Murphy's magical night tempered with Drew's injury

Murphy's magical night tempered with Drew's injury
Daniel Murphy participated in the World Baseball Classic this spring as the United States went on to win the title for the very first time. But Murphy did not get everyday at-bats in the tournament. Even his Nationals manager, Dusty Baker, worried that he would have to play catch-up to get into a nice rhythm once the season started. The regular season has arrived, and Murphy has had a hit in all eight games, which is a new career-high to begin a season. Tuesday was his best game so far in 2017....

Bullpen struggles send Nats to first loss of season, 4-3 in 10

Bullpen struggles send Nats to first loss of season, 4-3 in 10
A marathon game that included more than two hours of rain delays, back-and-forth bullpen blow-ups and then extra innings ended with a first for the Nationals this season: a loss. Justin Bour's two-out double off Joe Blanton in the top of the 10th brought J.T. Realmuto all the way around from first to score the run that gave the Marlins a wild 4-3 victory at Nationals Park, a frustrating end to a frustratingly long day and night at the ballpark for the previously unbeaten home club. Despite...

Roark looks rusty in first start of season (Nats win 6-4)

Roark looks rusty in first start of season (Nats win 6-4)
Tanner Roark didn't get a lot of work this spring, and unfortunately he looks like it in his first start of the season. Roark labored through his first two innings against the Marlins, walking two batters and hitting two others. He also was charged with a wild pitch that advanced a pair of runners into scoring position. Luckily, the Nationals right-hander has been able to keep the damage to a minimum so far, allowing two runs on Marcel Ozuna's bases-loaded single in the top of the first but...

District 34 podcast: Recapping Nats' opening day win

District 34 podcast: Recapping Nats' opening day win
What an exciting opening day at Nats Park on Monday! The new baseball season got off on the right foot for the Nationals as they beat the Marlins 4-2 in front of a sellout home crowd. This opening day had everything a Nats fan could want: fantastic pregame ceremonies, strong starting pitching, home runs, efficient bullpen work and of course a Nationals victory. And an eventful opening day means we have a lot to talk about on the District 34 podcast to get you through the first off-day of the...

Updates on Murphy, Werth and Rendon (Nats fall 8-1)

Updates on Murphy, Werth and Rendon (Nats fall 8-1)
NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Red Sox 8, Nats 1 Recap: In their final Grapefruit League game of the year - but only their first of three straight exhibition games against the Red Sox - the Nationals watched as Joe Ross got his work in. Ross went five prolonged innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit batter but did strike out seven. Five regulars (Trea Turner, Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper, Adam Eaton, Matt Wieters) were in the lineup but managed only one run off Red Sox...

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Hello from JetBlue Park, aka "Fenway South," spring training home of the Red Sox. This is my first time here, and I believe that means I've now hit for the Grapefruit League ballpark cycle. (Not sure if that's something I should be proud of or embarrassed by.) Anyways, the Nationals are here for their final Florida game of the spring, the first of three straight games they're playing the Red Sox, with tomorrow's exhibition at Nationals Park and Saturday's exhibition in...

Turner, Guthrie make final cases to make pitching staff

Turner, Guthrie make final cases to make pitching staff
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - While bigger names came and went this spring, Jacob Turner remained in the Nationals clubhouse, a quiet-but-constant presence that didn't draw much attention. Here we are, though, with the club breaking camp and heading north in fewer than 48 hours, and the tall right-hander remains a member of the spring training roster, still theoretically battling for a spot on the opening day roster. The odds remain long; his only hope at this point, beyond injury to a member of the...

Relive "Nationals Classics": Some baseball to whet your appetite for the regular season

Relive "Nationals Classics": Some baseball to whet your appetite for the regular season
The regular season is so close, you can almost taste the Ben's Chili Bowl half smokes, popcorn and peanuts. It'll be April 3 before you know it. But before the Nationals host the Marlins on South Capitol Street next Monday, there are still a couple of exhibition games left - MASN broadcasts March 28 versus the Fish, then March 31 and April 1 against the Red Sox - and a smattering of "Nationals Classics" that will air in the week leading up to opening day. We've got a nice variety for you -...

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach (1:45 p.m. start)

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach (1:45 p.m. start)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We really haven't had much reason to worry about the weather this spring, but today that's unfortunately the case. The skies have darkened over The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in the last hour, and there's a good chance of heavy rain this afternoon, threatening the Nationals' game against the Mets. If the weather cooperates, Bob, F.P. and Dan will have the call on MASN, and you'll be able to watch a good sampling of Nats regulars take the field. As has been the...

Thursday morning notes

Thursday morning notes
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals roster is about to become whole again. With the World Baseball Classic now concluded, Tanner Roark and Daniel Murphy are on their way back to Florida for the remainder of the spring. Both players, who were in uniform at Dodger Stadium last night as the United States faced Puerto Rico in the championship game, are scheduled to fly cross-country today and be back with the Nationals on Friday. Manager Dusty Baker said he has tentatively penciled Murphy into...

