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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-coach-collapses-before-phillies-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals coach collapses on field prior to Phillies game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Nationals-hats-and-gear.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals coach collapses on field prior to Phillies game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-30T16:59:37-07:00">April 30th, 4:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-30T16:59:37-07:00">April 30th, 4:59pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/nationals-vs-phillies-prediction-odds-pick-4-30-2025">Washington Nationals are taking on the Philadelphia Phillies</a>, but the club is playing with heavy hearts on Wednesday. One coach in Washington was spotted collapsing during batting practice and had to be rushed to the hospital.</p><p>Hours before the game, the unnamed coach <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1917711776906350832" rel="noopener">fell to the ground</a> and had to be carted off the field, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. The Nationals canceled batting practice immediately, and players left the field for the clubhouse. There have been no updates since the incident, as the Nationals and Phillies started the game without delay.</p><p>“A member of the Nats coaching support staff collapsed during BP today and had to be carted off to receive medical treatment, prompting the team to cancel the remainder of BP and head back to the clubhouse to await word on his condition. Team does not have more details yet.”</p><p>More information regarding the scary incident should come to light at some point. The Nationals have also yet to announce which coach, or even provide a statement regarding the incident. The organization may also be waiting for more information before revealing anything to the public.</p><p>Nationals fans jumped on social media, praying and hoping for the best for the unnamed coach. Many are concerned with the incident while others yearn for an update, hoping for some good news.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/xTh3Kn1ghtx/status/1917712134567518218" rel="noopener">One fan stated</a>, “Sending my thoughts and prayers.”</p><p>“Holy moly, I hope whoever that was is okay,” <a href="https://x.com/ProdigyJay_/status/1917697597046731116" rel="noopener">said another individual</a>.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/SusanH_Radzi/status/1917716515111006218" rel="noopener">This person claimed</a>, “Yikes. Hoping for the best.”</p><p>“One of the Nationals’ staffers collapsed during batting practice. Hoping that person is okay,” <a href="https://x.com/joearrow1/status/1917706790575210706" rel="noopener">explained another fan</a>.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/NatsGal/status/1917711955218911714" rel="noopener">Another fan said</a>, “Sending prayers.”</p><p>While the team and fans alike await news, the club is trying to focus on playing against the Phillies. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-controversial-all-star-activated-off-il">The Nationals hope to make the playoffs</a> for the first time since 2019, when they won the World Series in a seven-game series against the Houston Astros.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals coach collapses on field prior to Phillies game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-controversial-all-star-activated-off-il');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals news: Controversial All-Star activated off IL');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Nationals-shortstop-CJ-Abrams.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals news: Controversial All-Star activated off IL</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-24T15:29:33-07:00">April 24th, 3:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-24T15:29:33-07:00">April 24th, 3:29pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals are an interesting mix of intriguing young players and proven veterans under Dave Martinez. The team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-mixed-injury-update-former-all-star">trades Paul DeJong for CJ Abrams on the injured list</a> after their star shortstop spent a week out of the lineup thanks to a hip flexor strain.</p><p>The All-Star infielder is one of Washington’s best players. However, he is still learning how to be a professional after his actions last September. The 24-year-old got <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44837427/nationals-activate-shortstop-cj-abrams-il-hip-flexor" rel="noopener">demoted to the minors after staying out late</a> when the team was on the road, according to ESPN and the Associated Press.</p><p>While the team will miss DeJong, Abrams gives them a boost. The shortstop was off to a hot start before missing time with injury, racking up 10 hits in 41 at-bats.</p><p>Abrams is the face of the youth movement for the Nationals as the team continues its rebuild. The difference between now and the last three years, though, is that he isn’t alone. James Wood and Dylan Crews, as well as Keibert Ruiz, are emerging as contributors for the Nationals.</p><p>Even without Abrams, the team is doing well in the early part of the year. They hope that his return will help them build on the momentum they have built this season, ever since a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-how-nationals-mackenzie-gore-bob-gibson-mlb-history-opening-day">historic Opening Day for the Washington</a>.