Scherzer not ready for Friday return; notes on Madson and Jackson

Scherzer not ready for Friday return; notes on Madson and Jackson
HOUSTON - Right-hander Max Scherzer will not make his next start Friday, according to Nationals pitching coach Mike Maddux. Scherzer's neck is still sore and not responding as well as he had hoped. On Tuesday, there was some optimism that Scherzer would be able to come of the disabled list for Friday's series opener against the Mets. But Scherzer told reporters it would be "days, not weeks" that he would be pushed back because of the neck problem. Manager Dusty Baker and Maddux hope that...

Game 124 lineups: Nats at Astros (game moved to MASN2)

Game 124 lineups: Nats at Astros (game moved to MASN2)
HOUSTON - The Nationals again got off to a nice start in the opening game of a road series, dropping the American League West-leading Astros 4-3. The Nats are 27-14 (.659) this season in series openers. On the road, they are 15-6 (.714) in series openers, including four straight wins at Miami, Chicago against the Cubs, San Diego and Houston. With a win tonight, the Nats would improve to 13-7-1 in road series. They have won a National League-best 40 games on the road this season. The Nats have...

Roark uses breaking pitch to get himself back in the game

Roark uses breaking pitch to get himself back in the game
HOUSTON - Tanner Roark battled with a first place American League lineup Tuesday, taking each punch in the first three innings, but never allowing a knockout blow. The Astros scored three runs in three innings to begin, but then nothing else as the Nationals mounted a comeback 4-3 victory. Matt Wieters' two-run shot erased their final deficit and Roark did not allow a run in his final 2 2/3 innings of work to improve to 10-8. It marks the third season of the past four that Roark has reached...

Bullpen builds confidence with another gem in 4-3 road win

Bullpen builds confidence with another gem in 4-3 road win
HOUSTON - The Nationals began their series with another first-place team in the Astros on their home field and came away with a hard-fought 4-3 win. The Nats took the lead 4-3 on a Matt Wieters fourth-inning two-run homer. Thanks to a resurgent Tanner Roark, the bullpen and some timely defense, the Nats held Houston to no runs on three hits over the final six innings. A big reason for the win was the effort turned in by the bullpen. Over the final 2 2/3 innings, Oliver Pérez, Joe Blanton,...

Updates on Scherzer, Madson, Harper, Werth and Turner

Updates on Scherzer, Madson, Harper, Werth and Turner
HOUSTON - It has been a couple of days since the last update on right-handers Max Scherzer and Ryan Madson, so they were a hot topic with Nationals manager Dusty Baker prior to Tuesday night's opener against the Astros. Scherzer was getting treatment with the club at Minute Maid Park and made his way out to the field for batting practice, stretch and warm-ups looking normal. Baker confirmed the treatment plan for Scherzer and is still targeting Friday's home game against the Mets as his...

With injuries ravaging lineup, bullpen finally carrying Nats

With injuries ravaging lineup, bullpen finally carrying Nats
SAN DIEGO - Eleven of their players currently reside on the disabled list, including the leading candidate for National League MVP, the leading candidate for the Cy Young Award, last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up, the franchise's veteran leader and a key reliever with a 1.68 ERA. Their ace was a late scratch from his scheduled start Friday night, leaving the club with no time to get a replacement starter flown in from the East Coast. Their All-Star second baseman was a late scratch from...

Gonzalez goes the extra mile to earn 12th win of the season

Gonzalez goes the extra mile to earn 12th win of the season
SAN DIEGO - Gio Gonzalez walked off the mound after retiring the side in the bottom of the sixth this afternoon. He had put in a full day's work, throwing 105 pitches and holding the Padres to one unearned run, overcoming some shoddy defense in the first inning to keep his pitch count relatively manageable throughout. Under normal circumstances, Dusty Baker probably would have shaken Gonzalez's hand and thanked him for his efforts. These weren't normal circumstances, though, not at the end...

Fresh Strasburg is sharp in six-inning return from DL

Fresh Strasburg is sharp in six-inning return from DL
SAN DIEGO - The Nationals entered tonight's game at Petco Park with a simple, primary goal: Get Stephen Strasburg through a full start healthy. Not that they didn't care about trying to beat the Padres as well, but that goal - if they were willing to be honest about it - was secondary to the more pressing matter at hand. This is what happens when you own a 14-game lead on Aug. 19, with a magic number already down to 28 despite six more weeks of regular season games left on the schedule. So...

In a bind, Nationals get a pitching gem from six relievers

In a bind, Nationals get a pitching gem from six relievers
SAN DIEGO - The task - getting nine innings out of a menagerie of relievers after Max Scherzer had to be scratched from Friday night's start - was daunting enough. Dusty Baker simply hoped he could get through this game without burning up his entire pitching staff, let alone actually beat the Padres. But when emergency starter Matt Grace was able to go 4 1/3 innings without surrendering a run, a task that felt awfully daunting at the beginning of the night suddenly felt doable. And thanks to...

Scherzer insists he'll be ready to start Friday vs. Mets

Scherzer insists he'll be ready to start Friday vs. Mets
SAN DIEGO - Max Scherzer has been through this before. Only two weeks ago, as a matter of fact. Which is why the right-hander was massively annoyed but also confident that his inability to start tonight at Petco Park due to inflammation in his neck isn't cause for major concern. "It's just frustrating," he said following the Nationals' 7-1 win over the Padres, made possible by nine innings from six relievers. "I can sit here and laugh at it, because I know what the cause of this is and I...

