nationals

Strasburg and Lobaton building chemistry, helping produce success on the hill

April 25, 2014, 8:43pm

Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton said it was difficult to get to know Stephen Strasburg early in the season. But now that they have had three or four games working together, they are slowly building chemistry and trust. That bonding played an important role in Strasburg's seven innings of shutout ball in an 11-1 victory over the Padres on Friday night. "First time, it was kind of like I don't know how to go and talk to him in the dugout. He is a quiet guy, he likes to be alone," Lobaton...

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Williams on offense, Desmond and Strasburg in win over Padres

April 25, 2014, 8:10pm

Nationals

Williams on offense, Desmond and Strasburg in win over Padres

Nationals manager Matt Williams said his team's strategy of working to get as many men on base as ppossible was a key an 11-1 victory over San Diego, even if they struggled with runners in scoring position in their Thursday extra-inning loss. "The theme is the same as it always is," Williams said. "We just try to give ourselves as many opportunities as we can. I think Anthony (Rendon) and (Ian) Desmond certainly set the tone tonight. Taking the ball the other way against a left-hander...

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Harper dealing with jammed left thumb, X-rays negative

April 25, 2014, 8:05pm

Nationals

Harper dealing with jammed left thumb, X-rays negative

Despite the 11-1 romp over the Padres tonight, Nationals fans were probably holding their breath for much of the evening after Bryce Harper had to leave the game after four innings with an apparent injury. After the game, however, manager Matt Williams provided some good news, given the circumstances: Harper suffered a jammed left thumb when he slid into third base on a third-inning bases-clearing triple. X-rays on Harper's thumb came back negative, and while the Nats will re-evaluate Harper...

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Nationals deliver early on scoring chances (Nats win 11-1)

April 25, 2014, 4:24pm

Nationals

The Nationals had 16 chances with runners in scoring position Thursday in the opening game against the Padres and failed each time. On Friday, the Nationals got base hits on their first two RISP opportunities to provide Stephen Strasburg an early cushion against his hometown team. After a 57-minute rain delay, Strasburg allowed a single by Everth Cabrera to lead off the game. But the right-hander then induced a double play and a fly out to keep San Diego off the board in the top of the...

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Harper leaves game in fifth with jammed left thumb

April 25, 2014, 5:32pm

Nationals

Harper leaves game in fifth with jammed left thumb

Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper appeared to jam his left wrist while sliding into third base on a three-run triple in the third inning against the San Diego Padres on Friday night. MASN television replays showed Harper holding his left wrist and flexing his left hand after the play. He stayed in the game for the fourth inning, but was replaced by Nate McLouth in left field to begin the fifth inning. Harper left the game after going 2-for-2 with a single, a triple, one run scored and a...

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Williams on Ramos' recovery: "Structurally, everything is really good"

April 25, 2014, 3:42pm

Nationals

Williams on Ramos' recovery: "Structurally, everything is really good"

Nationals manager Matt Williams had an update on catcher Wilson Ramos, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since opening day with a left hamate bone fracture. "Took early BP today, looks good," Williams said. "At this point, it is pain tolerance. Structurally, everything is really good. The bone is removed. The scar is healing. It is not just a skin scar, either - they go in there. There is constant work being done on that. "You loosen it up and then it mats down again overnight...

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Transfer play rule adjusted (updated with player reaction)

April 25, 2014, 9:45am

Nationals

Transfer play rule adjusted (updated with player reaction)

Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche got his wish. Major League Baseball announced today that the Playing Rules Committee has adjusted how umpires should apply the official playing rules in plays when a fielder loses possession of a ball attempting to transfer it to this throwing hand. The new interpretation of the transfer play will begin with games tonight. Here is the official announcement of how umpires will enforce the rule according to these standards: "The Committee has determined that...

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Zimmermann felt stuff was good enough to go longer than six innings

April 24, 2014, 8:26pm

Nationals

Zimmermann felt stuff was good enough to go longer than six innings

The Nationals certainly had opportunities in their 4-3 12-inning loss to the Padres on Thursday. It ended on a hard-hit ball by catcher Jose Lobaton that doubled Bryce Harper off of second base. That play was another example of the many missed scoring chances the Nationals had. "That is the game," Lobaton said. "I was trying to do something better after that error. I was trying to get at least a base hit, move the runner. It was a pretty good line drive, he made a nice play, and that was...

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Some bad and some good

April 24, 2014, 8:45pm

Nationals

The Nationals have hit .223 with runners in scoring position thus far this season, ranking 22nd in the majors in that category. They've left 176 runners on base, which leads the National League. The talent is clearly there. The Nats are putting runners on, getting knocks and drawing walks. They had six of their starting position players notch at least two hits last night. For whatever reason, those hits largely just aren't coming with runners in scoring position. "I think we're trying...

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Williams discusses lack of offense after Nats' 12-inning loss

April 24, 2014, 8:08pm

Nationals

Williams discusses lack of offense after Nats' 12-inning loss

The Nationals sure gave themselves chances. They notched 16 hits, walked twice, and had two stolen bases. The opportunities were there, but the knocks in big situations weren't. The Nats went 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position in tonight's 4-3 loss to the Padres, and left 14 men on base. Jordan Zimmermann went six solid innings and the bullpen was impressive, but the Nats dropped the opener of this four-game set with San Diego. Here's manager Matt Williams after the loss: On if...

