The Washington Nationals made a great trade that should boost their starting rotation for years to come.

In the trade the Nationals gave away four prospects (Brad Peacock, Derek Norris, Tommy Milone, A.J. Cole) for Gio Gonzalez of the Oakland Athletics. Gonzalez is only 26 years of age, and has shaped up to be a workhorse over recent years, pitching over 200 innings the past two years for the Athletics. He is known to have control problems from time to time, but made the All-Star team last year with a record of 16-12 and an ERA of 3.12. Three of the prospects the Nationals traded were pitchers (Peacock, Milone, Cole), while Norris is a power hitting catcher.

As someone who has followed the Nationals closely since they move to Washington D.C., I think it was a great trade, and there are three reasons why. The first is youth. The Washington Nationals are able to get a proven pitcher who is only 26 years old. Not only that , but Gonzalez is a lefty as well, which makes him a perfect fit in regards to the starting rotation (Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann are both right-handers). Now the Nationals have a solid core of three young pitchers that are locked down for awhile, which will help them compete in both the short and long term. Granted, Gonzalez does not have the veteran leadership of say a Mark Buehrle would if the Nationals were to have signed him, but I think the youth factor plays a greater role knowing that he can further improve and help the ballclub out.

The second reason why I believe picking up Gonzalez was a great move is that he is an “innings eater.” The Nationals had a decent year when it came to their bullpen in 2011, but can we expect the same in 2012? Will Tyler Clippard or Sean Burnett regress in any way? I am not so sure that the team’s bullpen will hold up as well as it did in 2011, and having someone in the rotation who can give a solid 7 or 8 innings on a consistent basis will help it out immensely.

Lastly, the Gonzalez trade is further proof to fans that the Washington Nationals are serious about winning right now. In other words, the Jayson Werth signing that shocked many last year (including myself) was no fluke. The Nationals are willing to do whatever it takes to improve their ballclub, and it is certainly refreshing to see given the uncertainty during the team’s first couple of years in Washington D.C.

Ryan Kekoufski is a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan who enjoys writing about everything Major League Baseball. He covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and currently resides in Virginia.

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The Washington Nationals finalized their coaching staff for the 2012 season Thursday evening when they promoted Triple-A manager Randy Knorr to the major league coaching staff as the bench coach for manager Davey Johnson.

“I’m excited,” Knorr said in a phone interview. “Getting the chance to work with Davey and [Nationals general manager] Mike Rizzo and the rest of the coaching staff in September was great. I really liked being up there with those guys and I worked with those players for so long in the minor leagues that it was really fun watching them play at that level.”

Knorr, 43, who spent the last seven seasons serving as a coach or manager at every level in the Nationals organization, joins the major league coaching staff for the third time after two stints as the team’s bullpen coach in 2006 and 2009. His mind and passion, however, have always been geared more toward that of a manager and it was for that reason that Rizzo offered Knorr to chance to return to managing in 2010 in the minor leagues.

Knorr served as the Nationals‘ Triple-A manager for the 2011 season but also managed three seasons with Single-A Potomac, Single-A Savannah, the organization’s Arizona Fall League team in 2010 and at Double-A Harrisburg that same year. He led Potomac to the Carolina League championship in 2008.

As a result of his extensive work within the Nationals‘ organization, Knorr has worked with the majority of the Nationals‘ youthful major league roster and is extremely well-thought of among the players who have come through the system for his no-nonsense style. Among his pupils: infielders Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa, pitchers John Lannan, Drew Storen, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmmeran and Ross Detwiler.

The Nationals bench coach position was filled by Pat Corrales after the resignation of manager Jim Riggleman and reassignment of John McLaren following a three-game stint as interim manager. The 70-year-old Corrales, however, decided to return to an advisory role after the 2011 season and the Nationals made it clear they were looking for a bench coach who could be considered — along with third base coach Bo Porter and first base coach Trent Jewett — as a possible successor to Johnson.

“I just think it’s gives them a comfort level and a chance to see what I can do with [the players] at that level,” Knorr said. “I’d like to think of it as the next step but just the fact that I’m up there and in that position, I think it’s a good opportunity.”

Knorr’s name was among the first to be mentioned when it was announced that the team would have a bench coach opening. However, after the initial buzz about the position, Knorr hadn’t heard anything official from the Nationals and began preparing to return as the manager for Triple-A Syracuse. He was reached Wednesday night by Rizzo, though, about the bench coach position and things progressed from there.

