Game 45 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

Game 45 lineups: Nats vs. Braves
When the 2020 regular season ends two weeks from today - How crazy is that? - and we try to find answers for what went wrong for the Nationals, it might be easy to point out the heartbreakers they lost to the Braves as especially low points. To be sure, there have been some really tough losses in there, a couple of blown saves by Daniel Hudson and a couple more one-run losses this week. And yet, if they can win this afternoon behind Max Scherzer, the Nationals will have split the season series...

Late comeback attempt falls just short, Nats lose 2-1 to Braves (updated)

Late comeback attempt falls just short, Nats lose 2-1 to Braves (updated)
The Nationals offense could not get going until late, and a furious rally attempt fell just short as the Braves eked out a 2-1 nail-biter Saturday night at Nats Park. Left-hander Patrick Corbin was very good and gave the Nationals a chance to win. Unfortunately, his counterpart was better. Right-hander Ian Anderson fired seven shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out nine as the Braves held off the Nats. In the end, RBI singles by Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies were all the...

After disastrous ninth, Nats find a way to win in 12th (updated)

After disastrous ninth, Nats find a way to win in 12th (updated)
They already played this game Thursday night. Seriously, tonight's contest on South Capitol Street felt like a perfect carbon copy of the one that preceded it, the Nationals jumping out to an early five-run lead, their starter fading in the middle innings, their bullpen asked to hang on for dear life the rest of the way. It didn't work out in the series opener against the Braves. It did work this time. But only after a ghastly blown save in the top of the ninth forced a game-winning rally in...

Game 43 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

Game 43 lineups: Nats vs. Braves
After a difficult night at the ballpark, the Nationals return for the second game of this four-game weekend series against the Braves, hoping for better results this time. As always, they'll have to find a way to keep Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman in the yard. The good news: Erick Fedde managed to keep Freeman in the yard last week when he faced him in Atlanta. The bad news: Acuña led off the game with a homer off him, the first of three homers Fedde surrendered in 3 2/3...

Eaton and offense rolled early, but then slowed down

Eaton and offense rolled early, but then slowed down
The Nationals offense rolled out of the gates with five early runs against the first-place Braves on Thursday night at Nats Park, scoring three in the first inning and two in the second frame for a 5-0 lead. Trea Turner tripled, Juan Soto doubled and Asdrúbal Cabrera tripled in the first against Braves starter Robbie Erlin. In the second, Michael A. Taylor doubled and Adam Eaton launched a two-run shot. It seemed like the Nats were going to score more after Erlin left when reliever Huascar...

At 32, Yadiel Hernández finally gets a shot in the major leagues

At 32, Yadiel Hernández finally gets a shot in the major leagues
For the first time in his career, outfielder Yadiel Hernández has been promoted to the big leagues. With a roster spot open due to the hamstring injury suffered by Howie Kendrick that landed him on the injured list, the Nationals announced they had purchased the contract of the 32-year-old Cuban-born outfielder. Hernández joined the Nats on Oct. 1, 2016. From 2009-14, he played for Cocodrilos de Matanzas of the Cuban Baseball Federation, joining the league at the age of 21. He also has...

Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Braves
How do you stop a team that just scored 29 runs last night? By sending your winless No. 5 starter with an 8.26 ERA to the mound, obviously. On paper, tonight's matchup does not appear to favor the Nationals. Austin Voth is pitching, still seeking his first win in his eighth start of the season. And he's facing a Braves lineup that just set a modern National League record last night with 29 runs in a blowout win over the Marlins, a game in which they actually didn't score in either the first...

What to make of the Nationals' sudden resurgence

What to make of the Nationals' sudden resurgence
They fell to 12 games under .500, their low point in what to date had been a dismal season that was slipping away before their eyes. And then something inexplicable flipped the switch and they started winning and started looking like they were actually enjoying themselves again for the first time all year. It happened in late May 2019, and we know how that turned out in the end. Now it's starting to happen in early September 2020, and the Nationals can't help but wonder how it will end this...

Holt and Harrison add spark to offense after rough week

Holt and Harrison add spark to offense after rough week
In the Nationals' two-game sweep of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays to begin this week, a pair of recently acquired veterans played big parts in the club's success in generating offense. Brock Holt went 4-for-8 with two doubles and two runs scored. Josh Harrison added two hits, going 2-for-7 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs as the Nats beat the Rays 6-1 and 5-3. On Monday, as Juan Soto, Luis García and Howie Kendrick sat out with injuries, manager Davey Martinez opted to put Holt in...

Nats outplay Rays again for fourth win in five (updated)

Nats outplay Rays again for fourth win in five (updated)
These are not the 2019 Nationals. Not in name and not in style of play. Most likely, they won't finish the season like their 2019 version did, either. But for now, that's not worth stressing over. Instead, take a step back and just appreciate what this ever-changing 2020 Nationals club is now doing. They don't have the star power - or the offensive power - of their World Series champion predecessors. But over the last week, they're finally starting to play with some passion. They're...

