ERICK FEDDE

The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to publicly acknowledge meeting with Shohei Ohtani when manager Dave Roberts disclosed what he said was a two-to-three hour get-together at Dodger Stadium a few days ago.

Cody Bellinger, Brian Anderson and Luke Voit were among 83 players who became free agents when their former teams declined to offer them contracts for next season.

Mets ace Max Scherzer exited with left side fatigue after five sharp innings and 67 pitches and NL East-leading New York lost to the Washington Nationals 7-1.

Major league losses leader Patrick Corbin ended Washington’s record 43-game drought without a starting pitcher earning a victory as the Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 to avoid a series sweep.

San Diego and new slugger Juan Soto repeatedly failed to come through in the clutch against his former club, and the last-place Washington Nationals beat the wild-card-chasing Padres 4-3.

Jesse Winker hit his second solo homer of the day and the Seattle Mariners won their 10th straight game, edging the Washington Nationals 2-1 to sweep a doubleheader.

Pablo López of the Miami Marlins has not allowed a hit through six innings against the Washington Nationals.

Austin Riley homered twice and the Atlanta Braves won their 14th straight game, beating the Washington Nationals 8-2.

Jazz Chisholm bunted for a single on the first pitch of Stephen Strasburg’s return from a one-year absence, stole second and the Marlins kept on going in a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals that finished a three-game sweep.

Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Odúbel Herrera homered as interim manager Rob Thomson and the streaking Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high seventh straight game, beating the sagging Milwaukee Brewers 8-3.

Lane Thomas had a three-homer game for the first time in his career, and Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto also went deep, leading the Washington Nationals to an 8-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler says he might return to the field for the national anthem in recognition of Memorial Day when his team opens a three-game series at Philadelphia.

Keston Hiura hit a two-run, winning homer off Jesse Chavez in the 11th inning as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6.

Yadiel Hernandez and Maikel Franco homered and the Washington Nationals ended the Houston Astros’ 11-game winning streak with a 13-6 romp.

Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros try for their 12th straight win Saturday, which would tie the team record.

Shohei Ohtani hit a tying, two-run double in the ninth inning, Anthony Rendon followed with a game-ending single against his former team and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Washington Nationals 5-4.

Miami Marlins right-hander Pablo López will carry a majors-leading 0.52 ERA into his start at Washington.

Miami Marlins right-hander Pablo López will carry a majors-leading 0.52 ERA into his start at Washington.

Rookie Seth Beer had three hits and three RBIs, and Daulton Varsho added a two-run homer to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 11-2.

Nelson Cruz hit his 450th home run and added a tiebreaking two-run single in three-run eighth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals over the Mets 4-2 and prevented New York from an opening four-game sweep.

Max Scherzer says he is “good to go” for his New York Mets debut in Friday’s second game of the season against the Washington Nationals.

The Boston Red Sox have clinched a playoff berth on the regular season’s final day and will host the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game after coming back to beat the Washington Nationals 7-5 on a tiebreaking two-run homer by Rafael Devers in the ninth inning.

Jake Cronenworth hit for his first career cycle, Wil Myers had two homers including a grand slam, and the San Diego Padres blew out the Washington Nationals 24-8.

Starlin Castro hit a go-ahead, two-run single off closer Hector Neris in the ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied three times to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 13-12.

Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2.

Erick Fedde returned after nearly a month on the COVID-19 injured list and pitched five sharp innings, Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff homer and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 2-0 to open a doubleheader.

No doubt every New York Mets fans shuddered when they heard the news that star pitcher Jacob deGrom was pulled from his latest start with an elbow injury.

Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2.

After no-hitters on consecutive nights by Detroit right-hander Spencer Turnbull and Yankees newcomer Corey Kluber, is there a pitcher on the docket who can make it three days in a row.

Bryce Harper treated heckling fans to a long home run, Andrew Knapp delivered a key pinch-hit in place of injured catcher J.

Huascar Ynoa hit a grand slam and pitched seven stress-free innings in a dominant two-way performance, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Jacob deGrom struck out a career-high 15, pitched a two-hitter and boosted the Mets' sagging offense with a go-ahead double from the No. 8 spot in the batting order, leading New York over the Washington Nationals 6-0.

Max Scherzer struck out nine in six scoreless innings to move up to No. 21 on the career Ks leaderboard, and Alex Avila drove in the game’s lone run with one of his two doubles, helping the Washington Nationals edge the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0.

Yan Gomes homered and added an RBI single to help the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 for their first back-to-back wins this season.

Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings to lift the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep.

