Minutes after Drew Storen realized he wasn't traded at the Major League non-waiver deadline, he entered a 2-1 game in the top of the ninth, entrusted to close it like he has 26 times before this season. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Washington Nationals, Scott Hairston had other ideas. He deposited a 2-2 pitch just barely over the wall in front of the visiting bullpen for his second solo home run of the day, drawing his New York Mets even with the home team.

But in an appropriate capper to a strange weekend, Ian Desmond got a ball to bounce over Mets reliever Bobby Parnell's head, high enough for Rick Ankiel to carry home the winning run in the bottom of the frame, giving the Nats a game and series win over their N.L. East rival.

This was a tight, tense affair, mimicking the mood in the park surrounding the trade deadline. It was plain for anyone that was interested to hear that Storen, among others, was being rumored to be involved in a deal with the Minnesota Twins in exchange for center fielder Denard Span and others. But when Nats GM Mike Rizzo did not get an offer he felt was enticing enough to give up his 23-year old, cost-controlled closer, the deadline passed with the Nats not making a move.

As for the game, it was a scoreless affair through the fifth inning. The Nats' Jordan Zimmerman and the Mets' Jon Niese were trading zeroes, not particularly challenged by their rival's offenses. The Nats struck first, in the bottom of the sixth, with three consecutive doubles by Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, which netted two runs.

The Nats runs came in the bottom of the frame where Zimmermann struck out his final two batters after putting men on second and third following two singles and a balk. For the day, Zimmermann was again superb. He went six shutout innings, allowing seven hits and one walk, striking out six. He used 107 pitches, 64 for strikes, on a sunny, 96 degree day.

So the trade deadline comes and goes without GM Mike Rizzo landing the leadoff hitter and center fielder he covets.  The Nationals aren't contending for anything this year so he wasn't forced to do a deal he didn't like.  There's plenty of time for him to find the appropriate players at the appropriate price.  Maybe he'll fill both spots with the same player, maybe not.  But regardless of what the pundits and cynics say, we'll never know what deals Rizzo was offered today, and it obviously wasn't enough for him to part with Storen.

Maybe the next offer will be.

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THE GOOD:  Jordan Zimmerman.  He's up to 132 2/3 innings, so he's got about four starts left in him before he'll be shut down at his limit of 160 innings pitched.  Today's game was a beaut.

THE BAD:  Sean Burnett.  One inning.  One home run.

THE UGLY:  Brian Bixler.  He lead off and went 0-for-5 with a K and four LOB.  Hitting .176 this season.  No wonder Rizzo is looking so hard for a legitimate leadoff hitter.

THE STATS:  11 hits, one walk, 10 strikeouts.  4-for-13 with RISP, 10 LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (8)

NEXT GAME:  Monday at 7:05 pm against the Atlanta Braves.  Livan Hernandez (5-10, 4.19) faces Jair Jurrjens (12-3, 2.38).

NATS NOTES:  LHP Atahualpa Severino was activated for the game and Yunesky Maya returned to AAA-Syracuse before the game.  Severino was to be used in case of an emergency but that did not come to pass.  He'll most likely be returned to the minors, maybe as soon as Monday.

As I start to type, it's 11:30 am, four and a half hours away from the Major League non-waiver trade deadline.  The Washington Nationals have already made three trades this week, acquiring Jonny Gomes and dealing Jerry Hairston and Jason Marquis for prospects. 

They are still involved, obviously, in other talks, most notably with the Minnesota Twins on a deal that could include Nats closer Drew Storen and Twins center fielder Denard Span, currently rehabbing in Triple-A after suffering from post-concussion symptoms.  Rumors are also still circulating around Tampa Bay's center fielder B.J. Upton.  The Nats seem to be activated for a deal today one way or the other, and national media sources describe Nats GM Mike Rizzo to be on a quest to finally fill the Nats center field hole, something that's plagued this organization since its move in 2005.

The trade deadline isn't easy for anybody.  Not for the executives, players or fans.  It's tough to see players you've become fond of for whatever reason ripped from your team.  It's also tough to place blind trust in the team's front office with no control over the situation.  I guess that's one of the reasons fantasy sports is so popular -- you are your own GM. 

But this isn't fantasy, it's real life.  GMs of major league baseball teams are executives of multi-million dollar companies.  Decisions they make can affect a franchise for years, and could ultimately cost them their jobs.

Both Storen and Span are fan-favorites in their respective markets.  Both players are affable, accessible and very talented young, cost-controlled players.  They are assets to their teams and communities.  And both fan bases are up in arms about their being included in trade talks.  Crowd-sourcing on Twitter last night and this morning shows that neither fan base wants any part of this deal.  Must mean it's a fair deal.

Anyway, in a little over four hours we'll know what this team will be going forward.  Fans will have to trust that Mike Rizzo is doing the right thing for this team, both for the short and long-term.  They really have no other choice.  But let's hope that in this case, Rizzo isn't getting caught up in his quest for a center fielder and leadoff hitter and making a deal today just to make a deal.  It's a position of need for this club, no doubt.  But in order to make a deal of this magnitude, he's got to be certain of the return.

I'm not against the idea of trading a young, cost-certain closer to address a position of need.  But it has to be for the right player.

Jerry Hairston -- gone.  Jason Marquis -- gone.  Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Todd Coffey, Roger Bernadina?  Others???  By Sunday's 4:00 pm trade deadline we'll know for sure.

Saturday was a busy day for the Washington Nationals.  Early in the day they shipped veteran utility man Jerry Hairston, Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers for a Double-A outfielder.  Then, about two hours before game time, it became apparent they were on the verge of dealing their scheduled starting pitcher, Jason Marquis, to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a Single-A shortstop.

That deal didn't become official until just after six o'clock, as Marquis sat in his locker waiting for the official word, and Yunesky Maya, who started the day in Syracuse with the Triple-A Chiefs, sitting in the family room underneath the stadium waiting for word that yes, indeed, he would be needed to start against the Mets.  Reporters described a surreal scene as the fates of the two right-handed pitchers were intertwined.

When the trade became official, Marquis was interviewed by those reporters while cleaning out his locker as Maya made his way to the right field bullpen to warm up for his tenth Major League start.

Once the game started, Maya was mostly terrific, allowing just five hits over 5 1/2 innings, walking no one, leading the Nationals to a 3-0 over the New York Mets win to break a six-game losing streak.

But it seems the Nats can't get any good news without some bad.  After the game, manager Davey Johnson revealed Maya injured his back trying to avoid a tag running the bases and would probably have to be placed on the disabled list.

Yunesky Maya leaves after straining his right oblique.

Maya hurt himself in the bottom of the fifth, and according to his manager, Maya said he was good enough to continue.  There was a discussion with the trainers, and Johnson even tried to visit Maya after his warmups.  "We checked him again and he said: 'No, I'm OK,'" Johnson said. "And then [Wilson] Ramos kept saying he was OK. But obviously he wasn't OK."

But it was quickly apparent in the top of the sixth that Maya could not finish his breaking ball and was stretching between every pitch.  He retired Justin Turner on a line drive to center, but after consecutive singles Johnson went out to retrieve his starter.

"I took him out because I didn't like the fact that he wanted to stay in the game and he probably was hurt. You don't pull something then miraculously you're okay. The pitch that gave him problems was the curveball."

