nationals

Dan Duquette says Nationals haven't contacted him

April 12, 2016, 9:00am

BOSTON - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette denied a report this morning that the crosstown-rival Nationals are pursuing him for the job of team president. "I don't know anything about this," he wrote in a text message, "nor has anyone contacted me." The St. Paul Pioneer Press, citing a source, reported the Nationals' interest in Duquette, who's in Boston for the Orioles' three-game series against the Red Sox. An industry source told me earlier today that the Nationals...

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Steve Mears: Figuring out where Taylor and Werth fit in Nats lineup

April 11, 2016, 6:13pm

Nationals

Steve Mears: Figuring out where Taylor and Werth fit in Nats lineup

Before Monday's game, the trio of Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy had combined for a .540 on-base-percentage, which means the three of them on base 54% of the time. The Nationals have had runners in scoring position (RISP) aplenty in the first four games, but are only batting .229 in their 35 RISP situations. That should certainly improve in RISP efficiency, but in the meantime, the batters in the back of the order are getting many RBI opportunities. The strategy for Dusty Baker...

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Bats pick up slack on night when Scherzer didn't have best stuff

April 11, 2016, 6:15pm

Nationals

Bats pick up slack on night when Scherzer didn't have best stuff

On a night when Max Scherzer didn't have his best stuff, the Nationals knew right off the bat they'd need to score their share of runs to help out their surprisingly struggling ace. They managed to do just that, thanks to the continued early-season success of two key members of the heart of their lineup and a breakthrough performance from one of the members of the bottom of that lineup. Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy reached base a collective five times against the Braves pitching staff,...

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Bryce Harper's MVP plate discipline is carrying over into 2016

April 11, 2016, 2:49pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper's MVP plate discipline is carrying over into 2016

Among the many remarkable things he did last season en route to unanimous election as National League MVP, Bryce Harper's ability not to get frustrated by opposing teams pitching around him stood out as a particularly impressive trait. Harper, who in his first three big league seasons could be prone to chasing pitches out of the zone, made a key adjustment in 2015 and began laying off those offerings, content to take his walks. He wound up accepting 124 free passes on his way to a league-best...

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Slugfest breaks out in D.C. (Nats win 6-4)

April 11, 2016, 4:11pm

Nationals

Slugfest breaks out in D.C. (Nats win 6-4)

When Max Scherzer retired the Braves' first two batters of the evening, you couldn't help but wonder if the right-hander might be setting the tone for a dominant night on the mound. Those thoughts very quickly disappeared amid a flurry of hits by Atlanta off the veteran ace. Scherzer was roughed up early by the Braves, surrendering two runs in the top of the first and then two more in the top of the second. His only saving grace: His Nationals teammates wore their hitting shoes tonight as...

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Dusty Baker: Fans "need to love" Jonathan Papelbon

April 11, 2016, 1:34pm

Nationals

Dusty Baker: Fans "need to love" Jonathan Papelbon

He has surrendered four hits in three innings. He served up a titanic home run on Sunday. He twice has been handed a lead of at least two runs and wound up letting the tying or go-ahead run step to the plate. None of which matters to Dusty Baker at the moment. The only stat the Nationals manager cares about relating to closer Jonathan Papelbon is that he's 3-for-3 in save opportunities. "It doesn't matter what it looks like," Baker said. True, though Papelbon's last two appearances...

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Treinen adopting "why wait?" mentality with first eighth-inning hold

April 11, 2016, 3:54am

Nationals

Treinen adopting "why wait?" mentality with first eighth-inning hold

The Nationals bullpen was completely remade from 2015. Of all the segments of the team, many believe the bullpen is the one link that needed the most change and the most improvement if the Nationals were to put together a team that could dethrone the Mets atop the National League East. The closer is set with Jonathan Papelbon. But who will take over the eighth-inning set-up duties? Will new manager Dusty Baker select a set-up man by committee? Felipe Rivero or Shawn Kelley or Blake Treinen or...

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Game 5 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

April 11, 2016, 11:11am

Nationals

Hey, remember when the Braves were in the Nationals' heads or something like that? It was only two years ago when it seemed like anything that could go wrong against Atlanta did go wrong. Well, that's not so much the case anymore. Including their two-game sweep at Turner Field last week, the Nats have now won 20 of their last 27 games against the Braves, including 10 straight on South Capitol Street. Obviously, this is a very different Atlanta roster now than it was a couple years ago. In...

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How Joe Ross stifled Dee Gordon's running game

April 10, 2016, 8:29pm

Nationals

How Joe Ross stifled Dee Gordon's running game

Jayson Werth's bloop single was big. So was Clint Robinson's subsequent two-run single. Joe Ross' seven strong innings on the mound put the Nationals in position to beat the Marlins yesterday. And then Blake Treinen's perfect eighth and Jonathan Papelbon's shaky-but-ultimately-effective ninth sealed the deal in the Nationals' 4-2 victory. Here's one seemingly small moment, though, that actually played a major role in this game. You might not even have thought much of it at the time. But...

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Opposite dugout: Little has gone right for winless Braves in 2016

April 10, 2016, 1:36pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Little has gone right for winless Braves in 2016

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (6th season) Record: 0-5 Last 10 games: 0-5 Who to watch: 1B Freddie Freeman (.124, 1 HR, 2 RBIs), RF Nick Markakis (.300/.364/.500 with 4 RBIs), 3B Adonis Garcia (.267, 1 HR, 2 RBIs), RHP Julio Teheran (0-1, 5.40 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 0-2 Pitching probables: April 11: RHP Bud Norris vs. RHP Max Scherzer, 7:05 p.m., MASN2April 12: RHP Jhoulys Chacin vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m. MASN2April 13: RHP Matt Wisler vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m.,...

