nationals

Sanchez and Bautista promoted, Reynolds demoted, Kelley to DL

April 24, 2018, 10:05am

SAN FRANCISCO - A long road trip for the Nationals has featured a host of roster transactions, and a bunch more are being added to the list today. The Nationals are calling up infielder Adrian Sanchez and outfielder Rafael Bautista from Triple-A, optioning infielder Matt Reynolds to Syracuse and placing reliever Shawn Kelley on the disabled list with an elbow injury, sources familiar with the moves confirmed. It's merely the latest attempt by the club to address a litany of issues that have...

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Kintzler on how back-to-back-to-back games are a good thing

April 23, 2018, 3:34am

Nationals

Kintzler on how back-to-back-to-back games are a good thing

The bullpen will be a huge key as to how far the Nationals go this season and how their final month ends up. The big three of Ryan Madson, Brandon Kintzler and Sean Doolittle are the critical players, but guys like Sammy SolÃs, Shawn Kelley, Matt Grace and Trevor Gott will get their share of opportunities to be difference makers as well. How important the bullpen will be was never more impactful to the season than on display Sunday night in their 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. The club was unable...

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On scoring opportunities and missed opportunities

April 23, 2018, 10:52pm

Nationals

On scoring opportunities and missed opportunities

SAN FRANCISCO - The focus inside the Nationals clubhouse after Monday night's 4-2 loss to the Giants was on the pitching staff, notably Gio Gonzalez's frustration after getting pulled following a leadoff walk in the sixth and then Shawn Kelley immediately giving up a 464-foot home run and departing three pitches later with a recurrence of nerve irritation in his elbow. A clutch hit or two at some point during the game, though, might well have changed the entire storyline of the game and maybe...

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Gonzalez upset, Kelley injured during Nationals' 4-2 loss

April 23, 2018, 10:12pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - The details of the Nationals' 4-2 loss to the Giants tonight contained some familiar events. Squandered opportunities with runners in scoring position. An ill-advised play in the field. Decisive runs scored off the middle of the bullpen. Adding to the dismay of the Nats' third straight loss, though, was the departure of Shawn Kelley with the latest in his long string of elbow injuries and the overt frustration voiced by Gio Gonzalez after getting pulled by manager Davey...

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Six players who could make things difficult for AL East, NL East teams

April 24, 2018, 6:32am

Nationals Orioles

Six players who could make things difficult for AL East, NL East teams

The Orioles' Manny Machado and the Nationals' Bryce Harper are each crushing baseballs during the first month of the season - big stories for each of the local nines. Here are six other American League and National League East stories that could raise havoc for the Orioles and Nationals this season: Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia: The Phillies are playing better than expected - maybe because of a soft schedule that has them a combined 8-1 against the Marlins, Rays and Reds? - and one of the...

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Cole traded to Yankees for cash considerations (Nats lose 4-2)

April 23, 2018, 7:43pm

Nationals

Cole traded to Yankees for cash considerations (Nats lose 4-2)

SAN FRANCISCO - A.J. Cole's time with the Nationals is officially over, but he's going to get another chance to pitch in the big leagues. With the Yankees. The Nats announced tonight they traded Cole to the Yankees for cash considerations, receiving something in return for the right-hander who had been designated for assignment on Friday. Cole opened the season as the Nationals' No. 5 starter but was moved to the bullpen after two starts, once veteran Jeremy Hellickson (a late spring...

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Madson available to pitch tonight; Baker stops by to say hello

April 23, 2018, 5:16pm

Nationals

Madson available to pitch tonight; Baker stops by to say hello

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals should have their full complement of late-inning relievers available tonight should the situation arise in their series opener against the Giants. Ryan Madson, who was unavailable for all three games over the weekend in Los Angeles while his arm recovered from three straight days of work prior to that, told Davey Martinez he would be good to go tonight if needed, a relief to the manager. "Yes, he's available," Martinez said. "He feels good. I'm glad we got him...

