Read More: Ryan Zimmerman (3B – WAS), Livan Hernandez (P – WAS), Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Laynce Nix (LF – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves

Matthew Kaminski, the Atlanta Braves organist, tweeted before Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Nationals that he would bust out in the Super Mario Bros. theme song when certain Nationals players came to bat. It must have powered them up because the Nationals rolled over the Braves 9-2 in front of a Turner Field crowd.

The offensive potential of the 2011 Nationals showed itself once again after a six-game absence. The Nationals outhit the Braves 12 to five and four different Nationals were able to take the Braves pitching staff for a ride and hit home runs. Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth which completely put the game away. MIchael Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix connected for solo home runs of their own. Both Zimmerman and Morse finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBIs. 

Nationals starter Livan Hernandez put together a wonderful performance. The Cuban pitcher went seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out one.

Thank you, Mr. Kaminski.

The Nationals move to 63-70 on the season.

Slideshow

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitches for the Class A affiliate Hagerstown Suns, in Hagerstown, Md., Aug. 17, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) — Former top draft pick Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his 2011 debut with the Washington Nationals next week, Manager Davey Johnson said Tuesday.

Strasburg, the first-overall pick in 2009, underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery last year and has been in the minor leagues all season recovering from the procedure.

Johnson said the fire-balling right-hander is due for a final minor league start at Class AA Hagerstown Thursday, and if that goes well he will make his 2011 major league season debut Sept. 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Strasburg posted a 5-3 record with an ERA of 2.91 in 12 games for the Nationals last season before going down with the elbow injury. He struck out 92 and walked 17.

Washington Nationals pitcher
Stephen Strasburg, who dazzled fans in 2010 until injury ended
his rookie campaign, is expected to make his first start in
over a year next week, the team said on Tuesday.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who has been recovering
from elbow surgery since last August, is scheduled to make his
much-anticipated return at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers
on Sept. 6.

Strasburg, 23, who will make his final rehab start on
Thursday for Double-A Harrisburg, will likely pitch no more
than five innings against the Dodgers next week, according to
Nationals manager Davey Johnson.

The highly rated Strasburg made a sensational Major League
Baseball debut last year, going 5-3 with a 2.92 ERA and 92
strikeouts in 68 innings before his campaign ended prematurely
due to elbow surgery.

Strasburg, the first pick in the 2009 draft and the ace on
the Nationals pitching rotation, had Tommy John surgery to have
the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow replaced.

The procedure is named after a former Major League pitcher
who was the first professional athlete to successfully undergo
the operation in 1974.

Read More: Rick Ankiel (CF – WAS), Joey Votto (1B – CIN), Jay Bruce (RF – CIN), Jordan Zimmermann (P – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds

It looks like through four and a half innings the Washington Nationals offense still has not completely come around and Jordan Zimmermann is giving it his all, but is having trouble keeping balls in Great American Ballpark as they have reached a 2-2 tie with the Cincinnati Red going into the bottom of the fifth.

Zimmermann is having a decent outing striking out six, but he has given up two runs on four hits, two of those hits being solo home runs from Cincinnati’s Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. The Nationals have been able to get two runs across the plate themselves. In the first inning second baseman Danny Espinosa singled in Rick Ankiel for the first run of the game and an early 1-0 lead. However, the Reds struck back with their two bombs and took a 2-1 lead until the fifth inning when Rick Ankiel hit an RBI single to tie the game.

With two out and one man on third Espinosa struck out to end the Nationals half of the inning and the chance at the go ahead run.

Read More: Jayson Werth (RF – WAS), Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Ross Detwiler (P – WAS), Chris Marrero (1B – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds

There has to be confusion with a touch of embarrassment in the visitors locker room at Great American Ballpark where the Washington Nationals are currently getting out of uniform and preparing to head into a late Cincinnati Saturday night. The Nats lost to the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 thanks in part to once again dragging through the game with a dead offense.

Where is the offense? Why can’t the Nationals hit?

Catcher Wilson Ramos and center fielder Jayson Werth each knocked out a solo home run each in the third inning against the Reds Mike Leake and Michael Morse hit his 22nd home run of the season in the eighth, but other than that, nada was coming across the plate for the Boys of the Potomac. The inability to string hits together and score men that are sitting on base has been the Achilles heel of the 2011 Washington Nationals season.

