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.

Craig Stammen has filled a lot of roles for the Washington Nationals over the last couple of years.  Rarely has offensive catalyst been in his job description though.  But last night he not only earned the win in relief pitching 1 1/3 hitless innings, he also started the winning tally with a one-out single in the seventh and came around to score on a Ryan Zimmerman base hit, giving the Nats a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish, defeating the New York Mets for the second straight night.

The win is the Nats fourth in their last five games and raises their record to 69-77, matching their win total from last season with 15 games remaining, and pulls them to within one of the third place Mets.

Stammen was called on by manager Davey Johnson in the bottom of the sixth after lefty Doug Slaten put the first two batters of the inning in a tie game on base via five pitch walk and 2-2 hit by pitch.  Stammen pitched out of the jam by striking out 1B Nick Evans, getting a soft ground ball from C Josh Thole and coaxing a pop out to short from pinch-hitter Mike Baxter.

In the top of the seventh, with one out and none on, Johnson let Stammen bat for himself and he hit a grounder that deflected off Evans' glove and went into right field for a single.  He took second on an Ian Desmond single, and after a fielder's choice erased Desmond at second, Stammen carried the tie-breaking run in on Zimmerman's ground ball single through the left side of the infield.

The right-hander walked Jose Reyes to lead off the bottom of the inning, but got the next batter to pop up his bunt attempt.  At that point, Johnson started a parade of relievers than included Atahualpa Severino, Todd Coffey and Sean Burnett, all of whom did their jobs and earned holds.  Drew Storen allowed a pair of two-out singles in the ninth, but struck out Lucas Duda on three sliders, each more wicked than the previous, to seal the victory and earn his 36th save of the season.

The Nationals picked up their other two runs in the top of the sixth on RBI doubles by Rick Ankiel and Michael Morse.

Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang had an interesting evening, allowing nine hits in his five innings of work, but just two runs.  He struck out four and did not walk a batter.  Wang would have fared even better, but RF Jayson Werth misplayed a base hit into two runs in the fifth inning, as he was over-aggressive trying to set up for a throw home and simply didn't handle the ball.

The Nats overcame the miscue though and inched ever closer to catching the Mets for third place in the division, a feat that has not been accomplished by this franchise since the move in 2005.  It's not a particularly lofty goal, but you gotta start somewhere, and you get the feeling that everyone involved in the organization would really like to get over that hump and show the rest of the baseball world that they are, indeed, making progress.

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THE GOOD:  Ian Desmond picked up two more hits out of the leadoff spot.  He's had four multi-hit games in his last ten.

THE BAD:  Werth's play in right.  It was an innocent enough base hit that he just rushed to get set up on.  Instead of making a throw to try to prevent one run, he ended up allowing two.

THE UGLY:  Wilson Ramos had a rough night, going 0-for-4, grounding out to short three times.

THE STATS:  11 hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks.  2-for-6 w/RISP, 9 LOB, 1 GIDP. E: Werth (7).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday against the Mets at 7:10 pm.  Brad Peacock makes his first MLB start (0-0, 6.75) against Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 4.66).

NATS NOTES:  Ankiel nabbed Thole at home with a tremendous throw from center field in the bottom of the fifth in a scoreless game.  It was Ankiel's ninth outfield assist of the season.

"We didn't actually pound the ball that hard. But, we'll take it." Davey Johnson on last night's win.

As has been the case all season, the Washington Nationals just couldn't get enough runners on base.  The few times someone reached, no one could drive them in.

But a late substitution for the Houston Astros at third base threw away a ball he had no chance to get an out on, and the Nats ended up in the win column more by fortune and perseverance than excellence.

With runners on first and second in the 11th inning, Jayson Werth hit a sharp ground ball to third baseman Jimmy Paredes, who was inserted as a pinch-runner in the top of the frame. Manager Davey Johnson described the play and what he was thinking.  "I was just rooting for a bad hop. Somehow [Paredes] got a glove on it. I said 'I don't think he can get two'. When he fell down, I said 'He can't get one.' Then he was nice enough to throw it away."

The resultant 4-3 victory was no less sweet to any of the players or fans, but Johnson still had the look he's worn most of the season after the game.  It's one of frustration, that the collection of offensive players on this team aren't making the adjustments to cut down on the strikeouts (the Nats are second worst in the N.L.), move the runners over, get the big hit at the right time.

Or maybe it's not that they aren't making the adjustments.  Maybe it's becoming a realization that some of the players on the roster can't do it.  All season long, from former manager Jim Riggleman to Johnson to GM Mike Rizzo, the mantra from the executives of this franchise has been, "They'll eventually hit," or "They'll have their numbers at the end of the year."