Maya did hang on long enough to earn his first career MLB win though.  Ross Detwiler and Tyler Clippard combined for 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, and Drew Storen worked out of trouble to notch his 26th save.

The Nationals got all the offense they needed in the first inning, courtesy of a three-run home run to the batter's eye in center field from Jayson Werth, his 12th of the season, off Mets starter R.A. Dickey (L, 5-9, 3.77).



Jayson Werth celebrates his first inning three-run home run.

According to several reports, Storen's name keeps popping up in trade rumors, most notably with the Minnesota Twins, in a potential deal for center fielder Denard Span and others.  Storen, a fan favorite both for his play and geniality and accessability off the field, is one of the Nationals most valuable trade commodities as a young, cost-controlled closer.

After the game, Johnson addressed the trade rumors surrounding Storen.  "I want him to stay here.  I like what he's doing.  I like his attitude. And he wants to stay here. So we'll just see what happens.  It's part of baseball.  I talked to him and said to him,  'As far as I'm concerned you ain't going nowhere, so don't even think about it.'  And he said, "Well, I want to be here.' I'm glad he was here tonight."

A reporter followed up and asked if Johnson had that same conversation with Tyler Clippard, whose name has surfaced in trade rumors as well.  Johnson repiled, "Tyler ain't going nowhere.  Or I'm going with him.  I don't know where we'd be without Tyler."  Asked if he could be that definitive with Storen, Johnson was less than committal.  "I don't know where we'd be without Drew.  One thing I learned is you can't take anything for granted.  And I don't.  I didn't think Hairston was going anywhere."

We won't know until after four o'clock Sunday whether Storen, Clippard, or any of the other players or prospects will still be with the organization.  All a fan can do is hope, and trust the general manager, that what he's doing is in the best interest of the baseball team, today and for the future.  The trade deadline makes for nervous fans and nervous players.  It's never easy.  But the hardest decisions are usually the most important decisions.

Drew Storen sealed the Nats 3-0 win over the Mets.  Was it for the last time?

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THE GOOD:  Jayson Werth.  Credit where it's due.  He went 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs and a walk.  Wilson Ramos also went 3-for-3 on the night.

THE BAD:  Jonny Gomes went 0-for-3 and is still hitless in his short Nationals career covering six at bats.

THE UGLY:  Danny Espinosa went 0-for-3, lowering his average to .228.  He now has three hits in his last 40 at bats over his last 10 games.

THE STATS:  10 hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.  1-for-6 with RISP, five LOB, three GIDPs. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Sunday at 1:35 pm against the Mets.  Jordan Zimmermann (6-9, 3.27) hosts Jon Niese (10-8, 3.97).

The Washington Nationals have traded veteran starter Jason Marquis to the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon in exchange for Single-A shortstop Zach Walters, a ninth round pick in the 2010 draft.  The deal has not been announced by the team, but it is official according to multiple sources.

Marquis, 32, went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 20 starts.  He will become a free agent at the end of the year and will not qualify for even Type-B free agency, meaning the Nationals would not have received compensation should he sign with another team.  Reports indicate Arizona was willing to assume the remainder of Marquis' salary this season, saving the Nats over $2.5 million.

Walters, a 21 year old middle infielder, was hitting .302/.377/.485 with Single-A South Bend, playing shortstop primarily, but also appearing at second and third base.  In 166 career minor league games, Walters has hit .302/.360/.465.  This is the second position player today the Nats have picked up with good on-base skills, joining OF Erik Komastu, acquired for Jerry Hairston Jr earlier in the day from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marquis was due to start for the Nationals in tonight's game with the New York Mets.  His spot will be taken tonight by Yunesky Maya.  Maya went 0-1 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts earlier this season with the Nats.  But manager Davey Johnson indicated in his post-game press conference last night and reiterated today that the team may recall some younger arms from the minors after the trade deadline shakes out, including RHP Brad Peacock and LHP Tom Milone.

Major League sources are still indicating that the Nationals continue to be involved in talks for a Major League center fielder, with Denard Span of the Twins and Michael Bourn of the Astros the most likely targets.  Sources have indicated the Nats have been reluctant to include young, team-controlled closer Drew Storen in a deal for Span, but with Rick Ankiel the only center fielder on the Nats roster, speculation is running rampant at Nats Park and on the Internet.

The team hasn't confirmed the reports yet, but several sources have reported the Washington Nationals this morning traded Jerry Hairston, Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for 23 year old left-handed hitting CF Erik Komatsu.

Komatsu has been playing at the Brewers Double-A affiliate this season, putting together a slash line of .294/.393/.416 with six home runs, 40 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 379 plate appearances.  He has 44 Ks to 53 walks.  In his minor league career, he's played 317 games and hit .310/.398/.449.

This seems like a solid return for 35 year old Hairston, who hit .268/.342/.385 this season for the Nats.  The Brewers were in need of a 2B/UTL player since All-Star 2B Rickie Weeks was placed on the D.L. this week.

This leaves the Nationals with just one centerfielder, Rick Ankiel, for the time being.  Since they sent Roger Bernadina down yesterday to make room for Chien-Ming Wang, they can't recall him for 10 days without placing someone on the disabled list.  Look for the Nats to recall Brian Bixler for his right-handed bat for the time being, but also you'd have to think this only increases the possibility of the Nats acquiring a MLB CF before Sunday's 4:00 pm trade deadline.

"I think that was an okay first outing." Davey Johnson, on Chien-Ming Wang's return to the Majors.

Chien-Ming Wang as he prepared for his first MLB start in two years. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



You can't blame Washington Nationals fans if they are a little myopic looking at last night's 8-5 loss to the New York Mets and only seeing the team's sixth straight defeat and eighth out of nine, pushing their record even further back from the elusive .500 mark to 49-56.  For a long-suffering fan base, each loss is a reminder of how far this team still needs to go to be taken seriously as a contender.

But for an even larger fan base, this game was bigger than the World Series.  And though the Michael Jordan of Taiwan didn't excel right out of the starting gate, he did return to the Major Leagues after a grueling and arduous two year absence.  He got Major League hitters out, felt good afterward, and returned some national pride back to a country that has only been able to boast six big league players in their history, and certainly none as celebrated as tonight's returning hero, Chien-Ming Wang.

Wang, now 31, made a less-than-triumphant return to a big league mound last night after two years of rehab due to surgery on a torn shoulder capsule, an injury much more common in football offensive linemen.  His delivery from the wind-up, lifting his arms high over his head and arching his upper back and shoulders, was familiar from his hey-day with the New York Yankees in the mid-aughties, when for two and a half years he was one of the better pitchers in the game.

His bread-and-butter, a power sinker, didn't quite have as much power -- or as much sink -- last night as it did in 2006 through mid-2008, when he coaxed ground balls at more than twice the average rate of Major League pitchers.  But Wang did register half of his outs on ground balls in the four innings he pitched, and several of the base hits against were of the "seeing-eye" grounder variety.

The game started out roughly for Wang, obviously nervous or over-hyped on adrenaline taking a big league mound for the first time in what probably seemed like an eternity to him, and the legions of Taiwanese fans and media assembled at Nats Park.  He issued four straight balls to Mets leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, none really close to being a strike. 

