Latest news with #Nationals
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Astros square off against the Nationals with series tied 1-1
Washington Nationals (44-63, fifth in the NL East) vs. Houston Astros (61-47, first in the AL West) Houston; Wednesday, 2:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: MacKenzie Gore (4-10, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 144 strikeouts); Astros: Ryan Gusto (6-4, 5.18 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 82 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -122, Nationals +102; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals meet on Wednesday with the three-game series tied 1-1. Houston has a 61-47 record overall and a 34-24 record in home games. The Astros have gone 41-19 in games when they record eight or more hits. Washington has a 23-32 record in road games and a 44-63 record overall. The Nationals are 30-8 in games when they out-hit their opponents. The teams square off Wednesday for the third time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Jose Altuve has 17 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs and 54 RBIs for the Astros. Brice Matthews is 5 for 31 with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games. James Wood leads the Nationals with 45 extra base hits (21 doubles and 24 home runs). Luis Garcia is 11 for 36 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 5-5, .249 batting average, 4.40 ERA, outscored by nine runs Nationals: 6-4, .236 batting average, 3.78 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs INJURIES: Astros: Brandon Walter: 15-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers: 15-Day IL (finger), Brendan Rodgers: 60-Day IL (oblique), Isaac Paredes: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Meyers: 10-Day IL (calf), Zach Dezenzo: 60-Day IL (hand), Yordan Alvarez: 60-Day IL (hand), Jeremy Pena: 10-Day IL (rib), Shawn Dubin: 15-Day IL (forearm), Pedro Leon: 60-Day IL (knee), Spencer Arrighetti: 60-Day IL (thumb), Ronel Blanco: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (elbow), J.P. France: 60-Day IL (shoulder) Nationals: Dylan Crews: 60-Day IL (back), Trevor Williams: 60-Day IL (elbow), Keibert Ruiz: 7-Day IL (concussion), Derek Law: 60-Day IL (forearm), DJ Herz: 60-Day IL (elbow), Josiah Gray: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Yainer Diaz homers as the Astros beat the Nationals to stop a 5-game slide
HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each had three hits, and the Houston Astros beat the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Tuesday night to stop a five-game slide. Christian Walker had two hits and two RBIs for the AL West-leading Astros. Bennett Sousa (5-0) got four outs for the win, and Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save. Luis García Jr. hit a two-run drive for last-place Washington, which had won three straight and five of seven overall. CJ Abrams had three hits. García connected for his ninth homer in the third inning, lifting the Nationals to a 2-1 lead. But Diaz responded with a solo shot in the fourth for his 14th homer. Walker singled and scored on Cooper Hummel's pinch-hit single in the fifth, and the Astros grabbed control with three more runs in the sixth. Altuve singled home Dubón for a 4-2 lead, and Walker followed with a two-run single against Andry Lara. Andrew Chafin (1-1) took the loss. Washington right-hander Michael Soroka allowed two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his final start before Thursday's trade deadline. Key moment Washington closed to 7-4 on Daylen Lile's RBI double in the eighth. The Nationals had runners on second and third with one out, but Riley Adams and Jacob Young struck out swinging against Bryan Abreu. Key stat The Nationals went 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Up next Left-hander MacKenzie Gore (4-10, 3.52 ERA) starts for Washington on Wednesday in the series finale. The Astros had not announced their starter. ___ AP MLB:
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Astros top Nationals to halt 5-game losing skid
July 30 - Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubon recorded three-hit games and Christian Walker delivered a timely two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Houston Astros rode a balanced offensive attack to a 7-4 interleague victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Tuesday. The Astros snapped a five-game losing skid by piling on against the Nationals' bullpen, namely right-hander Andry Lara. Houston snapped a 2-2 tie when pinch-hitter Cooper Hummel greeted Lara with a two-out RBI single and tallied three runs an inning later to create breathing room. The Astros had scored just one run in each of the previous three games. They surpassed that when Diaz blasted an opposite-field home run to right-center with one out in the fourth inning off Nationals starter Michael Soroka, who surrendered Washington's 2-1 lead in the process. Soroka departed after Diaz's 14th homer, having allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Hummel plated Walker when he drove the first pitch from Lara into center field. Walker singled with two outs against Nationals reliever Andrew Chafin then moved into scoring position when Cam Smith followed with a walk. The Astros sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth, with Jose Altuve producing a run-scoring single that scored Dubon before Walker singled to left and plated Shay Whitcomb and Taylor Trammell for a 6-2 lead. Trammell added a run-scoring groundout in the seventh that scored Diaz and closed the book on Lara, who allowed four runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. Astros right-hander Jason Alexander matched his career high with six strikeouts. He allowed two runs on five hits, including a two-run home run to Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. in the third, and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. The Nationals scratched across a run in the seventh off Astros reliever Bryan King and added another in the eighth off Bryan Abreu. Astros closer Josh Hader notched his 28th save by striking out the side in the ninth. Bennett Sousa (5-0) earned the win in relief for Houston. Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams finished 3-for-4 with a walk and three stolen bases. --Field Level Media
Washington Post
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Michael Soroka exits early — but stays healthy — as Nats fall to Astros
