Phil Wood

Updated: Fri, May 17, 2013

Major league owners held their quarterly meeting in New York last week and were briefed on the topic of expanded instant replay in the game, which may begin as early as next season. Ex-manager Joe Torre, now MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations, said owners were "updated" on...

Brian McNally

Updated: Fri, May 17, 2013

Nationals Report The Nationals aren't doing themselves any favors. In his last seven starts, ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg has allowed 21 runs. But because of shaky defense behind him, only 12 of those have been earned runs. So Washington is making Strasburg work extra hard to pitch into the...

Kevin Dunleavy

Published: Wed, May 15, 2013

Struggling ace starter to pitch in San Diego Pitching for the first time as a major leaguer in his hometown on Thursday night, Stephen Strasburg returns to San Diego not as much a conquering hero as a troubled star facing fresh questions about his ability handle the mental side of the game....

Kevin Dunleavy

Updated: Tue, May 14, 2013

Injury-free rotation gives Nats advantage Until Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Dodgers weren't sure who would start their series finale against the Nationals -- Zack Greinke or Matt Magill. Uncertainty has been a constant this season for the Dodgers, who used nine different starting...

Thom Loverro

Updated: Tue, May 14, 2013

The Washington Nationals began their road trip Monday night with the start of a three-game series against the Dodgers, who, under former Nationals president Stan Kasten, have become the Dodgers again -- at least off the field. Under former owner Frank McCourt, the franchise was a disaster,...

associated press

Published: Sun, May 12, 2013

Suzuki's error in ninth lets Cubs steal a win Welington Castillo got his bat on the ball at precisely the right time. Even though it was a complete accident and Castillo didn't get credit for a hit, his bat essentially won the game for the Chicago Cubs. Alfonso Soriano scored the...

Kevin Dunleavy

Published: Sat, May 11, 2013

As Stephen Strasburg has muddled through his longest stretch in the major leagues without a win, there has been a litany of diagnoses ranging from elbow stiffness, to a lack of command, to a change in throwing motion, to first-inning woes, and even to bad body language. But as Strasburg has...

Phil Wood

Updated: Fri, May 10, 2013

Just before Opening Day, I used this space to opine that the Nationals should think seriously about making converted pitcher Micah Owings their righty-hitting backup first baseman/outfielder/pinch hitter in 2013. Owings had signed a minor league contract last winter and turned in an impressive...

Brian McNally

Updated: Fri, May 10, 2013

Nationals Report Haren tries to turn it around It's been a roller-coaster ride already for Nationals starting pitcher Dan Haren. The team took a gamble when it let Edwin Jackson go in the offseason and turned a spot over to Haren, one of the game's steadiest pitchers for years but one...

Rick Snider

Updated: Thu, May 9, 2013

Rainouts are the worst. Greedy team officials are second. Sitting in Memorial Stadium as a young lad on the rare occasion dad took me to a Baltimore Orioles game, we'd wait for the official cancellation during rain hoping for a miracle. The ticket stubs were only good for the next day, and we...