nationals

With Rendon down, Drew steps right in and keeps hitting

June 20, 2017, 8:08pm

MIAMI - The loss of Anthony Rendon this week to a neck stinger could have been a significant blow to the Nationals. Then again, any team that can simply plug Stephen Drew into a starting role when someone else goes down is in an awfully good position. "I like having him around a lot," manager Dusty Baker said. "He can play second, third and short, and first in a pinch. And you don't lose a lot. You don't lose anything on defense. You lose a little range and speed at this point in his...

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With each quality start, Gonzalez strengthening All-Star case

June 20, 2017, 7:47pm

Nationals

With each quality start, Gonzalez strengthening All-Star case

MIAMI - Gio Gonzalez wasn't shy about admitting his goal for 2017 from the moment he arrived in West Palm Beach four months ago, walked into Dusty Baker's office and explicitly told it to his manager. "I told Dusty that was a big goal in what I want to do this year: to focus and compete at a high level and try to make the All-Star team," Gonzalez said way back in late February. "Right now, I just want to snap out of this little funk I'm in. I want to get back to where I belong. I really...

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Nats ride Gonzalez's quality start, flurry of hits to 12-3 romp

June 20, 2017, 6:14pm

Nationals

Nats ride Gonzalez's quality start, flurry of hits to 12-3 romp

MIAMI - Gio Gonzalez loves pitching in Miami. A couple more starts like the one he authored tonight, and the Nationals left-hander might just find himself making an extra trip back home next month. For the All-Star Game. Gonzalez went seven strong innings in his latest quality start, the Nationals got clutch hits from Bryce Harper, Brian Goodwin, Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Drew and then piled on late to earn a 12-3 victory over the Marlins. It was Gonzalez's 11th quality start in 15 outings...

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Luke Erickson: Looking at the Hagerstown Suns at the half

June 19, 2017, 5:53pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Looking at the Hagerstown Suns at the half

For most baseball fans, the All-Star Game is considered the halfway point of the season. In the minors, that's this week for two of the four full-season affiliates - the Hagerstown Suns (low Single-A) and the Potomac Nationals (high Single-A). This week, we'll take a look at how the Suns have done and who might be moving up, then next week we'll examine the P-Nats. While winning is not the goal of the minors - development is - it's still something to shoot for and root for. For most of the...

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Harper extends hit streak, takes over team RBI lead (Nats win 12-3)

June 20, 2017, 4:34pm

Nationals

Harper extends hit streak, takes over team RBI lead (Nats win 12-3)

MIAMI - Bryce Harper tried to bunt with two on and two out in the top of the third inning tonight at Marlins Park. As it turned out, the Nationals felt awfully fortunate their slugger failed to get the ball down in fair territory. After fouling off that odd bunt attempt, Harper proceeded to line the next pitch he saw from Edinson Volquez to center field, driving home two runs to give the Nationals an early lead and extend his recent hot streak at the plate. Harper has now hit in 13 consecutive...

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Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign

June 20, 2017, 2:22pm

Nationals

Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign

MIAMI - Anthony Rendon is out of the Nationals lineup tonight, his neck still sore after an awkward diving play that forced him out of Monday night's series opener at Marlins Park. Rendon suffered a neck "stinger," according to manager Dusty Baker. It's not a typical baseball injury, and because the Nationals third baseman has never experienced it before, there seems to be less certainty about how much time he'll need to recover than more standard ailments. "I asked him if he ever played...

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Game 71 lineups: Nats at Marlins

June 20, 2017, 11:29am

Nationals

MIAMI - It's a new day at Marlins Park, where the Nationals will try to rebound from last night's aggravating 8-7 loss, one that featured a host of poor performances and costly mistakes. Given how much they needed their bullpen (six total innings), the Nats will be asking for length tonight from Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez, the Miami native, is trying to continue his strong first-half run, one that could earn him a trip back home next month for the All-Star Game. This actually is the lefty's...

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After another poor start, Roark searches for answers

June 19, 2017, 8:32pm

Nationals

After another poor start, Roark searches for answers

MIAMI - Tanner Roark thought he had solved his problems a few weeks ago, when he emerged from a rough stretch to begin the season with three consecutive dominant starts. Now the Nationals right-hander finds himself right back where he started, still searching for answers after a third consecutive subpar outing. At this point, Roark is getting pretty mad. At himself. "My body felt good. My arm felt good," he said. "I just need to stop pitching like crap." Monday night's 8-7 loss to the...

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Nationals agree to terms with 25 players from 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft

June 20, 2017, 12:48pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with 25 members of their 2017 First-Year Player Draft class. Nationals President of Baseball Operations & General Manager Mike Rizzo and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. An updated list of players is below. Signed players are in bold.

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After losing Rendon to neck injury, Nats beat themselves up over loss

June 19, 2017, 8:05pm

Nationals

After losing Rendon to neck injury, Nats beat themselves up over loss

MIAMI - Tonight's 8-7 loss to Miami was disheartening enough for the Nationals, who have suffered their share of comparable losses this season. But this one stung a little more, with players inside the visitors clubhouse at Marlins Park particularly upset because of the manner in which this game was lost. And that doesn't even take into account the loss of Anthony Rendon to a neck injury. (Though the news on that front was relatively encouraging.) "He had a stinger in his neck," manager...

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Turner's stolen base ability adds lethal dimension to potent offense

June 20, 2017, 4:17am

Nationals

Turner's stolen base ability adds lethal dimension to potent offense

On Sunday in New York, shortstop Trea Turner earned a career-high and club record four stolen bases in the 5-1 loss to the Mets. Turner has 26 stolen bases on the season. Manager Dusty Baker said former major leaguer and current first base coach Davey Lopes has been a good influence on the speedy Turner. Lopes stole 557 bases in his career - 77 stolen bases in 1975 was his high water mark. "Well, yeah, improvement because Davey Lopes is working with him on reads and breaks and slides," Baker...

