RESULT: Nats lose to Giants 6-3.

GOOD: Wee Willie Harris. 2-for4 again. Homered again. Maybe Bowden will reward him with a 2-year, $16 MM contract? Paul LoDuca. As much as it pains me, Cap't Red-Ass came through when he had the chance with a ground-rule double, infield single and 2 RBIs.

BAD: Jason Bergman. You can't put your team in a hole early, and Bergy just wasn't ready to start this game. Lead-off homer to Fred Lewis. Tow-run shot to Bengie Molina. Down by three after one. That's a death sentence to this team.

UGLY: Jim Bowden's propensity for handing out "reward" contracts. Look people, I admire as much as anyone what Guzman's done this year. Remarkable really. But making a guy with a lifetime .305 OBP your highest paid player? Really?? Bowden said yesterday that Guzman did the team a "favor" taking into consideration his last bloated contract and how he spent 4/5 of it not earning it.

FAVOR? Giving a pudgy shortstop who is allergic to walks $16MM for two years is a favor. Great that it's not a longer deal. But it's $2-4MM more PER YEAR more than he would have gotten on the market, which makes up for those extra year or two he may have gotten. It will be real interesting to see what Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson get as free agents this off-season. That's when we can really determine how lousy a deal this is.

Also, Bonifacio better be ready, as JimBow and Rizzo think. Because if Guz has to lead-off again, it's that much worst. Guz is a #2 or #8 hitter. That's it.

Another also: Closers grow on trees (see: Rauch, Jon). Stop worrying about it. The trade was a good one. I don't agree with Bowden often, but he got this one right:

"You have to trade a reliever when you have the chance to get an everyday position player who's 23 years old. You have to do it."

He's the fastest guy in professional baseball. He was MVP of the Dominican League last winter. He can hit and is learning plate discipline. He's 23! Again, this was a good deal. Stop worrying about trading "the closer". If he were still setting up Cordero, people would be throwing Bowden a parade today, getting a potential 40-steal guy for a set-up man. Closing is all about opportunity, nothing else. Now Hanrahan has that opportunity. A star is born. Rant over.

NEXT GAME: Wednesday night, 10:15 pm. Colin Balestar (1-2, 5.87) on the mound against Kevin Correia (1-5, 5.81). Enjoy. I'll be at Camden Yards celebrating the heroes of my youth, the 1983 World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles. Cal, Ed-die, Palmer, The Earl. Ah, sweet memories.

San Francisco--In what was one of the busiest days administratively in the Washington Nationals' history, they also had a ball game to play. Unfortunately, the Nats got out of the gate slowly and never caught back up with the San Francisco Giants as they dropped a 6-3 decision at AT&T Park.

The story of Tuesday night's game was Giants catcher Bengie Molina. Thrust in to the clean-up spot this season after the departure of Barry Bonds, Molina has responded with a career year, and he continued his success against the Nats, homering twice against starter Jason Bergmann and finishing 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs. Bergmann was not sharp, especially early, as he surrendered five runs, four earned, and five hits in five innings of work. He did not walk a batter, and struck out only one. The first inning doomed Bergmann, as he allowed a lead-off home run to outfielder Fred Lewis, an infield single to Eugenio Velez, and a two-run shot to Molina, a no-doubt-about-it shot to left center field.

Bergmann settled down for the second and third innings, but in the fourth he was bit again. Molina led off with his second home run, his eighth of the season, and Omar Vizquel, statistically one of the worst batters in the NL this season, doubled to right field driving in ancient Rich Aurilia, who reached on an infield single. Bergmann fell to 1-7 on the season with the decision, and his ERA sits at 4.21.

The Nats hitters kept trying to claw their was back into this one, getting single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings, but never could catch up. In the second, Jesus Flores legged out his first major league triple, as Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand laid out for Flores' hard liner to right center, but just couldn't come up with it. The ball scooted all the way to the wall in the deepest part of the park, where right fielder Lewis retrieved it and threw late back into the infield. Flores slip into third for effect, as there was no play at the base. The next batter, Paul LoDuca, who was lustily booed by the fans remembering his long-time affiliation with the hated Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a ball into the left field corner that was ruled a ground-rule double, and Flores brought home the first Nats run.

In the fourth inning, Austin Kearns led off with a double and Ronnie Belliard walked against Giants starter Barry Zito (W, 5-12, 5.56). With one out, LoDuca again produced, as he eked out an infield hit and Kearns sneaked home with another run, Belliard advancing to third. But that's where he would stay, as Felipe Lopez struck out swinging, and Bergmann grounded out to end the inning. The Nats final run came courtesy of red-hot Willie Harris, who continues to push his career best home run total higher, as he hit his seventh of the season. Harris finished 2-for-4, raising his season average to .253.

The game marked the return of Ryan Zimmerman to third base for the Nats, as he was activated from the disabled list before the game, taking the roster spot from Dmitri Young, who was DL'd Friday due to complications with his diabetes and conditioning. Zimmerman went 1-for-3 with two walks upon his return.

