2016 Washington Nationals season

2754:, news broke that he had agreed to a long-term extension of his contract; prior to the seven-year extension, Strasburg had been under team control for the final season in 2016 before he was due to become a free agent for the first time. Under the extension, signed and officially announced at a press conference at Nationals Park the following day and scheduled to begin in 2017, the Nationals agreed to pay Strasburg $ 175 million, structured so that Strasburg would receive $ 15 million a year through the end of the contract in 2023, and another $ 10 million a year in deferred salary between 2024 and 2030. The contract also included incentive bonuses for Strasburg and opt-outs for him after three years and after four years. The conventional wisdom among baseball analysts and journalists, and even among Strasburg's close associates, had long been that Strasburg would pursue free agency after the conclusion of the 2016 season and end up playing on a team in his native 20352:, and his poor performance when he did play that season – he hit only .264 with an on-base percentage of .344 and a slugging percentage of .363 with just 16 doubles, 5 home runs, and 25 RBIs in just 355 plate appearances – raised doubts about his ability to recover and return to the form he had shown in 2014. In 2016, however, he put those doubts to rest, hitting 20 home runs, driving in 85 runs, hitting .270 with a .348 on-base percentage and a.450 slugging percentage, leading all National League third baseman in doubles with 38 and in fielding percentage (.976), and being named a 11590:– batting seventh instead of a probable eighth due to Ramos's unavailability – struck out for the second out. A Dodgers error then allowed Severino to reach first base and load the bases, but Scherzer popped out to end the inning without the Nationals scoring a run. In the third inning, Rendon singled to drive in two runs as part of what promised to be a big inning, cutting the Dodgers' lead to 4–2, but Espinosa struck out to end the inning with two men on base. Severino doubled in the fourth and scored on a 379:, while Black was offered the job and accepted, a disagreement over contract terms led to negotiations between the Nationals and Black breaking down. The Nationals' initial offer to Black was reportedly one year guaranteed at $ 1.6 million, an offer Black considered a "lowball". Unable to come to terms with Black, the Nationals' front office turned to its other leading choice, the more experienced Baker. Early on November 3, the Nationals announced Baker had been hired to a two-year contract as manager. 2853:

more runs than any previous pitcher who had struck out 20 batters in nine innings, he did not issue any walks, and of the 119 pitches he threw, 96 were strikes, the first time a pitcher had thrown 96 strikes in a major-league game since 2013; taking into account both the number of strikes thrown and the ratio of strikes to balls, it was the greatest number of strikes thrown in the fewest pitches in Major League Baseball history.

3160:, allowed three runs in the first inning, and gave up hits to seven of the first 11 batters he faced. After that, he improved considerably, retiring eight batters in a row at one point, striking out six of them. After he allowed three batters to reach base and gave up two more runs in the fifth inning, he was relieved. He left the game having pitched 3685:. With the win, the Nationals split the four-game series with Arizona, the last complete series of September and the penultimate series in their 2016 regular season. The team finished September with a 93–67 regular season record and a seven-game lead over the Mets, who clinched a wild card berth after being eliminated from division contention. 3016:. Although the Nationals took the first two games of a four-game set from the Padres, they suffered a string of seven consecutive losses thereafter, splitting the series with the Padres, being swept by the Dodgers, and losing two of three to the Brewers. The losing streak was the Nationals' longest since their 2923:, the Nationals' starting second baseman, tied a franchise record for hits in a month with 47, including seven home runs. Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month, the first time since 2009 that two teammates had received the honor in back-to-back months following Harper's award for April. 2758:, and the contract extension therefore came as a major surprise, but Strasburg cited his comfort with living in the Washington, D.C., area, his appreciation for the Nationals having demonstrated concern for his health and professional future with their controversial decision to shut him down during the 20171:

During the 2016 season, Murphy finished in the top two among National League second basemen in every major offensive category: He was first in home runs (25), runs batted in (104), slugging percentage (.595), and wins above replacement (5.5) and second in batting average (.347) and on-base percentage

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Daniel Murphy's 2-for-3 performance in the game pushed his postseason average for 2016 to .462, and his four RBIs set a new Montreal-Washington franchise record for RBIs by a single player in a postseason game. At the end of the game, the Nationals' bullpen ERA for the series stood at 1.02, with only

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took exception to the play, and when Kang next came up to bat, Cole threw a ball behind his back and was ejected from the game, leading to a benches-clearing altercation on the field. Cole denied the pitch was intentional, saying, "The ball was getting away from me a little bit, and that one got away

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in what would ultimately be his last pitching performance before his death in an accident five days later. The Nationals were shut out for the first time since the All-Star Break, with Fernández pitching eight innings while giving up just three hits, walking none, and striking out twelve in a winning

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innings, throwing 105 pitches (65 for strikes), giving up six runs (all earned) on 10 hits (including one home run), and walking one but striking out nine. The Nationals lost the game 8–4, and he was the game's losing pitcher. His nine strikeouts was the second-highest strikeout total for a Nationals

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The Nationals finished spring training in Viera with the best record in baseball, winning 18 games, losing four, and tying in three. They outscored their opponents by 81 runs in total. After leaving Florida, the Nationals completed their spring training schedule with two exhibition games at Nationals

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by Murphy that drove in Turner, but otherwise keeping the Nationals scoreless until the seventh inning. Ross, meanwhile, struggled. In the bottom of the third inning, he gave up a lead-off double to Kershaw; after keeping Kershaw at second and recording two outs, he allowed a single by Justin Turner

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was activated from the disabled list to make a start on September 7 versus the Braves, but his return was short-lived, as he was lifted from the game in the third inning after experiencing discomfort while pitching. The team announced the next day that he had been diagnosed with a flexor mass strain

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on a called third strike to end the inning. It was the Nationals' last scoring threat; they had the tying run on base in four of the game's last five innings without being able to score a single run, and left a total of nine men on base during the game. The Dodgers won 4–3 to take a 1–0 lead in the

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struck out 20 in the course of pitching a six-hit complete game, tying the Major League Baseball record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game and becoming only the third player in Major League Baseball history to do so. Through six innings, he threw 77 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. He set a new

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for 2016, for Best Pitcher and for Best Performance. For the Best Pitcher award, MLB described Scherzer as "one of baseball's top strikeout artists" and said that he "continued to overpower big-league hitters with regularity during 2016," highlighting his 20–7 record, 284 strikeouts, 2.96 ERA, and

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to pitch in the seventh inning, something Jansen had not done since 2013. Although the Nats put pressure on Jansen, with Harper singling and Murphy intentionally walked to load the bases, Jansen struck out Rendon for the third out to preserve the Dodgers' lead. Jansen pitched into the ninth inning

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for the batting title until the last day of the season, but with Murphy injured and LeMahieu not playing in order to preserve his small edge, the race came down to a pinch-hit opportunity for Murphy against Miami on October 2, in which the National flied out to right to finish a little more than a

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both hit pinch-hit home runs. It was the first time in team history that the Nationals had two pinch-hit home runs in the same game. The two home runs made the Nationals second in Major League Baseball in pinch-hit home runs on the season with six in 35 games, three of them by Heisey. The Nats had

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hit a walk-off home run during the next at-bat, pointing at Knight and yelling, "Hey, fuck you," before joining the celebration at home plate. Asked if he thought he would be fined for the outburst after the game, Harper replied, "If I do, I do. I'll pay it. ... Maybe he'll get fined, too." Harper

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When Blake Treinen hit Andrew Toles with a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning, it set two new Major League Baseball records: It was the first time in history that one team's pitchers hit four batters with pitches in a single postseason game, and it was also the first time that two teams had

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Kershaw left the game after five innings and 101 pitches, having given up three runs, all earned, on eight hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. The Los Angeles bullpen followed with four innings of shut-out ball, but the Nationals had ample opportunities to tie the game. Trea Turner, a prolific

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to become the sixth Racing President. Cal was retired after the 2015 season. In 2016, Herbert Hoover ("Herbie"), the 31st President of the United States, became the new sixth Racing President under the agreement with the Association, joining George Washington ("George"), Thomas Jefferson ("Tom"),

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on three pitches for his 20th and final strikeout. It was only the fourth time in Major League Baseball history that a pitcher had struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game, and only the sixth time a pitcher had struck out at least 20 batters in any game. Although Scherzer gave up more hits and

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came in to pitch the ninth inning, hoping to hold the score at 4–3 and give the Dodgers a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the inning. But Jayson Werth led off with a 450-foot (137-meter) home run into the left-field stands that quieted the crowd and gave the Nationals an important

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The Nationals closed out August by playing 20 games in 20 days without an off-day, a stretch over which they went 11–9, winning two series against the division rival Braves, dropping two series to the Rockies, losing a home-and-home series to the Orioles in interleague play, and finishing with a

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took him out of the game with a runner on third base and a pitch count in the triple digits. Strasburg earned the win in the 12–1 Nationals victory, raising his record to 11–0 and becoming only the fourth pitcher in the past 75 years with as good a win–loss mark through his first 15 starts. The

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Although Roark had an uncharacteristically unsteady outing, the Dodgers were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position during the first five innings even though they had the bases loaded with one out three times, at least in part thanks to good Nationals defensive plays, notably by left fielder

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on base. Lobatón hit only the second postseason home run of his career, and only the second postseason homer by a catcher in the history of the Montreal-Washington franchise, driving in Murphy and Espinosa to give the Nationals a 3–2 lead, the first time they had taken the lead in the series.

