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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Apr 13, 2023 · 30 min
Game 13: Gore Doesn't Last 4 Innings in Narrow Loss
The Nats lost the series rubber match in Anaheim 3-2 and came up short for the first time when MacKenzie Gore took the mound. Al & Mark (Live from Angels Stadium) examine the decision by Davey Martinez to remove the young left hander after 88 pitches. Gore still did manage six strikeouts in 3.2 IP. (11:40) The bullpen only gave up one run in 4+ frames and Mason Thompson had himself a very solid series. A well deserved and needed day off awaits for the relief pitching staff. (16:00) The bats were
Apr 12, 2023 · 27 min
Game 12: Shutout by Ohtani
The Nats were no match for the right arm of Shohei Ohtani as they were blanked 2-0 by the Angels on Tuesday night. Mark (Live from Anaheim) & Al tip their caps to the marvel that is Ohtani, who only allowed one hit in seven innings. CJ Abrams had the lone hit on the evening, coming in the 4th inning. (06:00) Keibert Ruiz is just hitting .216 so far on the season and Mark assesses what he has been seeing from the catcher's approach at the plate. (11:00) Josiah Gray took a hard luck loss as he onl
Apr 11, 2023 · 31 min
Game 11: Bullpen Bounces Back in Anaheim
The Nats ralled in California to beat the Angels 6-4 on Monday evening after trailing early on by three runs. Al & Mark (Live from Anaheim) begin with the bullpen's sterling effort, as the staff combined for four shutout frames. Hunter Harvey really came through as he struck out both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. This was the opposite of Sunday in Colorado where the 'pen couldn't hang on to the three run lead. (10:30) Patrick Corbin lasted five innings and ended on a high note as he retired eigh
Apr 10, 2023 · 34 min
Game 10: Fatigued Bullpen Can't Keep the Lead
The Nats had to settle for a series split in Colorado as the bullpen could not maintain a 6-3 lead and ultimately Washington lost 7-6. Mark (Live from Coors Field) & Al dive into Erasmo Ramirez's tough afternoon while Davey Martinez was limited in his options. Will Erasmo return to his 2022 form? (12:00) Victor Robles was positioned in right CF as opposed to straightaway CF on Elias Diaz's RBI double to trim the lead to 6-5. Mark explains all the "Inside Baseball" that went into Robles defensive
Apr 9, 2023 · 33 min
Game 9: Nats Hang On For Stone Garrett's Big Night
The Nats have won two in a row for the first time in 2023 as they held off the rallying Rockies 7-6 on Saturday evening. Mark (Live from Coors Field) & Al discuss the roller coaster bottom of the 9th where the fatigued bullpen eked out a narrow victory despite being given a five run lead. Did Davey Martinez make the right decisions with his 'pen? (09:45) Stone Garrett hit 2nd and rewarded his trusting manager with a career evening. Garrett raked four hits and was a triple shy of the cycle, inclu
Apr 8, 2023 · 32 min
Game 8: Gore Moves to 2-0
The Nationals doubled up the Rockies 10-5 as MacKenzie Gore improved to 2-0 in as many starts. Al & Mark (Live from Denver) examine the lefty's strong start that last six innings. Gore was given a lead before he even took the mound as Alex Call and Jeimer Candelario went Back to Back right off the bat. (13:00) CJ Abrams had quite the evening as well as he tripled TWICE as part of his three hit night. He is only the fifth player in franchise history to triple twice in a game; can you name the oth
Apr 8, 2023 · 39 min
Game 1: Abrams Commits a Trio of Errors in Opening Day Defeat
The Nats lost 7-2 to the Braves on a beautiful but cold Opening Day in D.C. Mark & Al recap the sloppy defensive effort as the young SS CJ Abrams had three errors on his scorecard. How much of a factor did the sun monster play in the afternoon game? (12:30) The lineup only scored a pair of runs, but no surprise one of the RBIs came from Joey Meneses. The Nationals recorded eight hits, but only one was for extra bases. Keibert Ruiz and Dominic Smith had bright days, as they both registered two hi
Apr 7, 2023 · 31 min
Game 7: Gray's Gem Wasted in Coors Field
The Nationals skid extended to four games in a 1-0 loss in Colorado. Mark (Live for Coors Field) & Al balance the negative of the lineup with the big picture positive of Josiah Gray only allowing one run in six innings. Yet again a Nats outfielder lost a ball in the sun (Lane Thomas), and it was a very costly one that led to the lone run. (15:40) Washington was shutout and only had one runner reach scoring position. The troubles aren't only with the bats, they surprisingly are only 1 for 4 in st
Apr 6, 2023 · 23 min
Game 6: Swept by the Rays
The Nationals were swept by the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 as Patrick Corbin is now 0-2 on the season. Al Galdi solo hosts this edition and recap the lefty's outing; which did include a string of retiring 11 straight, but also plenty of runs allowed. (09:00) The Nats stranded the bases loaded in the 4th when trailing 3-2. Hear what Davey Martinez said about his young nucleus and their evolving plate approaches. (12:45) Al discusses why Luis Garcia sat for a 2nd straight game and what went into
Apr 5, 2023 · 33 min
Game 5: Finnegan Implodes in the 9th
Kyle Finnegan inherited a ninth inning one run lead, but after a trio of 9th inning Tampa homers, Tuesday became a 10-6 loss for the Nationals in D.C. Mark & Al discuss Davey Martinez's decision to keep his closer on the mound after surrendering back to back homers to lose the lead. (15:30) Chad Kuhl made his franchise debut on the mound and settled down after giving up four runs right away. Kuhl became a member of the rotation after Cade Cavalli was ruled out for the season. (19:00) In addition
