For Darren and Dusty Baker, a long-awaited debut day

Darren Baker didn’t need an alarm to wake himself up this morning. He didn’t need a GPS to find his way to Nationals Park. And when he entered the clubhouse, he didn’t need to introduce himself to many people.

If ever a rookie felt at home on his first day in the major leagues, this was it.

“I think it does feel comfortable, especially this one,” he said. “I knew how to get here. I didn’t have to put it into my phone or anything. So I felt comfortable just showing up.”

Baker, who along with reliever Zach Brzykcy was promoted from Triple-A Rochester this morning as the Nationals’ two allotted September call-ups with rosters expanding to 28, has been a familiar face around Nationals Park since 2016. And he’s been a familiar face around big league ballparks and clubhouse since 2002.

Such is life when you’re Dusty Baker’s son. With a famous father who spent most of the last two decades managing in San Francisco, Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington and Houston, Darren Baker has been immersed in the baseball world his whole life. Fans first knew about him in the 2002 World Series, when as a 3-year-old Giants batboy he memorably had to be scooped up J.T. Snow before getting run over on a play at the plate.

Game 137 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

It’s September, which means there are only four weeks to go in the season and rosters now expand from 26 to 28. For the Nationals, that means the major league debuts of infielder Darren Baker and reliever Zach Brzykcy, who both are being called up from Triple-A Rochester today and joining the active roster. There may not be much playing opportunity for Baker, who plays second base and a little bit of outfield, but Brzykcy (pronounced BRICK-see) should get a good look out of the bullpen the rest of the way.

As for today’s game, the Nats need a win to avoid what would be a very frustrating sweep. Each of the last two games were there for the taking, but they couldn’t avoid one big inning on the mound and then couldn’t deliver one more clutch hit in the ninth inning. They’ll hope to get out to a lead today and then maintain it, perhaps even get the ball to Kyle Finnegan.

Mitchell Parker gets the start, and he had an erratic August. He allowed one or fewer earned runs in six or more innings in three of his starts. But he was torched for nine runs in Philadelphia, and lasted only four innings (despite giving up only two runs) last time out against the Yankees.

The Nationals will be facing left-hander Jordan Wicks, who returns from a long stint on the injured list after having an oblique strain.

To clear space on the 40-man roster for Baker, the Nats transferred Trevor Williams to the 60-day IL. That doesn't change the right-hander's timetime for potentially returning before season's end.

Mistakes loom large in Nats' tight loss to Cubs (updated)

There unquestionably is more young talent on the Nationals roster right now than there has been in years, and that alone is reason for more optimism than this franchise has offered in years.

Talent alone, of course, doesn’t win ballgames. Execution is required, especially in the moments that matter the most. And for some talented young players, that second part takes time to develop. If it ever does.

Today’s 5-3 loss to the Cubs was a game that was there for the taking. Alas, it slipped away from the home team because of a bad ending to a great start by DJ Herz, two more outs made on the bases at a time when the Nats needed baserunners, a particularly bad error by a rookie catcher and another inspiring but ultimately unsuccessful ninth-inning rally.

Put it all together, and you get a second straight narrow loss to Chicago, even if there have been several positive developments the last 24 hours by key young players.

"These things are worked on. It's just, the game speeds up," manager Davey Martinez said. "To me, we did make some mistakes today. But the big thing is, yesterday, one inning we gave it up. Today, one inning we gave it up. They’re going to have to learn how to get through these innings and limit the damage. That’s the big thing. The other things will clean up with time. ... Right now, we’re just making small mistakes. And as they play a little more, and play more and play more, they’ll start learning those mistakes become big mistakes in games like this."

Law, Williams face live hitters; Baker to be promoted Sunday

Derek Law appears ready to return from his brief stint on the injured list. Trevor Williams needs some more time but took a big step in his return from the IL today.

Law and Williams each faced live hitters this afternoon prior to the Nationals’ game against the Cubs, the first time each right-hander had done that since going on the 15-day IL with flexor strains in their elbows.

Law, out since Aug. 17, threw 20 pitches over one simulated inning against teammates Ildemaro Vargas and Nasim Nuñez. He said everything felt strong and that he believes his two-week layoff helped give his arm and body a rare chance to rest after a workhorse season. (His 75 2/3 innings pitched lead all major league relievers.)

“Think about it. This is like the first time your body’s getting a full amount of time off,” Law said, citing advice he got from pitching strategist Sean Doolittle. “It’s almost like you’re in spring training again, instead of the grind of the season, where you’re trying to manipulate your body to throw how it should be throwing.