Well, maybe they are the players their numbers say they are.

Other than Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, there's not another regular hitting above .260.  Jayson Werth's struggles, the year after signing a seven-year, $126 million contract, are well documented.  Danny Espinosa -- a one-time Rookie of the Year candidate -- is hitting .206/.285/.311 with three home runs and eight RBIs since the All-Star break.  The list, unfortunately, goes on right through the roster. There's not a player on the bench with more than 40 plate appearances with a batting average over .246.

The team as a whole is 14th in batting average, 13th in OBP and 11th in slugging in the National League. 

Johnson's a man that puts his emotions up front.  There's no confusion about how he feels on any given topic.  Last night, he expressed his exasperation about the offense.

"I have trouble sleeping at night thinking about it. It just makes it tougher on the pitching staff, tougher on the defense," Johnson said. "I usually don't talk a lot of hitting during the season. I'm starting to open up and talk about what I'm seeing with the hitters. I usually do that in the spring. That's a spring job - talking about what I'm seeing, and what I'd like to see us accomplish and do, from each individual.  A lot of guys are trying to establish themselves.  Our veteran key guys have been out most of the year.  The offense is going to struggle. But there's no give-up in it. That's the good thing."

"I know the talent's there," Johnson reiterated.  "But we just haven't put it all together."

The bright spot, other than Ryan Zimmerman's two-run home run in the first inning, was rookie starter Tommy Milone, making his second start of the season for the big club.  The 24-year old lefty worked in and out of trouble, going 5 2/3 innings.  He gave up three earned runs on eight hits but did not walk a batter, and struck out three.  He put multiple runners on in the third fourth and fifth innings, but only two runs.

In the sixth inning though, after a double and two-out single pushed across the third run, Johnson had seen enough.  "He pitched out of a couple of tough jams.  Everything about me wanted to leave him in there and finish that inning and hopefully get him a win."  But the manager summoned recently-recalled Craig Stammen, who got Humberto Quintero on a comebacker with his first pitch.

Johnson was effusive in his praise for Milone after the game.  "I love to see young pitchers use both sides of the plate, keep them from just sitting and looking out there.  That's nice. I like it. I like everything about him."

Milone, like all the other Nationals starters before him this season, could just use a few more runs to work with.

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THE GOOD:  The bullpen.  Stammen, Hot Rod, Storen and Clippard (W, 3-0, 1.96) went 5 1/3 shutout innings, giving up just two hits and no walks in the process with seven strikeouts.  Storen's performance was encouraging, striking out two, after his meltdown in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers.

THE BAD:  Danny Espinosa.  Another 0-fer and another strikeout.  He has 145 for the season in 140 games.

THE UGLY:  Steve Lombardozzi.  It's a little tough on the September call-up, but he went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot and is hitless in 10 plate appearances with one walk since his activation. 

Playing shortstop last night, he made one nice backhanded stab for an out.  But also had a fieldable ball get past him after a dive to his left that Ian Desmond probably doesn't have to leave his feet for.  I don't know if Lombo is cut out to play short in the Majors, but that's what September is for.

THE STATS:  Six hits, five walks, seven strikeouts.  2-for-5 w/RISP, six LOB, no GIDPs.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday at 7:10 pm against the Astros.  John Lannan (9-11, 3.48) faces Wandy Rodriguez (10-10, 3.47).

LHP Tom Milone made his MLB debut on Saturday, September 3 and became a superstar by second inning. He earned his first MLB strikeout from Angel Pagan in the top of the second and hit a three-run homer off of the very first pitch he saw in the big leagues! Milone received a standing ovation from the crowd of 34,821 at Nats Park, including some awestruck New York Mets fans.

Milone hit Syracuse teammates Marrero and Flores home in first MLB at bat

St. Louis Cardinals Adam Wainwright was the last pitcher to hit a home run on the first pitch in the Major Leagues on May 24, 2006.

Pretty impressive indeed. Milone would only go 4.1 innings after 74 pitches/51 strikes giving up six hits, four runs and no walks while striking out two. Milone received his second standing ovation when Davey Johnson lifted him from the game.

Tom Milone's First MLB Pitch

The Nationals were up 5-0 after Milone's home run, however, the Mets got on the board in the fourth with a Pagan RBI single and Nick Evan's two-run blast to bring the Nats to only a one run lead.