First base man Chris Marrero made his MLB debut Saturday night and suffered two fielding errors in the game, but also got his first Major League hit off Leake in the fourth inning. He pounded the ball through the infield and into left field for a single. It has been a shaky debut for Marrero whose family sat in the stands Saturday night, but one that can probably be passed off due to nerves and first time jitters. He finished the night 1-for-4 with one strike out.

Nationals starter Ross Detwiler got rocked going six innings giving up six runs on eight hits. Three of those runs were earned while he walked one and stuck out three.

The Nationals fall to 62-69 and are on a five game losing streak.

CINCINNATI — The Washington Nationals recalled first baseman Chris Marrero from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League on Saturday.

Marrero was in Washington’s starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the Reds.

Marrero, 23, fills the roster spot opened on Friday when Washington placed right-handed reliever Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder.

Marrero, Washington’s first pick and the 15th overall selection in the 2006 draft, batted .300 with 30 doubles, 14 home runs, 69 RBI and 59 runs scored in 127 contests this season with the Chiefs. His 145 hits rank second in the International League. He is a three-time minor league All-Star and has posted a combined .285 batting average with 134 doubles, seven triples, 83 home runs and 369 RBI during his six minor league seasons.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By Andrew Kinback

– Nationals editor

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Aug 27, 2011 – The Washington Nationals are on a four game losing streak, have not rediscovered their bats and their bullpen has been anything but a relief. Going into Saturday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, manager Davey Johnson decided to change things up a bit with the line-up to hopefully spark some fire.

Most noticeably will be the insertion of Chris Marrero into the first base position and seventh place in the line-up. Marrero, batting .300 with 30 doubles, 14 home runs, 69 RBI and 59 runs scored in 127 contests this season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, was called up Saturday and will make his Major League debut. This pushes Michael Morse back into the left fielder position in outfield and keeps two potential potent bats in the line-up. Shortstop Ian Desmond will continue to lead off, but hitting behind him will be Jayson Werth who will be playing center field. The dangerous bats of Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa, Laynce Nix and Wilson Ramos are all threats and should keep Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake (10-8, 4.09 ERA) on his toes.

The Reds will have to contend with young Nationals southpaw Ross Detwiler (2-3, 2.61 ERA) who stifled the Reds his last start last week.

First pitch is 7:10 P.M. EST.

Nationals Line-Up

Ian Desmond – SS

Jayson Werth – CF

Ryan Zimmerman – 3B

Michael Morse – LF

Danny Espinosa – 2B

Laynce Nix – RF

Chris Marrero – 1B

Wilson Ramos – C

Ross Detwiler – SP

Read More: Jayson Werth (RF – WAS), Ryan Zimmerman (3B – WAS), Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Ross Detwiler (P – WAS), Laynce Nix (LF – WAS), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Chris Marrero (1B – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Mike Leake (P – CIN), Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds

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By Mike Prada

– Senior Editor

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Aug 27, 2011 – It’s official: first base prospect Chris Marrero has been called up to the Washington Nationals from AAA-Syracuse. The team made the announcement on Saturday afternoon, just before the expansion of the rosters for September.

Marrero is hitting .300 with 14 home runs, 69 RBI and a .375 on-base percentage in 127 games with Syracuse. While the Nationals certainly have gotten a big performance from first baseman Michael Morse this season, they do want to see what they have in Marrero, who was ranked No. 9 in the system by Baseball America leading into the season. Morse would move back to left field under such a scenario.

Marrero is expected to be the first of many September call-ups, but he will probably be the most significant, outside of Stephen Strasburg of course. Keep an eye on him going forward. Danny Espinosa made a name for himself in a September call-up last year. Perhaps Marrero will do the same.

Read More: Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Chris Marrero (1B – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Washington Nationals

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Miguel Cairo was determined not to fail a second time.

Cairo struck out with two runners aboard and the score tied in the seventh inning Friday night, a big letdown in a weird game. He came through the next time up, hitting a running-scoring single with one out in the ninth inning that gave the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

“I had a chance two innings before, but I didn’t swing at strikes,” said Cairo, who got into the game as a pinch hitter. “I said I’m only going to swing at strikes because when I swing at strikes, I’ve got a chance. He got it over the plate, and I hit it good.”

Cairo’s single to the gap in left-center was the third straight hit off Colin Balester (1-2), sending the Nationals to their fourth straight loss. Cairo is batting .333 off the bench.

