nationals

Kendrick helps Strasburg after slow start (D-backs win 5-4)

April 27, 2018, 4:11pm

Arizona jumped on the scoreboard first. After right-hander Stephen Strasburg dealt a 1-2-3 first, A.J. Pollock led off the second with a solo homer, his sixth HR of the season. After a walk to Daniel Descalso, Ketel Marte moved him to second on a groundout to first base. Nick Ahmed's single scored Descalso. The Diamondbacks led 2-0. In the third, center fielder Andrew Stevenson took away extra bases with a diving catch of a David Peralta line drive in front of him and to the right. The...

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Rizzo on ever-changing roster: "Nobody said it would be easy"

April 27, 2018, 2:18pm

Nationals

Rizzo on ever-changing roster: "Nobody said it would be easy"

Mike Rizzo goes into every season knowing there will be unexpected ailments and performances that require roster changes. And the Nationals general manager goes into every season prepared to tap into as much depth as is necessary from his club's farm system. The first month of this season, though, is testing that depth like never before. "It's a grind, man," Rizzo said this afternoon before his fourth-place, 11-14 Nationals opened a 10-game homestand. "Nobody said it would be easy." Well,...

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Friday morning Nats Q&A

April 26, 2018, 6:46pm

Nationals

What a long, strange road trip it was. The Nationals went to New York desperate for some success and used a dramatic, eighth-inning rally in the opener to propel them to back-to-back wins before losing the finale. Then Max Scherzer outdueled Clayton Kershaw in the opener in Los Angeles, and everything appeared to be on track. Except the Nats then lost four straight to the Dodgers and Giants, scoring a grand total of eight runs. But just when things looked especially dire, a makeshift lineup...

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Game 26 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks

April 27, 2018, 11:31am

Nationals

Walking into Nationals Park this afternoon, it felt like it had been a month since the Nationals last played here. It hasn't been quite that long, but it has been 12 days since their last home game, and that is a while. They also have undergone quite a few roster changes since then, adding to their air of mystique when they finally take the field here tonight for the opener of a 10-game homestand. It begins with a tough challenge: the Diamondbacks, who on the heels of a 96-win season in 2017...

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"MASN All Access" podcast: Jamal Collier on road trip and homestand

April 27, 2018, 2:24pm

Nationals

"MASN All Access" podcast: Jamal Collier on road trip and homestand

The Nationals are back after their nine-game road trip and we're back at Nats Park! Paul and I are joined by Jamal Collier of MLB.com on a new episode of the "MASN All Access" podcast to recap the road trip and preview the 10-game homestand, which starts tonight against the Diamondbacks. Ending on a high note with a 15-run barrage in San Francisco, did the Nationals show signs of things to come out west? And what went wrong to lead the team to a 4-5 record this time out? Will this homestand...

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Ryan Sullivan: Promising prospects aplenty for Potomac

April 27, 2018, 5:43am

Nationals

Ryan Sullivan: Promising prospects aplenty for Potomac

On Wednesday evening, I made the drive to Wilmington, Del., in order to get my first look at the 2018 Potomac Nationals. In spite of the drizzle and cold temperatures, I came away quite impressed with the collection of talent the Nationals have assembled at their high Single-A affiliate, not to mention the beginnings of a head cold. Right-hander Wil Crowe, Washington's second-round pick last summer and a top 10 prospect, started Wednesday's contest and pitched well despite the conditions,...

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Opposite dugout: Arms have positioned Diamondbacks atop NL West

April 25, 2018, 9:08am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Arms have positioned Diamondbacks atop NL West

Manager: Torey Lovullo (2nd season) Record: 17-7 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: LF David Peralta (.317 with 3 HR, 14 RBIs), CF A.J. Pollock (5 HR, 17 RBIs), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (4 HR, 11 RBIs), LHP Patrick Corbin (4-0, 1,89 ERA), RHP Zack Godley (3-1, 3.09 ERA), RHP Brad Boxberger (3.00 ERA, 6 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (2-4 in 2017) Pitching probables: April 27: RHP Zack Godley (3-1) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-2), 7:05 p.m., MASN2 April 28: LHP Patrick Corbin (4-0)...

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SolÃs and relievers understand grind of season comes with the territory

April 26, 2018, 3:55am

Nationals

SolÃs and relievers understand grind of season comes with the territory

One of the strengths of Nationals left-handed reliever Sammy SolÃs' work on the mound is his ability to speed up the game. His tempo, when contrasted with a starter that might have had a more methodical pace, makes it very difficult for the opposing hitter to get into a rhythm, see which pitches he is throwing and decipher SolÃs' game plan. Before the hitter knows what's going on, he has struck out or grounded weakly to an infielder. That is what SolÃs is always trying to do: make...

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With barrage of two-out hits, Nationals celebrate a rare blowout

April 25, 2018, 4:26pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - The hits would come, Davey Martinez insisted, as long as the Nationals kept giving themselves opportunities and had the right approach in key situations. The first-year manager is a relentless optimist, but he surely had developed more than a few doubters over the season's first month, especially over the last week while his club flailed away at what few scoring opportunities they had on the West Coast. And then, in a sustained display unlike anything else they had offered up...

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After long trip, Nats know there's plenty of work ahead of them

April 25, 2018, 5:17pm

Nationals

After long trip, Nats know there's plenty of work ahead of them

SAN FRANCISCO - The flight home at the end of a three-city, nine-game, cross-country road trip is pleasant for no one. The Nationals were scheduled to land at Dulles International Airport at 2:20 a.m. this morning, but by the time they bused back into the city to retrieve their cars and then head home, they were looking at something like a 3:30 a.m. walk through the front door. If nothing else, at least they boarded that flight Wednesday night in San Francisco with the positive vibes that came...

