Aug 08
Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants was the kind of game the Nationals needed badly to win this season. Although they had the second-best record in all of baseball, and the second-largest division lead in the National League, seven games over the Miami Marlins, the Nats needed to distinguish themselves from another top team. …
Aug 01
So the Nationals have finally landed a new closer, with Mark Melancon coming from Pittsburgh. General manager Mike Rizzo sent left-hander Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn to the Pirates in hopes that he can solve the late-inning issues that have plagued the team in the past week. But what will become of the man …
Jul 25
The Nationals seemed to have all the answers a week ago after starting their post All-Star homestand with two wins in three games, but after a 2-4 finish, they his the road to Cleveland, San Francisco and Arizona with more questions. Who will be the Nats’ fifth outfielder? Michael A. Taylor was optioned to Triple-A …
Jul 18
With all the sabrmetrics and advanced stats that we baseball geeks toss around these days, there is still one aspect of the game we can’t accurately quantify: Clutch. The official statisticians tried to do it for a few years back in the 1980s with the Game-Winning RBI, but that stat was abandoned after too many …
Jul 04
Friday’s post-game fireworks were canceled due to extra innings, and rain might well wash out many of the Washington area’s July 4 pyrotechnics this year, but Danny Espinosa has been making the Nationals’ offense explode for the past few weeks. It’s hard to say whether the Nats’ shortstop is the most productive No. 8 hitter …
Jun 27
It’s too early to say whether Tanner Roark’s guile and Jayson Werth’s guts actually saved the Nationals’ 2016 season. But when they look back it all, their June 26 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers may be seen as an epiphany. For now, at least, the bleeding has stopped. In just a week’s time, the Nationals …
Jun 20
Time is running out to cast All-Star ballots, and for the first time in several years, more than one member of the Nationals deserves consideration for a starting spot. The National League team has included two Nats in each of the last three seasons, as well as in 2005, the Nats’ first season in Washington. …
Jun 13
Stephen Strasburg has been in great company while streaking through this season, blowing past franchise marks for consecutive victories set by Pedro Martinez, Dennis Martinez and Livan Hernandez, and matching Jake Arietta for the major league lead in wins. If that’s not enough, the Nationals star now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with arguably the greatest pitcher of …
Jun 06
So the Nationals just lost two out of three to the second-worst team in the National League, allowing 22 runs 31 hits and seven home runs to the 21-36 Reds. Let’s dwell on the positive, though, shall we? Despite the pitching staff getting spanked by one of the league’s top hitting teams, the struggling offense …
May 30
So where are the Stephen Strasburg trolls now? A year ago, they were out in force, but a guy who was once seen by some as a first-round bust seems to have quieted them, maybe for good. Remember last year, when Strasburg was lifted from a game in Cincinnati after just batter into the second …
