nationals

Ross on simulated game: "It's a pretty big step" (Nats win 3-2)

July 06, 2018, 2:45pm

Sporting a beard and longer hair, right-hander Joe Ross returned to Nats Park to throw a bullpen session and then a 25-pitch simulated game to live hitters. Manager Davey Martinez said he was "tickled" at how good Ross looked, and that the slider looked strong. Martinez believes the Nationals could get Ross back on the mound before the season is completed. "What I've seen today, he looked really good," Martinez said. "Who knows what will happen down the road, but if he continues to...

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Strasburg and Ross look good in simulated games at Nats Park

July 06, 2018, 1:13pm

Nationals

Strasburg and Ross look good in simulated games at Nats Park

Manager Davey Martinez had positive updates on Nationals right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross, saying they did "very well" during their simulated games at Nats Park on Friday. Strasburg and Ross faced live hitters during early pregame drills before tonight's game against the Marlins. Ross threw 25 pitches, his first chance to face live hitters as he recovers from Tommy John surgery performed last July. Martinez monitored both simulated games from right behind the batting cage,...

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The flip side of last night's comeback

July 05, 2018, 8:38pm

Nationals

The Nationals' record-breaking, 14-12 victory Thursday night had some eye-popping moments. Most of them were positive. But not all of them were. There were still some issues on display during 3 hours and 15 minutes of chaos on South Capitol Street. Start with the starter. Jeremy Hellickson was pounded by the Marlins, giving up nine runs in four innings, and doing all this when he supposedly wasn't 100 percent healthy. Prior to the game, manager Davey Martinez acknowledged Hellickson had been...

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Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia named to All-Star Futures Game

July 06, 2018, 8:42am

Nationals

Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia named to All-Star Futures Game

A pair of rising stars in the Nationals system have been selected to participate in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game Sunday, July 15, at Nationals Park. Shortstop Carter Kieboom and infielder Luis Garcia will represent the Nationals, Kieboom for the United States Team, Garcia for the World Team. Kieboom was rated by MLB.com as the Nationals' No. 3 prospect and by Baseball America as the organization's No. 4 prospect. He was selected in the first round (No. 28 overall) of the 2016 First-Year...

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Game 87 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

July 06, 2018, 11:02am

Nationals

The Nationals look to get on a roll after their best comeback of the season Thursday in the series opener against the Marlins. Down 9-0, they roared back for a 14-12 win thanks to Trea Turner's two homers, including a grand slam, and a career-high eight RBIs. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.77 ERA) looks to put together a quality start after going four innings in his last outing and then watching as it all fell apart in the fifth. Leading 3-0 at Philadelphia, he allowed three runs in the...

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For one night, Nats do something they'd never done before

July 05, 2018, 8:03pm

Nationals

For one night, Nats do something they'd never done before

It's easy, in hindsight, to claim you believed you could come back from nine runs down to win a major league baseball game. Deep down, there had to be plenty inside the Nationals dugout who figured they were headed for one of their most demoralizing losses of the year when the Marlins put up nine runs to their zero in the first 3 1/2 innings tonight on South Capitol Street. And yet, the vibe inside the home bullpen suggested the sense of hope was real. Even when things looked their worst,...

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Nats post largest comeback in club history, beat Marlins

July 05, 2018, 6:24pm

Nationals

Nats post largest comeback in club history, beat Marlins

There isn't a players-only meeting in the world that can accomplish what a good old-fashioned, club-record, come-from-behind victory can. Forget about the fact the Nationals gathered after Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox to air their grievances and vow to start playing better. That mattered not a whit if they didn't follow it up by beating the Marlins tonight. And boy did they beat the Marlins. Despite spotting them a nine-run lead after 3 1/2 innings. With their season seemingly teetering...

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Carter Kieboom, Luis Garcia named to SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game

July 06, 2018, 8:26am

Nationals

Carter Kieboom, Luis Garcia named to SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game

Washington Nationals prospects Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia have been selected to participate in the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game as a part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Sunday. Major League Baseball made the announcement. Kieboom, 20, is hitting .314 with 20 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 42 walks, seven stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 77 games between Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg. His .314 batting average ranks second among full-season Nationals farmhands, while...

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Ryan Sullivan: Hey, now, (I hope) you're an All-Star

July 06, 2018, 5:33am

Nationals

Ryan Sullivan: Hey, now, (I hope) you're an All-Star

After years of hype and anticipation, the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Washington, D.C., is only 11 days away. The fan vote concluded Thursday and on Sunday, the American and National League will announce 31 of the 32 members of the 2018 All-Star Game rosters. It would be a travesty if Trea Turner is not selected. Somewhat lost amid this peculiar season for the Nationals has been Turner's development as perhaps the best shortstop in the NL and one of the best in the majors. The...

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Pitching ill, Hellickson rocked by Marlins (Nats win 14-12)

July 05, 2018, 4:33pm

Nationals

Pitching ill, Hellickson rocked by Marlins (Nats win 14-12)

For all the attention lavished upon Wednesday's postgame players meeting, the only thing that really matters for the Nationals is that they start hitting, pitching and catching the ball significantly better than they have been in weeks. They haven't been doing any of those things well so far tonight in what felt like a must-win game at the outset. One day after players held a 15-minute meeting following a series sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, the Nationals put themselves in a nine-run...

