nationals

Knorr and Williams on the 3-0 win and the skipper's ejection

June 23, 2014, 8:24pm

MILWAUKEE - Reporters didn't just get to meet with manager Matt Williams after tonight's 3-0 Nationals win. We also got to meet with bench coach Randy Knorr, who took over the managerial duties in the bottom of the second inning after Williams' first career ejection as a big league skipper. Williams was tossed by home plate umpire Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes, leaving Knorr in charge the rest of the way. It didn't really matter much who was at the reins tonight, as Gio Gonzalez...

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Stuart Wallace: A whole lot of shaking going on

June 23, 2014, 7:34pm

Nationals

Stuart Wallace: A whole lot of shaking going on

To shake or not to shake was a uniting theme between the Nationals and the Atlanta Braves in their recent four-game series that pitted the National League East foes against one another in a fight for first place in the division. For the Nationals, the question was whether to shake off fastballs in favor of other pitches for Friday starter Stephen Strasburg - in particular, against Braves slugger Jason Heyward. For the Braves, it was a continued shakging off of catcher Evan Gattis' signs by...

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Williams gets first ejection of managerial career (Nats blank Brewers 3-0)

June 23, 2014, 4:46pm

Nationals

Williams gets first ejection of managerial career (Nats blank Brewers 3-0)

Matt Williams won't be around to watch the remainder of the Nationals' first game of a seven-game road trip. Between the top and bottom halves of the second inning, Williams was ejected after a prolonged and animated discussion with home plate umpire Mark Wegner over his interpretation of the strike zone in an inning during which the Nationals loaded the bases with none out - and still failed to score. The key point that Williams seemed to repeatedly make was that Wegner called a 3-2 pitch to...

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Nationals barely visible in All-Star voting

June 23, 2014, 4:51pm

Nationals

The Nationals may be in first place in the National League East, but they are not well-represented in the 2014 All-Star Game voting. Actually, they're barely represented at all. In the most recent All-Star balloting figures, Bryce Harper is the only Nationals player listsed among the top vote-getters. He sits in 15th place among NL outfielders, and has amassed 680,930 votes. Harper has missed nearly two months recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. Before his...

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Zimmerman feels good after taking grounders at third base

June 23, 2014, 3:04pm

Nationals

Zimmerman feels good after taking grounders at third base

Ryan Zimmerman was back at third base during pregame drills before the opener of a three-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park, and said he felt good after taking 15-20 ground balls at his former position. "This is the first time I've thrown in - I don't know, probably since I don't remember. ... It's been a while, just because there's been no reason," Zimmerman said. "But, yeah, it felt good. Everything went fine." Zimmerman said he would ramp up his activity at third base in...

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Harper has single, walk and run scored, Ramos three-run homer for Potomac

June 23, 2014, 4:08pm

Nationals

Harper has single, walk and run scored, Ramos three-run homer for Potomac

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper played three innings in left field for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals in his first minor league rehab game as he recovers from a left thumb ligament injury. Wearing jersey No. 32, Harper went 1-for-1 with a single, a walk and a run scored. He came home on a three-run shot by catcher Wilson Ramos in a four-run third inning that gave the P-Nats a 4-1 lead over the Salem Red Sox. Ramos finished 3-for-4 with a single, double and three-run...

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Espinosa widens stance at plate to help improve batting numbers

June 23, 2014, 6:55am

Nationals

Espinosa widens stance at plate to help improve batting numbers

Second baseman Danny Espinosa has rebounded from a difficult month of May to have a positive month of June so far at the plate. In May, Espinosa struggled to a .125 batting average (10-for-80) before hitting .303 (20-for-66) so far this month. In April, he struck out only 20 times. In May, that ballooned to 37 whiffs. In June, he is back down to 25 with a handful of games to play. In the just-completed four-game series against the Braves, Espinosa connected for five base hits and was able to...

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Desmond, Werth in Nats lineup at Brewers

June 23, 2014, 11:56am

Nationals

Desmond, Werth in Nats lineup at Brewers

MILWAUKEE - After Sunday's game, Nationals manager Matt Williams indicated that he hoped to give shortstop Ian Desmond and right fielder Jayson Werth a day off in the near future, but it won't be today. Both Desmond and Werth are starting tonight as the Nats open a series against the National League-leading Brewers at Miller Park. Williams had noted that Desmond seems worn down. The Nats shortstop is 0-for-7 over the last two games and is batting .176 (6-for-34) with one homer, three RBIs...

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Back on the road with a jolt of momentum

June 23, 2014, 5:43am

Nationals

Back on the road with a jolt of momentum

MILWAUKEE - The Nationals wake up this morning in first place in the National League East, 1 1/2 games up on the Braves, right where they were prior to the four-game set with Atlanta over the last handful of days. Looking at the standings, it's as if those four games with the Braves never happened. But they did, and while the Nats just earned a split, it felt like more than that. They had been pushed around by Atlanta over the last couple of seasons, including the first two games of that...

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Roark, Zimmerman, Stammen, Espinosa know importance of split against Braves

June 22, 2014, 1:34pm

Nationals

Roark, Zimmerman, Stammen, Espinosa know importance of split against Braves

The Nationals earned a much-needed 4-1 win over the Braves Sunday to split the series between the top two teams in the National League East. Craig Stammen got five outs in relief to help the cause and said the Nationals are too good to not be able to stay competitive with the Braves, despite their recent struggles in the series. "I think the odds were in our favor to finally win a game against them," Stammen said. "Two in a row is definitely good, we were able to split with them in a...

