This week’s series against the Phillies was big. This weekend’s series against the Braves might be even bigger. The Nationals are feeling good about themselves after sweeping Philadelphia and winning 17 of 24. But now they face the hottest team in the majors, the one now comfortably in first place in the National League East. The good news: The Nats are 2-0 against the Braves ... read more
It would not be accurate to refer to the Nationals as a “good defensive team.” They still rank close to the bottom of the majors in every defensive metric, both traditional and new-age. But it would be accurate to say the Nationals are playing much better defense right now than they did through the season’s first two months. Back then, it felt like they failed ... read more
They knew at the outset this was a big week, and they didn’t shy away from admitting that. And though they had to wait through two rainouts and watch as one of the games was rescheduled for late September, once the Nationals finally took the field against the Phillies, they got down to business and played like their season depended on it. Which, it’s not ... read more
The Nationals were at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago last week when a foul ball went screaming into the stands down the third base line and struck a woman, who then needed to be hospitalized. Players had long expressed concerns about dangerous moments like that and supported the idea of extending protective nets at ballparks farther down the lines, and that incident only bolstered their ... read more
The Nationals have swept a couple of two-game series this season, but they’ve yet to sweep a three-game series. This wouldn’t be a bad time to break through that barrier, would it? After taking both ends of Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Nats now have a chance with a win tonight over the Phillies to sweep the three-game set (condensed from the original four-game plan). They’re sending ... read more
Slowly but surely, Davey Martinez has begun to entrust high-leverage situations to Tanner Rainey. But this was the highest-leverage situation to date, considering the score, the opponent and the overall stakes. With the Nationals up 3-1 in the top of the eighth Wednesday afternoon, and the top of the Phillies lineup set to bat, Martinez handed the ball to Rainey and watched to see how ... read more
When his pitching days are over and the countdown to Cooperstown begins, Max Scherzer will look back at a handful of starts that defined his career. He’ll remember the two no-hitters. He’ll remember the 20-strikeout game. He’ll remember the time he became the first major leaguer in three decades to begin a season 13-0. And he’ll remember “The Black Eye Game,” the game in which ... read more
They got through the opener of today’s doubleheader without incident, the skies remaining clear and the field dry throughout the Nationals’ 6-2 win over the Phillies. Now they’re hoping for similar good fortune in the nightcap of this day-night doubleheader. The forecast has steadily improved throughout the day, though there does remain a chance of rain later tonight. The Nats are confident enough in the ... read more
