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...

Losing streak ends with 3-2 Nats win

Losing streak ends with 3-2 Nats win
MILWAUKEE - Tanner Roark is through three scoreless innings against the Brewers. Now if only the offense could do something to help the right-hander. Roark has allowed one hit - Jonathan Lucroy's leadoff single in the second - walked one and struck out three. Jonathan Villar drew a leadoff walk in the first, but was erased trying to steal on a strong throw from catcher Jose Lobaton. The Nationals are still searching for their first hit. Ben Revere's sharp two-out grounder to second could have...

Cubs score late to drop Nats 4-3

Cubs score late to drop Nats 4-3
In a tie game in the ninth inning, Jonathan Papelbon would usually be summoned. But with the closer on the disabled list with a intercostal strain, left-hander Sammy Solis battled through the eighth and ninth innings. With the score tied at 3-3 in the ninth, the Cubs used an Albert Almora Jr. RBI double to take a 4-3 lead. The Nats were unable to score a run in their last at-bats against Hector Rondon. The Cubs evened the series with the 4-3 victory. The Nationals had trouble solving Cubs...

Espinosa's home run barrage continues (Werth walk-off wins it)

Espinosa's home run barrage continues (Werth walk-off wins it)
Danny Espinosa is on some kind of home run barrage right now. The oft-maligned, light-hitting shortstop has been making a case for himself over the last two weeks with an impressive power display, and he is up to it again this afternoon. Espinosa's leadoff homer in the bottom of the second gave the Nationals a 3-0 lead over the Phillies and kept his run alive. He has now homered eight times in his last 14 games. This latest blast, on Adam Morgan's first pitch of the bottom of the second,...

Shields ransacked in Chicago debut (Nats win 11-4)

Shields ransacked in Chicago debut (Nats win 11-4)
CHICAGO - On the bright side for James Shields and the White Sox, there's nowhere to go but up from here. The Nationals are putting a hurting on Shields in his White Sox debut, pounding out six runs on seven hits (three of them homers) in two innings to open up a commanding 6-0 lead at U.S. Cellular Field. Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa all homered in their first at-bats, the latter two prompting the crowd to boo their recently acquired veteran right-hander. Shields, just...

Werth makes most of day off, launches grand slam off bench

Werth makes most of day off, launches grand slam off bench
Different players approach days off in different ways. Some like to take a full mental and physical break, and just watch the game from the dugout, available only in case of emergency. Others like to take the opportunity to work on something, maybe find what has been missing from their swing that perhaps provoked the day off. Jayson Werth has taken both approaches during his career, preferring rest when he's physically ailing but wanting to tinker when he's healthy and perhaps struggling. So...

Harper, Ramos deliver during three-run rally (Nats win 10-2)

Harper, Ramos deliver during three-run rally (Nats win 10-2)
The Nationals have nearly been no-hit by Michael Wacha before. They certainly didn't want to find themselves in that same boat today, so it's safe to say they breathed a sigh of relief when Michael A. Taylor broke up the right-hander's shot at history before things started to get too serious. And then it's safe to say they were downright giddy when Taylor's double in the bottom of the fourth set the table for a three-run rally that has given them a 3-1 lead. Taylor's leadoff double...