Stephen Strasburg Shutdown: Pitcher Has Two More Starts

Stephen Strasburg pitched six scoreless innings on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, allowing just two hits while striking out nine Cardinals batters in a 4-3 Washington win over visiting St. Louis. After the game, manager Davey Johnson shed some light on the most popular topic in town, the impending shutdown of Strasburg. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

Davey: two more starts for Strasburg.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) September 2, 2012

Strasburg's last start, barring any rainouts, will be September 12 against the New York Mets. After Sunday's win, Strasburg is 15-6 with a 2.94 ERA in 156.1 innings. His next scheduled start will occur September 7 against the Florida Marlins.

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Cardinals Vs. Nationals Final: Stephen Strasburg Strikes Out Nine In 4-3 Washington Victory

In what is likely one of his final starts of the season, Stephen Strasburg helped pitch the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Washington took three of four games in the series.

Strasburg allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings of work, striking out nine batters. It was a strong rebound from the youngster's last outing on Tuesday, when he allowed seven runs to the flailing Miami Marlins.

Despite scoring just four runs, the Washington bats were again on-fire, with the team amassing 13 hits. Five Washington players had two hits or more in the game. One of those players, catcher Kurt Suzuki, hit his second home run as a member of the Nationals in the fourth inning.

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Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Jayson Werth Scratched Late From Lineup

Jayson Werth left Saturday night's game with hamstring cramping, but it seemed that all was fine when he was listed in the starting lineup for Sunday's rubber match with the St. Louis Cardinals. Things changed just before first pitch, however, with Werth being scratched from the lineup and Roger Bernadina taking over in the leadoff spot. The change also pushed Bryce Harper to right field with Bernadina going to center.

Last minute change to #Nats lineup - Jayson Werth scratched. Had hamstring cramp last night. Roger Bernadina now in CF, leading off

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) September 2, 2012

Late lineup change: Harper in RF, Bernadina in CF

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 2, 2012

Bernadina grounded out to second in his first at-bat of the game.

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Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Starting Lineups: Jayson Werth In Leadoff Spot For Washington

Despite leaving Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with hamstring cramping, Jayson Werth is in the Washington Nationals starting lineup on Sunday, hitting leadoff for Davey Johnson's club. Via @NationalsPR:

#Nationals lineup vs. STL - Werth 9, Harper 8, Zimmerman 5, Morse 7, Tracy 3, Desmond 6, Espinosa 4, Suzuki 2, Strasburg 1

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) September 2, 2012

St. Louis' lineup, via Tom Schad of the Washington Times:

Cardinals lineup vs #Nats: Jay (8), Beltran (9), Holliday (7), Craig (3), Freese (5), Anderson (2), Kozma (6), Descalso (4), Westbrook (1)

— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) September 2, 2012

First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET from Nationals Park.

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Cardinals Vs. Nationals Game Preview: Stephen Strasburg Takes Mound In Rubber Match

The NL East leading Washington Nationals look to recover from last night's 10-9 loss at St. Louis on Sunday, as Stephen Strasburg (15-6, 3.05 ERA) will face Jake Westbrook (13-10, 3.94 ERA) in the series' rubber match beginning at 1:35 p.m. ET at Nationals Park.

On Saturday, the Cardinals and Nats traded blows throughout the duration of the game, as the lead changed four times over nine innings. Tied at 9-9 headed into the ninth, the Cardinals scored on a David Freese single to go ahead by one. The Nationals would not answer in the bottom of the inning, dropping the contest.

Bryce Harper, Adam LaRoche, and Danny Espinosa had big games offensively for the Nats, combining to go 5-of-13 with five runs, four runs batted in, and two homers.

Closer Drew Storen (1-1, 3.86 ERA) earned the loss for Washington. St. Louis' Mitchell Boggs (3-1, 1.90 ERA) was credited for the Cardinals win.

Today will mark one of Stephen Strasburg's few remaining starts, as the Washington star is nearing his club-imposed innings limit, part of his recovery from last season's Tommy John surgery. He has been highly effective for Washington this season, as his 186 strikeouts lead the Nats rotation and is good for third in the National League.

Per Davey Johnson, after Stephen's last start for Washington, the ace has "a few more [games] to go" before his shutdown.

St. Louis' Westbrook has been a solid pitcher for the Cardinals for much of the season, but has disappointed over his last two starts, where he allowed a combined 12 earned runs on 18 hits.

The game will be televised in the Beltway on MASN 2 HD and WDCW DC-50, and on FS-M in the St. Louis area.

Nationals Vs. Cardinals Final Score: Washington Loses Back-And-Forth Affair With St. Louis, 10-9

The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals traded blows all Saturday afternoon before St. Louis emerged victorious by a score of 10-9 at Nationals Park. The starters for both teams, Kyle Lohse and Jordan Zimmermann, were knocked out early as the two clubs combined for 24 hits on the day.

Washington's Zimmermann lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits and a walk. Lohse fared only slightly better, giving up eight runs, five earned, in 5.2 innings of work.

David Freese led the St. Louis attack, going three for five with a home run and three runs batted in. Matt Holliday homered as well for the Cardinals and drove in two runs.

Washington was led at the plate by Adam LaRoche, who hit his 24th home run of the season and drove in three runs, with Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper each adding two hits apiece.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Nationals Vs. Cardinals Score Update: Jordan Zimmermann Rocked Early, Washington Trails 8-6 In 5th Inning

Washington Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann had a rough outing on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park, giving up eight earned runs in just 3.2 innings of work against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

David Freese and Matt Holliday have homered for St. Louis, with Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay chipping in two hits apiece for the Cardinals.

The Nationals bats have tried to answer the St. Louis offensive explosion off Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse. First baseman Adam LaRoche hit his 24th home run of the season in the second inning, and Bryce Harper has added two hits in his three at-bats. Craig Stammen has relieved Zimmermann and held the St. Louis bats at bay.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Washington Nationals September Call-Ups Include John Lannan, Sandy Leon

The Washington Nationals take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on Saturday afternoon, with a few new faces in the clubhouse courtesy of September call-ups. Via @NationalsPR:

Nationals recall LHP John Lannan, C Sandy Leon & OF Eury Perez from Syracuse...reinstate INF Mark DeRosa from DL.#Nationals

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) September 1, 2012

Lannan will play the biggest role moving forward, and he is expected to step into the Washington rotation when Stephen Strasburg is shut down. The Nationals also reinstated catcher Jhonatan Solano from the disabled list, but optioned the youngster to Harrisburg.

First pitch for today's game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on FOX.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Nationals Vs. Cardinals Game Preview: Jordan Zimmermann Takes On Kyle Lohse

The Washington Nationals look to take the third of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, as the Nats play host to the defending World Series champions.

Washington has won with ease in the first two games of the series, with Gio Gonzalez throwing a complete game shutout in Washington's 10-0 win on Thursday.

Now on Saturday, Jordan Zimmermann will look to extend Washington's winning streak to four games, and extend their lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves to seven and a half games.

Zimmermann is looking for his 10th win of the season. Zimmermann has pitched much better than his 9-8 record indicates, as he's the owner of a 2.63 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Further, Zimmermann has held opponents to a .248 average against, and has walked just 32 while striking out 119 in 161 innings on the season.

Washington will face off against Kyle Lohse, who is 14-2 for St. Louis. Lohse also owns a stellar 2.64 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and has held opponents to just a .238 average.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. at Nationals Park. Televised coverage can be found on FOX.

For the latest on all things Nationals, head over to Federal Baseball and join the discussion.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Nationals Crush Cardinals, 10-0

The Washington Nationals won their third game in a row Friday night, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-0 behind a complete game effort from Gio Gonzalez.

The left-hander (17-7) pitched his second complete game of the season, scattering five hits while walking three and striking out eight. With the win, Washington matched their win total from 2011, when they finished 80-81. (One game was rained out and never made up.)

The bulk of Washington's offensive damage was done in a four-run third inning that made the score 6-0 and chased St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (13-11). The Nats added two in the fifth inning when Kurt Suzuki and Jayson Werth scored on a single by Bryce Harper, and Ryan Zimmerman provided the final margin in the bottom of the eighth inning with an opposite-field, two-run home run into the Washington bullpen.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation blog Federal Baseball and stay tuned to SB Nation DC.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals Score Update: Washington Offense Hammers Adam Wainwright For Early 6-0 Lead

Adam Wainwright did not last three innings on Friday night as the Washington Nationals jumped all over the Cardinals' veteran for six early runs. Adam LaRoche opened the scoring during the Nationals first time through the order, singling home Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper for the 2-0 lead. But the offense would really bust out in the third, batting around for a four-run rally that chased Wainwright and was just a few feet shy of being an eight-run rally.

The four-run rally came without a quick strike, as the Nationals strung together five hits and walk to push the lead to 6-0. Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Kurt Suzuki and Werth each drove in a run on singles as the Nats went station-to-station. Wainwright managed to get only eight outs in the appearance, and threw more than 40 pitches in the third.

