De Aza helps Roark's cause (Nats win 4-3)

De Aza helps Roark's cause (Nats win 4-3)
The Nationals got on the board first against the Phillies and Aaron Nola in the first of four games Thursday night at Nats Park. With one out in the second, Michael A. Taylor reached on a throwing error by first baseman Tommy Joseph and promptly stole second base. With two outs, Alejandro De Aza lined a single to left field to score Taylor for a 1-0 Nationals lead. Tanner Roark allowed a solo homer off the bat of Jorge Alfaro in the third. It was Alfaro's second homer of the season and came on...

Game 140 lineups: Nats. vs Phillies (Victor Robles selected)

Game 140 lineups: Nats. vs Phillies (Victor Robles selected)
The Nationals return home to begin a 10-game home stand with the magic number to clinch the National League East at six as they begin four games against the Phillies. The club made a major announcement prior to the game that their top prospect, center fielder Victor Robles has had his contract selected from Double-A Harrisburg. Also called up are outfielders Andrew Stevenson and Rafael Bautista. The 20-year-old Robles, ranked the No. 4 prospect in the game by MLB.com, hit .344 over his last 10...

Looking at closer issues around baseball

Looking at closer issues around baseball
The Nationals lead the National League East despite a bullpen that brings daily turbulence. This week at Nationals Park they will see first-hand that they aren't the only team with late-inning issues. The Nationals' bullpen ERA (5.40) is 29th in baseball. Seattle's bullpen has the highest ERA in the majors at 5.44, while San Diego is 27th at 5.04. The Mariners and Padres play in D.C. this week. Edwin Díaz, and his blazing fastball, was the Mariners closer at the season's start, but he...

Harper hurts the Phillies again (Nats fall 4-3, allow three in ninth)

Harper hurts the Phillies again (Nats fall 4-3, allow three in ninth)
The Nationals' Bryce Harper continues to make baseball life difficult for the Phillies. In the bottom of the first, Harper hit a scorching line drive over the right-center field wall to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. The homer was his 12th of the season and came on a 2-1 pitch. He has now hit 20 homers off the Phillies, second most to the 21 he has hit off the Marlins. Anthony Rendon hit his first triple of the season in the next at-bat, but the Nats were unable to bring him home. Left-hander...

Game 36 lineups: Phillies at Nats Game 1 (Werth update)

Game 36 lineups: Phillies at Nats Game 1 (Werth update)
Still basking in the glow of another Bryce Harper walk-off gem against Philadelphia, the Nationals and Phillies embark on a day-night doubleheader on Mother's Day in the nation's capital. The two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth Saturday night was Harper's second walk-off this season against the Phillies and fifth of his career. Game 1 features left-hander Gio Gonzalez against right-hander Jeremey Hellickson. Manager Dusty Baker has elected to rest left fielder Jayson Werth, who has dealt...

Opposite dugout: Phillies simultaneously rebuilding and imploding

Opposite dugout: Phillies simultaneously rebuilding and imploding
Manager: Pete Mackanin (3rd season) Record: 13-19 Last 10 games: 2-8 Who to watch: LF Aaron Altherr (.351 with 7 HR), 2B César Hernández (.324 with 5 SB), 3B Maikel Franco (5 HR, 25 RBIs), RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 3.49 ERA), RHP Héctor Neris (3 saves)Season series vs. Nationals: 4-5 Pitching probables: May 12: RHP Nick Pivetta vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 7:05 p.m., MASNMay 13: RHP Vince Velasquez vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASNMay 14: RHP Jeremy Hellickson vs. RHP Max Scherzer, 1:35...

Tonight's game postponed; day-night doubleheader Sunday

Tonight's game postponed; day-night doubleheader Sunday
For the second consecutive night, rain has postponed a scheduled Nationals game. Tonight's Nationals versus Phillies game has been postponed. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday. The first game Sunday is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. The second game schedule for 7:05 p.m. Manager Dusty Baker said Tanner Roark will start Saturday night's game. The Nationals have now not played a game since Wednesday night against the Orioles. Baker said it reminded him of the time...

