Nats Nightly

Daniel Murphy hit a two-out, two-run single to right in the eighth to put the Washington Nationals up 4-2 after he'd doubled and homered earlier in what ended up a 4-3 win for the Nats in the series opener with the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. Washington improved to 31-21 with the win over Philadelphia. Tanner Roark put together a solid start, and earned the win. Murphy collected three hits total. Bryce Harper left the game with a right knee contusion. Jonathan Papelbon earned a nail-biter of a save...

Stephen Strasburg improved to (9-0) in 11 starts this season with the Washington Nationals 11-0 in his outings as the Nats earned themselves a split of the four-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals with a 10-2 win this afternoon in Nationals Park. Jayson Werth broke it open with a seventh inning grand slame and the Nationals took 5 of 7 from the Cardinals overall this season improving to 30-21 overall on the year with the win. Now they head out on the road...

Gio Gonzalez was roughed up and the St. Louis Cardinals dumped the Washington Nationals 9-4 before a capacity crowd at Nats Park. The Cards have won back-to-back games after the Nats took the first game of the series on Thursday. 

Bryce Harper hit his first home run since May 13th off the facade of the upper deck in right and Danny Espinosa visited the second deck out there with a solo blast of his own for the only two runs the Washington Nationals needed to beat the St. Louis Cardinals tonight, 2-1. Joe Ross allowed just one run in seven strong innings to beat Mike Leake and the Cards in the series opener in D.C. as the Nationals improved to 29-19 on the year.

Steven Matz outdueled Tanner Roark (with the help of a "getaway day" strike zone) and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Wednesday, securing a series victory as well. Roark was strong over seven innings, but was vicitimized by a home run in the first inning and shaky defense in his last inning. Patrick and Dave discuss the game and series with the Mets.

Five different Washington Nationals hitters homered and Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 over 6 2/3 innings to run his record to 8-0 and the Nats pounded Matt Harvey and the New York Mets for the second time in as many weeks, winning 7-4 before a fired up Nats Park crowd. Patrick, Dave and Doghouse dissect the Nats win, which puts them at 28-18 for the season.

Max Scherzer was dominant and efficient and Ben Revere sparked the Washington Nationals' offense in what ended up an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins. The Nats took 2 of 3 in Miami, and now they head home to face the New York Mets in a three-game set in the nation's capital. Scherzer went eight strong this afternoon before he handed it over to the bullpen and Revere was making things happen all game long as Dusty Baker's "igniter". Nationals now 27-17.

Jose Fernandez improved to (6-0) in nine career starts vs the Washington Nationals and (21-1) in 31 career starts in Miami as the Marlins evened up the three-game set with their NL East rivals with a 3-2 win over the Nats. Joe Ross was solid through five, but a changeup down and in to Marlins' first baseman Justin Bour in the sixth ended up bouncing off the facade of the second deck in right as the Fish jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Nationals now 26-17. 

Tanner Roark struggled in his first three outings of the season with Miami, raising questions about if he was tipping his hand, but the Washington Nationals' right-hander held the Marlins in check in a 4-1 win in the series opener in Marlins Park tonight. Ryan Zimmerman and Michael A. Taylor homered early and Roark and the Nats' bullpen limited Miami to one run in Marlins Park. Two more with the Fish to come this week. Nationals 26-16 after their third-straight win overall.

Bartolo Colon walked more batters than he had in 41 1/3 IP before tonight and the Washington Nationals got a solid start from left-hander Gio Gonzalez in what ended up a 7-1 win over the New York Mets in Citi Field. Rubber match tomorrow with Stephen Strasburg on the mound against Matt Harvey at 7:10 PM EDT in NYC. Jayson Werth had a big night at the plate. Bryce Harper kept taking walks. The Nationals improved to 24-16 with the win.

New York Mets' starter Noah Syndergaard outdueled Max Scherzer in what ended up a 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals in Citi Field. Syndergaard struck out ten in seven scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.19 on the year and Max Scherzer was victimized by home runs again, surrendering two for the only runs he allowed in six-plus innings of work in New York. Scherzer gave up home runs No. 12 and 13 on the year. Two more with the Mets to follow...

Jose Fernandez started the day (4-0) with a 1.05 ERA and a .162/.252/.232 line against in 42 career innings pitched against the Washington Nationals and held the Nats to one run in seven innings in the Miami Marlins' 5-1 win, striking out 11 and leading the Marlins to a split of the four-game set in D.C. Up next for the Nationals, a three-game set with the New York Mets in Citi Field with Max Scherzer vs Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday night. 

The Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins have played four doubleheaders since 2005 and they've split each one, including today's. Washington took the day half of today's split doubleheader with Miami, but the Marlins beat the Nats 7-1 tonight in the nation's capital, leaving the Nationals 23-14 on the year with one to play in D.C. with the Fish. Stephen Strasburg to the win this afternoon and Tanner Roark took the moss tonight. 1:35 PM tomorrow... But the big news is that Mike Rizzo is here to stay... through 2018 at least.

Washington Nationals' slugger Bryce Harper didn't get much to hit, but Miami Marlins' reliever Kyle Barraclough left a 3-2 slider up in the zone in the seventh and Harper made him pay with a two-run blast that ended up being the game-winner. 5-3 final in the nation's capital. Harper's 11th was a two-run blast in the seventh that put the Nationals ahead 4-2 before the Marlins got within one. Chris Heisey put the Nats back up by two with a pinch hit homer in the 8th. Nationals now 22-13.

Max Scherzer struck out 20 batters tonight in the nation's capital in the Washington Nationals' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. "Strikeouts are sexy," Scherzer said after tying the MLB record for Ks in a nine-inning game. He accomplished the feat against his former team, make it that much more special and did it in a close game against former Nats' starter Jordan Zimmermann. A big night in Nationals Park and we're talking about it on Nats Nightly...

Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs tonight in the nation's capital, but the Detroit Tigers evened up the Interleague series with the Washington Nationals with a 5-4 win in Nats Park. But Zimmerman hit two homers!! #TKCHZ Joe Ross was not as sharp as he has been recently, but he kept it close and the Nationals had their opportunities late, but an out at home kep them away from a tie game. Rubber match tomorrow. Max Scherzer vs Jordan Zimmermann at 7:05.  

On a wild night in the nation's capital there was news that Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals reportedly agreed on a 7-year/$175M extension and the Nats snapped their four-game losing streak with a walk-off win against the Detroit Tigers in Nationals Park. Clint Robinson hit the walk-off winner even though he thought he was batting in the eighth inning. What a night in D.C. Lots to talk about on the latest edition of Nats Nightly...

The Washington Nationals were 5-1 after six games on their ten-game, three-city road trip... then they arrived in Chicago where the Cubs swept the four-game set in Wrigley Field, walking off in extras in Game 4 this afternoon on a home run by Javier Baez. The Cubs won the 20th straight game when Jake Arrieta started and sent the Nationals home 5-5 on the ten-game trip. 

Washington Nationals' starter Max Scherzer's home run issues continued as he gave up four homers and seven runs in five innings in Wrigley Field this afternoon in what ended up a 8-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Two straight losses for the Nats (19-10). The Nationals scored four late to make it look closer than it was and Daniel Murphy had a 4 for 4 day at the plate to get his average back up over .400, but it was another loss for the Nats and another disappointing outing for Max Scherzer. Two more with the Cubs to come.

Chicago's Cubs had the Washington Nationals shut out through 8 2/3 before Jayson Werth hit a two-run blast to left off Travis Wood, but it wasn't enough as the Nats dropped the series opener in Wrigley Field by a score of 5-2. Joe Ross was solid again for the Nationals, but a rough inning in the fourth led to the only two runs he allowed while on the mound. Cubs' starter Kyle Hendricks tossed six scoreless to earn the win. Three more to go in Chicago...