nationals

Nationals now face long wait til NLDS opens Friday

October 02, 2016, 9:50pm

Baseball is a sport played every day. Or almost every day. Yet here are the Nationals and Dodgers, champions of their respective divisions, ready to do battle in their best-of-five National League Division Series ... and they're forced to take the next four days off before finally returning to the field. It's an unfortunate, but necessary, part of the modern postseason schedule. With the two wild card games set to be played Tuesday and Wednesday, the Division Series can't commence until...

Comments

Tags:

los angeles dodgers mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime nlds featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Espinosa hoping to take good feeling into series with Dodgers

October 03, 2016, 3:41am

Nationals

Espinosa hoping to take good feeling into series with Dodgers

When the postseason begins, the Nationals need their stars to step up and contribute to advance. A late arrival like catcher Pedro Severino or right-hander Reynaldo Lopez could also play an important part. But what about another veteran like Danny Espinosa? Could he get going for a couple of weeks and provide a boost to the offense? The last two games may give an indication. After an 0-for-20 slump he is 3-for-4. A small step, but a positive one. Espinosa walked twice, scored three runs and...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr danny espinosa dusty baker nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Murphy on return to Nats: "I'm progressing nicely"; batting title of less importance

October 02, 2016, 4:16pm

Nationals

Murphy on return to Nats: "I'm progressing nicely"; batting title of less importance

To get some sense of the impact second baseman Daniel Murphy has on the Nationals and how much he has been missed, just listen to the crowd. When Murphy was announced as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth, the 28,730 assembled at Nats Park roared their approval. Manager Dusty Baker wanted to give his hitting star a chance to win the batting title. But the strained buttocks muscle had slowed Murphy's progress this week and some thought he might just be rested for another five days as the...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr daniel murphy dusty baker nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Some news and notes for this year's postseason

October 03, 2016, 5:41am

Nationals Orioles

Some news and notes for this year's postseason

Baseball's postseason has arrived. The over-riding theme is that every team is short of pitching, except the Chicago Cubs, winners of the National League Central and World Series favorites. They have the deepest rotation going in. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are NL Cy Young contenders. Jake Arrieta, though inconsistent since late June, is a force, and John Lackey, with a strong slider, is a big-game pitcher in October. Lackey and Lester are former Red Sox teammates that helped Boston beat...

Comments

Tags:

frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles

Marty Niland: Nats' postseason hero could be anyone

October 03, 2016, 4:42am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats' postseason hero could be anyone

The Nationals are banged up as they enter the 2016 playoffs, with many of their top stars out or ailing for the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But if they are going to give Washington a postseason series win for the first time since 1924, the Nats will still need a postseason hero to make it happen. Wilson Ramos is out for the whole postseason. Stephen Strasburg won't be pitching in at least the NLDS. Daniel Murphy is hobbled. Bryce Harper is still...

Comments

Tags:

guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz

With 20th win in the books, Scherzer now looks to postseason

October 02, 2016, 4:34pm

Nationals

With 20th win in the books, Scherzer now looks to postseason

Twenty wins means different things to different people. And its meaning has changed significantly throughout the course of baseball history, with most around the sport now fully acknowledging how many better ways there are to evaluate a pitcher's season than mere wins and losses that are so dependent on the performances of others. But 20 wins does still mean something to those who wear the uniform. And if you doubt that, just go back and watch the reactions in the Nationals dugout during each...

Comments

Tags:

cy young mark zuckerman max scherzer miami marlins nationals nationals pastime nlds danny espinosa featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 162 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

October 02, 2016, 8:06am

Nationals

And so we have reached Game 162, always a big day on the baseball calendar. This, of course, isn't the end of the 2016 season for the Nationals, who have far more important things still to come later this week. But it's officially the day to turn the page from the regular season to the postseason. What's at stake today: Max Scherzer is going for his 20th win and perhaps one last push for Cy Young Award votes. Daniel Murphy isn't expected to play, but if he does get a pinch-hit appearance,...

