So that happened.

The Washington Nationals continued to play some of their best baseball all year, as Brad Peacock pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings to lead the Nats to a 6-1 win over N.L. East champs -- and bitter rivals -- the Philadelphia Phillies.  The victory completes a four-game sweep in Philadelphia, and moves the Nats to within three games of .500 with six left to play.

The Nationals have won five in a row and 11 of their last 13 games to go to 76-79, with a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend and a season-ending three games series in Miami against the Marlins next week to close out Sun Life Stadium as a baseball facility.

Rollins.  Victorino.  Utley.  Ibanez.  Ruiz.  They were all in the lineup last night that Peacock (2-0, 0.75) fairly dominated.  He allowed just one hit -- an infield single to third -- and two walks, striking out two in 5 2/3 innings, needing just 69 pitches in the process.  Peacock was followed by a parade of relievers that kept the Phillies down, at least until things were well out of hand.

Perhaps the best move of the night came in the bottom of the ninth, when after Doug Slaten retired two lefties to start the frame, manager Davey Johnson came out to lift Slaten to bring in a right-hander, Todd Coffey, to face pinch-hitter John Mayberry.  What was left of the 45,000-plus crowd booed the 68-year old skipper mercilessly for making a pitching change with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of a then 6-0 ballgame, and Johnson relished the entire scenario, lifting his outstretched arms -- palms up -- skyward as if to soak it all in as he left the field, chuckling all the way.

The move, unfortunately, did not have the desired affect in the game, as Coffey gave up a double and single to lose the shutout, but he did get Ben Francisco to pop up to end the game, to more booing for the N. L. East Champions.

The Nats lived off the two runs they pushed across in the third against Roy Oswalt (L,8-10) for most of the night.  Ian Desmond drove home Rick Ankiel on a pop-up double to right center and came home on a Roger Bernadina single.  Bernadina later doubled in the eighth to plate Desmond (2-for-4) again and Michael Morse -- after a visit to the mound -- pounded a 3-2 offering from Oswalt into the center field bullpen for a three-run insurance shot.

Sure, the Phillies had nothing to play for.  But the Nats are trying to finish strong and put a pretty bow on their second-best record since the move in 2005.  No matter who was occupying the uniforms or how much attention they may or may not have been paying, sweeping the Phillies -- in Philadelphia no less -- is sweet music to the long-suffering denizens of NatsTown.

Let them boo.

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THE GOOD:  Desmond and Bernadina both had two hits, scored three runs and drove in three between them in the first two spots in the order.  Dare to dream.

THE BAD:  Laynce Nix went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. 

THE UGLY:  Oswalt.  He pleaded for one more batter after Bernadina's double and a walk to Ryan Zimmerman in the top of the eighth.  Be careful what you wish for.

THE STATS:  7 hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks.  3-for-9 w/RISP, 2 LOB, 1 GIDP.  E: Zimmerman (11), Bernadina (1).

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 7:05 pm agaisnt the Atlanta Braves.  Stephen Strasburg (0-0, 1.29) faces Tim Hudson (15-10, 3.19).

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.

"They're gonna have to sit down." Davey Johnson on what Philllies fans standing for the final out had to do after Ian Desmond's home run.

Many times this season, the Washington Nationals have been burned by the youthful aggressiveness of their middle infield tandem.  Sunday, before another crowd filled with out-town fans, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa delivered on the talent that the Nats see in them, both connecting on solo home runs to tie the game, Espinosa first in the sixth inning, then Desmond in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth, down to his -- and the team's -- last strike.

Then, in the tenth inning, the Nats rallied against former closer Brad Lidge, scoring the winning run when Lidge hit Jonny Gomes with the bases loaded to force in the Nats fifth run of the day.  The unexpected drama allowed the Nats to win the game 5-4, and the series -- with both wins coming in walk-offs -- and marks the Nats fifth win in the last seven games between the two teams.

The Phillies took a 3-2 lead into a lengthy rain delay that started with two outs in the top of the sixth, with Chien-Ming Wang (5 2/3 innings, three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four)one out from pitching a quality start.  After the 1:11 delay, Tom Gorzelanny came on to record the final out of that inning.  In the bottom, Espinosa greeted Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer, a Fairfax, VA native making his MLB debut, with a blast to straight-away center field to even the game.  Espinosa finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs, his first homer and RBIs since July 19.

The Phillies broke the tie in the ninth against closer Drew Storen, who with one out gave up a walk, then consecutive singles to Carlos Ruiz and Michael Martinez, the former Nats farmhand.  Storen then struck out the next two batters, but the damage was done.

It merely was prelude to Desmond's heroics.  The second-year shortstop has struggled most of the season, his average hovering between .225 and .250 and has often been guilty of chasing pitches, being too aggressive or over-eager.  But with lefty Antonio Bastardo on the mound, the 1-2 slider he threw Desmond stayed up, and Desmond hit a rocket to the left field bleachers.

"I've talked to [Desmond] one-on-one the last couple days, trying to clear his mind a little bit," manager Davey Johnson said after the game. "He tries to do so much.  Just tried to simplify with him. He's a very aggressive player, and sometimes he's just overly aggressive.  You don't want to take away from that but you want to be a little more patiently aggressive."

After Sean Burnett pitched a clean inning in the tenth, it was the Nats turn to get back to work.  Ryan Zimmerman, Friday's hero, started the inning with a double down the left field line.  After Lidge couldn't get Michael Morse fishing with his first two pitches, he put the slugger on with a free pass.  Jayson Werth arrived to loud boos as he has all series, and laced a single to left that was too hard hit to score Zimmerman, bringing up Espinosa, who struck out on three pitches.

