Watch enough Major League baseball games and you'll eventually see something you've never seen before.  Like a 15-year veteran pitcher, with 627 plate appearances entering the game, hitting the first home run of his career.

Not only did Derek Lowe of the Atlanta Braves hit his first career round-tripper, a line drive over the left field wall on a 3-2 pitch, but he threw six strong innings, allowing just a solo home run and two other harmless singles, beating the Washington Nationals 3-1, before 20,687 at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Lowe simply dominated the Nats hitters last night.  He struck out six and walked just two, giving up Michael Morse's 24th home run to start the seventh inning.  Only once, int he third inning, did the Nats have two men on base, as Jesus Flores walked to lead off and Ian Desmond collected his second single of the night with one out.  But Jayson Werth looked at an 86-MPH cut fastball for strike three and Ryan Zimmerman grounded to third to end the inning.

Things got even tougher for the Nats after they chased Lowe, as Eric O'Flaherty, Johnny Venters and Craig Kimbrel all threw perfect innings in relief.  Kimbrel earned his 41st save of the season, setting the rookie mark for saves in a year.

For once, the Nats didn't have to worry about their season-long struggles with runners in scoring position because they didn't really have the opportunity. Werth and Zimmerman's outs in the third were the only such occasions.

It was another tough-luck loss for John Lannan (8-11, 3.54), who gave up that home run to Lowe and an earlier one to Chipper Jones, someone that is much more practiced in the art.  But overall, Lannan limited the Braves to three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and one walk in seven innings, striking out six in the process.  Henry Rodriguez was perfect in his inning of work as well, but without an offensive explosion like the one the Nats got Tuesday night, there wasn't much more the pitchers could do.

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THE GOOD:  Ian Desmond. He went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot and is 16-for-43 (.372) with three walks over his last ten games.

THE BAD:  Jayson Werth was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts hitting in the second spot in the order.

THE UGLY:  The five though eight spots in the order went 0-for-11 with three strikeouts.

THE STATS:  Three hits, two walks, nine strikeouts.  0-for-2 w/RISP, three LOB, zero GIDP. E: Lannan (1).

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 7:10 pm against the Braves.  Chien-Ming Wang (2-2, 3.82) faces Tim Hudson (13-8, 3.10)

The Atlanta Braves are fairly cruising toward a wild-card berth in the upcoming National League playoffs.  They've also been off a few days dealing with the fallout of Hurricane Irene.  So you can imagine if they came in to tonight's game with the Washington Nationals with somewhat of a lack of focus.

The Nats used the long-ball to bust this game open in the middle frames, scoring seven runs in innings five through seven, as they walked away with a 9-2 win over the Braves before just 16,674 at Turner Field in Atlanta.

The Nats, who struggled all last week to score runs of any kind, had a very nice night at the dish, homering four times off Braves starter Jair Jurrjens (L, 13-6, 2.96) and reliever Christhian Martinez.  All told, the Nats pounded out 12 hits and went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position, after leaving what seemed like the population of Rhode Island on base in their now-concluded six-game losing streak.

The middle of the order led the way, as Ryan Zimmerman (3-for-5, 3 RBIs), Michael Morse (3-for-5, 3 RBIs) and Laynce Nix (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) all homered, doing the bulk of the damage.  Danny Espinosa added a solo home run, his 19th of the year, but just his third since the All-Star break.

On the other side of things, "Good Livo" was back.  Veteran hurler Livan Hernandez went seven strong innings, holding the Braves potent attack to two earned runs on just five hits and three walks, striking out one.  Livo even doubled and scored on Zimmerman's fifth inning home run, his 10th of the season.  Tom Gorzelanny came on in relief and threw two hitless, scoreless innings, striking out two.

The win ups the Nats record to 63-70, and while the prospect of reaching the elusive .500 mark is dimming, the final 29 games almost certainly will see them eclipse 73 wins, the second best mark this team has achieved since moving to the District in 2005. 

One more thing: with the New York Mets loss to the Florida Marlins last night, the Nats pull within one game of third place in the division.  It might not mean much, but with Stephen Strasburg set to rejoin the rotation next week, and Tom Milone making his MLB debut Saturday, it's just another step in the right direction.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman.  A breakout game from him, considering he was just four for his last 27 plate appearances with just one walk.

THE BAD:  Rick Ankiel, hitting second, went 0-for-5, lowering his season average to .236.

THE UGLY:  Jesus Flores.  The backup catcher went 0-for-4, striking out three times.

THE STATS:  12 hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts.  4-for-9 w/RISP, four LOB, one GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 7:10 pm against the Braves.  John Lannan (8-10, 3.59) faces Derek Lowe (8-12, 4.63).

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League (61-71)

Pitching Report:

Stephen Strasburg: Strasburg’s rehab start in Syracuse was fantastic, as he had a perfect five innings before giving up two singles in the sixth. He had seven strikeouts and looked like the pitcher who pitched so well last season.

Tom Milone: Another great start for Milone, who this time gave up just four hits, one walk and one run in seven innings with eight strikeouts. I’m excited to see how his performance translates to the major leagues this September.

Brad Meyers: Make it five consecutive good starts for Meyers, who this time pitched six innings of six-hit, two-run ball with one walk and five strikeouts. Season ERA is down to 3.57 and he has a 1.69 ERA since returning from the DL.

Yunesky Maya: Maya pitched well for the second straight start, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk in seven innings on Friday. His ERA is still above five (5.09), but he’s been good in three of his last four starts.

Brad Peacock: His start this week was solid, giving up two runs on four hits in five innings. He walked two batters and struck out three; he now has as many walks (23) in AAA – 43 innings, eight starts – as he did in AA (98 innings, 14 starts), but hopefully his control returns to its normal state. Peacock was also named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year.

Josh Wilkie: Wilkie had three appearances this week, giving up a total of six hits in three innings with four strikeouts. He hasn’t given up a run since August 11th (six appearances) and hasn’t walked a batter since July 31 (nine appearances).

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: He’s remained remarkably consistent this season, even when presented a new challenge in AAA. After hitting .297 in his last 10 games, Lombardozzi has a slash line of .318/.364/.424 and we’ll likely see him in Washington this September.

Matt Antonelli: Antonelli had five walks this week, raising his OBP to an impressive .385 on the season. The former first-round pick has been very good in Syracuse this season, and deserves a look in the major leagues.

Corey Brown: Brown is hitting .333 in August despite hitting just .200 in his last 10 games – a testament to how hot he was at the beginning of the month. Still, he has 130 strikeouts on the year and his season is average is just .229.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League (77-57)

Pitching Report:

Shairon Martis: He threw a seven-inning no-hitter on Friday, striking out nine and walking one. Martis has resurrected his career this season, posting a 2.81 ERA in 22 starts with 143 strikeouts – to just 38 walks – in 128 innings.

Rafael Martin: Martin gave up two runs on Thursday, but pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in two other appearances this week.