Many of the current Nationals credit Knorr, a 19-year MLB veteran catcher, with helping them mature — both as people and players — and he’s a respected presence in the clubhouse.

“I think that [experience in the system] probably put me on the top of the list because I have had [those players] and have a good relationship with most of them,” Knorr said. “I feel like I can get the most out of them.”

Porter and Jewett will also return, along with bullpen coach Jim Lett, pitching coach Steve McCatty and hitting coach Rick Eckstein. This will be the fourth season on the staff for both McCatty and Eckstein and the third for Lett. Porter and Jewett will be returning for their second seasons.

This move also gives the Nationals a vacancy at Triple-A. There was no immediate word who would replace Knorr in that position.

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

If you are a Washington Nationals fan and can extrapolate that fandom to players who once wore the curly “W” but are now playing for other teams, you have some options to root for in the baseball playoffs.

The New York Yankees have Luis Ayala, who pitched for the team for five seasons, three of them in Washington. He was an important part of that wonderful inaugural 2005 squad, going 8-7 with a 2.66 ERA out of the bullpen, but his remaining years were injury-plagued.

The Philadelphia Phillies have Brian Schneider as their backup catcher. Schneider played eight seasons with the team — three in Washington — and also was a key figure on that 2005 team and one of the franchise’s most popular players during his time in a Nationals uniform.

Then there is Endy Chavez, who once seemed as if he would be the Nationals’ leadoff hitter going into the 2005 season. The outfielder spent four years with the team but just seven games in a Nationals uniform. Still, he has gone on to have a solid 10-year major league career and batted .301 in 83 games for the Texas Rangers this year.

The jackpot, though, for ex-Nationals in the postseason is the Milwaukee Brewers, who were led to the playoffs by former Nats center fielder Nyjer Morgan. Morgan was a fan favorite when he arrived in Washington from Pittsburgh in the middle of the 2009 season but fought, talked and played his way out of favor in 2010.

Then there’s Jerry Hairston Jr., a Nationals infielder/outfielder for just 75 games this year before he was sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline for a minor leaguer.

The third Nationals player in Milwaukee is reliever Marco Estrada, who appeared in 15 forgettable games for Washington in 2008 and 2009 but was part of the Brewers’ bullpen this season, posting a 4.08 ERA in 43 games.

Much has been made over the years of the ex-Cubs factor on a baseball roster, the notion being that the more former Cubs you have, the less likely your team will enjoy postseason success. The “Curse of the Billy Goat” apparently is contagious.

There has been no such vibe about an ex-Nationals curse, other than the logical conclusion that if you have a significant amount of players from the Nationals on your roster, you must not be very good.

There has been just one player who wore a Nationals uniform and then left to win a World Series championship — backup catcher Gary Bennett, who played in 68 games for Washington in 2005, batting .221.

He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals the following year and was part of the World Series winning team in 2006. But the success of ex-Nationals in the playoffs ends there.

The Brewers — with three former Nationals — could make a big leap forward for the Washington National alumni association.

Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at tloverro@washingtonexaminer.com.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Davey Johnson had the best seat in the house when he
molded a young New York Mets team in the 1980s into a World Series champion.

His Nationals aren’t Amazin’ yet.

But his young nucleus has .500 in sight and are no longer pushovers in the
NL East.

Danny Espinosa(notes) and Wilson Ramos(notes) each hit two-run home runs to help the
Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 7-5 on Wednesday, sending the NL
East-champion Phillies to their season-worst fifth straight loss.

Espinosa’s two-run shot in the sixth off Vance Worley(notes) (11-3) made it 4-3 as
the Nationals continued to give Philadelphia fits. Washington swept a
doubleheader on Tuesday and go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.

“The young guys are growing up and it’s fun to watch,” said Johnson, named
Nationals manager on June 26. “I think we’ve played as tough against them as
anybody they’ve played.”

The Nationals played like the team storming toward the postsesaon, not the
Phillies.

The Phillies have been in a funk since they clinched their fifth straight
division title on Saturday. They’ve lost five straight games for the first time
since May 22-27, 2010. All of the losses have come at home, where the Phillies
are tied for the major league lead with 52 victories.

The Phillies played again without right fielder Hunter Pence(notes) and first
baseman Ryan Howard(notes). Howard has been out with a sore left ankle and Pence missed
his second straight game with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Both players
are expected to play in Philadelphia’s weekend series at New York.

