nationals

Marty Niland: Wounded warriors were part of 1945 contenders

May 29, 2017, 5:38am

During every game at Nationals Park, the Nationals and their fans pay tribute to members of the United States military who have recently returned from combat, some who were wounded in the line of duty. The fans seemed especially appreciative of World War II veterans in Sunday's pregame Memorial Day Tribute, giving them a rousing welcome. Imagine then, a Washington team where wounded service members were not only honored, but were an actual part of a ballclub that contended for a pennant....

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Padres take early lead against Ross (Nats lose 5-3)

May 28, 2017, 11:29am

Nationals

Padres take early lead against Ross (Nats lose 5-3)

Ryan Schimpf hit a home run on Friday night for the Padres' lone tally against Max Scherzer. It was their only run in the first two games of the three-game weekend set. On Sunday, in the rain-delayed start of the series finale between the Nats and the Padres, Schimpf connected on a two-run shot in the top of the first off Joe Ross to lift San Diego to an early 2-0 lead. Trea Turner laced a single up the middle to begin the bottom of the first against San Diego right-hander Jhoulys Chacin....

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With robotic precision, Strasburg dominates another opponent

May 27, 2017, 4:31pm

Nationals

With robotic precision, Strasburg dominates another opponent

When Max Scherzer does something big, you know it. Scherzer puts all his emotions on display, celebrates when he succeeds, laments when he fails. When Stephen Strasburg does something big, you have no idea. Strasburg rarely reveals any emotions, and his expressions and words aren't much different after a win than they are after a loss. Take, for example, the Nationals right-hander's response this evening to a question about the 15 strikeouts he recorded in a 3-0 victory over the Padres, a...

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Taylor's numbers continue to rise since assuming everyday role

May 28, 2017, 5:12am

Nationals

Taylor's numbers continue to rise since assuming everyday role

The caveats will continue, because it has only been 24 games and because he'll need to do this over a much longer period of time before anything declarative can be said. But in those 24 games since he took over as the Nationals' starting center fielder, Michael A. Taylor sure has done everything he can to make sure he can continue holding that role. With another key home run in yesterday's 3-0 victory over the Padres, Taylor added to his growing resume. In 24 games since Adam Eaton tore his...

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Turner hopes mechanical adjustment helps to get his groove back

May 26, 2017, 7:16pm

Nationals

Turner hopes mechanical adjustment helps to get his groove back

With Adam Eaton out for the season, the pressure on the top of the order to get on base and create offense almost completely falls on talented shortstop Trea Turner. However, Turner has recently been going after first pitches too often, and opposing pitchers started throwing him more off-speed stuff. His numbers began to wane. His average had dropped to .236 on May 18 after an 0-for-5 against the Pirates. Since then, Turner has accumulated eight hits in his last seven games. His average is up...

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Game 49 lineups: Padres at Nats (game underway)

May 28, 2017, 3:55am

Nationals

Game 49 lineups: Padres at Nats (game underway)

Right-hander Joe Ross today looks to complete the three-game sweep against the Padres, the team that traded him to the Nationals in December 2014. The 24-year-old Ross will look to continue a trend where Nats starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg dominated San Diego on Friday and Saturday, respectively. In the last six games, Nats starters have allowed six earned runs in 43 2/3 innings for a 1.24 ERA. In that span, they have struck out 61 and walked only eight. The Padres have not scored...

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Strasburg strikes out career-high 15 Padres (Nats win 3-0)

May 27, 2017, 1:19pm

Nationals

Strasburg strikes out career-high 15 Padres (Nats win 3-0)

Stephen Strasburg isn't getting a ton of help from his defense, so he's taking matters into his own hands this afternoon. Strasburg has seven strikeouts through three scoreless innings against the Padres, overcoming two errors by his Nationals infield but struggling to keep his pitch count manageable. Ryan Zimmerman and Trea Turner each were charged with errors in the game's first two innings, prolonging things for Strasburg. Zimmerman made a wide throw to second base in the top of the...

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Murphy sidelined with illness, Difo gets another start

May 27, 2017, 10:54am

Nationals

Murphy sidelined with illness, Difo gets another start

Daniel Murphy is out of the Nationals lineup for the second straight day, and this one is no simple planned-in-advance day off. Murphy is under the weather, dealing with a stomach bug, according to acting manager Chris Speier. "He's just not feeling all that hot," said Speier, who is filling in for Dusty Baker this weekend while the latter attends his son's high school graduation in California. Murphy, along with Ryan Zimmerman, didn't play in Friday night's series opener against the...

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Game 48 lineups: Nats vs. Padres

May 27, 2017, 8:16am

Nationals

Stop me if you've heard this one before: It's a cloudy day in D.C. with a chance of rain being a factor for this afternoon's game. As always, stay tuned and hope for the best as the Nationals and Padres attempt to start and complete the second game of their weekend series. San Diego native Stephen Strasburg is on the mound for the Nats, making his seventh career start against the favorite team of his childhood, though his first since 2015. Strasburg, not surprisingly, has fared well against...

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With 95 mph slider, Glover seizing opportunity to close

May 26, 2017, 7:47pm

Nationals

With 95 mph slider, Glover seizing opportunity to close

Max Scherzer was the story of last night's 5-1 victory, but let's not overlook Koda Glover, who made quite an impression himself despite only throwing four pitches. Summoned to relieve Scherzer with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Glover was thrown into a major fire but immediately doused it by striking out Hunter Renfroe to earn his fourth save. It was the kind of situation - one bad pitch could have tied the game and ruined everything Scherzer did for 8 2/3 innings...

