I saw a graphic on one of the national sports highlight shows last night that listed the teams in the National League wild card race.
There were the Giants, holding the top spot, four games clear of the Pirates, who would earn the second wild card if the season ended today.
A couple of the teams chasing them: the Braves, now 1 1/2 games back of Pittsburgh after losing the first two games of this three-game set with the Nationals, and the Brewers, who are in an absolute freefall the last few...
The Nationals' division lead is now nine games, the largest it's been since baseball came back to D.C. in 2005
You can pretty much lock up the National League East, folks.
Matt Williams' ballclub took another game from the Braves tonight, this one by a 6-4 score, their fifth win in their last seven games against Atlanta. This win locked up a third straight series win over an above-.500 team, trimmed the magic number to 10 and left the Nats up nine games over the Braves with 19 games...
Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will try to win his fifth consecutive decision when the Nationals attempt to take an important September series from the Atlanta Braves tonight at Nationals Park.
Zimmermann is 4-0 in nine starts since his last loss, a 6-2 defeat in Philadelphia on July 11. He's 4-0 with a 2.75 ERA in nine second-half starts.
He will be opposed by right-hander Ervin Santana.
For the Braves CF Emilio Bonifacio2B Phiil Gosselin 1B Freddie Freeman LF Justin UptonRF Jason Heyward 3B...
The team goal is always most important in professional sports. Personal accomplishments are cool and all, but at the end of the day, players will tell you that batting titles, Gold Gloves and other individual achievements don't mean nearly as much if the team hasn't had success.
Professional athletes are still proud, competitive people, however. They want to be put in situations where they can help the team and pull their share of the weight.
But now that we're in the final stages of the...
The division lead is up to eight. The magic number is down to 12.
Things continue to look up for the Nationals.
Doug Fister went seven scoreless innings, the Nationals managed just enough offense on Ian Desmond's RBI single and Anthony Rendon's run-scoring fielder's choice, and Drew Storen struck out the side in a dominant ninth to give the Nats a 2-1 win over the Braves.
Fister turned in an absolute gem, and while he got into a bit of trouble in the seventh, Matt Williams trusted him to...
Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, along with Giants catcher Buster Posey have been named the National League co-Players of the Week.
LaRoche hit .333 (5-for-15) with a .421 on-base percentage, and a 1.133 slugging percentage in five games (four starts) last week. Four of LaRoche's five hits were home runs. He also drove in 10 runs and walked three times.
LaRoche is the third Nationals player to win Player of the Week honors this season. Jayson Werth and Jordan Zimmerann previously won...
The Nationals released their 2015 schedule this afternoon, and it will begin and end with the Mets.
The Nats start 2015 at home on Monday, April 6 against the Mets and end it on Oct. 4 at Citi Field in New York.
Washington opens the season by playing National League East foes in 26 of its first 32 contests through May 10, before finishing the year with 26 of its final 29 games against division foes from Sept. 3 to Oct. 4.
While 29 of next season's first 50 contests will be played on the...
A seven-game lead (eight in the loss column) with 21 games remaining in the regular season is pretty safe.
The Nationals are certainly aware of this, despite their day-at-a-time focus.
Baseball Prospectus is giving the Nats a 98.6 percent chance to win the National League East. FanGraphs puts it at a 99.6 percent chance.
It would take a miracle for the Braves to overtake the Nats in the division. But this is baseball. Anything can happen, and miracles have been known to occur.
These next...
With one victory today, the Nationals avoided a sweep by the Phillies, extended their lead in the National League East to seven games, trimmed their magic number to 14 and got some momentum back on their side before a three-game series against the Braves starts tomorrow.
Not a bad day at the office.
The Nats got six strong innings from Gio Gonzalez today, were led offensively by Adam LaRoche's two solo homers and Scott Hairston's go-ahead sac fly, and saw Drew Storen close it down with a...
The Nationals will try salvage the series against the Phillies this afternoon and end a two-game losing streak.
Left-handers Gio Gonzalez and Cole Hamels will square off on the mound.
With Hamels starting, Bryce Harper is out of the lineup and Scott Hairston is starting in his place. Hairston is a .392 hitter with five doubles, five home runs and nine RBIs in his career against Hamels.
For the Nationals
CF Denard Span
3B Anthony Rendon
RF Jayson Werth
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
LF...