“He’s unbelievable,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We try to get him at-bats so he’s ready for situations like that. He’s been lights out.”

Actually, the lights started going out in the top of the seventh, when a bank of them failed behind first base. The umpires talked to both managers and decided to continue.

The game was halted when another light bank went dark in the eighth as hard-throwing left-hander Aroldis Chapman warmed up, prompting a 17-minute delay until they could be restored.

“I’ve seen lights-out problems before,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. “That was kind of weird tonight.”

Washington’s Wilson Ramos hit a three-run homer off left-hander Dontrelle Willis, who remained winless despite matching his career high with three hits. Francisco Cordero (5-3) escaped a scoring threat in the ninth.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of run-scoring singles on a night when the postgame fireworks were dedicated to his musical tastes. Todd Frazier tied it with a run-scoring single in the seventh off reliever Tom Gorzelanny.

Willis threw 123 pitches and had the 15th multihit game of his career, but couldn’t get a win. The left-hander has become the Reds’ hard-luck pitcher. The bullpen has blown a save in three of his starts. Plus, he gets the worst run support on the staff.

“That’s all you can ask for,” said Willis, who is 0-2 with a 4.10 ERA. “I’m not really concerned about victories. They come in spurts. I like the way I’m throwing the ball and competing.”

Left fielder Jonny Gomes returned for the first time since the Reds traded him for two minor leaguers on July 26, the only deal that the defending NL Central champions made before the non-waiver deadline. He singled, walked, struck out and ground out.

The Reds dedicated their Friday night fireworks to Phillips, using his favorite summer tunes as the soundtrack. The second baseman got the 35,089 fans cheering with an RBI single in the second, when shortstop Ian Desmond’s fielding error set up the unearned run. Phillips also singled home a run in the sixth.

Willis walked a season-high five batters, giving the Nationals plenty of chances. It was familiar for the Nationals, who arrived in a hitting slump — a total of three runs while dropping their last three games. They were 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position during an 8-1 loss to Arizona on Thursday night.

They had only one hit in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position on Friday night — Wilson Ramos’ homer in the fourth inning for a 3-1 lead. His 11 homers are the most in one season by a Nationals catcher.

NOTES: The Nationals placed RH reliever Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day DL with a strained pitching shoulder. A corresponding move is expected on Saturday. … The Reds activated RH reliever Logan Ondrusek off the 15-day DL and optioned LHP Travis Wood to the minors. … RH Mike Leake was the last Reds pitcher to get three hits in a game. He did it July 9, 2010 at Philadelphia. … After their weekend series in Cincinnati, the Nationals go to Atlanta for three more games, avoiding Hurricane Irene. … LHP Ross Detwiler starts Saturday for the Nationals. He ended a three-game losing streak on Monday by beating Arizona 4-1. … Leake tries to become the Reds’ first 11-game winner on Saturday. He’s 2-1 in three career starts against the Nationals.

Nationals starter John Lannan made one mistake when he had no room for error.

Lannan was Washington’s latest hard-luck loser as the Nationals’ offense continued to struggle. He gave up two runs in six innings, and once he gave way to the bullpen the similarly moribund Arizona Diamondbacks got an overdue burst of offense in an 8-1 win Thursday night.

It was the third straight loss for Washington. In the three games they have gone 1 for 29 with runners in scoring position and scored a total of three runs.

“You throw a little bit more pressure on you individually, which also gets contagious,” Nationals outfielder Johnny Gomes said. “You find yourself wanting to hit a three-run homer with one guy on.”

Washington’s lone tally in the finale of the four-game series came on Michael Morse’s RBI single off Bryan Shaw in the seventh.

“We just seem like we’re really flat,” manager Davey Johnson said. “We didn’t look like we wanted it the last two or three days.”

The miscue from Lannan (8-10) was a fastball that Chris Young deposited about a half-dozen rows into the left field bleachers with one out in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. Lannan allowed seven hits in dropping his third straight decision.

“You can only control what you can control, and that’s throwing strikes,” Lannan said. “Right now I’m not thinking too much about what’s going on offensively, I know these guys are going to come through.”

Wade Miley (1-1) threw six scoreless innings to get his first major league victory. Miley allowed five hits, struck out four and walked four in his second game in the majors. The 24-year-old left-hander repeatedly worked out of trouble — allowing two men to reach base in four of the first five innings — but he mixed his low 90s fastball with a generous dose of offspeed pitches to keep the Nationals in check.

