nationals

Strasburg emotional in remembrance of Gwynn

June 17, 2014, 1:00pm

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg was noticeably emotional this afternoon when speaking about the death of his boyhood idol and college baseball coach, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who died Monday of salivary gland cancer at 54. "It's tough because the last couple of weeks, no one really knew what was going on," Strasburg said. "I mean, just from my perspective, he was like a god to me growing up. How much he did for San Diego and for baseball all over the country. You never would have...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg tony gwynn frontstory_nationals3

Hearing from Roark and Rendon after win over Astros

June 17, 2014, 7:47pm

Nationals

Hearing from Roark and Rendon after win over Astros

The Nationals had only one extra base hit against the Cardinals over the weekend. They lost all three games and managed three total runs. On Tuesday, the Nationals edged the Astros 6-5 thanks in a pair of doubles each from Ryan Zimmerman, and Anthony Rendon. The duo combined to go 4-for-8 with two runs, four doubles, a walk and five RBIs. Astros starter Dallas Keuchel (8-4) arrived in D.C. with an 8-3 record and was 6-0 on the road. He had won six of his last seven decisions. Rendon said...

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon byron kerr frontstory_nationals1 nationals tanner roark

Span back in Nats lineup vs. Astros

June 17, 2014, 11:03am

Nationals

As the Nationals play their first home game following a 10-game road trip, Denard Span returns to the lineup after sitting out Sunday's game with a tight back. Span will also be looking to get on track, as the Nats center fielder has gone 0-for-18 over his last five games. Tanner Roark will be on the mound opposite Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who is 6-1 with a 1.33 ERA over his last seven starts. Roark is seeking his sixth straight quality start and has a 1.93 ERA over his last seven...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko denard span nationals tanner roark frontstory_nationals3

Williams provides updates on Harper, Gonzalez and Ramos

June 17, 2014, 1:30pm

Nationals

Williams provides updates on Harper, Gonzalez and Ramos

Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper took swings in the batting cage with both hands this afternoon for the first time since tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb on April 26. Manager Matt Williams told the media prior to tonight's game against the Astros that Harper is a taking a positive step in his rehab program. "Today was the first time with two hands," Williams said. "It's limited, but he's excited about that." Williams said Harper came through the hitting session...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper courtney lofgren gio gonzalez nationals wilson ramos frontstory_nationals2

Examining the offense

June 16, 2014, 10:28pm

Nationals

In the nine games prior to the Nationals' current four-game losing streak, the offense came to life in a big way. The Nats slugged 36 extra-base hits in those nine contests (eight homers, three triples and 25 doubles). They hit .265 as a team with a .338 on-base percentage and .442 slugging percentage. They averaged 5.67 runs per game. Combine that offensive punch with the tremendous pitching that the Nats got during that stretch, and it's not a surprise that the team went 8-1 over those...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Stuart Wallace: Remembering Tony Gwynn

June 17, 2014, 4:52am

Nationals

The outpouring of condolences and stories of prowess seen in the wake of Tony Gwynn's passing yesterday were befitting of the man who embodied so much of what was and still is right with the game of baseball. A tireless worker with a fatherly physique that ran counter to many of his contemporaries and to his talent, Gwynn was the ultimate ambassador of the game. That was the case despite Gwynn playing for a San Diego Padres team often mired in mediocrity and often forgotten in terms of...

Comments

Tags:

guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz stuart wallace

Nats limp home after 5-5 road trek on four-game skid

June 15, 2014, 1:55pm

Nationals

Nats limp home after 5-5 road trek on four-game skid

So much for momentum. The Nationals finished off a 5-5 road trip this afternoon with a 5-2 loss to the Cardinals, who have taken 12 of the last 14 regular season games between the teams. It's Washington's fourth straight loss after starting the trek 5-2 through San Diego and San Francisco. Doug Fister saw a streak of five straight wins halted, Ryan Zimmerman made a couple of nice plays in his first career game at first base and the Nats had a chance to do some damage in the ninth inning, but...

