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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980 episodes
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Episodes980

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Aug 11, 2023 · 34 min
Game 116: Abrams Steals His 25th Consecutive Base
The Nats lost 6-2 in Philadelphia to drop 3 of 4 in this week's series. Mark & Al begin by with a curious examination of Patrick Corbin's unique pitching line where he did not allow an earned run despite issuing 7 walks. (16:40) Blake Rutherford was 0 for 2 on Thursday night and is hit-less in 16 MLB at- bats since getting called up. Rutherford has played in 5 games this month after hitting .345 this season collectively in Harrisburg and Rochester. (20:00) CJ Abrams swiped his 25th consecutive b
Aug 10, 2023 · 31 min
Nats Get No Hit For 1st Time
The Nats were no hit for the 1st time since they began play in 2005 as Michael Lorenzen led Philadelphia to a 7-0 defeat of Washington. Mark & Al tip their caps to the franchise almost going 20 years without being no hit; good for the longest active streak in MLB. It was just Lorenzen's second appearance with the Phillies after being traded from Detroit last week and he issued 4 walks while throwing 124 pitches. (16:30) MacKenzie Gore was hit hard on Wednesday as he allowed six runs in just 5 IP
Aug 9, 2023 · 45 min
Meneses HRs Twice to Split Doubleheader
The Nats split their Tuesday doubleheader in Philadelphia to begin the 4 game series. Al & Mark recap Joey Meneses's late game heroics in Game 2 as his pair of HRs unexpectedly lifted Washington to victory. Hear Mark lay out what the first 162 games of Meneses' MLB career looks like in a stats sense; now that he has reached the unofficial milestone. (14:30) A big part of the 5-4 win was the bullpen coming through with 4+ scoreless innings of work. Andres Machado recorded 4 of the outs and his WH
Aug 7, 2023 · 38 min
Brooms Brought Out in Cincy
The Nationals pulled off a road sweep for the first time in almost 4 years as they doubled up the Reds 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. Mark & Al open with Davey Martinez's aggressive managing in pushing many of his top bullpen arms for a 3rd straight day. Kyle Finnegan pitched the 9th inning all weekend without giving up a run. (10:45) CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas homered on the opening 2 pitches of the game, the first 2 ever MLB pitches thrown by Cincinnati starter Lyon Richardson. Abrams went 4 for 5 on
Aug 6, 2023 · 35 min
Game 111: Adon Takes Perfect Game Bid Into the 6th
The Nats won 7-3 in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon for the 10th victory in their past 15 games. Mark & Al begin with the stunning start by Joan Adon, as he had a Perfect Game going until it was broken up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th. Adon was only called up due to Trevor Williams being briefly away from the team and is now expected to remain on the Big League roster. (16:40) Tim Shovers gives a quick update on Dylan Crews debut with the Fred Nats on Saturday evening in Virginia. (21:30
Aug 5, 2023 · 38 min
Game 110: Thomas Homers Twice in Comeback Win
The Nats won 6-3 in 10 innings in Cincinnati to open the weekend series. Mark (Live from his Hotel Room) & Al have a lot to get to, but begin with extended discussions of Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses, who combined for 3 HRs in the victory. (11:40) Jake Alu started at 2B and Ildemaro Vargas took over at 3B on Friday night. Alu came through with another RBI since being called up; his 3rd in as many games. Where does Jeter Downs fit into all of this? (16:40) Mark relays what Davey Martinez had to s
Aug 2, 2023 · 36 min
Garcia Sent to Rochester After Wacky Walk-off Win
It ended up being a busy Wednesday afternoon in Navy Yard as initially the Nats had an unorthodox walk-off winner over Milwaukee by the score of 3-2. Then roughly an hour after the game; it was announced that Luis Garcia is being sent down to AAA and Corey Dickerson was unconditionally released. Mark & Al examine why Garcia will be headed to Rochester and what that means long term at 2B in Washington. (16:50) The offense had some rather creative ways to defeat Brewers All Star Closer Devin Willi
Aug 2, 2023 · 42 min
Quiet Final Day of the Trade Deadline
The Nats did not make any more deadlines on the final day of the MLB Trade Deadline leading up to their 6-4 loss at the hands of the visiting Brewers. Mark & Al examine why Washington did make any additional swaps and what went into the decision to retain Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan. (09:30) As for the actual game; Josiah Gray had a disappointing outing where he exited after 3.2 IP. It was the top of the 4th that did in Gray as he allowed 4 runs and tossed 37 pitches in that frame alone. This
Aug 1, 2023 · 39 min
Candelario Traded Away Before Victory
The Nats rallied to top the Brewers 5-3, but just before the series began Jeimer Candelario was shipped to the Cubs in exchange for a pair of prospects. Mark & Al react to the trade and see whether or not Mike Rizzo got proper value in return for the veteran 3B. Both prospects coming from Chicago ranked in the top 20 of their system, Kevin Made (SS), and DJ Herz (LHP). (10:15) The focus turns to 3B long term as we look sat what the MLB timetable is for Brady House, the 1st Round Pick from 2021,
Jul 31, 2023 · 33 min
Game 106: Abrams Steals 3 Bases in Defeat
The Nats were beaten 5-2 by the Mets to close out the long weekend series in Flushing. Mark (From NY) & Al on a disappointing day for the offense are able to tip their caps to CJ Abrams for stealing 3 more bases from the leadoff position. Abrams has successfully stolen the last 21 bags he attempted to swipe; dating all the way back to May. (07:30) Lane Thomas did not start but was inserted mid game as a pinch hitter. It caused some raised eye brows when he was not in the lineup pregame, but Dave
