More coming out of last night's postponement

More coming out of last night's postponement
There was some chatter in the press box during last night's lengthy 2-hour, 30-minute rain delay about whether the Nationals and Orioles would consider a day-night, two-city doubleheader today, if last night's game was to get postponed. Well, last night's game was postponed. And according to Nats manager Matt Williams, that doubleheader split between Nats Park and Camden Yards was not considered. A similar doubleheader schedule was put into place a handful of years ago when the Yankees and...
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Nats send Fister to hill against Orioles

Nats send Fister to hill against Orioles
The Nationals send right-hander Doug Fister to the mound against the Orioles tonight, hoping for a split in the two-game D.C. portion of the Battle of the Beltways. Fister is 3-2 with a 5.30 ERA in six lifetime starts against Baltimore. The Nats are hoping he'll pitch more in line with his 2014 numbers: a 7-2 mark with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. He will face right-hander Bud Norris, who is being activated off the disabled list today after missing time with a groin issue. Here are the lineups for...
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On the Battle of the Beltways atmosphere and the Nats' extra-inning struggles

On the Battle of the Beltways atmosphere and the Nats' extra-inning struggles
You might hold the belief that the Battle of the Beltways isn't really a rivalry, despite some who try and portray it that way. And frankly, you might be right. It's not like the Nationals have Orioles games on in the clubhouse and monitor Buck Showalter's club on a daily basis. It's not as if Ryan Zimmerman and Chris Davis dislike each other just because these two organizations make their homes 45 minutes from each other. But rivalry or not, I'd find it tough to argue that the Battle of...
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Williams on Stammen's rough 11th and Strasburg's strong outing in 8-2 loss

Williams on Stammen's rough 11th and Strasburg's strong outing in 8-2 loss
This really was a tremendous ballgame for 10 innings. Then the Orioles broke things open in a big way in the top of the 11th. Chris Davis' two-run homer started a six-run rally in the 11th, with Craig Stammen allowing five of the six runs, as the O's took the first game of the Battle of the Beltways 8-2. Stephen Strasburg allowed just two runs (both coming in on a Nelson Cruz fourth-inning homer) in seven innings, Anthony Rendon had a two-run shot that tied the game in the sixth, and Tyler...
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Nats lineup for Game 1 of Battle of the Beltways (Werth named Player of the Week)

Nats lineup for Game 1 of Battle of the Beltways (Werth named Player of the Week)
The Orioles are in first place in the American League East. The Nationals are a half-game out of first in the National League East. It's always cool when these two neighbors square off, but it's a heck of a lot more fun when the teams are playing well and are in contention. The Nats will send Stephen Strasburg to the hill, while the O's will go to right-hander Chris Tillman. Manager Matt Williams is going to the same lineup 1-8 that he has for five of the six games that Bryce Harper has...
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More All-Star chatter, including a couple of Nats snubs

More All-Star chatter, including a couple of Nats snubs
Every major league team gets at least one player in the All-Star Game, a rule that Major League Baseball put in place to ensure that every organization and fanbase is represented and has a chance to cheer on one of its players during the Midsummer Classic. The Nationals, who currently are nine games over .500, have won 11 of their last 15 and are just a half-game out of the lead in the National League East, had just one player announced as a member of the NL All-Star team yesterday. Jordan...
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Jordan Zimmermann selected to NL All-Star team

Jordan Zimmermann selected to NL All-Star team
Jordan Zimmermann is heading back to the All-Star Game. And this time, the Nationals right-hander will actually have a chance to compete in the Midsummer Classic. Zimmermann has been selected to his second straight All-Star Game, this after going 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 18 starts, including today's six scoreless frames against the Cubs. "It means a lot," Zimmermann said. "It's a huge honor and I'm excited. I wouldn't be going if it wasn't for those guys that play defense behind me every...
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Williams discusses Nats' 2-1 win over Cubs

Williams discusses Nats' 2-1 win over Cubs
We thought we might get a pitchers' duel today. That's exactly what we got. Jordan Zimmermann and Jake Arrieta each went six innings and combined to allow just one run, a run that was scored three batters into the Nationals' half of the first inning. It then became a bullpen game, and while the Cubs tied things up in the seventh, the Nationals struck right back in the eighth. Ryan Zimmerman's two-out single through the left side scored Denard Span with the go-ahead run, and Rafael Soriano...
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Nats stick with same lineup in finale against Cubs

Nats stick with same lineup in finale against Cubs
You score 13 runs and you don't change much. The Nationals lineup today, with the exception of starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, looks exactly as it did yesterday, when they pounded out a season-high 19 hits in a rout of the Cubs. There's one thing standing between the Nats and a series victory against Chicago: right-hander Jake Arrieta, who has taken a no-hitter at least into the seventh inning in each of his last two starts. On the season, Arrieta is 5-1 with a 1.18 ERA in 11 starts. With...
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Williams discusses Nats' 13-0 blowout win

Williams discusses Nats' 13-0 blowout win
Wins don't get much better from an all-around perspective than this one. The Nationals pounded out eight doubles (a single-game franchise high), 19 hits (a season-high) and 13 runs (also a season-high). Gio Gonzalez threw eight scoreless innings, extending his stretch of consecutive scoreless frames to 22. The defense again was sharp. It was all clicking for Matt Williams' ballclub in today's 13-0 win over the Cubs. Here's the skipper after the victory. On Gonzalez's changeup really...
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Harper, Rendon flipped in lineup vs. sub starter Villanueva

