The Nats rallied against Oakland on Saturday for a 3-2 victory that abruptly concluded with a Keibert Ruiz lead-off homer in the bottom of the 9th. Al & Tim dive into Ruiz's hot month; where he is slugging .605 so far in August. It was Ruiz's 16th HR of the season, good for 6th most among NL catchers. (08:30) Lane Thomas was a late scratch in the starting lineup, but came through as a pinch hitter with the game tying RBI in the bottom of the 8th. Thomas currently has the 4th most hits in the NL (132) and the top 7 all are players from the NL East. (12:00) Blake Rutherford finally got his 1st career MLB hit after starting 0 for 16 since getting called up. Rutherford received strong applause from the home crowd and followed it up with another hit later in the game. (23:00) Jake Irvin pitched well and almost lasted for 7 IP vs. the Athletics. Has Irvin made his case to be in the 2024 starting rotation?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ruiz Walks-off Oakland

A Washington Nationals podcast offering recap and analysis after every game, plus all the breaking news throughout the year. Hosted by Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com & Al Galdi, host of "The Al Galdi Podcast". For sponsorship opportunities, contact Tim Shovers at natschatpodcast@gmail.com.

Sports

Baseball

The Nats defeated the Braves 7-3 on Saturday afternoon in D.C. for their second straight win. Mark & Al have a dozen hits to sort through as the offense scored in five of the initial six frames on Saturday. It was the second time in the past few weeks that the Nationals handed a loss to Atlanta starter Charlie Morton. (07:00) Nick Senzel had a pair of doubles and hit a late homer to give Washington a comfortable lead. Al points out how Senzel's offensive production has floated below the radar this season. (17:00) MacKenzie Gore earned the win but it was another inefficient outing in terms of pitches thrown. Gore was charged with two runs in five innings of work and was replaced after his 99th pitch in the top of the 6th. Mark explains whether or not Gore is on a pitch count for this season. (24:00) Kyle Finnegan was not used and three relievers combined to record the final twelve outs. Dylan Floro threw a scoreless 8th and his ERA is at 1.15. (29:45) The horse co owned by Jayson Werth won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday (Dornoch) despite being listed at 17-1 before the race.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bats Wake Up Against Morton

The Nats beat the Braves 2-1 on Friday to end their four game losing streak. Al & Tim recap Jake Irvin's six shutout innings that came on 96 pitches. Irvin's ERA is at 3.12 and he has put himself into contention to make next month's All Star game. (10:00) The bullpen held onto the lead despite a few sloppy mistakes late in the game. Hunter Harvey returned to the mound just one day after giving up a trio of runs against Atlanta. Kyle Finnegan notched his 17th save of the season, which ranks fourth in MLB. Nick Senzel helped turn a pivotal double play to keep the lead intact for Finnegan in the final frame. (17:00) Both of the Nationals runs came in the bottom of the 4th and it was propelled by the running game. That element was prevalent for Washington early in the season, but has tapered off in the past month, as evidenced by CJ Abrams getting his first stolen base on Friday night since May 4th. (25:00) A wide angle lens view of the season so far that leads an examination of Keibert Ruiz's contract.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Irvin Beats Sale

The Nats scored first but ultimately fell 5-2 on Thursday night vs. the visiting Braves for their fourth straight defeat. Mark & Al have another mediocre showing from the offense to parse through as the only production came from Back to Back homers in the bottom of the 6th (CJ Abrams & Lane Thomas). Jesse Winker was the only member of the lineup to come through with multiple hits as the team collected just six in total. (09:00) Jacob Young made a great sliding catch in the middle of the game. It was additionally noteworthy as Victor Robles dropped a routine fly ball in his second game with the Mariners on Thursday. (14:00) Mitchell Parker was facing Atlanta for the second time this summer and had a no hitter going until the top of the 6th. Parker then gave up a pair of runs after Adam Duvall homered off of him to tie the game in the 7th. Parker has made ten starts so far this year and has not allowed more than three runs in any outing. (19:00) The game was tied 2-2 after entering the top of the 8th and Hunter Harvey had a rare bad outing that let the Braves pull away. It is the first appearance that Harvey allowed multiple runs in since April 23rd. (24:00) How much heat is there now on hitting coach Darnell Coles? The organization has not made a mid season change in that role since July of 2013 when Rick Eckstein was removed.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Braves Get the Best of Harvey

The Nats were clobbered 9-1 on Wednesday afternoon for a third consecutive loss to the visiting Mets. Al & Mark begin with Davey Martinez being openly critical of CJ Abrams and his role as the team's leadoff hitter. Abrams went 1 for 7 this series and his OPS is .739 on the season. Abrams also denied the opportunity to speak with the media after the game. (14:00) The offense was only able to muster one run and that came via "Small Ball" late in a rout. There were also two more outs made on the bases as Jesse Winker was caught stealing and Luis Garcia Jr. had bad luck on a hard liner. (17:00) It was another bad Patrick Corbin outing as he was charged with six runs. What are the chances he loses his rotation spot this summer? (27:00) No off day for Washington as the Braves come to town on Thursday for a four game set. They have not a day off since Thursday May 23rd and will have to wait for this upcoming Monday to rest.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Swept by the Mets

The Nats lost 6-3 to the Mets on Tuesday night in D.C. for their fourth loss in the past five game. Mark & Al evaluate the news that Trevor Williams is headed to the 15-day IL due to a right flexor muscle strain (same injury as Josiah Gray). Williams' ERA so far this season is just 2.22 in 11 starts. (06:00) The nod instead went to DJ Herz, a lefty that was called up from AAA Rochester. Washington acquired Herz last summer as part of the Jeimer Candelario trade with the Cubs. Herz pitched into the the 5th and allowed four runs in his debut. The hosts look into why Herz is ahead of Jackson Rutledge in the pecking order. (14:00) Quick update on Josiah Gray as he threw a simulated game on Tuesday. Gray has been on the IL since April 9th. (17:00) Kyle Finnegan surprisingly pitched the top of the 9th as the Nationals were trailing 5-2 and allowed a run. Why did he appear in the game in that sort of situation as opposed to Tanner Rainey? (21:00) CJ Abrams and Jacob Young were each back in the lineup on Tuesday evening. Young had a an excellent game at the plate as he reached base four times and knocked in a pair of runs. This segment leads to an extended conversation on the state of the team's offense. (34:00) The Nats look to avoid getting swept on Wednesday afternoon as Patrick Corbin will take the mound, but there is rain the forecast.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ruiz Walks-off Oakland

Download our free app to listen on your phone