nationals

New team store unveiled tonight, Nationals minor leaguer allows no hits for seven frames

May 19, 2015, 2:59am

The Nationals will unveil their brand new team store tonight prior to their series opener against the Yankees. The new store is nearly double the size of the previous store and is located behind right-center field under the Lot C garage. You can also access the store from the street during non-game days. The first 25,000 fans to enter the ballpark through all tonight will receive a special 10-year anniversary tote bag presented by MLB Network. The Nationals also open up the Virginia Country...

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Source: Jayson Werth to DL, Wilmer Difo to be called up (moves official)

May 19, 2015, 7:20am

Nationals

Source: Jayson Werth to DL, Wilmer Difo to be called up (moves official)

The Nationals return home to begin a five-game homestand, but may have to do without starting left fielder Jayson Werth for a couple of weeks. Werth will be placed on the 15-day disabled list today and shortstop Wilmer Difo will be called up from Double-A Harrisburg, according to an industry source. Werth was hit by a pitch on his left wrist Friday in San Diego, but an MRI on Monday reportedly confirmed that there were no broken bones or ligament damage. However, Werth has had three surgeries...

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Danny Espinosa a pleasant surprise in Nats offense

May 19, 2015, 4:57am

Nationals

Danny Espinosa a pleasant surprise in Nats offense

The Nationals return home as the hottest team in baseball for a quick two-game taste of interleague play with the New York Yankees. Mired in an offensive quagmire for much of the season's first month, the Nats offense has exploded after being detonated in the April 28 mind-blowing comeback win in Atlanta. So far this year, the Nats have scored 10 or more runs in a game six times and their 194 runs overall are best in the National League. The obvious reason for the turnaround has been the...

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Nationals return home for rare series against the Bronx Bombers (with lineups)

May 19, 2015, 11:20am

Nationals

The Nationals open a quick two-game series against the New York Yankees tonight. Both teams arrive 22-17, but the Nats are on a better streak, winning 15 of their last 19 games and going 5-2 on their recent road trip. The Yankees have lost five of their last six games. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.25 ERA) gets the start for the Nationals while New York sends right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (3-1, 4.14) to the hill. For the Nationals:Denard Span CF Ian Desmond SS Yunel Escobar 3B Bryce Harper RF...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: The Nationals' secret slugger

May 19, 2015, 6:29am

Nationals

Last week, I wrote about Bryce Harper and how he is surging at the plate. Harper has become the best baseball player in all of Major League Baseball right now. His six home runs, 13 RBIs and .455 batting average this past week helped the Nats go 5-2 and outscore their opponents 53-35. Now that Harper has won two consecutive National League Player of the Week awards, I wanted to let you in on the other secret to the Nats' recent success: Wilson Ramos. Harper is getting all the attention he...

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Opposite dugout: Surprising Yankees confounding the experts by succeeding

May 16, 2015, 12:48pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Surprising Yankees confounding the experts by succeeding

Manager: Joe Girardi (8th season) Record: 22-17 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.327/.411/.374 with 28 R and 14 SB), LF Brett Gardner (.303 with 3 HR, 16 RBIs, 10), DH Alex Rodriguez (10 HR and 22 RBIs), 1B Mark Teixeira (11 HR and 28 RBIs), RHP Dellin Betances (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 32 Ks in 21 IP), LHP Andrew Miller (0.00 ERA, 13 saves, 29 Ks in 17 2/3) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (3-0 in 2012) Pitching probables: May 19: RHP Nate Eovaldi vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez,...

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A focused and aggressive Strasburg gets back on track (Davis note)

May 17, 2015, 7:04pm

Nationals

A focused and aggressive Strasburg gets back on track (Davis note)

SAN DIEGO - There has never been a question about the quality of Stephen Strasburg's pitching repertoire or his stuff. He features a blazing fastball in the high 90s that darts around the plate, usually backed up by sharp breaking ball. What has seemed to frustrate those around the Nationals organization lately with Strasburg has been his mental approach on the mound, especially with runners on base. Adversity faced Strasburg right away in the first inning on Sunday. He had just thrown a...

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Bryce Harper claims second straight NL Player of the Week honors

May 18, 2015, 11:40am

Nationals

Bryce Harper claims second straight NL Player of the Week honors

What does Bryce Harper do for an encore? How about winning a second consecutive National League Player of the Week award? Harper's hot streak continued through a swing through Phoenix and San Diego, and as a result, the 22-year-old Nationals right fielder has become just the 10th player to take back-to-back Player of the Week honors since the inception of the award in 1974. The last to turn the trick was Philadelphia's Domonic Brown in 2013. The other members of the consecutive winners club...

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Harper again named National League Player of the Week

May 18, 2015, 11:47am

Nationals

Harper again named National League Player of the Week

Following a historically powerful week with an encore that continued to solidify his place among the game's elite, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper earned his second consecutive National League Player of the Week award on Monday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network. Harper went 12-for-23 (.522) over the last week, posting a .656 on-base percentage and a 1.087 slugging percentage, courtesy of two doubles, one triple, three home runs, nine RBI, nine walks,...

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Bryce Harper having his way in Nats' 10-5 win

May 17, 2015, 5:35pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper having his way in Nats' 10-5 win

SAN DIEGO - It's come now to the point where you're left surprised when Bryce Harper doesn't reach base. On Sunday, he did just about everything at the plate, including smacking his National League-leading 14th homer, to help the Nationals to a 10-5 win over the Padres in the series finale. "Oh, my God? I'm gonna say O-M-G. That's it," Jose Lobaton said. "It's unbelievable. How can you explain that? Go oppo whenever he wants. Pull the ball. Hit a homer. Hit doubles. Triples. I don't...