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innings in the series without giving up a run. Meanwhile, Murphy – who went 3-for-3 and scored a run, pushing his offensive output for the series' first two games to 4-for-6 with two walks – drove in runs with singles in the fifth and seventh innings as Nationals fans in the crowd chanted

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became the first Washington reliever to give up a run in the series when Reddick singled and Pederson drove him in with an RBI double, giving Los Angeles a 5–2 lead. The Nationals' offense, meanwhile, finally got to Kershaw, staging a comeback in the top of the seventh inning. Shortstop

745:, would center around a new baseball stadium with 6,400 ticketed seats and 1,250 berm seats, and would place the Nationals far closer to other teams during spring training, facilitating travel for spring training games. The new facility would open on February 28, 2017, just in time for 12721:, who had gone 0-for-10 with nine strikeouts in the series, singled for his first hit of the 2016 postseason. He was still on first with two outs when Trea Turner singled and Harper walked to load the bases, driving Kershaw out of the game after throwing 110 pitches. Dodgers reliever 3612:. He became the first National League player in 12 years to hit in every game of a season series of at least 19 games and set a record for the longest single-season hitting streak against a previous-year team dating back to the creation of divisions in the major leagues in 1969. 13013:

to Washington for that game, but he threw out the first pitch for Game 5 instead. For some the game carried an historic weight that would either confirm or change the narrative of the Nationals, their achievements, and their prospects for the future after their collapse in the

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At the same time it announced Strasburg's unavailability, Major League Baseball announced that Max Scherzer had replaced him on the National League roster. It was Scherzer's fourth overall and fourth consecutive all-star selection; he previously had been selected for the

3755:, the Nationals' center fielder and occasional second baseman and shortstop, was named Rookie of the Month in the National League for the second consecutive month. He hit .339 with eight home runs and 15 stolen bases over September and the first two days of October. 23028:

in 2001, meaning that 78.4% of his pitches were strikes, but Scherzer threw only two fewer strikes in six fewer pitches, meaning that 80.7% of his pitches were strikes. It was the first time that a Major League Baseball pitcher had thrown 96 strikes in a game since

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On May 26, Nationals manager Dusty Baker won his 1,700th game as a manager as the Nationals defeated the Cardinals at Nationals Park. Three days later, Strasburg improved to 9–0 for the season with a win over the Cardinals on May 29, setting a record for the

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to the plate. Kershaw struck out the overmatched Difo to preserve a 4–3 win and give Los Angeles a 3–2 series victory. The Nationals were eliminated from the playoffs in the NLDS for the third time in five years, and the Dodgers advanced to face the

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was called up from Harrisburg to replace him on the roster. However, the team also received some bullpen reinforcements as Belisle returned from his injury layoff to pitch against the Pirates in the September 25 game while left-handed reliever

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at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016, becoming only the fifth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to strike out at least 20 batters in a nine-inning game. He finished second in batting average against (.196) and seventh in ERA. For the

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Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K =

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After the Dodgers scored their first-inning run, Gio González retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced. However, throwing his 83rd pitch of the game with one out in the fifth inning, he gave up a two-run homer to Dodgers pinch-hitter

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Ramos played in a career-high 131 games in 2016. Among National League catchers, he finished first in slugging percentage (.496), tied for first in runs batted in (80), second in home runs (22), and third in on-base percentage (.354).

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By the end of the game, Zimmerman was hitting .455 in the series, while Werth was hitting .417 and Murphy .400. The win gave the Nationals a 2–1 lead in the series, their first lead in a postseason series since the first game of the

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innings, all scoreless; Kelley retired all five Dodgers he faced, striking out three of them. The Dodgers' bullpen also shut the Nationals out through the eighth inning, and Washington still clung to a 4–3 lead going into the ninth.

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for Outstanding Player in the National League. In 2016, Murphy led the National League with a .595 slugging percentage, .985 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, and 47 doubles, and his .347 batting average was second only to that of

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and Rendon on base, Espinosa again struck out to end the inning. Although he provided his typically reliable defense in the field during the game, Espinosa's strikeouts had left six men on base and brought three rallies to an end.

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but was credited with the win after the Nationals scored in the top of the ninth and Melancon closed out the game. On August 22, Strasburg was placed on the disabled list with elbow soreness after a string of poor starts, and

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The Nationals also faced several decisions about what to do with players set to reach free agency, as well as players who had 2016 options. On November 2, the team announced it would decline options for right-handed reliever

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without giving up another hit, throwing 51 pitches – nine more than he ever had before. When Jansen tired in the bottom of the ninth, walking Harper and Werth with one out, Roberts made another unconventional move, bringing

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on March 27, 2016. Its last scheduled game at Space Coast Stadium on March 28, 2016, was rained out, resulting in the cancellation of activities planned to commemorate the franchise's history there, which dated back to the

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As the Nationals closed in on the division championship, they were beset by a buttocks strain that took Murphy out of the lineup beginning September 18, as well as a forearm injury that sidelined right-handed reliever

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for their respective positions. It was the first time either of them had won a Silver Slugger. It was the fifth season in a row, and the seventh time in eight seasons, that at least one National won a Silver Slugger

13180:- who had started Game 1 and, on short rest, Game 4 – in for the first save of his career. Kershaw got Murphy to pop out for the second out, and, with no one else left on the bench to face Kershaw, Baker sent rookie 3315:

made his debut with the team, although it was not a save situation, and retired all three batters he faced. The Nationals ultimately swept the Diamondbacks on the road for the first time since the franchise moved to

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innings. For the Best Performance award, MLB cited his "historic level of dominance" in becoming "just the fourth pitcher ever to notch 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game" in his complete-game outing against the

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Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; OBP = On-base percentage; SLG = Slugging percentage; SB = Stolen

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The Dodgers handed Strasburg a loss, his first of the season, on July 21. The loss snapped a string of 16 winning decisions for the Nationals pitcher, who finished the month at 14–1 after recording a win over the

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affiliate, to replace them on the roster. Amid an offensive lull and the injury to Belisle, Washington was swept at home late in the month by the division rival Phillies for their first series loss of the year.

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had been the most recent Nationals pitcher to homer during a regular-season game, hitting one on April 2, 2014. Like Latos' home run, González's home run also came against the New York Mets, was also hit off a

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The Nationals embarked on a wide-ranging search to replace Williams, who was still owed salary for 2016 after being fired midway through a multi-year contract. Among the candidates they interviewed were former

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base-stealer, walked in the sixth inning but was stranded at first. In the seventh inning, Murphy walked with one out, but then got a poor jump in an attempt to steal second and was thrown out. In the eighth,

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Melancon secured his first save as a National on August 7 over the Giants, improving his season record to 31-for-33 in save opportunities. Less than a week later, on August 13, the Nationals released reliever

26189: 20200:. Scherzer won the award in a landslide, receiving 25 of the 30 first-place votes and 192 points. It was Scherzer's second Cy Young; his first had come in 2013 when he pitched in the American League for the 470:

also elected free agency after being outrighted from the Nationals' 40-man roster on November 18, 2015. On December 2, 2015, the Nationals announced they had not tendered a contract to right-handed reliever

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gave up a single to Murphy that scored Turner and Harper, tying the game at 5–5, with all five Nationals runs charged to Kershaw. Kershaw's day ended with a 6.17 ERA in his two outings against the Nats.

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was called up to the major leagues for the first time to replace him on the Nationals' 25-man roster. He made his debut that evening, going 0-for-1 with a deep flyout to right field in a loss versus the

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from the outset, loading the bases in the first inning on a single and two walks; although they did not score, they forced him to throw 28 pitches. In the Dodgers' half of the first, Nationals starter

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were undefeated in games they started, with Ross credited with three wins—he left one other start on April 20 with a lead that was held by the bullpen, but the scorers awarded the win to long reliever

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July ended with consecutive split series for the Nationals on the road while visiting the Indians and the Giants, coming on the back of two straight series losses at the hands of the Dodgers and the

24540: 23137: 23080: 22934: 11575:, giving Los Angeles a 4–0 lead. The Dodgers did not score again; Scherzer did not allow another run before he left the game after six innings, and the Nationals bullpen also held them scoreless. 20245:(WHIP) with 0.97 and swinging strikes (15.3 percent). He led the National League in wins, innings pitched, WAR, and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.07). He struck out 20 batters in a game against the 13104:

The Nationals still clung to a 1–0 lead when disaster struck them in the top of the seventh inning, in which the Nationals used a single-inning record six pitchers. Los Angeles center fielder

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was recalled from Syracuse to take Lobatón's place as the Nationals' backup catcher. Zimmerman was injured again just days after coming off the disabled list when he was hit on the wrist by a

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was called up to replace him. The rookie reliever notched his first career win on August 19, also against the Braves; Glover gave up the lead in the eighth inning on a two-run double by

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dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension handed down by the league for intentionally throwing at a batter the previous month, with the suspension expected to carry over into the

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Compounding the Nationals' late-June problems, Strasburg was placed on the disabled list with a back strain after missing two starts late in the month. Right-handed starting pitcher

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in a sizable free agent class. Qualifying offers worth $ 15.8 million apiece were extended to Desmond and Zimmermann, although both rejected them, as expected. Right-handed reliever

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followed that with a 432-foot (132-meter), two-run home run into the left field seats, putting Washington ahead 4–1. Maeda left the game after the inning, having thrown 68 pitches.

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voting and had a batting average of .287, on-base percentage of .351, and slugging percentage of .473 with 39 doubles, 21 home runs, and 83 runs batted in. A severe knee bruise,

3031:, the Nationals' top prospect and the #1-rated pitching prospect in all of baseball, was called up to replace him on the roster. Giolito made his first start June 28 against the 25858: 25567: 25548:

Scherzer was both the only pitcher in Major League Baseball to bat in four runs in a single game and the only pitcher in the National League to win at least 20 games during the

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incited a chorus of boos from the crowd. In the second inning, with two Nationals on base after Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman singled and Anthony Rendon reached first on a

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innings, striking out five Dodgers. The Dodgers were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the game, and by the end of the game, the Nationals' bullpen had pitched

3179:'s 14 strikeouts on June 8, 2010. Although he ended up taking the loss in the game, López left the field to a standing ovation by fans. Also debuting against the Dodgers was 25990: 22460: 20869: 3693:

The Nationals won both games they played to end the regular season in October, earning a win in a three-game series and sealing the season series against the division rival

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Kershaw pitched five innings and held on to the lead, but the Nationals repeatedly pushed him to the brink, and his frequent discussions on the mound with Dodgers catcher

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were also rehired as hitting coach and third base coach respectively, positions they held under Williams as well. The Nationals also hired former major league outfielder

23411: 21785: 11529:– whose season had ended with a knee injury on September 26 – throw it instead, to a huge roar from the crowd. The game provided an historic first: When Dusty Baker and 26372: 23767: 21520: 2876:

Between games of a doubleheader against the Marlins on May 14, the Nationals announced that they had exercised their two-year option on the contract of general manager

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secured the Dodgers' victory with a perfect ninth in which he struck out two Nats, and Los Angeles tied the series at 2–2 to force a decisive Game 5 two nights later.