Washington continues its series against the Giants Wednesday night at 10:15 pm Eastern, with Colin Balestar (1-2, 5.87) on the mound against Kevin Correia (1-5, 5.81).

NATS NOTES: The loss drops the Nats season record to 38-62, last in the NL East. They are 16 games behind division leading Philadelphia.

The Nationals announced before the game they re-signed SS Cristian Guzman to a two-year, $16MM contract.

Also, the team traded closer Jon Rauch to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league 2B Emilio Bonifacio. Bonifacio was assigned to Triple-A Columbus, but GM Jim Bowden said, "For us, he's going to be our second-baseman long term. That's what he's going to be. We've optioned him to Columbus; we want him to develop. But he'll be up here at some point by the end of the year and he'll be our second baseman next year."

Molina Leads Giants Over Nationals 6-3 also posted at DC Sports Box

Here's the news:

The Washington Nationals today acquired second baseman Emilio Bonifacio from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jon Rauch. Bonifacio was optioned to Triple-A Columbus of the International League. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement.

The switch-hitting Bonifacio entered the 2008 season rated as Arizona's No. 6 prospect according to Baseball America. The same publication also cited Bonifacio as its 2008 Winter Player of the Year—an award encompassing the three Caribbean winter leagues (Dominican, Venezuelan and Mexican)—after he batted .300 and posted a .359 on-base percentage with Licey of the Dominican Winter League.

"This trade brings us a quality, young player, who has the potential to develop into a solid leadoff hitter and outstanding defensive second baseman," Bowden said. "He is a high-energy player with a lot of potential, and we anticipate he'll fit nicely into our long-term plan of drafting, acquiring and developing a solid nucleus that will lead our club in the near future."

Bottom(feeder) Line: I LOVE this deal. Bonifacio is legit. .302/.338/.360 in six minor league seasons. 229 total stolen bases with a 78% success rate. He plays a gold-glove caliber second base. And he's only 23. He immediately becomes the Nats best hitting prospect not onthe major league roster. Getting this kind of return for a run-of-the-mill set-up guy in Rauch is a coup.

Granted, Rauch pitched admirably this season in the closer's role, but closing is all about opportunity, and he's still the same guy that would have been setting up Cordero had Cordero not been injured. In fact, it's the same kind of deal Bowden SHOULD have made for Cordero last season!

And it's absolutely immaterial who closes the rest of the way out, unless they think Hanrahan can be the long-term solution. Closers grow on trees (see: Rauch, Jon) and someone will show an aptitude for it. As I said, it's all about opportunity. it will eb interesting to see who gets that first opportunity though, if it's one of the vets (Rivera, Ayala) or Hanny, who is best suited for it.

LOVE THIS DEAL!

RESULT: Nats lose to Marlins 6-5.

GOOD: Home runs by Elijah Dukes and Dmitri Young - back-to-back - in the fifth inning.

BAD: Jon Rauch. He's been doing the job all year long since Cordero went down, but tonight he got lit up. Homer in the bottom of the ninth to Hanley Ramirez to tie, homer to Josh Willingham in the bottom of the tenth to lose.

UGLY: Roger Bernadina. 0-for-5, 3 Ks. He's going to have some rough nights in the next few weeks, and this was certainly one of them.

NEWS: Pete Orr was returned to Triple-A Columbus to make room to activate Colin Balestar, Tuesday's starting pitcher, making his MLB debut.

INJURY UPDATE: Chad Cordero out for at leat this year, probalby most of next with a torn labrum. He's been hiding this all year long. Here's what Chico at WaPo had to say:

Chad Cordero was discovered today, after receiving an arthrogram, to have a torn labrum. He will miss the rest of the season -- at least. He had been down in Viera, Fla., trying to come back from the shoulder injury that's bothered him all season. Cordero likely had the tear -- to some degree -- all season. He had been troubled by his lack of progress during rehab, and the team had been looking for an explanation.

NEXT GAME: Tuesday in Florida against the Marlins. The aforementioned Balestar versus Mark Hendrickson (7-6, 5.93).

Washington, DC--The game last night between the Washington Nationals and visiting Baltimore Orioles had a little bit of everything that makes baseball great. There were extra base hits, stolen bases, good pitching and even a little intrigue. On top of it all, it was a tied game heading into the late innings, where the Nationals were able to scrape two runs together in the seventh inning, then hold on to defeat the Orioles 4-2, before 35,830 bi-partisan fans, one of the largest crowds all season.

In that fateful seventh, with Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera still on the mound, Willie Harris led off the inning with a walk, Cabrera's third and last of the night. Kory Casto then pinch-hit for relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, and drilled a double to left filed that scooted by outfielder Jay Payton, allowing the fleet Harris to score all the way from first base. "Coming off the bench, it's tough. It's something I've never really done," Casto said. "It's your one shot and you've got to make it count."