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Marty Niland: Solstice brings a potential defining moment for the Nats

June 23, 2014, 4:18am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Solstice brings a potential defining moment for the Nats

The Summer Solstice is a day of celebration in many cultures, and now Nationals fans might want to adopt it as a holiday of their own after a magical and momentous series against the Atlanta Braves. Those who paid close enough attention Saturday evening might have actually noticed the Earth tilting and the momentum shifting at Nationals Park. In the waning moments of the year's latest daylight, the Nats rolled back the tide of disappointment against the Braves, and possibly set the tone for...

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Williams on Roark, Espinosa, Werth, Desmond, beating Atlanta

June 22, 2014, 2:03pm

Nationals

Williams on Roark, Espinosa, Werth, Desmond, beating Atlanta

Nationals manager Matt Williams was proud the team was able to bounce back after losing the first two games of its series with Atlanta to earn a pair of victories on Saturday and Sunday and remain atop the National League East. "After the first two, I am proud of the guys for staying in there and battling," Williams said. "We have talked about it many times - you have to have a short memory. After the first two, got two real good pitching performances and the guys battled to get some runs...

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Harper to begin rehab assignment Monday (plus lineups)

June 21, 2014, 12:26pm

Nationals

Harper to begin rehab assignment Monday (plus lineups)

Bryce Harper will begin a rehab assignment Monday at Single-A Potomac, a source confirmed this afternoon. Harper had said he likely wants to play seven to nine rehab games. The news of Harper being cleared to begin rehab was first reported by Ken Rosenthal. The Nationals outfielder has been on the disabled list since April 26 as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn left thumb ligament. Harper hit .289 with one homer and nine RBIs in 22 games before the injury. As for tonight, Doug...

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Roark on mound for series finale vs. Braves (plus lineups)

June 22, 2014, 7:02am

Nationals

Roark on mound for series finale vs. Braves (plus lineups)

The Nationals are fielding the majority of their regular lineup with a chance to split their four-game series with the Braves this afternoon. The only change from yesterday is Sandy Leon starting behind the plate a day game after a night game. Right-hander Tanner Roark is on the mound looking to continue an extended run of strong pitching. The 27-year-old hasn't surrendered more than three runs since May 3 for a streak of eight straight starts with three earned runs or fewer. During that...

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Nationals hit Santana and Braves early to grab lead (Nats win 4-1)

June 22, 2014, 10:00am

Nationals

Braves right-hander Ervin Santana has lost two in a row, to the Rockies and the Phillies. He has given up 10 runs, nine of them earned during those stints. He came in 0-0 with a 3.67 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals, allowing 11 runs and 24 hits in 27 innings with 27 strikeouts and 10 walks. On Sunday, the Nationals jumped on him quickly in the first inning. After almost plunking the hot-hitting Anthony Rendon on his first delivery, Santana walked him. Jayson Werth followed...

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Williams impressed with how Fister "controlled the strike zone"

June 21, 2014, 7:37pm

Nationals

Williams impressed with how Fister "controlled the strike zone"

Nationals manager Matt Williams was impressed with Doug Fister's 117 pitches over eight scoreless innings in a 3-0 shutout of the Braves Saturday night and what it meant to a tired bullpen. "Really good. Picked up the bullpen," Williams said. "We pushed his pitch count a little bit, but he felt great. Pitched really well. Controlled the zone all night." Williams said Fister's start prevented the Braves from getting going because he forced the issue with good command. "Just that he...

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Hearing from Rendon, Fister, Zimmerman and Lobaton after 3-0 win over Braves

June 21, 2014, 7:12pm

Nationals

Hearing from Rendon, Fister, Zimmerman and Lobaton after 3-0 win over Braves

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon continued his clutch hitting in the last two games with a 3-for-4 performance, with a double and two RBIs in a 3-0 shutout of the Braves. "It was good. We executed the small things," Rendon said. "Small ball comes into play. That is how you play the game." Winning pitcher Doug Fister went eight innings and threw 117 pitches, allowing no runs on five hits. Fister continued his trademark quick work, wasting no time on the mound between pitches. "We...

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Williams updates Harper rehab, Ramos heading on rehab assignment and more

June 21, 2014, 1:16pm

Nationals

Williams updates Harper rehab, Ramos heading on rehab assignment and more

While multiple reports, including one on this very website, have said that Bryce Harper will head out on a rehab assignment Monday to Single-A Potomac as he works back from a torn ligament in his left thumb, Nationals manager Matt Williams wasn't able to confirm those reports this afternoon. "At some point during the next road trip, he'll go out," Williams said. That could be Monday, it could be Friday, Williams said. But once Harper does start his rehab assignment, he'll ease into...

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Nationals look to get on the board in series vs. Braves (Nats win 3-0)

June 21, 2014, 3:33pm

Nationals

The Nationals step into Game 3 of their series against the Braves searching for a win. They have not defeated Atlanta since a 2-1 win on April 6. Starter Doug Fister got out a jam in the first inning with some sterling defense from second baseman Danny Espinosa. With men on first and third and two out, Espinosa grabbed Jason Heyward's hot shot right up the middle and flipped to shortstop Ian Desmond covering the bag at second to get Freddie Freeman. Atlanta did not score in the inning. The...

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Trying to pull positives from the defeat

June 21, 2014, 12:01am

Nationals

Trying to pull positives from the defeat

There were some positives in last night's ballgame that the Nationals pointed to in the late hours of Friday night after their 13 innings with the Braves were through. They had come back to tie the game in the ninth inning against Craig Kimbrel, arguably the top closer in the majors, a guy who has a 1.25 ERA and 113 saves since the start of the 2012 season. Anthony Rendon's two-out, two-run homer off Kimbrel knotted things up at 4-4 in the ninth and gave the Nats life. "We came back against...