26151: 20603: 20578: 737:. The new facility, which would provide each team with two major-league-size practice fields, four minor-league-size practice fields, an agility field, a half field, 22037: 13038:

managed had lost eight straight postseason elimination games in a row in which they had a chance to advance to the next round of the playoffs, and starting pitcher

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innings pitched and 85 pitches – with two Dodgers on base and Washington still holding a 3–2 lead. After that, Washington's bullpen – a postseason weakness for the

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Starting at second base for the Nationals, Difo recorded his first home run in a 5–3 win over the Diamondbacks on September 29, launching a pitch from left-hander

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from me." He was suspended five games over the incident and fined, a verdict which he appealed. In the following game, a rain-soaked September 26 matchup with the

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in the top of the tenth inning, and then Murphy brought him around to score with a double that reached the left field corner, putting the Nationals on top 4–3.

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then staked the Dodgers to a 1–0 lead in the first inning, as he had in both previous games of the series, this time with an RBI double that drove in Turner.

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The Nationals finished with a 16–14 record on the month and a season win–loss mark of 32–21, with a two-game lead over the Mets in the National League East.

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Janes, Chelsea, "Nationals get to Clayton Kershaw, but bullpen finally breaks as Dodgers force Game 5," washingtonpost.com, October 11, 2016, 9:13 p.m. EDT.

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With a 2–1 lead, Kershaw then settled down, allowing Washington to tie the game at 2–2 in the top of the third with singles by Trea Turner and left fielder

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Washington won 5–2 to even the series at 1–1. It was the first come-from-behind postseason win for a Washington, D.C., Major League Baseball team since the

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threw out the ceremonial first pitch, tossing it to his son Drake, who spent a great deal of time with the Nationals during his father's years on the team.

2766:, and his belief that the Nationals had years of success coming in the future as important factors in his decision. The Nationals, Strasburg, and his agent 2617:, more than doubled his save total with the Nationals (seven in 2015), notching eight saves during the month to one blown save against his former team, the 27914: 27624: 21449: 21236: 20051:

Wilson Ramos was selected as a reserve catcher for the National League All-Star Team, his first all-star selection. He finished third in fan voting, which

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for his 18th, tying the Montreal-Washington franchise's single-game record. Scherzer entered the ninth inning having thrown 106 pitches. He gave up a solo

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Bryce Harper was voted in as a starting outfielder for the game, with 2,865,095 fan votes, his fourth all-star selection; his previous selections were in

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hit Scherzer's first pitch into the left field stands to tie the game at 1–1, prompting Baker to take Scherzer out of the game after 99 pitches. Reliever

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In total, the Nationals finished April with a 16–7 record, the second-best winning percentage in baseball behind the Cubs, and a half-game lead over the

25222: 24989: 23121: 22694: 21618: 21137: 27604: 27582: 27010: 25553: 24312: 24130: 21762: 21426: 764:. It was their last spring training in Viera before moving to the new facility. The team's last game at Space Coast Stadium was a 7–2 victory over the 25788: 25298: 25138: 23694: 22623: 22340: 21879: 21115: 20172:(.390). His lowest monthly on-base-plus slugging percentage (OPS) in 2016 was .830, and his OPS exceeded 1.000 in three different months. He was the 27195: 24221: 24176: 23364: 20973: 20329: 3942:

Abraham Lincoln ("Abe"), Theodore Roosevelt ("Teddy"), and William Howard Taft ("Bill"). Herbie debuted on April 10, 2016, during a game against the

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Boswell, Thomas, "With two shots to knock out the Dodgers, the Nats are in the driver's seat," washingtonpost.com, October 10, 2016, 11:14 p.m. EDT.

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Lingebach, Chris, "Nationals Explode For 4-Home Run, 7-Run 7th Inning to Beat Marlins 7-0," washington.cbslocal.com, April 19, 2016, 10:50 p.m. EDT.

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6–1 behind a short start by Ross and a long relief appearance by López, and the second-place Mets went down to defeat at the hands of the Phillies.

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was waived by his ballclub. Oakland agreed to swap Rzepczynski and cash considerations to the Nationals in exchange for minor league second baseman

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soon revealed that the deal had been firmed up during the final week of April, but had been kept so quiet that even a day trip Strasburg made from

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Berg, ted, "Did retired Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez wear baseball pants to a baseball game?," usatoday.com, October 13, 2016, 9:31 p.m. EDT.

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Janes, Chelsea, "Unlikely hero Jose Lobaton's three-run homer evens Nats and Dodgers in NLDS," washingtonpost.com, October 9, 2016, 5;20 p.m. EDT.

26005:

Boswell, Thomas, "With Jose Lobaton's homer, Nats head west with momentum in their carry-ons," washingtonpost.com, October 9, 2016, 8:23 p.m. EDT.

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Wagner, James, and Adam Kilgore, "No one expected a Stephen Strasburg extension. Then Scott Boras made a call," washingtonpost.com, May 12, 2016.

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at home. The team went 7–8 after the All-Star Break to finish July with a 61–44 record and a four-game lead in the National League East over the

3058:. Espinosa, a switch-hitter, also became the first National to hit a home run while batting both left- and right-handed during the June 30 game. 852:

from third base on four straight balls to Garcia, putting the Braves on top. But once again, the game was tied in the next frame as left fielder

26054:

Castillo, Jorge, "After shaking off some rust, Daniel Murphy is in October form once again," washingtonpost.com, October 9, 2016, 6:38 p.m. EDT.

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During the 2016 regular season, Scherzer posted a record of 20–7 – the only National League pitcher to win 20 games – and had an ERA of 2.96, a

2774:

to Washington on April 30 to undergo a physical required before signing the contract while the Nationals were playing a road series against the

2743:

walked six times and was hit by a pitch, setting a major league record with seven plate appearances and zero official at-bats in a single game.

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Castillo, Jorge, "Max Scherzer replaces Stephen Strasburg on National League all-star roster," washingtonpost.com, July 8, 2016, 4:59 p.m. EDT.

25991:

Wallace, Ava, "Best and worst moments from the Nationals' 5-2 Game 2 win over the Dodgers," washingtonpost.com, October 9, 2016, 5:40 p.m. EDT.

25933:

Janes, Chelsea, "NLDS Game 1: Dodgers top Nationals as Clayton Kershaw bests Max Scherzer," washingtonpost.com, October 7, 2016, 9:58 p.m. EDT.

24874: 23796:

Janes, Chelsea, "Reynaldo Lopez's debut is a win for the organization, a loss for the Nats," washingtonpost.com, July 19, 2016, 10:36 p.m. EDT.

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made it impossible for Hernández to fly to Washington, the Nationals surprised the fans at Nationals Park by having Nationals starting catcher

26074:

Castillo, Jorge, "Werth, Rendon homer and bullpen steps up as Nats take 2-1 series lead," washingtonpost.com, October 10, 2016, 8:48 p.m. EDT.

25664: 24406: 24107: 23185: 20371:, Rendon became the first player in Montreal-Washington franchise history to win the Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award. 11844:

on October 8, Game 2 was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for 1:08 p.m. EDT on October 9. Retired first baseman and former National

25174: 23476: 23110: 2794:

was given a fine and a one-game suspension by Major League Baseball, which Harper served on May 14 after dropping an appeal of the decision.

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Janes, Chelsea, "Dusty Baker, Dave Roberts first African American managers to match up in postseason," washingtonpost.com, October 6, 2016.

23989: 21834: 21041: 19301: 3187:. The right-hander threw a perfect inning in relief on July 20, needing just four pitches to get three outs and seal an 8–1 Nationals win. 25906:

Castillo, Jorge, "Wilson Ramos throws out the first pitch before Game 1 of the NLDS," washingtonpost.com, October 7, 2016, 10:54 p.m. EDT.

25063: 13034:), and the Nationals had never advanced beyond the NLDS in two previous tries. Two personal negative streaks also were on the line: Teams 12372:

doubled off the right field wall, scoring both Murphy and Harper and knocking Jansen out of the game. By the time Washington pinch hitter

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The Nationals went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, a turnaround from their previous postseason performance: From Game 5 of the

2656:

The Nationals struggled at times on offense, posting the third-worst batting average in the National League ahead of only the Braves and

25957: 25482: 24897: 21546: 21380: 5511: 28234: 26152:

Allen, Scott, "Game 4 best and worst: Dodgers even series with 6-5 win over Nats," washingtonpost.com, October 11, 2016, 8:56 p.m. EDT.

25859:

Allen, Scott, "Presidents' Race at Nats Park will be smaller with Taft's retirement to Florida," washingtonpost.com, February 24, 2017.

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drove in Turner with an RBI single to give the Nationals a run in the first inning for the first time in the series. Nationals starter

3674:

was activated off the disabled list on September 26 and pitched a perfect inning in a 4–2 win over the Diamondbacks the following day.

3596:

5–4. Latos, making his first start for the Nationals in a September 12 game against the Mets, became the first Nationals pitcher since

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Janes, Chelsea, "Nationals bench makes a little bit of history with pinch-hit power," washingtonpost.com, May 14, 2016, 8:00 a.m. EDT.

22016: 3482:

After rosters expanded at the start of the month, the Nationals made their initial round of callups on September 2. The team recalled

28008: 27619: 27594: 25761: 25639: 25613: 25139:

Reddington, Patrick, "Hits in all 19 GAMES vs Mets sets records - Daniel Murphy - Topps NOW," federalbaseball.com, September 15, 2016

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Wagner, James, "Nationals, Astros break ground on new spring training facility", washingtonpost.com, November 9, 2015, 7:05 p.m. EST.

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DiNitto, Marcus, "MLB playoffs 2016: Three takeaways from Nationals' NLDS Game 2 win over Dodgers," sportingnews.com, October 9, 2016

20579:

DiNitto, Marcus, "MLB playoffs 2016: Three takeaways from Nationals' NLDS Game 2 win over Dodgers," sportingnews.com, October 9, 2016

13077:

singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a fly out and Murphy was intentionally walked and stole second, but Dodgers reliever

3958:. It placed them seventh in attendance for the season among the 15 National League teams. Their highest attendance at a home game in 2958:

before embarking on a three-series roadtrip. Both the Phillies and Cubs series were capped by walk-off hits authored by left fielder

1327: 1227: 887:

came on to close out the game, retiring all three batters in order to pick up the save and secure an Opening Day win for Washington.

