Blevins solves Murphy this time, but Nats second baseman has delivered

Blevins solves Murphy this time, but Nats second baseman has delivered
Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy extended his hitting streak to 18 games against the Mets in a 10-inning 4-3 loss Tuesday night. He had a double and a single, but struck out with a man on first to end the game. Hitting streaks are nice, of course, but you can bet Murphy would give it all back for a base hit against Mets reliever Jerry Blevins in his last at-bat. Manager Dusty Baker said it's hard to fault Murphy in that situation, considering the multiple times this season he has carried...

Charlie Fliegel: Against Dodgers, Gonzalez should get nod over Ross

Charlie Fliegel: Against Dodgers, Gonzalez should get nod over Ross
The latest news on the Nationals pitching staff hopefully heralds the return of Joe Ross. It remains to be seen whether Ross will start in the playoffs, and whether he can. If Ross does indeed come back healthy and his endurance is there, it seems like a no-brainer to start him after Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark (and, if Stephen Strasburg can make it back, after him as well). And his overall numbers do suggest putting him ahead of Gio Gonzalez. In 16 games started this season, Ross has a 3.49...

Nationals rally vs. Familia in ninth, but fall 4-3 to Mets in 10th

Nationals rally vs. Familia in ninth, but fall 4-3 to Mets in 10th
If the Nationals are going to make noise in October, they're going to have to beat some elite opposing arms. Like Noah Syndergaard, one of the top starters in the game right now. Or Jeurys Familia, one of the top closers in baseball. They couldn't do it to Syndergaard tonight, managing just four hits in seven innings. They nearly did it to Familia, rallying from two runs down in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and force extra innings. But then the Mets returned the favor and beat...

Baker has no plans to bench struggling Zimmerman

Baker has no plans to bench struggling Zimmerman
Dusty Baker hears the question a lot these days, from all variety of sources: At some point, is he going to bench Ryan Zimmerman, who is mired in a season-long slump? Baker understands why people ask him that. But his response is clear: He's going to keep playing Zimmerman as much as possible, because he knows the Nationals' chances of success are far greater with a productive Zimmerman in the lineup than out of it. "See, this guy is a carrier," Baker said. "There are carriers and there...

Ramos puts Nats on top early with double (Mets win 4-3 in 10)

Ramos puts Nats on top early with double (Mets win 4-3 in 10)
Right-hander A.J. Cole, making his second start against the Mets in 11 days, allowed a double and a walk in the first inning against New York. But the Mets' Jay Bruce flew out to center field to end the inning. In the second, Cole surrendered back-to-back singles to Rene Rivera and Noah Syndergaard with two outs. But Cole struck out leadoff hitter Jose Reyes for the second time in as many at-bats to end the threat. The Nationals scored a run in the second off of Syndergaard. Bryce Harper was...

Koda Glover on his desire to face big hitters in key moments

Koda Glover on his desire to face big hitters in key moments
Fans have been excited to see right-hander Koda Glover make a meteoric rise to the big leagues this season. With Glover, they have had a chance to see the focus the youngster brings to his job - that closer mentality and killer instinct - used to get each hitter he faces out. Glover started this season for high Single-A Potomac and pitched for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse before joining the Nationals. Just last season he pitched for NCAA Division I Oklahoma State, got drafted in...

Harper getting walked again, but teammates delivering this time

Harper getting walked again, but teammates delivering this time
Here's yet another sign that Bryce Harper has nearly made it all the way back from his months-long slump at the plate: Teams are intentionally walking him again. That was the strategy early this season for opposing clubs facing the reigning National League MVP. Harper was intentionally walked 13 times in his first 43 games. But as he slid into his funk, the strategy changed. No longer as fearful about losing the game in that situation, opposing managers intentionally walked Harper only three...

Game 145 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

Game 145 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
After taking care of business last night with an 8-1 trouncing of the Mets, the Nationals did the bare minimum they needed to do in this series: Avoid getting swept. Anything they do from here on out is just gravy. But since they now lead the division by 10 games with 18 to play, with their magic number down to nine, why not go for the jugular? We'll see if they can do that tonight when A.J. Cole squares off against Noah Syndergaard. It looks like a mismatch on paper, but it was only 11 days...

Latos seizes surprise opportunity before hamstring injury

Latos seizes surprise opportunity before hamstring injury
Mat Latos didn't know if this opportunity would come, certainly not this season. Ditched by the White Sox in June, the odds of the journeyman right-hander starting a key pennant race game for a first-place club in mid-September seemed ludicrous. Yet there was Latos tonight, not only taking the mound in the top of the first inning for the Nationals in their series opener with the Mets, but pitching effectively and even homering for the home team during an 8-1 victory that brought its magic...

Steve Mears: Is it time for the Nationals to tweak their lineup?

Steve Mears: Is it time for the Nationals to tweak their lineup?
Is it time to rearrange the lineup to thwart the competition? The Nationals have been stacking left-handed hitters Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper for months. Both players hit left-handed pitchers well. Harper actually has a higher slugging percentage (eight points) against left-handed pitchers versus the right-handed pitchers, but his on-base-percentage is 53 points lower against left-handers. Would the lineup do better putting Anthony Rendon between Murphy and Harper to take advantage of the...

