After losing three National League Division Series - to the Cardinals, Giants and Dodgers - the Nationals are in the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons. The Nationals, who finished with 97 wins and start the NLDS on Friday at home against the Cubs, have the deepest rotation, a rebuilt bullpen, depth, and a versatile offense that has power, speed and a blend of left-right hitters. They are the favorite to win the NL pennant and bring a World Series to Washington for the first time...

A dominant September by both Stephen Strasburg and Sean Doolittle has earned each Nationals pitcher recognition for their efforts. Strasburg today was named National League Pitcher of the Month, with Doolittle named NL Reliever of the Month, further confirmation of the lights-out work put forth by each staff member during the final stretch of the regular season. Strasburg was nearly impossible to score off of in September, going 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA in five starts. The right-hander did not...

The Nationals' season is far from over. If anything, the last six months were nothing but a big tease for what is still to come over at least the next week, possibly more. But the regular season has concluded, and that means it's time to revisit all those predictions all of us on the Nats beat made way back on opening day. This always leads to embarrassment for us (though traditionally some more than others) but I have to say the crew did a pretty good job overall this year, with a couple of...

The game times for the National League Division Series games against the Chicago Cubs are locked in. Game 1 Friday will begin at 7:31 p.m. Eastern time and Game 2 is set for first pitch Saturday at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time in D.C. The games will be broadcast nationally by TBS. MASN will broadcast exclusive one-hour pregame and postgame shows during each game of the playoffs. The Nationals will have workouts Tuesday and Wednesday at Nats Park. Manager Dusty Baker will meet with the media Tuesday...

It looked like it had been set in stone for weeks. The Nationals' postseason rotation? That was simple: Max Scherzer in Game 1, with Stephen Strasburg in Game 2 and then Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark taking the mound after that. But then Strasburg dominated in September. And then Gonzalez and Roark had ragged regular season finales. And then - and this was the biggest development of all - Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring throwing a pitch in the top of the fourth Saturday night against the...

Finishing in last place is not what the Orioles organization or their fans had in mind. Not for the 2017 season. Not after leading the league in wins from 2012-2016. Not after the Orioles began the year 22-10. On May 9 they had the best record in the majors, playing .688 ball. That was better than three teams that would go on to win 101 or more games. Also not after where the Orioles stood heading into September. On the night of Aug. 30, the Orioles won their seventh straight game. They were 1...

The Cubs are the biggest national television draw in baseball right now, so it stood to reason the Nationals would find themselves playing in primetime throughout their first-round postseason showdown with the defending World Series champs. That will be true for Game 1 of the National League Division Series, but the presence of the West Coast's biggest draw in the other half of the bracket is going to lead to an early-evening start on South Capitol Street for Game 2. Major League Baseball...

TAMPA - Let the offseason begin. There will be a quiet period for the Orioles while the playoffs unfold. Teams are discouraged from making any major announcements or moves. And yes, I just teed up a few of you jokesters. You're welcome. Today is a time for reflection unless the images are too disturbing. Images of the No. 1 starter having a sore shoulder, losing his spot in the rotation and posting a 7.84 ERA and 1.892 WHIP. Of the closer going on the disabled list twice and being shut down in...

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez got off to a rough start that set the tone for 11-8 Nationals loss to the Pirates that ended the regular season. Gonzalez allowed five runs on three hits with two walks and a hit by pitch in a forgettable first inning. "Before this start I felt great," Gonzalez said. "This was awesome. I felt like I actually did something. Then today's game, I did nothing. Took a couple steps back." Baker said one reason Gonzalez struggled might have been that he was sick before...

The result didn't matter. The Nationals had locked up a division title three weeks ago, had locked up home-field advantage for the National League Division Series a week ago. There was a chance to match the franchise record with win No. 98, but that team pursuit took a backseat today. Unless there's something larger at stake, Game 162 is usually about individual over team. And so this afternoon's contest on South Capitol Street - an 11-8 loss to the Pirates that required a record 4 hours, 22...