Nats Chat

The Nationals routed the defending champs 11-2 in Atlanta as Josh Rogers picked up where he left off last season. Mark (covering on-site) & Al discuss the southpaw's performance, which included retiring ten in a row at one point. (08:42) The offense poured it on the Braves pitching staff, led by Maikel Franco who had four hits and 5 RBIs. Lane Thomas and Josh Bell also filled out the scorecard in...

The Nationals earned their first "Curly W" of the season as they came from behind to beat the Mets 4-2. Lucius Fox had quite the MLB debut as he had a game tying squeeze bunt, scored an insurance run, and flashed leather at SS. Mark & Al let you know who exactly Fox is and what he might bring to the table this season. (10:17) Nelson Cruz had a big afternoon as he slugged his 450th career HR and ha...

The Nats were shutout by the Mets 5-0 to begin the season at 0-3 for the first time in over a decade. Mark & Al discuss the struggling offense which has only scored four games in this series so far.  (10:53) Another busy night for the bullpen as Joan Adon's outing fell apart in the top of the 5th when he allowed a Grand Slam to Pete Alonso. The hits then continued for the 'pen as Mason Thompson ex...

The Nats lost 7-3 to the Mets in a very long and active Friday evening in Navy Yard. There were multiple delays, a bench clearing fracas, and Max Scherzer returned to D.C. The brawl came after Steve Cishek hit Francisco Lindor in the top of the 5th, ending Cishek's franchise debut after just two pitches. Mark explains to Al why Cishek was ejected when it did not seem that the pitch was intentional...

The Nats lost a rain delayed Opening Day 5-1 to the visiting Mets. Al & Mark recap the disappointing evening as not too much went right for the home team. Patrick Corbin was tagged with the loss as he only lasted 4+ frames, which led to five relievers coming out of the bullpen. (13:19) Juan Soto's Solo HR was the only run produced by the Nationals offense, the 99th of his career. The offense strug...

The regular season is just a few days away and we get you set for 2022. Mark & Al set the pitching table for the Nationals as Patrick Corbin has officially been named the Opening Day starter. Do you remember Joan Adon from Game #162? Hear why you might hear that name again as soon as April. (19:53) A look at the position players, including Victor Robles getting another shot at the Major League lev...

Opening Day is under two weeks away as a Florida sun soaked Mark joins Al, who is a tad under the weather during this cold late March in the DMV. We begin with the demotion of Luis Garcia to AAA Rochester, despite him playing every day after the trade deadline last season. This leads to a discussion about Victor Robles' situation. (16:33) Lane Thomas ended last season on a very high note, but it s...

Mark is back in West Palm Beach for the first time since the Shutdown two years ago, an extra refreshing sign as Opening Day is just over two weeks away. Al & Mark discuss the Nationals decision to retire Ryan Zimmerman's number 11 over a weekend series in Mid June. One apt fact is it will be on the anniversary of his first career walk-off HR.  (11:30) We get an update on Carter Kieboom's forearm...

The MLB Lockout is finally over and the Nationals have opened Spring Training in West Palm Beach, Florida. Al & Mark are back for Season #2 of the Nats Chat Podcast. We begin with quick analysis of the topsy turvy negotiations that resulted in there still being a full slate of games for this season.  (07:26) We now have the Universal DH and the Nats wasted no time in signing a top notch hitter in...

An emergency edition of Nats Chat as Ryan Zimmerman publicly announced his retirement at age 37. Mark & Al respond to "Employee #11" ending his illustrious Washington career that began all the way back in 2005. (04:19) What will his next role be with the Nationals organization? (6:20) Perfect send-off for Zimmerman in what ended up being his final game. (10:32) What was the main reason he decided...

Mark & Al are back for the first edition of Nats Chat since the calendar flipped to 2022. Make sure to tune into the final portion of the podcast as we congratulate Tim Kurkjian for winning the BBWAA Career Excellence Award, which means he is headed to Cooperstown. We begin by checking in on where the MLB Lockout stands as it seems the two sides will finally sit down for the first time in over a m...

MLB players might be locked out, but the podcast doors are still wide open for Mark & Al in our third off-season edition of Nats Chat. They begin by setting the scene as to why the sport is going through its first work stoppage in almost thirty years. Will Opening Day start on time? (15:51) Free Agency was abnormally active in the final days leading up to the CBA"s expiration. How could Baseball r...

Juan Soto was runner-up for NL MVP as Bryce Harper won for the second time in his career. Mark & Al react to Soto coming up short in his bid for the MVP and split hairs between the two former teammates resumes. Was Harper more deserving? (10:17) Scott Boras, Soto's agent, had some interesting comments at the recent GM Meetings regarding his client's future. What are the chances the Nats lock him u...