Comments

Tags:

denard span doug fister featured_sidebar matt williams nationals pete kerzel ryan zimmeman scott hairston frontstory_nationals3

A roller coaster of a road trip followed by a big homestand

June 16, 2014, 5:05am

Nationals

A roller coaster of a road trip followed by a big homestand

Home, sweet home. Finally. That 10-day road trip felt quite a bit longer, with long flights, three stops and lots of momentum swings for the Nationals along the way. The Nats went into this trip hoping to go on a bit of a run, get hot and carry some momentum back home into a big week, which features a four-game series against the Braves. They accomplished part of that goal, starting the road trip by winning back-to-back series against the Padres and Giants, giving them four straight series...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Marty Niland: Counting down the Nats' houses of horrors

June 16, 2014, 5:16am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Counting down the Nats' houses of horrors

Music fans of a certain age are mourning the death on Sunday of long-time radio host Casey Kasem. Long before the days of podcasts, teenagers and young adults would ritually tune in each week, usually on Sundays, to hear the genial Kasem count down the top 40 songs in the nation. Nationals fans, meanwhile, are grieving after a road trip that started with promise and excitement, ended in a season-long four-game skid. After watching their team take three of four in San Francisco from the...

Comments

Tags:

guest blogger guestblogger marty niland nationals nationals buzz

Another Adams homer, another Nats deficit (Cards win 5-2)

June 15, 2014, 10:54am

Nationals

Another Adams homer, another Nats deficit (Cards win 5-2)

The Nationals had the bases loaded with one out in the second, and failed to push a run across in a scoreless tie. In the bottom half of the inning, they paid for it. Allen Craig singled up the middle and Matt Adams launched a two-run homer to right off Doug Fister. Yes, the same Adams who homered on Friday and Saturday. That's three games in a row with home runs since he was activated off the disabled list Friday. Fister stranded runners at second and third to escape further damage in the...

Comments

Tags:

doug fister nationals pete kerzel frontstory_nationals3

Zimmerman makes first career start at first base (Span scratched)

June 15, 2014, 8:29am

Nationals

Zimmerman makes first career start at first base (Span scratched)

The Nationals will try to avoid the sweep today in St. Louis, sending right-hander Doug Fister to the mound. Fister is 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA in his last five starts. He'll have a markedly different alignment supporting him, starting with third baseman-turned-left fielder Ryan Zimmerman, who is making his first career start at first base and batting cleanup. With left-hander Jaime Garcia pitching for the Cardinals, lefty swinging Adam LaRoche gets a day off. The Nationals gave Zimmerman regular...

Comments

Tags:

doug fister lineups nationals pete kerzel ryan zimmerman frontstory_nationals3

Nats grab early 1-0 lead against Cards, Miller (Nats fall 4-1)

June 14, 2014, 3:24pm

Nationals

Nats grab early 1-0 lead against Cards, Miller (Nats fall 4-1)

Well, the Nationals won't be blanked for a second consecutive game. Not only that, the run they scored gives them a lead before Stephen Strasburg throws his first pitch of the evening. With one out in the first, Anthony Rendon laced an opposite-field single to right, then scored from first standing up on Jayson Werth's double to right. It's 1-0 Nats as we head to the bottom of the first. Update: After three innings, we're tied at 1-1. Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller hit a two-out double to...

Comments

Tags:

nationals pete kerzel frontstory_nationals3

Strasburg takes hill against Cardinals (with lineups)

June 14, 2014, 11:33am

Nationals

Strasburg takes hill against Cardinals (with lineups)

The Nationals are 5-3 on their current road trip, and send right-hander Stephen Strasburg to the mound today in St. Louis to try and snap a two-game losing streak. Strasburg is 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA, but he has a string of 10 straight starts in which he's worked at least six innings. Six times in that span, he's pitched at least seven innings. His 108 strikeouts are second in the National League behind Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, who has 109. Strasburg has won his last three starts and the...

