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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Aug 5, 2021 · 41 min
Game 108: Robles, Garcia, & Kieboom All Go Deep in Loss
The Nationals lost 9-5 to the Phillies despite hitting four homers. Al & Mark focus on the young starters who cleared the fences, especially Luis Garcia who had a pair of dingers. What is his offensive ceiling? (11:11) Juan Soto has cooled off recently and has reverted to hitting a lot of ground balls. Did the fire sale affected his day to day approach at the plate? (18:55) Paolo Espino had his worst outing of the season as he allowed six runs in five innings and could not hang onto an early 3
Aug 4, 2021 · 42 min
Game 107: Corbin Folds Late + Turner Failed Extension Talks
The Nats lost 5-4 to the Phillies and Zack Wheeler. Mark & Al analyze Patrick Corbin's start which was very good until he allowed a pair of 7th inning HRs. He has now given up 25 home runs this season in just 21 starts. (9:34) Wander Suero was sent down to AAA as Javy Guerra took his roster spot. Additionally, Ryne Harper pitched a solid 9th inning as many fans have been howling for him to be given high leverage opportunities. (21:20) Riley Adams was called up less than a week after being acqu
Aug 3, 2021 · 34 min
Game 106: Gray Solid in Debut But Bullpen Implodes in the 9th
The Nats lost 7-5 (or was it 6-5?) to the Phillies after allowing five runs in the top of the 9th. Al & Mark evaluate Josiah "JoJo" Gray's first start as a National as he only allowed one run in five innings. (9:56) Mason Thompson also made his franchise debut, a relief pitcher acquired from San Diego as part of the Daniel Hudson deal, had a crucial strikeout to strand the bases loaded in the 6th. (12:33) The bullpen conversation turns negative as Washington coughed up the lead. Why was Wande
Aug 2, 2021 · 42 min
Game 105: Yadiel Walks It Off Despite Ortega's Trio of HRs
The Nats walked off the Cubs 6-5 to win the series. Mark & Al react to the unexpected HR Derby that took place between Yadiel Hernandez and Chicago's Rafael Ortega. Hernandez went deep twice, including the game winner in the bottom of the 9th, while occupying the cleanup spot. (10:18) A dissection of various decisions stemming from Sunday's lineup card. Will Keibert Ruiz replace Rene Rivera on the roster later this month behind the plate? Will Luis Garcia split time at 2B/SS? Where does Alcides
Aug 1, 2021 · 43 min
Game 104: Good Riddance to July as it Ends with Another Loss
The Nats lost 6-3 to the Cubs to end what was likely the worst month in franchise history. Mark & Al put a bow on July 2021 and spin it forward. They analyze Victor Robles returning to the leadoff spot, which he briefly held back in April. (11:28) Luis Garcia started at shortstop Saturday night as Alcides Escobar had the night off. Could he be the long-term answer there or will he likely be at 2B? Where does recent draft pick Brady House fit into the equation? Carter Kieboom made another error
Jul 31, 2021 · 44 min
Game 103: Fire Sale Concludes Prior to Garcia Homering in the Win
The Nats edged the Cubs 4-3 after a dizzying two day stretch that saw eight players traded away. Al & Mark digest what the deadline moves mean for the organization moving forward and analyze the remarkable Jon Lester trade. They also point out just how different the farm system is now regarded after acquiring a dozen prospects. (13:46) Reaction to Friday night's starting lineup that looks a lot different after all the moves. Should Victor Robles return to the leadoff spot as opposed to Andrew S
Jul 30, 2021 · 46 min
Games 101/102: **Scherzer & Turner** Traded After Split in Philly
The Nationals split their doubleheader in Philadelphia, but the main news postgame was the blockbuster trade that sent Max Scherzer & Trea Turner to the Dodgers. Mark & Al analyze the mega move by Washington and assess what they think of the move. Why was Turner dealt instead of locking him up to a long-term contract? Did they get enough in return from LA? (12:15) Kiebert Ruiz (catcher) and Josiah Gray (pitcher) are the top rated prospects in the Dodgers system. When will they be contributing a
Jul 28, 2021 · 42 min
Game 100: Strasburg Surgery News & the Skid Ends at Five
The Nationals beat the Phillies 6-4, but Tuesday was filled with bad news for the organization. Al & Mark react to the announcement that Stephen Strasburg will have season ending surgery. For those not familiar with the procedure, they explain what TOS typically means for pitchers and the long-term ramifications. (15:15) Trea Turner was pulled from the game in the 1st inning due to a positive COVID-19 test. We hope that he is feeling ok, but also wonder what does this mean for his potential val
Jul 27, 2021 · 39 min
Game 99: Hand Collapses Again for a 5th Straight Defeat
The Nationals coughed up a late lead and fell 6-5 in Philadelphia on a walk-off 3 run HR by Andrew McCutchen off of closer Brad Hand. Mark & Al put in perspective what this means for Hand's value on the trade market in addition to the "kick in the teeth" type loss they were dealt. (4:01) Twitter was filled with reports that the Nats are listening to trade offers for Trea Turner, who is a Free Agent after 2022. Should Washington consider dealing away their All Star Shortstop? (15:37) Max Scherz
Jul 26, 2021 · 31 min
Game 98: Swept by the O's as Hand Blows the Save
The Nationals were swept in Baltimore as they lost 5-4 on Sunday afternoon. Mark & Al recap the gut punching defeat and try to understand how they could have lost four games in a row to last place teams. What should we expect this week from the front office as Friday's Trade Deadline looms? (15:15) Washington entered the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead, but Brad Hand immediately put the leadoff hitter on base. Should Hand and Daniel Hudson flip roles? (20:20) Paolo Espino was in line