25024:

Brown, David, "Gio González unnecessarily and hilariously sprints around bases after hitting homer," sports.yahoo.com, April 3, 2014

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on May 8, 2001, in which he recorded 20 strikeouts in the first nine innings but pitched into the 10th inning, and 21 strikeouts by

22983:

The only previous 20-plus-strikeout performances other than the ones in nine-inning games by Clemens and Wood were 20 strikeouts by

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had more players selected for the game, with seven. The Nationals set a new team record for the number of players selected for the

13057:

to ground out to end the inning without the Dodgers scoring. The Nats, meanwhile, staked Scherzer to a 1–0 lead off Dodgers starter

11556:

catching, Scherzer gave up a solo home run – the 32nd homer he had given up in 2016 – to the second batter he faced, Dodgers rookie

27857: 27461: 27048: 27043: 26190:

Castillo, Jorge, "Nationals fall to Dodgers, 4-3, in decisive Game 5 of NLDS," washingtonpost.com, October 14, 2016, 1:04 a.m. EDT.

26040:

Kilgore, Adam, "On Baseball: Nationals bullpen comes up big in Game 2 of NLDS," washingtonpost.com, October 9, 2016, 8:20 p.m. EDT.

25454: 24779: 24680: 22206: 20033: 20026: 20022: 20018: 19995: 13190: 8003: 2880:, ensuring that Rizzo would remain with the club through the 2018 season. The option reportedly paid Rizzo $ 2.5 million annually. 750: 365:

reported Black would likely be hired as manager. But according to reports that surfaced late on November 2 from, among others, the

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with a pitch, forcing Justin Turner home from third. Ross left the game with the Dodgers leading 4–2, having thrown 55 pitches in

833:

led off with another home run off Teheran, but once again, the Braves came back in the bottom of the same inning as third baseman

27599: 26431: 25969:

Payne, Marissa, "Adam LaRoche and his son are throwing out the first pitch at Nats' Game 2," washingtonpost.com, October 5, 2016.

25947:

Fendrich, Howard, "Kershaw, Seager, Turner lead LA past Nats 4-3 in NLDS opener," washingtonpost.com, October 7, 2016, 11:12 p.m.

24553: 20216: 25376: 23596: 23111:

Wagner, James, "Bryce Harper's two-run HR powers Nationals past Marlins, 5-3," washingtonpost.com, May 13, 2016, 11:07 p.m. EDT.

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The Nationals drew 2,481,938 fans at Nationals Park during 2016, their fifth-highest attendance since arriving in Washington in

27003: 26174:

Kilgore, Adam, "The Nationals' season, and maybe their reputation, comes down to Game 5," washingtonpost.com, October 12, 2016.

25811: 25151: 23944: 22317: 20820: 13333: 12929: 12556: 12175: 11764: 3061:

The Nationals finished the month leading the National League East by six games over the Mets and six and a half games over the

2684:, another off-season pickup, being placed on the disabled list after straining his calf while pitching on April 26. Outfielder 825:

in the top of the first inning, but the Braves quickly answered with a solo home run of their own off the bat of first baseman

785:. Including these two games, the Nationals completed their spring training schedule with a major-league-best record of 19–4–4. 24035: 23210:

Brewer, Jerry, "Believe in Dusty Baker because he believes in the Nationals," washingtonpost.com, May 29, 2016, 6:53 p.m. EDT.

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finalist. In the second half of the season, he had a batting average of .291 and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .866.

20241:(WAR). He led all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts with 284, a Washington Nationals single-season record, as well as in 13343: 12939: 12566: 12185: 11774: 3199:, on July 27. Also during the series in Cleveland, Zimmerman was activated from the disabled list on July 26, with outfielder 2590:, who hit 10 apiece. He also chalked up his first career pinch-hit home run, a game-tying solo blast in the ninth inning, off 287:

and his entire coaching staff were dismissed. Some coaches were offered other positions in the organization, with bench coach

28229: 27609: 27466: 27188: 27020: 26269:

Castillo, Jorge, "Daniel Murphy, Wilson Ramos win Silver Slugger Awards," washingtonpost.com, November 10, 2016, 6:43 PM EST.

26253:

Castillo, Jorge, "Daniel Murphy, Wilson Ramos win Silver Slugger Awards," washingtonpost.com, November 10, 2016, 6:43 PM EST.

26241: 25958:

Zuckerman, Mark, "NLDS Game 2 postponed until Sunday at 1:08 p.m. (updated)," masnsports.com, October 8, 2016, 3:48 p.m. EDT.

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Stephen Strasburg was selected as a pitcher. It was his second all-star selection, the first having been in 2012. On July 8,

12376:

came to bat with a 7–3 lead, many Dodger fans were leaving the stadium; Heisey capped the inning by scoring Zimmerman with a

11975:

combined to give up only three walks (all by Rzepczynski) and one hit (a single yielded by Melancon) in the game's remaining

3518:

was designated for assignment and outrighted to Syracuse after clearing waivers. The Nationals also called up Chiefs pitcher

3474:

posted a .357 batting average and .571 slugging percentage for the month of August, he was named the NL Rookie of the Month.

2981:

was credited with a win to go 10–0 on the season. He became the first National League pitcher to open a season at 10–0 since

2645:

on April 24, after tying the game in the 15th with a bunt that was mishandled for a two-base throwing error by Twins catcher

1621: 467: 26301:

Janes, Chelsea, "Nationals' Max Scherzer wins 2016 NL Cy Young Award," washingtonpost.com, November 16, 2016, 8:29 p.m. EST.

25504: 24966: 23861:

Eisenhauer, Mark, "Reynaldo Lopez's major league debut has a rocky start, solid ending," washingtontimes.com, July 19, 2016.

22880:

Svrluga, Barry, "A feat rarer than a perfect game: The five times pitchers struck out 20," washingtonpost.com, May 12, 2016.

20074:

explained that Strasburg, in consultation with the Nationals, had decided not to pitch because he recently had come off the

12301:

immediately took González out of the game, and, for the second consecutive game, Nationals relievers had to pitch the final

3050:

The June 28 win over the Mets was part of a string of five wins to end the Nationals' month. On June 30, Washington starter

28166: 27614: 27589: 27066: 27061: 26286: 25837: 24802: 23412:

Matz, Eddie, "Nationals' Stephen Strasburg goes totally '80s, improves to 10-0," espn.go.com, June 11, 2016, 1:31 a.m. EDT.

23085:

Svrluga, Barry, "A feat rarer than a perfect game: The five times pitchers struck out 20," washingtonpost.com, May 12, 2016

22935:

Svrluga, Barry, "Special K's: Max Scherzer's 20-strikeout night is an ode to efficiency," washingtonpost.com, May 11, 2016.

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since the franchise relocated to Washington in 2005; previously, the record for Nationals in an all-star game was four, in

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91 years earlier on October 10, 1925. It also was the Nationals' first postseason victory at home since a 2–1 win over the

12012:

until Lobatón's homer in the third inning, they had gone only 3-for-35 in the postseason with runners in scoring position.

12009: 11612: 11490: 11197: 3327:

returned to the disabled list on August 6, having missed several games after being hit by a pitch on the wrist. Outfielder

3200: 2971: 1320: 1220: 1025: 857: 263: 203: 26373:

Janes, Chelsea, "Anthony Rendon named National League Comeback Player of the Year," washingtonpost.com, November 29, 2016.

24541:

Janes Chelsea, "Nationals' Gio González takes it to 100 wins in beating the Rockies," washingtonpost.com, August 26, 2016.

23081:

Svrluga, Barry, "Special K's: Max Scherzer's 20-strikeout night is an ode to efficiency," washingtonpost.com, May 11, 2016

22866:

Janes, Chelsea, "Max Scherzer matches MLB record with 20 strikeouts in win over Tigers," washingtonpost.com, May 11, 2016.

22818: 22227: 21856: 21018: 11537:

exchanged lineup cards before the game, it became the first postseason game in Major League Baseball history in which two

3367:

on the disabled list during the month. Solis was placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation on August 17, and

27904: 27572: 27084: 27079: 25687: 24920: 24450: 20003: 3608:

went 1-for-2 with a walk, thereby recording at least one hit in every game he played against the team he was with during

3438:

with a pitch, after which he was lifted from the game. The Nationals won the August 26 game 8–5, giving starting pitcher

26394: 24496: 23836: 23744: 3311:

scored at least one run, in a 19-hit effort for the visitors, who defeated the Diamondbacks 14–1. Newly acquired closer

2614: 729:

held a groundbreaking ceremony for The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a new spring training facility they would share in

27998: 27654: 27506: 26138:

Lee, Forrest, "Los Angeles Dodgers edge Washington Nationals, send NLDS to Game 5," upi.com, October 12, 2016, 2:25 AM.

24244: 24058: 23341: 21572: 20242: 20032:

Daniel Murphy was selected as a reserve second baseman. It was his second all-star selection, the first having been in

8267: 3918: 3557:, dropping the next two games, but in the first game of their next homestand on September 5, they eliminated the rival 173: 13073:

singled to drive in Murphy. But they missed scoring opportunities that followed. In the third inning, center fielder

3604:. In the Nationals' final game of the season against their New York rivals on September 14, a 1–0 win, second baseman 27954: 27537: 27357: 27204: 26996: 26976: 26861: 26853: 26834: 26826: 26818: 26695: 26604: 26580: 26553: 26545: 26537: 25549: 22188: 20708: 20535: 20294: 20255: 20251: 20209: 13101:

ill-advisedly sent Werth home as he rounded third; the Dodgers cut Werth down at the plate easily to end the inning.

12633:

pitch again on only three days' rest. In the top of the first inning, the Nationals pressed him, with center fielder

11916:

innings, and Los Angeles held a 2–0 lead in the bottom of the third when Lobatón came to bat again with two outs and

10281: 10237: 10198: 10156: 9813: 9768: 9728: 9324: 9036: 6782: 6743: 6699: 6409: 6323: 6278: 4943: 4901: 4859: 4527: 4487: 4447: 4335: 3713:

Nationals pitchers grabbed much of the attention as the season came to an end. On October 1, rookie starting pitcher

3592:

posted his first multi-homer game, hitting a two-run shot followed by a solo home run to walk off the division rival

3039:, pitching four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit before a rainstorm delayed the game and prompted manager 2203: 1509: 1157: 24: 23122:

Wagner, James, "Nationals pick up GM Mike Rizzo's two-year option," washingtonpost.com, May 14, 2016, 6:37 p.m. EDT.