With the infield playing in, and Lidge trying to induce a ground ball to cut the run off at the plate, the pitcher wanted to keep everything on the inside part of the plate so Gomes could not extend on a pitch.  But the second delivery was too far inside, and Gomes didn't flinch.  Zimmerman trotted home with the winning run, and with that the Nats sent 30,000 Philly fans back up I-95 with a sour taste in their mouths, losers of two out of three tot he Nationals.

Of the legions of Phillies fans at Nats Park over the three-game series, Johnson joked, "This is kinda new for me. I kinda look at 'em as our fans cause they got red on."  But he was philosophical after the chuckles.  "Anywhere I've ever been when the team starts winning the fans come out.  That's what I'm hoping happens here real quick."

"It's a great feeling. We want to get our fans out here. I love playing in front of a packed house," Johnson said of the pro-Phillies crowd. "I know my guys have that same feeling. Even if it's for the other team."

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THE GOOD:  Espinosa had three hits, and Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Zimmerman each had two in a 12 hit attack.

THE BAD:  Until his 10th inning single, Werth had been 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Storen had a rough inning, putting three runners on in a tie game in the top of the ninth.

THE STATS:  12 hits, one walk, 13 strikeouts.  3-for-8 w/RISP, 10 LOB.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Monday at 7:05 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Ross Detwiler (1-3, 2.87) faces Joe Saunders (8-10, 3.91).

"When you have a chance to get out of the inning, you gotta make the play."  Davey Johnson, on Ian Desmond's critical fourth inning error.

John Mayberry slides into second safely after Ian Desmond dropped relay throw. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

There are many ways one could describe the Washington Nationals 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last night.  The focus from the Philly side will be on veteran starter Roy Oswalt, who dominated the Nats hitters for eight innings, allowing just eight hits (just one extra base hit) and one walk, striking out nine in the process.  Or you could look at this performance as the continuing themes of John Lannan simply not being able to beat the Phillies and the Nats hitters failing once again with runners in scoring position.

All of those things would be accurate.  But the biggest difference in the game last night was that the Phillies were able to take advantage of several key mistakes -- both physical and mental -- by the Nationals to carve out a win, in front of a Philly-partisan, record-setting crowd of 44,685 at Nats Park.

Lannan was fairly cruising in the top of the fourth -- with the game scoreless -- getting Ryan Howard to fly to left and Hunter Pence to ground to third for two quick outs.  John Mayberry got a ground ball through the left side for a single, but Lannan picked Mayberry off which should have ended the inning.  Unfortunately, Ian Desmond just flat-out dropped the relay throw from Michael Morse and Mayberry was safe.  Lannan (L, 8-9, 3.61) then lost his focus and walked Carlos Ruiz on four pitches.

"[Desmond] just took his eye off it," manager Davey Johnson said with exasperation in the post-game press conference describing the game-changing error.  "You know, sometimes it's not easy to do..." Johnson trailed off, but then continued, "You can't do that.  I mean, you just can't give this ball club -- or any good ball club -- you can't give them, when you have a chance to get out of the inning, you gotta make the play." 

Naturally, the error came back to haunt the Nats as the Phillies No. 8 hitter Wilson Valdez followed with a ball to the right field corner, which Jayson Werth allowed to get past him for a two-run triple.

Asked if Lannan was distracted by the error by his shortstop, Johnson was critical of Lannan, not Desmond.  "You gotta pick us up.  You have to come back and bury the next guy.  He didn't do it so we're down two."

In the bottom of the same inning, the Nats had a chance to get right back at Oswalt (W, 6-7, 3.51).  Ryan Zimmerman (3-for-4) singled and Michael Morse walked with no outs.  Laynce Nix popped out for the first out of the inning, and Werth followed with a single to left that died quickly in the grass.  Third base coach Bo Porter sent Zimmerman home, but John Mayberry threw a strike to the plate to nail the runner by a couple steps.  Danny Espinosa struck out to end the frame.

Ryan Zimmerman was tagged out by Carlos Ruiz at home. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Johnson defended Porter for sending Zimmerman, saying, "I like being aggressive. I'll never get on him for being overly aggressive."  But then pointed out that Morse and Werth didn't move up on the play at the plate.  "Morse should be more heads up on that,' Johnson said.  "That was the only thing that I was upset about on that play.  When there's a play at the plate you keep running."

Regardless, a more cautious approach would have had the bases loaded with one out and really had Oswalt on the ropes.

Lannan got in trouble again in the sixth inning, allowing a home run to Hunter Pence (15) and two straight singles, ending his night.  Collin Balester came on in relief, but things continued to unravel for the Nats.  Valdez hit a grounder to Zimmerman at third, and as Zim stepped on the bag for the first out he seemed to trip himself up a little and couldn't get set for the throw, instead lobbing a ball across the infield.

Oswalt was called on to sacrifice and Michael Morse made a clean pick-up, but he made a poor decision to try for the lead runner and all hands were safe, loading the bases.  Jimmy Rollins singled past a diving Desmond and a run scored, making it 5-0.  Rick Ankiel threw out Oswalt trying to reach third on the play, and after a couple more batters reached, Balester struck out Ryan Howard to end a long inning.

Ruiz beats Morse's throw on sacrifice attmept. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Johnson was blunt in his assessment of the defensive miscue.  "We made a bad choice going to third on the play, Morse on the bunt play.  We should have taken the out, taken the second out [of the inning]. We're lucky we got out of that with as little trouble as we did."

