GB&U: Ho Hum, Another Walk-Off

RESULT: Nats beat Orioles 3-2

GOOD: Ronnie Belliard. Two-run walk-off home run! Woo Hoo! Roger Bernadina. Base hit in his first major league at bat. And in the outfield, he already looks like a gold glover (all hype intended).

BAD: Kory Casto. 0-for-5, .188 for the year. One day after playing hero, Kory has some really ugly at bats.

UGLY: My tummy. Sorry for the lack of post yesterday and this morning. I've been battling a touch of food poisoning or something, but starting to feel better.

NEXT GAME: Monday versus Florida. Tim Redding (6-3, 4.05) faces Ryan Tucker (2-2, 6.75)

GB&U: Moving Day?

RESULT: Nats beat Orioles 4-2.

GOOD: Kory Casto. He's getting beat up a little bit for lack of production, but he came through last night with a big hit to break the tie in the seventh inning off the bench. Blastings was 2-for-4 again too. Looks like he's shaken his mini slump.

BAD: Wily Mo. 0-for-3, lowering the average to .215. with yet another outfield error leading to a run. Will Kearns' return spell his demise?

UGLY: Felipe Lopez. He failed to cover second base as a defensive substitute in the eighth inning, making Guzman go the long way to first to get the third out of the inning. That's not a physical error, it's a mental one, one that Lopez has been guilty of quite a few times this season. His name has been in the paper the last couple days, with rumors swirling that after this series with the Orioles he may be headed 45 minutes up the road on a more permanent basis.

Lopez has some interesting things to say in an article by Steve Yanda in the WaPo. Acta's reply at the end of the piece speaks loud volumes as to how frustrated the organization is with him right now. They'll only get pennies on the dollar for him in trade, but it appears they'll be happy to get a bag of balls--and send some salary--just to remove him from the equation.

NEXT GAME: Tonight in game two of the "Battle of the Beltways" at 7:10 pm from Nationals Park. The Nats' John Lannan (4-8, 3.34) hosts Garrett Olson (5-3, 5.01) for the Orioles, which means the Nats will manage to score only two runs tonight, as Lannan has the lowest run support in the Majors. Will that be enough to win?

P.S. Sorry this was late today. I was out at the Baseball 101 clinic for the Nats female fans. It was a well attended event and I'll have pictures and a round-up tomorrow. Big props to all the coaches that came out to give instruction this morning, and all the ladies in attendance that hung on every word.

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008

Nats Take Game One of "Battle of the Beltways" 4-2

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

All Stars, Revisited

MLB All Star teams are announced July 6. Since I'm leaving for vacation July 1, I present to you now my All Star teams for 2008. Check back after the teams are announced and feel free to tell my how stupid I am. The starters I list are the leading vote-getters as of today. It's all I have to work with. I took 12 pitchers for each sqaud, and filled out the rest of the rosters as required: 32 players, at least one from each team. The Dodgers really made me work for their rep.

I get one extra in the AL since Big Papi won't be healthy enough to play.

Anyway, here we go...
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NL Starters: 1B Berkman (HOU), 2B Utley (PHI), 3B C.Jones (ATL), SS H.Ramirez (FLA), C Soto (CHC), OFs Soriano (CHC), Fukudome (CHC),
Griffey (CIN).

NL Reserves: 1B A.Gonzales (SD), 1B Pujols (STL), 2B Uggla (FLA), 3B Wright (NYM), 3B A.Ramirez (CHC), SS J.Reyes (NYM), C B. McCann (ATL), C R.Martin (LA), OFs Braun (MIL), Holliday (COL), McLouth (PIT), Ludwick (STL).

NL SPs: Volquez (CIN), Webb (ARI), Sheets (MIL), Haren (ARI), Lincecum (SF), Dempster (CHI), Santana (NYM).

NL RPs: Wood (CHI), Lidge (PHI), Capps (PIT), Wagner (NYM), Rauch (WAS).

Guys I hated leaving off NL: Bengie Molina, Carlos Lee, Mark Teixeira, Aaron Cook, Tim Hudson, Cole Hamels.
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AL Starters: 1B Youkilis (BOS), 2B Pedroia (BOS), 3B A.Rodriguez (NYY), SS Jeter (NYY), C Mauer (MIN), OFs M.Ramirez (BOS), Hamilton (TEX), Ichiro (SEA), DH Ortiz (BOS).