Daniel Rosenbaum: He pitched seven one-run innings this week, walking one and giving up four hits while striking out eight batters. He, like Milone, has posted very impressive numbers despite pitching primarily in the 80s.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: Harper remains on the disabled list, but his agent Scott Boras said he hopes Harper can come back for the Eastern League playoffs.

Derek Norris: He remains in a slump; he’s hitting just .179 in his last 10 games - he had four hits in 21 at-bats this week with two runs, one walk, one double and an RBI. He has a staggering 17 strikeouts in his last 39 at-bats.

Tyler Moore: Moore got hot again this week with four multi-hit games, three home runs (30 on the year), and seven RBIs. When he’s hot, he’s a force.

Eric Komatsu: He picked up a hit in six of seven games this week, bringing his Harrisburg average up to .242. He also added three walks to two strikeouts, so hopefully his biggest strength – his patience – returns.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League (63-68)

Pitching Report:

Josh Smoker: He gave up one earned run in 1 2/3 innings this week, which was his first run against in six appearances.

Cameron Selik: Selik hasn’t started a game since August 14th and has four relief appearances so far; the first two were poor, but this week he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings.

Sammy Solis: Solis was phenomenal on Sunday, giving up one unearned run on four hits in five innings while striking out eight. His groundball to flyout rate is still great (1.57).

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: Perez got back on track a little bit with three multi-hit games this week, bringing his season average to .269 with an OBP of .303. The problem: he was caught stealing twice this week, and his stolen base rate is poor (36 for 51; 70.6%).

Destin Hood: Hood remains consistent, hitting .286 in his last 10 games and .280 overall on the season. He has walked six times in his last 10 games to just four strikeouts, and he’s close to a 30-double, 15-home run and 20-stolen base season, which is a great year any way you slice it.

Jeff Kobernus: Kobernus had two home runs this weekend, capping off a great week that saw him go 4-for-6 on Tuesday (with two RBIs and two SBs). His stolen base total on the year: 46 to just 7 CS.

Zach Walters: A 3-for-4 game on Wednesday kicked off a solid weekend for him and he had five RBIs this week (with four walks, two doubles and two stolen bases). His average is now up to .241 in a Potomac uniform.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League (71-61)

Pitching Report:

Robbie Ray: Ray pitched the worst start of his career Saturday, giving up eight hits and seven runs (all earned) in 3 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. He was also ejected arguing a call at home, in a wild game that saw manager Brian Daubach, hitting coach Marlon Anderson and three Suns players ejected.

A.J. Cole: Cole also had a poor start this week, giving up four earned runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Hitting Report:

Michael Taylor: Despite picking up hits in four of six games this week, Taylor is hitting just .225 over his last 10 games. He also has 13 strikeouts in his last 40 at-bats and now has 117 in 119 games on the year.

David Freitas: Since hitting .359 in June, Freitas has come back down to earth (.269 in July, .228 in August), but luckily, his patience has kept his OBP over .400 (at .408). Even though he’s struggling in August, he’s got an OBP of .344.

Blake Kelso: Kelso is hitting just .214 in his last 10 games, but has hit in four straight games and hopefully will break out of this slump (.239 average in August) before the season wraps up.

Kevin Keyes: Keyes had a pretty good week, hitting in four of six games with one of them a multi-hit game. He also picked up one homer and two RBIs, as well as two stolen bases.

Auburn Doubledays, Short-Season A New York/Penn League

Pitching Report:

Wirkin Estevez: He struggled on Wednesday, giving up eight hits and five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 3.77 on the season.

Hitting Report:

Matthew Skole: Skole had two multi-hit games this week, hit a home run, drove in two runs and had four walks. He’s continued to hit NY-Penn League pitching, getting better as the season has gone on (.313 average in August after hitting .296 in July and .255 in June).

Hendry Jimenez: Mired in a 5-for-27 (.185) slump, Jimenez’s average is down to .284, but he did have two home runs and seven RBIs this week.

Bryce Ortega: He was 5-for-22 this week (.227), but also walked four times, bringing his slash line to .337/.434/.416.

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Pitcher to Watch: Tom Milone and Brad Peacock, Syracuse. Both pitchers are likely wrapping up their seasons in AAA, as both should be headed to Washington once the rosters expand. Milone has put up video game-like numbers, but scouts wonder if his stuff win translate in the majors. Peacock dominated AA but has been wild in AAA – can he fix his control and adjust to the major leagues? I’m excited to see both of them get their shot.

Hitter to Watch: Steve Lombardozzi, Syracuse. With teammate Chris Marrero getting his shot in the majors, Lombo figures to be next in line after hitting well over .300 in Syracuse this season. His walk rate is down, but his defense is very good and he has been remarkably consistent every year of his career. We’ll be seeing him in D.C. to join Marrero very soon, I think.

It's getting to the point when the Washington Nationals come to bat with runners in scoring position, they may as well just lay their bats down. The results would be just about the same.

Last night the problem continued, as the Nats went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners in all, in a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds before 35,089 at Great American Ballpark.

The loss drops the Nationals record to 62-68 as they fall into a tie with the New York Mets for third in the N.L. East.

In their last four games, all losses, the Nats are 2-for-42 with runners in scoring position.  If the Nats simply matched their season batting average of .241 (next-to-last in the N.L.) over those 42 at bats, they would have produced 10 hits.  It's almost silly.

The Nationals stranded 10 runners tonight, bringing the four game total to a whopping 34.  They got at least two runners on in each of the first three innings but failed to score.  Wilson Ramos finally came through, hitting an opposite-field three run homer run off starter Dontrelle Willis in the fourth inning.  But the ineptitude returned, as the Nats left runners in scoring position in every inning from the seventh on.

Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang once again kept his team in the game.  He wasn't particularly sharp -- issuing four walks to go along with six hits -- but he but allowed just one earned run in six innings, striking out four.  However, Wang faltered in his last inning, getting two quick outs then walking the No. 8 hitter, SS Paul Janish, and giving up a hit to Willis, setting up an RBI single by Brandon Phillips to cut the lead to 3-2.

Wang got the final out and left with the lead after six innings.  Unfortunately, when the offense isn't working you need perfect relief pitching, and the Nats didn't get that last night.

Tom Gorzelanny was brought on in the seventh, and the little-used lefty couldn't get out of the inning, giving up a run on two hits and a walk.  In fact, it was his walk to lefty Jay Bruce that came around to score.

In the bottom of the ninth, manager Davey Johnson elected to go to Collin Balester, keeping his best reliever, Drew Storen, in the pen in case of a save situation.  It never got to that.  Balester gave up three consecutive one-out singles, the last to Miguel Cairo, which brought home the winning run.

It's hard to blame Balester for the loss.  No, he didn't get his job done on this evening.  But the Nats had plenty of opportunity to extend a precarious lead against a mediocre pitcher and failed to do so.  Willis walked five batters and gave up six hits in seven innings.  All but three were wasted, left on base, as has so often been the case this week.

