Nats Chat

The Nats lost 7-4 to Pittsburgh in D.C. to drop a 2nd straight rubber match as they are now 2-4 on the season. Al & Mark recap another bad outing by Josiah Gray as he gave up four runs in the opening inning. His ERA so far this season after a pair of starts is 14.04.

(14:00) The offense totaled eight hits after trying to dig themselves out from the early deficit. Lane Thomas was for 0 for 4 and so far he is hitting just .179 on the young season.

(18:00) Joey Gallo doubled and drew a walk in what ended up being a solid series for the new National. Jacob Young started in CF shortly after being called up from Rochester as earlier in the day Victor Robles was placed on the IL due to a hamstring strain.

(20:20) A recap of the bullpen's performance and five arms were needed on Thursday. Tanner Rainey allowed two hits but didn't give up any runs for the first time this season in three appearances.

(31:00) The Phillies come to town this weekend and the hosts ends the show by noting how mediocre the division has been thus far.

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Wednesday was filled with rain in the DMV, but the skies were clear enough in the early evening for a 5-3 Nationals victory over Pittsburgh. Mark & Al start with Joey Gallo as his first hit with the franchise was fittingly a solo HR. He then later added two more hits after beginning the season 0 for 12.

(08:00) Luis Garcia Jr. doubled three times and knocked in a run. It is the first time in Garcia's career that he pulled off that feat.

(11:40) CJ Abrams had another impressive performance as he had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. His RBI single was the capper to the four runs that Washington scored in the bottom of the 2nd.

(14:30) Victor Robles exited the game early due to a left hamstring injury and will receive a MRI on Thursday. If he lands on the IL, this would mean the team needs to likely call up another outfielder to fill his spot.

(20:15) Trevor Williams threw the best outing of any Nats starting pitcher so far this season and was rewarded with a victory. He allowed two runs in 5.1 IP and it is his first victory since August 20th of last season.

(24:30) A very encouraging sign was how effective Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan were in preserving the victory after some rough moments so far this season. Finnegan impressed many with his new "sweeper" pitch while notching the Save.

(30:30) The series wraps up on Thursday afternoon as Josiah Gray will take mound. Gray did not pitch well on Opening Day in Cincinnati as the Nationals seek their first series victory of the season.

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The Nats lost 8-3 to the Pirates in their sold out home opener to begin the season 1-3 for the sixth consecutive year. Mark & Al recap a second straight day filled with bullpen struggles as the game was tied at 4 entering the top of the 8th. Matt Barnes and Tanner Rainey shared responsibility for the four late Pirates runs and overall the quartet of Nats relievers gave up ten hits in the afternoon.

(12:00) MacKenzie Gore threw a so-so start as he gave up a trio of runs in 5.1 IP on 101 pitches. His pitch count was immediately high as it took over 40 pitches to get through the first two innings. Thus far this season, it seems like the Nationals starters are having sluggish beginnings to their outings.

(17:20) The offense overcame a slow start and their performance was highlighted by Riley Adams' longest HR of his career. Adams got the start behind the plate as Keibert Ruiz served as the DH.

(21:40) Victor Robles drew a pair of walks and also stole two bases on Monday. It is the first time that Robles has walked more than once in a game since April 26th last season. The hosts then explain where Robles is fitting into the organization's long term plans.

(26:00) It was Michael A. Taylor's first game at Nationals Park since the World Series believe or not. He played well for Pittsburgh in their win and received a strong ovation from the crowd during introductions and before his initial at bat.

(29:00) What to expect from attendance at Nationals Park this season? The listed crowd was over 40K for Opening Day in D.C.

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The Nats came one out shy of winning the opening series of the season as they lost 6-5 on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. Mark (Live from Cincy) & Al recap the loss where a 5-3 lead with two outs in the 9th quickly turned into a Reds walk-off HR given up by Kyle Finnegan.

(07:30) Trey Lipscomb homered in just his 2nd career game and continues to impress at 3B.

(11:00) CJ Abrams also homered on Sunday, but Al takes issue with a decision for him to attempt a sacrifice bunt despite it working out.

(20:00) Jake Irvin allowed 3 runs in 5 IP in his first start of the season. This leads to a discussion of what to expect from the rotation in early April.

(25:00) The weather forecast this week in D.C. is not great for Opening Day and Monday could potentially be a long one at the ballpark if Tuesday's forecast does not improve.

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The Nats scored 3 runs in the 9th to escape with a 7-6 victory on Saturday afternoon. Mark (From Cincinnati) & Al discuss the comeback, which involved a lot of "Small Ball". Keibert Ruiz tied the game by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Eddie Rosario continued his strong start to the season with the go ahead sacrifice fly. CJ Abrams had a excellent game as he scored a trio of runs and also stole 3 bases in the win.

(11:00) Trey Lipscomb made his Major League debut as the starting 3B and came through with his first career single and flashed the leather too. Lipscomb is the first prospect from the next wave to join the Big League team and was called up after Nick Senzel's Opening Day injury.

(16:00) Jesse Winker had a productive Saturday as the #3 hitter, coming through with a pair of hits, a run scored, and an outfield assist to throw out a runner at the plate.

(23:20) Patrick Corbin lasted 4.1 IP in allowing 4 runs and 7 hits in the final season of his long term contract. His outing began with 3 scoreless outings before the Reds offense awoke.

