"You're pitching for a last-place team in a half-empty stadium. What can be intimidating right now?" Manny Acta, April 30, 2009.

THE RESULT: Julian Tavarez, yesterday's hero for earning the save in Philadelphia, allowed five runs--just two earned--on two hits and two walks in the top of the ninth to turn a tie ballgame into a 9-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals before a sparse, mostly pro-Cardinal crowd at Nationals Park.

That the Nats were tied going into the ninth was miraculous enough. Daniel Cabrera started and was terrible again, but managed to limit the damage despite giving up four hits and walking five in six innings, and setting a team record with four wild pitches.

Tavarez entered the tie game in the top of the ninth and immediately erased Albert Pujols on one pitch. Unfortunately, that's the only out he would record.

He walked Chris Duncan, then gave up a double to the left field corner to Rick Ankiel that Adam Dunn was unable to cut off, and Duncan scored from first. Third baseman Joe Thurston walked, then Tavarez hit catcher Jason LaRue smack in the middle of his chest.

Tyler Greene, who made his major league debut, then hit a dribbler up the third base line that Ryan Zimmerman could not field cleanly. Ankiel scored easily, and Thurston, noticing Cristian Guzman was late backing up Zimmerman, never stopped as he rounded third.

Guzman finally got to the ball and threw home early enough to get Thurston, but Jesus Flores dropped the ball and appeared to be backing away from the contact as he misplayed the ball.

Manager Manny Acta then summoned deposed closer Joel Hanrahan, who, on his very first pitched, balked home a run. Greene then stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly for the fifth run of the inning.

THE TAKEAWAY: Good job by the offense coming back each time the Cardinals scored. Other than that, I got nothing. Wonder how long it takes before one of the hitters gets up into the grill of one of the relievers?

THE GOOD: Ryan Zimmerman. 1-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season. He hit another ball later to right center right up against the wall.

THE BAD: Logan Kensing. Making his Nats debut, he relieved Michael Hinckley with one out and a man on first. He promptly gave up a single to Pujols and then walked Chris Duncan on four pitches before Ankiel drove a ball to right center that Austin Kearns made a nice play on, resulting only in a sacrifice fly instead of a double to the gap.

THE UGLY: Gee, where to start? Even though Cabrera 'only' gave up three runs, it wasn't due to lack of effort. Five walks and a four wild pitches? How long does he keep getting sent out there to stink it up?

Michael Hinckley got one out and gave up a hit and a walk and a run. That ain't doing your job.

And we went through the Tavarez/Hanrahan inning ad nausem in the recap. If you thought a 36-year old (36? Yeah, right) journeyman who has pitched for 12 teams in his 16 year major league career was the answer, then I don't want to know the question.

NEXT GAME: We do it all again tomorrow night, as Jordan Zimmermann (2-0, 2.38) takes on Todd Wellemeyer (1-2, 6.14) at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: Zimmerman's first inning homer extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

The St. Louis Cardinals come to town for a four-game series at Nationals Park. The Nats come home after a 2-4 road trip to New York and Philadelphia.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (15-7, 1st in NL Central, one-game win streak)

Schumaker – 2B
Rasmus – RF
Pujols – 1B
Duncan – LF
Ankiel – CF
Thurston – 3B
Larue – C
T. Greene – SS
Boggs – P

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (5-15, 5th in NL East, one-game win streak)

Guzman – SS
Johnson – 1B
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – LF
Dukes – CF
Kearns – RF
Flores – C
Hernandez – 2B
Cabrera – P

STARTING PITCHERS

STL: Mitchell Boggs (7.2 IP, 1-0, 1.17, 6 Ks, 2 BBs)
WAS: Daniel Cabrera (18.1 IP, 0-2, 4.42, 7 Ks, 12 BBs)

WEATHER

Cloudy, maybe a passing shower. Game time temp 53F, last pitch temp 56F. Sweatshirt recommended.

THE RESULT: Scott Olsen threw well, the middle guys did their job, and Julian Tavarez slammed the door as the Washington Nationals salvaged the finale of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 4-1.

Olsen (1-3, 6.08) went five and two-thirds, allowing just a single run on Shane Victorino's third home run of the season. He gave up six hits and two walks, striking out six.

Garrett Mock and Kip Wells followed with one and one-third scoreless relief, and Tavarez got two groundball outs before finally striking out Victorino to end the game. It was Tavarez' first save since May 28, 2006.

Anderson Hernandez was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 18 games, longest in the majors this year and longest in the five-year history of the Nationals.

THE TAKEAWAY: Olsen was sharp for the third start in a row. He faced 24 batters, getting seven groundball outs and just three fly ball outs to go along with the six Ks. He threw 93 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Mock and Wells walked three guys between them in two and one-third, but didn't give up a hit.

THE GOOD: Anderson Hernandez. 3-for-4, two doubles, two RBIs, a stolen base and run scored. Solid.

THE BAD: Josh Willingham. He's really struggling right now. he went 1-for-4 to raise his average to .143.

THE UGLY: Anderson Hernandez. This is a rare feat, getting THE GOOD and THE UGLY in the same game, but his throwing error was the only bit of ugliness last night. Let's relish it.

NEXT GAME: Tonight, at 7:05 against the Central Division leading St. Louis Cardinals. Daniel Cabrera (0-2, 4.42) faces Mitchell Boggs (1-0, ,17), who kinda looks a little like Chad Cordero.

NOTES: Cristian Guzman returned to the lineup, hit leadoff, and went 1-for-5. Willie Harris singled in his only at bat, his first since returning from the DL.

The Washington Nationals complete a three-game series against the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies this evening at 7:05 p.m. from Citizen's Bank Park.

Earlier in the day, the Nats traded for another bullpen arm, Logan Kensing, from the Florida Marlins. Kensing, 26, is a right-hander that throws hard, strikes out a bunch of guys, but also walks a bunch of guys and gives up a lot of base hits.

He'll fit right in to this bullpen.

Also, tonight marks the return of Cristian Guzman from the disabled list, to continue his assault on National League pitching. in 36 plate appearances, The Guz has a .515 average--and on base percentage.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (4-15, 5th in NL East, two-game loss streak)

Guzman -- SS
Johnson -- 1B
Zimmerman -- 3B
Dunn -- RF
Dukes -- CF
Willingham -- LF
Flores -- C
A. Hernandez -- 2B
Olsen -- LHP

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (11-8, 2nd in NL East, five-game win streak)

Rollins -- SS
Victorino -- CF
Utley -- 2B
Howard -- 1B
Werth -- RF
Ibanez -- LF
Feliz -- 3B
Coste -- C
Myers -- RHP

PITCHING MATCHUP

WAS: Scott Olsen (0-3, 7.29, 21.0 IP, 14 Ks, 9 BBs)
PHI: Brett Myers (1-1, 4.91, 25.2 IP, 23 Ks, 12 BBs)

WEATHER: Cloudy and mild with scattered sprinkles, low of 50F.

