National League East News

May 9, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz talks with relief pitcher Phillippe Aumont during the seventh inning at Chase Field.

Sometimes it's due to a major injury, other times it's the years of wear-and-tear that they have subjected their bodies to that simply takes its toll and makes them ineffective.

On the day Roy Halladay told the world he would need shoulder surgery, the Phillies lost to the San Francisco Giants.

For a team that has struggled to produce offense, winning three of the first six games of a 10-game West Coast trip might be a success - but not by the standards held by the championship-hopeful Washington Nationals.

Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey has been one of the best pitchers in baseball so far this season.

With the exception of two position players, there is a new squad being built by the Philadelphia Phillies around Domonic Brown.

Joey Votto homered and Zack Cozart had a career-high four hits, all off Matt Harvey, in a game that featured a little bit of everything - including a testy exchange in the dugout between Cincinnati starter Mat Latos and teammate Jay Bruce.

The Washington Nationals celebrated winning the National League East division title in 2012.

Mike Piazza, who helped usher in Citi Field in 2009, also brought in an era of Mets success at the turn of the century.

The Philadelphia Phillies shoot for a series win over the Miami Marlins when the NL East foes clash Wednesday night.

After a surprisingly strong first month of the season, the New York Mets are now 17-25 and sitting in a disappointing fourth place in the NL East.

Misplaced pitches. Punishing walls. Unyielding lockers. All sorts of factors are conspiring against the Washington Nationals, who are finding new ways to turn big preseason expectations into sheer mediocrity.

A pair of competitive right-handers take center stage off the shores of McCovey Cove, as Matt Cain leads the San Francisco Giants against Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals Tuesday at AT&T Park.

CONFESSION IS good for the soul, we are told. Besides, there is no realistic alternative, seeing as how the words written in 2010 will live forever in cyberspace.

There are many factors that make a divisional rivalry a must-see event. Up at the top of that list has to be geographic proximity.

Mike Pelfrey struggled against the Atlanta Braves in his days with the New York Mets.

Victimized once again by an ineffective offense, Hamels had zero patience for anyone, including the media, following Monday's 5-1 road loss against the Miami Marlins.

Miami Marlins rookie starting pitcher Jose Fernandez hasn't had much trouble with the Philadelphia Phillies this season and will take the mound again in this series Tuesday.

It may be heresy in these parts to suggest that the Nats still have some growing up to do despite their major league-leading 98 victories last season.

The idea for Anne Churchill's first book came after she 'fell in love' with a donkey with a cross... Braves reliever Eric Oa??Flaherty, who pitched in a combined 142 games the past two seasons, likely is done for the season with an elbow injury.