Today's Nationals and Cardinals lineups look exactly the same as the ones we saw in the first two games of the National League Division Series - with the exception, of course, of new pitchers.
The Nationals will send Edwin Jackson to the mound for Game 3. He'll oppose Cardinals righty Chris Carpenter, who made only three regular season starts this season but is the franchise's all-time leader in postseason wins.
For the Nats:
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam...
ST. LOUIS - Except for the pitchers, the lineups for today's Game 2 of the best-of-five National League Division Series at Busch Stadium are exactly the same as those from Game 1.
Here's the Nationals batting order that will face St. Louis' Jaime Garcia:
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
P Jordan Zimmermann
Zimmermann will face this lineup from the Cardinals:
CF Jon Jay
RF Carlos Beltran
LF...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals have posted their lineup for Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series against the Cardinals. It looks pretty familiar.
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
P Gio Gonzalez
Here is the Cardinals lineup that will face Gonzalez:
CF Jon Jay
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
1B Allen Craig
C Yadier Molina
3B David Freese
2B Daniel Descalso
SS Pete Kozma
P Adam...
The bulk of the Nationals' regulars are back in the starting lineup, while the two that started yesterday - Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche - are taking a seat for today's regular season finale.
The Nats have a magic number of one to clinch the top seed in the National League, giving them home-field advantage through the playoffs and setting them up to play the wild card play-in winner.
If they win today against the Phillies or the Reds lose to the Cardinals tonight, the Nationals will get...
Davey Johnson got hit with a champagne shower three times last night.
After he got dried off from the first attack, Adam LaRoche ambushed Johnson and soaked him again. Johnson may not have loved it, but he took it in stride.
"He got me good," Johnson said.
Then, rookie reliever Christian Garcia, a guy battling for a spot on the postseason roster, was gutsy enough to soak his 69-year-old skipper yet again.
"'Son, that's a no-no,' " Johnson recalled himself saying, chuckling as he...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals just posted the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals.
With a win today, Washington will clinch the NL East.
For the Nationals:
Jayson Werth RF
Bryce Harper CF
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Adam LaRoche 1B
Michael Morse LF
Ian Desmond SS
Danny Espinosa 2B
Kurt Suzuki C
Ross Detwiler P
For the Cardinals:
John Jay CF
Carlos Beltran RF
Matt Holliday LF
Allen Craig 1B
Yadier Molina C
David Freese 3B
Daniel Descalso 2B
Pete Kozma SS
Lance Lynn P
Kurt Suzuki has told manager Davey Johnson in the past that he has no problem starting every single game.
Until the Nationals clinch the NL East title, Johnson is taking Suzuki up on his offer.
Suzuki's getting the start behind the plate for the 10th straight day, a very lengthy streak for a catcher. In the last nine games, Suzuki is batting .294 with a home run and seven RBIs, so Johnson doesn't want to go away from the hot hand. He'll stick with Suzuki until the Nats are able to lock up...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Ryan Flaherty gets another start at second base tonight against Rays right-hander Alex Cobb.
Chris Davis stays in right field and bats third.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Jim Thome DH
Mark Reynolds 1B
Ryan Flaherty 2B
Manny Machado 3B
Wei-Yin Chen LHP
Matt Wieters is behind the plate again today for the home regular-season finale against the Red Sox.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Jim Thome DH
Mark Reynolds 1B
Ryan Flaherty 2B
Manny Machado 3B
Joe Saunders LHP
For the Red Sox:
Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ross RF
Gomez 1B
Valencia 3B
Lavarnway C
Nava LF
Ciriaco DH
Iglesias SS
Stewart RHP
Steve Johnson said his right foot is much better today after being hit by Dustin...
ST. LOUIS - Hello from good old Missouri, and more specifically, the press box at Busch Stadium.
The Gateway Arch is currently staring me right in the face as I look out on this field for the first time in person. It's a nice park, and I'm looking forward to experiencing the St. Louis baseball atmosphere I've heard so much about.
And I'm serious when I say I've heard a ton about how great the in-game environment is here. These St. Louis fans better step their game up tonight and make...