The Washington Nationals just announced that they have traded for reliever Logan Kensing, formerly of the Florida Marlins.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Logan Kensing from the Florida Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kyle Gunderson. To make room on the roster, the Nationals transferred outfielder Roger Bernadina from the 15- to the 60-Day Disabled List. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Kensing, 26, joins the Nationals after going 7-8 with 20 holds and a 5.21 ERA (77 ER/133.0 IP) in 108 career games (three starts) spanning five seasons with Florida. Kensing is expected to be in a Nationals uniform for tonight’s series finale at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

A hard thrower, Kensing has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning—or 8.9 per 9.0 innings—during his career (131 SO in 133.0 big league innings). He was Florida’s second-round selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft after a standout career at Texas A&M.

There was no corresponding move announced regarding who would be dropped from the active roster, but we should know shortly.

As for the player given up, Kyle Gunderson is a 24-year old right handed pitcher. He was a 48th round pick in the 2007 draft. He has been used exclusively as a reliever in the minors, appearing in 54 games with the Gulf Cost Nationals, Hagerstown and Potomac. He's 5-3 with 12 saves and a 1.98 ERA. He's struck out 61 and walked 18 in 86.1 innings pitched.

THE TAKEAWAY: This was a "we need help NOW" move. Gunderson's already 24 and still pitching in Class A ball, so even though it's trading younger for older, the Nats need to get some help to mitigate the disaster that this bullpen is.

Kensing is a hard thrower and a strikeout guy--two things the Nats bullpen doesn't have much of. He's been fairly terrible this season though, giving up 17.2 hits per nine innings and a 9.82 ERA in six games. But his strikeout rate is still near his lifetime average, so he's got that going for him, which is good.

It will be really interesting to find out who gets dropped from the roster before game time.

UPDATE: Nats send Bergmann back to Syracuse. Can't believe Bergy is less useful than Rivera right now, but what do I know?

THE RESULT: The Washington Nationals fell to 4-15 on the season as they dropped a 7-1 decision to the Philadelphia Phillies last night at Citizen's Bank Park.

Nationals starter John Lannan took the loss, giving up six runs--just three earned--on nine hits and one walk, striking out two. He surrendered three home runs.

Washington had one credited error, but that number could have been higher, as the defensive miscues keep piling up. Alberto Gonzalez committed his sixth error of the season in the third inning, booting a routine grounder with two outs, extending the inning for Pedro Feliz to hit a three-run home run.

Adam Dunn also misplayed a fly ball at the wall in left field by that inning, putting Shane Victorino on base ahead of Chase Utley's two-run homer.

Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 17 games. It's the longest in the major leagues this season.

Before the game, Willie Harris was reinstated to the roster and Justin Maxwell was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. This morning, Cristian Guzman was activated from the DL and Gonzalez was optioned to Syracuse.

Also, before last night's game, manager Manny Acta announced that he would be going to a "bullpen by committee" in the wake of Joel Hanrahan's latest melt-down.

THE TAKEAWAY: Getting Guzman and Harris back will help, but they don't pitch. Gonzalez had a reputation for being an excellent defender and has been truly terrible. Folks, that's what happens when backups are forced to start in the major leagues.

The closer situation is interesting. The guess here is that they will play matchup in the eighth and ninth innings instead of having set roles, and the batting order will dictate who's left on the mound to get the save, should they ever get another opportunity.

Hopefully Beimel will be ready come back when he's eligible, giving Acta another arm to utilize.

THE GOOD: Adam Dunn hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season. And walked. Yes, he'll get his.

THE BAD: John Lannan. Despite the errors and defensive shenanigans, he still gave up three taters, two to the left-handed hitting Utley.

THE UGLY: 5-6-7 hitters. Dukes, Kearns and Flores combined to go 0-for-11 with one walk.

NEXT GAME: Tonight, the final game of the three-game series. Scott Olsen (0-3, 7.29) faces Brett Myers (1-1, 4.91).

The Nats made several changes today.

BULLPEN-BY-COMMITTEE

One day after watching the bullpen blow a four-run lead, the Nationals decided Tuesday that right-hander Joel Hanrahan will no longer be their closer and that right-hander Garrett Mock is out as the eighth-inning setup man.

The team will go with a bullpen-by-committee, with right-handers Julian Tavarez and Kip Wells as the late-inning options. Once left-hander Joe Beimel is activated from the disabled list next week, he will most likely be the closer, with Tavarez and Wells becoming the setup men.


HARRIS BACK/MAXWELL OUT

Willie Harris was activated from the DL today and is back in a new role - primarily outfielder. Justin Maxwell was sent back to AAA Syracuse.

GUZMAN BACK TOMORROW?

According to Nats Journal, Washington will activate Cristian Guzman (left hamstring strain). That move will send either Alberto Gonzalez or Alex Cintron back to Class AAA.

Photo 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols, Contributor and Photographer to Nats News Network

Okay, we all know the record (4-14) and we have read the thousands of blog entries and media articles about how bad the team is playing, blah, blah, blah.

Kristen pointed out something our mothers taught us as children, “If you don’t have anything nice to say…” (you know the rest).

So how about some good news about the Nationals?! Our Offense and Smokin' Bats! The "Zimmer-Dunn" Show knows how to "Get 'er Dunn!"

Ryan Zimmerman is on fire with a 16-game hitting streak! He has tallied up hits in the seventeen out of the eighteen games played this season and .295 batting average. Zim appears to have found the stride that we all had hoped he'd find.

Mark Teixeira who? Adam Dunn leads Teixeira in all hitting categories so far this season.

Thank goodness we were able to get Adam Dunn. He is one of those few players that have actually lived up to how he was advertised. Dunn is a slugger that either hits big, walks or stikes out. I think his discipline at the plate has helped other players too. Reports indicate that he is a leader in the clubhouse and is determined to turn the team around.

Nick Johnson is much healthier than we expected! NJ is off to a great start this season with a .359 batting average and currently has an eleven game hitting streak. Based on history, the team could not put all of their eggs in one basket so decided to go out and sign a few other players in case Nick was not healthy. Now that Nick is playing well and staying healthy (knock on wood), do we trade him or keep him and trade off other parts to get depth in bullpen?

More good news: Sounds like Cristian Guzman will be activated from the DL today. Guz has a .515 BA and OBP in 7 games this season and his defense has been greatly missed. Getting Guz back in the lineup is key.

Additional good news: Willie Harris was activated from the DL last night which gives the team some versatility on the bench and some speed.

NATS LEADERBOARD
H: Zim/Dunn tied with 23
HR: Dunn 5; Zim 4
RBIs: Dunn 14; Zim 13
R: Zim 13; NJ 12; Dunn 10
TB: Zim 41; Dunn 37
SB: Maxwell 3
AVG: Guz .515 (only 7 games); NJ .359
OBP: Guz .515 (only 7 games); Dunn .475

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

C'mon folks.

Seriously, c'mon.

I don't know how else to say it. I know it's tough to watch the Nats right now. I know it's disappointing to think they've got the game won and then KA-BOOM! And I feel the frustration that it just doesn't seem like there's an end to it.

In the past week and a half, the team has lost four games that they statistically had a greater than 97% chance of winning as late as the eighth inning.

But c'mon. The team is bad. It was bad last year. It was supposed to bad this year. Maybe not 102 losses bad, but still bad.

We knew that this team was going to be one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. And it is.

We knew that the bullpen--formerly a strength--would be terrible this season. And hit has been, beyond anything imaginable.

We knew that they would hit. And they are.

So if you let yourself be fooled by the projections that .500 was a possibility, well, you only have yourself to blame for your expectations.