Roger ("The Shark") Bernadina hit a solo homer in fifth inning, but Jason Bay hit a two-run homer in the sixth to tie the game at six. Ivan ("Pudge") Rodriguez pinch it in the sixth inning and as soon as his name was announced, fans were on their feet. It was the first time Pudge had played for Nats since going on the disable list on July 7. 

Mets took the lead in the seventh with a go ahead run scored by Willie Harris on a Lucas Duda sacrifice bunt.

Washington Nationals fans know better than to leave a ballgame early this season. And for good reason.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Jesus Flores singled to start the offense and Brian Bixler replaced him as pinch runner. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Burnett and walked. Ian Desmond  successfully advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Mets pitcher Bobby Parnell intentionally walks Roger Bernadina to make it a force play situation, however, this lead to bringing up Ryan Zimmerman to the plate with bases loaded.  Mr. Walk-off.

The crowd were on their feet cheering and it was another one of those electrifying moments. Zimmerman's bat broke and the ball dropped in short right field out of the reach of Duda. Bixler and Gomes scored for the 8-7 victory over the Mets.

Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off broken bat single

Duda couldn't get to the Zim single

Fans on their feet as Bixler is about to score to tie game

Jonny Gomes scoring winning run

Nats celebrate with Gomes

Nats attack Ryan Zimmerman at first base after walk-off single

It was a memorable night for everyone in NatsTown.

Notes: Prior to the game, the Nats had their first ever photo day where fans had the opportunity to get photos of or with their favorite players and coaches. Click here to see photos.

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).

Detwiler delivers in 2-1 loss to the Reds. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Last night, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Ross Detwiler matched his career high in number of pitches in a game with 103.  In either a strange twist of fate, or a simple coincidence depending on your point of view, the result in both starts was a one-run loss to the Cincinnati Reds.  In this case, it was a 2-1 final that was in doubt until the last pitch of the game.

On June 9, 2009, Detwiler dropped a 3-2 decision to the Reds.  Like last night, he went six innings in the affair.  Like last night, his offense helped him very little, managing just two runs on six hits.  And in the strangest coincidence of all, just like in last night's loss, the Reds starter (and winner) was Johnny Cueto and Francisco Cordero earned the save.

Cue the Twilight Zone theme.

Last night, Detwiler (L, 1-3, 2.87) pitched much better than he did that night in June of '09.  He limited the Reds to one run -- a solo home run to Joey Votto, his 20th of the year.  Detwiler gave up seven hits and two walks in his six innings, striking out a season-high seven.  It was his most competent start all season, and manager Davey Johnson was happy with the performance.

"I thought he pitched a good ballgame" Johnson said.  "I wanted him to go further than five [innings], I wanted to stretch him out a little bit.  He did a good job.  He got out of the leadoff hitter getting on in the sixth... I was pleased with the way he pitched."

It's just too bad that the Nats offense, which got Chien-Ming Wang off the hook Tuesday night after a rough first inning, decided to take last night off against Reds starter Cueto.

Cueto (W, 9-5, 1.89) was masterful, using a funky delivery where he would turn his back to the batter during his wind-up, much like Cuban hurler Luis Tiant did in the 1970s.  Cueto generated a lot of weak ground balls off the Nationals bats, and took a shutout into the ninth inning.  Ryan Zimmerman ended that bid -- and Cueto's night -- with a leadoff solo home run to the seats in the Red Porch.

The Nats tried to rally against Reds closer Francisco Cordero and had the fiery reliever in trouble, loading the bases with one out courtesy of a Jayson Werth walk, single by Danny Espinosa, and an error by shortstop Paul Janish on Jonny Gomes ground ball.  But rookie catcher Wilson Ramos swung at Corderos' first offering, a 90-MPH slider off the plate, and grounded into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Wilson Ramos chases a slider, grounds into double play. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Cueto's final line was stellar: in eight innings he allowed one earned run on six hits and no walks, striking out five.  The Zimmerman home run was the only blemish of the evening.

On this night, like that night two-plus years ago, Detwiler deserved a better fate.  But the 25-year old lefty's performance meant more than a win down the stretch for a team trying to finish the season by reaching the elusive .500 mark.  He's battling for a place in next season's rotation, and the year after that, and the year after that.

Detwiler knows that the Nats have prospects in the minors, and more coming as the result of Monday's signing day.  This is his opportunity to finally live up the billing of being the No. 6 overall selection in the 2007 draft.  He took care of what he could control last night.  Maybe next time out his offense can get him some runs.

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THE GOOD:  Detwiler.  He showed good stuff, recording seven Ks in his six innings.

