nationals

Baseball craves Bryce Harper's personality

May 21, 2015, 9:46am

Bryce Harper will never be universally liked. Understand that first, and then we can begin the discussion. I could use the rest of this page describing why scouts have been drooling about Harper since he was taking pre-Algebra. But we know all of those reasons and we've seen them on display in his first four seasons, and certainly the past few weeks. The problem is that some will never accept the total package that accompanies Harper's ultra-talented skill set. When you grace the cover of...

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Second thoughts on when Anthony Rendon returns

May 22, 2015, 4:52am

Nationals

Second thoughts on when Anthony Rendon returns

The turnaround the Nationals offense has made is almost quite as dramatic as some of their late-inning comebacks since their perplexing 7-13 start. Their 205 runs scored and 199 RBIs lead the National League and are second-best in all of baseball to Toronto. And, the scary thought is they continue to do it without one of the top run producers from 2014 in their lineup. Anthony Rendon drove in 83 runs and scored a league-high 111 while finishing fifth in the NL MVP vote in just his second year...

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Giolito notches first high Single-A win; updates on Janssen, Rendon, Davis and others

May 21, 2015, 4:24am

Nationals

Giolito notches first high Single-A win; updates on Janssen, Rendon, Davis and others

Last week it was a new career high in strikeouts. This week it's his first high Single-A victory. His teammates took care of that for him with a nice comeback. Right-hander Lucas Giolito (1-2) also went a season-high seven innings and fired 87 pitches. This is a rarified air for the kid the Nationals have been uber careful with since he recovered and returned from Tommy John surgery. Giolito notched nine strikeouts and allowed three earned runs, walking none. He threw 63 of his 87 pitches for...

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Grace and Treinen big finds for Nats bullpen, P-Nats break out with 11 runs

May 22, 2015, 2:51am

Nationals

Grace and Treinen big finds for Nats bullpen, P-Nats break out with 11 runs

Left-hander Matt Grace has been a find for the Nationals this season. The UCLA product has been left in to face lefties and righties recently and has not allowed a run in three straight appearances. Grace is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA. In his last two outings, he battled and worked around walks to a dangerous hitter in the Yankees lineup, Mark Teixeira. Tuesday night it was four sliders that Teixeira didn't swing at. Wednesday, he got behind on three sinkers, 3-0. A fastball got it to 3-1, but then...

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Bryce Harper: "I don't think 40,000 people came to watch him ump tonight"

May 20, 2015, 7:44pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper: "I don't think 40,000 people came to watch him ump tonight"

The second ejection of star Bryce Harper in the past week overshadowed the Nationals' 12th come-from-behind win in tonight's 3-2 triumph over the Yankees. Harper, the current back-to-back winner of the National League's Player of the Week honors, was tossed by home plate umpire Melvin Hudson in the third inning during his second at-bat. Hudson had just called Yankees starter Adam Warren's first pitch to Harper a strike. It looked low. There was objection from Nationals manager Matt Williams...

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Zimmermann and Moore star in another Nats comeback win

May 20, 2015, 7:17pm

Nationals

Zimmermann and Moore star in another Nats comeback win

The Nationals survived an early deficit and the emotions from losing their best player to an ejection in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Yankees. Despite giving up two runs in the first inning, starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann felt pretty confident about his outing, lasting seven innings and holding the Yankees to five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. "Everything was working. I had pretty good stuff tonight," Zimmermann said. "First inning was just they were on the fastball and I left...

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David Huzzard: Should Nationals be targeting Rockies' Tulowitzki?

May 20, 2015, 7:35pm

Nationals

When the Nationals signed Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract, they signaled that they were not only going for it in 2015 but where going to be competitive for a long time. Unfortunately, many ignored the fact that it was a multi-year contract and labeled it a win-now move. The Nationals are very interested in winning in 2015 and general manager Mike Rizzo has shown a willingness to do what it takes to construct a roster capable of doing just that, but he also wants to be able...

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Bryce Harper's explanation for his ejection

May 20, 2015, 6:54pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper's explanation for his ejection

A candid Bryce Harper addressed the media after tonight's 3-2 win to discuss his third inning ejection by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson: "I feel like he (umpire Marvin Hudson) was more mad at Matt (Williams) than he was me. I was just standing there. He called the strike and I didn't care really. I just looked off and put my head over. I looked at the floor and was like, 'That was a little down, don't you think?' He told me to get in the box and I was already in the box. Then I was...

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Following return from surgery, Span employs measured pace to reach mid-season form

May 20, 2015, 2:03pm

Nationals

Following return from surgery, Span employs measured pace to reach mid-season form

Center fielder Denard Span started the 2015 season on the disabled list as he recovered from core surgery. Since his return, Span has hit .327 (32-for-98) with nine doubles, three homers, three stolen bases and 12 RBIs in 23 games. He has been provided scheduled days off and has recovered well to start the following game. The next day soreness has been normal, what you would expect after a game the night before, and has reported no after effects from the offseason surgery. "I am pleased....

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Nats overcome Bryce Harper's ejection in 3-2 win

May 20, 2015, 3:30pm

Nationals

Nats overcome Bryce Harper's ejection in 3-2 win

The Yankees came out swinging against Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann. After knocking a leadoff single, Brett Gardner scored the game's first run on Carlos Beltran's double to the right-center field gap. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly from Brian McCann plated Beltran. The Nationals answered in their side of the frame. For the second consecutive day, Ian Desmond ripped a first inning homer. The solo shot was Desmond's fourth on the season. Yankees starter Adam Warren surrendered walks...

