District Daily: Adam LaRoche Back in the Lineup and Tanner Roark Leads Charge in NL East Bout
By Kenny DeJohn
May 25, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Doug Fister (58) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. The Nationals won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Check out the latest news from Washington Nationals Land:
LaRoche comes off DL, in Nats’ lineup
PITTSBURGH — The Nationals made it official Sunday, activating first baseman Adam LaRoche from the 15-day disabled list and optioning infielder Zach Walters to Triple-A Syracuse.
LaRoche returned to the active roster after being placed on the DL on May 11 (retroactive to May 10) with a right quad strain. In his first game back, LaRoche went 1-for-4 with a walk in a 5-2 victory over the Pirates.
“The leg felt great. I didn’t feel a thing. It felt back to normal,” LaRoche said. “It’s great to be out there, it really is. I was sitting long enough. It’s fun to be back. The timing [at the plate] was a little off. It has been a few days. It will get there. A day game against [Pirates left-hander] Francisco Liriano — you can’t expect it to be great.” Read full article here.
Bats come alive to back Fister’s strong outing
PITTSBURGH — For one day, anyway, one can call right-hander Doug Fister a stopper. He was solid for 5 1/3 innings and helped the Nationals defeat the Pirates, 5-2, at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon. Washington broke a four-game losing streak and finds itself back at the .500 mark with a 25-25 record.
In Fister’s second victory of the season, Washington salvaged the final game of the four-game series. Fister started off by retiring nine out of the first 10 hitters he faced. His only blemish was a solo home run to Josh Harrison in the sixth inning.
“I felt good today” Fister said. “What it comes down to is executing and getting ground balls. We did that well today — guys are running balls down and turning a couple of double plays. That was huge. That’s the kind of defense we want there every day.” Read full article here.
Marlins seek reversal on road behind Eovaldi
(Jake Kring-Schreifels, MLB.com)
Two NL East rivals, separated by just half a game in the standings, will square off for a three-game series at Nationals Park on Monday afternoon.
This will be the third matchup of the year between the second-place Marlins and third-place Nationals. The Marlins lead the all-time series, 93-75, but Washington has owned Miami of late, winning five of the six meetings this year and 12 of 13 at home going back through 2013.
The Marlins — who lost Sunday, 7-1, to Milwaukee — will tab righty Nathan Eovaldi for the opener. He will face the Nationals for the first time this year, hoping to change his recent fate against Washington. Lifetime, he is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA against Washington. He is also 6-10 with a 4.09 ERA lifetime on the road. Read full article here.