The Washington Nationals traded Anderson Hernandez back to the New York Mets in exchange for Single-A 2B Greg Veloz.

Veloz, who will report to Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League, is a career .249 hitter with 77 doubles, 19 home runs, 145 RBI and 108 stolen bases in three-plus professional seasons. In his three complete pro campaigns, Veloz has averaged 30 stolen bases. He entered the season rated among the Mets’ top 25 prospects as listed in Baseball America’s 2009 Prospect Handbook.

To take Hernandez' roster spot, the team recalled RHRP Saul Rivera.

Rivera, 31, rejoins the Nationals after going 2-5 with seven holds, two saves and a 3.55 ERA (18 ER/45.2 IP) in 30 appearanes with Syracuse. A member of the Nationals’ Opening Day roster, Rivera went 0-1 with an 8.49 ERA (11 ER/11.2 IP) in 10 appearances with Washington before being optioned to Syracuse on April 20.

And now, the lineups.

FLORIDA MARLINS (55-52, 2nd in NL East--six games back; two-game losing streak)

Coghlan – LF
Johnson – 1B
Ramirez – SS
Cantu – 3B
Uggla – 2B
Baker – C
Ross – CF
Hermida – RF
Volstad – P

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (36-72, 5th in NL East-25.5 games back; four-game win streak)

Morgan – CF
Belliard – 2B
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – 1B
Willingham – LF
Dukes – RF
Bard – C
Gonzalez – SS
Stammen – P

STARTING PITCHERS

WAS: Craig Stammen (81.2 IP, 3-6, 4.96 ERA, 35 K, 15 BB)
FLA: Chris Volstad (132.1 IP, 8-9, 4.35 ERA, 91 K, 39 BB)

WEATHER

Mostly cloudy, chance of passing cloudburst. High temp 79F.

THE RESULT: In a sloppy, unevenly officiated affair, the Washington Nationals lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3, before 39,890 in attendance for the "Businessman's Special" at Miller Park.

Nats "interim" manager Jim Riggleman earned his first ejection of the season early in the game arguing a pitch that appeared to to be a foul ball that home plate umpire "Country" Joe West ruled strike three.

Riggleman probably would have been tossed later anyway. The pivotal play came in the bottom of the seventh. Mike Cameron led off with a double and took third on Casey McGehee's single.

Catcher Jason Kendall followed with a grounder to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who made a perfect throw to home to nab Cameron, except West ruled that Cameron got in under the tag of Wil Nieves, much to the catcher's disbelief.

The run broke a three-all tie, and apparently the will of the Nationals on the field.

Milwaukee would add another run in the inning when Anderson Hernandez made a poor throw and failed to complete a double play. The Brewers got two more insurance runs in the eighth off Mike MacDougal on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.

Starter J.D. Martin (L, 0-2, 7.50) took the loss. He pitched six innings and the first two batters of the seventh, giving up five earned runs on seven hits (two home runs) and no walks. He struck out four.

Ryan Zimmerman had just one hit, but it was a big one. His three-run home run in the fourth inning -- his 19th of the year -- gave the Nats a short-lived 3-2 lead and accounted for all the scoring Washington could muster against Yovanni Gallardo (W, 10-7, 3.13) and two Brewers relievers.

Nyjer Morgan continued his hot hand, going 3-for-4 with a run and his 32 stolen base. But the situational hitting woes popped up again. Morgan led off the sixth with a double and took second on Alberto Gonzalez' sacrifice, but was stranded as Gallardo struck out Nick Johnson and Adam Dunn to end the inning.

Craig Counsel and Prince Fielder hit home runs for the Brew Crew.

THE TAKEAWAY: OK, so he wasn't actually on the bench at the time, but there's no way Riggleman should have sent Martin out for the seventh. He gave the Nats a "quality start" (six innings, three earned runs) at that point, and Burnett was ready to come in.

But he was allowed to start the seventh and the first three batters all reached.

