nationals

Soroka turns tables on Scherzer, Braves cruise to 5-0 win

September 13, 2019, 7:22pm

Last Sunday in Atlanta, Max Scherzer allowed the Braves only one run on two hits in six convincing innings of work. It was the only win for the Nationals in the four-game set against the Braves, serving as reassurance that when the Nats desperately need a win against a very good team, he would deliver. That will likely be the challenge the Nats face if they get to the National League wild card game Oct. 1. But in the second matchup with Atlanta in five days, the Braves liked what they saw from...

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Game 146 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

September 13, 2019, 9:54am

Nationals

Fresh off a series win at the American League Central's first-place Minnesota, the Nationals spend the weekend back home for a quick three-game set against the National League East first-place Atlanta Braves before heading out Monday to St. Louis and then Miami. The Nats took down the Twins 12-6 to stay 3 1/2 games in front of the Cubs and the Brewers for home field advantage in the National League wild card game. Their magic number is 14 to clinch the wild card spot. Tonight, they get back to...

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Updates on Suzuki, Gomes, ElÃas and Adams (Nats fall 5-0)

September 13, 2019, 1:34pm

Nationals

Updates on Suzuki, Gomes, ElÃas and Adams (Nats fall 5-0)

Nationals manager Davey Martinez had a spring in his step as he met reporters in the home dugout following the annual team picture before tonight's first game against the Braves with: "How's everybody doing!?" He had an upbeat attitude, as he usually does, for good reason. His club won two of three in Minnesota, their first series victory against a team with a winning record since sweeping the Cubs on Aug. 25. "It made it a lot better the fact that we won the game and we played the game,"...

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Cabrera keeps hitting, keeps getting starts

September 12, 2019, 9:37pm

Nationals

Cabrera keeps hitting, keeps getting starts

MINNEAPOLIS - The Nationals signed AsdrÃºbal Cabrera to a league minimum deal on Aug. 6 because they needed some short-term help on the right side of the infield. Ryan Zimmerman and Howie Kendrick were both hurt, so the presence of a veteran switch-hitter who could come off the bench and make a start or two at second base and first base was needed. One month later, Cabrera has turned into a vital part of the Nationals' daily lineup, one of the hottest hitters in the league and suddenly their...

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Bats come up big as Nats maintain wild card lead (updated)

September 12, 2019, 8:15pm

Nationals

Bats come up big as Nats maintain wild card lead (updated)

MINNEAPOLIS - A night getaway game combined with a rain delay might have left the Nationals tired and dreading an overnight flight home in advance of tomorrow's series opener with the Braves. But if nothing else, it gave the Nats a rare opportunity to know exactly what was needed of them on this night, because every other contender for a berth in the National League wild card game had already finished playing. And because the Cubs, Brewers, Mets and Phillies all won, the Nationals knew they...

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Rendon is nominee for Clemente Award (Nats lead 10-3)

September 12, 2019, 3:44pm

Nationals

Rendon is nominee for Clemente Award (Nats lead 10-3)

MINNEAPOLIS - Anthony Rendon is in the running for some major end-of-season awards for his on-field performance. Now he's also in the running for a major award for his off-the-field performance. Rendon was named today as the Nationals' nominee for the 2019 Roberto Clemente Award, which annually honors one major leaguer who "best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field." It's...

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Gomes starts six in a row, but Read likely to catch Saturday

September 12, 2019, 2:33pm

Nationals

Gomes starts six in a row, but Read likely to catch Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS - Yan Gomes starts his sixth consecutive game behind the plate tonight. That's not something the Nationals ever planned to do this season, not with Kurt Suzuki sharing time as part of a potent one-two catching punch. But with Suzuki now nursing a right elbow injury, the Nats have had little choice but to keep putting Gomes out there and hope for the best. It's been a hit-or-miss proposition. Literally. Gomes clubbed two homers during Sunday's win in Atlanta, but has otherwise...

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Zimmerman producing - and playing - more than expected

September 11, 2019, 8:59pm

Nationals

Zimmerman producing - and playing - more than expected

MINNEAPOLIS - The Nationals had modest expectations for Ryan Zimmerman when he returned from the injured list 11 days ago. The veteran first baseman had played in only 33 games through the season's first five months, unable to keep himself active for any length of time due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Davey Martinez didn't sugarcoat his intentions for Zimmerman at that point. He'd start a few games, especially against left-handers, and be available off the bench to pinch-hit or...

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Game 145 lineups: Nats at Twins

September 12, 2019, 12:08pm

Nationals

MINNEAPOLIS - It's another gloomy, gray day here in the Twin Cities, and the rain is supposed to continue into the evening hours. It is, however, supposed to stop at some point. Which means the Nationals and Twins may have no choice but to sit around and wait so they can get tonight's series finale in as scheduled. Each team only has one remaining off-day, and they're not the same. So if they somehow can't play tonight, the only option for a makeup game would be Sept. 30, the day in between...

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Nationals score early, avoid drama late in victory (updated)

September 11, 2019, 6:57pm

Nationals

MINNEAPOLIS - They got the early offense they've been seeking for most of the last week-plus. They got another quality, if a bit briefer than hoped, start from Stephen Strasburg. Now the Nationals needed three clean innings from their bullpen in order to beat a very good Twins club. That should be a nice, simple formula for success. But as anyone who has followed this team all season, it's never that nice or simple. Though they certainly came close to making it simple tonight. Getting nine...

