Mark Zuckerman

Game 9 lineups: Nats at Cardinals

April 14, 2021, 7:10am

As bad as things went Tuesday night in St. Louis, the Nationals still woke up this morning with a chance to win the series and come home with a 3-6 record in spite of everything that's happened to this team. Maybe it's grasping at straws, but it feels like a win today would go a long way toward boosting everybody's mood. To pull it off, the Nats will need another solid start from Joe Ross, who tossed five scoreless innings against the Dodgers in his season debut. Ross should be good to build...

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Harrison glad to be active, glad to be an everyday player

April 13, 2021, 10:03pm

Nationals

Harrison glad to be active, glad to be an everyday player

Josh Harrison had been through this before. Sort of. Upon signing with the Nationals shortly after opening day in 2020, the veteran utility man had to wait several days for his intake screening test - a test he says initially was lost - to be processed before he could actually join his new team. "I had to stay in my room a few extra days 'cause my test got lost," he said during a Zoom session with reporters Tuesday. "So I've been in this situation before, not as long as this one was. But I...

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Questions about Strasburg abound in blowout loss (updated)

April 13, 2021, 7:11pm

Nationals

Questions about Strasburg abound in blowout loss (updated)

The red flags appeared to be there right from the get-go. Stephen Strasburg's first pitch of the night was a 91 mph fastball. There were more of them throughout a first inning that saw one ball leave the yard, then plenty more in the tortured innings that followed. Strasburg clearly didn't seem to feel right. That seemed obvious based on the numbers - eight runs allowed, five batters walked, three homers surrendered, two or three miles per hour reduced on all of his pitches - but also on what...

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Lester to throw simulated game, Harris not on mound yet

April 13, 2021, 2:47pm

Nationals

Lester to throw simulated game, Harris not on mound yet

The Nationals' lineup and bench are now complete with Monday's activation of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison. The Nationals pitching staff, however, is still not at full strength and won't be until two veterans - Jon Lester and Will Harris - are ready to make their season debuts. Each is making progress toward that goal, but it appears each still needs some more time to get there. Lester, who was among the nine major leaguers who had been in quarantine after either testing...

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Game 8 lineups: Nats at Cardinals

April 13, 2021, 12:38pm

Nationals

If it worked last night, might as well see if it works again tonight, right? The Nationals liked what they got from their finally full-strength lineup in the opener of their series in St. Louis, so manager Davey Martinez is sticking with the same one through seven hitters in tonight's game at Busch Stadium. The only change among position players: Alex Avila is behind the plate instead of Yan Gomes. It's Avila's Nats debut, and in the process he becomes the team's fourth different starting...

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On Fedde's turnaround, Castro's RBIs and Hand's pitch count

April 12, 2021, 10:06pm

Nationals

On Fedde's turnaround, Castro's RBIs and Hand's pitch count

The 2021 debuts of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison, and the effect they had on the Nationals lineup, were the dominant storyline to Monday night's game. But this 5-2 victory was made possible by several other players and several other developments worth exploring a bit deeper ... * Fedde's 180 After Erick Fedde was rocked by the Braves in his season debut five days earlier, who saw this coming? The right-hander completely reversed course against the Cardinals, allowing just one...

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Newly activated regulars deliver late to end skid (updated)

April 12, 2021, 7:06pm

Nationals

Newly activated regulars deliver late to end skid (updated)

It was appropriate - probably wise - to temper expectations when the Nationals emerged from visitors' dugout tonight in St. Louis and for the first time in 2021 had their entire lineup active. As much as everyone hoped Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison would make an immediate impact, logic suggested it was too much to expect in their first game of the season after being stuck in COVID-19-related quarantine. And for a few innings, that was indeed the appropriate sentiment. The three...

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All Nats personnel cleared, most were vaccinated today

April 12, 2021, 2:51pm

Nationals

All Nats personnel cleared, most were vaccinated today

Josh Bell tried to hit miniature Wiffle balls coming at him in all sorts of directions from a pitching machine. Kyle Schwarber used a virtual reality mask to take swings against simulated pitches only he could see. Both did whatever they could to follow their Nationals teammates through the season's first week while stuck at home in quarantine. "It wasn't ideal," Schwarber said. "But you still have to make the best of your time. And I still wanted to make sure I was all the way in tune - I...

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Game 7 lineups: Nats at Cardinals

April 12, 2021, 12:39pm

Nationals

For the first time in 2021, the Nationals will field their full starting lineup. Now it's up to that reinforced unit to actually produce and help end a five-game skid. Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison all were activated from the COVID-19-related injury list today and all three are in manager Davey Martinez's lineup for the series opener against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Bell will hit cleanup and provide protection for the already-red-hot Juan Soto, with Schwarber behind him...

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Bell, Schwarber and Harrison activated, Lucroy designated

April 12, 2021, 12:07pm

Nationals

Bell, Schwarber and Harrison activated, Lucroy designated

The Nationals activated Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison from the COVID-19-related injured list and will have all three veterans available for tonight's series opener in St. Louis. Bell, Schwarber and Harrison were cleared to return today after completing their league- and city-mandated protocols. All had been quarantined since mid-to-late last week after either testing positive for COVID-19 or being deemed close contacts to someone else who did. Manager Davey Martinez hasn't...

