nationals

Harper just waiting for green light to return (Nats win 4-3 in 10)

September 23, 2017, 3:33pm

NEW YORK - Bryce Harper has taken batting practice multiple times. He has run the bases. He has shagged fly balls. He has worked on throws from the outfield. He has hit in two simulated games against Nationals minor league pitchers. At this point, there's only one thing left for Harper to do: play in an actual game. And at this point, there's only one thing left for the Nationals to decide: when to let their star slugger do that. That decision hadn't been made as of late this afternoon, or...

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Kelley waiting for more tests but confident elbow is sound

September 23, 2017, 2:26pm

Nationals

Kelley waiting for more tests but confident elbow is sound

NEW YORK - Shawn Kelley is confident his twice-repaired elbow ligament is sound. Beyond that, the veteran reliever doesn't yet know the extent to which his arm is injured, or how long it will take to return to the mound. Kelley had an MRI this morning and received an initial diagnosis of inflammation and nerve problems in his right forearm, explaining in part why his arm went numb while pitching the bottom of the eighth Friday night for the Nationals against the Mets. The 33-year-old will...

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Looking at NLDS roster cases for Jackson, Robles, De Aza

September 22, 2017, 8:06pm

Nationals

Looking at NLDS roster cases for Jackson, Robles, De Aza

NEW YORK - It's no secret the Nationals are using the final two weeks of the regular season to make some final evaluations of players who are in the mix for the handful of postseason roster spots up for grabs. Which makes games like Friday night's at Citi Field - a 7-6 loss to the Mets - meaningful, but in a different way than most have been all season long. "We have the luxury," manager Dusty Baker said. "We don't like to lose, but we have the luxury of trying to find out what they can...

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Game 154 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 23, 2017, 11:35am

Nationals

NEW YORK - First, the most important news of the day: Bryce Harper (along with Brian Goodwin and Stephen Drew) batted in another simulated game today, facing Nationals minor leaguers Steven Fuentes and Alex Troop. By all indications (i.e., from what I could tell from my vantage point up in the press box) things went well, which means it should be decision time for the Nats with Harper, who doesn't seem to have any more hurdles to cross before playing in an actual game. Stay tuned for any...

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Robles' efforts can't make up for pitching woes in 7-6 loss

September 22, 2017, 6:13pm

Nationals

Robles' efforts can't make up for pitching woes in 7-6 loss

NEW YORK - They played the kids, and some of them provided some uplifting moments. But the Nationals lost tonight's series opener to the Mets, 7-6, not because of anything their rookies did but because of what two struggling veteran pitchers did. Starter Edwin Jackson continued his September tailspin, giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings - five of those runs coming in the bottom of the fifth alone - to turn a big lead into a tie game. Joe Blanton then surrendered the go-ahead run in the bottom...

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Rookies get chance to play, make NLDS roster case (Nats lose 7-6)

September 22, 2017, 2:35pm

Nationals

Rookies get chance to play, make NLDS roster case (Nats lose 7-6)

NEW YORK - Dusty Baker had a logical reason for fielding a lineup entirely of backups and rookies tonight against the Mets. Given the fact the Nationals didn't arrive in New York til 3:30 a.m. following their series finale in Atlanta, the veteran manager thought it would be a good time to let his regulars rest. Which isn't to say Baker is sacrificing this game. He made that perfectly clear. "Number one, I'm not putting them in to paint," he said. "I'm putting them in to win." Baker has...

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Game 153 lineups: Nats at Mets

September 22, 2017, 11:41am

Nationals

NEW YORK - You want to see the kids? Well, tonight you get to see the kids. After playing his regulars three straight nights in Atlanta, Dusty Baker is giving them the series opener against the Mets off, instead going with a lineup full of youth, energy ... and inexperience. We'll see how that pays off against New York right-hander Robert Gsellman, who has been touched up for 13 runs and 20 hits in nine innings against the Nationals this season. Edwin Jackson, meanwhile, gets the start against...