I look forward to getting back to work in the next several days.”LESTER SURGERYWashington Nationals left-hander Jon Lester is leaving spring training camp to have surgery for the removal of his thyroid gland. He underwent chemotherapy treatments and returned to the Red Sox at spring training before the following season. Soto’s spring training start was delayed because he fouled a ball off his right foot in live batting practice Sunday. Martinez had two hits for a second straight game, driving in his first two runs of spring training. Jarred Kelenic, Seattle’s top prospect, hit a two-run homer and Taylor Trammell hit a solo homer.

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, left, celebrates his home run with third base coach Dusty Wathan during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Washington. With Harper leading the way, and homers from Andrew McCutchen, Didi Gregorius and Andrew Knapp, too, the Phillies beat the Nationals 12-3 Wednesday night. “We’re at the part of the season where I need to be on the field," Harper said. TRAINER’S ROOMPhillies: 1B Rhys Hoskins (left elbow) is unlikely to be activated off the injured list before the regular season ends, Girardi said. UP NEXTPhillies: Off on Thursday, then finish the regular season with a three-game series at Tampa Bay that opens Friday.

Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer (1.80) is third and starts at home against the Brewers in a matchup of NL playoff contenders. Atlanta won its third straight NL East title with an 11-1 romp over the contending Marlins. After losses in 10 straight postseason appearances, the Braves are desperate to end the drought. There’s so much to be proud of from my point of view.”STUMBLINGThe Phillies have lost in four, dropping them out of NL playoff position. After getting in a doubleheader in Washington, they’ll try to regain their winning touch when Zach Eflin (3-2, 4.28 ERA) starts against Erick Fedde (2-3, 4.36) at Nationals Park.

Strasburg threw only 16 pitches before leaving with hand issue in the first inning of Washington's 15-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. Martinez said Strasburg was feeling numbness in his thumb and that the sensation originated in the wrist. The Nationals withstood the injury to Strasburg after rebounding from a defeat that took five days to decide and weathering a lengthy rain delay. His first outing came against the Orioles in a game that was suspended Sunday at Nationals Park and completed Friday at Camden Yards with Baltimore winning 6-2. Orioles: Asher Wojciechowski (0-1, 3.95) makes his sixth career appearance against the Nationals, still looking for his first win against them.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Porcello (1-1) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits and retiring the last 10 batters he faced. Scherzer threw 99 pitches on opening day against the Yankees, then an MLB season-high 112 in his next start. WHAT A STEALIn his Mets debut, CF Billy Hamilton stole his first base of 2020 and 300th of his career. Nationals: After Thursday's fifth day off in a week, they start a three-game series Friday against visiting Baltimore.

WASHINGTON Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left his start for the Nationals against the New York Mets after just one inning Wednesday night. Washington did not immediately announce why Scherzer was taken out of the game after merely 27 pitches. Scherzer was not as sharp as usual at the outset Wednesday, going 2-0 counts against each of New York's initial two batters, walking one and giving up a single to the other. The Mets eventually went ahead in the first on Dominic Smith's sacrifice fly. Scherzer entered the game with an 0-1 record and 2.84 ERA this season.

The Blue Jays are the home team in the game. They love to win and they love to celebrate.Toronto batted in the bottom of each inning, wore its white uniforms, played its walk-up music and blared OK Blue Jays, the club's traditional seventh-inning stretch staple. The Blue Jays will be using a minor league ballpark Buffalo, but thats still being upgraded to host major league games. Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (left hamstring) and OF Randal Grichuk (back tightness) sat out again. UP NEXTWith Stephen Strasburg out, RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 2.25) will fill in again Thursday, facing Blue Jays LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-0, 5.79).

Washington Nationals' Victor Robles celebrates his two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Washington. Filling in for Strasburg, Erick Fedde allowed a pair of runs in four innings, including Giancarlo Stantons second homer in two games. With Max Scherzer and other Nationals starting pitchers although not Strasburg sitting somewhat spread out about 10 rows behind home plate, Fedde was followed by four relievers, who gave up three hits across five scoreless innings. The biggest was Robles two-run double. Robles added a two-run homer in the fourth, then singled in the sixth.

WASHINGTON World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg was scratched from what was supposed to be his first start of the season for the Washington Nationals on Saturday night because of a nerve issue with his right hand. Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced about four hours before the scheduled first pitch against the visiting New York Yankees that Strasburg would be replaced as his team's starter by Erick Fedde. We want to be cautious.He said Strasburg felt something was wrong with his hand during an exhibition game last week against the Baltimore Orioles. In 2019, Strasburg became the first pitcher to finish a postseason with a 5-0 record, helping the Nationals with the franchise's first championship. He then opted out of what was left on his contract and re-signed with Washington for $245 million over seven years.