nationals

Strasburg to pitch Wednesday, Fister on Friday

May 04, 2014, 3:50pm

The Nationals have now set two-thirds of their starting rotation for the three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that begins Monday at Nats Park. Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will battle 5-0 Dodgers righty Zack Greinke on Monday. And following Sunday's loss in Philadelphia, Nats manager Matt Williams announced that right-hander Stephen Strasburg would start for the home team on Wednesday against ex-Nat Dan Haren. That leaves only Tuesday's starter for the Nationals...

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Missed opportunities dog Nats in 1-0 loss to Phillies

May 04, 2014, 3:25pm

Nationals

Missed opportunities dog Nats in 1-0 loss to Phillies

You won't find the Nationals lamenting breaks that didn't go their way in a 1-0 loss to the Phillies on Sunday. To a man, they admitted they ran into a tough pitcher in Phillies righty Roberto Hernandez., who outdueled Washington's Gio Gonzalez on an afternoon when windy conditions made things tough for both teams. They Nats ran themselves out of a possible big inning in the first and didn't come through with the tying run on third in the eighth. It all added up to a loss capping a 3-2 road...

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Gonzalez strong, but Nats drop finale 1-0

May 04, 2014, 12:13pm

Nationals

Gonzalez strong, but Nats drop finale 1-0

Phillies right-hander Roberto Hernandez is pitching more like Fausto Carmona circa 2010 than the guy who toted a 5.74 ERA into today's game against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Gio Gonzalez is doing his usual routine of holding the opposition in check, but trails 1-0 after three innings. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first when Jimmy Rollins tripled with one out and scored on Chase Utley's single to center.r. The Nats had runners on first and second with one down in the third,...

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About the first-inning deficits

May 04, 2014, 6:29am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The comebacks are nice, obviously. Nine comeback wins in 30 games is pretty darn impressive. The problem there is that in order to come back to win a game, you have to trail. And the Nationals would prefer that they don't trail in games as often as they have. Yesterday marked the eighth time already this season that Nationals pitchers have allowed at least three runs in the first inning. That's 27 percent of the time. Not good. What is there to explain these first-inning...

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Espinosa gets a day off in series finale vs. Phillies

May 04, 2014, 7:52am

Nationals

Espinosa gets a day off in series finale vs. Phillies

PHILADELPHIA - Danny Espinosa will get the day off, and Kevin Frandsen will play third base against his former team in today's series finale. Gio Gonzalez will start for the Nationals, while the Phillies will give the ball to right-hander Roberto Hernandez (formerly known as Fausto Carmona). Cole Hamels was originally scheduled to start today for the Phils, but he was scratched due to the flu. For the Nationals For the Nats: CF Denard Span 3B Kevin Frandsen RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam LaRoche ...

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Williams discusses Nats' 7-2 loss

May 03, 2014, 7:20pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Just like last night, the Nationals trailed the Phillies 3-0 before the first inning was complete. Unlike last night, the Nats weren't able to come back and pick up the win. Ryan Howard's three-run homer off Tanner Roark in the first put the Nats in another early hole, and the Phillies continued to add on from there, making it 7-0 by the end of the fifth. Roark was coming off a three-hit shutout his last time out, but he didn't have his good stuff today, and the Phillies...

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Fister slated to make first start next week, Williams offers update on Ramos

May 03, 2014, 2:20pm

Nationals

Fister slated to make first start next week, Williams offers update on Ramos

Offseason acquisition Doug Fister, who is on the disabled list with a strained lat, is set to make his first regular season start in a Nationals uniform next week. Whether that start is on Wednesday or Friday has yet to be determined. Fister made a rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg last night. "Felt strong, felt right where I need to be," he said in Philadelphia. "I feel like I'm a little late obviously, but for the most part, came out of the game, felt strong, felt like I could go out...

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Phillies jump out to early lead (Nats lose 7-2)

May 03, 2014, 3:30pm

Nationals

Phillies jump out to early lead (Nats lose 7-2)

The Nationals were retired in order by A.J. Burnett in the first before watching the Phillies take an early lead on a three-run home run off the bat of Ryan Howard. After pitching his best outing in his last start, right-hander Tanner Roark is struggling early in Philadelphia. He retired Tony Gwynn Jr., but allowed a single to Jimmy Rollins, who then stole second base. Chase Utley walked, bringing Howard to the plate. He crushed an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center field, giving the...

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LaRoche, McLouth in Nationals lineup

May 03, 2014, 11:43am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Despite leaving last night's game against the Phillies in the eighth inning with a tight quad muscle, first baseman Adam LaRoche is listed in the Nationals' starting lineup for tonight's game. Nate McLouth will play left field against Phillies right-hander A.J Burnett. For the Nationals CF Denard Span3B Anthony RendonRF Jayson Werth1B Adam LaRocheSS Ian Desmond2B Danny EspinosaLF Nate McLouthC Jose LobatonRHP Tanner Roark For the Phillies RF Tony Gwynn Jr.SS Jimmy Rollins2B...

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

May 02, 2014, 3:53pm

Nationals

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

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...