nationals

Nationals bench driven to continue collective success

June 02, 2016, 6:30am

PHILADEPHIA - It is, most agree, the toughest job in baseball. Come off the bench cold late in a game, to face a reliever probably throwing at least 95 mph, in a big spot that figures to dramatically affect whether your team wins or loses. Pinch-hitting is not for the faint of heart, which is why the Nationals are grateful to have assembled a particularly effective group of bench players who have more than done their part to help this team get off to a 33-21 start this season. "The main thing...

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Nats recall Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman heads to paternity list

June 03, 2016, 8:44am

Nationals

Nats recall Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman heads to paternity list

CINCINNATI - The Nationals have recalled infielder Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse andhas placed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the paternity list. Turner has joined the team here and will be in uniform for tonight's first game of a three-game series. Zimmerman's wife, Heather, welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on Thursday. The 22-year-old Turner is the Nationals' No. 2 overall prospect, according to Baseball America. He is hitting .310 and has a .376 on-base percentage in 50...

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Game 55 lineups: Nationals at Reds

June 03, 2016, 9:08am

Nationals

CINCINNATI - The Nationals arrive in Cincinnati off to another fast start on a long road trip. Last month, the Nationals started a 10-game road trip 5-1 through St. Louis and Kansas City. This time, they swept the Phillies. As they arrive at Great American Ball Park, they stand 3-0 at the beginning of a nine-game, three-city, 11-game road trip. The club made one change to the roster for the weekend. Nats No. 2 prospect infielder Trea Turner has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse because Ryan...

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Baker on return to Cincinnati and how he will monitor Harper tonight

June 03, 2016, 2:23pm

Nationals

Baker on return to Cincinnati and how he will monitor Harper tonight

CINCINNATI - Nationals manager Dusty Baker admitted it was a bit odd in his return to Cincinnati for the first time since he managed here for six seasons from 2008-2013, this time on the visitor's team bus. "It was a little strange on the bus last night coming in because ordinarily I'd think I'd be coming off a road trip coming back to my place and what the series was gonna be coming up or what the last series on the road was like coming home," Baker explained. He finished with 509...

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Nationals recall Trea Turner, place Ryan Zimmerman on paternity list

June 03, 2016, 9:37am

Nationals

The Nationals recalled infielder Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and placed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the Paternity List. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Turner, 22, joins the Nationals for his first Major League assignment of the season. The Nationals' No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America, and the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball entering the 2016 season, Turner earned his second MLB call-up by...

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Opposite dugout: Baker returns to Cincinnati to Reds team far from how he left it

June 01, 2016, 7:12pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Baker returns to Cincinnati to Reds team far from how he left it

Manager: Bryan Price (3rd season) Record: 19-35 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: SS Zack Cozart (.306/.333/.524 with 7 HR, 20 RBIs), RF Jay Bruce (.275 with 11 HR, 36 RBIs), LF Adam Duvall (.260 with 14 HR, 31 RBIs), RHP Dan Straily (3-2, 3.43 ERA), RHP Blake Wood (4-1, 3.76 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (5-1 in 2015) Pitching probables: June 3: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. LHP Brandon Finnegan, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 June 4: RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Dan Straily, 4:10 p.m., MASN June...

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Updates on Fedde, Belisle, Bostick and a trip to Cincinnati

June 03, 2016, 4:12am

Nationals

Updates on Fedde, Belisle, Bostick and a trip to Cincinnati

One of the top pitching prospects in the Nationals system is on the seven-day disabled list. Right-hander Erick Fedde was diagnosed earlier in the week with mild oblique soreness. Fedde is 3-3 with a 5.00 ERA in nine starts for Single-A Potomac. He has not allowed a run in his last two starts, May 23 and 28, combining for 11 scoreless frames. * What a doubleheader for David Masters yesterday with Potomac. He finished with six RBIs in the two-game sweep. He had the game-winning hit in the first...