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Why Nats' wholesale lineup changes caused mass confusion

September 21, 2017, 8:01pm

Nationals

Why Nats' wholesale lineup changes caused mass confusion

ATLANTA - Everything was moving along nicely. The Nationals had just scored a run in the top of the eighth, cutting the Braves' lead to 3-2. They weren't necessarily going to complete the comeback and win the game, but neither were they going to incite mass chaos on the field that led to an eight-minute delay ... Er, maybe they were. What transpired between the time R.A. Dickey recorded the final out of the top of the eighth and the time Sammy SolÃs threw his first pitch of the bottom of...

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Opposite dugout: Phillies hope Hoskins continues to shine in September

September 06, 2017, 12:54pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Phillies hope Hoskins continues to shine in September

Manager: Pete Mackanin (3rd season) Record: 53-86 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: LF Rhys Hoskins (.309/.425/.734 with 12 HR, 27 RBIs), CF OdÃºbel Herrera (.288/.333/.465 with 12 HR, 48 RBIs), 1B Tommy Joseph (20 HR, 65 RBIs), RHP Aaron Nola (10-10, 3.72 ERA), RHP HÃ©ctor Neris (3.02 ERA with 19 saves)Season series vs. Nationals: 5-7 Pitching probables: Sept. 7: RHP Aaron Nola vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 7:05 p.m., MASNSept. 8: RHP Jake Thompson vs. RHP Max Scherzer, 7:05 p.m., MASN2Sept. 9: RHP...

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Nats' sloppy performance results in 3-2 loss (updated)

September 21, 2017, 5:56pm

Nationals

Nats' sloppy performance results in 3-2 loss (updated)

ATLANTA - Tanner Roark pitched well, but not well enough to overcome some sloppy defense behind him, a lack of offense from his teammates and a bizarre wholesale lineup change by the Nationals in the eighth inning. The end result was a 3-2 loss to the Braves, who thanks to R.A. Dickey's pitching gem won the last of the 19 head-to-head matchups between these division opponents for 2017. (The Nats narrowly won the season series, 10-9.) The Nationals trailed much of the night in this one, unable...

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NLDS tickets to go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday for Nationals Fan Club members

September 22, 2017, 11:01am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced today that tickets for 2017 National League Division Series games at Nationals Park will go on sale for Nationals Fan Club members on Wednesday, September 27 at 10:00 a.m. (available for purchase online only). Fans can register for the Nationals Fan Club for FREE by visiting nationals.com/FanClub. Members will also receive exclusive content throughout the 2017 Postseason and into the 2018 season. If any tickets are available after the Fan Club presale,...

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David Huzzard: Workmanlike Rendon deserves NL MVP honors

September 22, 2017, 5:24am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Workmanlike Rendon deserves NL MVP honors

Years ago, I set in the cold, metal bleachers for a night game at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va. I was there not only because I enjoy baseball, but to watch a Nationals prospect named Anthony Rendon. It is easy to tell the legit prospects from the organizational talent at that level and it has nothing to do with skill. Rendon was giant compared to the other minor leaguers. Looking at him now it would be hard to believe. He's not a large major league player but compared to the other...

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Grace in "rhythm," feels "good right now" as postseason approaches

September 21, 2017, 12:58pm

Nationals

Grace in "rhythm," feels "good right now" as postseason approaches

With the postseason now just two weeks away, the conversation continues as to how many left-handed relievers the Nationals will carry on the playoff roster. Sean Dollittle is a lock as the closer. But will the Nats also carry Enny Romero, Sammy SoliÃs, Oliver PÃ©rez and Matt Grace? I spoke to SolÃs this week about the competition for the left-handed spots on the postseason roster. He said he is taking these last few weeks "very, very seriously." Same goes for Grace. He said...