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Despite delay, Hand encouraged by Nationals debut

April 11, 2021, 7:38pm

Nationals

When Brad Hand signed with the Nationals and envisioned his first appearance with his new club, the veteran reliever probably pictured himself trotting in from the bullpen at Nationals Park in the season's opening series against the Mets, looking to close out a one-run game. But pitching the eighth inning with his team trailing by three runs at Dodger Stadium, in the sixth game of the season? Uh, something would've needed to go terribly wrong for that scenario to play out. Something indeed...

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Scherzer great, lineup not great as Nats shut out again (updated)

April 11, 2021, 2:39pm

Nationals

Scherzer great, lineup not great as Nats shut out again (updated)

One week into a season that didn't start when they expected and didn't include the roster they expected, the Nationals have established a fairly common daily narrative. And not an uplifting one. The typical game has played out like this: An impressive outing by the starter is squandered by a lack of offense (especially a lack of power), with some shaky fundamentals and maybe a late home run served up by the bullpen thrown in for good measure. That formula added up to a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers...

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Three players could be in St. Louis, but Lester needs more time

April 11, 2021, 11:31am

Nationals

Three players could be in St. Louis, but Lester needs more time

The Nationals are hoping their four remaining quarantined players will be cleared by Monday, and there's a chance Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison could be with the club for the start of their three-game series in St. Louis, though Jon Lester is going to need more time to build his arm back up before he pitches in a big league game. "Until we have clearance, I don't know anything yet," manager Davey Martinez said today at Dodger Stadium during his pregame Zoom session with...

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Game 6 lineups: Nats at Dodgers

April 11, 2021, 9:12am

Nationals

It's hard to call a ballgame on April 11 a "must-win," but here we are. The Nationals, having dropped four in a row since their walk-off win on opening day, kind of really need to find a way to emerge from Los Angeles with a victory this afternoon. Not that it would doom their season, but another loss to complete a sweep would leave them 1-5 and needing to win two of three in St. Louis just to come home 3-6. That's not a situation Davey Martinez and Co. want to find themselves in. The good...

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Is Soto destined to be pitched around all season?

April 09, 2021, 9:01pm

Nationals

Is Soto destined to be pitched around all season?

Victor Robles' attempt to steal second base during the top of the eighth Friday afternoon in Los Angeles was ill-advised, as both the Nationals center fielder and his manager conceded following their 1-0 loss to the Dodgers. As Robles correctly noted, in getting caught trying to swipe second with runners on the corners and nobody out, he failed to recognize who was coming to bat behind him: Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman. Especially Soto, who was in the on-deck circle at the time as...

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Nats waste another pitching gem, get shut out in L.A. (updated)

April 09, 2021, 2:44pm

Nationals

Nats waste another pitching gem, get shut out in L.A. (updated)

Until they get their remaining middle-of-the-order bats back from the COVID-19 injured list, the Nationals are going to need stellar performances from their pitching staff and a few clutch hits from a depleted lineup in tandem to emerge victorious. They got the pitching today at Dodger Stadium, most notably from Joe Ross in his 2021 debut. They did not get the one timely hit they needed and thus suffered their second consecutive shutout loss, this one by the agonizing score of 1-0. Despite five...

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Four players activated, Corbin could start Saturday

April 09, 2021, 11:20am

Nationals

Four players activated, Corbin could start Saturday

The Nationals will have four of their previously ineligible players in uniform and available for today's series opener at Dodger Stadium, and they could have their No. 3 starter back on the mound for Saturday night's game. Alex Avila, Patrick Corbin, Yan Gomes, Brad Hand and Jordy Mercer all cleared their COVID-19 protocols and flew on a charter from Washington to Los Angeles this morning, manager Davey Martinez revealed during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. All but Corbin have been...

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Game 4 lineups: Nats at Dodgers (four players activated)

April 09, 2021, 9:50am

Nationals

Game 4 lineups: Nats at Dodgers (four players activated)

Here's some good news to share as the Nationals prepare to open their weekend series at Dodger Stadium against the 2020 World Series champs: They've got four of the nine players who were sidelined for COVID-19 reasons back on the active roster, including both catchers and their closer. Yes, the Nats announced the activation of Yan Gomes, Alex Avila, Brad Hand and Jordy Mercer from the injured list in time for today's game in L.A. It's not as much of a boost as ideally they could've...

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New challenge awaits Nationals in L.A.

April 08, 2021, 7:56pm

Nationals

The Nationals flew west Wednesday night, all the way west for their first trip outside the eastern time zone since 2019. They were a fairly exhausted group, certainly more exhausted than you'd normally expect only three games into the season. Those first three games, of course, were anything but normal. Manager Davey Martinez wanted everyone to have a full day off in Los Angeles, a chance to sleep, a chance to recover, a chance to breathe some fresh Southern California air and prepare for what...

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Should opening series encourage or discourage Nats?

April 07, 2021, 7:54pm

Nationals

Should opening series encourage or discourage Nats?

There are a couple of ways to think about the Nationals' season-opening series. You can take the optimistic view and point out that in spite of their severely depleted roster, the Nats showed themselves to be pretty much on par with the Braves and very easily could've won the three-game series or even swept it. Or you can take the pessimistic view and lament the fact that the series was indeed right there for the taking, and the Nats instead gave it to the Braves by blowing an early lead in...