Johnson might have thought the Nats got "lucky" there to only give up the one run, but by then the Phillies had scored plenty for Oswalt.  Washington managed to put single base runners on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against the veteran pitcher, but could not cash any of those runners in.

Unlike Friday night, there would be no remarkable comeback.  This time, it was the 30,000 Phillies fans turn, chanting, cheering and taunting as the evening went on, coming to a crescendo in the ninth when Werth was called out on strikes for the second out of the inning and then when Espinosa made the final out on a soft roller to Howard at first.

The Nationals have long said that they have to measure themselves against the Phillies and Braves, the cream of the division.  There are plenty of places where the inequities still exist.  But one of the simplest ways to make the playing field more level is to play good, smart fundamental baseball.  Last night, the Nats fell into a familiar trap of errors, gaffes, mental mistakes, and over-aggressiveness, leading to another loss to their measuring stick.

And Davey Johnson knew it too.  You could tell by his mannerisms and in his facial expressions in his post-game press conference last night.  You could hear the exasperation and frustration in his voice.  He knew his team had beaten itself.  They don't have enough talent on the field yet to compensate when they don't play smart baseball, especially on defense and on the bases.

The Nats have made huge strides in the last two seasons to reduce the talent imbalance between themselves and the Phillies.  But good teams don't beat themselves, and the Nats still do, far too often.  Like the old adage says, it's the little things that kill.

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THE GOOD:  Ryan Zimmerman.  He just continues to smoke the ball, going 3-for-4 and raising his average to .309 this season.  In his last 29 games he's hitting .381.

THE BAD:  Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel, the Nats first two hitters in the order, combined to go 0-for-8 with three strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Desmond's drop.  It was the pivotal play of the game.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, one walk, 10 strikeouts.  1-for-5 w/RISP, seven LOB, one GIDP.  E: Desmond (20).

NEXT GAME:  Sunday at 1:35 pm.  Chien-Ming Wang (2-2, 4.22) hosts Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.53)

Thousands of Phillies fans celebrated Hunter Pence's home run. (All photos C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

In 13 career starts entering today's game, John Lannan was 0-10 with a 6.44 ERA against the Philadelphia Phillies.  With a little help from his friends in the bullpen -- and outfielder Laynce Nix -- Lannan was able to break through against the bullies of the N.L. East, beating the division-leading Phillies and Roy Oswalt 2-1, before 24,495 at hot and sunny Nationals Park.

The Nats took two out of three from the Phils, and now embark on an 11-game, three-city west coast road trip.

If Lannan gets the sentimental nod for finally beating his personal nemesis, then Nix is the hero.  Not only did he connect for his ninth home run of the year in the third inning to secure the margin of victory, he made a game-saving catch in the top of the sixth, laying out fully to snare Domonic Brown's line drive headed toward the gap in left center.

With the bases loaded, had the ball gotten through three runs would have scored and we would be talking about a completely different game.

After the catch, Tyler Clippard threw two perfect innings in relief and Drew Storen earned his 10th save in 11 chances, punctuating the win by striking out Placido Polanco looking for the final out of the game.  Polanco had some choice words for homeplate umpire Jerry Layne, but the 96-MPH heater had enough of the plate that Polanco simply couldn't afford to be looking at it.

Lannan went 5 1/3 innings in the hot, muggy sunshine.  He gave up four hits and three walks, and had to contend with two extra base runners via errors. The only Phillies run of the day was unearned, as Alex Cora booted a routine ground ball to third, allowing Ryan Howard to lumber home from second base.

The Phillies got two on with one out in the sixth, chasing Lannan.  Todd Coffey came on to retire Carlos Ruiz on a fly ball, but walked pinch-hitter Jimmy Rollins to load the bases.  Manager Jim Riggleman brought in Doug Slaten, who has allowed 12 of 24 inherited runners to score this season.  Domonic Brown jumped all over a 91-MPH fastball, but the line drive hung just enough to allow Nix to make a Superman dive to kill the threat.

Taking two in a row from Philadelphia has to be a confidence boost for a team that was reeling coming into the series as they get ready to set out their longest road trip of the season, one that could very well define what the rest of 2011 has in store for this team.

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THE GOOD:  Laynce Nix.  Homer and game-saving catch?  Yeah, buddy.

THE BAD:  Ian Desmond went 0-for-3.

THE UGLY:  Alex Cora and Jerry Hairston both booted routine ground balls at third base, with the Phils lone run coming off Cora's gaffe.

THE STATS: Six hits, three walks, six strikeouts. 1-for-5 with RISP, eight LOB, no GIDP. E: Cora (2), Hairston (7).

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 9:40 pm EDT at Arizona.  Jordan Zimmermann (2-6, 3.88) takes on Zach Duke (1-0, 0.00).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roy Halladay continued his dominance of the Washington Nationals. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Through three innings on Monday, traditional roles were reversed. Livan Hernandez was working quickly, efficiently and dominantly, shutting down the Philadelphia Phillies prodigious offense.  On the other hand, defending Cy Young winner Roy Halladay was struggling with his command, throwing a lot of pitches, and had already surrendered two runs to the Washington Nationals on a solo home run and three more hits in the second inning.

But in the third, Livo melted down in the mid-nineties heat and humidity, giving up a three-spot in the frame.  Halladay found enough of his edge, despite allowing two more solo home runs later.  And the surest thing in all of sports was the result: Halladay earning yet another victory over his personal pin-cushion, extending his career record to 11-1 over the Nats with a 5-4 win before 34,789 on Memorial Day in the Nation's Capital.

