by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Starlin Castro is struggling at 2nd base; Photo by Katie Moran for TalkNats
The Nats fell to 1-4 in this early season, and the “little things” came up big in this loss. This is the third game of the Nats five games where the offense scored only one run. Add two errors by Starlin Castro that resulted in a disappointing 3 unearned runs, and it was game over. The Blue Jays first run of the game came off of a home run but the ball was in Victor Robles glove after he timed a leap over the bullpen wall in left-centerfield — but left fielder Emilio Bonifacio collided with Robles and the impact knocked Robles’ glove off his hand and the ball fell into the bullpen for a home run. Continue reading
Tanner Roark exits out of Nats Park from the new visiting team’s exit; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
The Nationals and their braintrust decided not to skip their number five starter, Austin Voth, and utilize the off-day last Friday to pitch Max Scherzer today on regular rest to face an old friend, Tanner Roark, at Nationals Park in the fifth game of the season. Continue reading
Photo by Lynn G. for TalkNats.
On paper, the Nats looked like the better team, but it did not matter as the Nats only scored one-run and Anibal Sanchez gave up four solo home runs to take the loss. The Nats hit into four doubleplays including a line drive where Victor Robles did not freeze and he was thrown out for one of the doubleplays. There was also a costly baserunning mistake by veteran Eric Thames who set-up for a tag-up with one-out on ball Robles hit off of the right-center wall. Instead of Thames going half-way and scoring and Kurt Suzuki running to third base and Robles with a double — it was a long single due to the baserunning gaffe by Thames. He didn’t score in the inning. Did that cost the Nats the game? No, but it was part of “the little things” that added up. Continue reading
"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
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