The next four batters all reached on singles and after a groundout and double play on a sacrifice fly, the Mets had a 4-0 lead after a half inning.  It was a rather inauspicious debut to say the least.  Wang settled down after that though and retired the Mets in order in the second and gave up a lone single in the third.  But in the fourth, a couple of hard hit balls and errors by Danny Espinosa and Jayson Werth produced two more runs for the visitors.  Wang got out of the inning, but his night was over.

In sum, Wang threw 60 pitches, 39 for strikes, in four innings.  He gave up six runs -- four earned -- on eight hits and one walk, striking out two.  He hit as high as 93 on the radar with his fastball, but his speed varied from pitch-to-pitch between 88-91 most of the time.  After the game, both the pitcher and his manager were pleased with the effort, acknowledging that he still had some work to do but the most important thing was that he was, after all that time, back.

"I was actually impressed," Davey Johnson said in his post game press conference.  "I thought he threw the ball pertly and that first inning he got the ball up.  They've got some good hitters in their lineup that didn't try to do too much with it, hitting little soft line drives.  Second inning he got the ball down more.  I don't think his arm is fully strong, some of his breaking balls were not breaking too good.  But I liked the way he threw.  If he didn't have the rough first inning where he threw a lot of pitches I'd have probably gone another inning with him."

Through his interpreter, Wang indicated he was "happy" with his performance. He said that he was "excited" in the first inning, maybe a little too anxious but that he felt fine.  He indicated that he was "close" to being 100 percent, and that he's got work to do to be competitive.

Asked how happy he was to return to the Majors after the two-year layoff, Wang said "I can do it again... Right now I'm back."

Wang is indeed back.  Johnson did not hesitate when asked if Wang would start again in five days, cutting off the reporter who asked the question answering in the affirmative.  Wang does have some work to do, but we saw flashes of it last night in the second and third innings, when he was able to generate ground ball outs and have a little success.

As for the rest of the game, the Nats were forced to play catch-up, and they didn't fare so well.  They pushed five runs across after trailing 6-0, but left the bases loaded twice. In the sixth, Wilson Ramos popped out after two walks and a single loaded them up, and in the eighth, Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman both struck out to end the frame stranding three runners each.

The Nationals are reeling right now, and even the return of a national hero wasn't enough to spur them to victory.  With the trade deadline looming ever larger -- Sunday at 4:00 pm -- there are distractions aplenty, and I'm sure Davey Johnson and the team just want to get back to playing baseball.  They'll have to be patient in that regard and deal with whatever changes may come.  All they can control is how they play between the lines, and for the last two week, that hasn't been very good.

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THE GOOD:  Laynce Nix went 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Wilson Ramos went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Ryan Mattheus threw two shutout innings, giving up just one hit.

THE BAD:  Jayson Werth went 1-for-4 with a walk but struck out three times.

THE UGLY:  Danny Espinosa went 0-for-5 with two Ks, stranding four.  He also had an error that led to the two-run fourth inning that ended Wang's night.

THE STATS:  Nine hits, four walks, nine strikeouts.  4-for-11 with RISP, 10 LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Espinosa (8).

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:05 pm against the Mets.  Jason Marquis (8-5, 3.95) is scheduled, against R.A. Dickey (5-8, 3.74)

NATS NOTES:  Before the game, OF Roger Bernadina was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the roster for Wang.  Bernadina had an option remaining and the team felt this was the most logical move, citing a need to keep an extra pitcher due to the bullpen being overworked lately. 

Tom Gorzelanny relieved Wang last night and pitched two innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits, striking out one.



All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network



The move won't be official until game time, but reports indicate that OF Roger Bernadina will be sent to the minors to activate Chien-Ming Wang for tonight's start against the New York Mets.  Bernadina, hitting .247/.312/.352 with five home runs, 20 RBI and 16-of-18 in stolen bases, has an option remaining, so he would not have to clear waivers to be sent down.

"Nothing's really official until game time," Johnson said about Bernadina's status.  "He does have options so that is a definite option but nothing will be official until I hand in my lineup card."  With the bullpen as taxed as it's been in the last week or so, the Nats have decided that carrying the extra pitcher was more improtant than the extra outfielder, especially with the acquisition of LF Jonny Gomes earlier this week.

Tom Gorzelanny, who has made 15 starts this season (2-6, 4.46), will pitch out of the pen tonight in case of the need for a long man.  Wang will be on a 80-90 pitch limit tonight as he is still building up arm strength.

Wang is making his first start since 2009 after recovering from foot, hip and major shoulder problems.  He's made six minor league rehab starts (28 2/3 innings), throwing to a 3.14 ERA and 1.116 WHIP across all levels of the Nats minor league system.

Johnson joked that he'd like to get seven innings of one-hit shutout ball from Wang tonight, but championed the Taiwan native for his perseverance and determination in returning to the big leagues after such a long rehab.  "I'm excited, just like everybody else, to see him go out and pitch," Johnson said. 

"It's taken a lot of hard work and whatever because I saw him over the winter and he was still having some problems and when I saw him in the spring he was much freer, much looser. I saw him in a couple starts early in the spring and he was throwing the ball like the old Chien-Ming.  To come back after two years is a great tribute to his work ethic."

Tonight marks the culmination of a two-year journey for Chien-Ming Wang.  Whether it's the beginning of another chapter -- or just prolonging the end of his career -- is the big question that starts to get answered with his first appearance since 2009 tonight against the New York Mets.

You know his history.  He's a two-time 19 game winner for the New York Yankees.  He's been an Opening Day starter and started the first game of the ALDS in 2006.  He's the Michael Jordan of Taiwan. 

Chien-Ming Wang is all of these things.  But he's been shelved so long due to injuries -- first to a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot suffered running the bases during an interleague game in 2008, then to a catastrophic shoulder injury caused by an adjustment to his mechanics dealing with the foot discomfort -- that no one; not the Nats, the legion of Taiwanese media that follow his every move, or Wang himself has any idea what he is now.

Before the injuries, Wang boasted a devastating 93-MPH sinker that generated ground ball out after ground ball out, with Major League hitters continually baffled by a ball that started in the strike zone but darted towards the dirt as it approached home plate, dipping as much as ten inches, leaving them to pound the ball into the turf time and again.

But that was all before the injuries, surgery and extensive -- and lengthy -- rehab.  His injury was compared to the one New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees suffered. The Nationals signed Wang prior to the 2010 season on a $2 million deal with hopes that he'd pitch for them late in the season.  That didn't happen, as the rehab process was slower than anyone anticipated.  The Nats non-tendered Wang after the season, but re-signed him in December last year to a one-year, $1 million deal (plus incentives) and he continued his rehab, appearing in the Nats' instructional league, where reports had his fastball in the low-to-mid eighties.

In late June, the Nats finally decided it was time to send Wang out for a rehab assignment, and he performed admirably in six appearances, all starts, across all levels of the Nats farm system.  He went 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.116 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings pitched.  He struck out 17 (5.3 per nine innings) while walking just four (1.3 per nine).  His fastball generally sat in high eighties to 90-MPH, and touched 91-92 on occasion.

