Nats Chat

Mark Zuckerman & Al Galdi, Blue Wire

A Washington Nationals podcast offering recap and analysis after every game, plus all the breaking news throughout the year. Hosted by Mark Zuckerman of natsjournal.com & Al Galdi, host of "The Al Galdi Podcast". For sponsorship opportunities, contact Tim Shovers at natschatpodcast@gmail.com.

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979 episodes
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Episodes979

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Jul 13, 2025 · 19 min
Finnegan's Blown Save Negates House's Heroics
The Nats let it slip it away on Saturday afternoon in their 6-5 walk-off loss in Milwaukee. Al begins with a quick preview of Sunday night's MLB Draft where the Nationals hold the #1 overall pick. Kade Anderson, pitcher from LSU, is the likeliest selection in the top spot. (04:00) Kyle Finnegan inherited a 5-3 lead, but very quickly allowed three Brewers runs. The final blow came on a Caleb Durbin single after Andrew Vaughn's 2-run double tied up the affair. (07:00) Shinnosuke Ogasawara only
Jul 12, 2025 · 24 min
Parker Hit Hard in Milwaukee Loss
The Nats lost 8-3 on Friday night in Milwaukee as the road trip moved to its second leg. Al quickly circles back to the curious comments made by Davey Martinez just a few days prior to his firing. Following the Nationals win on Thursday July 3rd, Davey made a specific point to thank the organization. It was Martinez's 500th and final win as Washington's skipper. (05:15) Brady House had a RBI double while continuing to play good defense at 3B. Riley Adams, who likely will start most days for
Jul 11, 2025 · 34 min
Routed in St. Louis
The Nats were trounced by the Cardinals 8-1 in Thursday night's rubber match. Mark (From St. Louis) & Al convene after the Cards' Miles Mikolas continued his dominance over Washington's offense. (05:30) C.J. Abrams lost track of how many outs there were in the top of the 8th and it led to an inning ending double play. Abrams apologized afterwards and took the responsibility. (11:00) Michael Soroka only lasted four innings and allowed a pair of runs. Soroka will enter the All-Star break with
Jul 10, 2025 · 38 min
Wood, Lowe, & Rosario Homer in Comfy Win
The Nats gave Miguel Cairo his first win as interim Manager with an 8-2 thrashing of the Cardinals. Mark (From St. Louis) & Al recap the victory that saw three homers, including the 24th of the season by James Wood. (05:30) MacKenzie Gore earned the win as he only allowed one run in six innings of work. Gore will be able to pitch in the All-Star Game since he will not take the mound this Sunday in Milwaukee. (12:45) Six of the Nats nine hits were for extra bases on Wednesday night. Nathanie
Jul 9, 2025 · 38 min
Cairo Loses Debut as Interim Skipper
Tuesday marked a new era for the franchise, at least in the interim. Mark (From St. Louis) & Al examine the pregame comments by Miguel Cairo & Mike DeBartolo. Cairo was elevated from Bench Coach and was emotional when discussing his long time friend Davey Martinez. The Nationals lost his debut 4-2 at the Cardinals after a lengthy rain delay. (05:10) DeBartolo made it clear that the organization will be revamping how it uses data and technology while he is in charge. He has a busy first mont
Jul 7, 2025 · 47 min
Rizzo & Martinez Fired After Getting Swept
A few hours after a 6-4 loss to Boston, the Nats fired GM Mike Rizzo & Manager Davey Martinez. Mark & Al react to the major organizational moves as it is truly an end of the an era. Rizzo became the permanent GM in 2009, Martinez became skipper after 2017, and they were the GM/Manager combo for the 2019 World Series championship. (13:15) Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post that he had to "navigate that ownership group for 20 years", which leads little to the imagination. Mike DeBartolo has b
Jul 6, 2025 · 36 min
Clobbered Again by Boston
The Nats were crushed 10-3 by the visiting Red Sox on Saturday afternoon. Mark & Al recap the poor defensive showing which was exacerbated by the 7-run top of the 3rd for Boston. (04:15) Mitchell Parker committed a fielding error in the disastrous 3rd inning and the other came by corner infielders. Mark points out just how poor the Nationals infield team defense has been this season. Parker stayed in the game and finished his day with three straight scoreless frames. (18:30) Keibert Ruiz had
Jul 4, 2025 · 28 min
Routed on the 4th
The Nats were clobbered 11-2 by the Red Sox in their annual 11:05AM 4th of July home game. Mark & Al discuss Lucas Giolito's great outing for Boston, in what was his first start in Navy Yard since 2016. The Nationals traded him that offseason to the White Sox as part of a deal that landed Adam Eaton. (06:00) Michael Soroka had an ugly stat line as he gave up seven runs off of nine hits in just four+ innings of work. Soroka was pulled in the 5th while struggling against Boston's collective 3r
Jul 4, 2025 · 22 min
Wood Goes 5 for 5 w/ a Homer in Win
James Wood announced prior to the game that will be in this year's Home Run Derby field and then followed it up with a dominant performance. Al examines Wood's 5 hit night in the Nats 9-7 win over Detroit; which sealed a second straight series. Wood homered for the 23rd time this season and singled four times. (06:00) The offense exploded with 15 hits and three drawn walks. Paul DeJong capped the 5-run 1st inning with a 3-run shot, his first with the franchise. (08:10) Jake Irvin struggled a
Jul 3, 2025 · 41 min
8th Inning Rally Forces a Doubleheader Split
