Nats Chat

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 o...

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) M...

The Nats won their 4th game in a row on Tuesday night.  Mark & Al recap the 6-4 win over Kansas City as the team is currently in sole possession of the NL's 3rd wildcard spot.  The success is starting to become more believable as they have won nine of their past eleven series.

(08:30) Curtis Mead broke the tie with a 3-run HR in the bottom of the 7th. Mead is up to eleven homers so far this season which is far by his career high.

(14:00) Nasim Nuñez had an incredible all-around game.  He tripled twic...

The Nats won their 3rd straight on Monday night to move to 3 games over .500 for the first time since.... 2019. Mark & Al discuss the 7-3 victory that has Washington in a tie for the final wildcard spot through 73 games.

(08:15) Dylan Crews blasted a 3-run shot in the bottom of the 5th to put his team ahead by four runs. Crews has a had great homestand with both the bat and glove.

(16:30) An early look at the NL voting results thus far for CJ Abrams & James Wood. Abrams leads for shortstops but Wood is in 7th place...

The Nats trounced the Mariners 10-1 on Sunday afternoon to take yet another series. Mark & Al wonder out loud if this 37-35 team is actually good as we are now in the middle of June.  Washington is currently just one game behind San Diego for the final NL wildcard spot.

(08:45) Seattle starter Emerson Hancock was tagged with six runs off of nine against this potent Nationals offense. The big inning came in the bottom of the 4th when the Nats plated five in the frame to go up 6-1.

(10:30) James Wood homered for the 20th t...

The Nats are back above .500 after Saturday's 8-3 victory over the Mariners. Al recaps the win that saw Luis Garcia Jr break the tie with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 5th.

(04:00) Blake Butera credited the "Tarp's Off" crowd in RF for their energy.  The official attendance was just over 30,000 on Saturday.

(06:30) Daylen Lile had a RBI triple on his Bobblehead Day.  His hometown Louisville defeated the DC Defenders on the other side of South Capitol Street in UFL action on Saturday.

(09:00) Cade Cavalli was cruising until he reached the top of...

The Nats were routed 10-2 on Friday night by visiting Seattle for their 2nd straight loss. Mark & Al note how the M's were able to hold onto their 9-1 entering the bottom of the 8th; unlike the Nationals on Wednesday in San Francisco.

(07:00) Zack Littell was very ineffective as he was pulled in the top of the 5th.  Littell allowed five Mariner runs and his ERA is up to 5.32.

(11:15) Riley Cornelio came in for long relief and lasted over for over four innings. Cornelio was optioned back to AAA after the loss; just like what h...

The Nats were on their way to a sweep of the Giants on Wednesday afternoon before it began to unravel in the 8th. Mark (From San Francisco) & Al react to the gut punch 11-10 loss that concluded on a walk-off Grand Slam.  Washington led 9-1 entering the bottom of the 8th before allowing five runs in each of the final two frames.

(07:00) Mitchell Parker was given the ball in the bottom of the 9th and did not retire either batter that he faced.  Parker gave up the Grand Slam to Bryce Eldridge, a native of Vienna, VA.  Bla...

The Nats are now two games above .500 after Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the Giants. Mark (From San Francisco) & Al begin with a rarity on this podcast; a wildcard standings update.  Washington is now in a 3-way tie for the final wildcard spot; something that was unfathomable a few months ago.

(7:15) Luis Garcia Jr. hit a 2-run HR to continue the team's recent pattern of scoring in the 1st inning. It was the 3rd time on this road trip that the Nationals went up 2-0 right away.

(12:00) Wood bolstered his MVP campaign by gathering three h...

The Nats rallied with a 3-run 9th inning on their way to a 4-3 victory on Monday evening over the Giants.  Mark (From San Francisco) recap the win that returns Washington to being above .500 through 67 games played.

(04:30) CJ Abrams' finger prints were all over the top of the 9th as he came up to bat down two runs.  Abrams then came through with a 2-run single, stole second base, and then scored the go-ahead run on Daylen Lile's single. It was a surprise that the Giants did not intentional  walk Abrams when given the initial chance.

