I don’t normally feel bad for professional athletes.  They make a ton of money, live the high-life, and don’t usually have to work year-round.  But today I’m feeling very badly for both Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez – both starting pitchers had their best stuff of the season this past weekend for the Washington Nationals, but neither player ended up with a win.

Stephen Strasburg had it worse, suffering his fifth loss of the season as the Nationals lost to the Chicago Cubs 8-2 last Saturday.  Strasburg was on fire, striking out seven batters on 53 pitches until a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman with 2 outs in the top of the fifth inning changed the momentum of the game.  Zimmerman’s error must have definitely rattled Strasburg, who needed 42 pitches to get out of the fifth inning.

Some might argue that Strasburg should have shaken off Zimmerman’s error (his sixth of the season) and stayed focused on his fastball, which was in the high 90s Saturday afternoon.  Yes, it’s easy for us to say that when we’re not the ones standing on the pitcher’s mound.  Strasburg is supposed to be such a phenom – he’s supposed to be able to pitch in stellar fashion regardless of what mistakes his defense makes.  Yet it’s very easy for us to forget that Strasburg is only 24 years old and has never pitched a complete season in the Majors.  And while he is a pretty focused guy, it seems like little things can get to him – the height of the pitcher’s mound in Cleveland, the way a “throwback” jersey doesn’t fit him quite right, a rain delay after a game has already started – so perhaps he’s not as “locked in” as people tend to think.

Then there’s poor Gio Gonzalez, who had a perfect game going into the sixth inning of Sunday’s game.  He had a good rhythm going, striking out six batters in 86 pitches before being (prematurely) pulled after seven innings.  Nationals’ manager, Davey Johnson, decided to replace Gio with pinch-hitter Chad Tracey in the bottom of the seventh so that Drew Storen could pitch the eighth, but not only did Tracey strike out, but Storen (who has not been very consistent this season) allowed the Cubs to tie the game.  Then in the ninth, with Rafael Soriano pitching, Nationals’ catcher Kurt Suzuki made an unusual throwing error, which most people in the universe think was actually player interference because Suzuki’s throw to prevent a double steal hit batter Welington Castillo’s bat.  Not only did rookie umpire John Trumpane not call the interference, but then in the bottom of the ninth, he ejected Suzuki for arguing a strike three call.  Not a good day for the Nationals, and an unfortunate no-decision for Gio Gonzalez.

But hey, on a positive note, the Nationals did take both games in a short inter-league series against the star-studded Detroit Tigers earlier in the week, and they still remain only 1 game out of first place in the NL East, because the Atlanta Braves keep losing.  So there’s that.

Now the Nationals head west for a tough road trip against the Dodgers, Padres, and Giants.  These west-coast road trips are tough (just ask the Braves!), but like the Baltimore Orioles proved earlier this month, it is possible to win and win big while on the west coast.  Jordan Zimmermann needs to continue his dominance, Ian Desmond needs to stay hot, and Bryce Harper needs to stop cutting his toenails too short so he won’t need to have any more ingrown toenails removed.  I would like to see the Nationals take seven of their next 10 games, most of which will be going on too late at night for me to watch all the way through.  But I will still be here next week, hopefully with good news to report and great positive comments.

Hello, Nationals fans!  What a week it’s been, with the Nationals coming back from a 4-3 road trip.  Not bad, considering two of the losses were to the first-place Atlanta Braves, who had beaten the Nationals in their previous 9 encounters until Jordan Zimmermann’s stellar pitching performance last Wednesday.

During their road trip to Atlanta and Pittsburgh, the Nationals did something they hadn’t done since the second week of the season – they scored at least five runs in consecutive games.  Adam LaRoche and Danny Espinosa finally figured out how to hit in key situations (LaRoche went 5-for-10 and drew six walks over the last four games), and Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos came off the Disabled List and contributed offensively as well.

The Nationals’ pitching still seems a bit inconsistent, but starter Dan Haren is starting to look sharp and Gio Gonzalez was dominant in Sunday’s game after allowing a first-pitch home run to start the game.  Gio was visibly rattled after Bryce Harper was ejected in the top half of the inning, but calmed himself down after the home run and ended up having a very good outing.

