Tickets for potential Nats NLDS games will go on sale Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.

Tickets for potential Nats NLDS games will go on sale Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.
The Washington Nationals announced today that tickets for potential Postseason National League Division Series games at Nationals Park will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 22 at 10 a.m. A maximum of four tickets for each game may be purchased either online at nationals.com/postseason or by calling 888.632.NATS(6287) on a first come, first served basis. Tickets will be unavailable for purchase at the box office. In addition, the Nationals Park Box Office will sell a...
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Ramos homers, Zimmermann gets 12th win as Nats blank Mets; magic number at four

Ramos homers, Zimmermann gets 12th win as Nats blank Mets; magic number at four
Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann isn't dominating. He's had to work out of trouble in two of three innings today. But he's through three frames against the Mets and the game is still a scoreless tie. After a 1-2-3 first, Zimmermann allowed a one-out triple to Wilmer Flores, who got a break when center fielder Denard Span dove and missed his drive to left-center. But Flores was stranded at third when Curtis Granderson flied out to short left and Anthony Recker fanned to end the...
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Zimmermann gets ball in finale against Mets

Zimmermann gets ball in finale against Mets
Jordan Zimmermann gets the ball for the Nationals in this afternoon's finale of a four-game series against the Mets. A win gets the Nats the series victory, and the right-hander hasn't lost since July 11, going 5-0 in the 10 starts since. Against the Mets this season, Zimmermann is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA and the Nats have won all three of his starts. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is 10-for-15 in this series with five runs, a double, two homers and five RBIs. He had three hits in each of the first...
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Some Nationals notes for Sunday brunch

Some Nationals notes for Sunday brunch
The magic number for the Nationals to clinch their second National League East title in three seasons sits at six entering today's finale of a four-game series with the Mets at Citi Field. It would be nice if they could clinch at home - remember the raucous celebration in 2012? - but it's looking more and more like you'll need to make plane and hotel reservations for either Atlanta or Miami in order to take part in the festivities. If you're thinking it'll happen at Turner Field, be...
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Williams outlines plans for Zimmerman at instructional league

Williams outlines plans for Zimmerman at instructional league
We now know what plans the Nationals have for Ryan Zimmerman. Manager Matt Williams told reporters before Saturday's game at Citi Field that Zimmerman, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since July 23 with a right hamstring strain, will report to Viera, Fla., on Monday for a workout with the team's fall instructional league squad. After Monday's workout, Zimmerman will begin a carefully monitored progression in instructional league games. He will play three innings in his first game,...
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Some pregame Nationals notes

Some pregame Nationals notes
Nationals right-hander Doug Fister has feasted on the Mets during his career, going 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in three career starts against them. At Citi Field, he's 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA. In September/October (the two months are grouped together as one for statistical purposes, just March/April are), Fister has 16 victories in his career. That's his most for any month. He's got 11 wins apiece in July and August). * First baseman Adam LaRoche has sizzled in September, leading the National League in...
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Saturday's Nationals-Mets lineups

Saturday's Nationals-Mets lineups
It's rainy and cool at Citi Field, where the Nationals are scheduled to play the third of four games this evening against the Mets. Game time is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on MASN HD. According to Weather Bug, there's a 40 percent change of precipitation at 7 p.m. in Flushing, N.Y., which rises to 60 percent at 8 p.m. and drops to 50 percent by 9 p.m. Temperatures will hold steady in the mid-60s, but the rain should be gone by 10 p.m. So there's a window. A late one, but a window...
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Rendon, Desmond return to lineup for Mets opener (with MLB postseason schedule)

Rendon, Desmond return to lineup for Mets opener (with MLB postseason schedule)
The flu-like symptoms that caused third baseman Anthony Rendon to miss yesterday's game against the Braves are apparently no longer an issue, and he's back in the Nationals lineup for today's opener of a four-game series at Citi Field against the Mets. Ditto for shortstop Ian Desmond, who sat out yesterday's contest after leaving Tuesday's game early with tightness in his back. Tanner Roark (12-10, 2.91 ERA) faces Bartolo Colon (13-11, 3.96 ERA) in a battle of right-handers. For the...
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Nats, Astros pitching Palm Beach County tourism council about spring training site today (updated)

Nats, Astros pitching Palm Beach County tourism council about spring training site today (updated)
Today's the day officials from the Nationals and Astros meet with the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council to make their pitch for a new shared spring training site. According to news reports, the teams will ask for Palm Beach County to chip in almost $155 million from a hotel tax to help offset costs for the stadium project. About $50 million in funds from a state program designed to retain Grapefruit League teams would be combined with almost $57 million from the Astros and...
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Horse named after Markakis triumphs at Laurel Park

Horse named after Markakis triumphs at Laurel Park
We all know Nick Markakis has some kind of glove. What about yesterday's diving grab at Fenway Park that kept Wei-Yin Chen's perfect game intact, or the game-saving grab at the wall at U.S. Cellular Field last month? Yep, Markakis can flash the leather. But Markakis also has some pretty impressive closing speed. What's that? You say Markakis has only stolen four bases this season, six in the last three seasons and has only reached double digits in swipes twice in his nine-year career? Or...
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Nationals sign two-year working agreement with Single-A Potomac

