nationals

Nats teetering on the brink after mistake-filled homestand

April 15, 2018, 2:42pm

There were outs inexplicably made on the bases. There were home runs being served up despite pitchers being in advantageous counts. There were countless opportunities for long, sustained rallies, the kind of opportunities made possible when you draw 10 walks to the opposition's one on the afternoon. Consider all the reasons the Nationals should have won today's game against the Rockies, not the least of which was the desperation they exhibited today trying to salvage a four-game series split...

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Reeling Nationals face suddenly critical series in New York

April 15, 2018, 8:48pm

Nationals

Davey Martinez won't look at the standings, certainly not in April. He doesn't believe it does him or his players any good to pay attention right now to the records of other teams in relation to their own record. Which is all well and good except for one teensy little fact: The Nationals head to New York tonight for the opener of a three-game series trailing the Mets in the National League East division by six games. Good luck ignoring the standings now, right? "We've got to play...

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Marty Niland: Recalling Washington's struggles with baseball integration

April 16, 2018, 6:47am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Recalling Washington's struggles with baseball integration

It was great to be at the Nationals Park on Jackie Robinson Day. Even if the crowd was sparse in the cool, wet weather, it was heartwarming to see all of the players wearing No. 42 in honor of the man who broke baseball's color barrier. Reflecting on the legacy of Robinson and those who followed him, it's appropriate to look back at the Washington's history of civil rights and baseball as examples of how far sport and society have come, and to see how far we still have to go. Washington was...

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Game 16 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies

April 15, 2018, 6:25am

Nationals

The weather was absolutely delightful yesterday when the Nationals beat the Rockies 6-2. The weather is most definitely not delightful today as the two clubs wrap up their four-game series. It's overcast, the temperature has been dropping all morning and will continue to drop through the afternoon, and there's rain in the forecast. It's just a question of when the rain arrives. For now, it doesn't appear to be a threat to the start of the game, only later in the game (if at all). But even...

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Late mistakes doom Nationals in 6-5 loss to Rockies

April 15, 2018, 12:50pm

Nationals

If the Nationals intend to scrap their way back from a ragged start to their season, they're going to have to do so playing smart, fundamentally sound baseball. They certainly didn't do that today during a 6-5 loss to the Rockies that easily could have tilted in their direction had they simply not made a handful of drastic mistakes at critical moments. And because of all that, they now head to New York for the start of a three-city road trip trailing the Mets (who beat the Brewers in walk-off...

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Close proximity of affiliates helps Nationals function more efficiently

April 15, 2018, 5:37am

Nationals

One element of the minor league system that has been an advantage for the Nationals is the close proximity of each affiliate to each other and to Washington, D.C., and most importantly, Nationals Park. Countless times, the Nats have utilized their high Single-A location in Woodbridge, Va., the Potomac Nationals, to rehab their major league players. Even low single-A Hagerstown is just over an hour away from D.C., and if the Suns are home instead of the P-Nats, players can get access to live...

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Murphy heading to Florida to play in extended spring training

April 15, 2018, 8:24am

Nationals

Murphy heading to Florida to play in extended spring training

As the Nationals head out on a long road trip, Daniel Murphy is heading down to Florida to start playing in extended spring training games. Murphy, now in the final stages of rehab from October microfracture knee surgery, is scheduled to fly to West Palm Beach on Monday and begin getting at-bats with others from the organization who remain at the club's complex for extended spring training. The veteran second baseman has been with the big league club throughout the season's first 2 1/2 weeks,...

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Will Hellickson start Monday in New York? (Nats lose 6-5)

April 15, 2018, 10:27am

Nationals

Will Hellickson start Monday in New York? (Nats lose 6-5)

The Nationals have not yet named a starter for Monday night's series opener against the Mets. That in itself offers a hint that the club is preparing to add veteran Jeremy Hellickson to its big league roster and send him to the mound at Citi Field. A.J. Cole is on turn to make the start, but the right-hander (who was roughed up in his season debut before improving in his second outing) has been spotted in the Nationals bullpen several times this weekend. Hellickson, meanwhile, was initially...

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Rendon leaves after sixth inning, X-Rays negative on left big toe

April 13, 2018, 7:09pm

Nationals

Rendon leaves after sixth inning, X-Rays negative on left big toe

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon had to leave Friday's 2-1 loss to the Rockies after fouling a pitch off his left big toe. He was replaced by Wilmer Difo. Rendon tried to stay in the game but eventually came out after the sixth inning. "It just hit the toe, it didn't hit the foot or the ankle or the shin guard. It hit the toe," Rendon said of the play. Manager Davey Martinez reported that X-Rays came back negative. Rendon will let Martinez know how he feels in the morning. The toe was...

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On Scherzer's hit, Goodwin's wrist, Romero's departure

April 14, 2018, 8:19pm

Nationals

On Scherzer's hit, Goodwin's wrist, Romero's departure

Some Sunday morning news and notes before the Nationals and Rockies wrap up their four-game series ... * It didn't lead to any actual runs scored for the Nationals, but there's no denying Max Scherzer's fifth-inning single Saturday served as something of a wakeup call for a slumbering offense and fired up the entire dugout. The Nationals trailed the Rockies 2-1 and hadn't found any way to escape the doldrums that had been present throughout the series. Then Scherzer lined a 1-2 pitch from...

