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...
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...
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...
Scant offense til the sixth inning? Baserunning blunders? A piecemeal bullpen that required three arms to get three outs in the eighth and a 42-year-old to close it out in the ninth? The Nationals keep finding ways to win in spite of all of this, and that's no small feat.
Today's 5-2 victory over the Marlins was simply the latest in this staggering stretch of success that has seen the Nats win 26 of 36 and move themselves into playoff position in the wide-open National League wild card...
Nationals starters have averaged more than 6 1/2 innings pitched over the last 11 games, with only one starter failing to at least get through the sixth. That's a good thing, and it's no surprise it has helped this team go 8-3 during the stretch.
But it's also had a domino effect on the bullpen, which could be seen as positive or negative, depending on your point of view.
Needing only a couple of innings every night from his bullpen, and almost always with his team up a handful of runs,...
Sean Doolittle did it again, finding a way to record a save, as the Nationals edged the Marlins 3-1 to win the first two games of the series.
But again, this save, his 19th on the season, was not easy.
With one out in the top of the ninth and the Nats leading 3-0, the Marlins put together back-to-back-to-back singles to ignite a rally attempt against the Nationals closer.
Doolittle bore down and struck out JT Riddle for the second out. But then César Puello was hit by a pitch to allow Neil...
No matter how unimposing the opponent, it's just not that easy to keep winning every single night. Yes, the Nationals are facing an especially fortuitous portion of their schedule. But aside from one hiccup Saturday in Detroit, they are taking care of business like nobody's business.
Tonight's 3-1 victory - made possible by 7 1/3 innings of brilliance from Stephen Strasburg, home runs from Brian Dozier and Matt Adams and late escape acts from both Fernando Rodney and Sean Doolittle - was the...
There is nothing like baseball in Washington on July 4. And when that also coincides with the home team sitting in playoff position for the first time all season ... well, how does it get much better than that?
Yes, the Nationals woke up this morning tied with the Cubs for the second wild card spot in the National League. A mere six weeks after falling to 12 games below .500, the second-worst record in the NL, they now own the fifth-best record in the league. Quite a turnaround.
And they can...
Max Scherzer is about to add the biggest event yet to his already eventful summer.
With his wife, Erica, due to give birth to the couple's second daughter Thursday, Scherzer has been placed on the paternity leave list. The transaction allows the right-hander to take three days off to be with his growing family without missing a start, and it allows the Nationals to add an extra player (Adrián Sanchez) to their bench in the interim.
Scherzer has been anticipating this event all year, with a...
The bullpen has had a lot more positive moments the last month which has helped a great deal in the team's 18-8 June.
But the Nationals have still not found the complete answer for the eighth inning.
Right-hander Wander Suero could not complete the eighth Tuesday night without allowing a run. The Nats' 2-1 lead went by the wayside when César Puello doubled and Miguel Rojas connected on a deep fly ball to left field. Game tied 2-2.
Saturday night in the bottom of the seventh at Comerica...
This is a series of rematches. Last night, it was a rematch between Patrick Corbin and Zac Gallen (at least until the storm hit). Tonight, it's a rematch between Stephen Strasburg and Sandy Alcantara, the same two right-handers who squared off Thursday night at Marlins Park, with Strasburg and the Nationals emerging victorious.
That win made Strasburg 10-0 against Miami since late in the 2015 season, but he didn't exactly dominate. The Marlins scored three runs off him in the third, then...
Two days after he was named National League Player of the Week, Max Scherzer was named National League Pitcher of the Month.
Apparently awards season has come early this year.
Scherzer was honored for his utterly dominant June, during which he went 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 68 strikeouts with only five walks. It was a historic performance for a right-hander who has made plenty of history over the years.
Scherzer became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least 68 batters while...
The Nationals have now hit a homer in 16 consecutive games, setting a new club record. The 1999 Expos also hit a home run in 16 straight games.
Juan Soto's two-run shot in the first inning gave the Nats a 2-1 lead. It was his 15th homer of the season. Last year, he hit 22 home runs.
The Nats have combined to hit 28 homers in those 16 games. Soto had a homer and a triple in his first two at-bats.
"All the guys, they're hitting the ball hard," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "The...
Davey Martinez began his afternoon touting the positives of his logjam at first base, with Ryan Zimmerman back from the injured list to join the already productive Matt Adams and Howie Kendrick at a suddenly overcrowded position.
"For me, this is a great problem to have," the Nationals manager said. "When Zim does play, Matty's on the bench ready to go. We can plop him into any situation at any time and drive in some big runs. Same thing with Howie."
When just such a situation arose...
Following a month in which he went 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA (5 ER/45.0 IP) and 68 strikeouts and five walks in six starts, Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer was named National League Pitcher of the Month for June on Wednesday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network.
Washington's surge during the month of June was led by Scherzer, who put together an historic calendar month in addition to helping the Nationals to wins in each of his starts. Some notable...
After Wander Suero blew a save in the eighth, the Nationals found a way to win the game anyway, scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth thanks to an outstanding at-bat from Trea Turner.
With two outs, Turner's double to the right-center field gap scored Yan Gomes from first base and the Nats walked off the Marlins 3-2 at Nationals Park.
The Nats have won four straight over the Fish and 11 of their last 14 overall to go two games above .500 (43-41) for the first time this season. Juan Soto hit...
Patrick Corbin led the Nationals out of the dugout shortly before 7:05 p.m. tonight for what should have been an ordinary start against the Marlins, the opener of the final homestand of the season's first half, an opportunity to continue to lift his team during its slow climb up the standings.
Before he tossed his first warm-up pitch, though, Corbin knelt down behind the rubber and with his index finger wrote the number 45 in the dirt. Astute observers also would have noticed the left-hander...
The Nationals announced the signing of seven international free agents today, including top-20 international prospect right-handed pitcher Andry Lara from Coro, Venezuela.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Lara is 16 years old and was signed by Ronald Morillo, reportedly for a $1.25 million signing bonus. Lara is rated as the No. 16 international free agent by MLB Pipeline.
The other two Venezuelan signees: left-hander Franklin Marquez and outfielder Roismar Quintana.
The Nationals signed four players...
The baseball world today is continuing to mourn the death of Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs.
Manager Davey Martinez began his pregame meeting with the media with a statement from the Nationals:
"On behalf of the Washington Nationals, our family here, myself, players, coaches, our heartfelt condolences to Tyler's family, the Anaheim Angels. It's a tough ordeal. Regardless of teams we play on, this is a baseball family. He's part of it. I wish the family well. Like I said, our...
Anthony Rendon admitted today what has been suspected for several weeks: He's playing through an injury that has kept him from running at full speed all the time. And this undisclosed injury may prompt the Nationals third baseman from skipping his first-ever All-Star Game next week.
Rendon wouldn't offer any specifics about his current physical condition except to acknowledge it has been affecting him for some time and has been noticeable to those who have watched him play at less than 100...



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