THE BAD:  Sean Burnett.  He was awful, allowing two hits (both to lefties) and a walk in a third of an inning.

THE UGLY:  Ramos' double play.  Cordero was shaky in the ninth inning, issuing a walk to Werth and getting visibly upset at Janish's error.  Ramos swung at a bad pitch and did the Reds a favor. It's one thing to be aggressive in that situation, but you have to be smart aggressive, not go up flailing at the first pitch you see.

THE STATS:  Seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts.  0-for-8 w/RISP, seven LOB, one GIDP.  No errors, one DP.

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 7:05 pm against the Reds.  Jordan Zimmermann (7-10, 3.23) hosts Bronson Arroyo (7-9, 5.31)

All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network

MORSE, ZIMMERMAN HOMER TO PACE NATS ATTACK

The Washington Nationals offense has struggled all season long to provide enough support for their pitching.  Last night though the Nats put up six runs against Cincinnati Reds starter Mike Leake through five innings and held on to defeat the Reds 6-4, before 23,888 satisfied customers at Nats Park.

The win lifts the Nats record to 58-62, four games below .500 and just a half game behind the New York Mets for third place in the N.L. East.

Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang spotted the Reds two runs in the first, but the Nationals answered with three of their own in the bottom of the frame and never again trailed in the game, tacking on single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to give Wang some breathing room.

Michael Morse (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Ryan Zimmerman (2-for-4, 2 runs) both hit solo home runs to power the Nats.  Morse's homer was a blast to right center field, and Zimmerman's was a bomb down the left field line that ended up three rows form hitting the concourse.

According to manager Davey Johnson after the game, Zimmerman called his shot in the dugout prior to the at bat.

"Actually, he called that in the dugout," Johnson said with a straight face.  "None of us believed him. He said he was gonna hit a bomb. And he went up there and...I guess the guy was pitching him fastballs in early in the count, and he said 'when he comes in there I'm gonna hit it out of the ball park.' So it didn't surprise any of us. I asked him if he got all of it. He said no, it kind of jammed him."

Maybe the biggest hit of all for the Nats came in the first inning.  The Nats scored one run off Morse's RBI double, then loaded the bases when Jayson Werth drew a one-out walk.  Laynce Nix (.188/.266/.306 since July 1) struck out for the second out of the frame.  But Ian Desmond laced a 1-0 pitch just past the shortstop to drive in two and give the Nats the lead they would never relinquish.

For his part, after surviving a rough first inning Wang went on to retire the next twelve batters and went into the sixth inning with a 6-2 lead.  A double by Joey Votto, followed by two ground outs, pushed across the Reds third run.  Johnson then let Wang hit for himself in the bottom of the frame and let him start the seventh inning, all while having Todd Coffey and Tyler Clippard warming up.

Wang (W, 2-2, 4.22) had more trouble in the seventh, giving up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Fred Lewis.  One out later, Edgar Renteria doubled Lewis home.  The hit end both Renteria and Wang's nights, as Renteria strained a groin muscle going into second base and had to be helped off.

"He got the ball up a little late," Johnson theorized in the post-game.  "I was probably one hitter too [late], I let him go too long. I had Clipp ready for Renteria but..."

"[Wang] threw a lot of good pitches.  Actually, he threw more breaking balls tonight.  I was real pleased with is effort."

The late runs bloodied up Wang's final line a little.  He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits.  He walked just one and did not strikeout a batter for the second consecutive game.  His good sinker wasn't evident early but got better as the night went along, recording nine ground ball outs against four fly balls.  He threw 78 pitches, 51 for strikes.

After the injury time out, Clippard came in and quietly retired the next two batters, getting Votto to pop up to second and striking out Brandon Phillips.  Clippard allowed a two-out single in the eighth with no further damage, and Drew Storen was positively filthy in the ninth, striking out two before retiring shortstop Paul Janish on a sinking liner to left that Brian Bixler make a sliding grab on to end the game.

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THE GOOD:  Zimmerman and Morse both with homers and a pair of hits.  Clippard and Storen combined for 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.

THE BAD:  Laynce Nix.  0-for-3, stranded three runners.

THE UGLY:  Danny Espinosa.  0-for-4, strikeout.  Average down to .223.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, one walk, six strikeouts.  2-for-8 w/RISP, four LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (9), Desmond (18).

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday against the Reds.  Ross Detwiler (1-2, 3.20) faces Johnny Cueto (8-5, 1.94).

