Mark Zuckerman
Mark Zuckerman

Friday morning Nats Q&A

Friday morning Nats Q&A
It's been a couple of weeks since we did one of these, and since I'm sitting at home after making the drive back from Pittsburgh last night - MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr is en route to Atlanta and will be covering this weekend's series - this seemed like a good time to take some questions and attempt to provide some answers. I'm sure there will be plenty of inquiries about the Nationals bullpen, which is perfectly appropriate given the continued disarray of that unit. But hopefully we can...
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Mark Zuckerman

Roark trying to re-prove himself: "The game is testing me right now"

Roark trying to re-prove himself: "The game is testing me right now"
PITTSBURGH - It can be easy to forget, because he has been so consistently good for the Nationals over long stretches in his career, but things have never come that easily for Tanner Roark. This is, after all, a guy who was drafted in the 25th round by the Rangers who went 6-17 with a 4.39 ERA for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in 2012. That he turned himself into one of the better starting pitchers in the National League is in itself a remarkable achievement. So while Roark's ragged start...
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Mark Zuckerman

Nationals lose 10-4, drop second straight to Pirates

Nationals lose 10-4, drop second straight to Pirates
PITTSBURGH - Needing innings today from Tanner Roark and then quality work from his bullpen, Dusty Baker got neither. Roark's latest abbreviated start, combined with more relief struggles, sent the Nationals today to a 10-4 loss to the Pirates and a series loss at PNC Park. Baker was hoping for much better on a steamy afternoon along the shores of the Allegheny River, hoping Roark would be efficient enough to go six-plus innings and spare his bullpen some unnecessary work. But the Nationals...
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Mark Zuckerman

News and notes before today's series finale (Nats lose 10-4)

News and notes before today's series finale (Nats lose 10-4)
PITTSBURGH - It's not uncommon for veteran players to get a day game off after a night game. And given the Nationals' current schedule, with no break between today's series finale against the Pirates and Friday's series opener against the Braves, it's not surprising that Dusty Baker decided to sit both Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman. It does, however, create an imperfect lineup for today's game, with Brian Goodwin batting second, in front of Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Daniel...
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Mark Zuckerman

Game 40 lineups: Nats at Pirates

Game 40 lineups: Nats at Pirates
PITTSBURGH - We've got an early getaway day here at PNC Park, with a 12:35 p.m. first pitch on what is going to be a very warm afternoon along the banks of the Allegheny River. The Nationals will be looking to win this series, taking two of three from the Pirates before heading down to Atlanta for a weekend series with the Braves. It's Tanner Roark on the mound, looking to bounce back from a bit of a ragged start against the Phillies. The biggest thing holding Roark back so far this season...
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Mark Zuckerman

Goodwin's mistakes overshadowing his positive contributions

Goodwin's mistakes overshadowing his positive contributions
PITTSBURGH - For a guy who has played in just eight games and received only 13 plate appearances, Brian Goodwin has sure found himself in the middle of a lot of significant moments for the Nationals. Some of those moments have been positive ones, including a pair during Wednesday night's game: an RBI double to account for the Nats' lone run off Pirates ace Gerrit Cole and a pinpoint throw to the plate from center field to nail Gift Ngoepe. And some of those moments have been negative ones,...
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Mark Zuckerman

Jacob Turner runs out of gas but makes case to remain as fifth starter

Jacob Turner runs out of gas but makes case to remain as fifth starter
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals would like Jacob Turner to take over as their No. 5 starter for the immediate future. Circumstances and priorities have prevented that from happening, with the right-hander needed to help stabilize the least-stable bullpen in the majors. Tonight, though, Turner was back on the mound for the first inning, allowed to stay on the mound as long as his arm and results would allow it. And while the end result wasn't positive - the Nationals suffered a 6-1 loss to the...
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Mark Zuckerman

Pitching fades late as Nationals fall 6-1 to Pirates

Pitching fades late as Nationals fall 6-1 to Pirates
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals needed to keep tonight's game within striking distance, knowing they faced a stiff challenge against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole. For six innings, they were able to do that. Then it fell apart and any realistic hope of a comeback was dashed. A three-run homer off tiring starter Jacob Turner in the bottom of the sixth and then three more runs off relievers Oliver Pérez and Matt Albers in the bottom of the seventh carried the Pirates to a 6-1 victory over the Nationals...
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Mark Zuckerman

Why Fedde is moving to bullpen while Ross is not (Nats lose 6-1)

Why Fedde is moving to bullpen while Ross is not (Nats lose 6-1)
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals didn't make a spur-of-the-moment decision to try out Erick Fedde as a reliever. General manager Mike Rizzo said the move had been in the works for a while and was prompted by multiple factors involving both the organization's top pitching prospect and the current state of the big league bullpen. "It's a good way to get your feet wet in the big leagues," Rizzo said. "You start as a reliever, then we can gradually stretch you out and put you back as a starter at...
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Mark Zuckerman

Blanton goes on DL with shoulder inflammation, Grace recalled

Blanton goes on DL with shoulder inflammation, Grace recalled
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals hope a stint on the disabled list will do for Joe Blanton what pitching in big league games has not. Blanton was placed on the 10-day DL today with right shoulder inflammation, an ailment the veteran reliever mentioned to club officials Tuesday and may have played at least some role in his ragged start to the season. Blanton has a 9.49 ERA in 14 games, having surrendered 20 hits (six of those homers) in only 12 1/3 innings. He last appeared in a game Saturday but...
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Mark Zuckerman