Harper, Rendon flipped in lineup vs. sub starter Villanueva
Bryce Harper's stay in the second spot in the lineup lasted one day. Nationals manager Matt Williams returned Harper to sixth in the order for the fourth time in five games since the outfielder was activated from the disabled list. Batting second Friday, Harper went 0-for-4. Anthony Rendon moves back up to second after hitting sixth. Rendon is riding an eight-game hitting streak. The Nats won't be facing Jeff Samardzija after the Cubs traded the right-hander (along with right-hander Jason...
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Werth's heating up, Harper's timing still a work in progress

Werth's heating up, Harper's timing still a work in progress
On Saturday, after ripping two doubles and walking twice in a 7-1 Nationals win over the Rockies, Jayson Werth said that he felt like he was back on track. He noted that he's a feel guy at the plate, and credited a long foul ball in his first at-bat in that game as the moment that his swing clicked again after a stretch where he had been "grinding" at the plate. Well, it appears Werth is right. He does look to be back on track. In his last three games, Werth is 6-for-10 with two homers,...
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Williams discusses Nats' 7-2 July 4 loss

Williams discusses Nats' 7-2 July 4 loss
In front of the largest July 4 crowd in the seven-year history of Nationals Park, the Cubs put up 14 hits, scored in five different innings and picked up a 7-2 win in the first of three games between these two teams in D.C. Tanner Roark lost his second straight outing to the Cubs, allowing four runs over seven innings, and after the Nationals had trimmed the Chicago lead to 4-2 after seven, the visitors opened the game back up with a three-run ninth to secure the win. Jayson Werth hit a solo...
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Harper batting second for morning tilt with Cubs

Harper batting second for morning tilt with Cubs
After batting sixth in his first three games back from the disabled list, Bryce Harper has been elevated to second in the order for the first time since April 21. Harper has batted second 135 times in 272 major league starts. He has gone 3-for-11 (.273) with a double and an RBI in his three games since being activated. With the 21-year-old moving up, Anthony Rendon is moving down. Rendon has batted first or second in 42 of his last 43 games. Today, he's batting sixth for just the second...
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Dobbs accepts assignment to Triple-A

Dobbs accepts assignment to Triple-A
The Nationals announced this afternoon that corner infielder Greg Dobbs has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Syracuse. Dobbs was designated for assignment last week when the Nats called up right-hander Taylor Hill to add a fresh arm following their 16-inning win over the Brewers. The 36-year-old hit .214/.233/.250 in 30 plate appearances for the Nats after being added to the team's active roster on May 16. After the Nats designated Dobbs for assignment, they had 10 days to...
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Appreciating the first half put up by Rafael Soriano

Appreciating the first half put up by Rafael Soriano
When people talk about who should end up as the Nationals' All-Star selection this season, you hear the names of Adam LaRoche and Anthony Rendon tossed around a good bit. Heck, despite a batting average that sits in the .230s and a sub-.300 on-base percentage, Ian Desmond has even been mentioned as a possible pick for the National League All-Star squad because his power numbers to this point in the season - 15 homers and 51 RBIs - are up there among the best for shortstops in the...
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Williams on Fister's outing, Clippard's eighth, Desmond's homer after 4-3 win

Williams on Fister's outing, Clippard's eighth, Desmond's homer after 4-3 win
Going for the three-game sweep of the Rockies tonight, Doug Fister wasn't himself early on and the Nationals trailed 3-0 after just two innings. But the comeback formula was there again for this ball club tonight. Fister made some in-start adjustments and went seven strong innings on just 80 pitches, allowing just those three runs. The offense came alive thanks largely to a Jayson Werth two-run shot in the fourth and an Ian Desmond solo homer in the seventh that gave the Nats the lead. And...
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Espinosa not in lineup, Lobaton catching Fister

Espinosa not in lineup, Lobaton catching Fister
Looks like Danny Espinosa will have to wait at least one more day to return to the Nationals starting lineup. Espinosa isn't in the lineup posted for tonight's 6:05 p.m. game against the Rockies, the last of a three-game series. Instead, Anthony Rendon is manning second base, Ryan Zimmerman is at third and Bryce Harper is in left field. Manager Matt Williams had said last night that he was considering playing Espinosa today. Instead, the lineup remains the same from 1-7 in the order. The only...
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How a foul ball might have gotten Jayson Werth out of his recent slump

How a foul ball might have gotten Jayson Werth out of his recent slump
With last night's 7-1 win over the Rockies, the Nationals reached their highwater mark so far this season - seven games over .500. They're still a half-game behind the Braves (who have now won six straight) in the National League East, but things are definitely trending upward for Matt Williams' bunch the last few weeks. It's only one game, but things appear to be trending upward for Jayson Werth, as well, this after Werth went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and two walks last...
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Williams discusses Nats' 7-1 rout of Rockies

Williams discusses Nats' 7-1 rout of Rockies
The starting pitching has been tremendous for weeks now. The defense has really turned around in a big way. And now, with the opening day lineup finally back in place after nearly three months, the offense is starting to churn out big-time performances. The Nationals put up a seven-spot for the third straight game, marking the first time the team has done so since September of 2012 (when the Nats scored seven or more five games in a row), and Stephen Strasburg went 7 2/3 innings, allowing...
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