Nats overcome Bryce Harper's ejection in 3-2 win

Nats overcome Bryce Harper's ejection in 3-2 win
The Yankees came out swinging against Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann. After knocking a leadoff single, Brett Gardner scored the game's first run on Carlos Beltran's double to the right-center field gap. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly from Brian McCann plated Beltran. The Nationals answered in their side of the frame. For the second consecutive day, Ian Desmond ripped a first inning homer. The solo shot was Desmond's fourth on the season. Yankees starter Adam Warren surrendered walks...

Nats win 8-6 on Ryan Zimmerman's two-run walk-off homer

Nats win 8-6 on Ryan Zimmerman's two-run walk-off homer
Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi didn't receive a warm welcome from the Nationals' red-hot offense in the first inning. Ian Desmond, the Nats' second batter, ripped a 3-1 pitch, a 98 mph heater, over the scoreboard in right-center for a solo homer. It's Desmond's third on the season. Two batters later, Bryce Harper continued his assault, golfing an Eovaldi slider over the wall in center. The bullet, which just cleared the wall, was reviewed briefly for fan interference before the original...

Ryan Zimmerman finds relief from big three-run homer

Ryan Zimmerman finds relief from big three-run homer
The way Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's season has been going so far, the events surrounding his three-run homer yesterday were no surprise. Zimmerman has been hitting ropes this year with unlucky results. Sure, he has 22 strikeouts in 121 at-bats, but his .223 average isn't reflective of how well he has hit the ball. After battling though seven pitches in his fifth inning at-bat, Zimmerman ripped a slider from Braves right-hander Julio Tehran into the flower bed just above the left...

Harper's heroics lead Nats in walk-off win

Harper's heroics lead Nats in walk-off win
We are witnessing the maturation of a budding superstar in Bryce Harper this week. After the Nationals blew a five-run lead, the 22-year-old with a flair for the dramatics clobbered a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to close out the Braves 8-6. "Just right when I hit it, I knew it was gone," Harper said. "No disrespect to that other guy, I just knew it was gone. Got around the bases, pointed to right field because my fans out there, love them, so had to point out there. Got...

Nationals honor Frank Robinson with spot in Nationals Ring of Honor

Nationals honor Frank Robinson with spot in Nationals Ring of Honor
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson returned to Nationals Park today as the team honored its first manager by unveiling his name in the Nationals Ring of Honor. Robinson became the Nationals first manager, guiding the team from Montreal to Washington. "I take a lot of pride in it," Robinson said. "The players were great. It was a good situation for us coming from Montreal although it was kind of bittersweet to leave those fans up there." Robinson's Nationals greatly overachieved in their first...

Unreal stretch for Bryce Harper continues with walk-off homer, Nats win 8-6

Unreal stretch for Bryce Harper continues with walk-off homer, Nats win 8-6
The Nationals are on quite a roll with the long ball. Catcher Jose Lobaton joined the party in the second inning with a two-run shot into the second deck beyond the right field wall at Nats Park. For Lobaton, both of his homers this season have come off Braves starter Julio Teheran. Second baseman Danny Espinosa followed Lobaton's blast with a double to center field. Three batters later, third baseman Yunel Escobar hit a two-out flare to center plating Espinosa for the Nats' third run. Nats...

Bryce Harper's three-homer day lifts Nats to 7-5 win in series finale

Bryce Harper's three-homer day lifts Nats to 7-5 win in series finale
The Marlins opened the second inning with four straight hits against Nationals starter Max Scherzer, leading to a couple of quick runs. Nats first baseman Ryan Zimmerman helped prevent further damage when he charged in to field a bunt from Marlins starter Tom Koehler. Zimmerman then wheeled to make a perfect throw to shortstop Ian Desmond to start a huge double play. Right fielder Bryce Harper answered with a leadoff homer in the second. Harper deposited Koehler's 1-0 offering over over the...

Nationals showing ability to connect with two-out base hits and runners on base

Nationals showing ability to connect with two-out base hits and runners on base
During his media availability before Tuesday's game, Nationals manager Matt Williams was asked about the team building confidence in its offense after winning six of seven games. The Nationals have been able to win these games in a variety of ways, whether it be a late-inning comeback or grinding out a one-run lead for innings on end. On Saturday and Sunday, the Nats scored only two runs, but won each game in New York against the Mets. Last week, the current streak started with a comeback from...

Ian Desmond, Yunel Escobar will Nats to comeback win

Ian Desmond, Yunel Escobar will Nats to comeback win
No player has typified the first month for the Nationals better than shortstop Ian Desmond. From inexplicable fielding blunders to show-stopping defense, and from down-in-the-dumps batting slumps to curtain calls, Desmond has seen it all. The fielding demons came quick. Desmond's two errors in the season's first game bungled the script on opening day, costing the Nats a win. He had a staggering eight errors all together in the first 12 games, and they were expensive. In the seven games...

Escobar's "best game" leads Nats to third straight win

Escobar's "best game" leads Nats to third straight win
With a desire to add more offense to his team that had failed in the postseason, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo pulled the trigger on a controversial trade to acquire infielder Yunel Escobar for reliever Tyler Clippard in mid-January. Wow, has it paid off. Escobar turned in a 5-for-5 night at the plate that included a clutch two-out two-RBI single in the eighth to break a tie and propel the Nats to a 6-4 win over the Marlins. Escobar, who is batting a team-high .311, never had five hits...

