nationals

Strasburg on surprise extension: "The timing just felt right"

May 10, 2016, 1:44pm

In the end, it was about comfort. Stephen Strasburg's comfort in Washington. The Nationals' comfort in giving the right-hander a $175 million contract extension that also gives him the right to opt out after only three or four years. And Scott Boras' comfort in doing what his client wanted, even if it potentially meant leaving more money on the table as a free agent this winter. All sides expressed pleasure with the deal that apparently was agreed upon two weeks ago but only was officially...

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Scherzer and Baker thrilled to see Strasburg locked up with Nats long-term

May 10, 2016, 1:32pm

Nationals

Scherzer and Baker thrilled to see Strasburg locked up with Nats long-term

Right-hander Max Scherzer was in the press room as the Nationals announced Stephen Strasburg's new seven-year, $175 million deal to remain with the club. "When I was signed here, there were a few other players that were at my signing as well and I always remember that," Scherzer said. "It's important that you show some camaraderie and you show you support your teammates. "When I heard the news last night that he had signed, I took it upon myself the time to make sure that I was there for...

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Robinson hits walk-off homer, thought it was eighth inning

May 10, 2016, 3:27am

Nationals

Robinson hits walk-off homer, thought it was eighth inning

What is better than hitting you first-ever walk-off homer in a Major League game? Thinking all you did was hit the go-ahead homer. Pinch-hitter Clint Robinson, who had struggled a bit to start the season to find his groove, slammed a Mark Lowe offering that bounced off the top of the right field wall Monday night, completing the Nationals' 5-4 come-from-behind winner over the Tigers. "Rounding third and I saw everybody crowded around home plate. Not kidding," Robinson said. So, wait a...

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Game 33 lineups: Nats vs. Tigers

May 10, 2016, 12:59pm

Nationals

Oh yeah, there's a game tonight. It's been an eventful day, what with the Stephen Strasburg contract extension and the aftermath of Bryce Harper's ejection last night. But the Nationals and Tigers will be back at it this evening for the second of their three-game interleague series. Joe Ross gets the ball for the Nats, coming off a strong outing in Chicago against a very tough Cubs lineup that still resulted in a loss. He'll be facing another strong lineup tonight that features the likes...

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Strasburg deal is official

May 10, 2016, 7:15am

Nationals

The Nationals officially announced their seven-year contract extension with Stephen Strasburg and plan to hold a 2:15 p.m. news conference to discuss their new deal with the right-hander. Strasburg and the club came to terms on the contract, which a source familiar with the deal confirmed is worth $175 million, last night. The 27-year-old then started the Nats' interleague series opener against the Tigers, giving up four runs over seven innings, striking out 11 while walking three batters. The...

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Steve Mears: Nationals finding success with pinch-hitters

May 10, 2016, 4:57am

Nationals

The 2016 Nationals bench is winning games singlehandedly by singular swings of the bat. The most memorable singular swing by a bench player is always the one freshest in your mind, which has to be last night's walk-off pinch-hit home run from Clint Robinson. Then you start to think about some of the others, like Chris Heisey in extra innings with the 16th-inning walk-off HR on April 24 which was the first walk-off in Heisey's career. Now rewind back further to the second game of the season...

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With Strasburg deal, Nats finally show they can re-sign best players

May 09, 2016, 9:07pm

Nationals

With Strasburg deal, Nats finally show they can re-sign best players

The question would come up every now and again over the years, becoming more frequent the last few months as the potential finish line drew closer: Is there any chance the Nationals will re-sign Stephen Strasburg? And the answer, always, was a simple: Not likely. There were plenty of legitimate reasons to draw that conclusion. Strasburg seemed like a guy who wanted to return to the West Coast. The Nationals were reluctant to hand out nine-figure contracts to any pitcher, but particularly those...

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Nationals agree to contract extension with RHP Stephen Strasburg

May 10, 2016, 6:28am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to a seven-year contract extension with right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. One of the premier starting pitchers in the Major Leagues, Strasburg will remain under contract with the only professional organization he has ever known through the 2023 season. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Strasburg has a career 59-37...

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Harper on potential fine for post-ejection antics: "I'll pay it"

May 09, 2016, 7:55pm

Nationals

Harper on potential fine for post-ejection antics: "I'll pay it"

It's very likely that getting walked almost every time he steps into the batter's box has started to take its toll on Nationals slugger Bryce Harper. Or maybe it was his batting average dipping to .260 or his team losing four straight games. But during the ninth inning Monday, in a 4-4 tie between the Nationals and the Tigers, Harper had finally had enough after watching teammate Danny Espinosa get called out on a third strike by home plate umpire Brian Knight. Harper was ejected while...

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Strasburg agrees to seven-year, $175 million extension with Nats (updated)

May 09, 2016, 4:15pm

Nationals

Strasburg agrees to seven-year, $175 million extension with Nats (updated)

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has reportedly agreed to a long-term extension to remain with the Nationals, according to multiple published reports. The Washington Post was first to report the news of the deal. MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported that the deal was for seven years and $175 million, and is expected to include opt-out clauses, performance bonuses and deferred money. Update: MASNsports.com's Mark Zuckerman has confirmed through a source familiar with the deal that Strasburg will...