...

The Nats lost 5-1 on Sunday afternoon to return to .500 through 66 games played.  Mark (From Arizona) & Al recap the defeat at the hands of Michael Soroka, who pitched for the Nationals last season before being dealt at the Trade Deadline.  Soroka lasted seven innings; something he never accomplished last year.

(06:00) CJ Abrams homered for the 14th time this season in the top of the 2nd. His OPS currently sits at .914 and that is the 7th best in the NL.

(10:00) James Wood was moved from the OF to DH before the game.

(14:00) Cade Cavalli di...

The Nats beat the Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday afternoon to move back above .500 through 65 games played. Mark (From Arizona ) & Al start with the offense; that jumped out 2-0 right away for the second straight day. Curtis Mead hit a 2-run HR in the top of the 1st with James Wood on base.

(08:45) Dylan Crews homered in the 7th to put Washington ahead 3-1.  Crews was 1 for his last 17 entering that at bat.

(14:45) Nasim Nuñez knocked in a pair of runs and stole his 23rd base of the season. Nuñez is tied for the MLB...

The Nats pounded the Diamondbacks 14-1 after hitting five homers on Friday night. Mark & Al open with Luis Garcia Jr. who went deep twice; including a Grand Slam to make the game a rout. Garcia's OPS is .745 with seven homers on the season.

(10:00) James Wood homered for the 17th time this year which is tied for 2nd most in the NL.

(12:00) Jorbit Vivas ended his RISP woes w/ a pair of hits.  Vivas got the nod at 3B and made a nice defensive play in the win.

(17:00) TGIF - Foster Griffin earned the v...

The Nats lost 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon and it completed a three game sweep for the Marlins.  Mark & Al convene after the Nationals dropped to 1-5 on the season vs. Miami and are now back to one game below .500 overall.

(07:00) The offense was little match for Miami starter Max Meyer as he only allowed one run in seven innings of work. The Nationals only scored seven total runs during this series in Navy Yard.

(08:30) Dylan Crews drove in the only run with a RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the 3rd. Crews' OPS is j...

The Nats lost 7-3 for the second straight night against visiting Miami.  Mark & Al discuss the defeat that included the Marlins hitting three straight homers in the top of the 5th and some questionable decisions by Manager Blake Butera along the way.

(04:30) Richard Lovelady had an adventurous scoreless outing.  Lovelady issued three walks, but worked around the trouble in two frames on the mound.

(06:00) Miles Mikolas then took over and allowed three straight homers in the top of the 5th. Mikolas settled down, but surprisingly began to top of the 97 MPH on the radar. Amazingly, Mi...

The Nats lost 7-3 to Miami on Monday night in Navy Yard. Mark & Al note that the Nationals are now just 1-3 so far this season against the underwhelming Marlins.

(04:30) Cade Cavalli threw another good outing as he struck out six Marlins in five plus innings on the mound. Cavalli is tied for the 8th most strikeouts in the National League.

(12:20) The bullpen did not fare well on Monday evening.  Richard Lovelady allowed a game tying 2-run HR to the first batter he saw in the top of the 6th. Paxton Schultz stepped up with a...

The Nats topped the Padres 4-2 to take the weekend series and return to two games above .500. Al solo hosts and begins with Blake Butera's early case for NL Manager of the Year as the team went 16-12 in the month of May.

(07:00) James Wood slugged his 16th homer of the season which is tied for the 2nd most in the NL. Luis Garcia Jr. also went deep for his 5th homer of the season.

(09:00) Keibert Ruiz had a great month of May; both at the plate and behind it. Is Ruiz a legit All...

The Nats offense exploded for six runs in the 7th inning in their 9-4 victory over the Padres.  Mark & Al run through the hectic frame, that began with a 3-1 San Diego lead. Washington scored in many unconventional ways and Craig Stammen was ejected for the first time as Padres skipper in the process.

