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Marlins complete the sweep in 6-2 win over reeling Nats

April 26, 2015, 9:47am

MIAMI - Right fielder Bryce Harper helped the Nats' scoring issues with a solo homer in the second off Marlins starter Dan Haren. Harper evened the count after falling down 0-2 and then smacked his fifth bomb of the year to right field. It's the sixth home run that Haren has given up in four outings. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single to second baseman Dee Gordon in the first but was no harm was done as Gonzalez was able to strikeout right fielder Giancarlo Stanton and...

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Gio Gonzalez takes the mound in emotional homecoming

April 25, 2015, 8:00pm

Nationals

Gio Gonzalez takes the mound in emotional homecoming

MIAMI - When Nationals left hander Gio Gonzalez takes the mound today, he will not only be feeling the pressure of stopping his team's four-game losing streak but also the emotions of pitching in Marlins Park about 20 minutes from where he grew up. "Most of Hialeah is coming out," Gonzalez said. "It's pretty exciting. I'm pretty nervous, just pitching in front of the home crowd is always nice." Hialeah, Fla., is a city just northwest of Miami that has the highest percentage of Cuban and...

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Reetz making big strides in less than one full year with Nationals

April 23, 2015, 2:23pm

Nationals

Nationals catching prospect Jakson Reetz is making nice gains nearing his first full year in the organization. The 6-foot-1, 195 lb. backstop from Norris, Neb., was selected in the third round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft Nationals catching coordinator Michael Barrett has seen the acceleration by the 19-year-old Reetz firsthand. Barrett said Reetz looked the part of a catcher, offensively and defensively. "I saw him in the summer last year and he did a phenomenal job," Barrett said....

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Frustrations spill over for Strasburg in Nats' fourth straight loss

April 25, 2015, 4:40pm

Nationals

Frustrations spill over for Strasburg in Nats' fourth straight loss

MIAMI - In the midst of a three-game losing streak, Nationals manager Matt Williams said he felt his team was close to turning things around before today's game against the Marlins. Four hours later, after being blanked 8-0, it appears that gap has widened significantly. "Well, 8-0 is pretty bad," Williams said. "But today was one of those days where there was not much to say, other than they got some big hits (and) we didn't. It's a rough day for us, but we've got to respond. We have to...

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Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)

April 26, 2015, 6:52am

Nationals

Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)

MIAMI - Trying to get out of an offensive rut, Nationals manager Matt Williams is back to tinkering with his lineup. Third baseman Yunel Escobar and his 15-game on-base streak move back into the two-hole where he began the season. Shortstop Ian Desmond drops to sixth in the order after an 0-for-4 day ended his 10-game hitting streak. The Nationals will work to get their bats going against former teammate Dan Haren. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts this year. Something may...

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Stanton, Koehler too much as Nats are shut out 8-0

April 25, 2015, 1:29pm

Nationals

Stanton, Koehler too much as Nats are shut out 8-0

MIAMI - Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg ran into difficulty to start the fourth when Marlins third baseman Martin Prado ripped a double to the right-center gap to lead off the inning. Right fielder Giancarlo followed with another double down the left line to score Prado easily for the game's first run. Stanton is 2-for-2 today and now 12-for-30 with three homers and six doubles against Strasburg in his career. The Marlins added another run two batters later when first baseman Justin Bour...

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Max Scherzer's thumb still swollen, Stephen Strasburg back at it

April 25, 2015, 12:11pm

Nationals

Max Scherzer's thumb still swollen, Stephen Strasburg back at it

MIAMI - Nationals ace Max Scherzer is still experiencing pain in his right thumb, two days after jamming it while hitting a ground ball in his second at-bat in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals. As a result, Scherzer didn't throw his scheduled bullpen session today. "It's still a little sore and swollen, so we pushed his bullpen today," Nats manager Matt Williams said. "So we'll see how it goes after today. But it's swollen. When you get in the extremities, it's difficult to move that...

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Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense

April 24, 2015, 10:13pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense

MIAMI - The Nationals have played below expectations in the first month of the season. A 10-day road trip through three National League East cities seemed like an opportunity to reverse some ugly early trends and possibly build some momentum against some of the division's struggling teams. But in the loss to the Marlins last night in the trek's first game, it was the Nationals who continued to be bothered by the same common themes - poor situational hitting and a shaky bullpen - that have led...

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Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)

April 25, 2015, 9:00am

Nationals

Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)

MIAMI -Center fielder Denard Span gets his first day off since returning from the diabled list last Sunday when the Nationals face the Marlins this afternoon. Washington will be looking to end a three-game losing streak. The 31-year Span was tested in the outfield Friday night, especially on a couple of hard-hit balls that he tracked down in the fifth inning. After drawing a walk in the seventh, Span stole his first base of the season and eventually scored the Nationals' second run. Today...

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Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid

April 24, 2015, 7:40pm

Nationals

MIAMI - After a terrible start, the Nats offense seemed to be coming around during the season's second week. But that appears to be just a tease as the futile bats have returned in a three-game losing streak. The Nationals are just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position over the past two games and have scored a lowly three runs. Marlins starter Mat Latos brought a 10.24 ERA into tonight's start, and the Nats had to claw and scrap for two runs on six hits. They finally got to Latos in the...

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Scherzer dealing with swollen thumb, Rendon back in action

April 24, 2015, 3:02pm

Nationals

Scherzer dealing with swollen thumb, Rendon back in action

MIAMI - Just as the Nationals' medical report was beginning to clear up, more nagging injuries to a couple of the team's starters have popped up. Nationals ace Max Scherzer jammed his right thumb in his second at-bat in the fifth inning of yesterday's loss to the Cardinals. He remained in the game to pitch the next two innings before leaving with discomfort. Swelling developed in Scherzer's throwing hand overnight according to manager Matt Williams. "We're treating him aggressively,...

