nationals

Werth returns to Nats lineup

July 30, 2014, 6:33am

MIAMI - Jayson Werth is back in the Nationals lineup after a sprained right ankle relegated him to pinch-hitting duty in Tuesday's game. Werth is batting third and playing right as the Nats look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Marlins. And they'll need to go through Miami lefty Brad Hand to do it. Adam LaRoche is 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in his career against Hand while Danny Espinosa is 4-for-8 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs. Right-hander Tanner Roark takes the...

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Depth getting tested once again

July 30, 2014, 5:36am

Nationals

MIAMI - It doesn't seem like it was too long ago that we were talking about how the Nationals were finally healthy, and possessed a deep lineup that was torturous to opposing pitchers from one through eight in the order. On this road trip, however, that depth has been tested yet again. Ryan Zimmerman landed on the disabled list with a severe hamstring injury a week ago, and Jayson Werth is currently battling a sprained right ankle. Werth pinch-hit in the ninth inning of last night's game,...

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Hearing from Williams, Desmond, Strasburg and Harper after Nats' 3-0 loss

July 29, 2014, 7:11pm

Nationals

Hearing from Williams, Desmond, Strasburg and Harper after Nats' 3-0 loss

MIAMI - The Nationals jumped out to a 6-0 lead after six innings yesterday. Since then, it's been all Marlins. Stephen Strasburg and Henderson Alvarez were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings tonight, but Giancarlo Stanton drove in a run in the sixth on a hanging Strasburg breaking ball, then brought in one of two Marlins runs in the ninth, leading Miami to a 3-0 win tonight. This marks the Nats' fourth loss in six games. They're now 4-4 on this road trip, but can salvage a...

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Werth on his ankle and availability

July 29, 2014, 2:16pm

Nationals

Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth thinks his sprained right ankle is a "minor" injury and hopes he'll be available off the bench tonight. Werth hurt the ankle in the seventh inning of last night's game, and is out of tonight's starting lineup. He had hoped the ankle would feel better this morning, but that wasn't the case. Instead, Werth said, it was "sore, sore and swollen." "It was a lot sorer than I thought it was going to be," he told reporters in Miami this afternoon....

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Nationals unable to take advantage of early chance (Marlins win 3-0)

July 29, 2014, 3:50pm

Nationals

Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez appeared to be having trouble controlling his pitches early on tonight against the Nationals. But the Nationals were unable to score a run with men on base in the first and second frames. Alvarez pitched around a walk to Denard Span in the first thanks to a double play ball. In the second inning, the Nationals loaded the bases with no one out. Wilson Ramos walked. Bryce Harper singled and Ian Desmond walked. But Danny Espinosa struck out swinging. Nate...

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Werth out of Nats lineup a day after spraining right ankle

July 29, 2014, 11:47am

Nationals

Werth out of Nats lineup a day after spraining right ankle

MIAMI - Jayson Werth said last night that he hoped his sprained right ankle, an injury suffered in the seventh inning of last night's loss to the Marlins, would be well enough for him to be back in the lineup for Game 2 of this three-game series in Miami. That won't turn out to be the case. Werth is out of the Nationals lineup tonight, with Nate McLouth written in as the starting right fielder. With Werth and Ryan Zimmerman (on the disabled list with a hamstring injury) out, Wilson Ramos will...

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Ready to put last night in the rear view mirror

July 29, 2014, 6:16am

Nationals

Ready to put last night in the rear view mirror

MIAMI - Luckily for the Nationals, they haven't had too many nights like last night. There haven't been many grit-your-teeth, clench-your-fist type of losses to this point in the season, games that the Nats had in their grasp but let slip away late. Yes, last night was Rafael Soriano's fourth blown save of the season, but one of those four games ended up turning into a win anyway. And outside of a few blown saves, very few of the Nats' defeats this season have felt like punches to the...

