nationals

NLDS Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers (take two)

October 09, 2016, 6:56am

The good news: There's no rain in sight today. (Not that there turned out to be much of it yesterday after Major League Baseball postponed Game 2 of the National League Division Series.) The bad news: It's cold. And it's windy. There's a stiff wind blowing from left field to right field, and it's supposed to stay that way all afternoon. That wouldn't seem to benefit a right-handed-heavy lineup like the Nationals have, but potentially benefit a left-handed-heavy lineup like the Dodgers...

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Sunday morning notes before rescheduled Game 2

October 08, 2016, 8:18pm

Nationals

Sunday morning notes before rescheduled Game 2

Some Sunday morning leftovers to get you warmed up before Game 2 of the National League Division Series finally is played at 1:08 p.m. ... * There were plenty of discouraging aspects of the Nationals' 4-3 loss in Game 1 on Friday night, but here was a particularly encouraging thing that happened: Ryan Zimmerman had two hits. After a season full of strikeouts and hard-hit balls right at defenders, Zimmerman looked like a completely different guy at the plate in this game. He went 2-for-4, with...

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Baker says slumping Harper needs to counteract game plans being used against him

October 08, 2016, 9:34am

Nationals

Baker says slumping Harper needs to counteract game plans being used against him

If there's any stress jockeying with Bryce Harper's confidence heading into Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the usually upbeat Nationals slugger isn't showing it. He arrived at Nationals Park shortly before noon, cruising down the hallway toward the home clubhouse on a Hoverboard, joking with a teammate as he maneuvered the craft on a concrete path. It's business as usual for Harper, even if the Nats need to win today to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five...

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NLDS Game 2 postponed until Sunday at 1:08 p.m. (updated)

October 08, 2016, 11:55am

Nationals

NLDS Game 2 postponed until Sunday at 1:08 p.m. (updated)

Major League Baseball calls all the shots when it comes to postseason games. So when the time came this afternoon to decide whether Game 2 of the National League Division Series should proceed as planned, be delayed or postponed, all eyes turned to Rob Manfred, who already was on the premises for a pre-planned appearance at Nationals Park. The commissioner's verdict: We'll see you back here Sunday afternoon. With rain falling and predicted to continue falling well into the evening, Manfred...

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Nats hope more relaxed Turner will make difference in Game 2

October 08, 2016, 10:38am

Nationals

Nats hope more relaxed Turner will make difference in Game 2

Trea Turner's importance to the Nationals' chances this postseason is a given at this point. The Dodgers know it. Everybody knows it. Which means the Nationals' chances of winning Game 2 of the best-of-five National League Division Series this afternoon go up considerably if Turner is able to produce atop the lineup and have the kind of impact he did throughout the season's second half. Turner's postseason debut Friday night was a mixed bag. He drove in one of the Nats' three runs with a...

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Kershaw probably won't pitch on short rest, but Dodgers skipper Roberts says there are "no absolutes"

October 08, 2016, 12:53pm

Nationals

Kershaw probably won't pitch on short rest, but Dodgers skipper Roberts says there are "no absolutes"

Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw went through his usual post-start workout Saturday at Nationals Park with no problems, but that doesn't increase the chances Kershaw will pitch on short rest in Game 4 of the National League Division Series in Los Angeles. "I just don't see it happening,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday after Game 2 was postponed until Sunday afternoon at 1:08 p.m. Of course, situations can change, especially if the Dodgers are down to the Nationals 2-1 in the...

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NLDS Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

October 08, 2016, 8:59am

Nationals

It's a gray, dreary afternoon in the District, perhaps appropriate given the mood around here after last night's frustrating 4-3 loss in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The Nationals are basically in must-win territory today in Game 2, not a position they want to be in, but the position they find themselves in regardless. Tanner Roark, though, is a good person to have on the mound for a situation like this. You know Roark isn't going to let the pressure get to him. And you...

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Nats fans respond to team's pleas with electric postseason crowd

October 08, 2016, 9:21am

Nationals

Nats fans respond to team's pleas with electric postseason crowd

Come early. Wear red. Be loud. Stay for the whole game. That was the message the Nationals and some in the local media were trying to get across to fans before the National League Division Series against the Dodgers began Friday in D.C. Message received. Nationals fans were out in full force for Game 1 at Nats Park, and although the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead and won the game 4-3, the stadium was electric throughout, with fans standing and being loud from the start. And the Nationals...

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Rich Hill remembers his time with the Nats: "Great organization"

October 07, 2016, 7:04pm

Nationals

Rich Hill remembers his time with the Nats: "Great organization"

Dodgers Game 2 starter Rich Hill had a very good spring training with the Nationals in 2015, but the club ultimately chose Xavier Cedeno for the opening day roster. Hill had finished with a 2.25 ERA in nine spring training games, making him one of the last cuts in the bullpen. "Yeah, a great organization," the left-hander said. "Enjoyed the time that we had here in spring training, the guys here in spring training. Just the camaraderie that they had, the intensity of Max Scherzer, watching...

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Nationals lament missed opportunity to beat vulnerable Kershaw

October 07, 2016, 7:26pm

Nationals

There were two ways for the Nationals to look at their offensive performance in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The glass-half-full way: They put pressure on Clayton Kershaw all night, with nine men reaching base against the Dodgers ace, who was pulled after only five innings. And they kept that pressure up against the Los Angeles bullpen, ultimately giving themselves 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the course of a game they initially trailed by four runs. The...

