Doug Fister's slide continues as Pirates sink Nats 7-3

Doug Fister's slide continues as Pirates sink Nats 7-3
PITTSBURGH - Nationals starter Doug Fister has struggled to find consistency this season. The tall righty was battered often and hard from the beginning of tonight's 7-3 loss the Pirates. "It's inexcusable," Fister said. "Starting to get back to feeling better and strong and being able to locate. But missing on too many pitches over the plate. I'm not going for the right pitches at the right time. Not going after them and going with my second or third best pitch. I've just got to...

Matt Williams on Danny Espinosa: "Resilient, in every aspect"

Matt Williams on Danny Espinosa: "Resilient, in every aspect"
Yesterday's 4-3 comeback win is a perfect example to encapsulate everything that Danny Espinosa has meant to the Washington Nationals this season. Riddled with injuries all year, the Nats' list got even longer early Wednesday afternoon when Yunel Escobar left the game suddenly in the second inning. Once again, Espinosa shifted from second to third base to fill in as he had 14 other times this year at a position he had never played in his life prior to this year. Espinosa battled at the plate...

Resilient Nats deliver another comeback win to take series

Resilient Nats deliver another comeback win to take series
The Nationals were four outs from having their National League East lead chopped to one game when an improbable rally ensued, resulting in a stunning 4-3 comeback win over the Mets. There wasn't a whole lot for the soldout crowd of 41,291 to cheer about at Nationals Park for much of the day, especially after watching Yunel Escobar, the Nats' second-leading hitter, exit the game with a left wrist injury in the second inning. The Nationals found themselves down 3-1 in the eighth when Ian...

Michael A. Taylor leaps through the air for show-stopping catch

Michael A. Taylor leaps through the air for show-stopping catch
For a few tense seconds, it appeared the Nationals' early lead they built against Matt Harvey was evaporating. Trailing 5-1 in the fifth, the Mets had two runners on with two outs and Eric Campbell at the plate. Gio Gonzalez offered a 92 mph fastball and Campbell drilled it to deep right-center field. "I thought it was at least off the wall, maybe top of the wall," Gonzalez said. Then Michael A. Taylor came into the picture. With the ball screaming through the air, Taylor turned on the...

Ian Desmond homers after words of encouragement from Cal Ripken Jr.

Ian Desmond homers after words of encouragement from Cal Ripken Jr.
The struggles this season for Ian Desmond are well-chronicled. The free-agent-to-be entered tonight's game with his average plummeting to .204 after going 0-for-13 with five strikeouts in the Nationals' previous four games. But, the seven-year veteran's night at the plate ended up factoring in the Nationals' 7-2 win in the series opener over the Mets. Desmond's infield single in the third led to a throwing error by Mets third baseman Daniel Murphy, which allowed Clint Robinson to score the...

Mets feature power pitching in series with Nats

Mets feature power pitching in series with Nats
The Nationals offense comes out of the weekend smarting after back-to-back crippling performances from Dodgers aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. No time for sulking, though, as the Mets roll into town set to throw a trio of young, right-handed power arms in a crucial three-game series. The Nats hold a slim two-game lead in the National League East over the Mets, who outlasted the Cardinals 3-1 in 18 innings yesterday. New York manager Terry Collins plans to send Matt Harvey (3.07 ERA) to...

Zack Greinke dominates Nationals in Dodgers' 5-0 win

Zack Greinke dominates Nationals in Dodgers' 5-0 win
Nationals ace Max Scherzer found himself in an early jam in the first inning. After blowing three straight fastballs by Joc Pederson to start the game, Scherzer was tagged for back-to-back singles to right by Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez. Two batters later, Scherzer walked Yasmani Grandal on four pitches to load the bases with two outs. But, the right-hander battled back to strike out Yasiel Puig swinging on a heater to end the threat. Scherzer's free pass to Grandal ended a 39 2/3...

Nats win 5-3 behind Matt den Dekker's two-run homer

Nats win 5-3 behind Matt den Dekker's two-run homer
After pitching the fifth inning before the game was suspended last night, Tanner Roark retuned to the mound this afternoon to start the sixth. Adrian Gonzalez blasted a one-out solo shot to left off Roark to tie the game. It was Gonzalez's second homer of the game and 20th on the season. Gonzalez has driven all three runs for the Dodgers in the game. Dodgers right-hander Chin-Hui Tsao retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the inning. Nationals right-hander Aaron Barrett took over in...

Desmond impressed by team depth and pitching as he readies for second half

Desmond impressed by team depth and pitching as he readies for second half
The longest-tenured member of the Washington Nationals helped to preview the second half and tonight's key series opener against the N.L. West first-place L.A. Dodgers. The Nationals are in first place as well, 48-39, two games ahead of the Mets. The series with the Mets begins Monday. Shortstop Ian Desmond said the team has made some important steps in growth during the first half despite all the injuries. "I think in every facet," Desmond said of the improvements since opening day....

David Huzzard: Re-examining how free agency affects the Nationals

David Huzzard: Re-examining how free agency affects the Nationals
One of the big refrains coming into the 2015 season for the Nationals was that because of the loss of pending free agents Denard Span, Ian Desmond, Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmermann at the end of the season, the window is closing. While this has always been somewhat faulty logic, it made sense that the Nationals would have difficulty replacing four good players. But the season has not gone according to plan, and the idea that the window would be closing because of the loss of those four players...

