nationals

Scherzer sharp early, Zimmerman drives in run (Nats win 7-2)

June 01, 2016, 4:05pm

PHILADELPHIA - Max Scherzer appears to have his good stuff, and his mound strut, going early tonight, which could mean trouble for the Phillies. Scherzer is through three scoreless innings, allowing just two singles while striking out five as the right-hander attempts to pitch the Nationals to a series sweep at Citizens Bank Park. Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double in the top of the first gave the Nationals a quick 1-0 lead, and Scherzer has taken over since then. Scherzer cruised through his first...

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Pregame notes on Harper, Zimmerman and Belisle

June 01, 2016, 2:22pm

Nationals

Pregame notes on Harper, Zimmerman and Belisle

PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals lineup for the second consecutive day, his right knee still sore after getting hit by a pitch two nights ago, though the club is hopeful he'll be ready to return for Friday night's series opener in Cincinnati. Harper did take some swings in the batting cage this afternoon for the first time since getting hurt, but the team figured it wasn't worth taking any chances, especially with Thursday off before this weekend's series against the...

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Game 54 lineups: Nats at Phillies

June 01, 2016, 11:35am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals are going for a series sweep tonight at Citizens Bank Park, but they'll have to do it without the services of Bryce Harper once again. Harper remains out of the lineup, two days after taking a fastball off the outside of his right knee. This again isn't a huge shock. Harper said the knee didn't feel any better yesterday than it did the night before, and Dusty Baker hinted that he might try to take advantage of the team being off Thursday in order to give Harper...

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Harper leads early All-Star voting, Murphy second at second base

June 01, 2016, 10:28am

Nationals

Harper leads early All-Star voting, Murphy second at second base

PHILADELPHIA - The first round of National League All-Star voting was released this afternoon, and for the first time the Nationals have a legitimate shot of having two starters in the game. Bryce Harper leads all NL outfielders early on, with 838,599 votes. Daniel Murphy, meanwhile, ranks second at second base with 488,468 votes. Wilson Ramos, who is fifth among catchers with 209,949 votes, is the only other Nationals player to rank in the top five at his position so far. Harper is a...

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Wednesday morning Q&A from Philadelphia

May 31, 2016, 7:51pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Is it really June already? How did that happen? Tonight the Nationals play their 54th game of the season, officially the one-third point of the 162-game marathon, and it certainly feels like things have flown by so far. There has been a lot of good for this team so far (Bryce Harper's April, Daniel Murphy's April and May, Stephen Strasburg's perfect record, stellar defense from everyone, a much-improved bullpen). And there has been some bad (Harper's May, just about everyone...

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Ross finishes strong to secure his latest victory for Nats

May 31, 2016, 7:39pm

Nationals

Ross finishes strong to secure his latest victory for Nats

PHILADELPHIA - Joe Ross understood the situation. The tying run was on base in a one-run game. The go-ahead run was at the plate. There were two outs in the seventh. His pitch count was about to reach triple digits. Sammy Solis was warming in the Nationals bullpen. "It's like, if this guy gets on base," Ross said, "I doubt I'll get another chance to get the next guy." So the young right-hander threw everything he had at that final Phillies batter he would face on this night. It happened...

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Nats clubbing homers and scoring late to key recent streak

June 01, 2016, 7:32am

Nationals

Nats clubbing homers and scoring late to key recent streak

The Nationals have hit 14 homers in the last six games. The four homers, including Stephen Drew's inside-the-park roundtripper, were the most hit in a game by the Nationals since five homers on May 24 against the Mets. They also hit four homers on April 19 at Miami. Last season, the Nationals hit four or more home runs on May 8, May 19, June 16 and September 14. The Nationals have made it a habit of scoring late in their last four games. Since Saturday's game, the Nationals have plated 14...

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Charlie Fliegel: Nats bullpen has been a strength so far this season

June 01, 2016, 5:17am

Nationals

Charlie Fliegel: Nats bullpen has been a strength so far this season

It looked like one of their biggest weaknesses coming in to the 2016 season, and yet, almost a third of the way through the year, the Nationals bullpen has been a strength. Among National League bullpens, it ranks first in ERA, second in OPS against and first in K/BB ratio. Yet, only Shawn Kelley (eighth), Sammy Solis (15th) and Yusmeiro Petit (37th) rank in the top 40 in ERA among NL relievers. In terms of WPA (Win Probability Added), Felipe Rivero is 14th in the NL, Petit is 26th and the rest...

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Nats hit four homers to support Ross in 5-1 win over Phillies

May 31, 2016, 6:01pm

Nationals

Nats hit four homers to support Ross in 5-1 win over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA - With Bryce Harper nursing a sore right knee, the Nationals turned to others in their lineup for tonight's supply of power. Jayson Werth, Daniel Murphy, Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew all clubbed home runs for the Nationals, who also got a dominant start out of Joe Ross en route to a 5-1 victory over the Phillies. Werth launched his homer in the top of the first, pouncing on right-hander Aaron Nola's first-pitch fastball and sending the ball flying to left-center field. The...

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Werth homers again in Philly, leaving fans booing (Nats win 5-1)

May 31, 2016, 4:12pm

Nationals

Werth homers again in Philly, leaving fans booing (Nats win 5-1)

PHILADELPHIA - They still boo Jayson Werth every time he steps to the plate here at Citizens Bank Park, even six years since he left the Phillies to sign with the Nationals. And then they boo even louder every time he does something that makes those fans wish their hometown team had made more of an effort to re-sign him when they had the chance. Werth was up to his old tricks again tonight, homering in the top of the first inning against Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola to give the...

