Jackson minimizing damage early (Nats win 2-1)

Jackson minimizing damage early (Nats win 2-1)
SAN DIEGO - Despite putting himself into several jams, Edwin Jackson has managed to minimize the damage so far in tonight's start at Petco Park. Jackson, on the mound for the Nationals in their series opener against the Padres, has surrendered five hits - including three doubles - through four innings, but has allowed only one run to cross the plate. Jackson pitched around a leadoff double to Wil Myers in the bottom of the second, and completed that inning having thrown only 17 total pitches...

Game 119 lineups: Nats at Padres (Madson to DL, Kelley activated)

Game 119 lineups: Nats at Padres (Madson to DL, Kelley activated)
SAN DIEGO - Hello from Petco Park, where it's a spectacularly perfect day. Shocking, I know, considering we're in San Diego. The Nationals open a seven-game road trip with the first of four here against the Padres, the undercard I suppose for next week's series in Houston against an excellent Astros club. The Padres are not excellent; they rank last in the majors, scoring 3.88 runs per game, and 23rd in the majors, allowing 5.08 runs per game. The Nats, of course, have boasted the National...

Eaton running and swinging a bat as knee rehab continues

Eaton running and swinging a bat as knee rehab continues
Center fielder Adam Eaton updated his progress from ACL knee surgery. He has been out since late April. Eaton said he has started running and swinging a bat the last two weeks. "I've been hitting, been throwing," Eaton reported. "Literally all baseball activities in kind of slow motion. So it's been rather productive. Ahead of schedule still. Just continue to try to get better (with) slow motion running. I'm running, but (we're) not sprinting by any stretch of the imagination. Soft jog....

Madson goes on DL with finger sprain, Kelley activated

Madson goes on DL with finger sprain, Kelley activated
SAN DIEGO - Just when the Nationals appeared to have to solved their bullpen woes, one of their recently acquired arms has gone down with an injury. Ryan Madson was placed on the 10-day disabled list today with a sprained right index finger, an injury that is not believed to be serious but will nonetheless sideline the club's new setup man for the time being. Shawn Kelley, who already had been close to returning from a long rehab assignment, was activated off the DL and is available out of the...

Nationals activate Kelley, place Madson on 10-day DL

Nationals activate Kelley, place Madson on 10-day DL
The Washington Nationals returned from rehab assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Shawn Kelley on Thursday and placed right-handed pitcher Ryan Madson on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 14) with a right finger sprain. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Kelley, 33, returns to the Nationals after missing 51 games with a right trapezius strain. The veteran late-inning reliever made eight rehab appearances with...

Even with banged-up eye, Taylor makes one of top catches of season

Even with banged-up eye, Taylor makes one of top catches of season
Michael A. Taylor got hit in face on a foul tip and then made one of the more amazing diving catches in the Nationals' 3-2 setback Wednesday to the Angels. All in a day's work for the center fielder, who is just returning from an oblique injury. In the sixth, Taylor got hit with a foul tip that bounced close to home plate and then back up near his right eye. After being dazed for a moment, he returned to the batter's box and completed the at-bat. "I really didn't see it coming," Taylor...

Zimmerman homers, but Roark and Nats come up short

Zimmerman homers, but Roark and Nats come up short
The Angels had one more big hit than the Nationals did on Wednesday, and that was enough to take away a 3-2 getaway day win. Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-run shot to set the tone for the Nats early, but that was all the offense they could muster as Ricky Nolasco pitched 5 2/3 innings and three relievers held the Nats to four hits and no runs the rest of the way. Even with the loss, the Nats ended up winning two out of three series for the homestand. Zimmerman likes that and said Nolasco...

Opposite dugout: Padres progressing through their rebuild

Opposite dugout: Padres progressing through their rebuild
Manager: Andy Green Record: 54-66 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 1B Wil Myers (24 HR, 59 RBIs), LF Jose Pirela (.293/.344/.520), 2B Yangervis Solarte (.271/.347/.426), LHP Brad Hand (2.19 ERA, 10 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2 Pitching probables: Aug. 17: RHP Edwin Jackson vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin, 10:10 p.m., MASNAug. 18: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Luis Perdomo, 10:10 p.m., MASN2Aug. 19: TBA vs. LHP Travis Wood, 8:40 p.m., MASN2Aug. 20: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. TBA, 4:40 p.m., MASN2 Inside...

Nats welcome De Aza, Goodwin to DL

Nats welcome De Aza, Goodwin to DL
The Nationals this morning selected the contract of outfielder Alejandro De Aza from Triple-A Syracuse and placed outfielder Brian Goodwin on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain. Further, the Nationals transferred shortstop Trea Turner (right wrist fracture) on the 60-day disabled list to open a 40-man roster spot for De Aza. Goodwin's DL stint is retroactive to Aug. 14. The 33-year-old De Aza was signed June 14 and was hitting .280 with 11 doubles, four homers, 25 walks and 19...

Game 118 lineups: Angels at Nats (with roster moves)

Game 118 lineups: Angels at Nats (with roster moves)
One reason the Nationals defeated the Angels in the series opener was their ability to prevent Mike Trout from launching a game-changing hit. He did have a scorching single up the middle in the Angels' best chance to score in the sixth, but Gio Gonzalez did a nice job of working out of the difficult situation and keep them off the board. The Nationals ended up with a 3-1 win. Howie Kendrick, who crushed two homers for the Nats, knows from experience how good Trout is, and it starts with the...

Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks

Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks
The Nationals reached a new milestone during Tuesday night's win over the Angels. They're now 25 games over .500 for the first time this season. Given the fact the Dodgers were on the verge of moving to a staggering 50 games over .500, the Nationals' achievement may not sound all that impressive. But considering the injuries they've overcome, it's no small feat. At 71-46, the Nats are currently on pace to win 98 games, which would match the club record they set in 2012. "I've been...

Luke Erickson: Thoughts on that other fall baseball

Luke Erickson: Thoughts on that other fall baseball
With the minor league season winding down - Labor Day is the last day - thoughts start to turn to the Arizona Fall League. In theory, the AFL, which runs from Oct. 10-Nov. 18 this season, is a finishing school for the top prospects. In practice, it's not quite that. That's not to say that top prospects don't appear; they do, but not exclusively. Pitchers, for example, have a tendency to fit into one of three categories: injured, Rule 5 draft-eligible, marginal. Consequently, the offensive...

Zimmerman hits 28th homer (Angels win 3-2)

Zimmerman hits 28th homer (Angels win 3-2)
The Nationals jumped on Angels starter Ricky Nolasco in the first inning. With one out, Wilmer Difo singled. He now has a career-high 11-game hitting streak. Difo then stole second. After a groundout by Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman slammed his 28th homer of the season. The two-run shot over the left-center field wall put the Nats up 2-0. The Nats are 50-16 (.758) this season when scoring first. This is the second time in Zimmerman's career he has hit 28 homers in a season. He hit a...

Nationals select contract of outfielder Alejandro De Aza

Nationals select contract of outfielder Alejandro De Aza
The Washington Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Alejandro De Aza from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday and placed outfielder Brian Goodwin on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 14) with a left groin strain. Additionally, the Nationals transferred shortstop Trea Turner on the 60-day disabled list. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. De Aza, 33, joins the Nationals for his first Major League assignment of the...

With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues

With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues
He's done this twice in 16 days now, flirted with something special late in a game he's started, so it wasn't unfair to ask Gio Gonzalez when tonight he thought about the fact he had a no-hitter going against the Angels. "Oh god, I'm over that already," the Nationals left-hander insisted. "No more of that. If I can just manage to keep going into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning, I'm just happy to see that." Gonzalez has managed to keep going into the sixth and seventh innings this...

Kendrick hits two against his old team, Nats prevail 3-1

Kendrick hits two against his old team, Nats prevail 3-1
Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo loved the value he received in acquiring a veteran hitter like Howie Kendrick. He is a player who can also defend multiple positions and has extensive playoff experience. Rizzo knew Kendrick was an important insurance policy for his injured starting left fielder Jayson Werth (left foot contusion) when he went after Kendrick. He also knew Kendrick could play in the infield and help offset injuries to shortstops Trea Turner...

Kendrick homers twice against former team (Nats win 3-1)

Kendrick homers twice against former team (Nats win 3-1)
Howie Kendrick got a measure of revenge against his former team with a solo homer over the left-center field wall, just out of reach of left fielder Cameron Maybin, helping the Nationals to a 1-0 lead over the Angels in the third. It was his fifth homer of the season and in the same area as his dramatic walk-off grand slam on Sunday night. It also marked Kendrick's 100th career homer. Wilmer Difo followed with a single. He now has a 10-game hit streak, the longest of his career. Daniel Murphy...

Gonzalez cruises, Kendrick homers twice in Nats' 3-1 win

Gonzalez cruises, Kendrick homers twice in Nats' 3-1 win
Gio Gonzalez kept dominating, Howie Kendrick kept homering and the Nationals bullpen kept finishing things off tonight during a 3-1 victory over the Angels. Gonzalez tossed six scoreless innings, failing to give up a hit until there were two outs in his final frame, and continued his standout season with yet another gem. The left-hander now sports an 11-5 record and 2.49 ERA, has gone at least five innings in all 24 of his starts, has 20 quality starts, has allowed more than four runs only once...

Dusty Baker remembers Paul Casanova: "Cassie meant a lot to me"

Dusty Baker remembers Paul Casanova: "Cassie meant a lot to me"
Paul Casanova, who was a catcher with the Washington Senators from 1965 to 1971, passed away Saturday at 75 in Miami. The Cuban-born backstop also played three seasons with the Atlanta Braves and was an All-Star with Washington in 1967. As a member of the Braves, Casanova caught Phil Niekro's no-hitter in 1973. Nationals manager Dusty Baker knew Casanova very well and spent a lot of time with "Cassie" over the years. The two were teammates during the Venezuelan Winter League. Baker felt like...

Game 117 lineups: Nats vs. Angels

Game 117 lineups: Nats vs. Angels
After a much-deserved day off, the Nationals are back to work tonight, opening a very quick, two-game interleague series with the Angels. What would have been a marquee matchup between Mike Trout and Bryce Harper unfortunately doesn't carry the same luster anymore, with Harper on the disabled list after injuring his knee Saturday night. So that one head-to-head showdown between the two stars last month in Anaheim will have to suffice. Gio Gonzalez makes the start, seeking a better result than...