Nats run their winning streak to 3 and get to .500!

Josh Harrison comes up big!; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The game started in the sunshine as the tropical storm blew off to the northeast earlier than expected if you trusted the forecast that was predicted on Sunday. The Yankees postponed their game for today a day ago and did not wait to see if the storm changed its course. The Nats who had their weekend series postponed due to the Marlins’ COVID issues, and the Nats needed this game to happen to get back to real games after four days off. The Nats took advantage early to take a 5-0 lead and milk that to a narrow 5-3 nailbiter before a pop-up thunderstorm caused a 1:07 minute rain delay. The Nats bullpen bent but didn’t break and put up another zero after starter Patrick Corbin was pulled at 5 2/3 innings and exited with that 5-3 lead. Continue reading

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Game #8 Patrick Corbin is on the mound to get baseball going again in Washington D.C.!

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

It has been a while since the Washington Nationals have had a game. They have won two games in a row and had some momentum going as the bats, the starters, and the bullpen all put it together at the same time. This is a quick two-game series against the Mets, and they have been dealing with their own injuries and a very embarrassing opt-out when Yoenis Cespedes did not show up for their game on Sunday and later informed their team he was opting-out. The Nats have had opt-outs, but they were handled professionally. Continue reading

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A week of roster moves for the #Nats is on the agenda!

Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez; Photo by Laura Peebles for TalkNats

Fifteen days go by quickly as the season reaches that mark on Friday and as such rosters by rule must be pared down to 28-players from the current thirty unless MLB agrees to continue with the larger rosters which seems to be a good idea. Regardless, the Washington Nationals will be adding Juan Soto to the roster as he is eligible to return from the 10-day IL. The Nats have been playing short a spot as Stephen Strasburg has been on the roster while he was rehabbing from a nerve impingement in his right wrist/hand, and reliever Will Harris was placed on the 10-day IL with a groin injury retroactive to July 29. In addition, reliever Wander Suero is also eligible to return from the 10-day IL as he was on the COVID list. That gives you an idea of three players who will need spots while the Nats might have to reduce the roster overall by two.  Continue reading

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Juan Soto was none too pleased about the “fake positive”

Juan Soto‘s first public photo outside after self-isolation on July 16 as he walked on Potomac Avenue across from the player’s parking lot; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The 21-year-old is known to be the nicest young man until you cross a line. He is a person of faith, and that was tested in his two separate stints in self-isolation due to COVID concerns. In total, Juan Soto spent more than 24-days in confinement in July. Continue reading

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The Nationals current/future schedule has been directly affected by the Marlins COVID outbreak!

Marlins Park stays empty;  Photo by Steve Mears for TalkNats

The numbers are staggering on the COVID-19 outbreak within the Marlins organization. Over half of their current roster has reportedly tested positive for COVID, and instead of utilizing players from their Alternate Training Site, MLB has instead just postponed games. It has affected several teams and mostly the Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Toronto Blue Jays who are all idle this weekend. The Marlins and Phillies were playing each other when the COVID tests were done and came back positive. Both the Marlins and Phillies have only played 3-games this season. Continue reading

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If Howie Kendrick didn’t hurt his back, Kieboom’s groin wouldn’t have magically healed!

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

When Howie Kendrick was suddenly scratched from Wednesday’s lineup with upper back stiffness, Carter Kieboom’s groin mysteriously healed simultaneously, and he was inserted into the lineup. Yes, the groin they said kept him from moving laterally was healed. It had looked like the Nats top prospect (№ 21 overall) was going to accrue service time stuck on the bench and probably was going to be optioned to the Alternate Training Site in Fredericksburg until he reminded everyone why he is a top prospect. Small sample sizes aside, Kieboom has put together some impressive at-bats while showing veteran presence working three walks in the last two games along with 3-3 on singles since the 7th inning on Wednesday. He came up big in the 9th inning on a key walk, and again yesterday. Like Adam Eaton, the 22-year-old has hits in every game this season.  Continue reading

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Nats are perfect on the road going back to Game 2 of the NLDS 10-0

Starlin Castro is the star for the offense; Photo by Katie Moran for TalkNats

If Starlin Castro was the star today for the Nationals offense, then Carter Kieboom has to be the second star, and Michael A. Taylor gets the third star. All of the pitchers had their moments today from Erick Fedde to Ryne Harper to Sam Freeman to Javy Guerra to Tanner Rainey, and then to Daniel Hudson for the first team save of the season. The bullpen had to cover 4 2/3 innings, and Rainey worked three straight days and 47 pitches, and Daniel Hudson had two tough back-to-backs. Maybe these four days off this weekend due to the COVID postponements and into Monday will help those overused arms. Continue reading

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Game #7 finale of Blue Jays and Nats as Ryu and Fedde square off!

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The Nats will be the road team again in this series of four games became played as a home/road series in Nationals Park. The Nats know today’s Blue Jays starter well in Hyun Jin Ryu as they faced him many times when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This afternoon finale to this series will be played with Erick Fedde substituting for Stephen Strasburg once again.  Continue reading

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The road blues and gray combo continues to win! Nats take the 0-0 into the 10th and win 4-0!

Photo by Don H. for TalkNats

In the Nats first-time using the new extra inning rules, they scored big to take this game as the “road” team in Nats Park with a 4-0 thriller! Max Scherzer was brilliant in a 7 1/3 inning gem to keep the Blue Jays off of the board, and the Nats bullpen threw another zero. There were many stars in this game, and the Nats did it in the combo of uniforms that won them all four games on the road in the World Series with the blue “script” jerseys and the gray pants.  Continue reading

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Game #6 Blue Jays are the home team in Nats Park; Scherzer against Blue Jays #1 prospect! Soto status waits for clearance!

Juan Soto; Photo from Natsflash_ Instagram

There is great anticipation that Juan Soto will be cleared to play tonight after manager Dave Martinez during his pre-game presser yesterday said that Soto has now had two back-to-back negatives through the MLB lab for his COVID tests. The pitching matchup has Max Scherzer, who is looking to bounceback after a tough outing that probably would have been worse if not saved from the rain storm on Opening Day as the game was halted with runners at the corners with one out. Toronto will be pitching their № 1 prospect in Nate Pearson. He has a blazing fastball that touches triple digits.  Continue reading

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