Check out the sneak peek to photos and quotes from today's Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Youth Baseball Academy Groundbreaking. More over at Off the Field after tonight's game v. Phillies.

We were asked to participate in the first episode of "Nationals Lunchbox", what we hope will be a recurring program covering the Washington Nationals, on CSNWashington.com.  CSN's Kelli Johnson was our host, and we were joined by Federal Baseball's Patrick Reddington. We talked about the possible Nationals representitive in this year's All-Star Game, phenom Bryce Harper, and the upcoming amateur draft. Please enjoy.

Roy Halladay continued his dominance of the Washington Nationals. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Through three innings on Monday, traditional roles were reversed. Livan Hernandez was working quickly, efficiently and dominantly, shutting down the Philadelphia Phillies prodigious offense.  On the other hand, defending Cy Young winner Roy Halladay was struggling with his command, throwing a lot of pitches, and had already surrendered two runs to the Washington Nationals on a solo home run and three more hits in the second inning.

But in the third, Livo melted down in the mid-nineties heat and humidity, giving up a three-spot in the frame.  Halladay found enough of his edge, despite allowing two more solo home runs later.  And the surest thing in all of sports was the result: Halladay earning yet another victory over his personal pin-cushion, extending his career record to 11-1 over the Nats with a 5-4 win before 34,789 on Memorial Day in the Nation's Capital.

It was the Nats third loss in a row and eighth out of nine games. They are 4-13 in their last 17 contests, and their overall record sits at 22-31, third worst in all of Major League Baseball.

Michael Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix all homered off Halladay, but they were all solo shots.  The only run driven in not via a home run was Livan Hernandez' safety squeeze in the second inning that plated Jerry Hairston.

Halladay (7-3, 2.56) worked out of trouble all day long, but held the Nationals to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.  His biggest out, though, might have come with his glove.

In the bottom of the seventh, with the Nats trailing 5-4, Alex Cora led off with a bloop double down the right field line and Ian Desmond followed with a beautiful bunt to third base that he beat out for a single, moving Cora to third.  Rick Ankiel tapped an 0-2 fastball back to the mound, and Cora inadvisably broke for home. Halladay fielded the nubber cleanly and tossed to catcher Carlos Ruiz, who worked Cora back toward third before tossing to Placido Polanco to tag Cora for the first out of the inning.

With Desmond now at second and Ankiel at first, Danny Espinosa flied out to right and Jayson Werth struck out.  The Nats would not threaten again.

The Nationals are next to last in the N.L. in total number of base runners, so when they squander opportunities on the base paths like they did in losses Sunday to San Diego and Monday to the Phillies, it's all that much more painful.

The Nats found themselves down in the seventh due to Sean Burnett's failure to do his job once again. Washington entered the frame ahead 4-3 on the strength of those solo homers and the right arm of Livan Hernandez.  The big right-hander managed the Phillies offense most of the day, but finally exhausted his reserve of pitches with one out in the seventh with a runner on first. Burnett entered to face three consecutive lefties, the role that the team envisions him to be a specialist in. He did not find success in that role on Sunday.

Burnett walked Chase Utley after an eight-pitch at bat. The next batter, Ryan Howard, got enough of a 93-MPH sinker to muscle it through the right side of the infield, scoring Polanco from second and moving Utley to third.  Nat-killer Raul Ibanez then drove a Burnett fastball to the track in right, plating Utley and sealing the Nats doom.

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THE GOOD:  The offense worked Halladay for 10 hits and three home runs, but the Phils ace got the big outs when he needed them the most.

THE BAD:  Burnett. That's his fourth blown save and his second loss.  His ERA is 5.59 and he's just not pitching with the same authority as he did earlier this season or last year.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs. He grounded out to second in his only at bat, with two outs in the eighth inning and a runner on second.  He's now 3-for-34 this season, and 2-for-23 pinch-hitting.

THE STATS:  10 hits, no walks, seven strikeouts. 1-for-8 with RISP, six LOB, 0 GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Tuesday against the Phillies at 7:05 pm. Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26) faces Cliff Lee (4-4, 3.50).

Danny Espinosa connects for one of the Nats three solo home runs. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Jayson Werth was out by a mile on a stolen base attempt. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Matt Stairs grounded out his only at bat. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Henry Rodriguez needed 25 pitches to work his way through a scoreless ninth inning. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League

Pitching Report

Ross Detwiler: His first four starts of the year were fantastic, but since then, it has been poor start after poor start for Detwiler. He’s given up four or more runs in five straight starts, and his ERA has ballooned to 5.77 after his start on the 24th: 3 2/3 IP, 10 H, 8 R (6 ER), 1 BB, 1 K. He needs to turn it around quickly, or a switch to the bullpen may be in his future.

Brad Meyers: He continues to impress, throwing six innings of one-run ball on Thursday night. His ERA on the year is at 3.09, and his strikeout to walk ratio in Syracuse is 19:1 and a remarkable 57:1 on the year.

Yunesky Maya: Maya got the call to replace Tom Gorzelanny in the Nats’ rotation.

Tom Milone: Milone wasn’t as sharp as he had been all year this week, giving up seven hits and four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings on Friday, though he did have six strikeouts. Still, he’s been solid all year long with 50 strikeouts and just four walks in 50 innings total to go with 3.78 ERA.

Josh Wilkie: Wilkie pitched one scoreless inning this week with two walks and a strikeout. His season ERA is now at 1.74.

Craig Stammen: Stammen pitched seven strong innings of three-run ball on Saturday, and his season ERA is at 3.65. Some thought he would get the call over Maya to replace Gorzelanny, but as long as he keeps pitching like this, we should see him in the majors this year – even if it is in the bullpen.

Hitting Report

Chris Marrero: Adam LaRoche, it turns out, has been hurt all season long and a shoulder injury has caused his offensive struggles. With LaRoche on the Disabled List, Marrero's production has come under more scrutiny and he has turned on his AAA game, hitting .366/.447/.488 in his last ten games with six walks, two doubles, one home run, six RBI and one stolen base. More importantly, his defense has come a long, long way since his selection in 2006. MASNSports.com’s Byron Kerr wrote Thursday that the plan is for Marrero to spend the whole year in Syracuse, and Nationals.com’s Bill Ladson said that Marrero is “not on the radar screen” right now, though also admitted he would not be surprised if we see Marrero in the big leagues after the All-Star break. If LaRoche is indeed done for the year, giving Marrero a cup of coffee may be a scenario we see later in the season.  For now, it appears Michael Morse will be the full-time first baseman in Washington. Still, it is encouraging to see Marrero – seemingly written off as a prospect – developing well defensively and hitting in Syracuse so far.

Matt Antonelli: He announced his signing with the Nats on his website and started off the year in AA before being promoted to Syracuse. A former first round pick in 2006, Antonelli is trying to work his way back to the majors after a short, unsuccessful stint in 2008. He’s one of the more accessible Nats on Twitter (@mattantonelli9) and is hitting .333/.385/.500 in 24 at bats so far. With the lack of hitting depth available for the major league team to call on right now, Antonelli could be on the team’s short list if he continues to hit well in Syracuse.

