RESULT: Nats beat Marlins 9-4, eliminate Florida from the playoffs.

GOOD: Shairon Martis! First major league win, hopefully of many. 5.1 IP, 3 ERs, 5 hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. And a cream pie in the face for dessert. The Attorney General! Alberto Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. The Man with Two Last Names! Anderson Hernandez went 2-for-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs from the lead-off spot. Lastings! 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs! ZIM!!! 2-for-5, Homer (#14) and 2 RBIs.

BAD: Not much. Hanrahan gave up a solo tater closing things up. Other than that, a good all-around win.

UGLY: Paul LoDuca got a pinch-hit at bast in the 7th and was roundly booed by the sparce crowd before the at bats, and after he singled. Grudges make good baseball fans!

NEXT GAME: Tonight, Game Two of the three-game series. Tim Redding looks for his eleventh win against Josh Johnson (6-1) for Florida.

by Anthony Amobi and Dave Nichols

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the 2008 season comes to a close, teams in the second division such as the Washington Nationals have nothing to play for but pride and the chance to see youngsters and role players compete for jobs next year. Last night, rookie Shairon Martis – who at 21 years old is youngest of the young on the squad – earned his first Major League victory as the Nats officially knocked Florida out of playoff contention, defeating the Marlins 9-4.

Martis (W, 1-3, 5.89) was good, but not particularly spectacular, as he went five and one-third innings and gave up three runs – all earned – on five hits. He struck out five and walked two. Meanwhile, his opponent on the mound, Scott Olsen (L, 8-11, 4.23), took the loss as he went five innings and gave up four runs – three earned – on eight hits, while striking out two and walking one. Martis' teammates came in huge for him, as Ryan Zimmerman belted his team-leading fourteenth home run, SS Alberto Gonzalez had four hits, three runs and two RBIs, and Lastings Milledge went 3-for4 with three runs driven in.

Florida took a 1-0 early lead in the very first inning as Mike Jacobs plated Hanley Ramirez with a two-out single. In the bottom of the frame, the Nats would come right back, as 2B Anderson Hernandez (2-for-5, two runs, two RBIs) reached base with a single before Zimmerman slammed a two run home run to deep left field off of Olsen and Washington took the lead, 2-1.

The Marlins tied the game at two in the top of the second inning as Josh Willingham took Martis deep with his thirteenth home run of the season. Undaunted on this evening, Washington would regain in the lead in the bottom of the third inning as Lastings Milledge hit a sacrifice fly that plated Alberto Gonzales – who had singled to start the frame and advanced to third – for a 3-2 lead.

In the fifth inning, Washington would take a 4-2 lead as Alberto Gonzalez hit a one-out double and advanced to third on Zimmerman's single. Milledge knocked in Gonzalez with a sacrifice; however, the inning would come to end and the Nationals failed to do any more damage as OF Elijah Dukes grounded out and Aaron Boone struck out looking.

Florida added another run to come with one of tying in the sixth inning as Martis walked Jorge Cantu and Mike Jacobs in succession. Manager Manny Acta decided at that point to lift Martis and hand things off to the bullpen. Dan Uggla singled off Stephen Shell to plate Cantu, but Shell induced a ground ball double-play ball from Josh Willingham to quash the rally and finish the frame.

Washington added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Walks to Willie Harris and pinch-hitter Pete Orr were sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt by Wil Nieves, and Hernandez ripped his third hit of the night off Marlins’ reliever Jesus Delgado to center to put the Nationals up, 5-3.

The Marlins became unglued in the eighth inning and Washington took the opportunity to rip them for four more additional runs late in the game. Willie Harris again walked to lead off the inning, and advanced to second off a Nieves sacrifice bunt. Reliever Eulogio De La Cruz walked pinch hitter Roger Bernadina and then he and Harris executed a double-steal without a throw. Hernandez came through again and plated both Harris and Bernadina with a single to center to put the Nationals up, 7-3.