“I was definitely throwing different ways to try to get around the elbow (before going on the IL). So it’s nice to feel free, I guess.”

Game 136 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

Friday night was a wild one for the Nationals, who saw Jake Irvin give up seven runs to the Cubs in the top of the second, then Irvin and a parade of relievers give up nothing the rest of the way, then the lineup rally to score three runs in the ninth and put the winning run on base with two outs and Dylan Crews at the plate … only to watch him strike out to end the game. Enough drama for you?

So, what does today’s game have in store? There’s an obvious storyline to watch: DJ Herz facing the Cubs. The rookie left-hander came up through Chicago’s system before he was dealt to the Nats last summer for Jeimer Candelario, and now he gets to face his former team for the first time. Herz has been solid this month, with a 2.22 ERA and 1.192 WHIP, though he’s averaging fewer than five innings per start.

Davey Martinez again has a lineup with Dylan Crews and James Wood at the top and CJ Abrams not near the top. Abrams does move up one spot today, from seventh to sixth, against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. But clearly his drop down the order Friday night wasn’t simply a matchup situation against a left-hander. This is going to remain this way a while longer until Abrams gets himself back on track.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs CHICAGO CUBS
Where:
Nationals Park

Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 86 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
RF Dylan Crews

LF James Wood
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Andrés Chaparro
3B José Tena
SS CJ Abrams
1B Joey Gallo
C Drew Millas
CF Jacob Young

Still searching for answers, Abrams moves down the lineup

CJ Abrams has been the Nationals’ primary leadoff hitter since July 7, 2023. When he wasn’t leading off, he was hitting second.

Until last night when manager Davey Martinez moved his All-Star shortstop down to the No. 7 hole. The idea was simple: Take some pressure off the young star so he can break out of this slump that is endangering his overall season.

Since July 7, the one-year anniversary of his promotion to the leadoff spot, Abrams’ season has been going in a downward spiral. Over 41 games entering last night, he slashed .169/.239/.288 with a .526 OPS, five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 16 RBIs, eight walks and 42 strikeouts.

“I was hoping that he worked some things out and got out of the funk,” Martinez said of the lineup change decision. “I wanted to see how he reacted to everything. And it's been going on for a while. I've been wanting to do it for a while. And I thought, let's do it now and see if we can get him back so he finishes the season off strong. … Nothing wrong with it. I told him, ‘Hey, you’re gonna play. You’re our starting shortstop. Just remember one thing: When the game starts after the first inning, you become a hitter. That’s it.’”

Abrams started last night’s game against the Cubs 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while batting seventh.

Early damage against Irvin sinks Nats as late rally falls short (updated)

The Nationals were riding high this week. They saw another one of their top prospects make his major league debut on Monday, then proudly watched him lead a group of other young stars in beating the Yankees twice in three games.

But the Cubs entered this series riding high, too. They found themselves back over .500 and slowly nearing the playoff race again as winners of nine of their last 12 games coming into tonight’s three-game series opener on South Capitol Street.

In the end, only one team could keep the good times rolling with another win, and unfortunately for the home team it was the visitors who came away with a 7-6 victory in front of 28,792 fans on a misty, breezy night at Nationals Park.

Something had to give between the Nats rotation and Cubs offense to start this holiday weekend set.

Nationals starters have combined to post a 1.94 ERA and 1.098 WHIP while striking out more than one batter per inning and never once allowing more than two earned runs over their last nine games. Cubs hitters have combined to score 73 runs over their last seven games, averaging 10.4 runs per game.

Game 135 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

It’s been a good week for the Nationals. It’s always nice to take two of three from the Yankees, but it’s especially nice to do so with your top prospect making his major league debut and leading the charge with other cornerstone young players.

Now the Nats welcome the Cubs for three games over this holiday weekend. Chicago is barely holding onto hope of a postseason berth, entering this series 9 ½ games back of the Brewers in the National League Central and five games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

Jake Irvin looks to become the first Nationals pitcher to reach 10 wins this season when he takes the ball tonight. The right-hander will also try to continue a strong streak by Nats starters, who have combined to post a 1.94 ERA and 1.098 WHIP while striking out more than one batter per inning and never once allowing more than two earned runs over the last nine games.

Shota Imanaga will get the ball from Craig Counsell to oppose Irvin on the hill. The 30-year-old Japanese left-hander is in the running for NL Rookie of the Year with a 10-3 record and 3.08 ERA in 24 starts during an All-Star campaign.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right-center field

Abrams bumped to seventh, García sits against lefty again

While Dylan Crews and James Wood have commanded the spotlight this week, and rightfully so, the Nationals are focusing on ensuring two of their other young stars have strong finishes to the season. And in different ways.