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Game 23 lineups: Nats at Giants

April 23, 2018, 2:34pm

Nationals

SAN FRANCISCO - It's not as warm here as it was a few hundred miles down the coast over the weekend, but it's no less pleasant as the Nationals shift from Los Angeles to San Francisco for the final leg of their road trip. After dropping two-of-three in frustrating fashion to the Dodgers, the Nats have a chance to come home with a winning record on the trip if they can take two-of-three from the Giants, who still are without Madison Bumgarner. It'll be right-hander Chris Stratton (owner of a...

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Injuries, lack of depth costing Nationals in tight games

April 22, 2018, 9:17pm

Nationals

LOS ANGELES - The Nationals head to San Francisco for the final leg of their three-city road trip with a 10-12 record that feels like it should at least be flipped around, if not even better than that. The Nats are 1-5 in one-run games so far this season, the lone victory coming way back in the opening series in Cincinnati after Sean Doolittle gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth before hanging on. Surely they could have pulled out wins in a couple of those tight ballgames had...

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Opposite dugout: Free agent acquisitions might not help Giants contend

April 19, 2018, 2:04pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Free agent acquisitions might not help Giants contend

Manager: Bruce Bochy (12th season) Record: 9-12 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: C Buster Posey, (.265, 8 RBIs), 1B Brandon Belt (10 RBIs, 5 HR), 3B Evan Longoria (7 doubles, 9 RBIs), RF Andrew McCutchen (11 RBIs), RHP Jeff Samardzija (1-0, 0.00 ERA), RHP Hunter Strickland (2.00 ERA, 3 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (1-5 in 2017) Pitching probables: April 23: LHP Gio Gonzalez (2-1) vs. RHP Chris Stratton (1-1), 10:15 p.m., MASN2April 24: RHP Tanner Roark (1-1) vs. LHP Ty...

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Nationals can't hold onto lead, can't finish late rally in 4-3 loss

April 22, 2018, 8:42pm

Nationals

LOS ANGELES - There's no shame losing two of three at Dodger Stadium to the defending National League champs. The Nationals shouldn't walk out of here with heads hung low. Yet after beating Clayton Kershaw in Friday's opener and then getting a gem from Stephen Strasburg on Saturday and then holding a three-run lead in the sixth inning tonight, this weekend felt like something of a missed opportunity, capped by a 4-3 loss in the Sunday night finale. "You always want to win games, especially...

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Nats concede and place Rendon on DL, promote reliever Adams

April 22, 2018, 3:17pm

Nationals

Nats concede and place Rendon on DL, promote reliever Adams

LOS ANGELES - For eight days, they waited and hoped Anthony Rendon would be able to return to the lineup after fouling a ball off his left big toe. On the ninth day, the Nationals finally decided they could wait no longer. Except now they'll have to wait at least seven more days for Rendon to be eligible to return from the disabled list. In formally placing Rendon on the 10-day DL this afternoon, the Nationals extended the third baseman's time away beyond what it might have been had they...

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Marty Niland: Rickey's reports set the stage for historic summer in D.C.

April 22, 2018, 7:47pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: Rickey's reports set the stage for historic summer in D.C.

Former Senators outfielder Curt Flood "approach(ed) perfection" with St. Louis in 1963. That same year, former Washington slugger Harmon Killebrew was described as strikeout-prone and overpriced as a Minnesota Twin. Former Nationals manager Frank Robinson was "upset" by the changeup as a Cincinnati Red in the spring of 1964. Those are the professional opinions of Branch Rickey, whose more than 1,750 scouting reports and other baseball-related papers and correspondence have been digitized by...

