nationals buzz

Matt of Matt's Bats: For Harper, maybe the best is yet to come

May 12, 2015, 5:08am

"He swings and hits a long drive to deep right-center! Going back is the center fielder! See you later! Another homer for Bryce Harper! This one wins the game!" That's how Saturday's game ended: Nationals 8, Braves 6, on a walk-off home run by Bryce Harper. He killed a Cody Martin offering to right-center to end the game. Harper has hit more than just a few home runs this past week. The Miami Marlins came to town, and Wednesday it was boom, boom, boom. Three home runs in one game. After an...

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Opposite dugout: D-backs relying on Goldschmidt, but need more reliable starting pitching

May 10, 2015, 8:24am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: D-backs relying on Goldschmidt, but need more reliable starting pitching

Manager: Chip Hale (1st season) Record: 14-16 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.345/.444/.646 with 9 HR, 27 RBIs), LF Ender Inciarte (.304 with 11 RBIs), CF A.J. Pollock (.306 with 3 HR, 10 RBIs), RF Mark Trumbo (.287 with 4 HR, 15 RBIs), RHP Brad Ziegler (1.35 ERA), RHP Josh Collmenter (3-3, 3.40 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (1-6 in 2014) Pitching probables: May 11: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Josh Collmenter, 9:40 p.m., MASN2 May 12: RHP Stephen Strasburg...

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Kicking off our first #AskMatt session of 2015

May 11, 2015, 5:10am

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Kicking off our first #AskMatt session of 2015

Over the weekend at Nats Park, we kicked off this season's first edition of #AskMatt. Matt Williams fielded fan questions submitted through Twitter and Facebook from MASN's own Chris Johnson. Nats fans sent over some hard hitting questions for the manager, along with some entertaining ones: "What's your strategy when deciding when to pull a pitcher?" - submitted by @CALSGR8 "Why don't we steal bases?!" - submitted by Casey Brinck "What would Matt Williams the manager tell Matt...

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Opposite dugout: Braves bank on second meeting with Nats going better than first

May 07, 2015, 9:54am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Braves bank on second meeting with Nats going better than first

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (5th season) Record: 14-14 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: C A.J. Pierzynski (.344/.377/.541 with 3 HR, 14 RBIs), 1B Freddie Freeman (.318/.376/.561 with 5 HR, 17 RBIs), RF Nick Markakis (.301/.390/.340), IF Kelly Johnson (6 HR, 17 RBIs), RHP Julio Teheran (3-1, 3.82 ERA, 28 K in 33 IP), RHP Jason Grilli (0-1, 9 SV) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2 Pitching probables: May 8: LHP Eric Stults vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 May 9: RHP Julio Teheran vs. RHP Doug...

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2015 All-Star Game voting open

May 07, 2015, 2:38pm

Nationals

Sure, we're only a month into the season, but we have already been treated to some amazing Nationals baseball moments. For instance, Max Scherzer. The Nats' new pitcher has dominated in his first April in a Nationals uniform. Or look at Bryce Harper. On Wednesday, he hit three home runs in one game, including one that landed in the upper deck. He's on fire. Nats fans are treated to his play almost every day. But does he deserve to shine on a national stage? Well, that's your decision to...

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David Huzzard: Bryce Harper and putting the ball in play

May 06, 2015, 6:35pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Bryce Harper and putting the ball in play

If you've made it this far through the Internet. I'm certain that you're tired of reading about Bryce Harper's big day, but it isn't every day that a 22-year-old four-year major league veteran hits three home runs in one game. I'm also not going to write about that. I'm going to write about something far less interesting. History is exciting and when it happens for your team it can be fun to read about or write about, but you know the saying a picture is worth a thousand words? Well a...