Elijah Dukes, looking more and more every day like the run-producing force the Nationals hoped he would be when they traded for the troubled slugger, promptly delivered Casto on a single to center field and the Nationals took a precarious two-run lead into the final frames.

The Orioles would get runners on in each of the last two innings, and things looked particularly dicey in the ninth against closer Jon Rauch. Brian Roberts led off for the O's with a double and Nick Markakis followed with a walk. But Rauch got Melvin Mora to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, then Kevin Millar to fly out to center, and Rauch had secured the victory and his 16th save of the season.

Washington starter Odalis Perez, fresh off the 15-day disabled list, was on a pitch count for his first start back and fought through four innings without his best stuff, but hung tough while he was in there. He allowed no runs on three hits and three walks, striking out three. Steven Shell, the man who directly replaced Perez on the mound was not as sharp, as he surrendered both Orioles runs.

In the fifth inning, Shell gave up a triple to the first batter he faced, Brian Roberts, who immediately scored on Markakis' ground out. In the sixth, Adam Jones led off with a single that left fielder Wily Mo Pena misplayed, giving Jones an extra base. Brandon Fahey then shot one past third base to score Jones easily. Joel Hanrahan came on for Shell and pitched one scoreless inning to get the win. He's now 4-2 on the year with a 4.38 ERA.

The Nats got their first runs off Cabrera in the bottom of the first inning. Cristian Guzman led off with a double to right center and scored on Lasting MiIlledge's single to center. The ball scooted underneath Adam Jones' glove on the still wet turf, and Jones went all the way to third. Newly appointed clean-up hitter Jesus Flores then dumped a single into right field which brought Milledge home safely.

Game Two in the "Battle of the Beltways" is Saturday night at 7:10 pm. The Nats' John Lannan (4-8, 3.34) hosts Garrett Olson (5-3, 5.01) for the Orioles.

NATS NOTES: The win raises the Nats record to 32-49, last in the NL East, eleven games behind slumping Philadelphia.

The Nats have won back-to-back games at home for the first time since May 4.

Nats Take Game One of "Battle of the Beltways" 4-2 also posted at DC Sports Box.

Photo (c) C.Nichols 2008

RESULTS: Nats split with Cardinals; lose game one 4-1, win the nightcap 10-9.

GOOD: Game One: John Lannan. On his bobblehead night (just kidding, it's supposed to be Zim), Lannan was his usual solid, going 6 innings, allowing just 2 earned on 4 hits and 4 walks.

Game Two: Elijah Dukes. He needed this one. 4-for6, walk-off two-run job. He fell just a double short of the cycle.

BAD: Game One: Joel Hanrahan. Two IPs, 3 hits, a walk, two earned, including Pujols pinch-hit blast.

Game Two: Jon Rauch. He's been great so far in the closer role, but giving up extra-bats hits to slap hitters Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker is pretty terrible.

UGLY: Game One: The fans. Wow, so this is what happens when you hold a major league baseball game and no one comes. The only fans in stands were the people that were in from out of town to see the Cardinals. Oh, and some crazy folks in the right field corner.

Game Two: Tim Redding. Sorry Tim, any time you give up a three-run home run to a relief pitcher, your name is going in here. The kid probably hadn't even had big-league batting practice, having just been called up Sunday. Yikes!

NEXT GAME: Tonight, against one of the best pitchers in the National League! WOO HOO!!! Jason Bergmann (1-2, 4.50) hosts Tim Lincecum (7-1, 2.23) and the rest of the San Francisco Giants.

RESULT: Nats lose to Phillies 1-0.

GOOD: Jason Bergmann. Where did this come from. All he's done since returning to the rotation is throw 14 innings of shout out ball against two of the better hitting teams in the National League. Totals: 14 IP, 0 runs, 8 hits, 5 walks, 14 Ks.

BAD: Jon Rauch. Charged with pitching the ninth and holding the Phils to a tie to give the home teama chance to win, Rauch came in and got smoked for three hits and a run--and it could have been more if not for a tremendous relay from Guzman and outstanding effort from Flores to block Dobbs off the plate and keep him from scoring.

UGLY: Down 1-0 with runners on first and third with two outs, and having just watched the previous two batters reach via walk--including several balls in the dirt--Felipe Lopez swung at a slider on the first pitched and rolled it over to second base. That's bad enough--TAKE A PITCH FELIPE!!! But as he jogged out of the box, Utley bobbled the slow bouncer. Had Lopez run hard from the start, it would have given Utley something to think about instead of calmly noticing that he had time, settle, and throw out the barely jogging Lopez. Bad baseball.

NEXT GAME: Tonight, the rubber match against the Phillies. Matt Chico (0-5, 6.07) takes Shawn Hill's scheduled turn and faces ageless Jamie Moyer (3-3, 4.89).

Photo courtesy of A. Amobi, DC Sports Box