The Nats lost 5-3 Saturday to Miami for a 3rd straight defeat. Mark & Al begin with the pregame news that GM Mike Rizzo and Manager Davey Martinez had their 2023 options picked up. Was this news surprising or largely expected? The hosts explain why this was done in midseason. (20:54) Jackson Tetreault was not able to make it a third consecutive solid start as he issued five walks in four innings. (26:24) Tres Barrera had a RBI double in his first Big League plate appearance for the season. M...
Jul 03, 2022•41 min•Ep. 257
The Nats lost 6-3 to Miami to open up a four game series on a holiday weekend in D.C. Al gives kudos to Mark for his pinch hit performance on Friday night as he filled in as color commentator on MASN. They then evaluate Josiah Gray's outing; where he allowed six runs in just under six frames. How much time off should he have between starts? (12:10) Keibert Ruiz had an impressive game both with the bat and the glove. In the top of the 6th he yet another pickoff play at 1st base and then in the bo...
Jul 02, 2022•45 min•Ep. 256
The Nats missed a rare opportunity for a sweep as they lost 8-7 to the Pirates in a game that saw a very bizarre play to conclude the top of the 5th. Mark & Al try to unravel all that went into the decision to grant Pittsburgh a run despite the Nationals turning a double play with one out. Did the umps get it right? They certainly took their time in making their decision, (13:09) The bottom of the 5th was also notable in a negative way for Washington as they made yet another out at home plat...
Jun 30, 2022•34 min•Ep. 255
The Nats beat the Pirates 3-1 for their third straight win and their sixth victory in the past eight games. Mark & Al this time have plenty of good things to say about Patrick Corbin as he struck out a dozen Pirates in eight innings of work. It ties a career high for Corbin in terms of strikeouts, the last time he whiffed that many was back in the 2019 NLCS. (13:32) Tanner Rainey ran into some trouble, but ultimately earned his 11th save of the season. Who do you currently trust more... Rain...
Jun 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 254
The Nats came back on the Pirates 3-2 as Maikel Franco hit a game winning 2 run HR in the bottom of the 8th. Al discusses how they struggled with runners in scoring position all night until Franco came through late as the Nats have now won five of their past seven games. The boys ultimately stranded ten runners on base in the victory. (11:20) Erick Fedde allowed two runs in five frames, keeping the team in it despite exiting with a 2-0 deficit. It goes down as a quality start, which the staff ha...
Jun 28, 2022•29 min•Ep. 253
The Nats hung on 6-4 in Texas to win a weekend series for the fourth time in five attempts. Al & Mark (Live From Globe Life Field) begin with praise for Jackson Tetreault who only allowed one run in the victory. The Nationals have had a quality start in six of the past seven games and have gone 4-3 in that stretch. (09:45) Tanner Rainey came in to get the Save as a 6-1 lead in the 9th was trimmed to a slight two run edge after Francisco Perez struggled mightily. Mark explains why Perez was t...
Jun 27, 2022•38 min•Ep. 252
The Nats lost a heartbreaker to the Rangers 3-2 as Adolis Garcia hit a walk-off HR against Kyle Finnegan in the bottom of the 9th. Mark (Live from Texas) and Al take a glass half full approach to Saturday as Josiah Gray struck out nine in seven innings, only allowing four hits in the process. Does it seem like he's elevated his game this past month? (11:30) Finnegan got the nod in the 9th instead of Tanner Rainey. Is he taking Rainey's spot as the ace reliever on the staff? (16:30) Washington wa...
Jun 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 251
The Nats topped the Rangers 2-1 in their first ever trip to Globe Life Field. Mark (Live from Texas) & Al tip their caps to Paolo Espino, who had another solid outing, as he didn't allow a run until the 6th inning. Why exactly was Paolo buried on the pitching depth chart for so long? (10:35) Josh Bell collected three hits in the return to his hometown, including the go ahead RBI single in the 8th inning. Bell's average is up to .302, one of only ten players in the NL above the desired thresh...
Jun 25, 2022•43 min•Ep. 250
The Nats were blanked 7-0 in Baltimore in a rain shortened affair (6 innings). Al & Tim begin with the bewilderment of some of the decisions behind the two rain delays that occurred on Wednesday. Why did it take so long to call it a night? Austin Hays of the Orioles hit for the cycle despite it not being a full game, the 3rd player to do so against the Nationals. (07:45) Patrick Corbin struggled yet again as he was handed his 10th loss of the season and only lasted four innings. Tim takes ad...
Jun 23, 2022•28 min•Ep. 249
A refreshed Nats blanked the Orioles 3-0 for a 2nd straight win. Mark (Live from Baltimore) & Al evaluate Erick Fedde's big night as he tossed six shutout frames at Camden Yards. The bullpen was just as good as well as Kyle Finnegan, Carl Edwards, Jr., and Tanner Rainey all threw scoreless innings. (12:03) Lane Thomas homered on Tuesday while hitting ninth in the order. Thomas is hitting .310 so far in the month and Mark explains what likely led to the decision to put in that lineup spot. (2...