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Zimmerman, Taylor finally heating up at the plate (Nats lose 4-3)

April 22, 2018, 5:29pm

Nationals

Zimmerman, Taylor finally heating up at the plate (Nats lose 4-3)

LOS ANGELES - It took about three weeks, but Ryan Zimmerman and Michael A. Taylor have finally gotten hot at the plate. And at the same time, no less, much to the Nationals' happiness. Zimmerman and Taylor each delivered big extra-base hits early tonight to stake the Nats to a 2-0 lead over the Dodgers and continue their recent upswing. Zimmerman led off the top of the second with a double down the right field line, eventually scoring on Pedro Severino's sacrifice fly to center. That hit was...

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Nationals place Rendon on 10-day disabled list, recall Adams from Syracuse

April 22, 2018, 3:33pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Austin L. Adams from Triple-A Syracuse and placed infielder Anthony Rendon on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to April 19) with a toe contusion on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Adams, 26, gets the call for his first Major League assignment of the season. He joins the Nationals after a strong start with Triple-A Syracuse where he is 2-for-2 in save...

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Game 22 lineups: Nats at Dodgers (Rendon to DL)

April 22, 2018, 12:41pm

Nationals

Game 22 lineups: Nats at Dodgers (Rendon to DL)

LOS ANGELES - After some star-studded matchups to begin this weekend's series, the finale on Sunday Night Baseball doesn't quite stack up. It's Jeremy Hellickson versus Alex Wood. Not that this game is any less important for either the Nationals or Dodgers, each very motivated to win the series and get back to the .500 mark in the process. As has been the case for more than a week now, the Nationals would love to have Anthony Rendon in their lineup. But for the eighth consecutive game since...

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Punchless Nationals squander Strasburg's gem in 4-0 loss

April 21, 2018, 8:34pm

Nationals

LOS ANGELES - It was as electric a moment as the Nationals have experienced so far this season, it ranked with any moment of Stephen Strasburg's career and it felt like it could have been the moment that propelled the Nats to come back and beat the Dodgers tonight. By game's end, though, Strasburg's dazzling escape from a bases-loaded jam in the sixth was a mere footnote. Such is life when the opposition tacks on runs late and your own lineup totals two hits during a 4-0 loss at Dodger...

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With toe still sore, Nats will "re-evaluate" Rendon's status

April 21, 2018, 8:55pm

Nationals

With toe still sore, Nats will "re-evaluate" Rendon's status

LOS ANGELES - Davey Martinez's afternoon declaration that Anthony Rendon would likely be available to pinch-hit surely left many of Nationals fans wondering why the star third baseman never did emerge from the dugout during Saturday night's 4-0 loss to the Dodgers. It's not like there wasn't an opportunity, most notably the top of the eighth, when with his team trailing by two runs, Martinez sent Matt Reynolds instead of Rendon up to pinch-hit against lefty Tony Cingrani. Reynolds, who...

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Grace to DL with groin strain, Rendon could be ready off bench

April 21, 2018, 4:04pm

Nationals

Grace to DL with groin strain, Rendon could be ready off bench

LOS ANGELES - Though he was able to strike out Corey Seager after a mound visit from an athletic trainer Friday night, Matt Grace wasn't able to avoid the disabled list today. The Nationals placed Grace on the 10-day DL with a left groin strain, an injury the reliever said he had been dealing with for several days but became particularly noticeable during his seventh-inning appearance Friday at Dodger Stadium. Not wanting to risk a more serious injury, and not wanting to be left with a short...

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Pederson stakes Dodgers to early lead (Nats lose 4-0)

April 21, 2018, 6:23pm

Nationals

Pederson stakes Dodgers to early lead (Nats lose 4-0)

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers are making a lot of loud contact against Stephen Strasburg tonight, but so far, only one of them has managed to cause any actual damage on the scoreboard. Joc Pederson's solo homer in the bottom of the second represents the lone run of the evening for either team midway through this game. That blast to center field off a 97 mph fastball got out of Dodger Stadium in a hurry, but it's hardly the only ball hit hard off Strasburg so far. Strasburg got off to a quick...