With postseason plans underway, the Phillies aren’t too worried about this
slump. Manager Charlie Manuel said before the game he needs his regular lineup
in tact for at least the last four or five games of the regular season to tune
up for another potential deep postseason run.

“We definitely need to have our team ready and I plan on our team being
ready,” Manuel said.

They haven’t looked it against Washington.

Backed by Espinosa’s go-ahead homer, the Nationals won their seventh
straight road game. His 21st homer set a single-season franchise record by a
rookie. The Nationals (75-79) still have a chance to set a franchise record for
victories in a season. They will need to finish 7-1 to reach 82 wins, and finish
with their first winning record since moving from Montreal in 2005.

John Lannan(notes) (10-13) allowed eight singles and three runs in five innings.
Lannan improved his career record vs. the Phillies to 2-12.

“It feels good. I’ve run into some tough times here,” Lannan said.

Henry Rodriguez(notes) worked the ninth for his first save.

Worley had fit in nicely in a rotation that included Cliff Lee(notes), Roy
Halladay(notes), Roy Oswalt(notes) and Cole Hamels(notes), winning nine straight games in one stretch
and becoming an instant fan favorite with his Mohawk and “Vanimal” nickname.

He’ll be bumped to the bullpen for the playoffs and this was his last start
of the season.

“I’m still part of the team,” Worley said. “I’d rather come out of the
bullpen a couple of times and get a feel for it.”

Worley had a 43-inning streak this season without allowing a homer, but he
was done in by them on Wednesday. Ramos made it 2-0 in the second with his 14th
homer of the season.

The Phillies tied it at 2 in the second on five straight singles off Lannan.
Ben Francisco’s(notes) single up the middle made it 2-1 and Worley tied it with his own
base hit.

Raul Ibanez’s(notes) RBI single in the third put the Phillies up 3-2. That was all
they could muster against Lannan.

John Mayberry(notes) Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Phillies that
made it 7-5.

Howard and Pence have combined for 53 homers and the Phillies could have
used some of that pop in the lineup. The Phillies scored only three runs in the
doubleheader defeat and have been shut out twice over the five-game losing
streak. They’ve scored three runs or less 12 times in the last 14 games.

That kind of anemic run support will shift even more pressure to produce on
the Lee-Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt postseason rotation. Even the so-called “Four
Aces” need more than a run or two each start if the Phillies are going to win
the World Series for the first time since 2008.

Philadelphia’s top four hitters—Jimmy Rollins(notes), Shane Victorino(notes), Placido
Polanco(notes), and Chase Utley(notes)—went 0 for 16.

“I’m concerned about it,” Manuel said. “At the same time, I’ve seen them
hit. I think they’ll hit.”

Ramos added an RBI single and Jonny Gomes(notes) had a sacrifice fly during
Washington’s three-run eighth to open up a cushion.

Notes: The Nationals beat the Phillies for the eighth time in the last 10
games (4-1 at Nationals Park; 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park). … The Phillies lost
five straight home games for the first time since June 16-21, 2009. … The
Nationals send RHP Brad Peacock(notes) (1-0, 1.42 ERA) to complete the sweep Thursday
against Oswalt (8-9, 3.66).

But his young nucleus has .500 in sight and are no longer pushovers in the NL East.

Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos each hit two-run home runs to help the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 7-5 on Wednesday, sending the NL East-champion Phillies to their season-worst fifth straight loss.

Espinosa’s two-run shot in the sixth off Vance Worley (11-3) made it 4-3 as the Nationals continued to give Philadelphia fits. Washington swept a doubleheader on Tuesday and go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.

“The young guys are growing up and it’s fun to watch,” said Johnson, named Nationals manager on June 26. “I think we’ve played as tough against them as anybody they’ve played.”

The Nationals played like the team storming toward the postsesaon, not the Phillies.

The Phillies have been in a funk since they clinched their fifth straight division title on Saturday. They’ve lost five straight games for the first time since May 22-27, 2010. All of the losses have come at home, where the Phillies are tied for the major league lead with 52 victories.

The Phillies played again without right fielder Hunter Pence and first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard has been out with a sore left ankle and Pence missed his second straight game with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Both players are expected to play in Philadelphia’s weekend series at New York.

With postseason plans underway, the Phillies aren’t too worried about this slump. Manager Charlie Manuel said before the game he needs his regular lineup in tact for at least the last four or five games of the regular season to tune up for another potential deep postseason run.

“We definitely need to have our team ready and I plan on our team being ready,” Manuel said.

