nationals

Moore's homer cuts Phils' lead to 3-1 (Nats rally for 5-3 victory)

May 02, 2014, 3:53pm

The Phillies took a quick 3-0 lead against Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals, with ex-Nat Marlon Byrd crushing a three-run homer in the first inning. All three runs were unearned by virtue of an error charged to right fielder Jayson Werth, who couldn't come up with a foul pop off Byrd's bat in the tricky corner at Citizens Bank Park for the third out, prolonging the at-bat. It was a tough call to make on a tough play, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it changed at some point. Tyler...

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Some extra takeaways from last night

May 03, 2014, 6:30am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - I'm really trying not to beat the comeback angle into the ground, but the Nationals just keep overtaking late deficits late in games, forcing me to write about it. Nine comeback wins in 29 games played this season. Pretty amazing. Last night, the Nats chipped away against one of the top starters in the league in Cliff Lee and then again came from behind late, scoring three runs in the eighth inning off Phillies relievers. Nats hitters are now batting a collective .282 with a...

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Williams meets with the media after Nats' 5-3 comeback win

May 02, 2014, 7:37pm

Nationals

Williams meets with the media after Nats' 5-3 comeback win

PHILADELPHIA - Another comeback win. Make that nine on the season. The Nationals trailed 3-0 after one inning of play when Jayson Werth's dropped fly ball in foul territory kept the inning alive for Marlon Byrd's three-run shot. They scored one in the third on Tyler Moore's homer to get on the board. They brought across another in the fifth on Denard Span's RBI groundout. (More on that later.) Then came the eighth, when the Nats had five straight hits off Phillies relievers to open the...

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Williams updates progress of Ramos, Hairston, Fister, Zimmerman

May 02, 2014, 2:28pm

Nationals

Williams updates progress of Ramos, Hairston, Fister, Zimmerman

Wilson Ramos caught three innings in an extended spring training game today in Viera, Fla., hitting two homers and a double. But the strong showing may not sway the Nationals from taking the more patient and conservative course in his rehabilitation from surgery to remove the hamate bone from his left hand. "We'll see how he does tomorrow," manager Matt Williams said before the Nationals opened a three-game weekend series at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies. "He's scheduled to catch...

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LaRoche back in Nats lineup, Moore in left

May 02, 2014, 11:33am

Nationals

LaRoche back in Nats lineup, Moore in left

PHILADELPHIA - After sitting out Wednesday's game against the Astros with a tight quad, Adam LaRoche is back in the Nationals lineup today in the series opener against the Phillies. LaRoche got two days of rest with yesterday's off-day, and apparently is good to go today. Tyler Moore will play left field tonight, with Kevin Frandsen and Nate McLouth both sitting. The Phillies will send Cliff Lee to the mound tonight, while Stephen Strasburg will get the ball for Matt Williams' squad. For...

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A common thread within the division

May 01, 2014, 10:22pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - A little over a month into the 2014 regular season, there isn't a single National League East team with a sub-.500 record. Wait, what? The Marlins, who lost 100 games last season, are now 14-14 on the season after finishing off a three-game sweep of the Braves. Wait, what? The Mets, who were seven games under .500 last year and are without ace Matt Harvey, are 15-12 on the young season and actually have a positive run differential. Wait, what? The Phillies, who decided to...

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The Washington National Opera presents M&M's Opera in the Outfield at Nationals Park

May 02, 2014, 11:47am

Nationals

The Washington National Opera will present the annual M&M'SÂ® Opera in the Outfield at Nationals Park featuring a live simulcast of the classic opera The Magic Flute on Saturday, May 3. The event is free and open to the public and will take place rain or shine. Gates will open at 5 p.m. for "pregame" entertainment and The Magic Flute will begin at 7 p.m. Seating will be available in the stands, while access to the outfield will be limited on a first-come, first-served basis when gates...

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Plenty of positives to point out

May 01, 2014, 4:14am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - If you're reading this, that means that things are back up and running again. So that's a good thing. Apologies for the technical issues yesterday. Apparently the storms knocked out our server for a while, but those issues are behind us. Let's talk some baseball. The Nationals got the job done in Houston, sweeping their brief two-game set with Bo Porter's Astros, who are now 9-19 on the season. Yeesh. The Nats landed in Philadelphia around 3:30 a.m. and now will get their...

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Rendon and Espinosa keys to Nats offensive consistency

May 01, 2014, 3:45am

Nationals

Rendon and Espinosa keys to Nats offensive consistency

I had a feeling Anthony Rendon would feel comfortable back in his native Texas. And he did. Rendon contributed four hits for the second time in his last five games as the Nationals shut out the Astros 7-0. He also had two doubles and his forth home run of the season. Rendon has also displayed his glovework at third, making more than a few great plays on shots to the hot corner. Then there is Danny Espinosa. He went 3-for-8 in the series and also smacked a home run Wednesday. He is a well-known...

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Washington Nationals announce lineup for 2014 NatsLive free postgame concert series

May 01, 2014, 8:02am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced today that Plain White T's (June 5), Austin Mahone (July 19) and Martina McBride (August 16) will comprise the lineup for the 2014 NatsLive FREE Postgame Concert Series following select Nationals home games throughout this summer. "I'm so excited for the opportunity to play for Nats fans at beautiful Nationals Park!" said 14-time Grammy Award nominee Martina McBride, whose performance will wrap up the series in mid-August. "To be able to sing after a...

