Game 120 lineups: Nats at Padres (Scherzer scratched)

Game 120 lineups: Nats at Padres (Scherzer scratched)
SAN DIEGO - The last time Max Scherzer faced the Padres, he allowed one run on three hits, struck out 13 and came within one out of a complete-game victory. That was May 26 at Nationals Park, and it was among the ace's most dominant outings of the season. Now Scherzer gets another crack at the majors' least productive lineup, taking the mound at Petco Park tonight in the second game of this weekend series. Anytime Scherzer takes the mound, there's reason to drop whatever you're doing and...
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With fewer pitches, Jackson is finding more success

With fewer pitches, Jackson is finding more success
SAN DIEGO - If it's not the first line of Edwin Jackson's baseball-playing obituary, it won't be much farther down from the lede. The most memorable game of Jackson's career, whenever it's finally over, almost certainly will be his June 25, 2010 no-hitter with the Diamondbacks. A no-hitter that included eight walks and a staggering 149 pitches. That game, more than any other, has come to encapsulate Jackson's long career. He's always had some of the best stuff in the sport, but even at...
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Zimmerman's late blast lifts Nationals to 2-1 win over Padres

Zimmerman's late blast lifts Nationals to 2-1 win over Padres
SAN DIEGO - A jet-lagged Nationals lineup struggled all night at the plate against the Padres, not only to record hits in their series opener, but simply to make contact. Then one big blast from Ryan Zimmerman made up for all the swings and misses and lifted his team to a late-night victory. Zimmerman's opposite-field homer in the top of the eighth snapped a longstanding deadlock and gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead they managed to preserve thanks to more dominance from their new-look bullpen. It...
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Jackson minimizing damage early (Nats win 2-1)

Jackson minimizing damage early (Nats win 2-1)
SAN DIEGO - Despite putting himself into several jams, Edwin Jackson has managed to minimize the damage so far in tonight's start at Petco Park. Jackson, on the mound for the Nationals in their series opener against the Padres, has surrendered five hits - including three doubles - through four innings, but has allowed only one run to cross the plate. Jackson pitched around a leadoff double to Wil Myers in the bottom of the second, and completed that inning having thrown only 17 total pitches...
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Nats principal owner Mark Lerner reveals cancer, leg amputation

Nats principal owner Mark Lerner reveals cancer, leg amputation
SAN DIEGO - Nationals vice chairman and principal owner Mark Lerner, the most visible member of the franchise's family ownership group, revealed tonight why he has been absent from public view for much of the season: Lerner has been battling cancer in his left leg for months and recently needed to have the limb amputated above the knee. "Thanks very much for your concern and good wishes," Lerner wrote in a letter provided to MASNsports.com through a club spokeswoman. "I know you recognize...
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Madson goes on DL with finger sprain, Kelley activated

Madson goes on DL with finger sprain, Kelley activated
SAN DIEGO - Just when the Nationals appeared to have to solved their bullpen woes, one of their recently acquired arms has gone down with an injury. Ryan Madson was placed on the 10-day disabled list today with a sprained right index finger, an injury that is not believed to be serious but will nonetheless sideline the club's new setup man for the time being. Shawn Kelley, who already had been close to returning from a long rehab assignment, was activated off the DL and is available out of the...
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Game 119 lineups: Nats at Padres (Madson to DL, Kelley activated)

Game 119 lineups: Nats at Padres (Madson to DL, Kelley activated)
SAN DIEGO - Hello from Petco Park, where it's a spectacularly perfect day. Shocking, I know, considering we're in San Diego. The Nationals open a seven-game road trip with the first of four here against the Padres, the undercard I suppose for next week's series in Houston against an excellent Astros club. The Padres are not excellent; they rank last in the majors, scoring 3.88 runs per game, and 23rd in the majors, allowing 5.08 runs per game. The Nats, of course, have boasted the National...
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Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks

Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks
The Nationals reached a new milestone during Tuesday night's win over the Angels. They're now 25 games over .500 for the first time this season. Given the fact the Dodgers were on the verge of moving to a staggering 50 games over .500, the Nationals' achievement may not sound all that impressive. But considering the injuries they've overcome, it's no small feat. At 71-46, the Nats are currently on pace to win 98 games, which would match the club record they set in 2012. "I've been...
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With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues

With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues
He's done this twice in 16 days now, flirted with something special late in a game he's started, so it wasn't unfair to ask Gio Gonzalez when tonight he thought about the fact he had a no-hitter going against the Angels. "Oh god, I'm over that already," the Nationals left-hander insisted. "No more of that. If I can just manage to keep going into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning, I'm just happy to see that." Gonzalez has managed to keep going into the sixth and seventh innings this...
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Gonzalez cruises, Kendrick homers twice in Nats' 3-1 win

Gonzalez cruises, Kendrick homers twice in Nats' 3-1 win
Gio Gonzalez kept dominating, Howie Kendrick kept homering and the Nationals bullpen kept finishing things off tonight during a 3-1 victory over the Angels. Gonzalez tossed six scoreless innings, failing to give up a hit until there were two outs in his final frame, and continued his standout season with yet another gem. The left-hander now sports an 11-5 record and 2.49 ERA, has gone at least five innings in all 24 of his starts, has 20 quality starts, has allowed more than four runs only once...
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Strasburg on track to return Saturday, Turner takes BP on field

