The Washington Nationals had a team-record nine-run seventh inning and Luis Atilano pitched well enough until the outburst, as the Nats beat the Houston Astros 14-4, before a Memorial Day crowd of 34,704 at Minute Maid Park.

It was a remarkable turnaround from the last few days, when the Nats managed to score just four runs in two games over the weekend. 

Then, the Astros are not the Padres.

Washington's challenge was high enough though, coming off back-to-back losses and facing one of the NL's toughest, Roy Oswalt.

The Nats got to Oswalt quickly, scoring in the top of the first via a Cristian Guzman double, sacrifice bunt by new No. 2 hitter Nyjer Morgan, and a sacrifce fly by Ryan Zimmerman.

Then home plate umpire Bill Hohn got to Oswalt.

In the third, the Nats loaded up the bases and Adam Dunn cleared them with a double to right field.  The television microphones picked up Oswalt yelling "That one's on you," and "I ain't talkin' to you," in Hohn's general direction.

On the second ball call to the next batter, Josh Willingham, Oswalt (L, 3-7, 2.78) stepped toward home plate and continued to bark at Hohn.  Hohn took off his mask and appeared to say "One more."  Oswalt then pointed with his pitching hand toward the mound, then with his glove at Hohn, and the umpire then had no choice but to toss the Houston ace.

Gustavo Chacin came in and got out of the inning, and even hit a solo home run the following inning for his first career home run, but the tenor of the game had changed dramatically.

Once into the bullpen, the Nats took control of the game.

They got a run off Chacin when Willingham singled in Nyjer Morgan (3-for-4, four runs, two SB) from third after a stolen base.  It was Morgan's first game hitting second.  Riggleman thought moving him down a spot in the order would take some pressure off the slumping Morgan.

But even Riggleman couldn't have anticipated this type of breakout in the first day of the experiment.

A couple innings later is when the fun really started.

With Jeff Fulchino on the hill, the Nats rallied like they nver had before since the move to DC in 2005. 

Morgan led off with a walk, and went to third on Zimmerman's double.  Dunn reached on an infield single--Morgan scooted home and Zimmerman went all the way to third.

Willingham walked to load the bases.  After Willie Harris struck out swinging, Ian Desmond laced a liner to right, scoring Zimmerman and Dunn.  It was Desmond's 12th and 13th RBIs in the past week.

Carlos Maldonado, called up when Ivan Rodriguez went on the DL, then lofted a fly ball down the left field line that settled in the the Crawford boxes for his first home run of the season.

But things weren't finished yet.  Following two-out singles by Guzman and Morgan, Zimmerman took one to the Astros bullpen in right center field.

"It was kind of a snowball effect," said Willingham, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. "Even some balls we weren't hitting well were falling, so it was a good day for everybody at the plate. You need a game like that every now and then."

Zimmerman and Dunn both finished the day with four RBIs apiece, and every started except Harris had at least one hit.

Atilano gave up single runs in the first and thrid, and a pair in the seventh after the Nats explosion.  He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs total (three earned) on six hits and two walks.  He struck out one.

The right hander ran his record to 5-1 with a 4.70 ERA.  He is a prime candidate to be replaced by Stephen Strasburg when he makes his major league debut, but he has done everything the Nats have asked of him since entering the rotation when Jason Marquis went down.

In fact, Atilano's numbers are not particularly impressive, walking 21 compared to just 16 strikeouts, but he has been quality on the road, going 4-0 away from Nationals Park.

Bu the kept the Nationals in the game today, long enough for their bats to wake up from their May slumbers.  Before Monday's game, the Nats had scored three runs or fewer in 15 of 28 games in May.

The difference a day makes.

NATS NOTES:  Mike Rizzo told reporters after the game that Stephen Strasburg will start Tuesday, June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Strasburg, who is 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA in 10 combined starts between Class AA Harrisburg and Class AAA Syracuse, still is slated to make one more minor-league start Thursday, June 3 in Buffalo.

Tyler Walker finished things up for Atilano, throwing 2 1/3 shutout innings.

Willie Harris went 0-for-4 and left eight runners on base.

Adam Kennedy made an error for the third game in a row, leading to one of the Astros' seventh inning runs.

The Nats struck out nine times, walked six times, and left six runners on.

by Dave Nichols and Anthony Amobi, Staff Writer

The San Diego Padres took two out of three from the Washington Nationals this weekend as the Nats won the opener Friday night behind John Lannan, but dropped back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday, scoring a total of four runs in the two games.

The Nationals left the west coast with a 25-26 record, tied for last place in the NL East, four games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Additionally, the Stephen Strasburg watch continued on Saturday, as he pitched against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees.  The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft lost for the second time at the professional level, as he gave up three runs on six hits in a little more than five innings of work.

The Syracuse Chiefs lost the game 3-2.

Aside from the start, the loss for Strasburg was notable because he served up his first minor league home run to Yankee Rene Rivera, who smoked a Strasburg fastball over the right-center field wall.

Nationals.com Bill Ladson reports that Strasburg will start on June 3rd against Buffalo, and then should make his major league debut at Nationals Park sometime in the June 8-10 series against the Pittsburgh Pirates – if all goes to plan.

FRIDAY:  John Lannan threw a gem, and Josh Willingham and Ian Desmond both homered to beat the Padres 5-3.

Lannan (W, 2-2, 5.01) went seven innings and surrendered just two runs (one earned) on seven hits and no walks, striking out just one.  He threw 56 of 88 pitches for strikes, and got 12 ground ball outs opposed to seven fly balls.

Manager Jim Riggleman went out to check on Lannan with two outs in the seventh inning, and the lanky lefthander convinced his manager to let him finish the inning.

Tyler Clippard pitched a perfect eighth, and Matt Capps got his 17th save, despite giving up a run in the ninth.

Willingham hit a three-run shot (10) in the fourth against San Diego starter Clayton Richard (L, 4-3, 3.00), Desmond added a solo shot (4) in the seventh, and dropped a bunt to score Adam Kennedy from third in the eighth inning for an insurance run.

