The Washington Nationals brought Mike MacDougal, he of the 20 saves but 1.666 WHIP, back into the fold today, just a day after the Florida Marlins decided they couldn't live with all his walks.

What does that mean to the tenuous constitution of the bullpen?

Here's the guess:  they didn't bring him back to be the commissioner of their fantasy football league.  MacDougal, despite all his flaws, had success last season--he's the devil they know.

They brought in Tyler Walker on a major league contract, and he's been the worst reliever in camp.  Miguel Batista really isn't a short guy, and Matt Capps and Brian Bruney each have had their struggles this spring as well.

So, even though Big Mac is as wild as a spring breaker in Cancun, he's back in a Washington uniform.

The more things change...

• Non-tendered RHRP Mike MacDougal and LHSP Scott Olsen.
• Offered arbitration to C Jesus Flores, OF Josh Willingham, C Wil Nieves, RHRP Jason Bergmann, RHRP Brian Bruney and LHRP Sean Burnett.
• Signed RHRP Ryan Speier to a minor league contract.
• Signed LHSP Scott Olsen to an incentive-heavy free agent contract.

There are a couple of expected moves in the above list, and a couple of surprises.

First, the expected.  The Nats' non-tendering of MacDougal and Olsen.  Both players stood to make a pretty big payday with arbitration, and figured they could re-sign both -- if they wanted -- after non-tendering.

They were right about Olsen, as he was a free agent less than one day, signing a $1 million contract, with incentives that could push the total to just under $4 million.  Olsen is coming off of season-ending labrum surgery, and according to GM Mike Rizzo, he is ready to start getting into baseball shape.

Whether Olsen returns from the surgery to be a valuable member of the Nats rotation is a story for another day, though, because we won't know until well into spring training how his shoulder responds to the procedure.

MacDougal has to be considered questionable at this point to return, though MASN.com's Byron Kerr indicates talks are continuing. 

MacDougal led the team in saves last season, and was third in the league in save percentage last year, but his underlying stats tell a different story.  He hard-throwing righty posted a career low K/9 at just 5.6, while his walk rate for the Nats was the same 5.6.  His overall WHIP was 1.520, much higher than one would expect for the No. 3 save percentage closer in the game.

His gaudy save total (20-for-21) though would have driven an arbitration salary through the roof of what the Nats would have wanted to pay him.

And it was completely expected that the Nats would offer arbitration to Flores, Willingham, Bruney and Burnett.

On to the (mild) surprises:  bringing back Nieves and Bergmann, and the signing of Justin Speier.

All off-season, the Nats have maintained their need to upgrade at backup catcher.  Primary to the point, the signing of Ivan Rodriguez.  That the club decided to retain Nieves, a player at a position they were vocal about upgrading from, has to be considered a bit surprising.

The team has been very careful not to name names when talking about addressing their needs at catcher, but Rizzo didn't want to go into the season with Nieves as the main backup again, that much is clear.  But offering him arbitration now indicated to me that he will indeed be the primary backup, this time to Rodriguez, at least to start the season.

Everything the Nats have done at the catcher spot (signing Rodriguez, who made it clear he's ready to play every day, bringing back Nieves and Jamie Burke), indicates to me that Flores is not only not going to be ready in spring training, but probably well into the regular season.

Bergmann's return surprised me as well, his quality down the stretch last year notwithstanding.  Overall, though, his season numbers were less than inspiring, and with his track record with the team, I thought this was going to be the season they let him test the free agent waters. 

But we can now expect Bergy to be one of the known elements to a bullpen in flux going into spring training, along with Burnett, Bruney and Tyler Clippard.

Ryan Speier is an interesting case.  A local kid from West Springfield High, he has a lifetime 3.99 ERA in 90 appearances, all for Colorado.  He doesn't strike a lot of guys out, and puts his fair share of runners on base, but manages to mostly keep them off the scoreboard.

He only pitched five and two-thirds innings on the big league level last season, and wasn't particularly impressive in AAA, but he does have a track record and getting out of the "mile high" air of Colorado could help him out.

THE RESULTS: The Washington Nationals were shut out -- two hit, in fact -- by a pitcher that started the game with a 5.04 ERA. The Nats starter, who has a 6.00 ERA of his own, gave up three home runs in five innings pitched. And that's how the Nats lost their third game in a row, 7-0, to the Cincinnati Reds before 16,889 at the Great American Ballpark.

Part-time player Jonny Gomes hit home runs in each of his first three trips to the plate. He finished 3-for-5 with three runs and five RBIs.

Catcher Ryan Hanigan also hit a solo shot.

