nationals

Despite broken nose, Scherzer cruises early (Nats sweep 2-0)

June 19, 2019, 4:03pm

Despite a broken nose and a black eye, Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer went ahead with his start Wednesday night in the second game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jean Segura singled to lead off the first inning. But Scherzer got the next three batters out, including Rhys Hoskins, who took a called third strike. Brad Miller singled with two outs in the second inning, but Scherzer induced a fly out to left field by Andrew Knapp to end the frame. Scherzer struck out two...

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Freeman knew about Banks before they became teammates

June 18, 2019, 5:41pm

Nationals

Freeman knew about Banks before they became teammates

FREDERICK, Md. - When you are good enough to play elite Division I collegiate baseball in the Southeastern Conference, there is always a chance your paths will cross in the professional ranks. That is the case for a pair of minor league players on the Nationals' farm, Cole Freeman and Nick Banks. The duo got the opportunity to play against each other as opponents in college, in the SEC. Now they are teammates in for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. Tuesday night in Frederick, Md., the pair...

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Game 73 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

June 19, 2019, 2:02pm

Nationals

They got through the opener of today's doubleheader without incident, the skies remaining clear and the field dry throughout the Nationals' 6-2 win over the Phillies. Now they're hoping for similar good fortune in the nightcap of this day-night doubleheader. The forecast has steadily improved throughout the day, though there does remain a chance of rain later tonight. The Nats are confident enough in the forecast to send Max Scherzer to the mound, broken nose, black eye and all. Talk about...

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Scherzer plans to pitch tonight with broken nose

June 19, 2019, 8:19am

Nationals

Scherzer plans to pitch tonight with broken nose

If the Nationals play tonight, they expect Max Scherzer to take the mound, broken nose, black eye and all. "I am convinced right now that Scherzer is going to pitch the second game," manager Davey Martinez said this morning before the opener of the Nationals' scheduled day-night doubleheader with the Phillies. "And then we'll go from there." Scherzer broke his nose when he fouled off a bunt attempt Tuesday during batting practice. He was checked out by doctors, got a clean bill of health...

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Corbin hopes for bounce back from rough patch (Nats win 6-2)

June 19, 2019, 10:05am

Nationals

Corbin hopes for bounce back from rough patch (Nats win 6-2)

Nationals starter Patrick Corbin has been desperately looking for a solution for a recent rough patch. The left-hander has not won a game since May 25, looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Corbin was able to get started well, inducing a pair of flyouts to Jean Segura and Bryce Harper. But Scott Kingery got a hold of a 1-2 83 mph Corbin slider over the left field wall for his ninth homer of the season to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The Nats quickly tied the game up at 1-1 in the bottom...

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Game 72 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies (take three)

June 18, 2019, 5:47pm

Nationals

Game 72 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies (take three)

Hey, let's give this another try, shall we? After waiting out Monday night's rain only to postpone the game, then after waiting out Tuesday night's rain only to postpone the game, the Nationals and Phillies are theoretically going to play a day-night doubleheader today. I say theoretically, because today's forecast is even worse, and it's going to be this way all day and all night. But they have to at least give it a shot, so first pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Patrick Corbin...

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Banks' three-run shot rallies North to 8-7 comeback win in Carolina League All-Star Classic

June 18, 2019, 7:01pm

Nationals

Banks' three-run shot rallies North to 8-7 comeback win in Carolina League All-Star Classic

FREDERICK, Md. - Potomac Nationals right fielder Nick Banks arrived at the high Single-A All-Star break on a hot streak. Nothing has changed after the Carolina League All-Star Classic. Banks hit a three-run opposite-field home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Northern Division All-Stars to a dramatic, come-from-behind 8-7 win over the Southern All-Stars at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove stadium. The right fielder connected on a first-pitch 80 mph slider off Myrtle Beach...

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Scherzer breaks nose, status for next start TBD (game postponed)

June 18, 2019, 4:24pm

Nationals

Scherzer breaks nose, status for next start TBD (game postponed)

Max Scherzer suffered a broken nose earlier today on an errant bunt attempt during batting practice, and his status for Wednesday's scheduled start against the Phillies is to be determined, the Nationals announced this evening. Scherzer was taking BP on the field this afternoon when he bunted a ball that caromed up and struck him in the face. The right-hander returned to the clubhouse alongside director of athletic training Paul Lessard, with blood visible around his nose, and retreated to the...

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Scherzer incident, return of rain leave pitching plan up in air

June 18, 2019, 2:39pm

Nationals

Scherzer incident, return of rain leave pitching plan up in air

The Nationals aren't announcing their pitching plan for Wednesday's doubleheader just yet, for multiple reasons. Including the suddenly unknown status of their ace after he bunted a ball off his face today. Max Scherzer, presumed to be starting one of the games of the day-night doubleheader against the Phillies, was taking batting practice on the field this afternoon when he bunted a ball that then struck his face. The right-hander returned to the clubhouse alongside director of athletic...

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P-Nats thrilled for tonight's Carolina League All-Star Classic

June 18, 2019, 11:59am

Nationals

P-Nats thrilled for tonight's Carolina League All-Star Classic

FREDERICK, Md. - The Single-A Potomac Nationals have four players on the active roster for the Northern Division All-Stars in tonight's Carolina League All-Star Classic. P-Nats second baseman Cole Freeman, a fourth-round selection from 2017 out of LSU, is thrilled to be selected for tonight's contest. He is starting at second base and batting seventh in the lineup. "It's a massive honor," Freeman said. "When you break spring training, this is one of the goals as a player you have....

