nationals

Treinen lets his pitches do the talking for first save of season

April 03, 2017, 1:54pm

The Nationals' 4-2 comeback win over the Marlins on Monday marked the first save for closer Blake Treinen. Treinen earned the save by getting the heart of the Miami lineup in 1-2-3 fashion. One of the biggest pitches in the ninth inning was a 3-2 slider to Justin Bour that struck out the home run hitter for the second out. Treinen then got Marcell Ozuna on a called third strike to end the game. Treinen, in his first year as a closer, joked that he most likely wouldn't have challenged a hitter...

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Nats, Marlins moving along in D.C. (Nats come back to win 4-2)

April 03, 2017, 10:02am

Nationals

Nats, Marlins moving along in D.C. (Nats come back to win 4-2)

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg came out of the blocks looking strong on opening day 2017. Pitching out of the stretch, he did not allow the Marlins a hit through the first three innings, striking out two. Strasburg hit 98 mph in a 1-2-3 first frame. He also enjoyed a 1-2-3 second inning, inducing three straight infield groundouts. Shortstop Trea Turner doubled and center fielder Adam Eaton walked to begin the home half of the first. But the Marlins' Edinson Volquez struck out the side to end...

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Late homers by Harper, Lind propel Nats to 4-2 win in opener

April 03, 2017, 11:52am

Nationals

Late homers by Harper, Lind propel Nats to 4-2 win in opener

For five innings, the Nationals gave their opening day sellout crowd reason to get nervous about the long grind ahead. Despite countless opportunities to make a dent into Marlins starter Edinson Volquez, they simply could not produce a hit with a runner in scoring position, surely making fans (and manager Dusty Baker) cringe about the long-term prospects for this lineup. Turns out the Nats didn't need a big hit with men in scoring position. They just needed two big blasts off the Miami...

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Update on Rendon and the Nats' fifth starter options

April 03, 2017, 9:27am

Nationals

Update on Rendon and the Nats' fifth starter options

The Nationals enjoyed a particularly healthy spring, enough to leave manager Dusty Baker as encouraged as he's ever going to be heading into a season. But not healthy enough to field their full starting lineup on opening day. Anthony Rendon, who fouled a ball off his left calf one week ago in Florida, was held out of today's season opener against the Marlins. Baker described this more as a precautionary move than anything, not wanting to take any chances the first week of April. "He's doing...

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Baker's opening day lineup a reflection of opponent

April 03, 2017, 8:57am

Nationals

Baker's opening day lineup a reflection of opponent

After the Nationals acquired Adam Eaton in December, much of the talk was where the center fielder would bat in a stacked lineup. The Nationals already have shortstop Trea Turner, who is a prototypical leadoff hitter - able to get on base and create havoc by stealing bases or using his speed to go first to third. Turner is a right-handed hitter, Eaton bats from left. So hitting them one-two makes sense. It would seem that Eaton would hit first, then Turner to be followed by lefty-hitting Daniel...

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Game 1 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

April 03, 2017, 5:28am

Nationals

The day has come at last. The 2017 season is here, and it all gets underway this afternoon on South Capitol Street when the Nationals host the Marlins in Game 1 of 162 (or more). There will be plenty of pomp and circumstance leading up to first pitch at 1:05 p.m., from the introduction of both teams to the ceremonial first pitches thrown by one member of each of the five branches of the military to the national anthem by the U.S. Army Brass Quintet and flyover by the F/A-18E Super Hornets to...

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Turner and Eaton will play critical roles for Nats in 2017

April 03, 2017, 2:51am

Nationals

Turner and Eaton will play critical roles for Nats in 2017

Two important changes to the 2017 version of the Nationals are at center field and shortstop. Trea Turner moves from center field to his natural position of shortstop. Newcomer Adam Eaton now mans the middle of the outfield. Both are expected to hit near the top of the order to take advantage of their contact bats, speed and patience at the plate. Even after playing shortstop for his whole baseball life, Turner said it still takes a while to get back in tune with the speed you see from the...

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2017 Nats media season predictions

April 02, 2017, 7:17pm

Nationals

OK, your long nightmare is over. It's no longer the offseason. It's no longer the preseason. It's officially baseball season again in Washington. Opening day is full of all kinds of traditions, and so it is that we present our own annual tradition: the Nationals media opening day season predictions. Now in its eighth year of existence, this feature has spanned three different websites and has had some revolving door participants, as the beat has changed over time. But it always makes for...

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Marty Niland: Three keys to success for the Nationals in 2017

April 03, 2017, 6:22am

Nationals

Washington sports fans are a demanding lot. We're not satisfied with merely winning. We are disappointed if our teams don't improve. We're not entitled like New Yorkers, who expect to contend for a championship every year. But neither do we feel cursed, like Cubs fans before their team broke its 107-year record of futility last October. This is city where few living souls can remember its only World Series title, and folks have seen six presidential inaugurations since its last championship...

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Opposite dugout: Marlins start another season of high expectations in D.C.

March 28, 2017, 4:32pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Marlins start another season of high expectations in D.C.

Manager: Don Mattingly (2nd season) Record: 79-82 (third in NL East in 2016) Last 10 games: Season opener Who to watch: RF Giancarlo Stanton (27 HR, 74 RBIs), CF Marcell Ozuna (23 HR, 76 RBIs), LF Christian Yelich (.298, 21 HR, 98 RBIs), RHP Dan Straily (14-8, 3.76 ERA), AJ Ramos (2.81 ERA with 40 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (9-10 in 2016) Pitching probables: April 3: RHP Edinson Volquez (10-11, 5.37 ERA) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.60 ERA), 1:05 p.m., MASNApril 5:...