22841: 22075:

Dorsey, David, "Washington Nationals heading to West Palm Beach", news-press.com, February 12, 2015, 12:37 a.m. EST.

3970:

on September 6. Their average home attendance was 30,641 per game, fifth-highest since their arrival in Washington.

3117:

Pitching in his second start since returning from the disabled list on July 8, Strasburg picked up the win over the

28204: 28199: 28194: 28189: 28184: 28163: 28156: 28150: 28137: 28131: 28125: 28119: 28113: 28108: 28092: 28087: 28082: 28077: 28072: 27949: 27888: 27878: 27873: 27685: 27456: 27434: 27414: 27181: 27157: 26909: 26885: 26869: 26287:

Axisa, Mike, "MLB Awards: Nationals' Max Scherzer named 2016 NL Cy Young winner," cbssports.com, November 16, 2016.

23923:"On The Ramifications Of Not Turning Two, Strasburg Outduels Carrasco, Some Rare Left-Handed Relief, Lucroy Rumors" 23064: 23034: 22988: 22946: 22510: 20700: 20688: 20684: 20680: 20676: 20368: 20349: 20333: 20100: 20056: 20007: 12698:

The Nationals bullpen faced another long outing. They stretched their streak of scoreless innings in the series to

12380:

to make the score 8–3. Nationals closer Mark Melancon then pitched a perfect ninth to seal the victory, completing

11952: 11948: 10955: 10913: 10869: 10830: 10425: 8884: 8845: 8806: 8767: 8727: 8687: 8598: 8555: 8510: 8465: 3955: 3938: 3733:

earned his 20th win, although he gave up five runs in a seesaw 10–7 victory over the Marlins; he also notched four

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on April 19, amid a stretch in which the Nationals homered four times in one inning, another all-time high for the

2368: 1708: 1528: 1395: 746: 391: 280: 209: 197: 20753:

Axisa, Mike, "MLB Awards: Nationals' Max Scherzer named 2016 NL Cy Young winner," cbssports.com, November 16, 2016

20316:

at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016, noting that during the game he gave up two runs on six hits and walked no one.

3636:

Injuries put holes in the Nationals' starting lineup in the games after they clinched the division. Right fielder

3399:. During the streak, he tallied 43 hits and 32 walks. In another milestone for a Nationals player, second baseman 3129:

in 1912 to go 12–0 to start the season. The Nationals took three games out of four from the Mets in the series at

27424: 27398: 27147: 26636: 26620: 26596: 25736: 25134: 25118:

MLB Statistics, "Hits in every game vs a team in a season since 1960 (min 19 G)," twitter.com, September 14, 2016

23046: 23000: 22760:

Fendrich, Howard, "Strasburg's 2012 shutdown helped lead to $ 175M, 7-year deal," Associated Press, May 10, 2016.

20793: 20789: 20337: 20138: 13023: 12028: 12016: 11530: 11441: 11399: 11359: 11314: 11293: 11251: 11203: 8217: 8178: 8139: 7683: 7206: 7163: 7120: 6238: 6199: 6160: 6116: 5117: 5031: 4986: 3426:. The two teams announced the deal on August 25. Rzepczynski made his Nationals debut on August 26, striking out 2842: 2775: 2423: 1983: 1414: 1299: 1018: 259: 25554:

Zuckerman, Mark, "With 20th win in the books, Scherzer now looks to postseason," masnsports.com, October 2, 2016

24628: 24520:"Washington Nationals 8-5 over Colorado Rockies: Trea Turner, Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy lead Nats' offense" 2578:'s career. In total, Harper cracked nine home runs in April, tied for second-most in the National League behind 27798: 27743: 27393: 27305: 27279: 26687: 26679: 26671: 26561: 26529: 26521: 26505: 26497: 26489: 20434: 13155:

Washington mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, when Espinosa led off with a walk and pinch-hitter

12020: 10786: 10746: 10703: 8097: 8058: 8019: 7008: 5242: 5202: 5157: 3922: 3268:

had agreed to cede ninth-inning duties to Melancon and take up a different role out of the Nationals' bullpen.

2258: 1452: 24200:"The Nats-DBacks at Chase Field has never had one team sweep the other, so the Nats hope to change that today" 22385: 21258: 11544:

The game was billed as a marquee match-up between two of the best starting pitchers in Major League Baseball,

27634: 27499: 27388: 27310: 27269: 27264: 27248: 27228: 27123: 27113: 27103: 23025: 23004: 20777: 20732: 20728: 20644: 20624: 20523: 10628: 9565: 9526: 9484: 9441: 8970: 8928: 8420: 8380: 7790: 7748: 7706: 7332: 7289: 7246: 6657: 6617: 6577: 5922: 5711: 4578: 3625: 2093: 1490: 541: 284: 25407: 21902: 11571:

with an RBI single, Scherzer gave up his 33rd home run of the year, a two-run shot to Dodgers third baseman

2781:

In the ninth inning of the May 9 game, which the Nationals won 5–4, Harper was ejected by home plate umpire

28018: 27429: 27419: 27315: 27238: 23076: 23038: 22899: 22050:"Doris, Tony, "New first name for Ballpark of the Palm Beaches: Fitteam," February 16, 2018, 3:35 p.m. EST" 20740: 20668: 20632: 20261:

Scherzer's award was the second Cy Young won by a Montreal-Washington franchise player and the first since

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Casaletto, Lucas, "Werth ties franchise record with 46-game on-base streak," thescore.com, August 18, 2016

20417: 20133:. Murphy hit 25 home runs and had 104 runs batted in and a .390 on-base percentage. During the seven-game 13049:

finally singled. The Dodgers loaded the bases with two more singles, but Scherzer struck out pinch hitter

6665: 3462:

in the National League East, boasting a 78–55 win–loss record: the second-best in the NL, behind only the

27977: 27383: 27284: 26335: 22992: 21993: 21812: 20615:

The previous pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both the National League and the American League were

20204:. He became only the sixth pitcher in history to win the award in each league, and the first to so since 20066:

announced that Strasburg would not be available to pitch in the all-star game. Nationals general manager

10086: 9409: 7667: 7625: 7583: 7498: 6532: 6489: 6449: 4817: 4773: 4734: 1873: 1585: 782: 603:

were designated for assignment to clear space for Murphy and Drew on the 40-man roster and outrighted to

130: 24427:

Werth tied the Montreal-Washington franchise record of 46 consecutive games reaching base safely set by

20780:. The single-season strikeout record for any Washington, D.C., Major League Baseball pitcher was 313 by 3600:

to hit a home run, contributing in an 8–1 victory over New York with his solo home run off Mets starter

3588:, putting the Nationals on top in a game they went on to win 9–7. On September 9, rookie center fielder 2845:– the only Tiger who made a plate appearance that he did not strike out during the game – he struck out 2806: 27342: 27300: 27274: 27243: 27233: 27133: 27108: 26968: 26960: 26952: 26944: 26925: 26917: 26877: 26802: 26794: 26786: 26778: 26770: 26762: 26743: 26735: 26727: 26719: 26711: 26588: 25881: 25113: 24473: 24432: 23072: 23021: 22963: 22919: 22907: 22903: 22895: 20748: 20724: 20720: 20716: 20656: 20652: 20599: 20574: 20313: 20266: 20246: 20201: 20163:

On November 10, 2016, it was announced that Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos had won the National League

20096: 20092: 17768: 13031: 10534: 10494: 10454: 10114: 10070: 10031: 9398: 9353: 9308: 9268: 9100: 9056: 9014: 8436: 6679: 5531: 5489: 5450: 4407: 4363: 4319: 4275: 4124: 4076: 3967: 3658: 3352:, who temporarily replaced Papelbon on the roster, earned his first major league win that day over the 3122: 2986: 2951: 2551: 2547: 1763: 1547: 1182: 770: 765: 103: 40: 23222: 13085:

to line out to end the inning without driving either of them in. In the fifth inning, Dodgers pitcher

11863:

hit a first-inning solo home run in the Dodgers' second at-bat of the game; and the Dodgers' starter,

6168: 5047: 2554:

MVP Bryce Harper hit his 100th career home run, also his first career grand slam, off Atlanta pitcher

2546:

in two series of six games total while riding out to a 9–1 win–loss mark, surpassing the start to the

359:. From the group, Baker and Black emerged as finalists and received second interviews. On October 28, 27352: 27347: 27320: 27152: 27118: 26893: 26810: 26644: 26628: 26513: 26470: 24012: 22950: 20353: 20269:

It was the first Cy Young ever won by a player for any Washington, D.C., Major League Baseball team.

20037: 18751: 15668: 13836: 13498: 13168: 13164: 12394:

scoreless innings by the Nationals' bullpen; in the series thus far, Nationals relievers had pitched

12262:– who had a set a goal for himself of pitching late into the game - walked Los Angeles third baseman 11890:

made a good throw to the plate from right field, but Lobatón was unable to tag Dodgers third baseman

11608: 11534: 11131: 11087: 10999: 10663: 10620: 10577: 10409: 10364: 10341: 10325: 9992: 9949: 9904: 8703: 7963: 7923: 7878: 7835: 7454: 7415: 7376: 6074: 6035: 5996: 5957: 5914: 5869: 5829: 5789: 5746: 5703: 5664: 5617: 5570: 4695: 4650: 4610: 4570: 4231: 4210: 4168: 3943: 3640:

was injured in a September 25 game against the Pirates, jamming his thumb when Pirates third baseman

3629:

performance. The Nationals finally clinched the division title on September 24, as they defeated the

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to go to the bullpen when play resumed. The Nationals shut out the Mets 5–0, with the win awarded to

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for his 16th strikeout, set a new personal record in the next at-bat when he struck out pinch-hitter

2790: 2789:. Harper, clearly incensed by the ejection, ran onto the field with his teammates after pinch-hitter 2785:

after Knight took umbrage with the Nationals dugout's reaction to a called strike three on shortstop

2148: 2038: 1433: 1376: 1132: 1107: 22555: 13042:

had started three postseason elimination games in a row for his previous teams, all of them losses.