After Hernandez advanced to second off a wild pitch by De La Cruz, Gonzalez drove him in with a single to center. Minutes later, Lastings Milledge capped off the inning by singling up the middle to score Gonzalez – who had advanced to third off a passed ball by catcher Jeff Baker – putting Washington’s ninth and final run on the scoreboard.

Cody Ross homered off Joel Hanrahan in the ninth inning to score Florida’s fourth run, but by then, the game was more than over.

With only five games left in the season – including the final two games in the inaugural season of Washington's Nationals Park– the Nats are eagerly trying to avoid the 100-loss plateau, the ultimate mark of a disastrous season. They need to win four of their last five to do the trick, but at least got started on the quest last night.

A scant crowd of 20,657 came out to Nationals Park on a autumn evening and left home happy, but not fulfilled in any sense of the imagination considering how long the season has truly been for even the most loyal and ardent fan.

Tonight's game is at 7:10 pm, game two of the three-game series with the Marlins. Tim Redding (10-10, 4.67) hosts Josh Johnson (6-1, 3.65).

Stock Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008.

Washington -- Washington National rookie starter John Lannan has pitched in his share of bad luck this season, considering that he has been one of the better pitchers for a team that is last in most batting statistics. But Monday night, facing a team that currently leads the N.L. East, Lannan took matters into his own hands, allowing only one hit and one earned run over seven innings, and the beleaguered Nationals bullpen suffered no repeat of Sunday's collapse, holding on for the 7-2 victory over the New York Mets before 21,759 patrons at Nationals Park.

Lannan (W, 9-13, 3.97) had struggled a little bit of late, but was sharp from the very beginning on this beautiful evening for baseball. The game time temperature was 77, and dipped to the low 70s with a light breeze by the middle innings. By that point, Lannan was well in control of the game. He scattered three walks, and struck out seven, including all-star 3B David Wright and the resurgent 1B Carlos Delgado twice each. Lannan has three 1-2-3 innings, including the sixth and seventh, showing his team that he does indeed have the strength to pitch deep into a meaningful game. He threw 59 of his 97 pitches for strikes, and left after the seventh to a standing ovation from the Nats faithful.

Offensively, Washington was paced by 2B Anderson Hernandez' two-run double in the sixth inning and Elijah Dukes' three-run shot in the eighth, his twelfth of the season. Ryan Zimmerman and Aaron Boone both drove in runs, Lastings Milledge went 3-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base, and all-star SS Cristian Guzman added two more hits.

The defense even chipped in with an outstanding diving catch by Willie Harris in left field, robbing OF Fernando Tatis of a hit, and two double plays, none bigger than in the top of the eighth, as Michael Hinckley, who has yet to surrender a run in seven and two-thirds innings since his call-up, got Wright to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to quash any chance of a Mets comeback.

But John Lannan's progression from draft pick to prospect to rotation mainstay was the story of the night. His development remains one of the main topics of what otherwise has been mostly a season of disappointment for the Washington Nationals and their fans as they challenge for the worst record in the major leagues.

The four-game series continues Tuesday night, as Odalis Perez (6-10, 4.48) and the Nats try to play spoiler against Mike Pelfrey (13-9, 3.77) and the Mets, who find themselves perilously close to another late-season division lead collapse.

NATS NOTES: The win puts the Nats record at 57-93. Washington is 26.5 games behind the Mets in the division, who now are only one-half game ahead of suddenly red-hot Philadelphia. The Nats are one-half game "ahead" of both Seattle and San Diego for the worst record in baseball.

QUEENS -- The New York Mets are in a tightly contested battle for first place in the N.L. East with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the loser will probably miss out on the post-season. The Washington Nationals are in a close battle of their own for the worst record in baseball. With last night's 10-8 victory by the Mets, one team inched closer to their goal; the other fell closer to ignominy.

