nationals

David Huzzard: Nationals have prospered against adversity

August 24, 2017, 8:18pm

The Nationals have faced as much adversity possible for a team more than a dozen games up in their division in late August. There exists a subset of baseball fans that theorize that the teams that do best in the playoffs are those that have been battle-hardened by a tough division race or fight for the wild card. This is the typical type of adversity people think of, but the Nationals have faced a different kind and it may prove beneficial when they reach the playoffs this season. D.C. is the...

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Opposite dugout: Injuries, trades have left Mets a hollow shell

August 24, 2017, 8:06pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Injuries, trades have left Mets a hollow shell

Manager: Terry Collins (7th year) Record: 55-71 Last 10 games: 2-8 Who to watch: OF Yoenis CÃ©spedes (.292, 42 RBIs), 3B Wilmer Flores (42 RBIs), SS AsdrÃºbel Cabrera (35 RBIs, 20 doubles), OF Brandon Nimmo (.264), RHP Jacob deGrom (3.49 ERA), RHP AJ Ramos (23 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-9 Pitching probables: Aug. 25: RHP A.J. Cole vs. RHP Jacob deGrom, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 26: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Robert Gsellman, 4:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 27 (Game 1): RHP Tanner Roark vs. LHP...

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Texas-sized pitchers' duel (Nats win 5-4 in 11th)

August 24, 2017, 5:03pm

Nationals

Texas-sized pitchers' duel (Nats win 5-4 in 11th)

HOUSTON - As one might expect, two of the best pitchers in all of baseball are locked in a pitchers' duel through three innings. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has not allowed a hit through three innings. He has struck out four Astros. But Carlos BeltrÃ¡n used up 12 Strasburg pitches when he grounded out to shortstop to begin the bottom of the third. Brian McCann was then walked. Strasburg bounced back to strike out Derek Fisher and get George Springer to pop up to first base. Houston still...

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Scherzer improving, Cole will start Friday

August 24, 2017, 2:42pm

Nationals

Scherzer improving, Cole will start Friday

HOUSTON - Manager Dusty Baker said right-hander A.J. Cole will start Friday for the Nationals in their series opener against the Mets. The Mets series is four games in three days. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start Saturday's game. Right-hander Tanner Roark is slated to start one of the two games Sunday. Right-hander Max Scherzer could be the starter for Sunday night if he throws a bullpen session without issues Friday in D.C. "Bullpen soon. It's not all gone," Scherzer said of the neck...

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Game 125 lineups: Nats at Astros

August 24, 2017, 8:34am

Nationals

HOUSTON - A pair of evenly matched first-place clubs attempting to get healthy before the end of the regular season clash in the rubber match of a three-game set tonight at Minute Maid Park. The pitching matchup is outstanding with Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 3.24 ERA) facing off against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel (11-2, 2.58 ERA). Keuchel is very good at home: 35-19 with a 2.89 ERA and 405 strikeouts in 77 games. He is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against...

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Edwin Jackson proving he deserves postseason consideration

August 23, 2017, 8:22pm

Nationals

Edwin Jackson proving he deserves postseason consideration

HOUSTON - The experience that Edwin Jackson brings to the mound for the Nationals in his second tenure with the club is paying dividends. Despite a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, Jackson continues to demonstrate his ability as a starter by going deep into games without getting flustered. Jackson allowed a solo homer to Jake Marisnick, and that very likely would have been the only run he would have given up if Michael Taylor and Andrew Stevenson had not miscommunicated on Jose...

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Jackson pitches well, but Kelley's troubles continue in 6-1 loss

August 23, 2017, 8:03pm

Nationals

Jackson pitches well, but Kelley's troubles continue in 6-1 loss

HOUSTON - Edwin Jackson did his job, and the Nationals still had a shot. They were down 2-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth Wednesday night. But the Astros went after the Nats bullpen and tallied four runs in the frame, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Alex Bregman as Houston evened the series with a 6-1 win. Right-hander Shawn Kelley gave up the Bregman shot, his 11th homer allowed in 25 games this season. Manager Dusty Baker explained what he saw from Kelley in the at-bat...

