nationals

Turner takes grounders during BP; Hellickson fully healthy after strong spring

April 17, 2019, 1:52pm

Shortstop Trea Turner had his workout gear, glove and baseball cleats on for batting practice Wednesday prior to the Nationals' game with the Giants at Nats Park. Turner fielded grounders at shortstop, but did not throw the ball. He had no wrap or tape bandaging on his broken right finger prior to heading to the field. "He's actually keeping his legs in shape," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "He's doing everything he possibly can without using his index finger. That's where we...

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Loud early homers set tone for Hellickson (Nats win 9-6)

April 17, 2019, 4:02pm

Nationals

Loud early homers set tone for Hellickson (Nats win 9-6)

The Nationals produced a couple of loud at-bats versus Giants starter Jeff Samardzija in the first inning to break out to a big early advantage. Following an Adam Eaton walk, Juan Soto slammed a two-run shot to right field. It was the third homer of the season for Soto and came on a first pitch. One batter later, Howie Kendrick launched a no-doubter over the left field wall for his third homer of the season. The Nationals led the Giants 3-0 after one inning. In the second inning, Wilmer Difo...

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Sipp strengthening shoulder, acknowledges game speed is tougher than expected

April 16, 2019, 2:30pm

Nationals

Sipp strengthening shoulder, acknowledges game speed is tougher than expected

Left-hander Tony Sipp continues to build strength in his shoulder even as the season heads into its fourth week. Sipp said working to strengthen his shoulder has been the focus for him since spring training. But Sipp signed late with the Nationals this offseason, so this first month with the team has felt like an extended spring training as he works the shoulder back to where he can throw every pitch and full velocity and torque. There have been some rough appearances to begin the season for...

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After sluggish few days, Martinez trying out different lineup

April 17, 2019, 2:14pm

Nationals

After sluggish few days, Martinez trying out different lineup

In making some changes to his lineup for tonight's game, Davey Martinez had a couple of goals in mind: * Get Matt Adams and Howie Kendrick, both swinging hot bats in recent days, in the lineup. * Give Brian Dozier, who fouled a ball off his toe Tuesday night, a breather. * Move Anthony Rendon, the team's best hitter to date this season, up to try to give him more at-bats and more early opportunities to give the Nationals a lead. The end result of all that is the lineup card that Martinez will...

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Game 16 lineups: Nats vs. Giants

April 17, 2019, 10:44am

Nationals

Davey Martinez has stuck with a pretty consistent lineup since opening day. When he's made changes, he's simply plugged in a Matt Adams or a Howie Kendrick or a Kurt Suzuki into the same spot in the batting order as the regular said player is replacing. But after struggling to score runs Sunday and again Tuesday night, Martinez is going with a different look. Adams and Kendrick and Suzuki are all in there against Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija. But the order has changed, with Anthony...

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Rosenthal again records three outs, felt pressure to succeed with new team

April 17, 2019, 3:56am

Nationals

Rosenthal again records three outs, felt pressure to succeed with new team

Nationals reliever Trevor Rosenthal battled through the eighth inning Tuesday night of the club's 7-3 loss to the Giants. Although he did allow a run in the frame, he recorded three outs and that's a big deal considering where he had been less than a week ago. In the eighth, Rosenthal hit the Giants' Brandon Belt in the leg with a pitch and then walked Brandon Crawford. But he caught Evan Longoria looking for the first out on three pitches. The last two pitches of the at-bat were 99 mph...

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Strasburg laments predictability of pitches that led to homers

April 16, 2019, 8:09pm

Nationals

Strasburg laments predictability of pitches that led to homers

Stephen Strasburg gives up home runs, but typically not in bunches. He entered Tuesday night's game against the Giants having surrendered three homers in a start only two previous times in his career. So when it happened this time, when he surrendered three long balls in a span of only eight batters, to the least productive lineup in the National League, it obviously raised some eyebrows. What exactly happened? To listen to Strasburg's explanation, what happened was a simple case of...

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Little goes according to script in Nats' 7-3 loss (updated)

April 16, 2019, 6:21pm

Nationals

Little goes according to script in Nats' 7-3 loss (updated)

Stephen Strasburg was serving up home runs with alarming regularity. The Giants, owners of the least productive lineup in the National League, were piling up runs. Davey Martinez was getting fired up and getting ejected. And Trevor Rosenthal was throwing strikes and retiring batters. No, very little went according to script tonight during the Nationals' 7-3 loss to the Giants. Was this just one of those nights when nothing makes sense? Or was any of this evidence of anything still to come?...

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Martinez ejected, felt disrespected by home plate umpire

April 16, 2019, 7:32pm

Nationals

Martinez ejected, felt disrespected by home plate umpire

As their game wore on against the Giants Tuesday night, Nationals hitters became increasingly frustrated with home plate umpire Tony Randazzo's strike zone. Randazzo rung up four Nats hitters with called third strikes, including back-to-back called third strikes on Brian Dozier and Anthony Rendon to end the fifth inning. This got manager Davey Martinez going and he had choice words for Randazzo from the dugout. Randazzo then ejected Martinez from the game. Martinez proceeded to jump out of the...

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Sources: Rendon, Nationals resumed negotiations today

April 16, 2019, 2:04pm

Nationals

Both the Nationals and Anthony Rendon have insisted they're willing to hold contract negotiations in-season, and they're staying true to their word. Rendon and general manager Mike Rizzo met this afternoon prior to batting practice before the Nationals' series opener against the Giants, according to multiple sources familiar with the meeting, which took place in the team's family room just outside the home clubhouse at Nationals Park. Managing principal owner Mark Lerner participated in the...