The Nationals don't know what they are going to get out of Wang the rest of the way.  If he bears any resemblance to the Wang of 2006-07, when he was arguably one of the better pitchers in the game, the Nats will have been rewarded for their patience and could potentially have found a veteran starter to add to their future rotation plans.  If upon his return he just can't get Major League hitters out anymore, all it cost the team was a bunch of money.

We'll start to find out tonight either way.

The starting pitcher threw 115 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. Three lead off walks came around to score.  A missed sign by the third base coach at a critical juncture killed a rally. The left-handed reliever once again couldn't do his job.  The flamethrower allowed a run without giving up a base hit.  An offense that, despite six walks from the opposition's starter in less than four innings, couldn't push across more than one run against him.

These are the things that led to today's 5-2 loss to the Florida Marlins.  And the Washington Nationals, whose hopes for finishing at or hear the .500 mark are dwindling, better figure out something fast, because the N.L.'s hottest team, the New York Mets, come in Friday for a three-game weekend series before the 96-win pace Atlanta Braves next week.

Manager Davey Johnson looks more confused, frustrated, and downright sad after each successive loss.  He's never had a team that has "underachieved" like this before, he said Wednesday night.  But a look up and down the roster reveals more players playing closer to their career numbers than not.  The two glaring exceptions are Johnson's two best players.  Ryan Zimmerman seems to be heating up, while the Nats continue to wait for Jayson Werth to do the same.

The streak in June where this team won 13 out of 15 games gave everyone in NatsTown thrills, but it also set up unrealistic expectations on this club. Before the streak, the Nats were playing at a .428 clip, a 69-win pace.  Since the streak ended it's been a little worse than that, including losses now in five straight and seven out of eight.  Overall, the team is still on a 76 win pace. But with things seemingly spiraling out of control, that number seems in real jeopardy now.

As for today, starter John Lannan (L, 7-7, 3.63) battled his way though 5 2/3 innings, and he was far from sharp.  He issued free passes to the leadoff hitters in the third and fourth innings, btoh of whom scored.  A solo home run to Mike Stanton and a double to backup catcher Brett Hayes in the sixth ended his day one out from another quality start.  But Sean Burnett once again could not do his job, allowing an inherited runner to score on consecutive base hits before finally ending the inning.

In the eighth, Henry Rodriguez allowed the deficit to increase without giving up a hit.  He walked the first batter, allowed him to steal uncontested, threw a wild pitch that moved the runner over to third, who eventually scored on a ground out to the right side. In his last 9 2/3 innings, Hot Rod has given up 10 earned runs and walked nine with three wild pitches.

As for the offense, it was, once again, offensive.  Take out Ryan Zimmerman's four hits and the rest of the team combined for just three more, two by Jayson Werth.  In fact, both of the Nats runs were "driven in" by Werth, the first on a pop up to right field that Stanton couldn't pick up in the hazy sky that fell for a single, the second on a soft liner to center field. 

The Nats had a chance to do some real damage in the fourth, with runners at first and second with two down and Danny Espinosa in a 3-1 count.  But due to missed communications between Johnson and third base coach Bo Porter, the Nats tried a double steal and Ian Desmond was gunned out at third to kill the rally.

That was the bulk sum of offense the Nats could muster against lefty Brad Hand, who walked six in 3 2/3 innings, and a parade of Marlins relievers.

The Nationals have six more games on this homestand and have fallen six games below that elusive .500 mark at 49-55.  Maybe the trade deadline has a few players playing scared.  Maybe the pitching, which carried the Nats much of the way so far, has finally run out of gas.  One thing's for certain though: this team is less like the one that had that hot 15-game streak than the one that's played the other 89.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman.  His four hit day matches his career high.  Hopefully his power will return soon too.

THE BAD:  Jonny Gomes, in his first game for the Nationals, went 0-for-3 with a K and left five on base.

THE UGLY:  Henry Rodriguez.  He got through his first inning fine, but the second inning was atrocious. He's a liability right now.

THE STATS:  Seven hits, seven walks, eight strikeouts.  2-for-6 with RISP, 11 LOB, one GIDP.  E: Espinosa (7).

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 7:05 against the New York Mets from Nats Park.  Chien-Ming Wang makes his much anticipated return to MLB after two-plus years in recovery from shoulder problems.  He will face Dillon Gee (9-3, 3.75).

For the better part of three hours and fifteen minutes Wednesday night, the Washington Nationals slogged their way to a big deficit to the visiting Florida Marlins.  The veteran starter did not go deep into the game, two usually dependable relievers gave up late runs that at the time looked like padding, and the offense looked as it has all season: befuddled.

But something funny happened on the way to that eventual loss.  The Nats finally showed some life, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth against a little-used reliever that most media in attendance had to look up in their stat service of choice when he entered the game. Unfortunately, the rally fell short, as Laynce Nix - representing the tying run -- flied out to right fielder Mike Stanton with his back against the outfield wall to end the game.

"I thought it was out," manager Davey Johnson said after the game.  So did many of what remained of the 21,974 that came out to see if the Nats could beat a team that traditionally has owned them in the W-L column.  They could not, and the Nats fell for the fourth straight game and sixth time in their last seven games.  Johnson's record since taking over is a regrettable 9-16.

Ultimately, the 7-5 defeat to the Marlins was just another loss.  We won't know if the momentum the team built in the ninth inning rally will even carry over to the next game.  But at least, after almost 3 1/2 hours of pretty lousy baseball, they showed up.

There were many ways this game was lost.  Nats starter Livan Hernandez was ineffective, as he needed 80 pitches to get through four innings.  And when he allowed the first two batters to reach in the fifth, Johnson yanked him.

"Livo used a lot of pitches in four innings. I've never seen him around 80 pitches in four innings. He was close to 90, and I took him out. He is usually in the seventh inning by that time," Johnson commented.  Ross Detwiler was called upon and he allowed one of the inherited runners to come around, but figuring he entered with no outs and runners on the corners, he managed to get out of the inning fairly well.

All told, Hernandez gave up four earned runs on five hits and three walks, striking out five.  This marks the second time in three games that he has pitched just four innings.  Detwiler put a lot of runners on in his two innings of work, but kept the Marlins off the board, which is more than Todd Coffey and Drew Storen could say.

Coffey gave up a solo home run to Mike Cameron (hitting .167 entering play) as Johnson tried to get a second inning out of the hefty reliever, and Storen gave up Cameron's second homer of the game, a blast in the top of the ninth that at the time seemed gratuitous, putting Florida up 7-1. Little did anyone know that it was actually the game-winning hit.

As for the other side of things, the offense again was non-existent up until two outs in the ninth. At that point, a Jerry Hairston single, Ryan Zimmerman ground rule double and Michael Morse ground ball single the opposite way plated four runs off reliever Steve Cishek. But Marlins closer Leo Nunez got Laynce Nix to fall mere feet short of tying the game with what would have been his second home run of the night.  Instead, the ball fell harmlessly into right fielder Mike Stanton's glove to kill the rally.

The loss drops the Nats to 49-54, five games below .500, and honestly, the team looks more like the second half squads of the last few seasons than the plucky team that as late as two weeks ago looked like they would challenge the .500 mark this season.  With another game against Florida, then series against the Mets and Braves in this homestand, if the Nats don't turn things around in a hurry they once again won't be playing any meaningful games in September.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-5 with an RBI ground rule double in the ninth inning.

