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Tag: bryce harper

  • Bryce Harper Reveals Awesome Home Run Derby Cleats

    Bryce Harper Reveals Awesome Home Run Derby Cleats

  • Trea Turner’s Grand Slam Leads Epic Rally by Nationals after Trailing 9-0

    Trea Turner’s Grand Slam Leads Epic Rally by Nationals after Trailing 9-0

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    Trea Turner’s historic eight-RBI night helped sparked an epic comeback win for the Washington Nationals as they rallied from down nine runs to top the Miami Marlins 14-12.

    A night after veterans called a players-only meeting with the season slipping away, the Nationals found themselves on the brink of disaster. Starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was fighting an illness, and it showed as the Marlins jumped on him for eight runs through four innings, and eventually burying the Nationals into a 9-0 hole.

    All seemed like a team that had quit, and was down and out. Then the team that has won four National League East division titles in six years woke up and fought back after being staggered through four innings.

    1. Trea Turner’s Epic Night

    Enter Turner, one of the many young phenoms that provide spice to a veteran roster. Batting leadoff in the fourth, Turner cranked out a solo shot to get the Nats on the board. He was not done and neither were his teammates.

    The Nationals loaded the bases in the fifth and by the time Turner chopped in Daniel Murphy on a fielder’s choice, the Nats cut the deficit to 9-3. Washington hung four in the fifth to cut the deficit to 9-5. Then in the sixth with bases loaded and trailing 9-6, Turner tattooed a pitch from Adam Conley over the left-field wall for his first-career grand slam and more importantly capped an epic comeback from down nine to take the lead 10-9.

    Yet, Turner and friends were not done. With bases loaded in the seventh, Turner ripped a two-run single to left that extended the Nats lead to 13-9, at the time. In all the Nationals dropped 14 unanswered runs on the Marlins to take a 14-9 lead. Turner finished the game with eight RBIs, tying him for the most runs batted in by a leadoff hitter in MLB history.

    Turner’s output carried the Nationals in more ways than one.

    Before tonight, no MLB team had overcome a deficit of nine of more runs this season in 103 occurrences.

    2. Matt Adams Returns with a Bang

    While Turner was smacking in runs, Matt Adams’ return played in the shadow. He came back like he never left, getting hits in each of his first four at-bats. Considering he got nothing from the two guys in front of him in the lineup — Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper — it was amazing that he was able to going. While, he didn’t drive in runs, he got on base with three singles and a double. And the Nationals took advantage, as he scored three runs, including crossing the plate on Turner’s grand slam.

    Adams was sorely missed from the lineup for the two weeks he was on the disabled list with a broken finger. He adds a pop to the lineup as displayed on Thursday night. Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez says Adams will platoon along with Mark Reynolds at first base in absence of Ryan Zimmerman, maybe Martinez may need to reconsider after this comeback performance from Adams?

    3. Nationals Score 14 Runs without Getting a Hit from Neither Harper, Rendon, nor Murphy

    What’s astonishing is the Nationals hung 14 runs in an epic comeback and did not get a hit from Harper, Rendon and Daniel Murphy. Harper and Murphy, each, did score a run and Murphy drove in one on a sacrifice fly, yet it’s still telling how deep the team can be when they score 14 runs and neither one of them records a hit.

    Turner and 19-year sensation Juan Soto batted at the top of the order and the two produced, driving in 11 of the 14 runs together. It was a good thing they were so reliable, as Rendon and Harper batted next and provided little going 0-for-8 at the plate with two walks and two strikeouts.

    Murphy hit the ball well, displaying a promising glimpse, but Harper has struggled with his batting average dipping to .213. If, the Nationals are going to turn this thing around they will eventually need Harper — Murphy and Rendon for that matter — to wake up at the plate.

    4. What to think of this comeback win?

    Are the Nationals ready to power through their struggles of June that have drifted into early July and get back to being the team everyone thought was going to steamroll through the NL East? Hard to say after one game, but there resolve to comeback from down 9-0 showed a lot about the team.

