Danny Espinosa Injury: Nationals Second Baseman To Miss Dodgers Series With Hurt Shoulder

Danny Espinosa will get an MRI on a balky left shoulder Monday and will miss at least the next three games for the Washington Nationals, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Espinosa has been slumping lately. He went hitless (0-for-11 with 9 strikeouts) in the just-concluded series against the Atlanta Braves and has only one hit in his last 21 at-bats dating back to Sept. 8. That skid has seen his average fall to .250, and perhaps the shoulder is to blame. The second baseman will miss the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and possibly more. Its unclear what the exact issue is or whether it will be fixed in time for the 25-year-old in his third year with the Nats to return in time for the playoffs.

Espinosa will most likely be replaced by Steve Lombardozzi in the everyday lineup until his return. Lombardozzi is hitting .279 with a pair of home runs and an on-base percentage of .324 on the season.

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Nationals Vs. Braves: Final Score, Nats Swept After 5-1 Loss

The Washington Nationals couldn't knock down their magic number as they fell for the third straight game to the Atlanta Braves, who cut the Nats' lead in the NL East to a now-plausible 5.5 games with 16 remaining.

The problem once again was the Nationals' hitting: Washington only managed six runs off of the Braves in the three-game set and were held to one run on six hits on a rainy night in Atlanta. Mike Minor only allowed one run while earning his ninth win, and the Braves' bullpen gave up only one hit in three innings of work to shut the door.

Gio Gonzalez didn't pitch poorly in his attempt at winning a 20th game, giving up two runs in the bottom of the third in a five-inning outing, but it wouldn't be good enough with Washington's bats absent. The Nationals actually had more hits than the Braves, but Atlanta scored regardless with productive outs. A Freddie Freeman sac fly scored a run in the third, and the Braves scored three runs in the seventh on a Ryan Zimmerman error and a questionable decision by Adam LaRoche to try and turn a 3-3-2 double play rather than making the sure play at the plate on a grounder by Jason Hayward, as Michael Bourn beat the tag at home. That was followed by an intentional walk and a hit-by-pitch, and Dan Uggla drove home a pair of runs to put the game out of reach.

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Nationals Vs. Braves Score Update: Washington Trails 5-1

Gio Gonzalez won't earn his 20th win of the season and he could even be headed for a loss as the Washington Nationals scrap late for runs against the Atlanta Braves.

Gonzalez' pitch count got high early and he left after allowing two runs on four hits over the course of 5.0 innings. He wouldn't get any run support as the Nationals wouldn't put across a run until Ian Desmond drove home Bryce Harper in the top of the sixth.

Things got bad for the Nationals in the bottom of the seventh when Atlanta tacked on a trio of runs after a one-out error by Ryan Zimmerman. Jason Heyward later hit a grounder to Adam LaRoche, who opted to step on the bag to record an out and try for an inning-ending double play rather than heading straight home, where his throw would've had Michael Bourn beat. Instead, Bourn beat the tag with a slide, the inning continued, and a bases-loaded single by Dan Uggla plated another two runs, giving Atlanta three unearned scores and forcing the Nats to earn the win against the Washington bullpen.

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Nationals Vs. Braves: Starting Lineups For Sunday's Primetime Contest

The Washington Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves on Sunday evening in primetime, looking to avoid a weekend series sweep. The Nationals send Gio Gonzalez to the mound in Atlanta, with the Cy Young hopeful looking to bolster his resume by winning his 20th game of the season.

The Washington starting lineup, via @Nationals:

#Nats 9/16 Lineup: Werth RF, Harper CF, Zim 3B, LaRoche 1B, Desmond SS, Espinosa 2B, Moore LF, Suzuki C, Gonzalez LHP

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 16, 2012

Atlanta's lineup, via @Braves:

Tonight's lineup vs. WSH (8:05, ESPN/680AM/BRN): Bourn 8 Johnson 7 Heyward 9 Jones 5 Freeman 3 Uggla 4 Ross 2 Simmons 6 Minor 1

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 16, 2012

First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET for Turner Field. The game will be televised on ESPN.

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visit Baseball Nation.

