Nats Chat

The Nats took their second straight series after winning Sunday's rubber match in Minnesota.  Mark & Al examine the Nationals 7-2 victory that saw Bloomington, MN native Jake Irvin impress on the mound in seven innings of work.

(08:00) Konnor Pilkington & Kyle Finnegan each tossed scoreless frames to preserve the big lead.  Pilkington has already been on the mound four times since getting called up from AAA earlier this week.

(12:45) CJ Abrams homered on the first pitch of the game and filled the box score from there.  Abrams stole three bases on Sunday and this game serves as a great example of all that Abrams brings to the table.

(15:15) Josh Bell picked up three hits to continue his red-hot July.  Bell is leaving the quite the impression to opposing GMs just ahead of Thursday's MLB Trade Deadline.

(18:30) James Wood went 0 for 4 with all strikeouts on Sunday and this weekend he struck out ten times in the series. Wood showed a rare case of his frustration when arguing with the home plate umpire following one his Ks.  He has struck out 134 times this season, second to only Detroit's Riley Greene.

(22:25) Dylan Crews will make a rehab start this Tuesday night with Rochester.  Crews has been out since May 20th due to an oblique injury.

(26:00) The Athletic reports that the Cubs has interest in MacKenzie Gore.  What would it take for the Nats to deal the lefty?

(30:45) Jim Callis from MLB.com provides a brief scouting on Eli Willits, who the Nationals picked at #1 overall a few weeks ago. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats dealt Amed Rosario to the Yankees shortly after beating the Twins 9-3 on Saturday night. Mark (From Minneapolis) & Al begin with the Nationals first trade this month as it could be a busy few days until Thursday's deadline.  New York sent back RHP Clayton Better & OFer Browm Martinez.

(08:00) The offense woke up against a very good pitcher in the Twins' Joe Ryan.  They scored nine runs off of 12 hits and hit a pair of homers in the process (Garcia Jr. & Call).

(11:15) Jacob Young left the game with a contusion on his index finger after a bunt attempt.  Alex Call replaced him and played great in front of many friends & family on-hand from nearby River Falls, WI.

(16:00) Drew Millas took advantage of his start by having three hits and stealing a base.  Miguel Cairo said on Saturday that Millas is likely to be behind the plate about once a series.

(18:00) Mitchell Parker earned the win in almost six innings of work.  Parker has pitched well coming out of the All-Star Break and this outing dropped his ERA below the 5.00 threshold.

(20:30) Luis Garcia retired four batters in the victory and Mike DeBartolo's first move is looking good so far.  Could he be traded at the deadline? Garcia was acquired on July 8th and has already taken the mound for Washington nine times. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats were shutout for a second straight game in Friday night's 1-0 loss in Minnesota.  Mark (From Target Field) & Al examine how the offense has already been blanked nine times this season.  It is a particularly head scratching stat because they have scored double digits in ten of their victories this year.

(07:00) Is Darnell Coles (Hitting Coach) back on the hot seat even after a managerial change?

(10:05) MacKenzie Gore only allowed one run, but did walk six Twins in just five innings pitched. Gore had more wild pitches (two) than hits allowed (one) and had just four strikeouts in the outing.

(17:00) Luis Garcia reached 100+ MPH against the final batter he faced. Washington acquired Garcia this month and might be able to trade him before the deadline.

(21:15) Dylan Crews is with the team this weekend in Minnesota.  Crews has been out for over two months with an oblique injury and has yet to make a rehab start in the minors.

(26:00) The Nationals went slightly over slot when signing their 2nd round pick (Ethan Petry). It is clear in hindsight that the organization had a direct plan entering this year's Draft. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats were blanked 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon by the visiting Reds. Al & Tim discuss Nick Lodolo's complete game shutout, the 3rd time the Nationals have allowed a starter to go the distance against them this season.

(09:00) Jacob Young made an incredible catch above the wall to rob a homer in the top of the 8th.  It will definitely be on the short list for best catches this MLB season.

(14:45) Michael Soroka had a solid outing, but did hit three Cincinnati batters.  This could have been his final Washington start as he is expected to be traded before next week's deadline.

(18:00) How many trades will the Nats make by next week?  Tim thinks there will be at least three moves by Mike DeBartolo.

(20:25) Jackson Rutledge allowed a pair of late runs and his ERA has ballooned to 6.55. Could his days be numbered with the organization? 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats beat the Reds 6-1 on Tuesday night in D.C. for their 2nd consecutive win. Mark & Al note that the Nationals are now a game away from their first series sweep since mid-May in Baltimore.

(04:10) Josh Bell crushed his 13th homer of the season as he continues his hot month.  Bell is widely expected to be traded by next week and his surge is well timed for the organization.

(07:30) Riley Adams continued to play well while Keibert Ruiz is on the IL. Adams had a 2-run single and also a threw out a runner to end the top of the 3rd.

(09:00) Brad Lord had a solid outing as he returned to the starting rotation for the first time since May 6th.  Lord only allowed one run in four innings of work off of 50 pitches.

(15:30) Konnor Pilkington, fresh off being called up from AAA, impressed in his two innings of scoreless work.  Pilkington took over in the 5th, struck out the side in the 6th, and earned the win. It was not his MLB debut as he briefly pitched for Cleveland a few season ago. The corresponding move was Mason Thompson getting sent down to Rochester.

(25:15) Washington goes for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon. Michael Soroka takes the mound with an extra spotlight as many contending teams will paying attention to the right hander's outing ahead of next week's Trade Deadline.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats jumped out to a big lead and did just enough to preserve a 10-8 victory over the Reds. Al & Mark recap the home win that saw James Wood reach base four times.  Wood had a single, double, two walks, and a pair of runs scored.

(06:00) Josh Bell doubled and homered as his OPS in July is up to .968.  Bell's OPS this season of .695 is now higher than both Luis Garcia Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe.  Will Bell get dealt by the deadline?

(12:10) Daylen Lile knocked in three runs on a triple to put Washington up 4-0 in the top of the 1st. Dylan Crews is expected to return within the next few weeks and Lile's roster spot is in jeopardy.

(15:00) Parsing through a Jon Heyman report that many teams are calling the Nationals regarding MacKenzie's Gore availability.

(17:30) Jake Irvin was handed a 7-0 lead but couldn't make it past the 4th inning. Irvin tossed three scoreless innings, but allowed five Cincinnati runs in the top of the 4th. Irvin's ERA has climbed over a run in the past ten starts.

(22:45) It was a tough night for the bullpen, especially Kyle Finengan.  The righty recorded the final outs, but allowed a pair on runs before completing the task. Finnegan is widely expected to be traded by July 31st.

(28:05) Brad Lord will start on Tuesday night, but it is unlikely he will last five innings as he transitions again from reliever to starter. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats were pounded 8-1 by the Padres on Sunday afternoon to drop the rubber match. Al & Mark convene after MacKenzie Gore got roughed up in his first start after the All-Star Game.  Gore immediately gave up a 1st inning Grand Slam to Xander Bogaerts and then was pulled in the top of the 3rd.

(10:30) James Wood singled to end an 0 for 20 stretch. Wood has struck out in 40% of his at bats this month and had 5 Ks over the weekend series.

(16:30) Nick Pivetta dominated the Washington offense for the 2nd this summer. Pivetta is having a very good season and his ERA is below 3.00 (2.81).

(19:00) The bullpen ironically had a great afternoon as three pitchers combined for over six scoreless innings.  Jackson Rutledge pitched the most on Sunday as he almost lasted four innings; while striking out a trio of Padres.

(22:10) Yohandy Morales has been hitting well in AAA and the hosts wonder if he will get called up this season. Morales primarily plays 1B and was drafted in the 2023 2nd round. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats topped the Padres 4-2 on a busy Saturday in Navy Yard.  Mark & Al begin with Mitchell Parker's victorious effort after six innings of work. Parker only needed 82 pitches to reach that point and his biggest moment of the night came when striking out Manny Machado in thev bottom of the 5th with the bases loaded.

(11:00) Jacob Young slammed into the wall while in CF in the top of the 3rd, but remained in the game. Young was unable to pull off the catch and San Diego cut the Nationals lead to 2-1.

(12:45) The bullpen combined for three scoreless frames.  Kyle Finnegan bounced back from Friday's nightmare with a his first Save in over a month.

(18:15) Nathaniel Lowe slugged his 15th homer, but yet his OPS remains below .700 (.697).  We continue our friendly debate on whether or not Lowe is having a good season.

(21:30) Eli Willits, the number one overall pick in last week's MLB Draft, was officially introduced after signing with Washington.  Willits broke the salary record for a high school prospect, but it is well below the slot value.

(26:00) Hear what Interim GM Mike DeBartolo answered in response to Mark's questions about the upcoming Trade Deadline. Is he open to trading MacKenzie Gore?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats opened the 2nd half much with a 7-2 loss to the Padres after Kyle Finnegan made a mess of a tied game.  Mark & Al recap the closer falling apart in the top of the 9th while other teams keep a close eye on the right hander ahead of the Trade Deadline.  Finnegan only recorded one out while giving up a grand slam to Manny Machado and his ERA is now up to 4.37.

(14:30) C.J. Abrams 2-run homer tied the game in the bottom of the 8th, but the Nats ran themselves out of a chance to the take lead.  Josh Bell was picked off while curiously taking off for 2nd base with James Wood standing on 3rd.

(19:30) Wood struck out three times and has the 3rd most Ks in all of Baseball.

(23:00) Michael Soroka had a decent outing as he lasted five innings.  Is he someone that can be dealt at the Deadline?

(25:30) Brad Lord has been moved back into the starting rotation as Shinnosuke Ogasawara is remaining in AAA.  Why Is Cade Cavalli still in Rochester and not in the Washington rotation?

(32:45) Analysis of the team's draft approach.  Eli Willits will be introduced on Saturday afternoon shortly after he is expected to sign. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nats drafted Eli Willits, a high school shortstop out of Oklahoma, with the number #1 overall pick in Sunday night's MLB Draft.  Mark & Al react to the selection that surprised most prognosticators. Ethan Holliday, the other highly touted high schooler from Oklahoma, was picked by Colorado at #4 overall.

(08:30) Willits is just 17 years old and has stated that he would like to be in the Big Leagues by when he turns 20.  Willits had an eye opening OPS of 1.514 this past high school season.

(15:15) Handicapping the SS depth within the organization.  Last year Washington drafted Seaver King, a shortstop from Wake Forest, who currently is playing with AA-Harrisburg.

(22:00) The Nationals were swept in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon hours before the MLB Draft began. The 8-1 loss sends the team 20 games under .500 into the All-Star Break. For comparison sake, the organization was just two games below .500 entering June.

(27:45) C.J. Abrams was a late scratch due to shoulder soreness.  This was significant because his injury info was released mid-game; a strong departure from protocol under Mike Rizzo. James Wood was given is first gever ame off on Sunday as he prepares for Monday night's HR Derby in Atlanta.

(36:00) Jackson Rutledge struggled by allowing four Brewer runs while recording just one out.  The 2019 1st Round pick's ERA has a reached a scary 6.92 as the team decides what to do with the righty. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.