Anthony Rendon scratched from tonight's rehab start at Double-A Harrisburg

Anthony Rendon scratched from tonight's rehab start at Double-A Harrisburg
ATLANTA - Infielder Anthony Rendon will not make his scheduled minor league rehab start at Double-A Harrisburg tonight due to fatigue, according to the Nationals. Rendon, who is recovering from a left MCL sprain, was due to play seven innings at second base in his third game. He was 2-for-4 in his first two games, playing five innings on Friday and seven on Saturday, before a planned day off yesterday. Nationals manager Matt Williams expected Rendon to follow tonight's game with a full nine...
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Tonight's Orioles-White Sox game postponed

Tonight's Orioles-White Sox game postponed
After consultation with the Baltimore City Police Department, tonight's game between the Orioles and the White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been postponed. An announcement regarding the make-up date will be made as soon as possible. Fans are encouraged to keep their tickets and parking passes until more information is made available.
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History on his side, Doug Fister aims to end losing streak (with lineups)

History on his side, Doug Fister aims to end losing streak (with lineups)
ATLANTA - The experimentation continues for Nationals manager Matt Williams as he looks to find the right formula for his offense. Facing Braves left-hander Eric Stults tonight, Williams has placed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman second in the order. Zimmerman is batting just .205, but has six extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple) and nine RBIs in his last 11 games. Overall, he leads the team with 12 RBIs and his eight walks are second most. Right-hander Doug Fister gets his turn at stopping...
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It's got to get better in a little while

It's got to get better in a little while
ATLANTA - With the Nationals mired in a five-game losing streak and staring seven more games remaining on this road trip, it's hard to find reasons for promise. They've lost 12 games in 12 different ways. Injuries have certainly played a part, but shouldn't be recognized as the main problem. "I can tell you this: When you start the season and you're missing your one, two, three hitter, you're at a disadvantage in that regard," manager Matt Williams said. "But the other parts of the...
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Andrew Stetka: After tumultuous weekend, a sense of civic pride for hometown

Andrew Stetka: After tumultuous weekend, a sense of civic pride for hometown
It was a weird weekend in Baltimore. The Orioles lost the first of a crucial three-game series with the Red Sox before bouncing back to win the next two and take the series. It all came amid a cloud of turmoil surrounding the city. We talk baseball here, but it's important to recognize when bigger things are going on and impacting others. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Friday's game at Camden Yards. I say fortunate because I've lived in Arizona now for about four years, and any...
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Marty Niland: A veteran club like the Nats shouldn't be playing like this

Marty Niland: A veteran club like the Nats shouldn't be playing like this
There are many ways to break out of a losing streak. A good way to extend one, however, is to make silly plays, something the Nationals have gotten good at during their current five-game skid. Let's review the fun, shall we? On Wednesday, after the Nats rally to tie the Cardinals at 5-5 with a five-run third, Bryce Harper, representing the go-ahead run, gets himself picked off first with Ryan Zimmerman at the plate looking for his third hit of the night. The Cards take the lead in their next...
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Nats' troubling five-game losing streak is reason for concern

Nats' troubling five-game losing streak is reason for concern
MIAMI - Just three weeks ago, the Nationals were the betting man's pick to win the World Series. That seems laughable after today's 6-2 loss completed a series sweep by the Marlins and extended the Nats' losing streak to five games, their worst since July 2013. "I'm not worried," right fielder Bryce Harper said. "Do I look worried?" What else is Harper supposed to say? He can't back down yet from his brash preseason "Where's my ring?" declaration. At least the 22-year-old got the...
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Williams planning for Scherzer to miss Tuesday's start

Williams planning for Scherzer to miss Tuesday's start
MIAMI - A swollen right thumb has placed the next start for Nationals ace Max Scherzer in doubt. "I'm not ready to rule it out completely, but I also have to be honest with myself because anytime you deal with an injury to your pitching hand, you literally have to be 100 percent to go back out there," Scherzer said. The right-hander is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season on Tuesday in Atlanta. He jammed his hand when he hit a grounder in his second at-bat in the fifth inning on...
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Marlins complete the sweep in 6-2 win over reeling Nats

Marlins complete the sweep in 6-2 win over reeling Nats
MIAMI - Right fielder Bryce Harper helped the Nats' scoring issues with a solo homer in the second off Marlins starter Dan Haren. Harper evened the count after falling down 0-2 and then smacked his fifth bomb of the year to right field. It's the sixth home run that Haren has given up in four outings. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single to second baseman Dee Gordon in the first but was no harm was done as Gonzalez was able to strikeout right fielder Giancarlo Stanton and...
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Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)

Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)
MIAMI - Trying to get out of an offensive rut, Nationals manager Matt Williams is back to tinkering with his lineup. Third baseman Yunel Escobar and his 15-game on-base streak move back into the two-hole where he began the season. Shortstop Ian Desmond drops to sixth in the order after an 0-for-4 day ended his 10-game hitting streak. The Nationals will work to get their bats going against former teammate Dan Haren. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts this year. Something may...
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Gio Gonzalez takes the mound in emotional homecoming