I know he fairly breezed through the sixth and his pitch count was manageable, but the Nats just cannot expect more than six innings out of most of these starters, and especially Martin. Should have pulled him when everyone felt good about the outing.

THE GOOD: Nyjer Morgan. Despite Zimmerman's big homer, gotta go with "Captain" Morgan. Since the trade that brought him to D.C. July 3, he's hitting .389/.416/.484 with 17 runs and 13 stolen bases. Feelin' Sexy, indeed.

There's no way Morgan can sustain this pace, as hit BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) for the season is a ridiculous .439 (N.L. average is .296). His BABIP career-wise is going to be a little high, since he's such a good bunter and obscenely fast, but .439 is unsustainable regardless.

But he certainly is making a difference for this team, both at the plate and certainly in the field.

THE BAD: Andy Hernandez. 0-for 3 with two strikeouts, plus the bad throw. His average is down to .244/.309/.315.

THE UGLY: Mike MacDougal. One inning, two earned runs on two hits, a walk, and two wild pitches.

NEXT GAME: The Nats travel to Pittsburgh to face what's left of the Pirates after GM Neil Huntington's trading frenzy this week. John Lannan (7-7, 3.25) takes the hill against Ross Ohlendorf (8-8, 4.51), if he isn't traded before the deadline. Ohlendorf, not Lannan.

Also, tomorrow at 4:00 pm is the non-waiver trade deadline. Stay tuned for all the latest rumors and news.

BONUS: According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates plan to recall Lastings Milledge in time for Friday's game against the Nats. Should be a good time in the old town tonight.

SPECIAL ADDED BONUS: Representatives from Nats News Network, We've Got Heart, Nats Fanboy Looser and several other car loads of Nats fans are making the trip this weekend for the series.

NNN will have a full report for each game, unless I fall into some sort of food coma from the Primanti Bros. sandwiches!

"Just trying to get a pitch to hit and not miss it. Don't foul it off or anything, square it up and see what happens." -- Austin Kearns, on Sunday's game-winning hit, July 26, 2009.

THE RESULTS: The Washington Nationals took a pair of games from the San Diego Padres, the next-worst team in the National League, over the weekend. Saturday, the Nats exploded for a 13-1 win after another lengthy rain delay, and Sunday they rode another strong outing by John Lannan -- and late inning heroics from Kearns -- for a 3-2, 10-inning win.

Lannan was once again outstanding, going eight innings and giving up one earned run on five hits and one walk, striking out two. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning after just 81 pitches, 59 of which were strikes.

He did not factor in the decision though, as Mike MacDougal gave up a massive home run with two outs in the top of the ninth to Padres outfielder Kyle Blanks, which tied the game at two.

The Nats had just taken the lead in the bottom of the eighth, when Adam Dunn singled in Willie Harris, who had singled and took second on an error.

Kearns was inserted for defense -- for Dunn -- in the top of the ninth, but was the hitting hero instead. Nyjer Morgan led off the inning with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Harris. The Padres then walked Nick Johnson, and Ryan Zimmerman flied out for the second out.

Kearns laced the second pitch he saw from Padres reliever Greg Burke to the gap in right, plenty of hit to score Morgan from second.

In Saturday's laugher, Dunn hit a grand slam, Zimmerman added shot of his own, and the Nats pounded out 16 hits in the 13-1 win.

Starter J.D. Martin only threw two innings because of the long rain delay. Tyler Clippard (W, 1-0, 1.93) picked him up, going four one-hit shutout innings, striking out seven along the way.

Morgan went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot and Cristain Guzman added three hits to the parade.

THE TAKEAWAY: After 98 games, the Nats finally reached 30 wins for the season. They took two series this week, against the injury-depleted Mets and talent-depleted Padres. They went 4-7 for the 11-game homestand, the first 11 games of the Jim Riggleman era.

