drawn a lot of attention, but Gio Gonzalez has been pretty darn consistent over the last month and a half, righting a season that had threatened to go off the rails. In nine starts since the All-Star break, the left-hander is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Six of those have been quality starts. And in five of his last starts, he has issued zero or one walk. The Nationals certainly hope Gonzalez will keep this up through the final stretch, beginning tonight when he takes the mound against the...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

September 06, 2016, 11:41am

Orioles

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is starting Steve Pearce in left field and Mark Trumbo in right tonight against Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi. Pedro Alvarez is batting second again as the designated hitter. The Rays fired hitting coach Derek Shelton and promoted minor league hitting coordinator Chad Mottola, who appeared in six games with the Orioles in 2004. Mottola will join the Rays on Friday. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Pedro Alvarez DH Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo...

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Game 137 lineups: Braves at Nationals

September 05, 2016, 5:50am

Nationals

The Nationals finally come home after being on the road for most of the latter stages of August. Even with a series loss in New York, the Nationals still maintain an 8 1/2-game lead over the Mets for first place in the National League East with 25 regular seasons games remaining. The Nationals still are 39-18 against NL East opponents. That is the most wins in the major leagues by any team against its own division. The Nationals are 11-2 against the Braves, tied for the most wins against a...

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Game 136 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 04, 2016, 12:22pm

Nationals

NEW YORK - So, about that massive hurricane that was supposed to wreak havoc with tonight's series finale at Citi Field ... yeah, that was a whole lotta nothing. As I type this from the press box, staring out at the stadium, there isn't a cloud in the sky. There's a bit of a breeze, but hardly anything of consequence. In other words, the Nationals and Mets will be perfectly good to go tonight on Sunday Night Baseball. This is the Nats' lone Sunday night appearance of the season, which is...

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Game 135 lineups: Nats at Mets (Turner wins rookie of month)

September 03, 2016, 11:25am

Nationals

Game 135 lineups: Nats at Mets (Turner wins rookie of month)

NEW YORK - They took last night's series opener in impressive fashion. Now the Nationals try to take the series from the Mets and expand their growing lead in the National League East beyond their current 10 1/2-game cushion. It'll be Tanner Roark on the mound tonight at Citi Field, and he has been awfully good against the Mets this season (one earned run, five hits in 9 1/3 innings). Rookie Robert Gsellman (whose name apparently is pronounced like "Gazelle-Man") makes his second career...

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Game 134 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 02, 2016, 11:41am

Nationals

NEW YORK - The Nationals clubhouse at Citi Field is going to much more crowded than usual today, what with seven players added to the roster in the first round of September call-ups. And several of these guys (ie. Sean Burnett, Trevor Gott, Matt Grace) could get some significant opportunities down the stretch, potentially making their cases for spots on the postseason roster. As for tonight's series opener against the Mets, it's A.J. Cole getting a chance to pitch on the big stage against a...

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Game 133 lineups: Nats at Phillies

August 31, 2016, 11:36am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The end of the Nationals' stretch of 20 games in 20 days has arrived, with one more game to play tonight against the Phillies before they'll enjoy their first off-day since Aug. 11. This has been a long, difficult stretch for many players, perhaps none more so than Trea Turner, who has started 29 consecutive games. That streak ends tonight, though, with Turner given a well-deserved night off. It'll be Michael A. Taylor getting the start in center field and leading off, with...

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gio gonzalez lineups mark zuckerman michael a. taylor nationals nationals pastime philadelphia phillies trea turner frontstory_nationals1

Game 132 lineups: Nats at Phillies

August 30, 2016, 11:31am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Max Scherzer has faced the Phillies seven times over the last two years. In those seven starts, he's 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 10 walks. Needless to say, the Nationals have fair reason to expect more good things tonight when Scherzer takes the mound at Citizens Bank Park. Dusty Baker has his entire regular lineup out there for the second game of this series. That includes Ryan Zimmerman, who sat out last night's game after working extensively in the cage earlier in...

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Orioles lineup and notes

August 30, 2016, 12:44pm

Orioles

Steve Pearce is leading off tonight and Nolan Reimold is in center field while Adam Jones sits out another game with a strained left hamstring. Manager Buck Showalter said Jones is "very close." "Still feels just a little bit with one movement," Showalter said. Pedro Alvarez is getting a rare start against a left-hander, Blue Jays 17-game winner J.A. Happ. Alvarez is batting second. Showalter said Chris Tillman may throw off a mound by the weekend, but starting on Sept. 9 or 10 no longer...

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Game 131 lineups: Nats at Phils (Taylor up, Giolito optioned)

August 29, 2016, 11:36am

Nationals

Game 131 lineups: Nats at Phils (Taylor up, Giolito optioned)

PHILADELPHIA - Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals wrap up this 20-games-in-20-days stretch with one final series against the Phillies. And there's plenty going on here already. The Nats have made a roster move: Michael A. Taylor was recalled and Lucas Giolito was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. That gives the team a full bench again. With an off-day Thursday, the club can afford to go with four starting pitchers for the moment. And remember, players who are sent down at the end...

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Game 129 lineups: Rockies at Nats

August 27, 2016, 5:23am

Nationals

With Trea Turner doing Trea Turner things, hitters 2-3-4 in the Nationals lineup are settling in for good at-bats. The opposing pitcher is preoccupied with the speed and havoc Turner provides on the basepaths. That allows Jayson Werth, Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper to be themselves. The trio delivered six RBIs in the Nats' 8-5 series opening win over the Rockies. Werth has hit homers in two straight games. Murphy reached 500 career RBIs. Harper has hit safely in 11 of his last 13...

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Game 128 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies

August 26, 2016, 11:13am

Nationals

After the excitement and drama of the four-day, two-city Beltways Series, the Nationals get back to business this weekend with the Rockies in town. Max Scherzer saved the bullpen last night with his dominant eight-inning performance. But in order to keep that bullpen from getting burned up again, Gio Gonzalez will need to follow up his rotation mate with a strong start of his own tonight. Gonzalez will be working with Jose Lobaton, a pairing that has enjoyed plenty of success in the past. That...

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Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

August 25, 2016, 11:09am

Nationals Orioles

The Nationals didn't expect to find themselves in this position, needing to beat the Orioles tonight to avoid a four-game sweep, but here they are nonetheless. They'll ask Max Scherzer to stop the bleeding and give this team the dominant start it so desperately needs. No word yet if the newly acquired Marc Rzepczynski - I'm getting good at spelling his name without having to check first - will be here in time to be activate for tonight's game. At this point, the Nats haven't announced a...