nationals

Field ready for play today, weather permitting (Nats up 3-0)

September 11, 2018, 10:17am

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals are preparing to play two games today at Citizens Bank Park. They have no way of knowing if they'll actually be able to play two games, but they have no choice but to prepare and hope the hours of work the Phillies grounds crew put in to dry out and smooth a rain-soaked infield did the trick. "It's better," manager Davey Martinez said at 1:30 p.m., roughly 90 minutes before scheduled first pitch of the doubleheader. "It's better than yesterday. We'll see....

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Game 145 lineups: Nats at Phillies

September 11, 2018, 3:05pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - We're back for the nightcap of today's doubleheader. The field has held up, and most importantly the rain has held off all day. Now the Nationals look to sweep their second doubleheader in four days and move to within 1 1/2 games of the second-place Phillies, who are in serious trouble right now. The challenge for the Nats will be tougher tonight, with Jake Arrieta getting the start. Davey Martinez is using the same top five guys in his lineup, with changes only to the bottom...

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Game 144 lineups (take two): Nats at Phillies

September 11, 2018, 8:29am

Nationals

Game 144 lineups (take two): Nats at Phillies

PHILADELPHIA - Hello again from Citizens Bank Park, where the blowtorches were back out on the infield at noon today, only three hours before scheduled first pitch of this doubleheader. They've since been moved off to the side, but there's still a lot of tilling/rolling/drying work being done on the infield, so I'm not sure you can say with any confidence yet that today's action will start on time (or at all, if we want to consider the worst-case scenario). Oh, also there's a good chance...

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What happens if the Nats can't play seven games this week?

September 10, 2018, 7:53pm

Nationals

What happens if the Nats can't play seven games this week?

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals mostly were able to laugh off Monday night's bizarre postponement at Citizens Bank Park due to an infield that was unplayable, the first Major League Baseball game that couldn't be played because of "wet grounds" since Sept. 21, 1987 at Milwaukee's County Stadium. But they won't be laughing at the end of this week if they aren't able to play the seven games on their schedule that all could be threatened by bad weather, creating the potential for some tricky...

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Robles and Sanchez looking to make noise before season wraps up

September 10, 2018, 9:48am

Nationals

Robles and Sanchez looking to make noise before season wraps up

Nationals outfielder Victor Robles was slated to lead off in Sunday's matchup against the Cubs, until the game was postponed due to inclement weather. The prospect has played in only 18 games so far with the Nats in parts of 2017 and 2018, but is expected to take over as a starting outfielder for the club (if a spot opens up) possibly next year and then hopefully for years to come. But 2018 wasn't the big step Robles was hoping for after he made the Nationals postseason roster at the end of...

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"Wet grounds" postponement adds to Nats' bizarre week

September 10, 2018, 4:36pm

Nationals

"Wet grounds" postponement adds to Nats' bizarre week

PHILADELPHIA - In this, the summer of rain delays and rainouts and agonizing losses and surprise comebacks, the Nationals tonight experienced something that would have sounded impossible if not for everything else they've experienced in recent months: a game postponed not because of rain that fell today but several days ago, making the infield unplayable. Yes, tonight's series opener against the Phillies had to be called off because - despite the frantic efforts of the Citizens Bank Park...

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Can Scherzer get to 20 wins and 300 strikeouts?

September 09, 2018, 11:23am

Nationals

Can Scherzer get to 20 wins and 300 strikeouts?

The pitching probables are out for the Nationals' three-game series in Philadelphia that begins tonight: Monday: Erick Fedde vs. Jake ArrietaTuesday: Tanner Roark vs. Nick PivettaWednesday: Stephen Strasburg vs. Aaron Nola * If right-hander Joe Ross goes Thursday in the makeup game against the Cubs, right-hander Max Scherzer would likely make his next scheduled start Friday in Atlanta. If you look further ahead on schedule, Scherzer would go again Sept. 20 against the Mets and Sept. 25 versus...

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Nats-Phillies opener postponed by unplayable infield

September 10, 2018, 2:06pm

Nationals

Nats-Phillies opener postponed by unplayable infield

PHILADELPHIA - After experiencing two postponements and a doubleheader that wasn't completed until 1:42 a.m. this weekend in Washington, the Nationals are now looking at a likely delay (and potential postponement) in Philadelphia due to an unplayable infield that was not covered while the Phillies were out of town in recent days. Yes, the status of tonight's series opener at Citizens Bank Park is up in the air at the moment because the infield may not be playable in time, despite the furious...

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Opposite dugout: Series against Nationals looms large for fading Phillies' playoff chances

September 10, 2018, 4:19am

Nationals

Manager: Gabe Kapler (1st season) Record: 74-68 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: 3B Maikel Franco (22 HR, 66 RBIs), CF OdÃºbel Herrera (21 HR, 65 RBIs), 2B CÃ©sar HernÃ¡ndez (.258), LF Rhys Hoskins (30 HR, 88 RBIs), RF Nick Williams (17 HR, 50 RBIs), RHP Aaron Nola (16-4, 2.29 ERA), RHP Seranthony DomÃnguez (14 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 8-8 Pitching probables: Sept. 10: RHP Erick Fedde (1-3) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (10-9). 7:05 p.m., MASNSept. 11: RHP Tanner Roark (8-15)...

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Game 144 lineups: Nats at Phillies

September 10, 2018, 11:34am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - Hello from Citizens Bank Park, where it is currently ... raining. Ah, there's a certain sense of comfort in traveling away from home but still feeling like you're home. The forecast actually doesn't look terrible for tonight: a 30 percent chance of showers. By Nationals standards of late, that's downright beautiful! The Nationals arrive here weary from a ridiculously long weekend against the Cubs that included three games played in two days, two postponements and a final out...