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Harper out tonight with sore knee, could miss rest of series

May 31, 2016, 2:17pm

Nationals

Harper out tonight with sore knee, could miss rest of series

PHILADELPHIA - His right knee still sore after getting struck by a fastball Monday night, Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals lineup for tonight's game against the Phillies, and it's possible the reigning NL MVP will miss the remainder of this series. Harper, who was diagnosed Monday with a contusion, was wearing a sleeve over the knee this afternoon and was still moving gingerly around the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park. Though he doesn't believe the injury is serious, he does...

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Game 53 lineups: Nats at Phillies

May 31, 2016, 11:27am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Let's get right down to it, because this is what you really want to know: Bryce Harper is not in the Nationals lineup tonight. That's not a huge surprise after Harper took a fastball off the outside of his right knee in the seventh inning last night, ultimately departing after trying to run the bases. Though he officially was diagnosed with a contusion, the 23-year-old slugger was still in some obvious pain postgame, walking gingerly around the clubhouse. Nobody believes the...

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Steve Mears: Monday's Nats win paid homage to another skipper's philosophy

May 31, 2016, 5:07am

Nationals

Steve Mears: Monday's Nats win paid homage to another skipper's philosophy

The Nationals got a big look at the in-game management style of Joe Maddon earlier in the month in Chicago where they played a four-game series. Maddon also has many philosophies that he shares as the manager of the Chicago Cubs, and his 'TryNot To Suck' advice might have started as a joke, but it is at the core of one of Maddon's core principles that if you are going to 'suck' at one part of your game you had better find other ways to help your team win. Maddon turned the 'Try Not To...

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Werth continues recent surge with clutch hit

May 31, 2016, 4:28am

Nationals

Werth continues recent surge with clutch hit

PHILADELPHIA - Daniel Murphy was the main topic of discussion last night, considering he went 3-for-4 with a homer, drove in the game-winning runs in the Nationals' 4-3 victory over the Phillies and raised his MLB-leading batting average to .395. But Murphy never would have been in position to win the game if not for an equally important at-bat by Jayson Werth a few minutes earlier, so let's give the 37-year-old left fielder his due as well. With two outs, two on and the Nationals still...

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Harper day-to-day after suffering right knee contusion (updated)

May 30, 2016, 5:08pm

Nationals

Harper day-to-day after suffering right knee contusion (updated)

PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper was forced out of tonight's game against the Phillies after taking a seventh-inning pitch from Jeremy Hellickson off his right knee, but the Nationals MVP slugger appears to have avoided serious injury and may not have to sit out more than a day or two to recover. "It hurts," Harper said, limping slightly around the clubhouse following the Nats' 4-3 victory. "Whenever you get squared up like that, definitely something that didn't feel good. I think we'll...

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Nats rally after Harper injury to beat Phillies 4-3

May 30, 2016, 6:02pm

Nationals

Nats rally after Harper injury to beat Phillies 4-3

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals lost Bryce Harper to an apparent right knee injury. They refused to also lose another game to the Phillies. Harper's seventh-inning departure shortly after taking a pitch off the outside of the knee cast a pall over this Memorial Day series opener at Citizens Bank Park. But thanks to a furious rally by his teammates, most notably Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy, the Nationals turned what would have been a demoralizing loss into an impressive, come-from-behind, 4-3...

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Murphy delivers again for Nats: "He's carrying our team"

May 30, 2016, 7:54pm

Nationals

Murphy delivers again for Nats: "He's carrying our team"

PHILADELPHIA - Daniel Murphy isn't going to do this the entire season. It's just not possible in this day and age to do what only a handful have come close to doing in the 75 years since Ted Williams last broke the .400 barrier. But Memorial Day has now come and gone, and Murphy still owns a .395 batting average, so why shouldn't the Nationals enjoy every moment of this remarkable run? Especially on nights like this, when Murphy not only produces but produces in big spots to help lift his...

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Murphy breaks scoreless streak vs. Phillies (Nats win 4-3)

May 30, 2016, 4:17pm

Nationals

Murphy breaks scoreless streak vs. Phillies (Nats win 4-3)

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have had all kinds of trouble producing against the Phillies over the last month. But at least they can count on their most reliable offensive threat to deliver for them, no matter the opponent. Daniel Murphy has provided all of the Nats' offense so far tonight at Citizens Bank Park, doubling in the top of the second and then homering in the top of the fourth, knotting up this series opener at 1-1. Murphy drove Jeremy Hellickson's 0-1 pitch over the out-of-town...

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Could this be the road trip that snaps Harper out of slump?

May 30, 2016, 2:19pm

Nationals

Could this be the road trip that snaps Harper out of slump?

PHILADELPHIA - If ever there was a road trip tailor-made to break Bryce Harper out of his slump, this might well be it. The Nationals open a three-game series tonight at Citizens Bank Park, a hitter's haven that has been awfully kind to Harper of late. Then they head to Cincinnati, home of the bandbox otherwise known as Great American Ball Park and the worst pitching staff in the majors. Perhaps this is the week Harper gets himself back on track after a difficult month that has made his...

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Nats displaying power, but Baker wants more in front of taters

May 30, 2016, 2:24am

Nationals

Nats displaying power, but Baker wants more in front of taters

The Nationals offense ignited Sunday, scoring 10 runs one day after allowing the most runs they had in a game this season in 9-4 loss. For most of the season, the Nationals' starting rotation has controlled games, usually for seven innings, keeping the score down and allowing the offense to put together just enough run support to eek out 4-3 or 2-1 or 5-3 wins. But Sunday's power display demonstrated what this offense is capable of when more than one cylinder is firing at the same...