“We got some runners on, and he beared down and started pitching different with runners in scoring position,” Gomes said.

Brad Ziegler relived Shaw in the seventh and worked out of a first-and-second, one-out jam, getting Jayson Werth on a popout to third and Danny Espinosa on a long foul out to left. David Hernandez pitched the eighth, and Micah Owings the ninth.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the eighth off Tyler Clippard, the most the Nationals’ only All-Star has allowed in an outing this year. The first came when Justin Upton made a perfect, wide, hand-first slide to avoid the tag on Miguel Montero’s double to right. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run homer to left.

“Tonight it was a combination of bad pitch selection and bad execution on my part,” Clippard said. “You’re not going to succeed when that happens.”

Arizona added three more in the ninth, all of them unearned after an error by second baseman Espinosa. The paltry crowd gave the Nationals a mock cheer when Henry Rodriguez struck out Lyle Overbay to end the inning.

The Diamondbacks relied heavily on their pitching to win the last three of the four-game series, salvaging a stretch in which their offense was mostly traveling elsewhere. Their eight-spot Thursday — with all the runs coming in the final four innings — was exactly half of the 16 they had scored combined in the previous nine games of their 4-6 road trip.

The Nationals were perfect fodder — because they haven’t scored much, either.

“When the bats are silent, the pitchers think they’ve got to be finer than normal, and that’s not good,” Johnson said.

Notes: Nationals RHP Ryan Mattheus was removed from the game after pitching to two batters in the eighth. He said it was a precautionary move because he didn’t have his usual velocity. … As a longtime member of the Baltimore Orioles family, Johnson was stunned by the news that former Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan had committed suicide. “I was pretty shaken. … I wished I had a chance to talk to him, and cheer him up like he’s done me in the past,” Johnson said. A moment of silence was held in memory of Flanagan before the game. … Nationals C Ivan Rodriguez (right oblique strain) will catch five innings for Single A Potomac at Frederick on Saturday, his first rehab game since going on the DL on July 7. … Johnson dropped a very old-school movie reference after the game. “I thought if we could stay close we could pull it out. It was a ‘Bad Day at Black Rock,’” he said, referencing the 1955 thriller starring Spencer Tracy.

It was the third straight loss for Washington. In the three games they have gone 1 for 29 with runners in scoring position and scored a total of three runs.

“You throw a little bit more pressure on you individually, which also gets contagious,” Nationals outfielder Johnny Gomes said. “You find yourself wanting to hit a three-run homer with one guy on.”

Washington’s lone tally in the finale of the four-game series came on Michael Morse’s RBI single off Bryan Shaw in the seventh.

“We just seem like we’re really flat,” manager Davey Johnson said. “We didn’t look like we wanted it the last two or three days.”

The miscue from Lannan (8-10) was a fastball that Chris Young deposited about a half-dozen rows into the left field bleachers with one out in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. Lannan allowed seven hits in dropping his third straight decision.

“You can only control what you can control, and that’s throwing strikes,” Lannan said. “Right now I’m not thinking too much about what’s going on offensively, I know these guys are going to come through.”

Wade Miley (1-1) threw six scoreless innings to get his first major league victory. Miley allowed five hits, struck out four and walked four in his second game in the majors. The 24-year-old left-hander repeatedly worked out of trouble — allowing two men to reach base in four of the first five innings — but he mixed his low 90s fastball with a generous dose of offspeed pitches to keep the Nationals in check.

“We got some runners on, and he beared down and started pitching different with runners in scoring position,” Gomes said.

Brad Ziegler relived Shaw in the seventh and worked out of a first-and-second, one-out jam, getting Jayson Werth on a popout to third and Danny Espinosa on a long foul out to left. David Hernandez pitched the eighth, and Micah Owings the ninth.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the eighth off Tyler Clippard, the most the Nationals’ only All-Star has allowed in an outing this year. The first came when Justin Upton made a perfect, wide, hand-first slide to avoid the tag on Miguel Montero’s double to right. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run homer to left.

“Tonight it was a combination of bad pitch selection and bad execution on my part,” Clippard said. “You’re not going to succeed when that happens.”

Arizona added three more in the ninth, all of them unearned after an error by second baseman Espinosa. The paltry crowd gave the Nationals a mock cheer when Henry Rodriguez struck out Lyle Overbay to end the inning.

