This four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies means absolutely nothing to the home team, as they have already clinched the N.L. East title.  But to the Washington Nationals, every game they play is another step toward respectability, and with eight games left they sit just four games below .500, courtesy of sweeping a day-nigth doubleheader from the Phillies, by the scores of 4-3 and 4-0.

In the day game, Ryan Zimmerman entered as a pinch-hitter in the top of the 10th inning and delivered an RBI single to score Michael Morse, who walked and had taken second on a passed ball by rookie catcher Erik Kratz.  Drew Storen gave up a hit and a walk in the bottom of the frame, but made the run stand up for his 49th save of the season and made a winner out of Tom Gorzelanny (4-6, 4.09), who gave up a hit and a walk in his scoreless inning of work in the ninth.

Tommy Milone deserved a better fate, as all the scoring came after he left the game.  The rookie lefty tossed six innings of shutout ball, giving up just four hits, striking out two and walking none.

In the nightcap, Ross Detwiler was dominant, allowing just three hits and one walk over 7 1/3 innings, striking out three, leading to a 3-0 shutout of the division champions.  Detwiler (3-5, 3.30) didn't allow two runners in any inning up until the seventh, when a walk and hit batter put two on with two out, but he got John Mayberry, Jr. to fly out to end the frame.  Henry Rodriguez pitched the eighth and Storen came back out for the ninth for his 40th save of the season.

Danny Espinosa hit his 20th home run of the season off Cliff Lee in the second inning, and the Nats scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the margin of victory.

The Nationals refuse to go into this good night.  They have won eight of their last ten games and are 11-8 overall in September, after so many early-fall failings of the past.  With eight games remaining their record is 74-79, just four games below .500, and they sit one game up on the New York Mets for third place in the N.L. East.  In fact, they currently have the ninth best record in the entire National League. 

These achievements may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but for a franchise, organization and fan base that haven't had much to cheer about since the move in 2005, they represent incremental progress toward the ultimate goal of being truly competitive.  Small steps, but steps none the less.

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).

"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).

Somewhere, probably in northern Georgia, someone is writing about how the plucky Atlanta Braves pecked away in the ninth inning, using steely resolve and courage to defeat an up-and-coming Washington Nationals team with a clutch walk-off hit after two outs.

I suppose that's one way to look at what happened.

After pounding arguably the N.L.'s best pitcher in the first half of the season, surviving a melt-down of epic proportions from a formerly-trusted set-up man, and enough base-running blunders to make Lou Brock cry, the Nationals still found themselves in position to beat the 96-win pace Braves and take two out of three from them to start the second half.

But instead of turning to his closer in a tied game, manager Davey Johnson gave the ball to rookie Ryan Mattheus, a veteran of just 15 Major League innings pitched.  Mattheus walked the first batter he faced, and the rest, as they say, was history.  In this case, history will say the Braves beat the Nats 9-8 in their final at bat.  But as with all history lessons, there was much more to the story than meets the eye.

All Drew Storen, who has pitched one inning since July 10, could do was watch things unfold from his perch in the bullpen.  He warmed up along side Mattheus, but since the Nats could not take the lead in the top of the ninth, Johnson managed to a statistic, going with Mattheus in the non-save situation.  It cost him the game.

Mattheus issued a five-pitch walk to pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad, missing the strike zone by a mile with his last pitch.  The Braves bunted Conrad up to second, giving the Nats an out, and when Martin Prado grounded to short, Conrad inexplicably tried to advance and was gunned out by Ian Desmond, one of several fine plays the shortstop came up with in the series.

The Nats then allowed Prado to take second without a throw, and Johnson called for Mattheus to walk All-Star catcher Brian McCann, who had already homered off Sean Burnett earlier.  At that point, Mattheus put away his best pitch, a 94-MPH four-seam fastball, and threw two sliders to fellow rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman.  Freeman laced the second one he saw to right field, driving in Prado from second.

The final was the culmination of a game of mental and physical mistakes for the Nats.  They finally got their bats going, clobbering All-Star Jair Jurrgens for six runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings, giving the burgeoning superstar his worse beating of the season.  But they also had two runners make outs on the base paths immediately preceding scoring hits and lost their starting pitcher to an injury when he ran into the catcher trying to score. 

Combine that with a throwing error by backup catcher Jesus Flores and four stolen bases against, and this was an ugly game regardless of the outcome.

Perhaps the ugliest part of the game came in the bottom of the fifth, when the Braves scored five runs off relievers Henry Rodriguez and Sean Burnett.  Rodriguez cruised through two innings of work in relief of Tom Gorzelanny, who left after two innings after injuring his ankle in a collision with McCann scoring on Roger Bernadina's triple.  Gorzelanny was not effective anyway, giving up two runs on one hit, three walks and a wild pitch.

Sent out to start a third inning of relief, Rodriguez lost his stuff.  A double, hit by pitch and infield single scored a run and brought up left-handed hitting McCann.  Johnson summoned his only left-handed reliever, Burnett.  On his second pitch, McCann punished a 91-MPH sinker, and three runs scored, which tied the game at six.  A walk, hit and ground out produced another run for Atlanta before Burnett could get out of the inning.

Burnett was arguably the Nationals best pitcher last season, but he's been a liability to the Nats pen this year, with a 5.67 ERA and K-rate less than half of what it was last season.  Unless he's hiding an injury, he's gone from the best to the worst in less than a season, speaking to the volatile nature of relief pitching.

There were a lot of culprits in this game for the Nats, but right up until Freeman laced one into the corner with two down in the ninth the Nats were in position to win.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad right now.