They haven’t looked it against Washington.

Backed by Espinosa’s go-ahead homer, the Nationals won their seventh straight road game. His 21st homer set a single-season franchise record by a rookie. The Nationals (75-79) still have a chance to set a franchise record for victories in a season. They will need to finish 7-1 to reach 82 wins, and finish with their first winning record since moving from Montreal in 2005.

John Lannan (10-13) allowed eight singles and three runs in five innings. Lannan improved his career record vs. the Phillies to 2-12.

“It feels good. I’ve run into some tough times here,” Lannan said.

Henry Rodriguez worked the ninth for his first save.

Worley had fit in nicely in a rotation that included Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, winning nine straight games in one stretch and becoming an instant fan favorite with his Mohawk and “Vanimal” nickname.

He’ll be bumped to the bullpen for the playoffs and this was his last start of the season.

“I’m still part of the team,” Worley said. “I’d rather come out of the bullpen a couple of times and get a feel for it.”

Worley had a 43-inning streak this season without allowing a homer, but he was done in by them on Wednesday. Ramos made it 2-0 in the second with his 14th homer of the season.

The Phillies tied it at 2 in the second on five straight singles off Lannan. Ben Francisco’s single up the middle made it 2-1 and Worley tied it with his own base hit.

Raul Ibanez’s RBI single in the third put the Phillies up 3-2. That was all they could muster against Lannan.

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Phillies that made it 7-5.

Howard and Pence have combined for 53 homers and the Phillies could have used some of that pop in the lineup. The Phillies scored only three runs in the doubleheader defeat and have been shut out twice over the five-game losing streak. They’ve scored three runs or less 12 times in the last 14 games.

That kind of anemic run support will shift even more pressure to produce on the Lee-Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt postseason rotation. Even the so-called “Four Aces” need more than a run or two each start if the Phillies are going to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.

Philadelphia’s top four hitters — Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, and Chase Utley — went 0 for 16.

“I’m concerned about it,” Manuel said. “At the same time, I’ve seen them hit. I think they’ll hit.”

Ramos added an RBI single and Jonny Gomes had a sacrifice fly during Washington’s three-run eighth to open up a cushion.

Notes: The Nationals beat the Phillies for the eighth time in the last 10 games (4-1 at Nationals Park; 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park). … The Phillies lost five straight home games for the first time since June 16-21, 2009. … The Nationals send RHP Brad Peacock (1-0, 1.42 ERA) to complete the sweep Thursday against Oswalt (8-9, 3.66).

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

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Philadelphia Phillies’ Raul Ibanez hits an RBI-single off Washington Nationals starting pitcher John Lannan during the third inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, in Philadelphia. Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. right, looks on.