Jun 22, 2022•23 min•Ep. 248
The Nats ended all sorts of losing streaks by beating Philadelphia 9-3 as they had lost eight in a row overall, twelve straight to the Phillies, and thirteen consecutive against NL East foes. Mark & Al tip their caps to Jackson Tetreault who earned his first career victory in only his second career start. Will he get another Major League start? (09:15) Juan Soto capped a frustrating week on a positive note with a crucial three run homer, his 14th of the season. The forgettable home stand inc...
Jun 19, 2022•46 min•Ep. 247
The Nats lost in 2-1 to the Phillies in 10 innings, but the focus of Saturday came Pregame as Ryan Zimmerman's #11 was retired. Mark & Al applaud the ceremony as it seemed to hit all right notes, aided by perfect weather and sell-out crowd in Washington D.C. (20:35) Josiah Gray threw six scoreless frames as he in a pitcher's duel with Aaron Nola. Gray was well rested after he missed his Monday start due to rain. It is notable that this was the first time Gray pitched in front of a large crow...
Jun 19, 2022•40 min•Ep. 246
The Nats lost both ends of Friday's Doubleheader in D.C against Philadelphia to extend their losing streak to seven games. Al & Mark begin with the final inning of the long day, as Luis Garcia was controversially called for obstruction that led to a 2 run Philly lead in the 10th. Mark spoke with the umpire Dan Iassonga afterwards and hear all that went into the decision. (18:45) Josh Bell had a monster day as he homered three times on Friday, four in the past two days. Bell's average is curr...
Jun 18, 2022•49 min•Ep. 245
The Nats were trounced 10-1 by Philadelphia for their 5th consecutive defeat. Mark & Al do the best they can to piece together the disaster that was the 3rd inning on Thursday evening as the Phillies scored seven runs in the frame, aided by a pair of Washington errors. Why is the defense so shaky this season? (08:01) Patrick Corbin didn't make it out of the 4th inning as he exited with a very unusual pitching line. He allowed nine runs, but only two were considered earned. Both HRs that he g...
Jun 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 244
The Nats were swept by the Braves as they lost 8-2 in the series finale. Mark & Al recap a three game stretch in which red hot Atlanta pulverized Washington. Adding injury to insult, Juan Soto missed a second straight game due to a the contusion on his right knee. (14:47) Victor Robles had a blatant TOOTBLAN to end the 7th inning. Why does he so often make mistakes on the bases (21:03) Erick Fedde threw over 100 pitches in defeat as his main purpose on Wednesday was to eat up innings to help...
Jun 16, 2022•38 min•Ep. 243
The Nats lost 10-4 to the surging Braves, who have won 13 in a row. Al & Mark discuss how the pitching woes keeping piling up for Washington as Jackson Tetreault was thrusted into his MLB debut against a red hot Atlanta. The original plan this week was Josiah Gray on Monday and Stephen Strasburg and Tuesday, and it ended up being Earsmo Ramirez and Tetreault, respectively. (16:10) Juan Soto did not play for the first time this season due to the right knee contusion from Monday evening. Will ...
Jun 15, 2022•36 min•Ep. 242
Monday was an awful/no good day for the Nats from start to finish as they lost 9-5 to Atlanta. Mark & Al update the latest on Juan Soto as he missed his final at bat after banging his knee in the dugout prior to the top of the 9th. (05:14) Pregame it was announced that Stephen Strasburg is back on the IL due to discomfort after his Saturday bullpen session. We still don't know the results of the MRI, but it seems difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook. He had been previously scheduled t...
Jun 14, 2022•30 min•Ep. 241
The Nats lost 4-1 to Milwaukee as the bid for a series sweep came up short. Mark & Al focus on the ten runners that Washington stranded as they went opposite of their instinct to score runs against Brewers starter Jason Alexander. Al was mildly incredulous at Juan Soto's 1st inning bat attempt. What did Davey Martinez have so to about it? (16:01) The Nationals used a tandem start on Sunday as Paolo Espino lasted until the 4th and then Evan Lee bridged the game into the late innings. Paolo to...
Jun 13, 2022•32 min•Ep. 240
The Nats held on 8-6 over Milwaukee to clinch the series. Mark & Al start with the mildly surprising news postgame that Paolo "The Secret Weapon" Espino will get his first start of the season on Sunday as the team seeks its first sweep of the season. (04:32) The heart of the order took center stage on Saturday as Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Bell connected on back to back to back HRs that gave Washington a seven run lead. These three hitters were responsible for all eight RBIs during the...
Jun 12, 2022•38 min•Ep. 239
The Nationals beat Milwaukee 11-5 to open up the eleven game home stand. Al highlights the myriad of offensive contributors as Washington collected 19 hits; four of which were homers. Nelson Cruz not only returned to the lineup, but had four hits (including his 455th career HR) in the process. (08:40) Keibert Ruiz homered among his three hits and picked off another runner at first base on a snap throw to Josh Bell. Lane Thomas also had three hits and has been white hot so far in June. (25:35) Ca...
