Mark Zuckerman

Pair of ninth-inning homers off Hudson shock Nats (updated)

August 17, 2020, 6:53pm

Yes, they already played 19 games over the last 3 1/2 weeks, an erratic stretch of games their manager referred to as "seesaw baseball." In practical terms, 2020 really began for the Nationals tonight in Atlanta with their first game against their top division rival in a season that will be defined by intradivisional play. The first of 10 games between the Nats and Braves was exactly what you'd expect it to be: a tense, tight, perhaps contentious battle between a couple of heavyweights that...

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Kieboom's glove better than expected on both sides of infield

August 17, 2020, 1:34pm

Nationals

Kieboom's glove better than expected on both sides of infield

As much as the Nationals have gone out of their way to keep Carter Kieboom focused on learning how to play third base, the rookie infielder is actually spending a lot of time on the other side of the diamond so far this season. When they utilize the shift against a left-handed batter, the Nats are leaving Trea Turner at shortstop and having Kieboom move all the way over to what would typically be the second baseman's spot on the infield (with the second baseman moving into shallow right...

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Soto named NL Player of the Week

August 17, 2020, 11:51am

Nationals

Juan Soto was named National League Player of the Week after a torrid road trip at the plate. During a seven-game stretch at the Mets and Orioles, Soto hit .462 (12-for-26) with five home runs, 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored at a 1.610 OPS. He hit safely in six of the seven games and drove in a run in five of the seven contests. Though he doesn't qualify yet for the league leaderboard because he opened the season on the injured list while quarantining from what he believes was a false positive test...

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Game 20 lineups: Nats at Braves

August 17, 2020, 11:36am

Nationals

The Nationals' season will be 33.3 percent complete at the end of the night, but they'll have played only 17.5 percent of their division games for 2020. Yes, things are moving quickly in this shortened season, but there's a whole lot of opportunity left to win the games that matter most. It begins tonight with a three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves, who are 13-10 and tied with the 9-6 Marlins for first place in the National League East but still dealing with their fair share of...

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After "seesaw" start, Nats want to start climbing uphill

August 16, 2020, 7:46pm

Nationals

After "seesaw" start, Nats want to start climbing uphill

There have been moments over the last 3 1/2 weeks when the Nationals looked very much like legitimate contenders, a team with a deep lineup, a dominant (when healthy) rotation and a revamped bullpen that might actually have morphed into a strength for the first time in a long time. And then there have been moments when the defending champions have looked nothing like the club that played .667 ball for more than six months last year, the current lineup ravaged by injuries and underperforming...

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Heated Nats eke out 6-5 win to take weekend series (updated)

August 16, 2020, 12:44pm

Nationals Orioles

Heated Nats eke out 6-5 win to take weekend series (updated)

BALTIMORE - A game that featured a lot of quality at-bats by a reconfigured lineup, a heated (and very audible) exchange with the plate umpire that led to the ejection of the hitting coach and dismissal of a pitcher watching from the stands, a dominant start by Max Scherzer that imploded via a couple of monster home runs and then a gift error to allow the go-ahead run to score ultimately came down to the two flamethrowers the Nationals now deploy at the back of their bullpen. The Nats were...

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Game 19 lineups: Nats at Orioles

August 15, 2020, 8:04pm

Nationals Orioles

BALTIMORE - If you haven't heard, the Nationals have started this 60-game season with a 7-11 record. And if you haven't heard, the equivalent record in a 162-game season would be 19-31. Yes, with 30 percent of the 2020 season completed, the Nats are playing at exactly the same pace they played at through the first 30 percent of the 2019 season. But wait, there's more. At this point last season, the Nationals were scoring 4.38 runs per game. This season, they're scoring 4.39. Their on-base...

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Fedde, bats save the day after Strasburg leaves early (updated)

August 14, 2020, 8:06pm

Nationals Orioles

Fedde, bats save the day after Strasburg leaves early (updated)

BALTIMORE - Given the negative developments that already taken place over the preceding hours since they arrived at Camden Yards for 1 4/9 games of baseball, the Nationals would have been excused if they all threw up their hands in disgust at the sight of Stephen Strasburg walking off the mound with a trainer in the bottom of the first and decided to pack it in for the rest of the night. An early season of injuries, postponements and erratic play had now taken down one of their aces, who...

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Strasburg departs in first inning with apparent injury

August 14, 2020, 5:41pm

Nationals Orioles

Strasburg departs in first inning with apparent injury

BALTIMORE - Stephen Strasburg's hand doesn't appear to be OK after all. Strasburg had to come out of tonight's game against the Orioles after throwing only 16 pitches, his velocity down and his command off, the nerve issue in his right hand that prevented him from making his first two starts of the season evidently causing a problem again. The Nationals were hoping Strasburg would be fine five days after he made his delayed 2020 debut against this same Orioles lineup in D.C. After that...

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Infield prospect GarcÃa called up after Castro breaks wrist

August 14, 2020, 3:56pm

Nationals Orioles

Infield prospect GarcÃa called up after Castro breaks wrist

BALTIMORE - The Nationals' second base plans just took a dramatic turn in a direction they probably weren't expecting to go in August 2020. After Starlin Castro broke his right wrist making a diving play during today's resumption of Sunday's suspended game, the club promoted top prospect Luis GarcÃa off their traveling taxi squad and put the 20-year-old in their starting lineup for tonight's regularly scheduled game against the Orioles. Castro's injury came as he dove for Bryan...

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Bats silent, Castro hurt as Nats lose suspended game (updated)

August 14, 2020, 2:14pm

Nationals Orioles

Bats silent, Castro hurt as Nats lose suspended game (updated)

BALTIMORE - The Nationals took the field late this afternoon at Camden Yards, the first team to take the field despite the fact this is not their home, and set about to correct what went wrong Sunday at Nationals Park, when a malfunctioning tarp forced the suspension of their game with the Orioles, who led 5-2 at the time. When this resumed game finally ended today, they had done nothing to correct their mistakes from Sunday. If anything, they raised more questions in this 6-2 loss that...

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Bacus promoted, Harper optioned but could still pitch tonight

August 14, 2020, 12:53pm

Nationals Orioles

Bacus promoted, Harper optioned but could still pitch tonight

BALTIMORE - The Nationals made another change to their bullpen prior to today's resumption of Sunday's suspended game against the Orioles, promoting right-hander Dakota Bacus and optioning right-hander Ryne Harper to their alternate training site in Fredericksburg. But that doesn't necessarily mean Harper won't make an appearance at Camden Yards before the night is over. Because clubs are allowed to add a 29th man to their active roster for the regularly scheduled nine-inning game coming...

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What you need to know about today's games in Baltimore

August 13, 2020, 7:15pm

Nationals Orioles

What you need to know about today's games in Baltimore

The 2020 season has already included, and will continue to include, some weird days. Today might end up ranking near the top of the list, though, from the Nationals' perspective. The Nats are scheduled to open a three-game weekend series with the Orioles at Camden Yards. But before the two teams can do that, they first need to complete the suspended game they began at Nationals Park on Sunday. With the Nationals as the home team, even though they'll be playing in Baltimore. With a roster that...

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Voth's short start sets up Romero's rough debut in loss (updated)

August 13, 2020, 12:37pm

Nationals

Voth's short start sets up Romero's rough debut in loss (updated)

Draw up a recipe for pitching trouble, and this is what you'd come up with: After last night's starter went 2 2/3 innings, and with 1 4/9 games on tomorrow's schedule, the Nationals knew they needed quality and length from Austin Voth in today's series finale at Citi Field. Voth often provides quality, but the length part still eludes the young right-hander. Which meant by bottom of the fifth this afternoon, Davey Martinez had little choice but to put a left-hander whose last competitive...

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Game 16 lineups: Nats at Mets (Doolittle to IL, Romero promoted)

August 13, 2020, 8:53am

Nationals

Game 16 lineups: Nats at Mets (Doolittle to IL, Romero promoted)

For all the issues they've got right now - and there are issues - the Nationals have a chance today to win a series against a division rival. A four-game series, at that. After taking the first two games at Citi Field, then dropping Wednesday night's not-so-pretty contest, the Nats go back at it against the Mets this afternoon for the finale. The forecast in New York (just like here in D.C.) isn't great, but they'll give it a go and hope for the best. The Nationals really need quality...

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Bullpen changes coming today after Freeman injured

August 12, 2020, 8:40pm

Nationals

Bullpen changes coming today after Freeman injured

The Nationals are expected to get one key veteran back in their bullpen today, but they may be losing their only effective left-hander for a prolonged stretch. Sam Freeman, who had been a surprise revelation through the season's first three weeks, departed Wednesday night's 11-6 loss to the Mets after telling manager Davey Martinez and director of athletic training Paul Lessard he felt a "pop" in his elbow. The Nationals have initially diagnosed Freeman with a flexor strain in his left...

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Bullpen rounding into form, even with Doolittle on the outs

August 11, 2020, 10:02pm

Nationals

Bullpen rounding into form, even with Doolittle on the outs

Every team enters every season thinking it has its bullpen plan in place. Who's going to close. Who's going to set up. Who's going to get lefties out. Who's going to pitch out of jams. And then the season begins, and every team realizes that plan going in isn't going to work and has to start adjusting on the fly. Truth be told, it takes months for a bullpen to truly take shape. A manager needs to see how different pitchers handle different situations. He needs to see who's healthy and...

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Scherzer, bullpen team up for tight win over Mets (updated)

August 11, 2020, 6:06pm

Nationals

Scherzer, bullpen team up for tight win over Mets (updated)

They can't all be laughers. The Nationals couldn't go into Citi Field tonight and expect to blow out the Mets again. No, they were going to need to win a tight ballgame if they wanted to remain perfect on the road. And it doesn't get any tighter than 2-1. Thanks to a gutsy start from Max Scherzer in his return from a nagging hamstring ailment, a couple of quick runs off Rick Porcello and lights-out work from the back end of their remade bullpen, the Nationals eked out a tense, low-scoring...

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Game 14 lineups: Nats at Mets

August 11, 2020, 11:32am

Nationals

When last we saw him on the mound, Max Scherzer was slogging his way through a 27-pitch top of the first against the Mets, clearly not right. Turns out he had "tweaked" his right hamstring the previous day and decided he shouldn't try to continue to pitch through it. Six days later, Scherzer is back on the mound, back facing the Mets, believing the same thing won't happen again. He passed all his required tests during the week, but the real test will come in the bottom of the first tonight...

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Red-hot Cabrera is terrorizing left-handers

August 10, 2020, 8:46pm

Nationals

Red-hot Cabrera is terrorizing left-handers

He homered in the top of the second. He doubled down the third-base line in the top of the fourth. He doubled again in the top of the fifth, driving a ball over center fielder Brandon Nimmo's reach to drive in two runs. He walked in the sixth. And then he homered again in the seventh, this time on a pitch below his knees that he basically could only reach with one hand. That's a 4-for-4, two-homer, two-double, one-walk, five-RBI night for AsdrÃºbal Cabrera, who made it look remarkably easy...