So why was Bryce Harper ejected?  In case you missed it, he tried to check his swing after a curveball was thrown by Pirates’ starter, Wandy Rodriguez.  Third base umpire, John Hirshbeck, said that Harper swung (I think he did too, after seeing replays from four different angles), and Harper raised his arms in disbelief while still holding on to his bat.  Hirshbeck stated walking down the third base line towards home plate while raising his arms to imitate Harper, and that made Harper throw down his bat and helmet in frustration.  This is when Hirschbeck ejected Harper for an “equipment violation” and for being “disrespectful.”  I think it was a bit harsh for Hirschbeck to eject Harper – yes, Harper should have kept his cool, but it’s not like he spit at Hirschbeck or anything (someone else did, back in the ‘90s, and he’s in the Hall of Fame despite that).  I never cared for Mr. Hirschbeck – he’s always been a hot-head, and he gives umpires a bad rap.

So what’s next for the Nationals?  They return to DC to entertain the 19-11 Detroit Tigers for two inter-league games and the 11-20 Chicago Cubs for three before packing up and heading west.  The Nationals need to win at least one game against Detroit and two of three from the Cubs, because they don’t normally do well on west-coast road trips.  Stephen Strasburg needs to get better command of his fastball, Ross Detwiler has to be more dominant, and the bullpen needs to stop walking so many batters and allowing so many runners to steal bases.  Yes, it will be fun watching last year’s Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera; let’s just hope the Nationals can stop his hot bat and make some good memories of their own.

After taking 3 of 4 games against the Cincinnati Reds last week, the Washington Nationals had a pretty decent time at home.  Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman both pitched one-hitters and Bryce Harper continued his home run-hitting ways.  My headline for this week’s blog was going to be “That’s More Like it!”  Then the Nationals went to Atlanta, and things fell apart again.  It wasn’t awful, but the Nationals lost to the Braves for the eighth consecutive time, this time by a score of 3-2.  Can they ever beat this team?

Stephen Strasburg had a so-so outing, striking out 8 batters in six innings but having little control over his fastball.  Strasburg also seemed to have some “stiffness” in his throwing arm according to Nationals’ manager, Davey Johnson.  It’s still too early to determine whether Strasburg will miss his next start because of it, but regardless of the status of his arm, there’s no hiding from the fact that he has an uncharacteristic 1-4 record with an ERA above 3.  Let’s hope this arm issue is a non-issue and he can find his fastball again very soon.

After Atlanta, the Nationals go on to Pittsburgh, where whaddya know!  The Pirates are in first place in the NL Central!  The Nationals just got catcher Wilson Ramos off the Disabled List and will get third baseman Ryan Zimmerman back sometime next week., so hopefully they can regroup and take at least 3 from the Pirates.

One player I wanted to mention (because of his inefficiency this year compared to years past) is relief pitcher Tyler Clippard.  “Clip” has walked 7 batters in 9 1/3 innings, which is not acceptable for a setup guy.  He seldom has a 1-2-3 inning and tends to slow the game down.  Yes, he has abs of steel and chiseled biceps (I would know – I’ve felt them!), but he needs to have better control of his pitches.  I don’t know if batters are figuring out his changeup, but it doesn’t seem like Clippard is as dominant as he was last year.  The rest of the bullpen seems to be OK – Storen, Stammen, Duke, and Matthieus have been IK, and Rafael Soriano, while not as dominant a closer as Cole Kimbrel or Jim Johnson, he gets the job done.

In sports, all streaks must come to an end.  Let’s hope the Braves’ 8-game winning streak against the Nationals comes to an end this week – I can’t stand that “tomahawk chop” that they do at Turner Field!

Oh my goodness!  What can I say about the Washington Nationals being swept by the Atlanta Braves this past weekend?  Well, I could come up with excuses (“it was only three games – they’ll bounce back!”); I could be optimistic (“Jayson Werth is finally hitting and Danny Espinosa’s wrist injury isn’t that bad!”); or I could just be blunt and honest:  The Nationals have not been playing very good baseball.

Yes, the Atlanta Braves have been hot with their 11-1 record, but that is still no excuse for the way the Nationals have been playing.  The Braves’ record has nothing to do with the 4 errors committed by the Nationals this past weekend.  There is no correlation between Justin Upton’s 7 home runs and Adam LaRoche’s  .147 batting average.  The Nationals are not playing well, and there’s no reason to sugarcoat it.