The game was played under protest because the Padres listed Adam Russell, a reliever that had been sent to the minors earlier in the day, as the starting pitcher on the official scorecard.  The protest was dropped after the Nats victory.

SATURDAY:  After the win Friday night, the Nationals could not follow it up with another on Saturday and lost to the San Diego Padres, 4-2.

Recalled from the minors earlier in the day to take Scott Olsen's vacated spot in the rotation, pitcher J.D. Martin pitched well enough to have a better result.  However, a huge error in the first inning allowed the Padres to score three times.

With two outs in the frame, and no one on, Adam Kennedy – who was at second base – could not field a groundball from Adrian Gonzalez and he got on first. After the errant play, Chase Headley singled and then Nick Hundley gave San Diego a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer to left.

All three runs were unearned due to the two-out error.

Martin (0-1) took the loss in his first major league start in 2010. He went six innings, allowing four runs (one earned) and striking out five, tying his season--and major league--high .

Meanwhile, Martin’s counterpart on the mound for San Diego, Matt Latos (5-3) earned the win. He went six innings and held Washington to two runs on four hits. He also struck out eight batters.

Closer Heath Bell earned his 14th save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

The Nationals only scoring on the day came in the second inning. Adam Kennedy did his best to reconcile for his first inning with an RBI-single to plate Adam Dunn. Moments later, Wil Nieves drove in Josh Willingham with an RBI-groundout.

With a 3-2 lead, the Padres added an insurance run in the fourth inning as Chris Denorfia drove in Hundley – who had tripled – with an RBI groundout.

Hundley’s triple was perhaps aided by Nationals’ outfielder Nyjer Morgan’s attempt to catch the ball. Morgan--who has struggled defensively for the last two weeks--mistimed his jump and allowed the ball to sail over him and bounce to the outfield wall.

The loss for Washington dropped them once again to the .500 mark at 25-25.

At this point, fans have every right to be concerned about Morgan’s fielding in center (he had two critical misplays in the last home stand), as well as his struggles at the plate.  As Washington’s leadoff hitter, his average is down .243 and he’s mustering a .318 on-base percentage.

Morgan should be setting the table for Washington’s offense, but right now isn’t. His play is hurting the team, and Riggleman has indicated he will bat Morgan in the second slot for a while in an effort to get his center fielder back on track with the bat.

Morgan is one of the most energizing players on the Nationals squad – when he's on. They’ll need Morgan to figure out why he’s been so lackluster as of later and get on track.

SUNDAY:  Adam Kennedy made another defensive miscue, and Nick Hundley once again inflicted some damage with a walk-off single in the 11th inning to plate in the winning run, as the Padres defeated the Nats 3-2.

With the game deadlocked at two, Washington reliever Sean Burnett came into the game during the bottom of the 11th inning and got two quick outs before running into trouble. San Diego’s Lance Zawadzki got on base with an infield single and then advanced on a throwing error by Adam Kennedy as his throw sailed into the Padres’ dugout.

Moments later, the Padres summoned pitch hitter Hundley to bat for the pitcher, and in turn, Washington brought closer Matt Capps to the mound.

Capps could not hold off the Padres and Hundley ripped the fifth pitch (on a 2-2 count) during the at-bat to left field and plated Zawadzki for the winning run.

In the end, Burnett was charged with the loss (0-3), while Luke Gregerson (1-1) pitched two shutout innings in relief for the win.

While Washington’s offense sputtered at times during the game, they got a monster game from third baseman Ryan Zimmerman who launched two solo homers (his ninth and tenth in ’10) – which included the 100th of his career. He would hit his first long ball off San Diego starting pitcher John Garland in the first inning to right field and another in the sixth to left.

Livan Hernandez, who started on the mound for the Nationals, once again had a solid outing giving up two runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of work.

San Diego took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning as Yorvit Torrealba drove in Adrian Gonzalez with an RBI groundout and Tony Gwynn had an RBI-single.

Washington starts a four-game series against the last-place Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park with a 2:05 game on Memorial Day.  Luis Atilano (4-1) faces Astros' ace Roy Oswalt (3-6).

After the Washington Nationals defeated the San Diego Padres 5-3 Friday night, they returned OF Justin Maxwell to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Satruday's starter, J.D. Martin.

Martin will face Padres rookie Mat Latos Saturday afternoon.

Maxwell is hitting .138/.395/.276 in 43 plate appearances for the Nationals this season.

Craig Stammen delivered a 4-2 lead to Sean Burnett with one out in the seventh inning. 

Burnett gave up two straight hits, Tyler Walker added to the damage, and what should have been a series winner turned into a demoralizing loss as the Washington Nationals fell back to .500 with a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants before 28,251 at AT&T Park.

For the third straight day, manager Jim Riggleman pulled his starter after throwing fewer than 85 pitches.

Stammen had argubly his best game of the season.  He gave up five hits and walked three in six and one-third.  The Giants managed three runs against him, two earned, including Aubrey Huff's fourth inning solo home run.

In the seventh, Stammen got John Bowker to bounce an 0-2 pitch to first baseman Adam Dunn.  Dunn couldn't handle the fairly routine grounder as the ball got under his glove, and Bowker reached on the error.

Bengie Molina pinch-hit and on the 1-0 pitch Stammen and catcher Carlos Maldonado, in his first start since his recall, seemed to get crossed on the signals.  The pitch got past Maldonado and Bowker moved up to second.  Molina ended up grounding out to short, and Bowker moved over to third.

At that point, Giants manager Bruce Bochy pinch-hit with Nate Schierholz, a left-handed hitter.  Riggleman countered with Burnett.  Failure ensued.

Schierholz singled to center scoring Bowker and Andres Torres followed with a double.  That did it for Burnett.  Walker come on and immediately got behind Freddie Sanchez 2-0 before leaving a fastball up, which Sanchez deposited into left field scoring two.

And just like that, a 4-2 lead turned into a 5-4 deficit.