13030:, the Montreal-Washington franchise had won only one playoff series in its history (in 1981, as the 11871:

had in Game 1. The Nationals, meanwhile, again missed a chance at a big inning when reserve catcher

11859:

remained sidelined with an injury – struggled; for the second game in a row, Los Angeles shortstop

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to head into the All-Star Break with a 54–36 record and a six-game lead over both the Mets and the

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picked up the win in the Nationals' longest-ever regular season game, a 16-inning matchup with the

1818: 1267: 953: 830: 730: 679:

On March 29, 2016, the Nationals selected the contract of minor league right-handed relief pitcher

588: 455: 10253: 3741:

finished his year with 47 saves, the second-highest season total of his career. Catching prospect

2838:

to set a new Montreal-Washington franchise record with 19 strikeouts. After giving up a single to

27748: 27733: 24653: 24336:"Washington Nationals 7-6 over Atlanta Braves: Reynaldo Lopez leads Nats, earns first MLB win..." 20540: 17987: 12623: 12248: 10642: 7254: 7214: 4176: 3812: 3661:

in his right knee for the second time after making a leaping catch on a relay from first baseman

3251: 2598:

on April 24. Harper was named the NL Player of the Month, the second time he received the honor.

633: 20590:

The only previous postseason home run by a catcher for the Montreal-Washington franchise was by

3076:

was reactivated from the disabled list minutes before gametime on July 3 and proceeded to pitch

27706: 26361: 25568:"Washington Nationals 10-7 over Miami Marlins: Max Scherzer wins 20th in regular season finale" 25117: 23365:"Washington Nationals 1, Chicago White Sox 3: Gio's shaky first costs Nats in low-offense game" 20238: 13129: 12695:

innings, giving up four runs, all earned, on three hits and two walks, and striking out three.

12594: 12294: 10297: 9829: 6963: 6425: 5373: 4789: 661: 600: 478:

The Nationals bid for contracts with multiple top free agents during the off-season, including

24385:"Washington Nationals blow lead, but beat Atlanta Braves, 7-6 on Clint Robinson single in 9th" 23618: 22362: 20258:

seasons, Scherzer was first among Major League Baseball pitchers in both wins and strikeouts.

2633:

since Ross exited the game early due to a finger blister—and Strasburg earning four. Reliever

27937: 27771: 25276:"Nationals' A. J. Cole suspended for five games by MLB for throwing at Pirates' Jung Ho Kang" 22996: 22624:"Sammy Solis called up as Matt Belisle lands on the DL; Ben Revere could return next weekend" 20704: 20476: 20380: 20364: 20121: 20063: 10971: 8743: 8388: 3772: 3678: 3593: 3561:, in last place in the National League East, from division contention by defeating them 6–4. 3447: 3348:(whom Melancon had replaced as the team's closer) from his contract. Rookie starting pitcher 3021: 2943: 2934:

The Nationals started the month strong, despite losing two out of three in a series with the

2877: 2810: 2618: 596: 336: 235: 108: 24199: 23768:"Washington Nationals 3-2 over New York Mets: Nats end first-half with three straight in NY" 3745:, meanwhile, made his major league debut on October 2, drawing a walk from Marlins reliever 3307:

on August 1. All nine Nationals starters had at least one hit, and all but starting pitcher

27522: 26454: 26326:"Footer, Alyson, "Grand finale: MLB Awards put cap on season," mlb.com, November 1−8, 2016" 24290:"Washington Nationals 1-0 over San Francisco Giants: Tanner Roark leads Nats to series win" 23840: 20672: 20513: 20486: 20412: 20164: 13149: 13002: 12969: 12670: 12654: 11514: 11007: 3650: 3333: 3296: 3232: 2700: 799: 340: 332: 255: 239: 227: 50: 26418: 26385:"Newman, Mark, "Call it a comeback: Porcello, Rendon honored," mlb.com, November 29, 2016" 22143: 16339: 14071: 3620:

beginning September 8, and lost back-to-back series against the division rival Braves and

8: 27931: 27925: 27679: 25097: 22244: 22017:"Washington Nationals release Sean Burnett, Reed Johnson in final preseason roster moves" 20466: 20429: 20424: 20402: 20289: 19694: 18800: 17357: 15717: 13700: 13434: 13058: 13045:

Scherzer held the Dodgers hitless until the fifth inning, when Los Angeles right fielder

12646: 12190: 11895: 11864: 11583: 11330: 10552: 7385: 7001: 6332: 6125: 5929: 5718: 5504: 5297: 5040: 4456: 4240: 3570: 3527: 3396: 3260: 3183:, a relief pitcher drafted in 2015 who had been promoted all the way up to the Class-AAA 3149: 3145: 3103: 3009: 3005: 2771: 2755: 2720: 2697: 2622: 2601:

Washington's pitching staff performed well over the course of the month, behind only the

2550:

for the franchise best over the first 10 games of the season. Right fielder and reigning

761: 361: 324: 26988: 23574:"Stephen Strasburg pulled in the middle of a no-hit bid in his first start back from DL" 23313:"Nationals' closer Jonathan Papelbon bends again... but doesn't break in Nats' 10-9 win" 22650:"Philadelphia Phillies sweep Washington Nationals with 3-0 win in series finale in D.C." 21358:"Nationals outright David Carpenter off 40-Man roster, Carpenter elects for free agency" 3283:

received his second NL Player of the Month award of the season for hitting .372 with 26

872:

pitched around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings.

840:

The deadlock held until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Washington relief pitcher

27728: 25894: 25015: 21116:"Dusty Baker keeps Bob Henley as Nationals' third base coach (with Logan Schafer note)" 20029:. It was his third all-star start and the third time he had been voted in as a starter. 17908: 5387: 5344: 4095: 3864: 3816: 3797: 3630: 3451: 3295:

The Nationals set a year-to-date team record for hits and runs scored in a rout of the

3243: 2763: 2606: 1364: 1260: 1060: 115: 96: 24944:"Joe Ross returns to the Nationals' rotation: "He looked very good. He looked sharp."" 5173: 479: 258:

title for the third time in five years, posting a 95–67 record, and were upset by the

27841: 27471: 27031: 25640:"Nationals sign Steve Lombardozzi, send him to minors after independent league stint" 25384: 25109: 23809: 22962:

The previous Montreal-Washington franchise record of 18 strikeouts was set by rookie

22121:"Washington Nationals 4-3 over Atlanta Braves on RBI double by Daniel Murphy in 10th" 20696: 20620: 20566: 20518: 20491: 20451: 19981: 19590: 18604: 18408: 17943: 17565: 17149: 17097: 15962: 15325: 15276: 15031: 13765: 13732: 13676: 13668: 13504: 13468: 13446: 13145: 13027: 13006: 12990: 12789:

combined to hit 11 batters with pitches in the course of a single postseason series.

12615: 12334: 12240: 12219: 12024: 11968: 11872: 11856: 11841: 11829: 11552:

for the Nationals, but neither starter was particularly sharp. with Nationals rookie

11518: 11502: 9240: 9029: 8900: 8860: 8696: 8429: 8395: 8355: 8317: 8310: 8232: 8115: 8035: 8028: 7986: 7901: 7887: 7850: 7813: 7676: 7424: 7045: 6791: 6722: 6715: 6708: 6555: 6301: 6247: 6139: 6044: 5892: 5838: 5640: 5626: 5593: 5547: 5251: 5217: 5180: 5009: 4995: 4909: 4874: 4867: 4829: 4796: 4673: 4619: 4545: 4463: 4416: 4386: 4298: 4254: 4147: 4133: 4102: 3849: 3827: 3765: 3565: 3415: 3408: 3364: 3345: 3308: 3265: 3216: 3196: 3192: 3176: 3121:

in a 3–1 game to improve to 12–0 heading into the All-Star Break, becoming the first

3073: 3044: 3013: 2978: 2947: 2747: 2661: 2657: 2634: 2626: 2610: 1647: 884: 615: 552: 463: 25250:"Nationals clinch third NL East title with win over Pirates, Mets' loss to Phillies" 22695:"Washington Nationals sweep three-game set in St. Louis with 6-1 win over Cardinals" 20769: 20636: 20262: 20078:

after a back injury. Strasburg traveled to the game and participated in festivities.

19486: 18457: 17253: 16941: 15570: 13748: 13644: 13454: 12713: 11882:

The Dodgers added another run in the third inning on an RBI single by right fielder

11563:, on his sixth pitch of the game. In the third inning, after Dodgers second baseman 10964: 10802: 10755: 10334: 10007: 9581: 9499: 9277: 9065: 8154: 7052: 6504: 4958: 4342: 3905: 3808: 3585: 3573:

also returned from the disabled list to make a start on September 18, with prospect

3519: 3349: 3247: 3141: 841: 27716: 27553: 25133:

prior to the divisional era—Brock hit in 17 straight games against the Cubs during

23068: 21335:"Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann reject Nationals' qualifying offers as expected" 20736: 20664: 20628: 20446: 19746: 18849: 17409: 15766: 13708: 13418: 13348: 13241: 13109: 12837: 12464: 12083: 11956: 11672: 11538: 11456: 9920: 9022: 8620: 8577: 7894: 7514: 7392: 6457: 5754: 5586: 3853: 3702: 3554: 3542: 3435: 3431: 3419: 3317: 3304: 3272: 3236: 3001: 2892: 2646: 2579: 435: 308: 70: 25019: 23162: 21404:"Rizzo disappointed Heyward passed on offer, talks Escobar trade and adding depth" 21019:"Dusty Baker Named Washington Nationals Manager After They Cheap Out On Bud Black" 6798: 6004: 5805: 4965: 4923: 4881: 4538: 4423: 2555: 822: 390:

was hired back to his former position as first base coach – a position he held in

27822: 27722: 27711: 27480: 27094: 26423: 24852:"Washington Nationals 4-1 over New York Mets: A. J. Cole impresses in Citi Field" 24154:"Washington Nationals 14-1 over Arizona Diamondbacks: Stephen Strasburg now 15-1" 23246:"Nationals' 2B Daniel Murphy ties franchise record for hits in a single month..." 23042: 22967: 22088:"Nationals finish spring with the best Grapefruit League record. Will it matter?" 20471: 20456: 20407: 20084: 17953: 17938: 17893: 14933: 14296: 13932: 13861: 13358: 13353: 13177: 13113: 12949: 12630: 12195: 11868: 11784: 11769: 11579: 11545: 11463: 11259: 10885: 10585: 10502: 9957: 8822: 8526: 8225: 7770: 7728: 7311: 7268: 7128: 7099: 6207: 5885: 5672: 5633: 5210: 3934: 3930: 3899: 3838: 3801: 3746: 3742: 3729:

and the Marlins 2–1. On October 2, the last day of the regular season, staff ace

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faked a tag that prompted him to make a late slide into third. Nationals manager