Werth scratched with sore knee (Nats lose 5-4)

Werth scratched with sore knee (Nats lose 5-4)
NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Astros 5, Nats 4 Recap: Defense was not on display early in this game. The two teams combined to commit five errors in the first 4 1/2 innings, including three by the Astros on one batted ball. Yes, three errors on one batted ball, which turned Trea Turner's third-inning single to right into a Little League homer. Joe Ross wasn't helped out by the shaky glove work behind him, and two of the four runs he allowed were unearned thanks to gaffes by Turner (who...

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We haven't quite reached the home stretch of spring training, but we're getting closer. Starters are beginning to play more regularly and play more innings on a given day. Pitchers are being stretched out, cleared to go five innings and 75 pitches if they can get there. Beginning tomorrow, the Nationals won't even be using a designated hitter anymore, finally letting their pitchers hit. That's a shame for Joe Ross, though, because he probably enjoys hitting more than...

Relive "Nationals Classics": Sweet '16

Relive "Nationals Classics": Sweet '16
The second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament will wrap up today, meaning there will be only 16 teams remaining with national championship hopes. Here's hoping your bracket's not busted. With the Sweet 16 starting on Thursday, MASN is bringing you a couple of sweet Nationals games from 2016 this week. (Friendly reminder that we are also airing two live spring training games this week: Monday, March 20 at 1 p.m. against the Yankees and Thursday, March 23 at 1 p.m. against the...

Starting lineups: Tigers vs. Nationals at West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Tigers vs. Nationals at West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg will attempt to rebound from a poor March 8 start against the Cardinals in Jupiter when he takes the mound for the Nationals in today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Tigers. In that outing, Strasburg was tagged for six runs on seven hits in two innings. Maybe Detroit pitching will be the cure for first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's spring offensive ills. Zimmerman is 0-for-15 with three walks and three strikeouts in Grapefruit League play. Justin Verlander...

Starting lineups: Cardinals vs. Nats at West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Cardinals vs. Nats at West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Left-hander Gio González faces the Cardinals for the second time this spring in his third spring start this afternoon. He'll look to build on a successful three-inning outing from March 4 during which he allowed only a hit and a walk. In four spring innings, González has yet to allow a run. Left fielder Jayson Werth slides back into the second spot in the batting order behind shortstop Trea Turner, with center fielder Adam Eaton bouncing to the seven-hole. A...

Relive "Nationals Classics": Historic Harper and walk-offs galore

Relive "Nationals Classics": Historic Harper and walk-offs galore
Hope you're enjoying our slate of Nationals spring training games so far. Be sure to tune in later today as the Nats host their roommates at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the Astros, at 1 p.m. on MASN. New catcher Matt Wieters is scheduled to make his Nationals debut. After today's game, the next Nationals spring training broadcast on MASN isn't until Monday, March 20. So to hold you off until then, we've got a great nine-game schedule of "Nationals Classics" airing throughout the...

Relive "Nationals Classics": Clinchmas 2014 and wild walk-offs

Relive "Nationals Classics": Clinchmas 2014 and wild walk-offs
Isn't it great to have live baseball on your television again? Yeah, agreed, it's the best. Just a reminder that you have two more Nationals spring training games airing live on MASN this week: Tuesday, March 7, against the Red Sox at 1 p.m., and Sunday, March 12, against the neighbor Astros also at 1 p.m. Sprinkled around these live games are a few more "Nationals Classics" airing on MASN to keep feeding your baseball needs. On this week's slate, a memorable clinching of the National...

Despite "pure panic" moment, Werth swinging a hot bat

Despite "pure panic" moment, Werth swinging a hot bat
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jayson Werth was taking swings in the big batting cage just outside The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, just as he would normally do in the minutes leading up to a spring training game in which he was only serving as designated hitter. This being the Nationals' home ballpark, and him batting sixth in the lineup, he figured he had plenty of time before his first at-bat of the day. And then at 1:11 p.m., Syracuse hitting coach Brian Daubach quizzically looked at the...

When it comes to lineup combinations, Baker has options

When it comes to lineup combinations, Baker has options
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - When Dusty Baker's first lineup of the spring was posted yesterday morning, it was impossible not to immediately notice how the Nationals manager chose to align his top four hitters. The batting order: Trea Turner, Adam Eaton, Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper. There's certainly nothing controversial about that order. It features perhaps the fastest player in baseball leading off, a high on-base percentage guy batting second, a guy who hit .347 last season batting third and...

How the Nats-Boras relationship compares to other teams

How the Nats-Boras relationship compares to other teams
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Every time the Nationals sign another Scott Boras client, there's a round of snickering around the game of baseball. It's as if everybody's in on the joke now. Yes, the Nationals have a lot of players who are represented by Boras. They could have as many as nine of them on their opening day roster: Max Scherzer, Jayson Werth, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Gio González, Matt Wieters, Anthony Rendon, Oliver Pérez and Stephen Drew. That's as much as 36 percent...