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Rachel Levitin: Solis a welcome addition to improving bullpen

May 06, 2015, 6:53am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Solis a welcome addition to improving bullpen

Tuesday night was a tough one for Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals. He did his best to try and push through the night against the Miami Marlins but, three innings in, that was it for the night. Strasburg's right shoulder blade discomfort caused the early exit, but created an opportunity for left-landed reliever Sammy Solis, a recent call-up. The southpaw has pitched five scoreless innings in two major league appearances since being called up and manager Matt Williams was impressed by how...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: May will be a good test for the Nationals

May 05, 2015, 5:55am

Nationals

Thankfully, April is over. Now that it's May, the Nationals are winning. Winning is what Nats fans expected; it just has not been how we planned it. After a full month, the Nats sit just below .500 at 13-14. The Nats looked like they were going to end April on a losing streak. On April 27, they were on a six-game skid. However, to end the month, they turned up the gas and won three in a row against the Braves and Mets. Between Tuesday and Thursday, the bats heated up to produce 34 runs in...

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Opposite dugout: Surging Marlins hope to pick up where they left off against Nationals

May 02, 2015, 1:14pm

Nationals

Manager: Mike Redmond (3rd season) Record: 12-13 Last 10 games: 8-2 Who to watch: 2B Dee Gordon (.440/.463/.510 with 11 RBIs, 11 SB), RF Giancarlo Stanton (.272, 6 HR, 24 RBIs), SS Adeiny Hechavarria (.312/.337/.462 with 16 RBIs), RHP David Phelps (1-0, 3.38 ERA, no HR allowed in 18 2/3 IP). Season series vs. Nationals: 3-0 Pitching probables: May 4: RHP David Phelps vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann, 7:05 p.m., MASN May 5: RHP Mat Latos vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m., MASN May 6: RHP Tom Koehler...

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Marty Niland: Pitchers take over as Nats find footing

May 04, 2015, 5:05am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Pitchers take over as Nats find footing

This is the Nationals pitching staff we've been waiting to see. Since coming back from 9-1 and 10-2 deficits to beat the Braves 13-12 last Tuesday in a game that may well be remembered as the defining moment of the 2015 season, the Nats have won four of five games behind starting pitching that has been just about lights out. In this latest turn through the rotation, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister have gone 4-1 with a cumulative 1.65 ERA. They...

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Opposite dugout: Mets and Nats have traveled different paths since opening series

April 29, 2015, 2:41pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Mets and Nats have traveled different paths since opening series

Manager: Terry Collins (5th year) Record: 15-7 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 1B Lucas Duda (.312, 2 HR, 12 RBIs), CF Juan Lagares (.299, 11 RBIs), LHP Jonathon Niese (2-1, 2.74 ERA), RHP Jacob deGrom (2-2, 2.96 ERA), RHP Matt Harvey (4-0, 3.04 ERA, 31 Ks), RHP Jeurys Familia (1.69 ERA, 9 saves). Season series vs. Nationals: 2-1 Pitching probables: April 30 - RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Jacob deGrom, 7:10 p.m. MASN May 1 - RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Matt Harvey, 7:10 p.m., MASN May 2 - LHP...

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David Huzzard: Would losing benefit the Nationals in the near future?

April 29, 2015, 3:01pm

Nationals

It is still early in the baseball season and no amount of struggling by the Nationals will change that. There are still just over five months and 140 games left until the end of the season. It is a tiring refrain to hear that it's early, but no matter what happens these games are going to be played. War or work stoppage are the only forces that have ever halted a baseball season before its conclusion, and no matter how poorly the Nationals play, Major League Baseball isn't simply going to...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: No way around it, injuries have hurt Nationals

April 28, 2015, 4:57am

Nationals

It's been a tough week for Nationals fans. Following a series loss against the Cardinals, the Nats arrived in Miami to face the Marlins. Even though Miami has one of the best sluggers in baseball, Giancarlo Stanton, who is just starting to get hot, many doubted the Marlins had the fire to win against the Nats. Coming off the week they just had where they won five out of six, you'd think the Nationals would have a chance to win the series or even sweep the Marlins. Wrong. The Marlins took the...

