Finnegan's injury is minor, Nats hope; Hudson begins throwing

Finnegan's injury is minor, Nats hope; Hudson begins throwing
Just as he was beginning to assert himself into a more prominent role in a bullpen that has needed more guys to step up, Kyle Finnegan has now landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Finnegan, who was removed from the roster this afternoon as the counter-transaction to Max Scherzer's activation off the IL, hurt himself while throwing the final pitch of a quick (and very effective) relief appearance Sunday against the Mets. Summoned out of the bullpen to replace a...

Hudson's IL stint highlights flurry of roster moves

Hudson's IL stint highlights flurry of roster moves
The Nationals made a flurry of roster transactions in advance of today's doubleheader against the Giants, most of them necessitated by their need to have fresh arms for the 14 innings scheduled on the heels of what turned into a bullpen game after Max Scherzer departed with a tweaked groin after recording only one out. The promotions of right-handers Jefry Rodriguez (who may start tonight's second game) and Andres Machado (designated as the 27th man for both games) from Triple-A Rochester...

Bleary-eyed Nats tried to rest up before postponed opener

Bleary-eyed Nats tried to rest up before postponed opener
The Nationals' 11-inning win Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., ended at 11:30 p.m. The team bus departed Tropicana Field about an hour later and headed for the airport, where a charter flight awaited. That plane landed at Dulles International Airport maybe an hour before the sun rose, and by the time Davey Martinez was back in his home and put his head on his pillow, morning rush hour was in full swing. "I didn't go to sleep 'til 6:30, woke up at 11:30, rip-raring to go," the...

Nats battle back, then battle back again to win in 11 (updated)

Nats battle back, then battle back again to win in 11 (updated)
All the Nationals needed to do to win tonight's game at Tropicana Field was overcome a disastrous first inning from their starter, take an early lead thanks to three home runs, watch their bullpen blow that lead in regulation to force extra innings, score two runs in the top of the 10th with a rare display of situational hitting, watch their closer blow that lead in the bottom of the 10th while his pitch count soared to levels not seen in five years, retake the lead in the top of the 11th with...

Scherzer wins duel with Wheeler as Nats beat Phillies (updated)

Scherzer wins duel with Wheeler as Nats beat Phillies (updated)
The script couldn't have gone any better for manager Davey Martinez and the Nationals on Friday night. Unsure of his starting pitcher for Sunday's series finale in Philadelphia, and needing length from his next two starters to preserve the bullpen, Martinez turned to Max Scherzer to provide one of his usual deep outings to start this series against a division rival. And Scherzer did just that, winning a pitchers' duel with Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and helping the Nationals take the...

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)
The Nationals hadn't been in very many games like this in 2021. Back-and-forth affairs with late-night swings of leads and emotions were the norm during their championship run in 2019 and also were a regular occurrence during their disappointing 2020 season. This year? Most games saw one team take an early lead and hold it late, with very little late drama. That made tonight's contest down in Atlanta feel like some kind of blast from the past. An old-fashioned, tension-filled showdown with a...

Nats melt down late to cap doubleheader sweep (updated)

Nats melt down late to cap doubleheader sweep (updated)
At the end of a miserable day and night - weather-wise and baseball-wise - there really aren't any silver linings for the Nationals to hang their caps on. Swept by the Brewers over the course of 14 innings of poorly executed baseball, they look very much like the last-place team they are this Memorial Day weekend. Yes, there are four months of baseball still to go. And if any franchise has proven how much can change in four months, this is it. But what reasons for optimism are the Nationals...

Back of bullpen secures victory of suspended game (updated)

Back of bullpen secures victory of suspended game (updated)
With five innings on tap this afternoon to complete the game that only lasted four innings Wednesday night before a storm barreled through town, then a seven-inning game still to come later tonight as part of this pseudo-doubleheader, Nationals manager Davey Martinez had to concoct a pitching plan that would give his club the best chance to win both games. And when the Nats added to the three-run lead they already held when Wednesday's game was suspended, the path should've been simple for...

Bullpen vets hang on, secure series sweep for Nats (updated)

Bullpen vets hang on, secure series sweep for Nats (updated)
During the course of one ballgame, a manager's toughest decision often boils down to the following question: Do everything in your power to win today's game or hold back in order to protect overused players for the long haul? There's never one right answer to the dilemma, and a skipper can twist himself into knots trying to justify either approach. So when this very quandary arose this afternoon on South Capitol Street and Davey Martinez had to decide whether it was worth playing all of his...

Nationals remain committed to Hand as closer

Nationals remain committed to Hand as closer
On a day when pitchers across the board were getting hit hard, often over the fence, the sight of Brad Hand trotting in from the bullpen for the top of the ninth couldn't have been especially comforting for Nationals fans. Less than 24 hours removed from the latest in a concerning string of shaky outings, here was Hand again entrusted by manager Davey Martinez to close out a wild 12-9 victory over the Orioles. And it wasn't unfair to question if he was the right man for the job at this moment...

