The Nationals made roster moves prior to their 3-1 exhibition loss to the Twins Tuesday by moving right-hander Koda Glover (right shoulder tendinitis) to the 60-day disabled list.
The team selected the contract of veteran catcher Miguel Montero and placed second baseman Daniel Murphy (microfracture right knee surgery) and right-hander Joaquin Benoit (right forearm strain) on the 10-day disabled list.
After the game, manager Davey Martinez detailed the next few weeks for Murphy, confirming the...
It is the butterflies-in-the-tummy-worthy moment. That moment you walk back into Nats Park and you see the boys in red and white taking pregame grounders and batting practice.
Baseball is back in D.C. today as the Nationals face off against the Minnesota Twins in one last exhibition game before they travel to Cincinnati for Thursday's opener against the Reds.
The pitching matchup: Left-hander Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 4.30 ERA) vs. Right-hander José BerrÃos (2-1, 1.69)
New manager Davey...
After losing the 2016 World Series in seven games and the 2017 Division Series to the Yankees in five games, the Cleveland Indians hope to take a run at a third consecutive American League Central championship.
But their biggest competition comes from the Twins, a wild card team in 2017 that has added six players, including five pitchers, two of them starters.
The White Sox and Tigers are in rebuild, although the White Sox are, unlike the Tigers, beyond the first step.
The Royals lost two key...
When the 2018 season begins, the Orioles will be afforded no time to ease into the action. The early season schedule is tough and littered with 2017 playoff teams.
Of the 15 American League teams, just five finished over .500 last year and they were all playoff teams. Cleveland won 102 games, Houston won 101 on its way to the World Series title, Boston won 93, New York won 91 and Minnesota 85.
Of their first seven series of the 2018 season, the Orioles play each of those five teams once. They...
The American League wild card race is bizarre, flawed or mediocre - whatever you choose to call it.
In most seasons, teams struggling to stay above .500 would be long gone out of the race. Not this year.
Here is what makes the AL wild card race so wild:
* The Twins, who lost 103 games in 2016, are contenders even with a rotation that includes Bartolo Colon, Aaron Slegers, Dillion Gee and Tim Melville. Colon is 44 and looks like a sportswriter. Slegers has made one big league start, Gee 23 in...
With less than two months to go, there's not a lot of drama in the National League races.
The Nationals most likely will play either the Cubs, Brewers or surging Cardinals in the Division Series, while the Dodgers will play the winner of the projected Diamondbacks-Rockies wild card game.
The American League is more complex. Teams are bunched and a .500 record keeps a team thinking October.
The Orioles are contenders even though they were seven games under on July 16.
The Orioles' schedule...
Manager: Paul Molitor (3rd season)
Record: 43-41
Last 10 games: 4-6
Who to watch: 3B Miguel Sanó (20 HR, 60 RBIs), DH Robbie Grossman (.253/.382/.389), CF Byron Buxton (16 stolen bases), RHP José BerrÃos (3.44 ERA, 1.071 WHIP), RHP Brandon Kintzler (2.41 ERA, 22 saves)
Season series vs. Orioles: 3-0
Pitching probables:
July 6: RHP Dylan Bundy vs. RHP José BerrÃos, 8:10 p.m., MASN2
July 7: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Felix Jorge, 8:10 p.m., MASN2
July 8: LHP Wade Miley vs. LHP...
Manager: Paul Molitor (3rd season)
Record: 22-18
Last 10 games: 6-4
Who to watch: 3B Miguel Sanó (.304 with 10 HR, 34 RBIs); 1B Joe Mauer (.262 with 18 runs, 34 RBIs); RF Max Kepler (.260 with 4 HR, 16 RBIs); RHP Ervin Santana (6-2, 2.07 ERA); RHP Brandon Kintzler (2-0, 1.89 ERA with 11 saves)
Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (1-5 in 2016)
Pitching probables:
May 22: RHP Kyle Gibson vs. RHP Ubaldo Jiménez, 7:05 p.m., MASNMay 23: RHP Ervin Santana vs. RHP Dylan Bundy, 7:05 p.m.,...
Stranger things have happened, but if Cleveland doesn't win the American League Central, it's an upset.
The Indians have gone the longest - 68 years - without winning a World Series.
Detroit has a dangerous offense. They have Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann and Michael Fulmer leading their rotation. And the Tigers, despite not having a healthy Zimmermann, were in the playoff hunt until the final day of last season, when they were beaten 1-0 by Atlanta pitcher Julio Teheran.
Kansas City...
The Cleveland Indians, who lost the World Series to the Cubs in Game 7 last season, have the scariest rotation and the deepest bullpen in the American League Central.
Who has the best chances to catch them?
Maybe the Detroit Tigers, assuming health in their rotation and growth with their young guys. Former National Jordan Zimmermann had a strong start with his new team in 2016, but neck injuries slowed him the rest of the way.
By all indications, Cleveland will run away with this...
Manager: Paul Molitor (2nd season)
Record: 37-63
Last 10 games: 4-6
Who to watch: SS Eduardo Nunez (.300/.326/.444 with 12 HR, 47 RBIs), 1B Joe Mauer (.359 OBP with 31 RBIs), 2B Brian Dozier (17 HR, 51 RBIs), RHP Brandon Kintzler (2.05 ERA with 8 saves), LHP Fernando Abad (2.61 ERA with 6 holds)
Season series vs. Orioles: 0-5
Pitching probables:
July 28: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. RHP Kyle Gibson, 7:10 p.m., MASN
Inside the Twins:
The Twins won all seven games against the Orioles last season. But...
