It's a beautiful spring afternoon here in the nation's capital, the kind of day you'd much rather be sitting inside a ballpark watching a game than, oh I don't know, sitting in the Senate Judiciary hearing room, to name just one alternative. ...
The real news in town is taking place 1 1/2 miles down South Capitol Street, where the Nationals are looking to make it two in a row against the Braves. And they'll do so with a new lineup wrinkle. Seeking to create some more protection for Bryce...
It's one thing to lose five in a row. It's another thing to lose five in a row to the two division rivals that currently sit above you in the standings. That has added a bit of significance to the Nationals' current slide, which leaves them at 4-5 overall and 3 1/2 games behind the Mets, two games behind the Braves (the two teams they've faced the last five games, it just so happens).
Well, after losing two of three at SunTrust Field last week, the Nats get another crack at Atlanta the next...
It's been a very pleasant, if just a bit chilly, afternoon here in the nation's capital. Would've been a great day for a ballgame. Unfortunately the Nationals and Mets don't play til 8:08 p.m., after the sun has gone down and the temperatures drop. It's going to be in the low 40s for most of tonight's game, maybe even dipping into the 30s before the end of the game. Don't worry, though, at least the Metro closes at 11 p.m. ...
OK, enough complaining for now. The Nationals kind of need to...
It's cold. It's gray. It's windy. But it's dry at Nationals Park, and it appears it's going to stay that way the rest of the day. So there will indeed be baseball this afternoon, the second game of this weekend series against the Mets, who are off to a 5-1 start and the (extremely early) top spot in the National League East division.
Given the conditions, this should be a good day to be a pitcher, especially a left-handed pitcher since the wind is blowing in from left field. And wouldn't...
Hello from South Capitol Street, at long last. Yes, after a six-game road trip to begin the season - and then quite a disastrous commute into the city this morning - the Nationals are here and ready for their 2018 home opener. They come home having won four straight in Cincinnati and Atlanta before then dropping the final two games of the series against the Braves. And they now face the Mets, who perhaps will be their toughest challenge in the division this season, owners of a 4-1 record to...
ATLANTA - For the first time in 2018, the Nationals arrive in the rubber match of a three-game set as they take on the Braves on getaway day.
Today's game follows their first loss of the season, a 13-6 setback Tuesday night against the Braves, highlighted by a pair of three-run shots from Freddie Freeman and Preston Tucker.
The Nats actually hit more home runs in the game (three), including the first of the year for Ryan Zimmerman and the fourth of the season for Bryce Harper.
Right-hander Max...
CINCINNATI - To the best of my knowledge, the Nationals have batted the pitcher eighth only 11 times in club history. All of those came in succession during a stretch in June 2011, when then-manager Jim Riggleman didn't have a real viable leadoff hitter and decided to just bump everyone else up a slot and have Jayson Werth at the top. The Nats proceeded to win 10 of those 11 games, at which point Riggleman decided to resign over a contract dispute.
The Nationals haven't batted the pitcher...
CINCINNATI - And we're back. With the anticipation and hoopla of opening day behind them, the Nationals now begin the long grind this afternoon. It's Game 2 of 162, and it's a little bit of a quick turnaround with a 2:10 p.m. start here at Great American Ball Park.
The Nationals send Stephen Strasburg to the mound for his first start of the season, his first meaningful outing since his Game 4 victory at Wrigley Field in October. The conditions won't be nearly as tough today in Cincinnati,...
CINCINNATI - They're playing a ballgame here today. No, really. They are. Pay no attention to the tarp that has been on the field at Great American Ball Park, or the rain that started falling yesterday and hasn't stopped since. It's going to clear up in time for first pitch at 4:10 p.m. That's what everyone insists, so we have no choice but to believe them.
The Nationals face the Reds on opening day for the first time, and so maybe it's appropriate that there's a first in today's lineup:...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - When they board their flight to Washington this evening, the Nationals will have played 31 Grapefruit League games over the last month. And they almost certainly will not have tried out the starting lineup they'll be using on opening day.