HOUSTON — In the grand scheme of things, what mattered more than the outcome of the Washington Nationals' game Tuesday night — a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park — was that Michael Soroka left it healthy. That's exactly what transpired. In the fourth inning, Soroka allowed a game-tying solo homer to Yainer Diaz. At that point, much to Soroka's surprise, interim manager Miguel Cairo came to take the ball from him. The 27-year-old right-hander had thrown just 74 pitches over 3⅓ innings — both season lows. But the reason for his short leash was obvious. Soroka and closer Kyle Finnegan, who are both on expiring contracts, are the players on the Nationals' roster who are most likely to be dealt ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Others could be moved, too, such as veteran hitters Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe or outfielders Alex Call and Jacob Young. Any reliever on a one-year deal could be moved for the right price, too. And then there's ace left-hander MacKenzie Gore. But Soroka and Finnegan would net notable returns, given their track records and contenders' needs for reliable arms this time of year. In the first inning, Soroka hit his MLB-leading 14th batter — Christian Walker — with two outs. Cam Smith hit a double down the right field line to give Houston an early lead. Luis García Jr. hit a changeup at his shins in the third inning for a two-run homer that put Washington (44-63) ahead. Then Diaz tied the score. After Soroka exited, the Astros (61-47) teed off on Andry Lara to snap a five-game skid. Cooper Hummel hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to give Houston a 3-2 lead. One inning later, Jose Altuve had one of his own before Walker added a two-run single to blow the game open. The Nationals signed Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal this offseason for a shot at redemption. Last year with the Chicago White Sox, he found success as a reliever by altering his pitch mix and delivery. The Nationals gave him a chance to start again and apply what he learned. Soroka's time in Washington started off rocky: He suffered right bicep cramps during his first start in Toronto. He missed more than a month before he returned to the rotation. His results as a starter have been mixed. He has a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts but also has allowed 1.13 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) — his best figure since his 2019 all-star season with Atlanta. His breaking ball has been effective all season, but his fastball velocity has dropped in recent outings. On the surface, Soroka doesn't have the numbers that teams would covet. But his expected stats (including a .217 expected opponent batting average and a 3.25 expected ERA) suggest that he would benefit from having a better defense behind him. If he's moved, Soroka is likely to be a back-of-the-rotation arm who could be a long reliever in the playoffs. If he's moved, Washington would benefit from turning a bounce-back candidate into a young, controllable player who could contribute down the line. The Nationals' young bats performed well in the later innings. James Wood, mired in a post-all-star-break slump, had an RBI single in the seventh but struck out three times. Daylen Lile added an RBI double in the eighth. And CJ Abrams went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases. Note: Dylan Crews played four innings in right field Tuesday for Class AAA Rochester, his first rehab appearance since he suffered an oblique strain May 20. Crews grounded out in his first at-bat and was hit by a pitch in his second trip to the plate but remained in the game and came around to score.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Nationals call for Senate inquiry into decision to resume US beef imports
The Nationals are pushing for an inquiry into the federal government's decision to resume US beef imports, claiming the government ignored its own scientific advice when it made the decision. Last week it was announced biosecurity controls on US beef would be lifted, including beef sourced from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the US. Nationals leader and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the Coalition wants the Senate inquiry to provide transparency around the decision. It wants to get cross-party support from the Greens to launch an inquiry by the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. Mr Littleproud said the government's decision to allow all US beef imports for the first time since 2019 was about "getting Anthony Albanese a meeting with President Trump without looking at the proper scientific reasons nor process". He said an inquiry was necessary after it was revealed an Inspector-General of Biosecurity review released in March called for independent scientific advice on import risk assessments. The Inspector-General of Biosecurity is an independent, statutory officer appointed by the government, a role held by former agriculture veterinarian Lloyd Klumpp. Dr Klumpp's March review found the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) "should review the role of the scientific advisory group focusing on … expanding the group's role to provide technical oversight for non-regulated import risk analyses". He also found import risk analyses were "more developed and consistent in plant biosecurity compared to animal biosecurity". His review noted that if the scientific advisory group provided more high-level technical oversight it would address concerns raised by stakeholders involved with imports and achieve trade outcomes that aligned with the Biosecurity Act, thus safeguarding Australia's biosecurity status. Mr Littleproud accused the government of ignoring its own independent biosecurity advice, despite DAFF accepting that recommendation. He said, in a briefing, the government was unable to offer any information about its import protocols or how the department would mitigate biosecurity risk. "On the day they announced they're going to allow this beef to come in, they had not done the work to provide the [biosecurity] protocol on the way in which that beef could be bought in this country," Mr Littleproud said. "They could not tell me the traceability model that they would have for these cattle that originated in Mexico," he said. "That says to me the department is catching up on the [government's] deal." Labor's Agriculture Minister Julie Collins was contacted for comment. Over the weekend Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused the Nationals of politicising biosecurity. "The agency that looked at this, the department, independently of government, this wasn't a political decision," Mr Albanese said. "They looked at it [and] said they've satisfied the requirements." The Greens were contacted for comment. A spokesperson said they're yet to see the proposed inquiry details.
