nationals

Game 118 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Thomas called up)

August 15, 2021, 8:06am

Things are pretty bleak around Nationals Park these days. The home team has lost 11 of 12 and 29 of 39, and has fallen into a tie with the Marlins for last place in the National League East. Yes, this is the first step in a rebuilding project, and the club's record means a lot less now than it did three weeks ago. But that doesn't make this any easier to watch. Or, for those involved personally, to experience. But the Nationals have no choice but to press on, and today they'll try to snap...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves lane thomas lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime paolo espino frontstory_nationals1

Nationals recall Lane Thomas

August 15, 2021, 8:33am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals recalled outfielder Lane Thomas and placed right-handed pitcher Joe Ross on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to Aug. 12) with a partial tear of his right elbow ulnar collateral ligament on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Thomas, 25, was acquired by the Washington Nationals from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jon Lester on July 30. He hit .385 (5-for-13) with a...

Comments

Tags:

Nationals News Release nationals

Nats claim reliever Murphy from Jays, release catcher Rivera

August 14, 2021, 1:37pm

Nationals

Nats claim reliever Murphy from Jays, release catcher Rivera

August waiver trades are a thing of the past, but teams still can still acquire players from other organizations under certain circumstances, and today the Nationals found a way to pick up another young pitcher who could potentially help them in their long-term plan to rebuild. The Nats claimed right-hander Patrick Murphy off waivers from the Blue Jays, taking a shot at a 26-year-old reliever with good minor league numbers this season but a penchant for struggling with his command during his...

Comments

Tags:

mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime patrick murphy rene rivera toronto blue jays featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats working with Kieboom on smoother play at third base

August 13, 2021, 10:02pm

Nationals

Nats working with Kieboom on smoother play at third base

One year ago, the last time he had a chance to play regularly in the big leagues, Carter Kieboom looked better in the field than he did at the plate. This time around, he's looked better at the plate than in the field. Kieboom's entire game remains a work in progress, of course, and the Nationals aren't ready to draw any conclusions about the 23-year-old third baseman yet. But they are both pleased with the progress he's shown with his bat and hoping a recent tweak with his glove will help...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves carter kieboom davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 117 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

August 14, 2021, 11:52am

Nationals

And we're back. If it feels like Friday night's game just ended, that's because it did. The Nationals and Braves find themselves in the unfortunate position of not only having just played a game that ended at 1:19 a.m. but having their next game scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m., an hour early to accommodate the planned postgame fireworks show. And, yes, it's important to remember that the fireworks remain planned for postgame tonight. In order for them to actually take place, this game will...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves lineups luis garcia mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime patrick corbin yadiel hernandez frontstory_nationals1

Gray impressive again, but done in by late homers (updated)

August 13, 2021, 9:19pm

Nationals

Gray impressive again, but done in by late homers (updated)

There are things you find out about ballplayers at 10 p.m. in front of a sellout crowd, and then there are things you find out about them at midnight in front of a few thousand fans who were willing to wait out the longest rain delay of the season. They all matter in the end, and all of these experiences ultimately shape young ballplayers into the finished products they will become in due time. And they don't always have to produce positive results, as much as everyone wishes they...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves davey martinez josiah gray juan soto mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 116 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

August 13, 2021, 11:26am

Nationals

The Nationals are back home again, having just suffered through a brutal 1-5 road trip to Atlanta and New York that included blown saves, rain delays, rainouts and other assorted calamities. All of that leaves this team in a prolonged funk unlike any they've experienced in a very long time. The Nats have lost 27 of their last 37 games. The only worse stretch in club history came near the end of the 2009 season, the last time this franchise lost 100 games. That's how bad things have...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves josiah gray juan soto lineups luis garcia mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime tres barrera

Rainey has work to do before Nats bring him back (game delayed)

August 13, 2021, 2:08pm

Nationals

Rainey has work to do before Nats bring him back (game delayed)

Tanner Rainey's return to the Nationals bullpen Thursday was as brief as it was disappointing, but it didn't change the club's intentions for the right-hander. Rainey, who had been optioned to Triple-A at the start of the month, was called up as the Nats' designated 27th man for their doubleheader against the Mets. Then, after giving up a two-run homer to Jonathan Villar in the sixth inning of what wound up a 5-4, seven-inning loss, he was optioned back to Rochester. That decision wasn't...

Comments

Tags:

atlanta braves davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime sean nolin tanner rainey featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Temperature check two weeks after trade deadline

August 12, 2021, 7:58pm

Nationals

Temperature check two weeks after trade deadline

Two weeks ago today, the Nationals completed six franchise-altering trades, admitting this season was a lost cause. They were able to move eight players (seven on expiring contracts) to net 12 prospects in return. Ten of those 12 are already in MLBPipeline.com's ranking of the top 30 Nats prospects. Six of those 12 are in the top 16. And three of those six are in the top 10, including Nos. 1 and 2, Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray (both acquired in the Max Scherzer-Trea Turner deal with the...

Comments

Tags:

bobby blanco cade cavalli carter kieboom erick fedde jackson rutledge joe ross josh bell josiah gray juan soto keibert ruiz luis garcia nationals nationals pastime patrick corbin ryan zimmerman victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Nats rally late, but suffer sweep against Mets (updated)

August 12, 2021, 2:12pm

Nationals

Nats rally late, but suffer sweep against Mets (updated)

Nationals manager Davey Martinez spent his morning Zoom session with reporters detailing his pitching plans for today's doubleheader against the Mets. After a suspended game on Tuesday and last night's postponement, the mound plans had been thrown into a state of flux. Of course, like much of this season, nothing really ever goes according to plan for the Nationals. But today, the pitching plan held up: Sean Nolin and three relievers got through the first game and Erick Fedde got through four...

Comments

Tags:

andrew stevenson bobby blanco erick fedde juan soto kyle finnegan nationals nationals pastime new york mets ryan zimmerman tanner rainey featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats go quietly in opening loss to Mets (updated)

August 12, 2021, 10:42am

Nationals

Nats go quietly in opening loss to Mets (updated)

The recipe for success for the Nationals the rest of the way this season is going to be one of two things: keep the score close, take a late lead and hope to hold on, or explode for a lot of runs early and win in a blowout. Neither of those scenarios took place in today's 4-1 doubleheader opening loss to the Mets. Let's start with keeping the score close. The Nationals did get a gutsy effort from Sean Nolin in his first major league appearance since 2015. But the left-hander served up a...

Comments

Tags:

andres machado bobby blanco davey martinez josh bell juan soto kevin long nationals nationals pastime new york mets sean nolin featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 114 lineups: Nats at Mets (Nolin starting)

August 12, 2021, 6:06am

Nationals

Game 114 lineups: Nats at Mets (Nolin starting)

It's been a weird week for the Nationals in New York leading up to this afternoon's series finale against the Mets. The coaching staff rejoined the team on Monday's off-day. Tuesday's game was suspended in the second inning. In Wednesday's resumption, the Nats blew a 4-1 lead, then went up 7-4 and blew that lead before finally losing 8-7. And then yesterday's regularly scheduled game had to be rescheduled as a part of an early doubleheader today. Let's hope everything goes smoothly for...

Comments

Tags:

bobby blanco lineups nationals nationals pastime new york mets sean nolin tanner rainey

Pitching plans laid out for Thursday's doubleheader

August 12, 2021, 7:25am

Nationals

Pitching plans laid out for Thursday's doubleheader

The past few days have not been easy on Nationals manager Davey Martinez and pitching coach Jim Hickey. A suspended game Tuesday night then a postponement last night has led to today's doubleheader against the Mets at Citi Field, while also throwing the Nats' pitching plans into chaos. Good thing they're in the city that never sleeps. After a confusing 40 hours or so, Martinez was able to lay out his pitching plans for today's two games: Sean Nolin will start the opener and Erick Fedde will...