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Bryce Harper named NL Player of the Week

September 10, 2018, 11:14am

Nationals

Bryce Harper named NL Player of the Week

Following a week in which he hit .438 (7-for-16) with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI, 12 walks, two strikeouts and six runs scored in six games, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network. Harper led the National League in on-base percentage (.655), walks (12) and OPS (1.593) and ranked among National League hitters in slugging percentage (2nd, .938) and batting average (T3rd,...

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Marty Niland: Dealing with disappointment is familiar territory for Nats fans

September 10, 2018, 5:41am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Dealing with disappointment is familiar territory for Nats fans

The 2018 season is a huge disappointment to most Nationals fans, many of whom believed the team had the potential to win an unprecedented third straight National League East championship and finally win a postseason series. But is this really the most disappointing season the Nationals have been through since moving to Washington in 2005? It's certainly not the first letdown Nats fans have been through. There have been other seasons that have been at least this disappointing, and seasons in...

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Game 144 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs (weather delay)

September 09, 2018, 3:22am

Nationals

Game 144 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs (weather delay)

Despite all the rain, and rain in forecast all day today, the Nationals came out of Saturday with a doubleheader sweep over the Chicago Cubs: 10-3 and 6-5. It was their first doubleheader sweep since October 3, 2015 at New York Mets. Bryce Harper's dramatic two-run shot gave the Nats the lead for good in the second game. In the doubleheader, he reached base seven time in eight plate appearances. Late Saturday night was a big deal for second baseman Adrian Sanchez at the plate. He recorded his...

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Smooth ride for Doolittle in return from DL

September 08, 2018, 10:29pm

Nationals

Smooth ride for Doolittle in return from DL

He entered via the passenger's seat of the bullpen cart, his feet propped up on the dashboard, his glove covering his mouth to conceal the laughter underneath it all. It was the top of the eighth inning, it was 11:57 p.m., and Sean Doolittle was back pitching for the Nationals after two months on the disabled list. And, as he promised all along, he rode in on the cart, becoming the first pitcher from either the home or visiting team at Nationals Park to partake of the recently unveiled...

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Martinez on Robles, Hellickson, Eaton and weather delays

September 09, 2018, 9:11am

Nationals

Martinez on Robles, Hellickson, Eaton and weather delays

In light of the miserable weather all weekend, and the fact that Nationals right fielder Adam Eaton is returning this season from a major knee injury, makes for a good reason to not have him in today's starting lineup. Manager Davey Martinez said Eaton is fine health-wise, and he just wanted to give the veteran a day of rest. "Yeah, just giving him a (day)," Martinez said. "He's a veteran guy been playing his tail off. This weather ... it takes him awhile to get loose. I told him yesterday...

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Sunday's game postponed, rescheduled for Sept. 13

September 09, 2018, 12:41pm

Nationals

Sunday's game postponed, rescheduled for Sept. 13

After a three-hour rain delay, the final game scheduled for Sunday between the Nationals and the Chicago Cubs has been postponed. The game has been rescheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13. First pitch is scheduled at 4:05 p.m. Tickets for today's game can be used this Thursday's game, or exchanged for any remaining 2018 regular season game. Rain, heavy at times, doused Nats Park all weekend. It was raining all morning and afternoon prior to the official announcement. No announcement was yet made...

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Long, rainy day and night ends with doubleheader sweep

September 08, 2018, 8:40pm

Nationals

Long, rainy day and night ends with doubleheader sweep

It began with a rain delay. It ended after another rain delay. In between, the Nationals played two baseball games with the Cubs, saw Max Scherzer throw a complete game, inducted Jayson Werth into their Ring of Honor, saw Bryce Harper launch a go-ahead home run off the bullpen cart, saw Sean Doolittle become the first pitcher ever to enter Nationals Park via said bullpen cart and saw Greg Holland record the save at 1:42 a.m. in front of perhaps 200 fans. Oh yeah, the Nationals also swept a...

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Werth "honored" to be added to Nats' Ring of Honor

September 08, 2018, 5:55pm

Nationals

Werth "honored" to be added to Nats' Ring of Honor

There will be those who look at Jayson Werth's name on the faÃ§ade of the upper deck down the first base line at Nationals Park, unveiled tonight and there to stay as long as this stadium lives, and question whether the outfielder was worthy of such an honor. Those people probably have always scoffed at the $126 million contract the Nationals gave Werth way back in December 2010 and still don't believe it was the right move for the franchise. But if you watched the ceremony that took place...

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Scherzer goes the distance in 10-3 rout over Cubs (updated)

September 08, 2018, 4:01pm

Nationals

Scherzer goes the distance in 10-3 rout over Cubs (updated)

This was going to be a long, aggravating day and night at the ballpark no matter what took place on the field. Such is life when you're attempting to play a doubleheader after failing to even complete 1 1/2 innings the previous night due to rain, with more rain certain to fall in different waves during the course of this day and night. But for all the aggravation, there was at least this bit of consolation for the Nationals and their fans: They were going to get to see Max Scherzer pitch. And...

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Game 143 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

September 08, 2018, 3:24pm

Nationals

Hope you didn't stray too far from your TV, cause we're already back for the nightcap of today's doubleheader. Yes, it's starting a little later than planned thanks to the 2-hour, 10-minute rain delay before the opener. And yes, there's a chance for more rain later tonight before this one is completed. But hey, at this point why complain anymore? Nothing any of us can do to change it. The Nationals had a clear pitching advantage in the opener, with Max Scherzer facing Jaime Garcia, who...