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Nats blow early six-run lead, lose 8-7 on Ozuna's walk-off hit

June 19, 2017, 6:44pm

Nationals

Nats blow early six-run lead, lose 8-7 on Ozuna's walk-off hit

MIAMI - Up six runs against yet another division rival hopelessly trying to get within striking distance of the comfortable division leaders? What could possibly go wrong for the Nationals? Well, a lot, as it turned out. Not only did the Nats blow a six-run lead to the Marlins, their subsequent 8-7 loss in tonight's series opener also saw Anthony Rendon depart with an apparent injury. The Marlins stormed back to score six runs off Tanner Roark in the bottom of the third, tied the game again in...

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Rendon departs in fifth with apparent injury (Nats lose 8-7)

June 19, 2017, 5:19pm

Nationals

Rendon departs in fifth with apparent injury (Nats lose 8-7)

MIAMI - The Nationals thought they had tonight's series opener in hand, up six runs in the third inning. But that lead dissipated in a hurry against Tanner Roark. And if that wasn't agonizing enough to watch, Anthony Rendon then had to be removed from the game with an apparent injury. Rendon had made a quick-reflex, diving snag of Giancarlo Stanton's rocket grounder in the bottom of the third - the ball left the Miami slugger's bat at a whopping 114 mph - and managed to throw across the...

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Harper extends hit streak to 12 games with homer

June 19, 2017, 4:36pm

Nationals

Harper extends hit streak to 12 games with homer

MIAMI - That slump Bryce Harper appeared to be digging himself into on the West Coast a couple weeks ago? Yeah, he's out of it. With his latest home run, Harper not only extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games. He also set the tone for the Nationals on a night in which everybody is teeing off against Marlins left-hander Justin Nicolino. Unfortunately, Miami did the same to Tanner Roark in the bottom of the third. Harper destroyed a 3-2 fastball from Nicolino in the top of the...

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Werth, back in D.C., still not cleared for baseball activities

June 19, 2017, 2:15pm

Nationals

Werth, back in D.C., still not cleared for baseball activities

MIAMI - It has been 16 days since Jayson Werth fouled a ball off his left foot, six days since the Nationals outfielder was eligible to return from the disabled list. And it's going to continue to be a while until Werth is back in the Nats lineup. Despite initial hope he wouldn't need more than the minimum 10 days on the DL, Werth remains out. He remains in Washington, rehabbing with the club's non-traveling training staff, not yet having been cleared for baseball activities. "We were...

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Game 70 lineups: Nats at Marlins

June 19, 2017, 11:29am

Nationals

MIAMI - Hello from beautiful - oh, who are we kidding? - Marlins Park. I will say this about the Least Popular Ballpark in the National League: At least it has a roof, because it has been pouring here all day. So weather will not be a factor for tonight's opener between the Nationals and Marlins, nor for the rest of this three-game series. Fresh off a strong weekend in New York, where they took 3-of-4 from the Mets, the Nats now face a quietly improving Miami club. These guys have won 13-of-20...

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Baker preaches close-knit club when fighting for title: "I demand it"

June 18, 2017, 11:00am

Nationals

Baker preaches close-knit club when fighting for title: "I demand it"

NEW YORK - Baseball is a sport primarily focused on the individual matchups: a pitcher facing a batter, a batter trying to get a hit against a pitcher. It's not 11-on-11 like football, or even five against five like in basketball. But similar to football, units of the team must play well for the entire team to succeed. If you have a football team and the offense and defense are good, but the special teams continue to fumble when receiving punts, then it is not a complete team that will win...

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Opposite dugout: Marlins can hit for average, but power not producing enough

June 19, 2017, 4:11am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Marlins can hit for average, but power not producing enough

Manager: Don Mattingly (2nd season) Record: 30-37 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 2B Dee Gordon (.293 with 27 SB), LF Marcell Ozuna (18 HR, 49 RBIs), 1B Justin Bour (17 HR, 44 RBIs), RF Giancarlo Stanton (17 HR, .277/.358/.542), RHP AJ Ramos (4.30 ERA, 9 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2 Pitching probables: June 19: RHP Tanner Roark vs. LHP Justin Nicolino, 7:10 p.m., MASN2June 20: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Edinson Volquez, 7:10 p.m., MASN2June 21: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Dan Straily,...

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Despite 5-1 loss, Ross gaining confidence in changeup

June 18, 2017, 1:14pm

Nationals

Despite 5-1 loss, Ross gaining confidence in changeup

NEW YORK - Joe Ross pitched fairly well, but Jacob deGrom was better, shutting down the potent Nats offense in a 5-1 series finale Mets victory. deGrom went eight innings, allowing only one unearned run in the first at-bat, scattering three singles with two walks and six strikeouts. The Nationals mustered only four hits against Mets pitching on Sunday. Daniel Murphy's double in the ninth was their lone extra base knock. He now has reached base safely in all 29 games against his former...

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Ross and deGrom trade runs early (Mets win 5-1)

June 18, 2017, 10:12am

Nationals

Ross and deGrom trade runs early (Mets win 5-1)

NEW YORK - We're seeing some outstanding pitching to begin the series finale at Citi Field. The Nationals scored in the first inning versus Mets starter Jacob deGrom. With one out, second baseman Wilmer Flores made a fielding error that allowed Brian Goodwin to reach base safely. Bryce Harper singled to the opposite field. A passed ball by Travis d'Arnaud allowed the runners to move up. Ryan Zimmerman's sacrifice fly to right field scored Goodwin. The Nats led 1-0. Right-hander Joe Ross did...