Opposite dugout: Phillies coming along, but have plenty to work on

Opposite dugout: Phillies coming along, but have plenty to work on
Manager: Pete Mackanin (3rd season) Record: 12-15 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B César Hernández (.336 average with 39 hits), 3B Maikel Franco (.231 average with 5 HR, 25 RBIs), RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 3.18 ERA), RHP Héctor Neris (0-1, 3 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-3 Pitching probables: May 5: RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Nick Pivetta, 7:05 p.m., MASNMay 6: TBA vs. RHP Vince Velasquez, 7:05 p.m., MASNMay 7: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Jeremy Hellickson, 2:35 p.m.,...

Harper homers again for 6-4 walk-off win

Harper homers again for 6-4 walk-off win
Both teams jump on the board quickly in the Sunday finale. The Phillies' César Hernández slammed a 2-0 Gio Gonzalez offering over the left field wall to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. He now has homers in his last two at-bats in the series, three for the season. The Nationals' Adam Eaton answered with a double to begin the bottom of the first. Anthony Rendon then bounced a ground-rule double over the left-center field wall to score Eaton and tie the game at 1-1. In the third with one...

Pitchers in control early on (Phillies win 4-2)

Pitchers in control early on (Phillies win 4-2)
Right-handers Tanner Roark and Jeremy Hellickson are in a Saturday afternoon pitchers' duel between the Nationals and Phillies. Roark has not allowed a baserunner in the first three innings, retiring nine straight batters. He struck out the last two he faced in Freddy Galvis and Hellickson. Hellickson also did well in the first two frames, although the Nats have reached deep right field on lineouts by Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy and a flyout by Ryan Zimmerman. With one out in the third, the...

Opposite dugout: Phillies coming off three-game sweep by Mets

Opposite dugout: Phillies coming off three-game sweep by Mets
Manager: Pete Mackanin (4th season) Record: 3-6 Last 10 games: 3-6 Who to watch: LF Howie Kendrick (.355, 5 RBIs), CF Odúbel Herrera (.313/.421/.375), SS Freddy Galvis (2 HR), 3B Maikel Franco (2 HR, 8 RBIs), RHP Aaron Nola (1-0, 4.50 ERA), RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 0.90 ERA), RHP Joaquín Benoit (0.00 ERA in 4 games) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-1 Pitching probables: April 14: RHP Aaron Nola vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 4:05 p.m., MASN April 15: RHP Jeremy Hellickson vs. RHP Tanner...

Opposite dugout: Rebuilding Phillies could pose a pesky problem

Opposite dugout: Rebuilding Phillies could pose a pesky problem
Manager: Pete Mackanin (4th season) Record: 1-2 Last 10 games: 1-2 Who to watch: 3B Maikel Franco (25 HR, 88 RBIs), 2B César Hernández (.294/.371/.393 with 17 SB), CF Odúbel Herrera (.296 with 15 HR, 25 SB), 1B Tommy Joseph (21 HR), SS Freddy Galvis (21 HR), RHP Jeremy Hellickson (12-10, 3.71 ERA), RHP Jeanmar Gómez (43 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (5-14 in 2016) Pitching probables: April 7: RHP Max Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA) vs. RHP Vince Velasquez (8-6, 4.12...

What each NL East team needs this offseason

What each NL East team needs this offseason
The Chicago Cubs' agony is over. They are celebrating their first World Series championship since 1908 after beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings at Progressive Field in Cleveland. And this might not be a one-time thing for the franchise of Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg and Ferguson Jenkins. The Cubs are built for the long haul. The Cubs have two free agents - Aroldis Chapman and Dexter Fowler - and plenty of money to retain them. They also have their entire infield - Kris Bryant,...

