nationals buzz

MASN's Phil Wood to be celebrated at pregame event and in bobblehead form

May 13, 2016, 5:03pm

If you want to add a unique piece to your bobblehead collection, and help a worthy cause in the process, have I got a deal for you. The Half Street Irregulars, one of the most active fan groups among the Nationals faithful, is conducting an eBay auction for a limited edition bobblehead likeness of MASN broadcaster Phil Wood, hosts "Nats Talk" with Mike Wallace on Saturday mornings, covers the team on the "Nats Xtra" pregame and postgame shows, and is part of the regular panel on the...

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Opposite dugout: Marlins getting past Gordon's suspension by riding hot streak

May 11, 2016, 10:17pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Marlins getting past Gordon's suspension by riding hot streak

Manager: Don Mattingly (1st season) Record: 18-15 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 3B Martin Prado (.386/.413/.465), LF Christian Yelich (.325/.439/.509 with 4 HR, 16 RBIs), RF Giancarlo Stanton (10 HR, 24 RBIs), RHP Jose Fernandez (4-2, 3.54 ERA, 58 K's), RHP A.J. Ramos (1.38 ERA, 10 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-3 Pitching probables: May 13: RHP Tom Koehler vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 May 14: LHP Justin Nicolino vs. RHP Stephen Stasburg, 1:05 p.m., MASN May 14: RHP Kendry...

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National Parks come to Nationals Park

May 12, 2016, 11:45am

Nationals

The National Parks are coming to Nationals Park! (Say that five times fast.) The National Park Service is coming to Nats Park for a special night Friday as the Nationals host a series opener against the Marlins. The night will be filled with National Park-themed events all night to celebrate the National Park Service Centennial, and we're inviting you to join the fun! All night long, you can be social with the National Park Service and MASN by sharing your memories of your favorite national...

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David Huzzard: Pitching is nice, but Nats need more offensive firepower

May 12, 2016, 5:11am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Pitching is nice, but Nats need more offensive firepower

Last night, Max Scherzer threw a 20-strikeout game. Earlier in the week, Stephen Strasburg agreed to a $175 extension. They are two fifths of the reason why the Washington Nationals are in the race for the NL East title. Every day I question how a team with so many hitters below league average can be winning as many games as they do. I question it even more when they have multiple comebacks in one game. If you judge a team on their gumption the Nats played their two best games of the season in...

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Charlie Fliegel: Did Strasburg signing mean a shift in thinking for Nats?

May 11, 2016, 4:52am

Nationals

Charlie Fliegel: Did Strasburg signing mean a shift in thinking for Nats?

With a move that seemed to surprise everyone, the Nationals signed one of the best pitchers in baseball to a long-term contract. And he happens to be one that is already on the team; Stephen Strasburg. He really is one of the best in today's game. Since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2012, he is 13th in MLB in fWAR, 4th in K/9, 13th in ERA+, 9th in FIP, 7th in OPS+ against... and these numbers are somewhat dragged down by the beginning of 2015 when he was pitching when he shouldn't have...

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Steve Mears: Nationals finding success with pinch-hitters

May 10, 2016, 4:57am

Nationals

The 2016 Nationals bench is winning games singlehandedly by singular swings of the bat. The most memorable singular swing by a bench player is always the one freshest in your mind, which has to be last night's walk-off pinch-hit home run from Clint Robinson. Then you start to think about some of the others, like Chris Heisey in extra innings with the 16th-inning walk-off HR on April 24 which was the first walk-off in Heisey's career. Now rewind back further to the second game of the season...

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Marty Niland: Nats aren't as far behind Cubs as they seem

May 09, 2016, 5:17am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats aren't as far behind Cubs as they seem

The old adage goes that good baseball teams play .500 on the road and have a winning record at home. Still, Nationals fans can't help but have a bad taste in their mouths after dropping the last four games of a 5-5 road trip to the Cubs. It seems the Cubs have been edging out the Nats since the offseason, when they won bidding wars for free agents Ben Zobrist (5-for-13, three homers, nine RBIs in the series) and Jason Heyward (2-for-5 Sunday with a diving catch to rob Ryan Zimmerman of a...

