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On Monday night, the Cubs pitched to Bryce Harper in the opener of their four-game series with the Nationals. Which may not sound like a big deal, until you recall how little they pitched to the young slugger one year ago when the two clubs met.
Over the course of four agonizing days at Wrigley Field in May 2016, the Cubs walked Harper an astounding 13 times. That included six times in one game, with three of those walks handed out intentionally by manager Joe Maddon.
The strategy was simple:...
After seven innings tonight, the Nationals were headed toward a frustrating-but-acceptable loss to a very good opponent, unable to do anything at the plate and perhaps destined for a 1-0 defeat.
After 8 1/2 innings, the Nationals were headed toward an aggravating, now-less-acceptable loss, letting the Cubs open up a 5-0 lead via a flurry of defensive miscues and fundamental execution by the visitors.
But after nine innings, how exactly were the Nationals supposed to feel about this game now?...
The Nationals defense did not handle the itself well in the eighth and ninth innings on Monday in a 5-4 loss to the Cubs in the opener of a four-game series.
With the game still in the balance and the home team down just 1-0, the run allowed in the eighth and the three runs in the ninth ultimately proved too much despite a furious rally.
The Nats could not execute a key fundamental defensive play in the eighth when the Cubs pulled off a successful safety squeeze. Then in the ninth, a pair of...
No matter the Cubs' current record, no matter what issues the defending champs are dealing with right now, the Nationals know they're facing a real challenge this week.
And if anyone didn't realize it before tonight's series opener on South Capitol Street, they certainly know it now.
Behind stellar pitching and the kind of fundamental execution the home team lacked, the Cubs won tonight's game 5-4, sending their legion of their fans that invaded Nationals Park home happy and nearly sending...
Several batters with Single-A Frederick have been thriving this year. The Keys lead the Carolina League in batting average (.272), rank fourth in OBP (.331), first in slugging (.428) and fourth in runs scored.
Three Keys position players - shortstop Ryan Mountcastle and outfielders Austin Hays and Randolph Gassaway - made the Carolina League All-Star team.
Orioles minor league hitting coordinator Jeff Manto made an interesting observation of those hitters during a recent interview. He pointed...
The Cubs struck first with a leadoff home run from catcher Willson Contreras. His eighth homer of the season came on a 3-1 pitch.
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez then induced a couple of flyouts.
Against Ian Happ, Gonzalez recorded the 1,500th strikeout of his career.
The Nationals enjoyed a two-out single from Bryce Harper in the bottom of the first facing Eddie Butler. But Butler managed to get Ryan Zimmerman to ground out to end the threat.
Gonzalez allowed a walk in the second, but got out of the...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Do the Orioles go with a more conventional lineup tonight in Toronto or place particular emphasis on defense and ignore the splits?
Manager Buck Showalter went with defense Sunday while also considering the career reverse splits of Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who traditionally has fared better against left-handers. He put Joey Rickard in left field and Craig Gentry in right, which also provided defensive upgrades over Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith, and the return was...
Left fielder Jayson Werth continues to make progress in his recovery from what is listed as a left foot contusion that has kept him on the shelf since June 4.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker had a positive update on Werth during Monday's pregame media availability before the Nats faced off against the Cubs. Baker thinks a target date might be July 14 in Cincinnati for Werth's return to the field.
"Well, he's doing good," Baker said. "He comes in to see me every day. He took a few swings...
The Nationals are finalizing a minor league deal with Francisco RodrÃguez, hoping the veteran closer might resurrect himself after a horrible start to his season in Detroit that got him released last week.
The deal isn't done yet, but a club source said it is expected to be completed soon. At that point, RodrÃguez would report to Triple-A Syracuse and attempt to right his wayward ship in a low-pressure environment.
RodrÃguez, 35, owns 437 saves and a 2.86 ERA over 16 big league...
There is a distinct big-game vibe here at Nationals Park, with the Cubs in town for the first of a four-game series that promises to bring big crowds, plenty of media and (hopefully) some compelling baseball to South Capitol Street.
The opener sees Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the Nationals, looking to continue his resurgent first half and improve to 8-1. The left-hander has been brilliant at pitching his way out of jams all season, highlighted by his .107 opponents' batting average with...