Williams explains Roark decison, lines up Scherzer to face Mets

Williams explains Roark decison, lines up Scherzer to face Mets
In order to make room for the return of Denard Span from the 15-day disabled list, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Matt Williams were left with the tough decision to option right-hander Tanner Roark to Single-A Potomac. Roark, who went 15-6 with a 2.66 ERA in 31 starts last season, has worked primarily out of the bullpen this season. He's 1-3 with a 3.74 ERA in 28 relief appearances. However, with rookie right-hander Joe Ross nearing an innings limit, the Nationals are sending...

Span is activated (again), says it "feels good to be back"

Span is activated (again), says it "feels good to be back"
Nationals center fielder Denard Span returned to the club Tuesday and was inserted in the starting lineup, leading off and playing center field against the Padres. Span has been on the disabled list with back tightness since July 7. Previously, he missed the first three weeks of the season as he recovered from right core muscle surgery. He has played only 59 games this season. "Feels good to be back," Span said. "It's been a long road. I'm just ready to get after it. Ready to do all that I...

Nationals look to go streaking

Nationals look to go streaking
It doesn't appear that the New York Mets will make it easy for the Washington Nationals to catch them. The Mets extended their lead in the National League East to 5 1/2 games after bashing a club-record eight home runs in a 16-7 win in Philadelphia last night. The Mets, who welcomed David Wright back from the disabled list, play three more against the Phillies this week while the Nats open a series with the Padres in D.C. The Nats, coming off back-to-back win over the Brewers, haven't won...

Nationals' two-out RBIs, patient at-bats key to series win over Brewers

Nationals' two-out RBIs, patient at-bats key to series win over Brewers
It was nice to see the offense take advantage of opportunities in winning their series against the Brewers. In 6-1 and 9-5 wins over the weekend against Milwaukee, the Nationals went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Even more importantly, the Nationals were able to get two-out base hits that scored runs. In wins Saturday and Sunday, the Nationals combined for 12 two-out RBIs. Danny Espinosa and Anthony Rendon each had three RBIs Sunday, while Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond also added...

Offense finally clicking as Nationals take series with 9-5 win

Offense finally clicking as Nationals take series with 9-5 win
Wilson Ramos and Anthony Rendon went deep and Danny Espinosa delivered a three-run double as the Nationals opened up their offense in a 9-5 win over the Brewers. It was the Nationals' first back-to-back series win since they took three straight series from the Pirates, Braves and Phillies from June 19-June 28. The Nats also claimed only their second series win in D.C. since the All-Star break. Jordan Zimmermann fell behind quickly after Scooter Gennett led off the game with a single. Jonathan...

Zimmermann battles without one of his best pitches to beat Brewers 9-5

Zimmermann battles without one of his best pitches to beat Brewers 9-5
It says a lot about the top pitchers in the league that even when they don't have their best stuff, they still figure out a way to win. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann did Sunday. Battling through a rough first inning and a couple of other tough situations to last 5 2/3 innings and down the Milwaukee Brewers 9-5. Zimmermann threw a season-high 116 pitches and surrendered eight hits, four runs and two homers. But he also only walked one batter and struck out seven. Zimmermann (10-8) knew not all...

Michael A. Taylor powers Nats to 6-1 win

Michael A. Taylor powers Nats to 6-1 win
Michael A. Taylor loudly introduced himself tonight, crushing a towering two-run homer in the second to spark the Nationals to a much-needed 6-1 win. It's the third straight night Taylor has flexed his muscles with a titanic blast, beginning with Thursday's monstrous 493 foot moonshot at Coors Field. When asked what it meant to own the majors' longest home run this season after the Nats' loss that night, Taylor simply told reporters, "Nothing." Like tonight's roundtripper, eight of...

Joe Ross mixes in changeup more to drop Brewers 6-1

Joe Ross mixes in changeup more to drop Brewers 6-1
Nationals right-hander Joe Ross bounced back well from a pair of losses on the West Coast with a commanding performance in a 6-1 win over the Brewers Saturday night. Ross went seven innings and allowed only six hits, the only run a solo homer, with no walks and four strikeouts. It was his second win of the season against Milwaukee. It was also with only 82 pitches to get those 21 outs. His bread and butter is his fastball in, but he said the big difference this time was the ability to slow down...

Nats need a late push from Anthony Rendon

Nats need a late push from Anthony Rendon
It hasn't been the 2015 season Anthony Rendon or the Nationals expected. After a solid rookie year, Rendon broke through in his sophomore campaign, leading the National League in runs scored (111) and tying for fifth in hits (176) while smacking 21 homers with 83 RBIs. Those impressive numbers led to a Silver Slugger Award and a fifth place finish in the NL MVP vote. So naturally, the prospects of Rendon continuing his maturation into one of the game's best players was a no-brainer. But the...

Williams addresses Werth, Ramos and improving outfield defense, throws to the plate

Williams addresses Werth, Ramos and improving outfield defense, throws to the plate
Manager Matt Williams announced in pregame that Jayson Werth is back in the lineup and leading off, which wasn't exactly the plan earlier Saturday afternoon. "We planned on giving him a day off, tough travel, late night, into yesterday," Williams said. "The fact that (Ryan Zimmerman) was scheduled for a day off yesterday, we planned on Jayson today. But he got here, feels good, and he's got good numbers certainly." Werth had trouble defensively Friday night in the Nationals' 10-3 loss to...