THE BAD:  Jesus Flores went 0-for-4, weakly grounding out twice and striking out.

THE UGLY:  The normally reliable Drew Storen. His name is being floated in trade rumors by national writers and he went out last night and laid a stinker. He recorded the first two outs of the inning easily, but a line drive single to Stanton and Cameron's second shot of the night ended up hurting his team.

THE STATS:  10 hits, four walks, seven strikeouts.  3-for-10 with RISP, nine LOB, one GIDP. E: Hairston (8).

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 12:35 pm against the Marlins.  John Lannan (7-6, 3.51) hosts Brad Hand (1-3, 2.77).

NATS NOTES:  One night after having a perfect game tossed against them, the Nats Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse tried to turn the tables.  Chiefs starter Brad Peacock took a no-hitter against Columbus into the eighth, but lost his bid to the first batter of the inning, ending the no-hitter and ending his evening.  The Chiefs held on to win 2-0.

Double-A Harrisburg OF Bryce Harper hit his first home run for the Senators, a solo shot that contributed to a 6-3 win over Bowie.

The Washington Nationals announced today they added OF Jonny Gomes to the active roster and designated veteran pinch-hitter Matt Stairs for assignment.

Stairs, 43, batted .154 with one double and two RBIs in 56 games this season. The 19-year veteran reached base in just 19 of his 74 plate appearances for the Nats (.257 OBP).  The MLB all-time leader in pinch-hit home runs, Stairs was brought in to be a dangerous pinch-hitter and solid veteran presence in the clubhouse. He may have fulfilled his duties in the clubhouse, but on the field he did nothing but struggle.

Gomes is hitting .211/.336/.399 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 265 plate appearances for Cincinnati this season.  But he mashes left-handed pitchers to the tune of .333/.439/.537 in 2011 and will most likely form a solid platoon with Laynce Nix in left field and be a valuable right-handed hitting pinch-hitter, though Gomes is regarded as one of the worst defenders in the game today.

Gomes will be active for tonight's Nats game against the Florida Marlins.

Another shoe will drop Friday, as a spot on the 25-man roster must be opened for Chien-Ming Wang, scheduled to start against the New York Mets that night.  Barring a trade of someone on the current active roster, it's likely that LHP Ross Detwiler will be sent to AAA-Syracuse and LHP Tom Gorzelanny will be moved to the bullpen to activate Wang.

TEAM ACQUIRES OF JONNY GOMES FROM REDS FOR TWO MINOR LEAGUERS

Manager Davey Johnson stood stoically before the television cameras and reporter's recorders last night, defeated and exasperated, voicing frustration over the lack of offense and increasingly inconsistent pitching efforts he's getting from his Washington Nationals club. Losses in five of the last six games has put his record since taking over at 9-15, a .375 winning percentage.

Overall, after last night's 11-2 loss, the Nationals fell to 49-53 and slipped a game behind the Florida Marlins into last place in the N.L. East for the first time since June 14.  Looking closer at the Nats' record though reveals they were 27-36 (.428) before the improbable 13-of-15 streak, and 36-51 (.413) overall with the streak removed.

If anyone -- fans, media, players, coaches or front office -- had based their expectations for the rest of the season on an unsustainable streak of good fortune in mid-June, then the last week must have been a very rude awakening.

Johnson was most candid when asked how he thought his team would respond to this latest bout of losing.  "I see us as too good to have any extended losing streaks and I keep waiting for everything to gel a little bit. It's not sitting well with me. I have a high boiling point, and I'm getting closer to it."

Most of his frustration can be directed to an anemic offense that once again has gone stone-cold.  The Nats managed just three hits on the night and are mired in next to last place in the league in average and on base percentage.  But his Johnson's pitching let him down last night too.

Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann added 6 2/3 innings to his total pitched this season, inching ever-closer to his team-mandated 160 inning limit in his first full season returning from Tommy John surgery.  After a long layoff due to the Major League All-Star game and getting pushed back to start the second half of the season, Zimmermann was not as sharp as he's been previously this season, as he gave up six earned runs on eight hits.

Zimmermann (L, 6-9, 3.27) did not walk a batter in the game, and threw 64 of his 90 pitches for strikes -- which may actually have been part of his problem.  Without his "good stuff" early on, he could not get the Marlins to bite on his breaking balls, and pitches without movement were driven for power; five of the eight hits against -- including two home runs -- went for extra bases.

As the evening wore on and he tired a little, his command came back and he actually pitched better, striking out the side in the sixth for three of his five Ks.  At 126 2/3 innings at this point, Zimmermann has about 34 innings before he reaches his limit, probably five or six starts.

As has been the case for most of the season, the Nats bats were mostly silent.  Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco (W, 7-7, 4.04) didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning, when Laynce Nix led off the frame with his 13th home run of the season. Unfortunately, the Nats were already down 5-1 at that point, and it just got worse as the night went along.

Washington trailed 6-2 entering the ninth inning, and Davey Johnson called on Henry Rodriguez, who had a rough outing his last appearance in Los Angeles when he walked three and gave up a run without striking anyone out. Johnson went to the flamethrower trying to get him back on track, but the performance was even worse than the previous, as Rodriguez allowed five earned runs on three hits and three walks, recording just one out with the 33 pitches he threw.

"I thought it was a good time to get him back, get that bad taste out of his mouth," Johnson said.  "Last time out didn't... My Ouija board isn't working too good right now."

Johnson didn't hide his feelings for the pitching problems in the game.  "I know we're a better ballclub than we've shown at times.  Anytime a day like today when your pitching doesn't do what it's capable of doing, when one of my relievers doesn't do what he's capable of doing, it gets ugly. It's painful for everybody in this clubhouse."

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THE GOOD:  Todd Coffey was perfect in his one inning of relief.  Yup, that kind of night.

THE BAD:  Roger Bernadina and Danny Espinosa were a combined 0-for-7 with one walk in the top two spots in the order.

THE UGLY:  How could it be anything else but Hot Rod's meltdown?  Three walks and three hits in 1/3 of an inning. He threw 33 pitches to seven batters and retired exactly one of them.  Even the ground out plated a run.

THE STATS:  Three hits, four walks, eight strikeouts.  0-for-3 with RISP, five LOB, zero GIDP. E: Ramos (4).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 7:05 against the Marlins.  Livan Hernandez (5-9, 4.04) faces Javier Vazquez (6-9, 5.35).

NATS NOTES:  During the National Anthem, news broke that the Nationals acquired OF Jonny Gomes from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for two minor leaguers: OF Bill Rhinehart and LHP Christopher Manno.  Gomes, 30, is hitting .211/.339/.399 this season in 265 plate appearances.  He gives the Nats a veteran right-handed bat to add to the stable of left-handed outfielders already on the roster.

Rhinehart is a 26 year old outfielder enjoying a fine campaign for Double-A Harrisburg, hitting .283 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs in 89 games. Manno, 22, a left-handed reliever, earned 12 saves in 34 appearances for Single-A Hagerstown.

Just before Tuesday night's game with the Florida Marlins, the Washington Nationals announced they acquired OF Jonny Gomes from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for two minor leaguers: OF Bill Rhinehart and LHP Christopher Manno.