The Nats & Tigers split their Wednesday doubleheader in D.C. Al & Mark recap both the 11-2 Detroit rout and the 9-4 Nats comeback in Game 2. (03:40) Washington scored six runs in the bottom of the 8th to defeat the Tigers in the nightcap. Nathaniel Lowe & Josh Bell combined for 7 RBIs in the victory and each had crucial hits in the decisive frame. (09:00) Paul DeJong got the start on Wednesday night at 3B and saw brief action in the opening game of the doubleheader at SS. It was DeJong's fir
Jul 1, 2025 · 3 min
RAINOUT: DOUBLEHEADER ON WEDNESDAY
The Nats & Tigers rained out on Tuesday night and will play two on Wednesday. Tim gives a quick update on Tuesday's roster move as Paul DeJong is returning from the IL.
Jun 30, 2025 · 33 min
Wood Intentionally Walked 4 Times in Win
The Nats ended their West Coast trip on a good note by rallying for 7-4 win at the Angels on Sunday afternoon. Mark (From Anaheim) & Al recap the extra inning victory that saw Washington tie it up in the 9th and score three runs in the top of the 11th. (05:10) James Wood amazingly became the first player in franchise history to draw four intentional walks in a single game. Wood is the player to be purposely walked that many times in a game since Barry Bonds. (12:45) C.J. Abrams had an excel
Jun 29, 2025 · 28 min
Bullpen Gets Hammered in the 7th
The Nats took the the lead into the bottom of the 7th, but the game quickly was flipped upside down in the 8-2 Saturday night loss in Anaheim. Mark (From Orange County) & Al wonder why Kyle Finnegan was not utilized while facing the heart of the order in the 7th, when the Angels scored six runs against the beleaguered bullpen. (13:40) Michael Soroka handed the 'pen a lot to work with as he only allowed one run in six innings of work. Sorry to resurface this sort of topic, but should Washington
Jun 28, 2025 · 32 min
15 Runs in 19 Hit Winning Effort
The Nats brought their bats to Anaheim as they out-slugged the Angels 15-9 on Friday night. Mark (From Orange County) & Al break down the 19 hit performance where the offense scored in seven different frames. (6:10) A trio of Nationals had three hits in the win. C.J. Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., and Nathaniel Lowe all came through at the plate on Friday night. Lowe has had a hot road trip as he has eight hits in the past seven games. (13:00) Luis Garcia Jr.'s defensive struggles continued in the
Jun 26, 2025 · 26 min
Gore Gets No Help (Again)
The Nats limped into the midpoint of the season as they were shutout 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon in San Diego. Mark (From Petco Park) & Al have another hard luck MacKenzie Gore loss to recap as the offense yet again let down their lefty Ace. The bats have only mustered ten runs in the past seven Gore starts. Gore struck out six Padres and still leads the NL in strikeouts. (13:30) Former Nationals prospect Nick Pivetta struck out ten Nats in seven innings of work. Pivetta was traded to Philadel
Jun 25, 2025 · 32 min
Nats Squander a 3-Run Lead
The Nats were ahead 3-0, but the Padres came back in the middle innings for a 4-3 triumph over Washington. Mark (From Petco Park) & Al discuss Trevor Williams' outing, as the veteran allowed four San Diego runs and took the loss. (09:35) San Diego's go-ahead run came on a RBI groundout where Nathaniel Lowe took the easy out at 1B instead of throwing home for a force out. Mark explains what led to Lowe's decision to not throw to the plate in the bottom of the 6th. (15:25) The offense went jus
Jun 24, 2025 · 28 min
Wood Homers in San Diego Win
The Nats busted out 15 hits in their 10-6 victory on Monday night in San Diego. Mark (From Petco Park) & Al begin though with an update on Keibert Ruiz, who was hit in the head by a caroming foul ball in the dugout. Ruiz went to get a CAT scan after the game and there is not yet an update on his status. (07:45) James Wood crushed his 22nd homer of the season against the team that traded him away in the Juan Soto deal. Wood had three hits in the win and now has six homers this month. C.J. Abram
Jun 23, 2025 · 36 min
Bullpen Implosion Ruins Rubber Match Lead
The Nats took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th, but a few frames later found themselves down ten runs. Mark (From Dodger Stadium) & Al recap the 13-7 defeat on Sunday afternoon that was fueled by a terrible bullpen performance. Then 'pen combined to allow ten runs in under three innings of work. (10:30) Ryan Loutos was the choice to pitch the bottom of the 7th when trailing 4-3 instead of Cole Henry. Loutos then proceeded to not retire any of the six Dodger hitters he faced. (12:10) Kyl
Jun 22, 2025 · 32 min
Wood, Lowe, & the Nats Smack 5 Homers in L.A. Win
The Nats slugged five homers on Saturday night for a 7-3 win at Dodger Stadium. Mark (From L.A.) & Al marvel at James Wood as he crushed his 21st homer of the season; which is tied for 4th most in the NL. Wood's 1st inning majestic shot went an estimated 451 feet. (06:00) All of the top four Nationals hitters cleared the fences, with Nathaniel Lowe doing it twice. The offense totaled ten hits and eight of them were for extra bases. (12:30) Keibert Ruiz went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles. I
Jun 21, 2025 · 26 min
Gore Struggles in Dodger Stadium Defeat
The Nats lost on Friday night 6-5 at Dodger Stadium to open their nine game West Coast Road Trip. Mark (From LA) & Al discuss MacKenzie's Gore subpar's outing where he gave up five earned runs in over five innings of work. Gore issued four walks and only recorded four strikeouts, keeping him behind Boston Garrett Crochet for the MLB lead in strikeouts. (09:45) The offense slugged a trio of homers but was only 1 for 8 w/ RISP. Riley Adams ended an 0 for 32 slump in emphatic fashion with a solo H