nationals

Led by Harper, Nats offense has come charging back

May 15, 2015, 11:26pm

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals had never scored more than seven runs in franchise history in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. On Friday night, they poured in 10 runs in a runaway shutout win. The attack started quick with the first five batters reaching base. A single from Bryce Harper plated Denard Span for the first run. A bases-loaded walk to Ryan Zimmerman sent Yunel Escobar across the plate. And even on a double play grounder by Wilson Ramos, the Nats were able to score. They put four on the board...

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Werth sits with injured left wrist, Taylor makes start in left (with lineups)

May 16, 2015, 1:37pm

Nationals

Werth sits with injured left wrist, Taylor makes start in left (with lineups)

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals will be without Jayson Werth this evening after the left fielder was struck by a pitch in his left wrist during his second at-bat last night. Werth left the game and was taken for X-rays, which were negative. Rookie Michael A. Taylor will start in left today and bat eighth. Taylor was the hero on Wednesday after coming off the bench to hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Diamondbacks 9-6. In 24 games this season, Taylor is batting .264 with...

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X-rays on Jayson Werth's left wrist negative

May 15, 2015, 9:58pm

Nationals

X-rays on Jayson Werth's left wrist negative

SAN DIEGO - Just as Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth seemed to be turning the corner after a rough start, another setback occurred in Friday's 10-0 victory over San Diego. Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne ran a 92 mph sinker in on Werth that violently struck his left wrist in the second inning. Werth crashed to the ground, clutching his wrist in obvious pain. Nationals manager Matt Williams and head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz quickly came out of the dugout to tend to Werth, who decided to...

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Cole's huge bounceback performance helps rest bullpen (plus minors notes)

May 16, 2015, 4:10am

Nationals

Cole's huge bounceback performance helps rest bullpen (plus minors notes)

Friday night was a perfect second outing for rookie right-hander A.J. Cole. After starting in his first major league game, Cole came in to pitch three string innings in the Nationals' 10-0 shutout over the Padres. Cole threw 37 pitches and 23 for strikes. He allowed only one hit and recorded nine outs, no runs, a strikeout and no walks. He recorded his first professional save. On April 28, Cole lasted only two innings and allowed nine hits and nine runs, but only four of those runs were...

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Harper homers, Nats win 10-0 (Werth hit by pitch, leaves game)

May 15, 2015, 7:00pm

Nationals

Harper homers, Nats win 10-0 (Werth hit by pitch, leaves game)

SAN DIEGO - The first five batters reached base tonight against Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne, leading to four runs in the first for the Nationals. Three straight singles from Denard Span, Yunel Escobar and Jayson Werth loaded the bases for Bryce Harper's broken bat RBI flare to right field. Harper has now driven in 32 runs, one behind major league leader Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins. The Nationals claimed the next run when Despaigne walked Ryan Zimmerman to score Escobar. Wilson...

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Tightness in Doug Fister's forearm forces a trip to the 15-day DL

May 15, 2015, 6:06pm

Nationals

Tightness in Doug Fister's forearm forces a trip to the 15-day DL

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals are no strangers to adversity this year. Infielder Anthony Rendon has yet to take the field because of a left knee sprain, and veterans Denard Span and Jayson Werth both have missed time after having the start of their year's delayed due to offseason surgeries. But other than right-hander Casey Janssen's shoulder tendinitis and rookie reliever Felipe River's stomach ulcer, no pitcher had spent any time on the 15-day disabled list until starter Doug Fister found his...

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Doug Fister lands on 15-day DL, A.J. Cole recalled (with lineups)

May 15, 2015, 3:15pm

Nationals

Doug Fister lands on 15-day DL, A.J. Cole recalled (with lineups)

SAN DIEGO - A day after being rocked for two homers and seven runs in just two innings, Nationals starter Doug Fister is heading to the 15-day disabled list with right forearm tightness. The Nats have recalled right-hander A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse to fill Fister's spot in the rotation. Fister is 2-2 with a 4.31 ERA in seven starts this year. The 31-year old has surrendered five homers in 39 2/3 innings so far. He spent the first month of last season on the DL dealing with a right lat...

