Nats Chat

The Nats bounced back with a 6-4 series opening victory on Monday night at Dodger Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day. Mark (From LA) & Al begin with praise for Mitchell Parker, who won his MLB debut while facing the loaded Dodgers lineup. It is shockingly the first Nationals pitcher to win his debut since Stephen Strasburg back in 2010. Mark runs through the laundry list of past pitchers who could not pull off the feat in the past 14 years.

(09:00) Four bullpen arms were used and no walks were issued. Kyle Finnegan threw a clean bottom of the 9th to notch his 6th save of the season.

(14:00) CJ Abrams went deep and he is blossoming into a star. His OPS currently stands at 1.004 and he has nine extra base hits so far this season.

(17:30) Luis Garcia Jr. hit a crucial three run HR to extend the Nats lead to 6-2 in the victory. So far this year he is hitting .318 and his strong offensive production has been one of the pleasant 2024 surprises thus far.

(23:30) There were a flurry of roster moves before the game and it included the reinstatement of Nick Senzel and Trey Lipscomb being sent down to AAA. Mark points all the factors that led to the roster crunch that resulted in Lipscomb returning to Rochester.

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The Nats led 6-1 in Oakland but it all fell apart in the 6th inning and they ultimately lost 7-6. Mark (Live from the Oakland Coliseum) & Al recap the disappointing series finale.

(04:36) Derek Law gave up four runs despite retiring the first batter he faced in the bottom of the 6th. This blighted Trevor Williams' final line as two of the three runs he ceded came with Law on the mound. This was another game with many bullpen arms used, as the team sent out 13 relievers collectively over the weekend.

(12:00) Riley Adams caught every game this series as Keibert Ruiz remains out to illness. This hosts note that it turned out to be a mistake in not keeping Drew Millas on the roster as his replacement Amos Willingham never took the mound.

(17:20) The lineup was shuffled and Lane Thomas came through by homering, part of his 3 hits and 3 RBIs on the afternoon while hitting 5th. Jacob Young occupied the lead off spot and delivered with a pair of hits. This leads to Mark giving an update on Victor Robles and hamstring strain.

(23:00) Mitchell Parker will make his MLB debut on the mound on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. Parker was a 5th round pick from the 2020 Draft. He has made one start this year for Rochester and was promoted to AAA in mid September in last season.

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The Nats beat the Athletics 3-1 in California on Saturday afternoon as MacKenzie Gore tied a career high with 11 strikeouts. Mark (Live from Oakland Coliseum) & Al discuss the southpaw's sterling outing that saw five shutout innings on 90 pitches.

(08:45) CJ Abrams had a pair of hits including a RBI triple and Al notes that it seems like the team's success is directly correlated to Abrams' performance. The triple scored Jacob Young and Mark points out how just how lighting quick both of them are when running the bases.

(13:40) Luis Garcia Jr. also had two hits, one of which was a RBI double to give Washington a 2-0 lead and also flashed leather in the bottom of the 9th. Garcia is hitting .333 so far on the young season and it is to his benefit as Nick Senzel might return to the roster in the near future.

(16:05) Riley Adams had the rare assignment of catching a day game after a night affair as Keibert Ruiz remains out of the lineup due to illness. If Ruiz is sick, why is he in the clubhouse and dugout around the team as opposed to his hotel room?

(21:00) Five relievers combined to give up just one run in four frames and they totaled seven strikeouts. Robert Garcia led the way with a trio of Ks in one inning of work.

(25:30) Who will start on Monday night at Dodger Stadium in place of Josiah Gray?

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The Nats lost 2-1 in Oakland on Friday evening in 10 innings of play. Mark (Live from Oakland Coliseum) & Al begin by noting that this is the final season in this particular stadium as the team will temporarily relocate to Sacramento next year, before ultimately settling in Las Vegas.

(04:40) Jake Irvin only allowed a solo homer in 6 IP on just 74 pitches for his best start of the season thus far.