Nationals Vs. Braves: Gio Gonzalez Tries For 20th Win, Washington Looks To Avoid Sweep

The Washington Nationals will send Gio Gonzalez to the mound in search of his 20th victory on the season, while trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at 8:05 p.m ET. The Braves will counter with Mike Minor.

Gonzalez comes into the game with a 19-7 record and a 2.93 ERA. The left-hander beat the Mets in his last start, going six innings while allowing one run on three hits. Gonzalez last faced the Braves July 1, getting the victory despite tossing just five innings and giving up four runs.

Minor is 8-10 with a 4.42 ERA for the Braves on the year. He threw 5⅔ scoreless innings in his last outing, striking out eight. He was forced to leave after throwing 115 pitches. Minor faced Washington on June 30 and, like Gonzalez, beat the division rival while giving up four runs in five innings.

After losing the first two games of this three-game set, the Nationals are 6½ games ahead of the Braves in the NL East with 16 to play.

For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog Federal Baseball and SB Nation DC for all the latest news and updates.

Nationals Vs. Braves Game Recap: Washington Falls Again, 5-4

The Washington Nationals dropped their second straight game at Turner Field on Saturday afternoon, losing 5-4 against the Atlanta Braves.

The Nationals had a 4-1 lead after two innings, but couldn't bring in anymore runs from that point forward. Conversely, Atlanta scored one in the fourth, two in the sixth and once in the eighth to complete the comeback.

The game-winning run came when Andrelton Simmons was hit by a Ryan Mattheus pitch.

Edwin Jackson couldn't get into much of a groove, throwing just five and one-thirds innings and surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits in the process.

Washington's offense felt silent in the middle and late portions of the game after getting to Tommy Hanson initially. Hanson only lasted five innings, being scored upon four times (two earned runs) on four hits while striking out seven.

Atlanta won on the back of the long ball. Freddie Freeman connected on a solo shot in the fourth followed by Jason Heyward hitting a two-run bomb in the sixth to pull the Braves even.

The lone home run for the Nats came off the bat of Adam LaRoche, who belted a two-run blast in the first, his 30th of the year.

For more on the Nationals, please be sure to check out our blog Federal Baseball and SB Nation DC for all the latest news and updates.

Nationals Vs. Braves: Washington Leads Atlanta, 4-2, After Five Innings

The Washington Nationals lead the Atlanta Braves 4-2 after five innings on Saturday afternoon at Turner Field. Washington's four runs come courtesy of an Adam LaRoche two-run home run in the first inning, his 30th of the season, and a two-run throwing error by Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson in the second inning.

Edwin Jackson is on the hill for the Nationals, and has allowed three hits and one walk while striking out six Braves batters. Hanson has surrendered four hits and two earned runs, while striking out seven.

Jayson Werth has chipped in a hit and a stolen base from the leadoff spot for Davey Johnson's club, and shortstop Ian Desmond has clubbed his 30th double of the year in the game.

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visit Baseball Nation.

Nationals Vs. Braves Starting Lineups: Michael Morse Out Again

The Washington Nationals will try to even their series in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon and push their lead in the NL East back to 8.5 games. The lineups are out and as expected, Michael Morse will miss his third straight game as he continues to deal with a torn cuff and bone bruise in his wrist. Steve Lombardozzi will play in left.

Nationals lineup, via @Nationals:

1. Jayson Werth (R) RF
2. Bryce Harper (L) CF
3. Ryan Zimmerman (R) 3B
4. Adam LaRoche (L) 1B
5. Ian Desmond (R) SS
6. Danny Espinosa (S) 2B
7. Jesus Flores (R) C
8. Steve Lombardozzi (S) LF
9. Edwin Jackson (R) P

Braves lineup, via Mark Bowman:

1. Michael Bourn (L) CF
2. Martin Prado (R) LF
3. Jason Heyward (L) RF
4. Brian McCann (L) C
5. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
6. Dan Uggla (R) 2B
7. Juan Francisco (L) 3B
8. Andrelton Simmons (R) SS
9. Tommy Hanson (R) P

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visit Baseball Nation.

Nationals Vs. Braves Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule, Probable Pitchers And More

The Washington Nationals will send Edwin Jackson to the mound on Saturday night as they try to even up their series against the Atlanta Braves. The Nats dropped a pitcher's duel on Friday night, as Atlanta walked off in the bottom of the ninth to take the series opener, 2-1. Ross Detwiler was fantastic, but the offense could manage just one run off Kris Medlen, who has been one of the best pitchers in the game recently.