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Opposite dugout: First series against new-look Braves lacking usual feel

April 26, 2015, 10:44am

Nationals

Opposite dugout: First series against new-look Braves lacking usual feel

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (5th year) Record: 9-9 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: RF Nick Markakis (.338/.439/.371 with 11 BB), 1B Freddie Freeman (.235, 4 HR, 8 RBIs), 3B Chris Johnson (.314/.375/.429), SS Andrelton Simmons (.279, 11 RBIs), LHP Alex Wood (1-0, 3.00 ERA), RHP Jason Grilli (1.20 ERA, 7 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting of 2015; 11-8 in 2014 Pitching probables: April 27 - RHP Doug Fister vs. LHP Eric Stults, 7:10 p.m., MASN April 28 - RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Julio...

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David Huzzard: Slow start has Marlins fishing for answers

April 22, 2015, 6:13pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Slow start has Marlins fishing for answers

It's still very early in the baseball season, too early to count any team out or call into question anyone's spring training predictions, but the Marlins have the worst record in baseball and could be on the verge of changing managers. One of the main reasons for this is that Marlins starting pitching is not very good. They came into Wednesday's action sporting a 5.30 ERA, with Dan Haren their best starting pitcher so far. If people weren't so enamored with the Marlins outfield and paid...

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Marty Niland: A veteran club like the Nats shouldn't be playing like this

April 26, 2015, 6:36pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: A veteran club like the Nats shouldn't be playing like this

There are many ways to break out of a losing streak. A good way to extend one, however, is to make silly plays, something the Nationals have gotten good at during their current five-game skid. Let's review the fun, shall we? On Wednesday, after the Nats rally to tie the Cardinals at 5-5 with a five-run third, Bryce Harper, representing the go-ahead run, gets himself picked off first with Ryan Zimmerman at the plate looking for his third hit of the night. The Cards take the lead in their next...

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Opposite dugout: Despite lofty expectations, poor pitching has Fish reeling

April 22, 2015, 6:31pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Despite lofty expectations, poor pitching has Fish reeling

Manager: Mike Redmond (3rd year) Record: 5-11 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Dee Gordon (.348/.361/.435 with 9 RBIs, 9 stolen bases), RF Giancarlo Stanton (4 HR, 14 RBIs), 1B Michael Morse (2 HR, 7 RBIs), SS Adeiny Hechavarria (.311/.338/.410 with 1 HR, 10 RBIs), RHP Dan Haren (1-1, 3.32 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting of 2015; 6-13 in 2014 Pitching probables: April 24 - RHP Jordan Zimmermann vs. RHP Mat Latos, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 April 25 - RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Tom...

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Rachel Levitin: Seeing what Escobar is all about

April 22, 2015, 5:33am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Seeing what Escobar is all about

When the Nationals announced that right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard was traded to the Oakland Athletics for infielder Yunel Escobar in January, the public opinion was that folks were sad to see Clippard go. Teammates and fans alike were not ready to see their beloved eighth inning reliever (whose use of the song "Peaches" will always make this particular Nats baseball observer smile) trade in red, white, and blue for green and gold. But now that the 2015 season is a few weeks old, it's...

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Marty Niland: Welcome back, Mr. Span

April 20, 2015, 4:44am

Nationals

Two weeks into the 2015 season, the Nationals lineup as it was envisioned at the start of spring training is beginning to take shape. The most recent addition - and the most welcome so far - was the return of leadoff man and center fielder Denard Span on Sunday. With all due respect to Michael A. Taylor and Yunel Escobar, the man who should have been named the most valuable Nat of 2014 has been restored to his rightful place. Span missed almost all of spring training and the first 12 games of...

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Gwynn speaks on Hall of Fame father's use of smokeless tobacco on HBO's "Real Sports" on Tuesday

April 19, 2015, 8:39am

Nationals

Gwynn speaks on Hall of Fame father's use of smokeless tobacco on HBO's "Real Sports" on Tuesday

It's been less than a year since the death of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn from salivary gland cancer, and Gwynn's passing has brought many calls for Major League Baseball to ban the use of smokeless tobacco. As baseball and its players association move toward another round of negotiations on a new labor agreement next year, expect smokeless tobacco to be one of the most debated issues. Smokeless tobacco - known as "chew" - is banned in the minor leagues, and MLB enacted a series of new rules...