While Nationals’ Manager, Davey Johnson, has asked us to not “micro-pick,” journalists and bloggers and experts alike need something about which to complain, so micro-picking is what we will do.  First of all, Nationals’ starting pitchers have thrown a lot of pitches early on, making them leave games by the sixth or seventh inning.  This has overworked the Nationals’ bullpen, which has a collective ERA of 6.34 (last in the Majors).  Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Dan Haren, and Ross Dettwiler need to pitch deeper into the seventh or eighth inning, and to do this, they need to find their strike zones early.  Tyler Clippard has not been as effective as in years past, and for the love of mankind, can they please get rid of Henry Rodriguez?

Then there’s hitting.  Leadoff hitter Denard Span has an on-base percentage of .423 and OPS of .772 (that a relatively new statistic – “on-base plus slugging”) and has been very patient at the plate.  But that does a team no good if the subsequent batters can’t bring Span home.  Jayson Werth has been hitting a little (but not enough), Bryce Harper has been admirably consistent (but not enough), and Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche have not been hitting (and neither has the bottom of the order, actually).  Span and Harper can’t do it all by themselves.

And what’s with all the errors, Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman?  Desmond had improved so much last year and Zimmerman started the season off making Gold Glove-type plays at first base.  But in the last 3 games, he committed 3 of the team’s 4 errors.  It is not common for a third baseman to commit an error in 3 consecutive games; let’s hope Ryan is not feeling the effects from his off-season shoulder surgery.  He hasn’t given us an explanation, so who knows?

So what’s next?  Well, fortunately the Nationals are headed to Miami to play against the 2-10 Marlins.  They can’t use the “That team is on a hot streak!” excuse, so they need to start hitting and Jordan Zimmermann needs to pitch 7 or 8 solid innings.  After that 3-game series they have a day off and then go to New York to face the Mets.  If they come back from that road trip with less than a 4-2 record, the Nationals will have to re-evaluate their “World Series or bust!” mantra.  Yes, I know there are still a lot of games to be played this season, but if the Nationals keep playing the way they played this past weekend, they will be lucky to make it back to the playoffs.

Opening Day of the 2013 Major League Baseball season brought
a lot of fanfare (and fans!) to Nationals Park today, where the Washington
Nationals shut out the visiting Miami Marlins by a score of 2-0.  And while it was my first time in several
years not attending an Opening Day game at Nats Park (don’t cry for me, Nats
fans – I will be there this Thursday afternoon with my family), I was able to
catch all the action from the warmth and comfort of my living room.

The day started with the unveiling of the “2012 National
League East Division Champions” pennant.
This particular sign is not pennant-shaped but rather rectangular and
large, welcoming fans into the main center field gate of Nationals Park.  After the unveiling, players were presented,
the National Anthem was sung by an Army quartet (sans the traditional fly-over,
probably due to sequestration), and the 2012 awards were doled out.  Adam LaRoche received the Gold Glove and Silver
Slugger awards, Ian Desmomd and Stephen Strasburg received Silver Sluggers as
well, Davey Johnson was given the 2012 Manager of the Year award, General
Manager Mike Rizzo was awarded the Executive of the Year award, and Bryce
Harper was given the National League Rookie of the Year award.  It was a ceremony that seemed to take forever
– we were all definitely ready for some baseball to be played.

Speaking of Bryce Harper, the kid ended up hitting two home
runs during today’s game.  The first one
was cool, but the second one was just unbelievable.  I found myself thinking “Are you freakin’
kidding me?  What does this mean?  Is this some sort of omen?”  It was kind of surreal, even though I wasn’t
there to experience it.  We Nationals
fans spent so many years watching mediocre baseball that it’s still hard for
all this good baseball to sink in.  But
we’ll take it!

And speaking of good baseball, the Nationals’ starter,
Stephen Strasburg, pitched seven stellar innings, allowing only three hits
while striking out three.  Strasburg
threw only 80 pitches and did not walk a single batter.  He was replaced in the seventh inning by
Tyler Clippard, who did not disappoint by giving us one of his usual stressful
outings.  In typical Clippard fashion, he
walked a guy and then took forever to get the next three batters out.  New Nats’ closer, Rafael Soriano, closed it
out in the top of the ninth by striking out two out of the three batters he
faced.  I found it odd that Soriano
un-tucked his shirt as soon as he recorded the final out – I wonder if that’s
his “thing” at the end of a game.  I’ll
have to notice to see if that’s something he does when he earns a save – I honestly
didn’t pay that much attention to him during his days as a Yankees closer.