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THE GOOD:  Despite putting runners on the corners with one out, Sean Burnett struck out Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, two of the most dangerous hitters in the N.L., back-to-back to end the eighth inning to keep the game tied at three.

THE BAD:  Ryan Zimmerman was 0-for-5 with three Ks and six left on base.

THE UGLY:  There's just no getting around it.  1-for-13 with RISP and 10 left on base is miserable.  Zim stranded six. Morse stranded five.  Werth stranded three.  Ramos, despite a three-run homer, also stranded four.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, six walks, five strikeouts.  1-for-13 w/RISP, 10 LOB, one GIDP>  E: Desmond (22)

NEXT GAME:  Saturday against the Reds at 7:10 pm.  Ross Detwiler (2-3, 2.61) faces Mike Leake (10-8, 4.09).

NATS NOTES:  RHP Ryan Mattheus was placed on the 15-day D.L. with a right shoulder strain.  There was no immediate corresponding move.  During the game, several sources reported that 1B Chris Marrero would be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before Saturday's game for his Major League debut.   Marrero is hitting .300/.375/.449 with 14 homers and 69 RBIs in 546 plate appearances for the Chiefs.

Chris Marrero takes a cut with the Nats during a spring training game. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Washington Nationals minor league pitcher Shairon Martis threw a seven-inning no-hitter for the Harrisburg Senators Friday night, beating New Hampshire 3-0.  Martis walked one and struck out nine in the process.

C.Nichols/Nats News Network

Nats fans may -- or may not -- remember Martis from the summers of 2008 and 2009.  The Curacao native, who threw a no-hitter for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic in 2006, was promoted way ahead of schedule when he made 5 and 15 appearances for the Nats big club, at the tender ages of 21 and 22. 

He had moments of quality, including a complete game 6-1 win over St. Louis where he gave up five hits and no walks, striking out six.  But for the most part got roughed up.  In 20 MLB games, Martis pitched to a 5.33 ERA and 1.429 WHIP, walking 4.3 per nine innings and striking out just 4.8 per nine.  Not very inspiring.

In 2010, at 23 years of age, he went 8-7 with Triple-A Syracuse with a 4.09 ERA and 1.421 WHIP.  Still not very impressive.

Sent down a level this season, he's done nothing but dominate Double-A at 24, going 7-5 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.256 WHIP, striking out 10.0 per nine innings and walking just 2.8 per nine.  Those are dominant numbers.  He may be just a bit old for Double-A, but he's only 10 months older than Brad Peacock and one month younger than Tom Milone, two minor leaguers that have pitched to rave reviews and are expected to be recalled when rosters expand Sept. 1.

Maybe Martis has discovered a pitch he hadn't thrown before.  Maybe he just needed to pitch professionally for few years to "find" himself.  Maybe he was stunted by being rushed to the bigs. Maybe it's just a guy having his career year at 24 years of age in Double-A.

But his numbers are just as good as two of the prospect the Nats are pushing to the Major League roster next week.  Maybe it's time to take a second look at Martis, a player that was obviously rushed to the Majors in '08 and '09.

The Washington Nationals have placed right-handed pitcher Ryan Mattheus (right shoulder strain) on the 15-Day Disabled List.  Mattheus, 27, is 2-2 with six holds and a 2.40 ERA in 32 relief appearances this season with Washington.

Bad news for fans: No Katy Perry "Firework" warmup music at Nats Park.

Photo © Cheryl Nichols/Nats News Network

The Washington Nationals followed a familiar script last night.  They got a good performance from their starting pitcher, only to see it wasted from lack of run support, eventually losing 4-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in the N.L. West.

There are plenty of game recaps from all the usual sources with the details of the game.  This is not one of them.

I was 12 years old when Mike Flanagan won the Cy Young and took the Baltimore Orioles to the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979.  I was, to put it bluntly, devastated when the Pirates came back from being down three games to one to defeat my Orioles.  The thought that the Orioles, as good and strong a team as they were, could even possibly lose never entered that 12-year old's mind.

To this day, I'd drive my car off the road if "We Are Family" came on the radio, just so I wouldn't have to hear it again.

The Orioles, and Flanagan, would go on to win their World Series in 1983.  It was a marvellous redemption for everyone that was on that '79 team and all of Baltimore, really.  And at 16, I can remember jumping up and down just like Cal Ripken did at shortstop when he snared that line drive from Garry Maddox to seal the Game Five win over the Phillies. 

But I never did, and probably never will, get over the the sting of losing in '79.

When you're 12, that's a pretty important time in a young person's life; a point where you're old enough to start making decisions based on your own feelings and desires, not just following your parents ideas and opinions blindly.  For me, it's when I fell in love with baseball.

I was always a pretty good athlete growing up.  And I played everything.  Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf.  Whatever was in season.  But my parents weren't all that big into pro sports.  My mom liked football and grew up an Eagles fan and we'd watch Redskins games on Sundays, but my pop really didn't care for team sports and never watched them on t.v.  

The summer of 1979, as the Orioles were beating up the rest of the American League, was the first time in my life that I really got hooked on a team.  They were my team.  I would sneak a transistor radio under my pillow nightly listening to Chuck Thompson and Bill O'Donnell.  It was the year "Orioles Magic" was born.  "Wild" Bill Hagy.

I remember every single one of them like it was yesterday.  Eddie Murray. Rick Dempsey. Al Bumbry.  Jim Palmer.  Dennis Martinez.  Kiko Garcia. The left field combo of Gary Roenicke and John Lowenstein, and all the rest.  Every single one of those guys that wore the cartoon bird on his hat -- my pop said it looked like a goofy duck -- is etched in my memory like they were a family member.

But two guys stood out on that team to that particular 12-year old more than all the rest.  And now they're both gone.

The two guys I wanted to be like were Mark Belanger and Mike Flanagan.

Belanger was near the end of his career at that point and was being phased out.  He was used mostly as a defensive replacement, gathering only 242 plate appearances.  But he was still the slickest fielding shortstop in baseball.  I still have my Mark Belanger model glove from little league, even though you can no longer make out his signature in the palm from all the baseballs that have been pounded into it.

Belanger passed in 1998 at the age of 54 from lung cancer.

Last night, sitting in the press box at Nats Park just as the game was starting, the first news reports came in that a body was found on the property of former Orioles great Mike Flanagan.  I treated the report with interest, but never figured Flanagan was actually involved.  The thought never entered my mind. 

But as more information slowly came out and it was confirmed that the body was indeed that of Flanagan, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  As I type this, it's been about four hours since the news was confirmed, and I'm still stunned.

Flanagan's baseball credentials are impeccable.  Cy Young. World Series Champ. Pitching Coach.  General Manager.  Television Analyst.  He may have played for the Toronto Blue Jays for a while, but he was always an Oriole.  He was so respected by his peers that he was the last man to throw a pitch in old Memorial Stadium.  That was the last day something in baseball moved me to tears.

