FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ M2 D5
September began. The Braves
have just kept winning and win-
ning and winning some more. And
the Nationals, for the first time in
a long time, haven’t been able to
keep pace.
“That wild-card game is not fun
to play in,” Martinez said Thurs-
day afternoon, about two hours
before first pitch and about five
hours before Kendrick made the
final out. “So we’re here to win
today, and we want to catch them,
and we want to win the division.”
But all Thursday did was nudge
the Nationals closer to that one-
game playoff. Even if they take the
next three games here and ulti-
mately win the series, they still
would be five behind the Braves
with 20 left to play. The biggest
question then, with Atlanta sprint-
ing away with the division, is
whether Washington can hold on
to home-field advantage in the wild
card. The Nationals are two games
ahead of the Chicago Cubs in that
race and play their next 12 games
against division-leading clubs.
They have waded into the
toughest stretch of their schedule
at the season’s most critical point
and are in the midst of as sharp
priority shift. It’s not that the Na-
tionals don’t want to make a push
in the NL East. It’s more that the
opportunity has all but passed.
[email protected]doing the Nationals’ summerlong
surge, and Washington has hit a
lag. The Nationals lost to the last-
place Baltimore Orioles on
Aug. 27. They nearly lost to the
last-place Miami Marlins a few
days later. They were outplayed by
the New York Mets for three
games this week, save for a couple
of innings, and that let Atlanta
build a yawning lead in the NL
East. Then it only grew once Fried
turned in his best start of the year.
So while this was billed as
Washington’s chance to chase
down the Braves and that’s still
mathematically possible, the
probability has dwindled sinceliams again trying to pull even
with Court, who won 13 of her
Grand Slams before the Open era
began in 1968 and 11 more after-
ward. It will find Williams seeking
a seventh U.S. Open title 20 years
after her first, of which she said:
“At 17, I thought for sure I’d be
retired at 28, 29, living my life. So,
yeah, I would have thought [still
playing at 37] was a sick joke.”
It will find Williams against
someone not yet born in 1999 yet
who has rocked the sport in 2019
with a steep ascent fueled by a
sudden title in late winter at Indi-
an Wells and who epitomizes what
Williams said when she stopped
herself mid-sentence and wise-
cracked, “It’s cool because I’m
playing in an era with — five eras
with so many amazing players.”
And finally, it will star a working
mother of 37 who moved around
well enough Thursday night to
win 10 marathon points out of 13.
[email protected]the chances, but in the same time
she played really, really focused
and very precise on those two
games,” the Ukrainian said.
Twelve moments: four Wil-
liams winners, one Williams ace,
four forced errors, one Svitolina
double fault, two Svitolina un-
forced errors. Svitolina felt those
points gave Williams “the push to
play more freely,” but also said:
“But again, that’s why she is who
she is. You are playing in front of
the best tennis player in the world.
If you don’t take it, she just grabs
it, and there’s no chance to take it
back.”
After those five games, Wil-
liams led 4-1. In the second set, she
became a notch more airtight, and
for a good while it seemed Svitoli-
na had no way to get a ball past her.
Then they concluded and compli-
mented each other, and the sport
had come back to a familiar
threshold.
That threshold will find Wil-With rosters expanded for
September and the Nationals
carrying 34 players, they don’t
need to worry about placing
Eaton on the injured list. They
have three bench outfielders in
Parra, Michael A. Taylor and
Andrew Stevenson, and even
Wilmer Difo could help there in
an emergency.
But Eaton has been a key table
setter during the Nationals’
surge up the standings,
especially toward the end of
summer.
Taylor played right field
against the Braves, getting his
first start since June 22. He spent
most of the year with the Class
AA Harrisburg Senators and only
rejoined the Nationals this week.
Martinez decided to put him in
right, keeping Robles in center,
because of how well Robles has
developed in that position.
Taylor has long been the best
defensive outfielder in the
organization, and that may still
be the case. But this alignment
lets Martinez keep Robles where
he’s most comfortable and use
Taylor’s experience and
versatility in a less familiar spot.
— Jesse DoughertyWimbledon, I probably had a
week to prepare, so that was amaz-
ing. Australia, I was super-pre-
pared. I did great, then rolled my
ankle [in the quarterfinals against
Karolina Pliskova]. I shouldn’t
have even played the French
Open. That was just a bonus just to
compete in another Grand Slam.
