Ramos' clutch hit lifts Nationals to 2-1 win, sweep in Philly

Ramos' clutch hit lifts Nationals to 2-1 win, sweep in Philly
PHILADELPHIA - Gio Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season, Jayson Werth homered once again at Citizens Bank Park and Wilson Ramos delivered yet another clutch hit to lead the Nationals to a 2-1 victory tonight and a series sweep over the Phillies. Ramos' two-out RBI single to right in the top of the seventh broke a 1-1 deadlock and gave the Nationals the lead for good, the latest big hit in a big spot from the All-Star catcher. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Ramos...

Lineup gives Gonzalez plenty of support for 100th career win

Lineup gives Gonzalez plenty of support for 100th career win
Gio Gonzalez kept giving back the leads his teammates provided, but the Nationals kept providing enough run support until the left-hander settled down and then handed the game over to his bullpen, which finished off an 8-5 victory over the Rockies. Gonzalez, who allowed two runs and four hits over six innings, earned his 100th career win. Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy homered for the Nationals, who won their second straight after a four-game losing streak. Werth got the Nationals on the board...

Roark is latest starting pitcher to labor (Nationals lose 10-8)

Roark is latest starting pitcher to labor (Nationals lose 10-8)
For all their pitching struggles and overuse in the last two weeks, the Nationals had to at least take solace knowing one of their most reliable starters would be on the mound tonight: Tanner Roark. Then Roark took the mound and picked up where the rest of the Nationals pitching staff left off. And that's not a good thing. Roark labored mightily through his first inning, throwing 39 pitches to nine batters, with four of them scoring to give the Orioles a commanding early lead. It has been a...

Lopez rocked early as Orioles drop the Nats, 8-1

Lopez rocked early as Orioles drop the Nats, 8-1
BALTIMORE - A rough start for Nationals right-hander Reynaldo Lopez in an 8-1 setback to the Orioles. Lopez could not get through the third inning, as Baltimore scored six runs early to hand the Nationals their third straight loss. The Orioles scored three runs on four hits in the first two innings, racing out to a 3-0 advantage. Mark Trumbo and Adam Jones smacked RBI singles, while Matt Wieters laced a run-scoring single down the right field line. Lopez walked a batter and allowed two hits in...

Homer for Zimmerman on first swing off DL (Nationals win 11-9)

Homer for Zimmerman on first swing off DL (Nationals win 11-9)
ATLANTA - It took all of one pitch for Ryan Zimmerman to hit the virtual reset button on his difficult season. Returning to the lineup after a three-week stint on the disabled list with a bruised left wrist, Zimmerman smoked the first pitch he saw tonight over the left field wall. The 394-foot laser off rookie right-hander Tyrell Jenkins left his bat at 111 mph and gave the Nationals an early 1-0 lead over the Braves, though Atlanta would come right back to take the lead with a flurry of hits...

Scherzer still having trouble in Denver (Nats come back and win 5-4)

Scherzer still having trouble in Denver (Nats come back and win 5-4)
DENVER - Right-hander Max Scherzer struggled to throw strikes in the first inning, and that helped the Rockies race out to a 3-0 lead. Following a one-out DJ LeMahieu single, Scherzer walked Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado. That left the door open for hot-hitting David Dahl, who promptly lined a two-run double off the wall in center. Daniel Descalso then followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Arenado and Colorado led 3-0. Scherzer has a track record of struggles at this park....

Ball flying on scorching afternoon in D.C. (Nationals win 7-4)

Ball flying on scorching afternoon in D.C. (Nationals win 7-4)
The heat index was 102 degrees when the Nationals took the field at 4:05 p.m. today for their series finale against the Indians. Is it any surprise the ball is flying out of the park? Jayson Werth and Francisco Lindor each have clubbed home runs in the game's first three innings, with a couple other doubles off the wall by the Indians, who have rallied to leave things tied 4-4 on a scorching hot day in the District. Werth launched a three-run homer into the left field bullpen in the bottom of...

Severino heading to San Francisco to join Nats

Severino heading to San Francisco to join Nats
According to a league source, Triple-A Syracuse catcher Pedro Severino is en route to San Francisco to potentially join the Nationals. He will reportedly be at AT&T Park today. It is unclear corresponding move the Nationals will make to add Severino to the 25-man roster. Severino has been considered a top catching prospect in the Nationals system. He was called up in late April to join the Nationals and started one game. He has been in Syracuse since then. He had been promoted to Triple-A...

Strasburg, Murphy and Werth's contributions to yesterday's win

Strasburg, Murphy and Werth's contributions to yesterday's win
SAN FRANCISCO - Good morning from the left coast, where tonight the Nationals open a four-game weekend series with the Giants, another significant test for this team during a long road trip. (OK, so I need to be honest with you: I'm not actually in San Francisco as I type this. I'm somewhere over the Midwest, 33,000 feet in the air, en route from Cleveland. It's still Wednesday night. But by the time you read this in the morning, I will be in San Francisco. Promise.) Before we move ahead and...

Bullpen implodes late in Nationals' 10-6 loss to Padres

Bullpen implodes late in Nationals' 10-6 loss to Padres
If the current back end of the Nationals bullpen wanted to convince general manager Mike Rizzo that he doesn't need to make any major acquisitions before next week's trade deadline, this wasn't the way to do it. Shawn Kelley and Jonathan Papelbon combined to give up six runs in the eighth and ninth innings this afternoon, turning a two-run lead into a 10-6 loss to the Padres that might have underscored this first place club's biggest weakness entering the final week of July. Handed a 6-4...