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Squeeze play highlights Nats' long-awaited rally

April 14, 2018, 1:37pm

Nationals

Squeeze play highlights Nats' long-awaited rally

Michael A. Taylor wasn't surprised when he got the sign from Bob Henley. "I'm ready for anything," the Nationals center fielder said. "We did work on it in spring training, so I feel comfortable with it." "It" was the safety squeeze manager Davey Martinez called in the bottom of the sixth this afternoon, the Nationals and Rockies tied at that point with runners on the corners and one out. At a time when his team was searching for any way possible to score a key run, Martinez decided to...

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Nats finally rally, reward Scherzer for gem, beat Rockies 6-2

April 14, 2018, 11:58am

Nationals

Nats finally rally, reward Scherzer for gem, beat Rockies 6-2

The rally was coming, of this Davey Martinez was sure. Give a lineup like this enough chances, the rookie manager figured, and it would happen. Even if that lineup featured only four regulars and a couple of names even the die-hards might not have known prior to a week ago. Sure enough, the rally did finally come. It came in the bottom of the sixth today at Nationals Park. And once it did, the Nationals finally could breathe the sigh of relief they'd been holding in for days. With a four-run...

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Scherzer dominating after early blast (Nats win 6-2)

April 14, 2018, 10:20am

Nationals

Scherzer dominating after early blast (Nats win 6-2)

If the Nationals, with a makeshift lineup, needed Max Scherzer to be perfect today, they found out very quickly that wouldn't be the case. Scherzer issued a four-pitch walk to Gerardo Parra and then served up a two-run homer to Charlie Blackmon in the top of the first this afternoon, leaving the offensively challenged Nats in an early 2-0 hole against the Rockies. Not that Scherzer is pitching poorly in his fourth start of the season. Through five innings, that early walk-homer combo...

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Rendon still dealing with sore toe, Goodwin out with sore wrist

April 14, 2018, 8:21am

Nationals

Rendon still dealing with sore toe, Goodwin out with sore wrist

Anthony Rendon isn't in the Nationals lineup this afternoon. That's not a surprise, given the third baseman had to come out of Friday night's game after fouling a ball off his left big toe. The real question now is how much time Rendon will need before he is ready to return to an already-struggling lineup that keeps losing key players to injury. "He's sore, real sore," manager Davey Martinez said this morning. "So he's probably going to be day-to-day." Rendon hurt himself fouling a...

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Game 15 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies (Goodwin scratched)

April 13, 2018, 8:07pm

Nationals

Game 15 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies (Goodwin scratched)

The last thing the Nationals want to do is call today's game - on April 14, mind you - "must-win." But let's not kid ourselves here. Having lost eight of their last 10, and having fallen a full six games behind the Mets in the National League East division - seven games in the loss column - this team simply can't afford to lose a Max Scherzer start. The Nationals needed Scherzer to halt their last losing streak (five games). Today they'll ask him to halt their current three-game skid and...

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End results aside, Roark pitching well to begin season

April 13, 2018, 7:58pm

Nationals

End results aside, Roark pitching well to begin season

No pitcher will ever admit it, but it had to be on Tanner Roark's mind Friday night. With the Nationals struggling mightily to score runs these days, the right-hander must have felt like he needed to be near-perfect on the mound against the Rockies. "No, you've just got to pitch your game, execute pitches," Roark insisted. "They'll get the job done. You've got to do your job on the mound, one pitch at a time, and execute the pitches." Roark did do that quite well. He surrendered a solo...

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After 2-8 stretch, Nationals entering dangerous territory

April 13, 2018, 7:46pm

Nationals

They're preaching patience and levelheadedness in the Nationals clubhouse right now, and honestly that's what they have to do on April 13 when the ballclub is struggling to score runs, is two games under .500 and just got held to one run on four hits by the Rockies for the second straight night. "Just got to keep grinding," Bryce Harper said. "Keep doing the things we can do to win ballgames and do the things we can control." "We've got to play until the game's over," Tanner Roark...

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Nats bats still silent during 2-1 loss to Rockies

April 13, 2018, 6:09pm

Nationals

Nats bats still silent during 2-1 loss to Rockies

Davey Martinez began the day with a message for his slumping hitters. "Just because you don't hit doesn't mean you can't help us by defense, by running the bases, a walk, whatever," the Nationals manager said. "But do something to help us win every day." Several hours later, Martinez found himself watching his team slog through another slow night at the plate, then surrender the decisive run in a 2-1 loss to the Rockies as a direct result of a defensive mistake. When it rains, it pours....

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Nats offense musters only 4 hits again (Rockies win 2-1)

April 13, 2018, 4:04pm

Nationals

Nats offense musters only 4 hits again (Rockies win 2-1)

On a spectacular Friday night for baseball, one of the best night's of the year to date weather wise in the D.C. area, the starting pitchers dominated early on. Rockies left-handed Kyle Freeland allowed a single by Ryan Zimmerman with two outs in the first. But then he struck out four batters in a row. Nationals right-hander Tanner Roark retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced. The only blemish was a walk to Nolan Arenado in the first. He has two strikeouts. In the third, the Nats got...

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Hellickson progressing, will he start Monday in New York?

April 13, 2018, 1:41pm

Nationals

Hellickson progressing, will he start Monday in New York?

Manager Davey Martinez gave an update on Jeremy Hellickson's progress in extended spring training, saying the veteran right-hander is getting very close to being ready. "He threw a side actually (on Wednesday)," Martinez said. "I guess he threw well. Now we'll just have to wait and see. He's getting to the point now where he feels like he's ready. I know he's got another side coming up so we'll see where we're at." The Nats current fifth starter, right-hander A.J. Cole, made a vast...