“I just feel like I actually had
time to train. I joked I trained
more for Canada [last month]
than I did for any other tourna-
ment this year, which is kind of
funny.”
She reached the final there with
four considerable wins, including
one over Naomi Osaka, then re-
tired at 3-1 of the first set with back
spasms against Andreescu. What
seemed an impediment now
seems a blip as Williams will try
Saturday to refrain from out-
comes that went as follows: a 6-3,
6-3 loss to Angelique Kerber in the
2018 Wimbledon final; a 6-2, 6-4
loss to Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open
final; and a 6-2, 6-2 loss to a sub-
lime Simona Halep in the 2019
Wimbledon final.
If she resembles the player from
the semifinal, always a question in
a final — “There’s so many differ-
ent emotions in finals,” she said —
it looks like enough against any-
one. The winners went 34-11 in her
favor. She kept her unforced errors
at a manageable 20 (to Svitolina’s
17). And she plied an long-estab-
lished Williams trade, that of the
nerveless sovereignty on the piv-
otal point.
In the first, second and fifth
games, Svitolina, who beat Wil-
liams in the Rio de Janeiro Olym-
pics in their previous meeting and
who had lost zero sets here, had a
combined 12 break points or game
points. She got none of those. “HadU.S. OPEN FROM D1mix of four-seam fastballs, sliders,
sinkers and curves. He leaned on
his sinker-slider combination and
worked ahead in most counts,
keeping the Nationals guessing
and flailing at his off-speed pitch-
es. The lone stain on his line was
that hit to Rendon, hardly a stain
at all, and he needed only 90 pitch-
es to record 21 outs.
“Everything,” Trea Turner said
of what made Fried so effective.
“He was throwing all three, four of
his pitches at all times.”
Victor Robles blasted a two-run
homer in the ninth off Braves clos-
er Mark Melancon, and Soto sin-
gled to bring the tying run to the
plate. But Howie Kendrick soon
grounded out to end it. The Na-
tionals trailed by four runs going
into that inning after Fernando
Rodney allowed an inherited run-
ner to score in the eighth. And
Rodney was only in the game be-
cause Roenis Elías exited in pain.
Elías, one of the Nationals’ two
left-handed relievers, was activat-
ed from the injured list Friday
after missing close to a month
with a right hamstring strain. His
right leg appeared to buckle after
he delivered a pitch to Brian Mc-
Cann with two outs, and he im-
mediately called for head athletic
trainer Paul Lessard. He held his
hamstring area while crouching
behind the mound. It was the ad-
ditional loss in Washington’s third
defeat in four contests.
“He tweaked his hamstring,”
Martinez said, adding that Elias
probably would undergo an MRI
exam. “We don’t know anything
definitive. It just got tight on him.
We’ll know more tomorrow. Same
one.”
As good as the Nationals have
been and for how far they have
climbed the standings these past
three months, two trends
stretched into Thursday: The
Braves have been even better, out-
NATIONALS FROM D1
Victor Robles batted second
behind leadoff hitter Trea Turner
against the Braves. The
Nationals also have tried
Asdrubal Cabrera and Gerardo
Parra in that spot.
“He’s getting better. He’s still
sore,” Martinez said Thursday.
“It’s a brutal area to get hit, and
it’s going to take some time. But
he’s getting better.”Excerpted from
washingtonpost.com/nationals
Eaton still is limited
against the Braves
It has been eight days since
Adam Eaton was hit on the
outside of his right knee with a
fastball, and he again was out of
the lineup Thursday night for
the Washington Nationals’ series
opener with the Atlanta Braves.
Eaton did pinch-hit Thursday,
striking out looking in the eighth
inning. It was his third at-bat
since the pitch off his knee. He
started once, against the New
York Mets this past Monday, but
didn’t make it past the second
inning before his knee tightened
up. Manager Dave Martinez said
it was a deep bruise. Eaton was
good in spirits at SunTrust Park
Thursday, making small talk
with reporters, but didn’t discuss
how he feels or when he could
return to playing every day.
The Nationals have missed his
bat at the top of their order. He
was on an offensive tear and hit
.329 with 12 extra-base hits,
including five homers, in August.