Jesus Flores: With rumors about Pudge Rodriguez’s possible trade to a team like San Francisco, it is imperative that Flores give the organization belief that he can come to the majors and back up Ramos. Flores is hitting .231 in his last ten and just .248 on the year, and doubts about his ability to play in the majors may halt some trade talk from GM Mike Rizzo.

Corey Brown: Brown is hitting just .129 in his last ten games and his overall average is at .200 on the year, though he does have 22 walks and an OBP of 325. With the major league offense struggling, production by Brown could lead to a call-up later, but right now, he’s not proving to be a player worth looking at at the major league level.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League

Pitching Report

Brad Peacock: With Tom Gorzelanny on the DL and Yunesky Maya going to the major leagues, Peacock should to go to AAA, and Nationals director of player development said Friday that Peacok has “put himself in a position” to get a promotion. Peacock’s start this week was another strong outing (6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K) and his line on the year includes a 7-1 record, 2.13 ERA and 75 stikeouts in 55 IP.

Shairon Martis: Mostly forgotten since his short 2009 major league stint (5.25 ERA in 15 starts), Martis has been trying to battle his way back to the majors, and this week, he threw six scoreless innings with five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. He currently has a 3.57 ERA in AA and has a lot of pitchers to leap frog, but he may still have a chance as a prospect.

Hitting Report

Stephen Lombardozzi: One of my favorite prospects in the system – partly because he’s a local product (Fulton, MD), partly because of the way he plays – Lombardozzi has had a solid start to his AA campaign, hitting .283/.339/.434 in 43 games for the Senators. He’s hitting just .275 in his last ten (with an OBP of .286), but he has enough of a track record that I expect him to turn it around soon. He also has just two errors on the year and has 11 stolen bases – without being caught.

Derek Norris: Norris is red-hot right now, hitting .343/.457/.857 in his last ten games, and this week, he was 5-for-17 (.294) with seven runs scored, four home runs, seven RBI, four walks and six strikeouts. He’s hitting for some great power and getting on base – his two biggest strengths. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a high average hitter (just .236 on the year), but a catcher who can hit for power like he can is a valuable commodity.

Tyler Moore: LaRoche is hurt and Chris Marrero is the top first baseman prospect, but Moore, the Nats’ 2010 Minor League Hitter of the Year, is riding a six-game hitting streak entering Sunday, and is hitting .308/.308/.590 in his last ten. He’s not drawing walks, but he is hitting and hitting for power – he had three home runs and four doubles this week.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League

Pitching Report

Daniel Rosenbaum: He was impressive in his start Tuesday night, giving up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. His ERA is now at 2.91, and after pitching well in Hagerstown and Potomac last year, a promotion may be coming soon.

Josh Smoker: He’s not getting a lot of work, but he gave up a run on Sunday in an inning of work and also pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings on the 24th. His ERA is at 1.42 on the year, so the transition to reliever continues to be smooth.

Cameron Selik:. Selik got two starts this week, giving up three earned runs in five innings on Monday and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings on Sunday afternoon. His May 13 blow-up leaves his ERA at 6.43, but that was his only poor start of the season.

Hitting Report

Eury Perez: Perez has cooled off since his hot streak and is 0-for-14 in his last four games with two strikeouts. His average on the year is now at .306, but his OBP is just .320. He needs to get more patient at the plate so he can get on base more and use his elite speed (15 SB on the year) more often.

Destin Hood: He had a modest four-game hitting streak snapped on Sunday (0-for-2 with a SB), but he’s still hitting very well in A+, with a line of .274/.381/.476 with 17 doubles (six in his last ten games), two triples, four home runs, 29 RBI and six stolen bases.

Jeff Kobernus: Injuries have haunted Kobernus since his second-round selection in 2009, but he’s hitting .410/.452/.513 in his last ten games with two doubles, eight runs, five runs batted in, three walks and five stolen bases. He now has 20 stolen bases in 22 tries, but he needs to continue to get on base better if he wants to rise through the ranks.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League

Pitching Report

Robbie Ray: A rain delay cut Ray’s start Thursday to just two innings, but in those two innings he gave up no hits, one walk, and one strikeout. He’s now given up one earned run in 19 innings.

Taylor Jordan: He turned in another strong start Saturday, giving up four hits and one unearned run in five innings of work. He now has a 6-1 record, 2.79 ERA and a .243 average against.

A.J. Cole: Cole’s start this week was a mixed bag, giving up two earned runs 4 2/3 innings pitched. He surrendered seven hits and four total runs, but had five strikeouts as well. His ERA is still just 3.86 on the year, and the 2010 fourth rounder has plenty of time to improve in just his first season out of high school.

Sammy Solis: Solis reported to Hagerstown on Thursday, and will make his first start of the year on Monday.

Christopher Manno: The Suns’ saves leader (6) has not given up a run in 23 1/3 innings (18 games) so far this year. The 2010 26th-round pick out of Duke, Manno has been unhittable in Hagerstown, with opponents hitting just .105 against him. He’s got 35 strikeouts and just five walks as well, so this kid probably needs a call-up to Potomac.

Hitting Report

Bryce Harper: Harper is slumping hard right now, hitting .184/.279/.316 in his last ten games. He was due to come back to earth as teams adjusted to him, so it will be interesting to see how he battles back. He’s just 3-for-20 this week, but his average still stands at .325 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI. He did homer Sunday for his 11th of the season.

David Frietas: Another 2010 draft pick – Hagerstown is really full of them, and they’re all playing well – has continued to turn heads, hitting .279/.391/.442 as a catcher so far. He has more walks (25) than strikeouts (19) and had five walks this week. Wilson Ramos and Derek Norris may be the top prospects, but Frietas is a sleeper.

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Pitcher to Watch: The 2010 draft picks A.J. Cole, Sammy Solis, Christopher Manno and Robbie Ray. All four are now together in Hagerstown, and Solis makes his first start Monday. Cole has been good and Ray has been fantastic, and Solis, the oldest of the three, could rise quickly through the minors if he pitches well. Manno, the only reliever of the group, has not given up a run so far this year and deserves a promotion very soon, if not now.

Hitter to Watch: Matt Antonelli. With the Nats’ offense sputtering right now, there isn’t much depth for the team to call on in Syracuse, and if Antonelli – a former first round pick – can continue to hit well in AAA Syracuse, he may find himself on the major league squad eventually.

In today's 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres, the Washington Nationals failed physically when presented with opportunities on multiple occasions, but also made several mental mistakes that added to the frustration of watching an imminently winnable game slip away.

Manager Jim Riggleman insists his team is playing good, clean baseball.  But when runners are making outs on the base paths and hitting into rally-killing double plays, it's becoming increasingly frustrating for Nationals fans to accept that idea, especially considering the Nats have lost seven out of nine and 12 of their last 16 games, and now sit at 22-30 for the season.