It's been many, many years since I last felt any emotional attachment to the professional baseball team in Baltimore.  The team that plays there now still has "Orioles" stitched across their chest, but they aren't my Orioles.  That team has been long gone.  And now they are dying.

Details will surface about the cause of Flanagan's death. It's immaterial. Anyone that has ever met Flanagan, and I was fortunate enough to as an adult, knows how much the Orioles meant to him. 

Mike Flanagan, and the rest of those Orioles teams, will always be immortal to me.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2011

STEPHEN STRASBURG TO MAKE REHAB START IN SYRACUSE

Nationals right-handed phenom is scheduled to start for Chiefs on Saturday, August 27

Syracuse, NY—The Syracuse Chiefs, Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are pleased to announce that the Nationals have scheduled right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg to start at Alliance Bank Stadium on Saturday, August 27 when the Chiefs take on the Rochester Red Wings. Game time is slated for 7:00 P.M with a postgame fireworks display on tap presented by 105.9 FM The Big Talker and Time Warner Cable Sports.

The 23-year-old Strasburg is on a Major League rehab assignment after surgery last season to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. He has made four Minor League starts after the “Tommy John” surgery. Three of those appearances came with Single-A Hagerstown while one appearance came with Advanced-A Potomac.

Strasburg, selected first overall in the 2009 entry draft out of San Diego State, made six starts (four at home) with the Chiefs last season. In 33 innings and a third, he allowed 18 hits and walked seven compared to 38 strikeouts. He surrendered just four earned runs, making his Syracuse earned run average 1.08. In four of his starts, Strasburg left the game without having given up a run. In addition, opponents hit .154 against Strasburg in his time in the International League.

Strasburg made his Major League debut on June 8 of last season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He earned the win, allowing just two earned runs in seven innings while striking 14 out. He is the first Major League pitcher ever to strike out at least eleven without a walk in his Major League debut. Strasburg also set the Major League record for strikeouts in his first three games with 32. In 12 MLB starts before his injury, Strasburg compiled a 2.57 ERA. He struck out at least seven in nine of those 12 starts. He struck out 92 in 68 innings and walked just 17.

The Chiefs begin their penultimate homestand of the season tonight at 7:00 P.M. as they take on the Pawtucket Red Sox. Tickets for all six remaining home dates of the season can be purchased by calling 315-474-7833, online at SyracuseChiefs.com, or in person at the stadium ticket office.

Scott Boras doesn't mess around.

Baseball's super-agent, Scott Boras, was in town yesterday with three of his newer clients, which also happen to be the top three draft picks of the Washington Nationals: 3B Anthony Rendon (No. 6 overall), RHP Alex Meyer (No. 23 overall) and CF Brian Goodwin (No. 34 overall).  It's been a whirlwind for the busiest man in baseball, who has traversed the country over the last week and half, appearing with his clients at a dozen of these introductory press conferences.

It was a unique situation that all three of the Nats top picks were represented by the same agent, much less Boras, who has represented the Nats top pick in both of the two previous drafts.  You might have heard of them, kids named Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. 

Asked if he's ever had a team select three of his players with their top picks in the same draft, Boras had to admit that this was first, even for him.

Boras held court with the local media after the live, televised press conference, discussing the newest Nats in great detail, as well as two of his of his other high-profile clients, Harper and Pudge Rodriguez. 

Asked if Harper would be healthy enough to play in the Arizona Fall League, Boras quipped that Harper wanted to play in the Eastern League playoffs with Harrisburg, if they qualify, but that his long-term health would be the guiding factor.  He described the injury as a "7-10 day thing" and that his injured hamstring "is going to be fine."

According to Boras, Rodriguez, on the other hand, simply can't understand why he can't heal faster from his strained right oblique.  "Pudge is not a man that has high regard for medical science," Boras joked.  He went on to say that Pudge, who will be a free agent at the end of the year, "brings so much to a team."

“He and [Stephen Strasburg] have a very good relationship. Pudge has answers, because he’s been in the league so long. And his answers are very, very refined and simple to a lot of players. He can go up to a lot of players and say, ‘Look, I’ve been there, I’ve done that. Do this, do that. If you do this, this is what happens.’ And the players believe it, because he’s been in the league that long."

But the primary focus of Boras' mini-press conference was the three draft picks, of whom he offered effusive praise, which one would suspect coming from not only the players' agent, but from this particular agent, famed for producing tomes of research on his own players for draftees and free agents alike.

He described the Nats farm system as "The Washington Mint", likening the players to the currency of baseball, for the Nats to enjoy for their own use or to employ them to acquire Major League talent.  "I think they've done an extraordinary job building [the farm system]."

On Rendon:  "He's been given a clean bill of health. He's back throwing. He just needed 10 weeks rest that he couldn't get in college because they wanted him to DH." 

"He knows the timing of the game. He knows how to get the batter out without rushing.  In the batter's box he's got that natural skill where he can drive a baseball without swinging hard.  He's certainly a player that can advance very quickly."

About Rendon being available for the Nats to select with the sixth pick, Boras said, "I've learned not to be surprised but, I'm very surprised.  In baseball you want to take sureties, you want the known. Of all the players in this draft, he's the one that you can clearly say -- position player-wise -- he's a clear Major Leaguer."

On Meyer:  "The cake is still in the oven.  And I think we're going to end up with a three-layer cake."

"He's great young man, a hard worker. There are times we'd see him throw 97-98 MPH.  It would just come out. The reason for his lack of consistency is the fact that he's just still growing.  It's very hard to play baseball consistently when your body is still moving through the growth curve."

"Alex is going to be huge.  He's like 6'9", and the doctor says he's not done growing.  His shoulders are going to get bigger. He may weigh 250 [eventually], and he's 210 now."

On Goodwin: "You've seen Michael Bourn?", referring to the speedy center fielder that was traded from the Houston Astros to the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline.

"This is the kind of player, Brian is, a speed player, he can really fly.  Excellent center fielder and he's got some pop in his bat too."

Jordan Zimmermann fires in his next-to-last game of the season. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Jordan Zimmermann has been the Washington Nationals best starter this season.  Heck, he's been one of the best starters in the National League.  But lack of run support -- a common theme for most of the Nats starting pitchers -- has kept his win-loss record under .500.

But a closer examination of some very rudimentary statistics shows us that the Nats actually have a winning percentage of .542 when Zimmermann starts a ball game.

It's an interesting phenomenon.  Another is the amount of runs each starting pitcher for the Nationals receive when they start a game.  The Nationals average 3.9 runs per game (RPG), tenth in the N.L., despite being next-to-last in the league in on base percentage.  That's actually being moderately efficient (or lucky) cashing in base runners. 