(08:00) Jesse Winker went 4 for 4 and was the lone source of offense as he clubbed a solo homer to tie up the game in the top of the 9th. Winker was signed to a minor league deal, but so far has been the team's best outfielder.

(15:00) Trey Lipscomb made a base running error to begin the top of the 10th thus nullifying the ghost runner.

(21:30) Keibert Ruiz missed another game due to illness (flu like symptoms) as Riley Adams starting behind the plate on Friday night. Drew Millas was called up on for Wednesday in San Francisco, but was sent back down afterwards because it was originally thought that Ruiz would be ready for the opener in Oakland.

(24:00) Prior to the game Davey Martinez gave an update on Josiah Gray, that he has full range of motion and will start rehabbing soon. Mark adds who who might possibly take Gray's spot in the rotation when the Nationals play at Dodger Stadium in a few days.

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The Nats lost 7-1 on Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco, ending their three game win streak. Al & Mark (Live from Oracle Park) recap a quiet day for the bats as they only mustered four hits in defeat. The only run came from Joey Gallo, who now has a trio of homers on the young season.

(05:30) Catcher Drew Millas was called up and started behind the plate, replacing Joan Adon on the roster. Millas stepped in for Keibert Ruiz who wasn't feel well, but immediately was sent back down to the minors after the game. Since Adon is not with the Nats, who will take that rotation spot on this road trip?

(13:00) Patrick Corbin took the loss as he allowed seven runs off 11 hits. Corbin's ERA after three outings is 8.44.

(20:00) A discussion on how the bullpen hierarchy is shaping up through a dozen games.

(24:00) As the Orioles have called up heralded prospect Jackson Holliday, will James Wood get promoted to Washington in the near future? We do the best we can to explain the complicated wrinkles involved in the decision and a summation of the Player Prospect Incentive (PPI).

(30:20) Yohandy "Yo Yo" Morales has moved into the top 10 rankings on MLB Pipeline. Morales is an infielder who currently is at AA-Harrisburg and was drafted in the 2nd round last summer out of the University of Miami (FL). Due to Brady House at 3B, Morales very well could end up playing 1B for the franchise.

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The Nats held on 5-3 in San Francisco on Tuesday night for their 3rd straight victory. Mark (Live from SF) & Al though begin with the news from pregame that Josiah Gray is headed to the 15 day IL with a right elbow/ forearm flexor strain. Despite the news, there were some positive indications from both Gray and Davey Martinez that this does not necessarily mean season ending surgery or anything of that magnitude.

(11:45) Taking Gray's place in the rotation was Joan Adon who serviceable in his four innings of work. Mark explains why Adon was called up from AAA-Rochester instead of Jackson Rutledge.

(16:00) Kyle Finnegan recorded a four out save, but sure made it interesting in the 9th inning as he loaded up the bases with no outs. Finnegan ultimately escaped by inducing a game ending double play to preserve the Nationals win.

(23:00) CJ Abrams returned to the lineup after missing the past three games and certainly delivered. He homered and knocked in a trio of runs on his two hit evening. The hosts take this is opportunity to note how Abrams is truly blossoming into a star.

(27:00) Jacob Young continues to impress while filing in for Victor Robles as he stole three bases and also connected with a pair of hits. A startling stat in the early season is that four Nationals have already stolen three bases in a single game and they have only played 11 games thus far.

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The Nats cruised to an 8-1 victory on Monday night in San Francisco to begin their west coast road trip. Mark (Live from Oracle Park) & Al begin with the Nationals offense knocking Blake Snell out of the affair after just three innings of work with his new team. The reigning NL Cy Young winner did not sign with the Giants until mid March and therefore missed the bulk of Spring Training.

(05:00) CJ Abrams missed a third straight game, but Mark notes that he did take infield practice in pregame. Abrams has a bone bruise in his pinky finger which likely came on a slide on Friday evening.

(06:30) Trey Lipscomb had the best game of his young career as he had not only had three hits, but also stole three bases, one of which was a steal of home on an impromptu double steal. This was well timed for Lipscomb after struggling in his first home stand.