Jackson will now try to push the lead back to 8.5 games in the NL East. The veteran righty has pitched well against the Braves this season, posting a 1.29 ERA in two starts. He'll be opposed by Tommy Hanson, who has been rocked by the Nats in two starts this season. Hanson has an ERA over eight this season against Washington, and he has not pitched well since the start of August.

TV: FOX

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visit Baseball Nation.

Nationals Vs. Braves Recap: Braves Take Game 1 With Walk-Off Rally

The Washington Nationals dropped their series opener in Atlanta on Friday night as the Braves walked off to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the ninth. It was a well-played game from start to finish that featured a pitcher's duel between the two divisional rivals. The 2-1 loss cut the Nats lead in the NL East to 7.5 games.

Atlanta starter Kris Medlen, who has been lights out throughout the second half of the season, mowed down the Nationals lineup. He had nine strikeouts through the first four innings, and finished with a career-high 13 Ks. Medlen was nearly unhittable, but Nationals rookie Bryce Harper had his number. Harper went the other way with a first pitch curveball and deposited it into the left-field bleachers. The Harper homer knotted things up at 1-1, where it would remain until ninth.

Ross Detwiler was fantastic for Washington, matching Medlen on the mound. Detwiler gave up just one earned run in six innings, striking out five and issuing just one walk. The one blemish came when Freddie Freeman battled Detwiler to lead off the bottom half of the fourth. Freeman eventually ripped a double to deep left and was brought home on an Andrelton Simmons sac fly that broke the scoreless tie.

With Sean Burnett in the game, the Braves would walk off with a bottom of the ninth rally. Simmons started the threat by getting on base via an infield single. Michael Bourn moved him to third with a single, and he came across for the winning run on a wild throw home by Ian Desmond. Tyler Pastornicky sent a dribbler to Desmond and the Nats' shortstop charged hard, but the throw went right into the ground and was well left of catcher Kurt Suzuki.

The Nationals will now try to even the series up on Saturday. Edwin Jackson will take the hill for Game 2, while the Braves will go with Tommy Hanson.

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visitBaseball Nation.

Nationals Vs. Braves Lineup: Michael Morse Misses Second Straight Game

Washington Nationals outfielder Michael Morse will be forced to miss a second consecutive game due to a bone bruise in left wrist caused by a torn sheath. On the bright-side, X-Rays came back negative and the injury will not require surgery.

However, that means Morse will not be available for Friday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. It is the first game of a three-game weekend set in Atlanta between the division rivals. Washington is entering the set off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets.

Here is the Nationals projected starting lineup:

Davey's Lineup-Fri @ ATL/G144: Werth rf, Harper cf, Zimmerman 3b, LaRoche 1b, Desmond ss, Espinosa 2b, Bernadina lf, Suzuki c, Detwiler lhp.

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) September 14, 2012

Here is the Braves projected starting lineup:

#Braves vs. #Nats LHP Detwiler: Johnson 8, Prado 7, Heyward 9, Jones 5, Freeman 3, Uggla 4, Ross 2, Simmons 6, Medlen 1.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 14, 2012

For more on the Nationals during their playoff push, check out Federal Baseball. For the opponent's perspective, visit Talking Chop. And for daily updates on the playoff race, visit Baseball Nation.

MLB Standings: Top Teams In NL East Face Off Without Playoff Implications

The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves are slotted No. 1 and No. 2 in the NL East, but neither team really has much to worry about in the three-game set besides getting healthily to the postseason.

The Nats are up 8.5 games on Atlanta with a magic number of 11 and 19 games left in the season. That lead is insurmountable by just about any standards, so the series outcome is of no real concern to them. Meanwhile, Atlanta is sitting in the first Wild Card slot in the NL race, and would need to lose seven games on the Los Angeles Dodgers in order to fall out of both playoff slots, so the Braves are just as safe as the Nationals. These teams might meet again in October, but for now there's not much at stake.

Here's a full look at the NL East standings:

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Nationals Vs. Braves: Washington's Road Trip Moves To Atlanta

The Nationals open a weekend series against the Braves, looking to lock up the NL East.