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Scherzer not ready for Friday return; notes on Madson and Jackson

August 23, 2017, 3:30pm

Nationals

Scherzer not ready for Friday return; notes on Madson and Jackson

HOUSTON - Right-hander Max Scherzer will not make his next start Friday, according to Nationals pitching coach Mike Maddux. Scherzer's neck is still sore and not responding as well as he had hoped. On Tuesday, there was some optimism that Scherzer would be able to come of the disabled list for Friday's series opener against the Mets. But Scherzer told reporters it would be "days, not weeks" that he would be pushed back because of the neck problem. Manager Dusty Baker and Maddux hope that...

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Difo's defense and bat early highlights (Astros win 6-1)

August 23, 2017, 5:00pm

Nationals

Difo's defense and bat early highlights (Astros win 6-1)

HOUSTON - The Nationals got on the board first in the third inning against Astros starter Mike Fiers. With one out, Andrew Stevenson doubled to right-center field. The hit came a half inning after he was unable to come up with a hot shot to right field that turned into a Marwin Gonzalez double. But starter Edwin Jackson didn't allow the Astros to score thanks to a lineout to left field by Carlos BeltrÃ¡n that ended the threat. Back to the third-inning Nats rally: Howie Kendrick followed with...

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Roark uses breaking pitch to get himself back in the game

August 22, 2017, 8:46pm

Nationals

Roark uses breaking pitch to get himself back in the game

HOUSTON - Tanner Roark battled with a first place American League lineup Tuesday, taking each punch in the first three innings, but never allowing a knockout blow. The Astros scored three runs in three innings to begin, but then nothing else as the Nationals mounted a comeback 4-3 victory. Matt Wieters' two-run shot erased their final deficit and Roark did not allow a run in his final 2 2/3 innings of work to improve to 10-8. It marks the third season of the past four that Roark has reached...

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Game 124 lineups: Nats at Astros (game moved to MASN2)

August 23, 2017, 10:44am

Nationals

Game 124 lineups: Nats at Astros (game moved to MASN2)

HOUSTON - The Nationals again got off to a nice start in the opening game of a road series, dropping the American League West-leading Astros 4-3. The Nats are 27-14 (.659) this season in series openers. On the road, they are 15-6 (.714) in series openers, including four straight wins at Miami, Chicago against the Cubs, San Diego and Houston. With a win tonight, the Nats would improve to 13-7-1 in road series. They have won a National League-best 40 games on the road this season. The Nats have...

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Henley says he's unaware of "Send-ley" moniker

August 22, 2017, 6:16pm

Nationals

Henley says he's unaware of "Send-ley" moniker

HOUSTON - Third base coach Bobby Henley joined the Nationals as third base coach in 2014. He has 23 years experience with the organization, 15 seasons as a coach. He has developed a reputation in some circles as being an aggressive third base coach, catching the moniker of "Send-ley" for his propensity to windmill runners home on balls hit to the outfield. I asked Henley when, if ever, he had heard of the "Send-ley" nickname to represent his coaching style. Henley said he's rarely heard...

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Game 123 lineups: Nats at Astros

August 22, 2017, 12:27pm

Nationals

HOUSTON - Welcome to Minute Maid Park, where a pair of first-place teams will do battle in interleague play. The Astros have played two more games than the Nationals, but have recently lost 11 of 14 games. This is a three-game set, with all contests beginning at 8:10 p.m. EDT. The Nationals began their road trip by winning three of four in San Diego and hand the baseball to right-hander Tanner Roark (9-8, 4.70 ERA) to open this series. He is opposed by right-hander Charlie Morton (10-5, 3.69...

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Bullpen builds confidence with another gem in 4-3 road win

August 22, 2017, 8:31pm

Nationals

Bullpen builds confidence with another gem in 4-3 road win

HOUSTON - The Nationals began their series with another first-place team in the Astros on their home field and came away with a hard-fought 4-3 win. The Nats took the lead 4-3 on a Matt Wieters fourth-inning two-run homer. Thanks to a resurgent Tanner Roark, the bullpen and some timely defense, the Nats held Houston to no runs on three hits over the final six innings. A big reason for the win was the effort turned in by the bullpen. Over the final 2 2/3 innings, Oliver PÃ©rez, Joe Blanton,...

