nationals

Opposite dugout: Pitching highlights series again as Pirates look to get back at Nationals

July 22, 2015, 5:33pm

Manager: Clint Hurdle (5th season) Record: 54-40 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: CF Andrew McCutchen (.290/.388/.486 with 12 HR, 57 RBIs), LF Starling Marte (.289/.336/.458 with 13 HR, 50 RBIs), 1B Pedro Alvarez (12 HR and 43 RBIs), RHP Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.31 ERA), RHP A.J. Burnett (8-3, 2.44 ERA), RHP Mark Melancon (1.43 ERA, 30 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 0-3 Pitching probables: July 23: RHP Doug Fister vs. LHP Francisco Liriano, 7:05 p.m., MASN July 24: RHP Max Scherzer vs. LHP...

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Pirates smack three homers, beat Nats 7-3

July 23, 2015, 4:15pm

Nationals

Pirates smack three homers, beat Nats 7-3

PITTSBURGH - It's been a rough start for Doug Fister so far. The right-hander gave up a two-out single to Andrew McCutchen and then was tagged for an RBI triple by Starling Marte in the first. Pedro Alvarez drilled an 87 mph fastball over the left field wall to lead off the second. Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco followed with consecutive singles but Fister battled his way out of the jam. Fister has allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He has already thrown...

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Doug Fister's slide continues as Pirates sink Nats 7-3

July 23, 2015, 8:05pm

Nationals

Doug Fister's slide continues as Pirates sink Nats 7-3

PITTSBURGH - Nationals starter Doug Fister has struggled to find consistency this season. The tall righty was battered often and hard from the beginning of tonight's 7-3 loss the Pirates. "It's inexcusable," Fister said. "Starting to get back to feeling better and strong and being able to locate. But missing on too many pitches over the plate. I'm not going for the right pitches at the right time. Not going after them and going with my second or third best pitch. I've just got to...

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10 in 10: Scherzer signs on to Cards for a Cause fundraiser for youth academy

July 21, 2015, 7:01am

Nationals

10 in 10: Scherzer signs on to Cards for a Cause fundraiser for youth academy

From the time they arrived from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals have been a mainstay in the Washington, D.C., sports scene. But the Nats are also very active in the community, working diligently over the past decade to touch the lives of many in the region and proving that baseball has a further reach than wins and losses, balls and strikes, batters and pitchers. Each Thursday through mid-August, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr will explore the Nationals' community outreach...

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Rendon, Werth and Zimmerman ramping up rehab action

July 23, 2015, 3:53pm

Nationals

Rendon, Werth and Zimmerman ramping up rehab action

PITTSBURGH - Anthony Rendon went 3-for-3 with an RBI while playing six innings at third base In Single-A Potomac's 5-1 loss to Frederick last night. The 25-year-old is expected to push it to seven innings tonight again at third base. Rendon's left quad strain sent him to the 15-day disabled list on June 25. He's 7-for-10 (.700) with a double, two walks, one RBI and a run scored in four games over the last week for Potomac. Ryan Zimmerman is down the road from his Nationals teammates playing...

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Yunel Escobar undergoes further tests on injured left wrist and hand

July 23, 2015, 2:59pm

Nationals

Yunel Escobar undergoes further tests on injured left wrist and hand

PITTSBURGH - After X-rays were negative yesterday on Yunel Escobar's left wrist and hand, the Nationals sent him for a CT scan of the area, which was also negative. "All results are good so far," Nationals manager Matt Williams said before tonight's game. "It feels better today. (Escobar's) not in the lineup today but he's available, which is a good sign. We'll see what the coming days give us." A CT scan is the test which revealed fractures in Jayson Werth's left wrist after his...

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Yunel Escobar out; Bryce Harper looks for first homer in Pittsburgh (with lineups)

July 23, 2015, 12:41pm

Nationals

Yunel Escobar out; Bryce Harper looks for first homer in Pittsburgh (with lineups)

PITTSBURGH - The Pirates will look to seek revenge on the Nationals, who swept the Bucs on June 19-21 in Washington. The Nats outscored the Pirates 19-3 in the series, which included Max Scherzer's first career no-hitter. Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was on the wrong side of Scherzer's gem at Nationals Park, takes the mound tonight. Liriano hasn't pitched since before the All-Star break with his last start coming back on July 12. The 10-year-veteran has posted a 1.98 ERA in his...