AL Reserves: 1B Morneau (MIN), 2B Kinsler (TEX), B.Roberts (BAL), 3B Crede (CHW), SS M.Young (TEX), C Navarro (TB), C Pierzynski (CHW), OFs Crawford (TB), Quentin (CHW), M.Ordonez (DET), Bradley (TEX), J. Guillen (KC).

AL SPs: C.Lee (CLE), Saunders (LAA), E.Santana (LAA), Halladay (TOR), Mussina (NYY), Duchscherer (OAK), Padilla (TEX)

AL RPs: F.Rodriguez (LAA), Sherrill (BAL), Papelbon (BOS), Rivera (NYY), Soria (KC).

Guys I hated leaving off AL: Grady Sizemore, JD Drew, Gavin Floyd, Zack Greinke, Bobby Jenks.

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Quick Comments: I ended up taking 3 catchers for both leagues. With 32-man rosters and with the game structured the way it is anymore, you really need to take three. Pierzynski is the weak link, but felt I needed the third in the AL. Martin was my LA rep, and I could have taken a fourth C with Molina in SF, but I don't see anyone taking 4 catchers.

AL 1B was weak this year. Even though Ortiz is hurt, I couldn't bring myself to take another DH in Giambi, although his numbers would qualify him. AL pitching is kinda soft too. I really tried hard not to take Padilla, but again, numbers warrant the selection.

Teams with one All Star: TOR, CLE, DET, SEA, OAK, WAS, HOU, SF, SD, LA, COL.

Most All Stars: CHC 6, BOS 5, TEX 5, NYY 4, NYM 4, LAA 3.

By The Way...

One more thought about the Nats negotiating with Guzman: If JimBow gives Guz a Meathook deal (2 years at $5MM per), he should be strung up.

FYI, Rumors floating around that the Nats and O's are talking about FLop. I guess Manny didn't like the fake dreads. From Chico's off-day Chemistry Lesson today:

Second baseman Felipe López thought a sight gag might help. So, during warmup drills in Minnesota last Thursday, López wore a Rastafarian-style wig. As he loosened up, his fake dreadlocks bounced under the brim of his ballcap. Like that, the poorest team in the National League prepared to lose its third straight game. Nobody expressed displeasure to López about the antics, but still, the second baseman felt a vibe of disapproval. "I'm sure people were like, 'We're losing. What is he doing?' But what does it matter if you're losing? You can't have fun? You're supposed to be bitter and not have fun?"

He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There's a lot of uptight people in here," he said.

So I Guess We Can Cross Furcal Off The Wish List

This article today by Bill Ladson of MLB.com brings the news that the Nats are in negotiation with Cristian Guzman on a two-year contract extension. Guzman's previous contract, given by GM Jim Bowden after the 2004 season, was for four years and $16MM. Guzman's performance during that four-year stretch has been well documented, and if you want to examine the grizzly numbers before this season, please feel free. They aren't pretty.

He is a lifetime .267/.304/.382 hitter with 50 home runs in nine seasons. Since his laser eye surgery after the 2006 season, however, he's hit .316. He's been the Nats best hitter so far this season, and Manny Acta has gone on record advocating his all-star criteria. But a closer look tells us that even though Guzman is hitting the ball, he's still not that great a hitter, and certainly lacking as a lead-off hitter. Ladson opines:

Guzman is having the best year of his career, hitting .312 with five home runs and 26 RBIs entering Wednesday's action. He is on pace to collect 200 hits and score 100 runs.

His OBP so far this season is .335, terrible for someone who is supposed to be the "table setter". The reason his OBP is just a few points higher than his average is, obviously, he never walks. He has 12 walks so far this season in 356 plate appearances. Since returning to the lead-off spot at the begining of June, he's hitting .340/.366/.371. The OBP is higher because a few more hits have dropped. He's only walked twice since June 5.

His OPS+ is 101 for the season. OPS+ is measured with 100 being the base for all players--a specific player's value is in relationship to that base. So Guzman's value is one point higher than the base. He leads the NL in hits and singles, and is fifth in doubles.

As for defense, his range factor places him in the bottom third of starting shortstops in the NL and his fielding percentage is in the middle of the pack. Strangely, he's near the top of the NL in double plays turned, which is probably a mechanic of the pitchers in front of him. So statistically, he's below average overall in the field as well.

Negatives: He's 30. His OBP is low. He doesn't steal bases anymore (3 in 6 attempts this year).