NATIONALS NOTESLoss dims Nats’ hopes of winning East
Crushing it: Williams smokes Svitolina
KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGESThe Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg was outpitched by Max Fried, allowing three runs in six innings.
NATIONALS ON DECK
at Atlanta Braves
Today 7:20 MASN
Tomorrow 7:20 MASN
Sunday 1:20 MASNat Minnesota Twins
Tuesday 7 :40 MASN2
Wednesday 7:40 MASN2
Thursday 7:40 MASNvs. Atlanta Braves
Sept. 13 7:05 MASN
Sept. 14 4:05 MASN
Sept. 15 1:38 MASNRadio: WJFK (106.7 FM)BY MARK MASKE
AND MATT BONESTEELAntonio Brown faces disci-
pline by the Oakland Raiders
after the star wide receiver and
General Manager Mike Mayock
had a heated confrontation
Wednesday.
The team has not announced
how it plans to proceed with
Brown but is believed to be mull-
ing its options, which include
fining, suspending or perhaps
even releasing the seven-time Pro
Bowl player.
Brown and Mayock had an
animated discussion Wednesday
after Brown posted on social
media a photo of a fine letter
from the team, according to a
person familiar with the situa-
tion. That could lead to further
disciplinary action by the Raiders
against Brown, said the person,
who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because the team had
made no official announcement.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who
represents Brown, told the NFL
Network that Brown had been
told to stay home Thursday but
had not been told anything defin-
itive about possible disciplinary
measures as of Thursday night.
Rosenhaus said that he was “try-
ing to work through this” with
the Raiders and his “goal is to
work everything out.”
The NFL Network reported
that Brown is not expected to
play in the Raiders’ opening
game Monday night against Den-
ver but did not specify whether
that would result from a suspen-
sion without pay or a deactiva-
tion with pay. A deactivationcould serve to give the Raiders
more time to make a final deci-
sion.
According to a report by ESPN,
the team plans to suspend
Brown. The NFL Network report-
ed that Brown threatened to
punch Mayock in the face during
the confrontation, which did not
actually become physical, and
then punted a football and told
Mayock to fine him for that. The
Athletic reported that teammates
had to restrain Brown.
Brown did not participate in
the Raiders’ practice Thursday.
Mayock, the former draft analyst
for the NFL Network who’s in his
first year as GM, spoke to report-
ers briefly at the Raiders’ facility
but did not address specifics or
take questions.
“Antonio Brown is not in the
building today,” Mayock said. “He
won’t be practicing. I don’t have
any more information for you
right now. And when I have some
and it becomes appropriate, you
guys will all get it. I promise you.
But that’s it for today.”
Raiders Coach Jon Gruden,
speaking to reporters following
Thursday’s practice, said the
team would “have an official
announcement later,” and like
Mayock, he declined to comment
on the details of Wednesday’s
incident or the club’s plans re-
garding Brown.
“We’re still getting to the bot-
tom of everything,” Gruden said.
“All I can do is comment on the
football team. I’m out here on the
field coaching the guys that are
here. And we’ve got a lot of guys
working hard. So we’ll give you
the information on Antoniowhen we have it official and
correct and right. I don’t want to
speculate any further. I can’t do
it.”
Gruden, who is entering the
second season of his return to
coaching after leaving ESPN’s
“Monday Night Football” broad-
cast booth, acknowledged that
the Raiders were preparing for
the possibility of being without
Brown when the season begins.
According to others within the
league, the Raiders were believed
to be considering the possibility
of releasing Brown rather than
fining or suspending him and
attempting to recoup the guaran-
teed money in his contract. It was
not clear, however, how seriously
the team was considering cutting
its ties to Brown.
On Wednesday, Brown posted
the photo of a letter he had
received from Mayock informing
him that he had been fined
$13,950 for missing a walk-
through Aug. 22 before the Raid-
ers’ third exhibition game against
the Green Bay Packers. That sanc-
tion was added to the $40,000 he
was fined for missing the final
practice of training camp Aug. 18.
That day, Mayock told reporters
that “from our perspective, it’s
time for him to be all in or all out.”
In the social media post,
Brown annotated the photo with
a caption that seemed to express
his displeasure with the news.
“When your own team want to
hate but there’s no stopping me
now devil is a lie,” he wrote.
“Everyone got to pay this year so
we clear.”