Game 39 lineups: Nats at Pirates

Game 39 lineups: Nats at Pirates
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals look to make it two in a row against the Pirates tonight, though they'll face a stiffer challenge than they did last night, with Jacob Turner on the mound facing Gerrit Cole. Turner makes his second start of the season, his eighth overall appearance. The right-hander has been mostly effective, but he hasn't been stretched out since his six-inning start at Coors Field on April 24, so it's unclear how far he can go tonight. And once he departs, we'll see who's...
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Mark Zuckerman

Turner to start tonight vs. Pirates, Harper finally homers at PNC Park

Turner to start tonight vs. Pirates, Harper finally homers at PNC Park
PITTSBURGH - The Nationals have been trying to get Jacob Turner back into their rotation for a few weeks now, only to be forced to keep him in a relief role that has been more of an immediate need for the club. Tonight, they'll finally be afforded the opportunity to put Turner on the mound in the first inning. Turner will start the second game of the Nationals' series against the Pirates, named late last night by manager Dusty Baker after some careful consideration. It will be Turner's...
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Mark Zuckerman

Treinen, Romero, Glover combination works for Nats this time

Treinen, Romero, Glover combination works for Nats this time
PITTSBURGH - It's only one game, and lord knows we've been teased a few times already this season by one strong performance from the Nationals bullpen into thinking it's a sign of better things to come. So don't put too much stock in what took place over the final three innings of tonight's 8-4 victory over the Pirates. But don't ignore it altogether, either, because it did include some notable developments that could possibly portend more good things to come. Start with Blake Treinen,...
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Mark Zuckerman

After brief hiccup, Nationals seize 8-4 victory from Pirates

After brief hiccup, Nationals seize 8-4 victory from Pirates
PITTSBURGH - Just when it looked like the Nationals would be asking yet another unproven reliever to notch a save in a tight situation, a Bryce Harper blast provided some much-appreciated cushion. Harper's two-run homer that nearly left PNC Park in the top of the ninth turned a two-run lead into a four-run lead and allowed Koda Glover to pitch the bottom of the inning in a non-save situation. The rookie reliever removed any more drama from the proceedings, finishing off an 8-4 victory for the...
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Mark Zuckerman

Fedde will get look in Harrisburg bullpen (Nats win 8-4)

Fedde will get look in Harrisburg bullpen (Nats win 8-4)
PITTSBURGH - How significant is the Nationals' need for reliable relief pitching? Significant enough that they're moving their top prospect to the bullpen and will consider promoting him to the big leagues at some point to help shore up the club's biggest problem area. Erick Fedde is due to pitch in relief for Double-A Harrisburg tonight and will continue to get a look in that role, according to organizational sources. The Nationals have no immediate plans to promote the 24-year-old to the...
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Mark Zuckerman

Nationals "very confident" Scherzer will make next start

Nationals "very confident" Scherzer will make next start
PITTSBURGH - Take a glance at Max Scherzer's left knee, and you might not even notice it's anything less than 100 percent healthy right now. There's virtually no swelling, and the only outward evidence of the 100 mph line drive he took off the knee Sunday night is a small red mark with the faint sign of baseball stitching. "I'm feeling great," Scherzer said this afternoon. And so are the Nationals, who are breathing a huge sigh of relief that there do not appear to be any lasting concerns...
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Mark Zuckerman

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Pirates

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Pirates
PITTSBURGH - Hello from beautiful PNC Park, where the sun is shining and it's going to be very toasty the next three days as the Nationals and Pirates square off. The stakes aren't quite as high for this series as that other series between teams from Washington and Pittsburgh the last couple weeks, but these are important games for the Nats, who are hoping to avoid the kind of late-inning fiascos that were an issue pretty much every single night last week. Stephen Strasburg is on the mound...
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Mark Zuckerman

Tuesday morning Nats thoughts and observations

Tuesday morning Nats thoughts and observations
Some thoughts and observations on this Tuesday morning before hitting the road for Pittsburgh (with a mandatory rest stop in Breezewood, Pa., of course) ... * Trea Turner is proving to be a far better shortstop than most of us probably figured he'd be, at least in his first big league season there. Nearly one-quarter of the way through the season, Turner has been charged with only one error. He joins the Padres' Erick Aybar as the only big league shortstops with fewer than two errors to date....
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Mark Zuckerman

Taylor finding way to deliver big hits between strikeouts

Taylor finding way to deliver big hits between strikeouts
Michael A. Taylor knows he's going to be the Nationals' everyday center fielder for the foreseeable future, with Adam Eaton out for the season after tearing his ACL and no other viable in-house options for the Nationals as currently constructed. That has helped Taylor take some pressure off himself, the kind he knows he succumbs to more than he'd like as he tries to prove he belongs in the big leagues. "Definitely, I feel like I've done that this year," he said. "In years past, things...
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Scherzer OK after comebacker scare

Scherzer OK after comebacker scare
There is much that could be said about the Nationals bullpen right now. And yet, what else can be said about that group except that it is a mess and requires nightly manipulating by Dusty Baker that occasionally works and frequently does not. The Nationals won tonight's doubleheader finale over the Phillies, 6-5, thanks to Michael A. Taylor's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth that made up for Matt Grace and Jacob Turner blowing a lead moments earlier. And they won because the last man...
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