Nationals push Scherzer to Friday against the Dodgers

Nationals push Scherzer to Friday against the Dodgers
The Nationals have a day off today after the Yankees series was moved to June 18. Essentially, they will face the Yankees for 12 1/2 innings with two wins on the line next month at Nats Park. The two teams renew their matchup earlier that week in New York, with two games at Yankee Stadium June 12 and 13. Here are the updated pitching matchups for this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Friday - Max Scherzer vs. Ross Stripling, Saturday - Tanner Roark vs. Rich Hill and Sunday - Stephen...
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Will Seager's season-ending injury spark Dodgers to inquire on Machado?

Will Seager's season-ending injury spark Dodgers to inquire on Machado?
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is done for the season because of an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery. Does that mean that the Dodgers will be calling the Orioles about shortstop Manny Machado, who is eligible for free agency after the season? Like the Orioles, the Dodgers are off to a slow start. The Dodgers' problems are many. They have a thin bullpen and closer Kenley Jansen hasn't dominating. Their starting pitching is thin. Pitcher Rich Hill, third baseman Justin Turner and...
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Opposite dugout: Dodgers ride winning streak into series vs. Nats

Opposite dugout: Dodgers ride winning streak into series vs. Nats
Manager: Dave Roberts (3rd season) Record: 8-9 Who to watch: 1B Cody Bellinger (.304/.342/.464), SS Corey Seager (7 RBIs), C Yasmani Grandal (.352/.435/.611with 3 HR, 13 RBIs), LF Matt Kemp (.347/.389/.592, 10 RBI, 3 HR) , LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 1.33 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 1st meeting (3-3 in 2017) Pitching probables: April 20: RHP Max Scherzer (3-1) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-2), 10:10 p.m., MASN2April 21: RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-1) vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0), 9:10 p.m.,...
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A radical realignment plan for MLB (plus Game 7 tonight)

A radical realignment plan for MLB (plus Game 7 tonight)
Major League Baseball could be headed for an expansion to 32 teams while at the same time a reduction in games from 162 to 156. That is the potential plan being considered as written about recently in this column in Baseball America. Author Tracy Ringolsby suggests we could see Montreal and Portland, Ore., recieve expansion teams. That would lead to one league with four divisions of eight teams each. It would be a radical change for the Orioles, who would no longer be in a division with the...
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In major leagues, you need both dollars and sense to win

In major leagues, you need both dollars and sense to win
Each year in October, it is interesting to see if the clubs that advanced to the playoffs are the teams spending the most money on players. As is often the case and again this year, the answer is no. There is no question that having a big payroll is an advantage. How can having the ability to outspend your competitors not be? But having a big payroll is just not a requirement to having a winning ballclub. According to Spotrac and using team cash payroll spending, the World Series will be won...
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With 104 wins under their belts, Dodgers return to World Series for first time since 1988

With 104 wins under their belts, Dodgers return to World Series for first time since 1988
The Dodgers are in the World Series for the first time since 1988, a World Series remembered for a limping Kirk Gibson's pinch-hit home run against Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in a walk-off 5-4 win in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. When the World Series returns to Dodger Stadium for Game 1 on Tuesday, the 104-win Dodgers, will play the 101-win Astros. The series will match two triple-digit win teams for the first time since 1970, when the 108-win Orioles beat the Reds, who had 102...
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Strasburg scoreless inning string ends at 35 (Nats win 7-1)

Strasburg scoreless inning string ends at 35 (Nats win 7-1)
The Dodgers found a way to score a run off of Stephen Strasburg in the second inning. Yasiel Puig singled and stole second base. With two outs, Logan Forsythe's drive went off the glove of Michael A. Taylor in deep center field for a double. Puig scored. The Dodgers lead 1-0. Strasburg's franchise-record 34 scoreless innings ends at 35. The Nationals managed two base hits off of left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu in the second inning to try to plate the equalizer. But Taylor struck out and Matt Wieters...
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Nats keep it close, but fall again to Dodgers 3-2

Nats keep it close, but fall again to Dodgers 3-2
The Dodgers beat the Nationals for the second game in a row in this series, but this one was much more competitive than Friday's 7-0 setback. Rich Hill fired five innings of one-hit, one-run ball and five relievers combined to allow one more run as the Dodgers held on to beat the Nats 3-2. Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth to record his 38th save. Nationals manager Dusty Baker called Hill "effectively wild." It came down to Hill mixing his pitches and being able to command his...
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Hill in groove, Dodgers homer early (Nats fall 3-2)

Hill in groove, Dodgers homer early (Nats fall 3-2)
The Dodgers jumped ahead of the Nationals early for the second game in a row. Facing A.J. Cole, Cody Bellinger launched a solo homer to lead off the second inning. Coming on an 0-1 pitch, it was his 38th homer of the season. In the third, Bellinger added an RBI single that scored Chase Utley, who had doubled. Rich Hill has not allowed the Nats a base hit through three innings. Anthony Rendon walked in the second inning. Hill struck out Jayson Werth and Michael A. Taylor looking to end the...
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Game 148 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

Game 148 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers
The Nationals are looking to bounce back from an uncomfortable 7-0 loss to the Dodgers to open the three-game series between National League heavyweights. Three early home runs were too much to overcome and the Nats offense struggled to get a rally going all night. The Nats do have some players on upward trends. Shortstop Trea Turner is holding steady at 40 steals on the season, one away from the all-time Nats franchise record of 41 by Alfonso Soriano in 2006. Turner has slashed .371/.421/.686...
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David Huzzard: Nats need not concern themselves with playoff matchups

