Game 80 lineups: Nats at Marlins

Game 80 lineups: Nats at Marlins
MIAMI - The last time the Nationals owned a .500 record, they were wrapping up a late April series in Colorado. Trea Turner was on the injured list with a fractured index finger. Anthony Rendon was out of the lineup but not yet on the IL with a bruised elbow. Ryan Zimmerman had just landed awkwardly on his right foot. Trevor Rosenthal had been on the active roster since opening day. With a win tonight, the Nationals would not only sweep the Marlins but would reach the coveted .500 mark for the...
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Rizzo on bullpen changes, trade deadline mindset

Rizzo on bullpen changes, trade deadline mindset
MIAMI - As July creeps ever closer and thoughts of the trade deadline begin creeping into his mind, Mike Rizzo made a series of bullpen changes this week that could go a long way toward determining just how the Nationals general manager chooses to approach July 31. In releasing Trevor Rosenthal and then summoning veterans Fernando Rodney and Jonny Venters from the minors, Rizzo ostensibly declared this new-look relief corps has one month to prove itself before he must decide whether to be...
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With comeback win, Nats within one game of .500 (updated)

With comeback win, Nats within one game of .500 (updated)
MIAMI - The Nationals lineup needed some time to figure out Marlins rookie starter Zac Gallen tonight, a chance to watch the young right-hander up close more than once and figure him out. That also meant the Nationals needed Patrick Corbin to keep them in this game and give that lineup a chance to do something later on. Which is precisely what Corbin did. The left-hander gave up one early run but otherwise was stellar over the course of seven innings to give his teammates a chance to...
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With Zimmerman set to return, decisions looming (Nats up 4-1)

With Zimmerman set to return, decisions looming (Nats up 4-1)
MIAMI - Ryan Zimmerman appears to have completed his rehab assignment in Harrisburg and is on track to come off the injured list Friday when the Nationals open a weekend series in Detroit. Which means the organization and manager Davey Martinez are about to face some delicate decisions. Zimmerman's pending return will require the Nationals to remove someone prominent from the current 25-man roster. And then once he is officially back, Martinez will have to figure out how much playing time to...
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Game 79 lineups: Nats at Marlins

Game 79 lineups: Nats at Marlins
MIAMI - The last time Patrick Corbin faced the Marlins ... well, he put forth his best performance of the season. Corbin shut out Miami on 116 pitches May 25 in D.C., a four-hitter that served as the high point for his debut season with the Nationals. It was followed, of course, by three straight subpar outings, which prompted some concern about the left-hander. Until he bounced back in a big way last week against the Phillies, allowing one run and four hits over seven innings. So Corbin should...
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Scherzer's current run ranks among best of his career

Scherzer's current run ranks among best of his career
MIAMI - What's the best seven-start stretch of Max Scherzer's career with the Nationals? The mind immediately turns to the summer of 2015, his first in Washington, when he - in succession - tossed a one-hitter in Milwaukee, then no-hit the Pirates in D.C., then carried a perfect game into the sixth inning in Philadelphia. But that was only three starts, great as they were. You might remember a run of dominance in June 2017, when Scherzer posted an 0.86 ERA and 0.554 WHIP across seven starts,...
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Scherzer dominates, Nationals cruise in Miami (updated)

Scherzer dominates, Nationals cruise in Miami (updated)
MIAMI - If the Nationals' primary objective over these final two weeks before the All-Star break is to take care of business against the sub-.400 competition they're facing, they put on a clinic tonight that should be bottled up and saved for future teams to watch and admire. It helps, of course, to have peak Max Scherzer on the mound. Scherzer continued his month of dominance with yet another gem, carving up the Marlins for eight innings and leading the Nationals to a simple, efficient,...
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Voth to start in Detroit, Zimmerman likely to be there (Nats up 6-1)

Voth to start in Detroit, Zimmerman likely to be there (Nats up 6-1)
MIAMI - Austin Voth will get a chance to make another start this weekend in Detroit. And Ryan Zimmerman is on track to be there, on the Nationals' active roster for the first time in two months. Manager Davey Martinez confirmed what became clear Monday after the Nationals optioned Erick Fedde to Triple-A Fresno: Voth will remain in the big league rotation after his impressive season debut Sunday against the Braves. The rookie right-hander is lined up to start Saturday at Comerica Park in the...
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Nats asking Venters, Rodney to help stabilize improving 'pen

Nats asking Venters, Rodney to help stabilize improving 'pen
MIAMI - Jonny Venters has been called up to join major league rosters under more noteworthy circumstances than this, from his major league debut with the Braves in 2010 to his return in 2018 following a six-year layoff. That doesn't mean the 34-year-old reliever didn't still get that familiar feeling of accomplishment when he got the call Monday to join the Nationals in Miami. "I couldn't have been more excited, especially with the way this team's been playing lately," he said. "And...
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Game 78 lineups: Nats at Marlins (roster moves announced)

Game 78 lineups: Nats at Marlins (roster moves announced)
MIAMI - There isn't nearly the kind of buzz surrounding the Nationals' upcoming week as there was for the last one, but that doesn't mean this isn't an important road trip for the team. It also doesn't mean it's going to be an easy one. Though the Marlins own the National League's worst record, they're playing a whole lot better right now than they were to begin the season. After opening up a dreadful 10-31, they've gone 20-15 since May 17, and they'll ride a four-game winning streak...
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Source: Veteran Venters also joining Nats bullpen tonight

