Revisiting all the key decisions in the Nationals' Game 5 loss

Revisiting all the key decisions in the Nationals' Game 5 loss
The sting hasn't worn off yet, and it probably won't for quite some time. The Nationals are dispersing around the country today, going home for the winter instead of going to Chicago for a shot at the pennant. Game 5 of the 2016 National League Division Series was an all-timer, one they'll be talking about for years. Whether the Nationals themselves or their fans will ever be able to appreciate that remains to be seen. Certainly it's not something anyone wants to contemplate today. So much...

Baker makes deft use of bullpen to get 14 outs, even series

Baker makes deft use of bullpen to get 14 outs, even series
The Nationals finally had the lead, courtesy of Jose Lobaton's three-run homer in the fourth inning, and manager Dusty Baker didn't want to take any chances when starting pitcher Tanner Roark started scuffling in the fifth. With his pitch count mounting and the Dodgers locking in on the right-hander, Baker made the call to the bullpen. Well, the first of many calls. Baker asked his relief corps to get the final 14 outs of a game and prevent the Nationals from going into an 0-2 hole in the...

Spotlight will shine on Nationals lefties during NLDS

Spotlight will shine on Nationals lefties during NLDS
The Dodgers do many things well. They pitch well. They hit for power. They play good defense. There is, however, one thing they really don't do well: hit left-handed pitchers. No team in baseball was less productive against lefties than the Dodgers, whose .213 batting average was 21 points worse than anybody else in the majors, and whose .622 OPS was 55 points worse than anybody else in the sport. And so the spotlight will shine brightly on few during the National League Division Series more...

Nats beat Marlins 2-1, secure home field advantage for NLDS

Nats beat Marlins 2-1, secure home field advantage for NLDS
For the third time in as many trips to the postseason, the Nationals will have home field advantage in the National League Division Series. Now, they just need to prove they can take advantage of it this time around. Games 1 and 2 (and a potential Game 5) will be played in the District thanks to the Nationals' 2-1 victory over the Marlins this afternoon, though the Dodgers' 3-0 loss to the Giants would have done the trick as well. It'll be the Dodgers traveling east for Game 1 on Friday at a...

Ross sharp, but Nats fall 6-2 to Braves in rain-shortened game

Ross sharp, but Nats fall 6-2 to Braves in rain-shortened game
ATLANTA - The Nationals had to be pleased with Joe Ross' return to the mound after a long stint on the disabled list. The rest of the club's performance today against the Braves? Not so much. Ross looked sharp during a planned three-inning start, his first appearance in a big league game since right shoulder inflammation sidelined him in early July. But the bullpen gave up five runs after replacing Ross, and the lineup couldn't manage much at the plate during a 6-2 loss that was called in...

Baker trying out options in eighth inning (Nationals lose 6-2)

Baker trying out options in eighth inning (Nationals lose 6-2)
ATLANTA - The Nationals solved their ninth-inning problem when they acquired Mark Melancon at the trade deadline. But as the regular season reaches its final two weeks, they're still trying to figure out who's going to get through the eighth inning to get the ball to their new closer. Shawn Kelley held a firm grasp on the primary setup role through most of the season, but manager Dusty Baker has tried out some new arms in the last few weeks, with mixed results. Rookie Koda Glover struggled in...

Solis hits "roadblock," but new lefties stepping up in Nats bullpen

Solis hits "roadblock," but new lefties stepping up in Nats bullpen
It has been one of the bigger questions facing the Nationals all season: Which left-handed reliever (or relievers) can they trust when crunch-time arrives? The answer to that question has changed several times in five months. Felipe Rivero and Oliver Perez were the primary left-handers in the Nationals bullpen back in April, but then Sammy Solis emerged as manager Dusty Baker's top southpaw as May turned to June and July. Then Rivero was traded to the Pirates in the Mark Melancon deal and...

Patrick Reddington: Rizzo on the Schrock-Rzepczynski deal

Patrick Reddington: Rizzo on the Schrock-Rzepczynski deal
After drafting Max Schrock out of the University of South Carolina in the 13th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, the Washington Nationals signed the infielder to a $500,000 bonus, which MLB.com's Jim Callis noted was the highest bonus after the 10th round to that point. In a 46-game stint with the New York/Penn League's Auburn Doubledays in 2015, the 20-going-on-21-year-old put up a .308/.355/.448 slash line with 10 doubles, four triples and two home runs in 186 plate appearances. At...