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Wilson Ramos continues attacking during 19-game hitting streak

May 20, 2015, 2:26pm

Nationals

Wilson Ramos continues attacking during 19-game hitting streak

Ryan Zimmerman's dramatic walk-off blast overshadowed many significant moments in last night's 11th come-from-behind win, and rightfully so. But, the Nationals were able to get to Zimmerman's extra inning heroics because Wilson Ramos aggressively stepped to the plate in the sixth and blasted a game-tying solo home run. "In that situation, we were down by one and I get three balls in a row and I saw the third base coach he give me the green light to swing the bat," Ramos said. "But, I'm...

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Jordan Zimmermann looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)

May 20, 2015, 11:53am

Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)

The Nationals enter tonight's game against the Yankees having won four consecutive games that Jordan Zimmermann has started. The right-hander hurled six scoreless innings against the Padres in last Friday's 10-0 victory while also collecting a double at the plate. Zimmermann will work with Wilson Ramos behind the plate this evening. Ramos extended his major league-leading 19-game hitting streak with a solo homer last night that tied the game in the sixth. Over the stretch, Ramos is batting...

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Treinen's bounceback fueled by confidence of entire bullpen

May 20, 2015, 3:21am

Nationals

Treinen's bounceback fueled by confidence of entire bullpen

It has been an amazing turnaround for the Nationals. After losing 13 of their first 20 games, the Nationals have rebounded, winning 16 of the next 20. The bullpen has been a major part of the run with a healthy mix of veterans and younger guys, some getting their first shot at high-leverage situations and delivering. Right-hander Blake Treinen struggled earlier in the season, especially against lefties. He had allowed eight earned runs in his first 11 appearances this season, watching his ERA...

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Jayson Werth on injured wrist: "About as bad as it could be without being broke"

May 19, 2015, 11:32pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth on injured wrist: "About as bad as it could be without being broke"

Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday afternoon with a contusion on his left wrist resulting from a 92 mph fastball that struck him in the second inning of Friday's win in San Diego. Werth left that game shortly after and was taken for X-rays that proved negative. On Monday, he received positive results from an MRI that didn't reveal any ligament damage. "I'm relieved," Werth said yesterday. "I wish it felt better. I'm optimistic, but I...

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Rachel Levitin: Another memory for Nats fans, Zimmerman to cherish

May 20, 2015, 6:02am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Another memory for Nats fans, Zimmerman to cherish

Since their inception in 2005, the Nationals have gone from a cellar-dwelling team to a two-time National League East championship ballclub eager to take home baseball's top prize of a world championship. There have been several major milestone moments along the way, including the team's first no-hitter pitched by Jordan Zimmermann in 2014 and the back-to-back No. 1 draft picks of Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010 that added talent - and mainstream buzz within the American...

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Ryan Zimmerman's 10th career walk-off homer beats Yankees 8-6

May 19, 2015, 8:35pm

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman's 10th career walk-off homer beats Yankees 8-6

Yankees closer Andrew Miller had not allowed a single run in 17 appearances this year. In fact, the intimidating lefty had only surrendered three hits. Ryan Zimmerman dumped those numbers in the Anacostia River. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and the game tied, Zimmerman smacked a 96 mph heater off the right field foul pole for a two-run walk-off homer to beat the Yankees, 8-6. "It was real fair at the beginning, and at the very end it started to take a right turn," Zimmerman said....

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Nats win 8-6 on Ryan Zimmerman's two-run walk-off homer

May 19, 2015, 3:42pm

Nationals

Nats win 8-6 on Ryan Zimmerman's two-run walk-off homer

Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi didn't receive a warm welcome from the Nationals' red-hot offense in the first inning. Ian Desmond, the Nats' second batter, ripped a 3-1 pitch, a 98 mph heater, over the scoreboard in right-center for a solo homer. It's Desmond's third on the season. Two batters later, Bryce Harper continued his assault, golfing an Eovaldi slider over the wall in center. The bullet, which just cleared the wall, was reviewed briefly for fan interference before the original...

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Bryce Harper on back-to-back Player of the Week honors: "I hope I win it again"

May 19, 2015, 1:38pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper on back-to-back Player of the Week honors: "I hope I win it again"

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in a row. Harper went 12-for-23 (.522), with a .656 on-base percentage and a 1.087 slugging percentage. He had two doubles, one triple, two stolen bases, three homers and nine RBIs as the Nationals went 5-2 vs. Arizona and San Diego. In May, Harper is hitting a blistering .411 clip, with a .529 OBP and a .982 slugging percentage. He is only the 10th player to take home the award...

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Nationals bullpen manages to outduel Yankees bullpen in extra-inning win

May 19, 2015, 7:53pm

Nationals

A big key to the Yankees' nice start to the season has been their bullpen, especially right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller. In 36 combined appearances, the duo accumulated a 0.00 ERA. Miller arrived with 13 saves already this season, but the veteran hurler allowed the game-ending, two-run shot to Ryan Zimmerman in the bottom of the 10th as the Nationals stunned the Yankees, 8-6. In what was a secondary theme of the win, the Nationals bullpen ultimately outdueled the...

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Williams on Werth, Difo, Janssen and Rendon

May 19, 2015, 2:30pm

Nationals

Williams on Werth, Difo, Janssen and Rendon

Nationals manager Matt Williams will be without Jayson Werth for a while after the left fielder was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list due to the fastball he took off his left wrist in the second inning of Friday's win in San Diego. "He's got a contusion," Williams said. "It's gonna be sore, it's gonna be swollen. It's still swollen. So we have to get that taken care of before he can even start back. Three days down already. Not really ready for a few more to even get back to...