Now the Nationals have earned their first win of the season
and did not disappoint the 45,000-plus fans in attendance.  It was a very quick game – only 2 hours and
10 minutes, but they still found time for the traditional Presidents’ Race
(with new member William H. Taft in the mix, though he fell over in the
beginning of the race and was unable to finish).  They also played a little bit of “Take On Me”
during the seventh-inning stretch as a little tribute to former Nationals’
outfielder, Michael Morse.  It was an “awww!”
moment for me, especially when all the fans joined in the singing.

So what does today’s victory and Harper’s two home runs
mean?  Nothing really, other than the
fact that the Nationals are picking up where they left off last year, playing
solid baseball (though it would have been nice if they’d had a few more hits),
showing excellent team work (that double play in the seventh inning was
anything but routine), and giving it their all at every at-bat.  I’m not putting all my eggs into the
Nationals’ basket just yet (as much as I’d like to!); this was just one game of
162 – a lot can happen between now and then, but for now it’s nice to root for
the team that is solidly in first place!

After a couple of weeks of drills, simulations, and conditioning, It’s finally time to play some ball.  In the Grapefruit League, the Washington Nationals are 0-1-1, having lost their first game to the New York Mets last Saturday and tieing 2-2 in 10 innings with the Marlins on Sunday.  Despite the not-so-impressive record (and the fact that Stephen Strasburg allowed a two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday’s game), the Nationals are looking pretty good this early on.  Veterans like Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche haven’t played yet, but 2012 Rookie of the Year, Bryce Harper, has gone 3 for 5 so far; 2011 first-round draft pick, Anthony Rendón, hit a two-run blast in Sunday’s game; and Jordan Zimmermann (the most underrated and least talked-about pitcher in the Nationals’ starting rotation) had a solid three innings in Sunday’s game, allowing two hits and one earned run. 

So what are the key points for the Nationals in Spring Training this year?

• Ryan Zimmerman needs to improve his throwing comfort and accuracy after having had shoulder surgery last fall.  Zim says he can bat just fine, but still has to improve his range of motion when throwing, especially across his body.
• Drew Storen needs to slowly ease into pitching, unlike last year when he overdid it and ended up with bone chips in his elbow requiring surgery.  If anyone is going to be viewed under a microscope this season, it’s going to be Storen.
• Bryce Harper needs to get used to playing in left field.  That should not be a problem – that kid can pretty much do anything.
• People need to realize that Stephen Strasburg is a normal human being.  He’s not bionic (like Mariano Rivera), he’s not always going to win, and due to the nature of his fastball, he WILL allow home runs.  That’s life – just ask Nolan Ryan.
• Danny Espinosa needs to be careful with that shoulder of his, which has a rotator cuff that’s about 75% torn.  The Nationals cannot afford to lose Espy’s defensive prowess, though Steve Lombardozzi could fill in nicely if needed.

As you can see, there’s plenty  going on in Viera, Florida this month, and plenty to look forward to.  And keep an eye out for the World Baseball Classic, which begins on Saturday.  The Nationals’ Roger Bernadina has already left Spring Training to join Team Netherlands, and Nats’ pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Ross Dettwiler will join Team USA if the team makes it to the second round.  And if you’re not a “Nationals Insider,” regular-season single-game tickets go on sale this Thursday.  So stay tuned – opening day will be here before you know it!

Hello there, Nationals fans!  It’s finally that time of year again – time for Major League Baseball players to brush the dust
off their bats, rub some oil on their gloves, and grab a new bucket of shiny white baseballs.  Spring Training starts this week, and the Washington Nationals have a lot to look forward to.