Taken at face value, Tuesday night's game could be seen as a microcosm of the season for the Nats: some good things, some very bad, some fight and ultimately, disappointment. The Mets rode a fourteen-hit attack, including four home runs, to out-muscle their division brethren. And while the Nats had eight runs and twelve base hits of their own, only two were of the extra-base variety, and they could not scrape enough together to pull even in the end.

Neither starter was sharp for their teams and both had left the game by the fourth inning. Nats starter John Lannan allowed five earned runs on eight hits -- including two home runs -- and one walk, striking out only two. His ERA for the season rose to 4.09, the first time it's been over four runs per game since April 17, his third game of the season against these same Mets. His counterpart, Oliver Perez, was worse. In three and one-third innings, he surrendered seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out only three. But a parade of relief pitchers held the Nats mostly in check, culminating with former National Luis Ayala shutting the door on any comeback attempt, as he recorded a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to secure his sixth save in seven tries since being acquired by the Mets for 2B Anderson Hernandez in a waiver trade in mid-August.

Ayala has been nearly perfect for the Mets. Including Tuesday night's save, he has allowed earned runs in just two of his eleven appearances for the Mets, earning a victory and six saves. In eleven innings, he has given up ten hits and just one walk, striking out eight, including Elijah Dukes looking in the ninth inning. The Mets learned on Monday that their all-star closer, Billy Wagner, will be shelved the remainder of this season and most of 2009 due to ligament replacement surgery on his left (pitching) elbow. So Ayala will continue to perform in the job for a contender that he was passed over for -- twice -- by a cellar-dweller.

Carlos Delgado, left for dead earlier in the season, has been carrying the Mets offensively most of the late summer, and he did it again last night. Delgado finished 3-for-3, with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored. It was his fourth multi-homer game in his past thirteen games. After the second homer, many of the 50,382 chanted "MVP, MVP" as Delgado circled the bases. For the season, the Mets 1B has accumulated 35 home runs and 103 RBIs.

"It's great to be able to contribute," Delgado said. "It's great to be able to help the team. I think we've got a great club. It's a great race. It's awesome."

Ryan Church contributed his twelfth home run, a two-run shot, and Carlos Beltran added a solo shot directly ahead of Delgado's second home run of the evening in the sixth inning against Nats reliever Charlie Manning (L, 1-3, 5.20).
Washington received their offense from familiar--and not so familiar--sources. Cristian Guzman continued his terrific 2008 campaign, going 2-for-5 with his seventh home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Second baseman Hernandez, trying to punish the Mets for trading him, went 2-for-5 as well, driving in three and scoring two from the lead-off spot.

But all things being equal, the Mets were perfectly happy having Ayala to close out this victory as they take a two and one-half game lead over the Phillies for the right to represent the N.L. East in the playoffs. And the Nats have to take solace in a young player having a good game in defeat, in another lost season.

Wednesday's game features Odalis Perez (6-10, 4.19) and Mike Pelfrey (13-9, .62) on the hill.

Game time is 7:10 pm from Shea Stadium.

NATS NOTES: The Nationals fall to 56-89 with seventeen games to play and are 25.5 games behind the Mets in the N.L. East. After play Tuesday night, Washington is tied with San Diego for the worst record in the Major Leagues with a .386 winning percentage. Seattle is two games ahead of both in the loss column, having played two fewer games.

3B Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-5 with an RBI to raise his season average to .286. RP Michael Hinckley, called up when rosters expanded, threw another shutout inning and has not allowed a run in five appearances since his recall, covering five and one-third innings.

RESULT: Nats lost to Mets 10-8.

GOOD: Anderson Hernandez. Trying to make the Mets regret trading him, Hernandez went 2-for-5 in the lead-off spot with 3 RBIs. Guz went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs. He's back up to .311. Zim continues to hit, going 3-for-5 with a ribbie. Zim's up to .286.

BAD: John Lannan. 3 IP, 5 ERs on 8 hits and a walk. Location, location, location. He couldn't hit his spots, and aiming them over resulted in a plethora of hard hits, including 2 of the Mets four homers on the night.