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Strasburg allows rare early homer against Tigers (Nats win 5-4)

May 09, 2016, 3:35pm

Nationals

Strasburg allows rare early homer against Tigers (Nats win 5-4)

The Tigers jumped on top early against the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg. And they did it by doing something that only one hitter has been able to accomplish in Strasburg's first six starts of the season. Strasburg had allowed only a Brian Dozier eighth-inning three-run shot on April 24, the only homer in his 42 innings of work to begin 2016. But Nick Castellanos was able to turn on a Strasburg fastball and knock it over the left field wall to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first. His...

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Nationals rally on night Strasburg reportedly gets big extension

May 09, 2016, 7:31pm

Nationals

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg started his 139th career game with the Nationals on Monday night, taking a no-decision in an eventual 5-4 walk-off win over the Detroit Tigers. Clint Robinson cranked a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to complete the comeback for the Nationals, his first ever walk-off shot. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Nationals, who trailed 4-1 in the sixth. But the news most will remember from Monday was that Strasburg had reportedly signed a...

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Matt Belisle "doing really, really well" as he rehabs calf strain

May 09, 2016, 2:29pm

Nationals

Matt Belisle "doing really, really well" as he rehabs calf strain

Right-hander Matt Belisle is making solid progress as he recovers from a right calf strain. He has been on the disabled list since April 27. "I'm doing really, really well," Belisle said. "I've been doing a ton of work. It was only about the first 24-hour period where we gave it completely off. We had (platelet-rich plasma therapy) after that, so like 36 hours let that settle in. Since then, it has responded extremely well and I've been hitting rehab really diligently and hard." The...

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Baker not changing lineup with Harper free passes routine

May 09, 2016, 1:45pm

Nationals

Baker not changing lineup with Harper free passes routine

The Cubs walked right fielder Bryce Harper six times Sunday, which allowed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman several opportunities to help bring him home and change the game for the Nationals. But Zimmerman was unable to come through, leaving 14 men on base. With the strategy of walking the National League MVP in front of Zimmerman becoming a viable way to slow the Nats' ability to score runs, will more teams employ this technique? Should manager Dusty Baker put the hot-hitting second baseman...

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What to make of the Nationals' roller-coaster 5-5 road trip?

May 08, 2016, 8:39pm

Nationals

CHICAGO - Had they been told at the outset, before they embarked on a 10-day road trip to face three imposing clubs, that they'd wind up with a 5-5 record, most everybody associated with the Nationals probably would have been content with it. On the heels of a disappointing series sweep against the Phillies, and with the Cardinals, Royals and Cubs on the docket, the Nats couldn't afford to set the bar too high. So why now, at the end of this grueling trip, does 5-5 feel like a...

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Game 32 lineups: Tigers at Nationals

May 09, 2016, 11:10am

Nationals

The Nationals return home after a grueling 10-game road trip to play host to the Detroit Tigers. A 5-5 road trip is certainly good for that much time away, but stings a bit after the team arrived in Chicago after a 5-1 trek through St. Louis and Kansas City. The Cubs swept the series thanks to a 4-3 13-inning win over the Nationals Sunday. And for the first time this season, the Nationals are looking up to the Mets in the National League East standings, trailing New York by a half-game. The...

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Sizzling starts like Cubs' are difficult to beat

May 09, 2016, 12:33pm

Nationals Orioles

Sizzling starts like Cubs' are difficult to beat

As the Nationals found out first-hand this weekend, the Cubs are off to a sizzling start. They are 24-6 after sweeping Washington in Wrigley Field. The last time the Cubs were 26-4 to start a season was 1907, the year they won the World Series. The Cubs' start brings back memories of the 1984 Tigers, the Sparky Anderson-managed team that started 35-5, won 104 games and the American League East by 15 games. The Tigers were 26-4 after their first 30 games. Those Tigers won their first nine games...

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Marty Niland: Nats aren't as far behind Cubs as they seem

May 09, 2016, 5:17am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats aren't as far behind Cubs as they seem

The old adage goes that good baseball teams play .500 on the road and have a winning record at home. Still, Nationals fans can't help but have a bad taste in their mouths after dropping the last four games of a 5-5 road trip to the Cubs. It seems the Cubs have been edging out the Nats since the offseason, when they won bidding wars for free agents Ben Zobrist (5-for-13, three homers, nine RBIs in the series) and Jason Heyward (2-for-5 Sunday with a diving catch to rob Ryan Zimmerman of a...

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Opposite dugout: Tigers slink into D.C. on six-game losing streak

May 08, 2016, 3:50pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Tigers slink into D.C. on six-game losing streak

Manager: Brad Ausmus (3rd season) Record: 14-16 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 3B Nick Castellanos (.375/.393/.596 with 5 HR, 24 RBIs), DH Victor Martinez (.311 with 5 HR, 18 RBIs), 2B Ian Kinsler (.304 with 6 HR, 17 RBIs), 1B Miguel Cabrera (.291 with 13 RBIs), RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-1, 1.10 ERA), RHP Francisco Rodriguez (7 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1st meeting (2-2 in 2013) Pitching probables: May 9: RHP Anibal Sanchez vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m. MASN May 10: RHP...

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band returning to Nationals Park on Sept. 1

May 09, 2016, 7:20am

Nationals

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band bring The River Tour (#TheRiverTour) back to U.S. shores this summer. Eight newly announced shows start Aug. 23 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and continue through Sept. 14 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The River Tour will come to Nationals Park on Thursday, Sept. 1. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. at nationals.com/BruceSpringsteen and via tickets.com. Since launching The River Tour in January, Springsteen and...