Comments

Tags:

nationals pete kerzel stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals3

Wrapping up long road trip, Braves looming next week

June 14, 2014, 7:36am

Nationals

Wrapping up long road trip, Braves looming next week

Two losses in a row for the Nationals? Not concerned. This road trip has still been a rousing success. Travel from San Francisco to St. Louis and then back to the diamond did not result in a win thanks to the outstanding pitching of Lance Lynn. The Cardinals right-hander has given up an important postseason home run to the Nats in a relief role, but has done a great job against them as a starter. OK, I got that call a couple of weeks ago on Nats Insider (every Sunday 90 minutes prior to...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr nationals frontstory_nationals2

After uncharacteristic start, Zimmermann right back on track

June 14, 2014, 12:53am

Nationals

After uncharacteristic start, Zimmermann right back on track

ST. LOUIS - Sixteen days ago, on May 29, Jordan Zimmermann woke up the owner of a 4.07 ERA. Not awful by any means, but not the type of number we expect to see next to Zimmermann's name on a stat sheet. He had just gotten a no-decision in a Nationals loss to the Marlins the previous night, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits over just five innings. It was his third start in six outings that went shorter than six innings. To that point, Zimmermann had a 1.46 WHIP, and had notched...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko jordan zimmermann nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Hearing from Williams, Zimmermann and LaRoche after Nats' 1-0 loss

June 13, 2014, 7:20pm

Nationals

Hearing from Williams, Zimmermann and LaRoche after Nats' 1-0 loss

ST. LOUIS - Jordan Zimmermann threw a 76-pitch complete game tonight, the fewest pitches thrown by a Nationals pitcher in a regulation complete game in team history. He allowed one run on three hits. He walked just one batter and struck out five. Yet, Zimmermann goes down as the losing pitcher tonight, after Lance Lynn and Trevor Rosenthal combined to blank the Nats on just two hits. This game lasted just 2 hours, 3 minutes thanks to the duel gems thrown by Zimmermann and Lynn. Zimmermann's...

Comments

Tags:

adam laroche dan kolko jordan zimmermann matt williams nationals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Jose Lobaton breaks up Lance Lynn no-hit bid (St. Louis wins 1-0)

June 13, 2014, 4:42pm

Nationals

Jose Lobaton breaks up Lance Lynn no-hit bid (St. Louis wins 1-0)

Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams had been on the disabled list since May 28 with a strained left calf. In his first six career games against the Nationals when healthy, he had at least one hit in each contest and batted .391. Facing one of the Nationals' hottest hurlers, Adams announced his return with authority in his first at-bat. Adams crushed the first pitch he saw from Jordan Zimmermann in the second inning, sending it over the right-center field wall and the Cardinals led 1-0. The...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr jordan zimmermann nationals frontstory_nationals3

Nationals option Treinen to Triple-A Syracuse, paving way for Gonzalez to return

June 13, 2014, 1:36pm

Nationals

The Nationals paved the way for the return of left-hander Gio Gonzalez by optioning right-handed starter Blake Treinen to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. Treinen went 0-2 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts in his most recent stint. Overall, he is 0-3 with a 2.80 ERA in eight major league games, including four starts over 30 1/3 innings. In Thursday's 7-1 loss to the Giants, Treinen lasted five innings, allowed five hits, two runs, three walks and struck out two. He struggled a bit with his...

Comments

Tags:

byron kerr gio gonzalez nationals blake treinen xavier cedeno frontstory_nationals3

Gonzalez in line to return to rotation next week

June 13, 2014, 3:26pm

Nationals

Gonzalez in line to return to rotation next week

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez is on track to return to the Nationals rotation next week, manager Matt Williams said during his pregame media session at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Gonzalez made his second rehab start for Single-A Potomac on Thursday as he works his way back from left shoulder inflammation, which has shelved him since May 18. Williams indicated the shoulder is doing well enough for Gonzalez to return. "Yeah, barring some kind of issue with his bullpen," Williams said. "But...

Comments

Tags:

gio gonzalez josh land matt williams nationals blake treinen xavier cedeno frontstory_nationals2

Zimmermann looks to stay hot, notch first win vs. Cardinals

June 13, 2014, 12:20pm

Nationals

Zimmermann looks to stay hot, notch first win vs. Cardinals

ST. LOUIS - Jordan Zimmermann has never beaten the Cardinals, going 0-4 with a 7.03 ERA in seven career starts against the boys from St. Louis. Today, he looks to change that and to also continue his recent strong stretch, which has seen him throw 18 straight scoreless innings. The Cardinals will give the ball to Lance Lynn today. Lynn held the Nationals to one run over 5 2/3 innings in a win back in mid-April. For the Nationals CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam...