Nats Chat

The Nats fell 5-3 in Toronto on Tuesday night to drop to 1-4 on the season.  Mark (Live from Canada) & Al begin with the bad pitching luck for starter Trevor Williams & flame throwing reliever Jose A. Ferrer.  They both were victims to instances such as infield hits and defensive miscues behind them.  Hear what franchise record Williams is quietly threatening Max Scherzer for.

(17:45) The Nats offense had another subpar night in scoring just three runs.  Dylan Crews, who has been struggling at the plate, rested in favor of Alex Call in RF.  Call rewarded his manager's confidence with a pair of hits while hitting 8th in order.

(21:00) CJ Abrams was by far the biggest bright spot for Washington as he filled up the box score in a franchise SS type of performance.  Abrams had a trio of hits, two of which were doubles, and made a tremendous defensive play up the middle.

(25:35) Keibert Ruiz knocked in a pair of runs and continues to impact every game.  Ruiz drew a walk and has a five game hitting streak to start the season.

(29:05) The Nats will have MacKenzie Gore on the mound on Wednesday in their hopes to avoid the sweep.  Should we be caught up in the 1-4 record?

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The Nats lost their first road game of the season 5-2 in Toronto.  Michael Soroka struggled in his franchise debut and ended on a sour note as he departed early due to an injury.  The prognosis afterwards was not serious and has been classified as a right biceps cramp.

(10:50) If the news on Soroka ends up being worse than initially expected, who takes his spot in the rotation?  There is no easy and immediate answer to this one.

(16:40) The only source of offense for Washington came off back to back homers in the top of the 6th. So far the team has hit eight home runs in just eight games. CJ Abrams homer was the first hit of the day off of Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis.

(21:00) Dylan Crews terrible start at the plate continued on Monday as he went 0 for 4 to remain without a hit so far in 2025.  Crews struck out twice in this loss and has done so in 10 out of 15 at bat this season.

(28:10) Four relievers appeared for the Nats and they combined to only allow one run.  Brad Lord pitched for the 2nd straight day.

(36:05) Josh Whetzel, the voice of the AAA Rochester Red Wings, gives an update on the series in Buffalo.  Among the players mentioned: Andrew Alvarez, Trey Lipscomb, and Jackson Rutledge.

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The Nats earned their first victory of the season on Sunday as they defeated the Phillies 5-1.  Mark & Al have plenty of positives to run through and begin with Mitchell Parker, who continued the good starting pitching to begin the Washington season.  Parker pitched into the 7th and didnt allow any runs.

(10:00) The two Nationals homers on Sunday came from new additions to the lineup in Josh Bell & Nathaniel Lowe.  The team combined for six home runs in the opening series.

(13:45) Paul DeJong came through with a trio of hits, two of which were doubles.  DeJong entered the day without a hit through two games while starting at 3B.

(19:40) Keibert Ruiz caught all three game this series and hit cleanup in the order.

(22:05) The bullpen only gave up one run, but it sure made things interesting in the top of the 9th.  Brad Lord made his Major League debut in the final frame, which came across as a curious decision. Kyle Finnegan came in for Lord to preserve the win in just five pitches.

(29:00) The Nats begin their first road trip of the season on Monday when they open a three game set in Toronto with Michael Soroka making his franchise debut on the mound.

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The Nats were easily beaten by the Phillies 11-6 on Saturday afternoon in Navy Yard. Mark & Al spend plenty of time on the bullpen, which has performed poorly in both games so far this season. Jake Irvin departed a tied game after five innings and four relievers combined to give up nine runs following his exit. The 'pen is not only giving up a bunch of runs, but they are issuing a ton of walks along the way.

(22:00) Keibert Ruiz homered for the second straight game and briefly put Washington ahead 2-0. Ruiz also added a double and has had success from both sides of the plate this week.

(24:05) Amed Rosario had a trio of hits including a homer.  Rosario hit 5th in the order and got the start at 2B over Luis Garcia Jr. in order to face the lefty starter.

