nationals

Home run barrage to begin game (Braves win 11-10)

June 12, 2017, 3:40pm

Offense for both teams is being ignited quickly in the series opener. The most surprising moment in the first inning was seeing Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg allowing back-to-back homers. Ender Inciarte led off the game with a single for the Braves. With one out, Nick Markakis took a 1-0 offering over the fence in left. It was only his second homer of the season and the two-run shot gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. Matt Kemp followed with another homer, his 11th on the season. Suddenly,...

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Nats select left-hander Seth Romero with 25th selection in First-Year Player Draft

June 12, 2017, 5:50pm

Nationals

Nats select left-hander Seth Romero with 25th selection in First-Year Player Draft

The Washington Nationals selected collegiate left-handed pitcher Seth Romero out of the University of Houston with the No. 25 selection in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. Romero, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound left-handed pitcher is considered one of the top collegiate left-handed pitchers in the 2017 First-Year...

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Game 65 lineups: Braves at Nats

June 12, 2017, 12:26pm

Nationals

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg seeks his eighth win in 10 decisions tonight as the Braves arrive at Nationals Park for the first time this season to start a three-game set. The Nationals are looking to avoid matching their longest losing streak of the season - a four-game skid - after being swept by the Rangers over the weekend. Strasburg has won both of his starts in Atlanta this season by identical 3-2 scores. In those two games, he has pitched a combined 14 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on...

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Eaton in "right direction" following knee surgery

June 12, 2017, 3:53am

Nationals

Eaton in "right direction" following knee surgery

Center fielder Adam Eaton is making progress after surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee. It has now been more than a month since the surgery. "It's pretty good," Eaton told reporters Sunday during pregame. "It's almost seven weeks since the incident. On Tuesday, it will be five or six weeks since post-op. Everything is headed in the right direction. Ahead of schedule. "I can't really put weeks on how far ahead of schedule we are. We've been...

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Scherzer's 2,000th strikeout spoiled by late Rangers rally

June 11, 2017, 4:16pm

Nationals

Scherzer's 2,000th strikeout spoiled by late Rangers rally

Right-hander Max Scherzer did his job again, pitching into the eighth inning and keeping the Nationals in their series finale against the Rangers. But a sloppy eighth inning, in which the Rangers scored four runs on just one hit, blew open a tie game and led Texas to a 5-1 win and series sweep over the Nationals. It was the first series sweep of the Nationals at home this season. In the game-changing eighth, Texas benefited from a fielding error by Anthony Rendon and a Matt Wieters passed ball,...

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Nationals recall right-hander Gott, option infielder Difo to Triple-A

June 12, 2017, 11:28am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Trevor Gott from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday and optioned infielder Wilmer Difo to Syracuse. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Gott, 24, joins the Nationals for his first Major League assignment of the season. The hard-throwing right-hander has posted a 2-0 record and a 3.30 ERA in 30.0 innings (23 games) of work with Triple-A Syracuse this season. Gott has secured three saves...

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Opposite dugout: Braves starters have struggled but might have turned a corner

June 11, 2017, 3:32pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Braves starters have struggled but might have turned a corner

Manager: Brian Snitker (2nd year) Record: 27-35 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: C Tyler Flowers (.343/.450/.455), LF Matt Kemp (.326/.361/.549, 10 home runs, 31 RBIs), CF Ender Inciarte (.299/.354/.414, 10 stolen bases), RF Nick Markakis (.284/.361/.369, 15 doubles, 32 RBIs), RHP Jim Johnson (4-1, 3.38 ERA, 12 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-4 Pitching probables: June 12: RHP Mike Foltynewicz vs RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m., MASNJune 13: RHP R.A. Dickey vs. RHP Joe Ross, 7:05 p.m.,...

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Marty Niland: Difo's gaffe ranks with the most infamous in Nats history

June 12, 2017, 5:40am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Difo's gaffe ranks with the most infamous in Nats history

The emotional roller coaster that is a Major League Baseball season hit its wildest stretch for Nationals fans over the past week. After the high of winning eight of their previous 10 games came the plummet of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers, the franchise that skipped town in 1971, leaving Washington without baseball for 34 seasons. All those emotions were at play in Saturday's 6-3 11-inning loss to Texas. After a fine performance on the mound from Gio Gonzalez, a clutch...

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Glover back to disabled list, Blanton reinstated

June 11, 2017, 9:39am

Nationals

Glover back to disabled list, Blanton reinstated

The Nationals have reinstated right-hander Joe Blanton from the 10-day disabled list and placed right-hander Koda Glover on the 10-day disabled list with lower back stiffness. Blanton has been on the disabled list since May 17 with right shoulder inflammation. Blanton started for Double-A Harrisburg against Altoona on June 8 and threw one scoreless, hitless inning with no walks and two strikeouts. Glover allowed two runs on three hits and recorded two outs in the ninth inning Saturday as the...

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Goodwin's big blast gives Nats early lead (Rangers win 5-1)

June 11, 2017, 12:29pm

Nationals

Goodwin's big blast gives Nats early lead (Rangers win 5-1)

The Nationals gave Max Scherzer an early lead, thanks to the power stroke of Brian Goodwin. Leading off the bottom of the first, Goodwin crushed an 0-1 pitch from right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx over the right field wall to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Goodwin's second homer of the season was also the first leadoff homer of his career. Scherzer allowed a leadoff single by Shin-Soo Choo, but then became very Scherzer-like with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a flyout to left field by...