The Diamondbacks relied heavily on their pitching to win the last three of the four-game series, salvaging a stretch in which their offense was mostly traveling elsewhere. Their eight-spot Thursday — with all the runs coming in the final four innings — was exactly half of the 16 they had scored combined in the previous nine games of their 4-6 road trip.

The Nationals were perfect fodder — because they haven’t scored much, either.

“When the bats are silent, the pitchers think they’ve got to be finer than normal, and that’s not good,” Johnson said.

Notes: Nationals RHP Ryan Mattheus was removed from the game after pitching to two batters in the eighth. He said it was a precautionary move because he didn’t have his usual velocity. … As a longtime member of the Baltimore Orioles family, Johnson was stunned by the news that former Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan had committed suicide. “I was pretty shaken. … I wished I had a chance to talk to him, and cheer him up like he’s done me in the past,” Johnson said. A moment of silence was held in memory of Flanagan before the game. … Nationals C Ivan Rodriguez (right oblique strain) will catch five innings for Single A Potomac at Frederick on Saturday, his first rehab game since going on the DL on July 7. … Johnson dropped a very old-school movie reference after the game. “I thought if we could stay close we could pull it out. It was a ‘Bad Day at Black Rock,’” he said, referencing the 1955 thriller starring Spencer Tracy.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Wade Miley threw six scoreless innings to get his first major league victory, and Chris Young and Paul Goldschmidt homered as the Arizona Diamondbacks ended their road trip with an overdue burst of offense Thursday night in an 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

Miley (1-1) allowed five hits, struck out four and walked four in his second game in the majors. The 24-year-old left-hander repeatedly worked out of trouble _ allowing two men to reach base in four of the first five innings _ but he mixed his low 90s fastball with a generous dose of offspeed pitches to keep the Nationals in check.

The Diamondbacks relied heavily on their pitching to win the last three of a 4-6 road trip, salvaging a stretch in which their offense was mostly traveling elsewhere.

(Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

On deck

The sledding should get a little easier from here on out for the Diamondbacks. The only series they have left against over-.500 teams are two three-game sets against the San Francisco Giants. On Friday, they begin a six-game homestand against the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. Both clubs, however, have been playing well. The Padres have won five of six and the Rockies own a five-game winning streak. — Nick Piecoro

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The Washington Nationals are in the bottom third of the league when it comes to average attendance to home games, with about 24,152 coming out each time the Nats play, according to ESPN.

But that number is likely to get a little bit of juice in early September if pitching sensation Stephen Strasburg(notes) continues on his current rehab path and joins the team.

The Washington Post reports that Strasburg had a side session Wednesday with no major issues, which clears him to make a Triple-A start for the Syracuse Chiefs and throw 70 or 80 pitches. After that, he may pitch on Sept. 1 for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators and then return to the Nationals lineup that he was last in back in August of 2010 when he tore a ligament in his arm.

“I don’t think he can come here before Sept. 6,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said, the Post reports. “That was the date that I heard. But where he’s at, the number of pitches, the consensus is he needs a couple more outings, then bring him back here.”

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Source: Washington PostESPN

Related: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

More than 44,000 fans packed Nationals Park in the Nation’s Capital in the second game of the three-game set. Unfortunately for Nationals followers, they were far outnumbered by the Phillies fanatics who traveled down I-95 to see their favorite team.

I guess the Nationals’ organization isn’t that concerned about it since a huge crowd brings in a lot of money, even if they are cheering against the home team. But for the Washington, D.C., sports fans who are very passionate about their teams, the sight of Phillies fans invading their home stadium can’t feel too great.

It’s not like this is Florida, where sports are a second-thought to partying on South Beach or visiting Disney World. This is Washington, one of the major cities in the sports-crazed Northeast. A city that follows the Redskins year in and year out despite the team not advancing to an NFC title game since 1992.

Yes, I know the Nationals have been pretty awful in their six-year existence. But you would think a passionate sports town like Washington would be able muster more than the Nationals’ average attendance of 24,000 per game this season.

I guess until hyped prospects Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are regulars on the Nationals’ roster, the team will just have to rely on the Presidents mascot race and games against the Phillies to bring excitement to the ballpark.

Well even if they are rooting for two different teams, there is one thing Phillies and Nationals fans can agree on. Jayson Werth, who is currently batting .232 with 129 strikeouts in his first season with Washington, won’t be getting any standing ovations in the near future. 