Gomes, 30, is hitting .211/.339/.399 this season in 265 plate appearances.  He gives the Nats a veteran right-handed bat to add to the stable of left-handed outfielders already on the roster.  He wears left-handed pitching out to the tune of .281/.376/.510 in his career.  Against lefties, he hits a paltry .226/.308/.429.

Rhinehart is a 26 year old outfielder enjoying a fine campaign for Double-A Harrisburg, hitting .283 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs in 89 games. Manno, 22, a left-handed reliever, earned 12 saves in 34 appearances for Single-A Hagerstown.

On the surface, this gives the Nats another serviceable veteran player to help this season's team compete for .500.  And the prospects they gave up, much like the Gorzelanny deal last winter, aren't high on the list and will most likely not make a big impact -- if any -- at the Major League level.

But Jonny Gomes just isn't the type of player you should trade any assets for, as he has nearly reached non-roster invitee status in his career.  If you need an emergency filler, or are going to deplete your roster because of a major trade, that's one thing, and we'll have to wait until the dust settles to see if that's part of the reasoning of this deal.

I will say this though: If the Nats had acquired Gomes during the off-season to platoon with Nix/Bernadina/Ankiel that might have made a lot of sense, since he fairly pounds left-handed hitting. Making this move at the deadline, without knowing any other potential deals coming, smells like a team trying to reach .500 for marketing goals.

But on the surface, it's just giving up young assets for the expiring free agent contract of a platoon outfielder, albeit one that projects at this point to be a Type-B free agent.  I guess all we can do is wait for Mike Rizzo's next move to evaluate as a whole and not just in this vacuum.

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League (44-56)

Pitching Report:

Tom Milone: Milone has been due for a bad start, and it finally came Saturday night as he gave up six hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings. He did strike out five, but he gave up a lot of fly balls and with his velocity, he’s going to need to keep the ball on the ground and have precise control to be successful. Considering how good he’s been this year, I’d bet it’s just a bad start.

Brad Meyers: He made a rehab start in short-season Auburn on Thursday, pitching 2 2/3 innings with three hits and one run against. Auburnpub.com recapped his start, which included back-to-back doubles in the first inning. 

Yunesky Maya: He was hit hard again this week, giving up six runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings. His ERA ballooned to 4.80 on the year, and he’s had one good start since returning from the majors.

Brad Peacock: After a rough first start for Syracuse, Peacock rebounded well, pitching five innings with two runs against on Friday. He gave up just four hits and a walk and struck out four, and hopefully he can build off it and dominate AAA like he did AA.

Chien-Ming Wang: In his final AAA start, Wang gave up five runs in five innings on Sunday afternoon. He has been shaky in both of his AAA starts, but he is getting ground balls and sitting around 90 mph in his starts. The next time Wang pitches will be on Friday in Washington, making his first MLB start since 2009. The New York Times wrote a feature on Wang and his return to the majors.

Josh Wilkie: Four scoreless innings for Wilkie this week, giving up two hits and striking out four. The reliever has been consistently good all year long, and his ERA is down to 2.80.

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: There was some concern when Lombardozzi didn’t walk once in his first 70 or so AAA at-bats, but his recent play has quelled any of those concerns. He has seven walks this week (to just five strikeouts) and is still hitting a cool .343. His play may be one of the reasons the organization may be open to moving SS Ian Desmond.

Chris Marrero: He had a four-walk game on Tuesday, further showing his improved patience at the plate this year. His walk rate is 10.6 percent, his highest mark since his high-A season in 2007, three percent higher than last season. He’s also striking out less (second lowest mark in his career) and his OBP is the highest it’s ever been. All in all, he is having the best year of his career in Syracuse.

Matt Antonelli: Hitting just .212 in his last ten games, his average is down to .292, but his plate discipline keeps his OBP high at .382. He had a down week, collecting just 3 hits in 20 at-bats, but had four walks and an RBI.

Corey Brown: Brown had a solid week, going 5-for-20 (.250) with three walks and an RBI. He is up to 100 strikeouts in just 89 games and his average stands at .206.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League (57-45)

Pitching Report:

Shairon Martis: After eight consecutive strong starts, Martis was hit hard on Tuesday, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. He also struggled Sunday, giving up four runs (three earned) in five innings, though he did have eight strikeouts. His ERA on the year is now 3.08.

Rafael Martin: He has been battling back from a “dead arm” and re-joined the Senators in June and has been fantastic. He has five saves and has given up one earned run in 18 2/3 innings in AA. The 27-year-old is a little old for AA, but the numbers don’t lie: he has dominated as a late-inning reliever.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: Harper hit his first double in AA on Sunday night and appeared to get a little more comfortable this week as he had four hits in his last four games. He is still hitting just .208/.264/.204 in 15 AA games, but he may have turned the corner this week and will improve as he adjusts to the tougher pitching.

Derek Norris: Norris had a big week with hits in all but one game (eight total, with six walks) to bring his average up to .212. He also had three doubles and a triple, driving in two runs. After a slump last week he has rebounded and hopefully this is a sign of a rising batting average the rest of the way.

Tyler Moore: He smacked his 23rd home run of the year Sunday night (his third home run of the week), and he’s hitting .364 over his last 10 games to bring his average to .272. He also has six walks in his last 10, which is great to see; if he can develop more of a batting eye to go along with his power, his potential becomes even greater.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League (46-52)

Pitching Report:

Daniel Rosenbaum: He pitched his second complete game of the year this week, striking out seven and giving up three runs against Lynchburg. He actually picked up the loss, evening his record at 5-5 on the year despite his 2.67 ERA.

Josh Smoker: He pitched three more scoreless innings this week, walking two and striking out five. MASN’s Byron Kerr wrote about Smoker as well, noting that his velocity has touched 97 this year.

Cameron Selik: He pitched two good games this week – six shutout innings on Monday and 5 2/3 two-run innings on Sunday. His ERA is back below four at 3.95, and it’s encouraging to see him respond with two good starts after his last two were not so good.

Sammy Solis: He struggled this week, giving up nine hits and four runs in just four innings. High-A batters are hitting .295 against Solis so far in four starts but his ERA is at 3.91. 

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: He had two more walks this week, continuing his recent improvement in plate discipline. He also added another stolen base to bring his total to 29 on the year, though he has also been caught stealing 11 times.  Perez is hitting .272/.305/.317 for the season, and with his complete lack of power (10 XBHs in 79 games) he needs to concentrate on getting on base -- and staying on base once he gets there.

Destin Hood: A 3-for-3 game with two walks and an RBI capped off another strong week for Hood, who collected eight hits in 21 at-bats with a home run and three walks as well. Still only 21 years old, Hood is looking like a legitimate big-league prospect.

Jeff Kobernus: A 3-for-5 game Sunday raised his average to .285 on the year and capped off a weekend in which he went 8-for-14 (.571) with two doubles, two home runs and three RBIs. He also has five walks to just three strikeouts in his last ten games, and his OBP is up to .315 on the season.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League (52-48)

Pitching Report:

Robbie Ray: He surrendered three runs in 2 1/3 innings on Monday on three hits and four walks. He has shown shaky control in his last four starts, walking two or more batters in each of his last four starts. He’s still striking out over a batter an inning and his overall numbers for the year are fantastic with a 2.12 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings.

