MLB suspends Nolin five games, Martinez one game (updated)

MLB suspends Nolin five games, Martinez one game (updated)
Major League Baseball has suspended Nationals pitcher Sean Nolin five games and manager Davey Martinez one game after determining Nolin intentionally hit Braves slugger Freddie Freeman with a pitch Wednesday night in Atlanta. Nolin, who was also fined an undisclosed amount, initially appealed his suspension and was to remain on the active roster until his case was heard, but the Nationals later announced the lefty dropped his appeal and began serving the suspension tonight. Martinez is serving...

Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting

Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting
Juan Soto finished fifth and Trea Turner finished seventh in voting for National League MVP released tonight, garnering recognition for a season in which the Nationals as a team disappointed but their two biggest offensive stars produced as well as they have in their respective careers. Soto led the league in a host of offensive categories but didn't play as much as most of his competitors due to a positive coronavirus test and a sore elbow. Turner put together elite offensive numbers to...

Sliders from Corbin and McGowin hold Braves to two runs, save bullpen

Sliders from Corbin and McGowin hold Braves to two runs, save bullpen
The Nationals fell 2-1 to the Braves Saturday night, but Patrick Corbin pitched a solid seven innings, allowing only two runs, and Kyle McGowin arrived and put up two shutout frames. Atlanta's offense generated nine hits on the night. But only one of those was an extra-base hit, a double by Adam Duvall in the fourth. He came around to score on a bloop single by Ozzie Albies that lifted the Braves to a 2-0 lead. The Braves have hit a ton of homers the last few weeks. Limiting that club to eight...

Another Freeman grand slam dooms Nats in 10-3 defeat (updated)

Another Freeman grand slam dooms Nats in 10-3 defeat (updated)
Freddie Freeman had no grand slams to his credit prior to the Braves' series this weekend against the Nationals at Truist Park. Now he has two. Atlanta ran away from a close game with four runs in the sixth inning thanks to the second grand slam by Freeman in two days and the Braves dispatched the Nats 10-3. Atlanta blasted 12 homers over the four games. The Nats also walked nine batters in the game, allowing the Braves extra baserunners, and finished 3-8 on the 11-game road trip. Marcell...

Bullpen blows big lead at home as Nationals lose 13-9 (updated)

Bullpen blows big lead at home as Nationals lose 13-9 (updated)
The Nationals could not hold a lead against the first-place Atlanta Braves on Saturday in an all-too-familiar scene reminiscent of April or early May, falling 13-9 in shocking fashion. The Nats allowed 5-1, 8-4 and 9-8 leads evaporate, mostly thanks to their bullpen, which had seemed to regain its footing in June. But the 'pen suddenly retreated to its previous beleaguered state with a disastrous seventh and eighth inning. The Braves scored nine runs in the final three frames to prevent the...

Braves, Nationals set sights on upending Phillies in NL East

Braves, Nationals set sights on upending Phillies in NL East
As the major league season resumes, the question looms: Can the inconsistent Nationals overtake the Phillies and Braves to win another National League East championship? The Nationals, who have lost in the NL Division Series in four different seasons, will have all they can do to get back to the postseason. They start tonight at home against the Braves. The Nationals, who have been bounced from the postseason in the first round in four different seasons by four different teams, are season...

Nationals-killer Freeman finally gets his comeuppance in Home Run Derby

Nationals-killer Freeman finally gets his comeuppance in Home Run Derby
Freddie Freeman joked Tuesday that the Nationals Park crowd would be on his side when he went against Nationals hero Bryce Harper in the Home Run Derby. But when Freeman stepped into the batter's box for the first-round match, reality set in: The boo birds came out at Nationals Park. That was normal, more like it. Freeman was happy with that. "That means I've done well here," Freeman said after losing 13-12. Done well against the Nationals is an understatement. In 125 career games against...

Bryce Harper headlines Home Run Derby (Harper wins 19-18)

Bryce Harper headlines Home Run Derby (Harper wins 19-18)
Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is the headliner on his home field tonight as the 2018 Home Run Derby gets underway at Nationals Park. Harper said he decided to participate in the Home Run Derby because it is in D.C. this time around. "I think just being able to do it in D.C., being able to do it in front of the fans, have fun and enjoy that," Harper said. "It's huge being able to run out there knowing you are in your own ball park," he added. "You feel right at home. Definitely weird...

