Nats Chat

The Nationals coughed up a late lead and fell 6-5 in Philadelphia on a walk-off 3 run HR by Andrew McCutchen off of closer Brad Hand. Mark & Al put in perspective what this means for Hand's value on the trade market in addition to the "kick in the teeth" type loss they were dealt. (4:01) Twitter was filled with reports that the Nats are listening to trade offers for Trea Turner, who is a Free Agen...

The Nationals were swept in Baltimore as they lost 5-4 on Sunday afternoon. Mark & Al recap the gut punching defeat and try to understand how they could have lost four games in a row to last place teams. What should we expect this week from the front office as Friday's Trade Deadline looms?  (15:15) Washington entered the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead, but Brad Hand immediately put the l...

The Nationals lost 5-3 in Baltimore for a third consecutive defeat. Al & Mark start with the troubled state of team as they are limping into the trade deadline. Should they sell and if so, who should they sell off? (12:37) Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start due to triceps discomfort. Did any of this have to do with the impending trade deadline? (22:05) Matt Harvey pitched like the...

The Nationals lost their series opener at Camden Yards 6-1 to the Orioles. It was a busy night for Mark as he made his debut hosting the pre & postgame shows on MASN and he tells Al all about it. They then dissect why Josh Bell got the nod in the field and Ryan Zimmerman was the DH, as opposed to Zim starting at 1B. Bell provided the only offense of the night with a tape measure shot, his third ho...

The Nationals lost 3-1 in extras to the Marlins, ending their brief win streak at three games. Al & Mark dive into the offensive struggles from Wednesday night, as some familiar themes from earlier this season returned. This includes multiple double plays and stranding runners in scoring position. (12:33) Andrew Stevenson started two games this series in CF instead of Victor Robles. Is this a sign...

The Nats beat the Marlins 6-3 after briefly blowing the lead in the 6th. Al & Mark discuss the victory which saw a balanced offensive attack. Josh Bell went deep for the second straight day, Tres Barrera had another solid performance at the plate, and Juan Soto continues to be locked in. (14:24) Paolo Espino returned to his "Secret Weapon" form as he tossed five scoreless innings. Why was Paolo ab...

The Nationals pulverized the Marlins 18-1 just a few days after losing by 16 runs. Mark & Al have a different tune to sing as Washington returns to NL East competition. The team slugged six homers, the majority of which came off of former Nat Ross Detwiler. (6:35) Juan Soto continued his hot stretch as he went deep twice and now has five homers since the Derby. When Soto is hitting opposite field,...

The Nationals topped San Diego 8-7 to end their six game losing streak. Al & Mark discuss Alcides Escobar's contributions so far this month, as he was the hero in the late innings for the victory.  (7:52) Juan Soto had a go ahead HR in the bottom of the 8th, his third of the series. Mark takes another bow for his July 4th prediction that if Soto entered the Derby, it would lead to a Post All Star...

The Nationals lost 10-4 to the Padres in Game 2 of their series. This was the game that began on Saturday night, was suspended by gunshots outside the stadium, and concluded on Sunday afternoon. Mark tells Al what the atmosphere felt like Sunday at the ballpark following Saturday evening's events, including Davey Martinez's emotional pregame comments. (9:55) Patrick Corbin had another rough outing...

Saturday evening there were gunshots outside Nationals Park which led to play being suspended in the middle of the 6th inning. Mark was in the press box covering the game and relays to Al what he experienced while sitting in the parking garage outside the stadium.  **Taping occurred at roughly 11pm Eastern on Saturday July 17th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

The Nationals were pummeled by the Padres 24-8 on what was an awful Friday in Navy Yard top to bottom. Mark & Al start with analysis and explanation of why Starlin Castro was placed on administrative leave by MLB due to a domestic violence allegation.  (18:30) What will the Nats do at third base moving forward? Jordy Mercer started Friday night and Davey Martinez mentioned a trio of players who mi...

The Nats lost 3-1 at the Giants in their final game before the All Star Break. Al & Tim start by wondering, "Are the Nationals good?" They were over .500 until this last injury riddled stretch against the powers that be from the NL West. (7:56) Ryan Zimmerman did not start any of the games on the California road trip. Will he have an expanded role in the 2nd Half of the season? Plus, What to do wi...

The Nats lost 10-4 to the Giants for their third consecutive defeat. Al & Tim first off salute Joe Ross' father, Dr. Willie Ross, for assisting a choking woman at Oracle Park during the game by performing the heimlich maneuver. As for Baseball matters, Yan Gomes was placed on the IL due to an oblique strain, as the "Injury Rat" continues to rip it's way through the Washington clubhouse.  (8:53) Jo...