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Nationals get aggressive to go up on Padres in third (San Diego wins 4-3 in 12)

April 24, 2014, 3:47pm

Nationals

The Nationals got on the board in the third inning against Padres lefty Eric Stults. Pitcher Jordan Zimmermann got it started with a single past diving shortstop Everth Cabrera and into left field. Denard Span reached on a fielder's choice, erasing Zimmermann at second. Span then stole second and Stults' pickoff throw sailed past the first baseman, allowing Span to go to third. He scored on a towering fly ball to left field off the bat of Anthony Rendon and the Nationals led 1-0. Zimmermann...

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Padres-Nats lineups for series opener

April 24, 2014, 11:17am

Nationals

The Nationals kick off a four-game set with the San Diego Padres tonight, a team that has a really solid pitching staff but also really struggles to score. San Diego has the fourth-best ERA in the majors at 2.82 and owns the majors' best bullpen (San Diego relievers have posted a stellar 1.74 ERA). The Padres have scored just 60 runs in 22 games, however, and come into the series having scored three runs or fewer in seven straight games. Jordan Zimmermann gets the ball for the Nats tonight,...

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Lobaton working on keeping swing short

April 24, 2014, 2:38pm

Nationals

Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton began Wednesday's ninth-inning rally against the Angels with his first home run of the season, a no-doubter down the right field line and into the Nationals bullpen, cutting the Angels lead to 4-2. The Nationals were able to score three more runs and come back to win 5-4. Lobaton connected on a 0-2 count after starting the night 0-for-3 at the plate. He said more time with Nationals hitting coach Rick Schu helped him to make an important adjustment in his...

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Williams updates Gonzalez, Fister and Hairston

April 24, 2014, 1:07pm

Nationals

Williams updates Gonzalez, Fister and Hairston

Nationals manager Matt Williams updated the recovery of starting right-hander Doug Fister, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a right lat strain. Williams said Fister threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday and "felt good." This means that Fister is on track to make a rehab start Sunday for high Single-A Potomac on Sunday in Woodbridge, Va. The plan is for Fister to go four innings with a 60-pitch limit. Fister would then have one more rehab start and go five innings. All of these...

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Williams discusses Nats' 5-4 walk-off win, Gonzalez's health

April 23, 2014, 7:30pm

Nationals

Williams discusses Nats' 5-4 walk-off win, Gonzalez's health

Two walk-off wins in four days. I bet Matt Williams would like the victories to come a little easier, but he'll take them any way he can get 'em. The Nationals rallied from a 4-1 ninth-inning deficit with four runs in the bottom half of the ninth, picking up a big comeback win and salvaging a game in this three-game set with the Angels. Jose Lobaton led off the ninth with a solo homer, Jayson Werth knotted the score with a two-run double on a 3-0 count and Adam LaRoche then won it with a...

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Looking back on a wild ballgame

April 24, 2014, 5:51am

Nationals

What a weird game baseball can be. Tuesday night, the Nationals dropped their second straight ballgame to the Angels, this one by a 7-2 score. They were back to just one game over .500 through the season's first three weeks and were a win away from being swept. The defense wasn't pretty and hits with runners in scoring position had been largely absent on the homestand. Then, last night the Nats saw the Angels grab control of the game in the late innings. The Nats offense went quiet. Gio...

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Werth and LaRoche recount Nationals' wild ninth-inning rally against Angels

April 23, 2014, 7:27pm

Nationals

Something about these Nationals, they know how to mount a comeback. A lot has not gone their way this season, from injuries to sloppy defense to inconsistent early innings for the pitchers. But Wednesday reminded baseball that this team never stops fighting. Down 4-1 heading into their last at-bat, the Nationals rallied for four runs and shocked the Angels 5-4. The inning got its start as catcher Jose Lobaton connected off of Angels reliever Ernesto Frieri on an 0-2 pitch, slamming a long drive...

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David Huzzard: Tracking the Nationals and their trends

April 24, 2014, 4:56am

Nationals

There are times that I forget that baseball is about the journey and not the destination, but I become so focused on the destination, the unknown future, that I get frustrated when it isn't reached. These Nationals are predicted to win a World Series at some point. The ultimate potential of players like Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg is too great for them not to be a winning team for the foreseeable future, or at least that is what the experts say. So far with those two players together,...

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A handful of morning observations

April 22, 2014, 10:14pm

Nationals

Through the first 21 games of the season, the Nationals have been outscored 44-12 in the first two innings of ballgames. They've allowed at least three runs in the first inning six times. They've allowed at least three runs in the second inning five times. All of that in just 21 games. Tough to come back from those type of early deficits. Now, as we've discussed, the Nats have shown a propensity for battling back late in ballgames. They don't give up, and they scrap. That's all good...

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Gonzalez's bat gives Nats first run against Angels (Nats rally to win 5-4)

April 23, 2014, 3:48pm

Nationals

Gonzalez's bat gives Nats first run against Angels (Nats rally to win 5-4)

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez got himself out of a pair of jams early and then contributed with his bat to get his team the early advantage. In the first inning with one away, the Angels got a double from Mike Trout and a single from Albert Pujols. Howie Kendrick walked to load the bases. Gonzalez then got Erick Aybar to ground into an inning-ending double play. Ian Desmond caught Aybar's short blooper and then threw back to second base to double up Pujols. In the second frame, the Angels...