Ryan Zimmerman isn't one to get caught up in a moment, so it's understandable he would say he felt no pressure when he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the third inning today, in spite of what Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo and Bryce Harper had just done before him. But for Zimmerman to claim he still didn't realize what happened after he rounded the bases and returned to the home dugout ... that can't be. He really didn't know? "I honestly didn't," Zimmerman insisted. "I...

It helps to have an offense that can score runs. But when you also have Max Scherzer, it's a day in the park. Scherzer went six innings and allowed only one run as the offense crushed eight homers as the Nationals ran away from the Brewers 15-2. Not too bad for a 33rd birthday. "Yeah, what a birthday gift," Scherzer said. "I said coming in here I wanted to get a win and a knock. So the guys showed up today put an ungodly amount of runs up there. Fifteen runs - oh, man, what a pitcher's...

Manager: Bud Black (1st season) Record: 58-45 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 2B DJ LeMahieu (.312), 3B Nolan Arenado (.313 with 23 HR, 89 RBIs), 1B Mark Reynolds (22 HR, 70 RBIs), CF Charlie Blackmon (.326/.379/.609), LHP Kyle Freeland (10-7, 3.64 ERA), RHP Greg Holland (31 saves, 1.72 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-3 Pitching probables: July 28: RHP German Márquez vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 7:05 p.m., MASN July 29: LHP Kyle Freeland vs. RHP Erick Fedde, 7:05 p.m., MASN July 30: RHP Jon...

When it was over, when this two-inning explosion of offensive might was complete and the crowd of 32,118 had a moment to catch its breath and consider what exactly it had just witnessed, all that was left to do was tally up the numbers and marvel at how ludicrous it all was. In the third and fourth innings this afternoon, the Nationals sent 21 batters to the plate. They wound up with 13 runs, 13 hits, seven homers, three doubles, three singles, three walks, one stolen base. And a pigeon in the...

Dusty Baker wants his team to play better in day games. Having your star home run hitter crank one out of the park in the first inning helps. Facing Brewers starter Michael Blazek, Bryce Harper launched a two-run shot over the right-center field wall to give the Nats a 2-0 lead in the first inning. It marked the first time in the series the Nationals scored first. Brian Goodwin had doubled in front of Harper. Harper's hitting streak is now at 19 games, a career high and the longest this season...

The Nationals placed Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day disabled list this morning, a move they continue to say is one of precaution and one they hope will only sideline the right-hander for one start. Nothing changed in Strasburg's diagnosis over the last 48 hours, according to Dusty Baker. The organization wanted to be cautious all along and made adjustments to Erick Fedde's pitching schedule so their top prospect would be available to replace Strasburg in the big league rotation...

The Nationals have recalled left-hander Sammy Solis from Triple-A Syracuse and placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow nerve impingement, retroactive to July 24. Strasburg would be eligible to return Aug. 4 at Chicago against the Cubs. It is interesting to note, however, that Strasburg was placed on the disabled list with an elbow nerve impingement. Previously the Nationals had termed it a forearm injury. Elbow injuries in pitchers, especially those...

The Washington Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday and placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to July 24, with a right elbow nerve impingement. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Solis, 28, returns to the Nationals' Major League roster after six games with Triple-A Syracuse. The left-handed reliever went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in six...

Five batters into Wednesday night's game, Gio Gonzalez had served up the longest home run in Nationals Park history, allowed a double and then that same player to steal third without any attempt to throw him out, and allowed a run to score on a strikeout. Sounds like the recipe for a disastrous outing, right? Not exactly. Despite a shaky top of the first, Gonzalez quickly rebounded and wound up going seven strong innings. He didn't earn the win, but he kept the Nationals in position to come...

They had, as Ryan Zimmerman put it, "played 15 innings of terrible baseball over the last day and a half," leaving themselves in the precarious position of losing two straight to the Brewers without so much as scoring a run. But then Daniel Murphy lofted a seventh-inning pitch from Jimmy Nelson over the right field fence, and now at least the Nationals were on the board, trailing Milwaukee by only one run. And then - well, let's just say the bottom of the eighth tonight on South Capitol...