Manager: Paul Molitor (2nd season)
Record: 8-23
Last 10 games: 1-9
Who to watch: 1B Joe Mauer (.299/.420/.402), DH Byung Ho Park (.256/.337/.570 with 7 HR, 12 RBIs), 2B Brian Dozier (4 HR, 14 RBIs), RHP Ricky Nolasco (1-1, 4.70 ERA, 34 K), LHP Fernando Abad (0.68 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
Season series vs. Orioles: 0-3
Pitching probables:
May 9: RHP Tyler Wilson vs. RHP Jose Berrios, 8:10 p.m., MASN2 May 10: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Phil Hughes, 8:10 p.m., MASN2 May 11: TBA vs. RHP Ricky Nolasco, 1:10...
The Nationals seek another series win on Saturday afternoon as they take on the Twins. Friday night, the Nationals scored seven runs before the fourth inning to cruise to an 8-4 victory.
Today, right-hander Tanner Roark (1-2, 3.71) faces right-hander Phil Hughes (1-2, 4.42 ERA).
Roark has allowed seven earned runs to Miami in two starts this season but kept Atlanta off the board throwing seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win April 13.
Hughes won his last start against the Brewers April 18,...
Last Friday night in Philadelphia, the Nationals set the tone for the weekend series with five runs on six hits in the first inning. They went on to roll past the Phillies 9-1.
Back home in D.C. tonight, the Nationals took it to Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson in the bottom of the first.
Daniel Murphy smacked an RBI single and Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Jose Lobaton then slapped a two-run single to make it 4-0 Nationals.
Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez started...
The Twins have arrived at Nationals Park for a three-game weekend series. Then, beginning Monday, the Nationals will have their first day off after 16 straight days of games. The Phillies begin a three-game series here on Tuesday.
Every game and series is crucial. But you have to believe that this week is huge considering the daunting road trip that begins April 29. The trek begins in St. Louis, where the Nationals have always had a battle on their hands. Then the Nats go across Missouri and...
Manager: Paul Molitor (2nd season)
Record: 5-11
Last 10 games: 5-5
Who to watch: 1B Joe Mauer (.339/.472/.482 with 5 RBIs), 3B Tevor Plouffe (.302/.333/.535 with 6 RBIs), DH/1B Byung Ho Park (4 HR, 5 RBIs), RHP Ervin Santana (0-1, 3.15 ERA, 18 K)
Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (1-2 in 2013)
Pitching probables:
April 22: RHP Kyle Gibson vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN April 23: RHP Phil Hughes vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 1:05 p.m., MASN April 24: RHP Ervin Santana vs. RHP Stephen...
Manager: Paul Molitor (second season)
Record: 83-79 (second in AL Central in 2015)
Last 10 games: Season opener
Who to watch: 2B Brian Dozier (28 HR, 77 RBIs), 3B Trevor Plouffe (22 HR, 86 RBIs), 1B Joe Mauer (.265/.338/.380), RHP Kyle Gibson (11-11, 3.84 ERA), LHP Glen Perkins (3.32 ERA, 32 saves)
Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (7-0 in 2015)
Pitching probables:
April 4: RHP Ervin Santana vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 3:05 p.m., MASN April 6: RHP Kyle Gibson vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo, 7:05...
Manager: Paul Molitor (1st season)
Record: 59-61
Last 10 games: 4-6
Who to watch: 2B Brian Dozier (25 HR, 61 RBIs), 3B Miguel Sano (.285 with 9 HR), LF Eddie Rosario (.275 with 9 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBIs, 9 SB), 3B Trevor Plouffe (18 HR, 66 RBIs), RF Torii Hunter (18 HR, 60 RBIs) , RHP Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.62 ERA)
Season series vs. Orioles: 3-0
Pitching probables:
Aug. 20: RHP Tyler Duffey vs. RHP Miguel Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN Aug. 21: LHP Tommy Milone vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, 7:05 p.m., MASN Aug. 22:...
Manager: Paul Molitor (1st season)
Record: 43-39
Last 10 games: 5-5
Who to watch: 1B Joe Mauer (.275, 41 RBIs), LF Torii Hunter (12 HR, 45 RBIs), 2B Brian Dozier (40 RBIs), 3B Trevor Plouffe (10 HR, 43 RBIs), RHP Kyle Gibson (6-6, 3.04 ERA), RHP Glen Perkins (1.31 ERA, 27 saves)
Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (3-3 in 2014)
Pitching probables:
July 6: LHP Wei-Yin Chen vs. RHP Phil Hughes, 8:10 p.m. MASN2 July 7: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Kyle Gibson, 8:10 p.m. MASN2 July 8: RHP Ubaldo...
Manager: Ron Gardenhire, 13th year
Record: 59-74
Last 10 games: 4-6
Who to watch: 2B Brian Dozier (.240/.345/.419, 30 doubles, 20 HR, 61 RBIs, 94 R, 20 SB); RF Oswaldo Arcia (.228/.299/.446, 14 doubles, 14 HR, 42 RBIs); 3B Trevor Plouffe (.249/.315/.413, 38 doubles, 10 HR, 65 RBIs); RHP Phil Hughes (14-9, 3.70 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)
Season series vs. O's: 2-1, 11 runs scored, 6 runs against
Pitching probables
Aug. 29: Trevor May vs. Miguel Gonzalez, 7 p.m., MASN HD
Aug. 30: Kyle Gibson vs. Chris...