nationals

Doolittle earns the win, but rest is now at the top of his list

July 07, 2019, 1:58pm

If anyone could use this break, it's Sean Doolittle. The closer was the most consistent part of the Nationals bullpen for 80 games, but recently he has been hit more frequently. He racked up 19 saves in 22 opportunities in the first half for a 3.13 ERA. But since June 23, Doolittle has allowed nine hits in his last seven games, with two runs and three walks. And yet he still notched three saves. On Sunday, Doolittle (6-2) picked up the win when the Nats rallied for three runs in the bottom of...

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Nats rally to close out torrid first half stretch in style (updated)

July 07, 2019, 12:14pm

Nationals

Nats rally to close out torrid first half stretch in style (updated)

If there's anyone out there who somehow missed the entire first half of the season and is wondering how things went for the Nationals, just plop them down in front of a TV and have them watch a replay of this afternoon's contest. This was the Nats' first half, condensed down to 2 hours, 37 minutes. The starter absolutely dominated for seven innings. The lineup hit a couple of home runs but missed opportunities to add on. The bullpen couldn't get through the eighth inning without blowing the...

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Miller, Barraclough on rehab assignments (Nats win 5-2)

July 07, 2019, 9:17am

Nationals

Miller, Barraclough on rehab assignments (Nats win 5-2)

Right-hander Justin Miller was back in the Nats clubhouse fresh off multiple pitching sessions in West Palm Beach. Miller has been recovering from a right rotator cuff strain that has had him sidelined since May 18. He has missed 42 games. "I threw live BP (with) the hitters just tracking underneath the tunnels. The next day I had a day off, and the next day I threw a sim game, so live BP, basically. Then after that I had two days off and I threw the first (Gulf Coast League) game. Then I had...

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Game 89 lineups: Nats vs. Royals

July 07, 2019, 7:01am

Nationals

It's the final day of the first half of the season, and what a wild first half it's been for the Nationals. They went 19-31 over their first 50 games. Only the Marlins were worse in the National League. They've now gone 27-11 over their last 38 games. Nobody in baseball has been better. A win today would not only seal up another series victory, this time over the Royals, but it would send the Nationals into the All-Star break on a high note, no worse than six games back in the NL East and...

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Nats proud of recent rebound but know they still have work to do

July 07, 2019, 4:23am

Nationals

Nats proud of recent rebound but know they still have work to do

The Nationals bounced back from Friday's loss to the Royals with a convincing 6-0 victory Saturday afternoon. Max Scherzer pitched seven shutout innings, Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run shot and Juan Soto went 2-for4 with two RBIs to lift the Nats to 46-42. The Nats are in a battle for second place in the National League. East, six games back of the Braves. The Phillies lost to the Mets 6-5, so they trail Atlanta by 6 1/2 games. The Marlins beat the Braves 5-4 on Saturday. The Nationals are now...

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Stiff back will keep Scherzer from pitching in All-Star Game

July 07, 2019, 9:26am

Nationals

Stiff back will keep Scherzer from pitching in All-Star Game

Max Scherzer will depart for Cleveland after today's first-half finale and participate in All-Star festivities, but he won't pitch in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic because of a stiff back he says has bothered him during each of his last two starts. Scherzer doesn't consider the injury serious, and he will make his second-half debut next Sunday in Philadelphia, but after he met with manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo on Saturday evening, the group decided the Nationals ace...

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Nats attack early with Suzuki homer and roll 6-0

July 06, 2019, 4:01pm

Nationals

Nats attack early with Suzuki homer and roll 6-0

The Nationals left 19 men on base Friday night in the series opening extra-inning loss to the American League Centeral last-place Royals. Saturday afternoon, the Nats got their offense going quickly so those men left on base didn't have a chance to pile up. Kurt Suzuki highlighted a three-run second inning for the Nationals, evening the series with a 6-0 shutout of Kansas City. Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Juan Soto all had two hits in the 12-hit barrage. Soto and Suzuki had two RBIs apiece as...

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Scherzer won't pitch in All-Star Game

July 06, 2019, 7:43pm

Nationals

Turns out the Nationals won't have anyone appearing in this year's All-Star Game. One night after Anthony Rendon was replaced on the National League's roster, Max Scherzer has been replaced. Major League Baseball announced late tonight that Reds right-hander Sonny Gray is replacing Scherzer on the NL roster. Scherzer, who pitched seven scoreless innings in today's 6-0 win over the Royals, won't be appearing in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, but he is still expected to travel to Cleveland...

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Source: Boras, Lerner meeting to discuss Rendon contract

July 06, 2019, 3:58pm

Nationals

Source: Boras, Lerner meeting to discuss Rendon contract

It appears the Nationals and Anthony Rendon are attempting to ramp up contract negotiations again as the season's first half comes to a close. Scott Boras, Rendon's agent, was at Nationals Park today and was seen coming out of an elevator at the clubhouse level following the Nats' 6-0 win over the Royals with founding principal owner Ted Lerner and other members of the Lerner family. A source familiar with the meeting confirmed they are discussing a Rendon contract extension. It's not the...

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Vintage start from new dad Scherzer on vintage day (updated)

July 06, 2019, 2:50pm

Nationals

Vintage start from new dad Scherzer on vintage day (updated)

He took the mound wearing a double-knit polyester, powder blue Expos uniform and tri-colored cap. His pant legs were short, his royal blue socks pulled up high. Nothing about the image suggested this was Max Scherzer. Until he began pitching, of course. From that point on, anyone in attendance at Nationals Park on Expos Day could easily look past the throwback uniform and recognize the ace right-hander putting together yet another quintessential performance. Picking up right where he left off...