To be a fan of this team, you have to put away the child-like notion that "This could be our year," or, "We could be this year's Rays!".

You have to take a realistic approach to this team:

1) They can't play defense to save their lives. Dunn's a DH. Dukes is out of position. Willingham is average, at best. Kearns, despite all the media fawning, is just above average. Willie Harris makes great plays because of his speed, but he's just a tick above average too, and historically won't hit like he did last year.

Zim is good, but erratic. Guz is only passable. Gonzalez and Hernandez are career back-ups. Cumulative injury has taken its toll on Johnson.

2) They made no effort over the winter to address the needs in the bullpen, instead the plan was hope. As in; they hoped a couple of these guys would finally figure it out, including the left-over closer, Joel Hanrahan.

They've already lost a season worth of games in a gut-wrenching, eighth inning or later fashion. Someone will step up and do the job at some point. Closing is about opportunity, and baseball is full of guys that haven't been able to take advantage of that opportunity.

Maybe Hanrahan finds his confidence and can be serviceable in the role, maybe not. But he's got big league stuff and they'll find a role for him. Maybe Mock or Bergmann or Beimel shows aptitude for it. Or maybe they just play match-up all year.

3) They are going to score runs. But some nights it'll be a lot, and some it won't be any. The 2 through 5 spots in the order are strong, but the other spots are still trouble. When the middle of the order has an off night, or when the really good pitchers pitch selectively to Johnson, Zimmerman, Dunn and Dukes, they'll struggle.

4) Worst of all, we have to be prepared for the idea that maybe Manny Acta, Mike Rizzo and even Stan Kasten aren't the men for the job at hand.

The Lerners aren't going anywhere. They are going through a learning process on how to own a major league team. They still have a lot to learn, and there have been small steps. But there are still too many problems in the organization--and not just baseball--to think that the people they have in place are ultimately the right people for the job.

They no longer have the Jim Bowden excuse. It'll take a while to correct some of his debilitating mistakes. But the fact that Mike Rizzo doesn't have a title, and that Manny Acta is managing without a contract for next year, might suggest that major, comprehensive changes could be coming.

Perhaps a new direction is needed. Perhaps not. Maybe we've all underestimated the damage Bowden did to this organization, and all it will take it time.

My advice: develop a thick skin. Learn to quickly forget. Treat each game like it's the first game of the year. Find the small things and enjoy them. Enjoy the process, not the result. Otherwise, you're going to go crazy before the Fourth of July.

It's hard to be a fan of this baseball team. But it's the only one we've got. Just get some perpective and hang in there.

It's all any of us can do.

THE RESULT: Garrett Mock and Joel Hanrahan conspired to allow six earned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Nats waste 11 runs and lose the opener to the Philadelphia Phillies, 13-11.

The Nationals hit five home runs and pounded out 12 hits against six Phillies pitchers, but it was to no avail.

Mock started the eighth by striking out catcher Lou Marson. It went downhill quickly. Pedro Feliz singled, Jimmy Rollins doubled and Shane Victorino hit a sacrifice fly to plate Feliz.

With two outs, Mock gave up a single to Chase Utley, driving in Rollins, and manager Manny Acta went to Hanrahan. Hanrahan then walked Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth.

The first pitch to Raul Ibanez was a fastball right down the middle of the plate from Hanrahan, and the veteran outfielder made no mistake, clearing the bases with a grand slam.

THE TAKEAWAY: You can't lose scoring 11 runs in a game. You. Just. Can't. Someone has to lose his job over this, and it's probably going to be Hanrahan. How can Acta give him the ball in a high-leverage situation right now? He was completely incapable of throwing strikes tonight.

Hanrahan has talent, but he needs to get his head on straight, because a team with shaky starters and cruddy defense CAN'T have a closer giving games away.

In the post game press conference, Acta said they would have to "think it through" whether Hanrahan was still his closer.

THE GOOD: Ryan Zimmerman, et al. Zim went 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Nick Johnson, Adam Dunn and Elijah Dukes all homered as well.

THE BAD: Shairon Martis. The rookie gave up seven earned on eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings. The Phillies have some hitters, and they took advantage of a rookie finding his way tonight.

THE UGLY: Joel Hanrahan. He was flat-out terrible. He walked Howard on five pitches, including a wild pitch. He walked Jayson Werth on five pitches. And he wasn't even close. This wasn't pitching too fine; he had zero control. Acta can't go to him in a high-leverage situation until he gets straightened out.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow against these same Phillies. John Lannan (0-2, 4.43) against Cole Hamels (0-2, 9.69).

The Washington Nationals invade the city of brotherly love to start a three-game series with the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies at 7:05 pm.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (4-13, 5th in NL East, one-game win streak)

Hernandez - 4
Johnson - 3
Zimmerman - 5
Dunn - 7
Dukes - 8
Kearns - 9
Flores - 2
Gonzalez - 6
Martis - 1

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (9-8, 2nd in NL East, three-game win streak)

Rollins - 6
Victorino - 8
Utley - 4
Howard - 3
Werth - 9
Ibanez - 7
Dobbs - 5
Marson - 2
Blanton - 1

STARTING PITCHERS

WAS: Shairon Martis (15.1 IP, 2-0, 4.11, 4 Ks, 7 BBs)
PHI: Joe Blanton (16.0 IP, 0-2, 7.31, 16 Ks, 4 BBs)

WEATHER

Mostly sunny and warm. Hi 92F, Low 61F. Wind SW/10mph.

Since our hotel in New York didn't have Internet service, I could not provide any details here from our weekend trip to New York. We saw Daniel Cabrera get clobbered by the Mets on Saturday, and saw the Caps do the clobbering of the Rangers Sunday.

Cheryl will have picture sets of new CitiField up very soon. It's nice, very intimate. The Jackie Robinson entrance rotunda, while a nice memorial, feels like a shopping mall or office lobby. And the concourse is pretty bland. But the biggest problem is the bullpen situation.

The Mets bullpen is in right center field. The Nats bullpen is behind that, meaning you can't see the Nats bullpen unless you want to walk out past the field and down a set of stairs. You have a better view of the chop shops across the street than of the visitor's bullpen. Poor planning, unless it was intentional.

So the Nats fell Friday 4-3 and Saturday 8-2, and won 8-1 behind Jordan Zimmermann, Jesus Flores and Austin Kearns on Sunday.

FRIDAY: Johan Santana dominated the Nats once again, allowing one run on six hits and one walk, striking out 10 in six innings. Scott Olsen battled, going six and giving up three runs--two earned--on nine hits and two walks, striking out four.

He then complained about the lack of support: "We were real consistent," Olsen said. "We got infield flies."

Nick Johnson homered off Santana, and Flores hit a two-run shot in the top of the ninth to get within one run, but Francisco Rodriguez retired Alberto Gonzalez, Alex Cintron and Anderson Hernandez to save the game.

SATURDAY: Daniel Cabrera needed 86 pitches to get seven outs, and he allowed five runs on six hits, four walks and a wild pitch with just one strikeout. The Nats also had three errors that led to runs, and the Mets just kept taking what the Nats gave them.

Elijah Dukes drove in Washington's two runs.

The Mets were credited with just four RBIs for their eight runs.

SUNDAY: Jordan Zimmermann earned his second win of the season in his second start, going five and one-third innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, striking out five. His performance was followed by Michael Hinckley, Garrett Mock and Kip Wells, who allowed just one walk and no hits between the three of them.

Flores and Kearns each homered, with Kearns' shot a bomb to the center field batter's eye off Mets starter Oliver Perez. The Nats scored eight, but it could have been even worse, as they stranded 11 runners. Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

THE GOOD: Jordan Zimmermann. Not only was his performance good enough to make him a winner in his first two big league starts, but he wasn't satisfied with his effectiveness. He told the Washington Post that he wasn't happy with his control, that his fastball was "all over the place," and "It was a constant battle all day long." Good for him. Don't settle.

THE BAD: Saturday's defense was atrocious. Elijah Dukes flat dropped a fly ball, and let another sail past his head as he lost it in the bright sunshine--while his sunglasses were on top of his head. Normally reliable Nick Johnson tried a first-to-third throw that ended up in left field. And Wil Nieves, who hadn't been asked to play defense since April 10, short-hopped one into second that ended up in center field.

THE UGLY: Daniel Cabrera. 86 pitches for seven outs. Four more walks. ONE strikeout. His fastball was 89-90 all day. Chico at Nats Journal has some remarkable quotes from Randy St. Claire regarding Cabrera's lack of velocity. It's a must-read, and indicative of the huge mistake the Nats made signing Cabrera.

He's not doing what he's being told to do by his manager and pitching coach.

NEXT GAME: The Nats start a three-game series in Philadelphia tonight at 7:05 p.m. Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11) faces Joe Blanton (0-2, 7.31) in the opener.

First of all, it is April. The 2009 MLB All-Star Game voting opened on Wednesday, April 22.

Sure, 16 games is plenty of games to evaluate and pick all-stars. I don't think so! This is ridiculous. The voting opens earlier each year and the ballots end up having players that are starting in that position or even playing at all (i.e. Nick Johnson was listed as the starting 1B for the Nats in 2008 and, as we all know, Nick didn't play a single game in 2007 and Dmitri Young was starting at 1B in 2007 and beginning of 2008).

Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs always rack up fan votes right out of the box. However, there are some teams that appear to be trying to "bribe" or reward fans to vote.

The Orioles are running a "Vote Orange Save Green" campaign offering a free ticket to a non-prime home game after the break if you select the Orioles as as your "favorite" or "other favorite" Club the maximum 25 times between Wed., April 22 and Thu., July 2 or $5 off one (1) regularly priced ticket if you simply do it once.

Are other teams offering rewards for voting? I have not seen any yet. What do you think about this? Right or wrong? If you think it is fine, why aren't the Nationals offering anything?

Having said all that, go out and Vote for the Nationals! Notice anything wrong with the pictures of OFs? Kearns or Willingham could be the victim of ballot made too soon.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols, Contributor and Photographer for Nats News Network

It was nice to have a day "off." It was such a busy week. Here are a few things that I wanted to share before we get into "Beat the Mets" mode (notebook style).

-Scott Olsen will be the first National to make an appearance at ESPN Zone this season on Monday, May 18th at noon. Sounds like it will be like last year and Charlie Slowes will moderate the Q&A session and Olsen will sign autographs for fans.

-Congratulations to Frank Robinson! Frank was appointed as Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. Nice to see him stay involved in the game he loves.

-Lastings Milledge was finally removed from the home page on team's website. Not sure why they removed Flores, but now there are just two: Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman. This seems to be often overlooked. Last year, Paul LoDuca was gone for almost a month and was about to return to Nats Park as a Marlin, but our home page still had him pictured as a National with Dmitri Young and Chad Cordero. After multiple requests it was changed to Zim, Flores and Milledge. Those little details just get under my skin.

-Thankfully, it sounds like the Nats are not interested in Pedro Martinez.

-What happened to Nick Johnson's beard? I thought maybe he was growing his hockey playoff beard, however, at the Tuesday game he was clean shaven.
Do you like NJ furry or smooth?


Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

-Speaking of playoff beards, Dave is still working on his and hopefully (can't believe I just said that) won't have to shave it quite yet if the Caps can pull out a win on Friday night. Help him Rock the Red Beard and donate to Caps Care for growing a playoff beard.

-Slapshot and hockey sticks were part of the Presidents' Race on Tuesday night. Was this the Nats way of making up for the Monday night rain delay issues? Very interesting considering Mark Lerner owns a piece of the Caps. Anyone watch the Caps game at Nats Park on Wednesday night at Red Loft? Just curious.

-Just in case you have not heard, we have our first scheduled day-night weekend doubleheader at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 16! The rain-out game from Wednesday, April 15 against the Phillies has been rescheduled for a 1:05pm game time and the regular scheduled game is at 7:05pm. Jackie Robinson Day will now be celebrated on May 16 and both the Nats and Phils will wear the No. 42 jerseys. See website for ticket information.

MORE TOMORROW.......

Celebrate Survivors and Supporters in the Fight to End Breast Cancer

MLB is looking for one Honorary Bat Girl or Boy per MLB team to be recognized on the field on Mother's Day 2009. The Nats play in Arizona on Mother's Day so an alternative date will be chosen. (Must be 18 or older to enter).

There are currently four stories from Nats fans so vote for your favorite.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2009

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE® LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO FIND “HONORARY BAT GIRL” FOR EACH CLUB MLB Fans Have the Opportunity to Share Inspirational Experiences in Their Fight Against Breast Cancer

Major League Baseball (MLB) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® have collaborated to launch a search to find an “Honorary Bat Girl” for each Club in celebration of Mother’s Day in stadiums around the country. Lasting until May 1, MLB.com will host a contest providing fans an opportunity to share stories of “going to bat” against breast cancer in their daily lives. The initiative is aimed to raise additional awareness and support for the annual ‘Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer’ program, a joint partnership between MLB and Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Winners will be selected on May 1 by a celebrity panel consisting of MLB Network’s Mitch Williams and Dan Plesac, New York Yankees OF/1B Nick Swisher, Houston Astros 1B Lance Berkman and Baltimore Orioles OF Nick Markakis. Men and women 18 and older can submit stories and vote for their favorites on www.mlb.com/honorarybatgirl.

During the registration period, Baseball fans can share their stories of inspiration and hope of how they are supporting the fight against breast cancer in their daily lives and why they want to be an “Honorary Bat Girl” for their MLB home team. Testimonials can be submitted by breast cancer survivors, advocates or supporters of the cause.

“Major League Baseball is excited to launch this new campaign recognizing the incredible lives of our fans who are leading the fight against breast cancer,” said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. “It is an honor to expand our partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We are committed to using the popularity of Major League Baseball to help Komen raise funds and awareness for this important cause.”

On Mother's Day (May 10, 2009), Major League Baseball players will wear pink wristbands and the symbolic pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness will be displayed on player uniforms, as well as on all on-field personnel. Additionally, Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, has produced pink bats stamped with the MLB breast cancer logo, which will be available for players’ use on Mother's Day weekend. In addition, dugout lineup cards will be pink. The Louisville Slugger pink bats will be auctioned off at a later date to raise additional funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Several players will individually represent their teams on Mother’s Day, and most have personally experienced the effects breast cancer (and other cancers) have had on their families. These players include Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim P Jered Weaver (mother survived breast cancer), Berkman (aunt survived breast cancer), Markakis (mother survived breast cancer) and Los Angeles Dodgers P Jason Schmidt (mother passed away from brain cancer).

“Major League Baseball’s partnership and support over the years has been a vital part in enabling us to move forward in our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever,” said Katrina McGhee, Vice Rresident, Global Partnerships at Komen for the Cure. “The introduction of Honorary Bat Girls is exciting because the passion and the personal stories of breast cancer advocates are what keep us going.”

Prior to each Mother’s Day game, each “Honorary Bat Girl” will be invited to participate in pre-game on-field activities, will be publicly recognized during an on-field ceremony, will receive a ticket to the game and will be given special baseball pink product. All 30 Clubs will be represented in this initiative—visiting teams on Mother’s Day will select another date in May to honor their “Honorary Bat Girl.”
The celebrity panel consisting of MLB players and MLB Network talent will select each “Honorary Bat Girl.” New York Yankees 1B/OF Nick Swisher is an advocate of fighting all forms of cancer. In 2007, Swisher grew his hair out to donate it to create free wigs for women dealing with hair loss from cancer treatment. Today, Swisher continues to participate in the on-field activities of MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer.” MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams’ mother survived breast cancer and he is still involved in helping charities associated with the disease. MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac’s mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Major League Baseball Health Initiatives
The Mother's Day “Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer” program is one of several cancer-related initiatives supported by Major League Baseball. Other partnerships include Stand Up To Cancer, an innovative charitable campaign designed to raise philanthropic monies for accelerating ground-breaking research; the Prostate Cancer Foundation Home Run Challenge which helps increase awareness of prostate cancer and raise money towards the search for a cure as part of Major League Baseball Father's Day activities; the Commissioner's Initiative for Kids supports the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation; and Play Smart When it Comes to the Sun, a league-wide, season-long skin cancer awareness program in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the American Academy of Dermatology.

After 14 games played, we're 11.57% through the baseball regular season. Let's take a look at how your Washington Nationals stack up with the rest of the National League!

OFFENSE

Let's start with the most basic of statistics: batting average. The Nats are hitting .265 as a team, which means they get a base hit 26.5 times out of 100 plate appearances that don't end in a walk, hit batsman or sacrifice. In other words, an almost useless statistic. They rank seventh in the NL in average.

The team on base percentage is .352, good for fifth in the league. The team's OBP is bolstered by Adam Dunn's .476, Nick Johnson's .446 and Cristian Guzman's .515. Of course, Guzman's OBP is propped up by his ridiculous and unsustainable BABIP (batting average on balls in play). He hasn't walked in 34 plate appearances.

The team is slugging .393, which is 13th in the NL. Slugging Percentage, for the uninitiated, is a measure of total bases divided by at bats. It represents power. League average is .416.

OPS is on base plus slugging, giving a pretty good overall idea of how good a hitter (or team) is as it combines the on base skills plus power skills. The Nats have been quite good getting on base, but lousy driving folks in once they reached base. The combined OPS is .745, good for 11th in the league.

The lack of power drags the excellent on base numbers down to a below league average OPS.

The team has hit 12 home runs, 13th in the NL and 25 doubles, ninth in the league. They are fourth in the league in walks, but ninth in runs scored, so they aren't taking advantage of their advantage.

So for people that want to tell you that the hitting is "fine"; that the team just needs some pitching? Well, they might be getting you to buy a ticket package, as the numbers aren't quite bearing that out yet.

DEFENSE

Again, using the most basic of fielding metrics, the Nationals fielding percentage (% of fielding plays that didn't end in an ruled error) is .974--dead last in the National League. Not surprisingly, they have the most ruled errors in the league, at 14.

They have recorded the sixth most double plays, a product of having a lot of ground ball pitchers.

They have thrown out just one of nine stolen base attempts, last in the league, and the three passed balls are most in the NL. Only one other team, Atlanta, has had more than one. Of course, the now-departed Josh Bard had two of those passed balls in one game.

UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) is a metric which evaluates a player's overall defensive performance. It take into consideration not just chances, put outs, assists and errors, but factors in range (how many balls a player gets to), arm, and other evaluations compared to the "average" player at that position.

The number arrived at is how many runs plus or minus that player is compared to the average.

The Nationals UZR as a team is -7.2, last in the NL and next to last in MLB, ahead of only the Orioles. Of players that have played more than seven games this season, only three (Elijah Dukes in CF, Ryan Zimemrman at 3B and Cristian Guzman at SS) are above the average.

Guz is only on that list because he's failed to make an error so far. His range factor is quite low, meaning he doesn't get to balls that the average shortstop does.

PITCHING

Ah, the team's Achilles heel (if you don't count defense, which most casual fans don't). Again, the basic: 5.36 ERA, 14th in the league. Homers allowed, 18, fourth most in the league. Walks? Fifth most with 58 free passes. Strikeouts? Next to last with just 82.

Want to know why Pittsburgh's current league-leading 3.33 ERA is unsustainable? They are the only team with fewer strikeouts than the Nats.

The Nats are second worst in the league in hit batsman, worst in wild pitches, and third worst in runners per inning.

The pitching has been as bad as advertised. But wait! The homestand prompted a momentary bout of compentence: six straight quality starts! If they can only get the bullpen straightened out...

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a 3-11 team stinks. But a look at the stats paints a very ugly picture. What's worse is that this particularly odorous stint was at the start of the season, when you can't hide 3-11. If this two-week stretch was buried in July, casual folks wouldn't even bother to notice.

But it is at the start of the season. Starting off 0-7, then going 3-11 is a very obvious thing. It's what drives casual fans even further away from the team. Who wants to go see a lousy baseball team? They can't even spell the names on their jerseys right!

Apparently, the answer to the question is: only a couple thousand diehard want to see a lousy baseball team play in even lousier weather.

Except for opening day, there's been just as many fans of the other team in the stands as there are Nats fans. I know. I've been there. And, as Gilbert Gottfried might say: That's not good.

This post wasn't meant to depress, cause if you're reading this you're probably depressed about the Nats to begin with, one of the couple thousand. And the starting pitching performances the last couple of nights have given some hope.

Let's just hope the Nats got their worst baseball out of the way early on, and as the summer arrives the team will play better and more folks will want to come out and see the "resurgent" Washington Nationals.

And you can say, "I've been here all along, where were you in April?"

Posted by Cheryl Nichols, Contributor and Photographer to Nats News Network

It seemed as though everyone in the entire country heard about misspelled Nationals jerseys last week - it was even on "The Today Show." See our post with pictures.

Majestic Athletic released a statement today that it was their fault that Washington Nationals Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman wore jerseys reading “Natinals” during a game on Friday night against the Marlins. Dunn and Zimmerman eventually changed into jerseys with the team nickname spelled correctly.

“All of us at Majestic Athletic want to apologize to both the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for accidentally omitting the ‘O’ in two Nationals jerseys,” Majestic Athletic president Jim Pisani said in a statement distributed at Nationals Park on Tuesday.

“We take 100 percent responsibility for this event and we regret any embarrassment for the Nationals organization, players and fans,” the statement continued.