Comments

Tags:

daniel murphy lineups mark zuckerman max scherzer miami marlins nationals nationals pastime

Scherzer's bat helps him to 20th win

October 02, 2016, 2:10pm

Nationals

Max Scherzer earned his 20th win with his bat as much as his arm as the Nationals dropped the Marlins 10-7. Scherzer delivered two singles and four RBIs while pitching five innings. His four RBIs turned out to be crucial because he allowed five runs on nine hits. He last won 20 games in 2013, when he went 21-3 with the Tigers. The Marlins were able to connect in the first two innings off of Scherzer. Martin Prado and Christian Yelich contributed a pair of two-out singles. In the second inning,...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr danny espinosa max scherzer nationals daniel murphy mark melancon spencer kieboom frontstory_nationals3

Could Murphy pinch-hit and win batting title? (Nationals win 10-7)

October 02, 2016, 10:13am

Nationals

Daniel Murphy has taken only two at-bats in the last two weeks, with the Nationals trying to give their MVP candidate as much time as possible to recover from a strained buttocks muscle and be ready for Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. Murphy, though, might have good reason to try for one at-bat at some point in today's series finale. Murphy enters the day with a batting average of .3472, narrowly behind the Rockies' D.J. LeMahieu's .3478 for the NL lead. LeMahieu...

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole bryce harper daniel murphy jayson werth mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

With four-out save, Melancon starts prepping for postseason

October 02, 2016, 4:25am

Nationals

With four-out save, Melancon starts prepping for postseason

There are few roles as defined in baseball as the closer's role. Is your team leading by one, two or three runs entering the ninth inning? OK, you're in. And the overwhelming majority of the time the last two seasons, Mark Melancon has been used just like that. So when the right-hander came bounding out of the bullpen yesterday with two outs in the eighth, it certainly raised an eyebrow or two around Nationals Park. Including inside the dugout, where a certain ace right-hander caught Dusty...

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime nlds featured_sidebar postseason frontstory_nationals3

Nationals thrilled to open postseason at home

October 01, 2016, 4:51pm

Nationals

The Nationals tried to insist all along that home field advantage for the National League Division Series really didn't matter all that much. They would have liked their chances against the Dodgers just the same had they been forced to open next weekend's series in Los Angeles. But once it actually was clinched today, once they finished off a 2-1 victory over the Marlins and the Giants beat Clayton Kershaw 3-0 at AT&T Park, the Nationals did admit that, yes, they preferred this scenario...

Comments

Tags:

los angeles dodgers mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime nlds tanner roark trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats beat Marlins 2-1, secure home field advantage for NLDS

October 01, 2016, 3:09pm

Nationals

Nats beat Marlins 2-1, secure home field advantage for NLDS

For the third time in as many trips to the postseason, the Nationals will have home field advantage in the National League Division Series. Now, they just need to prove they can take advantage of it this time around. Games 1 and 2 (and a potential Game 5) will be played in the District thanks to the Nationals' 2-1 victory over the Marlins this afternoon, though the Dodgers' 3-0 loss to the Giants would have done the trick as well. It'll be the Dodgers traveling east for Game 1 on Friday at a...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper los angeles dodgers mark melancon mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals pastime nlds tanner roark trea turner marc rzepczynski max scherzer michael a taylor shawn kelley frontstory_nationals3

Murphy, Scherzer, Zimmerman earn Nats' first-ever annual awards

October 01, 2016, 12:31pm

Nationals

Murphy, Scherzer, Zimmerman earn Nats' first-ever annual awards

Daniel Murphy and Max Scherzer's dominant seasons have made each a candidate for baseball's top annual awards: MVP and Cy Young. Those won't be announced until mid-November, but today each player was recognized as the best the Nationals had to offer in 2016. Murphy was named winner of the club's first-ever Player of the Year Award, while Scherzer earned the first-ever Pitcher of the Year Award. Ryan Zimmerman was also honored as the first recipient of the "Good Guy" Award, given "to a...

Comments

Tags:

awards daniel murphy mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman featured_sidebar gio gonzalez frontstory_nationals3

Werth out of lineup today for "precaution" (Nationals win 2-1)

October 01, 2016, 1:02pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth insisted late Friday night he hadn't suffered any kind of significant injury when he departed the Nationals' game against the Marlins in the eighth inning with what the club termed "tightness in his back." Werth even went so far as to say: "If I'm not in there tomorrow, I'd be surprised." Well, he's not in there, but the Nationals are still insisting he's not significantly injured. "Jayson's OK," manager Dusty Baker said before today's game. "I think. He just came...