NATS NOTES:  Manager Davey Johnson indicated twice after the game he could move Morse back to left field when rosters expand, both to give Morse more experience playing outfield and also to get a look at Chris Marrero at first base.  "Ideally, when LaRoche comes back we'll have LaRoche at first and probably [Morse] in left field," Johnson said.  "We got a guy down there [in the minors] that can play a little first base."

The Washington Nationals got a credible performance from their starting pitcher, but a lack of offensive production and faulty bullpen ultimately did them in, losing last night to the Colorado Rockies 6-3, before almost 36,000 at Coors Field in Denver.

If that script sounds familiar, it's mostly how the Nats built a 27-36 record in the first 2 1/2 months of the season before reeling off 13 wins in their next 15 games, fooling everyone into thinking they might be able to compete for a Wild Card spot this season.

Last night, Ross Detwiler was the starter that got no support.  He went five innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and three walks, striking out just one.  He threw only 66 pitches, 38 for strikes.  Detwiler certainly didn't put up world-beating numbers, but he was keeping his team in the game, trailing 2-1 when he left the game.

But the offense was simply inept. 

In the top of the first, The Nats had a run in with runners at first and second with one out against shaky young starter Esmil Rogers (W, 5-1, 6.35).  They didn't score again until Ryan Zimmerman's two-run two-out double in the ninth inning, trailing at that point 6-1.

The Nationals had their chances, but squandered them all night long.  They went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base.  Jayson Werth, Laynce Nix and Ian Desmond -- hitting in the fifth through seventh spots in manager Davey Johnson's lineup -- combined to go 0-for-10 with four strikeouts and a combined eight men left on base.

The bullpen couldn't hold Colorado in the late innings, effectively barring a comeback.  Collin Balester wasn't so bad, allowing a solo home run to Troy Tulowitzki in two otherwise solid innings of relief.  But the normally-reliable Ryan Mattheus had a rough outing, giving up three runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batter in the eighth inning, ending the competitive portion of the evening.

There's no rest for the weary, as the Nats are just starting an 11-day, 10-game road trip through Colorado, Chicago and Philadelphia, and a tough loss is a difficult way to kick things off.  They'll look to Jordan Zimmermann tonight to stem the bleeding, having lost back-to-back games now, falling five game below .500.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Rick Ankiel, Michael Morse and Wilson Ramos all had two hits.

THE BAD:  Danny Espinosa went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, stranding three.

THE UGLY:  Ryan Mattheus.  Three earned runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batter in one inning.

THE STATS:  10 hits, two walks, eight strikeouts.  2-for-11 with RISP, 10 LOB, zero GIDP.  No errors, two DPs.

NEXT GAME:  Tonight v. Rockies at 8:40 pm.  Jordan Zimmermann (6-9, 3.12) faces Juan Nicasio (4-3, 3.95).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

The Washington Nationals had five of their seven hits come from just two players, but they managed to score three runs in the ninth and come back to beat the Houston Astros Monday night, 5-2.

Win win evens the Nats record again at 48-48 and moves them into sole possession of third place for the time being, one half game ahead of the New York Mets and one full game ahead of the surging Florida Marlins.

Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman each had home runs and combined for every Nationals hit until the ninth inning, when Roger Bernadina led off the inning with the game tied at two.

A sacrifice bunt by Danny Espinosa advanced Bernadina to second and Zimmerman punched a ball to right field to drive him in one batter later. Astros second baseman Jeff Keppinger had shifted to his right to guard against the hit up the middle, and Zimmerman lined a pitch right where Keppinger usually would play, driving in the leading run.

Morse added another single and Laynce Nix bounced a ball over first baseman Carlos Lee to drive in two runs and give the Nats a three-run cushion. Drew Storen struck out the side in the ninth for his 25th save of the season, and the Nats were back at .500.

It wasn’t pretty, but they had scored five runs and rebounded from yesterday’s crushing 9-8 loss to Atlanta. For much of the game, the Nationals batters looked overmatched by Houston’s Jordan Lyles, who took the loss despite pitching 8 1/3 innings with four earned runs against. They fought, though, and found a way to pull out the win.

Starting pitcher Jason Marquis also threw one of his best starts of the season, going eight strong innings with just six hits and two runs against. He walked one batter and struck out nine to get his eighth win of the season and lower his ERA to 3.92. As the season approaches the trade deadline, appearances like last night's for Marquis will make him very attractive to a contender for the stretch run.

As good as Marquis was, the offense didn’t do much to help him out. Morse hit his 16th home run of the year in the fifth and Zimmerman added his 5th two innings later, but no other National had a hit. Without any support, Marquis continued to pitch well and give the bullpen – which was taxed in yesterday’s game – a much-needed rest.