The Nats now will try to take the momentum from the weekend out on the road with them, as they embark on an eight-day, eight game road trip to Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

THE GOOD: John Lannan. You can't really describe a non-strikeout guy as dominant, but in his last three starts, against the Cubs, Mets and Padres, Lannan has been absolutely baffling hitters. In 23.2 IP, he gave up 19 hits and just two walks, striking out just five batters.

THE BAD: Anderson Hernandez. In his first start since Riggleman took over, he went 0-for-4 on Sunday.

THE UGLY: Dmitri Young. I know he's not on the roster, but he is on the 40-man -- for now. He injured a quad muscle last Sunday in Harrisburg, and an MRI revealed a tear in the muscle. He's probably out for the season.

I personally like Dmitri Young, and if he's played his last game in a Nationals uniform, I will miss him. But the sad reality is for $10 million, be gave the club 150 at bats in the last two years.

Good Luck and Good Health, Meathook.

NEXT GAME: Tonight in Milwaukee. Craig Stammen (3-5, 4.14) faces Jeff Suppan (5-7, 4.71).

"I just don't think I had great command of my off-speed today. And you go with what you have." --Ross Detwiler, July 8, 2009.

THE RESULT: On get-away day, the Washington Nationals played a lot like they just wanted to get out of dodge. They managed just five hits off Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa, committed three more errors, and fell 9-4, completing a three-game sweep in the "Mile High" city by the home-standing Rockies.

There were two big blows that really did the Nats in today.

The first was a bases loaded triple by Ryan Spilborghs that ended Ross Detwiler's afternoon in the fifth inning. Detwiler allowed consecutive singles to Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, before walking Troy Tulowitzki on four pitches. Spilborghs then laced one into the left field corner that eluded Josh Willingham.

Detwiler had his third straight forgettable outing. He lasted just four innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out only three Rockies.

The second big shot was Tulowitzki's two-run home run off Ron Villone in the sixth inning.

Washington was able to plate three in the top of the seventh, courtesy of a bases-loaded single by Anderson Hernandez that narrowly escaped the glove of second baseman Clint Barmes, and Wil Nieves' two-out sacrifice fly that followed.

THE TAKEAWAY: Ugh. The Nats really just didn't look like they had it in them today. They started with two straight hits, but Morgan was gunned down trying to advance to third. Then they didn't reach base again until Nieves' double to start the sixth -- where he was stranded.

Add two errors by Adam Dunn at first base-- the second of which led to a run -- and Nieves dropping a foul pop up...well, you get the point.

Not to be outdone, Julian Tavarez pitched the seventh and eighth and gave up another run in each of the frames.

Good thing all this was accomplished while most Nats fans were at work.

THE GOOD: Wow. Where to start? Andy Hernandez had the two RBIs. Nyjer Morgan was 3-for-4. Nieves got the runner home from third with less than two outs.

THE BAD: Ross Detwiler. Three straight bad outings. Maybe if Sunday's outing in Houston is bad, they might re-think things a little bit.

THE UGLY: Villone and Tavarez. The long-toothed ones in the bullpen have run out of gas. In July.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow from Houston at 8:05 p.m. EDT. John Lannan (6-5, 3.45) faces Russ (not Ramon) Ortiz (3-4, 4.11). Before the regularly scheduled game, the teams will complete the suspended game from earlier this season that started at Nationals Park.

"We can't slug away every single day. We're going to have to win some 3-2, 2-1 ball games and for that, we're going to need the big hits. " --Manny Acta, June 11, 2009.

THE RESULT: Ryan Zimmerman bounced a tailor-made, inning-ending double-play ball to shortstop Alex Gonzalez with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Only on this night, the Reds would err. Alberto Gonzalez made a hard slide into second, forcing the normally reliable second baseman Brandon Phillips to make a bad throw to first, and both Anderson Hernandez and Cristian Guzman scored on the play, giving the Washington Nationals a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds before 19,703 at Nationals Park.

The rally started with Willie Harris and Anderson Hernandez both slapping pinch-hit singles against Reds reliever Carlos Fisher. Danny Herrera relieved and Cristian Guzman tried to sacrifice, but Herrera (L, 0-2) made a nice play to nail Harris, the lead runner, at third.

