nationals

Baker on J. Turner, Taylor and Kelley

May 04, 2017, 8:16am

The Nationals have announced their pitching probables for the weekend series in Philadelphia. Friday it will be Stephen Strasburg facing former Nationals property Nick Pivetta. They have listed "to be announced" for Saturday's game against Vince Velasquez. Manager Dusty Baker had said Wednesday night after Jacob Turner pitched four innings that A.J. Cole would pitch Saturday. Sunday's series finale will have Tanner Roark against Jeremy Hellickson. Turner was the hot subject of Thursday's...

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Game 28 lineups: Diamondbacks at Nats

May 04, 2017, 5:49am

Nationals

The Nationals are seeking their fourth home series victory today on Weather Day at Nats Park. National League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer faces his former club, looking for his fourth win of the season. He arrives 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA. Scherzer pitched in Arizona in 2008-09. Right-hander Braden Shipley makes his first start of 2017 for the Diamondbacks, called up from the minors. He is 4-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 11 career starts (13 games). Shipley is a 2013 first-round selection out of...

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Zimmerman starts off May how he ended April

May 03, 2017, 8:04pm

Nationals

Zimmerman starts off May how he ended April

Ryan Zimmerman found out Wednesday afternoon he had been named National League Player of the Month for April. Then he took the field for his second game in May and picked up right where he left off. Zimmerman went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning double, helping lead the Nationals to a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. In doing so, he extended his hitting streak to 10 games, his multi-hit streak to six games and raised his batting average to a major league-best...

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Gonzalez not worried about all the walks, glad team earned win

May 03, 2017, 7:26pm

Nationals

Gonzalez not worried about all the walks, glad team earned win

The story line for the Nationals' 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks Wednesday centered around the four shutout innings from Jacob Turner. Despite seven walks from left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez, the veteran did manage to keep his club in the game with a chance to win. Gonzalez ended up allowing only one run on three hits. But that is what Gonzalez wanted to talk about after the game: the victory. Not his season-high seven walks. "A win. Flat out, I don't know what to say," Gonzalez said. "He...

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Jacob Turner comes to the rescue: "He saved our bullpen"

May 03, 2017, 7:39pm

Nationals

Jacob Turner comes to the rescue: "He saved our bullpen"

Before their team takes the field every night, Dusty Baker and Mike Maddux come together and map out a pitching plan for that particular game. They know who's starting and how much can be expected from him. They know who is available and who isn't available out of the bullpen. And they know which reliever they ideally want to turn to for each potential scenario. When they mapped out the plan for tonight's game against the Diamondbacks, Baker and Maddux knew they had a short bullpen. Shawn...

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Turner's dominant relief holds D-backs down 2-1

May 03, 2017, 5:59pm

Nationals

Turner's dominant relief holds D-backs down 2-1

Their starter walked seven batters in five innings. Their emergency starter pitched four scoreless innings of relief, taking over all the setup roles and the closer's job by himself. This isn't how the Nationals envisioned pitching their way to a 2-1 victory, but hey, whatever works, right? Behind five ragged-but-effective innings from Gio Gonzalez and then four surprising and dominant innings from Jacob Turner, the Nationals defeated the Diamondbacks tonight, and perhaps found themselves a...

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Gonzalez lifted after five innings (Nats win 2-1)

May 03, 2017, 4:56pm

Nationals

Gonzalez lifted after five innings (Nats win 2-1)

The Diamondbacks used the long ball to jump out ahead in the top of the first. With one out, Chris Owings took a 2-1 Gio Gonzalez offering and deposited it 15 rows up in the left field section. It was his fifth homer of the season. Gonzalez wasn't out of the hot water just yet. Paul Goldschmidt singled and Jake Lamb walked. With two men on, only one out and a run in, Gonzalez bore down and struck out Yasmany TomÃ¡s and Brandon Drury. Robbie Ray, a former Nats prospect, struck out the side in...

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Zimmerman named NL Player of the Month

May 03, 2017, 9:36am

Nationals

Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman was officially recognized for his remarkable April this afternoon when he was named National League Player of the Month. It was a worthy capper to a dominant month for Zimmerman, who entered the season facing major questions about his ability to bounce back from the worst year of his career and proceeded to put those questions to rest in emphatic fashion. Zimmerman ended April leading the majors in batting average (.420), homers (11), RBIs (29), hits (37),...

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Andrew Stevenson gets a hit in Triple-A debut

May 03, 2017, 2:43am

Nationals

Andrew Stevenson gets a hit in Triple-A debut

Center fielder Andrew Stevenson made his Triple-A debut Tuesday night in Syracuse's 3-1 loss to Pawtucket. The lefty hitter went 1-for-4. Stevenson was called up Tuesday and Isaac Ballou assigned to Double-A Harrisburg from extended spring training. Syracuse needed a center fielder after Rafael Bautista was called up to the Nationals to replace the injured Adam Eaton. Starter Austin Voth (1-3) went seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, including a solo homer. He gave up just one...

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Baker on Zimmerman's award, Blanton's homer problem

May 03, 2017, 2:46pm

Nationals

Baker on Zimmerman's award, Blanton's homer problem

Dusty Baker has managed more than a few guys who won their league's Player of the Month award. Shoot, you don't even have to go back to his previous jobs to compile a deep roster of honorees. When Ryan Zimmerman was named National League Player of the Month today, he became the Nats' fourth different starter to earn such an honor in the last seven months, joining Bryce Harper (April 2016) and Daniel Murphy (May and July 2016). "I didn't even know that," Baker said when informed. "That...