The Nats couldn't get anything going against a trio of relivers, and instead of heading to San Diego on a positive note, the Nationals are now losers of nine of their last 14.

John Lannan (1-2) takes the mound against Clayton Richard (3-2) for the Padres.

NATS NOTES:  Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham both hit homers.  Dunn almost had a second, but replays showed that the ball hit off the top of the wall and went for a double.

Justin Maxwell did not get a good read on Dunn's ball, and failed to score from first on the play.

Washington struck out six times, walked five times and stranded eight runners.  They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Ian Desmond drove in three runs, Luis Atilano was solid for five and one third innings, and Giants starter Tim Lincecum continued his less-than-himself struggles as the Washington Nationals defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-3 before 30,230 at AT&T Park.

The big story of the evening was Lincecum.  The two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner was ineffective, allowing 11 base runners in four and two-third and allowed four stolen bases.

He exited the game in the top of the fifth to a shower of boos from the Giants faithful.

The Nats got to Lincecum or three runs in the third and another three in the fifth.  Lincecum gave up six hits and five walks in less that five innings, marking the third straight contest he's walked five hitters.

Nats starter Luis Atilano, on the other hand, was efficient and effective.  He gave up just four hits, including a line-drive triple in the sixth that should have been caught by right fielder Roger Bernadina.  he did not walk a batter, and coaxed 12 ground ball outs against four fly ball outs.

In fact, it was strange that manager Jim Riggleman lifted Atilano with one out in the sixth.

The first batter of the inning, Giants leadoff man Andres Torres, hit a sharp line drive to right field that Bernadina misplayed, with the ball sailing over his ehad and behind him, before he crashed to the outfield turf.  By the time Nyjer Morgan tracked the ball down at the wall, the fleet Torres had three bases.

That earned a visit to the mound by pitching coach Steve McCatty.

Atilano then got Freddy Sanchez (0-for-4) to ground out to third baseman Ryan Zimmermen.  And that was it for the right-hander.

After 76 pitches, Riggleman decided that's all he needed to see from his starting pitcher, despite his giving up just four hits and not walking a single batter.

Riggleman called upon left-handed reliever Doug Slaten to face right-handed hitter Pablo Sandoval, and "Kung-Fu Panda" dispatched Slaten's first pitch to deep center field for a double, scoring Torres easily. 

Slaten managed to get Aubrey Huff to ground out to second, advancing Sandoval.  Drew Storen entered and struck out Juan Uribe to end the inning, stranding Sandoval at third base.

Riggleman's lifting of Atilano continues a trend for the Nats' skipper.  Only twice in the last 13 games (5-8) has Riggleman allowed his starter to reach 100 pitches in an outing, including the last two nights when the starter had not thrown 80.

And in only one situation had the starter given up more than four earned runs.  That's not a very stringent barometer, but four runs allowed shouldn't be a death sentence for a major league baseball team.

Of course, every game has it's own set of situations, but examined over a longer period of time, trends emerge.  And this trend looks like Riggleman doesn't--or won't--trust his starters in the sixth inning.

Regardless, Wednesday night Slaten, Storen and Tyler Clippard all did their jobs and secured the win for Atilano, now 4-1 with a 4.82 ERA in seven starts.

In four career starts away from Nationals Park, Atilano is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA as opposed to 1-1 with a 7.47 ERA at home.

Ian Desmond and Josh Willingahm were the hitting heroes again.  Desmond went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Willingham 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.  Adam Kennedy drove in a run, scored two, walked twice and stole two bases.

Nyjer Morgan and Ryan Zimmerman both had steals against Lincecum as well.  The Nats had not stolen a base in 16 games, but swiped four last night.

The three-game set with San Fran concludes this aternoon at 3:45 EDT.  Craig Stammen (1-2, 5.96) faces another former Cy Young winner, Barry Zito (6-2, 2.80).

NATS NOTES:  J.D. Martin will be recalled and start Saturday in San Diego.  No corresponding move has been announced.

Desmond committed his 10th error of the season, drawing Adam Kennedy off first with a throw.

The Nats struck out 12 times, walked five times, and left six men on base.

According to baseball sources, J.D. Martin will be called up and will start for the Washington Nationals on Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

Martin is 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in six starts for Triple-A Syracuse.  He has struck out 21 and walked six in 36.1 innings pitched.

In 2009, Martin, 27, went 5-4 with a 4.44 ERA in 15 starts for the Nationals.

Martin is on the Nats' 40-man roster, so he will only need to be added to the active 25-man squad.  It's anticipated that a position player will be sent out to make room for Martin, possibly outfielder Justin Maxwell, just recalled from Triple-A.

The start is necessary because Scott Olsen was placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder soreness.

From MLB.com's Bill Ladson (two seperate tweets): 

The #Nats are tentatively planning to have RHP Stephen Strasburg make his Major League debut against the Bucs at Nationals Park in June. 

No date has been set yet for Stephen Strasburg's debut. The #Nats plan to give everyone five or six days notice before the start.

If Strasburg pitches Saturday as planned for Syracuse, he could make one more Triple-A start Thursday, June 3, then join the club over the weekend, create some terrific synergy with the amateur draft on Monday, June 7, then pitch Tuesday, June 8 on normal rest against the Pirates. 

He'd only get one start on the homestand, and the team could say, "It wasn't not about the money," though it is, because they've already sold out June 4, which was the target date most of the media was kicking around.

It's like two starts on the homestand and Strasburg only has the chance to lose one of them!

Stay tuned to the unfolding drama.  It's more interesting than a west coast losing streak.

What can you say about a game where the Washington Nationals hitters could only scratch out four singles against a starter that entered the game with an ERA near 6.00?

Not much.

The San Francisco Giants, offensively challenged themselves, broke a 24-inning scoring drought, pushing four across against Livan Hernandez in the fifth inning, securing a 4-2 win before 27,981 at soggy AT&T Park.

The loss is the Nats' eighth in the last 11 games, and evens their record at 23-23.