Freeman sets tone versus Gonzalez (Braves win 8-0)

Freeman sets tone versus Gonzalez (Braves win 8-0)
The Braves came out quickly against left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Matt Kemp delivered a run-scoring single to put the Braves up 1-0 in the first inning. Then, in the third inning, Ender Inciarte walked. Ozzie Albies singled. Michael A. Taylor bobbled the ball in center field and threw high and late to third base. Inciarte moved to third and Albies to second. Taylor was tagged with a fielding error. Freddie Freeman then crushed a three-run shot to deep center field. His 26th homer of the year...

Baker on facing knuckleballer: "Hope he throw you a fastball"

Baker on facing knuckleballer: "Hope he throw you a fastball"
ATLANTA - Manager Dusty Baker was in no mood to talk about Gio Gonzalez and his walk totals. Despite a 2.47 ERA, Gonzalez has walked 14 batters in his last three starts. That number spiked a bit with the seven walks allowed on May 3 against Arizona. "I'm just trying to figure why you all always ask me some negative question," Baker said. "I'm serious. It happens. Every start is not the same. Every at-bat is not the same. You just got to let it kind of play out. I don't know why walks are...

Freeman's stellar track record vs. Nats continued against ace Strasburg

Freeman's stellar track record vs. Nats continued against ace Strasburg
Freddie Freeman has Stephen Strasburg's number. He also likes hitting at Nats Park. Both trends continued in Friday's series opener. Freeman went 2-for-3 with a double and homer and four RBIs as Atlanta dropped the Nationals for the first time in seven matchups 8-5. Manager Dusty Baker said Strasburg labored in the sweltering temps, but in the end it was the Braves first baseman that caused the most damage. "It was too much Freddie Freeman," Baker said. "I was told before that Freddie has...

Freeman leads Braves past Strasburg 8-5

Freeman leads Braves past Strasburg 8-5
Stephen Strasburg had an opportunity to earn his career-high 16th victory if he could hold off the last-place Braves Friday night at Nat Park. But Freddie Freeman had other ideas as the Braves stunned the Nationals 8-5. It was the Nats first loss to the Braves in eight straight meetings. They were 6-0 versus Atlanta this season before Friday's setback. When Freeman faces off against the Nats, it usually hasn't worked out well for the Nats. In his career, Freeman has hit .324 with 25 doubles,...

Longtime nemesis Freeman terrorizes Strasburg, Nats (Heisey walks off Braves)

Longtime nemesis Freeman terrorizes Strasburg, Nats (Heisey walks off Braves)
NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 9, Braves (ss) 7 Recap: Chris Heisey hit a walk-off three-run home run in the ninth to give the Naitonals the victory in a game that featured six total homers. Freddie Freeman, making the road trip as part of the Braves' split-squad team, did his usual damage against Nationals pitching, homering twice with three RBI and a walk before departing after five innings. The first homer came against Stephen Strasburg, who was dominant at times but had to battle...

Stephen Strasburg returns from DL to start tonight (with lineups)

Stephen Strasburg returns from DL to start tonight (with lineups)
Stephen Strasburg returns to the mound tonight for the first time since a strained left trapezius muscle landed him on the 15-day disabled list on May 30. The day before, Strasburg's neck tightness forced him out of his start in Cincinnati after throwing only 16 pitches. He said the muscle spasms settled down shortly after and he began throwing again just a few days into his DL stint. Strasburg looked sharp in his lone rehab start at Double-A Harrisburg last Wednesday. He allowed one run on...

Gonzalez finally got fastball to click and then offense cranked it up for 9-2 win

Gonzalez finally got fastball to click and then offense cranked it up for 9-2 win
Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez has had a lot of success with the team since his arrival in 2012. Amazingly, though, he had never defeated the Braves at Nats Park until Friday night. Gonzalez (3-2) went seven strong innings in a 9-2 shellacking of Atlanta. The left-hander gave up only two earned runs on five hits with one walk. He struck out eight hitters. Gonzalez has now struck out 25 batters in his last three starts. The Braves managed a couple of runs in the first three innings against...

Harper, Espinosa both hit a pair of homers, Nats win 9-2

Harper, Espinosa both hit a pair of homers, Nats win 9-2
The Nationals caught some tough luck in the first inning when starter Gio Gonzalez hit the game's second batter, Andrelton Simmons. Gonzalez's breaking ball glanced Simmons' right foot as it shot out of the box on a check swing. Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman followed with a double to set up a sacrifice fly from left fielder Jonny Gomes, which plated Simmons easily. Freeman is now is 9-for-14 (.642) against the Nats this year and owns a career. 339 batting average in 77 games versus...