Doug Fister dominates, Nationals move to four games up in National League East standings

By Drew SilvaAug 6, 2014, 10:21 PM EST
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Doug Fister allowed just one (unearned) run over 7 1/3 innings and Adam LaRoche launched a pair of home runs as the Nationals bested the visiting Mets 7-1 on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.

Even the slumping Bryce Harper got in on the act with a fourth-inning single, a sixth-inning walk, and a run scored. That after finishing 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in a 6-1 loss to New York on Tuesday.

With the Braves falling Wednesday afternoon to the Mariners — the eighth straight loss for Atlanta — the Nats are now four games up in the NL East.

Fister missed the first month of the season with a lat strain, but he’s now suddenly an ace …

Rakuten Golden Eagles sign Jabari Blash

Jabari Blash
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By Ashley VarelaDec 15, 2018, 7:45 PM EST
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Former Angels outfielder Jabari Blash has signed a one-year deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball, the team announced Friday. Per the Japan Times, the deal is said to be worth around $1.06 million. Blash was released from his contract with the Angels at the end of November.

The 29-year-old outfielder has had a rough go of it in the majors, where he failed to duplicate the promising results he delivered in the minors. While he consistently batted above .250 with 20-30 home runs per season at the Double- and Triple-A level, he petered out in back-to-back gigs with the Padres and Angels and slumped toward a .103/.200/.128 finish across 45 PA for Anaheim in 2018.

The hope, of course, is that the environment in NPB will help him get a better handle on his issues at the plate — in a best case scenario, resulting in a full-scale transformation that could make him more marketable to MLB teams in the future. To that end, Blash expects to be utilized as a cleanup batter in the Eagles’ lineup and will focus on assisting the club as they make a run toward the Japan Series.