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Kieboom, Pivetta represent Potomac in tonight's Carolina-California League All-Star Game

June 23, 2015, 2:02am

Nationals

Kieboom, Pivetta represent Potomac in tonight's Carolina-California League All-Star Game

Catcher Spencer Kieboom and pitcher Nick Pivetta have been selected from the high Single-A Potomac Nationals to play in tonight's Carolina-California League All-Star Game in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time from LoanMart Field. The 24-year-old Kieboom, who also was selected to the South Atlantic All-Star Game in 2014, is hitting .249 with 13 doubles, one triple, one homer and 15 RBIs in 50 games. He has thrown out 42 percent of basestealers (23-for-55)....

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Matt Williams on Danny Espinosa: "Resilient, in every aspect"

July 23, 2015, 4:48am

Nationals

Matt Williams on Danny Espinosa: "Resilient, in every aspect"

Yesterday's 4-3 comeback win is a perfect example to encapsulate everything that Danny Espinosa has meant to the Washington Nationals this season. Riddled with injuries all year, the Nats' list got even longer early Wednesday afternoon when Yunel Escobar left the game suddenly in the second inning. Once again, Espinosa shifted from second to third base to fill in as he had 14 other times this year at a position he had never played in his life prior to this year. Espinosa battled at the plate...

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Resilient Nats deliver another comeback win to take series

July 22, 2015, 2:00pm

Nationals

Resilient Nats deliver another comeback win to take series

The Nationals were four outs from having their National League East lead chopped to one game when an improbable rally ensued, resulting in a stunning 4-3 comeback win over the Mets. There wasn't a whole lot for the soldout crowd of 41,291 to cheer about at Nationals Park for much of the day, especially after watching Yunel Escobar, the Nats' second-leading hitter, exit the game with a left wrist injury in the second inning. The Nationals found themselves down 3-1 in the eighth when Ian...

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Zimmermann, Storen featured in Nats' stellar pitching attack against Mets

July 22, 2015, 3:06pm

Nationals

Zimmermann, Storen featured in Nats' stellar pitching attack against Mets

All the hype coming into this pivotal series seemed to focus on the pitching arsenal the Mets were prepared to throw at the Nationals. Three days later, the Nats starters stood up to the test. Gio Gonzalez outpitched Matt Harvey on Monday to claim the win. Last night, Joe Ross took a 2-1 lead over Jacob deGrom and the Mets into the seventh before the Nationals bullpen tanked. And tonight it was Jordan Zimmermann, who outlasted rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard. "It was big," Zimmermann said...

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Nats rally late to take series with 4-3 win (Yunel Escobar injured)

July 22, 2015, 9:34am

Nationals

Nats rally late to take series with 4-3 win (Yunel Escobar injured)

Yunel Escobar left the game in the middle of his first at-bat to start the second inning. Escobar dropped to his knees, clutching his left hand or wrist after attempting to check his swing on a 96 mph heater from Mets starter Noah Syndergaard. It was unclear if the ball actually hit Escobar, though the Nationals' Twitter account reported that Syndergaard's pitch struck Escobar's hand. Nationals manager Matt Williams and head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz tended to Escobar immediately. After...

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Yunel Escobar's X-rays on left hand/wrist negative, but he'll need more tests

July 22, 2015, 1:07pm

Nationals

Yunel Escobar's X-rays on left hand/wrist negative, but he'll need more tests

Following the Nationals' 4-3 win over the Mets, manager Matt Williams confirmed that third baseman Yunel Escobar has an injured left hand and wrist. He has been dealing with an injury to that area from earlier in the season. Escobar went down to the ground after taking a healthy swing in his first at-bat in the second inning on a pitch from Mets' right-hander Noah Syndergaard. He laid on top of home plate for almost a minute, and after recovering, stepped back into the box with a 1-2 count....