Positives: He hits for average. He's got decent pop for an NL SS. He doesn't strike out a lot. No one in the minors to push him.

On the face of it, the Nats could do worse than Guz at short IF they had a legitimate lead-off hitter, allowing Guz to hit second -- or better yet -- eighth. If Bowden re-signs Guzman expecting him to lead-off for the next two years with further declining defensive skills as he gets older, then Bowden--and the team--will regret this contract as much as the last.

GB&U: Another Walk Off Win

RESULT: Nats beat Angels 5-4.

GOOD: Lastings Milledge. 2-for-4, home run (7), two RBIs. Dukes was 2-for-3 with two walks. Flores has the game-winning hit after going 0-for-4 with 3 Ks. Redding gave up two earned in six innings. There was a lot to like last night.

BAD: Luis Ayala. One-third of an inning, two runs on two hits. He's just not getting it done right now. He's given up more runs than innings pitched three of his last six appearances. Yuck.

UGLY: Pete Orr. Another defensive replacement assignment. Yet another error. Sorry, he's just not a major league player.

NEWS: Shawn Hill placed on the 15-day DL today. After meeting with the doctors, the prescription was rest and therapy. I guess it's wait and see with Hill.

NEXT GAME: Friday at Nationals Park against the Baltimore Orioles, in for a three game set to FINALLY wrap up interleague play. Odalis Perez (2-5, 4.09) will come of the disabled list to face Daniel Cabrera (5-3, 4.46).

Photo courtesy of MLBAM.

Nats Rally For Another Walk-off Win

Washington, DC--Lastings Milledge homered, Elijah Dukes reached base four times and Jesus Flores broke out of a mini-slump just in time, as his line drive in the bottom of the ninth scored Dukes from second and allowed the Washington Nationals to walk-off with a win against the AL West leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-4.

Flores had gone 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and five runners left on when he came to the plate with two on and no one out against Scot Shields for the Angels. He fouled the first pitch back and took the next two pitches for balls, and on the fourth pitch of the at bat finally found one he liked, drilling it to right center, splitting outfielders Torii Hunter and Rob Quinlan to deliver the comeback victory for the Nats.

The Nats got off to the early lead courtesy of Milledge. In the bottom of the first, Cristian Guzman led off with a walk, only his twelfth in over 350 plate appearances. One out later, Milledge (2-for-4) hammered an Ervin Santana offering deep to straight center field and the ball landed in the utility area beyond the deepest part of the playing field. It was Milledge's seventh home run of the season and broke an 0-for-13 skid. Santana, one of the AL's leading pitchers this season, was not particularly sharp Wednesday night allowing four earned runs total on four hits and five walks in six innings.

The Angels would scratch out single runs in the second and third innings against Nats starter Tim Redding. In the second, Hunter led off with a single, took second on a ground out and scored on Gary Matthews double to deep left field. In the third, Erick Aybar singled with one out and took second on Garrett Anderson's single. Hunter reached on an infield single to load the bases and first baseman Casey Kotchman singled to short right plating Aybar. The damage could have been worse, but with the bases loaded Howie Kendrick flied out to medium-deep right field and Anderson broke for the plate. Elijah Dukes fired a one-hop strike to catcher Jesus Flores, who cleanly applied the tag for the double play, letting Redding escape big damage in the inning.

The Nats took back the lead in the sixth. They loaded the bases against Santana with a walk to Dukes (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 BBs), a single by Milledge and an intentional pass to Dmitri Young. Ronnie Belliard then drew a walk with the sacks full to force in a run, and Wily Mo Pena (2-for-3) snuck a ball through the right side to drive in another. But the Nats could not finish of the Angels, as Willie Harris popped out and Kory Casto struck out to end the inning.

The 4-2 lead would be short lived though. In the top of the eighth, with Luis Ayala pitching, the Angels would stage their rally. Aybar singled to start the inning and Anderson reached on defensive replacement Pete Orr's error. Kotchman doubled on a ball to the wall in right, scoring Aybar and moving Anderson to third. Ayala has given up more runs than innings pitched in three of his last six opportunities, driving his ERA up to 5.54.

Jon Rauch was summoned to try to save the game, but he let Kendrick loft a fly ball to center that brought Anderson home to tie the game. Nats fans have time and again seen the bullpen surrender leads, and tonight's game looked to be following that script. But the Nationals have also crafted several walk-off scenarios at home, and the disappointment of losing the lead would soon be replaced by the "bang-zoom" of victory fireworks.