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Rodriguez could pitch tonight; Wieters, Zimmerman near rehab

July 05, 2018, 2:15pm

Nationals

Rodriguez could pitch tonight; Wieters, Zimmerman near rehab

The Nationals wasted no time placing Erick Fedde on the disabled list, even though they don't expect the right-hander to miss significant time with his shoulder injury. And they wasted no time calling up Jefry Rodriguez to replace Fedde in the rotation ... unless the rookie is needed in emergency relief of Jeremy Hellickson tonight. Fedde, who departed Wednesday morning's game after only 25 pitches when his shoulder was "having trouble getting loose," underwent an MRI afterward that...

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Game 86 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins (Fedde to DL)

July 05, 2018, 11:28am

Nationals

Game 86 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins (Fedde to DL)

The Nationals are in a tough spot, we all know that. Here's what else we know: Their final 11 games before the All-Star break come against the Marlins, Pirates and Mets. If they've got a major turnaround in them, now would be an opportune time to get started. The Nats have faced the Marlins only three times this season, and they won all three of those games in Miami. So these guys are going to be seeing a whole lot of each other over the next 2 1/2 months, beginning tonight with Jeremy...

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On Fedde's shoulder, Eaton's throw and Adams' non-usage

July 04, 2018, 8:19pm

Nationals

On Fedde's shoulder, Eaton's throw and Adams' non-usage

The headlines Wednesday at Nationals Park focused on what happened after the home team's 3-0 loss to the Red Sox, when players spent 15 minutes airing their grievances to each other and deciding it's time to quit assuming they're going to coast to another division title and start actually scratching and clawing to try to get back to the postseason. Lost in the shuffle were some important details and reactions to the events that actually took place on the field during that 3-0 loss, the...

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Players gather, demand more from each other after latest loss

July 04, 2018, 12:18pm

Nationals

Players gather, demand more from each other after latest loss

It took their 17th loss in 22 games (the club's worst stretch since 2009), their eighth shutout in 30 games (more times than they were shut out in all of 2017) and a sub-.500 record in July (the first time that's been the case since 2015) for someone inside the Nationals clubhouse to decide it was time to gather everyone together and let the emotions flow. That someone, as you might expect, was Max Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and staff ace wasn't the only one who spoke out...

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Opposite Dugout: Marlins travel to nation's capital for four-game series against struggling Nationals

July 04, 2018, 11:31am

Nationals

Manager: Don Mattingly (3rd season) Record: 36-52 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: C J.T. Realmuto (.306), 1B Justin Bour (13 HR, 37 RBIs), RF Brian Anderson (41 RBIs), 2B Starlin Castro (.292, .340, .397) RHP Kyle Barraclough (8 saves, 1.17 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 0-3 Pitching probables: July 5: RHP Pablo LÃ³pez (1-0) vs. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-1), 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 6: RHP Dan Straily (3-4) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (6-5), 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 7: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-5) vs. RHP Max...

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Nats lose Fedde early, lose another game late

July 04, 2018, 10:30am

Nationals

Nats lose Fedde early, lose another game late

No matter what happened the previous night, or any other night during this agonizing stretch of baseball, the Nationals reported for work early this morning trying to feel optimistic for a change. They had Matt Adams back on the active roster only 19 days after he fractured his index finger trying to bunt. They had a full house for an 11:05 a.m. game on Independence Day in the nation's capital. And then, one inning in, optimism was quashed at the sight of another player (starter Erick Fedde)...

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Fedde departs with injury in second inning (Nats down 2-0)

July 04, 2018, 8:17am

Nationals

Fedde departs with injury in second inning (Nats down 2-0)

Whatever good vibes the Nationals hoped to get from their annual Independence Day morning game quickly dissipated in the top of the second inning when Erick Fedde walked off the mound with an apparent injury and left this reeling pitching staff in a major bind as it tries to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Red Sox. Fedde threw only 25 total pitches, four of them to Rafael Devers to lead off the top of the second. His fastball velocity, which topped out at 95 mph in the first inning, dropped...

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Adams activated, Collins designated for assignment

July 04, 2018, 6:30am

Nationals

Adams activated, Collins designated for assignment

When he learned he had fractured his left index finger June 15 in Toronto, Matt Adams assumed he'd be forced to miss a considerable amount of time, certainly more than a month. Only 19 days later, though, Adams is back on the Nationals' active roster, available off the bench for today's series finale against the Red Sox and set to rejoin the lineup this weekend against the Marlins. "From everything that was being told to me, I think it's a little sooner than we expected," the left-handed...

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Scott Boras on why it has been a tough season so far for Bryce Harper

July 03, 2018, 4:14pm

Nationals

Scott Boras on why it has been a tough season so far for Bryce Harper

A visit with Bryce Harper's agent, Scott Boras, illuminates his take on why his client has had struggles at the plate this season. Boras said it boils down to a couple of major issues: the fear factor and the effect of shifts on left-handed power hitters. Boras said pitchers get more amped up to strike out the Nationals slugger than they do other players because he is who he is. "I just believe there's an intimidation factor that comes with Bryce and it may have to do with lineup dynamics,...

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Game 85 lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox

July 04, 2018, 4:57am

Nationals

The Nationals have lost 14 of their last 18 games. They're seven games out of first place, 4 1/2 games out of second place. They're a .500 club right now that can't seem to do anything right. But you know what? It's Independence Day in the District of Columbia, and there's a ballgame being played today in town. It could be worse, a lot worse. It would be better, of course, if the Nationals could pull off a win today against the Red Sox and avoid a series sweep (not to mention a sub-.500...