It was the Nats third loss in a row and eighth out of nine games. They are 4-13 in their last 17 contests, and their overall record sits at 22-31, third worst in all of Major League Baseball.

Michael Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix all homered off Halladay, but they were all solo shots.  The only run driven in not via a home run was Livan Hernandez' safety squeeze in the second inning that plated Jerry Hairston.

Halladay (7-3, 2.56) worked out of trouble all day long, but held the Nationals to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.  His biggest out, though, might have come with his glove.

In the bottom of the seventh, with the Nats trailing 5-4, Alex Cora led off with a bloop double down the right field line and Ian Desmond followed with a beautiful bunt to third base that he beat out for a single, moving Cora to third.  Rick Ankiel tapped an 0-2 fastball back to the mound, and Cora inadvisably broke for home. Halladay fielded the nubber cleanly and tossed to catcher Carlos Ruiz, who worked Cora back toward third before tossing to Placido Polanco to tag Cora for the first out of the inning.

With Desmond now at second and Ankiel at first, Danny Espinosa flied out to right and Jayson Werth struck out.  The Nats would not threaten again.

The Nationals are next to last in the N.L. in total number of base runners, so when they squander opportunities on the base paths like they did in losses Sunday to San Diego and Monday to the Phillies, it's all that much more painful.

The Nats found themselves down in the seventh due to Sean Burnett's failure to do his job once again. Washington entered the frame ahead 4-3 on the strength of those solo homers and the right arm of Livan Hernandez.  The big right-hander managed the Phillies offense most of the day, but finally exhausted his reserve of pitches with one out in the seventh with a runner on first. Burnett entered to face three consecutive lefties, the role that the team envisions him to be a specialist in. He did not find success in that role on Sunday.

Burnett walked Chase Utley after an eight-pitch at bat. The next batter, Ryan Howard, got enough of a 93-MPH sinker to muscle it through the right side of the infield, scoring Polanco from second and moving Utley to third.  Nat-killer Raul Ibanez then drove a Burnett fastball to the track in right, plating Utley and sealing the Nats doom.

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THE GOOD:  The offense worked Halladay for 10 hits and three home runs, but the Phils ace got the big outs when he needed them the most.

THE BAD:  Burnett. That's his fourth blown save and his second loss.  His ERA is 5.59 and he's just not pitching with the same authority as he did earlier this season or last year.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs. He grounded out to second in his only at bat, with two outs in the eighth inning and a runner on second.  He's now 3-for-34 this season, and 2-for-23 pinch-hitting.

THE STATS:  10 hits, no walks, seven strikeouts. 1-for-8 with RISP, six LOB, 0 GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Tuesday against the Phillies at 7:05 pm. Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26) faces Cliff Lee (4-4, 3.50).

Danny Espinosa connects for one of the Nats three solo home runs. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Jayson Werth was out by a mile on a stolen base attempt. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Matt Stairs grounded out his only at bat. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Henry Rodriguez needed 25 pitches to work his way through a scoreless ninth inning. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

The Nationals’ starting rotation has pitched remarkably well all season long. Despite some rough outings, every starter was able to get through at least the fifth inning in every game – something no other team could claim.

On Thursday night, that streak came to an end. Starter John Lannan was pulled in the third inning after giving up five runs, and the Nationals would never recover against Roy Halladay, eventually losing 7-3.

The loss is the Nationals third in a row and drops their season record to 14-17, one game ahead of the Mets for fourth in the N.L. East

Lannan was able to work through the first two innings with just two hits against. But in the third, he couldn’t get anyone out. After a leadoff single by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino homered to left. John Mayberry, Jr. doubled home Placido Polanco two batters later, and Raul Ibanez delivered the big two-RBI double shortly after to make it 5-0. Lannan did not record an out in the third inning and became the first Nationals starter to fail to work five innings in 2011.

After Lannan was pulled, Brian Broderick came in and allowed Ibanez to score, but got out of the inning without further damage.

The Nationals didn’t do go down without a fight, though. Immediately after the big third inning by Philadelphia, the offense responded.

Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche led off the inning with singles, and Wilson Ramos lined a ball to left field to drive in Werth. Jerry Hairston, Jr. then punched a ground ball into right field to load the bases after a 13-pitch at bat.

Ian Desmond drove a sacrifice fly to center in the next at-bat, scoring LaRoche and making the score 6-2. While it may not have seemed like much, getting two runs and six hits off Halladay through four innings is as good as the team has fared in the star pitcher’s time in Philadelphia. The Nats did no further damage to the star pitcher, and Halladay cruised through three more scoreless innings, totaling 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter in the effort.

Raul Ibanez added an upper-deck solo homer in the fifth to make it 7-2. Ibanez, who came into the series hitting under .200, was 8-for-12 with two home runs and two doubles in the three games. Once again, he had a monster series against the Nationals.

The Nationals got on the board again in the eighth on a sac fly by Jayson Werth, making the final score 7-3, losing their seventh straight game at Citizens Bank Park dating back to last season.

Suffering a three-game losing streak is not really the way you want to start a 10-day, nine game road trip, and it'll be up to manager Jim Riggleman to make sure the Nats put this series behind them and get ready for the Florida Marlins over the weekend, in the ballpark that usually ends up a house of horrors for this team.

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THE GOOD: The bullpen did a very good job in relief, totaling six innings pitched, five hits, one run, two walks and nine strikeouts. Henry Rodriguez was wild in his two innings, giving up two hits and walk, but struck out three and escaped with no runs against.