In those last 16 games, the Nats lost series to the Padres, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets, all in last or next-to-last place in their divisions, in addition to contenders Florida and Milwaukee.

Riggleman defended his club following the game.  "You know, we've played good. I know that hitting is part of playing good also. We put 11 hits out there today. We had opportunities. But through this whole thing we've played good baseball. We've played clean, we've run the bases good."

Today, though, they did not run the bases particularly well.  The Nationals only left six men on base, but hit into three double plays and had three runners gunned down on the base paths.

In the fifth, trailing 4-2, Roger Bernadina drove in Rick Ankiel with a double but was nailed trying to stretch the hit into a triple with one out.  Riggleman explained, "Rule of thumb is you don't make the first or third out at third base... He made the second out there and that's the one you take the chance to get there on. So it was a good, aggressive play and they made a great relay."

The next inning, after Jayson Werth scored on a slow grounder to third with a terrific slide, Laynce Nix tried the same trick later in the inning.  Nix was erased at home when Chase Headley made the play presented with another opportunity.

Laynce Nix was one of three Nats runners thrown out on the base paths today. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Then, with Alex Cora batting with two on and two outs, Jerry Hairston was picked off at first base when a pitch momentarily got away from catcher Kyle Phillips.  The lead runner, Michael Morse, broke for third so Hairston followed suit.  When Morse saw the ball hit the home plate umpire in the leg, he retreated, essentially hanging Hairston out to dry.

Riggleman heard the boos as his club took their positions in the field.  "Today, there was some frustration, I could hear from fans, about when we got picked off. But that was unavoidable. The ball gets away from the catcher and hits the umpire's shinguards and stays there. So when Mike [Morse] took off from second, Jerry took off and that was a fluky thing. It kinda reminded me that I don't remember that ever happening to us. We've played that good of baseball. We've not made base running mistakes and we've played good clean baseball. But hitting is part of playing good baseball too."

Riggleman maintains that the Nats trouble scoring is only a phase, and continues to believe that things will turn around.  "I like the opportunities out there, and we had our opportunities.  As we've said many times, if we keep putting them out there, sooner or later you're gotta drive 'em in.  But it's tough this little stretch we're going through here and there's nothing to do but battle through it and get to the point where we do drive those runs in. I just hope we keep putting [the base runners] out there."

Even with the base-running errors, the Nats still had a prime opportunity in the eighth inning to take the lead in a tied game.  Leading off, Werth (3-for-4, run, RBI) was fooled on a pitch and hit a check swing bouncer to the third base side.  Reliever Luke Gregerson fielded the ball but threw it away down the right field line, allowing Werth to take second.

Riggleman let Laynce Nix hit away with one out instead of bunting him over to third.  Unfortunately, the Nats most consistent hitter this season thus far bounced out to the pitcher, failing to either drive the runner in or move him over.  Werth died at second after two fly ball outs.

Riggleman explained why he let Nix hit away.  "You got a man on second with nobody out, your left handed hitter you feel is going to pull the ball and move him over without a bunt and at the same time, is a guy that might drive one in the gap for you. I had total confidence that Laynce would get a base hit, who knows maybe hit one out of the park or hit a ground ball to the right side, whatever happens.  But he made a great effort, gave us a good at bat but hit it back to the pitcher.

When a team is struggling as bad as the Nats are to score runs, it seems like every little thing gets magnified.  So Nix' inability to get Werth to third at least in that situation, in the bottom of the eighth inning of a tied game, really stood out.

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Yunesky Maya made his first start of the season, and for the first few innings, he cruised through the Padres order.  But three consecutive hits turned into a run in the fourth inning, and in the fifth, with two outs, he walked consecutive batters before allowing a two run-scoring single to first baseman Brad Hawpe, a lefty, with Doug Slaten warm and waiting in the pen.

After Hawpe's hit, Slaten was brought in to turn around switch-hitter Chase Headley, but the strategy backfired, as Headley lined a double to plate another run.

Asked what he thought of Maya's performance, Riggleman chose his words carefully.  "He was okay.  He was really good for a few innings then he got in trouble and he was trying to pitch out of it and made some good pitches, they fouled a bunch of balls off and he left one there for Hawpe."

"I really was getting Slaten ready for Headley, to turn Headley around. I was gonna let Maya try to get through the fifth.  It's a 2-1 ballgame.  You try to let your starter get five. We try to do that, we can't always do it.  I tried to do it today and it didn't work for us."

Yunesky Maya delivers in his 2011 big league debut. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Riggleman was circumspect if he though Maya had progressed from the end of last season  "It's a little early to say yet. I liked what I saw last year.  The numbers don't really indicate maybe the quality of pitcher he is but I think he's gonna be fine.  I think he's a big league pitcher and we'll find what his niche is."

Is Maya going to be a pitcher that just can't get through the order a second time? "That happened today," Riggleman said. "We'll have to see if that's something we have to look for but it happened today.

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THE GOOD:  Jayson Werth was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Tyler Clippard went two innings, striking out three.

THE BAD:  Drew Storen's luck.  He made a great pitch to Jorge Cantu in the ninth inning that Cantu was way late on, but managed to hit the right field chalk line for a double.  Then, Ryan Ludwick hit a ball up the middle that Ian Desmond dove for and stopped, but couldn't get enough on the throw and with Cantu running hard with two outs, was able to beat the tag at home for the winning run.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs lined out in his only appearance, with two on and two out in the eighth.  He's now 3-for-33 this season, and 2-for-22 as a pinch-hitter.

THE STATS:  11 hits, two walks, three strikeouts.  3-for-13 with RISP, six LOB, three GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Monday, Memorial Day at 1:05 pm against the Philadelphia Phillies.  Livan Hernandez (3-6, 3.71) faces Roy Halladay (6-3, 2.35).

This was just about how you would expect a game between the two worst offenses in the league to go.  The Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres combined for three runs, seven hits and five walks, but the biggest hit of all was the very last one.

On the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth, red-hot slugger Michael Morse took Mike Adams' flat 89-MPH slider deep into the visitors' bullpen, delivering a 2-1 win and ending the Nationals' five-game losing streak, before 21,024 at Nationals Park.  The Nats overall record now stands at 22-28.

After the game, the Nats announced that LHP Tom Gorzelanny was placed on the 15-day D.L. with left elbow inflammation, retroactive to May 24.  They did not announce a corresponding move, but Gorzelanny was scheduled to pitch Sunday.

The blast made a winner out of Drew Storen, though all things considered he would probably rather that honor belonged to starter John Lannan. 