Davey Martinez’s lineup for tonight’s opener against the Cubs features one major change and a noticeable absence: CJ Abrams was bumped all the way down to the seventh spot in the order and Luis García Jr. on the bench with left-hander Shota Imanaga starting for Chicago.

For the first time this season, Abrams is not batting in one of the top two spots in the lineup. In fact, it’s the first time the young shortstop has started a game this low in the order since July 6, 2023, when he hit eighth against the Reds. The following day, he was moved up to the leadoff spot, where he performed well for a strong second half of last season and hit for much of this year.

“Just want to give him a little breather. I want him to relax a little bit,” Martinez said during his pregame media session. “Just start working better at-bats. As you know, he's been chasing a lot. I just want him to kind of slow down a little bit. So I talked to him before I sent the lineup out. He's good with it. Like I said, when you start getting on base and taking your walks, I want you to get back up there. But we need to slow you down a little bit. He's just swinging a lot.”

Up until July 7, the one-year anniversary of his promotion to the leadoff spot, Abrams was slashing .282/.353/.506 with an .860 OPS, 21 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 29 walks and 14 stolen bases. The Nats are trying to get him back to doing what he did to earn his first All-Star selection.

Evaluating Nats' trades one month after the deadline

The month of August is about to wrap up this weekend, which means it’s been a full month since the trade deadline. Which means enough time has passed to start evaluating how trades worked out.

Of course, it takes years to know if a trade truly was worth it or not. But in the Nationals’ case, it’s worth checking in on the results of Mike Rizzo’s four deadline deals to see how they look at this point.

(Spoiler alert: They look pretty good at this early stage of the process.)

HUNTER HARVEY to ROYALS for CAYDEN WALLACE and CALEB LOMAVITA
Rizzo surprised everyone by making this deal 17 days before the July 30 deadline, but there was a good reason for it. He wanted Kansas City’s “Competitive Balance A” pick in the following night’s Draft. So in addition to Wallace, a promising-but-injured third base prospect, the Nationals also got the No. 39 pick, which they used on Lomavita, an intriguing catcher from Cal.

Wallace, who was dealing with a fractured rib at the time, just finally made his organizational debut Thursday night, delivering an RBI single and drawing a walk for Single-A Wilmington. He’ll look to finish the season strong and then come to spring training next year trying to move up the organizational ladder.

After midsummer slip, young Nats starters back on track

It was undoubtedly the best development of the first half of the Nationals season, a young starting rotation that seemed to break through as one, four potential building blocks all succeeding at the big league level and offering real hope for the near future.

And things turned south for all four of them as the summer progressed. MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin no longer looked like All-Stars. Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz looked like rookies with a lot of things that still needed to be ironed out.

So consider the last week-plus a key turning point for that group, which along with veteran Patrick Corbin has turned dominant again.

Over their last nine games, Nationals starters have combined to post a 1.94 ERA and 1.098 WHIP, striking out more than one batter per inning and never once allowing more than two earned runs.

Everyone in the quintet has contributed to the resurgence, but Gore’s part in this play – capped off by Wednesday night’s win over the Yankees – has been the most encouraging.

Gore, Crews and the kids lead Nats to series win over Yanks (updated)

It's too soon to know if the events of the last 72 hours represent a critical turning point in what the Nationals hope is among the last steps they need to take to close out a long and arduous rebuild and finally start thinking about winning again. They could come back to earth this weekend, or next month or even when they all reconvene next spring.

But for anyone who has endured the pain of the last three years believing there would be a light at the end of the tunnel, these last three nights were for you. It’s not just that the Nationals won a series against the Yankees, capped off by tonight’s 5-2 triumph on South Capitol Street. It’s that they did it with a roster loaded with talented young players, nearly every one of them a potential piece to the long-term puzzle.

For the most part, these weren’t stopgaps performing well against the Bronx Bombers. They were building blocks. And they delivered about as well as anyone could have hoped.

"I think we all understand that we're talented, to be honest with you," left-hander MacKenzie Gore said. "But it's one of those 'You either do it, or you don't' kind of things. This is where we're at. We don't want to be just like: 'Oh, we're going to be good in a couple of years, as a player or a team.' It's our job to be good right now."

Tonight’s victory included the first home run of Dylan Crews’ career (which began Monday). It included two more hits and three more stolen bases by James Wood, fully living up to the hype in his first two months in the majors. It included six standout innings from Gore, who in his last two starts has looked far more like the potential All-Star he was in April and May than the shaky left-hander he had been since.

