Nats Chat

The Nats ended their four game losing streak with a 4-3 win on Saturday night in ten innings. Al recaps the Camden Yards victory over the Orioles that returns the Nationals to .500 in the standings.

(04:30) Foster Griffin was fantastic as he only gave up one unearned run in seven innings of work.  Griffin lasted 112 pitches and struck out nine Orioles in his outing. The lefty's ERA is at 2.93 and he is firmly in All-Star Game consideration.

(07:30) The bullpen followed its recent routine of blowing a late lead. Justin Lawrence however notched the save in the bottom of the 10th in his first appearance with the team.

(15:30) James Wood was curiously lifted late in the game in favor of Jacob Young's glove in the bottom of the 8th.  The slumping James Wood was went 0 for 4 w/ a trio of strikeouts.

(18:00) The red-hot Luis Garcia Jr. homered again and collected four hits in the win.  Garcia's OPS this month is a jaw dropping 1.045.

(27:10) Tim is joined by Doug Foster, a descendant of Rube Foster, who created the Negro Leagues.  Doug recently co-hosted a panel alongside Sean Gibson for Negro Leagues Night at Nationals Park.

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The Nats lost 3-1 on Friday night in Baltimore for their 4th consecutive loss.  Mark (From Camden Yards) & Al recap the defeat that dropped the Nationals to below the .500 mark through 83 games played.

(05:20) James Wood threw out a runner at 3rd base and made another highlight worthy catch.  Wood is currently slumping, but he did double on Friday evening. This leads to a discussion on the improved team outfield defense this season.

(11:40) Blake Butera has shown that he is willing to sacrifice defense for a shot at scoring runs. Jose Tena found himself in the outfield on Friday and Andres Chaparo took over at 3B.

(15:30) Andrew Alvarez was lifted in the 5th as he allowed two earned runs while issuing a trio of walks. Alvarez's ERA is currently at 3.44 after ten outings on the mound.

(20:20) Brad Lord bounced back a bit after Tuesday night's meltdown.  He recorded eight outs and only allowed one Baltimore run.

(22:00) Updates on Trevor Williams and Jake Irvin.

(25:00) Foster Griffin will take the mound on Saturday night. 

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The bullpen woes continued on Thursday night as an an early Nationals lead resulted in a 10-5 Phillies victory.  Mark & Al convene after the 3rd straight loss that saw a reliever implode in the top of the 9th every step of the way.  Washington is back to .500 through 82 games played this season.

(04:30) Blake Butera agreed with Mark's assessment that some relievers "pitched scared" while on the mound this week.

(07:00) Mitchell Parker gave up three runs while only recording one out.  Parker's ERA is now up to 6.39 on the season.

(09:30) Bryce Harper homered in the 9th and then motioned to the Tarp's Off crowd after crossing home plate.  Harper was adamant afterwards that it was his ring finger that he used to point to the crowd.

(18:00) The bullpen has given up the most homers in all of Baseball.  Will Paul Toboni try to make a trade in July as opposed to wait until the Trade Deadline on August 3rd?

(25:00) Cade Cavalli pitched well as he did not give up any runs until the 6th.  Butera afterwards told him that he looked like a #1 pitcher in the outing.

(28:00) The offense jumped all over Cy Young candidate Christophe Sanchez as they scored four runs in the bottom of the 1st.  Curtis Mead homered off of Sanchez and ironically those two were traded for each other in the past. 

(32:30) CJ Abrams still has a chance to start in next month's All-Star Game, but James Wood will only be able to make it as a reserved.  Abrams and Mookie Betts were the top two vote getting shortstops in Phase 1 of the fan voting.

(35:30) Daylen Lile performed while with both the bat and glove on Thursday.  Lile singled, doubled, and made a spectacular catch in LF.

(39:00) The Nationals visit the Orioles this weekend for a three game series.  Washington took off two of three against Baltimore last month. 

