nationals

Taylor's slam in eighth extends Nats' lead (Nats win 5-0)

October 11, 2017, 1:23pm

The Nationals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series, Trea Turner racing home from third base when shortstop Addison Russell booted Ryan Zimmerman's two-out grounder. Turner doubled to left field with one out in the second, his first hit in 13 at-bats in the NLDS. He went to third on a wild pitch from Cubs righty Jake Arrieta while Jayson Werth was batting. Werth struck out and Bryce Harper walked, later stealing second. Zimmerman hit a bouncer...

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NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Strasburg to start)

October 11, 2017, 8:52am

Nationals

NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Strasburg to start)

CHICAGO - As if this National League Division Series wasn't already dramatic enough, how about this: Stephen Strasburg will start Game 4 for the Nationals after all. Some 18 hours after announcing Strasburg wouldn't be able to pitch this elimination game against the Cubs because he was ill, the Nationals reversed course and named the right-hander as their starter. Strasburg, according to a source familiar with the decision, informed the club this morning he was feeling better and wanted to...

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Roark embraces challenge of must-win start for Nationals

October 10, 2017, 10:08pm

Nationals

CHICAGO - As attention and controversy swirled around Stephen Strasburg and the circumstances that led to the right-hander not taking the mound for today's must-win game against the Cubs, another member of the Nationals rotation was left ignored: Tanner Roark. Which was appropriate, given Roark's career and personality. Here's a guy who consistently has been overlooked and countless times has stepped up and made people notice him with his performance. And now the Nationals are hoping Roark...

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Game 4 postponed until Wednesday (Roark will start)

October 10, 2017, 1:14pm

Nationals

Game 4 postponed until Wednesday (Roark will start)

CHICAGO - With rain approaching the area and expected to arrive sometime late this afternoon or early this evening, the start of Game 4 of the National League Division Series has been delayed. There's been no decision made yet on a full postponement of the game, but the general managers and managers from both the Nationals and Cubs met with Major League Baseball officials including chief baseball officer Joe Torre a short while ago to discuss the possibilities. They are scheduled to meet again...

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With Strasburg ill, Roark still gets postponed Game 4 start

October 10, 2017, 4:13pm

Nationals

With Strasburg ill, Roark still gets postponed Game 4 start

CHICAGO - The postponement of Game 4 of the National League Division Series appeared to favor the Nationals, who suddenly had the option of sending Stephen Strasburg back to the mound for a must-win game on normal rest. But when manager Dusty Baker entered the makeshift press conference room at Wrigley Field this evening to provide what seemed like an obvious answer to a simple question, he wound up creating confusion and dissatisfaction among many with his eight-word reply: "We're going to...

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Looking back at the key decisions in the seventh and eighth

October 10, 2017, 4:20am

Nationals

Looking back at the key decisions in the seventh and eighth

CHICAGO - A lot happened in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. Seriously, for a 2-1 ballgame, there were enough significant moments, great plays, terrible plays and key decisions to warrant a week's worth of discussion. We don't have that much time, of course, to discuss it all. Game 4 is coming up later this afternoon. (If you missed it, Major League Baseball announced late last night that, no matter the outcome of the other NLDS, the game will be played at 5:38 p.m. EDT in an...

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NLDS Game 4 lineups: Nats at Cubs

October 10, 2017, 10:12am

Nationals

CHICAGO - And so the Nationals' season has come down to this: They need to win Game 4 of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field and force a winner-take-all Game 5 at Nationals Park on Thursday night. All of this, of course, is assuming they're able to play today. Your early-afternoon weather update: It's not raining yet, but the rain is on the way, and it's going to hit sometime later this afternoon. It's just a question of whether the rain is significant enough to prevent...

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Mets agree to purchase Triple-A Syracuse, Nats will need new affiliate in 2019

October 09, 2017, 12:27pm

Nationals

Mets agree to purchase Triple-A Syracuse, Nats will need new affiliate in 2019

The Nationals will need a new Triple-A affiliate in 2019 because the Mets have reportedly reached an agreement to purchase the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, according to Syracuse.com. The Nats have played their Triple-A games in Syracuse since 2009. The Chiefs have operated at a loss every season since 2006, except in 2010. This means the Nationals will have one more season in Syracuse, through the 2018 campaign, before they will need to find a new Triple-A club. It would seem that the affiliate...

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Cubs rally late to win Game 3, leave Nats facing elimination

October 09, 2017, 3:19pm

Nationals

Cubs rally late to win Game 3, leave Nats facing elimination

CHICAGO - The margin between success and failure in the postseason is razor-thin. A batter can hit a frozen rope but hit it right at somebody. Another can barely bloop a ball into shallow left-center field and watch it fall between three defenders and drive home the winning run. The Nationals experienced it all today during an agonizing 2-1 loss to the Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. They had a couple of chances to score early, but watched as Chicago's outfielders...

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In critical October showdown, Nationals lose game of inches

October 09, 2017, 5:59pm

Nationals

CHICAGO - Oliver PÃ©rez liked the pitch coming out of his hand, and he liked it coming off Anthony Rizzo's bat. It was a first-pitch fastball, in, and he managed to jam Rizzo and force the Cubs slugger to hit a little blooper toward shallow left-center field. And then, as PÃ©rez turned around and saw how much ground three of his teammates were trying to cover to get to the ball in time, well, that's when the Nationals reliever realized this might be trouble. "I saw he didn't hit it that...

