Game 69 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks

Game 69 lineups: Nats vs. Diamondbacks
Nationals catcher Yan Gomes has not been able to get in a consistent groove at the plate this season, slashing .229/.302/.621 in 44 games. But in the last 15 games, he has made a steady climb, hitting .250 with 13 hits, four walks and eight RBIs. Manager Davey Martinez said saw an uptick in Gomes' success with the bat during the last road swing, but knows the importance of the former Indians backstop has been his work with the pitching staff. "We say he is struggling, but he is actually...

Nats rally late, then fall apart in ninth in dagger of loss

Nats rally late, then fall apart in ninth in dagger of loss
SAN DIEGO - They got the string of clutch hits they needed to tie the game in the seventh. They got a pair of scoreless innings of relief from the two righties who have shown signs of potential as reliable setup men. And then they got the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth with good execution and then a fortuitous wild pitch from the opposition. All the Nationals needed to pull off a solid win over the Padres tonight were three outs from Sean Doolittle. "You go into the bottom of the ninth...

More on Sunday's win over the Marlins

More on Sunday's win over the Marlins
More on Sunday's 9-6 victory over the Marlins, which gave the Nationals their first three-game winning streak of the season ... * Howie Kendrick's value to this team can't be overstated. The veteran utility man has come through so many times for the Nationals when they've needed him to, and has proven to be so much more than a nice bat off the bench. Kendrick, who got things started Sunday with a solo homer in the bottom of the second and then drove in two more runs in the third, now has 28...

Corbin cruises, defense shines in shutout of Marlins (updated)

Corbin cruises, defense shines in shutout of Marlins (updated)
Davey Martinez wasn't pleased at all with the Nationals' play Friday night. Yes, they beat the Marlins, but they did so in spite of themselves, booting balls in the field and burning up their bullpen on a night when their lineup scored 12 runs. Martinez wanted better play from his team. And he got it this afternoon in one of its best all-around showings of the year. Behind a four-hit shutout from Patrick Corbin, a five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth and - most importantly - some...

Nationals on the brink after embarrassing sweep (updated)

Nationals on the brink after embarrassing sweep (updated)
NEW YORK - The Nationals came to Flushing at the start of the week believing they had an opportunity to get their season back on track with a four-game series against a Mets club in complete disarray and with a manager in danger of being fired. They left town this afternoon having been swept in embarrassing fashion, having fallen to depths this franchise hasn't experienced in nine years and with serious questions about the status of their own embattled manager, who let all of his frustrations...

Kendrick locked in, Gomes on Corbin's outing and more

Kendrick locked in, Gomes on Corbin's outing and more
LOS ANGELES - The biggest element of the Nationals offense, one the team has been unable to consistently demonstrate for close to 40 games, is a power-hitting bat day in and day out. Juan Soto showed what he could do with the bat in 2018. Anthony Rendon raced out to a hot start this season but was then slowed by the hit by pitch on his elbow in Miami on April 20. Matt Adams has shown flashes of his "Big City" bat, but the injury bug bit this slugger as well courtesy a left shoulder...

On today's flurry of roster moves, plus injury updates (Nats down 6-0)

On today's flurry of roster moves, plus injury updates (Nats down 6-0)
MILWAUKEE - Though they got one key player back from the injured list today, the Nationals placed a key reliever on the IL. All while watching two players hurt during Monday night's loss avoid the IL (for now) and another key regular who has been on the IL more than a month take an important step forward his recovery. Oh, they also demoted their top prospect and recalled one of their top young starters, making him a full-time reliever for the first time. Yeah, it's been an eventful day. Just...

Nats lose two more players, another series opener (updated)

Nats lose two more players, another series opener (updated)
MILWAUKEE - The sleep-deprived Nationals landed in Milwaukee 16 hours later than scheduled, thanks to a travel nightmare late Sunday night and early this morning in Philadelphia. They had every reason to complain about their travails, and the fact they now had to open another tough road series while fielding an injury depleted lineup. But they chose to try to look on the bright side. They shrugged off their charter flight mechanical problems and wondered if somehow the whole experience might...

Pressure's on veterans to produce until lineup gets healthy

Pressure's on veterans to produce until lineup gets healthy
MILWAUKEE - The Nationals are in a real bind right now. That's not some kind of major revelation, but it's the truth. When you lose the Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 hitters from your opening day lineup, plus the guy who took over as cleanup hitter because of one of those injuries, plus the No. 4 outfielder who had been thrust into the daily lineup, you're going to struggle to score runs. Few teams could overcome that many injuries to that many important hitters. (And before anyone asks about the...

Renfroe does it again, but Soto answers back (Nats fall 8-3 in 10)

Renfroe does it again, but Soto answers back (Nats fall 8-3 in 10)
The Padres put big hitter Hunter Renfroe in the starting lineup Saturday afternoon against the Nationals. Renfroe, playing left field today, reached out and made solid contact on a Sean Doolittle changeup last night to propel San Diego to a 4-3 win in the series opener. In the second inning Saturday against Nats right-hander Stephen Strasburg, Renfroe crushed a 1-2 changeup over the left field wall. The two-run shot was his sixth on the season. Strasburg has four strikeouts through three...