Comments

Tags:

andres machado bobby blanco davey martinez erick fedde jefry rodriguez josiah gray nationals nationals pastime new york mets paolo espino sean nolin tanner rainey featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Inexperienced bullpen is going to deal with more bumps

August 11, 2021, 8:18pm

Nationals

Inexperienced bullpen is going to deal with more bumps

Two weeks ago, if the Nationals held a 7-5 lead heading to the seventh inning, Davey Martinez wouldn't have needed to think too hard about his upcoming pitching decisions. Provided everyone was available, he would've had Kyle Finnegan pitch the seventh, then Daniel Hudson the eighth and Brad Hand the ninth. It wouldn't always have worked, and certainly during those final days before the trade deadline Hand was anything but a sure thing. But the decision-making process that resulted in those...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez gabe klobosits mark zuckerman mason thompson nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Game 115 lineups: Nats at Mets

August 12, 2021, 10:52am

Nationals

And we're back. Seven innings down, seven more to go before the Nationals can finally get out of New York and return home after a long week. Erick Fedde brings a 4-8 record and 5.15 ERA to his late-afternoon start. The last time Fedde faced the Mets, on June 18, he pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts to bring his season ERA to 3.33. Over the eight starts since, the right-hander is 0-4 with a 7.75 ERA. In two starts against the Mets this season, Fedde has only...

Comments

Tags:

bobby blanco davey martinez erick fedde lineups nationals nationals pastime new york mets adrian sanchez andrew stevenson luis garcia ryan zimmerman frontfeatured_nationals

Thursday doubleheader planned after another rainout

August 11, 2021, 5:14pm

Nationals

Thursday doubleheader planned after another rainout

When a major storm cell barreled through New York on Tuesday night, the Nationals' series opener against the Mets had to be suspended in the second inning, then completed this afternoon. When another major storm cell was preparing to barrel through New York tonight, they didn't take any chances. The Mets delayed the start of the nightcap of the scheduled doubleheader, then an hour later postponed it altogether. And so despite spending many hours over the last two days at Citi Field, the...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez erick fedde mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets paolo espino sean nolin featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats can't hold lead, lose completion of suspended game

August 11, 2021, 3:19pm

Nationals

Nats can't hold lead, lose completion of suspended game

The Nationals are going to have a say in the outcome of the National League East race this season. Not because they're likely to climb back into contention after trading away eight veterans for 12 prospects two weeks ago. But because the final two months of this season will see them face the three teams still angling for what could be an ugly division title a bunch, and the outcome of those games is going to have a real impact on how everyone finishes in the standings. Just in the last...

Comments

Tags:

gabe klobosits joe ross luis garcia mark zuckerman mason thompson nationals nationals pastime new york mets riley adams featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Lefty Nolin promoted from Triple-A, struggling Clay optioned

August 11, 2021, 10:47am

Nationals

Lefty Nolin promoted from Triple-A, struggling Clay optioned

Looking for more pitchers who can provide innings during the 24 innings of baseball on tap over the next 24 hours, the Nationals promoted left-hander Sean Nolin from Triple-A today, optioning reliever Sam Clay to Rochester in the process. Nolin, 31, is on a big league roster for the first time since 2015, when he started six games for the Athletics. After bouncing between the minor leagues, independent ball and even Japan in the ensuing years, he wound up in the Nationals organization this...

Comments

Tags:

bullpen mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime rochester red wings sam clay sean nolin featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Young hitters still trying to earn prominent spots in lineup

August 10, 2021, 6:09pm

Nationals

Young hitters still trying to earn prominent spots in lineup

The final 50 games of the Nationals' season are about evaluating young talent. Even more than that, they're about evaluating how young talent handles various situations. Like seeing if some of the club's less experienced hitters can perform in prominent parts of the lineup. We've already seen Victor Robles get an opportunity to bat leadoff again after spending most of the season at the bottom of manager Davey Martinez's batting order. The results have been mixed so far, but Robles did...

Comments

Tags:

carter kieboom davey martinez luis garcia mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 114 lineups: Nats at Mets

August 11, 2021, 3:57pm

Nationals

Well, the opener of this evening's pseudo-doubleheader did not go as the Nationals would've hoped. Despite twice holding a three-run lead, they wound up losing to the Mets 8-7, done in by an inexperienced bullpen that is suddenly being asked to pitch high-leverage innings against a team still in the pennant race. They'll have to hope for a better result in the nightcap, a scheduled seven-inning game that is supposed to begin at 8 p.m. but is now being delayed because of another big storm...