THE RESULT: Michael Hinckley issued two walks in the top of the ninth, the second of which forced in the only run of the ballgame, and the Washington Nationals (3-11) lost to the Atlanta Braves, 1-0.

The loss ruined a terrific effort from their started, John Lannan. Lannan threw seven innings of five-hit shut out ball, walking just two and striking out four. But as it happened all last season, and once already this season, the bats fell silent during Lannan's start.

Nick Johnson continued his torrid pace, going 2-for-4 and raising his average to .380. But the Nats only managed four other hits, one of which was from Lannan himself.

Braves starter Jair Jurrjens deserves a fair amount of credit for that. He went seven and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. But twice the Nationals got lead-off doubles, only to strand the runner without damage.

THE TAKEAWAY: Gotta feel for Lannan. He was in the bottom ten in terms of run support for starting pitchers last year, and it looks like it's happening all over again this season. But the last two times out, he's looked like the John Lannan the Washington Nationals expected, and frankly, needs.

THE GOOD: John Lannan. Your already saw the stats. Nick Johnson; 2-for-4.

THE BAD: Again, ninth inning pitching. Garrett Mock breezed through the eighth, but allowed to come back in the ninth, he gave up a hit and a walk. Hinckley walked both batters he faced, forcing in a run. Not good.

THE UGLY: Kearns. Pinch-hitting in the seventh with a runner on second and two outs, he swung at the first pitch and popped out to end the inning. Yo, Austin: Take a pitch!

NEXT GAME: Nats are off Thursday. They travel to New York for a weekend series with the Mets at brand new CitiField. Nats News Network will be reporting from CitiField Saturday afternoon.

Looks like it's backups day at Nationals Park. Willingham, Cintron and Belliard all get the start for manager Manny Acta behind John Lannan. We kinda figured Wil Nieves would get the start behind the dish after Flores took one in the huevos last night.

At least for one night, no one was put on the disabled list.

ATLANTA BRAVES (6-8, 4th in NL East, two-game loss streak):

Johnson – 2B
Escobar – SS
Jones – 3B
McCann – C
Francoeur – RF
Diaz – LF
Kotchman – 1B
Schafer – CF
Jurrjens – P

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (3-10, 5th in NL East, two-game win streak):

Cintron – SS
Johnson – 1B
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – RF
Dukes – CF
Willingham – LF
Belliard – 2B
Flores – C
Lannan – P

STARTING PITCHERS

ATL: Jair Jurrjens (17.2 IP, 2-1, 2.04, 10 Ks, 10 BBs)
WAS: John Lannan (15.1 IP, 0-2, 6.46, 12 Ks, 4 Bs)

WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy, 30% chance of showers. Game time temp 56F, final out temp 52F.

THE RESULT: Adam Dunn homered, Shairon Martis pitched six strong innings, and Atlanta's defense vanished for a period, as the Washington Nationals (3-10) defeated the Braves for the second straight day, 4-3.

Martis (2-0, 4.11) went six innings, allowing three runs--two earned--on six hits and four walks, striking out two. He had a rough first inning, walking two with two outs, then surrendered an RBI-double to Casey Kotchman and had another run score on an Alberto Gonzalez throwing error. But he settled down after that and did not allow another run.

Jesus Flores delivered an RBI double, narrowly missing a home run, in the second inning. The Nats' big inning, though, was the sixth. Dunn homered to lead off, his fourth of the season. Elijah Dukes reached on a Chipper Jones error and scored on a line drive by Austin Kearns that originally--and probably correctly--ruled and error on left fielder Matt Diaz.

Kearns later scored on Josh Willingham's pinch-hit single to cap the scoring.

The bullpen got the job done tonight, but not without some effort. Mike Hinckley gave up two hits in 1.2 IP, Julian Tavarez retired the only batter he faced, and Joel Hanrahan retired three straight after putting men on second and third with no outs.

THE TAKEAWAY: Good work by the Nats tonight getting the job done, but there's still a lot of work to do. Gonzalez has been fairly brutal at short and continued to struggle tonight. The Nats gave away two outs on the bases, with Dukes getting thrown out trying to steal third with no outs, and Gonzalez was thrown out at home on a contact play.

THE GOOD: Shairon Martis. For the second night in a row, a rookie pitcher bore down and got the win.

THE BAD: Anderson Hernandez. 1-for-5, strikeout, three men left on out of the leadoff spot.

THE UGLY: The weather. The Nats are losing half a homestand to the rain. Another small crowd tonight, populated with plenty of Braves fans.

NEXT GAME: Washington goes for the sweep tomorrow, 7:05 from Nationals Park. John Lannan (0-2, 6.46) faces Jair Jurrjens (2-1, 2.04).

NOTES: Joe Beimel was placed on the 15-day DL after he injured his hip making a great defensive play in last night's game. He was replaced by Saul Rivera, who originally was sent down in the big move the other day.

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Jordan Zimmermann threw out his first MLB pitch at 9:15 p.m. last night after a 2 hour and 10 minute rain delay. See earlier post for more information.

Despite the rain, I wanted to witness the moment in person. I know that several fans were unable to make it last night so I am posting 9 photos of JZ's first pitch, which was a 95 MPH fastball right down the middle of the plate for a called strike to Kelly Johnson. I wanted to be on the third base side to be able to see his face and getting the Nationals Park symbol in the background was a bonus. There is also a small slideslow at the bottom of this post. Hope you enjoy the photos.

HERE IS A SMALL SLIDESHOW FROM CURLY W #2 (4/20/2009). I only included a small sample due to time constraints. This has been a busy week!

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

The Nationals try to keep last night's vibe going against Stan Kasten's old team. Hopefully things will be a little drier at the park tonight, but don't count on it. At least no one is making his major league debut.

ATLANTA BRAVES (6-7, 3rd in NL East, one-game loss streak):

Johnson – 2B
Escobar – SS
Jones – 3B
McCann - C
Kotchman – 1B
Francoeur – RF
Diaz – LF
Schaefer – CF
Kawakami – P

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (2-10, 5th in NL East, one-game win streak):

Hernandez – 2B
Johnson – 1B
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – LF
Dukes – CF
Kearns – RF
Flores – C
Gonzalez – SS
Martis – P

STARTING PITCHERS:

ATL: Kenshin Kawakami (12.0 IP, 1-1, 5.25 ERA, 15 Ks, 7 BBs)
WAS: Shairon Martis (9.1 IP, 1-0, 4.82 ERA, 2 Ks, 3 BBs)

WEATHER: 40% chance of showers or t-storms. Game time temp 65F, end of game temp 57F.

From the press release:

The Washington Nationals today recalled right-handed pitcher Saul Rivera from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and placed left-handed pitcher Joe Beimel on the 15-Day Disabled List with a left hip flexor strain. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the
announcement.

Rivera, 31, has pitched in six games this season with the Nationals and has been a workhorse in the team’s bullpen since his big-league debut in 2006. His 221 career relief appearances and 45 holds rank third in club annals (2005-current). Rivera signed with Washington as a minor-league free agent on November 18, 2005.

Beimel suffered his injury while making an exceptional defensive play during the eighth inning of Monday’s game against Atlanta. In eight relief appearances this season, he owns four holds and a 1.23 ERA. The 32-year-old signed with the Nationals as a free agent on March 18.

