nationals

Friday morning Q&A from Atlanta

September 15, 2016, 1:04pm

ATLANTA - We've reached the home stretch at last. The Nationals tonight open their final road trip of the season. And by the time they return home for the final week of the season, they're very likely to be National League East champions. The actual clinching can't happen this weekend in Atlanta. The best the Nats could do is reduce their magic number to one by Sunday evening, and even that would require the Mets getting swept by the Twins. So the big day is most likely to come next week,...

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime q&a featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Opposite dugout: Braves are hoping to avoid 100-loss season

September 14, 2016, 6:35pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Braves are hoping to avoid 100-loss season

Manager: Brian Snitker (1st season) Record: 56-90 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: 1B Freddie Freeman (.296/.393/.556 with 30 HR, 78 RBIs, CF Ender Inciarte (.288, 15 SB), RF Nick Markakis (84 RBIs), LF Matt Kemp (31 HR, 99 RBIs), RHP Mike Foltynewicz (8-5, 4.41 ERA), RHP Jim Johnson (15 saves, 3.02 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-13 Pitching probables: Sept. 16: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP John Gant, 7:35 p.m., MASN Sept. 17: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. TBA, 1:05 p.m., FOX Sept. 18: RHP Joe Ross...

Comments

Tags:

braves nationals nationals buzz opposite dugout pete kerzel frontstory_nationals3

More on Roark, Ramos and others

September 14, 2016, 8:50pm

Nationals

More stats, thoughts and quotes after yesterday's 1-0 victory over the Mets, which sent the Nationals off on their final road trip of the regular season owning a commanding 10-game lead in the National League East, with the magic number down to seven ... * Tanner Roark knows he's going to have to step up as the Nats' No. 2 starter for the postseason with Stephen Strasburg out. Truth is, Roark doesn't need to step up. He just needs to keep being who he has been throughout his career. Roark...

Comments

Tags:

daniel murphy mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime tanner roark trea turner wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Speier emotional for Baker after Nats beat Mets

September 15, 2016, 4:12am

Nationals

Speier emotional for Baker after Nats beat Mets

Prior to Wednesday's series finale against the Mets, bench coach Chris Speier met with the media in the spot normally reserved for manager Dusty Baker. Speier was there because Baker was home due to a death in the family. Speier spoke about Baker as a manager, a close friend, a confidant, a trusted advisor and sometimes even a father figure to the Nationals. Speier said they would dedicate the next couple of games to Baker. On Wednesday, the Nationals found a way with shutout pitching and a...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr chris speier daniel murphy dusty baker mets nationals frontstory_nationals3

David Huzzard: Zimmerman aging, but deserves a championship finish

September 15, 2016, 5:02am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Zimmerman aging, but deserves a championship finish

When I think of the Nationals - not the current squad, but the franchise as a whole - the two players I view as the heart and soul of the team are Livan Hernandez and Ryan Zimmerman. The part that is sad to me is Zimmerman had the best years of his career before the Nationals were good. Shoulder injuries and age have caught up to Zimmerman much too quickly and the twilight of his career is upon him. He is a shell of his former self and the Nationals should make finding a new first baseman a...

Comments

Tags:

david huzzard guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz ryan zimmerman

With Mets in rear-view mirror, Nationals closing in on NL East title

September 14, 2016, 4:21pm

Nationals

They won't admit it, because they know better than to do such a thing and tempt the baseball gods. But let's deal in reality here, and the reality is this: The Nationals wrapped up the National League East title this week. No, they haven't mathematically clinched anything yet. But after today's 1-0 win over the Mets, their second in three days against their division rivals, they have opened up a 10-game lead with 16 to play. Their magic number is seven. The Nationals left town tonight with...

Comments

Tags:

chris speier mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets tanner roark wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Roark, Ramos power Nats to 1-0 win, 10-game lead over Mets

September 14, 2016, 2:36pm

Nationals

Roark, Ramos power Nats to 1-0 win, 10-game lead over Mets

Tanner Roark churned out his customary seven innings of scoreless ball. All the Nationals had to do was score one run somehow, some way to ensure the effort from their bulldog right-hander wasn't wasted. Enter Wilson Ramos, who took care of business with one mighty swing in the bottom of the seventh to move his team another step closer to the National League East crown. Ramos' solo homer deep into the Red Porch seats in left-center field broke what had been a deadlock all afternoon between...

Comments

Tags:

mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets tanner roark wilson ramos featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Speier managing for Baker with "heavy heart" (Nats win 1-0)

September 14, 2016, 11:31am

Nationals

Speier managing for Baker with "heavy heart" (Nats win 1-0)

Chris Speier has been through this before, filling in temporarily as manager of Dusty Baker's team when the latter had to leave for personal reasons. The longtime big league coach stepped in for 11 games in Sept. 2012 when Baker (managing the Reds at the time) landed in the hospital with what eventually was discovered to be a mini-stroke. So when he learned a few days ago that he would need to take the reins again while Baker left town due to a death in the family, Speier did his best both to...