The Giants rally started with two outs in the fifth.  Hernandez had been cruising up to that point, allowing just two hits and striking our four over four and two-thirds innings.  But he allowed a bloop single to Giants starter Todd Wellemeyer--a career .135 hitter--and the floodgates opened.

Well, not exactly the floodgates.  More like a dam that sprung a bunch of tiny leaks.

Single to center.  Single to left on a ball down and away.  Single to right.  Double to center.

Just like that, four runs in, all that Wellemeyer would need to beat the Nats on this night.

"I lost a game in a very stupid way," Hernandez told reporters after the game.  "Two outs, I have the game right there and I lose it."

The veteran starter was hard on himself in the post-game, but it's a tough go of it when your offense provides so little support.

Wellemeyer didn't do anything particularly spectacular agaisnt the Nats.  He only struck out two batters, and walked just one.  But he kept the Nats to just four singles, three in succession to start the seventh inning, when the Nats scored their two runs.

The heart of the order, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham all singled off Wellemeyer, with Willingham's hit driving in Zimmerman, leaving runners at first and second with no outs in the seventh inning.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy called on reliever Sergio Romo, and the fireballing right hander got Roger Bernadina to fly out to right, which moved Dunn up 90 feet.  He scored on Ian Desmond's sacrifice fly to center field, and Wil Nieves bounced into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Two on, no outs.  One run on a pair of outs.

It's a tough way to start a ten-game road trip, especially considering the next two games are against two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (5-0, 2.35) and the resurgent Barry Zito (6-2, 2.80).

NATS NOTES:  The top of the order, Nyjer Morgan and Cristian Guzman went a combined 0-for-8.

Bernadina was hit by Wellemeyer in the leg in the second inning.  He was picked off two pitches later.

Tyler Walker, Sean Burnett and Miguel Batista threw three innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits and one walk, all against Walker.

Giants closer Brian Wilson struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save of the season.

The Giants have won 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Nationals.

Luis Atilano (3-1, 5.06) starts against Lincecum tonight at 10:15 pm.

Just got the following press release from MASN, advertising Stephen Strasburg's next minor league start.

MASN to Televise Strasburg's Next Triple-A Start

Prospect takes on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on May 29th

(Washington D.C.) -- MASN will televise Stephen Strasburg's next expected start at Triple-A Syracuse, the network announced today. The Nationals prospect will take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Saturday, May 29th. MASN will air the game on tape delay following Nats Xtra at approximately 12:00 a.m.

It will re-air on Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. MASN has televised each of his four previous starts for Syracuse.

The highly touted prospect is 3-0 for Syracuse with a 0.39 ERA and 27 strike outs in just over 23 innings of work.

So I guess there will be another Triple-A start.

The Nationals need a starter for Saturday's game, the spot vacated by Scott Olsen going on the 15-day DL with shoulder soreness.  If the Nats wanted to give the start to Strasburg, it would have been on his day to pitch.

Apparently though, the team's broadcast partner is fairly certain that Strasburg will remain in Syracuse to make his scheduled start for the Chiefs.

So much for specualtion.  Sorry San Diego, you don't get to host St. Stephen's first major league start.

As it stands, if the team gives Strasburg an extra day of rest, he could pitch the opening game of a six-game homestand on Friday, June 4 against Cincinnati, and throw again versus Pittsburgh on a Wednesday or Thursday night.

Nice time of year for a couple sell-outs.

In his first three Triple-A starts, Stephen Strasburg did not allow a run--earned or otherwise--while blowing away the more seasoned hitters in the highest minor league.

Monday night, in what promises to be one of his last tune-ups for the major league duty, Strasburg got into trouble in two straight innings, allowing a pair of runs, including the first earned run against him in Triple-A.

He ended up going just five innings and 52 pitches, his shortest outing since his promotion to Syracuse.

Strasburg mowed through the first inning on seven pitches, five for strikes, setting the Toledo Mud Hens down 1-2-3.  The big right-hander gave up a single in the second but stranded the runner without advancement.

In the third, however, leadoff hitter Deik Scram (seriously) grounded a ball down the first base line that went into the corner for a triple.  Strasburg was able to retire the next two batters, but a 94 MPH sinking fastball got past catcher Devin Ivany, hitting the catcher in the foot, and the ball caromed to the wall allowing Scram to scamble in to score an unearned run on a passed ball.

The fourth inning presented the biggest challenge Strasburg has faced since pulling on a Syracuse Chiefs uniform.

Carlos Guillen, on an injury rehab assignment from the Detroit Tigers, seemed to rattle Strasburg.  On an 0-1 pitch, Guillen stepped out of the box just before Strasburg delivered his pitch.  Strasburg seemed taken aback, and the next pitch was low and inside to Guillen, who had to step back from the offering.

Strasburg really wasn't the same pitcher after the exchange.

Guillen laced the next pitch to right field for a single.  One out later, Jeff Frazier doubled to the left field corner on a change-up Strasburg left up in the zone, putting runners at second and third.  Casper Wells then hit a slow bouncer through the hole between short and third to plate Guillen.

Strasburg bore down and got a called strike three to end the inning, then had a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

And with that, Syracuse pitching coach Greg Booker informed Strasburg his night was over, to his--and everyone else in attendance's--surprise.

Strasburg's final line:  5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 0 BB.  52 pitches, 36 strikes.

It was an abrupt and slightly strange end to his fourth Triple-A start.  With his major league promotion looming, conventional wisdom would have Strasburg pitching longer, stretching him out in preparation to face big league hitters.  Instead, he turned things over to the Chiefs bullpen.

In four Triple-A starts, he's gone 23.1 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, fashioning an 0.39 ERA on 11 hits and four walks.  He's struck out 27, good for 10.41 K/9.

It's widely speculated that Strasburg will make his major league debut Friday, June 4 against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. However, with Scott Olsen's recent stint on the DL, the Nats will need a starter Saturday in San Diego, Strasburg's hometown.  He would only need to be pushed back one day in order to make that start.

