Davey Johnson has made it well known that he's not thinking ahead to the playoffs or how he'll manage the team in the final days of the regular season. He's fully focused on today (with an eye on tomorrow, as he likes to say) and often pumps the breaks when reporters ask questions that he feels are getting too far ahead of where the Nationals are at this point. But when Johnson was asked today how he feels about contending teams having a problem with him resting starters down the stretch...

The Nationals have been so impressed with reliever Christian Garcia and his power arm that manager Davey Johnson said today they would consider converting the right-hander to a starter next season. Garcia complained of right biceps fatigue following Saturday's win over the Brewers, in which he allowed a two-run shot in the ninth to the Brewers' Taylor Green. Johnson said Garcia was on "cruise control" before the homer, and after the homer he got "amped up." Did he ever - Garcia struck...

The Nationals have posted their lineup for today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Brewers and Michael Morse isn't in it. Roger Bernadina will get the start in left field against ex-Nats right-hander Marco Estrada. Here's the Nationals lineup: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa LF Roger Bernadina C Kurt Suzuki P Jordan Zimmermann

As the Nationals take aim at wrapping up the National League East, here's a look at how they're shaping up in the postseason awards voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America: Cy Young Award: Gio Gonzalez has 20 wins, the gold standard for pitchers, but that might not be enough to win, especially when new-age statistics are redefining how pitchers are judged. Consider that Tim Lincecum (16 wins), Zack Greinke (16) and Felix Hernandez (13) won the award in the last two...

Over their last 15 games, the Nationals are 7-8. Reason to be concerned? No, not yet. But it's not exactly the way you want to be playing with the postseason quickly approaching and meaningful regular season games still to come in the next week and a half. The Nationals' competition down the stretch is fairly stiff. They've got one more game with the Brewers this afternoon, three at Philadelphia against a Phillies team that definitely won't roll over with the Nats in town, three in St....

On Saturday, Nationals Park was awash in an unbroken sea of red jerseys and caps as 40,000 loyal fans came to enjoy baseball played in remarkably clear, crisp autumn weather. Much has been written about the disappointing attendance at Nationals games. Too much has been said about the preponderance of Philadelphia fans who overrun the loyal Washington rooters when their team is in town. Too many have said this is a football town and always will be. Put that teapot away, the tempest fugit. (From...

On Friday night, the Boston Red Sox come to town for the final home series of 2012's regular season. Friday is also the Sept. 28, which will mark the one-year anniversary of last season's spectacular finish to the regular season. I'll spare everyone the details yet again, however the act of Robert Andino hitting an RBI single to win it for the Fighting Showalters followed almost immediately by Evan Longoria hitting a walk off homer in St. Petersburg, Fla., is something that will not soon...

BOSTON - Rather than condense 18 innings into one game today, the Orioles will spread them out over two. Thank goodness for the expanded roster. The Orioles will play a doubleheader against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards after going 6-3 on their road trip, the finale ending in their third one-run loss this month and their ninth of the season. The Orioles were held to one run for the first time since an Aug. 29 loss to the White Sox. It was their lowest output on the road since a 5-1 loss in...

The Orioles and Yankees remain separated by just one game with 10 regular season games remaining. New York plays three at Minnesota, four at Toronto and then three at home with Boston. The Orioles play four against Toronto and three against Boston at home and then three on the road versus Tampa Bay. Here is how close things are: The Orioles just saw a six-game win streak snapped while New York had a seven-game streak end Sunday. The Yankees are 13-8 in September. The Orioles are 14-7. The...

It was an uneven defensive performance for the Nationals Sunday, as they committed two errors and lost two fly balls in the sun in a 6-2 loss to Milwaukee. Outfielders Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth each lost fly balls in the sun. The fly balls dropped to the ground in front of them for base hits. Harper said it was tough to see the ball as the afternoon sun moved through the sky. "You can't catch what you can't see," Harper said. "Nothing you can do about it. The sun monster got me and...