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Nationals Homestand Highlights vs. Tampa Bay Rays (June 17-18), Pittsburgh Pirates (June 19-21) & Atlanta Braves (June 23-25)

June 16, 2015, 7:48am

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Â· Grand Opening Celebration of the New Team Store and Nationals Motorcycle Unveil: The Nationals will be celebrating the Grand Opening of the new Team Store with special events on Wednesday before the game, including a special sweepstakes with Nationals memorabilia. In addition, the team will be unveiling a custom Nationals motorcycle presented by GEICO on Wednesday. Located inside the team store, the motorcycle will be raffled off in September. All proceeds will...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: Trying to fix the Nationals bullpen

June 16, 2015, 5:40am

Nationals

The Nationals bullpen has been struggling. The most recent example of how the bullpen has cost the Nats a win was the Thursday game in Milwaukee, where the bullpen gave up too many hits to ruin a 5-1 lead. Last year, the Nationals bullpen was very good, but they had Craig Stammen (out for the rest of this year with an injury), and Tyler Clippard and Jerry Blevins (both traded in the offseason). Now the Nats bullpen sports a collective 3.61 ERA, which ranks 10th in the National League and 20th...

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Stephen Strasburg set for rehab start; Joe Ross' second start opens doors for Nats

June 15, 2015, 7:55am

Nationals

Stephen Strasburg set for rehab start; Joe Ross' second start opens doors for Nats

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is set for a rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Harrisburg as they take on Richmond. The game will be at noon at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg, Pa. The gates open at 11 a.m. Strasburg has been on the disabled list since May 30 with a left trapezius strain. On Friday in Milwaukee, Strasburg threw 60 pitches in a bullpen session. Earlier, he had practiced holding the end of a towel in his follow-through until it whipped to find his release point....

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Gonzalez's short outing leaves Nats frustrated in 6-1 loss

June 15, 2015, 7:39pm

Nationals

Gonzalez's short outing leaves Nats frustrated in 6-1 loss

Any thought that Max Scherzer's awesome performance would carry over into Gio Gonzalez's start was eliminated rather quickly tonight. A day after Scherzer pitched a complete-game one-hitter, Gonzalez managed to hang around for just 3 1/3 innings as the Rays went on to thump the Nationals 6-1. The Rays filled the bases in the first on a single and two walks before Gonzalez narrowly escaped the jam. In the second, though, Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier almost single-handedly put his team...

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Bryce Harper returns, will DH vs. Rays (with lineups)

June 15, 2015, 12:20pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper returns, will DH vs. Rays (with lineups)

Bryce Harper missed his second game of the season yesterday after catching a fastball on the inside of his left knee in the ninth inning on Saturday. Harper is set to return tonight as Nationals manager Matt Williams has the 22-year-old penciled in as the designated hitter for the interleague contest against the Rays. It will be the first time Harper will serve as the DH in his four-year career. The Nationals will obviously welcome Harper's bat back to the lineup. He is slashing .529/.636/.941...

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Gonzalez roughed up in Nats' 6-1 loss

June 15, 2015, 4:36pm

Nationals

After quickly recording the first two outs, Gio Gonzalez labored through the remainder of the first inning. Gonzalez gave up a couple of walks and a base hit to load the bases before Danny Espinosa bailed him out of the jam. Rays first baseman Jake Elmore tapped a curveball back to Gonzalez, who fielded it well, then errantly threw to first base. Espinosa, making only his third career start at the position, calmly picked the one-hopper out of the dirt to close out the inning. Gonzalez wasn't...

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Ryan Zimmerman hosting sixth annual A Night at the Park to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis

June 15, 2015, 9:53am

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman hosting sixth annual A Night at the Park to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis

The face of the Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman serves as a veteran presence in the clubhouse, a potent bat in the middle of the order and an anchor at first base. However, he also brings so much more to the club and Washington D.C., area beyond the basepaths. Zimmerman's biggest impact can be seen through his work to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis through his foundation, the ziMS Foundation. Since its inception in 2006, the ziMS Foundation has made a strong impact on those diagnosed with...