Apr 4, 2023 · 35 min
Game 4: Offense Only Collects 4 Hits in Defeat
The Nats lost the series opener to the visiting Rays 6-2 as the offense only mustered four hits. Al & Mark begin with the struggling lineup and wonder... is that what to mostly expect all season? Washington has only totaled nine runs in four games so far. (12:20) Trevor Williams' Nationals debut resulted in a loss as he gave up four runs in his outing. Adding to the bad fortune of the evening, runner interference yet again did not go the franchise's way. (24:00) Ildemaro Vargas got the nod to pl
Apr 3, 2023 · 41 min
Game 3: Gore Impresses and Wins in Nats Debut
The Nationals defeated Atlanta 4-1 on Sunday afternoon for their first victory of 2023. Mark & Al examine MacKenzie Gore's solid 1st outing in Washington as he struck out six and allowed only one run in just over five frames. This was his first start since late July last year while still with the Padres. (14:20) The offense struggled again, but did come through with four runs in the opening inning. No homers have yet been hit this season and they only have two hits with runners in scoring positi
Apr 2, 2023 · 37 min
Game 2: Gray Allows 3 Homers in Season Debut
The Nats lost 7-1 on Saturday afternoon to visiting Atlanta as the Braves went "Back to Back" right off the bat against Josiah Gray. Al & Mark wonder why the right hander's struggles immediately carried over into 2023. Gray led the Majors in HRs allowed last season with a dubious mark of 38. (15:30) The Nationals lineup was no match for Braves starter Spencer Strider as he struck out nine in six scoreless innings. Keibert Ruiz was the lone source of offense; as he slugged an upper deck Solo HR i
Mar 28, 2023 · 40 min
2023 Nationals Season Preview
This week the Nationals will begin their 19th season of play when they welcome Atlanta to D.C. on Thursday afternoon. Mark & Al get you set for the Podcast's 3rd campaign with the disappointing news that Our Guy Paolo Espino will begin the season in AAA Rochester. (06:45) Learn about reliever Hobie Harris. He had an impressive Spring and is expected to be part of this year's bullpen. (15:20) Patrick Corbin has received the nod for the second straight season as the Opening Day starter. Why was Co
Mar 20, 2023 · 37 min
Cavalli Out for the Year
The Nationals were dealt a terrible blow last week as it was announced that Cade Cavalli will have "Tommy John" surgery in his right elbow and will miss the entire 2023 season. Mark tells Al what he saw from Cade's fateful outing in Port St. Lucie, FL. What are realistic chances for his return in 2024? (18:15) The spotlight on MacKenzie Gore got a lot brighter after the Cavalli news. He has has struggled this Spring as his ERA is over 7.00. Does it matter at all as he rehabs form last season's i
Mar 13, 2023 · 38 min
Ruiz & Nats Surprisingly Agree to an Extension
Nats fans were caught off-guard by the news that the organization and catcher Keibert Ruiz agreed to an 8 year/ $50M extension last week. Al & Mark (Live from West Palm Beach, FL) react to the Nationals officially locking up their franchise catcher. How does this relate to the ownership situation? (09:15) Ruiz recently switched his representation and it involves a name that Washington fans are quite familiar with over the years. How much does it matter that he now longer has Scott Boras as his a
Mar 6, 2023 · 43 min
Kieboom Setback + Soto Extension Talks with Padres Brass
We are under a month until Opening Day as Spring Training is in full swing. Mark & Al begin with wondering when the Nats will begin making cuts down in Florida. They then focus on another setback for Carter Kieboom, who missed all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery. (17:30) Over the weekend, Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli each took the mound. Mark explains what Davey Martinez is looking for when the young pitchers have spring outings. (22:45) James Wood, one of the top prospects acquired in the Jua
Feb 27, 2023 · 42 min
Pitch Clock Era Has Arrived
The Nationals began their Grapefruit League slate over the weekend and we finally had a chance to see the new rules on display. Mark, who is live in West Palm Beach, gives Al his initial impressions of the Pitch Clock. So far, every game has been completed under three hours. (13:50) MacKenzie Gore threw an inning on Saturday, thus making his organizational debut after last summer's blockbuster trade. This leads to a discussion on how the starting rotation is shaping up so far. Who is the front r
Feb 20, 2023 · 52 min
Nats Begin 2023 Spring Training
"Pitchers & Catchers" have reported to West Palm, FL and Mark Zuckerman has as well. Mark and Al begin with the not so surprising bad news that Stephen Strasburg has no timetable to return. Minor setback or is the final time we will go down the Strasburg road? (19:00) We start to set the 2023 table and let you know who "The Big Six" are to keep your eye on for this season. This includes Josiah Gray, who is aiming to give up far fewer home runs this year. What is the ceiling for Keibert Ruiz behi
Jan 11, 2023 · 57 min
"Charlie & Dave" Visit Nats Chat
The long time radio duo of "Charlie & Dave" join us for the January edition of Nats Chat, but before the interview Mark & Al update the latest with the organization. We begin with the continuing ownership saga that has now extended into 2023. (14:20) Washington signed a pair of Free Agents recently in Dominic Smith and Corey Dickerson. Where will each fit in defensively? How does all this affect where "Joey Four Bags" gets slotted on the lineup card? (22:10) The Nats also inked RHP Trevor Willia