Nats finally deliver big blasts, win slugfest over Orioles (updated)

Nats finally deliver big blasts, win slugfest over Orioles (updated)
The Nationals, believe it or not, actually are capable of hitting with runners in scoring position. And scoring in bunches. Even hitting a grand slam. And, most significantly, coming back from a sizeable deficit to win a ballgame. Yes, they do have the ability to do all of those things. Perhaps not as frequently as everyone would like, but that skill set is buried away deep inside the 26 men who wear curly W helmets when they step to the plate, ready to come out every once in a while. And when...

Still thriving, Hudson tries to enjoy every moment he's got left

Still thriving, Hudson tries to enjoy every moment he's got left
Daniel Hudson was sitting at home in Arizona last winter, contemplating his memorable 2019 run to a World Series title and the frustrating and surreal 2020 that followed, and made a vow to himself to enjoy the 2021 season no matter what. Why? Because he has no idea at this point if he'll even get a chance to be on a big league mound in 2022. "This is the last year on this contract, and I don't know what's going to happen next year. I really don't," the 34-year-old Nationals reliever said...

Scherzer carves up Yankees, but Nationals fall in 11th (updated)

Scherzer carves up Yankees, but Nationals fall in 11th (updated)
Snarling, grunting Max Scherzer will stomp around the mound like a predator stalking his prey. But his alter ego - masterful, riveted Max Scherzer, who carves up an opposing lineup - can be just as intimidating and effective. The Yankees saw a little of both versions on Saturday in a 4-3 victory over the Nationals, punctuated by a season-high 14 strikeouts by Scherzer plus a couple of notable achievements in the record books by the ace, who was long gone by the time an infield hit scored the...

While lineup struggles, Nats pitching staff is living up to billing

While lineup struggles, Nats pitching staff is living up to billing
The Nationals were just swept by the Braves in large part because of their lack of offensive production, especially in key moments late in games. On the flip side, though, they were in a position to have a chance to rally late because of their pitching staff, which is starting to perform like it was supposed to all along. The Nats sport a 4.06 ERA overall through 27 games, which ranks 17th in the majors. Nothing to get too excited about. Except the staff is trending in the right direction,...

April by the numbers

April by the numbers
April has come and gone for the Nationals, and nobody can say they saw the season's first month playing out the way it did. A COVID-19 outbreak sidelining nine players? Injuries to Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg? An implosion by Patrick Corbin? A complete lack of production from Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber? There were, of course, surprisingly positive developments as well. Who expected Joe Ross and Erick Fedde to become consistently dominant pitchers? Josh Harrison and Yadiel Hernandez to...

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season
It's been a while since the Nationals opened a season with a reliable bullpen. How long? Try five years. Way back in 2016, if anyone can remember ancient history, Dusty Baker's relief corps enjoyed a dominant April. That group ended the season's opening month with a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, led by Jonathan Papelbon's eight saves, Shawn Kelley's 0.00 ERA and contributions from the likes of Blake Treinen, Matt Belisle, Oliver Pérez and Yusmeiro Petit. Yeah, things have changed just a bit...

Under the circumstances, Nats' 7-9 start is worthy of praise

Under the circumstances, Nats' 7-9 start is worthy of praise
To suggest the Nationals' season to date has been anything but a disappointment would be inaccurate and a far too rosy view of the situation. Between injuries, pitching blowups, struggling regulars and some really ugly games, there have been a lot of negative developments already in the last 2 1/2 weeks. And yet, when you consider all that has befallen this team in such a short amount of time, and the stiff competition it has faced through the season's first 16 games, it's not unreasonable...

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)
Max Scherzer still has it, thank you very much. And the Nationals bullpen still has some intestinal fortitude, in case you were wondering. On a cold, windy late afternoon in which their offense asked them to make one early run hold up, Scherzer and three Nats relievers did just that, eking out a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals by the skin of their teeth to capture their second series in a week from St. Louis. "We'd like to win by more," Scherzer said on Zoom afterward. "But hey, sometimes...

The positives and the negatives after two weeks

The positives and the negatives after two weeks
The Nationals' 2021 season is only two weeks old, but boy does it feel like a lot has happened already or what? It's been an eventful 13 days since they took the field to face the Braves after seeing their first four scheduled games of the year postponed due to their COVID-19 outbreak. Prominent players have gone on the injured list, prominent players have come off it. There have been two walk-off wins and there have been two blowout losses. There have been lights-out pitching performances...

Schwarber's walk-off bomb sends Nats to victory (updated)

Schwarber's walk-off bomb sends Nats to victory (updated)
Max Scherzer gave the Nationals exactly what they needed, reminding everyone this team still is built on the broad shoulders of a rotation that may be showing cracks in some spots but remains rock-solid at the very top. Great starting pitching, however, can't win a ballgame all by itself. Somebody's got to score a run at some point. Which the Nats finally did in the bottom of the ninth. On the first official Schwarbomb in club history. Kyle Schwarber launched a 463-foot moonshot onto the...