Bronson Arroyo (W, 11-11, 4.74) was not dominant against the Nats, as he struck out just three, but everything the Nats hit was gobbled up by a fielder. He went the entire way, giving up singles to just Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. Dunn also drew a walk.

Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Cristian Guzman went 0-for-4, ending his 17 game streak.

Arroyo has been incredibly hittable this season, with a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) of 1.46 entering the game. He's allowed 159 hits in 144 and two-thirds innings. If you play fantasy baseball, he's probably out on your waiver wire right now.

The veteran right-hander had been 0-3 in his previous four starts and had not won since beating Milwaukee on July 17.

Yet, this very same player completely shut down what last week was the hottest offense in baseball.

Collin Balester (L, 1-2, 6.00) was not very effective. He gave up three in the second inning on Gomes' two-run shot and Haningan's solo. In the fourth, he allowed another two-run home run to Gomes. The grand total was five runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out just three.

It was the first time since Balester's recall he had allowed more than two earned runs in a start.

THE TAKEAWAY: Hard to take anything away from this game. When you get completely shut down by a pitcher that has been imminently hittable this season, there's not much to say.

Since hitting the road after the eight game winning streak, this team has picked right back up with the lackadaisical and listless play. It's crazy how they can mash the ball for eight days, averaging six and a half runs a game, then go out on the road and score three runs in three games.

THE GOOD: Mike MacDougal. He pitched a scoreless ninth, and struck out Gomes to keep him from hitting his fourth home run of the game, saving the Nats from more national ridicule.

THE BAD: Balester. He's been ok since his recall, but tonight had nothing on his fastball.

THE UGLY: Uglier than getting shut down by a mediocre pitcher or three home runs hit by a part-time player? How about Nyjer Morgan getting hit on the knee by a pitch and sitting the rest of the game out?

He was taken out as a precaution, but when your speed guy gets hit on the knee, that's not a good sign.

NEXT GAME: Friday night at 7:10 pm. Garrett Mock (1-4, 6.14) gets a shot to follow up his fine outing last time out against Reds staff ace Aaron Harang (6-13, 4.43) quietly going through his worst season.

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!

"It's pathetic. I've never seen a team that is ok with losing....Some guys are mailing it in, and it's hard to watch." --Rob Dibble, July 10, 2009.

THE RESULTS: Joel Hanrahan got his first win for the Nationals this season, despite the fact that he now plays for Pittsburgh and the guy he was traded for scored the winning run. Then Washington went out and did what they do best (worst), kick the ball around and give up runs late in the game, and lost to a team that had their starter bounced in the third inning.

The Nats won the completion of the May 5 rainout game 11-10, as Nyjer Morgan scored on an errant throw by shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Hanrahan was the pitcher of record when rain forced the postponement back in May, and since the Nats scored in the bottom half of the inning as the "home" team, Hanny got the W, sitting in his hotel room in Philadelphia on an off-day with his new tam, the Pirates.

"It feels pretty good in the situation that we're in. Houston is a team in our division and we gained ground." Hanrahan said he found out that he was the winning pitcher from a "bunch of text messages."

Seven of the players that took the field for the Nats on May 5 are no longer with the team.

In the second game, the Nats scored four runs in the first three innings, but did bot score again off five Houston relievers, and fell 9-4.

John Lannan (L, 6-6, 3.70) did not have a great start, giving up five earned runs on 11 hits and one walk, but he did leave in the bottom of the fifth tied at four. Jason Bergmann relieved and struck out the first batter, but then gave up two hits, allowing Lannan's leftover runner to score.

Mike MacDougal surrendered a three-run home run to Lance Berkman in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory for Houston.

Washington did not have a recorded error in the game, but there were several plays that an average fielding team would have made that could have changed the outcome.

Left fielder Adam Dunn botched two balls on back-to-back plays in the pivotal sixth inning. The first, a screaming line drive that went over his head to the wall went for a triple a he fumbled around to make the play. The next play was a sinking line drive that could have been caught by someone more fleet-footed.

Asked about the plays afterwards, manager Manny Acta responded, "We didn't bring Dunn over here to play defense. He is what he is, and we love the 40 home runs and the 100-something RBIs he's going to bring. Because we didn't have that here. I can't ask Dunn to play outfield like Nyjer Morgan plays it."

Cristian Guzman failed to field yet another ball hit to his left. The routine grounder bounced in and out of his glove as he attempted his now-patented "spin-slide" move to his left. The next batter laced a ball to the right field alley, scoring two runs and knocking Lannan from the game.