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THE GOOD:  Danny Espinosa was a double short of the cycle, with three hits, including his 17th home run.  Roger Bernadina went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot, scored three times and stole two bases.

THE BAD:  Jayson Werth.  He went 0-for-5 with a K, the only Nats starter to not get a hit.  He left four on base.

THE UGLY:  Sean Burnett.  The guy is simply not doing his job right now.

THE STATS:  11 hits, three walks, 10 strikeouts.  3-for-10 with RISP, six LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Flores (1)

NEXT GAME:  Monday at Houston Astros at 8:05 pm EDT.  Jason Marquis (7-4, 4.05) faces Jordan Lyles (0-4, 4.60).

NATS NOTES:  Jerry Hairston, Jr. will be activated off the Disabled List for Monday's game in Houston.  Brian Bixler was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after the loss to make room on the active roster.

The Nats loss drops the Nats back under .500 at 47-48, a half-game behind the Mets for third place in the N.L. East and one game ahead of streaking Florida for last place in the division.

The "second half" of the Major League Baseball season gets underway tonight, but the Washington Nationals get another day off and will get back on the field Friday night against the Atlanta Braves, whom they trail for the N.L. wildcard spot by eight games at the start of play.  Not only do the Nationals face an eight-game deficit, but there are five other teams between themselves and Atlanta.

Is it impossible the Nats can overtake six teams and take the 2011 wildcard?  I suppose it's not impossible.  But if Atlanta continues to win at the pace they are on, that would give them 95 wins. For the WILDCARD spot.  Let's say, for the sake of argument, the Braves have some troubles down the stretch and finish with 88 wins, a seven-game difference for them in the second half. 

At that pace, the Nats would have to go 42-28 in the final 70 games just to catch the Braves and force a one-game playoff, unless one of those other five teams leapfrogged the stumbling Braves.  42-28 is a .600 winning percentage, equivalent to a 97-win pace over the course of an entire season.  Does anyone think the Nats can win on a 97-win pace the rest of this campaign?

So, now that we've put the playoff scenario to bed, let's concentrate on what's really important the rest of the way for the Nats.



(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



1)  The Healthy Return of Stephen Strasburg.  Strasburg continues to throw bullpen sessions in the heat and humidity of Viera, FL.  Pretty soon, he'll throw live batting practice, facing the first hitters he's seen since Domonic Brown last August.  As long as there are no complications there, he'll get sent out on a minor league rehab assignment, boosting the economy in Hagerstown, Woodbridge or Harpersburg -- I mean, Harrisburg.  At the very best, we could see a start or two in mid-September at Nats Park to whet everyone's appetite for 2012. 

I said it at the beginning of the season and stand by it: Strasburg's rehab and return is the most important aspect of the Nationals season.  If he isn't ready for a big league mound in September, the Nationals are not going to rush him.  Being healthy for spring training in 2012 is much more important that a motivational start or two in September.

But the idea of the Nats finishing around .500 and Strasburg getting a couple of starts is probably the best case scenario for D.C. right now.

2)  Maximizing Current Assets for Future Value:  Finishing at or near .500 should be a huge motivational factor for the Nats and their fan base.  But equally important is to gain value for players that aren't going to be here next year.  Jason Marquis is the Nats biggest movable asset.  He's shown to be a reliable back-of-the-rotation starter for a pendent contender, and there are half a dozen teams that could really use a starter down the stretch. 

GM Mike Rizzo should sell Marquis to the highest bidder.  I just can't envision the Nats giving Marquis a three-year big money deal, which is what he's going to want on the open market this off-season.  There are plenty of young (and some not-so-young) starters in the minors to fill the rotation and get some good looks in August and September.

Other potential trade pieces:  Todd Coffey, Jerry Hairston, Pudge Rodriguez, maybe even Rick Ankiel.  None of these players are going to net a bona fide prospect, but maybe a tarnished one or a lower-level guy.  You never know.

3)  Evaluating for the Future:  The future isn't too far off.  It's pretty easy to envision a rotation next year of Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, followed probably by a free agent veteran (unless Chien-Ming Wang proves to be that guy), John Lannan and a combination of Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, Brad Meyers, Yunesky Maya or maybe even Shairon Martis (7-3, 2.70, 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 for AA-HBG).  I think with Zimmermann getting shut down after another eight starts or so, and the possibility of Marquis being shipped, we'll see a couple of these guys pitch down the stretch to give them a taste of big league hitters.

It's dangerous to hand out roster spots based on the results of starts in September (spring training too, for that matter), but it is part of the evaluation process, and some of these guys look like they are ready for that challenge.

4)  Whither Ian Desmond?   It's as simple as this: now that he's fixed his defensive problems, he has to start hitting.  He has to cut his swing down. He needs to work on using all fields instead of being pull-happy trying to generate power.  He has to get better at working the count.  Not even Ozzie Smith with the glove could get away with a .223/.264/.308 line at the plate.  There's no reason for it, other than he's infatuated with trying to generate power.  This team has plenty of guys that can pop-a-shot.  Desmond needs finally realize this and work on getting on base more often.  Or else he'll find himself watching others that can.

5)  Getting the Big Guys Back on Track.  If someone had told you in spring training that the Nationals would be .500 at the All-Star break, and that Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth would be on a pace for 25 home runs -- combined -- you probably would have asked what they were smoking.  But stats don't lie.  Zimmerman missed 58 games due to the abdominal injury and Werth has fallen off a cliff.  Zim gets a pass for a while until we can be assured he's finally, 100 percent healthy (which I'm not sure he quite is yet), but Werth has been simply atrocious.