Mark & Al return for the first off-season edition of Nats Chat. Since the Nationals season ended, there have been a few changes on the coaching staff, most notably at hitting coach. Darnell Coles replaces Kevin Long; who took a job with Philadelphia. What led to Long leaving town? What attributes does Coles bring to the position? What does Juan Soto make of this change? (17:13) Bob Henley & Randy...

The Nats ended their season with a 7-5 loss to Playoff bound Boston. Mark & Al open with their thoughts on the emotional moment in the top of the 8th when Ryan Zimmerman was ceremoniously removed from the game to thunderous applause. It certainly felt like his final game, will it end up being so? (10:47) Juan Soto struggled on Sunday and struck out three times. Given that nobody else ran away with...

The Nats lost 5-3 to Boston on Saturday afternoon. Mark & Al go through Josiah Gray's good outing, which was arguably his best start of the season. (8:13) The bullpen had another active day and Mason Thompson was the low light as he walked an AL relief pitcher on four pitches. What approach should Mike Rizzo take for next season in bolstering the bullpen? (20:06) Gerardo Parra made possibly his fi...

The Nats lost 4-2 to the Red Sox in a crucial game in terms of the AL Wildcard chase. Al & Mark react to Juan Soto managing to walk four more times on Friday, lifting his total on the season to 144. Does Soto still have a chance at the MVP? (9:28) Jordy Mercer homered, but curiously got the start at 2B over Luis Garcia. Just a day off for Garcia or anything more? (15:20) Josh Rogers was impressive...

The Nats lost 10-5 in Colorado in their final road game of the season. Al & Mark assess where the rotation stands as Paolo Espino's outing was cut short due to the two hour rain delay that began in the top of the 3rd. Will he get the nod for Sunday's finale vs. Boston as Patrick Corbin season is over? (17:55) Juan banged his knee into the chain link outfield fence while making an excellent catch. ...

The Nats lost 3-1 in Colorado as Patrick Corbin struck out nine in what could be his final start of the season. Mark & Al evaluate Corbin as September has by far been his best month of his terrible season. How important will ending this year on a positive note be for the high priced lefty? What are the chances he pitches Sunday vs. the Red Sox? (15:27) Juan Soto went 0 for 4 and didn't reach base...

The Nats beat Colorado 5-4 as Josiah Gray has been victorious in back to back starts. Al & Mark discuss Gray's outing, which was scoreless through the first five innings. What led to him becoming ineffective though in the 6th? Was it hustling down the line on a bunt or was it facing the Rockies lineup for a third time? (10:08) The Nationals bullpen had a good night as they only allowed one run. Da...

The Nats lost 9-2 in Cincinnati as Ryne Harper yielded a MLB record tying fourteenth grand slam on the season by the pitching staff. Before we get into our usual show, Tim does some end of season housekeeping. (5:38) Mark & Al recap Josh Rogers' outing as he held the Reds scoreless early, but it unraveled for him the third time through the order. What was different for Rogers today as opposed to h...

The Nats lost 7-6 in Cincinnati as Nick Castellanos hit a walk-off homer against Patrick Murphy. Al & Tim evaluate Keibert Ruiz's evening as he threw out two runners and also homered for the second straight night. Is Ruiz lately starting show the franchise catcher potential we have been told about? (7:10) Lane Thomas homered again and kept the train rolling. Hear Tim's opinion on where the CF derb...

The Nats late rally came up short in Cincinnati as they lost 8-7 in 11 innings. Mark & Al wonder why the Nationals so often can score late in the game, but then can't bring in a run in extras. The 9th inning comeback involved three runs scored; all coming with two outs. (9:18) Keibert Ruiz hit his first homer with Washington and had three hits overall on the evening. Ruiz is hitting .315 this mont...

The Nats edged the Reds 3-2 for their 3rd straight victory. Al & Mark search for the proper superlatives for Juan Soto as his torrid stretch continued on Thursday night. He yet again reached base four times, set a franchise record in walks, and has lifted his average to .325. Is it fair to say he is the NL MVP frontrunner with a week to go? How does this recent run affect potential extension talks...

The Nats won 7-5 in Miami for a rare series victory. Mark & Al begin with Josiah Gray's much needed solid outing that resulted in his career Major League win. Most encouraging for Gray was that he did not allow any homers and only issued one walk in six innings. (11:55) Juan Soto was all over the scorecard on Wednesday night as he reached base five times and was a triple shy of the cycle. Soto wal...