</p><p>The Nationals sit just below .500 and are third in the NL East behind the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. With the Atlanta Braves struggling, Washington has a solid chance of finishing outside the bottom two spots in the division for the first time since 2019.</p><p>The team has won four of their last five games without Abrams. They need to maintain momentum ahead of two straight series against Philadelphia and New York.</p><p>If the Washington Nationals are going to continue to turn heads throughout the season, they will need Abrams to lead the youth effort on the team and guide them to wins.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals news: Controversial All-Star activated off IL

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wnba/washington-mystics/mystics-news-top-wnba-draft-picks-warm-welcome-nationals-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mystics’ top 3 WNBA Draft picks get warm DC welcome at Nationals game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Mystics-draft-picks-Georgia-Amoore-Sonia-Citron-and-Kiki-Iriafen-pose-for-a-picture.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mystics’ top 3 WNBA Draft picks get warm DC welcome at Nationals game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-24T14:20:00-07:00">April 24th, 2:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-24T14:47:14-07:00">April 24th, 2:47pm</time><address><a>Jess Koffie</a>Lead Editor and lifelong sports fanatic Jess Koffie has covered a wide variety of sports in the past seven years, but spotlighting the Women’s side has always been a passion and primary focus throughout their career. The New Jersey native graduated from Rutgers University in 2017 before expanding her professional experience into areas such as live game coverage, radio and podcast production, digital content creation, and interviewing. Now, this die-hard New York Giants fan spends most of their time dodging Eagles fans like the plague.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Washington Mystics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Mystics rookies Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Georgia Amoore are making their first rounds around the sports world as a draft class. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/grading-mystics-2025-wnba-draft">three top-10 WNBA Draft picks</a> were the center of attention when they made an appearance to throw the first pitch at a Washington Nationals’ game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Made their mark on the mound ⚾️ <a href="https://t.co/HnnMKBLgUu">pic.twitter.com/HnnMKBLgUu</a></p><p>— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashMystics/status/1914834921559929035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Citron, Iriafen, and Amoore were all smiles as they took the field for their ceremonial pitches, with each getting the chance to make their own throw. Luckily, the Mystics’ draftees all did well enough not to end up on any <a href="https://youtu.be/0vfirNUqKPA?si=YREkU1ZMQhn6LVCs" rel="noopener">worst first pitch lists</a>. The Nats went on to shut out the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of their series with a 7-0 victory.</p><p>The trio shot a video for the fans, first introducing themselves individually before sharing how they feel about being in the nation’s capital. “We’re here at Nats Park ready to throw the first pitch. We’re super excited and happy to be in DC,” Amoore narrated for the group.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">welcome to d.c. SONIA and KIKI and GEORGIA!!!</p><p>❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/WashMystics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashMystics</a> ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/xUuUI3K5A2">pic.twitter.com/xUuUI3K5A2</a></p><p>— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1914833161202081984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Washington used its third, fourth, and sixth choices in the 2025 draft to secure its big-name trio. The Mystics also grabbed Lucy Olsen and Zaay Green with the 23rd and 31st picks.</p><p>Citron averaged 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in her last year at Notre Dame and put up a solid performance in the Big Dance despite the Irish’s earlier-than-desired exit. Meanwhile, Iriafen is a force around the rim and on the boards, averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over her last campaign at USC.</p><p>Amoore is an electric facilitator with a high basketball IQ who led the SEC in assists per game with 6.9. She had one of her best-ever seasons in 2024-25, averaging a career-high 19.6 points on career-high 43.3% shooting.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/mystics-news-top-wnba-draft-picks-warm-welcome-nationals-game">Mystics’ rookie draft class</a> will get its first taste of WNBA play when preseason action tips off on May 3 against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The regular season begins when they host the Atlanta Dream on May 16.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mystics’ top 3 WNBA Draft picks get warm DC welcome at Nationals game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-mixed-injury-update-former-all-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-gets-mixed-injury-update-on-former-All-Star.