Source: Veteran Venters also joining Nats bullpen tonight
MIAMI - The Nationals are going to give another veteran reliever with shaky numbers so far this season a chance to help their bullpen during this final stretch before the All-Star break. Jonny Venters, the longtime Braves left-hander who has overcome what he describes as "3 1/2" Tommy John surgeries, will be promoted from Double-A Harrisburg before tonight's series opener against the Marlins, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed. Venters, 34, joins right-hander Fernando Rodney,...
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Slow-climbing Nats now have chance to pick up the pace

Slow-climbing Nats now have chance to pick up the pace
The Nationals just completed their most important homestand of the season to date. We noted it. They acknowledged it. And while the 6-4 record they posted against the Diamondbacks, Phillies and Braves may feel a bit disappointing given the opportunities they had to win a couple more games, that's actually a good representation of what they need to do the rest of the season to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. We've pointed out that the Nationals have played .667 ball since their...
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Source: Nationals calling up 42-year-old reliever Rodney

Source: Nationals calling up 42-year-old reliever Rodney
The Nationals are going to take a flyer on another late-inning reliever with a track record of success but ugly numbers this season. Fernando Rodney, the 42-year-old with 325 career saves but a 9.42 ERA in 17 big league games this season, will be promoted from Triple-A Fresno and added to the active roster before Tuesday's series opener against the Marlins in Miami, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed. Rodney owns a 3.79 ERA and a long track record as a quality late-inning...
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Fedde optioned to Fresno, opening door for Voth to start again

Fedde optioned to Fresno, opening door for Voth to start again
It appears Austin Voth's fill-in start Sunday opened enough eyes to warrant another look. The Nationals have optioned Erick Fedde to Triple-A Fresno, paving the way for Voth to remain as part of the big league rotation on the heels of his impressive outing Sunday afternoon against the Braves. Fedde had assumed the No. 5 starter's job over the last month, and had pitched well for much of that time, posting a 2.70 ERA in four outings. But he gave up five runs in six innings to the Diamondbacks...
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On Voth's velocity, a bullpen opening and Zimmerman's rehab

On Voth's velocity, a bullpen opening and Zimmerman's rehab
Some thoughts and observations to help get you through the Nationals' first day off in nearly two weeks before they return to action Tuesday night in Miami ... * The most significant development of Sunday's 10-inning loss to the Braves didn't occur in the late innings. It might well have happened in the first six, when Austin Voth authored by far the best outing of his brief major league career. Pressed into emergency starting duties to compensate for the pair of rainouts at the start of the...
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Nationals fall in 10 to close out big week on down note (updated)

Nationals fall in 10 to close out big week on down note (updated)
The outcome today - a 4-3, 10-inning loss - may not have been what they wanted, certainly not on the heels of Saturday night's bullpen meltdown. But in the larger picture, the Nationals can't be too down about what just took place on South Capitol Street. In their most important week of the season, the Nats went 4-2 against the two teams they're chasing in the National League East. They still have significant ground to make up, but they've got ample opportunity to do it, and they made...
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Robles sits day after dehydration scare (game tied 2-2)

Robles sits day after dehydration scare (game tied 2-2)
Though he said this morning he felt "great" after departing Saturday night's game with dehydration, center field Victor Robles was held out of the Nationals lineup for their series finale against the Braves. "Not starting, but he's available," manager Davey Martinez said. "When you have a scary moment like that ... I told him be ready to come into the game. If it was a night game, it may be different. But we had a quick turnaround, so we will use him off the bench." Robles gave the...
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Conceding $8 million mistake, Nationals release Rosenthal

Conceding $8 million mistake, Nationals release Rosenthal
For one fleeting moment Friday night, the Nationals thought Trevor Rosenthal had turned the corner and could finally become a trusted member of their bullpen. But then came yet another high-profile meltdown on the mound Saturday night, and so by Sunday morning, the team made the move that had loomed for months but was put off until now. The Nationals released Rosenthal today, finally conceding defeat on a reclamation project that went haywire in the season's first week and never could be...
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Game 77 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Rosenthal released)

Game 77 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Rosenthal released)
This critical week had been going about as well as possible for the Nationals. They swept the Phillies. They won Friday night's opener against the Braves in exciting fashion. And then ... well, Saturday night's 13-9 loss - which saw the bullpen blow a pair of late leads - obviously put a big damper on the week and suddenly put more weight on today's finale at Nationals Park. A win today and the Nats would still going 5-1 against two division rivals and make a real statement that they're...
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Finally entrusted in big spot, Rosenthal comes through

Finally entrusted in big spot, Rosenthal comes through
As he handed Trevor Rosenthal the baseball with the game on the line Friday night - a scenario that had not been seen around these parts since the season's very first week - Davey Martinez had a simple message for his beleaguered right-hander. "This is your moment," manager said to pitcher. "Enjoy it." Given what Rosenthal has been through in 2019, why not try to spread a little positivity in a critical moment? Four pitches and one gargantuan out later, Rosenthal indeed was enjoying the...
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