Adon lands on IL, Ribalta returns from Triple-A, Abrams sits again

The Nationals keep running into walls trying to find out if Joan Adon can become a regular member of their bullpen.

Adon was placed on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with a right shoulder biceps strain, removing the erratic reliever from the active roster again and replacing him with rookie Orlando Ribalta, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester.

The Nats are awaiting MRI results on Adon, who had not pitched in six days but did briefly warm up during Monday night’s game against the Yankees. Teams cannot backdate IL moves more than three days, so Adon won’t be eligible to return until Sept. 10.

The 26-year-old, a starter throughout his professional career, was moved to the bullpen in Rochester earlier this season, with the Nationals thinking he might develop into an effective long man. But he’s appeared in only eight big league games across three stints with the club, and he has yet to record more than four outs in any relief appearance.

Ribalta returns to the majors only eight days after he was optioned to Triple-A, a move that came only seven days after he made his big league debut. The 6-foot-8 right-hander was scored upon in each of his two appearances for the Nats but sported a 2.64 ERA, 1.154 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings at Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg.

Game 134 lineups: Nats vs. Yankees

It’s been a fun couple of nights at Nationals Park. Monday night saw the debut of Dylan Crews and the Yankees outplaying the home team during a tight, 5-2 win. Tuesday night saw Crews record his first hit, Andrés Chaparro record his first home run, Patrick Corbin outpitch Gerrit Cole and the Nats emerge with a tight, 4-2 win. The atmosphere in the ballpark has been outstanding, the kind of thing that used to be common around here but hasn’t been common for several years.

Now it’s the rubber game of the series, and a big start for MacKenzie Gore. It’s been a ragged summer for the young left-hander, but he hopes he turned a corner over the weekend in Atlanta, where he held the Braves to one run over six innings without issuing a walk. This is obviously a tough lineup Gore has to face tonight, but he’s unquestionably got better stuff than Corbin, who was hugely successful. It’s up to Gore to make his stuff work against Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Co.

The Nationals would love to give Gore some significant run support. It’s been a strange few days, because they’ve hit the ball hard quite a bit, and they’ve recorded four homers and four doubles, but they’re a staggering 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position. (The Yankees, by the way, are 0-for-13 in the series.) They’ll go up against left-hander Carlos Rodón, who has been hit-or-miss of late, and try to convert at least a few times in clutch situations to provide Gore some support.

The Nats did make a roster move this afternoon: Orlando Ribalta has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester, with Joan Adon placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder biceps strain. So it's a swap of right-handed relievers.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs NEW YORK YANKEES
Where:
Nationals Park

Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 95 degrees, wind 8 mph out to right field

Ribalta recalled as Adon heads to IL

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Orlando Ribalta from Triple-A Rochester and placed right-handed pitcher Joan Adon on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to Aug. 25) with a right shoulder biceps strain on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Ribalta, 26, went 5-2 with five saves, a 2.64 ERA and a .194 opponents’ batting average in 44 relief appearances between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He struck out 69 batters and allowed just four home runs in 47.2 innings between the two stops.

Ribalta joins the Nationals for the second time after making his Major League debut on Aug. 13 at Baltimore and appearing in the game on Aug. 15 at Philadelphia. He allowed three earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 2.0 innings between the two outings.

Selected out of Miami Dade Community College (Fla.) in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Ribalta is 13-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 127 career Minor League games. The native of Santa Clara, Cuba, has struck out 195 in 166.2 innings over five seasons. 

Adon, 26, has appeared in eight games (1 start) for Washington this season, posting a 6.75 ERA along the way.

Crews' first hit just one of several big moments in second career game

Dylan Crews’ first career hit figured to be a memorable one. And it was, a laser of a double off the left field wall in his first at-bat Tuesday night against a Cy Young Award winner.

And then for good measure, the Nationals rookie added another hit later in the game, stole his first base and scored his first run, then caught the final two outs of his team’s 4-2 victory over the Yankees.

“Overall, I thought today was awesome,” the 22-year-old outfielder said. “And we won, so it was a great day.”

Crews’ major league debut Monday turned out to be nondescript. He put together some quality at-bats but ultimately went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. And he didn’t have much opportunity to make an impact on the bases or in the field.

Tuesday’s game presented a very different opportunity, with Crews front and center for multiple big moments over the course of the night.

Corbin bests Cole as young Nats topple Yankees (updated)

If Oct. 30, 2019, represented the pinnacle of Patrick Corbin’s career, it arguably also represented the nadir of Gerrit Cole’s career. As the former came out of the bullpen to win Game 7 of the World Series for the Nationals, the latter sat in his bullpen and helplessly watched it all unfold, ostracized for not appearing in what to that point would’ve been the biggest game of his life.