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The Nats suffered another gut punch loss from the Phillies despite being an out away from victory.  Al & Mark convene after the Nationals 5-4 loss on Wednesday night puts them at 41-40 overall. Derek Hill hit a 2-run shot off of Richard Lovelady in the top of the 9th to flip the lead.

(04:30) What are Paul Toboni's options (if any) in order to improve this bullpen?

(06:30) PJ Poulin did his job as he retired all four batters faced.

(12:00) Should Orlando Ribalta have intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber in the top of the 9th with first base open?  Schwarber ended up walking anyways.

(20:15) Carson Palmquist had a busy Wednesday as he was called up, tossed over three innings, and then demoted back to AAA after the game.

(25:30) The offense combined for a trio of homers in the defeat. Luis Garcia Jr. & Curtis Mead each now have hit 13 home runs this season and Jorbit Vivas has gone deep in two straight games. 

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The Nats were an out away from a pivotal win over the Phillies but instead it all fell apart in the 9th.  Mark & Al gather after the stunning 14-9 loss that saw Philadelphia score eight runs in the top of the 9th. Brad Lord struck out out the first two hitters of the frame, but then ten straight Phillies reached base.

(07:15) The staff needed eight pitchers to get through Tuesday night's game. Richard Lovelady began the top of the 8th but was ultimately charged with three runs after inheriting a 5-3 lead. Paxton Schultz took over for Lord in the 9th and was optioned to AAA after the game.

(12:45) The bullpen was charged with two blown saves and lead the majors in most homers allowed.

(17:30) Zack Littell relieved PJ Poulin after an inning and lasted four frames as the bulk starter.

(22:40) The offense jumped out to a 5-0 lead and homered twice in the loss.  Jorbit Vivas shockingly went deep in the bottom of the 8th to take back the lead for the time being and Luis Garcia Jr. had a pinch-hit solo homer in the 9th.

(27:00) Nasim Nuñez swiped a pair of bags and now leads MLB with 31 steals.  Nuñez is well on pace to break CJ Abrams Nationals record of 47 stolen bases from a few years ago.

(31:30) Miles Mikolas will take the mound as the Nationals trail Phillies by 2.5 games in the standings. 

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The Nats beat the Phillies 4-1 on Monday night and have guaranteed themselves a winning record at the upcoming midway point of the season. Mark & Al examine the victory that saw a pair of homers from the potent offense. Washington is currently 1.5 games back of Philadelphia for the 2nd wildcard spot.

(04:30) Luis Garcia Jr.'s solo homer put Washington ahead 2-1 in the 2nd. Curtis Mead later on hit a 2-run shot to give the Nats some breathing room.

(14:00) Dylan Crews began the scoring with a RBI single in the bottom of the 1st. Crews' OPS is now up to .625 after his recent surge.

(18:00) Nasim Nuñez made another great defensive play, but he also was charged with an error in a separate sequence.  Nuñez did steal his 29th bag of the season which leads all of the majors.

(20:45) Foster Griffin was excellent as he only allowed one run in 7.1 IP. Griffin's ERA is down to 3.15 and he is earning legit All-Star consideration.

(27:40) Clayton Beeter notched his 6th save of the season which is tied for the team lead along with Gus Varland.

(29:00) DJ Herz's rehab has been halted due to a right flexor muscle strain. Herz has not taken the Big League mound since 2024 and he had Tommy John Surgery in April of 2025. 

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The Nats lost a rare series as they came up short on Sunday with a 4-3 defeat at the Rays. Mark & Al begin with Daylen Lile getting caught stealing and how it put a dent in the 9th inning comeback effort.

(07:00) CJ Abrams homered every game this series and he now has the 3rd most RBI in all of MLB.

(11:00) A check in on the defense through the 1st Half of the season.

(16:45) Dylan Crews had a RBI double on Sunday and the extra base hits continue to pile up.

