Bullpen gets two key arms back, drops Grace from roster

Bullpen gets two key arms back, drops Grace from roster
The Nationals made more changes to their ever-changing bullpen today, and there's still one more big change to come in a few days that could finally solidify that group for the season's final month. The Nats activated Roenis Elías off the injured list and Hunter Strickland off the paternity leave list this afternoon, bringing all three relievers acquired on July 31 together again after a long wait. Needing to clear roster spots, they designated struggling Matt Grace for assignment and...

Game 133 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

Game 133 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins
Slowly but surely, the Nationals are getting their bullpen back. That is, the bullpen they acquired on July 31 but only had together for one game. Roenis Elías, who made just the one appearance before straining his hamstring, has been activated off the injured list and is available to pitch in tonight's series opener against the Marlins. And Hunter Strickland, who has been around for most of the last month, has returned from paternity leave. Needing to clear two roster spots, the Nationals...

Sánchez and the bullpen played big parts in Nats' win Sunday

Sánchez and the bullpen played big parts in Nats' win Sunday
Nationals right-hander Aníbal Sánchez was once again able to do his job, holding the Mets to three runs in five innings of work. The only big inning for New York came in the second when they scored three runs on five hits. Joe Panik got the Mets on the board with an RBI single and Jeff McNeil tied the game at 3-3 on a two-run double. Asdrúbal Cabrera came through with a late two-run double of his own t make it 5-3 and Victor Robles sealed the win with a two-run shot in the ninth inning...

Grace has good opening, but Ross struggles in 9-3 loss to Dodgers

Grace has good opening, but Ross struggles in 9-3 loss to Dodgers
The Matt Grace experiment as an opener could not have gone much better. The Nationals found a way to get to Clayton Kershaw early on. All looked good for the Nats after they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning Saturday afternoon before 39,616 at Nats Park. Grace ended up pitching in two innings. But once he left, right-hander Joe Ross allowed seven runs as the potent and unrelenting Dodgers lineup demonstrated they can take over games. Will Smith went 3-for-3 with a homer, two doubles...

Martinez did research before putting Grace in to start (Nats fall 9-3)

Martinez did research before putting Grace in to start (Nats fall 9-3)
Nationals manager Davey Martinez decided to make an unorthodox move and start left-hander Matt Grace for today's Game 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be Grace's first start this season and second of his career. He last started Aug.18, 2017, at San Diego after Max Scherzer was a late scratch with neck inflammation. Grace delivered with 4 1/3 innings without allowing a run on two hits. The Nats beat the Padres 7-1. Grace has thrown at least two innings six times this season....

Game 104 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

Game 104 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers
The Nationals will make the unusual step today of not using a traditional starting pitcher in Game 2 of this home series versus the Dodgers. Left-hander Matt Grace will take the mound as the opener for the Nats. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said postgame Friday night, after the club's 4-2 loss to Los Angeles, that right-hander Joe Ross will make his second start of the season for Game 2. Plans have changed, however, with Grace getting the ball to start. Dodgers three-time Cy Young winner...

After clutch hits, exhausted Nats bullpen takes loss (updated)

After clutch hits, exhausted Nats bullpen takes loss (updated)
After getting an abbreviated start from Max Scherzer, yet another clutch hit from Gerardo Parra, a tack-on homer from Matt Adams and six outs from Tanner Rainey, Tony Sipp and Wander Suero, Davey Martinez reached the top of the ninth this evening with the Nationals holding a one-run lead over the Rockies. But now the second-year manager had to answer the most pressing question of the day: Who was going to pitch the ninth? This isn't a difficult question the vast majority of the time. Sean...

Guerra throws two shutout innings to give rest of bullpen a break

Guerra throws two shutout innings to give rest of bullpen a break
BALTIMORE - Of course the walk-off homer that Matt Grace surrendered Sunday in Philly stings, but so far in four games coming off the All-Star break, the bullpen is rolling. Tuesday night it was Tanner Rainey and Javy Guerra that kept the Orioles at bay in an 8-1 win. Rainey pitched a scoreless seventh, and for the first time since June 15, Guerra pitched two scoreless innings. It wasn't that clean for Rainey. He walked two in his inning. But after recording a fielder's choice forceout at...

Turner on weekend at-bats, Sánchez on his day, Martinez on Grace

Turner on weekend at-bats, Sánchez on his day, Martinez on Grace
Even with the tough loss Sunday afternoon, the Nationals won the series in Philadelphia. And it took a walk-off homer and six consecutive strikeouts to keep them from their 50th win of the season. Shortstop Trea Turner, who netted the game-tying RBI single in the seventh, said the club is still playing great baseball in the midst of a 30-12 run. "Our pitching has been unbelievable lately, especially starting pitching," Turner said. "The bullpen stepped up big time, kept us in those games and...

Nats come back, but Franco finishes it with walk-off homer

Nats come back, but Franco finishes it with walk-off homer
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals came back again Sunday afternoon, rallying from a deficit late, but this time it was the Phillies that had the final answer. Maikel Franco got a hold of the first pitch from reliever Matt Grace in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Phillies to a 4-3 win before a sellout 43,075 at Citizens Bank Park, preventing the Nats from their sixth sweep of the season. Franco grooved a 93.2 mph sinker from Grace well into the left field stands for his second career walk-off...