Brought in to play defense in the bottom of the eighth, Alberto Gonzalez booted a ball that was ruled an infield single but could have easily gone as an error. Needless to say, that runner also scored, aboard when Berkman homered two batters later.

THE TAKEAWAY: Rob Dibble and Ray Knight were especially hard on the team in their comments on the post-game show, calling out the Nats for lack of effort and desire. Actually, Dibble called out unnamed specific guys for lack of hustle and effort.

"Well, I've seen it all year," Dibble said. "You have a team that came off a 102-loss season....Guys just aren't getting to balls, they're not trying, they're not diving, and more importantly, guys aren't calling them out....listen, our guys aren't doing as well as the other team."

He continued, "They need to be playing a lot harder than they are. What I'm saying is, it's not so much mailing it in physically, but mentally, some of these guys, they're happy after a ball game when they get their butts whipped, they're happy and smiling like it's funny when they're getting beat in day in and day out and embarrassed on that field. I know Manny Acta and I know these coaches are busting their butts to get the most out of these guys, but the players, they don't expect that out of each other in that locker room. That's what I'm saying."

OK Rob, tell us how you really feel. How about naming particular players you feel aren't hustling to your satisfaction?

The "Silver Fox" did.

From Ray Knight: "When guys don't make plays defensively I'd sit em on the bench. I'd give a guy a chance to play. And I'm talking about for a week, I don't care if you're hitting .320, I don't care what you're doing, I'm tired of seeing it too. We're just two former players that busted our butts, and we're here working for a company that you expect a fine product. "

"I don't know who exactly [Dibble's] feeling it about. I'm feeling it about certain people. But Manny has to make that decisions, or [Mike] Rizzo. If you think that there's a player out there not defining the position....Take shortstop. Balls are going up the middle, knocked down, erratic type play. It looks like, to me, Guzie's mind is somewhere else. He's the guy I'm most disappointed in."

THE GOOD: They managed not to get swept. Ryan Zimmerman was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in the second game.

THE BAD: Mike MacDougal. Brought in to "get some work" since this team has very little need for a closer, Big Mac was lit up like a Christmas tree. Three hits, a walk and a phantom hit-by-pitch led to three earned runs in one inning.

THE UGLY: Jason Bergmann. There were an awful lot of people calling for Bergy to get another shot and about he's been treated "unfairly" by the team. But he just isn't that good when he gets a chance to perform in a critical situation. Called on in a tie game with runners on base, he just made the situation worse.

The maddening thing is, he got Jason Michael to look silly, swinging at three straight really good sliders for the strikeout. But then he left the ball up against slap hitter Michael Bourne who hit the triple Dunn had so much trouble with, and did the same for a single to Tejada.

NEXT GAME: Tonight against the Astros in Houston. Scott Olsen (2-4, 6.04) tries for his third straight effective performance since returning from the DL against Astros ace Roy Oswalt (5-4, 3.81).

"It gave me confidence that he had confidence in me." --Scott Olsen, on Manager Manny Acta leaving him in to pitch in the ninth, July 5, 2009.

THE RESULT: Scott Olsen fell just one out from his first career complete game as the Washington Nationals defeated the Atlanta Braves for the second straight day by the score of 5-3, before 22,677 at Nationals Park.

The team's record stands at 24-55-1 after taking two of three from the Braves.

Olsen (2-4, 6.04) allowed three runs and eight hits over eight and two-thirds innings, winning for the first time since returning June 28 from the 15-day disabled list after a bout with left shoulder tendinitis. He walked five and struck out five.

Olsen cruised through seven, then ran into a spot of trouble in the eighth. Manager Manny Acta came out to talk to Olsen with runners on base, and the crowd had already stood to greet Olsen warmly, expecting his manager to give him the hook at that point. When Acta turned to go back to the dugout without taking the ball from his starter, the assembled Nats fans erupted with approval.

Olsen escaped that jam and left to thunderous applause. And when the pitcher executed a perfect sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the inning, there was another standing ovation.

But with two outs, the left-hander surrendered a two-run home run to Nate McLouth, and Acta finally relieved his starter after 116 pitches, 75 of which were strikes.

Despite allowing a hit and a walk, Mike MacDougal eventually got the last out for his fifth save, and the Nats could get on the plane to Colorado with a two-game winning streak.

Nyler Morgan again proved the catalyst for the Nationals. Washington took a 1-0 lead in the first when Morgan hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on Ryan Zimmerman's single to right.

Morgan went 3-for-5 with a run, RBI and stolen base, and made several outstanding defensive plays, including nailing Martin Prado at second on a play where Morgan dove for a sinking liner but could not come up with it, rolled and retrieved the ball, and threw a strike to Ronnie Belliard covering for the out.