Taylor Teagarden will be behind the plate for tonight's game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.
Matt Wieters became a father for the first time today at 5:11 a.m. The clubhouse isn't open to the media yet, so I don't know whether he's at the ballpark and sleeping on a couch. I'll pass along an update later.
Wieters is 5-for-7 with four doubles lifetime against Red Sox starter Aaron Cook.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis RF
Adam Jones CF
Jim Thome DH
Mark...
PHILADELPHIA - In New York, R.A. Dickey is in line for his 20th win of the season, which would tie him with Gio Gonzalez for the most in the majors.
Dickey notched 13 strikeouts through 7 2/3 innings of work, allowing three runs.
The NL Cy Young race between Gonzalez, Dickey and Braves closer Craig Kimbrel looks like it'll come down to the wire. Gonzalez will have a chance to bolster his chances tonight when he faces the Phillies in the series finale between these two teams.
The Reds beat...
PHILADELPHIA - A day after Nationals manager Davey Johnson said that all hands would be on deck until the Nationals clinched the division, Danny Espinosa is out of the lineup.
Espinosa got a cortisone shot in his aching shoulder last Monday and has played in all eight games (with seven starts) since then, batting .348 with two RBIs and three doubles.
His production has returned, and Espinosa told me yesterday that his shoulder was feeling fine. That all makes it a bit surprising that he's...
The Nationals have posted their lineup for today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Brewers and Michael Morse isn't in it. Roger Bernadina will get the start in left field against ex-Nats right-hander Marco Estrada.
Here's the Nationals lineup:
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
LF Roger Bernadina
C Kurt Suzuki
P Jordan Zimmermann
For the first time in over three months, Chien-Ming Wang will start a major league game today.
The Nationals will give the ball to their veteran sinkerballer and hope he can cool down a red-hot Brewers lineup. Wang threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers, but he hasn't started a game since June 19.
Wang battled hamstring and hip injuries this season, and when he has pitched, either at the major league or minor league levels, he...
The Nationals will have their regular starters on the field behind Gio Gonzalez this afternoon as the left-hander again tries for his 20th win of the season.
Gonzalez got stuck with the loss his last time out, allowing two runs over five innings against the Braves on Sunday night. His record sits at 19-8 entering today, and he still could become the first guy in the majors to hit the 20-win mark.
The Nats will face Brewers righty Wily Peralta, who is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in four appearances...
Should Edwin Jackson pick up the win tonight, the Nationals would have five starters with double-digit win totals.
Not too shabby.
It'll be Jackson against Brewers right-hander Shaun Marcum tonight at Nats Park. Marcum is 5-4 with a 3.91 ERA this season.
For the Nats:
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Jesus Flores
P Edwin Jackson
For the Brewers:
RF Norichika Aoki
2B Rickie Weeks
LF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis...
The Nationals are at the 90-win mark. One more and they've locked up a postseason spot, marking the first time since 1933 that there will be a playoff baseball team in D.C.
But again, the Nats insist they don't have eyes set on clinching a Wild Card spot. Their goal is the NL East title, and their magic number to lock up the division now sits at nine.
"The only thing that's going to mean anything to me is when we clinch the pennant," manager Davey Johnson said. "That's the only number...
Michael Morse will take batting practice and is listed in tonight's lineup. If all goes well in the cage, Morse will be playing left field and batting fifth.
There was some good news on Danny Espinosa this afternoon. After leaving Sunday night's game early, Espinosa underwent a MRI on his left shoulder. The scan revealed he had a bone bruise in the capsule of his shoulder. He received a cortisone shot yesterday and could possibly play tomorrow. Espinosa had feared a torn labrum and said the...
ATLANTA - After two one-run losses vs. the Braves, Gio Gonzalez will try to get the Nationals back on track and earn his 20th win of the season.
Tyler Moore will get his first start of the series, playing left and batting seventh.
For the Nats:
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
LF Tyler Moore
C Kurt Suzuki
P Gio Gonzalez
For the Braves:
CF Michael Bourn
LF Reed Johnson
RF Jason Heyward
3B Chipper Jones
1B Freddie...