Nationals sign two-year working agreement with Single-A Potomac
The Washington Nationals today announced the signing of a two-year Player Development Contract extension (which begins in 2015) with the Potomac Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League through the 2016 season. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Vice President of Player Personnel Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint...
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Rendon's triple-digit runs total has impressed Williams

Rendon's triple-digit runs total has impressed Williams
With three runs scored in Friday night's loss, Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon now has 101 for the season and has retaken the major league lead in that category from Minnesota's Brian Dozier (100). Rendon is only the fourth player in team history to eclipse the 100-run mark in a season, joining Alfonso Soriano (119 in 2006), Ryan Zimmerman (110 in 2009) and Nick Johnson (100 in 2006). But the triple-digit total is just one aspect of Rendon's game. In addition to playing sparkling...
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Orioles announce 2014 award winners for player development and scouting

Orioles announce 2014 award winners for player development and scouting
The Orioles today announced the winners of their player development and scouting awards for 2014, including infielder Christian Walker as the club's top minor league player and right-hander Tyler Wilson as the club's top minor league pitcher. The winners will be honored in an on-field ceremony before tonight's game against the Cincinnati Reds, with awards presented by Director of Player Development Brian Graham and Director of Minor League Operations Kent Qualls. Walker, the Brooks Robinson...
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Hearing from the clubhouse after Nats prevail in wild 14-inning marathon

Hearing from the clubhouse after Nats prevail in wild 14-inning marathon
If this was a preview of what we can expect in the postseason should the Dodgers and Nationals meet, well, sign me up. The Nats' 8-5 victory in 14 innings had more twists and turns than Mulholland Drive. Based on the run-on reactions I saw on Twitter, fans were alternately emboldened with the hope that the Nats could pull off miracle after miracle or perilously close to running out of optimism over and over. It took 5 hours, 34 minutes and required the Nationals to use 26 players, both team...
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Williams charts Zimmerman's progress, says LaRoche should be available Friday

Williams charts Zimmerman's progress, says LaRoche should be available Friday
Ryan Zimmerman is continuing the strengthening phase of his recovery from a torn right hamstring, and Nationals manager Matt Williams said Wednesday that the team would re-evaluate the next steps in the process once they return to D.C. on Friday for a six-game homestand against Philadelphia and Atlanta. "The last MRI was good," Williams told reporters in Los Angeles before the Nats faced the Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series. "He's continuing his strengthening. He's jogging and...
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Orioles recall Webb, Clevenger, McFarland; select contract of Berry

Orioles recall Webb, Clevenger, McFarland; select contract of Berry
The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-hander Ryan Webb from Triple-A Norfolk and catcher Steve Clevenger and left-hander T.J. McFarland from Class-A Aberdeen. Additionally, the club has selected the contract of outfielder Quintin Berry from the Tides. To make room for Berry on the 40-man roster, infielder Manny Machado has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Webb, 28, went 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA (42.2IP, 18ER) in 42 appearances for the Orioles earlier this...
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Williams and Harper on slugger's resurgence, plus more clubhouse chatter

Williams and Harper on slugger's resurgence, plus more clubhouse chatter
Two wins in three games against a Mariners team fighting for a spot in the postseason is nothing to sneeze at. Though the Nationals have largely had their way with the Mariners over the years, a series win in Seattle this season is significant. Losing pitcher Tanner Roark lamented one bad pitch to Dustin Ackley on Sunday afternoon: a meaty fastball that Ackley turned on for a three-run homer that helped the Mariners to a 5-3 victory and prevented a Nationals sweep at Safeco Field. The Nationals...
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Harper goes yard for second time (Nats fall 5-3)

Harper goes yard for second time (Nats fall 5-3)
You can't say Bryce Harper doesn't take instruction well. At Safeco Field, there's an eatery on the second deck in right field called the Hit It Here Cafe. Guess where Harper deposited his ninth home run of the season in the second inning? The mammoth blast, measured at 418 feet by the Mariners, staked Tanner Roark and the Nationals to a 1-0 lead. It was a no-doubter off the bat; the only question was how far it was going to carry. It glanced off a Plexiglass window of the cafe, bouncing...
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Orioles acquire De Aza from White Sox

Orioles acquire De Aza from White Sox
The Orioles today announced that they have acquired outfielder Alejandra De Aza from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league right-handers Miguel Chalas and Mark Blackmar. De Aza, 30, batted .243/.309/.354 (96-395) with five home runs, 31 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 122 games for the White Sox in 2014. In 545 career major league games, De Aza is a .268/.331/.398 hitter. De Aza has a .986 career fielding percentage in the major leagues and has seen action at all three outfield...
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Orioles recall Paredes from Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles recall Paredes from Triple-A Norfolk
The Orioles today announced that infielder Jimmy Paredes has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. Paredes, 25, has batted .258/.286/.394 in 32 games at third base and second base for the Tides after being acquired from Kansas City on July 24. He batted .305/.332/.457 in 65 games for Triple-A Omaha in the Kansas City system earlier this year. Paredes will wear #38.
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