UGLY: Bullpen. Estrada gave up two earned in one-third of an inning. Manning gave up two solo shots in two-thirds. Bergmann gave up one earned in one inning. Not very good.

NEXT GAME: Wednesday at 7:10 pm from Shea Stadium. Odalis Perez (6-10) versus Mike Pelfrey (13-9).

Philadelphia -- For one game, at least, the breaks fell to the Washington Nationals. It was the Philadelphia Phillies reliever that surrendered an eighth inning lead. It was the Phillies shortstop that could not handle a ground ball, allowing a go-ahead run to score. It was the Phillies second baseman that threw a ball away to lose a double play. It was the Phillies first baseman who struck out three times and left four runners on base. And it was the Phillies starting pitcher that allowed one earned run over six and two-thirds innings, only to be victimized by a lack of run support.

Granted, the Nats did a bunch of similar things that kept this game close as well, but on this night they made fewer mistakes than the competition and quietly got back into the win column.

The winning runs scored in the top of the eighth against Phillies reliever Ryan Madson (L, 3-2). Ryan Zimmerman led off with an infield single and Lastings Milledge singled to right field. 1B Ronnie Belliard put down a perfect sacrifice moving both runners up. Nats RBI leader Jesus Flores dumped a ball into shallow center field scoring Zimmerman, and slumping Austin Kearns muscled a ball up the middle for an RBI single, plating Milledge with what turned out to be the winning run. Manager Manny Acta called on closer Joel Hanrahan in the bottom of the eighth, and Hanrahan did his job, pitching two shutout innings to nail down his fourth save of the year.

"It's a big weight off our shoulders," Hanrahan said. "We knew people were writing about it everywhere. Now we want to win a couple more."

Things should not have been that close though. Reliever Saul Rivera had an atypical poor outing in the seventh, giving up two earned runs on three hits, including light-hitting catcher Carlos Ruiz' third home run of the season. The other run came courtesy of Ryan Zimmerman's two base throwing error (sixth of the season) on a Shane Victorino nubber and ground-out RBI by pinch-hitter extraordinaire Greg Dobbs. Rivera (4-5) was credited with his fifth blown save of the season, but was awarded the win as he was the pitcher of record when the Nats took the lead in the eighth inning after he had departed.

The game was scoreless through five innings, as veterans Tim Redding and Jamie Moyer matched each other pitch-for-pitch. Neither hurler factored in the decision, but both took advantage of slumping offenses to keep their respective teams in the game. Redding finished six innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk, striking out five. He gave up a run in the sixth when OF Jayson Werth double to deep right field, and all-star 2B Chase Utley drove him in with a single up the middle.

Moyer was just as good, going six and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and three walks while striking out four Nationals. He was, however, victimized by his defense. Nats 2B Anderson Hernandez and SS Christian Guzman started the sixth inning off with back-to-back singles. After Zimmerman struck out, Milledge hit a would-be double play grounder to third, but Guzman made a hard "take-out" slide into second, and on the turn Utley fired the ball down the first base line, drawing 1B Ryan Howard off the bag for an error. Hernandez scored without a throw for an unearned run. In the top of the seventh with one out, Moyer walked Kearns and gave up a single to Willie Harris. After pinch-hitter Aaron Boone popped out to Howard, Hernandez pushed a ball up the middle that Jimmy Rollins got his glove on, but then lost in the transfer from glove to throwing hand. It was officially scored a hit, but the Phillies faithful scored the play an error and rained boos down on 2007's N.L. MVP, who is also in the midst of a 3-for-33 slump at the plate.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. After twelve straight losses, the Nats were perfectly happy that the boos were coming from the other side of the field last night.

Washington faces the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field for the first of a three-game series this afternoon at 2:20 pm. John Lannan (6-12, 3.81) takes the mound for the Nats against Jason Marquis (8-7, 4.67) for the first place Cubbies, who own the best record in baseball.

NATS NOTES: The win raises the Nats record to 45-83. They trail the New York Mets by 26 games in the N.L. East.