This has to be considered a big hit to the bullpen, since Beimel has been the most effective component and Rivera arguably the least effective. If Rivera's struggles continue though, he'll make the Nats decision really easy. Rivera simply has to perform better or he risks losing his job--for good.

And it's really too bad about Beimel. The play he apparently hurt himself on was a nice one, but you have to wonder if the field had been dry if he'd gotten injured. We'll never know, of course, but let's hope this hip flexor strain doesn't keep him out longer than 15 days.

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols (Dave will follow-up with more tomorrow).

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

The Braves/Nationals game was scheduled for 7:05 p.m., however, Jordan Zimmermann did not throw the first pitch (a strike in case you were wondering) in his MLB debut until 9:15 p.m. J. Zimm pitched six innings and helped the Nats get their second Curly W of the season with a 3-2 victory over the Braves!

The couple of thousand of fans that waited out the rain were not disappointed (Attendance is reported at 12,473, but there is no way that there was anything close). Unfortunately, the last Metro was at 11:45 p.m. so some fans left the game a little early to catch the train. It was also a school night so families were not around by the time that Hanrahan got his first save of the season.

It was a night of "J's."

Jordan Zimmermann made his MLB debut tonight and earned his first curly W. MASN Interview.

Jeff Francoeur was Zimmermann's first MLB strikeout.

Joel Hanranhan got his first save of the 2009 season.

Justin Maxwell got his first MLB stolen base.

Jesus Flores drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the sixth.

You cannot help but feel much better about our pitching staff after looking over the box score. Let's keep it up guys!

Washington IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Zimmermann, J (W, 1-0) 6.0 6 2 2 1 3 1 3.00
Wells (H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00
Beimel (H, 4) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.23
Mock (H, 1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Hanrahan (S, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 7.50


Other DC Sports News: The Washington Capitals NHL team played game three at the New York Rangers and the final score was shown on the big screen and cheers rang out. "Let's Go Caps!"

It's over. Just over five hours of baseball-related entertainment. The phenom gets a win in his first start. The closer finally decides to throw his fastball and he shut the door. The catcher contributes to the offense. The new bullpen throws three hitless innings. And to top it off, the Face of the Franchise re-ups through 2013.

It was a great day in NatsTown (tm).

Photos (c) D. Nichols 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Here's the press release. I'll have more later. Suffice to say this is a good thing!

The Washington Nationals today signed third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to a long-term contract extension through the 2013 season. Nationals President Stan Kasten made the announcement.

Zimmerman is a career .282 (508-for-1804) hitter with 128 doubles, nine triples, 60 home runs and 268 RBI in 456 big league games, all of which have been played with the Nationals.

The 24 year-old Zimmerman is the Washington Nationals (2005-present) all-time leader in most offensive categories, including but not limited to games, runs (248), hits, times on base (675), doubles, home runs, extra-base hits (197), total bases (834) and RBI, as well as go-ahead (70) and game-winning RBI (36).

Zimmerman is widely regarded as a top-flight defensive third baseman, and in 2008, he paced MLB in both total chances per 9.0 innings (3.00) and putouts per 9.0 innings (0.94). Regularly lauded by baseball pundits, Zimmerman’s finest defensive efforts are standard fare on baseball’s various nightly highlight programs.

In 2006, despite being less than a year removed from college, Zimmerman hit .287 with 47 doubles, 20 home runs and 110 RBI in 157 games in his first complete big league campaign. In the closest vote since 1980, Zimmerman finished second to Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez in ‘06 National League Rookie of the Year balloting despite posting the top NL rookie RBI total since Albert Pujols’ remarkable 130-RBI effort in 2001.

Zimmerman—as the Nationals’ first-ever draft selection—signed with Washington just minutes after being picked fourth overall in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. After just 73 minor-league contests, he became the first position player from the vaunted 2005 Draft class to reach the big leagues. Ryan’s arrival did not disappoint, as he batted .397 in 20 September contests.

The Nationals’ first home-grown player from a developmental standpoint, Zimmerman also fit nicely into Washington’s geographic footprint.

A native of Virginia Beach, VA, Ryan played high school and summer ball in theTidewater-area with future big leaguers such as David Wright and the Upton brothers before matriculating to the University of Virginia.

In three collegiate seasons with the Cavaliers, Zimmerman hit .355 with 47 doubles and 140 RBI and helped Virginia earn NCAA bids each of his final two years to end the program’s eight-year post-season void. In 2004, he was named USA Baseball’s Athlete of the Year after being named MVP of the World University Games played in Taiwan.

Following his breakout 2006 season, Zimmerman founded the ziMS Foundation, which is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis by funding comprehensive support and educational programs. ziMS Foundation hosts annual events in Ryan’s two hometowns: Virginia Beach and in Washington, DC. The plight of those afflicted with MS are close to Ryan’s heart, as his mother, Cheryl, was diagnosed with MS—a chronic and unpredictable disease that affects the central nervous system—in 1995.

Not that there's any chance of playing baseball tonight, but here are the starting lineups for Jordan Zimmermann's debut. You know, IF they could play tonight.

Atlanta Braves (6-6, 2nd in NL East, one-game win streak):

Johnson – 2B
Escobar – SS
Jones – 3B
Kotchman – 1B
Francoeur – RF
Diaz – LF
Schaefer – CF
Ross – C
Lowe – P

Washington Nationals (1-10, 5th in NL East, three-game loss streak):

Hernandez – 2B
Johnson – 1B
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – RF
Dukes – CF
Willingham – LF
Flores – C
Gonzalez – SS
Zimmermann – P

Pitching Matchup:

WAS-Jordan Zimmermann, making his major league debut
ATL-Derek Lowe (16.0 IP, 1-0, 2.81 ERA, 15 Ks, 7 BBs)

Weather: Showers and thunderstorms, chance of rain 60%. Game time 56F, End of game 56F.

Check out webcam near Nats Park. Looks ugly tonight.

Photos 2009; 2005 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols, Contributor to Nats News Network

After another game slipped through our hands on Sunday, changes were made. Much of the news from the clubhouse last night was expected.

Better news followed. Ryan Zimmerman and the Nats reached a long-term contract! Reported as a five-year, $45 million contract extension. Press conference is scheduled for 4pm today. Great news for the team and fans that he will be around for several more years.

It was a busy, newsy Sunday night in the Natosphere. After reeling from the disappointing losses and bullpen make-over, there was another piece of news that trickled in.

Former Montreal Expo and Washington National Brad Wilkerson retired yesterday to end his eight year career. He leaves behind a .247 average, .350 on-base percentage and 122 home runs in his big-league career.

POETIC COINCIDENCE.

Ryan Zimmerman is the "Face of the Franchise" ("FOF") for the Washington Nationals. On the day the Nationals current FOF was getting a contract extension, our previous FOF was calling it quits.

Wilkerson, 31 was only in DC for the inaugural season, however, he was definitely a fan favorite. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1998 in the first round of amateur draft and was with the Expos/Nationals until December 2005 when Brad was part of the Alfonso Soriano trade with the Texas Rangers (along with Armando Galarraga and Terrmel Sledge). Wilkerson spent two years with the Rangers, was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agent in January 2008 (and then released in May), and then signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in May 2008. The Boston Red Sox signed him as a free agent in February 2009 and until yesterday, was on the Pawtucket roster (AAA Red Sox).

