Gomes' return to top throwing form making a big difference

Gomes' return to top throwing form making a big difference
There's no secret to Yan Gomes' success throwing out baserunners this season. Just a lot of hard work and some attention to getting the ball out of his hand as quickly as possible. Whether it's complicated or not, the mere fact Gomes is throwing out so many opponents is music to the Nationals' ears. After struggling mightily in this department in recent years, they're finally reaping the benefits of a catcher who can stop the running game cold in its tracks. With another pinpoint throw...
Continue reading

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)
The Nationals hadn't been in very many games like this in 2021. Back-and-forth affairs with late-night swings of leads and emotions were the norm during their championship run in 2019 and also were a regular occurrence during their disappointing 2020 season. This year? Most games saw one team take an early lead and hold it late, with very little late drama. That made tonight's contest down in Atlanta feel like some kind of blast from the past. An old-fashioned, tension-filled showdown with a...
Continue reading

Strasburg placed on 10-day IL with neck strain (updated)

Strasburg placed on 10-day IL with neck strain (updated)
The Nationals have placed Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain after sending the right-hander back to Washington for an MRI. Kyle McGowin, who was already in Atlanta as part of the club's traveling taxi squad, was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Strasburg's roster spot and provide another fresh arm for tonight's game against the Braves, in which Jon Lester will be starting on short rest the day after Strasburg's 1 1/3-inning start added more strain to the...
Continue reading

Game 52 lineups: Nats at Braves

Game 52 lineups: Nats at Braves
We've seen the Nationals put together isolated offensive explosions this season. Seven times they've scored seven or more runs. How have they done in their next game? They've averaged three runs. So there's been an issue with sustaining offensive success. Tonight the Nats will try to finally do that and put together back-to-back big performances at the plate in the wake of their 11-6 victory Tuesday night. As was the case then, they're facing a left-hander, this time Drew Smyly. He's got...
Continue reading

Strasburg's latest ailment has ripple effect on entire staff

Strasburg's latest ailment has ripple effect on entire staff
For all the positive things that happened Tuesday night during the Nationals' 11-6 win in Atlanta, the departure of Stephen Strasburg in the bottom of the second with yet another physical ailment was by far the most significant development of the evening. And it's not simply because of what this means for Strasburg, who reported tightness in his right trapezius muscle and will undergo an MRI this morning, according to manager Davey Martinez. This also has a domino effect on several other...
Continue reading

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)
On a night when Stephen Strasburg once again looked off and was pulled in the second inning - officially due to a tight trapezius muscle in his upper right back that will require an MRI in the morning - the Nationals found themselves faced with a dilemma. Having already lost five straight with a lineup that has turned the act of driving in a run into the most daunting task in the world, they could've packed their proverbial bags and departed with heads hung low. Or they could brush off...
Continue reading

Lester to start Wednesday night on short rest

Lester to start Wednesday night on short rest
The Nationals won't be turning to a sixth starter to take the mound in a pinch Wednesday night. They'll instead ask the oldest player on their roster to pitch on short rest against the Braves. Jon Lester, who started the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader against the Brewers, will return to pitch at Truist Park in Atlanta on only three days' rest, manager Davey Martinez revealed during this afternoon's Zoom session with reporters. That doubleheader created a situation where on Wednesday...
Continue reading

Game 51 lineups: Nats at Braves

Game 51 lineups: Nats at Braves
May was not kind to the Nationals, who went 11-17 and fell to a season-worst eight games under .500. If you're looking for silver linings, though, they were outscored for the month by only five runs (116-111). The average score of their wins was roughly 7-3. The average score of their losses was roughly 5-2. The point, if there is one: When the Nats hit, they win. When they don't hit, they lose. So perhaps the flip of the calendar to June will benefit this team. (Nothing else has worked.) And...
Continue reading

Four-strikeout game highlights Turner's breaking ball issue

Four-strikeout game highlights Turner's breaking ball issue
The first strikeout came on a curveball, down and away, out of the zone. The second strikeout came on a curveball, down and away, though barely in the zone. The third strikeout actually came on a fastball, up in the zone, but only after he had seen three curveballs and a cutter down. And the fourth strikeout came on a slider, the fifth such pitch Trea Turner saw from Braves reliever Luke Jackson during a seven-pitch at-bat that encapsulated the Nationals leadoff hitter's frustrating Monday...
Continue reading

Nationals can't complete rally, drop fifth straight (updated)

Nationals can't complete rally, drop fifth straight (updated)
The first inning was all too familiar, the Nationals digging themselves into an early hole yet again. The middle innings featured an unexpected (and encouraging) twist, as the lineup came to life and a laboring starter found his groove. But by the time the bottom of the ninth arrived at Truist Park in Atlanta this evening, the result was a re-run for a Nats team that cannot figure out how to change the losing formula that is playing out nearly every night. This 5-3 loss to the Braves did...
Continue reading