Scherzer ready to move on after 5-0 loss to Reds: "I've had stinkers before"

Scherzer ready to move on after 5-0 loss to Reds: "I've had stinkers before"
Nationals fans haven't seen Max Scherzer pitch less than six innings this season. But Tuesday, Scherzer tossed a season-low 4 2/3 innings in a 5-0 loss to the Reds. Scherzer allowed five runs on seven hits. Reds first baseman Joey Votto did most of the damage with three hits off of Scherzer and three RBIs, highlighted by a solo homer and a run-scoring double. "I just didn't have it today," Scherzer said. "I just missed my location on a few pitches to the wrong hitters and they made me pay...

Jordan Zimmermann aims for sweep in primetime (with lineups)

Jordan Zimmermann aims for sweep in primetime (with lineups)
A red-hot Jordan Zimmermann takes the mound as the Nationals attempt to sweep the world champion Giants tonight. Zimmermann held the Braves scoreless over 15 2/3 innings in his past two starts, claiming a win and a no-decision. Zimmermann's command has been superb, walking just one while striking out 17 in his previous three outings. Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong brings a 6-6 record with a 4.19 ERA to the hill for San Francisco tonight. Vogelsong has been much better recently than his season...

Williams updates Zimmerman, Rendon, Barrett, Gonzalez and Desmond

Williams updates Zimmerman, Rendon, Barrett, Gonzalez and Desmond
Nationals manager Matt Williams had an update on first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and the plantar fasciitis in his right foot that has kept him out of the lineup since June 10. "Good. (He's) progressing," Williams said. "Zim's not quite running yet, but he's doing the other things that he needs to do to get prepared. Once that pain gets out of there, he'll be able to get running on the basepaths and move the process along a little bit." Williams said Anthony Rendon's left quad strain...

Dan Uggla leading in supporting role

Dan Uggla leading in supporting role
Dan Uggla has just one home run this year, but it's arguably the biggest homer blasted for the Nationals all season. Staring at a puzzling 7-13 start and mired in a six-game losing streak, the Nats found themselves trailing by eight runs in Atlanta on April 28. But resilience took over, and so did some heavy bats as the Nationals chipped away at the Braves' seemingly insurmountable lead before Uggla finished off the historic comeback with a game-winning three-run homer in the ninth for the...

Strasburg, Desmond are experiencing resurgences

Strasburg, Desmond are experiencing resurgences
The Nationals' season-high eight-game winning streak came to an end with Sunday night's 8-5 loss to the Phillies in the series finale. Despite the setback, the Nationals head to Atlanta experiencing the potential resurgence of two key players: right-hander Stephen Strasburg and shortstop Ian Desmond. Strasburg pitched brilliantly in yesterday's 3-2 win over Philadelphia in the first game of the doubleheader. The 26-year-old gave up just two runs on only four hits while striking out a...

Tough outing for Roark as Nationals split doubleheader

Tough outing for Roark as Nationals split doubleheader
PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies pounded out 16 hits as the Nationals fell 8-5, ending a season-best eight-game winning streak. Having burned Gio Gonzalez in yesterday's delayed postponement, Nationals manager Matt Williams made the call to start Tanner Roark in the second game of today's doubleheader. "He knew yesterday he was going to get the second game today," Williams said of Roark. "He was prepared." The Phillies pelted Roark with a barrage of ground balls that the Nationals were never...

Nats' eight-game winning streak ends with 8-5 loss

Nats' eight-game winning streak ends with 8-5 loss
PHILADELPHIA - Some opportune hitting and well-placed grounders led to four runs for the Phillies in the second inning against Nationals starter Tanner Roark. Cody Asche singled to start the frame and then Andres Blanco belted a line drive double to right. The Nationals opted to bring the infield up and Phillies starter Severino Gonzalez hit a bouncing ball to Tyler Moore, but Asche was too quick to the plate and Moore chose to take the safe out. Odubel Herrera followed with a grounder up the...

What Trea Turner's promotion to Triple-A means for the Nats

What Trea Turner's promotion to Triple-A means for the Nats
It didn't take long for prospect Trea Turner to get to Triple-A. The talented shortstop is expected to join the Syracuse Chiefs today or tomorrow in Indianapolis, more likely today, according to a source familiar with the situation. Turner spent 10 days with Double-A Harrisburg. But really he spent 68 games at Double-A, where he started the season at Double-A San Antonio. With the Missions, Turner had a 16-game hit streak. Before that he had a 10-game streak. Turner has had 25 multi-hit games...

Braves swept out of town by Nats' relentless pitching attack

Braves swept out of town by Nats' relentless pitching attack
The Nationals' starting rotation seems to be settling into a groove, which has to be a scary thought for the rest of the National League. Doug Fister was the latest to spin a gem, as the Nationals shut out the Braves 7-0 and earn a sweep of the three-game series. Fister blanked Atlanta for seven innings, helping the Nationals set a new franchise record of 41 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings for the starting pitchers. The streak began in the second inning of rookie Joe Ross' start on Friday,...

Nats offense gets to Wisler early and often in 7-0 win over Braves

Nats offense gets to Wisler early and often in 7-0 win over Braves
The Nationals did not waste any time getting to Braves rookie right-hander Matt Wisler in Thursday's getaway matchup. They scored six runs in the first three innings and cruised to a 7-0 win and a series sweep. The biggest hit was from shortstop Ian Desmond, who crushed a two-run shot to cap the scoring in the third. The Nationals pounded out seven hits in the first three frames. Wisler lasted four innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, but only four of the runs were earned. Every starter...