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Williams: Accelerated pace of games has not affected quality of play

April 23, 2015, 1:29pm

Nationals

Williams: Accelerated pace of games has not affected quality of play

Major League Baseball's enhanced pace-of-play initiatives have been in place since spring training, first in the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues and now at ballparks around the American and National leagues. A timer can be seen counting down at the end of each half inning. It is located below the giant video board in right-center field at Nationals Park and is used under these MLB guidelines: "Immediately following the third out of each half-inning, the timer will count down from 2:25 for...

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A healthy Denard Span returns to form, plus options for Ryan Zimmerman with foot injury

April 23, 2015, 11:42pm

Nationals

A healthy Denard Span returns to form, plus options for Ryan Zimmerman with foot injury

Center fielder Denard Span came up with the Nationals' only hit with runners in scoring position in the team's 11 attempts yesterday. His fifth-inning RBI single not only tied the game but also meant that he's hit safely in all four games since returning from the disabled list last Sunday. "Whenever somebody's in scoring position, I go up there with an aggressive mentality," said Span. "The leadoff hitter in me goes out the window and I'm trying to get a good pitch and drive somebody...

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Nats hope history repeats itself for Jordan Zimmermann (with lineups)

April 24, 2015, 11:56am

Nationals

Nats hope history repeats itself for Jordan Zimmermann (with lineups)

MIAMI - The last time tonight's starter Jordan Zimmermann faced the Marlins when it counted, he tossed a hair-raising no-hitter in the 2014 regular season finale. That's all but irrelevant as he takes the mound tonight, looking to get back on track after a surprising 1-2 start with a 6.14 ERA. Marlins superstar Giancarlo Stanton wasn't in the lineup for Zimmermann's no-hitter. But when he last faced the right-hander in a Grapefruit League game on April 1, he tattooed Zimmerman for a...

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Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight

April 24, 2015, 4:16pm

Nationals

Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight

MIAMI - The Nationals manufactured a run to get on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning. Shortstop Ian Desmond smacked a double to lead off the inning and left fielder Jayson Werth immediately advanced him to third on a fly ball to right. Desmond trotted home easily when right fielder Bryce Harper sent a rocket to center that Marcell Ozuna was able to run down. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman then doubled on a blistering liner to left-center as the Nats began measuring Marlins starter Mat...

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Opposite dugout: Despite lofty expectations, poor pitching has Fish reeling

April 22, 2015, 6:31pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Despite lofty expectations, poor pitching has Fish reeling

Manager: Mike Redmond (3rd year) Record: 5-11 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Dee Gordon (.348/.361/.435 with 9 RBIs, 9 stolen bases), RF Giancarlo Stanton (4 HR, 14 RBIs), 1B Michael Morse (2 HR, 7 RBIs), SS Adeiny Hechavarria (.311/.338/.410 with 1 HR, 10 RBIs), RHP Dan Haren (1-1, 3.32 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting of 2015; 6-13 in 2014 Pitching probables: April 24 - RHP Jordan Zimmermann vs. RHP Mat Latos, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 April 25 - RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Tom...

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Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)

April 23, 2015, 4:24pm

Nationals

Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)

This script has been written too many times throughout the first month of the season. Once again, poor situational hitting combined with shoddy defense led to the Nationals losing. With today's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals, the Nats drop the first series between the teams and St. Louis now holds a 13-3 record against the Nats over the past three years. "We get guys on first and third, we gotta get 'em in," said manager Matt Williams. "We can't kick the ball. We gotta play good defense...

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Scherzer says he could have done better, thumb is OK

April 23, 2015, 4:07pm

Nationals

Scherzer says he could have done better, thumb is OK

Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer went seven innings and allowed only six hits, but suffered his second loss in three decisions in a 4-1 setback to the Cardinals on Thursday. In the first and sixth innings, St. Louis plated single runs against Scherzer. Matt Carpenter led off the game with a double and Jason Heyward quickly followed with a single. Later, Scherzer uncorked a wild pitch with Matt Adams at the plate, and the Cardinals had the lead 1-0. "I thought he pitched well. The first...

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Rendon at Nats Park to see Scherzer, Wacha face off in rubber match

April 23, 2015, 12:03pm

Nationals

Rendon at Nats Park to see Scherzer, Wacha face off in rubber match

It's just the rubber match of an early season three-game set between the Nationals and Cardinals, but it features a marquee pitching matchup between two of the game's most talented right-handers. Washington's Max Scherzer, 30, brings his sterling 0.83 ERA to the hill to face 23-year-old Michael Wacha of the Cards. "We run out there today hoping that we've got our ace going and to take two of three from these guys would be a good series for us," said Nationals manager Matt Williams....

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Pregame notes on Uggla, Werth, Span, Harper, Roark and Martin

April 23, 2015, 10:13am

Nationals

Pregame notes on Uggla, Werth, Span, Harper, Roark and Martin

Nationals manager Matt Williams was asked during his pregame media session Thursday about second baseman Dan Uggla and how the veteran must change his preparations each game now that he comes off the bench. "It's never easy. Being an everyday player his whole career, it's not easy to learn how to do it," Williams said. "The objective when he walks up there is to be him and not try to be something that he is not. His thought process when he goes up there is(to) get a good one to hit and...