The Nats lost 5-3 in the series opener in San Francisco. Mark relays to Al his experience of listening to the game on the radio while driving up north for the All Star Break. As for the game, Gerardo Parra had a RBI double, but the rest of his evening did not go well. He was tagged out twice at home and hit into a double play with the bases loaded. Who's to blame? Baby Shark or Bobby Henley, the t...

The Nats lost 9-8 in San Diego despite leading 8-0 early in the game. Al & Mark open the podcast with the stunning collapse by Max Scherzer in the 4th inning and the curious decision to pitch Sam Clay the bottom of the 9th. Why did Scherzer look so good to start and then immediately fall apart in the 4th? (18:45) What makes the loss sting even more is that the offense came out on fire for another...

The Nats pounded the Padres 15-5 after Juan Soto hit a 3 run HR in the 1st inning. Mark & Al salute the offense, which had many contributors on Wednesday night.  (7:08) Juan Soto will be participating in the Home Run Derby next week, as quasi predicted by Mark a few episodes ago. However, he will have to face Shohei Ohtani in Round One at Coors Field. (12:31) Josh Harrison had another big game thi...

The Nats lost 7-4 in San Diego as Erick Fedde returned from the IL. Al & Mark assess the current state of the rotation with Fedde's return. Who will be the odd man out between Jon Lester & Paolo Espino? (8:47) Analysis of Fedde's start after missing nearly two weeks due to an oblique injury. Should he have had a rehab start before taking the mound for Washington? (14:15) The Nationals flashed plen...

The Nats won 7-5 in San Diego to snap their four game losing streak. Mark & Al stayed up late to catch you up on what happened out West. Trea Turner had an immediate impact as he homered on the first pitch he saw after missing the entire Dodgers series due to a jammed finger. (6:30) Josh Bell had monster evening at the plate as he had three hits, including a late go-ahead homer. Mark points out ho...

The Nats lost on July 4th to the Dodgers 5-1 for a fourth straight defeat to end the homestand. Mark & Al digest all the obstacles that the Nationals had to fight through while facing the defending World Series Champs. Should Trea Turner have been placed on the IL to create a roster spot off the bench? (14:23) Juan Soto showed more frustration after a late at bat on Sunday as he hit .250 in the se...

The Nats lost 5-3 to the Dodgers for their third straight defeat despite a sellout crowd. Al & Mark begin with the growing list of injury updates. Kyle Schwarber has officially been sent to the IL and so has Alex Avila after playing the infield on Thursday. How much can their depth be continually tested, especially as Trea Turner remains out of the lineup? (9:38) Al was near apoplectic after seein...

The Nats lost 10-5 at home to the Dodgers on an evening filled with negatives. Al & Mark run through them all, headlined by Kyle Schwarber leaving the game in the 2nd inning with an apparent hamstring injury. Schwarber's reaction leads one to believe it might be serious.  (7:51) Max Scherzer pitched well and handed the bullpen a 3-1 lead after six innings. Should he have tried to pitch the 7th con...

The Nats lost to the Dodgers 6-2 in a five inning game that was called early due to inclement weather in D.C. Al & Mark look at the positives associated with the back half of the game not being played, considering all the circumstances in play. Given the incoming weather situation, should Brad Hand have pitched the top of the fifth? (5:44) Due to an incredible rash of injuries, Alex Avila had to s...

The Nats pounded Tampa Bay 15-6 to complete a two game sweep and their fourth straight win. Mark & Al chronicle Trea Turner hitting for the cycle on his 28th birthday and doing so for the third time in the past five years. However, there is a downside as he jammed his finger while sliding into third base to complete the cycle. Will it affect his availability Thursday vs. LA? (15:32) The Nationals...

The Nats edged Tampa Bay 4-3 for a third consecutive win. Al & Mark somehow find a new way to analyze Kyle Schwarber's recent run as he now has homered 16 TIMES IN THE LAST 18 GAMES. Has he entered the NL MVP Race? Listen for what Al explains by "Air Matters" as it relates to the D.C. summer. (14:31) Juan Soto & Victor Robles each had significant homers on Tuesday night. It was Soto's first homer...

The Nats doubled up the Mets 8-4 as they slugged five homers and Paolo Espino earned his second career win. Al & Mark start with Kyle Schwarber continuing his historic power surge as he now has gone deep FIFTEEN TIMES IN THE LAST 17 GAMES. He now shares company with Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Frank Howard based upon the recent stats he's amassed. (15:02) Gerardo Parra picked up where he left off...