THE BAD: John Lannan continued to struggle against the Phillies, giving up six runs on five hits and a walk in the third. Lannan’s career record against the Phillies falls to 0-10 with an ERA over six.

THE UGLY: In the fourth inning, Todd Coffey got a bloody nose on the mound, forcing trainer Lee Kuntz to come out and stuff gauze up his nose. Coffey got out of the inning without a run – striking out two batters after the bloody nose.

THE STATS: Eight hits, no walks, 12 strikeouts. 3-for-10 with RISP, 10 LOB. No errors

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Up until the fifth inning Wednesday night, the Nationals were looking good against the Philadelphia Phillies. While they weren’t generating much offense, Jason Marquis had kept the Phillies off the board. But in that fifth inning, everything the Nats had accomplished to that point unraveled, leading to seven runs and another loss to the division bullies.

The 7-4 final drops the Nationals record to 14-16 in 2011.

After the Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the top of inning off an Adam LaRoche RBI double, Marquis (L, 3-1, 3.66) surrendered three runs on a homer, three singles and a walk, but escaped without further damage.

He then started the sixth inning, but was pulled after 4 batters, one run, and no outs. By the end of the inning, the Phillies were up 7-1 and cruising to a win.

The Phillies’ starter, Vance Worley, may not be one of the “Big Four” in Philadelphia, but he did a fine job replacing Roy Oswalt on Wednesday, notching a career-high seven strikeouts in six innings of four-hit, one-run ball. It's indicative of the Nats struggle on offense right now that they couldn't even generate an attack against a completely unknown pitcher such as Worley. 

The offense made a little noise when Danys Baez came in relief for the Phillies in the ninth inning, as Laynce Nix and Matt Stairs singled (Stairs’ first hit as a National) before Danny Espinosa delivered a three-run shot to make the game 7-4. But it was too little, too late for the Nats as they fell again to the team they consider their biggest measuring stick.

Two losses, and the prospect of meeting Roy Halladay tonight is not a good way to start this 10-day, nine-game road trip.

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THE GOOD: Alex Cora had a great night offensively, going 3-4 from the 8-spot in the order. His average is up to .227 on the year.

THE BAD: Jason Marquis was cruising through the first four innings, but his final two innings did him in. Three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth blew the game wide open, and the Nats could never recover. His ERA on the year is still just 3.66.

THE UGLY: Ian Desmond had his eighth error of the year, overthrowing LaRoche in the sixth. The throwing error would lead to the final two runs for the Phillies.

THE STATS: 9 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, 1 error, 2-7 with RISP, and 14 LOB.

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Whenever the Nationals face the Phillies, they know that every mistake can be the difference between winning and losing. The margin of error is razor thin, and Tuesday night, a miscue in left field and a struggling offense cost the team as they fell to the Phillies, 4-1.

Livan Hernandez was knocked around for 10 hits and 4 walks in 6 1/3 innings, but he kept the Phillies within striking distance, limiting them to just 2 runs. But in the 7th, Hernandez was pulled after giving up an RBI single to Ryan Howard. Todd Coffey got the next out, but the big blow came when Raul Ibanez launched a drive to left center off Doug Slaten.

Both Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Michael Morse raced towards the ball, but as they converged, they both pulled back. The ball dropped between them, scoring another run, giving the Phillies a 4-1 lead, a lead they would never relinquish.

All game long, the Nats offense was shut down by Phillies starter Cole Hamels, who tossed a complete game 5-hitter. His lone mistake was a home run by Michael Morse, who drove a belt-high fastball over the right field wall.

Hamels did more than just pitch a gem. Offensively, he contributed in a big way: he tripled in the 3rd inning and scored and singled in the 8th. Though Hamels, like many of the Phillies, was able to get on base with relative ease, Hernandez forced them to strand runners all night, but his offense couldn’t back him up.

Other than Morse’s 2-hit night, the rest of the lineup struggled to make good contact. The only other extra-base hit was a double by Ivan Rodriguez and the other 3 hits and walk were scattered over the game.

Jayson Werth, playing in his first game in Philadelphia as a National, was 0-3 with a walk, and received a mixed reaction from the crowd in his first at bat. Before he stepped in, Werth took his helmet off and waved it to the crowd, acknowledging both the boos and the cheers.

Werth walked in that at bat, but was held hitless the rest of the game. The Phillies offense, though, finally strung some hits together, ultimately taking advantage of a mistake in left field to seal the game.

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THE GOOD: Michael Morse was the lone bright spot offensively for the Nats as he went 2-3 with a home run, the team’s only run of the game.

THE BAD: The offense couldn’t get anything off of Cole Hamels all game, only managing 5 hits off the lefty over his complete game win.

THE UGLY: With the game tied 2-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Raul Ibanez drove a ball to deep left-center field. Left fielder Michael Morse and center fielder Jerry Hairston, Jr. tracked it, but it dropped in between them on the warning track, scoring a run and essentially taking the Nats out of the game.

THE STATS: Five hits, one walk, six strikeouts. 0-for-3 with RISP, 3 LOB, 2 GIDP. No errors.

Jordan Zimmermann heads to the dugout after seven-plus innings. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Washington, D.C. -- Jordan Zimmermann had a perfect game through five innings and ended up allowing just one earned run in his seven-plus innings.  Most nights, that's good for a dominating win.

But not last night.

As good as Zimmermann was, his opponent was even better.

Cliff Lee threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out 12, and his Philadelphia Phillies shut out the Washington Nationals 4-0, before 24,875 at Nationals Park.  The Nats record falls to 5-7, while the Phillies move to 9-3, best in the N.L. East.