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Opposite dugout: Tigers slink into D.C. on six-game losing streak

May 08, 2016, 3:50pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Tigers slink into D.C. on six-game losing streak

Manager: Brad Ausmus (3rd season) Record: 14-16 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 3B Nick Castellanos (.375/.393/.596 with 5 HR, 24 RBIs), DH Victor Martinez (.311 with 5 HR, 18 RBIs), 2B Ian Kinsler (.304 with 6 HR, 17 RBIs), 1B Miguel Cabrera (.291 with 13 RBIs), RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-1, 1.10 ERA), RHP Francisco Rodriguez (7 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1st meeting (2-2 in 2013) Pitching probables: May 9: RHP Anibal Sanchez vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m. MASN May 10: RHP...

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David Huzzard: Jonathan Papelbon really isn't a big problem for Nats

May 05, 2016, 5:26am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Jonathan Papelbon really isn't a big problem for Nats

It isn't difficult to find weakness with the 2016 Nationals, which is a bit odd, because at 19-8 they have the second- best record in baseball. Just ask Nats fans and they'll tell you the team could be even better if it weren't for that darn closer, Jonathan Papelbon. The thing about closers is they all blow saves and they all struggle at times, but theirs is a position that when they struggle their team losses. Of all the Nats closers, the only one that I could think of that maintained his...

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Opposite dugout: Dominant Cubs welcome red-hot Nationals for four-game set

May 04, 2016, 4:00pm

Nationals

Manager: Joe Maddon (2nd season) Record: 20-6 Last 10 games: 8-2 Who to watch: CF Dexter Fowler (.348/.470/.587 with 15 RBIs), 3B Kris Bryant (.303/.395/.495 with 4 HR, 17 RBIs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (9 HR, 27 RBIs), RHP Jake Arrieta (6-0, 0.84 ERA), RHP Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.24 ERA), RHP Hector Rondon (1.00 ERA with 4 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (4-3 in 2015) Pitching probables: May 5: RHP Joe Ross vs. RHP Kyle Hendricks, 8:05 p.m., MASN2 May 6: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP John...

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Charlie Fliegel: Slow starts nothing new for Zimmerman

May 04, 2016, 5:41am

Nationals

Charlie Fliegel: Slow starts nothing new for Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman had what you might call a poor April. Of course, he's not the only one on the team that did, but after two disappointing and injury-prone seasons, there is some worry that maybe he isn't a very good hitter anymore. However, it's not time to worry about Zimmerman, at least not yet. Actually, March and April doldrums are not unfamiliar to the Nats' all-time leader in Wins Above Replacement. A career .283/.348/.474 hitter - he has only managed to hit .257/.323/.427 over his...

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Steve Mears: A look at the Nats' developing outfielders

May 03, 2016, 5:01am

Nationals

Steve Mears: A look at the Nats' developing outfielders

The Nationals' minor league affiliates are developing outfielders, and this started years ago with Billy Burns, who was used as trade bait to snag Jerry Blevins. In a subsequent trade of Blevins, Mike Rizzo traded him to snag Matt den Dekker. Let's review the pipeline of prospects: * Hagerstown Low-A, Victor Robles* Potomac High-A, Andrew Stevenson* Harrisburg Double-A, Rafael Bautista* Syracuse Triple-A, Brian Goodwin All of those minor leaguers are currently batting over .300 and each have...

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Marty Niland: Nationals pitchers showing no need for DH role

May 02, 2016, 4:08am

Nationals

When the Nationals visit the Kansas City Royals tonight, manager Dusty Baker will pencil a designated hitter into his lineup for the first time this season. But even playing in an American League park, Baker might actually think twice before he doing so. Most Nationals fans could sense that Joe Ross was done for the day as he walked off the field after tossing six stellar innings in Saturday's 6-1 victory in St. Louis. With a 4-1 lead at the time, he had rebounded nicely from a finger blister...

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Opposite dugout: Royals enter interleague series after rough road trip

May 01, 2016, 1:18pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Royals enter interleague series after rough road trip

Manager: Ned Yost (7th year) Record: 13-11 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 1B Eric Hosmer (.333/.374/.538 with 4 HR, 9 RBIs), 3B Mike Moustakas (7 HR,11 RBIs), C Salvador Perez (14 RBIs), RHP Edinson Volquez (3-1, 3.34 ERA), RHP Wade Davis (8 saves, 0.00 ERA), RHP Kelvin Herrera (0.00 ERA, 17 Ks in 12 1/3 IP) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (1-2 in 2013) Pitching probables: May 2: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Edinson Volquez, 8:15 p.m., MASN May 3: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Chris Young,...