(Sports Network) – The Arizona Diamondbacks probably have their sights set
on getting back to the desert, but must finish business on the road tonight in
the finale of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.

This 10-game road trip hasn’t been so fun for the Diamondbacks and their 3-6
record on the quest is more than proof. Luckily, the subpar trek still has the
club two games ahead of San Francisco in the National League West standings.

Arizona made it two straight wins after a six-game slide with Wednesday’s 4-2
win in the third installment of this series. Ian Kennedy pitched well in
Tuesday’s victory with seven shutout frames and Daniel Hudson followed last
night with a gem of his own, holding the Nationals to a pair of runs in 8 2/3
innings of work.

Laynce Nix and Jonny Gomes hit back-to-back homers off of Hudson in the ninth,
so J.J. Putz got the last out for his 32nd save. It would have been Hudson’s
first-career shutout.

“I wanted him to finish it out, but he gave up back-to-back home runs,”
Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. “J.J.’s done a great job in that role. It
was a no-brainer.”

Miguel Montero drove in two runs and Lyle Overbay collected an RBI for the
D’Backs, who will return to Chase Field to host San Diego and Colorado after
this set at Nationals Park. Justin Upton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and
was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game due to a sore elbow from a
pitch by Jordan Zimmermann.

“I was a little upset about it,” Upton said on the club’s site. “My thing is,
man, control your pitches. I don’t know if you were trying to hit me or not,
but control your pitches. Obviously, I know what their plan is, they’re going
to try to come inside. So be it.”

On an interesting note, the D’Backs didn’t take batting practice for a second
straight night and they have won both times. Gibson said there won’t be any
pre-game swings either for Thursday’s series finale.

Youngster Wade Miley probably hopes the no BP rule will remain in effect when
he makes his second career start tonight. His first major league start didn’t
go so well, as the lefty gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings of
Saturday’s 8-1 loss at Atlanta. He struck out five and walked two batters.

Miley, the club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, was 4-1 with a
3.64 ERA in eight starts for the Triple-A Reno Aces and is taking the rotation
spot left open by Jason Marquis, who landed on the disabled list with a
fractured right fibula.

Washington has lost two in a row and three of five games, but is a decent 5-4
on a 10-game homestand. Livan Hernandez was rattled for four runs and seven
hits over 7 1/3 innings to absorb the loss, falling to 7-12 on the season.

“I take responsibility for that one,” Nats manager Davey Johnson said on the
club’s website. “He was really pitching a great game and when he’s good, he’s
really good. I had it in my mind that if he gives me seven, I’m getting him
out of there. I balked. He got into trouble and couldn’t get out of it.”

Nix and Gomes hit the late homers and Ian Desmond collected three hits for the
Nationals, who didn’t have outfielder Jayson Werth in the lineup because of a
groin strain. Werth suffered the injury on Tuesday and is day-to-day. Third
baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his streak of
reaching base safely stop at 29 games. He batted .407 during the run that
started on July 22.

John Lannan has a strong career mark against Arizona, going 3-1 with a 1.04
earned run average in four starts, but is just 1-3 in his previous five trips
to the hill overall. In Saturday’s 5-0 loss versus Philadelphia, Lannan was
reached for five runs – three earned – in five innings. He is 8-9 in 26 starts
to go along with a 3.61 ERA.

Lannan, a lefty, is 4-5 in 13 outings at Nationals Park this season.

Arizona and Washington split a two-game series at Chase Field from June 2-5.

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By Sports Direct

With tired eyes, Davey Johnson tried to take the blame.

“I take responsibility,” the Washington Nationals manager said. “I balked.”

Over baseball’s 162-game marathon, one can find plenty of moments to second-guess. Johnson discovered his in Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Why, Johnson wondered, did he let Livan Hernandez start the eighth inning? Johnson hoped for seven solid innings from the rubber-armed starter who hadn’t topped seven innings since June 15. Not a batter more. Then Johnson would pull him.

But Johnson balked. Hernandez started the inning, having allowed only two runs up to that point. His arm, his vast array of pitches felt good. But two singles and an intentional walk to load the bases followed. Then, right-hander Henry Rodriguez, not known for his precision, was summoned from the bullpen into the delicate situation. On his second pitch, he surrendered a two-run single.