Strasburg goes to 13-0 with eight strong in win over Pirates

Strasburg goes to 13-0 with eight strong in win over Pirates
It turns out the rest might have worked out perfectly for Stephen Strasburg. Or maybe he didn't really need it at all. Strasburg twirled eight innings and allowed only one run, becoming the first National League starting pitcher since 1912 to start a season 13-0. The Nationals dropped the Pirates 5-1. Selected to the All-Star Game in his hometown of San Diego, Strasburg sat out of the game to rest and get ready for the second half. Earlier this season, he had been on the disabled list for 17...

Murphy does it again, homers vs. Mets (Nats win 3-2)

Murphy does it again, homers vs. Mets (Nats win 3-2)
If the Nationals are playing the Mets, Daniel Murphy must be driving in runs. It has been occurring with such regularity, astrophysicists are nearly ready to declare it a new law of the universe. When Murphy stepped to the plate in the top of the first this afternoon with a man on base, the question wasn't whether he would drive in the runner. It was how he would do it. How does a two-run homer off the second deck in right field at Citi Field sound to everyone? With that blast off left-hander...

Murphy continues to terrorize former team (Nats win 6-1)

Murphy continues to terrorize former team (Nats win 6-1)
NEW YORK - Daniel Murphy has done damage against just about everybody he's faced this season, but he has saved some of his best work for his former employer. And he's doing it again tonight. Murphy has driven in one of the Nationals' three early runs off right-hander Logan Verrett, lacing a one-out single up the middle to give his team a 3-1 lead over the Mets. It was Murphy's 16th RBI in 12 games this season against the same New York club that drafted and developed him, the same one he...

Nationals look sluggish again in 5-2 loss to Brewers

Nationals look sluggish again in 5-2 loss to Brewers
Dusty Baker admitted, after the fact, that his Nationals didn't exactly put forth their best effort Monday during the club's annual Independence Day morning game. "Everybody was dragging yesterday with that 11:05 game," the veteran manager said. "I just didn't want to say it." Whatever it was that plagued the Nationals during that uninspired loss to the Brewers sure seemed to still be dogging them tonight during a repeat performance. A tepid offensive attack against right-hander Zach...

Strasburg and Baker on decision to end no-hit bid in seventh

Strasburg and Baker on decision to end no-hit bid in seventh
Right-hander Stephen Strasburg had to labor, but certainly displayed the toughness and grit that have been hallmarks of his amazing start to the 2016 season in the Nationals' 12-1 dismantling of the Reds on Sunday. Strasburg no-hit the Reds through 6 2/3 innings, allowing no runs with four walks and five strikeouts. He fired 109 pitches, 70 for strikes, in his first start since June 15. He had been recovering from an upper back strain. Danny Espinosa slammed two of the Nationals' season-high...

Reds go after Ross for early runs (Nats fall 9-4 in 10)

Reds go after Ross for early runs (Nats fall 9-4 in 10)
Joe Ross had trouble getting outs in the first inning in Saturday's start against the Reds. The Nationals right-hander allowed four runs in the first three frames against the Mets over six innings in his last start June 27. The Nats rallied for an 11-4 win. Saturday, the Reds slapped three hits and scored three runs in the first inning, highlighted by an Adam Duvall two-run double. In the second, Zack Cozart added an RBI double to make it 4-0 Reds. The Reds already have four runs and six hits...

Runs tougher to come by day after outburst (Nats win in 14)

Runs tougher to come by day after outburst (Nats win in 14)
One night after their 13-run explosion, the Nationals find themselves in a bit more of a pitchers' duel so far tonight against the Reds. Tanner Roark and Anthony DeSclafani each have allowed just one run through the game's first four innings, avoiding the kind of crooked-number frames that defined Thursday night's 13-4 Nats rout. The Nationals struck first, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the first via Ben Revere's leadoff single, Bryce Harper's base hit to right-center and Daniel...

Scherzer sharp early vs. depleted Mets (Nationals win 4-2)

Scherzer sharp early vs. depleted Mets (Nationals win 4-2)
Max Scherzer has dominated a depleted Mets lineup before. He won't be duplicating his end-of-season no-hitter tonight, but the Nationals ace is dealing and looking as sharp as he has in his previous historic starts. Scherzer has tossed three scoreless innings so far, striking out six as he attempts to lead the Nats to a series sweep over New York. Daniel Murphy's solo homer - his third against his former team already this season - gave the Nationals an early 1-0 lead, and Jayson Werth added a...

The cases for and against recalling Lucas Giolito to face Mets

The cases for and against recalling Lucas Giolito to face Mets
MILWAUKEE - Dusty Baker said the Nationals will dip into their minor leagues to find a starting pitcher for Tuesday night's home game against the Mets. Since news broke that the Nats would need a starter Tuesday night, social media has been buzzing about the possibility that the hometown fans would get to see right-hander Lucas Giolito, the team's top pitching prospect, make his major league debut. Right now, it appears either Giolito, who is pitching for Double-A Harrisburg, or right-hander...

Nats halt seven-game skid in finale, but it wasn't easy

Nats halt seven-game skid in finale, but it wasn't easy
MILWAUKEE - Ending a seven-game losing streak proved just as daunting a task for the Nationals as the difficult path that saddled them with a season-worst skid in the first place. But a 3-2 win over the Brewers on Sunday assured the Nationals of going home for a key series against the Mets with some positive vibes on their side. But to get there, the Nationals had to turn to an emergency starting pitcher who cut short a Saturday bullpen session at 38 pitches when he found out he'd be needed in...