Jul 30, 2023 · 36 min
Game 105: Offense Busts Loose in Queens
The Nats topped the Mets 11-6 on Saturday night after jumping out to an early 8-1 lead. Mark ( Live from Citi Field) & Al convene after a busy day in Flushing as New York traded Max Scherzer to Texas in the middle of the game. The lineup feasted on Carlos Carrasco, including Riley Adams who continues to contribute at the plate in his limited playing time. (14:45) Jeimer Candelario reached base four times as his tenure in Washington likely is over in a few days. What is Candelario's trade value l
Jul 29, 2023 · 32 min
Game 104: Candelario Says He's OK After Potential Injury
The Nats lost 5-1 at the Mets on Friday night for a 2nd straight defeat. Mark (From Citi Field) & Al start with Jeimer Candelario's potential injury while trying to extend a single into a double in the 8th inning. Candelario has had many injuries this month, as we approach Tuesday's Trade Deadline. (06:00) MacKenzie Gore only lasted 5 IP and issued 4 walks in the process. Gore never threw a clean inning and it came to haunt him in the 5th when Pete Alonso connected on a 3 run HR off a hanging sl
Jul 28, 2023 · 30 min
Game 103: Gray Scoreless Outing Precedes Late Loss
After yet another rain delay, the Nats lost 2-1 at the Mets on Thursday evening. Mark (Live from Citi Field) & Al immediately dive into the odd situation where Kyle Finnegan had an over an hour to think about the inherited bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 8th. (06:45) Finnegan entered the game in relief of Mason Thompson; who lost control in the middle of his outing. This has been a periodic pattern for Thompson and both of the Mets runs were charged against him. (10:00) Josiah Gray issued
Jul 27, 2023 · 38 min
Game 102: Abrams Walks Off the the 9th Inning Comeback
The Nats ended the successful home stand in thrilling fashion as they scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4. Mark & Al begin by wondering why Rockies Manager kept his struggling Closer Daniel Bard on the mound. Bard was out of the game though when CJ Abrams continued his magical July ride with a walk-off RBI single. (18:00) Jake Irvin had a mixed bag outing, but did tally 7 strikeouts and made it 6 IP. The negative of the afternoon was that he allowed 3 Colorado homers. The bullpen d
Jul 26, 2023 · 38 min
Game 101: Meneses HR Caps Late Rally
The Nats ended a very long night on a high note in the 6-5 victory over the Rockies. There were two separate rain delays that led to a conclusion just before Midnight; only 12 hours before Wednesday's series finale. Al & Mark start with the decisive 4 run bottom of the 8th where Jeimer Candelario had a RBI double and Joey Meneses was the hero with a 3 run blast. "Joey Four Bags" has been on a tear this month as he is slugging .535 in July. (09:00) Davey made sure to get both Keibert Ruiz & Riley
Jul 25, 2023 · 40 min
Game 100: Win Streak Snapped + Mark's Trip to "Field of Dreams"
**Record scratch** The Nats win streak from the weekend came to an abrupt halt on Monday night in a 10-6 loss to visiting Colorado that was marred by plenty of sloppy play. Mark & Al recap the grisly details from Patrick Corbin's outing where he ceded 10 hits and his ERA is now up to 5.01. (11:30) Plenty of instances of poor defense in this defeat and this leads to an assessment of what the defensive chess board might look like for Washington in the next few seasons as the prospects continue to
Jul 23, 2023 · 36 min
Game 99: Lane Thomas & the Nats Finally Get a Sweep
Get out your brooms as the 2+ year sweep drought in a 3 game series is thankfully over as the Nats took care of the Giants 6-1 on Sunday afternoon. Al & Tim have plenty to revel in, but especially Lane Thomas' unforgettable day where he tied a franchise record with 4 stolen bases, 3 hits at the plate, and flashed the leather in the field multiple times. However, the conversation quickly morphs into... should they trade Lane next week before the Deadline? (15:00) Riley Adams homered on Sunday and
Jul 23, 2023 · 48 min
Dylan Crews Introduced Prior to Easy Win
Saturday was a special day at Nationals Park as it began with the introductory Dylan Crews Press Conference and was followed by a 10-1 thrashing of the Giants. Al & Tim start with all the offensive accolades for CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz, and Alex Call. Abrams homered on his Bobblehead night while Ruiz & Call each are slugging over .500 in July. (21:30) Josiah Gray issued 3 walks right away, but settled down and lasted 7 IP without walking anyone else. Gray has now lasted 7 frames on 4 different o
Jul 22, 2023 · 36 min
Game 97: Irvin Impresses + Crews Reportedly Signs
The Nats beat the Giants 5-3 on Friday night to begin the home stand. Al & Tim recap Jake Irvin's career best start as he struck out nine and almost made it 7 IP on 111 pitches. What is a realistic ceiling for Irvin as we move forward? (11:10) This was not a night to complain about the bullpen as they came through unscathed for the final 7 outs. Jordan Weems came through in a 7th inning jam, and then Jose A. Ferrer & Kyle Finnegan each threw 1-2-3 frames to close it out over San Francisco. Weems
Jul 20, 2023 · 36 min
Game 96: More Bullpen Woes
The Nats bullpen imploded again in Chicago, this time they allowed 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th to lose 8-3. Mark (Live from Wrigley Field) & Al discuss the continued sorry state of affairs for the 'pen and on Wednesday Mason Thompson was part of the problem. During the final 2 games of the series, the relief pitching gave up 20 runs in less than 6 frames. (13:30) Trevor Williams had a so-so outing as he allowed 7 hits in his usual 5 IP. What are the chances that a contender would seek Willia