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-24T14:07:52-07:00">April 24th, 2:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-24T14:07:52-07:00">April 24th, 2:07pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals are starting to turn the corner on their rebuild. Unfortunately, Dave Martinez is without third baseman <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-paul-dejong-exits-pirates-game-frightening-moment">Paul DeJong after he was hit in the face</a> by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller.</p><p>DeJong, who has been out since April 15th, is one of the few veterans on the Nationals’ roster. The former All-Star won’t need eye surgery, but he will <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1915496512605352337" rel="noopener">undergo a procedure</a> for his broken nose, according to Nationals reporter Mark Zuckerman.</p><p>Washington’s season has been remarkably clean when it comes to injuries. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-braves-michael-soroka-washington-injured-list">DeJong and Mike Soroka</a> are the only significant pieces that are missing. The Nationals are using their healthy year to remain relevant in the NL East early in the season.</p><p>DeJong isn’t the best player on the Nationals roster this year, but he is the team’s locker room leader. While Keller’s pitch wasn’t intentionally aimed at DeJong, the Washington will miss the 12-year MLB veteran.</p><p>At this point in his career, DeJong provides more value as a mentor than anything else. However, the Nationals have healthy contributions from veterans up and down their roster. That, combined with strong starts from James Wood and Dylan Crews, has the team just under .500 so far this season.</p><p>There is no timetable for DeJong’s return to the field, but Washington hopes that he won’t need to sit for too long. Unfortunately for him, he won’t have the opportunity for revenge against the Pirates until mid-September.</p><p>The Nationals find themselves pleasantly surprised to start 2025. The NL East is stacked at the top with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies. While they might not win the division, a playoff spot isn’t out of the question.</p><p>The Washington Nationals hope that losing DeJong doesn’t disturb their rhythm too much moving forward. If things continue to go well, their rebuild might end sooner than most experts around the baseball world thought.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/pirates-news-nationals-jorge-lopez-pitch-andrew-mccutchen-benches-clearing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Andrew-McCutcheon.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-17T06:14:26-07:00">April 17th, 6:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-17T06:14:26-07:00">April 17th, 6:14am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-jorge-lopez-clears-benches-throw-andrew-mccutchen-head');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jorge-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T18:42:12-07:00">April 16th, 6:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T18:42:12-07:00">April 16th, 6:42pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It may be early in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/mlb-power-rankings-vol-5-national-league-reigns-supreme">very young 2025 MLB season</a>, but that doesn’t mean that tempers aren’t flaring and competitive juices are at an all-time high. That was on full display on Wednesday nigth during a National League clash between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.</p><p>In the bottom of the seventh inning, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen stepped to the plate for a high-leverage at-bat against Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez. With runners on first and second and two outs, McCutchen had a chance to extend a 2-0 Pirates lead. Lopez was desperately trying to salvage the inning, but he may have also had other ideas.</p><p>With the count stuck at 1-1, Lopez fired a fastball right at McCutchen’s head before the <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1912667694731501928" rel="noopener">veteran ducked out of the way</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">THE BENCHES HAVE CLEARED 😳</p><p>Jorge Lopez was ejected from the game after throwing a pitch near Andrew McCutchen's head. <a href="https://t.co/XhbYTgiQ3I">pic.twitter.com/XhbYTgiQ3I</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1912667694731501928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>At first, it didn’t seem like the altercation would amount to much, but after a couple of seconds the two started barking at each other. Immediately, the benches and bullpens cleared and the two sides continued jawing back and forth at each other. While all that was going on, the umpires got together and elected to eject Lopez from the game to prevent the situation being escalated any further.</p><p>Lopez was replaced by Eduardo Salazar, who gave up a walk to McCutchen. Immediately after that, some would say a little karma came back to haunt the Nationals. Oneil Cruz crushed a grand slam to blow the game open and allow the Pirates to coast to a 6-1 win.