Promising homestand starts with a dud

Promising homestand starts with a dud
This was not the start the Nationals were looking for to begin a crucial nine-game homestand. After traveling all night back to D.C. following Thursday's loss in Denver, the Nats appeared to sleepwalk through much of tonight's 10-3 blowout at the hands of Brewers. The Nationals pointed to this run of games in front of their home crowd as a chance to make a move on the Mets in the National League East. Instead they find themselves five games behind New York, the furthest the Nats have been out...

Trea Turner on first game: "It was just fun to be out there"

Trea Turner on first game: "It was just fun to be out there"
Shortstop Trea Turner made his major league debut Friday in the Nationals' 10-3 loss to the Brewers. Turner went 0-for-2 with a couple of groundouts after arriving in the top of the seventh during a double switch. Maybe not the debut the rookie would have wanted? On the contrary, said Turner. "Every debut is good, I would like to say," Turner said. "Can't necessarily have a bad debut, no matter how you play, results whatever. It was just fun to be out there. I'm excited to go back out...

Turner on call-up the big leagues: "It's what everyone plays for"

Turner on call-up the big leagues: "It's what everyone plays for"
Straight out of Boynton Beach. Straight out of Raleigh. Straight out of Syracuse. Trea Turner is here. The Nationals summoned their top infield prospect today in shortstop Trea Turner. First baseman Tyler Moore was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. Also, right-hander Aaron Barrett was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain. The 22-year-old Turner met with reporters for the first time at Nationals Park, just a couple of stalls away from Ian...

Nationals limp home after 3-7 road trip

Nationals limp home after 3-7 road trip
After scoring 15 runs in the opener, the Nationals managed to plate just two in the series finale as the Rockies prevented a sweep with a 3-2 win Thursday night. With the loss, the Nats wasted a prime opportunity to gain a half-game on the Mets, who were off tonight. Despite claiming just their third series win of the second half, the Nationals' detrimental road trip ends with a 3-7 mark. Shut out three times out west, the Nats found themselves trailing 2-0 in the seventh when Michael A....

Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman break out with a big night

Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman break out with a big night
Searching for a way to ignite his slumping offense and jumpstart his grizzled veteran's season, Nationals manager Matt Williams opted to pencil in Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot Tuesday night. For one night, the move delivered, with Werth ripping a double and a single, drawing a walk and scoring all three times he reached base in the Nationals' 15-6 win over the Rockies in the series opener. "It's comfortable for him, he's been there before," Williams told reporters. "He's a good run...

Losing streak ends with offensive explosion

Losing streak ends with offensive explosion
It wasn't pretty for a while, but the Nationals finally took advantage of Coors Field to put an end to their six-game losing skid with a lopsided 15-6 win over the Rockies. With the Mets beating the Orioles 5-3, the Nats needed this seesaw battle to tip in their favor just to remain within 4 1/2 games of the lead in the National League East. "We came out offensively and had a good approach tonight," Nationals manager Matt Williams said to reporters. "This ballpark, you never know. Six...

Jayson Werth leading off (with lineups)

Jayson Werth leading off (with lineups)
After a day off to regroup, the Nationals open the final series of their 10-game road trip against the Rockies tonight. Washington comes in losers of their past six, hitting .179 and averaging just two runs per game as a team over the slide. In the absence of Denard Span, Nationals manager Matt Williams continues searching for a leadoff hitter. Left fielder Jayson Werth tops Williams' batting order against Rockies right-hander David Hale tonight. Werth was featured in the leadoff spot for 38...

The consistently inconsistent Nationals offense

The consistently inconsistent Nationals offense
No question Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner was lights out yesterday, just as Dodgers aces Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw were in their blanking of the Nationals earlier in the week. But how monotonous has that cop out become for the Nats scuffling offense? The season has reached the point where simply "tipping your cap" to the guy on the mound is unacceptable. "We gotta grind ... we gotta grind at-bats," Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters after yesterday's 5-0 shutout loss....

Reeling Nats swept in Madison Bumgarner's dominating performance

Reeling Nats swept in Madison Bumgarner's dominating performance
The Nationals were shut out for the third time on their disastrous road trip, this time at the hands of Madison Bumgarner, who surrendered just two hits in the Giants' 5-0 win. The four-game sweep in San Francisco extends the Nats' losing streak to six games, matching their worst run from April 22-April 27. If you're looking for a silver lining, the Pirates also swept the Mets this weekend, leaving the Washington Nationals 4 1/2 games behind the in the race for first place in the National...

Add Max Scherzer to the list of Nationals' concerns

Add Max Scherzer to the list of Nationals' concerns
In a season filled with inconsistencies, Max Scherzer was one of the Nationals' constants. But in the dog days of summer, even the once-dominant right-hander is floundering. The Giants attacked Scherzer for six runs on seven hits in just three innings Friday night as the Nationals fell 8-5 for their fourth straight loss. "The last couple times out, it hasn't been his best," Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters. "I just felt like he wasn't throwing it where he wanted to and left...