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Learning from a tough loss in July can pay deeper dividends in September

July 29, 2014, 4:52am

Nationals

Learning from a tough loss in July can pay deeper dividends in September

Losing is never easy. Blowing a 6-0 lead is up there as most upsetting. But falling 7-6 at Miami Monday is actually a good thing for a team that has seen a lot go well in the month of July. It seemed like Rafael Soriano was due. Recently, a few of his best pitches have been up in the zone. He actually lives on the edge in that regard, getting guys to chase at some of those tantalizing offers. Leading 6-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, he had not allowed a run in 11 straight innings...

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Good outweighs bad as Nats claim series win over Reds (updated)

July 27, 2014, 1:50pm

Nationals

Good outweighs bad as Nats claim series win over Reds (updated)

If someone had told you that the Nationals were going to go to Cincinnati, fail to hit a home run over three games and run into outs like 2007 Nook Logan (still my favorite Charlie Slowes call of all time), would you have expected two wins in a three-game series? Luckily, seven shutout innings by right-hander Doug Fister on Sunday bailed out the baserunning mistakes of Anthony Rendon (trying to move up on Jayson Werth's grounder in the first after walking and swiping second) and Denard Span...

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Werth day-to-day after spraining right ankle

July 28, 2014, 7:45pm

Nationals

Werth day-to-day after spraining right ankle

MIAMI - Jayson Werth wasn't out on the field or in the dugout for the end of the Nationals' 7-6 loss to the Marlins. A sprained right ankle suffered in the top of the seventh inning when Werth tried to stretch a single into a double knocked Werth from the game, but the Nats' right fielder doesn't expect the injury to be anything serious. He will, however, have to see how he feels Tuesday morning before knowing whether he'll be able to get back into the lineup for the second game of this...

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Nationals make Eovaldi work in first (Marlins come back for 7-6 stunner)

July 28, 2014, 3:35pm

Nationals

The Nationals did not waste any time getting on the board against Marlins right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. In the first, following a Denard Span pop out, Anthony Rendon singled and went to second on a Jayson Werth walk. After a wild pitch, runners were on second and third base. Adam LaRoche followed with a line drive out to deep center, which scored Rendon from third, and the Nationals led 1-0. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was able to get the Marlins down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first. He...

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Dave Nichols: With Zimmerman out, Nats should deal for infielder

July 29, 2014, 4:58am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: With Zimmerman out, Nats should deal for infielder

The major league trade deadline is Thursday. The Nationals have won eight of their last 12 games and 15 of the last 23. But with Ryan Zimmerman's hamstring injury reportedly keeping him out of the lineup for six to eight weeks, most folks around baseball think the Nats will be active in the trade market for an infielder - either second base or third - to help the team with its pursuit of a division title. In this space a week ago, I came to the conclusion that the Nats were as healthy as...

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Williams on second base rotation, Zimmerman, Soriano and more

July 28, 2014, 2:52pm

Nationals

Williams on second base rotation, Zimmerman, Soriano and more

Since losing third baseman/outfielder Ryan Zimmerman last Tuesday to a hamstring injury, Nationals manager Matt Williams has started Danny Espinosa, Zach Walters and Kevin Frandsen at second base. Espinosa has started three of the five games despite sporting a .214 average this season. He will also start tonight's series opener in Miami after picking up one hit in Sunday's win over the Reds. "I just like the way Danny played yesterday," Williams told reporters in Miami. "He hit three...

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Quotes from the clubhouse after Nats' tough 7-6 walk-off loss

July 28, 2014, 7:37pm

Nationals

Quotes from the clubhouse after Nats' tough 7-6 walk-off loss

MIAMI - Their 6-0 lead turned into a four-run advantage after the Marlins got two in the seventh. The four-run edge was cut to three when Miami plated one more on an RBI groundout in the eighth. Still, a three-run lead with Rafael Soriano on the mound seemed secure, given that Soriano had been 25 of 28 in save chances entering today and had notched his 200th career save yesterday. Then the Marlins exploded for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Jeff Baker's single to left off Jerry...