(D.Nichols/Nats News Network)



Everyone in the Nats organization has supported Werth publicly, saying they aren't concerned with his struggles and at the end of the season his numbers will be where they should be.  But if Werth gets his average of 560 at bats for the season, he'll have to his .336 over his final 235 at bats to reach his career average of .265 for the season.  The next two and a half months are going to be real interesting watching Werth.  Is he injured?  Is it mental?  Is it something else?  He's got 6 1/2 years to figure it out, or not, I guess.

6)  Continued Excellence of Danny Espinosa.  It's a race between Espi and Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel for the N.L. Rooike of the Year.  Will one falter down the stretch?  It's hard to imagine either one actually picking up his game to another level at this point, with both players posting awesome numbers.  Espinosa's BABiP is approaching league averageness, and if this is what he is (.250/.340/.460 hitter with 25 HR/SB potential), I think the Nats will be happy with that from their gold-glove caliber second baseman (or shortstop, perhaps?)

What are you most interested to watch the rest of the way in 2011?

If this was Ross Detwiler's only chance to show the Washington Nationals he belongs in the Major Leagues, he made a pretty good impression.  The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 draft made the best of his spot start, allowing a two-run home run to Aramis Ramirez on his final pitch, but otherwise shutting down the Chicago Cubs, earning the win in a 3-2 victory before 19,181 at steamy Nats Park.

The Nats inch above the .500 mark again at 44-43, tied with the New York Mets for third in the N.L. East, 11 games behind division-leading Philadelphia.

Detwiler pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up just four hits in the process.  He did not walk a batter, something that has plagued him his entire professional career, though he only struck out one, and that was the opposite pitcher to boot.  But he generated a lot of ground ball outs and kept the Cubs off the scoreboard -- until that last pitch.

After the game, manager Davey Johnson admitted he made a mistake.  He didn't want Detwiler to face Ramirez in the sixth inning, but he didn't get right-handed reliever Todd Coffey up quickly enough to get him properly warmed up. "I was slow on the draw," Johnson explained.  "I wanted to get Coffey ready for Ramirez, and I didn't get him up for Ramirez, so I take that one on me."

But it wouldn't have been a Nats win if it weren't a one-run ballgame.

As they've done most of the season, the bullpen came in and did their jobs.  Todd Coffey, Sean Burnett, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen (21st save) gave up just three hits over 3 2/3 innings, walked no one and struck out three.  It was as efficient as they've been all season long.

Detwiler may have a chance to stick with the club even if it's not in a starting role.  He was called up to take the spot start because of last Saturday's double-header, but Johnson has said on several occasions he'd like another lefty in the bullpen and would like a long man as well.  Detwiler might be able to fill both of those roles adequately.  He's been good his first time through the rotation in his career, but gets into trouble once he gets stretched out.  This might be a case of form following function.

Johnson joked with reporters before the game that someone would have to wrestle him to get Detwiler off his team.

Regardless of what role Detwiler might serve, the team needs to find more offense, particularly from their two best players, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth.

The Nats jumped all over Cubs starter Ramon Ortiz, scoring three times in the first inning.  But once the inning was over, the futility they've been experiencing with the bats was in full evidence.  The Nats were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position all night, and they stranded 10 runners in the game.  No one struggled worse than Werth, the new No. 5 hitter.  Werth went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two ground outs, stranding six base runners.

Werth, who famously signed a $126 million contract in the off-season, is mired in the worst slump of his career.  For the season he's hitting a mere .224/.330/.382, but over the last month or so, his lack of production is alarming.  Since June 1, Werth is hitting a paltry .167/.305/.278 with seven extra-base hits in 131 plate appearances.  In his last 11 games, Werth has struck out 19 times.

Johnson has remained a steadfast supporter of his right fielder, but even he conceded last night that Werth needs to start producing.  "I think he's bottomed out," Johnson said of Werth, who is grounding out at a rate higher than at any time in his career since becoming a regular player.  "I thought he was in a good frame of mind the last three or four days.  I think he's comfortable. I think earlier in the year he was playing 'mentor' a little more than he needed to with some of the young guys. But he's a heck of a ballplayer and I know he gonna start doing the things he's capable of doing."

Johnson hopes, along with the rest of Nats Town, that happens much sooner rather than later.

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THE GOOD:  Danny Espinosa. 2-for-3 with a walk in the second spot in the order.  "The way he's playing, I like him in that two-hole," Johnson said of the 23-year old switch-hitting second baseman.  He's kind of a spark plug and gets us going.  He's swinging good from both side of the plate right now."

THE BAD:  Ian Desmond.  0-for-3 and five left on base. Was ordered to sacrifice with runners at second and third last in the game.  He's hitting .215 this season, and has just five base hits since June 18 (5-for-52).

THE UGLY:  The Nats might have been held to one run were it not for Cubs second baseman Jeff Baker's ugly throwing error in the first inning. With the base loaded, he fielded a Laynce Nix grounder and made one of the worst throws you'd ever see a Major Leaguer make, missing his target by 20 feet.  The ball ended up in short left field, two runs scored and all hands were safe.

THE STATS:  10 hits, four walks, eight strikeouts. 2-for-11 with RISP, 10 LOB, two GIDP. E: Detwiler (1), Cora (3).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 7:05 pm at Nats Park.  Tom Gorzelanny (2-6, 3.77) faces Randy Wells (1-3, 6.59).

HARPER WATCH:  In his second Double-A game for Harrisburg, Bryce Harper went 0-for-4 with an RBI and two outfield assists, nailing runners twice at second base trying to take an extra base against him on balls hit to left field.

NATS NOTES:  To make room on the active roster, reliever Collin Balester was designated for assignment.  Though he had an option remaining, because of his service time the team decided that administratively it would be easier to conduct the transaction if they designated him.  He is expected to remain on the 40-man roster once he clears Thursday, and manager Davey Johnson was hopeful to add him back to the active roster as soon as he is eligible.

Danny Espinosa can't come down with Ryan Zimmerman's throw. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



There were a few constants for the Washington Nationals during their eight-game winning streak.  They were the beneficiary of good starting pitching.  They played almost flawless defense.  And there was a growing belief that they were in every game, something that might have lacked earlier in the season.

In today's 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, before a packed house on Father's Day, none of things happened.

The Nationals, in their first attempt to reach .500 since May 18, played as lackluster a game as they have in weeks.  They committed three errors and made several other miscues that led to a sloppy defensive game.  The poor defensive effort led to a general feeling of listlessness that -- other than a three run outburst in the fourth and fifth innings -- carried over to the offense.  And the Orioles, one of the worst hitting teams in the American League, scored in six of nine innings to contribute to the feeling of malaise on the day.

On top of all that, Tom Gorzelanny, making his first start since being activated from the 15-day Disabled List due to soreness in his left elbow, was completely ineffective.  The left-hander, who made only one rehab start in Triple-A Syracuse, was tuned up to for 10 hits and five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.  He walked just one, but struck out no one, after averaging 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings in his first nine starts this season.

The Orioles got their first run courtesy of Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error on a potential double play ball that should have cleared the bases.  His errant throw to second that should have forced Derrek Lee instead went into right field, and Lee ended up on third base.  The next batter, Zimmerman's University of Virginia teammate Mark Reynolds, tapped one up the third base line that Zimmerman fielded cleanly and usually would have made a throw on, but he ate it instead, filling the bases.

Zimmerman holds slow grounder instead of making throw to first. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Gorzelanny got a double play ball from catcher Craig Tatum, but the error and then held ball allowed Lee to carry a run in on the twin-killing.  It was that kind of day for the Nats, with the Orioles pecking away every inning, scoring at least one run in each of the second through sixth innings.  A solo home run here. Back-to-back doubles there.  Run scoring grounders at the right times.

In addition to Zimmerman's bad throw, Jayson Werth fielded -- then dropped -- a ball hit by Nick Markakis, allowing the runner to advance.  A double play wiped out the Orioles scoring opportunity on that occasion.  Later in the game, Wilson Ramos threw into Nolan Reimold on a stolen base attempt, and the ball ended up in left field, allowing Reimold to advance.  Reimold scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly.

The fielding problems were, as manager Jim Riggleman described them, not of the garden variety for the most part.   "We made some errors that were kind of strange.  Jason [Werth] made a great effort on a ball in right field and then dropped it, so that ends up being an error.  The ball that Ramos threw into the runner a little bit, that ends up as one, but Zim made an error -- that's baseball.  By normal baseball action there we made one error, you know?  The other stuff is a little misleading."

The Nats had a chance to make some waves in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 3-0 at the time, with Gorzelanny obviously struggling.  Back-to-back doubles by Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa cut that lead to 3-2, and with two outs the Nats have the bases loaded against journeyman starter Chris Jakubauskas with the pitcher's spot up.  Riggleman allowed Gorzelanny to hit for himself and he bounced out to first base to end the inning.  Gorzelanny didn't make it through the next half-inning after giving up two runs in the frame.

Did Riggleman consider pinch-hitting for his struggling starter at that crucial point of the game?

"Well you know you can do that, but those starters go to hunt for you and if you don't give them a chance to get through five [innings] and do their thing, the repercussions of that are not favorable. [Gorzelanny] hadn't thrown many pitches so I thought the right thing to do was let him go out there and try to let him pitch the fifth.

The Nats have a day off on Monday to think about how close they were to the elusive .500 mark, before welcoming the Seattle Mariners for a three-game set starting Tuesday.  It will be interesting to see how the Nats respond this week after seeing their winning streak end, not by getting beaten necessarily, but by finding ways to lose Sunday to the Orioles.

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THE GOOD:  Roger Bernadina went 3-for-4 with an RBI, raising his season average to .281.  Danny Espinosa homered and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

THE BAD:  Gorzelanny.  The Nats didn't play well behind him, but he gave up a ton of hits and, most concerning, didn't strike anyone out.  Even in his previous poor starts he still rang up the Ks.

THE UGLY:  The defense.  On top of the errors, Werth had another ball elude his grasp, Bernadina misplayed a ball in center, and Ramos threw another ball into the runner trying to steal that stayed in the infield.  Maybe the wet grass after the shower that came through made the ball slick, but the Orioles didn't have any troubles picking the ball up today.

THE STATS:  Nine hits, one walk, nine strikeouts.  1-for-2 with RISP, five LOB. E:  Zimmerman (2), Werth (4), Ramos (3).

NEXT GAME:  Tuesday at 7:-5 pm against the Seattle Mariners.  Livan Hernandez (4-8, 3.77) hosts Doug Fister (3-8, 3.53).

Tom Gorzelanny struggled in his first start off the D.L. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Danny Espinosa celebrates walk-off three-run homer. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

A week ago, after the Washington Nationals lost to the San Diego Padres 7-3 to fall to 27-36, the Nats were on a pace to win 69 games.

Man, what a difference a week makes.