Rauch retired the Angels in order in the ninth, and as pitcher of record earned the win (4-1, 2.29) despite the blown save. Redding (6-3, 4.05) finished with six innings pitched, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out two. Redding now has seven consecutive starts without a decision. Shields (3-2, 2.53) suffered the loss for the Halos.

The Nationals have a day off Thursday to savor their win. Friday marks the beginning of part two of the "Battle of the Beltways", as the Baltimore Orioles visit Nationals Park for a three-game series to conclude interleague play. Odalis Perez (2-5, 4.09) will come of the disabled list to face Daniel Cabrera (5-3, 4.46) for the O's.

NATS NOTES: With the with, the Nats record stands at 31-49, twelve and one-half games behind division leading Philadelphia. Washington's last four victories at home have come in its last at-bat.

With an infield single in the seventh inning, Aaron Boone reached 1,000 hits for his career. He is the fourth person in his family to reach that plateau in the major leagues, following grandfather Ray (1,260), father Bob (1,838) and brother Bret (1,775).

The Nats placed RHP Shawn HIll on the 15-day DL Thursday to activate Perez for Friday's game. Hill was examined by specialists at the Mayo clinic, and for now, rest and therapy were prescribed for his painful forearm.

Photos (c) C.Nichols 2008

Bowden MUST Be Held Accountable For THIS Team

Jim Bowden has to be held accountable for what's happening on the field this year. Injuries happen to every team, but the good ones have quality players stashed they can recall to fill in.

There were plenty of NRIs and minor league free agents available over the past off-season that could have been brought in to compete for jobs on this team, let alone provide injury insurance. What did Bowden do? He signed Aaron Boone, Willie Harris, Rob Mackowiak, Pete Orr, Ryan Langerhans, two old, beat up catchers in Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada and Odalis Perez.

Boone and Perez have performed on the level the team hoped for, but the rest have been an abomination.

Harris, Mackowiak and Orr are all the same player and Langerhans has been released twice now with no other team claiming him, allowing him to be sent back to Columbus.

Think the $5MM the Nats spent on Paul LoDuca would have been better spent on Milton Bradley? How about Russel Branyan, a minor league free agent that "just wanted another chance", who has hit 10 homers in 74 at bats? Bartolo Colon? He signed a minor league deal. Chris Gomez signed a one-year $1MM deal. I could go on all day.

Yet Bowden came back with the crew he assembled proclaiming this team to be competitive. It never had a chance.

Now, we all know Mike Rizzo is in charge of scouting and drafting of the amateurs, so all we have to judge Bowden on is his performance assembling the major league and Triple-A team. and those area have both regressed in the four years (two under the Lerners) that he's been on the job.

Enough is Enough. I'm not playing hypothetical like FIREJIMBOWDEN.com is, but simply providing evidence that Bowden very poorly chose the NRIs and one-year contracts he chose to give out for THIS SEASON, and the evidence is damning.

He continues to overvalue and overhype the players he assembles, then BLAMES THEM for poor performance. It's time he's held accountable for the teams he's putting on the field. There's no reason to play this poorly when you can be a shrewd judge of stop-gap talent in the off-season.

Bowden must go.

Hill Lose Hill to Forearm Pain, Game to Halos 8-3

Washington, DC-In the microcosm, it was just another loss in a season that has been full of them, and will, in all likelihood, continue. In the grand scheme of things, however, this loss could prove more costly in significance if this was the end of Shawn Hill on the mound for the Washington Nationals for the foreseeable future.

Hill (L, 1-5, 5.83) was hammered by the Angels for eight runs -- six earned -- on eight hits and a walk in just three innings of work, as the Washington Nationals lost to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8-3 Tuesday night before 28,531 at Nationals Park. He gave up six in the first and another two in the third inning.

The bigger news, however, in what has become a lost season for the reluctant ace, was when after the game Manager Manny Acta announced Hill was likely headed to the disabled list and on his way very soon to see specialists at the Mayo clinic to re-examine his elbow and forearm, the source of Hill's pain and frustration this season. Hill was despondent in his post-game interview, stoic and brutally honest as always with the gathered press. "I'm just not right." he said. "Not a whole lot of guys throw through this for as long as I have…[M]aybe two weeks off, a week off, a month off, whatever it may be, I have no idea. I might come back and feel like a new guy, or [the rest] might do absolutely nothing. I have no idea."