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NLDS notebook: Baker defends Murphy's unsuccessful dash to second

October 07, 2016, 6:33pm

Nationals

NLDS notebook: Baker defends Murphy's unsuccessful dash to second

Nationals manager Dusty Baker was his usual aggressive self in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The Nats pulled off a successful double steal, setting the stage for Anthony Rendon's two-run single in the third inning, but an unsuccessful theft attempt by Daniel Murphy in the seventh cost the Nats a scoring opportunity in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. With one out, Murphy drew a walk off Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez. With Rendon, who had already singled twice, at the plate, Murphy...

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Clutch hit eludes Nats once again in Game 1 loss to Dodgers

October 07, 2016, 5:24pm

Nationals

Clutch hit eludes Nats once again in Game 1 loss to Dodgers

The pessimistic view of Game 1 of the National League Division Series will suggest that this looked awfully familiar. The Nationals ace didn't live up to the hype, surrendering a couple of big blows. The lineup gave itself countless opportunities with men in scoring position and couldn't deliver. The end result: a one-run loss that leaves this club facing an uphill battle in this best-of-five series. Tonight's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers bore plenty of resemblance to the Nationals' three losses...

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Scherzer's slider not his best, two homers doomed Nats in Game 1

October 07, 2016, 6:40pm

Nationals

Scherzer's slider not his best, two homers doomed Nats in Game 1

Right-hander Max Scherzer has allowed more home runs than he would like this season. The Dodgers followed that formula to a 4-3 win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. Despite 20 wins this season, Scherzer has allowed 33 home runs. Corey Seager and Justin Turner hit home runs Friday to lift the Dodgers to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. "I made some mistakes that cost me, giving up those two home runs," Scherzer said. "Really feel like that was the difference...

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Strong effort by bullpen saves Kershaw after rare clunker in NLDS Game 1

October 07, 2016, 6:41pm

Nationals

Strong effort by bullpen saves Kershaw after rare clunker in NLDS Game 1

The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw turned in rare clunker of a pitching performance Friday night at Nationals Park. He allowed three runs for the first time since June 26. He threw 101 pitches in five innings, the first time he's been that inefficient in two seasons. Yet thanks to a steady stream of lockdown relief pitchers, the Dodgers beat the Nationals 4-3 and have a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five National League Division Series. "I felt like I had decent stuff, but I had to grind out...

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Nats rally comes up short in 4-3 loss to Dodgers

October 07, 2016, 2:09pm

Nationals

Nats rally comes up short in 4-3 loss to Dodgers

Right-hander Max Scherzer struck out Chase Utley to begin the National League Division Series and the sellout crowd at Nationals Park went crazy. But shortstop Corey Seager crushed the first offering after the strikeout, a 96 mph four-seam fastball, well over the center field fence, for a 1-0 Dodgers lead over the Nationals. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw announced his presence by striking out the side in the bottom of the first employing three different out pitches. He got Trea Turner on a...

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Dusty Baker explains final NLDS roster decisions

October 07, 2016, 10:19am

Nationals

Dusty Baker explains final NLDS roster decisions

The Nationals' decision to carry only seven relievers with a six-man bench for the National League Division Series boiled down their opponent for this first round of the playoffs and the fact that several of their position players are still dealing with nagging ailments. Manager Dusty Baker said the Dodgers' left-handed-laden lineup necessitated the carrying of three lefties in his NLDS bullpen. And with Daniel Murphy (buttocks), Bryce Harper (thumb), Jayson Werth (back), Ryan Zimmerman...

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Strasburg throws off bullpen mound for first time since injury

October 07, 2016, 12:50pm

Nationals

Strasburg throws off bullpen mound for first time since injury

Whatever hope Stephen Strasburg has of pitching for the Nationals again this season got a boost today when the right-hander threw off a bullpen mound for the first time since he injured his elbow against the Braves on Sept. 7. The bullpen session was brief, roughly 25 pitches over perhaps 10 minutes, but it did represent a significant step for Strasburg in his longshot attempt to return in time to help the Nationals this postseason. The Nationals did not include Strasburg on their 25-man roster...

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Game 2 starter Roark on past playoff losses: "It irks a lot of guys"

October 07, 2016, 10:23am

Nationals

Game 2 starter Roark on past playoff losses: "It irks a lot of guys"

The Nationals officially announced what many expected for more than a week: Right-hander Tanner Roark will start Game 2 of the National League Division Series versus the Dodgers on Saturday. Manager Dusty Baker also confirmed that left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start Game 3 in Los Angeles on Monday. Roark earned the start by going 16-10 with a 2.83 ERA over 210 innings. Roark went 7 1/3 innings in his only start against the Dodgers this season in Los Angeles on June 22. He allowed three runs on...

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NLDS Game 1 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

October 07, 2016, 9:30am

Nationals

The day has come at last. It's been a long wait since the Nationals clinched the National League East title 13 days ago. But this afternoon, the postseason begins in D.C. It's Game 1 of the National League Division Series, and it's as good a pitching matchup as you can get: Max Scherzer vs. Clayton Kershaw. The two aces will take center stage and draw most of the attention in the buildup to the game, but there are other storylines to this one as well. Such as the significant presence of...

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Nats go with seven relievers for NLDS (Roark starting Game 2)

October 07, 2016, 6:16am

Nationals

Nats go with seven relievers for NLDS (Roark starting Game 2)

The Nationals' finalized roster for the National League Division Series includes only seven relievers but six bench players, not to mention several notable names left out altogether. For their best-of-five series with the Dodgers, the Nationals opted to carry only 11 total pitchers. That leaves a seven-man bullpen of closer Mark Melancon; right-handers Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen and Reynaldo Lopez; and left-handers Marc Rzepczynski, Sammy Solis and Oliver Perez. Among those left out of the...