This, Johnson admitted, was not the ideal situation for Rodriguez, carrying a triple-digit fastball and the uncanny ability to deliver 12 wild pitches and 36 walks over 47 2/3 innings this season.

On a night when the Nationals struggled to put bat on ball against young Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson, the inning crushed hopes of a comeback.

“I felt like if we could stay close,” Johnson said. “We’d have a chance.”

Hudson, the 24-year-old born in Lynchburg, Va., who attended Old Dominion University, kept the Nationals at a comfortable distance.

Johnson thought the pitcher’s unorthodox arm angle kept his team off balance. Ian Desmond, owner of three hits off Hudson, believed it was the cutting fastball. Ryan Zimmerman saw the pitcher work three different pitches in and out of the strike zone and not make significant mistakes over the plate.

Whatever the explanation, Hudson retired 17 of 18 batters at one point. On Tuesday, of course, the Diamondbacks blanked the Nationals. Patience at the plate didn’t work for Washington. Neither did attacking the first pitch.

“I think he’s going to be really good at this level,” Hernandez said, after an 0-for-2 night against the pitcher.

In fact, Hudson was one out from his first professional shutout, after 42 major league starts and 57 more in the minor leagues.

But the Nationals staged a two-pitch rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with two out. Starting in place of the injured Jayson Werth, Laynce Nix smacked a ball over the fence in right field. Then, Jonny Gomes lofted Hudson’s first pitch into the left-field bullpen, a lofty home run that seemed to hang in the dark sky.

“It was a little too late,” Desmond said.

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AP Photo/Nick Wass

Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Gerardo Parra, bottom, is out at second as Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (6) throws the ball to first to get out Miguel Montero for the double-play during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Washington.

The Washington Nationals were one out away from getting shut out yet again when Livan Hernandez is on the mound.
Instead, they merely lost the game.
Home runs by Laynce Nix and Jonny Gomes on back-to-back pitches with two outs in the ninth took the zero off the board Wednesday night in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Second night in a row we didn’t really come out offensively,” shortstop Ian Desmond said. “Too little, too late.”
Hernandez (7-12) allowed four runs and seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts over 7 1-3 innings. The Nationals had just been shut out for the 13th time Tuesday in a 2-0 loss to the Diamondbacks; five of those shutouts have come when Hernandez is pitching.
“I don’t think about something like that. Never,” Hernandez said. “I go out and try to do my job, try to do my best, and the reason I go to the mound is to try to give us a chance to win, that’s what I do.”
Daniel Hudson (13-9) allowed nine hits, struck out six, walked none and threw 102 pitches for the Diamondbacks before he hit the wall at 8 2-3 innings, just missing his first career shutout.
“Just two stupid pitches at the end,” he said.
J.J. Putz came and got his 32nd save, retiring Wilson Ramos on a foul out to first.
“That’s what that team is known for,” said Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who streak of 29 consecutive games reaching base came to an end. “They don’t score that many runs, they get big hits when they need them, and then their pitching staff kind of carries them. The last two games, that’s what they’ve done to us.”
The Nationals nearly scored in the eighth after Ramos’ single and Desmond’s double put runners on second and third with one out. But Rick Ankiel lined out to first, and Diamondbacks new acquisition John McDonald followed with a highlight play to preserve the shutout. The shortstop fielded Zimmerman’s chopper up the middle, did a 360 and threw a one-hopper to first baseman Lyle Overbay, who made a nice, clean snag that beat Zimmerman by a hair.
Arizona got on the board in the fourth when Gomes dropped the ball while taking it out of his glove on Chris Young’s double to the left field corner, an error that allowed Justin Upton to score from first. Overbay followed with an RBI single to right.
In the eighth, Ryan Roberts and Gerardo Parra singled back to back to chase Hernandez, and Montero drove both runners home with a single off reliever Henry Rodriguez.
NOTES: Another milestone for Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg in his return from Tommy John surgery: He took batting practice Wednesday. Strasburg will pitch Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse in his fifth minor league rehab start, and it’ll be the first one in which he’ll have to hit. “He’s wanted to hit, but nobody’s been letting him,” manager Davey Johnson said. Strasburg likely has two starts left before making his much anticipated return to the majors sometime around Sept. 6. He threw a side session Wednesday before his BP. … Nationals OF Jayson Werth sat out after leaving Tuesday’s game early with a strained groin. “He would play if we were in a pennant race or something,” Johnson said.
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Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP