nationals

Game 20 lineups: Nats at Blue Jays

April 27, 2021, 12:06pm

Earlier this month, former Nationals catcher Jonathan Lucroy compared his time in D.C. to the storyline of the movie "The Replacements," in which Keanu Reeves leads a group of replacement players on the fictional Washington Sentinels to the playoffs in their fictional football league. (Of course, that movie was loosely based on the 1987 Washington Football Team replacements who won three games and helped the team go on to win the Super Bowl.) Well, I'm no Shane Falco, but I'll do my best as...

Comments

Tags:

bobby blanco josh bell lineups max scherzer nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman toronto blue jays trea turner

Martinez on Turner's forearm, constructing lineup with DH

April 27, 2021, 2:24pm

Nationals

Martinez on Turner's forearm, constructing lineup with DH

The Nationals breathed a heavy sigh of relief earlier today when manager Davey Martinez spoke to Trea Turner and the shortstop told him that he was feeling well enough to play tonight. Turner was struck by a pitch in his left forearm during Sunday's series finale against the Mets at Citi Field and departed the contest early, adding yet another name to the long list of injury concerns. But after X-rays returned negative, Turner was diagnosed with a contusion and had Monday's scheduled off-day...

Comments

Tags:

bobby blanco davey martinez josh bell nationals nationals pastime ryan zimmerman trea turner yadiel hernandez featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Slumping at the plate, Schwarber is still performing in the field

April 26, 2021, 7:47pm

Nationals

Slumping at the plate, Schwarber is still performing in the field

Kyle Schwarber has not lived up to the standard expected of him through his first two weeks on the Nationals' active roster, and he'd be the first to admit that. The 28-year-old outfielder is batting an ice-cold .192 (10-for-52) with one homer, three RBIs, 18 strikeouts and only two walks in 13 games since coming off the COVID-19 injured list. There have been some hard-hit balls recently, including a 409-foot shot to the base of the wall in center field Sunday in New York that was snagged by...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez kyle schwarber mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

How do Nats find ways to score runs while Soto's out?

April 25, 2021, 8:03pm

Nationals

How do Nats find ways to score runs while Soto's out?

You can talk about the reasons the Nationals are currently 8-11 and point out that Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg are currently on the injured list, that nobody in their rotation outside of Max Scherzer owns an ERA under 4.64 or that nine members of the opening day roster were in quarantine on opening day. And all of those are indeed among the reasons the Nats are 8-11 as they spend this off-day on the Florida Gulf Coast in advance of a two-game interleague series versus the Blue Jays at their...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez josh bell juan soto kyle schwarber mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nats hope healthy Zimmerman doesn't go cold after week off

April 25, 2021, 8:18am

Nationals

Nats hope healthy Zimmerman doesn't go cold after week off

It's not uncommon for Ryan Zimmerman to go an entire week without appearing in a major league game. This is a player, after all, who has dealt with every manner of injury throughout his 16-year career, and has required time off both in the short and long term to get his body right. But never before has Zimmerman missed an entire week while on the Nationals' active roster and, by all accounts, healthy enough to play. Until this week. It's been seven days since the face of the franchise showed...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez juan soto mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets ryan zimmerman stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Corbin's struggles, Nats' mistakes lead to another loss (updated)

April 25, 2021, 11:53am

Nationals

Corbin's struggles, Nats' mistakes lead to another loss (updated)

The final tally - Mets 4, Nationals 0 - suggested a one-sided game. It suggested yet another rough start for Patrick Corbin and yet another lifeless afternoon at the plate for a Nats lineup that has been shut out five times in 19 games to begin the season. In reality, this had a chance to be a far more competitive ballgame, perhaps even a victory for the visitors. It proved not to be because the Nationals did just about everything in their power to spoil the countless opportunities they had to...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez kyle schwarber mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin trea turner victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Hernandez makes most of rare start, makes case for more

April 24, 2021, 7:53pm

Nationals

Hernandez makes most of rare start, makes case for more

Yadiel Hernandez has two stints on the Nationals roster already this season, once because of the club's end-of-spring COVID-19 outbreak and once because of Juan Soto's shoulder strain. He entered Saturday having taken 11 plate appearances in eight games, starting only one of them. So what did the 33-year-old rookie outfielder think when he learned he not only was in Saturday's lineup against the Mets, but would be batting second? "In reality, I wasn't expecting it," he said during a Zoom...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez josh harrison mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets yadiel hernandez featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Early offense, Ross' return to form produce blowout win (updated)

April 24, 2021, 3:27pm

Nationals

Early offense, Ross' return to form produce blowout win (updated)

Davey Martinez sat in a portion of the visitors' clubhouse at Citi Field designated for Zoom press conferences around 1:30 p.m. today and expressed a profound desire for his Nationals to do something in particular in their upcoming game against the Mets. "I think we need to start scoring earlier in the game," the Nats manager said. "We've been scoring runs late. We need to start scoring runs early to take a little bit of pressure off our starting pitching, and see where that takes...

Comments

Tags:

alex avila joe ross josh harrison mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets starlin castro yadiel hernandez featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 19 lineups: Nats at Mets

April 25, 2021, 6:41am

Nationals

Despite what they might try to insist, managers are a superstitious lot. When something works one day, they tend to not want to change it up the next day. So when the Nationals scored a season-high seven runs Saturday with a new-look lineup, you shouldn't be surprised to see Davey Martinez go right back to the same lineup for today's series finale in New York. Yes, that means Josh Harrison and Yadiel Hernandez are at the top of the batting order again. And it means Josh Bell, despite his...

Comments

Tags:

josh bell josh harrison lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets patrick corbin victor robles yan gomes frontstory_nationals1

Seeking offensive spark, Martinez trying out new look at top

April 24, 2021, 10:49am

Nationals

Seeking offensive spark, Martinez trying out new look at top

Few right now would envy Davey Martinez, whose challenge to fill out a nightly lineup card is about as daunting as it's been at any point in his four seasons as Nationals manager. Juan Soto is on the injured list. Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber are slumping. And Anthony Rendon is in Anaheim (albeit injured himself). So on the heels of a 6-0 loss to Jacob deGrom and the Mets - the Nats' fourth shutout loss in 17 games to begin the season - Martinez recognized he needed to try something different...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez josh harrison mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets yadiel hernandez featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

With Soto out, Bell and Schwarber's slumps are magnified

April 23, 2021, 8:53pm

Nationals

With Soto out, Bell and Schwarber's slumps are magnified

Josh Bell has been late on fastballs since the slugger made his delayed season debut nearly two weeks ago. He's been trying to catch up ever since, and Friday night's game in New York did nothing to help that process along. Facing Jacob deGrom and his 100 mph fastball all night, Bell had no chance. He saw a total of 11 pitches in three at-bats, nine of which were fastballs, seven of which he swung at. He made contact twice, fouling off one pitch and lofting a lazy fly ball to center field on...

Comments

Tags:

josh bell kyle schwarber mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nationals helpless against brilliant deGrom (updated)

April 23, 2021, 5:48pm

Nationals

The Nationals know a thing or two about brilliant pitching performances. This is the franchise, after all, that has seen Max Scherzer throw two no-hitters and strike out 20 batters in another game, Stephen Strasburg strike out 14 in his major league debut and Jordan Zimmermann hold the Marlins hitless on the final day of the regular season. It takes a lot to impress these guys, and rightfully so. Tonight, though, might have done the trick. The Nats have never been no-hit since arriving in town...

Comments

Tags:

andrew stevenson erick fedde jacob degrom mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets starlin castro featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 18 lineups: Nats at Mets

April 24, 2021, 9:50am

Nationals

The Nationals had no chance last night against Jacob deGrom. They can only hope to have a better opportunity for success today against Marcus Stroman. Stroman doesn't have nearly deGrom's track record, but he's been no less effective to begin the season. The right-hander, who opted out of the 2020 campaign, is 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA, having shut down the Phillies twice and the Rockies once. Unlike deGrom, Stroman is a pitch-to-contact guy. He has only 11 strikeouts in 20 innings to date. But...

Comments

Tags:

andrew stevenson joe ross josh harrison kyle schwarber lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets frontstory_nationals1

Nats' four-man rotation creates crowded bullpen

April 23, 2021, 2:09pm

Nationals

Nats' four-man rotation creates crowded bullpen

The Nationals are proceeding for now with a four-man rotation, taking advantage of three scheduled off-days in the span of a week. But they're still keeping their current No. 5 starter, plus another starting prospect, on the pitching staff as relievers for this weekend's series against the Mets. With Erick Fedde, Joe Ross and Patrick Corbin scheduled to start the next three days at Citi Field, then an off-day Monday, there was no need to use a fifth starter. Max Scherzer will take the mound...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez jon lester mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime new york mets paolo espino ryan zimmerman steven fuentes featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season

April 22, 2021, 7:24pm

Nationals

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season

It's been a while since the Nationals opened a season with a reliable bullpen. How long? Try five years. Way back in 2016, if anyone can remember ancient history, Dusty Baker's relief corps enjoyed a dominant April. That group ended the season's opening month with a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, led by Jonathan Papelbon's eight saves, Shawn Kelley's 0.00 ERA and contributions from the likes of Blake Treinen, Matt Belisle, Oliver PÃ©rez and Yusmeiro Petit. Yeah, things have changed just a bit...

Comments

Tags:

brad hand bullpen daniel hudson davey martinez mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime tanner rainey wander suero featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Under the circumstances, Nats' 7-9 start is worthy of praise

April 21, 2021, 9:25pm

Nationals

Under the circumstances, Nats' 7-9 start is worthy of praise

To suggest the Nationals' season to date has been anything but a disappointment would be inaccurate and a far too rosy view of the situation. Between injuries, pitching blowups, struggling regulars and some really ugly games, there have been a lot of negative developments already in the last 2 1/2 weeks. And yet, when you consider all that has befallen this team in such a short amount of time, and the stiff competition it has faced through the season's first 16 games, it's not unreasonable...

Comments

Tags:

daniel hudson davey martinez mark zuckerman max scherzer nationals nationals pastime st. louis cardinals featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Game 17 lineups: Nats at Mets

April 23, 2021, 11:50am

Nationals

The 2021 season was supposed to begin with a three-game showdown between the Nationals and Mets, but of course that entire series in D.C. was postponed following the Nats' COVID-19 outbreak. So the first of 19 meetings between the division rivals takes place tonight at Citi Field in the opener of a three-game weekend series. Just as they would've on opening day, the Nationals will have to go up against Jacob deGrom tonight. It's never an easy challenge facing arguably the best pitcher in...

Comments

Tags:

erick fedde lineups mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime new york mets frontstory_nationals1

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)

April 21, 2021, 3:07pm

Nationals

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)

Max Scherzer still has it, thank you very much. And the Nationals bullpen still has some intestinal fortitude, in case you were wondering. On a cold, windy late afternoon in which their offense asked them to make one early run hold up, Scherzer and three Nats relievers did just that, eking out a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals by the skin of their teeth to capture their second series in a week from St. Louis. "We'd like to win by more," Scherzer said on Zoom afterward. "But hey, sometimes...

Comments

Tags:

alex avila brad hand daniel hudson mark zuckerman max schezer nationals nationals pastime st. louis cardinals tanner rainey featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Soto stays positive, Strasburg is throwing, weekend rotation set

April 21, 2021, 11:16am

Nationals

Soto stays positive, Strasburg is throwing, weekend rotation set

Juan Soto can't pinpoint any precise moment when he thinks he hurt his left shoulder. It just started bothering him in recent days, especially when throwing, so he let the Nationals training staff know and they had him undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning. Little could the 22-year-old slugger have imagined he'd wind up on the 10-day injured list several hours later with a diagnosed shoulder strain. Since that moment, Soto has tried not to stress over this development and instead think about the...

Comments

Tags:

jon lester juan soto mark zuckerman nationals nationals pastime paolo espino st. louis cardinals stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Josh Bell to host Josh Bell's Book Club

April 22, 2021, 6:31am

Nationals

Today, the Washington Nationals and first baseman Josh Bell announced the start of Josh Bell's Book Club, a monthly book club for adults focused on self-improvement. Each month throughout the 2021 season, Josh will lead an hour-long, virtual discussion about a book that he has selected to feature in the club. Josh has purposefully chosen books for the club that offer concepts, mindsets, and inspiration for being and becoming better people, reflected in the tagline for the program: "Books....