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Fister placed on 15-day DL, Cole recalled from Triple-A

May 15, 2015, 3:28pm

Nationals

Fister placed on 15-day DL, Cole recalled from Triple-A

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse and placed right-handed pitcher Doug Fister on the 15-day Disabled List with right forearm tightness on Friday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Cole, 23, entered the 2015 season ranked as the Nationals' No. 6 prospect, and the No. 91 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America. The hard-throwing right-hander, who was added to the...

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Giolito makes impressive second start, fans career high 11 in 1-0 loss

May 15, 2015, 4:10am

Nationals

Giolito makes impressive second start, fans career high 11 in 1-0 loss

Right-hander Lucas Giolito had a superb second start for high Single-A Potomac at Wilmington on Thursday night. The Nationals' top prospect Giolito (0-2) went six innings and allowed one run on five hits, striking out a career-high 11 batters in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Rocks. He faced 23 batters, and induced five groundouts and one flyout. Wilmington's Frank Schwindel had a triple and RBI single against Giolito that plated the game's lone tally in the sixth. The P-Nats' offense could not...

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Doug Fister rocked early as Nats fall 8-3

May 14, 2015, 9:00pm

Nationals

Doug Fister rocked early as Nats fall 8-3

SAN DIEGO - Padres starter Tyson Ross opened the game by striking out Nationals center fielder Denard Span. Then the skies opened up, and for only the fifth time in the history of Petco Park, a Padres game was delayed by rain. One hour, 56 minutes later, the game resumed with third baseman Yunel Escobar softly grounding out to Padres first baseman Will Middlebrooks. Ross then struck out left fielder Jayson Werth swinging to end the Nats' half of the inning. Right-hander Doug Fister quickly...

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Fister won't blame it on the rain in Nats' 8-3 pounding in San Diego

May 15, 2015, 4:53am

Nationals

Fister won't blame it on the rain in Nats' 8-3 pounding in San Diego

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals entered this season with the so-called most-feared rotation in all of baseball. Words like historic and legendary were thrown around to describe them. Now, as all five have made seven starts each this season, there are more questions than guarantees. Four have ERAs over 4.00 as tall righty Doug Fister was the latest to get rocked in last night's 8-3 drubbing by the Padres. Fister's evening lasted just 41 pitches as he was unable to make it past the second inning...

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Opposite dugout: Padres hoping busy offseason pays dividends in NL West

May 11, 2015, 1:46pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Padres hoping busy offseason pays dividends in NL West

Manager: Bud Black (9th season) Record: 18-17 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: LF Justin Upton (.276, 8 HR, 24 RBIs), CF /1B Wil Meyers (.291, 5 HR, 19 RBIs), RF Matt Kemp (21 RBIs), RHP Andrew Cashner (1-6, 3.07 ERA, 45 Ks in 44 IP), RHP Craig Kimbrel (10 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (3-4 in 2014) Pitching probables: May 14: RHP Doug Fister vs. RHP Tyson Ross, 10:10 p.m., MASN May 15: RHP Jordan Zimmermann vs. RHP Odrisamer Despaigne, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 May 16: RHP Max...

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Morning coffee: On Game 7 guarantees, the backups shining and minors notes

May 14, 2015, 3:07am

Nationals

Morning coffee: On Game 7 guarantees, the backups shining and minors notes

I kind of feel for Alex Ovechkin this morning. He made a guarantee statement after the Capitals lost a heartbreaking Game 6 to the New York Rangers in the NHL Playoffs. After such a loss, Ovechkin was bold enough to predict the Capitals would go to New York Wednesday night and topple the first-seed Rangers in Game 7. They almost did it, forcing the Rangers into overtime before falling 2-1. He did everything he could to will the win, scoring the only goal of the game for the Capitals in giving...