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Ross showing more confidence in changeup big key to opening win

April 10, 2016, 2:16pm

Nationals

Ross showing more confidence in changeup big key to opening win

The top hitter from last season opens the game with a first-pitch triple against a young pitcher making his first ever April regular season start. That same pitcher allowed 12 hits and eight runs in his final exhibition start. It was the extremely dangerous Miami leadoff hitter Dee Gordon tripling on the first pitch of the game. The Marlins scored in that inning, but never again against right-hander Joe Ross, a full seven innings of work. The Nationals kept it close before a big seventh inning...

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After 0-for-13 opening slump, Werth delivers game-winning hit

April 10, 2016, 2:41pm

Nationals

After 0-for-13 opening slump, Werth delivers game-winning hit

The giant scoreboard in right-center showed it for all the world to see, but Jayson Werth didn't need it spelled out in print. As he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh this afternoon, the bases loaded with teammates, Werth knew his batting average contained nothing but zeroes. "I'm aware," the veteran outfielder said with a smirk an hour later in the Nationals clubhouse. The Marlins were aware, too, which is why they didn't hesitate to intentionally walk Daniel Murphy in...

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Early scoring chances missed (Nats win 4-2)

April 10, 2016, 10:34am

Nationals

Early scoring chances missed (Nats win 4-2)

The Nationals are giving themselves plenty of chances to score runs. They just aren't converting on many of those chances so far. Despite racking up five hits and two walks off Tom Koehler through the first three innings of today's game, the Nats have scored just once, picking up on a theme they established during Thursday's home-opener loss to the Marlins. The saving grace: Miami missed an early opportunity to bust the game open as well. Giancarlo Stanton's one-out single through the left...

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Haphazard schedule throws wrench into Baker's plans

April 10, 2016, 8:14am

Nationals

Haphazard schedule throws wrench into Baker's plans

The baseball schedule is a funny thing. The Nationals barely have been playing because of scheduled off-days and unscheduled rainouts, having taken the field only 12 times in the last 21 days. Now, though, they're looking at a grueling stretch in which they're scheduled to play 35 games in 36 days. With that in mind, manager Dusty Baker is trying to make plans to give many of his regulars a day off at some point in the next week. It begins today, with Ryan Zimmerman not in the lineup for the...

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Nats game blog: Koehler allows most of his homers to Harper, Nationals

April 10, 2016, 6:51am

Nationals

Right-hander Joe Ross makes his 2016 Nationals debut Sunday against Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler. The pair was supposed to match up yesterday, but that game was postponed. This is that big step year for Ross. This will be the first time in his young career that he has been handed the ball from the beginning of the season with the responsibility of being a full-time starter. He certainly has the ability and makeup to shine. Ross, 22, was 5-5 in 16 games (13 starts) in 2015 with a 3.64...

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Game 4 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

April 09, 2016, 4:14pm

Nationals

If it feels like it has been a while since the Nationals last played a ballgame, it has been. They had Friday off. Then yesterday's game got rained/snowed/colded out. So it's been nearly 72 hours since their last game, which in baseball terms is an eternity. In fact, the Nats have only played a ballgame in 12 of the last 21 days, thanks to rainouts and off-days. That's pretty unusual. The good news: The sun is out today and they'll be able to play. The bad news: It's going to be quite cold...

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Next up for Harper: homer No. 100

April 08, 2016, 6:32pm

Nationals

There surely will be far greater milestones for Bryce Harper to achieve before his career is complete, but the reigning National League MVP has a chance tonight to reach a significant number along the way faster than almost anyone else in baseball history. Harper's next home run will be the 100th of his career, no small achievement for a player with his limited experience. In fact, if Harper manages to homer at any point in the next eight days, he'll become the eighth youngest player in...

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Nationals game postponed, rescheduled for May 14

April 09, 2016, 8:33am

Nationals

Today's Nationals game with the Miami Marlins has been postponed due to inclement weather in the D.C. metropolitan area. It snowed in parts of the region early in the morning, and high winds, cold temperatures and heavy rains were forecast for the afternoon. The Nationals announced that the pitching rotations will just move back one day with right-hander Joe Ross starting Sunday's game and Max Scherzer getting the nod on Monday against the Braves. Saturday's postponed game will be...

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A modest proposal to try to get Werth and Taylor going

April 08, 2016, 11:37am

Nationals

A modest proposal to try to get Werth and Taylor going

It's only three games, and that caveat must be expressed before going any further. If the same results occurred over three games in May or June or August, you'd never bat an eyelash because it would be hidden among the player's broader performance of the season. Now, having made that disclaimer, there's no debating the Nationals' biggest concern at this very early stage of the season: Jayson Werth and Michael A. Taylor's 0-fers. Both outfielders have opened the season 0-for-11. Both have...

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Baker: no "governor" on Zimmerman despite past injury concerns

April 08, 2016, 7:44am

Nationals

Baker: no "governor" on Zimmerman despite past injury concerns

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman has used his bat, his legs and his athletic ability on defense to get off to a good start in this new season's first week. Wednesday night, Zimmerman scored the Nationals' first run, tying the game on a grounder off the bat of Wilson Ramos. Running on the pitch, Zimmerman scored from second thanks to a poor relay throw from first to home. Zimmerman dove head first into the plate and was safe. Some fans might have cringed on the play, remembering Zimmerman injuring...