Despite normally-reliable relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen giving up single runs apiece in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings, the Nationals walked-off with a 7-4 win over the reeling St. Louis Cardinals after Danny Espinosa deposited his 12th home run of the season into the Nats bullpen in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Ryan Zimmerman got the rally started with a single up the middle, and after Laynce Nix struck out swinging, reliever Fernando Salas hit Michael Morse with his next pitch.  Espinosa worked the count to two balls and one strike, and Salas laid one in to Espinosa, who made no doubt about it.  It capped a three-hit night for the rookie second baseman, and the homer was his eighth hitting left-handed this season.

The Nationals have now won six games in a row since dropping the first game of the four-game set with San Diego, raising their record to 33-36, a 77-win pace.  What's more, they finish the night in fourth place in the N.L. East as the Florida Marlins continue to spiral out of control, and are a mere 5 1/2 games out in the National League Wildcard race.

It's the first time Washington has won six in a row since they closed the season in 2009 with seven consecutive victories.

The Nats took a 4-2 lead into the late innings and turned things over, as they have in many wins this season, to Clippard and Storen.  But both gave up solo home runs -- Clippard to Albert Pujols and Storen to Yadier Molina -- to blow the lead and reduce John Lannan to a no-decision. 

Lannan was excellent once again.  He induced 14 ground ball outs and was the beneficiary of two double plays.  Lannan went seven innings, allowing two earned runs -- including Matt Holliday's seventh of the season in his first game back off the D.L. -- on six hits and two walks, striking out two.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Sean Burnett to pitch the tenth, with Todd Coffey warming behind  him.  Burnett got lefty Colby Rasmus on a grounder to second, and Riggleman decided to leave the lefty in to face Pujols, Holliday and Lance Berkman.  Burnett got Pujols to pop up to right field for the second out, walked Holliday, and struck out Berkman looking to end the frame.

Last Thursday, the Nats were 3-5 on their 11-game road trip and staring at three more game in San Diego's Petco Park, a place where hitters go to die.  They won those three games by a combined score of 6-2, and after their best player re-joined the team on Tuesday, the offense has been popping and they swept the best hitting team in baseball.

Yup, it's been a remarkable winning streak.  Folks have gone from talking about another last-place finish to making a run at the wild card.  It's a long season, and we're not even at the All-Star break yet.  But it's fun to entertain the notion, even for just a little bit.

A week can make a lot of difference. 

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THE GOOD:  Espinosa.  He's had five hits the last two games, and balls are starting to fall in for him a little bit.  He has 12 homers and 41 RBIs this season and with his stellar defense, has to start earning some consideration for rookie of the year.

THE BAD:  Clippard and Storen.  Hard to fault these two guys, they've been doing their job all season long.  I guess when your set-up and closer fail, it's best they fail in a game you come back and end up winning.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs.  Grounded to first in his only at bat,.  Hitting .122 (5-for-40) this season.

THE STATS:  10 hits, two walks, six strikeouts.  2-for-6 with RISP, seven LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Espinosa (5)

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 7:05 against the Baltimore Orioles at Nats Park.  Jason Marquis (7-2, 3.67) faces Zach Britton (6-4, 3.18).

NATS NOTES:  1B Adam LaRoche had successful surgery earlier in the day.  It was reported the doctors found and repaired a SLAP tear, a sizable tear of the labrum inside his left shoulder.  The Nationals maintain that LaRoche will be ready for spring training.  Several Nationals players have undergone the same procedure, including Cristian Guzman and Jesus Flores.

The Nationals franchise-best errorless streak came to an end.  Espinosa drew Michael Morse off first base trying to make a play on a slow roller.  The streak stopped at 13-plus games and 131 1/3 innings.

Jayson Werth and Roger Bernadina led off the game with back-to-back homers off Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse.  It's the first time two players started  the game with back-to-back homers since Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro did it for the Expos in June 2002.

VETERAN HURLER TOSSES NINTH CAREER COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT

For much of this season, the Washington Nationals offense has lied dormant, languishing at the bottom of the National League in most categories.  But Tuesday their leader returned and seemed to flip a switch in this team, as an eight-run outburst Tuesday night gave way to a 15-hit, four homer, 10-0 shellacking of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, before 27,130 at jubilant Nationals Park.

The Nats winning streak reaches five games, the longest since August 2009, and inches them one step closer to the elusive .500 mark at 32-36.  The Cardinals, who came into the game tied for the lead in the N.L. Central, have lost five straight.

Not to be forgotten in the offensive fireworks, veteran starter Livan Hernandez pitched his finest game of the season: a complete game, three-hit shutout of the N.L.'s leading hitting team.  Livo did not walk a batter and struck out six.  In fact, Hernandez lowered his ERA to 3.77, earning his fourth win against eight losses.  He allowed just one batter to reach as far as second all night.

Often the hard luck loser this year, Livo had all the runs he needed last night.  The complete game was his 50th of his career and ninth complete game shutout.

Washington got to Cardinals starter Kyle McClellan in the second, when Michael Morse hit his 11th home run of the season.  That was just the beginning, though, as Ryan Zimmerman drove in his second run since rejoining the team Tuesday with a single up the middle that plated Jayson Werth in the third.

Things turned ugly for McClellan (L, 6-3), making his first start since being activated from the D.L., in the fourth inning.  Morse and Danny Espinosa both doubled to start off the inning, and Ivan Rodriguez singled to right, scoring Morse.  After a Livo sacrifice -- from the No. 8 spot in manager Jim Riggleman's order -- Ian Desmond bounced a ball to third that Albert Pujols could not handle, and Espinosa scored.

A batter later, Roger Bernadina continued his hot stretch, dumping a ball into left that Jon Jay couldn't get to, and Pudge came around to cap the three-run frame.