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Opposite dugout: Cardinals keeping pace in NL Central with NL-leading offense

April 27, 2016, 3:29pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Cardinals keeping pace in NL Central with NL-leading offense

Manager: Mike Matheny (5th season) Record: 12-10 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: LF Jeremy Hazelbaker (.310/.344/.690 with 5 HR, 13 RBIs), C Yadier Molina (.333/.422/.436 with 10 RBIs), RF Stephen Piscotty (4 HR, 15 RBIs), RHP Carlos Martinez (4-0, 1.93 ERA), RHP Seung Hwan Oh (1.50 ERA in 12 IP) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (4-2 in 2015) Pitching probables: April 29: RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Mike Leake, 8:15 p.m., MASN2 April 30: RHP Joe Ross vs. LHP Jaime Garcia, 2:15...

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David Huzzard: Trea Turner's time has come

April 28, 2016, 5:27am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Trea Turner's time has come

It's time to have a talk with Mike Rizzo and Ted Lerner. This isn't about Rizzo's option. With how last season played out, I don't blame them for waiting until as late as possible to pick up the option of a general manager that is, deservingly, on the hot seat. This is about the Nationals offense, Kris Bryant and Maikel Franco. Your first thought might be, "Yes, the Nationals offense would be better if they had either of those two playing third," but this isn't about that either. This is...

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Charlie Fliegel: Stephen Strasburg's supposed slider

April 26, 2016, 9:31pm

Nationals

Charlie Fliegel: Stephen Strasburg's supposed slider

Stephen Strasburg has allegedly thrown 58 sliders this season. After four games, that number seems neither noteworthy or indicative of anything. That is unless you compare it to the last few seasons. First, the number. In the last 56 starts he made prior to the beginning of 2016, he threw 18 sliders in total. This year, he's averaging 14 per start. On Sunday, he threw 20. That's a big difference. So did Strasburg learn a new pitch? Well, it's actually not first time he's thrown a bunch of...

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Steve Mears: An analysis of Tanner Roark's pitch count

April 25, 2016, 5:24pm

Nationals

Steve Mears: An analysis of Tanner Roark's pitch count

If you missed it, Tanner Roark threw a masterful 15-strikeout, two-hit shutout gem on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. For a while there, it looked like if Roark could keep his pitch count down, he could go after the record that Roger Clemens set on April 29, 1986 with 20 strikeouts in a game, which was then equaled again by Clemens in 1996 and matched by Kerry Wood in 1998. Roark was at 96 pitches to end the fifth inning as he threw 23 pitches in that inning, and you knew that Roark...

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Opposite dugout: Mackanin has eager Phillies playing better than expected

April 23, 2016, 1:14pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Mackanin has eager Phillies playing better than expected

Manager: Pete Mackinin (2nd season) Record: 9-10 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 3B Maikel Franco (.295 with 5 HR, 13 RBIs), 1B Ryan Howard (4 HR, 9 RBIs), CF Odubel Herrera (.286/.432/.429), RHP Vince Velasquez (2-1, 0.93 ERA), RHP Aaron Nola (1-2, 4.50 ERA), RHP Jeanmar Gomez (2.45 ERA, 4 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2 Pitching probables: April 26: RHP Vince Velasquez vs. RHP Max Scherzer, 7:05 p.m., MASNApril 27: RHP Jeremy Hellickson vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASNApril 28:...

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Prove your Nats know-how with this week's trivia scramble

April 25, 2016, 9:39am

Nationals

Prove your Nats know-how with this week's trivia scramble

Are you the biggest Nationals fan you know? Is your head filled with facts about the Nats' inaugural season in D.C. and Bryce Harper's historic 2015 season? Well, it's time to prove your Nats knowledge! We're introducing a new on-air contest this week, presented by PNC Bank. Trivia Scramble is coming to our broadcast, and you'll have the chance to showcase your knowledge and win a Nats prize pack that includes a Jayson Werth bobblehead! Be sure to watch Nats broadcasts all week to listen...