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Rendon ramping up rehab in Florida (game under way)

May 14, 2015, 5:49pm

Nationals

Rendon ramping up rehab in Florida (game under way)

SAN DIEGO - Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon returned to Florida today to restart his baseball activity, according to manager Matt Williams. It will be the second time this season that Rendon has been forced to spend time rehabbing away from the team in Florida after initially spraining his left knee during the exhibition season. Rendon seemed to be days away from rejoining the Nationals when he began experiencing tightness in his side during a minor league rehab stint on April 28. He was...

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Wilson Ramos looks to stay hot against the Padres (with lineups)

May 14, 2015, 3:11pm

Nationals

Wilson Ramos looks to stay hot against the Padres (with lineups)

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals enter tonight's contest against the Padres having won 12 of their last 15 games and five consecutive series. After a day off, catcher Wilson Ramos returns to the lineup riding a major league-best and career-high 15-game hitting streak. During the stretch, Ramos is batting .390 (23-for-59) with four doubles, eight RBIs and six runs scored. Right-hander Doug Fister is on his own run, having not allowed a walk in the last 17 2/3 innings. He brings a 2-1 record with a...

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Rookie Michael A. Taylor arrives in grand fashion

May 14, 2015, 4:20am

Nationals

Rookie Michael A. Taylor arrives in grand fashion

Off the field, at least to the media, Nationals rookie Michael A. Taylor portrays a shy demeanor. On the field, the 23-year old plays the game loudly and without fear. Consider some of these moments in his early 40-game career. He wasted no time collecting his first career homer as it came in his major league debut last August on the road at Citi Field. Then, with Denard Span out at the start of this year, Taylor was given the honor of filling the leadoff role and being the Nats' first batter...

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David Huzzard: Overlooked and underappreciated

May 13, 2015, 8:23pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Overlooked and underappreciated

By many metrics, the Nationals' starting staff is the best in the majors, the offense is scoring 4.77 runs a game and if one wants to find a weakness with this team, one might point to the bullpen. The Nationals bullpen isn't statistically bad by ERA, FIP or fWAR, but it has blown the third-most saves in the majors and has blinked first in several tie games. The Nats have struggled to find a replacement for Tyler Clippard with Casey Janssen on the disabled list, and don't even ask what...

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With Harper out, Taylor slams door on fifth straight series win

May 13, 2015, 5:08pm

Nationals

With Harper out, Taylor slams door on fifth straight series win

Sometimes you just need your teammates to pick you up. That's exactly what Nationals rookie Michael A. Taylor did for Bryce Harper in the ninth inning of today's intense 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks. Harper, arguably the game's most explosive player right now, blew up in the wrong kind of way on a controversial check-swing strike three call in the seventh. Home plate umpire Rob Drake was having no part of Harper's tempestuous argument and sent the 22-year-old to the showers. It appeared to...

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Morning coffee: Lopez shines again, Janssen's solid rehab outing and more notes

May 13, 2015, 1:49am

Nationals

Morning coffee: Lopez shines again, Janssen's solid rehab outing and more notes

Nationals right-hander reliever Casey Janssen (shoulder inflammation) continued his rehab assignment up a level at Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday night. Janssen pitched a scoreless eighth as the Senators downed Reading, 4-1. Right-hander starter Joe Ross went seven innings to lift Harrisburg to their first series win of the season. Harrisburg (13-18) can earn a series sweep with a morning victory today. Paul Demny did not give up a run in the ninth to record his first save of the...

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Michael A. Taylor's fill-in grand slam devastates Diamondbacks in Nats' 9-6 win

May 13, 2015, 12:52pm

Nationals

Michael A. Taylor's fill-in grand slam devastates Diamondbacks in Nats' 9-6 win

Right fielder Bryce Harper roped a double down the right field line to start the second. But, the Nationals wasted the prime early scoring opportunity when Diamondbacks starter Jeremy Hellickson retired the next three batters in order. Arizona fared much better with their scoring chance in the bottom of the inning. Nats starter Gio Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single to third baseman Aaron Hill. He was able to advance to second, and then scored on a two-out base hit to left from shortstop Nick...