Deposed closer Ryan Franklin relieved McClellan, though Cards manager Tony LaRussa will think twice before calling his name again.  The Nats got one off Franklin in the sixth, as Desmond singled in Pudge from third, once again after Livo had sacrificed the runner up a base.

But that wasn't the end.  In the seventh, Michael Morse hit a colossal two-run shot over the visitor's bullpen and into Section 101, and Espinosa followed on the next at bat, clubbing one off the facing of the upper deck in right field above the Nats bullpen.  It was the first time Nats have gone back-to-back since August 2010 when Morse did the deed with the departed Jason Maxwell.

Jayson Werth, who was the only National position player to go hitless into the eighth inning, corrected that by adding a solo home run to left center as icing on the cake.

All that was left was for Livo to complete the game, and in the ninth he had no trouble at all.  He struck out Tyler Greene and Mark Hamilton, and coaxed a pop-up from Colby Rasmus to Zimmerman to end the game.  Livo needed just 105 pitches to dispatch St. Louis, and after the last was mobbed by his teammates and even received a pie in the face from Thursday's starter and clubhouse prankster John Lannan for his accomplishment.

The Nats have banged out 18 runs and 28 hits in the last two games, an almost inconceivable thought when they were slogging up and down the west coast last week, playing 2-1 games like that was the objective.  Is it mere coincidence this outbreak has happened with the return of the Face of the Franchise?  Entirely possible.  Zimmerman has contributed but one hit a night to the attack. 

But perhaps the entire team -- maybe the whole organization, fans included -- has taken a proverbial sigh of relief just seeing No. 11 back at his customary third base spot, hitting third in the order.

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THE GOOD:  Four players had multi-hit nights, but the star was Michael Morse.  He went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs, upping his batting average to .312.  Hot streaks don't get much hotter than the one Morse is riding right now.

THE BAD:  The Cardinals defense.  They made three errors, including two by out-of-position Albert Pujols at third base.  LaRussa assumes he's the smartest man in whatever room he's in, but he's out-thinking himself putting Prince Albert in a can over at third.

THE UGLY:  Ryan Franklin.  He was throwing meatballs up there.  Charlie and Dave on the radio remarked how everything Franklin was throwing was right over the heart of the plate, like he wasn't even trying to get guys out.  Guess what?  He didn't get guys out, and he now has an 8.17 ERA this season.

THE STATS:  15 hits, zero walks, three strikeouts.  5-for-10 with RISP, six LOB, two GIDP. No errors, making

NEXT GAME:  Thursday against St. Louis at 7:05 pm from Nats Park.  John Lannan (4-5, 3.60) faces Kyle Lohse (7-3, 2.67).

NATS NOTES:  Before the game, the Nats sent ineffective starting pitcher Yunesky Maya back to Syracuse, and recalled frequent flyer reliever Collin Balester back for the pen.  The team is expected to activate LHP Tom Gorzelanny from the D.L. to start Sunday against Baltimore.

The Nats extended their errorless streak to 122 2/3 innings across 13-plus games, extending their franchise record streak.

Danny Espinosa's two-homer night fueled Nats 10-2 win over Phillies. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

It's nights like last night that make the previous two weeks worth of losses that much tougher to take. It certainly explains manager Jim Riggleman's insistence that the Washington Nationals are a better ball club than they've shown this season.

Behind two home runs by rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa and another quality start by Jason Marquis, the Nats pounded their arch-enemy, the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-2, before 21,017 at sweltering Nats Park.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak and ups the Nats record to 23-31.

Jason Marquis held the Phillies to two solo home runs, earning his sixth win. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

For the second straight night, the Nationals made one of the better pitchers in the N.L. work hard. But unlike Monday's 5-4 loss when they repeatedly allowed Roy Halladay off the hook, the Nats were relentless in bashing Cliff Lee and a parade of relievers.

Lee (L, 4-5, 3.94) had trouble locating his fastball, and when he brought it over the plate, the Nats made good contact, getting to the lefty for six runs on seven hits, including a pair of no-doubt shots by Espinosa (3-for-4, 4 RBIs).  He now has 10 home runs, tied with Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo for the rookie lead in the majors, and his 33 RBIs place him 10th in the N.L. overall.

Espinosa was not the only hitting star though.  Michael Morse went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, upping his average to .301 in the process.  Jayson Werth also drove in two with a sacrifice fly and a double.



Michael Morse is congratulated by his skipper after scoing against the Phillies. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Marquis (W, 6-2, 4.13) needed to put up a good start after a couple of sub-par outings, and the veteran did just that.  He limited the Phillies to two solo home runs, scattering eight hits in his 6 1/3 innings.  He struck out four and did not walk a batter, key when facing the Phillies sluggers.

But leading 6-2 in the top of the seventh, Marquis allowed a double to Domonic Brown -- who homered earlier -- and pinch-hitter Ross Gload reached on catcher's interference, giving the Phillies a chance to climb back into the game with the top of their order coming up.  Riggleman called upon Tyler Clippard, as he has so many times this season.  Clippard got Jimmy Rollins to line out to Werth in right field and Placido Polanco popped out to short to end the threat.

"Those were probably the two biggest outs of the game for us right there," Riggleman said after the game.

One win doesn't change a whole lot over the course of 162 games.  But at least for a night, the Nationals -- management, coaches, players and fans -- can relish a victory over their biggest rivals, silencing the legions of Phillies fans that have descended on Nats Park this week.  It'll be short-lived, because they go right back at it under the sun on Wednesday, but for a few hours, ain't the beer cold?

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THE GOOD:  In the top of the eighth, with a man on first and no outs, Ryan Howard hit a ball on the ground to 1B Michael Morse's right that the big guy deftly picked and made a slinging side-armed throw to 3B Jerry Hairston, covering second in the exaggerated shift. 