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Join Gio Gonzalez, Nats teammates for Uncork for a Cause on May 3

April 25, 2018, 10:02am

Nationals

Join Gio Gonzalez, Nats teammates for Uncork for a Cause on May 3

If you've ever dreamed of sipping wine while discussing the intricacies of the curveball with Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, mark Thursday, May 3 on your calendar and get out your checkbooks. That's the night Gonzalez will host his third annual Uncork for a Cause, when the pitcher, his teammates and special guests will gather from 6-9 p.m. at The Rooftop at F1RST Residences, a new rooftop entertainment space across from Nationals Park. The event will raise funds and awareness for The...

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Pivotal sixth inning has become Nationals' toughest frame

April 24, 2018, 10:21pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - What's the most important inning in a ballgame? For the Nationals right now, it might be the sixth. The Nats pitching staff has had all kinds of trouble navigating through that bridge inning without getting into serious trouble, and it has cost them several games along the way. The Nationals have been scored upon in the sixth inning in 11 of 24 games this season, including five of eight during this road trip and each of the last three nights. And those have been key runs...

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Dream Foundation to dedicate Bryce Harper Field (Nats win 15-2)

April 25, 2018, 11:12am

Nationals

Dream Foundation to dedicate Bryce Harper Field (Nats win 15-2)

SAN FRANCISCO - Bryce Harper is about to become the third Nationals player to have a youth baseball field named for him. The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation announced today it will be dedicating Bryce Harper Field at the Takoma Community Center in Northwest Washington in early May. The project was made possible through financial contributions from Harper and the Dream Foundation, in partnership with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. "I am excited and honored to participate in...

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Nats bats explode in 15-2 rout over Giants to conclude road trip

April 25, 2018, 2:58pm

Nationals

Nats bats explode in 15-2 rout over Giants to conclude road trip

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals figured the best way to end their four-game losing streak was to send Max Scherzer to the mound for today's series finale at AT&T Park. Turns out the better strategy was sending a lineup featuring several backups and recent call-ups up to the plate against Jeff Samardzija and the Giants bullpen. Behind an onslaught of two-out hits with runners in scoring position, the Nationals blasted Samardzija and company during a 15-2 victory that, if nothing else, allowed...

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Game 25 lineups: Nats at Giants

April 25, 2018, 9:22am

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals have won only one of their last six games. That win came Friday night in Los Angeles, against Clayton Kershaw, which sounds improbable given the current state of the lineup except once you remember who pitched that game for the Nats: Max Scherzer. Today, the Nationals are going to need another effort from Scherzer - not to mention some runs against Jeff Samardzija - if they hope to at least head home on a positive note after a long and often difficult road...

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Nationals' 4-3 loss to Giants has familiar refrain

April 24, 2018, 9:47pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - It felt like a potential turning point for a lineup desperately in need of one. Michael A. Taylor's three-run, opposite-field homer in the top of the fourth tonight at AT&T Park was exactly what the offensively starved Nationals needed, a jolt of life that left them tied with the Giants and chance to win this game if they simply made key pitches the rest of the way and delivered one more big hit. Then Tanner Roark failed to make one key pitch, and the Nats found themselves...

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Taylor's three-run blast jolts lineup back to life (Nats lose 4-3)

April 24, 2018, 7:35pm

Nationals

Taylor's three-run blast jolts lineup back to life (Nats lose 4-3)

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals were doing absolutely nothing at the plate for 3 2/3 innings tonight against Ty Blach. Of the first 12 batters who came to the plate against the Giants lefty, only one (Howie Kendrick) hit a ball out of the infield. And then Ryan Zimmerman drew a two-out walk in the fourth, and MoisÃ©s Sierra followed with a single through the right side. And then Michael A. Taylor delivered the big blast this team has so desperately needed for days. Taylor's three-run,...

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Liz Barr: Nationals fans need to calm down for a moment

April 25, 2018, 4:57am

Nationals

The Nationals, needless to say, are not having a stellar start. For Nationals fans, it's like the world is ending. Twitter has been a tire fire in recent weeks, and all of the bad takes I've seen are astounding. I've seen calls to pack it up and go home, they're done. Trade away all the players. Burn it to the ground and start all over again. Admittedly, the Nationals have been pretty bad to start off the year. They've gone 10-14, hitting .230 overall and .218 with runners in scoring...

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Nats throw Sanchez right into lineup, hope Bautista stays hot

April 24, 2018, 5:15pm

Nationals

Nats throw Sanchez right into lineup, hope Bautista stays hot

SAN FRANCISCO - With Shawn Kelley headed to the disabled list, but two workhorses starting the final games of this road trip in advance of an off-day, the Nationals decided to go with an extra bench player tonight and Wednesday against the Giants. That led to the recalls today of infielder Adrian Sanchez and outfielder Rafael Bautista from Triple-A, the two taking the roster spots previously held by Kelley and infielder Matt Reynolds (who was optioned to Syracuse). And manager Davey Martinez...

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Game 24 lineups: Nats at Giants

April 24, 2018, 2:47pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals need a win tonight. It's kind of that simple after losing three in row to the Dodgers and Giants. Beyond that, they need some other events as well to help make a win more possible. The Nats could certainly use a big-time start from Tanner Roark. Here's the good news: He has owned the Giants in his career, to the tune of a 6-0 record and 2.02 ERA in seven regular season appearances (four starts). (We'll ignore a certain home run he surrendered to Brandon Belt on...