A.J. Burnett kept his successful streak against the Nationals going, and the Phillies kept on rolling.
Burnett allowed just one run over seven innings in the Phillies' 3-1 win this afternoon, giving him just his third win since June 20.
All three of those wins have come against the Nats.
The Phillies, meanwhile, earned their fifth series win in their last six sets. The last-place Phils have surprisingly gotten hot recently, winning series over the Mariners, Cardinals, Braves and now two sets...
The Nationals expanded their roster further this afternoon, recalling outfielder Michael A. Taylor and reliever Ryan Mattheus from Triple-A Syracuse
Taylor, 23, is back with the Nationals for the second time this season after hitting .304 with a .390 on-base percentage and a .526 slugging percentage in 110 games with Double-A Harrisburg and Syracuse. After recording 17 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 98 games, Taylor was named the Double-A Eastern League...
Prior to the All-Star break, Rafael Soriano punched up a 0.97 ERA in 37 games. He recorded 22 saves in 24 chances, had an opponents' batting average of .153 and had a WHIP of 0.81.
He was simply one of the best relievers in the majors.
Since the All-Star break, Soriano has a 6.98 ERA in 21 games. He's recorded just nine saves in 14 chances, has an opponents' batting average of .325 and a WHIP of 1.76.
Things have turned south for Soriano in a hurry. And now Matt Williams has to decide how to...
Rafael Soriano has struggled since the All-Star break. And after tonight's blown save, Matt Williams said he's considering a change at closer.
Soriano allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning tonight, blowing his fifth save in 14 chances since the break. He has a 6.98 ERA in 21 games in that span, and this blown save tonight contributed to a 9-8 Nationals loss in 11 innings.
Soriano was handed a three-run lead, but allowed a two-run homer to Carlos Ruiz and then a solo shot to Ben...
The Nationals have added another player to their roster.
Infielder/outfielder Jeff Kobernus has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. This is Kobernus' first stint with the Nats in 2014; he previously appeared in 24 games for the club in 2013.
Kobernus missed some time this season after fracturing his left hand in early April, but returned on June 25. Kobernus played in 73 minor league games, hitting .264 with a .347 on-base percentage. Fifty-three of those games played were at the Triple-A...
After Stephen Strasburg's last outing, a start in which he allowed just one run over 7 2/3 innings, striking out eight and walking zero, manager Matt Williams said it was the best he thought he had seen Strasburg all season.
Williams added that it was "probably the most important" outing for Strasburg, as well.
His rationale for that statement was that Strasburg had posted back-to-back strong outings against the Mets and Diamondbacks earlier in August, but then had been hit hard by the...
Hello, East Coast. Nice to see you again.
The Nationals are back from their second-to-last road trip of the season, and boy, will they enjoy this day off. A cross-country flight after a 14-inning game meant an arrival in D.C. after 4 a.m., so the chance to rest up is much needed.
I believe, in fact, that this is the Nats' first off-day at home since the All-Star break. Players know the tough schedule comes with the job, but it certainly isn't easy as we get into the season's final...
LOS ANGELES - That sore back will cost Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche his second consecutive start.
Tyler Moore is at first base for the finale of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. LaRoche's absence means shortstop Ian Desmond moves to the cleanup spot, with left fielder Bryce Harper hitting fifth.
The Nats are hoping to take the series from the Dodgers, who are in first place in the National League West, and improve to 4-5 on their current road swing.
For the Nationals CF Denard...
LOS ANGELES - Over the last few weeks, Bryce Harper has looked more like the guy he expects to be and the world expects to see.
After missing two months with a torn ligament in his thumb, the Nationals cautioned that Harper wouldn't return and be full-go right out of the gates. He needed a bit to get his timing back, to get his body back in gear and to regain strength in his hand.
Looks like that process is coming along nicely.
Over his last 23 games, Harper is batting .310/.352/.571. And over...
LOS ANGELES - This just in: Clayton Kershaw is pretty good.
Kershaw held the Nationals to just one run on three hits over eight stellar innings tonight, and his decision to go first-to-third on a single to center led to a key Dodgers rally in Los Angeles' 4-1 win.
Bryce Harper provided the lone Nats run of the night with a solo shot to right-center, marking the first home run and the first RBI by a left-handed hitter off Kershaw all year.
Unreal.
Doug Fister gets the loss in his third straight...