Today at 5:30 pm, I will join co-host Greg DePalma on "Nats Weekly", our Internet radio show about the Washington Nationals.

Brian Oliver, from Nats Farm Authority will join us to talk about the minor leagues in depth.

We'll discuss all the recent moves, go over last week's highlights and lowlights, catch up on the minor leagues, and anything else Nats related.

The number to call in with questions or to add to the discussion is 1-877-244-0585.

You can find the link to listen live here.

Join us for "Nats Weekly"!

The Washington Nationals today placed catcher Ivan Rodriguez on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to May 23, with a lower back strain. Nationals Senior Vice President & General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Rodriguez did not travel with the team on its nine-game west coast road trip.

There was no corresponding move announced at the time.  Currently, the Nats have just one catcher, Wil Nieves, on the active roster.  Michael Morse has been identified as the most likely backup unless the team selects someone from the minors to add to the roster.

Chris Coste, who the Nats claimed on waivers during spring training, had elbow reconstruction last week and is out for the season.

Minor league candidates for recall include Carlos Maldonado (21 major league games), Devin Ivany or Jhonathan Solano.  Any of the three would have to be added to the 40-man roster to be activated.

Rodriguez, 38, is hitting .325 (40-for-123) with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 16 RBI and two stolen bases in 35 games for the Nationals this season. Rodriguez is batting .371 (13-for-35) with runners in scoring position.

Josh Willingham admires his 10th inning home run in

Sunday's 4-3 win over Baltimore (Max Cook/WeLoveDC.com)

The Washington Nationals will embark for their three-series west coast road trip with a winning record after all.

Josh Willingham hit the third pitch offered from Baltimore Orioles reliever Cla Meredtih into the visitor's bullpen, delivering a 4-3 win in the tenth inning.

"He's a professional hitter," manager Jim Riggleman said after the game.  "He squared it up as good as you could right there and kinda saved the day for us."

It was the Nationals first win in extra innings this season against three losses.

Meredith was pressed into service unexpectedly as O's closer Alfredo Simon injured what appered to be a hamstring covering first base for the first out in the tenth.  Simon got the out, but had to be lifted.

Meredith had the luxury of having all the warmup pitches he would need to get ready, but he probably wishes he'd left the fastball he gave Willingham in the bullpen.

The split crowd of 27,535 had plenty to cheer about on both side of the aisles in the late innings however.

Willingham's heroics were necessary because Nats closer Matt Capps gave up two runs in the top of the ninth to allow the game to become tied.  It's the first time this season Capps has failed to convert a save opportunity, making him 17 out of 18 in save chances.

Capps struck out Ty Wigginton to start the inning, then gave up an infield single to Luke Scott and an opposite field double to Adam Jones over the outstretched glove of Adam Kennedy at first.

It's entirely possible that Jones' shot would have stuck in Adam Dunn's glove, were the taller first baseman in the game at the time.

Regardless, the double put runners at second and third with just one out.  Capps induced catcher Matt Wieters to ground out to second, but that brought home a run and moved the other runner up to third.

Light hitting Julio Lugo (.211) then singled, driving in Jones with the tying run.

Willingham's homer, however, made a winner out of Doug Slaten (2-0), who pitched a perfect tenth inning.

(Max Cook/WeLoveDC.com)

In fact, all the Nats relievers--except for Capps--did their jobs today.

Drew Storen, Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard combined for two and two-third scoreless inning, with just two baserunners in the time frame.

Starter John Lannan did an admirable job as well.  He went five and one-third innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits and three walks, striking out three.  He threw 53 of his 88 pithces for strikes.

Riggleman indicated in his press conference that this was the type of game that perhaps next time out, as Lannan continues to strengthen the elbow that forced him miss a start earlier this season, he'd have let his starter finish up the inning he started.

"It was kinda that either/or situation.  I had a lot of confidence in Storen to match up pretty good there, but that's one of those ones maybe a week from now we'll let [Lannan] stay out there and pitch."

It's a delicate battle plan to expect your bullpen to give you more than three innings of perfect work to get the win, but it's a recipe that Riggleman has used all season.  Today, it was his closer that couldn't get the job done.  Each man has faltered at some point, save for Storen who has made just a handful of appearances.

But the Nats got the big hit when they needed it today, and everyone can get on the plane to San Francisco feeling good about taking two of three from the Orioles.

The Nationals have their first scheduled day off in 20 days on Monday, and losing a game like today would have festered during the long flight and off-day.  As it is, the Nats can take today's momentum and let it build.

(Max Cook/WeLoveDC.com)

Washington faces the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series starting Tuesday night at 10:15 pm.  Livan Hernandez (4-2, 1.62) gets the ball for the Nats; the Giants are undecided on Tuesday's pitcher at the time of this post.

NATS NOTES:  Roger Bernadina drove in three with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning off O's starter Kevin Millwood.  It was his lone hit in four trips in the game.

Millwood went six and one-third innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out a season-high eight.

Five of the Nats 10 strikeouts were called strike threes by homeplate umpire Mike Winters.

The Nats walked just once against the 10 Ks.  They left nine men on base and were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Drew Storen not only pitched 1.2 innings, but also collected his first MLB hit in his first plate appearance, singling cleanly over shortstop in the bottom of the sixth.  He was stranded.

Cristian Guzman went 2-for-5, raising his average to .345.  He is hitting .443 in May with three doubles, one triple and eight RBIs.

Game 44 proves that you never know what you are going to see at a Nationals baseball game.  The Washington Nationals came from behind to pull out a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of the "Battle of the Beltway."

Here are a few photographs to illustrate Adam Jones' inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning......

 The Orioles' Center fielder Adam Jones hit a fly ball to deep center that had Morgan waiting for the ball in the warning track.

Morgan jumped up to catch the ball.

The photos show that the ball may have entered, or at least tipped his glove.

However, the ball bounced out of glove and backward toward the wall as Morgan crashed into the wall.

The ball appears to be falling to the ground behind Morgan as he crashed into the wall.

The ball looks like it fell to the field with his hat, but by Morgan's gestures here, it looks like Nyjer thought that the ball went over the fence and was a home run.

Morgan's reactions surprised the 30,290 in the crowd.  He raised his mitt and then slammed it on the field in disgust. It might have been the loudest boos ever heard at Nats Park.  Almost equivalent to a Red Sox homer at Yankee Stadium. Nats fans are patient and loyal, however, don't quit on them.  That is the appearance Morgan gave the fans.

"My first instinct was to take him out of the ballgame," Riggleman said during the post-game press conference. "And then I realized, you know what, he thinks the ball went over the fence. He thought that he knocked it over the fence and it was a home run, so he was showing frustration."

Josh Willingham ran to the ball from left field, picked it up and threw it to home, but not before Jones had crossed the plate. Jones' inside-the-park home run is the second one at Nats Park in the short homestand.

"He made a terrible mistake but it wasn't malicious," Riggleman said of Morgan. "It wasn't directed at anything other than that he was mad he didn't catch the ball and he thought he knocked it over the fence."

Riggleman defended the decision to not bench Morgan after the incident, saying he didn't think it's something Morgan would have done if he knew the ball was still in play.

"It was an isolated incident," he said. "If there were incidences where he had done some things that had irritated me but then he did that, I still would say 'I think he thought the ball went over the fence.' And that's what he said when he came in. I didn't ask him 'did you think it went over the fence,' he said 'I thought the ball went over the fence."

Looks like Nyjer watched the reply on the jumboscreen.

The decision to keep Morgan in the game came down to who was already on the bench. Catcher Ivan ("Pudge") Rodriguez had just left the game with a lower back strain. "For the ball club, I need every player I've got," he said. "I felt I could make a show for myself and take him out but because it wasn't an issue of hustle and we didn't have many players on the roster, I just felt that I'm going to leave him in there and deal with it another way."

                                                                                                                       

All Photos 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/Nationals News Network.

All Rights Reserved

____________________________________________________

Bizzare Day Ends With a Win By the Nats

by Anthony Amobi, Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- Sometimes in life, you can get caught in the heat of the moment in a situation and it gets the best of you.

Well, on Saturday, fans saw that come true on a baseball field in a major league game.

The Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in the second of a three-game in the annual Battle of the Beltways on the banks of the Anacostia; however, the game will be remembered for a bizarre moment in the fourth inning.

With a runner on base and the score tied at two, Baltimores Adam Jones hit a deep flyball to center. It seemed Washington center-fielder Nyjer Morgan was going to make an impressive leaping catch to rob him of a hit; however, all would go terribly wrong.

Morgan did not catch the ball and thinking it might have snuck over the wall, out of frustration or unaware of the circumstances, he inexplicably slammed his glove on the grass and paced in anger.

Unfortunately, the ball remained in the park and was still in Morgan's vicinity, unbeknownst to the Nationals' cetner fielder. Josh Willingham, who was in left filed, quickly snared the ball and threw it in, but by the time it reached home plate, Jones had an inside-the-park homer and his second long ball of the series.

Baltimore took a 4-2 lead off the errant play and once the frame ended, Morgan was booed lustfully by those in attendance and during his subsequent plate appearances.

In a day that saw Ivan Rodriguez leave due to injury and their first base coach Dan Radison ejected due to arguing over an alleged balk by Baltimore's Brad Bergesen early in the game, fans wondered what else could go wrong.

Well, for those fans who remained until the end, they got deluged with rain.

But they also saw a comeback by a resilient Nationals team.

Despite Morgan's gaffe, Washington--who trailed 6-3--rallied back in the bottom of the sixth inning for the victory as they plated four runs. Roger Bernadina tripled in a run, Alberto Gonzlez (pinch-hitter) had an RBI-single and Adam Dunn's two-run single decided the game.

In the end, Tyler Walker (1-0) earned his first win on the season for Washington and Matt Capps notched his 16th save of the season out of 16 chances.

The Nats now find themselves back at .500 at 22-22.

Meanwhile, Mark Hendrickson (1-2) took the loss for Baltimore in relief and pitched the final three innings of the game.

Craig Stammen, who started the game for the Nationals, was shaky in his outing as he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed six runs four earned on nine hits. He found himself in trouble during the opening inning as Ty Wigginton gave Baltimore a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run single.

The Nationals tied the game in the third inning as Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer, his 7th of the year.

Wigginton added a two-run homer (his 13th) in the sixth inning to give the Orioles a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning. He would have four RBIs on the afternoon.

Brad Bergesen for the Orioles went five innings on the mound and allowed six runs on eleven hits.

Scott Olsen was not happy the way his day ended.  (Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

If this is what interleague play is going to look like for the Washington Nationals, they probably should just take a pass.

The Nats bats were once again lethargic and the Baltimore Orioles, who entered the game with the majors worst record, walked away with a 5-3 victory before a bi-partisan crowd of 27,378 at Nationals Park.

It's the Nationals seventh loss in their last eight games, dropping them below .500 (21-22) for the first time since April 15 when they were 4-5.

This game was a tale of the two starting pitchers.

Nats starter Scott Olsen came in on string of effective performances; O's starter David Hernandez missed his last start with shoulder soreness.

So of course, Olsen struggled and left the game due to tightness in his pitching shoulder and Hernandez--though he walked five--allowed just one hit in five and one-third innings to earn his first win of the season and first in his last 11 starts.

It was obvious early that Olsen was not as sharp as he had been his previous few starts.

He gave up a two-run home run to Adam Jones (who left due to leg cramps later) in the second inning.  In the third he gave up two more runs and walked three in the inning.  After snaring the final out on a line drive back through the box, Olsen flipped the ball over his shoulder with his glove back toward the mound in plain disgust.

It would be the last batter he faced.

The Nats' medical staff later explained he left the game with "left shoulder tightness" and is day-to-day.

"He was not feeling good from the bullpen on," manager Jim Riggleman said after the game.  "He was trying to battle through and gave us everything he had. It was a gutty performance but we decided to get him out of there."