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Drew, Goodwin push to return (Nats lose 3-2)

September 21, 2017, 3:05pm

Nationals

Drew, Goodwin push to return (Nats lose 3-2)

ATLANTA - Stephen Drew knows the odds are stacked against him. He hasn't played in two months, and he still almost certainly needs surgery this winter for a tear in his abdomen. But the veteran infielder has been able to ramp up his workouts over the last week, and today in addition to taking batting practice he also ran extensively at SunTrust Park. All that leaves Drew with one simple goal in mind: Try to make it back to play again for the Nationals before the end of the regular...

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Game 152 lineups: Nats at Braves

September 21, 2017, 11:54am

Nationals

ATLANTA - At this late stage of the season, most matchups against division opponents are going to feature familiar foes on the mound. And tonight is about as extreme an example as it gets: The Nationals are facing R.A. Dickey for the fifth time this year. The ageless knuckleballer has been one of the few constants in the Braves rotation, but this hasn't been a very good matchup for him. In his four previous starts against the Nats, he's 0-2 with a 5.92 ERA, having surrendered five homers in...

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Home field advantage, 100 wins still on the table for Nats

September 21, 2017, 5:24am

Nationals

Home field advantage, 100 wins still on the table for Nats

ATLANTA - Just when you thought discussion of the Nationals ending up with the best record in the National League was finished, those wacky Dodgers have gone and brought up the possibility once again. In losing three in a row to the lowly Phillies, Los Angeles has fallen back into its late season slide. This supposed super-team, which only a month ago was on pace to challenge the all-time record of 116 wins, has now lost 15 of its last 20. And thanks to the Nationals' three-game winning...

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Nats walk their way through late rally to beat Braves (updated)

September 20, 2017, 6:27pm

Nationals

Nats walk their way through late rally to beat Braves (updated)

ATLANTA - They labored all night to even give themselves scoring opportunities. Until finally the Nationals figured out the best way to score runs against the Braves pitching staff: Stop swinging. Four consecutive walks issued by Atlanta's bullpen - three of them via Arodys VizcaÃno with the bases loaded - highlighted a wild, six-run rally in the top of the eighth that turned a tight Nationals deficit into a comfortable 7-3 victory at SunTrust Park. There were some actual hits during the...

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Team weighs options for timing of Harper's return (Nats win 7-3)

September 20, 2017, 2:56pm

Nationals

Team weighs options for timing of Harper's return (Nats win 7-3)

ATLANTA - The way Bryce Harper has progressed and looked in his on-field workouts the last few days, it's only natural to wonder if the Nationals slugger may be on the verge of returning from his scary-looking left leg injury. That may prove to be the case, but manager Dusty Baker also has some words of caution for those who are ready to throw Harper right back into his starting lineup. "You don't want to jump the gun too much just because of what we've seen," Baker said. "The tendency is...

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Game 151 lineups: Nats at Braves

September 20, 2017, 12:02pm

Nationals

ATLANTA - They may not have a realistic shot at surpassing the Dodgers for the National League's best record, but the Nationals do still have a realistic shot at something else before the season is over: the best record in franchise history. The 2012 club, which went 98-64, currently holds that title. The 2017 club currently sits at 91-59. So in order to set the record, the Nats need to go 8-4 the rest of the way. They'd need to go 9-3 to get to 100 wins. The process continues tonight with...

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Turner breaks club record with 42nd stolen base of season

September 19, 2017, 9:35pm

Nationals

Turner breaks club record with 42nd stolen base of season

ATLANTA - From the moment he made his debut with the Nationals in 2015, Trea Turner seemed destined to one day set the club record for stolen bases in a single season. All the lightning-fast infielder needed were enough time and enough at-bats to break Alfonso Soriano's record 41 steals in 2006. Turns out Turner didn't even need that much time or that many at-bats to do it. On Tuesday night, in only his 88th game of the season, Turner matched and then surpassed Soriano's mark. He stole 42...