Pérez and Albers keep Marlins at bay on way to 8-3 win

Pérez and Albers keep Marlins at bay on way to 8-3 win
The big moment defensively for the Nationals in Tuesday's divisional matchup with the Marlinscame in the top of the seventh. The Nats were clinging to a 5-2 lead, but the Marlins started the inning with two singles off starter Edwin Jackson. Dee Gordon sacrificed back to Jackson, whose throw to Ryan Zimmerman at first base was off line, allowing a run to score. Suddenly, the Nats' lead was cut to 5-3. Jackson intentionally walked the dangerous Giancarlo Stanton, who had already connected with...

Turner ready to play daily, Difo ready for new role (we're underway)

Turner ready to play daily, Difo ready for new role (we're underway)
Trea Turner could have stayed on rehab in the minors, taking more at-bats in a low-pressure situation and finding his groove before returning to the Nationals lineup. But his fractured right wrist has healed, his body feels equipped to play every day at the big league level and he believes he's ready to return after a stint on the disabled list of exactly 60 days. "That's the one thing I wanted to do: I wanted to get back here as fast as I could, because I wanted to get those at-bats against...

Two of Nats' biggest stars guide team to 11-2 win over Marlins

Two of Nats' biggest stars guide team to 11-2 win over Marlins
Two of the Nationals' biggest stars returned to the lineup Monday night and sent another signal to the rest of the division that they are still the team to beat in the National League East. Max Scherzer pitched seven innings and allowed one run, while Jayson Werth crushed a two-run shot in his second at-bat in nearly three months as the Nats rolled past second-place Marlins 11-2. Werth slammed the two-run homer in the fourth inning. On a 3-2 pitch, Werth launched the homer down the left field...

Werth and Scherzer return; Bautista and Stevenson sent down

Werth and Scherzer return; Bautista and Stevenson sent down
The Nationals have reinstated right-hander Max Scherzer and outfielder Jayson Werth prior to tonight's series opener against the Miami Marlins. Scherzer has been on the 10-day disabled list with neck inflammation and will make the start tonight. Werth has been out since June 4 with a broken left foot. He will bat seventh and play right field. The club optioned outfielders Rafael Bautista and Andrew Stevenson to Triple-A Syracuse. Also, the Nats announced that infielder Stephen Drew has been...

Gonzalez and Taylor appreciate addition of Wieters

Gonzalez and Taylor appreciate addition of Wieters
One clear strength of the Nationals this season has been the play of catcher Matt Wieters. His guidance and work with starter Gio Gonzalez has been a major reason why the left-hander is off to his best start with the Nats since 2012. Gonzalez is 13-5 with a 2.40 ERA - the 13 wins the most he has earned since the 21-8 campaign in 2012. Gonzalez has been able to re-employ his curveball with success this season - a pitch that batters were sometimes spitting on last year. Now, with Wieters behind...

Nats bullpen works overtime to salvage doubleheader split

Nats bullpen works overtime to salvage doubleheader split
Dusty Baker spent the season's first half needing to piece together the final innings of games with a hodgepodge of relievers, seeking anyone available who reasonably could succeed in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. That issue finally was resolved in late July with the acquisitions of Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, presenting Baker at last with stability at the back end of his bullpen ... for a couple of weeks. Madson's placement on the disabled list with a sprained...

Jackson on pinch-running and making final out at the plate

Jackson on pinch-running and making final out at the plate
Edwin Jackson has been asked to pinch-run enough times before - 13 times in his career, four times since joining the Nationals last month - that by now he knows when to anticipate it. And he knows to be prepared to be thrown into a meaningful game situation. "I like doing it," the veteran pitcher said. "I like being a part of the game. And fortunately, the situations I'm in are normally like those type of situations, where the game is on the line. Either you're trying to tie the game or...

Velocity down, but Fedde feels more comfortable

Velocity down, but Fedde feels more comfortable
Right-hander Erick Fedde made his third big league start in Sunday's first game of a doubleheader with the Mets. The Nats came up a bit short in the 6-5 setback. Fedde lasted six innings for the no-decision, but gave up a three-run shot to Asdrúbal Cabrera in the first inning and a two-run homer to Wilmer Flores in the third. Down 5-0, the Nats climbed back into the game to tie it at 5-5 before an Amed Rosario homer lifted the Mets to the final margin. Fedde's velocity seemed well down...

Taylor's arm helps prevent big Mets inning twice in Nats' win

Taylor's arm helps prevent big Mets inning twice in Nats' win
The Nationals provided an aggressive start with four quick runs Saturday and Gio Gonzalez did the rest, going 6 2/3 innings for his 13th win of the season in a 9-4 defeat of the Mets. It all started with defense in the first inning. With a man in scoring position and two outs, Wilmer Flores singled to center field. Michael A. Taylor scooped up the ball and threw home to Matt Wieters, who tagged out Asdrúbal Cabrera sliding near home plate for the third out. Then, facing Robert Gsellman, the...

Sanchez gets hit by pitch in scary moment, bounces back in 9-4 win

Sanchez gets hit by pitch in scary moment, bounces back in 9-4 win
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez continued to pitch well and the Nationals held on after a quick start for a 9-4 victory over the Mets. But the story of the game was second baseman Adrián Sanchez, who came up big on offense and also took a fastball to the chest in a scary moment late in the game. Sanchez had a two-run single to highlight the Nats' four-run first frame. In the eighth inning, squaring to bunt, he was hit in the chest by a 97 mph fastball from Mets right-hander Jeurys Familia. Sanchez...