However, of the Nats five most frequent starting pitchers this season, four of them receive less than the team's RPG in average run support per start (RPG/GS).  Zimmermann and Tom Gorzelanny each get about 3.4 runs per game per start.  John Lannan isn't much better at 3.7 RPG/GS, and Livan Hernandez just a tick higher than that at 3.8 RPG/GS.  So it's not just Zimmermann who is suffering from the lack of run support, it's just about any starter that's taken the mound this season.

Except one.  Only the now-departed Jason Marquis got any run support at all from the Nats hitters, at a whopping 5.5 RPG/GS.

Is it any wonder why Marquis is the only one of the five to currently have a winning record?

All of this is a preface to the story of last night's game.  Jordan Zimmermann once again pitched fabulously through six shutout innings, allowing just three hits, one walk and one hit by pitch (more on that later).  The problem was, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy was just as effective as Zimmermann, shutting out the Nats over the same time period.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Nats got something going.  Jayson Werth (2-for-4) singled to lead off and went to second on a sacrifice by the team's second leading home run hitter, Danny Espinosa. Laynce Nix then walked to put two on with one out.  Wilson Ramos came to the plate with Zimmermann's spot on deck, and manager Davey Johnson sent Jonny Gomes to the on deck circle and would have batter should Ramos have reached -- or only made one out.

Unfortunately, Ramos grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, ending the Nats threat.  And whether it was the delay, the pitch count, or a lack of focus upon returning to the mound, Zimmermann was not the same pitcher in the top of the seventh. 

After getting Chris Young down 1-2 in the count, Zimmermann walked the free swinger with three straight balls, prompting a visit from pitching coach Steve McCatty.  On the very next pitch, his 108th and most ever in a Major League game, third baseman Sean Burroughs broke the tie, clobbering a 92-MPH fastball into the home bullpen.  It was Burroughs' first home run since -- no joke -- 2005.  After giving up a double to Kennedy on the next pitch, Zimemrmann was done.

"He probably maybe tuned out, we had the bases loaded and I was going to pinch-hit for him.  And then we hit into the double play," Johnson explained.  "And so I wanted to give him one more inning. I don't know if it's the magic number -- I don't it's the magic number of 100 [pitches] -- but I want to give him every opportunity to win the ball game.  I figured one more inning, get a chance to score."

The Nats never did get another chance to score, getting set down in order in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings in order.

So in Zimmermann's 11th loss, in his next-to-last start of the season, his run support per game average will go down a little bit more.  It's just one more piece of evidence to prove that a staring pitcher's win-loss record is a pretty crummy way to evaluate how effective a pitcher they are.  They used to call this phenomenon pitching in "hard luck." But it has nothing to do with luck, and more with a fundamental lack of scoring for a team that has been plagued by that problem all season long.

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THE GOOD:  Zimmermann went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks, striking out four.

THE BAD:  Michael Morse went 0-for-3 with a strikeout with the bases loaded and four left on base.

THE UGLY:  0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

THE STATS:  Six hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts.  0-for-7 w/RISP, eight LOB, one GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 7:05 against the Diamondbacks.  Livan Hernandez (7-11, 4.34) faces Daniel Hudson (12-9, 3.83).

NATS NOTES:  Zimmermann hit Justin Upton in the fourth inning, the fifth time this season the Nats have hit Upton.  Upton "reacted poorly," according to Johnson, slamming his bat down and staring at Zimmermann all the way down to first base.  Kennedy hit Morse in the next inning and both benches were warned.  Upton later left the game nursing the sore elbow.

Jayson Werth also left the game with a mild hip/groin strain, suffered chasing Kennedy's double into the corner.  He will be re-evaluated Wednesday morning but it is not believed to be serious.

The Nationals introduced their top three draft picks, 3B Anthony Rendon, RHP Alex Meyer and CF Brian Goodwin before the game.

All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network

It could be a small point, but Monday night we might have actually witnessed where a still-young pitcher and his, um, more-experienced manager had a moment where they built a meaningful trust in one another.  Statheads like me have a tendency to minimize the human contact part of the game, but that type of influence is still strong in Major League clubhouses, especially with "old school" managers like the Nats' Davey Johnson.

In the sixth inning of last night's 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, starter Ross Detwiler of the Washington Nationals found himself in a situation.  Detwiler had been cruising to that point, allowing just two hits and no walks, looking very much like the guy the Nats figured he could be when they selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

The first batter he faced in the inning was opposite pitcher Joe Saunders, and he greeted Detwiler with an infield single.  Detwiler got leadoff hitter Ryan Roberts to fly out to left and coaxed a ground ball from 2B Kelly Johnson to force Saunders at second.  All-Star Justin Upton then took a 0-1 pitch to left for a single, prompting a visit from pitching coach Steve McCatty.

Detwiler and Chris Young fought to a 3-2 count, but Detwiler missed low, loading the bases with the free pass.

It was at that point that manager Davey Johnson had a big decision to make.  With reliever Henry Rodriguez warmed up, should he leave his suddenly struggling starter in or go to the flame-throwing, but erratic, relief pitcher?

"I had a guy hot," Johnson said.

So it was an exercise it trust then, to let him work his way out of the jam he created?  Johnson replied, "No doubt about it."

"I wasn't real happy with the 3-2 pitch [to Young]," Johnson said. "It was... I don't know what it was.  I know it was 86 miles an hour.  But I have no idea what it was. I was thinking about going [to relieve Detwiler], but I said, 'No, I'm gonna see what he's made of right here.'"

Detwiler threw a ball to start off slugger Paul Goldschmidt, but the big first baseman hit the next offering, a 91-MPH sinker, on the ground to third where Ryan Zimmerman made a nice play to get a force out at second base to end the inning.

For his part, Detwiler played it off a little bit.  "I got myself into that jam by walking the guy with the changeup with a lead, so it's huge.  It was a tough hop for Zim. He made a good play on it."

It was a big spot for Detwiler to show Johnson and others in the Nats organization how far he's progressed as a pitcher.  But if Detwiler feels the opportunity he's had to get some starts in the waning part of the season gives him a leg up on any competition for the rotation next season, he isn't letting on.  "I'm just going out for every game now.  Next year is a long ways away.  I don't feel like I'm auditioning at all."

Detwiler may not feel like he's auditioning, but with roster expansion coming in a few days, it's expected that the Nationals will recall starting pitchers Tom Milone and Brad Peacock from AAA Syracuse.  And with several recent draftees pitching well in the minors, and two more high profile draft picks in Matt Purke and Alex Meyer under contract, the Nats are stockpiling young arms.

Detwiler is getting a chance to impress the Nats brass on the Major League level right now, with a spot in the opening day rotation being dangled in front of him.  Maybe wiggling out of a two out jam in the sixth inning Monday night helps him in that pursuit.  It sure showed his manager "what he's made of."

Syracuse Chiefs, Triple-A International League (58-67)

Pitching Report:

Tom Milone: He picked up his 10th win of the season in impressive fashion, striking out 10 over 6 2/3 innings on Friday night, giving up eight hits and two runs. He has 16 strikeouts over his last two starts, with no walks surrendered. For the season, his K:BB ratio is 141:13.