Trevor Rosenthal came on in relief and nearly charged Wainwright with three more runs. Ryan Zimmerman, who was batting for the second time in the inning, stepped into the box with the bases loaded and swung at the first pitch from Rosenthal. It looked like a grand slam off the bat but the ball did not carry, falling into the glove of left fielder Matt Holliday with his back against the wall.

Gio Gonzalez now enters the middle innings with a comfortable six-run cushion. After their roughest stretch of the season, Davey Johnson's club is looking to regain some momentum as the calendar turns to September. They're now in a good position to take the first two games of the their four-game set against the Cards.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation blog Federal Baseball and stay tuned to SB Nation DC.

Henry Rodriguez Injury: Nationals Reliever Undergoes Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

Nationals pitcher Henry Rodriguez had season-ending surgery to remove a bone chip and spur from his elbow on Friday.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals Lineup: One Lineup Change For Davey Johnson Friday

The Washington Nationals will play the second game of a four-game holiday weekend set on Friday night when the team hosts the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park.

Coming off an 8-1 beatdown of the reigning World Series champions on Thursday night, the Nationals will look to continue to build positive momentum prior to entering the final month of the regular season. Manager Davey Johnson has decided to make one line-up switch by starting Kurt Suzuki at catcher in place of Jesus Flores.

Here is the projected starting lineup for the Nationals:

#Nats vs #STLCards RHP Wainwright: Werth 9, Harper 8, Zimmerman 5, LaRoche 3, Morse 7, Desmond 6, Espinosa 4, Suzuki 2, Gonzalez 1.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) August 31, 2012

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Gio Gonzalez, Adam Wainwright Square Off In Marquee Pitching Matchup

The Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals, with pitching prowess on the hill for both sides, in the second game of an important four-game set between teams with playoff aspirations on Friday.

Adam Wainwright, who is 13-10 with a 3.63 ERA, will face Gio Gonzalez, who is sporting a 16-7 record and 3.28 ERA in a meeting of high-end starters. Gonzalez will try to follow Edwin Jackson's pristine eight innings of one-run, 10 strikeout pitching in last night's 8-1 Nationals victory.

The Cardinals' offense was stymied all night by Jackson on Thursday, scoring their lone run on a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman in the eighth.

Washington, on the other hand, was sparked by their top of the order duo of Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper, who combined for two home runs, four hits and five RBIs on Thursday.

The Nationals are 5.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, while St. Louis is battling for a N.L. Wild Card berth, currently sitting in the second spot with the Pittsburgh Pirates trailing by only a half game.

First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals Final Score: Washington Scores Early And Often, Belts St. Louis, 8-1

The Washington Nationals got a strong outing from starting pitcher Edwin Jackson and steady production from the top of the order as they cruised past the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-1, on Thursday night.

Following a Jayson Werth leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning, Bryce Harper belted a 2-run homer to right field to give Washington the early lead. Werth would score on a sacrifice fly hit by Adam LaRoche in the third and added to the Nats lead himself in the fifth, when he drilled a solo shot to center, his fourth home run of the season.

In the sixth, after Werth drove in a run on a fielder's choice, Harper again cleared the base paths, dumping a 2-run single to center field to push the lead to 6-0.

Harper and Werth combined for four hits, four runs, two homers and five RBIs in total for the night.

Jackson threw eight innings, and allowed just four hits and one earned run while striking out 10 on 123 pitches.

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Washington Using Normal Lineup Thursday Night

The Washington Nationals open up a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in Washington, D.C. The Nats broke a five-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 8-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Edwin Jackson (7-9, 3.72 ERA) will take to the mound for Washington against the Cards' Jaime Garcia (3-5, 4.15 ERA).

The Nationals enter the series five games up on the Atlanta Braves in the race for the NL East title. They've been fortune that, as they've lost four of their last 10, the Braves have done the same.

Nationals

Jayson Werth R
Bryce Harper CF
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Mike Morse LF
Adam LaRoche 1B
Ian Desmond SS
Danny Espinosa 2B
Jesus Flores C
Edwin Jackson RHP

Cardinals

Jon Jay CF
Carlos Beltran RF
Matt Holliday LF
Allen Craig 1B
Yadier Molina C
David Freese 3B
Skip Schumaker 2B
Rafael Furcal SS
Jaime Garcia P

For more information on the Washington Nationals check out the SB Nation Blog Federal Baseball. For the perspective from the other dugout, check out Viva El Birdos. For more news, notes and information from around Major League Baseball, check out SB Nation's official MLB Hub Page.

Cardinals Vs. Nationals: Playoff Contenders Meet For Weekend Series

The Washington Nationals open a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Former Cardinal Edwin Jackson will start for the Nationals while Jaime Garcia will start for the Cardinals.