Hairston then leaped over the sliding Chase Utley to relay back to pitcher Cole Kimball covering at first.  Just your typical 3-5-1 double play.  Here's the replay, it's a thing of beauty.

Michael Morse starts 3-5-1 double play in the eighth inning. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

THE BAD:  Rick Ankiel entered late in the game, but still managed to go 0-for-2, lowering his average to .210.

THE UGLY:  Phillies reliever Danys Baez pitched one inning, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Yuck.

THE STATS:  13 hits, five walks, seven strikeouts. 6-for-11 with RISP, six LOB, one GIDP.  E: I.Rodriguez (3).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday at 1:05 pm against the Phillies.  John Lannan (2-5, 4.40) hosts Roy Oswalt (3-2, 2.60).

HARPER WATCH:  Bryce Harper went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three stolen bases in Hagerstown's 3-0 win over Kannapolis. He's hitting .331/.415/.584 with 11 homers, 35 RBIs and 10 stolen bases this season.  Robbie Ray earned his second win for the Suns, going five innings and allowing just one hit (four walks), striking out three. He's 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in five starts.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer and Dave Nichols

NATIONALS BATS COME ALIVE, SCORE RECORD 17 RUNS IN WIN OVER ORIOLES

There was a lot of this going on for the Nationals last night. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Maybe a trip 45 miles north on I-95 to Baltimore was just what the Washington Nationals needed. In their first interleague game of 2011, against their American League "geographic rivals", the team’s ice cold offense broke through in a big way, with a franchise record for runs in a game, beating the the Baltimore Orioles 17-5 Friday before 24,442 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The team had six home runs, two triples, 19 hits, five walks, and an all-around spectacular night offensively.

The Nats scored runs in every inning but the first and third in the offensive showcase.  But the game was very much in doubt early on as the Orioles were scoring runs of their own, as the Nats led just 6-5 after four innings.  But that's when the Nationals exploded against Orioles reliever Jason Berken for six runs, including home runs by Roger Bernadina (2-for-6, two RBI) and the first of Jayson Werth's two round-trippers (7, 8).

Jayson Werth had a great day overall, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs on his 32nd birthday.

After the offensive outburst, things got a little tense in the Nationals dugout.  With a seven-run cushion, manager Jim Riggleman decided he'd seen enough of Nats starter Jason Marquis and changed pitchers for the bottom of the fifth inning, sending Henry Rodriguez to the mound.

Marquis was visibly upset in the dugout and had a little outburst of his own after he was informed by Riggleman he was being relieved, thus disqualifying him from a chance to earn the victory despite Marquis' performance this season as the Nats best pitcher, and the fact that they had a seven-run lead.   

Marquis was indeed struggling, having allowed five earned runs on eight hits and three walks, but it's was a slap in the face to the team's de facto ace not allowing him to at least start the inning.  Sure, if Marquis gives up a homer or a couple base runners, go get him.  But to yank him with a seven-run lead was curious at the very least.

"I was just trying to plead with [Riggleman] to stay in the game," Marquis told reporters after the game.  "Obviously I didn't get my way and just let a little emotion out.  Nothing other than that really, other than being a competitor and wanting to stay in the game."

Just how upset was Marquis in the dugout?  "I'd say about as upset as I've ever seen a ballplayer," Riggleman said.

Jason Marquis had his shortest outing of the season. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Riggleman explained further, "I thought Jason was struggling through it, and I made the decision to take him out. It was a one-run game. If I'd had known we were going to go out there and score six, maybe I would have let him go back out there."

But after that inning, the difference was that the Nats continued to pour on the offense while the Nats’ bullpen shut the door. Rodriguez pitched three innings of scoreless relief followed by another two by Todd Coffey and Doug Slaten. Rodriguez picked up the win and had three strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.00.

It was a night in which the offense finally broke out after getting shut out in both games against New York earlier in the week. Rookies Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos paced the team, combining for eight runs scored, two triples, two home runs, six hits, 16 total bases, two walks, and seven runs batted in.

How often do you see two players from the same team have a chance to bat in the ninth inning with an opportunity to hit for the cycle?  Not often, and unfortunately Ramos grounded into a double play to end the ninth, ending both his and Espinosa's shot with the second baseman standing in the on-deck circle.

Outfielders Roger Bernadina and Laynce Nix also homered and contributed two hits to the cause.

Unfortunately, the two players that are perhaps struggling most of all on this team, Adam LaRoche and Matt Stairs, could not participate in the fun.  LaRoche went without a hit in three at bats, though he did reach twice with two walks and scored two runs.  Stairs though went hitless in four at bats, striking out twice and stranding five runners.  The 43-year old veteran, who hit fifth in Riggleman's lineup as the DH, is now hitting .077 (2-for-26) in 2011.

All in all, though, it was a true record-setting night for the Nationals as they broke their single-game franchise record for runs (17) and home runs (6). It was great to see the team rebound so well after losing Thursday night’s game in part because of a missed call at first base and being three-hit by a relative unknown pitcher.

Last year, the team began to unravel after a missed check swing call in Houston, so to see the team – especially the offense – come out and stay focused after a controversial conclusion Thursday night was a great sight. And really, anytime the team can score 17 runs is a good time.

Nats Happy Homer Time! (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

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THE GOOD: There were so many great offensive performances, but Danny Espinosa had himself a big day. A double shy of the cycle, he continued to break out of his slump, going 3-for-4 with a walk, single, triple, home run and five runs batted in.

