Nats Nightly

Washington’s Nationals and Tanner Roark got knocked around in the series opener with the Arizona D-Backs, losing 14-4, but the big blow was an injury to catcher Wilson Ramos, who appeared to injure his right knee on a throw home in the sixth inning. Ramos left the field of play in considerable pain. We're waiting for updates, but it did not look good. More information when it's available. Nationals now 91-65 with three more to go with the Diamondbacks in Washington, D.C.

Benches cleared. HRs were hit. Dekes led to injuries. Pitches were thrown with purpose. In the end, the Washington Nationals took the series finale with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-7, winning two of three in PNC Park to improve to 91-64 on the season a night after they clinched the NL East crown. It was a long, four-hour and one-minute game filled with homers and a bit of ugliness, but the Nats came out on top in the end. Now they head home for the final regular season homestand. 

The Washington Nationals did their part, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-1 in PNC Park, and the Philadelphia Phillies were leading the New York Mets as the Nats wrapped up their win. Washington's win lowered their magic number to win the NL East to one and the Phillies had a 10-7 lead in the ninth as things wrapped up in Pittsburgh. So now they wait, after improving to 90-64 with the win over the Bucs... Will it happen tonight? It's close as I type this...

Ryan Zimmerman hit a big three-run home run in the fourth and the Washington Nationals cruised to an 8-3 win over the Marlins in the series finale in Miami. Max Scherzer tossed six scoreless before giving up two home runs and three runs in the seventh, but he earned his 18th win in the Nationals' 89th of 2016. With the win the Nationals improved to 89-63 and brought an end to a four-game losing streak. Next up, three with the Pirates in Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

Jose Fernandez has dominated the Washington Nationals throughout his career, and that dominance continued in a 1-0 win for Miami in Marlins Park. Fernandez struck out 12 in eight scoreless and improved to (7-0) career vs the Nationals in his career.  Washington dropped their fourth straight overall and the second straight to the Marlins, falling to 88-63 overall on the season witht he loss in South Florida. Tanner Roark put together a solid start (1 ER in 7.0 IP), but received no support.  We'll talk about the loss to the Fish, today's reports about Bryce Harper's shoulder and more on Nats Nightly.

Gio Gonzalez struggled on the mound in Turner Field as the Washington Nationals dropped their third game to the Atlanta Braves in 18 contests this season. Trea Turner continued to hit, however, homering twice and collecting a single in the losing effort after a four-hit game last night in Hotlanta. The loss left the Nationals 88-60 on the year heading into the final game with the Braves this season tomorrow afternoon. Joe Ross returns to the mound in the majors in the series finale. 

Tanner Roark and Robert Gsellman dueled it out in D.C., but Wilson Ramos hit a big home run in what ended up a 1-0 Washington Nationals’ win over the New York Mets. Ramos drove in the only run of the game with a 427 foot blast to center field in Nationals Park, taking Mets' reliever Fernando Salas deep to give the Nats 2 of 3 from NY in D.C. The win left the Nationals 87-59 on the year with a magic number of seven to clinch the NL East.

Noah Syndergaard dominated the Nationals, and T.J. Rivera hit his first home run in the tenth after the Nats rallied to tie it. 4-3 Mets final in D.C. Washington fell to 86-59 with the loss and the two NL East rivals play the rubber match of their three-game set tomorrow afternoon in the nation's capital with Tanner Roark on the hill for the Nationals in the series finale in D.C. 

It was all going so well for Mat Latos, who homered and allowed just one run in 4+ innings in his first start for the Nationals in what ended up an 8-1 win over the Mets. But he left the outing with cramping in his right hamstring, which wasn't considered too serious. The Nationals improved to 86-58 with the win, and ended the night with a 10.0 game lead in the NL East and a magic number of 9 to clinch the division. Two more with the Mets the next two days...

Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon doubled in runs, Rendon scored one too and Gio Gonzalez put together a solid start in a 3-2 Washington Nationals’ win over the Philadelphia Phillies, which gave the Nats 3 of 4 in the long-weekend set with their NL East rivals in the nation's capital. Gonzalez tossed 6 1/3 scoreless before giving up a run and the Nationals' bullpen gave up one but held on for the one-run win which left Washington 85-58 on the year.

It was still 0-0 after 7 1⁄2 in the nation’s capital when Bryce Harper hit his 24th HR of the season to lift the Washington Nationals to a 3-0 win and their second straight over the Philadelphia Phillies. Max Scherzer held the Nats' NL East rivals scoreless over 6 2/3 and the bullpen did their job as well before and after Harper hit his three-run blast to right field in the home-half of the eighth in the 84th win of the season for the Nationals. 84-58. One more with Phillies tomorrow. 

It was tied at 4-4 with two down in the Washington Nationals’ half of the ninth when Trea Turner hit his second home run of the game for a walk-off winner to beat the Philadelphia Philllies, 5-4. It was Turner's second home run of the game and his eighth in the majors this season. Tanner Roark put in a solid start, but the Phillies tied it at 4-4 against the Nats' bullpen before Turner's heroics saved the day and left the Nationals 83-58 on the year.

It went to extras before the Washington Nationals completed the three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win, but the big news was Stephen Strasburg’s apparent injury. Strasburg left the game in the third with some sort of issue after returning from a DL stint for elbow soreness. On a long rainy night in D.C., however, the Nationals fought back and took the series finale with the Braves to improve to 82-57 overall on the year. Four with the Philadelphia Phillies starting tomorrow. 

Neither starter lasted long tonight in a high-scoring game in D.C. that the Washington Nationals took, 9-7, for the second-straight over the Atlanta Braves. Gio Gonzalez didn't have anything, but luckily for him, Braves' starter Williams Perez wasn't sharp either and the Nats outlasted the Braves for a second straight win over their NL East rivals in the nation's capital. With the win the Nats improved to 81-57 on the season. One more with the Braves tomorrow at 7:05 PM EDT. Will Stephen Strasburg return?

Washington Nationals' starter Max Scherzer held Atlanta's hitters to two runs on seven hits and Trea Turner continued to punish Braves’ pitching with a three-hit game in what ended up a 6-4 win in Nationals Park. The Nats improved to 80-57 on overall on the season and 12-2 against their NL East rivals from ATL. Scherzer earned his 16th win of the season in the first game of three with the Braves in D.C. this week. Turner was a triple shy of the cycle this afternoon.

Reynaldo Lopez didn't last long tonight in Citi Field as the Washington Nationals fell behind 3-1 early in what ended up being a 5-1 loss to the New York Mets. Lopez was out after four innings and 85 pitches, but the Mets added two runs on a Jay Bruce HR in the sixth off Mat Latos as the NL East's second place team cruised to a win and two out of three with the Nationals in Citi Field. Danny Espinosa homered for the Nationals' only run, tying his previous career high with his 21st of the season. The Nats finished the night at 79-57 on the year, now they head home to D.C. for a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves.

Washington Nationals’ starter Tanner Roark walked a career-high four batters in five innings of work in what ended up a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets.

Washington’s Nationals swept their third-straight series with the Philadelphia Phillies with a 2-1 win tonight in Citizens Bank Park. It was the Nats' ninth straight win over the Phillies and their sixth straight in Philadelphia. Gio Gonzalez put together a solid start and Jayson Werth (who homered) and Wilson Ramos (RBI single) provided all the offense the Nationals needed in their 78th win of the season. The Nationals went 11-9 in their stretch of 20 games in 20 days and left Philadelphia 78-55 overall on the year.

Washington Nationals’ starter Tanner Roark tossed seven scoreless vs the Philadelphia Phillies and the Nats scored early and added on late in a 4-0 win in Citizens Bank Park. Jayson Werth homered and Anthony Rendon, Clint Robinson and Trea Turner hit RBI singles as the Nationals improved to 6-1 in CBP this season and 7-0 in their least six games with the NL East rivals, improving to 76-55 on the year with the win in the series opener. Two more with the Phillies to come in the next two days.

The Washington Nationals took advantage of some sloppy play by Colorado Rockies and took the series opener in D.C., 8-5. Gio Gonzalez earned his 100th win in the nation's capital tonight. Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy hit home runs. Bryce Harper drove in two with a triple and Trea Turner caused all kinds of trouble on the basepaths as the Nationals took the first of three with the Rockies to improve to 75-53 overall on the year with two more to play in Nationals Park this weekend.