Jul 25, 2021 · 39 min
Game 97: Dark Night at Camden Yards
The Nationals lost 5-3 in Baltimore for a third consecutive defeat. Al & Mark start with the troubled state of team as they are limping into the trade deadline. Should they sell and if so, who should they sell off? (12:37) Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start due to triceps discomfort. Did any of this have to do with the impending trade deadline? (22:05) Matt Harvey pitched like the New York form of himself, not the current one. Which version of the Nats offense will we see for
Jul 24, 2021 · 46 min
Game 96: Sleepy Night at the Plate in Baltimore
The Nationals lost their series opener at Camden Yards 6-1 to the Orioles. It was a busy night for Mark as he made his debut hosting the pre & postgame shows on MASN and he tells Al all about it. They then dissect why Josh Bell got the nod in the field and Ryan Zimmerman was the DH, as opposed to Zim starting at 1B. Bell provided the only offense of the night with a tape measure shot, his third homer of the week. (16:26) Andrew Stevenson got another start in CF on Friday night. Has Robles been
Jul 22, 2021 · 40 min
Game 95: Missed Opportunity for a Sweep
The Nationals lost 3-1 in extras to the Marlins, ending their brief win streak at three games. Al & Mark dive into the offensive struggles from Wednesday night, as some familiar themes from earlier this season returned. This includes multiple double plays and stranding runners in scoring position. (12:33) Andrew Stevenson started two games this series in CF instead of Victor Robles. Is this a sign of lineup cards to come? (19:15) Erick Fedde bounced back with a solid outing, his first good sta
Jul 21, 2021 · 39 min
Game 94: Nats Rally on Marlins Bullpen for 3rd Straight Win
The Nats beat the Marlins 6-3 after briefly blowing the lead in the 6th. Al & Mark discuss the victory which saw a balanced offensive attack. Josh Bell went deep for the second straight day, Tres Barrera had another solid performance at the plate, and Juan Soto continues to be locked in. (14:24) Paolo Espino returned to his "Secret Weapon" form as he tossed five scoreless innings. Why was Paolo able to bounce back after a few recent rough outings? (22:05) GM Mike Rizzo addressed reporters for
Jul 20, 2021 · 37 min
Game 93: Soto & Lester Lead the Barrage of Homers
The Nationals pulverized the Marlins 18-1 just a few days after losing by 16 runs. Mark & Al have a different tune to sing as Washington returns to NL East competition. The team slugged six homers, the majority of which came off of former Nat Ross Detwiler. (6:35) Juan Soto continued his hot stretch as he went deep twice and now has five homers since the Derby. When Soto is hitting opposite field, good things seem to happen. (16:31) Josh Bell hit a mammoth homer that landed deep into the left
Jul 19, 2021 · 30 min
Game 92: Escobar Walk-off Snaps the Skid
The Nationals topped San Diego 8-7 to end their six game losing streak. Al & Mark discuss Alcides Escobar's contributions so far this month, as he was the hero in the late innings for the victory. (7:52) Juan Soto had a go ahead HR in the bottom of the 8th, his third of the series. Mark takes another bow for his July 4th prediction that if Soto entered the Derby, it would lead to a Post All Star Break power surge. (18:30) Max Scherzer had a good outing, but couldn't hold onto an early 4-0 le
Jul 19, 2021 · 18 min
Game 91: Suspended Game Ends with 6th Straight Loss
The Nationals lost 10-4 to the Padres in Game 2 of their series. This was the game that began on Saturday night, was suspended by gunshots outside the stadium, and concluded on Sunday afternoon. Mark tells Al what the atmosphere felt like Sunday at the ballpark following Saturday evening's events, including Davey Martinez's emotional pregame comments. (9:55) Patrick Corbin had another rough outing in his subpar season. Why do his struggles continue? (13:55) Stephen Strasburg recently suffered
Jul 18, 2021 · 12 min
Breaking News Edition: Shooting Outside Nationals Park Halts Play
Saturday evening there were gunshots outside Nationals Park which led to play being suspended in the middle of the 6th inning. Mark was in the press box covering the game and relays to Al what he experienced while sitting in the parking garage outside the stadium. **Taping occurred at roughly 11pm Eastern on Saturday July 17th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 17, 2021 · 57 min
Game 90: Slammed by San Diego + Top 5 Moments from 1st Half
The Nationals were pummeled by the Padres 24-8 on what was an awful Friday in Navy Yard top to bottom. Mark & Al start with analysis and explanation of why Starlin Castro was placed on administrative leave by MLB due to a domestic violence allegation. (18:30) What will the Nats do at third base moving forward? Jordy Mercer started Friday night and Davey Martinez mentioned a trio of players who might man the hot corner. Did this position become an even higher priority ahead of the trade deadlin
Jul 12, 2021 · 41 min
Game 89: Swept in San Francisco
The Nats lost 3-1 at the Giants in their final game before the All Star Break. Al & Tim start by wondering, "Are the Nationals good?" They were over .500 until this last injury riddled stretch against the powers that be from the NL West. (7:56) Ryan Zimmerman did not start any of the games on the California road trip. Will he have an expanded role in the 2nd Half of the season? Plus, What to do with the struggling Victor Robles as he enters the break hitting .209? (17:38) Erick Fedde allowed a