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THE GOOD: Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse combined for five hits, two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored. The two corner infielders carried the team offensively, keeping them in the game long enough for the rest of the offense – well, Laynce Nix – to chip in with some big hits of their own.

THE BAD: Two hits from the rest of the offense. Roger Bernadina and Laynce Nix provided the only other hits for the Nats, and both of them came in the top of the 9th inning. Other than Zimmerman and Morse, the Nats’ bats were dead for most of the game on Monday.

THE UGLY: Jayson Werth, who went 0-for-3. He had a walk in the 9th on a very close pitch on a full count and continues to struggle at the plate, failing to make solid contact in any of his at bats. In the 9th inning, Werth was on third base with one out when Wilson Ramos popped to short. Werth stumbled off the base and was tagged out for the final out of the inning.

THE STATS: Seven hits, two walks, six strikeouts.  2-for-3 w/ RISP, two LOB, two GIDP. No errors.

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?

ZIMMERMANN'S FIRST CAREER COMPLETE GAME GOES FOR NAUGHT

As the shadows crept across the outfield grass at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, it became tougher and tougher for both teams to bat against the elite level starters their opposition sent out to face them.  Fortunately for the Los Angeles Angels, they caught a break in the fourth inning.  Unfortunately for Jordan Zimmermann and the Washington Nationals, a simple mistake broke them.

Gold Glove third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error on a slow roller advanced Bobby Abreu to third base with no outs, which allowed him to score on a double play grounder by the next batter.  That was the sole run in the Angels' 1-0 victory, sweeping the Nats in Davey Johnson's first three games as the Nationals skipper.

The story of this game was the two starting pitchers, Zimmermann and the Angels' Dan Haren, who matched each other pitch-for-pitch in the mid-afternoon sun and shadows.  Zimmermann (5-7, 2.85) allowed the single, unearned run on four hits and one walk, striking out four in the eight-inning complete game effort.  Zimmermann threw just 93 pitches in his eight innings, 60 for strikes.  The Nats ever-impressing righty recorded 10 ground outs versus six fly balls.

Haren was equally impressive.  He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up just two hits -- a Brian Bixler bunt single in the fourth and Pudge Rodriguez' single to center in the eighth.  Haren struck out three of his first four batters, and recorded six for the game, allowing one walk.

Zimmerman's (the third baseman) bad throw was certainly one he wished he had back.  With Abreu on first, Vernon Wells hit a slow roller that Zim had to come in on.  It was a tough play at second regardless, and once he looks at the reply Zim will probably say he should have just gone to first with it.  But his throw was into the runner, and it looked like Danny Espinosa either short-armed the catch, or maybe lost it temporarily coming out of the stands.  Either way, I'm sure both players will take responsibility for the miscue.

Though the Nats fell because of a defensive breakdown, they also benefited from a pair of terrific plays in the outfield.  Both Bixler, who played right field to give Jayson Werth at least part of a day off, and Roger Bernadina in center gunned down Angels trying to take an extra base at second.

So the Davey Era has gotten off to something of a slow start.  It's not like this team was going to continue to win 13 out of every 15 games.  But four losses in their last five games now certainly gives one pause and lowers their record to 40-41. 

After an off-day tomorrow, the Nationals return home to start an 11-game homestand, featuring the improving Pittsburgh Pirates (40-39), struggling Chicago Cubs (32-48) and disappointing Colorado Rockies (39-40), who expected to contend this season.  It should be a good test for these Nationals coming into the All-Star break.

__________________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Zimmermann.  Though his innings limit for the season rapidly approaches, the 25-year old is showing just how dominant he can be.

THE BAD:  Jayson Werth, who pinch-hit for Alex Cora lat in the game, struck out looking in his only at bat.  He's struck out 13 times in his last six games.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs, at DH and hitting cleanup, went 0-for-4 with two Ks, lowering his average to .132.

THE STATS:  Three hits, one walk, eight strikeouts.  0-for-6 with RISP, five LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (5).

NEXT GAME:  Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:05 from Nationals Park.  Tom Gorzelanny (2-6, 4.18) faces Charlie Morton (7-4, 3.77).

NATS NOTES:  Jerry Hairston left the game after getting hit in the right wrist area with a Haren fastball.  The team described the injury as a "contusion" and listed him day-to-day.