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Nats savor the full Navy experience: "Today was awesome"

April 01, 2017, 2:54pm

Nationals

Nats savor the full Navy experience: "Today was awesome"

ANNAPOLIS - From the morning spent dining with a roomful of midshipmen and touring the United States Naval Academy grounds to the early afternoon spent dressing in a locker room in a football stadium down the road to the late afternoon spent playing an exhibition game in front of 1,030 fans (most of them in full dress uniform) in the tiniest ballpark most of them had seen in a long time, this was no typical day for the Nationals. Their spring training finale, which ended in a 4-4 tie with the...

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2017 MLB predictions

April 01, 2017, 8:12pm

Nationals

And so the time has come. Baseball season begins today for the Yankees, Rays, Giants, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Cardinals. It begins Monday for everybody else, including the Nationals. Which means it's time for some predictions. Don't worry, our annual Nats beat writer predictions will be posted Monday morning, an opening day tradition. For now, you'll just have to be satisfied with my own personal league-wide predictions. Who's going to win each division? Who's going to capture the wild...

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25-man roster includes Difo and Taylor, no Ross or Guthrie

April 02, 2017, 8:00am

Nationals

25-man roster includes Difo and Taylor, no Ross or Guthrie

The Nationals will open the season with only four starting pitchers but six bench players. The club announced its opening day roster this morning, and it does not include Joe Ross or Jeremy Guthrie. Ross, who had been tabbed all along as the No. 5 starter, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Guthrie, who was trying to make it as a long reliever, was reassigned to minor league camp, but he's expected to report to Syracuse to begin the season. With only four starting pitchers (Stephen Strasburg,...

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Nationals announce 2017 opening day roster

April 02, 2017, 7:32am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced their 2017 Opening Day roster on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals' 25-man roster is comprised of 11 pitchers (four starting pitchers, seven relievers), two catchers, seven infielders, and five outfielders. With an even mix of veterans and youth, the Nationals' will open the 2017 season with 11 players under the age of 30, and 11 players with at least seven years of service...

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Strasburg on his new look and how he will try to stay healthy for the entire season

April 02, 2017, 3:06am

Nationals

Strasburg on his new look and how he will try to stay healthy for the entire season

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg enters his eighth season with the Nationals on Monday. He gets the opening day start against the Marlins. The 28-year-old is making his 157th start with the Nationals, and has tossed 924 1/3 innings since 2010, striking out 1,084 batters. He looks a little bit different this year. The beard he has grown makes him look older. Strasburg believes it has had another effect in the clubhouse. "At least the guys who have had beards here, they have kind of accepted me in...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox in Annapolis

March 31, 2017, 7:19pm

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS - They say anytime you come to the ballpark, you have a chance to see something you've never seen before. Well, that's definitely going to be true today. Hello from Max Bishop Stadium at the United States Naval Academy, where this afternoon the Nationals and Red Sox are going to play a truly unique exhibition game. This is the first time a service academy has hosted anything like this, and the scene at this quant, 1,500-seat ballpark is going to be unlike anything we've ever...

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Final roster decisions come into focus with 48 hours to go

April 01, 2017, 10:56am

Nationals

Final roster decisions come into focus with 48 hours to go

ANNAPOLIS - The focus of today's game at the United States Naval Academy is mostly on the setting and the hundreds of midshipmen who are getting the chance to watch major leaguers up close and personal. There is, however, still some business to attend to, and for the Nationals that means finalizing their opening day roster. They haven't made any formal announcement yet, but there does appear to be some more clarity to their 25-man roster. Jeremy Guthrie was the lone player still in big league...

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Scherzer closes out abbreviated spring (Scherzer to start Friday)

April 01, 2017, 1:15pm

Nationals

Scherzer closes out abbreviated spring (Scherzer to start Friday)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nats 4, Red Sox 4 Recap: Playing at Max Bishop Stadium in front of several hundred U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen, the Nationals and Red Sox wrapped up spring training in a unique setting. Max Scherzer had to work against Boston's grind-it-out lineup, but the right-hander got better as his afternoon progressed and finished with two runs allowed in five innings, throwing 91 pitches. The Nats got two quick runs in the bottom of the first off left-hander Eduardo...

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Nats players honored, excited about playing at Navy

March 31, 2017, 7:07pm

Nationals

Nats players honored, excited about playing at Navy

The Nationals face the Red Sox in the Naval Academy Baseball Classic today. The day will begin with a breakfast reception and then the players will tour the Academy. The game's first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. and it is not open to the public. It will be broadcasted on MASN. The Naval Academy Baseball Classic pregame ceremony will include: * Ceremonial first pitch thrown by The Honorable Sean J. Stackley, Acting Secretary of the Navy * Our nation's colors presented by the U.S. Naval Academy...

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Robinson clears waivers, joins Triple-A Syracuse

March 31, 2017, 2:20pm

Nationals

Robinson clears waivers, joins Triple-A Syracuse

The Nationals announced that outfielder/first baseman Clint Robinson cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to Triple-A Syracuse. Robinson remains in the Nationals organization but is no longer on the 40-man roster. He was placed on outright waivers on March 28. Adam Lind effectively takes Robinson's spot on the roster. The veteran lefty bat has six seasons of 20 or more home runs on his resume and was riding a guaranteed contract. Robinson made a big splash on the Nationals roster in...