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Game 62 lineups: Rangers at Nats

June 11, 2017, 9:54am

Nationals

Right-hander Max Scherzer gets the start today as the Nationals look to prevent their first home series sweep of the season. The Rangers won the first two games of the series, 5-2 on Friday and 6-3 in 11 innings on Saturday. Scherzer has been the best in baseball his last three starts. He has compiled 24 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs on 11 hits with four walks and an astounding 38 strikeouts in winning three games in a row. He is 7-3 with a 2.35 ERA over 84 1/3 innings and 12...

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Pair of back injuries complicate things for Baker, Nats

June 10, 2017, 1:57pm

Nationals

Pair of back injuries complicate things for Baker, Nats

The sight of Joe Ross standing in the batter's box as the Nationals' last hope in the 11th inning signified that something was wrong with Ryan Zimmerman. But it turns out that the balky back that prevented Zimmerman from playing in Saturday's 6-3 11-inning loss to the Rangers wasn't the only back problems the Nats are dealing with. Closer Koda Glover, who was unable to hold a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning, tweaked his back while showering before Saturday's game, tried to gut through the...

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Nationals activate Blanton from DL, send Glover to DL

June 11, 2017, 9:10am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals recalled from rehab assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton from the 10-day disabled list on Sunday and placed right-handed pitcher Koda Glover on the 10-day disabled list with lower back stiffness. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Blanton, 36, returns to Washington's bullpen after missing 21 games with right shoulder inflammation. In one rehab appearance, with Double-A Harrisburg on...

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Scoreless after three innings (Rangers win 6-3)

June 10, 2017, 9:02am

Nationals

Scoreless after three innings (Rangers win 6-3)

We're through three scoreless innings at Nationals Park, and if the early going is any indication, the hitters aren't adjusting too well to the 12:05 p.m. start time after a Friday night game. Both the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez and the Rangers' MartÃn PÃ©rez have faced the minimum nine batters, with each team getting a hit and having that player erased on a caught stealing. Gonzalez has thrown 50 pitches and PÃ©rez 49. Elvis Andrus singled with two down in the first for the game's...

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Baker on Nationals' challenges and son Darren's draft future

June 10, 2017, 6:59am

Nationals

Because of last night's late game and tonight's Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Gala, the Nationals weren't required to report to the home clubhouse until 10 a.m. for this afternoon's 12:05 p.m. game against the Rangers. But by 9:30 a.m., a steady stream of Nationals were saddling up to their lockers, readying for the middle game of the three-game interleague series. Talk about your businesslike approach. It's June 10 and the Nationals have a 10 1/2-game lead over the Braves in the...

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Game 61 lineups: Nats vs. Rangers

June 09, 2017, 8:39pm

Nationals

If the Nationals want to square their weekend interleague series with the Rangers - and give themselves a chance to win the three-game set after dropping Friday night's opener - they'll need left-hander Gio Gonzalez to do the heavy lifting. Gonzalez (5-1, 3.03 ERA) is enjoying a renaissance season, but he's fallen off a bit after a stellar April that saw him work at least six innings in all five of his starts and post a 3-0 record with a 1.62 ERA. When the calendar flipped to April, Gonzalez...

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Roark struggles, defense falters and Nats pay price in 5-2 loss

June 09, 2017, 7:19pm

Nationals

Roark struggles, defense falters and Nats pay price in 5-2 loss

As losses go - especially for a team that's been streaking and putting together so many impressive wins - Friday's 5-2 defeat to the Rangers was out of character for the Nationals. Tanner Roark flirted with danger through six innings and a batter, allowing 11 hits and stranding 10 baserunners. His defense betrayed him, with two errors contributing to three unearned runs - or the difference in the game. By their own admission, the Nationals didn't look like themselves. If it was second-day...

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Nationals hitters appreciate stretch of deep starts by pitchers

June 09, 2017, 1:13pm

Nationals

Deep starts are especially welcome over the course of a long season because they keep relievers fresh and allow manager Dusty Baker to set up his bullpen for maximum effect. When starting pitchers work into the sixth and seventh innings - or beyond - Baker is able to play the match-up game with his bullpen arms and take some of the pressure off rookie closer Koda Glover. But the recent run of strong starting performances has had another effect. In addition to creating a pass-the-baton scenario...

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Rangers get to Roark early (Nats fall 5-2)

June 09, 2017, 4:01pm

Nationals

Rangers get to Roark early (Nats fall 5-2)

If the Nationals are going to prevail in the first game of their weekend interleague series against the Rangers, they're going to have to come from behind. Texas leads 1-0 after three innings, parlaying three consecutive singles in the third inning off Tanner Roark into the early edge. Elvis Andrus led off the inning with an infield hit to short, moved to third on Nomar Mazara's single to right and scored on Jonathan Lucroy's single to center. Roark got Rougned Odor to hit into a 4-6-3...

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Game 60 lineups: Rangers at Nats

June 09, 2017, 6:27am

Nationals

At first blush, tonight's opener of an interleague series between the Rangers and Nationals looks like a classic mismatch. Washington has won eight of 10 games, while Texas, which has dropped 11 of 14, is straggling along at five games under .500 and trying to avoid falling into the American League West basement. Well, we all know games aren't played on paper, and the Rangers are just the kind of pesky foe that can turn what looks to be a surefire win into a trap game. It wouldn't be...