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Game 27 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks

May 03, 2017, 11:29am

Nationals

As impressive as Ryan Zimmerman was in April, there was no bigger surprise on the Nationals roster in the season's first month than Gio Gonzalez. After a ragged 2016, Gonzalez burst onto the scene to begin this year, going 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in five starts. Now we find out if the lefty can keep it going and not fall back into the same traps that befell him last season after a strong start. He'll face a tough challenge tonight in the Diamondbacks, who, as we saw last night, can grind out...

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Struggling Treinen seeks more strikes, faster pace

May 02, 2017, 8:41pm

Nationals

Struggling Treinen seeks more strikes, faster pace

In their quest to fix what ails Blake Treinen right now, the Nationals coaching staff isn't looking as much at the reliever's mechanics or pitch selection as the slow pace in which all those pitches are being delivered to the plate. "I'd like to see him pick up the pace," manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday night after Treinen struggled again during the Nats' 6-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. "He's very deliberate. It looks like he's thinking while he's throwing versus just throwing." The...

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Zimmerman named NL Player of the Month for April

May 03, 2017, 10:58am

Nationals

Zimmerman named NL Player of the Month for April

On the heels of his first National League Player of the Week award since 2012, Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman continued his early-season haul with the National League Player of the Month award for April. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network. Zimmerman, who set a Nationals record (2005-present) for RBI in a month with 29, entered May hitting .420 and leading the Major Leagues in batting average, slugging percentage (.886), RBI (29), OPS (1.345), home runs (T1st,...

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Luke Erickson: What it means to be the next man up on the farm

May 02, 2017, 6:30pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: What it means to be the next man up on the farm

For those of you interested in gambl ... er, fantasy baseball, you're probably well aware of the depth charts that are created for the minors for dynasty leagues. But even if you're not, the Nationals have made you aware of who's the supposed next man up with their inability to dodge injuries. Adam Eaton is the latest starter to be lost for the season, and for now, the plan is to give backup Michael A. Taylor the chance to win the center field job for the third season in a row. This hasn't...

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Roark still felt strong despite career-high 125 pitches

May 02, 2017, 8:14pm

Nationals

Roark still felt strong despite career-high 125 pitches

Right-hander Tanner Roark found a way to go six innings for the Nationals, something his manager Dusty Baker was hoping for his workhorse to do. But it was difficult for Roark, even though he wouldn't admit it. Roark finished with a career-high 125 pitches. Baker needed his starter to go six innings because there were arms in his bullpen that needed rest. Roark left with his club down 4-3 in a game they eventually would lose to the Diamondbacks 6-3. "We had Ollie PÃ©rez. He got up twice,"...

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Uninspired Nationals slog through "kind of a downer day"

May 02, 2017, 8:14pm

Nationals

The game lasted 3 hours, 48 minutes. It felt like it took even longer for the Nationals to slog their way through an uninspired 6-3 loss to the Diamondbacks that bore virtually no resemblance to the high-energy, high-drama games they had played nearly every night in April. "It was kind of a downer day," manager Dusty Baker conceded. "I don't know why, but it seems like we don't bounce back with a lot of life after an off-day. 'Cause an off-day kind of just sits on you after that long...

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Nationals drop series opener to Diamondbacks 6-3

May 02, 2017, 6:53pm

Nationals

The Nationals aren't going to score 23 runs every night, and it's not going out on a limb to say so. But neither are they going to score six or seven runs every night, which is what they averaged in April. There are going to be nights like this one, when the lineup produces a couple of clutch hits but misses several opportunities for more. And on those nights, the Nats are going to have to rely on their pitching staff to win games. The staff couldn't deliver in tonight's series opener...

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Updates on Glover, Drew, Wieters and Baker's thoughts on Jones incident in Boston

May 02, 2017, 2:11pm

Nationals Orioles

Updates on Glover, Drew, Wieters and Baker's thoughts on Jones incident in Boston

Manager Dusty Baker had some updates on the progress of a few players who are currently on the disabled list. Right-hander Koda Glover (left hip impingement) has been on the disabled list since April 26. Baker had some good news for his young reliever. "Koda said he's feeling better," Baker said. "Again, I don't ask them every day how they're feeling. But I can sometimes tell by the look on their face, or when they start smiling, or if they're still kind of down about it. But Koda's a...

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Baker on Ross demotion: "Joe wasn't Joe"

May 02, 2017, 2:07pm

Nationals

Baker on Ross demotion: "Joe wasn't Joe"

Asked today why the Nationals made the decision to demote Joe Ross to the minors, Dusty Baker offered up a simple answer at first. "Joe wasn't Joe," the manager said. "That was it in a nutshell." There are different theories trying to explain why Ross hasn't looked like his normal self the last two times he has taken the mound. Is there a physical problem? Ross insisted to team officials there isn't. Is there a mechanical glitch that has caused him to lose his consistent arm slot? Could...

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Ross optioned to Syracuse, Cole returns to major league staff

May 02, 2017, 8:25am

Nationals

Ross optioned to Syracuse, Cole returns to major league staff

The Nationals have optioned Joe Ross to Triple-A Syracuse, a move that comes as a surprise but underscores the organization's concerns with how the right-hander has performed in limited action so far this season. Ross was formally demoted Monday, but the club didn't announce the move until today. Right-hander A.J. Cole was recalled from Syracuse to fill the roster spot, though he will need to serve a three-game suspension before he's eligible to pitch. The demotion comes in the wake of...