[email protected]
[email protected]Raiders consider discipline for Brown
Braves 4, Nationals 2
WASHINGTON ABRH BI BB SO AVG
Turner ss........................ 4 1 0 0 0 2 .295
Robles cf ........................ 4 1 1 2 0 0 .251
Rendon 3b ...................... 4 0 1 0 0 0 .338
Soto lf ............................ 4 0 1 0 0 3 .298
Kendrick 1b .................... 4 0 0 0 0 0 .325
Suzuki c.......................... 3 0 0 0 0 1 .260
Dozier 2b ........................ 2 0 0 0 1 1 .235
Taylor rf ......................... 2 0 0 0 0 0 .205
Eaton ph......................... 1 0 0 0 0 1 .287
Elias p ............................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Rodney p ........................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Strasburg p .................... 2 0 0 0 0 2 .169
Strickland p.................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Parra rf........................... 0 0 0 0 1 0 .234
TOTALS 30 2 3 2 2 10 —
ATLANTA ABRH BI BB SO AVG
Acuna Jr. cf-rf ................ 4 2 2 1 0 1 .283
Albies 2b ........................ 4 2 2 1 0 0 .288
Freeman 1b .................... 4 0 1 1 0 1 .300
Donaldson 3b ................. 2 0 0 0 2 1 .261
McCann c........................ 4 0 1 1 0 1 .260
Swanson ss.................... 4 0 0 0 0 2 .256
Joyce rf .......................... 3 0 0 0 0 1 .276
Greene p......................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Melancon p..................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Ortega lf......................... 2 0 0 0 1 1 .224
Fried p ............................ 1 0 0 0 1 1 .220
Hamilton pr-cf ............... 1 0 0 0 0 0 .316
TOTALS 29 4 6 4 4 9 —
WASHINGTON.............. 000 000 002 —2 3 0
ATLANTA...................... 200 010 01X—4 6 0
LOB: Washington 3, Atlanta 5. 2B: Albies (38). HR:
Robles (17), off Melancon; Acuna Jr. (37), off Stras-
burg. RBI: Robles 2 (58), Albies (73), Freeman (115),
Acuna Jr. (93), McCann (40). SB: Acuna Jr. (34), Don-
aldson (4), Albies (15).
DP: Washington 1 (Dozier, Kendrick).
WASHINGTON IPHR ER BB SO NP ERA
Strasburg .................... 6 433 4 7 115 3.50
Strickland .................... 1 000 01 15 2.70
Elias ............................ .2 111 01 11 9.00
Rodney ........................ .1 100 00 6 3.38
ATLANTA IPHR ER BB SO NP ERA
Fried ............................ 7 100 09 90 3.86
Greene ......................... 1 000 11 16 3.86
Melancon ..................... 1 222 10 28 5.93
WP: Fried (16-4); LP: Strasburg (16-6).
Inherited runners-scored: Rodney 1-1. PB: McCann (7).
T: 2:57. A: 28,831 (41,149).DON EMMERT/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Elina Svitolina had a combined 12 break points or game points in
the first, second and fifth games Thursday but could not cash in.HOW THEY SCORED
BRAVES FIRST
Ronald Acuna Jr. singles. Ozzie Albies doubles, Ronald
Acuna Jr. scores. Freddie Freeman singles, Ozzie Albies
scores. Josh Donaldson grounds out. Freddie Freeman
to second. Brian McCann grounds out. Freddie Freeman
to third. Dansby Swanson strikes out swinging.
Braves 2, Nationals 0
BRAVES FIFTH
Max Fried called out on strikes. Ronald Acuna Jr. hom-
ers. Ozzie Albies lines out. Freddie Freeman strikes out
swinging.
Braves 3, Nationals 0
BRAVES EIGHTH
Ozzie Albies singles. Freddie Freeman flies out. Josh
Donaldson strikes out swinging. Brian McCann singles,
Ozzie Albies scores. Dansby Swanson pops out.
Braves 4, Nationals 0
NATIONALS NINTH
Gerardo Parra walks. Trea Turner reaches on a fielder’s
choice. Gerardo Parra out at second. Victor Robles hom-
ers, Trea Turner scores. Anthony Rendon flies out. Juan
Soto singles. Howie Kendrick grounds out.
Braves 4, Nationals 2NO Money Down
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