Lannan was his ground-ball inducing best last night, recording 14 of his 23 outs on the ground.  He also struck out five, against two hits and two walks.  The only real trouble he was in all night was the top of the eighth, when after two outs he allowed an opposite field single to former Nats infielder Alberto Gonzalez and walked pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Storen with two on and two outs and he did his job in the high-leverage spot, striking out Chris Denorfia on a wicked slider for a called strike three to hold the Nats lead at 1-0, keeping Lannan in line for the victory.  But upon returning for the ninth, Storen caught too much of the plate with a 94-MPH fastball and shortstop Jason Bartlett jumped on it, sending it just over the wall in left field.  The result was Storen's first blown save of the season in 10 opportunities.

Storen hung his head briefly when he saw the ball leave the park, but he buckled down and mowed through the next three batters, striking out Jorge Cantu and Cameron Maybin to end the inning tied at one, setting up Morse's heroics.

Morse has now homered in four straight games, joining Ryan Zimmerman (Aug. 2009) in that lofty club. He finished 2-for-4 and has his slash line up to .288/.310/.475 for the season.  He also made a couple of nice plays at first base on low throws, which is good since he'll be playing a lot of first base for the foreseeable future.

“We’ve all seen this from Mike.  We saw it last year, [and] at spring training." Riggleman said in his post-game comments.  "It got away from him a little bit. Now he’s just playing baseball, not necessarily trying to hold on to a position, just go try to play the game. He’s not over-thinking things. He’s just hacking and the ball really jumps off his bat.”

Danny Espinosa homered in the fifth inning and went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base.

The Nationals really needed a win last night.  Coming home from a brutal 1-7 road trip, star players making veiled comments about changes needing to be made, and losing their first baseman for an extended period of time, this team really needed to sleep in their own beds and re-focus on their job.  For one night, anyway, they found the answer they've been looking for.

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THE GOOD:  Lannan.  He was outstanding last night, getting grounder after grounder to go right to a fielder.  It doesn't always work like that, but on the nights that the other team isn't making good contact it's fun to watch.  He also struck out five, which is a good sign for him and takes a little pressure off the fielders.

THE BAD:  Despite the win, the Nats managed just four hits, and both their runs came via solo homers.

THE UGLY:  Jerry Hairston was ejected on a very strange play at the plate.  He asked for time when he thought Padres starter Clayton Richard quick-pitched him, but the request was not honored by home plate umpire Ed Hickox.  Hairston jumped back into the batter's box and lofted a lazy fly ball to center for an out.  Instead of running out the pop up, Hairston turned around and laid into Hickox and was instantly ejected before Riggleman could get out of the dugout to defend his player.

THE STATS:  Four hits, three walks, two strikeouts.  0-for-3 with RISP, five LOB, 0 GIDP.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 1:05 pm against the Padres.  Jordan Zimmermann (2-5, 3.98) faces Tim Stauffer (0-3, 3.88).

Lots of folks are asking the question today, in the aftermath of Scott Cousins needlessly ending Buster Posey's season, if it would make sense for Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo to make a phone call to San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean to gauge his interest in trading for Pudge Rodriguez or Jesus Flores.

No less an expert than Jim Bowden suggested the very same idea on Twitter.

I certainly buy the idea that the Giants might be looking for some outside help.  Posey's injury paves the way for Eli Whiteside to become the Giants starter.  Whiteside is a 31-year old with a grand total of 128 Major League games.  He's a lifetime .231/.283/.366 hitter.  He didn't hit in the minors, either (.244/.288/.393 in nine seasons), so it's not like there's any outside promise of him flourishing with a starting job.

But you know what?  As bad as those numbers are, they're still better than what Pudge and Jesus are putting up this season.

If you can, for a moment, take out of the equation all of the intangibles that Rodriguez is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, defensive stalwart, guru to Wilson Ramos, and like a spare coach on the bench.  Look at this realistically: he's a 39-year old catcher hitting .205/.256/.342.

And poor Jesus Flores?  The dude has missed the better part of two seasons -- including all of 2010 -- trying to recover from two surgeries on his throwing arm.  In 104 plate appearances in AAA, where he's just learning to hit upper-level quality pitching again, he's hitting .248/.260/.386.  He's walked twice in 104 appearances.  In Triple-A.  He needs another 100 at bats before even considering whether he's ready for Major League pitching again.

With their pitching, the Giants are a legitimate contender and Posey was one of their best offensive players. It's possible they feel so desperate for help that they might actually consider a deal for either one of these players.  But can we please temper our expectations for what the return might be, considering what the Nationals actually have to offer?

There were no bullpen implosions, no late inning heroics.  Not much of anything particularly dramatic happened. No, the Washington Nationals 6-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers today was simply the better team playing better, led by their best player and a former Cy Young winning pitcher.  Who, adding insult to injury, also hit a home run.

The loss drops the Nationals record to 21-28.  It's their fifth straight loss and concludes a road trip where they lost seven out of eight, the lone win being the 17-5 laugher in Baltimore Friday night.  Washington has lost 10 of their last 13 games to fall 8 1/2 games back of the division lead before Memorial Day.

All four Nats pitchers either gave up a run or allowed a hit to drive in a run.  Three of the four Nats runs came on one swing.  When they managed to manufacture a run to cut the lead in the eighth, the Brewers got it right back in the bottom of the inning.

At least the Nats proficiency with runners in scoring position will rise a little bit, as they went 1-for-3 in such situations today, Michael Morse's three-run home run in the fourth inning that tied the game up...for one inning.

Nationals starter Jason Marquis wasn't sharp, but he battled.  He gave up four earned runs on five hits and four walks, striking out one in six innings.  With that many base runners in that period, Marquis was fortunate to hold the Brewers to four runs to keep his team in the game. 

But as was the case in all three games in Milwaukee, the Brewers scored multiple runs in the first, putting the Nats behind the eight-ball once again.  Marquis got the leadoff man, but then walked Corey Hart, gave up a single to Ryan Braun, and a two-run double to Prince Fielder.  Just like that, the Nats found themselves with an uphill battle.

The killer might have come in the fifth, though, as Marquis' opposite number, former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, pulled Marquis' 89-MPH sinker that didn't sink down the left field line for a solo home run that gave the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish.

Greinke, making his fourth start of the season following a stint on the D.L. due to a pulled muscle in his side he sustained while playing basketball during spring training, only made the one mistake, hanging a curveball to Morse that he crushed for his third home run in as many days.  Other than that, Greinke mowed through the Nats batting order, striking out 10 in seven innings, allowing just five hits and a walk.

In the seventh, Milwaukee picked up an insurance run courtesy of Prince Fielder's single off Sean Burnett -- Burnett's only batter of the game.

The Nats manufactured a run in the eighth when Roger Bernadina reached on an error, took third on a single by Jayson Werth, and scored on a Laynce Nix sacrifice fly.  But Washington couldn't benefit from the fortune, giving the run right back in the bottom of the inning, as Todd Coffey gave up a run-scoring double to .232-hitting pinch-hitter Yunesky Betancourt.