(27:10) Nathaniel Lowe went deep for the first time as a National and has flashed solid leather so far at 1B.

(29:00) Dylan Crews mad a great play in the field, but went 0 for 5 with 5 Ks while hitting 2nd in the lineup.

(35:30) In depth discussion on the new City Connect uniforms that were worn on Saturday.

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The Nats bullpen let them down on their way to a season opening 7-3 loss in extra innings vs. the visiting Phillies. Mark & Al start with a major positive for Washington as MacKenzie Gore set a franchise Opening Day record with 13 strikeouts. Gore was fantastic as he did not issue any walks and only gave up one hit.

(10:30) Keibert Ruiz homered off of Zack Wheeler and threw out a runner trying to steal 2nd base.  Davey Martinez mentioned pregame that Ruiz lost weight in the offseason and he was pleased with his Spring.

(17:00) Jacob Young was caught stealing despite James Wood at the plate with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning.

(21:15) Opening Day was not a good one for the Nationals bullpen as five relievers combined to allow seven runs in just four innings of work. Colin Poche really struggled in his first outing with the Nats as he gave up four Philadelphia runs in the top of the 10th to put the game out of reach.

(27:45) Derek Law will begin the season the 15-Day IL due to right forearm inflammation. Mark explains what led to him not being ready to pitch for Washington on Opening Day.

(32:00) The Nationals were dealt bad news this week as DJ Herz was added to the 60-Day IL and is getting a 2nd opinion on his sprained elbow ligament that could lead to Tommy John surgery. Al notes that this continues a troubling pattern of a pitcher getting a significant injury at some point in Spring Training.

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The Nationals season begins on Thursday March 27th at 4:05PM vs. the visiting Phillies. Mark & Al get you set for the 21st season of Washington Nationals baseball.

(00:00) Nats moved to town 20 years ago

(10:00) Minor league prospects to monitor: Robert Hassell III & Brady House

(14:10) Brad Lord surprisingly contending for a bullpen spot

(17:45) Nationals return their Rule 5 Pick Evan Reifert back to Tampa Bay

(21:30) How to measure success in 2025

(30:10) More homers this season as a team?

(35:45) Evaluating the base running and stolen base threats

(38:15) A look at the pitching staff

(43:00) Season predictions

(52:45) Expectations for attendance

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Spring Training is currently in its "Dog Days" phase as Opening Day in Navy Yard  is two weeks away. Al & Mark open with a quick update on CJ Abrams, who exited Wednesday's game early due to cramping in both quads, but is expected in Thursday's lineup.

(05:00) All signs pointing towards MacKenzie Gore to start on Opening Day vs. the Phillies.

(12:30) DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker, & Shinnosuke Ogasawara vying for the 5th spot in the starting rotation.

(21:15) Update on bullpen depth.

(23:30) Roster battles for final utility player.

(29:15) Josh Bell's potential job security at DH.

(34:05) Jackson Rutledge to the bullpen.

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Kyle Finnegan returned to the Nationals (1 year/ $6M) after originally not being tendered by the team last November. It has been quite the adventure in the past few months for Finnegan, who also surprisingly was not dealt at last summer's trade deadline. Al & Mark (From West Palm Beach) dive into the move as it seems probable that he will slide back into the role of closer.

(23:45) Robert Hassell III homered this week and has stood out so far in Grapefruit League play. Hassell was one of the highly touted prospects that was part of the Juan Soto trade, but has dealt with injuries and has yet to make it the Majors. Where does he fit into the crowded outfield?

(33:30) Mark's shares his observations from the team first four Spring Training games that included Jake Irvin tossing a scoreless inning in his first outing of 2025. This also includes a handicap of who will earn the 5th Starter's role for the beginning of the season.

(40:00) The Nats & Orioles announced they will conclude Spring Training against each other at Nationals Park on Monday March 24th at 1PM. This seems like a sign we are headed to an "Era of Good Feelings" between the two teams.

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