Parra continues to carve out niche with Nats

Parra continues to carve out niche with Nats
Asking Nationals manager Davey Martinez to pinpoint what he likes most about what Gerardo Parra brings to the club is like asking a parent in a large family which child he loves the most. There's really no answer to the question, but each different facet of Parra's game seems to make Martinez take notice. Though Parra hasn't played regularly since 2018, his last of three seasons with the Rockies, he's figured a way - ways, really - to make clubs make room for him. You need a versatile...

On Bell's oblique, Soto's doubles and reaching .500 again

On Bell's oblique, Soto's doubles and reaching .500 again
More news and observations after Thursday night's 7-3 win over the Marlins, the Nationals' 10th win in 11 games ... * Josh Bell was a late scratch from the lineup after reporting soreness on his right side. The Nats don't seem to believe it's anything serious, but they want to make sure he didn't strain an oblique muscle before putting him back on the field. "I didn't want to take any chances," manager Davey Martinez said in his postgame Zoom session with reporters. "He's going to go...

Schwarber's historic surge keeps Nats red-hot (updated)

Schwarber's historic surge keeps Nats red-hot (updated)
You could only laugh at the first one, because it was yet another leadoff homer by Kyle Schwarber, his fifth in 13 games since taking over the top spot in the Nationals lineup on a full-time basis a couple weeks ago. But the second one? A three-run blast one inning later? His 12th home run in 13 games? His eighth in five games? What was the appropriate reaction to that? Surely, it included a jaw dropped all the way to the floor, a glazed look in your eyes and an immediate sprint to your...

Schwarber is NL Player of the Week (plus All-Star voting update)

Schwarber is NL Player of the Week (plus All-Star voting update)
Is it any wonder the greatest power display in one homestand in Nationals history was good enough to be deemed the best performance of the week by anyone in the National League? Kyle Schwarber, who turned Nationals Park into his own personal home run derby venue, was appropriately rewarded for his efforts by being named NL Player of the Week this afternoon. Not that anyone should be surprised by this announcement. In seven total games against the Pirates and Mets, Schwarber hit .385 with six...

Nats can't dig out of Ross' early hole, win streak ends (updated)

Nats can't dig out of Ross' early hole, win streak ends (updated)
The Nationals hoped Joe Ross would take the mound at 1:05 p.m. today and set a good tone for the 14 innings of baseball that were guaranteed to follow. Ross' performance in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against the Mets would go a long toward determining the course of the rest of this long Saturday at the park. So it was undeniably discouraging when Ross dug his team into a two-run hole only two batters into this one. And in the process set a negative tone for what was still to...

Game 67 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

Game 67 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
Friday's night's walk-off 1-0 victory over the Mets was a big boost for the Nationals, no doubt about it. But it won't mean much if they can't come out of today's doubleheader on South Capitol Street without at least one more win. And if they can take the seven-inning opener this afternoon? Well, then it might be fair to start talking about legitimate positive momentum for this club. This five-game winning streak - really, the entire homestand, during which they're now 6-2 - has been...

Schwarber's power surge again propels Nats to win (updated)

Schwarber's power surge again propels Nats to win (updated)
Kyle Schwarber tried to act like a traditional leadoff hitter in the third inning of tonight's series opener on South Capitol Street, attempting to use his legs to take an extra base that wasn't there for the taking and paying the price for it. So when the opportunity to make a difference in this game came four innings later, Schwarber decided he'd be better off doing it the best way he knows how: by hitting the ball a long way and making the trip around the bases risk-free. Schwarber's...

Cavalli, Cronin promoted to Double-A; first All-Star votes revealed

Cavalli, Cronin promoted to Double-A; first All-Star votes revealed
Cade Cavalli's dominant first six weeks of professional baseball have earned the Nationals' top prospect a quick promotion to Double-A. The Nats are moving Cavalli and Matt Cronin from high Single-A Wilmington up to Harrisburg, rewarding both pitchers for their impressive starts to the minor league season, a source familiar with the promotions confirmed. Cavalli, the organization's first-round draft pick last summer, has quickly rocketed up prospect lists by overwhelming the competition at...

Nats battle back, then battle back again to win in 11 (updated)

Nats battle back, then battle back again to win in 11 (updated)
All the Nationals needed to do to win tonight's game at Tropicana Field was overcome a disastrous first inning from their starter, take an early lead thanks to three home runs, watch their bullpen blow that lead in regulation to force extra innings, score two runs in the top of the 10th with a rare display of situational hitting, watch their closer blow that lead in the bottom of the 10th while his pitch count soared to levels not seen in five years, retake the lead in the top of the 11th with...

Game 58 lineups: Nats at Rays

Game 58 lineups: Nats at Rays
The Nationals, as you know by now, have not been a productive offensive team this season. But they have been more productive when facing a left-hander. Their .679 OPS versus righties ranks 20th in the majors, but their .759 OPS versus lefties ranks 11th. So maybe, just maybe, tonight's game against Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan offers an opportunity to score some early runs and set a better tone for the game than has been typical for this team. The Nats would be wise to get to McClanahan...

Scherzer wins duel with Wheeler as Nats beat Phillies (updated)

Scherzer wins duel with Wheeler as Nats beat Phillies (updated)
The script couldn't have gone any better for manager Davey Martinez and the Nationals on Friday night. Unsure of his starting pitcher for Sunday's series finale in Philadelphia, and needing length from his next two starters to preserve the bullpen, Martinez turned to Max Scherzer to provide one of his usual deep outings to start this series against a division rival. And Scherzer did just that, winning a pitchers' duel with Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and helping the Nationals take the...

With a key single, then two blasts, Soto found his swing

With a key single, then two blasts, Soto found his swing
Juan Soto became Juan Soto again - not on the two-run homer he hit for the Nationals in the eighth inning Tuesday night in Atlanta, not on the two-run homer he hit in the fifth inning Wednesday night in Atlanta. Juan Soto became Juan Soto again when he took an outside fastball from Braves left-hander Max Fried and hit a line drive single to left in the top of the fourth Tuesday, driving in a pair of teammates. The ball left his bat at a modest 93.7 mph and traveled a mere 245 feet in the...

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)

Nationals win the late innings to beat Braves (updated)
The Nationals hadn't been in very many games like this in 2021. Back-and-forth affairs with late-night swings of leads and emotions were the norm during their championship run in 2019 and also were a regular occurrence during their disappointing 2020 season. This year? Most games saw one team take an early lead and hold it late, with very little late drama. That made tonight's contest down in Atlanta feel like some kind of blast from the past. An old-fashioned, tension-filled showdown with a...

Game 52 lineups: Nats at Braves

Game 52 lineups: Nats at Braves
We've seen the Nationals put together isolated offensive explosions this season. Seven times they've scored seven or more runs. How have they done in their next game? They've averaged three runs. So there's been an issue with sustaining offensive success. Tonight the Nats will try to finally do that and put together back-to-back big performances at the plate in the wake of their 11-6 victory Tuesday night. As was the case then, they're facing a left-hander, this time Drew Smyly. He's got...

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)
On a night when Stephen Strasburg once again looked off and was pulled in the second inning - officially due to a tight trapezius muscle in his upper right back that will require an MRI in the morning - the Nationals found themselves faced with a dilemma. Having already lost five straight with a lineup that has turned the act of driving in a run into the most daunting task in the world, they could've packed their proverbial bags and departed with heads hung low. Or they could brush off...

Game 50 lineups: Nats at Braves (Robles activated)

Game 50 lineups: Nats at Braves (Robles activated)
The Nationals need something to inject some life in their moribund offense. For now, that something will have to be Victor Robles, who has rejoined the active roster 12 days after spraining his right ankle. Robles was officially activated off the 10-day injured list today, in time for the nine-game road trip that begins late this afternoon in unincorporated Atlanta. The 24-year-old center fielder appeared in one rehab game for Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a double, two...

Same old script for Nats in shutout loss (updated)

Same old script for Nats in shutout loss (updated)
With a five-star pitching matchup between two of the National League's best, it wasn't unfair to walk into Nationals Park today and wonder if the first team to score was assured victory in the series finale. Who knew it would actually play out just like that, with the winning run scoring in the top of the first? Maybe it all was too predictable in the end, this 3-0 victory by the Brewers. The Nationals aren't losing games in unusual fashion right now. They're losing them in practically the...

Frustrated Soto trying to snap out of his rare slump

Frustrated Soto trying to snap out of his rare slump
It has become something of a familiar sight in recent weeks: Juan Soto hitting a hard ground ball somewhere on the infield and then showing visible frustration with the result after another potential breakout at-bat ending in an out. And it happened again Saturday afternoon in the opener of the Nationals' doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Brewers. With a chance to deliver in a big spot - two on, one out - Soto smashed a 100.6 mph ground ball right to second baseman Kolten Wong, who...

Offense silent again in seven-inning loss to Brewers (updated)

Offense silent again in seven-inning loss to Brewers (updated)
The weather was abysmal, but there was a doubleheader to be played rain or shine, so the Nationals and Brewers went ahead and got the first seven of today's 14 scheduled innings in despite the awful playing conditions. And it produced a result that looked awfully familiar for the Nats. After Patrick Corbin dug them into an early four-run hole, the Nationals lineup could not come close to producing enough offense to get back in this one. They trudged off the field having lost 4-1, with three...

Offensive woes on display again in shutout loss (updated)

Offensive woes on display again in shutout loss (updated)
There's no mystery surrounding the Nationals right now. Nobody has to dig deep into the analytics trying to figure out why they're not winning enough games. The answer is right there for everyone to see, young and old, expert and novice, old school and new school. They aren't hitting. At all. Tonight's 3-0, seven-inning loss to the Reds in the nightcap of a pseudo-doubleheader necessitated by the suspension of Wednesday night's game due to rain would have been alarming if not for the fact...