It's a tenuous diagnosis at best.  Olsen had surgery in the off-season on the shoulder, so the brain trust will be nervous until the swelling goes down and they can re-evaluate the problem, which they will take a couple days to do.

Hernandez, on the other hand, pitched better than he has all season.

The only hit he gave up was to Miguel Batista, the reliever that came in for Olsen.  He walked five, but was effectively wild enough to keep the struggling Nats offence off-balance all night.

The Nationals had their chances against the right-hander, but couldn't dent him.

In the fourth, Hernandez walked Cristian Guzman--no mean feat--and Adam Dunn with one out.  But Josh Willingham popped out to third and Ivan Rodriguez (1-for-4) flew out to right field.

In the sixth, Ryan Zimmerman and Dunn walked back-to-back, ending Hernandez' evening.  And though reliever Matt Albers immediately walked Willingham, all the Nats could manage was one run on Rodriguez' fielder's choice.

"[Hernandez] made the necessary pitches," Riggleman said.  "He got himself in trouble with some walks but he made some pitches to get out of trouble."

Ivan Rodriguez picked off the Orioles' Corey Patterson off

third base in the fourth inning. (Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Washington did push two across in the seventh.  Nyjer Morgan pinch-hit for Batista and sliced a double into the left field corner, and Willie Harris followed with a two-run shot off the facing of the second porch in right field.

(Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Unfortunately, the Orioles answered back with an isurance run in the eighth against Drew Storen.  Storen walked the leadoff hitter, backup catcher Craig Tatum (2-for-3, run, RBI), who scored on Corey Patterson's two-out RBI single.

(Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Batista, who came on for Olsen after the injury, was surprisingly solid.  He went four innings, allowing no runs on just two hits and two walks, striking out one.  Often maligned, he kept the Nationals in this one, but the offense couldn't keep their end of the bargain.

As the Nats await further medical news on Olsen, they find themselves solidly in the midst of a slump, and in danger of burning off much the goodwill accumulated through the first five weeks of the season.

A series loss--or sweep--to the bottomfeeding Orioles would be crushing to an organization that eight games ago thought they might have turned the corner to respectability.

If you had privately asked anyone in the Nats organization at the beginning of the season whether they would have been happy one game below .500 in the third weekend in May, I think to a man they would have taken it.

If you'd have asked them the same question two weeks ago, they'd have punched you.

Craig Stammen (1-2, 5.86) will try to turn the tide Saturday afternoon when he faces Brad Bergesen (3-3, 5.45) at 4:05 pm.

NATS NOTES:  Ian Desmond made a terrific play in the top of the ninth.  He ranged to his left on a grounder by Nick Markakis, dove and made the scoop on a tough hop, then got to his feet and fired a rocket to first to get Markakis by half a step.

Roger Bernadina went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

The Nats struck out four times, walked seven times and left eight men on base.  They were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position

I don't normally just link to someone else's story without offering much commentary, but I'm going to today because:

1. It's that good.
2. I'm tired.

So if you're interested in exactly how Livan Hernandez has crafted his incredible start, go read the numbers and decide for yourself if it's a resurgance or incredible fluke.

I certainly have my opinion, but if you are a Nats fan, you should read it and make up your own.

"When they don't play smart it has to be addressed." -- Jim Riggleman

WASHINGTON -- It was one of those nights.

Actually, it reminded Washington Nationals fans of a lot of nights in the early part of 2009.

Less than stellar starting pitching.  Rough middle relief.  Two ruled errors.  Another misplayed ball off the centerfield wall.  Another poor throw from the centerfielder allowing a base runner to move up.  The face of the franchise tripping over his own feet, then staying prone as a base runner sneaks behind him to advance.

Being held to one run in five innings of relief work after the opposition starter is forced from the game due to injury after the first batter.

And just when they found a semblance of offensive production, an overeager baserunner is nailed straying off base, killing any momentum to rally.

It all added up to a mostly forgetttable 10-7 loss to the New York Mets before 23,612 on Military Appreciation Night at Nationals Park.

Our service men and women deserved better.

"We just played bad," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman remarked after the game.

Mets starter John Maine left after walking the first batter of the game.  According to the Mets public relations staff, Maine had trouble finding his velocity warming up.  After throwing 84 MPH fastballs with no location to walk Nyjer Morgan, trainers and Mets manager Jerry Manuel came out to examine the right-hander, and eventually lifted him.

In his place, lefty Raul Valdes took over.  The Nats had to have been licking their chops at the thought of facing a reliever a couple times through the order.

Instead, Valdes allowed just one run on seven hits over five innings, putting in an admirable performance for a Mets team that had lost nine of their previous 11 games among swirling speculation regarding the employment status of their field manager.

"It was a great effort on [Valdes'] part," Riggleman said.  "He held us down good."

"He's the long man in their bullpen and he did what he has to do."

Valdes was vastly superior to Nats starter Luis Atilano.  The rookie right-hander entered 3-0 with a 3.90 ERA, but was ineffective most of the evening.  The Mets got three in the first and four more against Atilano in the fifth before manager Jim Riggleman had seen enough.

Tyler Walker was really no better in relief.  He allowed a two-run single to his first batter, then gave up Rod Barajas' 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the sixth to put things out of reach.

Later than inning, Jose Reyes blooped a ball over the head of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.  The gold glover turned to pursue the easily catchable ball, but tripped over his own feet. The ball trickled onto the outfield grass and was retrieved by shortstop Ian Desmond.

(Photo By Max Cook/WeLoveDC.com)

But instead of getting up to cover third, Zimmerman stayed prone in his shame, allowing Jeff Francouer to sneak past him and get to third safely.  Francouer scored on Alex Cora's sacrifice fly two pitches later.

Zimmerman's gaffe was not the only problem defensively Thursday night.