(07:00) San Diego starter Michael King was cruising through six innings, but the 7th inning avalanche caused him to be charged with five runs.

(09:00) Curtis Mead didn't start, yet drove in three runs on Saturday.  Mead was purposely used a pinch hitter wh...

The Nats lost their homestand opener 7-5 on Friday night. Mark & Al examine the 7-5 loss to the Padres that put the team back at .500 after two consecutive defeats.

(04:45) Paxton Schultz surprisingly was used as the Opener and his 26 pitch 1st inning set a tone for a pitch inefficient evening on the mound for Washington.

(06:00) Andrew Alvarez only lasted three innings as the Bulk starter. Alvarez gave up a trio of runs off of five hits and two walks were issued.

(09:30) Could Clayton Better be used as an Opener against right-hand heavy lineups?<...

The Nats lost to the Guardians 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon to snap their four game win streak.  Mark & Al take stock in the 4-2 road trip where the Nationals only played 1st place teams.  The team went 10-6 during a sixteen day stretch without a day off.

(05:30) The offense was only 1 for 8 w/ RISP, but the big stars each doubled.  CJ Abrams doubled Wood into score in the 3rd and his 47 RBIs are the second most in all of Baseball.

(12:00) PJ Poulin tossed a scoreless 1st and then handed it off to Miles Mikolas.  The Guar...

The Nats doubled up the Guardians 6-3 on Wednesday night to go two games above .500.  Al & Tim discuss the longest win streak thus far for the Nationals as all four victories have come on the road.

(04:30) This is the highest point for the franchise since the Trade Deadline in 2021.

(06:30) Cade Cavalli struck out out seven Guardians in six innings of work. Cavalli escaped a jam in the 5th to maintain a comfortable lead.

(11:20) Mitchell Parker took the baton from Cavalli and pitched the final three innings.  Parker struck out the side in the 8th...

The Nats slugged their way to a 10-2 romp on Memorial Day in Cleveland.  Al & Mark begin with the fact that the Nationals are above .500; the latest point in the season that they have a winning record since July 1st, 2021.

(10:00) Washington crushed six homers in Monday night's win.  They began the hit parade immediately as James Wood led off the game with a solo shot and two batters later Carlos Mead made it 3-0.

(11:35) Mead and his .844 OPS went deep twice in the win as he is making a case to be the everyday 3B.  Mea...

Sunday was a long one in Atlanta, but the Nats emerged with a hard fought 2-1 victory. Mark (From ATL) & Al open by noting that the Nationals are indeed .500 as they have concluded a third of the season. Washington stands at 27-27 and are in 2nd place in the NL East.

(06:20) Foster Griffin bounced back from two not so good outings with six shutout frames on Sunday afternoon.  Griffin struck out six and his ERA is down to 3.63 on the season.

(11:20) Andrew Alvarez earned the Hold by recording four crucial outs and it is likely t...

The Nats impressively blanked the Braves 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to even the weekend series.  Mark (From Atlanta) & Al have a lot to discuss with Jake Irvin, as he threw five shutout innings, but exited early due to injury concerns and will get a MRI for his back/lat on Sunday morning.  There was a forty minute rain delay after the 1st inning, but Irvin remained in the game through the delay.  

(07:00) Irvin struck out seven Braves and he has plenty of outings this season with at least five Ks.

(14:20) Brad Lord tossed three shutout inn...

The Nats blew it in 10th and ended up losing 5-4 in 11 innings top to the Braves on Friday night.  Mark (From Atlanta) & Al recap the narrow defeat that saw extra innings played in an active rain as Washington has lost by one run in two straight days.

(05:10) CJ Abrams had two huge late hits as he homered in the 8th and tripled in the 10th. Abrams knocked in three runs to extend his lead across the sport in this category.

(09:40) Curtis Mead homered for the first run of the night. Mead started at 3B a...