</p><p>Throwing at McCutchen, one of the most beloved and recognizable players in the history of the Pirates franchise, was sure to start a scuffle. Lopez paid for it with an early trip to the showers, McCutchen dodged the pitch and the Pirates came out with the win, so no harm was done for the Bucs in the end.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-calls-out-players-sell-team-chants">Pirates have been struggling a bit</a> this season, but this win gets them to 7-12 on the season and gives them a 2-1 lead in the four-game set against the Nationals before the two teams wrap it up on Thursday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-paul-dejong-exits-pirates-game-frightening-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Paul DeJong exits Pirates game after frightening moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nationals-Paul-DeJong-notches-a-base-hit.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Paul DeJong exits Pirates game after frightening moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T20:19:14-07:00">April 15th, 8:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T20:19:28-07:00">April 15th, 8:19pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals (7-10) rode a Jake Irvin gem to a 3-0 victory versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (6-12) on Tuesday night, but it did not come without a serious injury scare. Veteran infielder Paul DeJong exited the game after <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1912293864884351236" rel="noopener">getting hit in the face</a> with a 93 mph fastball.</p><p>He suffered a cut underneath his eye and quickly started bleeding. The 31-year-old was able to walk off the field under his own power, via MASN Sports’ Mark Zuckerman, which is the best news one can hope for at this time. The Nationals <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1912319403401568458" rel="noopener">will have more information</a> soon.</p><p>“Paul DeJong is getting a CT scan, per {manager} Davey Martinez,” Zuckerman reported on X. “The pitch got him below his left eye and on the side of his nose. Was alert but a little woozy. Nats will await word on his condition.”</p><p>Pirates right-hander and 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller lost control of a four-seamer during a 2-1 count in the sixth inning and immediately shuddered in horror after hitting DeJong. He was not able to gather himself, as Washington added to its 1-0 lead (James Wood smashed a 445-foot leadoff home run).</p><p>Shortstop Nasim Nunez notched a two-RBI single with two outs, giving the Nationals more than enough insurance against an outmatched Pirates lineup. Irvin tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out six batters. Washington earns a much-needed win in PNC Park, after dropping the first game of the series and two straight to the Miami Marlins.</p><p>The team’s excitement will be restrained, however, until it learns of DeJong’s health status.</p><p>Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo signed him to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-bargain-signing-24-home-run-free-agent">a one-year, $1 million contract</a> in February with the aim of adding power and a key veteran presence to a young clubhouse. The 2019 All-Star hit 24 home runs last season during his time with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals.</p><p>Of course, that is trivial right now. This goes well beyond baseball. DeJong and the Nationals community are hoping for good news. Thoughts and prayers are with him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Paul DeJong exits Pirates game after frightening moment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-andrew-mccutchen-message-nationals-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Paul Skenes sends powerful Andrew McCutchen message after Nationals game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Paul-Skenes-with-the-Pirates.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Paul Skenes sends powerful Andrew McCutchen message after Nationals game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T01:56:27-07:00">April 15th, 1:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T01:56:27-07:00">April 15th, 1:56am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pirates exploded for their best offensive performance of the season Monday night, rolling past the Nationals 10-3 at PNC Park behind a sharp outing from last year’s NL <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-calls-out-players-sell-team-chants">Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes</a>. But what had the clubhouse buzzing wasn’t just the win — it was Andrew McCutchen’s new necklace, which some players joked might’ve sparked the offensive surge.</p><p>Skenes commented on McCutchen’s <a href="https://x.com/JMackeyPG/status/1911970053697786242" rel="noopener">impact for the</a> Pirates after the game stating, “That’s the blueprint. How a city can embrace you is pretty dang cool. … Looking at him and seeing the legacy he has, the way the city embraces him, it’s pretty inspiring.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-andrew-mccutchen-is-back">Andrew McCutchen’s status</a> was uncertain for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ series opener against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park. He missed Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, his third absence in seven games. Hitting .257 with a .400 slugging percentage this season, McCutchen appears to be moving into a part-time role as the Pirates ended their three-game losing streak against the Nationals.