If there ever was a team that needed to get off the road and get some home cooking, this team was it.  Today's loss drops their road record to 10-19, one of the worst road records in the National League.  They've happened to play more games on the road than anyone in the N.L. thus far as well, but the schedule doesn't really get any friendlier any time soon.  After a six-game homestand with San Diego and Philadelphia, they head right back out on a 10-game west coast trip to Arizona, San Francisco and San Diego.

_______________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Michael Morse's power stroke.  He's homered in three straight with eight driven in, and in his last ten games is hitting over .400.

THE BAD:  Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa went 0-for-8 combined.

THE UGLY:  Cole Kimball walked two, one of which scored when Sean Burnett couldn't do his job and get the lefty Fielder, in the eighth.  The young power pitchers also struck out two, but he's got as many walks as strikeouts in his six appearances so far.  Walks are the absolute bane of late relievers, and he needs to drastically reduce them to keep his spot in the pen.

THE STATS:  Six hits, one walk, 12 strikeouts.  1-for-3 with RISP, four LOB, no GIDP.  E: Hairston (6)

NEXT GAME:  The Nats are off until Friday, when they host the San Diego Padres at 7:05 at Nats Park.  John Lannan (2-5, 5.03) faces Clayton Richard (2-5, 4.85).

GM Mike Rizzo gave an interview to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal that was published yesterday, and the gist of the piece was that Rizzo was happy with how his Washington Nationals were playing except hitting with runners in scoring position.  In fact, he said exactly that: 

"We’re playing terrific baseball except for the fact that we’re struggling with runners in scoring position.”

Rizzo echoed the sentiments later in the same article in context to winning.

“Am I happy with the won-loss record? No. But I think it’s really based on us not hitting with runners in scoring position, getting the big hit."

Yahoo.com's Hardball Talk took these comments to task: 

Washington is hitting .230 with a .663 OPS overall, compared to .228 with a .697 OPS with runners in scoring position. In other words, they’ve actually been slightly better with runners in scoring position. Obviously the Nationals would have more wins if they were hitting, say, .328 with runners in scoring position, but when a team bats .230 overall and .228 with runners in scoring position, pointing to that as the problem is silly.

Rizzo and Riggleman are absolutely correct that he team isn't hitting well with runners in scoring position.  But as the statistics show, they aren't hitting well period, hitting .230/.301/.361 overall (15th, 15th and 13th in the N.L.), and the difference between their numbers with RISP and not is, well, statistically negligible. 

The Nationals are playing well defensively, and up until the last few nights were still getting pretty good pitching, things that the Nationals have every right to be happy about so far this season.  They are breaking in young players at short, second, catcher, center and closer, have been without their best player for the entire season minus eight games, and just lost their first baseman for an unknown length of time.

The real problem the Nationals have offensively is that they just don't have enough baserunners.

The Nats are exactly league average at converting base runners into runs (14 percent), but they are 14th in the league in number of base runners (just one base runner more than Pittsburgh).  Looking deeper into the stats, the Nationals are tied for first in the league percentage-wise (59 percent) scoring a runner from third with less than two outs.

They are second in the league advancing runners from second with no outs, and first in the entire league in "productive outs" percentage.  The problem, again, is that they are 14th in the league in such opportunities.

The statistics suggest that it's not how the Nationals are performing with runners in scoring position, its that they simply don't have enough opportunities to bat in those situations.  And that all comes down to on base percentage.  Baserunners equal runs, and the Nats just aren't getting on base enough.

All statistics courtesy of this table at Baseball-Reference.com.

(ed. Earlier attribution of second quote to Jim Riggleman has been edited to properly attribute to Mike Rizzo.)

BULLPEN ALLOWS FOUR RUNS IN LATE INNINGS SPURRED BY WALKS

The Washington Nationals seemed to have things going for them last night, as they took a 6-3 lead into the late innings with a rested bullpen.  But as is their way right now, the Nats couldn't seal the deal, and the Milwaukee Brewers scored four runs across the seventh and eighth innings to snatch victory from the Nats, 7-6, before 24,722 at Miller Park.

Washington has lost four in a row, six of seven, and nine of 12.  The loss lowers their overall record to 21-27 and their road record to 10-18.  Milwaukee has won five in a row.

The Nats cruised through the middle innings with a three-run lead.  But Tyler Clippard gave up two runs in the seventh on a massive Rickie Weeks home run after walking veteran light-hitting middle infielder Craig Counsell with one out.  Clippard managed to get through the rest of the inning with a one-run lead intact.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Sean Burnett to start the eighth, and he did his job, retiring Prince Fielder on a grounder to third.  At that point, Riggleman had his choice of right-handed relievers.  Unfortunately, Riggleman chose Henry Rodriguez instead of Todd Coffey or Drew Storen. 

Rodriguez (L, 1-1, 2.53) immediately allowed a line drive single to Casey McGehee. The fireballer was then able to strike out Mark Kotsay on a 100-MPH fastball for the second out of the inning.  But Rodriguez lost the strike zone, walking pinch-hitter Brandon Boggs, a lifetime .209 hitter -- on four pitches.

The following Jonathan Lucroy soft liner down the right field line that drew chalk was almost predictable.  Two runs scored on the play, and all that was left was for Brewers closer to walk a tightrope after striking out the first three batters of the ninth inning.

Axford K'd Laynce Nix and Roger Bernadina easily to start the ninth.  He should have ended the game with a swinging strikeout of Ian Desmond, but Lucroy couldn't handle the breaking ball in the dirt that Desmond swung through and Desmond hobbled down to first  in obvious discomfort, perhaps a recurance of the quadriceps injury that forced him to sit a game last week. 

Axford then ran into some trouble, as he allowed a looping single to Jayson Werth and walked Wilson Ramos to load the bases for Michael Morse, who in the third inning hit his first career grand slam.  Unfortunately for the Nationals, Axford found his composure and did not allow Morse to be the hero, coaxing a lazy fly ball from the new first baseman to end the game.

The bullpen implosion robbed Livan Hernandez of a win.  The Nats starter pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four.

The final game of the series is today at 1:10 pm, pitting Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43).  The Nats then head home for a six-game homestand.  I'm sure they are looking forward to some home cooking for a little while.

_________________________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Michael Morse went 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam, the first of his career.  He's hitting .282 now for the season.

THE BAD:  Roger Bernadina went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, dropping his average to .246.

THE UGLY:  Both late inning rallies were started by walking light hitters.  Craig Counsell and Brandon Boggs shouldn't scare anybody, and neither are threats to hit one out.  But Clippard and Rodriguez couldn't find the strike zone to either of them, allowing more dangerous hitters to come to bat with runners on in the seventh and eighth.

THE STATS:  11 hits, three walks, nine strikeouts.  4-for-11 with RISP, eight LOB, two GIDP.  E: Espinosa (4)

NEXT GAME:  Today at Milwaukee at 1:10 pm.  Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43)

NATS NOTES:  During the game, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reported 1B Adam LaRoche, placed on the 15-day D.L., was injured more extensively than previous reported.  Not only does he have a large tear in his labrum, LaRoche also has a small tear in his rotator cuff.  LaRoche told Ladson by phone, “Hopefully a miracle happens so we can get it playable. If not, I’m not going to milk it here and hope for the best. If this doesn’t work, I’m pretty sure I’ll make the decision to get it fixed.”

Last night's embarrassing loss to the Milwaukee Brewers has most of the scribes in NatsTown penning columns about how the Nats seem to be crashing into oblivion like they did last season.  The timing is more or less the same.

The Nats have lost five out of six and eight of 11, dropping their record to a season-low five games below .500 at 21-26, a 72-win pace.  With two more games in Milwaukee, then three games with Philly next week, then a brutal 10-game west coast trip, it's hard to imagine them keeping even that pace up though, considering Ryan Zimmerman will be out for several more weeks and Adam LaRoche has joined him on the D.L.

Washington is last in the N.L. in batting average and on base percentage, and 14th in slugging.  It's kind of amazing they're 12th in the league in runs per game with those numbers, but that number is slowly declining as well, as two weeks ago they were in the middle of the pack.

In fact, the only statistical categories the Nats are proficient in are "small ball" categories.  They are fourth in the league in stealing bases, fifth in sacrifice hits and fourth in sacrifice flies.  This should once and for all reinforce the idea that "small ball" is counterproductive to having a good offense, as all it does is give up outs on purpose.  But some people will never learn, I'm afraid.

The thing that gets me in all of this is that people are surprised, including the players themselves.

The quotes that came out of the 11-3 loss last night were jarring in their lack of self-awareness.

Michael Morse:

“We’re better than this, and we know it.  It’s tough. The talent we’ve got, it’s frustrating right now. All it takes is a couple good innings, and we’ll get out of this. When things aren’t going your way, you start looking at everything. We’ve just got to play ourselves out of this.”

Jim Riggleman:

“You go through these things. There’s no team that goes through a season without hitting some periods like this. You like to never concede to that, but I would say no team ever goes through a season without going through some bad times. The key is to get out of those bad times as quickly as possible.”

Danny Espinosa:

"I think we're better than we've shown all year. We're a real good team."

I'm sure the manager and the players are frustrated, and they have to lean on the fact that their talent is what made them Major League players to begin with.  But saying you're a good team does not make it so.

Morse says the team is better than this, and the players know it.  Well, let's examine what we knew about this team going into the season.

We knew Adam LaRoche had a tear in his shoulder in spring training; the doctors said so and the team announced it.  Regardless if the player said it didn't cause him pain to swing, with the joint being so unstable due to the tear, there was going to be a natural loss of strength and flexibility.  The fact that LaRoche is traditionally a "slow starter" only masked the true problem.

We knew Jayson Werth had compiled a significant portion of his statistics the last four years hitting against Nats pitching. We also knew that he hit worse away from the band box known as Citizen's Bank Park.  We also knew he started the season with a different batting stance than the one that helped him to those terrific numbers he earned in Philly.  His power seems to have normalized since changing back, but he's still not getting on base at previously inflated rates.

We knew Rick Ankiel was injury-prone, and not very good when he could manage to stay in the lineup.  A player that hits .246/.312/.430 over nine seasons is not a very good offensive player.  He could be the second coming of Paul Blair in center (which he's not), but the net asset is still not above replacement.

We knew Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and Michael Morse were all susceptible to the strikeout and as young players, prone to streaks.  Espinosa's hitting in some back luck, with a BABiP of .226 so far.  He should have a few more hits fall in, raising his average slightly.  But Desmond (3.9%) and Morse (3.5%) are simply allergic to taking a walk (league average 8.7%).  Whether that's their reaction to trying to justify their positions or what they are, we'll have to wait and see.  If you can get a hitter out without throwing a strike, don't.

We knew Wilson Ramos would have growing pains and flashes of brilliance.  We knew Roger Bernadina was capable of double-digit homers and steals, but not elite on-base skills.

We knew Pudge (.217), Hairston (.248), Cora (.240) and Stairs (three hits in 38 plate appearances) were all past-their-prime roster-fillers, despite whatever intangible "leadership" traits that people would like to bestow upon them.

In fact, the only position player playing above his head is Laynce Nix.  Could he be having a career year at age 30?  Maybe.  But his stats indicate his success is being fueled by an unsustainable .388 BABiP.  He'll come back to earth too.

The only difference in what we knew at the beginning of the year and what we know now is just how bad it would be if Ryan Zimmerman missed a significant amount of time.  Well, now we know that too.

On June 2, 2009, Rizzo fired Randy St. Claire as pitching coach during a brutal stretch of pitching failure.  It only proved to be a prelude to Rizzo dismissing then-manager Manny Acta five weeks later. 

The players on this team believe they are better than what they've shown 47 games in.  But if the players the general manager hand-picked for this team continue to fail as they have so far this season, how long does the failure have to continue before there are consequences?

GORZELANNY POUNDED FOR THREE HOMERS IN 11-3 LOSS

Monday was an interesting -- and busy -- day for the Washington Nationals.

First came the reports that P Brian Broderick was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that the Nats drafted him from during the Rule 5 draft over the off-season.  A little while later, the team announced that 1B Adam LaRoche was indeed placed on the 15-day Disabled List with a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder.  For now, rest and therapy have been prescribed, but surgery is still not out of the picture.

The Nats then sent OF Rick Ankiel to Harrisburg for his first -- and perhaps only -- rehab game, where he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.  And then later in the evening ESPN.com reported that GM Mike Rizzo and veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez were both disciplined for verbally confronting the umpiring crew following Thursday's 1-0 loss to the New York Mets.

Oh, they played a game too.  Though they probably wished they hadn't.

Tom Gorzelanny gave up three home runs, putting his team in a hole they were incapable of climbing out of, en route to a thorough 11-3 pasting to the Milwaukee Brewers before 22,906 at Miller Park.

The loss was the Nats third in a row since pounding Baltimore Friday night, and fifth in six games, dropping the Nationals record to a season-high five games below .500 at 21-26.  Washington is now eight games back in the division and trail the fourth place Mets by a game and a half.

The Nats got down quickly and never challenged.  Corey Hart and Prince Fielder both homered in the bottom of the first off Gorzelanny (L, 2-4, 4.25), giving Milwaukee a 3-0 lead after the first frame. Michael Morse led off the second with a homer off Yovanni Gallardo (W, 6-2, 4.35), but that's as close as the Nats would get as Gallardo retired the next 12 batters he faced.  When he was done, had given up just five hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out nine.

Hart hit another shot in the fifth off Gorzelanny and a third in the eighth off Doug Slaten, when Slaten and Drew Storen combined to surrender five runs on four hits and a walk.  The three home runs for Hart were the first three of his season, after hitting 31 in 2010.  He entered play with no home runs and one RBI in 76 at bats, hitting .237.  His seven RBIs for the night were a personal record and tied a franchise high.

All told, Gorzelanny gave up six earned runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out six.

The thing that sticks out though is that despite being six runs down, the Nats had their chances in both the sixth and seventh innings against Gallardo, getting two runners on with only one out.  They failed to score either time, and the Brewers erupted for the five-spot in the eighth to close things out.

The Nats scored twice in the ninth after things had been decided.  Jerry Hairston's triple plated a run and he scored on a Roger Bernadina ground out.

The Nationals now find themselves going backward really fast.  They are now without two-thirds of the middle of their order for the foreseeable future, though with the way LaRoche was hitting, that might be a blessing in disguise.  The schedule does them no favors either.  They have two more games in Milwaukee, then come home for a six-game stand with San Diego and Philadelphia.  They then embark on their longest road trip of the season, a ten-game west coast trip that takes them to Arizona, San Francisco and San Diego.

No rest for the weary.

______________________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Henry Rodriguez threw a hitless, scoreless inning, striking out two.

THE BAD:  Wilson Ramos went 0-for-4 in the fifth spot in the order, stranding five.  Ian Desmond went 1-for-5, but struck out three times. He's on a 170-strikeout pace for the season.

THE UGLY:  The bottom of the eighth.  Still within hailing distance at 6-1, Milwaukee put five up to make it a laugher.  Storen gave up consecutive doubles for a run, then gets a ground ball out and a strikeout before walking leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks on five pitches.  Manager Jim Riggleman brings in Doug Slaten, who pours gasoline on the fire, serving up Hart's third home run of the game, a slider that simple hung in the middle of the plate.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, one walk, 11 strikeouts. 0-for-10 with RISP, nine LOB, 0 GIDP. E: Cora (1)

NEXT GAME:  Tuesday at Milwaukee at 8:10 pm EDT.  Livan Hernandez (3-6, 3.64) against Chris Narveson (2-3, 3.44)

HARPER WATCH:  Bryce Harper went 1-for-4 with two runs scored in Hagerstown's 10-5 with over Greensboro.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

AAA Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League: (18-22, 3rd in North Division)

Pitching Report -

Ross Detwiler: Detwiler turned in his fourth consecutive start giving up four runs or more on Thursday night, going five innings with five hits, four earned runs, four walks, and three strikeouts against Norfolk. It’s now been just about a month since his last “good” start, an April 25th start in which he gave up just one run over 6 1/3 innings. His ERA stands at 5.04 on the year, but he's still striking out two for every one walk.  He needs to turn it around quickly though to avoid being passed over by other prospects.

Brad Meyers: Three starts into his AAA career, the 25-year-old Meyers has a 3.63 ERA (seven ER in 17 1/3 IP) and 16 strikeouts to just one walk. His last start was Friday night, and he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs (two home runs) on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks. His control is still very good and as continues to be a candidate for the bigs if injury or attrition call for it.

Yunesky Maya: Maya has continued to pitch himself to the top of the Nats’ call-up list (likely) in Syracuse, throwing 51 2/3 innings so far with a 3.66 ERA. In his last start Wednesday night, he threw 6 1/3 innings, giving up three earned on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts. He’s not striking may batters out, but he’s getting outs consistently and appears to be much more comfortable this year.

Tom Milone: His best start of the season came Saturday, as he threw seven shutout innings against Rochester, giving up just three hits and racking up nine strikeouts. Milone has given up more than three earned runs in just one out of his seven AAA starts. His strikeout to walk ratio is an incredible 44/3 in 43 1/3 innings.

Josh Wilkie: In 2 1/3 innings this week, Wilkie gave up four hits and one earned run, striking out four. His ERA still stands at 1.83 on the year, though he has been hit harder in May (11 hits against in eight innings).

Craig Stammen: Sometimes forgotten because of other, younger pitchers, Stammen has still been good in AAA this season. Prior to Sunday’s start, Stammen had a 3.43 ERA and 38 strikeouts to just five walks. On Tuesday he gave up three runs in six innings, and on Sunday, he gave up seven hits, four walks and three runs over five innings in the Chiefs’ 9-3 victory.

Hitting Report –

Chris Marrero: He had a big day Sunday afternoon, going 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and a walk, raising his overall average to .283. He’s smashing the ball right now, hitting .351 in his last ten games heading into Sunday’s game. He’s not hitting for a whole lot of power, but he’s getting on base and with Adam LaRoche seeking medical advice for his ailing left shoulder, Marrero needs to give the major league team a reason to believe he could be an option.

Jesus Flores: Flores hasn’t hit well this year, and he’s hitting just .229/.363/.343 in his last 10, though he did homer – his second of the year – on Sunday afternoon.

Corey Brown: Brown went just 2-for-14 this week, but he did have three walks and his overall OBP is about a hundred points higher than his average. He’s not hitting well, but he’s drawing walks (nine walks to seven strikeouts in his last 10 games).

Michael Aubrey: Aubrey isn’t considered a prospect, but with LaRoche possibly going to the DL, he may become an option for the major league team. The 29-year-old went 3-for-5 on Sunday afternoon, and is hitting .400/.488/.914 in his last 10 games. This week, he went 8-for-22 (.363) with five walks, one home run and six RBIs. His last time in the major leagues was in 2009 with Baltimore, where he hit .289/.326/.500 in 90 at bats. He maybe getting hot at the right time.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League (20-19)

Pitching Report –

Brad Peacock: He dazzled again this week, this time tossing six innings of one run ball while give up one hit (a home run) and two walks with 10 strikeouts. He’s given up more than two runs in just one start this year, and his ERA stands at 2.05. Opponents are hitting .180 off of him.

Oliver Perez: The Nationals acitvated Perez from extended spring training and assigned him to Harrisburg.  He made his first appearance of the season Thursday, starting against New Britain.  Perez went five innings and gave up one run on one hit and two walks, striking out three in a 3-1 win.

Hitting Report –

Stephen Lombardozzi: He’s struggled in his last 10 games, especially when it comes to plate discipline, which has always been his strength. He’s struck out 11 times to just one walk in his last 10 games and is hitting .222 in those games (.282/.344/.436 on the year).

Derek Norris: He seems to have finally adjusted to AA hitting, hitting .324 in his last 10 games. He’s riding a six-game hitting streak right now in which he’s 9-for-21 (.428) with four doubles, a home run, three RBIs, four walks and three strikeouts. He’s on fire right now, and his triple slash line is up to .222/.374/.375.

Tyler Moore: He’s hitting a paltry .167/.186/.357 in his last 10 games, and is just one for his last 16 at bats. His strikeout to walk ratio stands at 40 strikeouts to four walks, and his average on the year is at .255 with five homers and 15 RBIs. He may be getting exposed at the higher level after such a torrid summer with Potomac in 2010.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League (19-23)

Pitching Report –

Daniel Rosenbaum: His start Thursday was a disaster, giving up six runs over five innings against Frederick. His ERA is still just 3.12, and the 23-year-old has been good the rest of the year, so it may just be a bad start.