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Daniel Murphy wins NL Player of Month honors for May

June 02, 2016, 11:32am

Nationals

Daniel Murphy wins NL Player of Month honors for May

Bryce Harper was National League Player of the Month for April. Now Daniel Murphy is NL Player of the Month for May, continuing the Nationals' impressive run through the early portion of the 2016 season. Murphy earned his honor after a remarkable month in which he hit .416 with seven homers, 23 RBIs and a .673 slugging percentage in 29 games. His 47 hits recorded in May tied a franchise record held by former Expos Al Oliver (August 1982) and Marquis Grissom (June 1994). Murphy's...

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In an offseason full of acquisitions, Murphy proving to be top choice

June 02, 2016, 12:47pm

Nationals

In an offseason full of acquisitions, Murphy proving to be top choice

Looking back to the offseason, it's difficult to believe that Daniel Murphy was the Nationals' third choice when they were looking for a second baseman. They wanted to trade for Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, but, per his contract, Phillips vetoed a trade and wanted to stay with the rebuilding Reds. Who knows why he didn't want to play for his former Reds manager, Dusty Baker, in D.C.? Phillips, by the way, is hitting .256. Then, the Nationals tried to sign Ben Zobrist, but he did want to...

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District 34 podcast: Episode 2

June 02, 2016, 12:17pm

Nationals

Daniel Murphy, come on down to claim your award! Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month, the second consecutive month a Nationals player has been awarded the honor after Bryce Harper was named the NL's best in April. After slashing .416/.424/.673 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and a new Nats record for hits in a month of 47, Byron Kerr and I figured Murphy would win, so we went ahead and discussed Murphy's May in this week's episode of District 34. With the calendar turning...

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Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016

June 01, 2016, 8:18pm

Nationals

Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016

PHILADELPHIA - As each day passes and Wilson Ramos continues to produce at the plate like never before, the rest of the Nationals only find themselves more and more impressed with a catcher who has managed to elevate his game to lofty new heights this season. "Extremely impressive," right-hander Max Scherzer said. "Because those guys are back there grinding and taking balls off the forearm and legs, and they're getting beat up behind the plate." Ramos indeed takes a pounding while...

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Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month

June 01, 2016, 7:42pm

Nationals

Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month

PHILADELPHIA - On nights like this, when Max Scherzer is dealing and guys are producing up and down the lineup to complete a road series sweep, the Nationals have the look of an elite ballclub. Maybe the competition - the suddenly sliding Phillies - wasn't the stiffest, but the Nationals still have to play everyone on the schedule. And so this 7-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park, on the heels of victories each of the previous two nights, was exactly what the Nats needed: No drama. And so they...

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Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy named NL Player of the Month

June 02, 2016, 11:22am

Nationals

After setting a franchise record for hits in a calendar month and leading the Major Leagues in batting average, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month for May on Thursday. Major League Baseball made the announcement. Murphy ended the month of May leading Major League Baseball in batting average (.397), hits (77), and multi-hit games (26). In May alone, the Nationals' second baseman hit .416 (47-for-113) with a .434 on-base percentage and a...

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David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster

June 02, 2016, 5:00am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster

"As long as the Nats are winning," is a phrase we're hearing quite often these days from everyone from fans to announcers. It is the age old sports clichÃ© that winning cures all and that all flaws can be ignored as long as games are being won. It's not good logic and not logic that can be afforded. Think of it in the terms of personal health. You can wait until there's a problem and pay thousands of dollars in medical bills or you can get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat a healthy diet...

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Nationals thump Phillies 7-2 to start road trip with sweep

June 01, 2016, 5:33pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The weather's heating up, the Nationals are starting to drive the ball out of the park and Max Scherzer is striking out batters left and right. With homers from Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa, plus a string of extra-base hits, the Nationals gave Scherzer plenty of cushion with which to pitch. And the ace right-hander responded with a dominant performance during a 7-2 drubbing of the Phillies to complete a three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals seemingly did...

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

June 01, 2016, 4:05pm

Nationals

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

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...