As things turned out, the three unearned runs that came at Zimmermann's expense weren't even needed by the Phillies.  The only run required came in the top of the sixth, when catcher Carlos Ruiz slammed a  curveball into the first row of the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season.  The rest of the runs were just gravy.

Cliff Lee delivers against Nats. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Lee was masterful, walking one batter and fooling the Nats on a variety of pitches, including a fastball he ran inside to right-handed hitter on countless occasions for called strikes.  Lee struck out leadoff hitter Ian Desmond three times, and got Jayson Werth and Michael Morse twice each.  In fact, the only Nationals batter to not strike out was Jerry Hairston hitting in the eighth spot in the order.

Zimmermann deserved a better fate, but his offense just couldn't muster an attack on Lee.  His final line of five hits with no walks, four runs -- just one earned -- and four strikeouts should have had him in line for a win, but the took the loss instead and his record fell to 1-2.

Only twice did the Nats even threaten against Lee, and both times the Nats ran into outs on the base paths, erasing any chance of scoring.  In the third inning, Danny Espinosa (1-for-3, .281) lead off with a double and smartly took third on a fly to center by Hairston.  Manager Jim Riggleman put on the contact play with Zimmermann hitting, and the pitcher bounced a routine ball to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who calmly threw home to nab Espinosa by several feet.

"We wanted him going there, yeah," Riggleman explained.  "You know the infield's in and with nobody out we would make it go through but with one out we want him going on contact, kinda hoping that the ball's a little left or a little right of somebody, or maybe it's a high chopper or something hard to handle but that one was you know...if you wait for all that then you're never going so we're just kinda taking a chance there." 

"If we stay there we got two outs and we're standing on third and your percentages are getting pretty bad then."

In the fifth inning, Wilson Ramos (1-for-2, BB) led off with a single against Lee, bringing up the struggling Michael Morse.  Morse worked the count full, and on the 3-2 pitch Riggleman called for the hit-and-run.  Morse swung through for strike three and Ramos was caught stealing easily.

"I kinda wanted Ramos running on the pitch when Morse was hitting. I just felt that Mike, deep in the count, has seen enough pitches that he'll put the bat on the ball and we'll maybe find a hole out there."

Morse didn't find a hole.  He struck out for the 13th time in 34 at bats this season.

When you're struggling to score runs and facing one of the best pitchers in the game when he's on top of his game, you've got to maximize your opportunities.  Instead, the Nats ran themselves out of two innings.

THE GOOD: Jordan Zimmermann.  He got a few more swing-and-misses last night and walked no one, signs that his command and control are improving as he continues his recover from Tommy John surgery.

THE BAD: Six of the eight Nats hitters finished the night with their year's batting average below .217.  That's just bad anyway you slice it.

THE UGLY: Other than Ruiz' solo home run, all the rest of the Phillies runs were unearned, courtesy of errors in the field.  Jerry Hairston threw a ball away from third that he should have eaten, and Espinosa couldn't field a grounder from Lee when the infield was in motion for a bunt defense and Lee swung away.

THE STATS: Three htis, one walk.  0-for-2 with RISP, 3 LOB.  E: Hairston (2), Espinosa (2)

NEXT GAME: Friday v. Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 pm.  Tom Gorzelanny (0-1, 8.44) v. Chris Narveson (1-0, 0.00)

NATS NOTES:  Jesus Flores had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning, his first MLB hit since May 2009.  The catcher missed most of the last two seasons rehabbing from two shoulder surgeries.

Brian Broderick, the Rule 5 pitcher selected from the St. Louis Cardinals, had a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth, lowering his ERA to 12.46.

Jesus Flores' first MLB base hit in almost two years. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

"Nats Weekly", our Internet radio show on PrimeSportsNetwork.com, will air LIVE at 5:30 pm today.  We'll discuss the past week's games, the injuries that are causing lineup concerns for manager Jim Riggleman, minor league updates and anything else Nats.

You can join in the discussion by calling 877-244-0585 -- LIVE -- from 5:30-6:00 pm.

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINEUPS

PHILLIES:  Victorino-8, Polanco-5, Rollins-6, Howard-3, Francisco-9, Ibanez-7, Ruiz-2, Valdez-4, C.Lee (1-1, 7.84)

NATIONALS:  Desmond-6, Ankiel-8, Werth-9, LaRoche-3, Ramos-2, Morse-7, Espinosa-4, Hairston-5, Zimmermann (1-1, 3.18)

Washington, D.C. -- Sometimes you look at the lineup card and wonder why you bother playing the game.  Well, in baseball sometimes the numbers take a night off -- the good ones and the bad ones.

Last night, before a smallish crowd under threatening skies at Nationals Park, Jim Riggleman and his band of journeymen, backups and age-defying starting pitcher, defended the home turf against their arch-nemesis and a band of marauding Phillies Phans.  The final was 7-4, but it seemed much closer due to some shaky pitching in the eighth and ninth innings by two usually trusty relievers.

The win evens the Nats record at 5-5, drawing them within two of division-leading Philly.

"It's one game, but I was really pleased with the way we played in general," manager Jim Riggleman said afterward.  "I thought there were a couple times there toward the end we could have tightened it up a little bit.  But overall really pleased that we got a great performance from Livo, and starting pitching is what it's all about.  And when your starting pitcher pitches like that you've got a chance.

"We've got a long way to close that gap [with the Phillies].  One game is not what we're talking about."

But when it's against the Philadelphia Phillies, one game is a start.  Especially when injuries forced bench players Laynce Nix, Jerry Hairston and 43-year old Matt Stairs into the starting lineup.