Gonzales then singled to right, and Hernandez should have scored on that play, but either misread the ball or was deked by center fielder Willy Taveras. Regardless, the bases were loaded were Zimmerman, who got down the line just quick enough to keep from getting doubled up before the ball got away from first baseman Adam Rosales.

Joe Beimel had a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first save of the season. Closer Mike MacDougal was unavailable,as he pitched the last three days in a row.

Starter John Lannan did not have his best stuff this afternoon, but was solid. He gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks, striking out two. Julien Tavarez pitched two scoreless to get the win and raise his record to 2-3.

THE TAKEAWAY: It was another quality start for Lannan with no reward at the end of the effort. He is fifth in the National League for worst run support at 3.8 runs per game. Washington got nine hits and six walks, but left 14 runners on base.

The Nats got their leadoff hitter on base from the third inning on, but could not score until the eighth.

THE GOOD: Alberto Gonzalez. He went 1-for-3 and a walk, but more important was the take-out slide against Brandon Phillips in the eighth. Were he not hustling there, Zimmerman's RBI fielder's choice would have been an inning-ending double play.

THE BAD: Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error in the second inning allowed an unearned run to score.

THE UGLY: Austin Kearns. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and left four runners on, striking out twice. With six games in A.L. parks coming up, manager Manny Acta went on record today saying Dunn would DH, Willingham will be in left and Kearns in right.

If he doesn't show something in the next week or so with increased playing time, he might be play himself off the roster. He's hitting .206 overall, and since May 5 is hitting .162/.269/.206. That's right, SLUGGING .206. He's an automatic out.

NEXT GAME: Washington starts an interleague road trip with a jaunt down to Tampa Bay. Craig Stammen (0-2, 6.45) faces Matt Garza (4-4, 3.55).

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

"The floodgates opened up, and we couldn't stop them." --Giants manager Bruce Bochy, June 2, 2009.

THE RESULT: The Washington Nationals used a six-run eighth inning to beat the San Francisco Giants, 10-6, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process, before 17,331 at Nationals Park last night.

The Nats are now 14-36-1 on the season.

On a day where bad news ruled, the Nats ended it in grand fashion, beating up three Giants relievers in the eighth inning, pushing a six-pack of runs across the plate without the benefit of a home run.

Training 5-4 entering the eighth, the Nats got a contribution from the entire lineup to overtake the Giants.

Josh Bard started the inning with a single to center, and manager Manny Acta pinch-ran for Bard with Wil Nieves. Anderson Hernandez followed with a single, moving Nieves up to second. Alberto Gonzalez, pinch-hitting for winning pitcher Ron Villone (W, 3-0, 0.00 in 14 IP), got the run parade started, singling to center off Bobby Howry, plating Nieves and moving Hernandez to third.

Bochy lifted Howry and went to lefty Merkin Valdez. Cristain Guzman greeted him with a single, which scored Hernandez. After Nick Johnson whiffed, Ryan Zimmerman tattooed a ball to deep right field, clearing the bases.

But the Nats wouldn't stop there. After the Giants walked Adam Dunn intentionally, Bochy called on hard-throwing Justin Miller.

Elijah Dukes, making his return from the DL, doubled in Zimmerman on Miller's second pitch. Austin Kearns was given a free pass to load the bases so Miller could face Nieves. The backup catcher with one career home run took a ball to the wall that missed being a grand slam by mere feet, but it was enough to plate the Nats' sixth run of the inning; the tenth of the game.

Nats starter Craig Stammen gave up five runs--four earned--on seven hits and one walk over six innings.

THE TAKEAWAY: Very simply: RELIEF! The Nats get a much-needed win on a day that they'd just as soon forget otherwise.

They fired pitching coach Randy St. Claire earlier in the day, replacing him with Triple-A coach Steve McCatty. Soon after, the team announced that starting catcher Jesus Flores would likely miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

Insult and injury.