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Strasburg delivers RBI double (Nats fall 7-3, Martinez ejected)

April 16, 2019, 3:55pm

Nationals

Strasburg delivers RBI double (Nats fall 7-3, Martinez ejected)

The Nationals were not scheduled to play Monday so Tuesday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants was their annual opportunity to honor the legacy of Jackie Robinson on the field by wearing No. 42 jerseys and socks on Jackie Robinson Day. Left-hander Tony Sipp said Jackie Robinson Day holds a special place in his heart and every time he goes out to play baseball. "Today is always special for me because obviously the things that Jackie Robinsons sacrificed back then while he was...

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Game 15 lineups: Nats vs. Giants

April 16, 2019, 11:22am

Nationals

We've got a pretty cool pitching matchup here in tonight's series opener between the Nationals and Giants. It's Stephen Strasburg versus Dereck RodrÃguez, son of IvÃ¡n, who of course was behind the plate for Strasburg's major league debut nine years ago. Yep, it's OK to start feeling old after reading that tidbit. After a great rookie season, RodrÃguez has pitched OK through his first three starts this year. But the way things are going, the Giants don't need great work out of...

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Scherzer makes adjustment; Martinez glad to give Taylor start

April 14, 2019, 6:51pm

Nationals

Scherzer makes adjustment; Martinez glad to give Taylor start

After allowing three runs in the first three innings Sunday, right-hander Max Scherzer prevented the Pirates from scoring again under his watch. Pittsburgh went five innings without scoring another run because Scherzer switched up his sequencing, focusing more on employing his curveball, thanks to suggestions from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and catcher Yan Gomes. "I think it was more when I kind of sat there with Yan and Lilly and thought we just needed to start throwing more...

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Some positive early-season developments (non-bullpen division)

April 15, 2019, 12:03pm

Nationals

Some positive early-season developments (non-bullpen division)

You know what the dominant storyline of the Nationals' season has been to date. It's been the overriding narrative in nearly all of their 14 games so far. Which sometimes pushes other players and facets of this team out of the spotlight, through no fault of their own. So as a new week begins and the Nationals prepare to host the Giants for three games, let's talk about some players and some performances without resorting to using the "B word" ... * Though individually they haven't all hit...

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Scherzer, Suero come up a bit short in 4-3 loss to Pirates

April 14, 2019, 1:43pm

Nationals

Scherzer, Suero come up a bit short in 4-3 loss to Pirates

Right-hander Max Scherzer went eight strong innings to keep the Nationals in the game, but a late clutch base hit by Jason Martin helped the Pirates to a 4-3 victory and a series win at Nats Park. Scherzer allowed only three runs on seven hits, struck out seven with one walk. He fired 98 pitches, 71 for strikes in finishing eight innings. Pittsburgh's Josh Bell continued a big series, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. He is batting .378 over the last 10 games. It was...

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Martinez stays with hot hand in Kendrick, Scherzer good to go

April 14, 2019, 8:32am

Nationals

Martinez stays with hot hand in Kendrick, Scherzer good to go

Manager Davey Martinez placed second baseman Howie Kendrick in the No. 2 hole again, his second consecutive start. Martinez said nothing is wrong with Brian Dozier; he just wants to give Kendrick more at-bats, especially coming off yesterday's dramatic solo homer to give the Nationals a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. "He hits a game-winner yesterday," Martinez said. "Coming out today and let him get some more at-bats. The biggest thing for him is keeping him healthy. Knowing we have a day off...

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Bucs get to Scherzer early, Kendrick hits again (Nats fall 4-3)

April 14, 2019, 10:14am

Nationals

Bucs get to Scherzer early, Kendrick hits again (Nats fall 4-3)

The Pirates pulled off a rare feat in the first inning, connecting on three hits for two early runs against right-hander Max Scherzer. In his first three starts, Scherzer had allowed two or fewer earned runs in two of those games. Josh Bell had an RBI double and Colin Moran dropped in a run-scoring single. The Nationals quickly got on the board in the bottom of the first against right-hander Jameson Taillon. Adam Eaton led off with a single and stole second base. Howie Kendrick continued his...

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SÃ¡nchez turns in latest gem for Nationals rotation

April 13, 2019, 8:59pm

Nationals

Before Wander Suero pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, before Adam Eaton and Howie Kendrick hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the eighth, before Sean Doolittle closed it out in the top of the ninth for the Nationals' first save of the season, there was AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez. The Nats' dramatic 3-2 win over the Pirates on Saturday wouldn't have been possible without the late heroics of several key figures. But neither would it have been possible without the seven standout innings...

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Game 14 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

April 14, 2019, 5:07am

Nationals

Third baseman Anthony Rendon smacked a double in the fourth inning on Saturday afternoon to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, which matches a career high from June of 2018. He has extra-base hits in 10 straight games, the longest of his career, the longest in the major leagues this season and longest in Nationals history. The extra-base streak is the longest in baseball since Cleveland's Francisco Lindor from Sept. 7-16, 2017 and Houston's Alex Bregman from July 30-Aug. 9, 2017. The...

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Back-to-back blasts propel Nationals to come-from-behind win

April 13, 2019, 2:28pm

Nationals

The Nationals finally found a formula to win a game late: Get a scoreless top of the eighth from one of their few effective relievers, take the lead with back-to-back homers in the bottom of the eighth, then let Sean Doolittle take care of the ninth. Oh, and do all this moments after the Capitals win a playoff game in overtime a few miles away. Talk about a turn of events. On an otherwise lazy Saturday afternoon that saw them flail away at the plate for seven innings against Chris Archer, the...