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Max Scherzer wasn't perfect, but still scored 100

June 15, 2015, 4:51am

Nationals

Max Scherzer wasn't perfect, but still scored 100

Max Scherzer wasn't perfect yesterday, but he did achieve a score of 100. That lofty number in statistician Bill James' Game Score metric is actually rarer than throwing a perfect game. Twenty-three men have thrown perfect games in baseball history, but only 11 had reached the century mark for Game Score before Scherzer's 16-strikeout, one-hit, one-walk complete game shutout yesterday. Digging deeper, just five pitchers - Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Matt Cain, Clayton Kershaw and Kerry Wood -...

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Nearly perfect still left Scherzer feeling sweet in one-hit shutout

June 14, 2015, 2:43pm

Nationals

Nearly perfect still left Scherzer feeling sweet in one-hit shutout

It has long been said that baseball is a game of inches. Nationals ace Max Scherzer can relate to that better than anyone today after a broken-bat blooper from Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez floated just beyond the webbing of second baseman Anthony Rendon's glove, falling safely into right field and spoiling Scherzer's perfect game bid in the seventh inning. "I put some hair on that fastball, but he was able to get it in there and fall," Scherzer said on MASN's "Nats Xtra" postgame...

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Opposite dugout: In red-hot AL East, surprising Rays are right at top of the group

June 14, 2015, 8:43pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: In red-hot AL East, surprising Rays are right at top of the group

Manager: Kevin Cash (first season) Record: 35-29 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: 3B Evan Longoria (.266/.344/.408 with 6 HR, 28 RBIs), 2B Logan Forsythe (.264/.346/.431 with 7 HR, 28 RBIs), RF Steven Souza Jr. (12 HR, 29 RBIs), RHP Chris Archer (7-4, 2.00 ERA), RHP Brad Boxberger (17 saves, 3.04 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (1-2 in 2012) Pitching probables: June 15: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Erasmo Ramirez, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 June16: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Alex Colome, 7:10...

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Marty Niland: Dealing Desmond, prospects might put Nats over the top

June 15, 2015, 5:10am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Dealing Desmond, prospects might put Nats over the top

A banged-up, scuffling Nationals team has gotten up off the mat to win back-to-back games for the first time in almost three weeks and stay within spitting distance of the equally banged-up and scuffling New York Mets in the National League East. Now it's time for general manager Mike Rizzo to show us what he has and give his team the tools to put the division away. It's fair to say that the Nats have medium to long-term needs that can only be filled through a trade, as do their main division...

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Nobody's perfect, but Max Scherzer was close in Nats' 4-0 win

June 14, 2015, 11:18am

Nationals

Nobody's perfect, but Max Scherzer was close in Nats' 4-0 win

The Nationals jumped on the scoreboard first this afternoon. Denard Span bounced a single up the middle to lead off the third and then picked up his sixth stolen base. Danny Espinosa gave the Nats runners at the corners with a line drive just over the outstretched glove of Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett and into right field. Anthony Rendon followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right field that easily scored Span for the game's first run. It's Rendon first RBI on the season. Meanwhile,...

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Danny Espinosa's player value extends with ability to play first base

June 14, 2015, 2:48am

Nationals

Danny Espinosa's player value extends with ability to play first base

The Nationals opted to place Danny Espinosa in a position he had never played before in a major league game. Espinosa started at first base Saturday in the Nationals' 7-2 win over the Brewers. As expected, he had to make some plays. He had to flip the ball to the pitcher, a little high and a little late, but it worked to record the out. He had to stretch up the line once to make a stop in which the runner was safe. In the late-going, Espinosa went to one knee to make an athletic stab at a ball...