Brad Meyers: Make it four consecutive strong starts after his return from injury, the most recent being a six inning, one run outing with five hits, one walk and four strikeouts. He has a 1.31 ERA since returning from the DL with 18 strikeouts in 20 innings and a .211 batting average against.

Yunesky Maya: His first start this week was not good, giving up four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He rebounded later in the week, though, going six strong innings with five hits and two runs against with five strikeouts.

Brad Peacock: He was fantastic until the end of this week’s outing, but it ended just fine – seven innings, one hit and no runs against. The problem was, he lost his control at the end, walking a total of five batters (though he did have six strikeouts). He has 21 walks in 38 AAA innings so far, but his ERA is just 3.55 and opponents are hitting just .197 against him.

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: He was 6-for-20 this week (.300), mostly thanks to a 3-for-5 day on Tuesday. What’s encouraging is that he started AAA swinging at everything, but after 55 games his walk rate and strikeout rate is just about back to his AA levels.

Chris Marrero: He had a slow week and is hitting just .194 in his last 10 games, but still shows improved patience with seven walks to six strikeouts during that time. Marrero is going to wrap up his minor league season as the best season of his young career.

Matt Antonelli: Just 3-for-17 (.176) this week, Antonelli saw his average drop below .300 again, to .293. He has 12 strikeouts in his last 10 games – a very high number for him – but does also have five walks, keeping his OBP high at .380.

Corey Brown: After a fantastic last two weeks, Brown came back down to earth a little bit, going 2-for-14 (.143) this week with two walks and a double. His month of August (.345 average) propels him into a possible September call-up.

Harrisburg Senators, Double-A Eastern League (70-57)

Pitching Report:

Shairon Martis: He was a little wild on Tuesday, walking five batters, but managed to give up just four hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. He then pitched Sunday, going 5 1/3 innings with six hits, one walk, one earned run and eight strikeouts. He’s finishing the season strong.

Rafael Martin: He was shaky in his lone appearance this week, giving up four hits and a run over 1 2/3 innings.

Daniel Rosenbaum: The transition to AA continues to be seamless for Rosenbaum, who threw 6 2/3 innings in his start this week with six hits and one run against. He had a 17 ground ball outs to just one fly out.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: The first minor league season for Harper is likely over after a hamstring strain landed him on the 7-day DL. Assuming he doesn’t return, he’ll finish with a AA slash line of .256/.329/.395 with seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, 12 RBI and seven stolen bases in 37 games. If you combine his Hagerstown line with his AA line: .297/.392/.501 slash line with 24 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 26 stolen bases in 109 games. Overall, a very strong season for the phenom who turns 19 in two months. We’ll see him again in the fall, and there’s nothing to be disappointed about with his first season. Also, it’s worth checking out this article about the Bryce Harper you don’t know from CBSSports.com.

Derek Norris: He had three home runs this week (bringing his season total to 18), but struck out 11 times in five games and is hitting just .154 over his last 10 games. There’s really no in-between with him, is there?

Tyler Moore: Moore, like Norris, is struggling, hitting just .132 over his last 10 games, keeping up his his hot-month, cold-month routine. His power is his best attribute, but if he can’t get on base more and be more consistent, he’ll have a tough time cracking the majors. But hey, even with the slump, he popped two more home runs this week, bringing his season total to 27.

Eric Komatsu: He’s struggled since the trade, hitting just .236/.282/.319 in 17 games (72 at-bats). He has had a couple games here and there where he explodes, but then follows it up with a few 0-fers, bringing his average down. He does have seven stolen bases already with no caught stealing.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League (59-66)

Pitching Report:

Josh Smoker: He had two more scoreless appearances this week, totaling three innings with two hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

Cameron Selik: He had two relief appearances this week, going 1 1/3 innings with four hits and an earned run in the first one and then two innings with three hits and two runs against in the second one. His ERA is now 4.70 in Potomac.

Sammy Solis: In his first return from the DL, Solis went three innings with five hits and one run against and two strikeouts.

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: His mid-season improvement in patience seems to have wavered, as he hasn’t walked once in 10 games and has just 18 on the year (.293 OBP). He had two multi-hit games this week, and it seems that his average will have to carry him, because he’s not hitting for power (just 12 extra-base hits on the year) or walking.

Destin Hood: Hood had two multi-hit games this week (with one home run and three RBI), bringing his average to .283 on the year and his OBP up to .365. Just 21 years old, he’s still very young, but is starting to show why he was so touted out of high school.

Jeff Kobernus: He, like Perez, doesn’t walk much, but he has a five-game hitting streak with three RBIs and his season average is at .270. He also is up to an impressive 44 stolen bases (caught seven times).

Zach Walters: He has hits in four straight games, but is hitting just .219 since the trade to the Nationals.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League (70-55)

Pitching Report:

Stephen Strasburg: He had a rough outing in his third rehab start, but he felt fine afterwards, which is the important thing. Read the recap here. He’ll make another appearance in Hagerstown on Monday.

Robbie Ray: He had two starts this week, totaling seven innings with two hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts. It was great to see him rebound so strongly after a poor start last week (four earned runs in four innings).

A.J. Cole: Cole pitched five innings on Friday, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. He’s walked three batters in three of his last five starts.

Hitting Report:

Michael Taylor: Taylor had three multi-hit games this week to break out of a slump, driving in four runs as well; his total on the year is up to 63. The 20-year-old also had two stolen bases this week, bringing his total to 21.

David Freitas: He kicked off the week with a 3-for-4 game but finished the week with a 1-for-10 in the final three games. He had three walks to keep his OBP high, though (.412 on the year).

Blake Kelso: Kelso has hit .239 in August after hitting .231 in July, and his overall average is down to .284.

Kevin Keyes: Keyes hit just .203 in the first half of the year, but he’s come on incredibly strong in the second half, hitting .302/.379/556 in 53 games post-break. In total, he has a slash line of .275/.351/.527 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs and the 2010 seventh round pick has the frame (6’3”, 225 pounds) to make scouts drool.

Auburn Doubledays, Short-Season A New York/Penn League (38-23)

Pitching Report:

Wirkin Estevez: Estevez picked up the win in his start this week, going five innings and giving up two hits and no runs with four walks and four strikeouts.

Hitting Report:

Matthew Skole: Riding a five-game hitting streak, Skole’s average is up to .294 and more importantly, his OBP is now .392 with 12 walks in his last 10 games – one in eight straight games. Impressive.

Hendry Jimenez: He was 1-for-6 this week, but did have two walks to bring his total to 20 on the year (OBP .379).

Bryce Ortega: He continues to rake, hitting .325 over his last 10 games, though the shortstop has yet to hit a home run in 144 at-bats. He’s got good speed (19 SBs) and good patience (22:26 BB:K ratio), so the power isn’t as important as long as he’s hitting.