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Werth, Turner each play five innings in rehab debuts

August 21, 2017, 8:45pm

Nationals

Werth, Turner each play five innings in rehab debuts

Jayson Werth and Trea Turner's paths back to the Nationals lineup began Monday night with three at-bats and five innings in the field a piece in Allentown, Pa. Both injured players made their rehab debuts for Triple-A Syracuse, which opened a three-game road series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and completed their pre-planned workloads with no apparent issues. Werth went 1-for-3 with a single, playing five innings in left field. Batting third in the Chiefs lineup, the 38-year-old singled...

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Luke Erickson: Stadium woes for Nats' Single-A teams

August 22, 2017, 1:38pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Stadium woes for Nats' Single-A teams

For most of this century, the Nationals' full-season Single-A teams have been seeking new stadiums. Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown was built in 1930 and has been hosting professional ball for 61 of its 87 years. G. Richard Pfitzner stadium in Woodbridge was built in 1984 and has been home to the current Potomac franchise since its inception. There is an axiom in engineering: fast, cheap or good - pick two. Well, both stadiums were built quickly and economically. However, at the time they were...

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Roark taxed early with two-out hits (Nats win 4-3)

August 22, 2017, 4:55pm

Nationals

Roark taxed early with two-out hits (Nats win 4-3)

HOUSTON - Tanner Roark has been taxed a bit in the first two innings. The Astros started the game with a George Springer single and then a steal of second. With two outs, he came home on a two-out RBI single by Josh Reddick. In the second inning, veteran Carlos BeltrÃ¡n sent a double into left field that Howie Kendrick attempted to catch up against the wall but could not hold on to. BeltrÃ¡n came home on a two-out RBI single courtesy of Derek Fisher. Roark has now thrown 46 pitches in two...

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Updates on Scherzer, Madson, Harper, Werth and Turner

August 22, 2017, 3:24pm

Nationals

Updates on Scherzer, Madson, Harper, Werth and Turner

HOUSTON - It has been a couple of days since the last update on right-handers Max Scherzer and Ryan Madson, so they were a hot topic with Nationals manager Dusty Baker prior to Tuesday night's opener against the Astros. Scherzer was getting treatment with the club at Minute Maid Park and made his way out to the field for batting practice, stretch and warm-ups looking normal. Baker confirmed the treatment plan for Scherzer and is still targeting Friday's home game against the Mets as his...

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With injuries ravaging lineup, bullpen finally carrying Nats

August 20, 2017, 9:32pm

Nationals

With injuries ravaging lineup, bullpen finally carrying Nats

SAN DIEGO - Eleven of their players currently reside on the disabled list, including the leading candidate for National League MVP, the leading candidate for the Cy Young Award, last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up, the franchise's veteran leader and a key reliever with a 1.68 ERA. Their ace was a late scratch from his scheduled start Friday night, leaving the club with no time to get a replacement starter flown in from the East Coast. Their All-Star second baseman was a late scratch from...

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Opposite dugout: Despite injuries, Astros coasting toward postseason

August 21, 2017, 12:50pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Despite injuries, Astros coasting toward postseason

Manager: A.J. Hinch (3rd season) Record: 76-48 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.362 with 171 hits, 29 SB), 3B Alex Bregman (.277 with 15 HR, 48 RBIs), OF George Springer (.303 with 28 HR, 70 RBIs), LHP Dallas Keuchel (11-2, 2.58 ERA, RHP Charlie Morton (10-5, 3.69 ERA). Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (0-4 in 2014) Pitching probables: Aug. 22: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Charlie Morton; 8:10 p.m., MASN2Aug. 23: RHP Edwin Jackson vs. RHP Mike Fiers; 8:10 p.m., MASNAug....