Scherzer, Zimmerman are close; Werth, Turner take positive steps

Scherzer, Zimmerman are close; Werth, Turner take positive steps
First baseman Ryan Zimmerman confirmed it was not his left shoulder that he felt discomfort in Thursday in Houston. The biggest update today was that Zimmerman said it was his left triceps instead. "It wasn't really inside the shoulder, so that was good," Zimmerman said. "I was swung yesterday. It was just a little sore." Zimmerman even had discussions during Friday's game against the Mets with manager Dusty Baker about possibly pinch-hitting. "I told him (I could), but he had (Anthony...

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
Manager Dusty Baker opted to give left-hander Gio Gonzalez an extra day of rest following a 121-pitch effort in his last start. Today, Gonzalez faces off against the division rival Mets. The 4-1 win over the Padres last Sunday was another prime example of the 2017 Gonzalez: one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Baker is keen on giving Gonzalez and the other starters a day of rest or more in the season's final month with the Nationals well out ahead...

Late flight, quick turnaround force lineup changes (Nats lose 4-2)

Late flight, quick turnaround force lineup changes (Nats lose 4-2)
It was 4:20 p.m., 2 hours and 45 minutes away from first pitch, and Dusty Baker was still in street clothes. A decent number of Baker's players had yet to arrive in the clubhouse, with reporting time pushed all the way back to 4:45 p.m., much later than normal. Batting practice? That was canceled. Such were the accommodations the Nationals had to make after a 4:30 a.m. arrival from Houston following Thursday night's game, with the opener of this weekend's series against the Mets looming at...

Scherzer throws in bullpen, appears good to return Sunday

Scherzer throws in bullpen, appears good to return Sunday
Max Scherzer appears to be good to go Sunday against the Mets. Scherzer threw off the bullpen mound at Nationals Park this afternoon, the final step he said was necessary to be able to start a game two days later. The Nationals ace was in full uniform as he threw his bullpen session with pitching coach Mike Maddux alongside, standard practice for all members of the rotation in their between-starts routine. He didn't stop to take questions from reporters as he walked down the dugout steps and...

Strasburg "not worried" about calf cramp after six scoreless innings

Strasburg "not worried" about calf cramp after six scoreless innings
HOUSTON - Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg managed to throw six scoreless innings against the top-scoring club in the major leagues Thursday night, despite having to deal with a cramp in his left calf as the game wore on. Strasburg began the sixth inning by striking out Derek Fisher and George Springer. He allowed a double to Alex Bregman, but then got Jose Altuve on a screaming liner that was caught by Howie Kendrick in left field to end the inning. Strasburg surrendered only three...

Nats find way to win in extras after blowing late lead

Nats find way to win in extras after blowing late lead
HOUSTON - The Nationals were teetering on losing the series against the Astros after Stephen Strasburg had put together six scoreless frames. Houston scored three runs on five hits in the final two innings to erase a 3-0 Nats lead. But the Nats then managed to come up with two huge runs to down the Astros 5-4 in 11. An Anthony Rendon sacrifice fly and a Matt Wieters RBI single gave the Nats a 5-3 lead in the 11th. J.D. Davis answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, but Sammy...

Baker to monitor starters' schedules as final month approaches

Baker to monitor starters' schedules as final month approaches
HOUSTON - Manager Dusty Baker is monitoring how many games his starters will play in the next four weeks as the club closes in on its second straight division title. Nationals starting pitchers have thrown 115 or more pitches in a game 11 times this season. That mark is the most among major league teams, with Boston having reached that plateau 10 times this season. Red Sox and former Nats starter Doug Fister threw 114-pitch one-hitter complete game in Tuesday night's 9-1 victory over the...

Scherzer improving, Cole will start Friday

Scherzer improving, Cole will start Friday
HOUSTON - Manager Dusty Baker said right-hander A.J. Cole will start Friday for the Nationals in their series opener against the Mets. The Mets series is four games in three days. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start Saturday's game. Right-hander Tanner Roark is slated to start one of the two games Sunday. Right-hander Max Scherzer could be the starter for Sunday night if he throws a bullpen session without issues Friday in D.C. "Bullpen soon. It's not all gone," Scherzer said of the neck...

Edwin Jackson proving he deserves postseason consideration

Edwin Jackson proving he deserves postseason consideration
HOUSTON - The experience that Edwin Jackson brings to the mound for the Nationals in his second tenure with the club is paying dividends. Despite a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, Jackson continues to demonstrate his ability as a starter by going deep into games without getting flustered. Jackson allowed a solo homer to Jake Marisnick, and that very likely would have been the only run he would have given up if Michael Taylor and Andrew Stevenson had not miscommunicated on Jose...

Jackson pitches well, but Kelley's troubles continue in 6-1 loss

Jackson pitches well, but Kelley's troubles continue in 6-1 loss
HOUSTON - Edwin Jackson did his job, and the Nationals still had a shot. They were down 2-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth Wednesday night. But the Astros went after the Nats bullpen and tallied four runs in the frame, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Alex Bregman as Houston evened the series with a 6-1 win. Right-hander Shawn Kelley gave up the Bregman shot, his 11th homer allowed in 25 games this season. Manager Dusty Baker explained what he saw from Kelley in the at-bat...