3515: 3483: 3404: 3381: 3372: 3184: 3091: 2935: 2693: 2685: 2638: 2591: 1359: 1255: 1055: 826: 697:

On April 1, 2016, the Nationals selected the contract of minor league outfielder

665: 604: 581: 487: 316: 300: 153: 25129:

Murphy's 19-game hitting streak against the Mets also surpassed the mark set by

25010: 22412:"Jonathan Papelbon's suspension just another plot twist in bullpen reality show" 20844:"Randy Knorr, Bobby Henley and Matt LeCroy stay with the Nationals in new roles" 19382: 18212: 17898: 16681: 14590: 13604: 13450: 12259: 10931: 10509: 10290: 9822: 9613: 8979: 8815: 8613: 8187: 7972: 7763: 7507: 7304: 7092: 6672: 6464: 6294: 6214: 6011: 5798: 5166: 4951: 4916: 4743: 3439: 3051: 28033: 28023: 27815: 27793: 27660: 27577: 26124:

Boswell, Thomas, "With Bullpen and Balance, Nats HAve Reason To Be Confident,"

25105: 23810:

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals – Box Score – July 19, 2016 – ESPN

21717:"Washington Nationals outright Erik Davis and Taylor Hill to Triple-A Syracuse" 21497: 21286:"Does Dave Martinez have a better shot at Nats' skipper spot this time around?" 20781: 20773: 20768:

The Montreal-Washington franchise record for strikeouts in a season was 305 by

20744: 20648: 20640: 20595: 20570: 20545: 20439: 20325: 20220: 20197: 20088: 19241: 18947: 18653: 18163: 17878: 17828: 17818: 17813: 17798: 17201: 16207: 15864: 15472: 15374: 15080: 14443: 13844: 13828: 13812: 13781: 13684: 13490: 13478: 13474: 13464: 13236: 13231: 13121: 13082: 13070: 13066: 12994: 12832: 12827: 12718: 12649:, however, had a rough first inning himself, hitting Los Angeles third baseman 12619: 12584: 12459: 12454: 12369: 12286: 12244: 12078: 12073: 11921: 11833: 11667: 11662: 11587: 11553: 11506: 10721: 10375: 10214: 9971: 9784: 9661: 9369: 9200: 9116: 8570: 8281: 8108: 7857: 7602: 7595: 7135: 7015: 6916: 6837: 6497: 6096: 5768: 5497: 5290: 4836: 4659: 3959: 3917:

In 2015, the Nationals had entered a three-year marketing partnership with the

3734: 3682: 3662: 3624:

on the road. In the latter series, on September 20, the team faced Marlins ace

3581: 3558: 3499: 3392: 3353: 3337: 3324: 3284: 3224: 3203:

being optioned to Syracuse to make room for him on the roster, while infielder

3153: 3107: 3055: 3036: 2967: 2912: 2896: 2835: 2828: 2814: 2813:

for his 17th, and in the at-bat after that he ended the inning by striking out

2802:

Nationals Park record for strikeouts in single game when he struck out Detroit

2786: 2751: 2669: 2642: 2630: 2575: 2567: 2563: 2543: 1354: 1250: 1050: 983: 943: 923: 880: 876: 849: 807: 774: 757: 742: 726: 702: 691: 687: 669: 647: 626: 563: 526: 415: 407: 320: 247: 243: 179: 60: 25101: 24082:"Jonathan Papelbon says he's on board with Nationals' trade for Mark Melancon" 23900:"Stephen Strasburg's 16-game win streak snapped by Dodgers in Nationals' loss" 22945:

Scherzer previously had struck out 17 batters in pitching a no-hitter for the

21381:"Nationals avoid arbitration with Moore, Lobaton (Stammen is lone non-tender)" 13338: 13086: 12726: 11449: 3929:

ornament each year also would appear that season as a Racing President in the

28223: 27777: 25429: 24705: 24603:"Errors, tired bullpen catch up to Nationals in series finale against Braves" 23521: 23289: 22984: 22891: 21763:"Bronson Arroyo to Nationals: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction" 20712: 20660: 20616: 20530: 20508: 20205: 20075: 19902: 19538: 19094: 18506: 17617: 17045: 16993: 16577: 16060: 15178: 15129: 14492: 13740: 13660: 13652: 13588: 13442: 13438: 13172: 13141: 13133: 13117: 13005:

had missed the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in Game 1 when

12954: 12944: 12750: 12734: 12725:

then hit Werth with a pitch to force Espinosa home, and Los Angeles reliever

12665: 12650: 12377: 12360: 12263: 12200: 12180: 11972: 11964: 11891: 11806: 11789: 11616: 11591: 11572: 11421: 11414: 11337: 11323: 11273: 11154: 11110: 10978: 10924: 10892: 10809: 10432: 10389: 10382: 10304: 10260: 10207: 10178: 10093: 9927: 9791: 9744: 9707: 9700: 9492: 9376: 9331: 9163: 9079: 8993: 8907: 8443: 8239: 7939: 7843: 7714: 7470: 7185: 7171: 7142: 7085: 6923: 6873: 6586: 6511: 6254: 5579: 5426: 4328: 4088: 3881: 3868: 3860: 3820: 3783: 3738: 3694: 3621: 3574: 3546: 3523: 3495: 3459: 3455: 3427: 3312: 3276: 3255: 3134: 3126: 3118: 3062: 3032: 3028: 2904: 2884: 2839: 2832: 2825: 2736: 2708: 2587: 2559: 1075: 1070: 869: 834: 686:

On March 30, 2016, the Nationals released and resigned right-handed pitchers

654: 537: 519: 483: 472: 427: 149: 24358:"Sammy Solis to disabled list, Koda Glover recalled by Washington Nationals" 3106:

on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation on July 3 and first baseman

28038: 25093: 24629:"Rockies beat Nationals 5-3, taking another series from a first-place team" 24407:"Nats place Stephen Strasburg on DL with elbow injury: Five things to know" 23874:"Three up, three down: Koda Glover works quickly in his major league debut" 23037:

threw 96 strikes in 148 pitches (64.9% strikes) in a no-hitter against the

23030: 22602:"Ben Revere lands on the DL with oblique strain; Matt den Dekker called up" 22341:"Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper named NL Player of the Month for April" 21547:"Angels acquire Nationals infielder Yunel Escobar for reliever Trevor Gott" 20895:"Nationals expected to bring in Bud Black, Dusty Baker for more interviews" 20692: 20360: 20279: 20193: 20156: 20052: 19987: 19975: 19963: 19798: 19642: 19434: 19192: 18898: 18702: 18359: 18310: 18261: 18114: 17958: 17928: 17913: 17883: 17461: 17305: 16837: 16473: 16421: 16158: 15815: 15619: 15423: 14884: 14835: 14786: 14394: 14198: 14149: 14030: 13986: 13917: 13885: 13877: 13804: 13773: 13716: 13692: 13628: 13572: 13564: 13520: 13516: 13512: 13486: 13458: 13426: 13422: 13377: 13371: 13160: 13156: 13137: 13105: 13094: 13093:

but then picked him off first. And in the sixth inning, after left fielder

13090: 13050: 13046: 13039: 12742: 12738: 12678: 12674: 12661: 12638: 12588: 12373: 12338: 12285:

then singled, scoring Werth to give the Nats a 2–1 lead, and third baseman

12282: 12278: 12267: 12213: 11930: 11887: 11883: 11876: 11860: 11852: 11845: 11802: 11779: 11620: 11599: 11568: 11560: 11549: 11526: 11266: 11147: 11140: 11103: 11096: 10878: 10845: 10795: 10714: 10672: 10635: 10463: 10418: 10246: 10040: 9964: 9836: 9777: 9737: 9620: 9574: 9541: 9506: 9463: 9416: 9362: 9156: 9109: 8943: 8936: 8893: 8776: 8736: 8533: 8519: 8488: 8481: 8474: 8348: 8274: 8147: 8067: 7932: 7799: 7721: 7477: 7463: 7355: 7348: 7341: 7261: 7221: 7178: 6970: 6956: 6844: 6830: 6752: 6626: 6418: 6287: 6175: 6089: 5966: 5878: 5761: 5679: 5540: 5459: 5337: 5126: 4782: 4710: 4666: 4585: 4496: 4372: 4284: 4183: 3834: 3730: 3726: 3722: 3654: 3641: 3637: 3617: 3507: 3463: 3388: 3215:, a Senators infielder, the following day. The Nationals also lost catcher 3204: 3110:

on the disabled list on July 8 with a ribcage strain. Infielder/outfielder

3099:

Nationals hit six home runs in the game, their highest mark of the season.

2990: 2963: 2959: 2955: 2865: 2861: 2849: 2846: 2798: 2782: 2740: 2728: 2724: 2681: 2665: 2650: 2602: 2595: 2583: 2571: 1369: 1065: 993: 973: 963: 933: 865: 853: 845: 829:

in the bottom of the first. In the fourth inning, Nationals second baseman

818: 811: 803: 738: 713: 709: 698: 680: 673: 640: 592: 574: 556: 530: 512: 508: 491: 447: 431: 411: 403: 183: 27173: 24898:"Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg Exits Start Early Against Braves" 23425:"For Nats, nothing like a brutal road trip to find out who you really are" 20040:. He narrowly missed being voted in as a starter, losing in fan voting to 11611:

doubled in the first postseason plate appearance of his career and speedy

10762: 3054:

snapped a streak of six losing decisions with a 13–4 win over the Reds at

879:

reached and took second base on a throwing error by Braves second baseman

27765: 25325:"Sammy Solis off the disabled list and ready for Nationals' playoff push" 25201:"RELIEVER MATT BELISLE SOUNDS LIKE SAFE BET FOR NATIONALS PLAYOFF ROSTER" 24428: 21427:"Sources: After missing out on Upton, Nationals pursuing Yoenis Cespedes" 21237:"Which Washington Nationals free agents will receive a qualifying offer?" 20591: 20126: 20071: 20041: 19850: 19143: 18996: 18065: 17848: 17843: 17513: 16733: 16629: 16109: 15913: 14688: 14541: 14345: 14008: 13997: 13949: 13909: 13796: 13724: 13612: 13596: 13508: 13482: 13430: 13181: 13144:

that scored Kendrck and Ruiz to give Los Angeles a 4–1 lead; and finally

13125: 13098: 13078: 13074: 13054: 13035: 13022:. A Washington, D.C., MLB team had not won a postseason series since the 12934: 12746: 12634: 12571: 12561: 12316: 12298: 12274: 12255: 11960: 11879:, hit into a double play with the bases loaded to end the second inning. 11595: 11564: 11407: 11375: 11368: 11021: 11014: 10838: 10679: 10599: 10545: 10133: 10079: 9693: 9449: 9317: 9247: 9233: 9193: 9149: 8986: 8783: 8074: 7979: 7756: 7643: 7431: 6880: 6541: 6082: 6051: 5973: 5936: 5845: 5725: 5419: 5380: 5330: 5258: 4750: 4703: 4626: 4379: 4247: 4190: 3887: 3845: 3752: 3737:

during the game, going 2-for-2, for the first time in his career. Closer

3706: 3671: 3645: 3589: 3531: 3487: 3471: 3423: 3368: 3360: 3300: 3212: 3180: 3157: 3111: 3095: 3040: 2982: 2915:–Washington franchise of 12 consecutive decisions won dating back to the 2900: 2817: 2767: 2689: 611: 570:, who accepted a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. 567: 545: 495: 451: 443: 439: 387: 383: 328: 304: 288: 120: 25737:"Nationals shore up bullpen with deal for All-Star closer Mark Melancon" 25665:"Nationals release Taylor Jordan to make roster space for Lucas Giolito" 24875:"TURNER'S BIG DAY LEADS NATS OVER BRAVES, ELIMINATES ATLANTA IN NL EAST" 24436: 24177:"NATS SET SEASON-HIGH FOR RUNS AND HITS IN BLOWOUT VICTORY OVER D-BACKS" 20870:"Ron Gardenhire, Dusty Baker interested in Nationals managerial vacancy" 12368:

and hit Harper with a pitch and, after Rendon popped out, first baseman

625:

On January 26, 2016, the Nationals signed right-handed starting pitcher

27738: 27491: 25552:, accomplishing both feats on the last day of the regular season. (See 25528:"Tanner Roark wins No. 16; Washington Nationals edge Miami Marlins 2-1" 25085: 24990:"Trea Turner's walk-off blast lifts Nationals to 5-4 win over Phillies" 24313:"Washington Nationals officially release reliever Jonathan Papelbon..." 23017: 22911: 22533:"Chris Heisey homers in 16th to give Nationals marathon win over Twins" 20569:'s only previous postseason home run had been a walk-off homer for the 20501: 20345: 20067: 16785: 16525: 15521: 14737: 14247: 13975: 13964: 13893: 13620: 13580: 12722: 10171: 10164: 10047: 9913: 9654: 9534: 9456: 9284: 9072: 8950: 8194: 7806: 7636: 7297: 6759: 6339: 6132: 5002: 4503: 4291: 4140: 3749:

as a pinch-hitter and then coming around to score later in the inning.

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on the first pitch of the inning, but in the next at-bat he struck out

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On February 18, 2016, the Nationals signed right-handed relief pitcher

639:

On February 17, 2016, the Nationals signed right-handed relief pitcher

619: 562:

On December 14, 2015, the Nationals signed right-handed relief pitcher

419: 399: 370: 356: 292: 157: 25064:"Daniel Murphy had a hit in all 19 games against the Mets this season" 12771:

innings of work. Washington's starters, in contrast, had pitched only

11875:, starting in the postseason due to the unavailability of the injured 573:

On December 18, 2015, the Nationals signed left-handed relief pitcher

551:

On December 11, 2015, the Nationals signed left-handed relief pitcher

28028: 25130: 23268:"Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy named NL Player of the Month" 22507:"Series Review: Nats sweep the Cards for the first time in St. Louis" 22207:"Watch: Bryce Harper's grand slam highlights four-HR inning for Nats" 21691:"Nationals sign second baseman Daniel Murphy, shortstop Stephen Drew" 20288:

On November 18, 2016, Max Scherzer was revealed as the winner of two

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On May 1, the Nationals completed their first-ever road sweep of the

701:

and added him to the 40-man roster and released right-handed pitcher

610:

On January 8, 2016, the Nationals traded right-handed relief pitcher

459: 395: 375: 352: 348: 344: 312: 134: 26210:

Janes, Chelsea, "," washingtonpost.com, July 5, 2016, 8:10 p.m. EDT.

25483:"Could Murphy pinch-hit and win batting title? (Nationals win 10-7)" 24013:"Ryan Zimmerman Booed After Being Hit by Pitch, Tips Helmet to Fans" 21476:"Reed Johnson and Sean Burnett heading back to Nats spring training" 3577:

being designated for assignment to make room for him on the roster.

3279:. Strasburg was honored as NL Pitcher of the Month, while infielder 2762:

in order to protect his elbow from overuse during his recovery from

708:

On April 3, 2016, the Nationals released left-handed relief pitcher

382:

Baker and management set to work immediately on hiring new coaches.

291:

notably accepting a position as senior assistant to general manager

25789:"Nationals acquire Sean Burnett from Twins for cash considerations" 23646:"Unbeaten Strasburg is unhittable in Nationals' 12-1 win over Reds" 22773:"Bryce Harper Ejected, Yell's F-bomb at Umpire After Nationals Win" 22718:"Cubs give Bryce Harper the Barry Bonds treatment, sweep Nationals" 21521:"Nationals sign Scott Sizemore, Chris Heisey to minor league deals" 21214:"Nationals decline contract options on Nate McLouth, Casey Janssen" 17783: 13364: 12960: 12749:

that drove in Toles to give the Dodgers a 6–5 lead. Dodgers closer

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The Nationals' offense erupted in the third inning. Center fielder

12206: 11795: 3356:

in a tight 7–6 game, giving up one run over seven innings pitched.

3228: 3148:

to make his major league debut with a start on July 19 against the

2821: 2542:

The Nationals got off to a fast start, sweeping the division rival

251: 231: 23391:"Werth completes another walk-off win as Nats beat Cubs 5-4 in 12" 22819:"Bryce Harper Suspended For F–Bomb, But Is MLB Missing The Point?" 22457:"Papelbon takes failure in stride: 'We won the (bleeping) series'" 386:

was announced as the Nationals' new pitching coach on November 4.

27993: 26389: 26330: 24108:"NATS BATS GO COLD, DEFENSE MAKES KEY MISTAKES IN LOSS TO GIANTS" 23548:"Nationals to wait until game time to activate Stephen Strasburg" 22890:

The only previous nine-inning, 20-strikeout performances were by

20013:

The selection of four Nationals players was announced on July 5:

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Game 2 began much as Game 1 had: Washington's starting pitcher –

11522: 3725:

posted his career-best 16th win of the regular season, defeating

3219:

to injury, as he was placed on the disabled list on July 29 with

3208: 3114:

was called up on July 8 to take Zimmerman's place on the roster.

2732: 2574:'s 200th career home run and the 201st home run of first baseman 1040: 837:

homered off Scherzer with no one on base, tying the game at 2–2.

734: 169: 25591:"NATIONALS' TREA TURNER WINS NL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH AWARD AGAIN" 20948:"Nationals, Dusty Baker in talks after Bud Black deal hits snag" 20796:. (See Anonymous, "Max Scherzer's case for the Cy Young award," 12629:

Facing elimination, the Dodgers opted to have their ace starter

12408:

innings without yielding a single run, striking out 14 Dodgers.

2570:–Washington franchise; the four home runs included left fielder 24474:"A List of Crazy Things That Happened in Wednesday's Nats Game" 23695:"Turner, Taylor recalled; Zimmerman to DL; Giolito to Syracuse" 23451:"Gonzalez' continued struggles highlight Nats' loss to Brewers" 21926:"Nats select contract to add veteran reliever to 40-man roster" 21619:"Nationals finalize deal with Yusmeiro Petit, sign Nick Masset" 20099:

and for the National League team representing the Nationals in

3946:, and won his first race. Herbie was retired after the season. 3466:, and the third-best in the major leagues, behind the Cubs and 3454:. They finished the month nine games ahead of the second-place 2942:

early in the month. They won series against the division rival

25711:"Reds claim RHP Abel De Los Santos off waivers from Nationals" 25377:"Segura's pursuit of Diamondbacks' hit record slowed by cramp" 25123: 24131:"Murphy, Strasburg are latest Nationals to win monthly awards" 23990:"NATS PLACE C JOSE LOBATON ON DISABLED LIST, CALL UP SEVERINO" 23718:"Unbeaten Strasburg Pitches Nationals Past Banged-up Mets 3-1" 22167:"The Walk Off: Nationals win seventh straight, improve to 9-1" 21450:"After a Double About-Face, Yoenis Cespedes is Back in Queens" 21191:"Nationals formally announce 2016 Major League coaching staff" 12785:

innings and given up 13 runs, with a 7.16 ERA for the series.

12277:

singled, then scored to tie the game at 1–1 when left fielder

3553:

in a 4–1 contest. The Nationals went on to lose the series in

3000:

After their 9–4 start to the month, the Nationals visited the

2989:

and the first National League starting pitcher to do it since

2797:

In a 3–2 victory over the Tigers at Nationals Park on May 11,

25542: 25351:"Scherzer finds his form, Rendon homers as Nats beat D-Backs" 25223:"Marlins ace Jose Fernandez killed in Miami boating accident" 24654:"Scherzer pitches gem as Washington Nationals salvage finale" 24421: 24267:"Nunez gets 3 extra-base hits off Strasburg, Giants top Nats" 21880:"Tyler Moore clears waivers, outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse" 21642:"Washington Nationals Sign Aaron Laffey To Minor League Deal" 13097:

walked, Zimmerman doubled with two outs and third base coach

2977:

Earlier in the Phillies series, in a 9–6 victory on June 10,

650: