The Nationals bullpen has been knocked around a couple of times in the last week. Fortifying this concern is the ongoing issue of not having a fireballer eighth inning setup man following the departure of Tyler Clippard to the Athletics last season.
Casey Janssen is a veteran reliever that certainly works fast, but is more of a finesse pitcher. He has done a good job as the eighth inning guy recently. Manager Matt Williams has mentioned him in that spot a few times in the last week. Janssen has...
Following the Nationals' 4-3 win over the Mets, manager Matt Williams confirmed that third baseman Yunel Escobar has an injured left hand and wrist. He has been dealing with an injury to that area from earlier in the season.
Escobar went down to the ground after taking a healthy swing in his first at-bat in the second inning on a pitch from Mets' right-hander Noah Syndergaard. He laid on top of home plate for almost a minute, and after recovering, stepped back into the box with a 1-2 count....
Right-hander Joe Ross did his best to keep the Nationals in the game Tuesday. And for six-plus innings he did just that.
But the seventh inning did not turn out the way the Nationals and Ross would have hoped.
The Mets scored two runs in the seventh on a pinch-hit two-run single from Eric Campbell off Aaron Barrett. A single and a costly error by Clint Robinson set up the inning. Ross was lifted right before Campbell stepped in.
"(We) are going to get to (Barrett) there with guys on second and...
There is something to be said for a rookie pitcher who is called up and told to jump right on the mound for a crucial start for the big club.
Right-hander Joe Ross certainly looked the part in his initial start with the Nationals on June 6 against the Cubs. In that game, he went five innings, allowed six hits and only three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. He took the loss that day, but showed poise beyond his 22 years.
And tonight, just like in that first game in early June, he comes...
From the time they arrived from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals have been a mainstay in the Washington, D.C., sports scene. But the Nats are also very active in the community, working diligently over the past decade to touch the lives of many in the region and proving that baseball has a further reach than wins and losses, balls and strikes, batters and pitchers. Each Thursday through mid-August, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr will explore the Nationals' community outreach...
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez was once again solid and consistent in pitching the Nationals to a 7-2 victory over the Mets.
Gonzalez went six innings, scattering six hits and allowing two runs for his seventh win. He has recorded only two losses since April 27. Gonzalez struck out four and walked three.
But Gonzalez found himself in danger in the fifth. Leading 5-2, the Mets got singles from Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores to attempt a rally. With two men out, Eric Campbell lined a Gonzalez offering...
The Nationals called up right-hander Abel De Los Santos on Monday and optioned right-hander Blake Treinen to Triple-A Syracuse.
The 22-year-old de Los Santos was 4-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 26 appearances for Double-A Harrisburg. He has not surrendered a run since June 8, a span of 15 innings over nine outings.
De Los Santos was acquired from the Texas Rangers, with second baseman Chris Bostick, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler on Dec. 12, 2014.
"We don't know a lot because he's...
Nationals reliever Blake Treinen came on in the ninth inning with the Dodgers clinging to a 1-0 lead.
When he left, the Dodgers led 5-0.
Andre Ethier had the key base hit on a 0-2 fastball that he lined up the middle to make it 2-0 Dodgers. A.J. Ellis followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Yasiel Puig's base hit past a diving Yunel Escobar scored two more runs, and L.A. led 5-0. That turned into the final score.
Treinen had not pitched since July 11, and Drew Storen had closed Saturday's...
Third baseman Anthony Rendon went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored and designated hitter Jayson Werth went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk in rehab assignments with the high Single-A Potomac Nationals on Saturday night.
The P-Nats fell to Myrtle Beach 7-5, thanks to a five-run Pelicans sixth inning that erased a 4-2 lNationals lead.
Rendon, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a left quad strain, was making his first rehab appearance, while Werth, on the DL recovering from a fractured...
A night at the ballpark. Friday, July 17, 2015, Dodgers at Nationals. I got the chance to host "Nats Xtra," with Bob Carpenter off for the weekend and Johnny Holliday calling the game.
5:30 p.m. - The night started off in normal fashion, with our "Nats Xtra" producer John Harvey, along with Ray Knight and production assistant Rich Nodonly, going over the rundown for the pregame show. I put together previews of each pitcher on the first page. The second page is usually notes on individual...
Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (wrist) had three at-bats Friday night for high Single-A Potomac in its 7-2 loss to Myrtle Beach.
Werth was the designated hitter and reached first base on a fielding error by the shortstop. He flew out to center field on his second at-bat and grounded out to third in the sixth inning, finishing 0-for-3.
Werth's first at-bat was an error, but he crushed the ball, according to reports from the field. In his second at-bat, he squared up the ball nicely...
The longest-tenured member of the Washington Nationals helped to preview the second half and tonight's key series opener against the N.L. West first-place L.A. Dodgers.
The Nationals are in first place as well, 48-39, two games ahead of the Mets. The series with the Mets begins Monday. Shortstop Ian Desmond said the team has made some important steps in growth during the first half despite all the injuries.
"I think in every facet," Desmond said of the improvements since opening day....
Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (left wrist) completed a rehab game last night in high Single-A Potomac's 1-0 loss to Myrtle Beach.
Werth went 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout. He also had to go after a double by Pelicans center fielder Trey Martin in the third inning.
Werth played three innings and reportedly everything went well. Manager Matt Williams told "The Junkies" on 106.7 The Fan that Werth would be the designated hitter tonight for five innings, and he expects Werth to...
Triple-A Syracuse shortstop Trea Turner has recorded at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games. In the last 10 games, Turner is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with four multi-hit games. He has had two games in that span with at least three hits.
On the season, between three teams, Turner is batting .318 with 17 doubles, six triples, seven homers and 45 RBIs in 84 games.
Turner hit .359 in 10 games with Double-A Harrisburg Senators.
Looking at first half power numbers offensively for the Senators,...
The Double-A Harrisburg Senators have reached the All-Star break with a 45-46 record and are six games out of the first place Bowie Baysox in the Western Division.
A review of the pitching staff in the first half revealed some good control from the Senators hurlers. Harrisburg has allowed only 214 walks pre-All-Star break, the lowest mark in the Eastern League. Their 3.46 team ERA is fifth in the league. They have worked, throwing 797 2/3 innings in the first 91 games, second most to Akron's...
U.S. Futures All-Stars blasted the Worlds Futures All-Stars 10-1 at the SiriusXM Futures Game Sunday. Nationals prospect Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell each contributed two RBIs, and the U.S. tallied five runs early and then five more runs in the sixth inning to put the game away.
Turner went 2-for-2 with the two RBIs, including a double. But his biggest highlight might have come before the game began.
J.J. Cooper, managing editor of Baseball America, was there and explained:
"When...
With all the injuries, especially to the outfielders, the importance of solid play from center fielder Michael A. Taylor cannot be ignored.
Taylor had four hits and three RBIs in the first two games of the Orioles series. In his last 15 games, he is hitting .273 (15-for-55) with a homer and seven RBIs. His strikeout total is high, especially for a leadoff man, but he continues to battle in each at-bat, making the pitcher work, which is what the other eight in the order need from that spot.
He...
From the time they arrived from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals have been a mainstay in the Washington, D.C., sports scene. But the Nats are also very active in the community, working diligently over the past decade to touch the lives of many in the region and proving that baseball has a further reach than wins and losses, balls and strikes, batters and pitchers. Each Thursday through mid-August, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr will explore the Nationals' community outreach...
Right-hander Aaron Barrett arrived in Friday's game in a critical moment.
The Nationals were holding on to a 2-1 lead over the Orioles and starter Gio Gonzalez had reached his max load. Gonzalez had thrown a strong six full innings, but had walked the first batter of the seventh. Suddenly, the Orioles had the tying run on first base with no one out.
Barrett was summoned to try to quell the Orioles' potential rally. He did just that. He struck out the first two batters he faced. Then, he...
BALTIMORE - It is difficult to look back at good pitching in a game that a team loses in walk-off fashion, but the Nationals' 3-2 loss to the Orioles wouldn't have been close early on if not for the pitching of left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez allowed a solo homer to Adam Jones which gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the fourth. But he took a 2-1 lead into the seventh before walking Jimmy Paredes and being relieved by Aaron Barrett.
Jones hit a changeup to put the Orioles on the...