Comments

Tags:

chris speier dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Players hoping to give Baker first title as a manager

September 14, 2016, 12:50pm

Nationals

Players hoping to give Baker first title as a manager

Relief pitcher Matt Belisle gets a big smile on his face when he talks about the first time he saw manager Dusty Baker at Nationals spring training. It had been a while since Belisle and Baker had seen each other. "He said, 'Matt come on over here and let me give you a big hug,''' Belisle said. "He wants to know how everything's going. He checks in on the family and a few other things. Then, it is time to get down to business of playing baseball. That's Dusty.'' Baker, 66, after two...

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker frontstory_nationals4 mel antonen nationals

Nationals open 2017 at home vs. Marlins, face Orioles in May

September 14, 2016, 8:51am

Nationals Orioles

Nationals open 2017 at home vs. Marlins, face Orioles in May

The Nationals will open the 2017 season at home against the Marlins, will meet the Orioles in early May for their traditional home-and-home Beltways Series and face the entire American League West in interleague play. Major League Baseball revealed next season's schedule this afternoon. It begins Monday, April 3 when the Nationals host Miami, the third time in 11 years those teams have opened a season in D.C. Following their opening series, the Nationals make a brief road trip to Philadelphia,...

Comments

Tags:

2017 schedule al west baltimore orioles mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Nationals announce 2017 schedule

September 14, 2016, 12:07pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced their 2017 schedule on Wednesday, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, revealing an 81-game home slate that will begin on Opening Day, April 3, at Nationals Park vs. the Miami Marlins. The 84th home opener in D.C. since 1901 will mark the sixth Opening Day hosted by the Nationals since baseball returned to D.C. in 2005. Nationals Park will open its gates for 13 homestands, two of which will span 10 days or more, and include 13 weekend series. The home...

Comments

Tags:

Nationals News Release nationals

Cole steady in no-decision; Soto named GCL MVP

September 14, 2016, 3:34am

Nationals

Cole steady in no-decision; Soto named GCL MVP

Right-hander A.J. Cole had given up a lot of hits but held the Mets to only three runs in five innings. The fifth inning was their biggest rally, beginning with a Yoenis Cespedes single and then an RBI triple from Curtis Granderson. The extra-base hit gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. A sacrifice fly to center field from T.J. Rivera made it 3-1 Mets. Cole walked two and struck out six. He allowed at least one base hit each inning, but kept the Mets off the board in the first, second and fourth...

Comments

Tags:

aj cole byron kerr nationals nationals farm report frontstory_nationals3

Game 146 lineups: Mets at Nats

September 14, 2016, 8:00am

Nationals

Following an emotional extra-inning comeback that fell just short in a 4-3 loss to division rivals, today's getaway couldn't be in better hands from a Nationals perspective than right-hander Tanner Roark. In his last matchup September 9 against the Phillies, Roark racked up six innings, scattering six hits and allowing one run, with two walks, one hit by pitch and eight strikeouts. He tossed 107 pitches, 71 for strikes. He is 14-8 with a 2.85 ERA. Ironically, the 2.85 ERA was the same mark he...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper byron kerr mets nationals tanner roark frontstory_nationals1 lineups

Baker leaves Nats following death in family, will return Friday

September 14, 2016, 8:17am

Nationals

Baker leaves Nats following death in family, will return Friday

Dusty Baker has left the Nationals temporarily due to a death in the family and won't manage today's series finale against the Mets, the club announced. Bench coach Chris Speier will assume managerial duties for the game. Baker is expected to rejoin the team in Atlanta and manage Friday night's series opener against the Braves. This will be the first game Baker has missed since taking over as Nationals manager. The 67-year-old hasn't missed an inning of his team's first 145 games; he's...

Comments

Tags:

chris speier dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Baker, Nats try to process emotional swings after late drama

September 13, 2016, 8:08pm

Nationals

Baker, Nats try to process emotional swings after late drama

There were no shortage of emotional reactions the Nationals could have tonight in the wake of their wild 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Mets. The final 30 minutes of this game alone ran the full gamut, from despair to hope to flat-out belief to confusion to despair again to hope again to exhaustion in the end. From Dusty Baker's standpoint, the most important reaction to this game was an upbeat one, with reason to think the manner in which his team rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the...

Comments

Tags:

daniel murphy dusty baker mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets wilmer difo featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

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

September 13, 2016, 7:36pm

Nationals

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...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr daniel murphy dusty baker jerry blevins mets nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

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

September 13, 2016, 7:42pm

Nationals

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...

Comments

Tags:

charlie fliegel gio gonzalez guest blogger guestblogger joe ross nationals nationals buzz

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

September 13, 2016, 6:29pm

Nationals

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...

Comments

Tags:

a.j. cole daniel murphy mark melancon mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets frontstory_nationals3

Baker has no plans to bench struggling Zimmerman

September 13, 2016, 1:53pm

Nationals

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...

Comments

Tags:

dusty baker mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

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

September 13, 2016, 3:51pm

Nationals

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...