Taylor Jordan: His last start was on July 9. MILB.com did a short story on Jordan’s season so far.

A.J. Cole: He pitched five strong innings this week, giving up one run on four hits. He has a 2.05 ERA and two walks to 24 strikeouts post All-Star break (five games, four starts).

Christopher Manno: He had just one appearance this week, pitching one scoreless inning. ERA down to 0.85 in Hagerstown.

Hitting Report:

David Freitas: He walked seven times with just five strikeouts in his last 10 games and continues to be an overall force at the plate, even when he’s slumping (.258 average during that span). He added another home run this week, bringing his total to 11 to go with 24 doubles and 58 RBIs.

Blake Kelso: Kelso had eight hits this week, but none of them for extra-bases. His SLG is just .362 this season, which is actually lower than his OBP (.370). He can hit for average and get on base, but you’d like to see a little more power from him.

Auburn Doubledays, Short-Season A New York-Penn League (20-17)

Pitching Report:

Colin Bates: A 23rd round pick in 2010, Bates leads the Doubledays starters in ERA and IP at 2.08 and 39, respectively. He’s a ground ball pitcher (2.1 GB/FB ratio) who doesn’t strike a lot of batters out (21 on the year), but he has kept runs from scoring so far. He struggled with Vermont last season (5.40 ERA), so it’s good to see him improve this year.

Ben Grisz: In 19 relief innings this year, Grisz has just three runs and 10 hits against (1.42 ERA). Opponents are hitting just .154 against him and he has a 1.65 GB/FB ratio.

Hitting Report:

Matthew Skole: Drafted in the fifth round of this year’s draft, Skole is already dominating NY Penn League pitching, hitting .303/.375/.472 with 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 20 RBI. The third baseman hit 47 HR in three seasons at Georgia Tech and looks good so far in 36 games. He does already have seven errors, which is concerning.

Hendry Jimenez: Signed out of the Dominican Republic before the 2007 season, Jimenez has shown good patience throughout his short career in the DSL and GCL. He has a .315/.379/.516 line so far this season and has six doubles, five triples and three home runs.

Note: Auburnpub.com did a story dishing out “Midseason Grades” for the Doubledays. Check out their thoughts on all the players who have performed well and who have disappointed so far for Short-Season Auburn.

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Pitcher to Watch: Brad Meyers, Syracuse. Rehabbing from an injury, Meyers will be back with Syracuse shortly (hopefully). He had been struggling as of late with the injury, which will probably preclude him from any call-up discussion when the rosters expand, but it's important to see him get healthy down the stretch.

Hitter to Watch: Tyler Moore, Harrisburg. Though blocked by Chris Marrero at AAA, Moore has the best power potential in the system besides Harper and may be developing more of a batting eye this season, though his OBP still stands at just .302. He may also become a trade piece for the organization, which suddenly is deep at first base with Michael Morse, Adam LaRoche and Marrero.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Jayson Werth had perhaps his best game as a member of the Washington Nationals and Livan Hernandez rebounded from a string of poor starts, but those efforts were not enough as the Houston Astros prevailed in extra innings, 3-2, to take the series from  the Nats, who have now lost four of their last six games.

Werth had his first home run in over a month, his 11th of the season, and two doubles – his first three-hit game in a Washington uniform – and could use this game as a launching pad to a strong second half. The rest of the offense, though, struggled to help the right fielder. He was stranded at second after both of his doubles and the team as a whole was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Luckily, Livan Hernandez did not struggle as much as he has recently, going six innings with just two runs against. He surrendered a run in each of the first two innings, but settled down to keep the team in the game. Houston’s starter Brett Myers was equally as good, though, giving up two runs in seven innings.

Henry Rodriguez relieved Livo to start the seventh and had a 1-2-3 inning, but two walks and a wild pitch from Rodriguez to start the eighth prompted manager Davey Johnson to bring in Tyler Clippard, who got out of the inning with a strikeout.

Neither team threatened again until the bottom of the 11th when Astros catcher Humberto Quintero led off with a single against reliever Todd Coffey and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Michael Bourn singled to center to put runners at 1st and 3rd with one out, and Jason Michaels blooped a single to right center to end the game.

The loss drops the Nats two games below .500, but they have been due to lose some one-run games after their stretch at the end of June. Coffey has an ERA over six in June and July and, other than a fantastic month of May, has not been extremely effective this season.

It was encouraging to see Livan pitch as well as he did, considering his struggles recently. He was shaky early on, but settled in and got the job done, allowing just seven hits and one walk over his six innings, striking out three. Werth’s big day is especially encouraging because of his lack of power over the last month. He remains optimistic about this team, even saying after the game that he thinks the team can win the Wild Card this year.

Whether that goal is even realistic or not is immaterial, but it shows the team is invested in playing hard regardless of the circumstances, a position not every preceding Nationals team lived up to.

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THE GOOD: Jayson Werth had arguably his best game as a National, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two doubles – and both doubles may have been home runs in many other ballparks. He was more aggressive than usual, swinging at the first pitch on his first double and his home run. Today’s game was one Werth can hopefully build on.

THE BAD: Jesus Flores went 1-for-5 with three LOB, and he failed in a couple crucial at-bats. He grounded out with Werth at second in the 4th inning and struck out with Werth on second base again in the 11th inning.

THE UGLY: Todd Coffey recorded just one out in the 11th before giving up the walk-off single to Michaels. He gave up three hits on just seven pitches. A potential trade piece, Coffey has struggled the last two months with a 6.30 ERA in June (13 appearances) and a 6.75 ERA in July (7 apperances).

THE STATS:  Nine hits, two walks, eight strikeouts. 0-for-9 with RISP, eight LOB, zero GIDP.  No errors.

NEXT GAME: Nats are off until Friday when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers at 10:10 pm.  John Lannan (6-6, 3.62) faces Hiroki Kuroda (6-11, 3.13).

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Jordan Zimmermann has been a model of consistency for the Nationals this year, giving the team a solid start seemingly every time he takes the mound. Tuesday night he finally faltered, giving up six runs on seven hits in five innings as the Nats fell to the Astros, 7-6.

The loss drops the Nats to 48-49 and they slid a half-game behind the New York Mets for third in the N.L. East and just one game ahead of the last place Florida Marlins.

The 25-year-old starter looked good early on, striking out two batters in the first. But in the second, a line drive from Carlos Lee struck Zimmermann on the ankle. He gave up a two-run homer two batters later but rebounded and looked good until the fourth, when the Astros knocked him around for four more runs.

Zimmermann left the game after the fifth, leaving with the most earned runs against (6) and fewest innings (5) in a start this season.

The offense, though, tried to pick up their starter. Michael Morse knocked another breaking ball over the left field wall in the third inning to tie the game at two, and three innings later the offense added three more runs, two of which were from a home run from Jerry Hairston, Jr., who made his return from the DL by going 3-for-4.

Even though they had scored five runs to this point, the offense had left the bases loaded in the first and had runners on base in every inning. They went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

Down 6-5, Todd Coffey relieved Zimmermann to start the sixth and got two outs before giving up a single, walk and a single to give the Astros a two-run lead. In the seventh, Morse added his second double of the game to lead off the inning and a line-drive single by Jayson Werth put runners at first and third with no outs.