Belliard went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI in the eighth spot in the order. Olsen also had two hits and an RBI.

THE TAKEAWAY: What a difference once player makes on an entire team. We saw Morgan at his disruptive best yesterday, making plays in the outfield no Nationals player comes close to. He was all over the basepaths, creating havoc for Braves starter Derek Lowe (L, 7-7, 4.56) all day.

And you can't say enough about Olsen's performance. He threw strikes, kept his head down and really controlled the game until he started to tire in the eighth. He was economical with his pitches despite striking out five and walking five.

"I did OK," Olsen said after the game. "I threw the ball down in the zone pretty well for the most part. I kept them off-balance with the offspeed pitches. Too many walks for my liking there, but we did pretty good."

THE GOOD: Olsen. This makes two straight very good performances since returning from his bout with shoulder tendinitis. If he can continue to be effective, the Nats might find themselves turning a corner as we head into the second half of the season.

THE BAD: Every starter had a hit, so we'll have to go with Josh Bard. He went 1-for-4 with five runners left on base, and really struggled with his running due to the sore groin he's been nursing for the better part of two weeks now.

THE UGLY: Nationals Pyrotechnics. With two outs and two strikes on Chipper Jones in the top of the ninth, Jones fouled a pitch off, but the pyrotechnician on top of the stadium thought it was a swinging strike three. BANG-ZOOM went the fireworks, for a two-strike foul ball!

Thankfully MacDougal eventually finished off the save, or it would have been one more piece of negative vibe that the national press could have on our account.

NEXT GAME: The Nats ride their two-game win streak into Colorado to face the Rockies tonight at 8:40 pm EDT. Craig Stammen (1-3, 5.44) takes on all-star Jason Marquis (10-5, 3.87).

NOTES: Ryan Zimmerman was named as a reserve to the National League All-Star team. Cristian Guzman was named as one of the five finalists in the fan vote for the "Last Man".

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

"I forgot how happy I could be after a baseball game." --Adam Dunn, June 17, 2009.

THE RESULT: In front of his family and 46,000 chanting Yankees fans, John Lannan pushed aside childhood memories of his favorite team growing up and dominated the Bronx Bombers for eight innings.

Photo 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

After surrendering a solo home run and single in the bottom of the ninth, Lannan yielded to Mike MacDougal, who induced a red-hot Robinson Cano into a 6-4-3 double-play to seal Lannan's fourth victory of the season, giving the Washington Nationals a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.

Lannan was superb, giving up just two solo home runs to the short porch in right field, one to Cano early in the game and to Johnny Damon in the ninth. New Yankee Stadium is giving up 3.06 home runs per game, far and away the easiest park to hit home runs in this season.

Other than the homers, Lannan allowed just two other base hits, and walked just one, in eight and one-third innings. He struck out four, and got 15 ground ball outs, compared to just six fly outs. Lannan threw 71 of his 108 pitches for strikes, and pounded his sinking fastball on 80 of the 108 pitches.

The Nats got all the offense they needed tonight from a solo home run by Adam Dunn (18) and a two-run triple by Nick Johnson, all off Yankee starter Chien-Ming Wang (L, 0-5, 12.65). Cristian Guzman went 3-for-5 and was on base for Johnson's triple.

MacDougal walked the first batter he faced, and he and catcher Josh bard allowed Brett Gardner to steal second and third in the tenuous ninth inning, but got the ground ball double play when it mattered. It was his first save since 2006.

THE TAKEAWAY: Lannan is now 4-5 with a 3.38 ERA for the season. Take away his first two starts, and his ERA is a sparkling 2.59. He's given up just 22 earned runs in his last 76.1 innings pitched.

"He threw the ball in and out, mixed his pitches up, threw strikes," Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez said.

THE GOOD: John Lannan. He's giving this team dependable innings every time out.

THE BAD: Ryan Zimmerman. The Z-Man is stuck in a rut, and last night's 0-for-4 with two Ks and three left-on-base won't help.

THE UGLY: Zimmerman. Since his average peaked at .364 on May 16, he's hitting .216/.336/.330 with just three home runs. It's the Nats' dirty little secret right now that Zimmerman's been stuck in a month-long funk.

NEXT GAME: Scheduled for today at 1:05 pm, but there's no realistic way today's game starts on time, or if they are even going to be able to get it in. Rain and thunderstorms are predicted all day in Gotham, and there's a very good chance DC gets out of NY with a series split. Craig Stammen (0-2, 5.86) was scheduled to face Joba Chamberlain (3-1, 3.84).