The Nationals signed free agent LHP J.C.Romero, formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies and assigned him to AAA-Syracuse.  Romero is a lefty-killer and after getting a few appearances at Syracuse to re-build his arm strength could join the Nats to give them a second lefty out of the bullpen.  Romero was part of the Phillies World Series winner.

The Washington Nationals are officially the hottest team in baseball.

Behind another strong outing from emerging top-of-the-rotation starter Jordan Zimmermann, the Nats found just enough offense today to defeat their neighbors 45 miles to the north, the Baltimore Orioles, for the second straight game, extending their season-high winning streak to eight games, and pull within one game of the elusive .500 mark at 35-36.

This is the longest winning streak for the Nationals since August 2009 and has them residing alone in third place in the N.L. East, just five games out of the wild card spot depending on the results of later games.

Zimmermann, 25, gave up a solo home run to the Orioles emerging star center fielder Adam Jones in the top of the first, but would not be scored upon again until the seventh, when he finally ran out of gas on the hot, humid day in the Nation's Capital.  Zimmermann suffered from the same microscopic strike zone that all the pitchers did today from home plate umpire David Rackey, a Triple-A umpire called up to cover for Major League umpire vacations.

The final line for Zimmermann reads as many have since the first of May: 6 1/3 innings, two earned runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  The win raises his personal record to 5-6, and lowers his ERA to 3.08 for the season.  Zimmermann has given up more than two earned runs in a start just once since May 1, and on that occasion he gave up three.

The offense came from the Nats No. 3 and 4 hitters: Ryan Zimmermann and Michael Morse.  Zim hit his first homer since returning from the disabled list, his second of the season, in the bottom of the first, while Morse hit a two-run shot -- his team leading 13th of the year -- in the sixth.  Ivan Rodriguez drove in the Nats fourth run with a double later in the inning after Morse's homer.

Both homers came off Baltimore starter Brian Matusz (L, 1-2), who went 5 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Matusz left the game in the sixth with an apparent injury.  He's only recently returned from the D.L. with a strained ribcage muscle.

Henry Rodriguez pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief of Zimmermann to earn his second hold and Drew Storen threw a perfect ninth for his 17th save of the campaign.

In this eight-game streak, the Nats are finding different ways to win.  They've gotten dominant pitching performances, offensive fireworks, and terrific defensive plays.  Today, they got a good -- but not dominant -- start from Zimmermann and found just enough pop to hold off the pesky Orioles.  They've crept within one game of .500 and should the Nats win tomorrow, it will mark the latest in the season this organization has had an even record since ending the 2005 season at 81-81.

You gotta start someplace.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman.  It's good to see him crush a ball.  He went 2-for-4 with two runs today, and has driven in a run in four of the five games he's played since his return.  Michael Morse.  He just continues to prove all the doubters wrong for now.  Another two hits, homer and two RBIs, and his average is up to .310.

THE BAD:  The two guys at the top of the lineup, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond, combined to go 0-for-7 with a walk and two strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Matusz' exit.  He was pitching fine, but all of the sudden 1B Derrik Lee stopped play and called for the Baltimore trainers.  They immediately pulled Matusz and he left the game, barely able to walk down the dugout steps under his own power. The O's announced he suffered from left hamstring cramps, but considering he's only been off the D.L. for three starts, it has to put a shiver down the backs of all in Birdland.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, three walks, six strikeouts.  1-for-6 with RISP, five LOB, one GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Sunday at 1:35 against the Orioles at Nats Park.  Tom Gorzelanny (2-4, 4.25) comes off the D.L. to face Chris Jakubauskas (1-0, 5.09).

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.

________________________________________________

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.

Zim's back.  Get it? (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



Tuesday night's game marked the return of the Washington Nationals Face of the Franchise Ryan Zimmerman from a two-month absence from abdominal surgery.  And while he might have looked a little rusty at times, his double to the right field corner in the seventh inning spurred a furious six-run explosion which delivered the Nats a come-from-behind 8-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before a raucous crowd of 26,739.

The win is the Nats fourth in a row, and pulls them to within five games of .500 at 31-36.

Washington got down early in this one, courtesy of an Albert Pujols two-run bomb in the first inning, a Lance Berkman solo shot in the fourth, and some shaky defense that led to three runs in the fifth, all off starter Yunesky Maya.  But rookie Ryan Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez, presumably in mop-up time, held the Cards hitless over the next two innings, giving the Nats bats a chance to wake up.



Ryan Matthues Major League debut. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Wake up they did.

