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Game 122: Soto & Bell HRs All the Padres Need Aug 21, 2022

Show notes

The Nats lost 2-1 as all of San Diego's runs came off of Josh Bell & Juan Soto Solo HRs. Mark (Live form Petco Park) and Al discuss the former Nationals impact, and how it was Bell's first hit against Washington since the trade (0 for 20 prior to the homer).

(5:10) Josiah Gray only lasted five frames, but did only allow one run off of four hits. He threw a lot of balls on the evening as he issued five walks in the outing; compared to only three strikeouts.

(20:20) Luke Voit was scratched for the second straight day due to back tightness and Mark gives an update on his status. Adding to the offensive woes, Yadiel Hernandez was placed on the 10 day IL due to a left calf strain and his replacement Josh Palacios did not make it to San Diego in time to be a pinch-hitting option.

(27:15) Cade Cavalli threw five innings in Worcester, MA and only gave up one run. Davey Martinez seemed to cryptically indicate pregame that he might be on his way to Washington next month.

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Game 121: Another Win At Hader's Expense Aug 20, 2022

Show notes

The Nats scored three runs off of Josh Hader in the 9th for a 6-3 victory in San Diego. Mark (Live from Petco Park) & Al open with the exciting top of the 9th that gave the Nationals their second straight win over the Padres. Hats off to Alex Call for picking a very good time to hit his first career HR.

(09:22) Keibert Ruiz reached base five times, collected two hits, had a RBI and stole a base. This was a major boost to the offense since Luke Voit did not play (back tightness).

(14:45) CJ Abrams had an up and down game as he came through with a two run single, but did make a routine throwing error. Any cause for concern that he has made a pair of those this week?

(20:30) Paolo Espino allowed three runs in just over four innings as he issued four walks. Erick Fedde returns to the rotation; could he take away Paolo's spot? His numbers in relief are better than that as a starter this season.

(28:50) Did you know that the MLB Draft order rules changed with the new CBA? There will be a lottery for non playoff teams as opposed to the worst being guaranteed the number one pick in order to deter tanking.

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Game 120: Nats Prevail After Getting to Hader Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

The Nats held on 3-1 in San Diego as they scored two runs off of Josh Hader in the top of the 9th. Mark (Live from Petco Park) & Al run through the pitcher's duel that saw Anibal Sanchez go toe to toe with Yu Darvish. It was Sanchez's best start this season as he lasted five frames. The Padres are a surprising 6-9 since all their big acquisitions at the trade deadline.

(05:53) Ildemaro Vargas homered for the first time with Washington and also singled later in the game. Vargas has been productive at the hot corner and seemingly has overtaken Maikel Franco as the primary 3B.

(14:05) The bullpen stepped up big time as five pitchers combined for four scoreless frames. Victor Arano came through as he struck out Juan Soto in the 7th with the bases loaded. Kyle Finnegan had a bumpy ninth, but ultimately recorded the save,

(23:10) Cole Henry announced he will have TOC surgery (the same as Stephen Strasburg) and his season is over. He was having a excellent season in the minors, but had not taken the mound since June with Rochester. When might he return?

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Game 119: Abbott Throws Quality Start but McGee Takes the Loss Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

The Nats lost the series rubber match to the Cubs 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon. Al begins with more base running blunders as Cesar Hernandez was picked off after collecting a RBI single and points out how poor their metrics are in that category compared to every other team.

(06:10) Cory Abbott pitched well as he only allowed two runs in six innings. Abbott was picked up from waivers three months ago after the Giants let him go.

(14:05) Al goes around MLB and brings it back home to the on-goings in Washington. The Braves made a contractual move the Nationals never do and Austin Voth continues to succeed in Baltimore. Does it all boil down to Scott Boras?

(22:50) On Twitter we sampled for opinions on how to utilize Victor Robles on a daily basis. The responses were all over the map, but there are certainly many fans who are ready to move on from Victor. What say you?

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Game 118: Abrams Singles in Extra Inning Loss Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

The Nats came up short yet again in extra innings; the latest a 7-5 loss against the Cubs. Al & Mark wonder how is it that the Nationals constantly struggle in that late stretch, as they are 3-18 in the past two seasons in extra innings.

(05:48) CJ Abrams hit 7th again and earned his first hit in Washington in clutch fashion after singling in the tying run in the bottom of the 10th. Mark then gives his review of Abrams' glove work thus far.

(16:05) It was another day in the life of Victor Robles where the bad was mixed with the good. Robles had an egregious TOOTBLAN in the 1st inning that resulted in a double play. Why do these mistakes seem to keep happening to Victor? He did however make an impressive catch later on in CF.

(27:10) Patrick Corbin returned to the rotation after having his last start skipped. He improved upon his past few nightmarish starts, but it was still mediocre at best (6 IP, 4 ER). How will it go when he faces the Padres lineup this weekend?

(31:45) We close with an update from AA Harrisburg on Darren Baker as we hear from "The Voice of the Senators" Terry Byrom.