Jun 11, 2022•32 min•Ep. 238
The Nats lost 7-4 to the Marlins as Stephen Strasburg pitched for Washington for the first time in over a year. Mark (live from Miami) and Al dissect his up and down start. Do they focus more on the seven runs he allowed or the five strikeouts he threw? What to make of fastball velocity? (20:45) Nelson Cruz was a late scratch due to a stiff back and will have a MRI soon. The lineup card meanwhile puzzled Al mightily as Ehire Adrianza was placed 2nd in the order (Cesar Hernandez was given a much ...
Jun 10, 2022•37 min•Ep. 237
The Nats lost 2-1 in 10 innings as all the runs scored came in extra innings. Mark (Live from Miami) and Al recap the very busy 9th and 10th innings, which concluded with Tanner Rainey blowing a save opportunity. Mark explains the unusual situation where a replay at the plate did not go Washington's way. (17:10) Josiah Gray threw five scoreless frames as he was in quite the pitchers duel with Sandy Alcantara, who shutout the Nationals over nine innings. Gray struck out six and has lowered his ER...
Jun 09, 2022•42 min•Ep. 236
The Nats three game win streak came to a screeching halt in a 12-2 loss down in Miami. Al & Mark (Live from Florida) though do not begin with the game, but with the pregame confirmation that Stephen Strasburg will take the mound on Thursday night at the Marlins. He has not pitched for Washington since June 1st of last season. (13:06) Joan Adon was hit hard early and often as he allowed eight runs in three plus frames. His ERA is above 6.00 right as Strasburg is returning to the rotation and ...
Jun 08, 2022•39 min•Ep. 235
The Nats held off the Reds 5-4 to win their 3rd straight game and to take the series. Mark & Al open with Keibert Ruiz's fantastic defensive play for the final out, that allowed the Nationals to hang on and for Steve Cishek to notch the Save. Hear the explanation of how advanced scouting led to the execution of that snap throw to 1st Base, (12:04) Luis Garcia had a RBI single and swung a hot bat in Cincinnati. However, there were more question marks about his play at shortstop, mainly in the...
Jun 06, 2022•46 min•Ep. 234
The Nats staged a late rally against the Reds bullpen to emerge with a 10-8 win on Saturday. Al recaps the victory as Juan Soto homered twice, giving him three dingers this series. The last time Soto had a multi homer game? Last September.... also at the Great American Ballpark. (06:25) Luis Garcia had a huge day while batting in the 9th spot as he had three hits, four RBIs, including a crucial 2 run single for 9th inning insurance. Maikel Franco also had a solid day and Al addresses where his s...
Jun 05, 2022•33 min•Ep. 233
The Nats won 8-5 in Cincinnati to end their four game skid. Mark & Al marvel at how not only did Lane Thomas go deep three times, but the Nationals hit five HRs overall in the victory (Nelson Cruz & Juan Soto the others). (18:55) Josiah Gray struck out nine Reds as he lasted six frames to get the win. His evening started off on the wrong foot as Tommy Pham slapped a HR off of him right away, but Gray settled in after that point. The hosts assess how the young right hander has looked on t...
Jun 04, 2022•50 min•Ep. 232
The Nats were crushed 8-1 at fellow last place Cincinnati to drop them to 0-4 on the road trip. Al begins the conversation with the good news that pitching prospect Cole Henry is being promoted to AAA Rochester. Will he get called up to Washington this year? (08:02) The offensive futility continued in this game as the scoreless inning streak eclipsed 27. Josh Bell was the only source for runs as he hit a solo HR, that was aided by the Ballpark's dimensions. (12:15) Joan Adon right away allowed a...
Jun 03, 2022•29 min•Ep. 231
The Nats were blanked by Mets 5-0 to conclude the decisive three game sweep. Mark & Al dig into how the Nationals were humbled and then some after entering the week with a bit of momentum. (11:25) Luis Garcia was called up after Alcides Escobar was placed on the IL. Davey Martinez has declared that Garcia will play SS everyday and on Wednesday he went 1 for 4 at the plate. (16:45) Evan Lee picked up the loss in his Major League debut as he was relieved in the 4th inning. Will he reamin with ...
Jun 02, 2022•33 min•Ep. 230
The Nats were crushed for a second straight night in New York as they were blanked 10-0. Al & Mark have yet another awful Patrick Corbin outing to mull over as his ERA is now sits at 6.96. Washington now has the worst in the National League, just behind the Reds. (19:40) There were a flurry of roster moves related to the bullpen and the hosts catch you up on all the personnel decisions. Why does Tyler Clippard remain in Rochester? (33:04) Stephen Strasburg will start Friday night in Rocheste...
Jun 01, 2022•40 min•Ep. 229
The Nats were pounded 13-5 at the Mets as Erick Fedde was lifted in the 2nd inning. Mark & Al point out just how much Fedde's ERA was affected by the poor outing. Those All Star whispers we mentioned five days ago certainly have been pushed to the background. (08:09) The Nationals starting rotation is in flux as the best options to pitch on Wednesday, Paolo Espino and Josh Rogers, both were used to fill Monday's innings. Mark gives his best guess as to who will take the mound in the series f...
May 31, 2022•30 min•Ep. 228