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The Nats were routed 8-2 on Opening Day on Thursday afternoon in Cincinnati . Mark (Live from Cincy) & Al recap the defeat that got off to an immediate negative tone as third baseman Nick Senzel broke his thumb while fielding a ground ball in warmups. Then Josiah Gray allowed seven runs before the 3rd inning was over, including allowing a pair of HRs to Nick Martini, who entered the game with only 8 career HRs.

(16:20) The offense was very ineffective as only one runner reached scoring position and zero walks were drawn. The only source of offense came from Eddie Rosario who hit a 2 run HR while starting in CF.

(23:00) It didn't take long for our first "TOOTBLAN" on the season as it came in the top of the 1st.

(29:10) Stephen Strasburg was officially placed on the 60-day IL on Thursday. Any update on a potential resolution?

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Mark is back from Florida and so are the Nats as Opening Day is Thursday in Cincinnati. He & Al begin start with the prospect likeliest to begin in Ohio this week and it's not James Wood or Dylan Crews. Hear all the factors that led to Trey Lipscomb escalation up the depth chart within the organization. Lipscomb is an infielder and was drafted by Washington in the 3rd round of the 2022 Draft after playing at the University of Tennessee.

(12:00) An update on the starting rotation which will include Trevor Williams and not Zach Davies. Why is Jackson Rutledge beginning his season in Triple A Rochester?

(19:00) Bullpen Roll Call. Mark explains how competitive spots were for relievers this Spring. As of now, Robert Garcia is the only lefty on the roster.

(22:00) An evaluation of where the Rebuild stands.

(29:00) Davey Martinez is entering his his 7th season at the helm for the Nats. What sort of pressure is there on Davey for this season or none at all? He signed a two year extension in August that runs through the 2025 season.

(34:15) Al poses the question - who most needs to show improvement this season?

(38:30 Both hosts give their official season prediction for the 2024 Washington Nationals.

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As Opening Day approaches next week, Mark (From West Palm) & Al react to Davey Martinez giving Josiah Gray the nod to take the mound on March 28th in Cincinnati. Patrick Corbin, who started Opening Day the past two seasons, will get the ball in Game #2. MacKenzie Gore is expected to be the starting pitcher for the home opener on Monday April 1st.

(15:20) An update on the bullpen and which arms are healthy as the regular season approaches.

(19:15) A look at the outfield and first base from a defensive perspective. Eddie Rosario was recently signed to play left field and now Joey Gallo is the primary plan at 1st Why Gallo over Meneses at that spot?

(25:25) Mark runs through why he thinks there might be a defensive regression this season in the infield. Nick Senzel is expected to begin the season at third, but the long term answer at the hot corner remains in flux.

(29:00) Davey publicly scolded Luis Garcia Jr. for a base running miscue, is it indicative of how many chances he's running out of in D.C.?

(32:00) "Robo Umps" has been experimented with in Spring Training and is referred to as the ABS (Automated Balls and Strike System). This has been used recently in minor league games so many of the younger players are familiar with it. Will this be instituted at the Major League level?

(38:00) It is unclear if final cuts will be made before or after the team flies north from Florida. The final Grapefruit League game is Sunday and then on Tuesday in D.C. will be the inaugural futures game featuring prospects at 12:05pm.

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Opening Day is under a month away as Mark & Al convene to discuss the latest with the Nationals. James Wood has been the star of Spring Training and that is where the conversation begins. What are the chances the 21-year-old will be with the Nats on March 28th in Cincinnati?

(08:30) An update on how Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell III have looked during Grapefruit League play.

(11:30) An explanation of the complicated Prospect Promotion Initiative (PPI) that factors into the decision of whether or not to put a highly regarded prospect on the Opening Day roster.

(14:45) A look at the starting rotation and who stacks up where in the pecking order.

(25:35) There have been rave reviews for Sean Doolittle in his new role as pitching strategist, a position he was hired for in mid January. Hear a brief explanation of what his duties entail.

(30:00) Then we turn our focus to what the bullpen looks like this year. Unfortunately there will not be Mason Thompson in 2024 as he will undergo Tommy Johnson surgery.

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The Nats have played a pair of Grapefruit League games and James Wood homered in each one. Mark & Al begin by discussing the team's #2 ranked prospect's mammoth shots in West Palm and Jupiter over the weekend. Wood is 21 years old spent the bulk of 2023 with Double-A Harrisburg. Meanwhile, Robert Hassell III tripled on Saturday night and Dylan Crews already came through with a diving catch.

(11:45) Keibert Ruiz's had a rough start to Spring as he was charged with two catcher interference calls and a passed ball. Mark explains what Keibert is working on in camp after his sub standard 2023 behind the plate.

(16:45) The Lerners have told the Washington Post that they are no longer exploring a sale of the Nats. How much does the timing of this announcement have to do with the specifics of the Orioles sale?

(31:35) Saturday was the deadline for all players to report to Spring Training and Stephen Strasburg was not among them. At the beginning of camp Mike Rizzo indicated he expected Strasburg to be in West Palm by February 24th. Mark explains the latest regarding the situation.

(40:00) Ryan Zimmerman meanwhile is helping out down in Florida. Al wonders what the future holds for "Mr. National".

(47:35) Tim Shovers speaks with Gary Sarnoff about his new book on the 1924 World Champion Washington Senators, "Team of Destiny: Walter Johnson, Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris, and the 1924 Washington Senators".

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