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Jordan Zimmermann aims for distance in series finale with Mets (with lineups)

July 22, 2015, 6:25am

Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann aims for distance in series finale with Mets (with lineups)

The Nationals enter this afternoon's rubber match holding a slim two-game lead over the Mets in the National League East. Jordan Zimmermann should be well-rested for today's outing since his last start on Friday was interrupted after only four innings due to a power failure at Nationals Park. Zimmermann beat the Mets 2-1 back on April 8, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks over six innings. Bryce Harper comes into today's game hitless in his last two, only the...

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Williams: Ross "pitched well" in tough loss to Mets

July 21, 2015, 7:11pm

Nationals

Williams: Ross "pitched well" in tough loss to Mets

Right-hander Joe Ross did his best to keep the Nationals in the game Tuesday. And for six-plus innings he did just that. But the seventh inning did not turn out the way the Nationals and Ross would have hoped. The Mets scored two runs in the seventh on a pinch-hit two-run single from Eric Campbell off Aaron Barrett. A single and a costly error by Clint Robinson set up the inning. Ross was lifted right before Campbell stepped in. "(We) are going to get to (Barrett) there with guys on second and...

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Bullpen struggles, Nats lose 7-2

July 21, 2015, 4:16pm

Nationals

Joe Ross retired the first nine hitters he faced before running into some trouble in the fourth. Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a single to center and then stole second. A groundout from Ruben Tejada moved Granderson to third. Ross followed by striking out Daniel Murphy. But after hitting Lucas Duda, Wilmer Flores delivered an RBI base knock up the middle scoring Granderson. Ross has allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks through four innings. Ian Desmond's...

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Late-inning bullpen concerns continue for Nats in 7-2 loss

July 21, 2015, 7:48pm

Nationals

Late-inning bullpen concerns continue for Nats in 7-2 loss

A night after playing one of their tighter games of the year, the Nationals seemed to unravel in a 7-2 loss to the Mets, mostly due to poor relief pitching and shoddy fielding. Rookie Joe Ross was impressive in his return to D.C. after a month at Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander took a 2-1 lead into the seventh when Wilmer Flores led off with a single. Kirk Nieuwenhuis followed with a bouncing ball down the first base line. "Clint (Robinson) decided to come get it and couldn't get it,"...

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Joe Ross is back, and Williams says he will stay until Strasburg is healthy

July 21, 2015, 1:05pm

Nationals

Joe Ross is back, and Williams says he will stay until Strasburg is healthy

There is something to be said for a rookie pitcher who is called up and told to jump right on the mound for a crucial start for the big club. Right-hander Joe Ross certainly looked the part in his initial start with the Nationals on June 6 against the Cubs. In that game, he went five innings, allowed six hits and only three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. He took the loss that day, but showed poise beyond his 22 years. And tonight, just like in that first game in early June, he comes...

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Matt Williams updates Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman

July 21, 2015, 4:01pm

Nationals

Matt Williams updates Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman

Anthony Rendon's minor league rehab assignment continued in Single-A Potomac's 7-0 win at Frederick today. Appearing as the designated hitter, Rendon went 1-for-3 with a single, two walks and a run scored. Rendon played the previous two games at third base for Potomac. Nationals manager Matt Williams indicated he would like to see Rendon play a full nine innings in the field before activating him. "He's scheduled to go again tomorrow," Williams said. "That's at least five (innings),...

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Gio Gonzalez credits defense after 7-2 win over Mets

July 20, 2015, 7:07pm

Nationals

Gio Gonzalez credits defense after 7-2 win over Mets

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez was once again solid and consistent in pitching the Nationals to a 7-2 victory over the Mets. Gonzalez went six innings, scattering six hits and allowing two runs for his seventh win. He has recorded only two losses since April 27. Gonzalez struck out four and walked three. But Gonzalez found himself in danger in the fifth. Leading 5-2, the Mets got singles from Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores to attempt a rally. With two men out, Eric Campbell lined a Gonzalez offering...