Talk Nats

Sans Patrick Corbin, this Washington Nationals rotation on this 8-day stretch are looking like they found a path that works. In two starts, Jackson Tetreault has one earnie on his record, and that was from an inherited runner who scored. Also in two starts, Josiah Gray has only allowed two earned runs. Erick Fedde, tonight’s starter, is trying to best both of them as he adds to his scoreless streak of 7 2/3 innings going into this game. In all and including Corbin, this rotation has a 1.52 ERA in this span.

Catching today is Riley Adams and thatbis significant because it’s his birthday. He will be catching for Jackson Tetreault who goes for his second win. The Washington Nationals need this win to secure a series win for the Nats over the Rangers. After the game, the Nats will fly...

This past week has the Washington Nationals starting staff with the best ERA in baseball at 1.27 (1.88 for the whole staff) and that includes Patrick Corbin’s three runs over four innings in Baltimore in Wednesday. From Paolo Espino, Josiah Gray, Jackson Tetreault, and Erick Fedde, they have only...

The big news of the day was actually off the field news from general manager Mike Rizzo that nothing is wrong with top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli. The Nats are just giving him a mid-season breather. On pitching prospect Cole Henry, he is dealing with some shoulder tenderness per Rizzo. Henry was placed on the IL earler in the week after a long absence.

This is the Washington Nationals first trip to face the Rangers in Texas since Father’s Day in 2005. It was before Ryan Zimmerman was with the team, and one of the two cities he never played in along with Seattle. The Rangers of course come from the roots of the Washington Senators after owner Bob Short relocated them there for the 1972 season. That franchise has never won a World Series, and only has eight postseason appearances in their 61 year history. Maybe it is the curse of Bob Short?!?

Maybe the biggest news on the minor league slate yesterday was that Anibal Sanchez made his 2022 pitching debut on a rehab assignment in the FCL. It was brief and nothing special. He gave up one earned run over 3.0 innings. Every level above him in the Washington Nationals system yesterday threw zeroes. It was quite impressive, and led by Tim Cate who bested former Cy Young candidate Matt Harvey in a High-A pitcher’s duel. Harvey was pulled after 6.0 innings and Cate went 7.0 complete scoreless innings.

After winning back-to-back extra inning games, the FredNats could have used a win to help secure first place in the Carolina League North Division with two games to go in the first half but that did not happen as 2019 first round pick Jackson Rutledge struggled and gave up 5 runs over his 4.0 innings.

Mother Nature and massive thunderstorms have been wreaking havoc on weather in the region, and it is anyone’s guess if the game will start on-time and even get played in its entirety. Here we go again with the weather. If feels like we write this at least once per week.

Even before the Washington Nationals made the move down to Washington, D.C., there has been obvious tension between D.C. and the Baltimore Orioles. Considering how close the teams are geographically, the rivalry is bound to occur. Adding onto that, the two teams have always been able to bring out the best in one another as well as stoke the flames for a contentious rivalry on and off the field. As much as this rivalry is something that can be overlooked in the grander scale of baseball, fans in the DMV are the ones who truly understand the importance of these battles as well as the significance of them.

OPINION: As all of us fans know, this year has stunk for the Nats in terms of winning baseball. There have been some bright spots here and there, like the potential Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray have shown, and Luis Garcia coming back up to the Majors — guns blazing. Juan Soto hasn’t been the typical other-worldy hitter he has been in the past, but his WRC+ (as of 6/21/22) is still +127, and he still has a very good looking Baseball Savant page. But besides the players on the field, the Nats have some decisions to make regarding manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo in terms of their contracts this winter. With the Lerner ownership group exploring a possible sale of the Nats, the future is extremely unclear right now.

The Washington Nationals are in Baltimore for a two-game series against their closest MLB neighbor. Both teams are in last place in their division, and the previously named Battle of the Beltways is not much of a battle these days. The Nats will have Erick Fedde on the mound, and...

OPINION: I’ll start this column by getting straight to the point. I think the Washington Nationals should replace Dave Martinez in this mid-season and hire someone who is better with a young team during this process of rebuilding. Now that I’ve established the punchline, allow me to take a bit of a circuitous trip, and I promise it will make sense. I will get back to Davey shortly.

FredNats lose 6-2. High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. Mitchell Parker was fantastic in game one of the double header going seven innings and only giving up three hits, three walks, and striking out five. Possibly the southpaws best start of the year. The offense couldn’t muster a run on four hits....

That bond between a father and a son. Ryan Zimmerman spoke about it yesterday at his jersey retirement day of what his father Keith meant to him. Beyond DNA, fathers and their children can find a deeper sense of a relationship on Father’s Day. For Zim, it was a Sweet-16 years ago when he electrified the D.C. baseball fans on this day, and showed that baseball was back when he shocked the mighty Yankees with a walk-off home run to win the game.

The Nationals had a golden opportunity for their first walk-off win of 2022, and that would have been a great tribute, to Mr. Walk-Off, Ryan Zimmerman, if it happened. It did not, and the Nats lost 8-7 in extra innings. Today is a first in Nationals’ history as they retire the jersey of Employee #11. His jersey will be the first one ever retired by the team. Former teammates will be in attendance, special people in his life have made videos, and many former Nats’ players will be in attendance.

They lose 3-0. High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. Tim Cate was on the mound and he just keeps dealing. He went six strong innings, not allowing an earned run and striking out four. Jose Ferrer followed up with two scoreless innings, but Amos Willingham gave up two runs in the 9th to almost blow the lead.

The Washington Nationals put themselves on a 56 win, 106 loss pace heading into this game with a .343 winning percentage. Ryan Zimmerman and his family will be in attendance tonight as they watch their team on the official Ryan Zimmerman Weekend. Tomorrow’s game with the #11 jersey retirement has been announced as a sell-out.

Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. TV: MASN; NBS Sports PA; MLB App (out-0f-market only)

An unlucky night for Jackson Rutledge as he was cruising – he had four scoreless innings with only 50 pitches – before the game was suspended for rain in the 5th inning. Sammy Infante and Branden Boissiere both had RBI and the FredNats will pick up this game with a 4-0 lead.

Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. TV: MASN; NBS Sports PA; MLB App (out-0f-market only)