Davey Johnson had the best seat in the house when he molded a young New York Mets team in the 1980s into a World Series champion.
His Nationals aren’t Amazin’ yet.
But his young nucleus has .500 in sight and are no longer pushovers in the NL East.
Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos each hit two-run home runs to help the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 7-5 on Wednesday, sending the NL East-champion Phillies to their season-worst fifth straight loss.
Espinosa’s two-run shot in the sixth off Vance Worley (11-3) made it 4-3 as the Nationals continued to give Philadelphia fits. Washington swept a doubleheader on Tuesday and go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.
“The young guys are growing up and it’s fun to watch,” said Johnson, named Nationals manager on June 26. “I think we’ve played as tough against them as anybody they’ve played.”
The Nationals played like the team storming toward the postsesaon, not the Phillies.
The Phillies have been in a funk since they clinched their fifth straight division title on Saturday. They’ve lost five straight games for the first time since May 22-27, 2010. All of the losses have come at home, where the Phillies are tied for the major league lead with 52 victories.
The Phillies played again without right fielder Hunter Pence and first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard has been out with a sore left ankle and Pence missed his second straight game with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Both players are expected to play in Philadelphia’s weekend series at New York.
With postseason plans underway, the Phillies aren’t too worried about this slump. Manager Charlie Manuel said before the game he needs his regular lineup in tact for at least the last four or five games of the regular season to tune up for another potential deep postseason run.
“We definitely need to have our team ready and I plan on our team being ready,” Manuel said.
They haven’t looked it against Washington.
Backed by Espinosa’s go-ahead homer, the Nationals won their seventh straight road game. His 21st homer set a single-season franchise record by a rookie. The Nationals (75-79) still have a chance to set a franchise record for victories in a season. They will need to finish 7-1 to reach 82 wins, and finish with their first winning record since moving from Montreal in 2005.
John Lannan (10-13) allowed eight singles and three runs in five innings. Lannan improved his career record vs. the Phillies to 2-12.
“It feels good. I’ve run into some tough times here,” Lannan said.
Henry Rodriguez worked the ninth for his first save.
Worley had fit in nicely in a rotation that included Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, winning nine straight games in one stretch and becoming an instant fan favorite with his Mohawk and “Vanimal” nickname.
He’ll be bumped to the bullpen for the playoffs and this was his last start of the season.
“I’m still part of the team,” Worley said. “I’d rather come out of the bullpen a couple of times and get a feel for it.”
Worley had a 43-inning streak this season without allowing a homer, but he was done in by them on Wednesday. Ramos made it 2-0 in the second with his 14th homer of the season.
The Phillies tied it at 2 in the second on five straight singles off Lannan. Ben Francisco’s single up the middle made it 2-1 and Worley tied it with his own base hit.
Raul Ibanez’s RBI single in the third put the Phillies up 3-2. That was all they could muster against Lannan.
John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Phillies that made it 7-5.
Howard and Pence have combined for 53 homers and the Phillies could have used some of that pop in the lineup. The Phillies scored only three runs in the doubleheader defeat and have been shut out twice over the five-game losing streak. They’ve scored three runs or less 12 times in the last 14 games.
That kind of anemic run support will shift even more pressure to produce on the Lee-Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt postseason rotation. Even the so-called “Four Aces” need more than a run or two each start if the Phillies are going to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.
Philadelphia’s top four hitters — Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, and Chase Utley — went 0 for 16.
“I’m concerned about it,” Manuel said. “At the same time, I’ve seen them hit. I think they’ll hit.”
Ramos added an RBI single and Jonny Gomes had a sacrifice fly during Washington’s three-run eighth to open up a cushion.
Notes: The Nationals beat the Phillies for the eighth time in the last 10 games (4-1 at Nationals Park; 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park). … The Phillies lost five straight home games for the first time since June 16-21, 2009. … The Nationals send RHP Brad Peacock (1-0, 1.42 ERA) to complete the sweep Thursday against Oswalt (8-9, 3.66).

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Davey Johnson had the best seat in the house when he molded a young New York Mets team in the 1980s into a World Series champion.

His Nationals aren’t Amazin’ yet.

But his young nucleus has .500 in sight and are no longer pushovers in the NL East.

Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos each hit two-run home runs to help the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 7-5 on Wednesday, sending the NL East-champion Phillies to their season-worst fifth straight loss.

Espinosa’s two-run shot in the sixth off Vance Worley (11-3) made it 4-3 as the Nationals continued to give Philadelphia fits. Washington swept a doubleheader on Tuesday and go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.

“The young guys are growing up and it’s fun to watch,” said Johnson, named Nationals manager on June 26. “I think we’ve played as tough against them as anybody they’ve played.”

The Nationals played like the team storming toward the postsesaon, not the Phillies.

The Phillies have been in a funk since they clinched their fifth straight division title on Saturday. They’ve lost five straight games for the first time since May 22-27, 2010. All of the losses have come at home, where the Phillies are tied for the major league lead with 52 victories.

The Phillies played again without right fielder Hunter Pence and first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard has been out with a sore left ankle and Pence missed his second straight game with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Both players are expected to play in Philadelphia’s weekend series at New York.

With postseason plans underway, the Phillies aren’t too worried about this slump. Manager Charlie Manuel said before the game he needs his regular lineup in tact for at least the last four or five games of the regular season to tune up for another potential deep postseason run.

“We definitely need to have our team ready and I plan on our team being ready,” Manuel said.

They haven’t looked it against Washington.

Backed by Espinosa’s go-ahead homer, the Nationals won their seventh straight road game. His 21st homer set a single-season franchise record by a rookie. The Nationals (75-79) still have a chance to set a franchise record for victories in a season. They will need to finish 7-1 to reach 82 wins, and finish with their first winning record since moving from Montreal in 2005.

John Lannan (10-13) allowed eight singles and three runs in five innings. Lannan improved his career record vs. the Phillies to 2-12.

“It feels good. I’ve run into some tough times here,” Lannan said.

Henry Rodriguez worked the ninth for his first save.

Worley had fit in nicely in a rotation that included Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, winning nine straight games in one stretch and becoming an instant fan favorite with his Mohawk and “Vanimal” nickname.