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David Huzzard: Breaking Nats down by trips through the rotation

May 01, 2014, 5:18am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Breaking Nats down by trips through the rotation

While it is a pleasant surprise that the Nationals have scored 126 runs and are tied with the Marlins for second in the National League in that category, it is a little alarming that they've allowed 108 and are tied for fourth-most with the Cubs. The Nationals are a team built around run prevention and the season totals show a team that hasn't done a good job of preventing many runs. The team ERA reached its zenith of 4.10 on April 17 after an 8-0 loss to the Cardinals. In those first 16...

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Zimmermann becomes winningest pitcher in Nats history

May 01, 2014, 4:50am

Nationals

Zimmermann becomes winningest pitcher in Nats history

Once the Nationals offense got going, right-hander Jordan Zimmermann had no trouble becoming the winningest pitcher in team history. Anthony Rendon had four hits, including a home run, and three RBIs, and Zimmermann combined with three relievers on a shutout as the Nats completed a two-game sweep with a 7-0 victory over the Astros on Wednesday night. Zimmermann posted his 45th victory for the Nats, breaking a tie with Livan Hernandez atop the team's all-time wins register. He scattered seven...

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Barrett's solid start is making people take notice

April 30, 2014, 4:18pm

Nationals

Barrett's solid start is making people take notice

As April winds to a close, Nationals right-hander Aaron Barrett has to be pretty pleased with his first month in the majors. There is still one game to go, but he has been able to post solid numbers. He allowed a run on two hits against the Angels on April 23 and two walks with the bases loaded against the Padres April 27. Overall, Barrett is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in nine games over 7 2/3 innings. He has given up four hits, one run and five walks in that span, and has struck out 11 batters. He...

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LaRoche and Werth just keep on raking

April 30, 2014, 12:15am

Nationals

HOUSTON - Here's Adam LaRoche's average slash line in March/April for his career: .223/.318/.400/ Here's Adam LaRoche's slash line through 25 games in March/April this season: .312/.413/.495. LaRoche is traditionally a slow starter. That's no secret to anyone who has followed the Nationals the last few seasons. That only makes the way that LaRoche has started the 2014 season that much more impressive. After going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in last night's win over the Astros,...

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Souza gets first start, LaRoche takes a seat, Werth at DH

April 30, 2014, 4:11pm

Nationals

Souza gets first start, LaRoche takes a seat, Werth at DH

HOUSTON - Steven Souza Jr. will get his first major league start tonight when the Nationals wrap up a quick, two-game series with the Houston Astros. He will play right field and bat eighth. First baseman Adam LaRoche is sitting with a tight quad. Combined with tomorrow's scheduled off-day, LaRoche hopes to be ready for Friday's game at Philadelphia. With LaRoche out, shortstop Ian Desmond moves into the cleanup spot. Jayson Werth is listed as tonight's designated hitter, since the Nats are...

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Clubhouse reactions to Span's grab, Frandsen's blind stab and more

April 29, 2014, 9:05pm

Nationals

Clubhouse reactions to Span's grab, Frandsen's blind stab and more

HOUSTON - Two ridiculous defensive plays were made by Nationals outfielders tonight. One of them resulted in an out. The other only temporarily held one runner from scoring, but was still just baffling. Denard Span's basket catch while falling to the ground on the hill in center and Kevin Frandsen's blind backhanded pick of a ball off the scoreboard in left are the two plays I'm describing. And those plays were blowing up social media during tonight's game. Your browser does not support...

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Rachel Levitin: Questions in the infield

April 30, 2014, 4:53am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Questions in the infield

When Danny Espinosa was sent down to the minor leagues during the 2013 season, it was clear he had to demonstrate true worth and production value or run the risk of not playing in the big show down the line. His replacement at second base, Anthony Rendon, settled into the new role nicely with few growing pains and looked quite comfortable on the right side of the diamond as opposed to third base. It's 2014 now, and Espinosa is back at second. The only way to get Esipnosa back at second was if...

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Williams on Harper's surgery, Jordan's demotion, Fister's upcoming return

April 29, 2014, 3:03pm

Nationals

Williams on Harper's surgery, Jordan's demotion, Fister's upcoming return

Bryce Harper underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, and Nationals manager Matt Williams received his first chance to address it before his team's series opener at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Williams isn't sure exactly when Harper will be back, but had only positive news to report about the procedure. "It's hard to tell how much time (he'll miss), but it was successful, doctor reporting that everything went fine and we got a little message from Bryce...

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Williams discusses Nats' 4-3 win over Astros

April 29, 2014, 8:41pm

Nationals

Williams discusses Nats' 4-3 win over Astros

HOUSTON - Another comeback win. That makes eight on the season. Ho, hum. The Nationals trailed 3-2 heading to the eighth inning tonight, but they came back on the Astros with a couple of rallies, both times leading to Adam LaRoche RBI knocks. His double off the wall in left-center scored Jayson Werth (who got a great read on the play) from first and LaRoche then gave the Nats the lead in the ninth with a run-scoring single to center, bringing in Denard Span (who had reached on a leadoff walk...

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Werth blasts off in first at Houston (Nats win 4-3)

April 29, 2014, 4:19pm

Nationals

Werth blasts off in first at Houston (Nats win 4-3)

Well, that didn't take long. Three batters into Tuesday's series opener, Jayson Werth crushed his fourth homer of the year, a two-out shot to left, to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in Houston. Werth, serving as the Nats' designated hitter tonight, has tremendous success in his limited time filling that role. In six career appearances as a DH, Werth is now batting .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and five RBIs. His latest blast has given the Nats the early upper hand at Minute Maid...