Scherzer scratched, placed on DL with recurring neck injury

Scherzer scratched, placed on DL with recurring neck injury
SAN DIEGO - Max Scherzer thought his neck troubles were behind him. Turns out they aren't. And because of it, the Nationals are going to need to ask their bullpen to pitch an entire game tonight. And then someone else to make a start next week. Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start against the Padres after reporting the same problem that forced him out of his Aug. 1 start in Miami. This time, however, the issue was on the other side of his neck, prompting the Nationals to place...

With fewer pitches, Jackson is finding more success

With fewer pitches, Jackson is finding more success
SAN DIEGO - If it's not the first line of Edwin Jackson's baseball-playing obituary, it won't be much farther down from the lede. The most memorable game of Jackson's career, whenever it's finally over, almost certainly will be his June 25, 2010 no-hitter with the Diamondbacks. A no-hitter that included eight walks and a staggering 149 pitches. That game, more than any other, has come to encapsulate Jackson's long career. He's always had some of the best stuff in the sport, but even at...

Even with banged-up eye, Taylor makes one of top catches of season

Even with banged-up eye, Taylor makes one of top catches of season
Michael A. Taylor got hit in face on a foul tip and then made one of the more amazing diving catches in the Nationals' 3-2 setback Wednesday to the Angels. All in a day's work for the center fielder, who is just returning from an oblique injury. In the sixth, Taylor got hit with a foul tip that bounced close to home plate and then back up near his right eye. After being dazed for a moment, he returned to the batter's box and completed the at-bat. "I really didn't see it coming," Taylor...

Zimmerman homers, but Roark and Nats come up short

Zimmerman homers, but Roark and Nats come up short
The Angels had one more big hit than the Nationals did on Wednesday, and that was enough to take away a 3-2 getaway day win. Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-run shot to set the tone for the Nats early, but that was all the offense they could muster as Ricky Nolasco pitched 5 2/3 innings and three relievers held the Nats to four hits and no runs the rest of the way. Even with the loss, the Nats ended up winning two out of three series for the homestand. Zimmerman likes that and said Nolasco...

Nats welcome De Aza, Goodwin to DL

Nats welcome De Aza, Goodwin to DL
The Nationals this morning selected the contract of outfielder Alejandro De Aza from Triple-A Syracuse and placed outfielder Brian Goodwin on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain. Further, the Nationals transferred shortstop Trea Turner (right wrist fracture) on the 60-day disabled list to open a 40-man roster spot for De Aza. Goodwin's DL stint is retroactive to Aug. 14. The 33-year-old De Aza was signed June 14 and was hitting .280 with 11 doubles, four homers, 25 walks and 19...

Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks

Nationals keep winning, despite few actual winning streaks
The Nationals reached a new milestone during Tuesday night's win over the Angels. They're now 25 games over .500 for the first time this season. Given the fact the Dodgers were on the verge of moving to a staggering 50 games over .500, the Nationals' achievement may not sound all that impressive. But considering the injuries they've overcome, it's no small feat. At 71-46, the Nats are currently on pace to win 98 games, which would match the club record they set in 2012. "I've been...

With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues

With another gem, Gonzalez's season of dominance continues
He's done this twice in 16 days now, flirted with something special late in a game he's started, so it wasn't unfair to ask Gio Gonzalez when tonight he thought about the fact he had a no-hitter going against the Angels. "Oh god, I'm over that already," the Nationals left-hander insisted. "No more of that. If I can just manage to keep going into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning, I'm just happy to see that." Gonzalez has managed to keep going into the sixth and seventh innings this...

Kendrick hits two against his old team, Nats prevail 3-1

Kendrick hits two against his old team, Nats prevail 3-1
Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo loved the value he received in acquiring a veteran hitter like Howie Kendrick. He is a player who can also defend multiple positions and has extensive playoff experience. Rizzo knew Kendrick was an important insurance policy for his injured starting left fielder Jayson Werth (left foot contusion) when he went after Kendrick. He also knew Kendrick could play in the infield and help offset injuries to shortstops Trea Turner...

Dusty Baker remembers Paul Casanova: "Cassie meant a lot to me"

Dusty Baker remembers Paul Casanova: "Cassie meant a lot to me"
Paul Casanova, who was a catcher with the Washington Senators from 1965 to 1971, passed away Saturday at 75 in Miami. The Cuban-born backstop also played three seasons with the Atlanta Braves and was an All-Star with Washington in 1967. As a member of the Braves, Casanova caught Phil Niekro's no-hitter in 1973. Nationals manager Dusty Baker knew Casanova very well and spent a lot of time with "Cassie" over the years. The two were teammates during the Venezuelan Winter League. Baker felt like...

Taylor displays defense and skill in return to lineup

Taylor displays defense and skill in return to lineup
Michael A. Taylor's timing was right on target on defense in his return to the lineup. His strike from the outfield to get Joe Panik attempting to score kept the Nationals within striking distance of the Giants on Sunday night. The Nats eventually won the game 6-2 on a walk-off grand slam by Howie Kendrick in the 11th inning. Taylor fired a strike from center field to Matt Wieters at home, who's sweep tag hit Joe Panik on the head for the out. Manager Dusty Baker said the defensive play was...