After a heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series last year, the Nationals had a busy off-season, wheeling and dealing for players to strengthen their already hefty roster.  Here is a list of what went down for the
Nationals during baseball’s “Hot Stove” season:

• Washington’s General Manager, Mike Rizzo, made a trade to acquire center fielder Denard Span from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-handed prospect Alex Meyer.  Last season, Span batted .283 in 128 games with an on-base percentage of .342 and 17 stolen bases.  The Nationals have had a problem getting a consistent performance from anyone batting leadoff, so hopefully Span will fill that gap.  This will move NL Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper to left field, which should not be a problem for Bryce.
• But wait!  Doesn’t Michael Morse (“The Beast”) play center field too?  Yes, but Morse was traded to the Seattle
  Mariners (his former team before joining the Nationals).  He was part of a three-team deal that sent catcher John Jaso to the Oakland A’s, and then the A’s returned right-hander A.J. Cole back to the Nationals after the Nats had sent him to Oakland in the 2011 Gio Gonzalez trade.  Did you get all
  that?
• Oh, and hey, the Nationals were able to re-sign Gold Glove first baseman Adam LaRoche to a two-year deal!  Let’s hope the off-season gave him time to develop a personality.
• Regarding the strongest starting rotation in the National League, the Nationals still have it.  Despite losing Edwin Jackson to free agency, the Nationals acquired Dan Haren from the Angels.  Despite his 12-13 record and 4.33 ERA last season, the Nationals hope that Haren’s return to the National League will be the right fit for the rightie. 
• In the bullpen, the Nationals added free agent Rafael Soriano, who became the Yankees’ closer when Mariano Rivera injured his knee last season.  With bionic Mariano back in pitching shape, Soriano is happy to be given a chance to continue pitching regularly.

So as you can see, the Nationals look even better than they did last season.  With their “World Series or bust!” attitude,
they certainly seem ready to take on the world this year.  But there are still a few lingering questions that keep us fans from getting TOO excited:

1. What’s up with Gio Gonzalez?  Yes, he’s pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic next month, but during the off-season, Gio was implicated in a scandal involving a now-defunct anti-doping clinic which allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to a small number of players.  Theoretically, Gio could be suspended by Major League Baseball if an investigation finds concrete evidence that he bought or used banned substances.  Nothing has been proven yet, so at this point it’s a waiting game.
2. In the bullpen, who will be the true closer?  Rizzo says that Soriano and Drew Storen (last year’s closer) can share the job, but there’s also Tyler Clippard to consider.  Previously Storen’s set-up man, will Clippard’s role change?
   Will the dynamics in the bullpen be different?  The guys seemed pretty tight last year; will Soriano try to fit in, or will he just do what he’s being paid to do and keep to himself?  I guess as long as they can dominate, they don’t all have to be best buddies.
3. What’s up with Danny Espinosa’s left shoulder?  Apparently “Espi” played the final part of the 2012 season with a torn rotator cuff but did not tell anyone.  He also said that he would try to play this season without having surgery to reattach the almost-torn-off-the-bone ligaments.  Can he continue his stellar defensive performance at second base with a messed-up shoulder?  Can he cut down on his strikeouts and improve his on-base percentage with an injury that will clearly
   affect his swing?  He should talk to teammate Ryan Zimmerman, whose performance was obviously affected by a shoulder
   injury last year that only got better when he got cortisone shots.  And I’m no doctor, but aren’t cortisone shots
   more for pain relief?  They don’t make ligaments reattach themselves to bones, do they?

So as you can see, the Nationals promise to give us an interesting season this year.  If the starting pitchers can stay
healthy, the batters can consistently drive in more runs and stop leaving so many runners on base, and the bullpen can avoid drama, it should be another successful season.  Last year I predicted a 81-81 season and I was pleasantly proven wrong (they ended at 98-65).  This year, I’m going to go out on a limb and say they’ll once again have the best record in baseball, but this time it will be followed with a trip to the World Series.  Let’s hope this time I’m right!

Hello, my friends.  I know I haven’t posted in a while, but I was so caught up in the baseball playoffs that I wasn’t sure what to write about – the surprising Oakland A’s, the feisty Orioles, the Strasburg-less Nationals…  But as a true Nationals fan, I have to accept what happened Friday night, and I’m hoping that by writing about it, I can move on and look forward to next year’s baseball season.

The Nationals went into the post-season with the best record in baseball – 98 wins that surprised many skeptics who had said that the Nationals were too young, too inexperienced, and relied too much on their pitching.  But regular-season records and
statistics are erased come October, when everyone starts with a clean slate (including major-league-leading 21-game winner, Gio Gonzalez, who was less than stellar in his two post-season starts).