His performance on Tuesday night was described as "flat" by Acta and his location "suffering" by pitching coach Randy St. Claire.

Hill started the season on the DL and has struggled every start since his return. In the beginning, the pain forced him to give up throwing between starts, something he's acknowledged as being important for him to maintain his control and consistency. He recently had returned to throwing side sessions, but the pain has worsened and left him in a reduced capacity during games. Tuesday's fiasco was, apparently, the final straw. Hill is no longer able to pitch through the pain, and the incredible effort he's been putting forth just to get on the mound for the Nats is not enough when the results were as bad a they were last night, effectively ending any chance the team had to be competitive in the first inning.

The lack of any consistent offensive production from this patchwork line-up of discarded veterans and untested youngsters places an extra premium on pitching, especially the starters, and trailing 6-0 after the top of the first is a death sentence for a squad hitting .238 as a team, last in all of Major League Baseball.

Jon Garland got the win for the Angels, leaders of the American League West. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk, including solo home runs by Wily Mo Pena (2) and Elijah Dukes (3).

Adding insult to Hill's injury, the defense was atrocious again Tuesday, as the Nats committed four errors, two in that fateful first inning. Paul LoDuca, starting in left field for the first time since 2004, threw away the first ball hit to him, allowing a runner to advance an extra base. Dmitri Young booted two grounders at first base, and Willie Harris kicked one away at second, starting once again for Felipe Lopez. To their credit, the Nats did complete three double plays, including a strike-em-out, throw-em-out by Jesus Flores.

The Nats conclude their three-game series with the Halos Wednesday night, as Tim Redding (6-3, 4.12) takes the mound against Ervin Santana (9-3. 3.17) for the Angels.

NATS NOTES: The loss lowers the Nationals record to 30-49, last in the NL East, twelve and one-half games behind Philadelphia. The Nats have lost four straight, and are 2-7 in their last ten games.

LoDuca summoned the trainer in the top of the second inning during Vlad Guerrero's at bat. He experienced dizziness and nausea and was removed from the game. He was taken to a hospital for observation. He was given IVs and was reported to be feeling better later in the evening. No further word from the team has been released at this writing.

Redding appeared at the ESPN Zone downtown Tuesday at lunchtime for a Q&A with Nats fans. Radio play-by-lay Charlie Slowes emceed the event, attended by roughly 75 Nats fans.

GB&U: Hill Hammered By Halos

RESULT: Nats fall to Angels 8-3.

GOOD: Power Display. The Nats only had six hits, but two were homers from Elijah Dukes and Wily Mo Pena. Pena's blast cleared the opposing bullpen in left center.

BAD: Lastings Milledge. He went 0-for-4, extending his slump to 1-for-29 over his last seven games. He's gone from .258 to .235 in that time.

Bonus BAD: Defense! Or I should say, lack thereof. Four errors, including two in the miserable first inning. LoDuca threw away the first ball hit at him in left field. Meathook booted two grounders. Willie Harris kicked one at second.

UGLY: Shawn Hill. In what may be his last appearance for the Nats for a while, he was absolutely hammered. 3 IP, 8 Runs, 6 ERs, 8 hits, 1 BB, 2 Ks. He's scheduled for an appointment at the Mayo clinic to examine his elbow and forearm. After the game, Manny Acta indicated Hill was headed to the DL, and the pitcher's words were despondent.

From the Post's game story: "I'm just not right." - and- "Maybe two weeks off, a week off, a month off, whatever it may be, I have no idea. I might come back and feel like a new guy, or [the rest] might do absolutely nothing. I have no idea."

NEWS: LoDuca had to leave the game in the second inning due to light headedness. I won't make a joke here. LoDuca called the trainers out in the middle of Vlad Guerrero's at bat in the second when he started feeling faint. He was taken to a hospital for observation. He received IVs and was reported to be feeling better later in the evening.

NEXT GAME: The Nats wrap up their series with the Angels. Tim Redding (6-3, 4.12) takes on Ervin Santana (9-3, 3.17).

Anyone Surprised By This?

Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson will miss the rest of the season after surgery today to repair a small split tear in a ligament on the ulnar side of his right wrist.

When the injury first happened back in May, the original diagnosis was 4-to-6 weeks. David Ortiz of the Red Sox sustained a very similarly described injury right around the same time-frame, and he's out of his cast, pain-free, and hopeful to start batting practice soon. It's almost indescribable how Johnson's injuries are always the worst case scenario.