Wilson Ramos hit a hard ground ball up the middle, but it deflected off pitcher David Carpenter and ricocheted to second baseman Angel Sanchez, who scooped it and started a double play. Morse scored on the play, but the momentum for a rally had ended.

The Nats threatened again the ninth when, with two outs, Morse was hit by a pitch and Werth walked. Wilson Ramos, though, struck out to end the game and even the series at one game apiece.

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THE GOOD: Ian Desmond batting second and Michael Morse continuing to rake. Davey Johnson tried to spark Desmond’s bat by moving him up to the second spot in the order, and the shortstop came up with a big 2-for-5 day with an RBI. Morse, a day after picking up three hits and a home run, had three hits again – a home run and two doubles. He’s been retired twice this series, and one was a lineout.

THE BAD: Danny Espinosa’s return to the leadoff spot was not a success, as the second baseman went 0-for-5 with a strikeout and 3 LOB. Johnson decided to move Bernadina from the spot, but I’m not sure Espinosa is the leadoff answer the team is looking for.

THE UGLY: Jordan Zimmermann was not sharp after taking a line drive off the ankle, and his fourth inning was one to forget as he gave up four runs on five hits. The big inning was the deciding factor as the Nats could not completely overcome the deficit.

THE STATS:  11 hits, five walks, six strikeouts.  2-for-10 with RISP, nine LOB, one GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (7)

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at Houston at 2:05 pm EDT.  Livan Hernandez (5-9, 4.09) faces Brett Myers (3-10, 4.86).

NATS NOTES: Before the game, the Nats activated RHP Chad Gaudin from his rehab assignment and then designated him for assignment.  The club has ten days to allow him to trade him.  If Gaudin clears waivers, he could be asked to accept a minor league assignment.

Chien-Ming Wang started for Triple-A Syracuse, the highest level of minor leagues hitters he's faced in his five rehab starts.  He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out four in the Chiefs' 12-inning 4-3 walk-off win over Buffalo.  Wang threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes and coaxed nine ground outs two fly ball outs.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League

Pitching Report :

Tom Milone: Not only did Milone go 7 1/3 strong innings Sunday (giving up one run on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts), he went 3-for-3 with an RBI at the dish, bringing his season batting average up to .421. That’s not a typo – Milone has eight hits in 19 at-bats this year. His season ERA is down to 3.15 and his record now stands at 8-5.

Brad Peacock: Peacock’s first AAA was one to forget as he gave up six hits, seven runs (six earned), two walks and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings Saturday night. He gave up five of the runs in the first inning and then settled down before giving up two more in the fifth.

Chien-Ming Wang: He has a rehab start with Syracuse on Tuesday after another solid rehab start in AA in which he gave up no runs in six innings of work in Harrisburg. He now is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his four rehab starts, and while he’s due to return to the majors on July 27 (when his rehab assignment ends), there is a chance he could come up before that.

Josh Wilkie: Two innings of scoreless, hitless relief this week for Wilkie, who also had three strikeouts. He hasn’t given up a run since June 25 (seven appearances).

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: Lombardozzi hit his first two AAA home runs this weekend and went 3-for-5 on Sunday. He’s not hitting .357 in Syracuse and has multi-hit games in each of his last three games. He also has yet to commit an error in 25 games.

Chris Marrero: A 3-for-4, two-double, two-RBI day on Sunday capped off a great week for the first baseman in which he had six hits, three doubles and three RBI. His OBP on the year is up to a very respectable .373, and he’s hit .378 in his last 10 overall games.

Matt Antonelli: He also added two hits on Sunday in Syracuse’s win. His .308/.392/.451 season line is great considering his versatility.

Corey Brown: His only two hits of the week came on Friday, when he went 2-for-4. He’s struggling, hitting just .156 in the month of July with one walk to 14 strikeouts.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League

Pitching Report:

Shairon Martis: He pitched a gem on Monday, striking out 10 in six innings of work while giving up just two earned runs. He’s now 7-3 on the year and has a 1.89 ERA in three July starts.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: Harper is off to a slow start in AA, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone considering his age and experience. He’s reportedly being jumpy and aggressive at the plate, which is understandable – he’s excited. He’s hitting .214 now without an extra base hit, but he’ll slow it down and get comfortable quickly. After all, he is an 18-year-old in AA.

Derek Norris: Derek’s average is starting to become a legitimate concern. He did go 2-for-5 on Saturday, but an 0-for-18 slump has dropped his average to .195, though his OBP and SLG numbers are still great. The only month he’s hit above the Mendoza line was May, when he hit .277.

Tyler Moore: He launched his 20th home run and 25th double of the season Sunday in a 2-for-4 game that raised his average to .266. He had a monster week, going 9-for-12 (.750) with three home runs, two doubles and six RBI.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League

Pitching Report:

Daniel Rosenbaum: He was fantastic Friday night, pitching eight innings of three-hit, one-run ball while racking up eight strikeouts. His strikeout numbers are improving, and he only walked one batter, which is encouraging considering he had walked two or more in three of his last four starts.

Josh Smoker: He pitched two scoreless relief innings this week, and the converted starter hasn’t given up a run since June 30 (five appearances).

Sammy Solis: Solid pitched six strong innings on Saturday, scattering eight hits and three runs with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. In three starts in Potomac, Solis is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: He’s walking more – he had two walks this week after five last week – so that is encouraging, even if his average isn’t as high as we’d like (though he’s hitting .290/.425/.323 in July). He also had two stolen bases this past week and has 28 on the year.

Destin Hood: He had a home run Saturday and had three total RBI this week. He hit just .242 in his last 10 games, but his overall season line remains strong.

Jeff Kobernus: He started off the week 4-for-10, but then went 0-for-5 the rest of the week. He also added two stolen bases, raising his total to 36.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League

Pitching Report:

Robbie Ray: Ray was shaky on Tuesday night, giving up two runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five, but walked three and gave up four hits as well. His poor starts have been few and far between, and he continues to be impressive in Hagerstown.

Taylor Jordan: His last start was July 9.

A.J. Cole: He pitched just two innings on Thursday, giving up three hits and a run with five strikeouts. His 2-5 record on the season doesn’t represent how well he’s pitched so far.

Christopher Manno: He had one scoreless appearance this week (1 2/3 IP) and continues to dominate low-A ball. His last run against was on June 19.

Hitting Report:

David Freitas: A small slump has his average down to .297, but he still draws walks and he had a home run on Saturday, his 10th on the season. He leads the team in RBIs as well, with 57.

Blake Kelso: He had hits in three of four games this week, though none were multi-hit games. It was a slow week for Kelso – no walks, no extra-base hits, no steals – but he’s still hitting .300 on the year and playing well.

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Pitcher to Watch: Sammy Solis, Potomac. The attention is usually on some other prospects (Ray, Cole, Peacock, Milone), but Solis is a good prospect in his own right and has been good so far in Potomac. He’s not going to have overpowering numbers, but he gets ground balls and has a bright future as well.

Hitter to Watch: Eury Perez, Potomac. He’s finally showing some plate discipline in July, as he has a .425 OBP this month. He has speed and he can make contact, so if he can draw some walks, it’s a huge bonus.