Grace focusing on craft despite lack of use (Nats win 4-0)

Grace focusing on craft despite lack of use (Nats win 4-0)
PHILADELPHIA - After making 28 appearances in the first two months of the season, left-hander Matt Grace has been called upon only nine times since June 1. He struggled in May, posting a 9.82 ERA in 12 appearances. After allowing runs June 20 and 22, he wasn't called on for almost another two weeks. Grace has started 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA in those 37 games. He has not given up a run in his two July appearances, so he feels like that is something to slowly build on. "It goes in waves. It is what...

Over-rested relievers may have to work today (Nats up 5-2)

Over-rested relievers may have to work today (Nats up 5-2)
Nationals starters have averaged more than 6 1/2 innings pitched over the last 11 games, with only one starter failing to at least get through the sixth. That's a good thing, and it's no surprise it has helped this team go 8-3 during the stretch. But it's also had a domino effect on the bullpen, which could be seen as positive or negative, depending on your point of view. Needing only a couple of innings every night from his bullpen, and almost always with his team up a handful of runs,...

Guerra notches first win of season as bullpen shines in 7-4 win

Guerra notches first win of season as bullpen shines in 7-4 win
Highlighted by a 1-2-3 inning from a big league veteran, the Nationals bullpen helped save the day again in a 7-4 win over the Phillies that completed a three-game sweep. Starter Erick Fedde did not have the control he had hoped for with five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Matt Grace struggled a bit, allowing a run on a solo homer to Jean Segura, but did record four outs. In came Javy Guerra, who notched a shutout inning in the sixth to earn the victory. Tanner Rainey gave up a Jay Bruce solo homer,...

Updates on Cate, Cluff and Grace

Updates on Cate, Cluff and Grace
Left-hander Tim Cate has been promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac. The 2018 second-round selection out of UConn has gone 4-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 13 starts this season, striking out 73 and walking only 13 in 70 1/3 innings. Here is my sit-down with Cate from spring training, which focused on building from his lower half. "Cate has made tremendous strides from last year to this year with his development of all three pitches, fastballs have been commanded better,...

Tanner beats Tanner as Nats right the series with 5-2 win over Reds

Tanner beats Tanner as Nats right the series with 5-2 win over Reds
CINCINNATI - Tanner had a big influence in deciding the Nationals' 5-2 win over the Reds Saturday at Great American Ball Park. Both of them. In December of 2018, the Nationals traded starting pitcher Tanner Roark to the Reds for reliever Tanner Rainey. Saturday in Cincinnati they played against each other on the same field. Gerardo Parra cranked a three-run homer and Matt Adams slammed a solo shot off Roark (4-4), who spent six seasons with the Nats. The pair came in with excellent splits...

Notes on Bourque, Parra, Scherzer, Grace and Soto

Notes on Bourque, Parra, Scherzer, Grace and Soto
Nationals right-hander James Bourque had a day to think about his major league debut Sunday in the 9-6 win over the Marlins. He did allow a three-run double but also induced a 4-6-3 double play. He wished it had gone a bit better but was happy the Nats won the game. "I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be. I'm sure I looked it during the outing. Once I got on the mound and saw it was 60 feet, six inches away and the catcher and a plate, that was same thing. Just was getting a little rushed...

Menhart settling in, wants pitchers' focus on preparation

Menhart settling in, wants pitchers' focus on preparation
On May 2, Paul Menhart took over for Derek Lilliquist as the Nationals pitching coach. He started his new position with a 10-game road trip from Philadelphia through Milwaukee to Los Angeles. In the midst of the Nationals' four-game set at Dodger Stadium, I had a chance to sit down with Menhart, who has been a coach in the Nationals system for 14 seasons, to see how his first two weeks on the job were going. Menhart spoke about what he wants to accomplish as the pitching coach and what he has...

Injury-ravaged Nationals fold late in loss to Phillies (updated)

Injury-ravaged Nationals fold late in loss to Phillies (updated)
PHILADELPHIA - They might not have ever admitted it publicly, but the Nationals knew the deck was stacked against them when they took the field for today's series finale against the Phillies. On a gray, windy, rainy Sunday afternoon, the Nats fielded a lineup with only three regulars who started on opening day. Their usual leadoff hitter was batting third. Their backup catcher was batting cleanup. Their fourth-string first baseman had just flown in on a red eye from Las Vegas. And yet for five...

Grace believes slight adjustment in delivery has led to recent groove

Grace believes slight adjustment in delivery has led to recent groove
Left-hander Matt Grace has been the go-to middle-relief choice by manager Davey Martinez. Grace had some outings that didn't go as well as he would have liked to begin the season, but now is on a streak of no runs allowed in six of his last seven appearances, including three in a row. The only thing about the appearances he would change is the four walks allowed. Grace said he made a couple of tweaks to his delivery that seemed to have helped. He has whittled his ERA down from 20.25 to...

In desperate moment, Martinez turns to Ross for solution

In desperate moment, Martinez turns to Ross for solution
There was not an eighth-inning implosion from the Nationals bullpen Saturday. Sure, there was a walk to start the frame. That's an issue the bullpen has had this season - allowing a baserunner early in an appearance. But something unique happened after that. Right-hander Joe Ross allowed a single to the Padres rookie sensation Fernando Tatis Jr., then struck out the No. 2 hitter Wil Myers with a dramatic full-count swing-and-miss on an 89 mph diving slider. During the at-bat, Ross peppered...