In game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS), the Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 3-2.  This despite Bryce Harper going 0-5, Gonzalez walking 7 batters in 5 innings, and 10 runners left on base.  It was Tyler Moore’s 2-run single in the 8^th inning that made the difference, and it was all the Nats needed to squeak by
the Cards, who also didn’t play particularly well on that day.

In the second game, the Cards won by a score of 12-4, thanks to two home runs by outfielder Carlos Beltrán.  The Nats left 9 runners on base that night – again, a game they did not play very well.

For game 3, the Nationals came home to DC but still lost 8-0.  The Cardinals had 14 hits, and their starter, Chris Carpenter, pitched 5 2/3 innings very well despite having missed most of the regular season with injuries.  This time, the Nationals left 11 players on base (are you sensing a pattern here with the LOB?).  For sure, the Nationals were playing so lousy that they were certain to be eliminated in game 4.

However, in game 4, after Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler Clippard each struck out their 3 batters in relief, Jayson Werth hit a towering home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Nationals a 3-1 win.  It was one of those moments you’ll
never forget, whether you were one of the lucky 45,000 fans to be at Nationals Park that night or whether you were watching at home.  It’s right up there with Kirk Gibson’s home run in the NLCS back in 1988 and Curt Schilling’s bloody sock in the 2004
postseason.  The Nationals were still alive, and all of a sudden everyone thought they could beat the Cardinals in game 5 and move on to face the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

But as memorable as game 4 was because of Werth’s home run, game 5 will go down in Nationals infamy as the biggest heartbreak in the team’s short history.  In the top of the ninth inning, with the Nationals leading 7-5 and one more out to go before they could clinch their division, Nationals’ closer, Drew Storen, loaded the bases.  Then the Cardinals’ Daniel Descalso ripped a two-run single off the glove of shortstop Ian Desmond, bringing in two runs to tie the game.  Pete Kozma then followed
with a two-run single to right, and before you knew it, the Nationals trailed by two.

The Nationals were unable to get on base in the bottom of the ninth, so just like that, the Cardinals move on to the NLCS.  It was a stunning and crushing loss, and some of us still can’t believe that the team that we supported all season is all done for the year.

So now what?  With both the Orioles and the Nationals being eliminated on the same day, what are DC/Baltimore fans supposed to do now?  Well I, for one, am going to root for the Detroit Tigers (though I seldom root for an American League team).
I’m going to keep watching the next 2 weeks of baseball, and I’m going to look forward to next year, when my husband and I can buy another five-game ticket plan, pitching ace Stephen Strasburg will hopefully be able to pitch for a full season, and most of the players in the Nationals team will be returning next year.  Their fans will still be here (including the new ones who joined the bandwagon this season); wearing our Nationals jerseys with pride and showing off our NATTITUDE.

 Part of me feels like I’m dreaming –the Washington Nationals are the National League East champions?  Really?  Finally!  But the other part of me is a little skeptical, since the Nationals did, after all, lose to the Phillies 2-0 on Monday night.  The competitive side of me thought it seemed a bit strange that everyone was celebrating despite being shut out.  But nonetheless, this is the first time the Nationals have won a division title since moving to D.C. after the 2004 season.  Yes, I guess that’s reason enough to celebrate!

It helped that the Braves, who were in second place and three games behind entering Monday, were edged by the Pirates, 2-1, in Pittsburgh.  The Nationals learned they’d won the NL East at approximately 10 p.m. ET, as they were batting in the bottom of the ninth inning, when it was announced at Nationals Park that the Braves had lost. While the fans cheered, the entire team exchanged hugs in the dugout.  In fact, I think those of us watching on TV or following the Braves-Pirates game on the Internet knew about it a few seconds before the players did!

At that point, Michael Morse, Ian Desmond, and Danny Espinosa went up to bat in the bottom of the ninth, though none of them did anything productive.  I think they just wanted to get the game over with, though competitive me was still hoping they would score a run to prevent the shutout.

The Nationals got just four hits in seven innings against right-hander Kyle Kendrick. Their best chances to score came in the second, fifth and sixth innings. In the second, the Nationals had the bases loaded with two outs, but left-hander John Lannan grounded out to end the inning (one of those times when the intentional walk actually worked).