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Lopez provides another solid start, plus Harper home run notes

May 18, 2015, 3:19am

Nationals

Lopez provides another solid start, plus Harper home run notes

Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez pitched six innings with a no-decision in high Single-A Potomac's 3-2 loss at Wilmington. Lopez allowed only one run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He is still 2-0 and his ERA is 0.53. Lopez threw 85 pitches, 48 for strikes, while facing 24 batters. He induced seven groundout, three flyouts and had one hit by pitch. Lopez was reportedly hitting 96-97 mph on his fastball and touching 98 mph. He left with a 2-1 lead. Twitter reaction to his...

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Marty Niland: Solid anchor Scherzer has been worth every penny

May 18, 2015, 5:30am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Solid anchor Scherzer has been worth every penny

Lots of people thought the Nationals already had the best starting pitching in the major leagues before Jan. 21, when Max Scherzer joined the team with a seven-year, $120 million free agent deal. Some might even have thought it was a superfluous move by the Nats, an investment that might have been better made in another big bat or re-signing one of the key players whose contacts are set to expire after the 2015 season. But six weeks into the 2015 season, there's little doubt that the 2013...

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Harper, Espinosa homer in Nats' 10-5 win

May 17, 2015, 12:48pm

Nationals

Harper, Espinosa homer in Nats' 10-5 win

SAN DIEGO - Stephen Strasburg opened today's game with back-to-back strikeouts. The only problem was that the action on his third strike curveball to Abraham Almonte was so sharp that it skipped behind Jose Lobaton allowing Almonte to reach base safely. Almonte immediately took advantage by stealing second. Then, on the fifth pitch of Matt Kemp's at-bat, Almonte took off for third. Kemp hit a hard grounder up the middle, which Danny Espinosa made a stellar diving stop on. But, by the time...

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Scherzer gets ahead early, finishes strong

May 16, 2015, 10:19pm

Nationals

Scherzer gets ahead early, finishes strong

SAN DIEGO - With runners on the corners and his pitch count climbing near 100, Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer reached back and found something extra to end a Padres threat with back-to-back strikeouts in the seventh inning last night. "I always believe your last 15 pitches kind of dictate how you feel about your start," Scherzer said. "I was still able to pitch at my best. Still had my best fastball. Still had my best stuff there, even when I was approaching the end. So when Willy...

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Nats hoping home cooking can spark Strasburg's season (with lineups)

May 17, 2015, 9:59am

Nationals

Nats hoping home cooking can spark Strasburg's season (with lineups)

SAN DIEGO - Right-hander Stephen Strasburg is set to make his second career start in his home city. Strasburg attended West Hills High School and San Diego St. University, where the Nationals drafted him from with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Strasburg's only start at Petco Park came on May 16, 2013 when he claimed the win after allowing just one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts in eight innings. The 26-year-old has been slow to find his groove this...

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Nationals' quick starts have fueled strong road trip (plus minors notes)

May 17, 2015, 2:43am

Nationals

Sunday morning feels good to the Nationals, who have a chance to make it a very good road trip with a win today. The Nationals have taken two out of three in Arizona and now in San Diego, thanks to Saturday's 4-1 Max Scherzer special. Scherzer struck out 11 to get above .500. The Nationals have now climbed to within a half-game of the National League East-leading Mets, who led the division by eight games in late April. A victory today would also put the Nationals a season-high five games above...

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Jayson Werth hoping the past doesn't become the present with latest wrist injury

May 16, 2015, 7:25pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth hoping the past doesn't become the present with latest wrist injury

SAN DIEGO - After Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne struck Jayson Werth on his left wrist with a fastball on Friday night, the 35-year old attempted to remain in the game. When the top of the second inning ended, Nationals manager Matt Williams met Werth outside the dugout to check on the 13-year veteran. "I got my glove (and) was like trying to squeeze it and I just couldn't," Werth said. "I told Matt, 'It's gonna come back. I'll go play defense and if it's not good by the time we...

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Scherzer's "incredible" performance drives Nationals to 4-1 win

May 16, 2015, 9:39pm

Nationals

SAN DIEGO - Pumping his fists, revved up and yelling is how Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer left the mound after the seventh inning of Saturday night's 4-1 win over the Padres. Scherzer was dominant throughout his eighth start of the season, but he ran into difficulty in the seventh. A leadoff double by Yangervis Solarte and a single by Alexi Amarista left runners on the corners with one out and the game still in reach as the Nats led by four. But Scherzer reared back and found 96 mph a...

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Lights out perfomance from Max Scherzer (Nats win 4-1)

May 16, 2015, 5:25pm

Nationals

Lights out perfomance from Max Scherzer (Nats win 4-1)

For the second straight night, the Nationals lit up the scoreboard in the first inning. Ian Desmond ripped a line drive past Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks for a double and Yunel Escobar wasted no time plating Desmond with a single to right. Bryce Harper followed by battling Padres starter Andrew Cashner in a 10-pitch at-bat before knocking a base hit to right. That left runners at the corners for Ryan Zimmerman, who scored Escobar on a slow-rolling groundout. Zimmerman stands fifth in...

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Williams unsure of timetable for Fister after MRI reveals no tear

May 16, 2015, 4:08pm

Nationals

Williams unsure of timetable for Fister after MRI reveals no tear

SAN DIEGO - Nationals starter Doug Fister met with team orthopedist Dr. Wiemi Douoguih in Washington, D.C., today after experiencing tightness in his right forearm in the second inning of his Thursday night outing. "He's got a flexor strain," Nationals manager Matt Williams reported. "The fact that there's no tear in the MRI, that's a really good sign." Fister was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday. "He gets shut down for a few days, making sure that it's calmed down...