(19:45) Nasim Nuñez's OPS is over .900 this month and he was 2 for 3 on Sunday. Nuñez & Witt Jr. are tied with 28 steals which leads all of Baseball.

(21:15) Andrew Alvarez only lasted four innings and struck out six Rays. Alvarez is striking out hitters and his ERA currently sits at 3.34.

(26:00) Orlando Ribalta gave up the decisive 2-run HR to Johnny DeLuca in the bottom of the 7th.  Washington's bullpen has given up more homers than any other team.

(30:00) Philadelphia comes to Navy Yard on Monday for a pivotal four game series. Kyle Schwarber leads all of the majors in homers and Bryce Harper cycled over the weekend. 

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The Nats outlasted Tampa Bay 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in Florida.  Al & Tim dig into the team's 40th victory of the season and go over all the elements of adversity that Washington thwarted on their way to a win.

(05:00) Jacob Young exited early after slamming into the wall during a crucial catch in the bottom of the 8th.  Young not only made an incredible grab, but also had the presence of mind to toss the ball to his teammate while writhing in pain on the warning track.

(10:35) Young leaving the game forced Blake Butera to give up his DH.  James Wood took over in the outfield and in the top of the 9th Jorbit Vivas hit for the newly formed pitcher spot in the lineup.

(15:30) CJ Abrams homered for the 16th time this season and his 56 RBIs are the 4th most in MLB.

(16:30) Dylan Crews homered for the 4th time this month and the 9th inning solo shot served as a crucial insurance run.

(20:20) Cade Cavalli was pulled in the 3rd inning after his start was pushed back a day due to food poisoning.  Cavalli immediately registered a high pitch count before handing the ball off to Mitchell Parker.

(23:40) Brad Lord tossed three scoreless innings and his ERA is now down to 2.29.  Could Lord get All-Star consideration next month?

(27:00) The Nats look to win another series on Sunday afternoon as Andrew Alvarez toes the rubber.

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The Nats fell 5-2 at the Rays on Friday night. Al & Tim discuss Cade Cavalli being a late scratch for the affair due to food poisoning and how he was replaced by Miles Mikolas. Blake Butera after the game said Cavalli should be able to take the mound on Saturday afternoon.

(05:30) PJ Poulin served as the Opener and Mikolas took over in the bottom of the 3rd.  Mikolas gave up all five Tampa Bay runs, but his six innings of work kept the bullpen fresh going into the weekend.

(11:30) The offense only provided a pair of solo homers from CJ Abrams & Luis Garcia Jr.  Garcia's OPS is now up .758 and he is on pace to hit 20+ homers this season.

(18:20) Keibert Ruiz perfectly executed a back pick throw in order to nail Cedric Mullins while taking a lead at 3rd base.  The defense from Ruiz and the team has been better lately.

(23:00) The Nationals will wake up on Saturday in a tie for being just one game back of the final NL wildcard slot.  

(26:00) Tim spoke with Sean Gibson, Great-Grandson of the Hall of Famer Josh Gibson.  Sean was in town earlier this week to co-host the Negro Leagues Night Panel at Nationals Park on Tuesday evening. 

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The Nats yet again were unable to complete a sweep for the 6th consecutive opportunity. Mark & Al dive into Wednesday's 6-4 loss at the hands of the visiting Royals that snapped the four game win streak.

(07:00) Analysis of Dylan Crews' slide into 2nd base in the 6th and the ensuing review to see whether or not he was out.

(12:00) Zack Littell was hit hard as he allowed four homers off of seven hits in five innings of work.  Littell already has given up twenty homers; which tied for the most in the majors.

(18:00) Mitchell Parker continues to struggle as he allowed a pair of runs on Wednesday.  Parker has given up an earned run in eight of his past nine outings.

(22:00) Washington heads to Florida for three game this weekend at the Rays. The Nats are openly trying to emulate many principles that Tampa Bay has pioneered in the Front Office. Blake Butera worked for a long time in the Rays organization before getting hired as Nationals Manager.

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