The Nats were on the losing end of Thursday afternoon's 2-1 loss against the Mets. Al & Tim start with Cade Cavalli, who struck out nine hitters in seven innings of work on just 84 pitches. Cavalli dipped his ERA down to 3.86 after this impressive outing despite being tagged with the loss.

(09:30) Is Cade Cavalli the #1 individual bright spot so far this season?

(13:10) Clayton Beeter and Orlando Ribalta each tossed a scoreless inning against New York.  Ribalta escaped a bases loaded/ no outs jam and his ERA is down to an impressive 1.80.

(18:00) The only Washington r...

The Nats are back at .500 after beating the Mets for the 2nd straight night.  Mark & Al convene after the 8-4 victory on Wednesday night and put in perspective where this team stands after 50 games played.

(09:00) Comparing this team to the 2005 Nationals, who had a surprisingly strong start.

(13:20) CJ Abrams hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 1st to put Washington ahead right away. Abrams is in a four-way tie for most RBIs in all of Baseball (42). Abrams also had an impressive OPS (.928) which is the 7th highest in the NL.

(18:10) Jacob Y...

The Nats trailed by five runs right away, but completely flipped the script on the Mets for a 9-6 win on Tuesday night.  Al & Mark examine James Wood's Inside-the-Park Grand Slam in the bottom 2nd to cut the deficit to just one run.  Wood has 13 homers this season, tied for 3rd most in the NL, but leads all of MLB in runs scored.

(11:45) Paul Toboni met with the media on the same day that Dylan Crews joined the Big League Club.  Toboni addressed what he has recently seen from Crews and why now is the right time to...

Monday was a jam packed one for the Nats as lost 16-7 to the Mets in extras, with New York scoring 10 runs in the top of the 12th.  Mark & Al begin with the report that Dylan Crews is getting called from AAA and that he will take the place of Brady House, who will be sent to Rochester. House has really struggled lately in the field and has committed eight errors already this season.  Crews' OPS in Rochester was .777 with five homers during his month and a half stretch in AAA.

(11:45) Seaver King was promoted to AAA af...

The Nats did not sweep on Sunday and instead lost 7-3 to the visiting Orioles. Mark & Al open with Richard Lovelady, the Opener who gave up an upper deck solo homer in the top of the 1st hit to Gunnar Henderson.

(04:00) Miles Mikolas allowed a 2-run HR vs. the initial batter that he faced in the top of the 2nd after taking over for Lovelady.  Mikolas' ERA this season is a grisly 6.91.

(09:00) Will Andrew Alvarez take Mikolas' spot in the rotation?

(17:00) Jacob Young homered for the 5th time this season; which is already a...

The Nats have finally returned to the .500 mark and did so in emphatic fashion.  Mark & Al dive into the Nationals 13-3 pummeling of the Orioles on Saturday afternoon in front of another sell out crowd in D.C.  The fans were not only treated to a win, but also received Alex Ovechkin Bobbleheads.

(08:00) Keibert Ruiz had a monster afternoon as he homered, knocked in five runs, stole a base, and even won an ABS challenge. Ruiz's OPS is up .715 and has climbed over .200 points in the month of May.

(15:00) Brady House did not start on Sa...

The Nats edged the Orioles 3-2 on Friday night in front of a sold out crowd in Navy Yard. Al & Mark praise the nearly 39,000 fans in attendance who packed the house for the well received promotion of  "Hot Dog Day".

(08:00) Zack Littell tossed five shutout innings before handing the ball off to Andrew Alvarez.  This was the first scoreless outing of the season for Littell in his 9th appearance. Blake Butera showed confidence in Littell in allowing him the opportunity to wriggle out of a jam in the top of the 5th.

(14:45) Andrew Alvarez had a...

The Nats entered Thursday one game below .500 and for the 15th consecutive (15th!!!!) time they lost when trying to reach that level. Mark (From Cincinnati) & Al recap recap the 15-1 thrashing at the hands of the Reds.

(04:15) Blake Butera is not hung up on necessarily reaching .500 right now.