Josh Smoker: He isn’t getting a whole lot of work, but in 1 2/3 innings this week, he allowed no runs, one hit, two walks, and struck out two.  His season ERA is at 1.23. The adjustment to reliever continues to be a success and we’ll see if he can continue to pitch well in his new role.

Cameron Selik: Selik hasn’t pitched since May 13.

Hitting Report –

Eury Perez: Perez is absolutely raking right now, hitting .463 (19-for-41) in his last 10 games with six runs, one home run, 10 RBIs and four steals. He has 15 SB to just 2 CS on the year, and while he’s not drawing many walks, he doesn’t strike out much either (just 12 in 92 at bats), and his speed is absolutely lethal. He went 1-for-4 on Sunday and has a nine-game hitting streak, with six of those games multi-hit games.

Destin Hood: Hood is also red-hot with a five-game hitting streak – and all of those games are multi-hit games. He’s 13 for his last 22, with five runs scored, eight doubles (three on Sunday), one home run and nine RBIs. He’s just 21 years old, and has built off his strong 2010 campaign in which he hit .285 with five HR, 30 doubles, and 65 RBI.

Steven Souza: The 22-year old first baseman leads the P-Nats in RBIs with 32 and has shown good power in his last ten games, hitting three home runs and driving in 10.  He's hitting .248/.323/.504 for the year with eight homers and 32 RBI with 12 steals to boot.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League (27-16)

Pitching Report –

Robbie Ray: Ray has been spectacular in his first three minor league starts, and in his most recent on Friday he pitched six innings, giving up one earned run with four strikeouts. He’s not yet 20 years old, but he’s been very good out of the gate, going 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA (one earned run in 17 innings) with 17 Ks and one BB.

Taylor Jordan: He’s yet to give up more than three runs in a start this year, and his start on Monday was solid: six innings, seven hits, three earned runs, two walks, five strikeouts. His record is 6-0 and his ERA is 2.82 on the year.

A.J. Cole: Cole made one start this week, going four innings and giving up six hits and five runs (just two earned) with five strikeouts.

Hitting Report –

Bryce Harper: Harper was due to come back to earth after his hitting streak, and he was 4-for-19 (.210) this week with three walks, one home run and three RBIs. He’s still hitting .359/.440/.655 this season in Hagerstown with 13 doubles, 10 HR, 34 RBI and 21 walks to 33 strikeouts. Oh, and seven stolen bases and just two errors on the year.

David Frietas: He’s been consistent this year, and is hitting .324 in his last 10 games to raise his average to .290 – though more impressive is that he has 20 walks to 13 strikeouts and an OBP of .392. He went 2-for-5 Saturday with a home run and two RBIs and is definitely a catcher to look out for.

_____________________________________________________

PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR THE WEEK

Pitcher: Brad Peacock, Harrisburg. He’s been remarkable this year, leading the Eastern League in strikeouts and dominating AA. With the major league rotation staying healthy so far, Peacock has to have some luck to get a call-up soon, but he may get a look in September.

Hitter: Destin Hood, Potomac. He’s just absolutely raking and is hitting for power with eight doubles in his last 13 hits. The 21-year-old is very much still a good prospect, and the former two-sport high school star is looking very good so far in Potomac. If he keeps this up for another month or so, he may get a look in Harrisburg.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

ORIOLES WIN THE RUBBER MATCH ON SUNDAY 2-1

Leading off the game, Nationals center fielder Roger Bernadina laid down a perfect bunt right in between first base and the pitcher’s mound and reached first base with ease. But as he ran past the bag, home plate umpire Todd Tichneor ruled that Bernadina stepped on home plate to bunt and was out.

Roger Bernadina was called out for stepping on the plate in first inning.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Close up of Bernadina's foot in 1st inning (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman argued the call with Tichneor for a couple of minutes before getting ejected from the game. Bench Coach John McLaren took over Manager duties for the day.

Manager Jim Riggleman was tossed after first batter.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

From there, you could sense that it was going to be a frustrating day for the Nats and their offense. Despite getting eight hits and three walks, they couldn’t scratch more than one run across home plate, wasting a great start from Jordan Zimmermann to lose, 2-1.

Jordan Zimmermann (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

The team’s best chance to blow the game wide open was in the fourth inning. Jayson Werth led off with a double, Wilson Ramos walked, and two batters later Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. The next batter, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, flied out in foul territory in right field, bringing Alex Cora to the plate with two outs.

Jayson Werth doubled in fourth. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Cora slapped a sharp ground ball up the middle, but it hit pitcher Chris Tillman and bounced to third, bringing in one run. Had the ball bounced past Tillman, it likely would have scored two runs. Bernadina then stepped in and drove a pitch to right field, but it came up just a few inches short of a grand slam – another close play that just didn’t go Bernadina’s way on Sunday.

Chris Tillman reacting to bad bounce. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Meanwhile, Jordan Zimmermann was pitching a gem on the mound, so the one run may have seemed like enough after six innings. Zimmermann had retired 13 in a row heading into the seventh inning and was locating all of his pitches and had given up just one hit.

Jordan Zimmermann (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

But in the seventh, Zimmermann gave up a leadoff single to Nick Markakis. Vladimir Guerrero stepped in and ahead in the count 0-2, Zimmermann tried to throw a slider past Guerrero, but it hung in the strike zone, and Guerrero knocked it into the left field seats for his fifth homer of the season. 2-1 Baltimore.

Zimmermann gave up one more hit before being pulled, but his start was still fantastic: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. With 10 days rest, he looked as sharp as he had been in a long time.

Jordan Zimmermann (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

In the ninth inning, Matt Stairs drew a one-out walk and was pinch ran for by Brian Bixler. With Roger Bernadina batting, Bixler tried to steal second base on a full count, but Bernadina watched a slider land in the zone for strike three and Orioles catcher Matt Wieters gunned down Bixler for Baltimore’s second strikeout-throw out double play of the day. It was a fitting way to end a frustrating day for the Nats, who had a few bad breaks in another poor offensive performance.

Brian Bixler gets gunned down at 2B for last out of game.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

THE GOOD: Zimmermann was fantastic, throwing six innings of one-hit ball before giving up two runs on the home run in the seventh. His ERA is now 3.98 on the year, and he’s looking as good as he’s ever looked in his major league career.

THE BAD: The offense had nine LOB on Sunday afternoon and could never get the big hit needed to break the game open like they had on Friday night.

THE UGLY: The Nats were part of two separate strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out plays, one in the second inning and one to end the game – both were on strikes looking.

GAME NOTES: Michael Morse started at first base on Sunday. Ben Goessling tweeted, "Adam LaRoche will have his shoulder examined in New York tomorrow. He'll join the Nationals in Milwaukee after that."

THE STATS: 1 run, 8 hits, 0 errors, 9 LOB, 1-8 w/ RISP, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks.

NEXT GAME: Monday at 8:10 p.m. ET against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Tom Gorzelanny (2-3, 3.56 ERA) faces Yovani Gallardo (5-2, 4.70 ERA).