Brad Wilkerson secured his historic tie to the Nationals by hitting the club's first hit on opening day in Philadelphia on April 4, 2005 as well as the Nationals first cycle and this second in his career.

Congratulations Ryan and Best of luck Brad!

THE RESULT: For the third day in a row, the Washington Nationals took a lead into the ninth inning. For the third day in a row, they lost. Today, Michael Hinckley and Saul Rivera gave up one-run leads in the eighth and ninth innings, and Rivera paid for it with his job.

Hinckley surrendered a solo home run with two outs in the eighth to Cody Ross to tie the game at three. Rivera then walked Emilio Bonifacio, catcher John Baker doubled him in, walked Ross Gload intentionally, Jeremy Hermida walked unintentionally, and Ross delivered again, a three-run double that killed off the Nats in the first home Sunday game of the season.

The "relief" scuttled a decent outing from Daniel Cabrera, who went five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and four walks. He did not strike out a batter.

"I think it's embarrassing. I think it's unacceptable. I think our fans have every right to be mad like we are right now," manager Manny Acta said. "We're going to have a brand-new bullpen tomorrow, and if those guys who come in don't get it done, we're going to continue getting guys out of here."

After the game, the Nationals turned over one-fifth of their roster.

Relievers Wil Ledezma and Steven Shell were designated for assignment, and Rivera and catcher Josh Bard were optioned to triple-A Syracuse. The Nats have ten days to waive, trade or release Ledezma and Shell.

In their place, the team purchased the contracts of Jordan Zimmermann--who will start tomorrow--and Kip Wells, and recalled RHPs Garrett Mock and Jason Bergmann.

As if that weren't enough, there were late reports that the Nats had signed Ryan Zimmerman, the face of the franchise, to a five-year, $45 million contract extension.

THE TAKEAWAY: Well. Take a deep breath. Where to start?

First, the good news. Zimmerman's signed, WOO HOO!!! Seriously, this locks up The Face (tm) until 2013. Maybe by then they'll build or acquire some pitching.

Next, the roster moves. Look, Bergmann and Mock should have been on the opening day roster. Bard was a waste as the third catcher, and he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his time is done. Ledezma has shown unreliable for four different organizations now.

And it's hard to see a guy this team has counted on to be a warrior, Saul Rivera, go out like this. He's been one of the few constants on lousy teams, but he has not been even remotely effective this year, earning three of the first 10 losses. He was throwing at 85-86 today, with little to no bite on the assortment of breaking balls.

Hopefully Rivera goes down and rediscovers his funkiness that has made him so dependable.

As for today's game, feh. The best play was a result of a lousy play. Austin Kearns overran a looping line drive and had to go chase it. He made a great throw to catcher Jesus Flores, who made a spectacular dive back to home plate to nab Alfredo Amezaga, keeping the game tied in the top of the eighth.

THE GOOD: Nick Johnson. He went 2-for-4 with a walk, and is hitting .385 for the season.

THE BAD: Alberto Gonzalez. Two more errors. 0-for-5. All the faults are exposed with playing time.

THE UGLY: 1-10. Let us all hope the moves after the game are a wake up call and the pitching gets better starting tomorrow. Everyone is anxious to see Zimmermann's first start, though he gets a tough draw.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow at 7:05 pm against Atlanta. Jordan Zimmermann's major league debut against Derek Lowe (0-1, 2.81) and the rest of the Braves. You'll find me at the Red Loft, watching the baseball game and Game Three of the Caps-Rangers series.

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATE: Videos from WUSA9 with Zimmerman and Rivera (before sent down). MASN interview with Shell (before sent down).

Daniel Cabrera tries to play stopper on a nice, sunny Sunday? Are you going to Natstown(tm) today?

Marlins (10-1, first in NL East, six-game win streak)

Bonifacio - 5
Baker - 2
Ramirez - 6
Gload - 3
Uggla - 4
Hermida - 7
Ross - 8
Amezaga - 9
Volstad - 1

Nationals (1-9, fifth in NL East, two-game losing streak)

Hernandez - 4
Johnson - 3
Zimmerman - 5
Dunn - 7
Dukes - 8
Kearns - 9
Flores - 2
Gonzalez - 6
Cabrera - 1

Probable Starters:

Chris Volstad (12.0 IP, 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 11 Ks, 6 BBs)
Daniel Cabrera (11.0 IP, 0-1, 4.91 ERA, 6 Ks, 4 BBs)

Weather:

Mostly Cloudy, chance of late afternoon rain. High 63.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE BEIMEL!
Welcome to Washington!

Photo 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Oh, Joel!

Photo 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

THE RESULT: For the second day in a row, Washington Nationals closer Joel Hanrahan blew a save in the ninth inning, surrendering a tying home run to Jeremy Hermida. Two innings later, Hermida would win the game, homering off Wil Ledezma, and the Nats lost 9-6 to the Florida Marlins.

Florida is now 10-1 on the season, with five of those victories over the Nationals. Washington is 1-9, and losing players to injury at an alarming rate.

Outfielder Roger Bernadina, starting in center field because Elijah Dukes was benched for being late for the game, fractured his ankle crashing into the center field fence after making a circus catch of a Dan Uggla drive in the eighth inning.

He was placed on the 15-day DL immediately following the game, and the team expected to recall Justin Maxwell for Sunday's game.

The late-inning collapse spoiled an otherwise good day at the park. Austin Kearns hit his second career grand slam in the bottom of the first, and Scott Olsen turned in his best performance of his young Nationals career, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk in seven innings.

THE TAKEAWAY: There were a couple of causes for concern today. Bernadina's injury is devastating to his career. He will probably miss a couple of month and will seriously stunt his major league development.

Dukes' tardiness, on the surface, was bad. However, he was at a team-approved little league function, so the Nats couldn't be too hard on him. He was fined and reportedly took it professionally and in the spirit it was intended. There were other reports, however, that he was threatened by the team with demotion should it happen again. Mixed signals? An acting GM trying to exert authority?

Stay tuned to "As the Nats Turn".

THE GOOD: Scott Olsen. This makes three quality starts in a row for the starters. He had just one walk and five strikeouts in seven innings, painting the black all day. His velocity, which seemed to be better in his last start, was back to 86-87 today.

THE BAD: Julian Tavarez and Wil Ledezma. The pair combined to seal the Nats' fates this day. Tavarez started the 11th inning walking Ross Gload and letting Wes Helms reach on Alberto Gonzalez' throwing error. Manager Manny Acta brought Ledezma in to face the left-handed Hermida, and promptly allowed the three-run homer.

THE UGLY: Joel Hanrahan. Two days in a row, this struggling team brings a lead into the ninth inning only to see Hanrahan give it back on a home run. Joel, here's a suggestion: Scrap the change-up. Stick with the hard stuff. You're a closer, you don't need three pitches.

NEXT GAME: Sunday at 1:35 p.m. trying to get off the schneid against the Marlins. Daniel Cabrera (0-1, 4.91) attempts to play stopper against Chris Volstad (2-0, 1.50).

NOTES: Alex Cintron, who had his contract bought from by the Nats after they placed Cristian Guzman on the 15-day DL, made his Nats debut. He struck out in his only appearance.

Happy Birthday to Alberto Gonzalez.

Photo 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.