With Ryan Zimmerman having spent all but one day this spring playing in minor league games, and with others having shuffled in and out of the lineup, manager Davey Martinez won't get a chance to try out his ideal batting order, the...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - And so the day has come. The clubhouse is full of suitcases and boxes, players are making sure they're not leaving anything behind and there's a different energy than any other day this spring. It's time to go home, and there isn't a person here who isn't thrilled about that fact.
But first, one final game to wrap up the Grapefruit League season. The Nationals - who have a 12-16-2 record this spring, if you care about such things - face the Cardinals in one final...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We are getting down to the wire now, with only two days of spring training to go. Which means it's decision time. Davey Martinez, Mike Rizzo and others have been behind closed doors much of this morning making some tough calls. So far, the only player I know for sure has been cut is Ryan Raburn, who already went around the clubhouse saying his goodbyes. Raburn, 36, said earlier this spring if he didn't make the team he'd be calling it a career. So this can't be an...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If you've been paying attention to the Nationals' starting lineups in recent days, you've certainly noticed a new wrinkle by manager Davey Martinez, rarely seen in these parts before but a bit more common around the rest of the National League: The pitcher batting eighth.
It's happened the last three days, with Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday, Gio Gonzalez on Wednesday and Tanner Roark on Thursday night. And, if we are to believe Martinez, it's going to happen...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's not exactly ideal to have to play split-squad games this late in the spring. But with an odd number of teams training in both Florida and Arizona, somebody has to split up (or be off) every day of the exhibition season. So the Nationals drew the short straw tonight and will be playing a pair of games: home against the Astros (6:05 p.m. on MASN) and road against the Marlins (7:05 p.m.).
Davey Martinez will be staying here in West Palm Beach to watch A.J. Cole start...
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - If now is the time to start really preparing for the regular season, the Nationals are doing so by playing back-to-back night games. Might as well, right?
This stretch of two games under the lights - unusual for spring training - begins tonight on the road against the Mets and concludes Friday with split-squad night games (home against the Astros, road versus the Marlins).
Adam Eaton is starting in left field and leading off tonight, making this the first time he's...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's the warmest day of the spring here, and quite muggy. Not exactly the kind of conditions the Nationals are going to face next week in Cincinnati, but they can't do anything about that now.
The Nats and Marlins meet for the second straight day, this time in West Palm Beach following yesterday's 9-1 Miami win in Jupiter. It's Stephen Strasburg on the mound, scheduled to throw 75-90 pitches, according to manager Davey Martinez. Strasburg also will be batting eighth,...
JUPITER, Fla. - Max Scherzer gets two more opportunities to tune up before opening day - and, yes, he will start opening day for the Nationals in Cincinnati, Davey Martinez confirmed this morning - and so that process begins today against the Marlins. Scherzer already threw five innings and 75 pitches in his last outing, so look for him to perhaps extend that even farther today.
Adam Eaton and Michael A. Taylor, meanwhile, are both back in the lineup, two days after making their return from...
JUPITER, Fla. - With this week's surprise signing of Jeremy Hellickson, A.J. Cole suddenly finds himself in an uncertain position. The frontrunner for the No. 5 starter's job through the first month of camp, what exactly is his status now? Is he still competing for the job? Is he destined for a spot in the bullpen? Is he in danger of being designated for assignment?
The Nationals aren't saying anything for now, other than telling Cole to keep taking the mound and competing. Which he'll do...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been an awfully quiet spring around here, but that's starting to change. Jeremy Hellickson was in the clubhouse this morning trying on his No. 58 jersey (though the signing won't become official until tomorrow). And the Nationals lineup for today's game against the Mets has a whole lot of interesting things going on.
We'll begin with the most important development: Adam Eaton is making his Grapefruit League debut at last, nearly 11 months after tearing the ACL...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's a beautiful day here, not just for a ballgame but also for some golf. So, naturally, Davey Martinez had his entire team engage in a closest-to-the-pin competition this morning. Everyone had to hit a blind, 100-yard shot off the agility field, over the bullpen and into a circled-off area on Field 2. There were several bullseyes (denoted by three quick air horn blasts) and several more near-bullseyes (denoted by one or two air horn blasts). In the end, the team...