THE GOOD: Anderson Hernandez. He went 3-for-5 with two runs, an RBI and two stolen bases. Josh Bard went 3-for-4 with a solo home run.

THE BAD: Joel Hanrahan gave up three hits and a run in his one inning of work in the ninth.

THE UGLY: Josh Bard made a play that cost his team two runs. With two runners on, Stammen walked Aaron Rowand on a pitch in the dirt that got past Bard. He slid to his left to pick up the ball and threw a backhanded, over the shoulder toss that sailed past Stammen covering the plate.

It was so wild, a second runner scored on the same play. It was something a little leaguer would have tried.

NEXT GAME: Tonight against these same Giants. Jordan Zimmermann (2-2, 6.07) hosts Randy Johnson (4-4, 5.71). The veteran, and mortal lock for the Hall of Fame, is looking for his 300th career victory.

"They play good defense. We don't, and we lose." --Josh Bard, May 31, 2009.

THE RESULT: The Washington Nationals were not charged with any errors in the scorebook in today's 4-2 loss to Jamie Moyer and the Philadelphia Phillies. But three plays where the Nats could not perform simple defensive tasks proved the difference in a close ball game, and the 46-year old Moyer registered his 250th career victory.

Philadelphia scored their first run in the first inning against Nats starter John Lannan (L, 2-5, 4.21). With one out, Lannan gave Shane Victorino a free pass. Three pitches later, Chase Utley hit a ball to the wall in right that Adam Dunn bare-handed on the bounce, hit cut-off man Anderson Hernandez, and the second baseman fired a strike to catcher Josh Bard to nab the speedy Victorino, who was called out by home plate umpire Dana DeMuth.

Unfortunately, Bard dropped the perfect relay, and when DeMuth realized the ball was between Bard's shin protectors and not in his glove, he changed his call to "safe".

Nursing a 2-1 lead, the Phillies got men on first and third with one out in the fourth. Lannan induced the lead-footed third baseman Pedro Feliz to ground into a tailor-made, inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Alberto Gonzalez lobbed it to Hernandez to get the force at second, but Hernandez could not get the ball out of his glove to make a throw, allowing Raul Ibanez to walk home with the third Philly run.

The Phillies added an insurance run in the seventh inning against reliever Joe Beimel. The veteran lefty walked Chase Utley with two outs, and the next batter, Ryan Howard, belted a ball to straight-away center field. Austin Kearns, playing out of position in center field, took a circuitous route to the catchable ball, and at the last sort of half-heartedly threw up his glove, almost as if to protect himself.

The lumbering first baseman collected his eighth career triple by the time Kearns gathered himself and got the ball back into the infield.

Left fielder Josh Willingham had two of the Nats five hits, both solo home runs.

Lannan actually threw better than the numbers would indicate. He went five innings, and allowed four hits and four walks, giving up three earned runs and struck out seven Phillies.

THE TAKEAWAY: They call these things the "Little Things", but are they really little when they continue to add up to losses, day after day?

If any one of the three plays are made, we might be talking about a different outcome.

And it's not like a little extra infield practice is gonna make it any better. Except for Hernandez, these guys are veterans. They are what they are. Bard has made multiple mistakes in his few games. It seems like every time he starts he makes a critical mistake.

Kearns is simply not a center fielder, but nobody on this roster is. At some point, manager Manny Acta's just going to have to put Willie Harris in center and live with whatever offense he can contribute. He has to find somebody that will catch the ball in center.

Dunn's a different story. Unless he--or Willingham--are traded, everyone's just going to have to live with him kicking balls around in the outfield.

But the infield? That's correctable. Gonzalez and Hernandez both have the physical talent, they just need to prepare and concentrate. Who should be responsible for that? The players? The position coaches? The manager? Someone in that line of command has to step up.

THE GOOD: Josh Willingham. 2-for-4 with two home runs. He's finally seeing enough pitches to get into a groove. He's got his average up to .252, after being below .200 for the first month and a half of the season.