Turner and Murphy get offense rolling (Nats win 3-2)

Turner and Murphy get offense rolling (Nats win 3-2)
The Nationals went after Phillies southpaw Adam Morgan in the first inning. Trea Turner singled to lead off the frame. With one out, Daniel Murphy doubled down the right field line. Turner scored all the way from first base and the Nationals lead 1-0 after one inning. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez skated out of trouble in each of the first two frames. He allowed a walk in the first. In the second, the Phillies had two men on with no one out after a Danny Espinosa fielding error and an A.J. Ellis...

Rendon's offense and defense impact another Nats victory

Rendon's offense and defense impact another Nats victory
Third baseman Anthony Rendon's bat and glove were on display again as the Nationals finished off a series with the Phillies by winning 3-2 on Sunday. Rendon connected on an RBI double and later scored on a passed ball in a crucial two-run rally in the seventh inning that provided the margin of victory. "Runs, in general, are going to be great," Rendon said. "Just got a good read, I guess, ran really fast. "2-0, that's a hitter's count so you got to be aggressive in those situations, and...

Melancon records another save; Harper on strategy prior to homer

Melancon records another save; Harper on strategy prior to homer
Mark Melancon made the ninth inning quiet. That's what he has done since he arrived. Melancon now has 40 saves, 10 with the Nationals, as he pitched a scoreless ninth in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Phillies. Manager Dusty Baker discussed the acquisition of Melancon after the game, a move that came at the end of July. "That's why we traded for him, him and (Mark Rzepczynski) both," Baker said. "They've really solidified our bullpen, especially because it was in kind of disarray before...

Game 142 lineups: Phillies at Nats

Game 142 lineups: Phillies at Nats
The Nationals are still buzzing about the impact of Trea Turner on Friday night. Turner smacked a two-run homer in the seventh that looked like it would go through the left field stands 12 rows up, then connected on a dramatic walk-off homer to center field that bounced off the angled wall near the Bud Light Loft. The Nats won 5-4 over the Phillies. It was Turner's first career walk-off homer. He even allowed Anthony Rendon to measure up and dump a bucket of ice cold Gatorade on his head....

Nationals can only shrug off rare loss to Philly

Nationals can only shrug off rare loss to Philly
If the Nationals are fortunate enough to have reason to create a 2016 Year-in-Review video, tonight's 4-1 loss to the Phillies most certainly won't merit even a passing reference. Perhaps the most notable thing about this game was the mere fact that the Nationals lost to the Phillies. That hadn't happened since April 28, after which the Nats won nine consecutive matchups with their rebuilding division foes. "I didn't know it, but after the game somebody told me we had beaten them nine in a...

Opposite dugout: Phillies still have part to play in playoff push

Opposite dugout: Phillies still have part to play in playoff push
Manager: Pete Mackanin (2nd season) Record: 62-77 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: CF Odubel Herrera (.278 with 13 HR, 42 RBIs, 20 SB), 3B Maikel Franco (22 HR, 73 RBIs), SS Freddy Galvis (16 HR, 58 RBIs), RHP Jerad Eickhoff (10-13, 3.86 ERA), RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3.39 ERA with 35 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 4-11 Pitching probables: Sept. 8: RHP Alec Asher vs. RHP A.J. Cole, 7:05 p.m., MASN Sept. 9: RHP Jake Thompson vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 7:05 p.m., MASN Sept. 10: RHP Jerad Eickhoff vs....

Opposite dugout: Struggling Phillies can do little more than play spoiler

Opposite dugout: Struggling Phillies can do little more than play spoiler
Manager: Pete Mackanin (2nd season) Record: 60-70 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: CF Odubel Herrera (.281 with 13 HR, 42 RBIs, 19 SB), 3B Maikel Franco (22 HR, 72 RBIs), C Cameron Rupp (14 HR, 43 RBIs), 1B Tommy Joseph (17 HR, 34 RBIs), RHP Jerad Eickhoff (9-12, 3.87 ERA), RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3.02 ERA with 34 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 4-8 Pitching probables: Aug. 29: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Jake Thompson, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 30: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Jerad Eickhoff, 7:05 p.m.,...