</p><h2><b>Andrew McCutchen’s necklaces for the Pirates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pirates-Andrew-McCutchen-against-the-Nationals.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>McCutchen contacted his friends at Phiten, makers of baseball-style rope necklaces, and asked for a shipment in black and gold. He distributed them to the team before the game, and 10 runs later, the Pirates ended their three-game losing streak.</p><p>Paul Skenes rebounded from the roughest outing of his young career, and he and catcher Henry Davis made history in the process. The duo became the first pitcher-catcher battery in MLB history made up of former No. 1 overall draft picks. Skenes, selected first in 2023, gave up just two runs — one earned — and struck out six over six strong innings to help snap the Pirates’ three-game skid.</p><p>The Pirates (6-11) jumped to an early lead when Ke’Bryan Hayes singled in Andrew McCutchen in the first inning. Two innings later, Bryan Reynolds drove in an RBI single following an Oneil Cruz double, pushing the lead to 2-0.</p><h2><b>Paul Skenes bouncing back</b></h2><p>The 22-year-old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/cardinals-news-bash-paul-skenes-career-worst-start">Skenes, who struggled with a career-worst five runs allowed in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals</a> last week had little trouble against the Nationals. His only real challenge came from Pittsburgh’s defense, including his own. Skenes committed two errors on errant pickoff attempts, the second of which allowed an unearned run in the sixth inning.</p><p>By then, the Pirates had surged to a comfortable lead, a refreshing change after a rough start to the season filled with mistakes both on and off the field. Oneil Cruz sparked the offense with two hits and two runs scored while batting leadoff.</p><p>Enmanuel Valdez and Ke’Bryan Hayes each knocked in three runs, and Bryan Reynolds drove in two. Andrew McCutchen added a hit and made a remarkable sliding grab in right field, diving to the PNC Park turf to rob Keibert Ruiz of a hit in the sixth inning.</p><p>The Pirates erupted for three runs in the fifth, including a two-run single from Valdez. 10 runs is a season-high for the Pirates as they entered Monday ranked 25th in the majors for runs scored.</p><p>The series continues Tuesday as the Nationals’ Jake Irvin (0-0, 5.63 ERA) takes on the Pirates’ Mitch Keller.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paul Skenes sends powerful Andrew McCutchen message after Nationals game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-braves-michael-soroka-washington-injured-list');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ex-Braves All-Star lands on Nationals’ injured list');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Soroka-pitches-against-Blue-Jays.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ex-Braves All-Star lands on Nationals’ injured list</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T10:00:07-07:00">April 4th, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T10:02:25-07:00">April 4th, 10:02am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Friday, the Washington Nationals <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1908171761763438888" rel="noopener">reportedly placed</a> starting pitcher Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list due to a right biceps strain, per Mark Zuckerman of masnsports.com.</p><p>“Michael Soroka has gone on the 15-day IL with a right biceps strain. Jackson Rutledge recalled from AAA,” Zuckerman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/nationals-news-washington-pitching-rotation-braves-mike-soroka">Soroka signed with the Nationals</a> this past offseason. He was hoping to get back on track in Washington. Injuries and underperformance have unfortunately limited Soroka in recent seasons. The 27-year-old was once regarded as a future superstar.</p><h2><b>Michael Soroka trying to bounce back with Nationals</b></h2><p>Soroka made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2018, but he was technically not a rookie until 2019. He not only finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting for the ’19 campaign, Soroka finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting. The Braves right-handed hurler recorded a strong 2.68 ERA in 20 games pitched.</p><p>In the shortened 2020 season, Soroka pitched to a 3.95 ERA in three appearances. He would not pitch in 2021 or 2022 due to injuries, however.</p><p>He was once again limited in 2023 before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/white-sox-news-why-michael-soroka-giddy-join-chicago-after-braves-trade">landing with the Chicago White Sox</a> in 2024. Soroka was able to pitch in 25 games, but made only nine starts and finished the year with a lackluster 4.74 ERA. Still, the Nationals clearly believed in him as evidenced by their decision to sign him during the offseason.</p><p>Soroka has made just one start for Washington in 2025. In the outing, he allowed four runs over five innings. Now, the former All-Star is headed to the injured list. It remains to be seen when he will return from the injury.</p><p>Could he still bounce back with the Nationals? Absolutely, but he will need to find a way to stay healthy. If Soroka can avoid injury trouble, perhaps he can make a positive impact with Washington during the ’25 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ex-Braves All-Star lands on Nationals’ injured list