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Game 72 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies (take two)

June 18, 2019, 10:57am

Nationals

Game 72 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies (take two)

There is at least a 40 percent chance of rain in Washington every hour between 7 p.m. tonight and 11 p.m. Wednesday. The Nationals and Phillies, of course, are attempting to play three ballgames during that window. We'll see how that all works out. For now, we'll just focus on trying to get one game played tonight. The long-awaited series opener between these teams features the same lineups and pitching matchup that were intended to be used last night. That means Patrick Corbin again will...

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After rainout, Nationals have pitching decisions to make

June 17, 2019, 9:26pm

Nationals

The Nationals didn't want to postpone Monday night's series opener against the Phillies. They'd have much rather played as scheduled and not waited out a nearly 3-hour rain delay before calling it and rescheduling a day-night doubleheader for Wednesday. But after waiting through that interminable delay, one that included several rounds of rain but also several rounds of clear skies, the Nats were left with little choice but to postpone. And that means they've now got some tricky pitching...

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Updates on Cate, Cluff and Grace

June 18, 2019, 2:41am

Nationals

Left-hander Tim Cate has been promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac. The 2018 second-round selection out of UConn has gone 4-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 13 starts this season, striking out 73 and walking only 13 in 70 1/3 innings. Here is my sit-down with Cate from spring training, which focused on building from his lower half. "Cate has made tremendous strides from last year to this year with his development of all three pitches, fastballs have been commanded better,...

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First-rounder Rutledge agrees to terms with Nats

June 17, 2019, 2:10pm

Nationals

First-rounder Rutledge agrees to terms with Nats

The Nationals have agreed to terms with 2019 first-round draft pick right-handed pitcher Jackson Rutledge out of San Jacinto North junior college. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound, starter finished his sophomore season at San Jacinto with a 9-2 record and a 0.87 ERA. He struck out 134, walked 30 and had four complete games in 13 starts, and pitched 82 2/3 innings total. He surrendered one homer the whole season. Monday was his first visit to D.C., and he agreed to become a Washington National,...

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Nats' series opener vs. Phillies postponed after long wait

June 17, 2019, 6:01pm

Nationals

Nats' series opener vs. Phillies postponed after long wait

They waited through a couple early, quick downpours. Then they waited through an hour of dry skies with patches of blue above South Capitol Street. But once another downpour struck the area nearly two hours after scheduled first pitch and rain continued to fall for another hour, the Nationals postponed tonight's series opener against the Phillies. The two teams will play a split doubleheader Wednesday, with the makeup game starting at 1:05 p.m. and the regularly scheduled game starting at 7:05...

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Game 72 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

June 17, 2019, 11:16am

Nationals

The last time the Phillies were in D.C., the story was all Bryce Harper all the time. Harper's first series at Nationals Park as a visiting player was a major event, and the negative reception he got from Nats fans made for quite a scene. Now as Harper returns for the second of three trips to Washington this season, the focus seemingly has shifted away from the slugger and toward these two teams as a whole. This is a big series, no matter Harper's presence. Fans may continue to boo him, but...

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Martinez believes Rendon and Kendrick deserve All-Star selection

June 16, 2019, 10:09am

Nationals

Martinez believes Rendon and Kendrick deserve All-Star selection

Offensively, Nationals infielders Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick look to have the best chance of being selected to play for the National League in the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. On June 21, players moving on to the starters election will be announced during the MLB Network broadcast of the Yankees vs. Astros game. On June 26 at 12 p.m., the 28-hour window for the starters election begins. It concludes at 4 p.m. on June 27. Starters for the All-Star Game will be announced at 7 p.m....

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Suzuki fine, Robles batting ninth, Rendon still fifth in voting

June 17, 2019, 2:00pm

Nationals

Suzuki fine, Robles batting ninth, Rendon still fifth in voting

Though he didn't feel great, Kurt Suzuki wasn't particularly worried Sunday afternoon after a bounced pitch struck him in the neck. You don't spend two decades as a catcher without getting banged up in every conceivable manner, and sure enough Suzuki had experienced this particular situation before and knew it wasn't as serious as everyone else inside Nationals Park assumed it was. "I just knew what was possibly coming, that's all," he said. What was possibly coming was what did come...

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Nats need a good week, but then many more after that

June 16, 2019, 9:11pm

Nationals

Nats need a good week, but then many more after that

This is the most important week of the Nationals' season to date. It's impossible not to acknowledge that, even within a clubhouse on South Capitol Street that typically tries to avoid looking at the big picture. "We've got to win those games," right fielder Adam Eaton said of the seven upcoming games against the Phillies and Braves. "It's important. We're trying to chase at this point. Not to put too much emphasis on it, but we need to play some really competitive baseball." The...

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Nats score early and often in rout of D-backs (updated)

June 16, 2019, 12:50pm

Nationals

Nats score early and often in rout of D-backs (updated)

It's been an uphill grind since opening day for the Nationals, who perpetually seem to dig themselves into a hole, then attempt to climb their way out of it simply to salvage the situation and keep themselves within striking distance in the standings. It's happened countless times already this season, and it happened again this weekend. The Nats took the field this afternoon needing to beat the Diamondbacks just to emerge with a four-game split. As has so often been the case, they pulled it...