GB&U: Oh, there was a game today, too

RESULT: Nats fall to Padres 11-6 in 14 innings.

GOOD: Roger Bernadina. 3-for-5 with a walk, RBI and 2 stolen bases. Lastings Milledge. 3-for-6 with a walk. 7/8ths of the Bullpen. They got 7 innings out of 7 relievers until Speigner took over.

BAD: Collin Balestar. Had trouble spotting anything but the fastball. 5 IP, 5 ERs on 9 hits -- but no walks. This was one of those occasions where he had to throw strikes with the fastball cause he couldn't located anything else, and they were teeing off on him. His fastball was pretty flat too.

UGLY: Levale Speigner. Guess it's safe to say at this point he isn't part of The Plan (tm). 2 IP, 5 ERs on 4 hits and 2 BBs.

NEXT GAME: Later today, 7:10 pm start. John Lannan against Chris Young. Interesting pitching match-up.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: I know i promised the good parts of the transcript of today's Q&A with Jim Bowden and Mike Rizzo, but 14 innings has taken its toll. I will get it posted tomorrow, I promise. I'll leave you with this nugget though: Bowden admitted Rob Mackowiak was a bust, in the context of "you win some, you lose some" when it comes to signing inexpensive free agents. Remember Rob Mackowiak?

GB&U: Close But No Cigar

RESULT: Nats lose to Mets 9-7.

GOOD: Wil Nieves. 3-for-5, two run single in ninth inning to bring up tying run. Elijah Dukes. Monster 2-run shot to left, his 13th of the year. Emilio! 2-for-5 with a run and RBI. Kory Casto with two hits and an RBI. Guzman had two more hits, raising his average to .315.

BAD: Zim, 0-for-4 again. Bullpen. Bergmann, Speigner and Manning each give up a run already trailing in the game. If ANY of them do their jobs, the Nats would have had a chance last night.

UGLY: Shairon Martis. I know he's just 21, and he was rushed into this here at the end of the year due to Bergmann's stinking up the joint (Fire Jim Bowden and I see opposite sides of this issue). But Martis was awful from the start. His fastball had no movement and his other pitches were just dull. He needs at least another full year in AA honing his other pitches so on the nights when he doesn't have his good stuff he can get hitters out. His line: 3 IP, 6 ERs, 5 hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks, 3 HRs.

INJURY UPDATE: From the Nats Redundancy Department of Redundancy: Kearns, Flores, Belliard and Young all shut down for the year.

NEXT GAME: Tonight for game four at 7:10 pm. A match-up of "aces". Tim Redding (10-9, 4.54) faces Johan Santana (13-7, 2.70).

GB&U: The Return of Ugly!!!

RESULT: Nats Lose to Rockies 8-2.

GOOD: Snakebit John Lannan. 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Made one mistake to Ian Stewart and it cost him. Other than that, had the Rocks off-balance all night. It's good to know that event he feel-good August Nationals still don't hit for Lannan.

BAD: Ronnie Belliard. Inexcusable for him to get caught at third base on a ball hit right at him. At least break for home and make Barmes throw you out instead of jsut standing there and allwoing yourself to be TAGGED out to start the unconventional 5-tag-3 double play. This just two pitches trying to get thrown out stealing third on a whiffed bunt attempt.

UGLY: Never in the history of GB&U has there been a more appropriate series of events to take this distinction. Last night's eighth inning was ugly in every sense of the word. Three pitchers. Three bloop hits. Four walks. Two HBPs. RBIs on two BBs and one HBP. U-G-L-Y. Wouldn't mind seeing less of Ayala and more of Shell right now.

INJURY UPDATE: Why the hell isn't Guzman on the freaking disabled list?!? Last night was the 11th game he's missed!!! Oh, Zim finally played (1-for-3) and Dukes ran in the OF, but no timetable for return.

OTHER "NEWS": Stan says we aren't signing all our draft picks. He better be talking about draft picks other than Crow. Look, Nieto was never going to sign, it's why he dropped all the way to the fifth round. That's not shocking. But the team and Crow's reps had better come to an agreement, or there will be hell to pay on these here internets.

NEXT GAME: Tonight's rubber game against the Rocks. Odalis Perez (4-8, 4.16) versus Jeff Francis (3-7, 5.67) fresh off the 15-day DL. Look, a team that actually uses it's disabled list!