Three innings later, Kurt Suzuki singled to center field with one out and advanced to third base when Kendrick threw the ball past first baseman Ty Wigginton on a pickoff attempt. But Suzuki wasn’t able to score, because pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina flied out to center fielder John Mayberry Jr. and Werth struck out looking.

“Hustlin’ Harper” led off the sixth inning with a double. Three batters later, Harper was on third base when Michael Morse came to the plate, but Morse struck out looking to end the threat.  Sigh!

Lannan pitched  just OK, allowing just two runs on six hits in five innings.  After Lannan was pulled, Craig Stammen dominated, striking out six batters in two innings before making way for Ryan Mattheus and Drew Storen, who blanked the Phillies the rest of the way.

The team celebrated in the clubhouse for about 30 minutes and then went back to the field to acknowledge the fans, who were addressed by General Manager, Mike Rizzo, Ryan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez (who was the first one out on the field after the clubhouse celebration), and Bryce Harper.  So I guess despite being shut out, the Nationals had a long-awaited and well-deserved celebration.

So what’s next?  We actually don’t know yet, since the Wild Card has to be decided between the Braves and Cardinals.  I’m hoping the Reds end up with a better season record than the Nationals, so the Nats can play the Giants and the Reds can go to either Atlanta or St. Louis.  There is still a LOT of baseball to be played, so the next 3 weeks should be plenty exciting!

(Now if the Orioles and Yankees could finally figure out which team is going to lead the AL East, then I could write out a nice little chart outlining which team will be playing against which other team.)

This past Saturday, my husband and I went to our fifth and final Nationals game of the regular season.  It was a warm afternoon, and Nationals Park was packed with over 40,000 fans hoping to watch Nationals’ pitcher Gio Gonzalez earn his 20^th win of the season, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Yes, the “Brew Crew” was in town, the team leading the Majors with 150 stolen bases and an impressive 188 home runs (despite losing Prince Fielder in the off-season).  The team with Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Jonathan Lucroy.  This was a great day to be at the ball park.

Gonzalez and the Nationals did not disappoint.  Not only did Gio pitch 7 great innings with no earned runs and 5 strikeouts, but the Nationals’ bats were on fire, with Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond both hitting 3-run homers in the same inning
against former Nats’ pitcher Liván Hernandez.  Poor Livo’s fastball doesn’t go over 85mph and his curveball travels
slower than a car on the interstate at 63mph.  Time for Liván to retire, perhaps?

The Nationals beat the Brewers by a score of 10-4 and have a “magic number” of six in order to clinch the National League East
division.  Gio Gonzalez has undoubtedly been one of the reasons the Nationals have spent most of the season in first
place in their division, and is a top contender for this year’s Cy Young award.  I did recently hear former Red Sox player Nomar Garciaparra comment on TV that Gio doesn’t deserve the Cy Young award because he pitches for a winning team.  He believes that the Mets’ R.A. Dickey, a “one-trick pony” with a knuckleball that hitters have started to decipher, should get the
award because he’s pitched well despite playing for a losing team.  Sorry, Nomar – you don’t know what you’re talking about, you fool!  It’s going to be a toss-up between Gio and the Reds’ Johnny Cueto – who both pitch for winning teams (the Reds just clinched the NL Central).

So anyway, back to Saturday’s game… yes, it was our last one of the regular season, and we opted to not buy tickets for the postseason just yet, since they’re only selling tickets for the division series and we’d rather spend our money on tickets for the NLCS (one of those unfortunate decisions that responsible adults have to make).  We are very happy that we bought a five-game flex plan for the first time this year, and that we were able to watch baseball greats like Stephen Strasburg, Derek Jeter, Joey Votto, and Ryan Braun.  We always had very good seats, and getting in and out of the park (whether we took Metro or parked in a nearby lot) was never an issue.  Despite Saturday’s sellout crowd, Nationals Park is roomy enough where we did not feel cramped or too crowded (something I don’t suspect happens at Fenway, Wrigley, or Camden Yards) and the lines at the
concession stands moved quickly (unless the lady behind you takes your food before you can grab it – that witch!)  If
you get a chance to catch a playoff game at Nationals Park, go for it.  You’ll get to watch racing presidents, the atmosphere will be electric, and hopefully, like the Nats’ radio announcer Dave Jageler would say, you will witness the Nationals putting “another curly ‘W’ in the books.”