Tickets for NLDS games on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for Nationals Insiders

Tickets for NLDS games on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for Nationals Insiders
The Washington Nationals announced today that tickets for potential National League Division Series games at Nationals Park will go on sale for Nationals Insiders on Friday, September 16, at 10:00 a.m. (available for purchase online only). Fans can still guarantee access to ALL 2016 Postseason games by becoming a NATS PLUS Member for the 2017 season. By placing a deposit for a 2017 Full or Half Season Plan, fans will have access to purchase full 2016 Postseason strips, as well as access to...

Nationals renew player development agreements with Auburn Doubledays, Potomac Nationals

Nationals renew player development agreements with Auburn Doubledays, Potomac Nationals
The Washington Nationals renewed their player development contracts through the 2018 season with Single-A Auburn of the New York-Penn League and Single-A Potomac of the Carolina League. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint announcement. ...

Murphy setting records as he stings former team

Murphy setting records as he stings former team
Second baseman Daniel Murphy collected a pair of hits early Monday night, beginning the Nats' 8-1 victory over the Mets with a single and then following up with a double in his second at-bat. He finished 3-for-5 and is now hitting .347. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Murphy now has a hit in all 17 games the Nationals have played against the Mets this season. Murphy tied three players who have had a 17-game hitting streak against the Mets: Rennie Stennett (1974), Luis Castillo (2002) and...

Lopez helps finish off Mets, could be important in Nats' run to postseason

Lopez helps finish off Mets, could be important in Nats' run to postseason
It was unfortunate that Nationals starter Mat Latos had to leave Monday's game against the Mets before getting out of the fifth inning. Up to that point, the veteran right-hander had allowed only three hits and one run. But the bullpen took over, highlighted by right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, who threw three scoreless innings to record his third major league victory in an 8-1 dispatch of the Mets. Lopez (3-3) allowed no hits in the three innings with two walks. It was his first appearance since...

Nationals trounce Mets 8-1, reduce magic number to nine

Nationals trounce Mets 8-1, reduce magic number to nine
Given a surprise opportunity to start a mid-September ballgame for a first-place club trying to put the finishing touches on its chief division rival, Mat Latos delivered both on the mound and at the plate. Unfortunately, what was shaping up to be a memorable night for the 28-year-old journeyman ended prematurely when he was forced to depart the Nationals' 8-1 victory over the Mets in the top of the fifth inning with an apparent leg injury. As disappointing as the end of Latos' night was, he...

Latos gets start tonight, but Ross could be ready by weekend

Latos gets start tonight, but Ross could be ready by weekend
It's looking like Joe Ross will be ready to rejoin the Nationals rotation later this week when his turn comes up. Until then, they'll take their chances with short-term insurance policies like Mat Latos and A.J. Cole. Ross emerged from his simulated game Saturday with no problems and, according to manager Dusty Baker, looks ready to pitch in his first big league game in more than two months. "I think he's game-ready," Baker said. "He's just not game-endurance-ready. But that can play,...

Murphy still tormenting his former team (Nats win 8-1)

Murphy still tormenting his former team (Nats win 8-1)
It certainly did not take long for the Mets to score a run off of Nationals right-hander Mat Latos. Jose Reyes doubled to right field to lead off the game and went to third on a groundout. He scored on a Yoenis Cespedes sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Mets lead. The Nationals looked to get in right back in the bottom of the first facing right-hander Rafael Montero. Trea Turner reached on an infield single and stole second and Jayson Werth walked. Daniel Murphy singled to load the bases. With that...

Looking at the four teams battling for the wild card in the National League

Looking at the four teams battling for the wild card in the National League
Barring a history-making collapse, the Nationals are going to clinch the National League East. The Chicago Cubs are dominating the NL Central. The Los Angeles Dodgers are leaders in the NL West, but the San Francisco Giants, despite a miserable record since the All-Star break, are hanging in there. The Dodgers and Giants play six games in the final days, likely meaning nothing will be settled until the final weekend when the Dodgers go to San Francisco. And while the American League wild-card...

Game 144 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

Game 144 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
It's one of the biggest games of the season, a mid-September matchup of the first- and second-place teams in the National League East, one of them trying to move closer to the division title, the other trying to continue a late surge toward a wild card berth that looked implausible only a couple weeks ago. And the pitching matchup for the opener between the Nationals and Mets will be ... Mat Latos vs. Rafael Montero? Such is the state of both clubs' rotations, which have been disrupted by...

With division title getting closer, Nats face Mets for final time

With division title getting closer, Nats face Mets for final time
For months, this week loomed large on the calendar. It's the final regular season meeting between the Nationals and Mets, and there was every reason to believe it would be a critical series between two rivals battling for the National League East title. That's not quite what it will actually be, though. Yes, the next three days do represent one of the more significant series of the season for the Nationals, but it won't be nearly as significant as everyone assumed it would. With the...