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The long wait for Trea Turner is over (updated)

June 14, 2015, 6:45am

Nationals

The long wait for Trea Turner is over (updated)

A day after rookie Joe Ross was stunning while snatching his first major league win, it appears the Nationals are primed to receive the final piece of the haul resulting from last December's three-team trade with the Padres and Rays. Highly regarded Padres shortstop prospect Trea Turner was widely known as the deal's player to be named, who would eventually join Ross with the Nationals once an antiquated Major League Baseball restriction on his departure expired. San Diego selected Turner...

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Nats without Bryce Harper in finale (with lineups)

June 14, 2015, 8:25am

Nationals

Nats without Bryce Harper in finale (with lineups)

Bryce Harper is out of this afternoon's lineup after being nailed by a 95 mph on the inside of his left knee during his final plate appearance in the ninth inning yesterday. The third-pitch heater from Brewers right-hander Michael Blazek ran in hard on Harper, leaving the young star hobbled and unable to continue in the game. It's the second time this season that Harper has been forced out of the starting lineup the day after being hit by a pitch. Harper missed a May 30 contest in Cincinnati...

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Ross impresses in first major league win (Harper injury update)

June 13, 2015, 4:55pm

Nationals

Ross impresses in first major league win (Harper injury update)

After a couple of weeks of erratic baseball, the Nationals seemed to rally around right-hander Joe Ross in a dominant and complete effort to help the rookie nab his first career major league win in a 7-2 victory over the Brewers. Milwaukee scored two on Ross in the second, but that was it as the 22-year-old went on to blank them for the next six frames while allowing seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts over eight innings in just his second big league start. "It's not easy,"...

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Fister scoreless rehab start and what about Chapman rumors? (updated)

June 13, 2015, 10:22am

Nationals

Fister scoreless rehab start and what about Chapman rumors? (updated)

The Nationals have hit a heavy skid the past two weeks, losing 11 of their last 14 games. One reason is the amount of starters that have been placed on the disabled list. Offensive starters like Denard Span, Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon have spent a good amount of time unable to play in regular season games due to various injuries and setbacks. The pitching staff has been hit significantly as well with starters Doug Fister and Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list. Craig...

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Ross, Nats dominant in 7-2 win (Harper injured)

June 13, 2015, 1:07pm

Nationals

Ross, Nats dominant in 7-2 win (Harper injured)

The Nationals triggered their struggling offense early today. Anthony Rendon and Yunel Escobar each knocked a one-out base hit in the first. Bryce Harper then delivered his 50th RBI of the season on a line drive single to left field, which scored Rendon. But the Nats left two on as Wilson Ramos struck out and Danny Espinosa grounded out to end the inning. Nationals rookie starter Joe Ross retired the Brewers in order in the bottom of the first before running into trouble in the second. First...

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Harper needs support, Espinosa starts at first base (with lineups)

June 13, 2015, 9:06am

Nationals

Harper needs support, Espinosa starts at first base (with lineups)

The Nationals are desperately searching for production behind Bryce Harper in the lineup as they continue to struggle to score runs. Harper factored in three of the Nats' four runs last night - mashing a solo homer, delivering an RBI single and scoring after drawing his major league-leading 51st walk. Teams continue to pitch around Harper with no consistent threat lurking in the order. Even the home run Harper launched off Brewers starter Mike Fiers last night was meant to be high and out of...

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David Carpenter activated, Aaron Barrett placed on 15-day DL

June 12, 2015, 10:41am

Nationals

David Carpenter activated, Aaron Barrett placed on 15-day DL

The Nationals don't have to worry about pulling an active pitcher off their 25-man roster to activate right-hander David Carpenter. Right-hander Aaron Barrett has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right biceps strain. Carpenter was activated officially today to take Barrett's place on the roster. He has previously pitched for Houston, Atlanta, Toronto and the New York Yankees. Barrett appeared to swing his arm in attempt to stretch it out after allowing the go-ahead RBI single to...