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Three homers from the Nats' young guns drop the Padres 5-1

May 26, 2017, 6:53pm

Nationals

Three homers from the Nats' young guns drop the Padres 5-1

Max Scherzer was outstanding. Plus, the offense displayed a trio of young hitters who can hit the ball out of the park. That formula adds up to another Nationals signature victory in 2017. That formula will win them a lot of games. Trea Turner, Michael A. Taylor and Bryce Harper all homered in the 5-1 win over the Padres. "Scherzer on the hill and three homers, that's a pretty good formula," said acting manager Chris Speier. "I didn't do a darn thing the whole game. Not a thing. I didn't...

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With 8 2/3-inning gem, Scherzer authors another magic moment

May 26, 2017, 7:18pm

Nationals

With 8 2/3-inning gem, Scherzer authors another magic moment

Chris Speier has watched comfortably from afar as Max Scherzer has sent Dusty Baker back to the dugout on several occasions over the last two seasons, the Nationals ace refusing to let his manager remove him from a ballgame before he's ready to be removed. But with Baker back home in California this weekend for son Darren's high school graduation, Speier is filling in as manager. And so the potential scenario was raised to the longtime bench coach this afternoon: What would he do if he needed...

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Scherzer nearly goes the distance as Nationals beat Padres 5-1

May 26, 2017, 5:31pm

Nationals

With the reigning Cy Young Award winner on the mound and one of the National League's least productive lineups at the plate, you could be excused for showing up at Nationals Park tonight fully expecting to witness something historic. In the end, there was no history. A run-of-the-mill Max Scherzer gem would have to suffice. Scherzer nearly went the distance, allowing only three hits while striking out 13 in 8 2/3 innings and leading the Nationals to a 5-1 victory over the Padres, a result that...

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Speier expects business as usual subbing for Baker (Nats win 5-1)

May 26, 2017, 3:09pm

Nationals

Speier expects business as usual subbing for Baker (Nats win 5-1)

Chris Speier is substituting for Dusty Baker as acting manager for this series against the Padres. Baker is back in California to attend his son Darren's graduation from high school and will rejoin the team Monday in San Francisco. Speier's job when Baker is here is as bench coach. The Nationals have added co-field coordinator Jeff Garber to assist on the bench for this weekend. Speier said during pregame that his bench coach responsibilities will not change and he will not delegate those...

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Heisey will try to rehab without surgery; Nats acquire Raburn

May 26, 2017, 1:42pm

Nationals

Heisey will try to rehab without surgery; Nats acquire Raburn

The prognosis for Chris Heisey may not be nearly as dire as initially feared. Though an MRI confirmed Heisey ruptured his right biceps tendon, doctors have told the Nationals outfielder he can attempt to rehab the injury without surgery and thus return to play in a relatively short time frame. Heisey said he had been playing through shoulder pain for much of the season and felt worse after a swing during Tuesday night's game. When he took batting practice Wednesday afternoon, he felt a sharp...

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Stammen calls return to Nats Park with Padres "exciting"

May 26, 2017, 2:12pm

Nationals

Stammen calls return to Nats Park with Padres "exciting"

The Nationals welcome the San Diego Padres to D.C. for a weekend series starting tonight. It is the first time Craig Stammen has returned to Nats Park since he elected free agency in late 2015. "It was exciting," Stammen said of his return today. "It's exciting to go a city where you are familiar with everything there and you can tell the bus driver where to go and all that kind of stuff. It's fun to be back. I didn't know if I'd ever get back, but it's fun to be back." I spoke to him...

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Answering baseball's pressing questions with Memorial Day looming

May 26, 2017, 4:29pm

Nationals Orioles

Answering baseball's pressing questions with Memorial Day looming

As Memorial Day arrives, the American League East is loaded with offense. A five-team race is possible, assuming Toronto makes a comeback. The National League East is the opposite. The Nationals have the best offense, a leaky bullpen and the only winning record in the division. Here are answers to the most burning questions after baseball's first two months: Q: What should the Orioles do with pitcher Ubaldo JimÃ©nez? A: The best solution is to keep him and hope that he does what he always...

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Game 47 lineups: Nats vs. Padres

May 26, 2017, 12:12pm

Nationals

The Nationals host the Padres this weekend, and they'll have someone else calling the shots from the dugout for all three games. Bench coach Chris Speier will be serving as manager while Dusty Baker attends his son's high school graduation in California. Speier will have some extra help in the dugout, with minor league field coordinator Jeff Garber added to the big league coaching staff for the weekend. The Nationals face a struggling Padres club, and perhaps with that in mind a pair of key...

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Nats know Roark and Ross key to series win

May 26, 2017, 5:17am

Nationals

Nats know Roark and Ross key to series win

A lot of the talk to begin the season was about how important the likes of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman are to the Nationals' chance at repeating as National League East champions. But this week, some different names stepped to the forefront to try to snap a trend of two series losses in a row at Pittsburgh and at Atlanta. Tanner Roark and Joe Ross pitched well to begin the series against the Mariners, paving the way for two victories in a...

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Friday morning Nats news and notes

May 25, 2017, 9:26pm

Nationals

Some news and notes before the Nationals open their weekend series with the Padres ... * If you missed the news yesterday, Dusty Baker will be away from the team all weekend as he attends his son's high school graduation in California. Baker flew home after yesterday's loss to the Mariners. And since the Nationals will be heading out west themselves to begin a three-city trip Monday in San Francisco, the manager will simply reconnect with everybody then. That leaves Chris Speier to manage all...