The Nats scratched out single runs off Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia in the fourth and sixth. Roger Bernadina, inserted in the bottom of the first after Rick Ankiel injured his left intercostal muscle making a catch (day-to-day), delivered a two-out single to plate Michael Morse, who'd doubled, to get the Nats on the board.  Later, Morse scored again when Bernadina grounded into a double play with no outs, and it seemed like not scoring more there would come back to haunt the Nats.

But Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa sent former National reliever Miguel Batista out to start the seventh, a move that cost him dearly.

Jayson Werth earned a one-out walk, and Ian Desmond reached on an infield single to first.  Zimmerman was late on an 89-MPH cutter from Batista, but got good wood on it, sending it to the right field corner.  Jon Jay couldn't track it down and it went for a double, but Desmond had to hold to make sure it wasn't caught and ended up at third.  No matter, as Morse ground out to short and Desmond carried the Nats fourth run home, with Zimmerman moving up to third.

That's when things got a little freaky.

Danny Espinosa served a soft liner to center that fell in front of Colby Rasmus and Zimmerman walked in with the fifth Nats run and Wilson Ramos' ball up the middle couldn't be handled by shortstop Ryan Theriot, who had a rough night with two errors and two others that could have been as well. 

Espinosa was safe when Theriot couldn't come up with the grounder. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

LaRussa yanked Batista (L, 3-2) and called on his lefty Trever Miller.  Miller plunked Bernadina with his first pitch to load the bases, then uncorked a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez to plate the game-tying run.

Miller then gave Rodriguez a free pass to load them up yet again, and LaRussa went back to his pen to bring in the 98-MPH fastball of Jason Motte.  Riggleman called on Laynce Nix to pinch-hit, and after an 11-pitch at bat, Motte finally issued ball four to walk in the lead run.  But the Nats weren't done, as Werth followed up with a sharp line drive to right to score Bernadina and give the Nats an insurance run.

All that was left was for Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen to do their jobs, and both did without incident, with Clippard earning his 17th hold (with two strikeouts) and Storen his 16th save of the season.

The atmosphere in the seventh-inning rally was electric, a scene not matched at Nats Park since Stephen Strasburg's debut last June.  The crowd was on their feet the whole rally, standing and cheering with every Nats success.  It was a tremendous organic display of fervor for good baseball in this town, and gives promise that as this team finds itself more and more in the coming months and years, D.C. will fill the stadium along the Anacostia with rabid baseball fans.

Things looked bleak for a while, as the Cardinals took a 6-1 lead into the middle innings and the Nats squandered some fortune in the fifth and sixth innings.  But as Riggleman has said on several occasions, if they keep putting runners out there, eventually some of them are going to score.  At least for one night, they did.  And maybe all it took was the return of their best player to the lineup to provide that impetus.

_____________________________________________________

THE GOOD:  The Nats pounded out 13 hits last night, though a couple of fumbled ground balls by Cardinal infielders were favorably called hits.  Regardless, Werth, Morse, Ramos and Bernadina all had two hits, and Espinosa had three.

THE BAD:  The play that opened the Cardinals floodgates for their three-run fifth was a botched routine ground ball hit to Ian Desmond.  Desmond couldn't decide to flip to Espinosa covering or take it himself quickly enough, and made a late -- and poor -- toss.  Espinosa had no chance to turn the DP, and with the bases loaded a run scored.  Two singles off Maya later and the Cardinals blew the game open at the time.

There was no error on the play, as a double play can't be assumed.  But it was a mental error that could very well have spelled doom for the Nats were it not for Batista's implosion in the seventh.

THE UGLY:  Yunesky Maya.  With Tom Gorzelanny just about ready to be reinstated from the D.L., Maya needed a good performance to keep his name in the picture, but this was anything but.  He gave up six earned runs on nine hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings, allowing two line drive homers.  His season ERA is 6.86 in four starts and he's allowed 33 base runners in just 19 2/3 innings.  He made it out of the fifth inning in just one of his four starts.

THE STATS:  13 hits, four walks, eight strikeouts.  5-for-13 with RISP, nine LOB, two GIDP.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday against the Cardinals at 7:05 from Nats Park.  Livan Hernandez (3-8, 4.15) faces RHP Kyle McClellan (6-2, 3.86).

NATS NOTES:  The Nationals announced following the game that 1B Adam LaRoche will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery Thursday, under care of team doctors.  Details and quotes from GM Mike Rizzo and Dr. Wiemi Douoguih can be found here.

We'll have extensive coverage of the opening of the new concessions on the Scoreboard Walk on Nats News Network: Off the Field.



Welcome back, Zim.  (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)