SS Cristian Guzman made his first start after missing six games with an injury to his left thumb.

RESULT: Nats beat the Phillies, 4-3. They stop the losing streak at 12.

GOOD: Tim Redding. 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 1 BB, 5 Ks. Joel Hanrahan. 2 IP, o runs, 2 hits 1 BB, 2 Ks. Anderson Hernandez played second, went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Guz went 2-for-5. Zim went 2-for-5. Kearns bounced one up the middle for an RBI.

BAD: Saul Rivera. He was awarded the win, but was the least effective pitcher of the night for the Nats. He gave up two earned runs on three hits and a walk -- surrendering Carlos Ruiz' third homer of the year -- in his lone inning pitched.

Zim threw one down the line in the seventh allowing Shane Victorino to go from first to third, and scored on a ground out by Greg Dobbs before the Ruiz homer.

UGLY: Philly Phans. They booed Howard when he struck out. They booed Rollins when he ranged for a ball but couldn't come up with a throw. They said something nasty to Willie Harris in the left field corner after catching a fly ball by Pat Burrell.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow afternoon at 2:20 pm at Wrigley. John Lannan (6-12, 3.81) takes the hill against Jason Marquis (8-7, 4.67).

RESULT: Nats lose to Philies 4-0, loss number 12 in a row, shutout for the league-leading 19th time this season.

GOOD: Ronnie Belliard. He went 2-for-4. New bullpen fodder Marco Estrada pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and get this: NO WALKS! Keep it up, kid! EMILIO! 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Anderson Hernandez, making his first appearance as a National, went 3-for-4 hitting in the 8 hole.

BAD: No power! Nine hits, but only one extra base hit. Hard to go score when you need to string three singles together in one inning.

UGLY: Austin Kearns is almost an automatic out these days. Since his season high batting average mark of .231 (!) on August 5, he's gone 6-for-47 with one home run and 3 RBIs (both on that HR). His season numbers: 302 ABs, .215/.306/.305 with 6 HRs and 30 RBIs.

NEXT GAME: Another one today against the Phils. Tim Redding (8-8, 4.66) faces ageless Jamie Moyer (11-7, 3.64) at 7:05 pm from Citizen's Bank Park.

After some confusion with the press releases this morning from the team, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports:

"The Nationals traded right-handed relief pitcher Luis Ayala to the Mets on Sunday morning for a player to be named later, but that player is expected to be infielder Anderson Hernandez.

Ayala requested the trade weeks ago because he wanted a change of scenery. He was going through a divorce and had other off-field problems.

Ayala has struggled this season, compiling a 1-8 record with a 5.77 ERA in 62 appearances.

Hernandez will join the Nationals on Tuesday against the Phillies. He will be a backup infielder for the remainder of the season."

At least the man with two last names is healthy and a legitimate shortstop, instead of having to run Ronnie Belliard and Pete Orr out there.

Ayala leaves the Nats/Expos organization after five major league seasons. His career record is 37-32 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. This year has been his worst as a pro though, going 1-8 , 5.77, 1.47 and his struggles recently have been worse than that. He's given up six earned runs over 6.1 inning in his last six appearances. He was once considered one of the best set-up men in baseball, but Tommy John surgery after his injury in 2006's World Baseball Classic has reduced his capacity and he has not been the same pitcher since.

Hernandez used to be a pretty decent prospect in the Mets organization, however, the luster has really fallen off of his star. He's hit over .300 several times in his seven-year minor league career, but this season is undoubtedly his worst. With Triple-A New Orleans, he's batting .201/.264/.306 with 5 HRs, 35 RBIs and 11 SB (with 7 CSs) in 441 at bats. Some of that can be attributed to the Mets yanking the starting 2B job from him last year in the Luis Castillo trade, but he's not made any reason for the Mets to regret their decision, despite Castillo's deflating numbers.

Anderson has not made an appearance for the Mets this season. He has a lifetime .139 average in 87 major league at bats.