The two pitchers’ careers have gone in completely opposite directions since, with Corbin devolving into the least effective starter in baseball the last five seasons while Cole moved to New York after signing a record deal and won a Cy Young Award. There’s no comparison between them in the years since.

Except on this night, when Corbin rose to a challenge like he perhaps hasn’t since that glorious October night in Houston and Cole looked decidedly human facing a young and hungry lineup that knocked him out after five innings to give the Nationals a most satisfying 4-2 victory.

Behind back-to-back home runs from rookies Andrés Chaparro and José Tena, plus the first two hits and stolen base of Dylan Crews’ career, the Nats opened up a lead on Cole. Corbin (six scoreless innings) and four relievers then did the rest, holding down one of the most feared lineups in the sport in impressive fashion to pull off one of the team's most impressive wins of the year.

"Patrick did an awesome job today going out and giving us a chance to win," said Crews, who caught the final out of his first major league victory. "That's his job, and he executed it perfectly. It was a great crowd today. Our bullpen did an awesome job today, too. Overall, I thought today was awesome. And we won, so it was a great day."

Ferrer avoids any punishment after "Red Hot" found on arm

When Jose A. Ferrer entered from the bullpen in the top of the eighth Monday night and stopped near the infield to be inspected by first base umpire Phil Cuzzi, there was no reason for any observer to pay attention. This was standard practice for any relief pitcher who enters the game, with umpires checking for any evidence of illegal substances on his glove, cap or body.

But when Cuzzi called over the entire umpiring crew, and when Nationals manager Davey Martinez came out of the dugout to find out what was going on, this suddenly became a potential controversy. Was there something wrong with Ferrer’s glove? Was he using “sticky stuff” and about to be ejected and subject to suspension by Major League Baseball?

No, he was not. After a long meeting of all the involved parties, Ferrer was allowed to pitch, and he wound up recording the final four outs of the game for the Nats without incident.

So, what happened? Ferrer accidentally had a legal ointment on his forearm but was allowed to wipe it off without any punishment.

Like many pitchers, Ferrer uses Red Hot ointment, which keeps the shoulder muscle warm, when he pitches, according to Martinez this afternoon. But when Cuzzi noticed the 24-year-old left-hander’s forearm was unusually shiny, he got suspicious and had the entire crew take a look at it in case something illegal was going on.

Game 133 lineups: Nats vs. Yankees

The hubbub of Monday night is gone, but that doesn’t mean there won’t still be juice in the ballpark tonight. The Yankees are still here, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are still here, Dylan Crews and James Wood are still here and there’s a juicy (if lopsided, on paper) pitching matchup on tap as well.

Patrick Corbin vs. Gerrit Cole. The guy who did pitch in relief in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series vs. the guy who did not pitch in relief in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. The guys whose careers have taken wildly different paths since that night.

Corbin is really facing a gantlet tonight in the Yankees lineup, though for whatever it’s worth he tossed a quality start last summer in the Bronx, allowing three runs over six innings to earn the win. Judge and Gleyber Torres each homered, but that’s all Corbin gave up during that game. It’s also worth noting he allowed one run over six innings to the Rockies last time out, earning career win No. 100.

Cole, meanwhile, seems to have found his groove after spending the season’s first 2 1/2 months on the injured list. He enters this one on a 12-inning scoreless streak, having shut out the Tigers and Guardians. He’ll be going up against a very young Nats lineup that now features Crews, Wood and CJ Abrams.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs NEW YORK YANKEES
Where:
Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 88 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

Tuesday morning Nats Q&A

It was quite a Monday night at Nationals Park, where a convergence of star players, a returning former hero and a debuting top prospect came together to create as much anticipation as has been felt around these parts in a while. The end result - a 5-2 loss to the Yankees - wasn't satisfying at all. But the mere presence of CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood atop the Nats lineup for the first time was plenty of reason to be excited.

There was also the return of Juan Soto for the first time as a Yankee. Aaron Judge robbing home runs instead of hitting them. Mitchell Parker flirting with disaster for four innings but emerging with only minimal damage. One dominant inning of relief from Tanner Rainey, then a not-so-dominant inning after that. Some kind of controversy with Jose A. Ferrer's glove. And then no postgame press conference from Davey Martinez, who according to a club spokesman wasn't feeling well.

It all made for an eventful, if disappointing, night at the park. And one worthy of plenty of follow-up discussion. So let's do this: If you've got something you'd like to ask - either about Monday's game or anything else - submit it in the comments section below, then check back throughout the morning for my responses ...