The Nats had seven players with multi-hit games against five Orioles pitchers.  Even both pinch-hitters (Michael Morse and Alex Cora) had base hits.

THE BAD: Jason Marquis was spotted the biggest run support of any Nats pitcher this year, but couldn’t earn the win as he went just four innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks.

THE UGLY: Just about everyone in the lineup got some production Friday night – everyone but Matt Stairs, who started the game as the DH. Stairs' 0-for-4 night just continues his downward spiral this season.  When does it get to the point where the team is forced to make a move? It will be interesting to see what happens when Rick Ankiel returns from the disabled list.

THE STATS: 19 hits, five walks, nine strikeouts. 5-for-11 with RISP, 15 LOB, one GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME: Saturday at 4:05 against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. John Lannan (2-4, 4.53) faces Jeremy Guthrie (1-6, 3.91).

HARPER WATCH:  Bryce Harper went 2-for-3 with a double, home run (10) and three RBI's in Hagerstown's 5-4 loss to Greensboro. The 18-year old phenom is hitting .364/.447/.671 overall and is 13-for-39 (.333) in  his last ten games with three homers and 10 RBIs.

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BONUS PHOTOS:  Both center fielders had troubles in the field last night.  The Orioles' Adam Jones couldn't close his glove on a Jayson Werth blast and ended up knocking it over the fence for a home run.  Roger Bernadina flat dropped a routine fly ball after getting his spike caught in the rubberized warning track in straight-away center field.  Neither play really had any outcome on the game all things considered, but these are still two pretty cool pictures.

***Quotes in this post came from published sources, including The Washington Times.

Danny Espinosa is congratulated by Laynce Nix on his two-run homer. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Washington Nationals rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa has really been struggling, hitting just .128/.255/.310 in the month of May. In his first two at bats, hitting right-handed, be drove a ball to the track and scorched a line drive, but both times the ball fell into center fielder Andrew McCutchen's glove.

What do they say about the third time being the charm?

On his third at bat, in a game tied at two in the seventh inning, Espinosa took the first pitch he saw from Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jose Ascanio into the Nats bullpen in right field, driving home two runs and delivering the Nats their 20th win of the season.  He did so left-handed, where he's only hitting .175 this season.

Espinosa's fifth home run of the season made a winner out of Cole Kimball for the first time in the Majors, pitching for the third day in a row since his recall.  Kimball unfortunately could not strand the runner he inherited from starter John Lannan, as McCutchen tripled home Ronny Cedeno, who had reached via walk from Lannan earlier in the inning.  But Kimball stranded McCutchen on third to end the inning before Espinosa's heroics.

All that was left was for Drew Storen to do what he does, and he did it once again, completing his 21st consecutive scoreless inning and earning his ninth save of the season.  Storen gave up an earned run on opening day and has not been scored upon since.

Drew Storen delivers in his ninth save and 21st consecutive scoreless outing. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Jerry Hairston also homered, his second of the season, off Pirates starter Paul Maholm in the fifth inning.

Lannan was not particularly effective though he only allowed two earned runs, especially considering one scored after he left the game.  He gave up seven hits and four walks in his 6 1/3 innings.  But he had some good defense behind him, got a ground ball double play when he needed it the most, and made the pitches when he had to.

"Sometimes that's the way it's gonna be," manager Jim Riggleman said about Lannan's performance.  "You're not gonna have your good stuff, you're not gonna be sharp, but you've just got to battle through it and that's what he did."

"[Lannan] did a great job, he kinda found it there in about the sixth, he really went out and had a clean inning and then the lead off walk did him in there with Cedeno.  He struggled, first guy [every inning] was getting on and not throwing first-pitch strikes, but he was battling out of it and we played good defense behind him."

It helped that the Pirates ran themselves out of a big inning in the fourth. 

Brandon Wood walked on four pitches to lead off, then tried to go to third on Chris Snyder's single to center field.  Roger Bernadina made a strong throw -- but up the third base line a little -- and Jerry Hairston made a great play to catch the throw and get back to the bag to put the tag on.  Wood was out easily, breaking the old baseball code about not making the first out of the inning at third base.

Later that inning, Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm couldn't get a bunt attempt down on a squeeze play, and Snyder was caught stealing home on a run-down, catcher to third back to the pitcher.

The Nationals once again sit on the precipice of .500, one game below entering Tuesday's day game with the Pirates.  They go right back out on the road for eight games after closing with the Pirates, so the Nats should make hay where they can.

Another "Curly W" in the books. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

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THE GOOD: Espinosa hit the ball hard all three of his at bats.  His first at bat he took a ball to the track in left center that would have been five rows deep at Camden Yards in Baltimore.  Perhaps he's starting to come out of his slump that dropped his average below .200.

THE BAD: Lannan survived and managed to keep runs off the board, but 11 base runners in 6 1/3 on most nights is going to get your team killed.  Lannan's BB rate keeps going up, not a good sign for a guy that lives on the edge as it is.

THE UGLY: Adam LaRoche was 0-for-4 and took some really feeble swings striking out twice.  His average is down to .182/.306/.286 for the season and is hitless in his last four games and hasn't had an extra-base hit since hew doubled May 5.

THE STATS: Six hits, three walks, nine strikeouts.  1-for-3 with RISP, four LOB, one GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME: Tuesday at 1:05 pm against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nats Park.  Jordan Zimmermann (2-4, 4.13) takes on Charlie Morton (4-1, 3.13).

Congrats to Cole Kimball on his first win in the Major Leagues. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Ryan Zimmerman can only gaze out at the scoreboard from the dugout. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Jayson Werth looking, well, hairy.  (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)