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NLDS game blog: Scherzer on the mound in Game 3

October 09, 2017, 11:45am

Nationals

NLDS game blog: Scherzer on the mound in Game 3

CHICAGO - It's not often that a team leaves its best starting pitcher for Game 3 of a postseason series, especially a best-of-five series. But the Nationals kept ace Max Scherzer off the mound for the first two games of the National League Division Series out of necessity. Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring in his final regular season start of the season, casting his playoff future in doubt. Nine games removed from that start against the Pirates, the 2016 National League Cy Young award...

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Scherzer strong early in Game 3 (Cubs win 2-1)

October 09, 2017, 1:22pm

Nationals

Scherzer strong early in Game 3 (Cubs win 2-1)

Four innings into Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field and the Nationals are still searching for their first run. They've had a couple of chances, but have been unable to get to Cubs lefty JosÃ© Quintana when they've had runners in scoring position. In the second, Michael A. Taylor led off with a single and went to second when Quintana's pickoff attempt sailed wide of first base. But Max Scherzer couldn't get a bunt down, striking out out swinging. After Trea...

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Baker sticks with Werth in Game 3 matchup vs. Quintana

October 09, 2017, 11:04am

Nationals

Baker sticks with Werth in Game 3 matchup vs. Quintana

CHICAGO - Whatever urge there may have been to alter his lineup for Game 3 of the National League Division Series, Dusty Baker ultimately decided continuity was more important than playing matchups against an opponent they've never faced. With left-hander JosÃ© Quintana on the mound for the Cubs this afternoon, the Nationals are going up against an unknown entity. Only three members of their NLDS roster have ever faced him before: Howie Kendrick (5-for-10), Adam Lind (2-for-9) and Matt...

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Nats will start Roark in Game 4, won't start Strasburg on short rest

October 08, 2017, 9:56pm

Nationals

Nats will start Roark in Game 4, won't start Strasburg on short rest

CHICAGO - Unless something really unexpected happens today, Tanner Roark will start Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday. No matter what happens between now and then, Stephen Strasburg will not be starting that game. The Nationals revealed their rotation plans for the remainder of their series against the Cubs, and it's exactly what was expected to be the case all along, with Roark serving as the club's fourth starter and Strasburg held back from returning to pitch again...

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NLDS Game 3 lineups: Nats at Cubs

October 09, 2017, 8:43am

Nationals

CHICAGO - It's October at Wrigley Field, but the sun is shining bright, temperatures are in the upper 70s and there's very little breeze to speak of. This is not what you expect from postseason baseball here. But this is what we'll have today for Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Cubs, a pivotal game that will move one of these two clubs one step away from the National League Championship Series. The Nationals at long last have Max Scherzer on the mound,...

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Scherzer says he's good to go for 100 pitches in Game 3

October 08, 2017, 2:46pm

Nationals

Scherzer says he's good to go for 100 pitches in Game 3

CHICAGO - Max Scherzer made his way out to the right field grass at Wrigley Field, set up shop 60 feet away from bullpen catcher Octavio Martinez and proceeded to throw a baseball off flat ground for the next 10-15 minutes, just like he would any other day before he starts a game. When he was done, Scherzer gave Martinez a high five, then started skipping around the outfield. OK, that was actually part of his regular exercise routine, but the image nonetheless conveyed what everyone here with...

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No panic for Turner with slow offensive start, but Game 2 win helps

October 08, 2017, 5:08am

Nationals

No panic for Turner with slow offensive start, but Game 2 win helps

The Nats made a dramatic comeback in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, thanks to home runs by Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, to beat the Cubs 6-3. The series is even at game apiece. But to really get the offense going in these playoffs, the Nationals have to figure out what is going on with shortstop Trea Turner, who has yet to register a base hit in the first two games. He is 0-for-8 at the plate with four strikeouts. That is correct, the Nats' leadoff man, who stole 46 bases...

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Relive Nationals' five-run eighth inning in Game 2 comeback victory

October 07, 2017, 8:45pm

Nationals

So about last night ... That was an incredible game of baseball between the Nationals and Cubs. From the home runs to the relief pitching to the dramatic comeback, Game 2 of this National League Division Series provided the best of what postseason baseball has to offer. Anthony Rendon started the scoring with a solo home run in the first. Gio Gonzalez gave manager Dusty Baker a solid start. Matt Albers, Sammy SolÃs, Ryan Madson, Oliver PÃ©rez and Sean Doolittle combined for four shutout...

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Harper, Zimmerman carry Nats to Game 2 win, series tie

October 07, 2017, 4:49pm

Nationals

Harper, Zimmerman carry Nats to Game 2 win, series tie

For nine innings Friday night and for seven more innings tonight, they pleaded with every batter who stepped to the plate wearing a curly W helmet to deliver a big hit, just one big hit, to turn not only this National League Division Series around but at least give this franchise an opportunity to turn around nearly six seasons of failures on the big stage. And just when they were ready to give up on their forlorn ballclub, two of the most important players in Nationals history delivered those...

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A five-run rally that might change the course of the NLDS

October 07, 2017, 7:01pm

Nationals

A five-run rally that might change the course of the NLDS

He had watched this lineup score runs in bunches all season long, overcoming injuries and ever-changing configurations to produce as well as just about any lineup in the majors. But 16 innings into the National League Division Series, Dusty Baker's Nationals had done nothing at the plate against the Cubs. Nothing. Nada. Squat. Bupkis. Yes, Anthony Rendon had homered in the bottom of the first in Game 2, but that opposite-field shot looked like a lazy fly ball off the bat and somehow got caught...