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-pitcher-acquired-juan-soto-trade-draws-mlb-network-deep-dive');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals star pitcher acquired in Juan Soto trade draws MLB Network deep dive');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Nationals-news-Star-pitcher-acquired-in-Juan-Soto-trade-draws-MLB-Network-deep-dive.jpg"></figure><h1>Nationals star pitcher acquired in Juan Soto trade draws MLB Network deep dive</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T13:23:43-07:00">March 28th, 1:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T13:23:50-07:00">March 28th, 1:23pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When discussing the huge Juan Soto trade package the Washington Nationals received from the San Diego Padres back in 2022, the players that get the most media attention are All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and rising left fielder James Wood. Though, there is at least one other talent who has the ability to force his way into that conversation.</p><p>On Opening Day, MacKenzie Gore looked like the budding ace the Nats hoped they were getting when they completed the aforementioned deal with the Padres. The left-handed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-how-nationals-mackenzie-gore-bob-gibson-mlb-history-opening-day">starting pitcher was masterful</a> in a 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing only a Kyle Schwarber single and striking out a whopping 13 batters in six shutout innings.</p><p>Gore has flashed high upside in the past but has been unable to fully break out to this point of his young career. Former players and current MLB Network analysts Mark DeRosa and Chris Young explain why the <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/1905696138973638665" rel="noopener">2024 season could be different</a> for him.</p><p>The No. 3 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft attacked Philly southpaw batters with his slider, utilizing it at a 51.1 percent rate on Thursday afternoon. Last season, he only threw the pitch seven percent of the time in those exact situations.</p><p>https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1905696138973638665</p><h2><b>Can Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore put everything together this year?</b></h2><p>Other hurlers like Boston Red Sox’s Tanner Houck enjoyed great success by relying more on breaking balls and mixing up their pitching arsenal. Perhaps Gore is hoping that such an adjustment could launch him into stardom and help the Nationals markedly improve in 2025. If he can effectively lean on his slider throughout the campaign, then DeRosa thinks trouble awaits opposing hitters. “Lefties have absolutely zero chance,” he said.</p><p>MacKenzie Gore is 21-26 with a 4.14 ERA and 417 strikeouts in 378 2/3 career innings pitched. He posted his best season yet in 2024 (3.90 ERA, 181 strikeouts), but control remains an issue. If the 26-year-old can continue to cut down on the walks, of which he threw none versus the Phillies, then he could morph into an upper-echelon starter in the National League.</p><p>That is a high bar to set, but that is what Washington is asking of him as the club attempts to make a jump in the standings this season. Following his fantastic outing in Nationals Park, it will be worth watching to see if Gore stays slider-heavy versus left-handed batters when he makes his next start.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals star pitcher acquired in Juan Soto trade draws MLB Network deep dive

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-how-nationals-mackenzie-gore-bob-gibson-mlb-history-opening-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore joined Bob Gibson in MLB history on Opening Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Nationals-news-How-MacKenzie-Gore-joined-Bob-Gibson-in-MLB-history-on-Opening-Day.jpg"></figure><h1>How Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore joined Bob Gibson in MLB history on Opening Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-27T23:03:59-07:00">March 27th, 11:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-27T23:03:59-07:00">March 27th, 11:03pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Thursday at Nationals Park, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/nationals-news-washington-pitcher-opening-day-roster-after-working-home-depot">MacKenzie Gore stepped onto the mound with the weight of Opening Day</a> expectations. What followed was not just a breakout performance—it was a historic one.</p><p>In his first career Opening Day start, the 26-year-old left-hander <a href="https://x.com/MistrettaMLB/status/1905382895851614386" rel="noopener">delivered a masterpiece</a>, striking out 13 batters over six shutout innings while allowing just one hit and no walks in the Washington Nationals’ 7-3 extra-innings loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><p>Despite the final score, Gore’s outing was one for the history books. According to MLB and Sarah Langs, Gore joined Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (1967) and J.R. Richard (1980) as the only pitchers since 1900 to strike out 13 batters with no walks on Opening Day. He’s also the only one of the trio to allow just one hit and no runs, even if he didn’t go the distance like Gibson or Richard.