Magnificent pitching helps Nats survive cliffhangers

Magnificent pitching helps Nats survive cliffhangers
The Nationals clubhouse was quiet last Sunday night as the players packed up having just been easily swept by the Marlins. It wasn't the start anyone expected from a Nats team that was focused on the 10-day excursion against three National League East opponents as a way to fix the surprising mistakes of the early season. Seven days later, after displaying tremendous fortitude in Atlanta, the Nationals finished the road trip, celebrating with blaring beats among a smoke-filled locker room after...

Gio Gonzalez's "masterpiece" helps Nats shut out Mets

Gio Gonzalez's "masterpiece" helps Nats shut out Mets
FLUSHING, N.Y. - An RBI infield single from rookie center fielder Michael A. Taylor in the second inning and some exceptional early defense was all left-hander Gio Gonzalez needed as the Nationals handed the Mets a 1-0 defeat tonight, their first shutout loss of the season. Gonzalez's stellar outing got off to a shaky start when Mets center fielder Juan Lagares, the game's second batter, singled up the middle. First baseman Lucas Duda followed with a double into the left field corner. Lagares...

Nats ride Gio Gonzalez to 1-0 win over Mets

Nats ride Gio Gonzalez to 1-0 win over Mets
FLUSHING, N.Y. - After threatening in the first, the Nationals put together three singles to get on the scoreboard in the second. It started with shorstop Ian Desmond breaking out of an 0-for-29 slump with his first base hit since April 24. Second baseman Danny Espinosa followed with a single. After a sacrifice bunt from starter Gio Gonzalez moved both runners up, center fielder Michael A. Taylor hit a blistering ground ball that Mets third baseman Daniel Murphy couldn't handle, allowing...

Patrick Reddington: Riding the roller coaster with Ian Desmond

Patrick Reddington: Riding the roller coaster with Ian Desmond
Nationals manager Matt Williams talked at the start of spring training about wanting to help shortstop Ian Desmond stay focused on the day-to-day this season instead of thinking big picture as Desmond began what could be his final season with the organization that drafted and developed him. Though there were rumors of a potential trade this winter as Desmond entered his walk year, Williams said he wanted to help Desmond get past all that. "I want to free his mind," Williams told reporters....

Nationals upset with Simmons' "ugly slide" that injures Escobar in 8-4 loss

Nationals upset with Simmons' "ugly slide" that injures Escobar in 8-4 loss
ATLANTA - It actually can get worse. On a night the where Nationals racked up as many errors as runs in an 8-4 loss to the Braves, most of the postgame clubhouse chatter surrounded a questionable play in the fifth inning that knocked third baseman Yunel Escobar from the game. I guess it's better than talking about why they only managed four hits on Braves starter Eric Stults, who brought a 4.50 ERA into the game. Either way, in the fifth inning, starter Doug Fister launched a pickoff attempt...

Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)

Nats hope familiar face triggers offense (with lineups)
MIAMI - Trying to get out of an offensive rut, Nationals manager Matt Williams is back to tinkering with his lineup. Third baseman Yunel Escobar and his 15-game on-base streak move back into the two-hole where he began the season. Shortstop Ian Desmond drops to sixth in the order after an 0-for-4 day ended his 10-game hitting streak. The Nationals will work to get their bats going against former teammate Dan Haren. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts this year. Something may...

Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)

Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)
MIAMI -Center fielder Denard Span gets his first day off since returning from the diabled list last Sunday when the Nationals face the Marlins this afternoon. Washington will be looking to end a three-game losing streak. The 31-year Span was tested in the outfield Friday night, especially on a couple of hard-hit balls that he tracked down in the fifth inning. After drawing a walk in the seventh, Span stole his first base of the season and eventually scored the Nationals' second run. Today...

Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight

Bullpen struggles continue as Nats lose third straight
MIAMI - The Nationals manufactured a run to get on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning. Shortstop Ian Desmond smacked a double to lead off the inning and left fielder Jayson Werth immediately advanced him to third on a fly ball to right. Desmond trotted home easily when right fielder Bryce Harper sent a rocket to center that Marcell Ozuna was able to run down. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman then doubled on a blistering liner to left-center as the Nats began measuring Marlins starter Mat...

Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)

Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)
This script has been written too many times throughout the first month of the season. Once again, poor situational hitting combined with shoddy defense led to the Nationals losing. With today's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals, the Nats drop the first series between the teams and St. Louis now holds a 13-3 record against the Nats over the past three years. "We get guys on first and third, we gotta get 'em in," said manager Matt Williams. "We can't kick the ball. We gotta play good defense...

Fister looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)

Fister looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)
Right-hander Doug Fister takes the mound for his third start of the season boasting a sparkling 0.69 ERA. Fister took the loss last June in his only game against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings. He'll look ti become the first Nationals starter to reach two wins on the season against St. Louis tonight. Center fielder Denard Span had his first multi-hit game of the season last night, going 2-for-5 with two singles. Span has hit safely in both games since returning...