THE BAD: Middle of the order. Nick Johnson, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn were a combined 0-for-11 with one walk.

THE UGLY: The Nats have lost six in a row, 15 of 17 and 18 of 21. They are now on an even pace to tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the worst record in the major leagues since the expansion New York Mets lost 120 games in 1962.

NEXT GAME: The Nats are off until Tuesday, when they start a three-game home series with the San Francisco Giants. They will face Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson and Matt Cain, in order. Oh goody.

"[Stammen] was impressive. I think he has a chance to be around for a while. He's good." --Adam LaRoche, May 21, 2009.

THE RESULT: Making his major league debut, 25-year old rookie Craig Stammen worked quickly, efficiently and successfully into the seventh inning. Despite giving up three runs in the seventh and trailing 4-3, as he was lifted by manager Manny Acta he received a standing ovation from the 17,816 in attendance.

His teammates rallied to his cause, coming back in the eighth inning to salvage the finale of the four-game series, 5-4.

Stammen, recalled yesterday to replace Daniel Cabrera in the starting rotation, was the antithesis of the pitcher he replaced. He averaged around 11.3 pitches per inning up to the seventh. He walked just one batter in his six and one-third innings, and that wasn't until his last inning of work. He pounded the strike zone with a 92 MPH sinking fastball and induced 11 ground ball outs, opposed to just five fly ball outs.

He even mixed in three swing-and-miss strikeouts.

Stammen retired the first 12 batters he faced. He didn't allow a base runner until Adam LaRoche led of fthe fifth with a double down the right field line. LaRoche later scored on two ground ball outs.

In the seventh inning, it looked like the rookie just ran out of gas a little. He got Freddie Sanchez to hit a grounder to short for the first out, but then walked Nate McLouth. LaRoche then took him deep when he left a ball up in the strike zone. Brandon Moss followed with a double and Andy LaRoche singled Moss home.

That's when Acta went to pull his rookie, one of four now in the starting rotation.

Julian Tavarez entered and did his job, going one and two-thirds innings scoreless, allowing just one walk and no hits.

Washington got Stammen off the hook in eighth. Cristian Guzman hit a one-out single to left, took second on a Nick Johnson single to center, and scored on a Ryan Zimmerman line drive single to right. Adam Dunn followed with the Nats' fourth consecutive single plating Johnson, and the Nats took the lead into the ninth, as they have several times this season only to be rewarded with disappointment.

But that would not be the case on this night. Joel Hanrahan entered and looked like a different pitcher. He faced four batters and allowed one baserunner--a single to Moss on a slider he hung in the middle of the plate. At that point, Hanrahan put the slider in his back pocket and blew away Ramon Vazquez and pinch-hitter Delwyn Young on nothing but 96 and 97 MPH fastballs.

THE TAKEAWAY: Despite losing three-of-four to the Pirates, the Nats have to think things are looking up. The insertion of Stammen (25) and Detwiler (23) to a rotation already featuring youngsters John Lannan (24), Shairon Martis (22) and Jordan Zimmermann (23 tomorrow) is encouraging, especially since it seems that all are ready to start living up to the promise we've heard so much about.

And maybe Hanrahan finally understands that it's hard to hit a 96 MPH fastball, even for major league players.

Sandy Koufax said, "I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it."

THE GOOD: In the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Nats were rallying to take the lead, a spontaneous, unprompted "Let's Go Nats" cheer erupted in the upper deck and spread. No one, not the scoreboard, not Clint...NO ONE had to tell these Washington baseball fans when to cheer.

If you build it, they will come.

THE BAD: Anderson Hernandez left the game after grounding out in the bottom of the fourth inning. According to team trainers, he sprained his right pinky finger. According to The Times' Chatter, Anderson actually dislocated a joint and had to pull the finger back into place. Ouch.

THE UGLY: There was nothing really ugly last night. It was a perfect early summer night weather-wise, the bullpen didn't implode, every starter but Hernandez had a hit. The Nats even went a game without an error!

