The Home for Washington Nationals Game Talk

The Nationals pitching staff has been ‘nails’ in their 5-game winning streak with just 5 earned runs in those 5 games by the starters and only 17 hits. This will be Max Scherzer’s first appearance since his perfect inning in the All-Star game where he threw 99.0 mph, and has been on a nice streak of his own lately giving up just 2 earned runs in his last 3 starts. On May 6th, Scherzer was at a 4.60 ERA and enters this game at a 3.03 ERA where he was almost tied with Tanner Roark in ERA before yesterday’s game. Scherzer would clearly like to follow Roark’s blueprint from yesterday, and possibly replicate his own June 2015 start when he faced the Pirates and had a very special and historic start.

The Pirates will start Chad Kuhl in his fourth MLB appearance, and in his last start Kuhl was pulled in the 3rd inning after giving up 4 runs. His ERA is 6.08 entering the game. Since the Nationals have never faced Kuhl before, we will look at his scouting report. Kuhl pitched for the University of Delaware and was picked by the Pirates in the 9th round of the 2013 draft. Kuhl turns 24-years-old in September, and is a right-handed pitcher and is 6’3″ tall according to his bio. Kuhl throws a power sinker, slider and changeup. If his sinker is up, he is very hittable even with his 95mph velo. Kuhl’s reachback fastball can touch 97mph. Continue reading →

For the 2nd night in a row, Daniel Murphy is not in the starting line-up for the Washington Nationals, but Dusty Baker did indicate that Murphy could be available off the bench. Dusty wants to give Murphy’s sore hamstring one extra day. Dusty Baker goes heavy on the lefties adding in one more than usual when a right-handed pitcher starts as Stephen Drew will take Murphy’s spot at 2nd base, and Clint Robinson will take Ryan Zimmerman’s spot at 1st base.

Tonight matches up top of the rotation pitchers with Tanner Roark and Gerrit Cole. In early June, Cole injured his triceps muscle in his right throwing arm. Cole had been out on the DL for over a month and last pitched for the Pirates thirty-six days ago. Continue reading →

It is back to the business of baseball, and the trade deadline closes in 16 days as the clock is ticking. Business 101 says as a true capitalist “bigger is better”. That can relate to the trade market where the key strategy in a finite market is to look to expand while also trying to block your competitors to entry in acquiring an unique asset. The Nationals might not get the two best trade chips in their areas of need which are Andrew Miller and Carlos Gonzalez, and if they do not, you drive up the price for your competition.

Our sources tell us Mike Rizzo is looking at several bullpen options and prefers a back of the bullpen arm who could work as a set-up man, and has closing experience like Andrew Miller, Alex Colome, and Ryan Madson. The Nationals’ manager Dusty Baker would like Aroldis Chapman who would be a closer which appears to be problematic on the surface as that job is currently filled by the Nationals’ closer Jonathan Papelbon. Continue reading →