(11:30) Lane Thomas continued his surge as he clubbed his first homer of the season, part of his three hit evening. Thomas is 7 for his past 11 after scuffling to begin the season.

(14:50) Ildemaro Vargas drew a trio of walks while filling in again for Abrams at SS. The hosts point out how the veteran consistently steps up when given the opportunity.

(19:30) Trevor Williams is 2-0 to begin his season as he only allowed one run in 5 IP on 81 pitches. Last season Williams did not record his 2nd victory until late May in what was a rough season for the right hander.

(23:30) Matt Barnes pitched the final three outs in poetic fashion as he is a UConn alum, shortly after the Huskies defeated Purdue to capture the Men's Basketball National Title.

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The Nats ended their three game skid with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Phillies on Sunday afternoon. Al & Tim start with MacKenzie Gore's solid performance as earned his first win of 2024 in 5.2 IP of work. A trio of bullpen pitchers (Weems, Harvey, and Finnegan) then combined for ten scoreless outs.

(11:15) Lane Thomas had his best game of the season as he had a pair of hits, stole three bases, and scored the final two runs. The negative for the offense was that CJ Abrams missed a second straight game to a bone bruise in his pinky finger, which is believed to have happened on a Friday night slide.

(16:00) Jesse Winker had an excellent catch in the top of the 9th to avoid a lead-off double in what has been a strong start to his time in Washington. Luis Garcia Jr. had a RBI double and is hitting .333 thus far on the season after being sent down to the minors for portion of 2023.

(25:00) On Sunday Nationals ownership released a statement about the retirement of Stephen Strasburg, which became official on Saturday. Strasburg himself released a statement and Mike Rizzo also met with reporters before the game. Al & Tim then wonder if he is the biggest "Star" in franchise history?

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The Nats lost 5-2 to the Phillies but afterwards in a very subtle manner, it came across the MLB.com's transactions log that Stephen Strasburg is retiring. Mark & Al react to the news that the Strasburg saga has finally been wrapped up. The next homestand will serve as the 5th anniversary celebration of the World Series title as Houston will be in town and they wonder if the timing of that weekend played a role in the eventual resolution.

(15:40) CJ Abrams was a late scratch due to a bone bruise in his pinky finger. Lane Thomas was moved up to the lead-off spot and responded with his first multi hit game of the season.

(20:00) Joey Gallo homered for the 2nd time this week and it is the 200th of his career.

(22:00) Nick Senzel seems to be on track to return to action quicker than initially expected. If Senzel returns to Washington, what will happen to Trey Lipscomb?

(29:00) Jake Irvin gave up four runs in 6 IP and took the loss. Irvin's outing was part of a troubling trend by the Nats starters who do not seem to be taking advantage of the cold weather, which typically leads more dominant pitching.

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On a chilly night in the District, the Nats were blanked 4-0 by the Phillies. Mark & Al start with the struggling offense as they only totaled two hits on the evening. One of those was squandered by poor base running as CJ Abrams tried to stretch an early single into a double.

(06:25) Lane Thomas was hitless and is mightily slumping this season. So far he is just 2 for 28 at the plate and has not had a hit since the home opener.

(10:00) Trey Lipscomb was charged with his 2nd throwing error of the year after airmailing a throw way over 1B. He also has skipped a few throws thus far and has at times been bailed out by Joey Gallo's glove work. During pregame workouts, Lipscomb was also seen getting reps in the outfield. What to make of it?

(15:00) Patrick Corbin's pitching line: 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 93 pitches. He had the unusual modern feat of facing the top of the Phillies order for the fourth time. The bullpen followed up with three scoreless innings despite combining to issue six walks.

(24:30) A listener submitted email asking about the scarcity of consistently great relief pitchers.

(31:00) We conclude with a discussion to an article in the Ringer about the rising injury rates for pitchers: https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2024/4/2/24118963/pitcher-injuries-crisis-mlb-study-tommy-john-ucl

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