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Nats have played better on the road, but what about Zimmerman injury?

July 28, 2014, 5:34am

Nationals

Nats have played better on the road, but what about Zimmerman injury?

The Nationals have done well on long road trips that commenced after June 1. It's another mark of a team with depth, timely hitting and quality pitching. Following Sunday's 4-2 win at Cincinnati, the Nationals have now won or tied the first two series of multi-city road trips three times since the beginning of June. From June 6 through 15, they traveled to San Diego (2-1), San Francisco (3-1) and St. Louis (0-3). They won five of the first seven games in that extended trip before the three...

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Espinosa back at second as Nats open series in Miami

July 28, 2014, 11:25am

Nationals

Espinosa back at second as Nats open series in Miami

MIAMI - Danny Espinosa went 1-for-4 yesterday in Cincinnati and struck the ball well three times. He's 4-for-14 over the past five games and finally looking like he's pulling out of his offensive funk even though his average remains at .214. He's back at second base tonight as the Nationals open a three-game series against the Marlins. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.20 ERA) opposes Miami righty Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 4.30 ERA). For the Nationals: CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon RF...

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Nats' keys to success: Keep winning rubber games, keep winning series

July 28, 2014, 5:55am

Nationals

Nats' keys to success: Keep winning rubber games, keep winning series

MIAMI - The Nationals' longest winning streak of the season is five games. That's it, just five games. They haven't ripped off any type of magical 10-game stretch yet this season. They haven't caught fire and instantly shot themselves up the National League standings within a brief span. So how do the Nationals currently sit atop the NL East and own the best winning percentage among all National League teams? Here's how: Since May 30, the Nats are 12-1-2 in series with at least two games...

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Marty Niland: History shows Rizzo deals for difference-makers

July 28, 2014, 5:27am

Nationals

Marty Niland: History shows Rizzo deals for difference-makers

Aside from President Obama's golf scores, the most closely held secrets in Washington these days are how long Ryan Zimmerman's hamstring injury will keep him sidelined and whether the Nationals will make a trade to replace Zimmerman's potent bat if his absence is a long one. General manager Mike Rizzo has said publicly that he likes the current roster, and that he has confidence that Danny Espinosa, Kevin Frandsen and recent call-up Zach Walters will collectively fill the void. Perhaps he's...

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Opposite dugout: Streaking Marlins look to stay hot on mound with Nats in town

July 28, 2014, 3:18am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Streaking Marlins look to stay hot on mound with Nats in town

Manager: Mike Redmond, second year Record: 51-53 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: RF Giancarlo Stanton (.292/.391/.536, 24 doubles, 23 HR, 69 RBIs, 66 R); CF Marcell Ozuna (.270/.318/.456, 15 doubles, 16 HR, 55 RBIs); 3B Casey McGehee (.310/.376/.383, 24 XBH, 59 RBIs); RHP Henderson Alvarez (7-5, 2.62 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 3-5, 35 runs scored, 46 runs allowed Pitching probables July 28: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Jordan Zimmermann, 7 p.m., MASN HD July 29: Henderson Alvarez vs....

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Fifth-inning rally stakes Nats to 3-0 advantage (Fister, Nats win 4-2)

July 27, 2014, 10:15am

Nationals

Fifth-inning rally stakes Nats to 3-0 advantage (Fister, Nats win 4-2)

So much for the notion that yesterday's baserunning follies were a one-game aberration. The Nationals ran themselves out of a possible rally in the first inning of today's game against the Reds, after Anthony Rendon had walked and stolen second. Jayson Werth shot a ground ball deep into the hole at short and Rendon, perhaps thinking it would sneak through, took off for third. Shortstop Ramon Santiago gloved the ball and easily caught Rendon at third base. Yesterday, a couple of baserunning...