steam on the eve of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline Whitey Herzog Jersey , but theWashington Nationalsmade it clear his immediate future was in the nation's capital.Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made it clear Tuesday morning that the team did not plan on trading its star outfielder, perChelsea Janes of the Washington Post:"Bryce is not going anywhere. I believe in this team."Those comments shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that Rizzo recently told106.7 The Fan (h/t The Athletic'sKen Rosenthal) that Harper is "near and dear to my heart personally."A Nationals official also recently toldRosenthalthat the team would not improve by trading the face of the franchise."I'm glad to still be in this clubhouse," Harper told reporters after the deadline, adding that Rizzo personally assured him he wasn't being moved.Rumors have popped up as the team is in the midst of a disappointing season. After winning 95-plus games and making the playoffs in each of the past two campaigns, the team sits at 52-53 and in third place in the National League East. It is 5.5 games back both in the division and in the wild-card race.There wasspeculationthat the Nationals' series against the Miami Marlins this past weekend was going to determine whether they would be buyers or sellers at the deadline. After splitting the four-game series, their status remained unclear.Until Tuesday, that is.Harper has long been expected to command one of the largest contracts in baseball history when he hits free agency this winter. However, like his team, he has struggled in 2018. He is hitting just .220 http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-vince-coleman-jersey , although he still has 25 home runs and 62 RBI.Of course, his top moment of the season came when he put on a show for the hometown crowd at the 2018 Home Run Derby:That may have given him a boost heading into the second half, as he has hit .286 with two home runs, one double and eight RBI in nine games since the All-Star break.Trading Harper wouldn't necessarily preclude Washington from re-signing the 2015 NL MVP this offseason. It's hard to see, though, how it would help its cause, other than the fact that it could bring back players who could help it win in the future.Teams may have been intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Harper at the deadline, but it appears as though the league will have to wait until the winter to make a run at the six-time All-Star. TEMPE, Ariz. — Smack dab in the middle of the NL West and wild-card races, the Arizona Diamondbacks can feel the relevance in every pitch.San Diego Orlando Cepeda Jersey , for its part, is hoping that its younger players also can take something from the exposure to a playoff atmosphere, even if it is from the other side of the field.The Padres stopped the Diamondbacks 6-2 behind Franmil Reyes‘ first career two-homer game in the first game of a two-game mini-series at Chase Field on Monday, the first of five games remaining between the two this season. The Padres also have series remaining against contenders Seattle and the DodgersArticle continues below ...“These games are going to mean a lot to that club, and it’s a chance for us to make it hard on them,” San Diego manager Andy Green said of the Arizona games.“And then we are going to go into Dodger Stadium in the middle of the month and have an opportunity to go against a team that we can make it very hard on. For the guys that pitch on those days, they are going to feel what it feels like pitching in a September playoff race.“We can’t artificially create that when we go to Cincinnati (this weekend). Those games are going to be equally important for us to win, but I think I’m excited for the opportunity to see our guys tested in the venues this month.”Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (4-2) is to face San Diego left-hander Joey Lucchesi (7-7) in the second game of the short two-game set Tuesday.Arizona has lost four in a row and six of eight, during which it has scored 14 runs, with a high of three.“Obviously it is not ideal the way we have been swinging the bats http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-keith-hernandez-jersey ,” said veteran catcher Alex Avila, who has been through successful stretch runs before with Detroit and the Cubs.“You can’t let that overtake you and cloud your mind on a daily basis. It’s just a matter of time. There will be a day when we break out of it. It’s a tough game, so you just have to keep plugging away.”The D-backs will commence a streak of 20 consecutive games against teams that are .500 or better with a four-game home series against NL East-leading Atlanta that begins Thursday.Their next road trip is a seven-gamer to Colorado (four games) and Houston followed by a nine-game homestand that includes three-game series against the Cubs, Colorado and the Dodgers. They finish up with three games in San Diego.Ray, who has a 4.55 ERA, has given up only one run in each of his past two starts while walking the tightrope, having given up 15 base runners in his previous 10 1/3 innings.When Ray throws strikes, he is tough to hit — he has 16 strikeouts in his last two outings and is averaging 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings, second only to Washington’s Max Scherzer (12.0) among NL starters. Ray missed eight weeks with a strained oblique muscle earlier in the season and has thrown 91 innings in his 18 starts.Ray has worked with pitching coach Mike Butcher on finishing his delivery more on line, with his plant foot facing home plate when he lands so that he is not throwing across his body.He said he felt that click in a no-decision start against Seattle on Aug. 25 Bob Gibson Jersey , when he gave up one run in five innings. He struck out nine in five innings in a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers in his most recent start last Thursday.“I felt locked in mentally and mechanically,” Ray said after the Seattle outing. “Just a small change like that makes a huge difference. It honestly feels fine either way, but just the result of the pitch isn’t exactly where I want it to be when I close myself off.”Ray has made two starts against the Padres this season without a decision while giving up seven runs and nine walks in 8 2/3 innings.Rookie Lucchesi, who sports a 3.59 ERA in 21 starts, had made two consecutive quality starts after giving up five runs in four innings of a 9-4 loss to Arizona at Petco Park on Aug. 17.His last two losses have come against the Diamondbacks, and he has had limited success against them this season, going 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in four starts, two at home and two on the road. Arizona has five homers and 16 runs off him in 18 2/3 innings.Paul Goldschmidt and Nick Ahmed have two homers apiece off Lucchesi this season and A.J. Pollock has one.