Robles active but not starting, Fedde likely needs rehab start

Robles active but not starting, Fedde likely needs rehab start
Victor Robles is back on the Nationals' active roster. He's just not back in the Nationals' starting lineup quite yet. Though he was activated off the 10-day injured list this afternoon, Robles is not starting in tonight's series opener at the Braves. Manager Davey Martinez, who got encouraging reports on the 24-year-old center fielder's rehab game for Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday, did suggest he would likely be in the lineup Tuesday night, provided he gets through pregame work today with...
Continue reading

Game 50 lineups: Nats at Braves (Robles activated)

Game 50 lineups: Nats at Braves (Robles activated)
The Nationals need something to inject some life in their moribund offense. For now, that something will have to be Victor Robles, who has rejoined the active roster 12 days after spraining his right ankle. Robles was officially activated off the 10-day injured list today, in time for the nine-game road trip that begins late this afternoon in unincorporated Atlanta. The 24-year-old center fielder appeared in one rehab game for Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a double, two...
Continue reading

Monday morning thoughts on Robles, Fedde and Castro

Monday morning thoughts on Robles, Fedde and Castro
Some thoughts on this Memorial Day morning as the Nationals try to put a brutal weekend sweep at the hands of the Brewers behind them and look ahead to a four-game series at the Braves beginning at 5:05 p.m. today ... * Victor Robles might be ready to rejoin the club today. The injured center fielder went on a rehab assignment for Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon at Bowie and put together a solid batting line. Serving as the Senators leadoff man and designated hitter, he went 1-for-2...
Continue reading

Same old script for Nats in shutout loss (updated)

Same old script for Nats in shutout loss (updated)
With a five-star pitching matchup between two of the National League's best, it wasn't unfair to walk into Nationals Park today and wonder if the first team to score was assured victory in the series finale. Who knew it would actually play out just like that, with the winning run scoring in the top of the first? Maybe it all was too predictable in the end, this 3-0 victory by the Brewers. The Nationals aren't losing games in unusual fashion right now. They're losing them in practically the...
Continue reading

Harris to have thoracic outlet surgery, Robles rehabs in Bowie

Harris to have thoracic outlet surgery, Robles rehabs in Bowie
For 2 1/2 months, the Nationals and Will Harris hoped they could find a reason for the swelling that would occur in his hand sometimes when he pitched, and hoped there was a way to continue to pitch while treating the mysterious ailment. Now, though, they finally have a concrete answer, and a course of action: Harris has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and later this week will undergo surgery that is likely to end the right-hander's season. "I spoke to him for a while yesterday,...
Continue reading

Game 49 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 49 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
A nine-game homestand that began with a sweep of the Orioles concludes today for the Nationals, who need to beat the Brewers just to avoid getting swept and finishing this stretch with a losing record. Yes, the narratives change quickly around here. The good news: Max Scherzer is on the mound, and he's the best thing the Nats have going for them right now. So far this month, he's 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA, 0.780 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings. Against a Brewers lineup that ranks last in...
Continue reading

Frustrated Soto trying to snap out of his rare slump

Frustrated Soto trying to snap out of his rare slump
It has become something of a familiar sight in recent weeks: Juan Soto hitting a hard ground ball somewhere on the infield and then showing visible frustration with the result after another potential breakout at-bat ending in an out. And it happened again Saturday afternoon in the opener of the Nationals' doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Brewers. With a chance to deliver in a big spot - two on, one out - Soto smashed a 100.6 mph ground ball right to second baseman Kolten Wong, who...
Continue reading

Nats melt down late to cap doubleheader sweep (updated)

Nats melt down late to cap doubleheader sweep (updated)
At the end of a miserable day and night - weather-wise and baseball-wise - there really aren't any silver linings for the Nationals to hang their caps on. Swept by the Brewers over the course of 14 innings of poorly executed baseball, they look very much like the last-place team they are this Memorial Day weekend. Yes, there are four months of baseball still to go. And if any franchise has proven how much can change in four months, this is it. But what reasons for optimism are the Nationals...
Continue reading

Game 48 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 48 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
Who's ready for seven more innings of baseball in the rain? The Nationals and Brewers are going to give it a try, hoping the conditions at least allow for play as they did during this afternoon's contest. As always, stay tuned and don't be surprised if there are delays or even a postponement. Stymied by Freddy Peralta in the opener, the Nationals will see if they can get something going against a left-hander: Brett Anderson, who has had an up-and-down start to his season. Because the Brewers...
Continue reading

Offense silent again in seven-inning loss to Brewers (updated)

Offense silent again in seven-inning loss to Brewers (updated)
The weather was abysmal, but there was a doubleheader to be played rain or shine, so the Nationals and Brewers went ahead and got the first seven of today's 14 scheduled innings in despite the awful playing conditions. And it produced a result that looked awfully familiar for the Nats. After Patrick Corbin dug them into an early four-run hole, the Nationals lineup could not come close to producing enough offense to get back in this one. They trudged off the field having lost 4-1, with three...
Continue reading