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Hitter to Watch: Kevin Keyes, Hagerstown. His second half of the year has been fantastic, and he has the power and the build you look for in the corner outfield. He, like team mate Michael Taylor, could be a sleeper prospect.

Pitcher to Watch: Tom Milone, Syracuse. Watch him because he may not have many more minor league starts. He’s likely going to be added to the 40-man roster in September and with one more dazzling start under his belt this week, he absolutely deserves it.

"They're gonna have to sit down." Davey Johnson on what Philllies fans standing for the final out had to do after Ian Desmond's home run.

Many times this season, the Washington Nationals have been burned by the youthful aggressiveness of their middle infield tandem.  Sunday, before another crowd filled with out-town fans, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa delivered on the talent that the Nats see in them, both connecting on solo home runs to tie the game, Espinosa first in the sixth inning, then Desmond in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth, down to his -- and the team's -- last strike.

Then, in the tenth inning, the Nats rallied against former closer Brad Lidge, scoring the winning run when Lidge hit Jonny Gomes with the bases loaded to force in the Nats fifth run of the day.  The unexpected drama allowed the Nats to win the game 5-4, and the series -- with both wins coming in walk-offs -- and marks the Nats fifth win in the last seven games between the two teams.

The Phillies took a 3-2 lead into a lengthy rain delay that started with two outs in the top of the sixth, with Chien-Ming Wang (5 2/3 innings, three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four)one out from pitching a quality start.  After the 1:11 delay, Tom Gorzelanny came on to record the final out of that inning.  In the bottom, Espinosa greeted Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer, a Fairfax, VA native making his MLB debut, with a blast to straight-away center field to even the game.  Espinosa finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs, his first homer and RBIs since July 19.

The Phillies broke the tie in the ninth against closer Drew Storen, who with one out gave up a walk, then consecutive singles to Carlos Ruiz and Michael Martinez, the former Nats farmhand.  Storen then struck out the next two batters, but the damage was done.

It merely was prelude to Desmond's heroics.  The second-year shortstop has struggled most of the season, his average hovering between .225 and .250 and has often been guilty of chasing pitches, being too aggressive or over-eager.  But with lefty Antonio Bastardo on the mound, the 1-2 slider he threw Desmond stayed up, and Desmond hit a rocket to the left field bleachers.

"I've talked to [Desmond] one-on-one the last couple days, trying to clear his mind a little bit," manager Davey Johnson said after the game. "He tries to do so much.  Just tried to simplify with him. He's a very aggressive player, and sometimes he's just overly aggressive.  You don't want to take away from that but you want to be a little more patiently aggressive."

After Sean Burnett pitched a clean inning in the tenth, it was the Nats turn to get back to work.  Ryan Zimmerman, Friday's hero, started the inning with a double down the left field line.  After Lidge couldn't get Michael Morse fishing with his first two pitches, he put the slugger on with a free pass.  Jayson Werth arrived to loud boos as he has all series, and laced a single to left that was too hard hit to score Zimmerman, bringing up Espinosa, who struck out on three pitches.

With the infield playing in, and Lidge trying to induce a ground ball to cut the run off at the plate, the pitcher wanted to keep everything on the inside part of the plate so Gomes could not extend on a pitch.  But the second delivery was too far inside, and Gomes didn't flinch.  Zimmerman trotted home with the winning run, and with that the Nats sent 30,000 Philly fans back up I-95 with a sour taste in their mouths, losers of two out of three tot he Nationals.

Of the legions of Phillies fans at Nats Park over the three-game series, Johnson joked, "This is kinda new for me. I kinda look at 'em as our fans cause they got red on."  But he was philosophical after the chuckles.  "Anywhere I've ever been when the team starts winning the fans come out.  That's what I'm hoping happens here real quick."

"It's a great feeling. We want to get our fans out here. I love playing in front of a packed house," Johnson said of the pro-Phillies crowd. "I know my guys have that same feeling. Even if it's for the other team."

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THE GOOD:  Espinosa had three hits, and Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Zimmerman each had two in a 12 hit attack.

THE BAD:  Until his 10th inning single, Werth had been 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Storen had a rough inning, putting three runners on in a tie game in the top of the ninth.

THE STATS:  12 hits, one walk, 13 strikeouts.  3-for-8 w/RISP, 10 LOB.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Monday at 7:05 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Ross Detwiler (1-3, 2.87) faces Joe Saunders (8-10, 3.91).

"When you have a chance to get out of the inning, you gotta make the play."  Davey Johnson, on Ian Desmond's critical fourth inning error.

John Mayberry slides into second safely after Ian Desmond dropped relay throw. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

There are many ways one could describe the Washington Nationals 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last night.  The focus from the Philly side will be on veteran starter Roy Oswalt, who dominated the Nats hitters for eight innings, allowing just eight hits (just one extra base hit) and one walk, striking out nine in the process.  Or you could look at this performance as the continuing themes of John Lannan simply not being able to beat the Phillies and the Nats hitters failing once again with runners in scoring position.

All of those things would be accurate.  But the biggest difference in the game last night was that the Phillies were able to take advantage of several key mistakes -- both physical and mental -- by the Nationals to carve out a win, in front of a Philly-partisan, record-setting crowd of 44,685 at Nats Park.

Lannan was fairly cruising in the top of the fourth -- with the game scoreless -- getting Ryan Howard to fly to left and Hunter Pence to ground to third for two quick outs.  John Mayberry got a ground ball through the left side for a single, but Lannan picked Mayberry off which should have ended the inning.  Unfortunately, Ian Desmond just flat-out dropped the relay throw from Michael Morse and Mayberry was safe.  Lannan (L, 8-9, 3.61) then lost his focus and walked Carlos Ruiz on four pitches.

"[Desmond] just took his eye off it," manager Davey Johnson said with exasperation in the post-game press conference describing the game-changing error.  "You know, sometimes it's not easy to do..." Johnson trailed off, but then continued, "You can't do that.  I mean, you just can't give this ball club -- or any good ball club -- you can't give them, when you have a chance to get out of the inning, you gotta make the play." 

Naturally, the error came back to haunt the Nats as the Phillies No. 8 hitter Wilson Valdez followed with a ball to the right field corner, which Jayson Werth allowed to get past him for a two-run triple.

Asked if Lannan was distracted by the error by his shortstop, Johnson was critical of Lannan, not Desmond.  "You gotta pick us up.  You have to come back and bury the next guy.  He didn't do it so we're down two."

In the bottom of the same inning, the Nats had a chance to get right back at Oswalt (W, 6-7, 3.51).  Ryan Zimmerman (3-for-4) singled and Michael Morse walked with no outs.  Laynce Nix popped out for the first out of the inning, and Werth followed with a single to left that died quickly in the grass.  Third base coach Bo Porter sent Zimmerman home, but John Mayberry threw a strike to the plate to nail the runner by a couple steps.  Danny Espinosa struck out to end the frame.