Nyjer Morgan had trouble again on a ball off the wall.  He played the carom of an Ike Davis blast--as opposed to his ill-timed leap last night which led to the inside the park home run--but the ball squirted past him, allowing Davis an extra base.  Morgan also made a poor throw to third on a short single to center, pulling Zimmerman off the bag on a force play.

Ian Desmond dropped a throw from Dunn in the first, and Walker mishandled a sacrifice attempt by Valdez during the five-run fifth inning.

All in all, one to throw out.  But Riggleman wasn't as quick to dismiss the poor performance tonight.

"I can't let it go quite that easy.  We just played terrible baseball--no excuses.  We didn't play smart and there are little details we like to take care of that we didn't take care of tonight."

The Nats did make things interesting in the bottom of the eighth, actually bringing the tying run to the plate in the person of Adam Dunn.  But the slugger flew out to left with the bases loaded to end the frame after pushing three across to get the crowd's heart racing again.

The loss drops the Nats back to an even .500 for the season, with the Baltimore Orioles, the team that owns the majors' worst record, coming to town for a three-game weekend set.  Scott Olsen (2-1, 3.15) hosts David Hernandez (0-5, 5.84), who missed his last start and is coming off a bout with shoulder tendinitis, at 7:05 pm Friday night.

NATS NOTES:  Nationals owner Mark Lerner, shagging fly balls during batting practice in a full Nationals uniform, took a fly ball to the face and required stitches.  No report on whether he would need to be placed on the 15-day DL.

Dunn finished 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Morgan went 1-for-3 with a walk.  He looked at a called third strike twice.

Ivan Rodriguez went 2-for-2 with a triple, but was caught straying in the sixth after Willie Harris' two-run pinch hit single for the first out of that inning.  The Nats did not score again in the frame.

Washington struck out seven times, walked seven times, and left 10 men on base.  The Nats went 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Welcome to the bigs, kid. (Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

How bad do the New York Mets have it right now?

Wednesday night against the Washington Nationals, they were the beneficiaries of an inside-the-park home run AND a triple play.  And still lost.

The Nats survived those baseball oddities and turned a three-run eighth inning into a 5-3 win before 19,384 at Nationals Park.  It breaks the Nats five-game losing streak, and gives them a 21-20 record.

Even better, the winning pitcher was 22-year old Drew Storen, recalled Monday from Triple-A Syracuse, who finished the seventh inning for starter Livan Hernandez with a line out and ground out, earning his first career victory.

Storen pounded 94-96 MPH fastballs on the inside corner and put breaking balls on the outside corner.  During the post-game interview, he took not one, but two shaving cream pies to the face.

(Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Hernandez turned in another outstanding outing.

He went six and two-thirds and allowed two earned runs on just four hits and three walks, striking out two.  He threw 93 pitches and put his team in position to win, all on three days rest.

(Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Storen closed up the seventh when Livo let Henry Blanco reach on a single and get moved up to second on a sacrifice.  Jose Reyes lined Storen's third pitch right at shortstop Ian Desmond, and Luis Castillo followed with a bouncer to Desmond he handled cleanly.

Tyler Clippard pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two, and Matt Capps gave up a solo home run to Fernando Tatis, but managed to close the door for his league-leading 15th save of the season.

The Nats got two runs against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, activated just before the game, in the fourth inning.  Cristian Guzman (2-for-4, two runs, RBI) and Ryan Zimmerman (2-for-4, run, RBI) both singled to start the inning and Adam Dunn walked to laod the bases.  Josh Willingham drove in a run with a single, and Roger Bernadina hit a sacrifice fly to plate the second run.

(Cheryl Nichols/Nats News Network)

Washington scored three more time in the eighth.  Bernadina led off with a double and scored on Adam Kennedy's sacrifice fly, after Manager Jim Riggleman called for a squeeze play on the first pitch.  The Mets happened to call for a pitch-out on the play, but luckily, Kennedy was able to foul the ball off and keep the at bat alive.

Nyjer Morgan walked and scored on Guzman's triple, and Guz came home on Zimmerman's single. 

(Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Raul Valdes (1-1) took the loss on one-third of an inning, but Fernando Nieve didn't help the cause, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.

But the odd plays will be what folks are talking about on all the New York talk radio shows.

Angel Pagan's second career inside-the-park home run came on a drive off the center-field wall. Nyjer Morgan couldn't make a leaping grab and Pagan rounded the bases, sliding home safely ahead of a relay by shortstop Desmond.

The ball actually hit the wall behind and to the left of where Morgan jumped.

The triple play was even stranger.

Livan Hernandez singled to left and Morgan walked, putting runners at first and second.  Guzman lit a sinking liner to center field that Hernandez thought was going to fall, and Morgan followed the lead runner.

Pagan made a terrific shoestring catch, and not realizing what was happening, tossed toward home plate, as Livo was standing on third and Morgan at second.  Catcher Henry Blanco retrieved the ball and tossed to second for the force on Livo and the relay to first completed the triple play.

Pagan became the first player in 55 years to take part in both feats in the same game. It couldn't keep the Mets from losing for the ninth time in 11 games.

Phillies shortstop Ted Kazanski was the last player to do both, on Sept. 25, 1955, for Philadelphia against the New York Giants, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That was also the last time the same team pulled a triple play and hit an inside-the-parker in the same game, Elias said.

However, it's not the first time Pagan was in a game where an inside-the-parker and triple play happened.  Last August, Pagan hit his first inside-the-park home run, and the final three outs of the game came on then Phillies (now Nats farm hand) Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play.

When you come out to the ballpark, you never know what you're going to see.  Tonight proved that old adage correct yet again.

Thursday, the Nats wrap up the abbreviated two-game series with the Mets.  Luis Atilano (3-0, 3.90) faces John Maine (1-3, 6.13).

NATS NOTES:  Morgan went 0-for-2 with two walks.  He's eight for his last 46 at bats.

Ivan Rodriguez went 0-for-4 and is now two for his last 26.

Washington made two errors, one by Bernadina in right bobbling a single and Zimmerman made a throw pulling Adam Dunn off first.

The Nats struck out just twice, walked six times and left six on base.