Jayson Werth went 2-for-3 with a home run to lead his new mates over his old ones, and Wilson Ramos drove in two with two hits.

But the big story was the job Washington Nationals starter Livan Hernandez turned in.  The seemingly ageless one hasn't let the statheads get him down just yet, as he once again defied the projections of regression for the crafty vet. 

Livo went 6 2/3 innings and gave up just one run, on Ryan Howard's opposite field home run.  He allowed seven hits without walking a batter, striking out six including the last batter he faced, pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr., with the bases loaded on a 61 MPH curveball.

Tyler Clippard then came in and got perhaps the biggest out of the game, striking out Shane Victorino, leaving all three runners on base.

Clippard wasn't as sharp in the eighth, allowing a single and two walks, prompting Riggleman to call on Sean Burnett for a five out save.  Burnett eventually got the job done, but not before allowing two of Clippard's runners -- and one of his own -- to score to make things tight in the final frames.

The earned run in the ninth off Burnett halts his scoreless innings streak at 22 2/3, the longest in club history since the move to D.C. in 2005.

No matter, as Burnett was still credited with his third save of the young season and Hernandez evened his record at 1-1.

The Nats big inning was the third, where they got three runs off Phillies starter Joe Blanton (L, 0-1, 10.45).  Wilson Ramos doubled in Werth, who doubled a batter previously, Jerry Hairston delivered a one-out single with the bases loaded to plate Ramos, and Livo placed prefect sacrifice bunt to push Laynce Nix across with the third run of the frame.

The collection of position players the Nats put on the field last night, along with their starting pitcher, might not have been sabermetrically approved.  But in a small sample size, and one game is about as small as it gets, even the numbers can get fooled.  Let's just hope the Nats don't have to rely on this lineup for very long.

The bigger you make the sample size, the more the underlying data is proven reliable.

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THE GOOD: Werth, Ramos and Nix all had two hits apiece.  Hernandez was masterful.  Espinosa drew two walks, once to load the bases.

THE BAD: Matt Stairs.  Hitting in the cleanup spot, the lefty went 0-for-3, struck out twice, and was lifted for pinch-hitter Michael Morse. 

THE UGLY: Ian Desmond.  0-for-5 drops his average down to .209.  Something has to give at some point.

THE STATS: Nine hits, five walks.  4-for-9 with RISP, 7 LOB, 0 GIDP. No errors.

NEXT GAME: Wednesday v. Philadelphia at 7:05 pm.  John Lannan (1-0, 3.60) v. Roy Halladay (1-0, 0.69).

NATS NOTES:  Before the game, the team officially placed 3B Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day D.L. and recalled catcher Jesus Flores from Triple-A Syracuse.  Flores has missed most of the last two seasons with two different shoulder surgeries.

Philadelphia Phillies (7-2, 1st NLE) at Washington Nationals (4-5, 3rd NLE)

Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Tuesday 7:05 pm.: Joe Blanton (0-0, 14.54) v. Livan Hernandez (0-1, 4.76)

Wednesday 7:05 pm.:  Roy Halladay (1-0, 0.00) v. John Lannan (1-0, 5.40)

Thursday 7:05 pm:  Cliff Lee (1-1, 16.20) v. Jordan Zimmermann (1-1, 3.38)

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This series should be about Jayson Werth facing his former team for the first time, and while that is dominating the Philly papers, the bigger issue in D.C. is the injury bug, which has bitter their best player, Ryan Zimmerman, to the tune of three-to-four weeks with an abdominal strain.  He was placed on the D.L. today and the team recalled catcher Jesus Flores to take his place on the roster.

Also, 1B Adam LaRoche is still suffering from either the groin strain he suffered in New York Saturday OR the tear in his left rotator cuff, which flared up on him, requiring him to sit during Saturday's game.  Then today we find out left fielder Michael Morse, he of the 3-for-18 start of the season, has the flu and will be unable to play tonight, leaving a patchwork lineup that will feature Laynce Nix in left, Jerry Hairston at third, and 43-year old Matt Stairs playing first and batting cleanup.

Oh, and it's supposed to rain all night tonight.  Stay dry, Nats fans.

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STARTING LINEUPS

PHILLIES:  Victorino-8, Polanco-5, Rollins-6, Howard-3, Francisco-9, Ibanez-7, Ruiz-2, Valdez-4, Blanton-1

NATIONALS:  Desmond-6, Ankiel-8, Werth-9, Stairs-3, Ramos-2, Nix-7,  Espinosa-4, Hairston-5, Livo-1

THE RESULT:  It became a constant refrain, whether or not Adam Dunn was actually at bat Tuesday night or not.  Between innings.  On a put out at first base.  On random occasions.  But especially when the Nationals potential free agent first baseman came to bat.

"Sign Adam Dunn!"

The chants were never louder than in the ninth inning, when he came to the plate to lead off in a 1-1 tie.

"Sign Adam Dunn!" 

And on a 2-0 pitch from veteran right-handed reliever Jose Contreras, Dunn delivered.  He sent his 38th home run of the season half-way up the second deck above the out-of-town scoreboard in right center field, a majestic blast that had "no doubt" written all over it.

"Sign Adam Dunn!"

So the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1, before 19,117 thanks to a player that may make his final appearance as National at home tomorrow night.  Fans got to see a walk-off on "Mr. Walk Off" T-shirt Tuesday, even though it wasn't birthday boy Ryan Zimmerman.

The Nats have a lot of big decisions over the winter, but the biggest one is what to do with Dunn.  The team gets an exclusive window to negotiate with him once he files for free agency, but they've essentially had that luxury all season long. 