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Nationals with ties to Expos glad to see franchise celebrated

July 06, 2019, 12:01pm

Nationals

Mike Wallace opened up his closet this morning and instead of grabbing one of his standard-issue Nationals polo shirts instead dug deep to locate one in a different shade of blue. Across the left chest it said "Expos." On the right sleeve was a logo for the 2004 MLB Japan All-Star Series. Wallace hadn't worn the shirt since that day in November 2004 when he became the last person to wear Expos gear in an official capacity. He noted that outfielder Brad Wilkerson, who played for the MLB...

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Martinez on Scherzer, Zimmerman, Voth and more (Nats win 6-0)

July 06, 2019, 11:22am

Nationals

Martinez on Scherzer, Zimmerman, Voth and more (Nats win 6-0)

Nationals manager Davey Martinez made sure to check that Max Scherzer was good to go after a busy week with his wife Erica giving birth to a baby girl Kacey Hart on Thursday. Usually, a new baby in the family is the only big deal for a week in the life of any proud Dad. It's all in the normal work and life for Scherzer, who makes his 19th start of the season today against Kansas City. He has gone 6-0 in the last month with a 1.00 ERA, being named National League Pitcher of the Month. He...

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Game 88 lineups: Nats vs. Royals

July 06, 2019, 4:18am

Nationals

Even with the extra-inning loss to the Royals in the rearview mirror, the Nationals have some positives to take away from Friday's events at Nats Park. The Nats fell to Kansas City 7-4 in 11 innings, but came back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, watching as Ryan Zimmerman's power returned and learned that Anthony Rendon will sacrifice his All-Star Game invitation in order to stay in D.C. and rehab a tight left quad/hamstring for the duration of the...

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Zimmerman's eventful night includes 1,000th career RBI

July 05, 2019, 9:24pm

Nationals

Zimmerman's eventful night includes 1,000th career RBI

He delivered three doubles, two of them at key moments to drive in runs, one of them to notch the 1,000th RBI of his career. He scampered around the bases and scored a critical run on a bad foot. But he also missed a golden opportunity to win the game at the plate. And then he cost his team with a misplay in the field that helped the Royals pull off a 7-4 11-inning win over the Nationals. Suffice it to say, this was the most eventful night of the season for Ryan Zimmerman. The veteran first...

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Nats rally to tie but can't finish off Royals, lose in 11 (updated)

July 05, 2019, 7:46pm

Nationals

Nats rally to tie but can't finish off Royals, lose in 11 (updated)

For nine days, the Nationals did just about everything right. They got clutch hits when they needed them. They made pitches when they needed them. They found a way to beat the Marlins and Tigers eight times in nine games and ascend to the top position in the National League wild card race. So as tonight's series opener against the Royals played out, it was only natural to assume the Nats would find a way to pull this one out as well. Someone would drive in the big run. Someone would make the...

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Rendon missing All-Star Game due to hamstring/quad issue

July 05, 2019, 8:55pm

Nationals

Rendon missing All-Star Game due to hamstring/quad issue

Anthony Rendon will have the All-Star designation by his name for the 2019 season, but he will not play in the game or participate in activities at the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland next week because of a left hamstring/quad injury. Major League Baseball announced Friday that the Dodgers' Max Muncy will replace Rendon on the National League All-Star team. Rendon has been dealing with the left quad and hamstring injury for a few weeks. He has decided that rest and rehab here in D.C. would help...

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Nats trying to work with Robles to avoid injury at plate, on bases

July 05, 2019, 2:32pm

Nationals

Nats trying to work with Robles to avoid injury at plate, on bases

Victor Robles is getting a rare night off, sitting on the bench while Gerardo Parra starts in center field for the Nationals' series opener against the Royals. But Robles is physically fine, according to manager Davey Martinez, despite some close calls the last two days. "He's just getting a day off," Martinez said. "He had a beating the last couple days, so just giving him a little break." That "beating" Robles took the last two days came in the form of a couple of pitches that struck...

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Game 87 lineups: Nats vs. Royals

July 05, 2019, 11:19am

Nationals

We have reached the final weekend of the first half, and you almost wonder if the Nationals wish they could just keep playing next week. Sure, several guys are in need of some rest, but they also have to hope the four days off doesn't kill their mojo. First things first: They've got a chance to cap things off with another big weekend against a beatable opponent. The Royals are in town, and this qualifies as an extremely rare event. It's only the second time they've ever played the Nationals...

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Rendon not going to All-Star Game (Nats fall 7-4 in 11)

July 05, 2019, 2:05pm

Nationals

Rendon not going to All-Star Game (Nats fall 7-4 in 11)

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon will not participate in this year's All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced via Twitter this evening. MLB tweeted that Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy would replace Rendon at the Midsummer Classic next week in Cleveland. Rendon has been nursing what he's called a "nagging injury" for a few weeks now, and has not been running full speed down the line. The third baseman has said recently he would not mind using the four days off during the break...

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With surprising velocity, Rodney assuming backup closer job

July 04, 2019, 9:22pm

Nationals

With surprising velocity, Rodney assuming backup closer job

Davey Martinez has been searching all year for viable fill-in closer when Sean Doolittle isn't available. Who knew the answer would come in the form of a 42-year-old reliever who was dumped by the Athletics six weeks ago after posting a 9.42 ERA? At this point, it's hard to dispute that Fernando Rodney is establishing himself as the Nationals' best Plan B for the ninth inning. A designation Martinez didn't hesitate to place on him after Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Marlins. "Here's a...