NEXT GAME: Tonight, the start of a three-game series with our neighbors to the north, the Baltimore Orioles. Jordan Zimmermann (2-1, 6.35) takes the hill against Rich Hill (1-0, 3.18), who is fresh off the disabled list, trying to resurrect a once-promising career.

NOTES: Zimmerman's RBI single extended his consecutive on-base streak to 39 games.

All Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

THE RESULT: The Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 with a late-inning comeback, scoring all 11 runs after the fifth inning.

Reliever Ron Villone (1-0), activated earlier in the day and who arrived at Dodger Stadium in the second inning, pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win in his first appearance for the Nats (8-18-1). He must be thinking, "What's the big deal?"

Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann gave up six runs before much of the crowd had found their seat, surrendering all six runs in the bottom of the first. But he settled down and allowed just one more hit and one more walk in the next five innings, giving his hitters a chance to get back into it.

Washington got a solo home run from Josh Willingham in the sixth, three in the seventh---highlighted by Adam Dunn's two-run double, six in the eighth and one more in the ninth.

All eight starting position players had hits, and all but Elijah Dukes had multiple hits, as the Nats pounded six Dodgers relievers for 13 hits.

Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 25 games in the win.

THE TAKEAWAY: It was coincidence that the Nats were playing the Dodgers when they latter broke the MLB record for consecutive home victories to start the season Wednesday night. It was further coincidence that they would also play the Dodgers the day they found out Manny Ramirez would be suspended 50 games for PED use.

Ramirez was suspended for the use of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a female fertility drug. HCG is popular among steroid users because it can mitigate the side effects of ending a cycle of the drugs.

All of this, combined with the daily soap opera that is this bullpen, and getting down 6-0 after the first inning? You can imagine all the TVs in the DC area shutting off after the Dodger rally in the first inning.

THE GOOD: Nick Johnson. He went 3-for-6 with two runs and three RBIs with a double. He's hitting .319/.409/.415 for the season. Anderson Hernandez went 3-for-4 in the eighth spot in the order.

THE BAD: Kip Wells. Brought into an 11-7 game, he gave up two runs on four hits in the bottom of the ninth. With the Nats, it ain't over til it's over.

THE UGLY: One of the contributing factors to the six-run first inning was a misplayed fly ball that landed between CF Dukes and RF Dunn. It doesn't go as an error, since neither player touched it, but it's plays like this that continue to doom the Nats.

Oh, and another scored error, this time on Zimmerman at third.

NEXT GAME: Tonight from Chase Field in Arizona at 9:40 p.m. EST. Shairon Martis (3-0, 4.60) faces Yusmeiro Petit (0-2, 7.84).

Yesterday, the Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin, hitting coach Rick Schu and pitching coach Bryan Price. Melvin will be replaced by A.J. Hinch, the director of the club's farm system. Hinch is a former major league catcher.

Seems like the circus follows the Nationals around, doesn't it?

Photo courtesy Getty Images.

THE RESULT: Scott Olsen threw well, the middle guys did their job, and Julian Tavarez slammed the door as the Washington Nationals salvaged the finale of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 4-1.

Olsen (1-3, 6.08) went five and two-thirds, allowing just a single run on Shane Victorino's third home run of the season. He gave up six hits and two walks, striking out six.

Garrett Mock and Kip Wells followed with one and one-third scoreless relief, and Tavarez got two groundball outs before finally striking out Victorino to end the game. It was Tavarez' first save since May 28, 2006.

Anderson Hernandez was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 18 games, longest in the majors this year and longest in the five-year history of the Nationals.

THE TAKEAWAY: Olsen was sharp for the third start in a row. He faced 24 batters, getting seven groundball outs and just three fly ball outs to go along with the six Ks. He threw 93 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Mock and Wells walked three guys between them in two and one-third, but didn't give up a hit.

THE GOOD: Anderson Hernandez. 3-for-4, two doubles, two RBIs, a stolen base and run scored. Solid.