Ryan Zimmerman was tagged out by Carlos Ruiz at home. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Johnson defended Porter for sending Zimmerman, saying, "I like being aggressive. I'll never get on him for being overly aggressive."  But then pointed out that Morse and Werth didn't move up on the play at the plate.  "Morse should be more heads up on that,' Johnson said.  "That was the only thing that I was upset about on that play.  When there's a play at the plate you keep running."

Regardless, a more cautious approach would have had the bases loaded with one out and really had Oswalt on the ropes.

Lannan got in trouble again in the sixth inning, allowing a home run to Hunter Pence (15) and two straight singles, ending his night.  Collin Balester came on in relief, but things continued to unravel for the Nats.  Valdez hit a grounder to Zimmerman at third, and as Zim stepped on the bag for the first out he seemed to trip himself up a little and couldn't get set for the throw, instead lobbing a ball across the infield.

Oswalt was called on to sacrifice and Michael Morse made a clean pick-up, but he made a poor decision to try for the lead runner and all hands were safe, loading the bases.  Jimmy Rollins singled past a diving Desmond and a run scored, making it 5-0.  Rick Ankiel threw out Oswalt trying to reach third on the play, and after a couple more batters reached, Balester struck out Ryan Howard to end a long inning.

Ruiz beats Morse's throw on sacrifice attmept. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Johnson was blunt in his assessment of the defensive miscue.  "We made a bad choice going to third on the play, Morse on the bunt play.  We should have taken the out, taken the second out [of the inning]. We're lucky we got out of that with as little trouble as we did."

Johnson might have thought the Nats got "lucky" there to only give up the one run, but by then the Phillies had scored plenty for Oswalt.  Washington managed to put single base runners on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against the veteran pitcher, but could not cash any of those runners in.

Unlike Friday night, there would be no remarkable comeback.  This time, it was the 30,000 Phillies fans turn, chanting, cheering and taunting as the evening went on, coming to a crescendo in the ninth when Werth was called out on strikes for the second out of the inning and then when Espinosa made the final out on a soft roller to Howard at first.

The Nationals have long said that they have to measure themselves against the Phillies and Braves, the cream of the division.  There are plenty of places where the inequities still exist.  But one of the simplest ways to make the playing field more level is to play good, smart fundamental baseball.  Last night, the Nats fell into a familiar trap of errors, gaffes, mental mistakes, and over-aggressiveness, leading to another loss to their measuring stick.

And Davey Johnson knew it too.  You could tell by his mannerisms and in his facial expressions in his post-game press conference last night.  You could hear the exasperation and frustration in his voice.  He knew his team had beaten itself.  They don't have enough talent on the field yet to compensate when they don't play smart baseball, especially on defense and on the bases.

The Nats have made huge strides in the last two seasons to reduce the talent imbalance between themselves and the Phillies.  But good teams don't beat themselves, and the Nats still do, far too often.  Like the old adage says, it's the little things that kill.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman.  He just continues to smoke the ball, going 3-for-4 and raising his average to .309 this season.  In his last 29 games he's hitting .381.

THE BAD:  Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel, the Nats first two hitters in the order, combined to go 0-for-8 with three strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Desmond's drop.  It was the pivotal play of the game.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, one walk, 10 strikeouts.  1-for-5 w/RISP, seven LOB, one GIDP.  E: Desmond (20).

NEXT GAME:  Sunday at 1:35 pm.  Chien-Ming Wang (2-2, 4.22) hosts Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.53)

Thousands of Phillies fans celebrated Hunter Pence's home run. (All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

As the innings on his team-imposed limit rapidly dwindle, and his season draws nearer to a premature -- but inevitable -- conclusion, right-hander Jordan Zimmermann last night once again showed why he's so valuable to the Washington Nationals -- not only in a season when they are trying desperately to show marked improvement record-wise, but to the health and long-term success of The Plan (tm) this franchise put in place when they made Mike Rizzo the General Manager in the wake of Jim Bowden's scandal-filled tenure.

Zimmermann didn't have his good stuff last night; far from it actually.  Regardless, he still dominated a Cincinnati Reds offense that has several very dangerous hitters, leading the Nats to a 3-1 victory on a rainy night at Nats Park.  Though Zimmermann got ahead of hitters all night by pounding the strike zone -- as he does every time he takes the mound -- he had difficulty putting the pesky Reds hitters away, recording just one strikeout on the evening.

But he battled with every one of his 102 pitches, limiting the Reds to six hits and two walks, shutting them out in his 5 2/3 innings of work.  Only one of his hits allowed, a second inning two-out double, was of the extra-base variety.  The only thing that manager Davey Johnson took exception to about Zimmermann's performance was that it just wasn't quite long enough.

Zimmermann's only real "jam" came in his final frame, when he allowed a two-out walk followed by a single that put men on the corners.  Johnson saw enough and called on Ryan Mattheus, who put out the small fire by striking out shortstop Paul Janish.

“I told him after the game, don’t make me have to come out there when you’ve got unfinished business out there," Johnson explained. "I don't like to do it.  He’s too good a pitcher.”  Asked if he considered leaving Zimmermann in after Ryan Hanigan's two-out single though, Johnson replied succinctly, "No."

 

Johnson fully understands both the immediate need to see Zimmermann pitch as he progresses from last year's Tommy John surgery, and the dichotic need to limit the amount of total innings he throws this season.  He needs to pitch deeper into games to build arm strength to assume the lofty status Nats officials think he can hold, but not so much that it places strain on the surgically rebuilt joint -- or other other parts of his arm compensating for the elbow.

 

When asked if it will be difficult to have to shut Zimmermann down once he reaches his innings limit, Johnson was matter-of-fact, "No question about it.  But I got two more starts out of him."

 

Two more starts this season.  That's all fans -- and the organization -- have left to see the Nats burgeoning ace before he's shut down for the winter.  It's been a tremendous season for Zimmermann, better than anyone might have hoped for.  His 8-10 record masks some otherwise truly outstanding peripheral numbers: 3.11 ERA, 1.124 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9 and 4.35 K/BB.  Those are the marks of a staff ace.  And if Stephen Strasburg can make the same progress in his Tommy John recovery that Zimmermann has, the Nats can dream about starting the 2012 season with two aces at the top of their rotation. 

 

It's an enviable position to build a contender from.

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NATS NOTES:  Mattheus was lifted after just the one batter faced.  He felt tightness in his arm between innings, which Jayson Werth of all people noticed and informed Johnson and pitching coach Steve McCatty.  Mattheus said he felt it lifting weights earlier in the day, and Johnson would not allow him to continue pitching.  Mattheus is listed as day-to-day.

 

Jesus Flores hit a solo home run last night, his first since the night he originally injured his shoulder in 2009.  It's another milestone for the catcher, trying to piece his career back together after missing most of two seasons rehabbing multiple surgeries on the joint.