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Game 117: Gray Fans 10 & Cruz HRs in Abrams' Debut Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

The Nats had arguably their most exciting victory of the season as they rallied on the Cubs for a 5-4 win. Mark & Al recap the Nationals debut for shortstop CJ Abrams. He was hit-less with a routine E6, but did show-off many signs in the field of his range and ability. Abrams is top rated prospect in the organization and was part of the Juan Soto trade.

(16:25) Josiah Gray started slow, but ended his evening with an emphatic 10th strikeout. Prior to facing his final batter in the 6th, Davey Martinez went to the mound and left Gray in the game. Mark explains Davey's motivation behind that decision.

(26:05) Nelson Cruz had a big evening as he gave the Washington to lead on multiple occasions. He doubled in a pair of runs in the 5th and then came through with the game sealing hit in the 7th on a solo HR; his first dinger in almost two months (458th of his career).

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Game 116: Shutout by San Diego Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

The Nats were blanked in the series rubber match against the Padres 6-0. Mark & Al bring you up to speed on Sunday's lineup as the lead-off hitter was definitely someone you never have heard of before. "Joey Four Bags" was "Joey One Bag" as he had a pair of singles to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Tune in to hear how our podcast infiltrated Friday's national broadcast on Apple TV+.

(06:20) We taped our episode just prior to confirmation that C.J. Abrams will be called-up on Monday. Luis Garcia is currently nursing a sore groin and might be headed to the IL. Abrams pulled from the lineup on Sunday in Rochester; which gave an early indication of what was likely going to happen for the SS. He is currently the top ranked prospect in the farm system.

(15:13) Paolo Espino was so close to a quality start, but a Victor Robles error cost him that department. He briefly saw his ERA nudge below 4.00, but that was short lived on his 109 pitch afternoon. Robles did however make another web-gem that robbed Josh Bell.

(30:05) A listener submitted question about Juan Soto's free agency and Washington chances in landing him again in a few years.

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Game 115: Controversial Call Goes the Nats Way Aug 14, 2022

Show notes

The Nats rallied to beat the Padres 4-3 in dramatic fashion. Al & Mark open with a rare moment of 2022 good luck as a Victor Robles 7th inning single turned into the game winning run after San Diego's catcher Austin Nola was determined to have blocked home plate. If you can explain how this rule is supposed to be properly applied, you are smarter than any of us.

(08:09) The Nationals hit crucial back to back HRs in the 6th, the last of which by "Joey Four Bags". He is now at five homers in nine career games played. How long will this last for the 30 year old rookie? He has been outhitting both Juan Soto and Josh Bell since the trade deadline.

(16:20) Nelson Cruz singled for his 200th career hit and is the first person to achieve the feat while wearing a Nationals uniform. The hosts give an early handicap of what the Cooperstown conversation will look like in a few years for Cruz.

(20:30) Anibal Sanchez labored through five innings despite the high pitch count. Cade Cavalli meanwhile countered with seven strong frames for Rochester. Will the upcoming road trip delay Cavalli's promotion to the Majors?

(28:45) Patrick Corbin threw a bullpen session and Davey Martinez described his performance as "exceptionally well". How pivotal is his next start when he returns to the rotation?

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Game 114: Soto Gets Standing Ovation in Return to D.C. Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

The Nats were doubled up 10-5 by San Diego in Juan Soto's abrupt return to D.C. Mark & Al examine the events around Soto playing on South Capitol Street in an opposing uniform. Juan went 2 for 6 with a RBI and Josh Bell was hit-less in five at bats.

(07:48) The Washington Post on Friday reported that the Lerner's did not seek the opinions of the prospective buyers when it came to trading Soto. This re-opens the discussion as to why Washington felt the need to trade him before the Trade Deadline.

(16:30) The Padres broke the game open in the 5th inning by scoring seven runs. Victor Arano was the culprit on the mound, but Luis Garcia committed yet another error. When is C.J. Abrams getting called-up?

(25:10) The struggling offense went 2 for 17 w/ runners in scoring position. Why exactly is Nelson Cruz hitting cleanup still?

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Game 113: "Joey Four Bags" HRs Again in Defeat Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

The Nats coughed up a late lead in Chicago and lost 4-2 . Mark & Al again begin with the exploits of "Joey Four Bags" Menses as he homered in every game in this series and has four dingers in seven games. The 30 year old rookie has certainly taken advantage of his opportunity since the trade deadline.

(06:40) Josiah Gray had his first good outing in awhile as he did not allow a run until the 7th inning. His afternoon came to an end after giving up his MLB leading 29th HR of the season. His bullpen however did not hold onto the lead as the Cubs scored all their runs in the 7th.

(12:30) Wednesday was both sides of the Victor Robles spectrum. He had an incredible diving catch, but then later made a crucial mistake. He made a poor decision on a throw home in the game changing 7th inning, which was compounded by it landing nowhere near a teammate's glove.

(27:05) Jarlin Susana made his organizational debut in Florida and hit 102 MPH on the radar gun. This leads into a conversation about the new Baseball America rankings for Washington's system, which is led by C.J. Abrams.

(34:20) Less than two weeks after the trade; Juan Soto returns to D.C. on Friday night. Will they pitch to him?

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