Gästebuch » Not too many things have gone

WASHINGTON —as planned for the Washington Nationals this season.Expected to contend for a third straight National League East title Matt Moore Jersey , the Nationals instead are closer to elimination than a playoff berth.Right-hander Max Scherzer, however, has been a constant for Washington. Every fifth day Scherzer (16-6, 2.28) gives the Nationals a chance to win.Article continues below ...“Watching him, he’s the best. He really is. Watching him prepare on a daily basis has been incredible,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He competes every day. His work ethic is far beyond what I’ve ever seen. The mental part, the physical part of it.“For four days, he puts his body through a lot and his mind through a lot to get ready for his opponents on the fifth day.”Scherzer, seeking his third straight NL Cy Young Award http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-alex-avila-jersey , enters Saturday atop the National League in wins (16), strikeouts (260), innings pitched (193.2) and opponent’s batting average (.179), and third in ERA (2.28).He’s allowed as many as four earned runs in only two starts this season, the last on July 7. Last time out he surrendered three runs in seven innings of a no-decision in a game against the Cardinals that Washington won. He struck out 11 and walked one.The Nationals are 20-9 in games Scherzer has started.Scherzer, 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in seven starts against the Cubs, will start the first game of what is now a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 3:05 ET.Friday night was frustrating for everyone who dared venture to Nationals Park. The game was delayed 81 minutes by rain before it started.Then, with two outs in the top of the second inning, the rain and lightning returned. After two hours and 55 minutes http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-darwin-barney-jersey , with the rain having stopped, the game was postponed by Major League Baseball.Cubs manager Joe Maddon said earlier in the day he was hoping to get the game in.“It’s supposed to rain here for three days,” Maddon said. “We can plow through. We’ve done that already this year so many times. We’d rather plow through this than a doubleheader and a make-up game. We’re going through 23 in a row, so we need to play this.”Left-hander Jaime Garcia (3-6, 5.93) will pitch the first game for the Cubs. His contract was purchased from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. Garcia is 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA in nine career starts against the Nationals.Chicago right-hander Cole Hamels (4-0, 1.00 since joining the Cubs) was originally scheduled to oppose Scherzer in Saturday’s game, but now with the doubleheader, he’ll pitch the nightcap. The Cubs acquired Hamels from the Rangers at the July trade deadline and have gone 6-1 in his starts.Hamels has fanned 43 and walked 12 in 45 innings for Chicago and has let to allow a home run. He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for August. Last time out, he gave up two runs in six innings against the Brewers.The former Philadelphia Phillie is 16-9 with a 2.63 ERA in 36 career starts against the Nationals.Washington did not immediately name its Game 2 starter.The Nationals on Friday activated left-hander Sean Doolittle from the 10-day disabled list. The Washington closer missed 54 games with a stress reaction in his left foot.Doolittle is 3-2 with a 1.45 ERA. His 22 saves (in 23 chances) are tied for eighth best in the National League.“It’s tough mentally for different reasons to have to be on the sidelines and watch kind of the way the second half of the season unfolded for us and not being able to contribute Bartolo Colon Jersey , not being out there with the guys was really tough,” Doolittle said. WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals to a man insisted Tuesday night their season is not over despite the trades of Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams.They walked the walk in the opener against the Phillies and look to keep it going Wednesday night.Andrew Stevenson and Wilmer Difo hit back-to-back home runs in a five-run sixth inning and Washington (63-63) rallied past the Phillies 10-4 in a game that was delayed 1:42 by rain in the third inning. Article continues below ...Stevenson, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse earlier in the day, drove to Washington and, thanks to the delay, was there to tie the game with his first career homer, a two-run pinch-hit shot to center. Difo, Murphy’s replacement at second base, followed with a go-ahead shot.Ryan Zimmerman also homered and Matt Wieters drove in three runs.“That was a long day Jon Niese Jersey , but it ended well,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said following a game that ended after midnight.“That shows the character of these guys, it really does. They haven’t given up all year. I said before, these guys could have folded a long time ago and they’re not. … I’m proud to see the way they came out, we fell behind, and they kept battling.”The Phillies (68-57) had taken a 4-1 lead in their half of the sixth, but their bullpen couldn’t hold it as the Nationals pounded out 14 hits.“I would say that the Nationals have been dangerous since opening day and they will be a dangerous team until the last game of the season,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.Right-hander Zach Eflin (9-4, 3.70 ERA) opposes Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (6-7 http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-edinson-volquez-jersey , 3.90) in the middle game on Wednesday.Eflin was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following his Aug. 10 start and recalled as the 26th man to pitch the second game of a doubleheader Aug. 16 against the Mets. He allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to earn the win and was optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, losing major league service time and salary.“We trust that our players are strong-minded,” Kapler told mlb.com, “and we trust that they can put things like what happened with the option behind them and focus on the step right in front of them.”Eflin is 1-0 against the Nationals for his career. He beat them on June 22 when he allowed two runs in five innings.Strasburg (cervical nerve impingement) made his last start on July 20, when he returned from a six-week disabled list stint due to shoulder inflammation. He went back on the DL five days later. He’s thrown several bullpens and a simulated game in recent weeks but did not make a rehab start.“Credit to Stras that he got himself ready to pitch for us and have that opportunity to go up against a team we’re trying to catch,” Martinez said. “He’s been working diligently and he feels good.”This will be his first start against the Phillies this season. He’s 10-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 21 career starts against them, his lowest ERA versus an NL East foe.The Nationals need Strasburg to hit the ground running if they want to climb back into the NL East race.“We’ve still got a great lineup and a great staff — getting Stephen Strasburg back here awfully soon — and a couple of our bullpen pieces back as well,” Bryce Harper said Tuesday. “Just gotta battle. Keep going and keep playing ball.”