Comments

Tags:

jayson werth mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals pastime tanner roark daniel murphy michael a taylor pedro severino trea turner wilmer difo wilson ramos bryce harper blake treinen mark melancon frontstory_nationals1

Nats' Dominican players honored prior to Marlins game Saturday

October 01, 2016, 1:09pm

Nationals

Nats' Dominican players honored prior to Marlins game Saturday

The Nationals welcomed their organizational Players of the Year and their Gulf Coast League MVP to Nats Park prior to Saturday's game against the Marlins. First baseman Jose Marmolejos was honored as the organizational Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was named pitcher of the year, while right fielder Rafael Bautista is the Bob Boone Award recipient and center fielder Juan Soto is the GCL MVP. All four of these players are from the Dominican...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr johnny dipuglia jose marmolejos juan soto mark scialabba nationals rafael bautista reynaldo lopez frontstory_nationals2

Game 161 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

October 01, 2016, 8:51am

Nationals

It's yet another gray, dreary, rainy day here in the nation's capital. If I didn't know any better, I would swear I've been in a coma the last 12 years and MLB actually relocated the Expos to Portland instead of Washington. As has been the case all week, the Nationals will do everything they can to try to get today's game in. The Dodgers, if you weren't up real late last night, lost 9-3 to the Giants. So the Nats still hold a two-game lead with two to play, and thus their magic number to...

Comments

Tags:

jayson werth lineups mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals park tanner roark frontstory_nationals3

Nationals trying to balance health vs. home field

September 30, 2016, 9:12pm

Nationals

This is a tricky weekend for the Nationals. Yes, they would like to secure home field advantage for the National League Division Series against the Dodgers. They'd also like to do everything to make sure they're as healthy as possible for that five-game series with so much at stake. How, then, to strike a balance between taking care of their bodies while also keeping a foot on the gas pedal? "This is the time of the season, that's tough," left fielder Jayson Werth said after tonight's 7-4...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper dusty baker jayson werth los angeles dodgers mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals pastime nlds daniel murphy featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats fall 7-4 to Marlins, home field advantage still up for grabs

September 30, 2016, 7:57pm

Nationals

Nats fall 7-4 to Marlins, home field advantage still up for grabs

The Nationals may yet secure home field advantage over the Dodgers in next week's National League Division Series. But they aren't quite there yet, and they're going to bring this race right down to the final weekend of the regular season. With a 7-4 loss to the Marlins tonight, the Nationals missed an opportunity to potentially ensure Games 1, 2 and 5 of the NLDS would be played in the District. They needed a Dodgers loss in San Francisco as well, but now the best they can do is reduce...

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole anthony rendon mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals pastime sean burnett stephen drew frontstory_nationals1

Baker: No platoon for Zimmerman in NLDS (Nationals lose 7-4)

September 30, 2016, 2:34pm

Nationals

It's no secret that Ryan Zimmerman has been the Nationals' most disappointing player this season, and Dusty Baker has given his veteran first baseman no shortage of opportunities to try to hit his way out of a months-long funk. With the postseason now nearly upon the Nats, there has perhaps been some reason to wonder whether Zimmerman will actually be part of the Nationals starting lineup, or whether Baker might consider some kind of platoon situation involving Clint Robinson or Stephen...

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker mark zuckerman miami marlins nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman clint robinson stephen drew danny espinosa jose lobaton mat latos oliver perez sammy solis sean burnett trevor gott blake treinen frontstory_nationals3

Nats announce 2016 organizational Player of the Year honors

September 29, 2016, 6:25pm

Nationals

Nats announce 2016 organizational Player of the Year honors

The Nationals have announced their minor league Players of the Year for 2016 and their Bob Boone Award recipient. For the second consecutive season, 23-year-old first baseman Jose Marmolejos is the organizational offensive Player of the Year. The first baseman moved up to Double-A Harrisburg and had another outstanding campaign with 45 doubles and a .289 average over 136 games. He played 103 of those games at high Single-A Potomac. The organizational Pitcher of the Year is 22-year-old...