(07:00) Foster Griffin had by far his worst start of the season by allowing nine runs in under five innings of work.  Griffin issued three walks and gave up a pair of homers against the Cincinnati offense. The outing went so poorly, that his ERA went from 2.12 to u...

The Nats staged an impressive comeback in Wednesday night's 8-7 win in extras.  Mark (From Cincinnati) & Al discuss how Washington found themselves in an early 5-0 hole, before the offense & bullpen teamed up to rally against the Reds. They are just one game below .500 through 43 games played.

(05:45) Daylen "The Louisville Slugger" Lile hit his 3rd homer in the past two games in the top of the 10th.  Lile had a very strong reaction after he went deep and shared the moment with family, friends, and of course teammates.

(08:30) Curtis Mead played three different infield positions an...

The Nats blasted six homers on Tuesday night for a 9-2 win in Cincinnati. Mark (From Great American Ballpark) & Al start with the impressive offensive totals, that included a pair of homers from both Luis Garcia Jr. & Daylen Lile.

(05:30) Luis Garcia Jr. has been on a hot streak after missing a few games due to a wrist issue.  Garcia's OPS has now climbed up to .725 for the season.

(07:00) Daylen Lile went deep twice in front of a throng of friends and family as he grew up in Louisville, which is roughly 90 minutes away from Cincinnati.

The Nats dropped a second straight winnable game over the weekend in Miami.   Mark & Al react to Washington's 5-2 loss in the rubber match of the three game series that came just before the Wizards were announced as the lottery winners for the NBA Draft.

(05:30) The Nationals continued their pattern of sloppy play by making a pair of crucial outs on the bases. One of them was particularly painful because it came with James Wood in the batter's box and a runner already in scoring position.

(11:10) Nasim Nuñez let a double play ball go th...

The Nats blew an early four run lead and ultimately lost 8-7 on Saturday afternoon in Miami.  Al & Tim point out how this was a particular frustrating defeat as the Nationals drop to 19-21 overall through 40 games.

(06:30) Washington staged a furious rally in the 9th that fell just short.  They trailed 8-4 entering the frame, but Joey Wiemer made a crucial base running mistake that removed the tying run from scoring position.

(14:00) Richard Lovelady was the surprise choice as the Opener and he delivered with two scoreless frames.  PJ Poulin had to come in for the...

The Nats edged the Marlins 3-2 on Friday night for their 3rd straight victory.  Mark & Al discuss the road win where all of the scoring came in the 1st inning.

(03:00) Foster Griffin was tremendous in striking out nine Marlins in seven innings of work.  Griffin has pitched at least six frames in four consecutive starts. The lefty's ERA is a very impressive 2.12.

(11:30) **Riding the wave while it lasts** - Is there any scenario where the Nationals would give Griffin an in-season multi-year extension?

(17:30) Brad Lord came an out shy of recording the save, bu...

The Nats beat the Twins 7-5 on Thursday afternoon for their first home series victory of the series. Mark & Al have plenty of praise for Keibert Ruiz, who doubled twice and broke a late tie with a solo homer in the bottom of 7th. Ruiz's OPS rose an astonishing .127 points in  single day.

(10:30) Breaking down the Nationals catching situation after back to back days of rare offensive production from that position.

(18:00) Curtis Mead knocked in a pair of runs while hitting 3rd in the lineup.

(20:05) The victory masked Jake Irvin's so-so outing on T...

The Nats crushed Minnesota 15-2 on Wednesday night; the most runs they've scored all season.  Mark & Al open with the offensive performance where four homers were hit in the victory.

(05:00) Another big night by CJ Abrams, highlighted by a late Grand Slam.  Abrams roped a pair of doubles to give him eight total bases on Wednesday night. Abrams' OPS is at .960, tied for 7th best in the NL.

(11:00) The other three Washington dingers came from Drew Millas, Brady House, and Jose Tena. This was Millas' first homer of the season and his OPS shot up ov...