And ever since a season ticket holder luncheon before spring training, when the question was raised publicly, Dunn has been open about his desire to return to the Nationals.  And the team has professed their admiration for the big slugger. 

But at this point, he's going to free agency, and he'll get offers, and it'll be up to the Nats to decide whether or not to reach or exceed those offers.

And no amount of chants or cheers, or feel-good home runs, will affect those negotiations.

The win lifts the Nats record to 68-90 with four games remaining.

THE GOOD:  Jason Marquis continued his strong finish to the 2010 season.  In his last start, he went six innings and allowed seven hits and one walk, striking out seven.  His only blemish was Raul Ibanez' home run, the 249th homer Ibanez has hit against the Nats in the last four years.

Tyler Clippard struck out two in two scoreless innings and Drew Storen got the win (4-4), striking out two in the ninth inning.

THE BAD:  Lots of 0-fers, so I won't even bother.

THE UGLY:  0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

THE STATS:  9 Ks, 3 BBs, 0-for-7 with RISP, 5 LOB, 1 GIDP.

NEXT GAME:  Wednesday, the final game of the season at Nats Park.  Ross Detwiler (1-2, 2.52) makes his final start of the season against Joe Blanton (8-6, 4.94) at 7:05 pm.

"That's the reason you want to come to a team like this. They know how to do it," -- Phillies starter Roy Halladay

"Kind of embarrassing when everyone in the stadium is clapping against you and you're at home," Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond.

Phillies fans -- as far as the eye can see -- revel in division title at Nationals Park.
(Photo by C. Nichols/Nats News Network)

Monday night at Nationals Park, the differences between  the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies were on full display.  It was a brutal, thorough and complete embarrassment; from the result on the field down to the omni-present Phillies fans chanting and taunting the few Nats fans in attendance.

The Phillies operate under one simple credo:  Win. 

They have all-stars at almost every position.  They signed a Cy Young Award winner to head their staff, then traded for another perennial all-star pitcher at the trade deadline.  They have homegrown superstars at first, second and shortstop (when healthy).

When the Phillies lose a player to age, injury, or free agency, the organization simply fills the gap, utilizing resources (both monetary and personnel) efficiently.

And they have a loud and dedicated (if boorish and obnoxious) fan base that fills road stadiums and generally acts as if they own the place.

The Nationals, losers for the 90th time this season, continue to send lower-round draft picks and castoffs from other organizations out in front of sparse and polite crowds, as long as the weather's nice and the Redskins aren't playing.

What homegrown players they do have generally are still too young to be considered fully-functioning major leaguers.  And they certainly don't have enough of them yet.

And the organization, despite claims of attempts at being players in high-rent free agent sweepstakes (Teixeira, Chapman), have for the most part peddled in reclamation projects and dumpster diving, hoping to polish coal into diamonds -- to expected results.

Yes, the dichotomy was certainly on display once again Monday night, as several thousand Phillies fans packed the lower bowl of Nats Park to laud their heros, as Roy Halladay threw a two-hit complete game shut out, and Philadelphia clinched a fourth consecutive N.L. East title, winning 8-0 before a soggy, pro-Philly crowd of 14,309.

The only other statistic to cite to prove the utter domination the Phillies hold over the Nationals: the Nats are 20-50 against Philadelphia the last four years.

With chants of "Let's Go Phillies!", "This Is Our House!", and finally, "We're Not Leaving!" after the players retreated to their clubhouse to celebrate with the customary champagne showers, Phillies fans left in no uncertain terms that their invasion of opening day, while more impressive in total numbers, was no fluke, and could be repeated seemingly at will.

At least the Phillies players were classy enough to stay in the clubhouse and not dignify the rabble with a curtain call in their opponent's stadium.

Nats Park ushers and security had their hands full trying to escort their "guests" from the seating bowl, reveling in another division championship.  The fact that they secured their title on enemy soil seemed to further embolden them.

But at least Phillies fans were there, which is more than can be said for their counterparts.

It's trite to say that the Phillies have what the Nats want.  But then, it's hard to say exactly what the Nats want.  Sure, the players and coaches and General Manager want a championship of their own to celebrate.  But is the ownership really willing to do what it takes to provide the necessary talent to make that goal a reality?

They profess to have the desire to bring winning baseball to Washington, but do these powerful business-people really understand what it takes to be successful in this new business they've taken on?

Their arranged marriage partner, team President Stan Kasten, is running off after the bare minimum commitment he made to the Lerner family and to Major League Baseball.  He's not retiring, just resigning from his position with the Nationals.  Kasten has bigger fish to fry now.

They've squandered all but shreds of the original goodwill this organization enjoyed when it first moved here in 2005, when a season ticket base of 22,000-plus filled dingy, dark and depressing R.F.K. Stadium, simply because baseball was back in D.C.

Now, in a brand new stadium, the Nats can draw 22,000 only when facing a favorable opponent -- and the weather is nice.  They are literally giving tickets away -- offering four seasons tickets for the price of two -- for any new full-season ticket package for 2011.

Does the organization have any idea how disenfrachised the core fan base feels right now?  The Lerner family is local, so one has to assume a civic pride.  Anyone that calls D.C. home -- and not just the place they're currently living -- had to feel embarrassed and neglected by the franchise they so heavily have invested in Monday night..

The problem?  The majority of that fan base was at home watching on TV -- if at all -- tuned out and turned off by almost 300 losses the past three season, while thousands of Phillies fans celebrated another division title in the ballpark paid for by taxpayers of the District of Columbia.