Nats set offensive records galore in rout of Pirates (updated)

Nats set offensive records galore in rout of Pirates (updated)
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals are built to win on the broad shoulders of their dominant rotation. Have been for years. That does not mean this team is incapable of winning on the might of a deep and potent lineup, however, one capable on any given night of blasting an opposing pitching staff out of the park. Or, in this case, into the Allegheny River. It happened last week, with three double-digit offensive explosions in four games against the Reds and Brewers. And it continued tonight during a...
Continue reading

Zimmerman rehab shifts to Potomac (Nats up 11-0)

Zimmerman rehab shifts to Potomac (Nats up 11-0)
PITTSBURGH - Ryan Zimmerman has gone on two-game rehab assignments before. This current one won't be nearly so quick. After playing in a pair of games over the weekend for Double-A Harrisburg, Zimmerman is now shifting to Single-A Potomac to continue his rehab from a recurrence of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. And he may be there for a while. Manager Davey Martinez said today he wants the veteran first baseman to not only get his foot healthy but also to get his entire game healthy...
Continue reading

Scherzer set to return to rotation Thursday

Scherzer set to return to rotation Thursday
PITTSBURGH - Max Scherzer bounded through the visitors' clubhouse at PNC Park shortly after 3:30 p.m. today, a smile on his face and a bounce in his step not often seen over the last month. And as he walked past reporters he offered up three unsolicited words that revealed more about his current state of body and mind than any lengthy interview could have topped: "See you Thursday." The Nationals ace is ready to return at last. After an aggravating month spent trying to overcome a pair of...
Continue reading

Game 124 lineups: Nats at Pirates (Dozier on paternity leave)

Game 124 lineups: Nats at Pirates (Dozier on paternity leave)
PITTSBURGH - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood here alongside the Allegheny River, where the Nationals tonight open a four-game series against the floundering Pirates. They've done a very good job this summer of beating up on bad teams. Here's a golden opportunity to feast some more on a Pirates club that is a staggering 7-27 since the All-Star break, worst in the majors. We'll see if the Nats lineup can keep it going after absolutely terrorizing the Brewers pitching staff over the...
Continue reading

Doolittle, Martinez will reconsider closer's workload

Doolittle, Martinez will reconsider closer's workload
Sean Doolittle insisted before Saturday night's game, he was good to pitch. As soon as he actually tried to pitch in the top of the ninth, he realized he didn't have what he needed to be effective. "Tonight, man, I just didn't have anything," the Nationals closer said. "So, yeah, we're going to have to figure something out. I'm going to have to figure something out. Because this team, they deserve better right now." What had been looming as a potential problem for a while now has...
Continue reading

Wildest game of year ends with loss in 14th (updated)

Wildest game of year ends with loss in 14th (updated)
Who knows how this wild 2019 season will end for the Nationals, whether they'll catch the Braves and win the National League East, whether they'll hold onto one of the league's two wild card berths or whether they'll collapse and miss the playoffs altogether. Here's what we can say unequivocally about the 2019 Nationals: They do not quit. No game is ever out of reach. No matter how demoralized they may be at one moment, they refuse to stay down until they've used up every last...
Continue reading

Decision looming for final spot in rotation (Nats trail 6-5)

Decision looming for final spot in rotation (Nats trail 6-5)
Rotation depth, such a problem area for the Nationals last season and early this season, hasn't been an issue over the last month. That's thanks to the lights-out performances of Erick Fedde and Joe Ross, who have allowed the Nats to continue to thrive even while Max Scherzer has been on the injured list. Now, though, the organization faces a surprisingly tricky decision with Scherzer close to returning from his back injury. And the potential return of two other right-handers from long-term...
Continue reading

Scherzer on track to return Thursday after simulated game

Scherzer on track to return Thursday after simulated game
Max Scherzer built his arm up this afternoon in his second simulated game of the week, throwing 64 pitches over four innings. And as long as he recovers well from this latest throwing session, the Nationals ace will be lined up to return to the rotation next week in Pittsburgh. Scherzer looked strong and felt strong during today's four-inning simulated game against teammates, according to manager Davey Martinez. Facing Gerardo Parra and Yan Gomes, he threw an average of 16 pitches per inning,...
Continue reading

Game 122 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 122 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
It's Season Plan Holder Appreciation Day here at Nationals Park. It's also Max Scherzer Simulated Game No. 2 Day. These two events are going on simultaneously, which is both cool (the fans are able to watch this) and awkward (Dan Kolko, Bo Porter and Alex Chappell are holding a Q&A as Scherzer pitches directly behind them). Anyways, tonight's game ... the Nationals are riding a five-game winning streak into this evening's contest. They'll look to improve to a season-best 12 games over...
Continue reading

Rendon's clutch doubles enough to lift Nats to win (updated)

Rendon's clutch doubles enough to lift Nats to win (updated)
The Nationals totaled only three hits tonight. Turns out that was enough, because two of them were Anthony Rendon RBI doubles. The man who has made a name for himself with clutch two-baggers delivered the pair of clutch doubles his team needed tonight. The Nationals rode those RBI doubles, including the go-ahead hit in the bottom of the eighth, to a 2-1 victory over the Brewers on a night when they had to scrap and claw for everything. "I tell the guys: 'Hey, it only takes one more than the...
Continue reading

Scherzer will pitch another simulated game Saturday

Scherzer will pitch another simulated game Saturday
Max Scherzer will take the mound at Nationals Park on Saturday. But he'll again be facing teammates, not the Brewers. Despite the ace's insistence he's ready to come off the injured list, the Nationals have decided he needs at least one more simulated game to build up his endurance. Scherzer threw only 32 pitches over two simulated innings, plus warm-up tosses in the bullpen and between innings, on Tuesday afternoon. The following day he pronounced himself healthy and insisted he was ready...
Continue reading

Game 121 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 121 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
The Nationals have announced starters for this weekend. Aníbal Sánchez will start Saturday night, with Erick Fedde taking the mound Sunday afternoon. Obviously, neither of those guys is named Max Scherzer, so it appears the ace's return from the injured list isn't happening quite yet. But before you panic, he's out throwing in the outfield right now, so it doesn't appear he's had any setback. The Nats are just taking a more cautious approach with his return. But enough about the rest...
Continue reading

Decision day for Nationals and Scherzer

Decision day for Nationals and Scherzer
It's decision day for the Nationals, who must figure out when and where Max Scherzer will next pitch. If it's up to Scherzer, the answer to the first question is "Saturday" and the answer to the second question is "at Nationals Park against the Brewers." But it's not up to the ace of the staff. Davey Martinez, Mike Rizzo and the club's medical staff will have the final say on the plan for Scherzer, who believes he's ready to return from the injured list ASAP. The Nationals have not...
Continue reading

It's time to enjoy the 2019 Nationals, not complain about them

It's time to enjoy the 2019 Nationals, not complain about them
They've won seven of their last nine, but fans are fuming over the two games they lost in New York last weekend. They've seen Erick Fedde and Joe Ross go a combined 5-0 with an 0.90 ERA this month, but fans are convinced Max Scherzer will reinjure his back as soon as he returns to the mound in the coming days. They've seen the three relievers acquired at the July 31 trade deadline post a 1.46 ERA in 15 combined appearances, but fans are insisting Sean Doolittle's arm is about to fall...
Continue reading

Mid-game offensive explosion lifts Nats to series sweep (updated)

Mid-game offensive explosion lifts Nats to series sweep (updated)
It's been a consistent pattern all summer long. The Nationals face an opposing pitcher they've rarely - if ever - faced before, need several innings to feel the guy out and then suddenly string together a bunch of hits to knock the previously effective starter out of the game. They've done it to several opponents, some rookies, some veterans who they haven't seen much before for whatever reason. But they've never done it like they did it to Trevor Bauer this afternoon during a 17-7 pasting...
Continue reading

Scherzer: "I think I'm ready to pitch in the big leagues"

Scherzer: "I think I'm ready to pitch in the big leagues"
Max Scherzer insists he's ready to pitch. Now. In the big leagues. As soon as the Nationals will let him. Which is the real issue, to be honest. Scherzer may believe he's ready to return from the injured list this weekend, but he may be at the mercy of the Nationals' medical and coaching staffs. "It'll come down to me and the medical staff, yeah," manager Davey Martinez said. "Like I said, we're going to be very conscious, and we'll see where we're at. The good news is that he feels...
Continue reading

Game 120 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 120 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
In turning their season around, the Nationals have rebounded from a low point of 12 games under .500 to a high point of nine games over .500. They've had several chances to climb to 10 games over but to date haven't been able to reach that level. They'll get another chance today as they attempt to sweep the Reds. Stephen Strasburg takes the ball, looking to pick up where he left off Friday night in New York and earn his league-leading 15th win of the season. Strasburg has enjoyed success...
Continue reading

Hudson delivers four outs for first save with Nationals

Hudson delivers four outs for first save with Nationals
When Daniel Hudson trotted in from the bullpen with two outs in the eighth Tuesday night, many among the crowd of 30,130 at Nationals Park may have been wondering whether Davey Martinez intended to ask his recently acquired reliever to give him a four-out save, or whether Martinez simply wanted him to get out of the inning before handing the ball to someone else for the ninth. Hudson didn't need to ask the question. He already knew the plan hours earlier. "Davey told me before the game to be...
Continue reading

Ross dominates again, bullpen pieces together the rest (updated)

Ross dominates again, bullpen pieces together the rest (updated)
The longest scoreless innings streak from a member of the Nationals pitching staff this season doesn't belong to Max Scherzer. It doesn't belong to Stephen Strasburg. It doesn't belong to Patrick Corbin. And it doesn't belong to Sean Doolittle. It belongs to Joe Ross. And if that fact doesn't surprise you, you haven't been paying close attention to the 2019 season. Given up for dead by everyone other than the folks who call the shots in the Nationals organization, Ross has completely...
Continue reading

After sim game, Nats must decide if Scherzer is ready to return

After sim game, Nats must decide if Scherzer is ready to return
Max Scherzer emerged from a simulated game at Nationals Park this afternoon feeling "really good," perhaps good enough to convince club officials to let the ace return from the injured list without facing live hitters again. That determination won't be made for a few more days, not until Scherzer has a chance to see how his upper back recovers from today's two-inning-plus session and he attempts to throw off a mound again Thursday. But the fact it's even being considered is extremely...
Continue reading