Gio Gonzalez takes the mound in emotional homecoming
MIAMI - When Nationals left hander Gio Gonzalez takes the mound today, he will not only be feeling the pressure of stopping his team's four-game losing streak but also the emotions of pitching in Marlins Park about 20 minutes from where he grew up. "Most of Hialeah is coming out," Gonzalez said. "It's pretty exciting. I'm pretty nervous, just pitching in front of the home crowd is always nice." Hialeah, Fla., is a city just northwest of Miami that has the highest percentage of Cuban and...
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Frustrations spill over for Strasburg in Nats' fourth straight loss

Frustrations spill over for Strasburg in Nats' fourth straight loss
MIAMI - In the midst of a three-game losing streak, Nationals manager Matt Williams said he felt his team was close to turning things around before today's game against the Marlins. Four hours later, after being blanked 8-0, it appears that gap has widened significantly. "Well, 8-0 is pretty bad," Williams said. "But today was one of those days where there was not much to say, other than they got some big hits (and) we didn't. It's a rough day for us, but we've got to respond. We have to...
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Stanton, Koehler too much as Nats are shut out 8-0

Stanton, Koehler too much as Nats are shut out 8-0
MIAMI - Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg ran into difficulty to start the fourth when Marlins third baseman Martin Prado ripped a double to the right-center gap to lead off the inning. Right fielder Giancarlo followed with another double down the left line to score Prado easily for the game's first run. Stanton is 2-for-2 today and now 12-for-30 with three homers and six doubles against Strasburg in his career. The Marlins added another run two batters later when first baseman Justin Bour...
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Max Scherzer's thumb still swollen, Stephen Strasburg back at it

Max Scherzer's thumb still swollen, Stephen Strasburg back at it
MIAMI - Nationals ace Max Scherzer is still experiencing pain in his right thumb, two days after jamming it while hitting a ground ball in his second at-bat in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals. As a result, Scherzer didn't throw his scheduled bullpen session today. "It's still a little sore and swollen, so we pushed his bullpen today," Nats manager Matt Williams said. "So we'll see how it goes after today. But it's swollen. When you get in the extremities, it's difficult to move that...
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Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)

Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)
MIAMI -Center fielder Denard Span gets his first day off since returning from the diabled list last Sunday when the Nationals face the Marlins this afternoon. Washington will be looking to end a three-game losing streak. The 31-year Span was tested in the outfield Friday night, especially on a couple of hard-hit balls that he tracked down in the fifth inning. After drawing a walk in the seventh, Span stole his first base of the season and eventually scored the Nationals' second run. Today...
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Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense

Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense
MIAMI - The Nationals have played below expectations in the first month of the season. A 10-day road trip through three National League East cities seemed like an opportunity to reverse some ugly early trends and possibly build some momentum against some of the division's struggling teams. But in the loss to the Marlins last night in the trek's first game, it was the Nationals who continued to be bothered by the same common themes - poor situational hitting and a shaky bullpen - that have led...
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Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid

Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid
MIAMI - After a terrible start, the Nats offense seemed to be coming around during the season's second week. But that appears to be just a tease as the futile bats have returned in a three-game losing streak. The Nationals are just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position over the past two games and have scored a lowly three runs. Marlins starter Mat Latos brought a 10.24 ERA into tonight's start, and the Nats had to claw and scrap for two runs on six hits. They finally got to Latos in the...
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Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight

Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight
MIAMI - The Nationals manufactured a run to get on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning. Shortstop Ian Desmond smacked a double to lead off the inning and left fielder Jayson Werth immediately advanced him to third on a fly ball to right. Desmond trotted home easily when right fielder Bryce Harper sent a rocket to center that Marcell Ozuna was able to run down. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman then doubled on a blistering liner to left-center as the Nats began measuring Marlins starter Mat...
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Scherzer dealing with swollen thumb, Rendon back in action

Scherzer dealing with swollen thumb, Rendon back in action
MIAMI - Just as the Nationals' medical report was beginning to clear up, more nagging injuries to a couple of the team's starters have popped up. Nationals ace Max Scherzer jammed his right thumb in his second at-bat in the fifth inning of yesterday's loss to the Cardinals. He remained in the game to pitch the next two innings before leaving with discomfort. Swelling developed in Scherzer's throwing hand overnight according to manager Matt Williams. "We're treating him aggressively,...
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Nats hope history repeats itself for Jordan Zimmermann (with lineups)

Nats hope history repeats itself for Jordan Zimmermann (with lineups)
MIAMI - The last time tonight's starter Jordan Zimmermann faced the Marlins when it counted, he tossed a hair-raising no-hitter in the 2014 regular season finale. That's all but irrelevant as he takes the mound tonight, looking to get back on track after a surprising 1-2 start with a 6.14 ERA. Marlins superstar Giancarlo Stanton wasn't in the lineup for Zimmermann's no-hitter. But when he last faced the right-hander in a Grapefruit League game on April 1, he tattooed Zimmerman for a...
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