September keys for the Nats as the home stretch arrives

September keys for the Nats as the home stretch arrives
And so September has arrived at last and the baseball season has reached the home stretch. If it feels like this has been a long time coming ... well, it has. Think about how much has happened since the Nationals left Viera for the final time and came north to open what most hoped - but weren't certain - would be a promising season. Things have turned out almost as well as the Nationals could have hoped. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark are among the best pitching trios in...

Late-summer acquisitions have boosted bullpen

Late-summer acquisitions have boosted bullpen
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals entered late July with a bullpen that, while successful in the big picture, featured some significant question marks. Did they need a new closer? Did they need more reliable left-handed help? Did they need a burst of energy from another young arm? One month later, as the calendar now shifts from August to September, the Nationals bullpen has been tweaked. General manager Mike Rizzo addressed all three of those issues, and the results (so far) have been...

Roark is dominant yet again in Nats' win over Phillies

Roark is dominant yet again in Nats' win over Phillies
PHILADELPHIA - Ask a bunch of people around baseball - players, coaches, managers, executives, scouts, media members - for a list of the best pitchers in the National League, and you're likely to get several recurring names: Kershaw, Arrieta, Scherzer, Strasburg, Bumgarner, Cueto, Lester, Syndergaard, Fernandez. All, of course, are excellent pitchers, all deserving of the recognition they receive. But how many voters are including Tanner Roark on their list? "If they're not," Jayson Werth...

Nationals ride early offense, then Roark to 4-0 win in Philly

Nationals ride early offense, then Roark to 4-0 win in Philly
PHILADELPHIA - While their offense remains very much in hit-or-miss mode, the Nationals at least know they can still count on Tanner Roark to deliver a big-time start when they most need one. The Nationals scored two quick runs off the Phillies tonight, then sat back and watched as Roark and the bullpen took care of the rest, tossing a combined shutout during what became a 4-0 victory by night's end at Citizens Bank Park. Roark handled the first seven of those shutout innings, never entirely...

Rzepczynski thrilled to join Nationals after whirlwind day

Rzepczynski thrilled to join Nationals after whirlwind day
Marc Rzepczynski was taking a nap in Northern California when he was startled to find out he'd just been traded from the Athletics to the Nationals. Not upset, mind you, because he was suddenly heading from a last-place club to a first-place club for the final six weeks of a pennant race. But the veteran left-hander's life was suddenly being uprooted, and his new team needed him on the other side of the country ASAP. "I was actually taking a nap when this happened," Rzepczynski said. "We...

Rzepczynski available to pitch tonight, Lopez optioned to Triple-A

Rzepczynski available to pitch tonight, Lopez optioned to Triple-A
Marc Rzepczynski has arrived in Washington. And apparently traffic was light enough getting into town from Dulles that the newly acquired reliever has made it to Nationals Park in time to be eligible for tonight's game. "There's a chance," manager Dusty Baker said earlier this afternoon, perhaps underestimating how difficult it typically is to make that 30-mile drive into town during rush hour. Turns out Baker's optimism was warranted, though, and so Rzepczynski will be at his disposal out...

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
The Nationals didn't expect to find themselves in this position, needing to beat the Orioles tonight to avoid a four-game sweep, but here they are nonetheless. They'll ask Max Scherzer to stop the bleeding and give this team the dominant start it so desperately needs. No word yet if the newly acquired Marc Rzepczynski - I'm getting good at spelling his name without having to check first - will be here in time to be activate for tonight's game. At this point, the Nats haven't announced a...

Nats acquire lefty Rzepczynski from A's for infielder Schrock

Nats acquire lefty Rzepczynski from A's for infielder Schrock
Desperate for left-handed relief after Felipe Rivero was traded, Sammy Solis was injured and Oliver Perez was ineffective, the Nationals have acquired veteran Marc Rzepczynski from the Athletics for minor league infielder Max Schrock. The trade also includes cash coming from the A's to the Nationals to cover some of the roughly $600,000 Rzepczynski is still owed this season. Rzepczynski - his name is pronounced "zep-CHIN-skee" but he also goes by the nickname "Scrabble" - owns a 3.87 ERA...