His broken leg was supposed to have healed over the off-season in order for him to be ready for spring training in 2007--but he missed the entire year. I won't detail his long and storied list of injuries, but the guy just can't stay healthy, and it takes forever for him to heal. It's a real shame, because he's the best hitter on the team--when healthy.

He, like Meathook, are under contract through 2009, so all Nats fans can hope for is that he recovers from surgery and comes back in the spring healthy, in shape, and ready to play his butt off for a new contract. At this point, the Nats themselves are just hopeful to get some returns for the old one.

At least we'll always have the lightning bolt from spring training.

GB&U: This Is Not A Recording

RESULT: Nats lose to Angels 3-2.

GOOD: Jason Bergmann. Seven innings, one earned run on six hits and NO WALKS, with six strikeouts. This wasn't the Mariners he dominated, it was the AL West leading Angels, legitimate contenders.

Bonus GOOD: Willie Harris! Two home runs in as many days! If you made a bet during spring training that Harris would have four times as many homers as Wily Mo Pena in the first week of the summer, you may collect your bet.

BAD: L-Millz. 0-for4 sees his average tumble to .239. He's 0-for-13 since clubbing his big home run Friday night.

UGLY: Defense. In the eighth inning, the defense let the team down. Chone Figgins bunted to third to lead off, and when defensive replacement Pete Orr and pitcher Saul Rivera collided, Figgy was safe. He then stole second, took third on Flores' throwing error, then Lopez booted Aybar's grounder allowing Figgins to trot home. Rivera couldn't recover, and allowed Garrett Anderson to drive in Aybar, and that's all she wrote.

NEWS: The team announced Nick Johnson will undergo surgery on his injured right wrist. The procedure, quite obviously, will shelve Johnson the rest of the season. Good thing we didn't trade Meathook in Spring Training.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Shawn Hill (1-4, 5.22) hosts Jon Garland (6-4, 4.06) at 7:10 pm.

GB&U: Still No Support for Lannan

RESULT: Nats lose to Rangers 5-3.

GOOD: John Lannan. Another quality start: 6 IP, 2 ERs, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks. All he gave up was two solo homers. He threw 90 pitches, 56 for strikes. But despite the low strike %, he didn't walk anyone and had 6 Ks. Fairly amazing. Anyway, until he learns to be a little more economical with his pitches and can get through another inning or two, he's going to keep experiencing these tough days. At least he wasn't saddled with another loss.

BAD: Wily Mo. 0-for-3, .209 for the season. His starts are getting more infrequent. Maybe Manny is tiring of the juggling act in left field.

UGLY: Ayala and Hanrahan. 2 IPs, 3 ERs, 4 hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks. Ayala earns the loss, Joel throws gas on the fire. It's tough watching this day-in and day-out. Steven Shell (NOT a good name for a pitcher) was perfect in his MLB debut though.

NEXT GAME: Tonight against free-swinging Vladamir Guerrero and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County of California of the USA. Jason Bergmann (1-5, 5.03) faces John Lackey (4-1, 1.73). It's what you would call a 'reverse lock'.

GB&U: Nothing To See Here

RESULT: Nats spanked by Rangers 13-3.

GOOD: Meathook. 3-for-4. LMillz crushed a homer halfway up the stands in left. That's about it.

BAD: Garrett Mock. Making his second spot start of the season, he just doesn't look like he trusts his stuff at this level yet. Maybe there's an underlying reason for that, maybe it's just nerves. Who knows? But what we do know is that he was bad for the second straight outing. The eight strikeouts at least showed some promise. His final line: 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 8 Ks.

UGLY: The Bullpen. One night after performing so well, They were terrible. Manning, Sanches and Colome all were roughed up. The trio surrendered 9 ERs in 3 IP, along with 10 hits and four walks. Yuck.

MOVES: After the game, the Nats demoted Sanches and Mock and recalled INF Pete Orr and RHP Steven Shell from Triple-A Columbus.

NEWS: Nick Johnson has an appointment at the Mayo Clinic to examine his wrist. He still has considerable soreness after several weeks of immobilization. Johnson has been on the DL since May 15.

NEXT GAME: Today at 1:35 pm in the finale against Texas. John Lannan (4-6, 3.36) faces Vicente Padilla (9-3, 3.73).