Injury updates on Soto, Kendrick, García, Bacus

Injury updates on Soto, Kendrick, García, Bacus
Juan Soto is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, a welcome relief from a group that missed its best hitter for five games. But the club is still being cautious with Soto, who will be restricted to designated hitter duties tonight against the Rays while recovering from a sore left elbow. "We kind of want to keep him from throwing right now," manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "He swung yesterday. I told him: 'Just see if you can hit. We'll let you...

Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Rays

Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Rays
The 2020 regular season, believe it or not, is now two-thirds complete. There are only 20 games left for the Nationals to try to climb their way back into the expanded postseason, and the odds remain awfully slim. At 15-25, they're currently five games behind the .500 Marlins and Giants for the eighth and final berth in the National League field. To get to .500, the Nats would need to go 15-5 the rest of the way. Maybe they'd get in a game or two under .500, but you get the idea. It's going...

Game 40 lineups: Nats vs. Rays (García scratched)

Game 40 lineups: Nats vs. Rays (García scratched)
After what felt like the longest road trip ever - but in reality was only 10 days and 11 games - the Nationals return home tonight to open a five-game homestand. And they're facing stiff competition right out of the gate in the exceptional Rays. Owners of the American League's best record at 28-13, Tampa Bay has quietly put together an outstanding team, even if many of the names don't jump right out at you. The Rays don't hit for a ton of power, but they get on base and they score runs. So...

Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster

Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster
Their lineup ravaged by a recent spate of injuries, the Nationals recalled Carter Kieboom from their alternate training camp today, plugged their struggling prospect into tonight's lineup against the Braves and declared him their starting third baseman for the rest of this abridged season. Kieboom, who had been optioned to the camp in Fredericksburg on Aug. 26, was already in Atlanta as part of the club's traveling taxi squad for this weekend's series at Truist Park. Team officials liked the...

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)
Friday's doubleheader took a lot out of the Nationals, who over the course of 14 innings of baseball used eight pitchers, gave up 16 runs on 18 hits and eight walks, allowed seven homers and threw 259 pitches. So, what do they have left in the tank for tonight's game in Atlanta? Well, they've got Erick Fedde starting, and they've got to hope he can provide some quality innings so Davey Martinez can hold off on his bullpen as long as possible. Fedde was pretty good in his first five starts,...

Late homer, Taylor's bunt key in Nats' 10-9 win (updated)

Late homer, Taylor's bunt key in Nats' 10-9 win (updated)
The Nationals offense finally got off to a good start, scoring seven times in the first three innings Friday night. But the Braves used a dramatic Freddie Freeman grand slam to tie the game in the fourth. With the way things had gone for the Nats during their seven-game losing streak, many wondered if the Braves would again just finish them off. Not so fast, said the Nats' hottest hitter, Trea Turner. His solo homer in the sixth broke the tie, helping to steer the Nats to a 10-9 victory in a...

Another Voth start, another loss for reeling Nats (updated)

Another Voth start, another loss for reeling Nats (updated)
Major League Baseball games are not supposed to be quite so predictable. But when you put Austin Voth on the mound against a tough Braves lineup, in the opener of a doubleheader in Atlanta 24 hours after the bullpen was burned up in an extra-inning game in Philadelphia, and then pull Juan Soto out of a Nationals lineup that simply can't afford to lose its best hitter right now, what could Davey Martinez reasonably have expected? The ensuing result at Truist Park - a 7-1 loss to kick off this...

First step toward better outfield defense: Better first steps

First step toward better outfield defense: Better first steps
Defensive metrics always must be taken with a grain of salt, especially when using them to evaluate only 35 games. But even in small doses, they can shed some insight into a player and a team's performance in the field. The numbers right now say the Nationals have the worst defensive outfield in the majors, and it's across the board. Adam Eaton, with -4 Defensive Runs Saved, is tied for last among all right fielders. Victor Robles (-6) is tied for last among center fielders. And Juan Soto...

Game 36 lineups: Nats at Braves (Soto scratched)

Game 36 lineups: Nats at Braves (Soto scratched)
If you thought the first two legs of the Nationals' road trip were tough, look at what they still must contend with now to wrap up this long and painful trek up and down the East Coast. After losing two of three in Boston and all four in Philadelphia, they now have four games in three days in Atlanta, starting with today's doubleheader at Truist Park. After needing 6 2/3 innings out of six relievers in Thursday's heartbreaking loss, Davey Martinez would love to be sending two starters to the...

Nats falter late, lose in extras to get swept in Philly (updated)

Nats falter late, lose in extras to get swept in Philly (updated)
A lot of things have to go right for the Nationals to win a ballgame right now. They need quality starting pitching and some timely hitting. And if they can't get the former, they need more of the latter. And then even if they do all that and take a lead into the late innings, they still need their bullpen to finish it off. That bullpen may be this team's biggest strength in this unusual season, but it's not perfect. And on a day when manager Davey Martinez got elite work out of the three...