David Huzzard: Nats need not concern themselves with playoff matchups
There is going to be a side story to the Dodgers-Nationals series this weekend, and like many side stories, it is flat and pointless, a time-filler to help get to the end of the season. Kind of like my run on sentences. This story is not a tale as old as time but it is one that is asked all the time of fans, players, media and front office staff: Who would you rather play in the first round? The Cubs have suffered a World Series hangover and limped through the season, but still have Anthony...
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Opposite dugout: After long skid, Dodgers no longer a lock for best NL record

Opposite dugout: After long skid, Dodgers no longer a lock for best NL record
Manager: Dave Roberts (2nd season) Record: 94-52 Last 10 games: 2-8 Who to watch: 3B Justin Turner (.326/.419/.536 with 19 HR, 67 RBIs), SS Corey Seager (.305/.385/.489 with 19 HR, 68 RBIs), 2B Chris Taylor (.296 with 19 HR, 67 RBIs), LF Cody Bellinger (37 HR, 86 RBIs), LHP Alex Wood (14-3, 2.81 ERA), LHP Rich Hill (9-8, 3.67 ERA), RHP Kenley Jansen (5-0, 1.29 ERA, 37 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2 Pitching probables: Sept. 15: LHP Alex Wood vs. RHP Edwin Jackson, 7:05 p.m., MASN Sept....
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Opposite dugout: As weather heats up, so have the Dodgers

Opposite dugout: As weather heats up, so have the Dodgers
Manager: Dave Roberts (2nd season) Record: 35-23 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: C Yasmani Grandal (.273 average with 6 HR, 24 RBIs); SS Corey Seager (.271 average with 55 hits); LF Cody Bellinger (12 HR, 31 RBIs); LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.28 ERA); RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 3.38 ERA); RHP Kenley Jansen (1.17 ERA with 9 saves). Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (5-1 in 2016) Pitching probables: Monday, June 5: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, 10:00 p.m., MASNTuesday, June 6:...
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Did the Rockies improve their bullpen enough to compete in NL West?

Did the Rockies improve their bullpen enough to compete in NL West?
The Los Angeles Dodgers will take aim at their fifth consecutive National League West championship, but their biggest rival, the San Francisco Giants, will have something to say about that, especially since they've fixed their leaky bullpen with former Nationals closer Mark Melancon. The surprise team in the division could be the Colorado Rockies. They've beefed up their bullpen and think their rotation is strong enough to allow them to play meaningful games in September. Here's a look at...
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Dreamlike sequence ends with Kershaw, Dodgers advancing to NLCS vs. Cubs

Dreamlike sequence ends with Kershaw, Dodgers advancing to NLCS vs. Cubs
Closer Kenley Jansen, his goggles pushed up on his forehead, sat on the champagne-soaked hallway floor that leads to the Dodgers clubhouse early Friday morning. He was exhausted and trying to put into words what had just happened. "When I saw that Clayton Kershaw was warming up, I said to myself, 'Am I dreaming?' " Jansen said. "It was unbelievable. It was awesome." And it was a game the Dodgers and their will never forget. They beat the Nationals 4-3 in Game 5 of the National League...
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Zimmerman, Rendon and Baker react to late game double-switches

Zimmerman, Rendon and Baker react to late game double-switches
Two of the biggest moves Nationals manager Dusty Baker had to make last night in Game 5 of the National League Division Series to get his lineup order were double-switches that took two of his best hitters out of the lineup. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman was replaced by Clint Robinson in the seventh. Then third baseman Anthony Rendon was replaced by Stephen Drew in the eighth. Rendon struggled in the series with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base in this game. But he did have a...
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Despondent over Game 5 loss, Scherzer understands Baker's decision

Despondent over Game 5 loss, Scherzer understands Baker's decision
Max Scherzer appeared to be cruising along as he pitched six scoreless innings in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The Nationals were holding a 1-0 lead heading to the top of the seventh. Then everything changed. Joc Pederson got ahold of a 95 mph Scherzer fastball and deposited it over the left-center wall to tie the game at 1-1. Pederson was the final batter Scherzer would face. The Dodgers scored three more runs for a four-run seventh inning. It was enough to lift them to a 4-3...
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Espinosa lifts Nationals to early lead (Dodgers win 4-3, take NLDS 3-2)

Espinosa lifts Nationals to early lead (Dodgers win 4-3, take NLDS 3-2)
Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer benefited from a spectacular diving catch to begin Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers. Chase Utley drove a ball deep into the gap of left-center field. Trea Turner raced to his right and dove to make the catch. Scherzer was able to get the next two batters on grounders. For the first time in the NLDS, the Dodgers did not score in the first inning. Scherzer also got the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the second inning. Left-hander Rich Hill...
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District 34 podcast: NLDS Game 5 preview

District 34 podcast: NLDS Game 5 preview
It all comes down to this: Game 5 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Dodgers. The winner-take-all game doesn't start until 8 p.m. at Nats Park, so Byron Kerr and I have a preview episode of the District 34 podcast to get you ready for tonight's showdown. With a chance to advance to face the Cubs in the NLCS, the Nationals need just one more over the Dodgers after splitting the first four games of this series. So how did we get here? What have the Nationals done...
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Nats need offense to keep rolling to advance Thursday

Nats need offense to keep rolling to advance Thursday
LOS ANGELES - The Nationals lost Game 4 of the National League Division Series, but their offense showed life again. Despite a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, the Nationals made a big comeback from being down 5-2 to tie the game at 5-5 in the seventh. In the last three games, the bats have clicked to score 18 runs. Players like Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and Danny Espinosa are contributing. Jose Lobaton had a three-run shot in Game 2 that...
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