Strasburg on track to return Saturday, Turner takes BP on field
Stephen Strasburg appears to be on track to pitch for the Nationals this weekend after a successful rehab start Monday night. And Trea Turner appears to be on track to play shortstop for them not too much longer after that, after taking batting practice on the field this afternoon for the first time since fracturing his wrist. Today's swath of injury updates on South Capitol Street included two bits of particularly encouraging news involving two of the Nationals' most prominent rehabbing...
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Game 117 lineups: Nats vs. Angels

Game 117 lineups: Nats vs. Angels
After a much-deserved day off, the Nationals are back to work tonight, opening a very quick, two-game interleague series with the Angels. What would have been a marquee matchup between Mike Trout and Bryce Harper unfortunately doesn't carry the same luster anymore, with Harper on the disabled list after injuring his knee Saturday night. So that one head-to-head showdown between the two stars last month in Anaheim will have to suffice. Gio Gonzalez makes the start, seeking a better result than...
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Tuesday morning Nats Q&A

Tuesday morning Nats Q&A
It was quite an eventful weekend on South Capitol Street, between the weather, Bryce Harper's injury, three games in just over 24 hours, a walk-off grand slam and other assorted developments. The Nationals needed a day off yesterday (and, I suppose, so did some reporters) but everyone's back to work today, with the Angels coming to town for a quick, two-game series. Before we get to that, let's spend some time this morning taking your questions. As always, submit them in the comments section...
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Nats will keep piecing together lineup while waiting for "cavalry"

Nats will keep piecing together lineup while waiting for "cavalry"
As he tried to put Bryce Harper's knee injury into context with the rest of the ailments that have been suffered by the Nationals this summer, Mike Rizzo managed to crack a quick smile with one line. "We've got some significant WAR on the disabled list right now," the general manager said. "And we're still playing extremely well." Indeed, the Nationals already had Trea Turner, Adam Eaton, Jayson Werth, Michael A. Taylor, Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross, Stephen Drew, Shawn Kelley and Koda...
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Kendrick's walk-off slam ends Nats' long day in dramatic style

Kendrick's walk-off slam ends Nats' long day in dramatic style
They played three games in just slightly more than 24 hours, losing their biggest star to injury along the way and needing extra innings at the end of a really long day. After all that, at least the Nationals could say they walked away having won this rapid-fire series against the Giants. With a 6-2, 11-inning victory this evening made possible by Howie Kendrick's walk-off grand slam, the Nationals salvaged a doubleheader split. Combined with their rain-delayed win Saturday night (and early...
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Bryce Harper: "If I feel good, I'm going to play"

Bryce Harper: "If I feel good, I'm going to play"
Bryce Harper's initial thought when he fell to the ground in heap Friday night? The same as everyone who was watching it in the stadium and on television: He might have suffered a major knee injury to end his season. "Of course, you're going to think the worst, and I'm one of the worst at it," Harper admitted this afternoon. "I think I'm going to die every time I have a stomachache. It's definitely a bad feeling." But while the rest of the baseball-watching world woke up this morning...
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Nationals drop opener of doubleheader, 4-2, to Giants

Nationals drop opener of doubleheader, 4-2, to Giants
The Nationals may have had their spirits lifted by the news that Bryce Harper's knee injury is not as serious as they initially feared, but that wasn't enough to overcome a lack of sleep (or the Giants pitching staff) during today's doubleheader opener on South Capitol Street. Rookie right-hander Chris Stratton tossed seven scoreless innings, and the Nationals couldn't mount enough of a rally late during a 4-2 loss to San Francisco, a sour opening to a long day of baseball. Taking the field...
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Taylor grateful to return (Nats lose 4-2)

Taylor grateful to return (Nats lose 4-2)
Michael A. Taylor didn't expect it to take five weeks to return from a strained right oblique muscle. Then again, he also didn't expect to be summoned back to Washington this morning to replace an injured Bryce Harper. Nevertheless, Taylor found himself boarding a plane in Hartford early this morning bound for Washington, then hitching a quick ride to Nationals Park to be in the clubhouse in time for today's doubleheader against the Giants. Having already played both ends of Double-A...
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Harper has "significant" bone bruise, may return this season

Harper has "significant" bone bruise, may return this season
Bryce Harper suffered a "significant" bone bruise inside his left knee but sustained no ligament or tendon damage, according to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who said the starting right fielder could return to play before the end of the season. That's a far more encouraging diagnosis than the Nationals initially feared late Saturday night when they watched Harper's left leg slip on first base, causing his knee to hyperextend before he fell to the ground in pain and had to be helped...
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Game 115 lineups: Nats vs. Giants

Game 115 lineups: Nats vs. Giants
It's a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. Given everything that happened yesterday, here and nearby, at least we've got that. The Nationals and Giants are playing two today, with the original game bumped up to 1:05 p.m. and the makeup of Friday night's game scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. Which means these teams will, in theory, be playing three games in 24 hours. The bigger news, of course, involves Bryce Harper. We hope to have some kind of update shortly, so please stay tuned for that. In...
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