THE BAD: Josh Willingham. He's really struggling right now. he went 1-for-4 to raise his average to .143.

THE UGLY: Anderson Hernandez. This is a rare feat, getting THE GOOD and THE UGLY in the same game, but his throwing error was the only bit of ugliness last night. Let's relish it.

NEXT GAME: Tonight, at 7:05 against the Central Division leading St. Louis Cardinals. Daniel Cabrera (0-2, 4.42) faces Mitchell Boggs (1-0, ,17), who kinda looks a little like Chad Cordero.

NOTES: Cristian Guzman returned to the lineup, hit leadoff, and went 1-for-5. Willie Harris singled in his only at bat, his first since returning from the DL.

THE RESULT: Adam Dunn homered, Shairon Martis pitched six strong innings, and Atlanta's defense vanished for a period, as the Washington Nationals (3-10) defeated the Braves for the second straight day, 4-3.

Martis (2-0, 4.11) went six innings, allowing three runs--two earned--on six hits and four walks, striking out two. He had a rough first inning, walking two with two outs, then surrendered an RBI-double to Casey Kotchman and had another run score on an Alberto Gonzalez throwing error. But he settled down after that and did not allow another run.

Jesus Flores delivered an RBI double, narrowly missing a home run, in the second inning. The Nats' big inning, though, was the sixth. Dunn homered to lead off, his fourth of the season. Elijah Dukes reached on a Chipper Jones error and scored on a line drive by Austin Kearns that originally--and probably correctly--ruled and error on left fielder Matt Diaz.

Kearns later scored on Josh Willingham's pinch-hit single to cap the scoring.

The bullpen got the job done tonight, but not without some effort. Mike Hinckley gave up two hits in 1.2 IP, Julian Tavarez retired the only batter he faced, and Joel Hanrahan retired three straight after putting men on second and third with no outs.

THE TAKEAWAY: Good work by the Nats tonight getting the job done, but there's still a lot of work to do. Gonzalez has been fairly brutal at short and continued to struggle tonight. The Nats gave away two outs on the bases, with Dukes getting thrown out trying to steal third with no outs, and Gonzalez was thrown out at home on a contact play.

THE GOOD: Shairon Martis. For the second night in a row, a rookie pitcher bore down and got the win.

THE BAD: Anderson Hernandez. 1-for-5, strikeout, three men left on out of the leadoff spot.

THE UGLY: The weather. The Nats are losing half a homestand to the rain. Another small crowd tonight, populated with plenty of Braves fans.

NEXT GAME: Washington goes for the sweep tomorrow, 7:05 from Nationals Park. John Lannan (0-2, 6.46) faces Jair Jurrjens (2-1, 2.04).

NOTES: Joe Beimel was placed on the 15-day DL after he injured his hip making a great defensive play in last night's game. He was replaced by Saul Rivera, who originally was sent down in the big move the other day.

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Second baseman Anderson Hernandez and first baseman Dmitri Young were officially placed on the 15-day disabled list today, according to a Nationals press release issued this morning.

Hernandez is retroactive to March 27 and Young retroactive to April 1, so the earliest they could appear in uniform for Washington would be April 11 and 17, respectively.

Hernandez injured his left hamstring trying to beat out an infield single earlier in spring training, while Young has been battling back problems all spring, though he appeared earlier this week with the team and hit a home run.

Young will stay in Florida for extended spring training to get in better shape and get his timing down after missing several weeks.

With this news, it all but ensures a roster spot for Alberto Gonzalez for opening day, as he would back up both Ronnie Belliard at second base and Cristian Guzman at shortstop.

Young's exclusion from the opening day roster was all but a conclusion, but it was up to the team to determine what to do with the 2007 Comeback Player of the Year. Elevating him to the 40-man roster when they released Wily Mo Pena allows Young the flexibility--and dignity--of starting the season on the Major League DL and in extended spring training rather than shuffling off to Syracuse and the triple-A disabled list.