    And to have two of their young studs, Turner and Soto, leading the charge with newcomer Adams, shows the hunger throughout the clubhouse. And maybe that new energy is what’s needed. For so long the Nats have been the presumable kings of the NL East. This season is not going to be a cakewalk like others and a grand comeback is going to be needed if they are to play postseason games in October.

    While it was just the Marlins, the Nationals’ clubhouse certainly lean on this one as inspiration of how good they can be at a flip of a switch.

  • Should the Nationals Consider Trading Bryce Harper?

    Should the Nationals Consider Trading Bryce Harper?

  • Nationals Hold Players-Only Meeting after Loss Drops Them Below .500

    Nationals Hold Players-Only Meeting after Loss Drops Them Below .500


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    The Washington Nationals are reeling. As said before, the Nationals aren’t at rock bottom but they are close. Wednesday’s shutout-loss to the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep and handed the Nats their 17 loss in their last 22 games. The odds-on favorite to win the National League East before the season, Washington is now seven games behind first-place Atlanta with a record of 42-43.

    Following their loss on Wednesday, the Nationals held an “emotional” players-only meeting that was led by two-time defending NL Cy Young Max Scherzer. Mark Zuckerman of MASN and Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post passed along details of the meeting.

    Shortstop Trea Turner said the overall theme from the meeting is that it’s “do or die now” for the team, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.

    Outfielder Bryce Harper called the team’s unique situation, chasing to get back into playoff contention “exciting” and he is ready to make a push to see if they can cover ground

    Meanwhile reliever Mark Grace said the team needs to play looser and “for each other,” per Castillo.

    The Nationals have won four NL East titles since 2012. Jon Morosi passed along that in their four division title seasons, they never trailed by more than four games.

    The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies have been two of the biggest surprises of the 2018 season in MLB. Both teams were not supposed to compete this year, yet both have powered through better records than the Nationals. Injuries and inconsistent play have stomped Washington.

    In Wednesday’s loss starter Erick Fedde exited the game after just one inning, receiving an MRI for tightness in his shoulder. His injury scare just adds to list of injuries that included games loss for Daniel Murphy, Stephen Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Jeremy Hellickson, Brian Goodwin, Matt Wieters, and Adam Eaton.

    In an up year for NL East, the Nationals are 13-16 against their division rivals. In their four division-winning seasons they finished at least 12 games better vs. NL East foes.

    But, there may be some relief in the following weeks for the Nationals as they try to reset the narrative of their season. In Washington’s next 27 games, they’ll have 21 against teams also sub-.500, as Jamal Collier of MLB.com passed along.

    History has shown us that players-only meetings can go either way. Only time will tell if the Nationals can turn the Scherzer-led meeting into a positive that ends with them getting back into the playoffs. They will have to do so with added urgency and the heighten attention and story lines that include the future of Harper with the club.

    Washington’s first test following the meeting is Thursday as they start a four-game series hosting the Miami Marlins.

  • Bryce Harper Requested to Take Reps at First Base on Monday

    Bryce Harper Requested to Take Reps at First Base on Monday

  • WATCH: Bryce Harper Crushes NL-Leading 20th Home Run

    WATCH: Bryce Harper Crushes NL-Leading 20th Home Run

  • Bryce Harper Will Participate in HR Derby If He Makes All-Star Team

    Bryce Harper Will Participate in HR Derby If He Makes All-Star Team

  • Bryce Harper Reveals New Clean-Shaven Look in Monday’s Opener

    Bryce Harper Reveals New Clean-Shaven Look in Monday’s Opener

  • Bryce Harper Shaves His Beard Before Monday’s Games Against Yankees

    Bryce Harper Shaves His Beard Before Monday’s Games Against Yankees

  • Bryce Harper Pulls Himself Out of Game After Second HBP of Day

    Bryce Harper Pulls Himself Out of Game After Second HBP of Day