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Anthony Rendon named Nationals' nominee for Roberto Clemente Award

September 12, 2019, 10:21am

Nationals

Major League Baseball today announced that Anthony Rendon was named the Washington Nationals 2019 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, the most prestigious individual award for Major League players. The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Every year, each MLB Club nominates a player to be...

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Piazza's post-9/11 moment still haunts Martinez (Nats up 5-2)

September 11, 2019, 3:07pm

Nationals

Piazza's post-9/11 moment still haunts Martinez (Nats up 5-2)

MINNEAPOLIS - Everyone has a 9/11 memory. Where they were. What they thought. How they felt afterward. And many post-9/11 memories involve baseball, which in many ways helped the United States heal through one of its darkest times and bring back some semblance of normalcy in the days and weeks after the terrorist attacks. Davey Martinez remembers all of it, because he lived through all of it. And he had a front row seat to one of that fall's defining baseball moments: Mike Piazza's dramatic...

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Is it time to use top relievers even when trailing late?

September 10, 2019, 8:25pm

Nationals

Is it time to use top relievers even when trailing late?

MINNEAPOLIS - It may not have mattered in the end, because the Nationals still needed to score if they were going to win Tuesday night's game, and they never did. Nonetheless, Davey Martinez's bullpen usage in the bottom of the eighth of what wound up a 5-0 loss to the Twins merits a closer look, and a thorough explanation from the manager, because it left more than a few people asking questions. The situation: The Nationals trailed the Twins 2-0, with both runs having scored on Mitch...

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SÃ¡nchez loses pitchers' duel, Nats lose again on road (updated)

September 10, 2019, 6:12pm

Nationals

SÃ¡nchez loses pitchers' duel, Nats lose again on road (updated)

MINNEAPOLIS - It doesn't matter how well the Nationals' starters pitch right now. If their teammates can't score any runs off opposing starters, it'll all be wasted. Which, alas, is exactly what's happening these days. The Nationals got another gem from AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez tonight. The veteran right-hander had the Twins' potent lineup eating out of the palm of his hand. But with his teammates unable to touch JosÃ© BerrÃos, SÃ¡nchez had zero margin for error. And so the one big...

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Game 144 lineups: Nats at Twins

September 11, 2019, 12:09pm

Nationals

MINNEAPOLIS - The Nationals really need a win tonight. Which means they need to score runs. Preferably early in the game. For what it's worth, this appears to be a favorable matchup against Twins left-hander MartÃn PÃ©rez. The Nats tend to hit lefties well (aside from last weekend's struggles against Max Fried and Dallas Keuchel). PÃ©rez has a 4.75 ERA and 1.463 WHIP. And a few Nats who have faced him before have good numbers, including Brian Dozier (5-for-12, two homers) and Adam...

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Gomes prepped for heavy workload til Suzuki returns (Nats down 2-0)

September 10, 2019, 2:45pm

Nationals

Gomes prepped for heavy workload til Suzuki returns (Nats down 2-0)

MINNEAPOLIS - Though Kurt Suzuki doesn't appear to have suffered a serious elbow injury, the Nationals do appear to believe the veteran catcher is going to need some time to make it back into the lineup and have told Yan Gomes to be prepared to start the majority of games for the foreseeable future. Suzuki, who had to depart Saturday night's game with what he described as "some tinglings, zings" in his right elbow, had an MRI which showed no structural damage. He was given anti-inflammatory...

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Barrera living "every kids' dream" as he joins Nats

September 10, 2019, 3:57am

Nationals

Barrera living "every kids' dream" as he joins Nats

Catcher Tres Barrera joined the Nationals this past week after the elbow injury to Kurt Suzuki. Barrera, the former University of Texas standout, was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, which is less than one mile from the United States/Mexico border along the Rio Grande. The 24-year-old is a 2016 draft selection for the Nationals and played 101 games for Double-A Harrisburg this season. He was pleasantly surprised to get the call to join the Nats. "I couldn't believe it," Barrera said. "It's every...

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Daunting September stretch continues in Minnesota

September 09, 2019, 7:37pm

Nationals

Daunting September stretch continues in Minnesota

The Nationals had a rough weekend in Atlanta. Their next stop on this road trip could be just as rough. Though there was plenty of attention - and rightfully so, given the division race - on the Nats' four-game series against the Braves, this next series against the Twins deserves just as much of the spotlight. The Twins are one of the best teams in baseball, and have been throughout the season. They took over first place in the American League Central on April 20, and they haven't given it...

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Game 143 lineups: Nats at Twins

September 10, 2019, 12:06pm

Nationals

MINNEAPOLIS - For the first time since 2008, the Nationals are playing a game in Minnesota. And for the first time ever, they're playing a game at Target Field. This is the only currently active ballpark in the majors that has never hosted the Nats before, so they're about to be 30-for-30. (By the way, can you name the only two Nationals pitchers ever to win games in the state of Minnesota? Why, it's Jason Simontacchi and Levale Speigner, of course!) This is a big series for both clubs. The...

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Wild card race in NL shaping up to be a down-to-the-wire affair

September 10, 2019, 6:58am

Nationals

Wild card race in NL shaping up to be a down-to-the-wire affair

Last week at this time, the Nationals were looking forward to a series in Atlanta and weighing the possibilities of becoming a legitimate contender in the National League East. It didn't happen. The Braves won three of four games, leaving the Nationals virtually no chance to win the division. And now they are left with making a one-game wild card playoff game, something Nationals manager Davey Martinez said isn't the ideal situation. "Anything can happen,'' he said about a wild card...