</p><p>“That was special,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez. “To go out there in his first Opening Day start and do what he did was awesome.”</p><h2><b>MacKenzie Gore shines for the Nationals on Opening Day</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mackenzie-Gore.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Gore’s 13 strikeouts also broke the Nationals’ franchise record for punchouts on Opening Day, previously held by Max Scherzer, who struck out 12 against the Mets in 2019. The dominant outing marked a new career high for Gore, who had reached double-digit strikeouts just seven times before.</p><p>“I really don’t even know how to describe the feeling,” Gore said postgame. “But it was cool, so it was a lot of fun. A lot of fun.”</p><p>Gore’s performance was a showcase of pure dominance. Facing the minimum 18 batters over six innings, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-swing-adjustments-2025-season">the only blemish on his line was a fourth-inning single by Kyle Schwarber</a>, who was promptly caught stealing. Gore threw 93 pitches—66 for strikes—and struck out five consecutive Phillies at one point, including Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto twice each.</p><p>“He was doing everything,” catcher Keibert Ruiz said. “[He was] getting ahead, putting good pitches to get away and making pitches when he needed to. He was ready.”</p><p>Even Harper tipped his cap after the game. “I thought MacKenzie threw the ball really well—filled up the zone, kept us off balance,” he said. “It was tough for both teams today.”</p><p>Gore’s pitch mix included a steady dose of four-seam fastballs (44%), averaging 95.8 mph and topping out at 98, along with sliders, curveballs, changeups, and a few cutters to keep hitters guessing.</p><p>Though Gore exited with a 1-0 lead following a solo home run by Ruiz in the fifth, the Nationals’ bullpen couldn’t hold it. Harper and Schwarber hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh to give Philadelphia the lead, and the Phillies pulled away with a five-run 10th.</p><p>Still, Opening Day belonged to MacKenzie Gore.</p><p>“It’s kind of nice when the work pays off and you get to see it,” Gore said. “I’m going to enjoy it today… then tomorrow, we start over.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore joined Bob Gibson in MLB history on Opening Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-pitcher-opening-day-roster-after-working-home-depot');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals pitcher makes Opening Day roster after working at Home Depot');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Nationals-pitcher-makes-Opening-Day-roster-after-working-at-Home-Depot.jpg"></figure><h1>Nationals pitcher makes Opening Day roster after working at Home Depot</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T11:56:00-07:00">March 26th, 11:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T11:56:00-07:00">March 26th, 11:56am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Not every player has a smooth path to the big leagues. You can put Washington Nationals reliever Brad Lord in that category.</p><p>Lord, a 2022 18th-round pick by the Nationals, officially <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1904939962878795880" rel="noopener">made the ball club’s Opening Day roster</a> on Wednesday. The 25-year-old spent most of the winter working at Home Depot to make ends meet.</p><p>Via Jeff Passan:</p><p>“From Home Depot to home opener: Washington right-hander Brad Lord, who worked at the home-improvement store moving mulch and Christmas trees over the winter, has made the Nationals and will be in the bullpen for Opening Day on Thursday against Philadelphia.”</p><p>While Lord was still a member of the Nationals organization, he wanted to make extra money in the offseason, which resulted in him getting a job at the hardware store. He also worked at Publix the previous year.</p><p>Lord, who played his college ball at the University of South Florida, was dominant in the minor leagues in 2024. He compiled a 10-4 record and 2.43 ERA across three levels, finishing the year in Triple-A Rochester. Lord had a 3.93 ERA in 12 starts with the Red Wings.</p><p>While he did struggle in spring training with an ERA north of six, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/washington-nationals-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">the Nationals</a> clearly saw enough to put him on the Opening Day roster. After all, he did pitch well last season. Yes, he’s been mostly a starter in his professional career, but for the time being, it appears he will be a reliever moving forward with Washington.</p><p>In 52 minor league appearances, Lord owns a 3.15 ERA. Considering how underpaid players are on their road to the show, it stands to reason why Lord wanted a side hustle. But, if he manages to stick in the Majors, the Florida native won’t need to work a 9-5 in the offseason for Home Depot anymore. That’s unless he just truly enjoys it.</p><p>Unlikely.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals pitcher makes Opening Day roster after working at Home Depot

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
25	0	12	0.72	2	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
25	0	12	0.72	2	0

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