Rare blast off Doolittle spoils Kieboom's debut (updated)

Rare blast off Doolittle spoils Kieboom's debut (updated)
With Max Scherzer dealing and notching his 2,500th career strikeout and Carter Kieboom providing the highlight home run in his major league debut, the Nationals should have had all kinds of reason to celebrate tonight. Even though their bullpen had surrendered another eighth-inning run in agonizing fashion, they still had Sean Doolittle on the mound in the ninth inning of a tie game. How could that scenario possibly turn sour? Welcome to 2019, folks, because it somehow did. Hunter Renfroe's...

Scherzer surpasses 2,500 strikeouts in career (Nats fall 4-3)

Scherzer surpasses 2,500 strikeouts in career (Nats fall 4-3)
Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer and Padres left-hander Matt Strahm traded punches through the first three innings on a dark and gloomy Friday night in Washington, D.C. Scherzer appeared to have a better handle on his off-speed offerings this time around compared to Saturday night in Miami, striking out six and not allowing a hit through four innings. Scherzer was hovering around 97-98 mph with his fastball early on. Strahm gave up first-inning base hits to Adam Eaton and Yan Gomes, but...

After surviving opening stretch, time for Nats to start thriving

After surviving opening stretch, time for Nats to start thriving
They faced an 11-game opening gauntlet against nothing but two division rivals expecting to win this season. They've been without their starting shortstop for more than two weeks now. They continue to have to piece together their bullpen on a nightly basis, hoping to find a combination that records the necessary outs before giving up too many runs. Things have not gone swimmingly for the Nationals so far in 2019. And yet after hanging on for Thursday's 4-2 win over the Giants, they left town...

Corbin hits his spots, finally rewarded with first Nats win

Corbin hits his spots, finally rewarded with first Nats win
The Nationals had seen glimpses of Patrick Corbin at his best, but today they saw the left-hander at his absolute best from the moment he took the mound until the moment he departed 7 2/3 innings later. And what they saw during a 4-2 victory over the Giants confirmed what they've suspected all along: This is one of the best starters in baseball. "He really wasn't giving them any chance to get into any kind of rhythm," catcher Yan Gomes said. "He was taking apart the corners. We were...

Some positive early-season developments (non-bullpen division)

Some positive early-season developments (non-bullpen division)
You know what the dominant storyline of the Nationals' season has been to date. It's been the overriding narrative in nearly all of their 14 games so far. Which sometimes pushes other players and facets of this team out of the spotlight, through no fault of their own. So as a new week begins and the Nationals prepare to host the Giants for three games, let's talk about some players and some performances without resorting to using the "B word" ... * Though individually they haven't all hit...

Scherzer makes adjustment; Martinez glad to give Taylor start

Scherzer makes adjustment; Martinez glad to give Taylor start
After allowing three runs in the first three innings Sunday, right-hander Max Scherzer prevented the Pirates from scoring again under his watch. Pittsburgh went five innings without scoring another run because Scherzer switched up his sequencing, focusing more on employing his curveball, thanks to suggestions from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and catcher Yan Gomes. "I think it was more when I kind of sat there with Yan and Lilly and thought we just needed to start throwing more...

Corbin "felt good" with slider, goes seven strong in no-decision

Corbin "felt good" with slider, goes seven strong in no-decision
One would not blame Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin if he became upset after pitching another gem and seeing the bullpen give it away late. But Corbin remained calm even without the decision, tossing seven solid innings on a rainy Friday night at Nats Park. He allowed only a Josh Bell solo homer in the second inning and then three other hits, striking out 11 and walking one. Corbin fired 106 pitches, 65 for strikes, but the Nats fell to the Pirates, 6-3 in 10 innings. "Felt good," Corbin...

More notes on Juan Soto's gigantic home run

More notes on Juan Soto's gigantic home run
Juan Soto launched an epic blast into the upper deck last night at Citizens Bank Park, building on his resume as one of the most exciting young power hitters in the game today. The three-run shot turned into the game-winner for the Nationals at Philadelphia, coming on a 1-0 pitch. The ball went over the right field foul pole. The game was tied 6-6 when Soto hit the home run. The Nats came back from a 6-1 deficit by scoring nine unanswered for the signature win 10-6 in 10 frames. Suddenly the...

Late blasts by Robles, Soto propel Nats to wild victory (updated)

Late blasts by Robles, Soto propel Nats to wild victory (updated)
PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper's early home run brought out a mighty roar from the Philly faithful. Victor Robles and Juan Soto's late home runs brought out the boos. And the Nationals-Phillies rivalry just got ratcheted up to a whole new level. Brushing off Harper's third-inning blast off Stephen Strasburg and a five-run deficit, the Nationals came storming back to stun the Phillies tonight, riding Robles' ninth-inning homer and Soto's gargantuan 10th-inning moonshot to a 10-6 victory in an...

Noll leaned on veteran Gomes on way to big league opportunity

Noll leaned on veteran Gomes on way to big league opportunity
One of the more interesting additions to the 2019 Nationals' 25-man roster is infielder Jake Noll, who earned his first shot in the big leagues. The right-handed hitting third baseman hit .314 with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs in 27 spring training games to earn the spot. He can play first, second and third base, in the outfield and be the emergency catcher. Noll said he found out Monday night he had made the team when he was called into manager Davey Martinez's office after the...