He’ll be bumped to the bullpen for the playoffs and this was his last start of the season.

“I’m still part of the team,” Worley said. “I’d rather come out of the bullpen a couple of times and get a feel for it.”

Worley had a 43-inning streak this season without allowing a homer, but he was done in by them on Wednesday. Ramos made it 2-0 in the second with his 14th homer of the season.

The Phillies tied it at 2 in the second on five straight singles off Lannan. Ben Francisco’s single up the middle made it 2-1 and Worley tied it with his own base hit.

Raul Ibanez’s RBI single in the third put the Phillies up 3-2. That was all they could muster against Lannan.

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Phillies that made it 7-5.

Howard and Pence have combined for 53 homers and the Phillies could have used some of that pop in the lineup. The Phillies scored only three runs in the doubleheader defeat and have been shut out twice over the five-game losing streak. They’ve scored three runs or less 12 times in the last 14 games.

That kind of anemic run support will shift even more pressure to produce on the Lee-Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt postseason rotation. Even the so-called “Four Aces” need more than a run or two each start if the Phillies are going to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.

Philadelphia’s top four hitters – Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, and Chase Utley – went 0 for 16.

“I’m concerned about it,” Manuel said. “At the same time, I’ve seen them hit. I think they’ll hit.”

Ramos added an RBI single and Jonny Gomes had a sacrifice fly during Washington’s three-run eighth to open up a cushion.

Notes: The Nationals beat the Phillies for the eighth time in the last 10 games (4-1 at Nationals Park; 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park). … The Phillies lost five straight home games for the first time since June 16-21, 2009. … The Nationals send RHP Brad Peacock (1-0, 1.42 ERA) to complete the sweep Thursday against Oswalt (8-9, 3.66).

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

While the Washington Nationals were sweeping their way through New York last week, a national writer approached manager Davey Johnson and asked him about his future. Johnson chuckled.

With 10 games left in the season — and uncertainty surrounding whether Johnson will return as the manager in 2012 — that query has been lobbed at him more than once. Everyone around him, including his wife, Susan, seems to be pondering it. Yet the one man who isn’t, and hasn’t, is Johnson.

“That’s after the season,” Johnson said. “I don’t even care, much less want to think about it. I’ve got my plate full today.”

Eighty-five days ago, Johnson stepped into a dugout under a Southern California sun and assumed stewardship of the Nationals. In the months that have passed, he’s set about putting his team in the best position possible to succeed.

For a franchise seemingly on the brink of leaving behind the doldrums of its losing past, Johnson’s goal has been to answer as many questions and fill as many holes as he can for those constructing the 2012 roster. He’s been testing, observing and evaluating — players and coaches — so that when the season ends, he can make recommendations to general manager Mike Rizzo.

“The job I’m doing now, with 30-some-odd guys, is to give them all an opportunity to establish and play to their ability,” Johnson said. “To make all these decisions that are made above me easier. To have less question marks. That’s what they’re paying me for now: to not have that ambiguity.

“I don’t want there to be any doubt when they go to make a decision — whether it involves me, or anybody. If that exists, then I’m not doing my job today. The hell with tomorrow or down the road.”

As far as Johnson sees it, when Rizzo called him up on a late June weekend and presented an opportunity to be the Nationals’ manager as part of a three-year consulting contract, he’d be a manager who always had a dual purpose in mind. He wants to win, of course. He is one of the winningest active managers, and he’s the first to point out that the Nationals’ 32-41 record since he took over isn’t stellar. But he also wants to guide the franchise.

“You can fill a lot with the talent here,” he said. Johnson talks almost daily about the holes he’s trying to fill and how: using Jayson Werth in center field and Michael Morse in left; enjoying the blossoming of Ian Desmond at the leadoff spot; trying out Chris Marrero at first base and Steve Lombardozzi at various spots in the infield; slotting call-ups Brad Peacock and Tom Milone into the rotation while moving a proven and time-tested Livan Hernandez out of it.

At times, it gives the perception that he’s fitting the pieces together and setting it up for someone else to man the dugout next season. Not true, he said. He’s doing these things for whomever it is. “Even if it’s me.”

“I don’t think anyone would be upset if he came back next year,” said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, describing Johnson as a hands-off type of manager who “thinks you’re a professional and he treats you that way.”

“A lot of people respect him,” Zimmerman said. “But I’ve said before, the manager, it is what it is. He doesn’t get the hits.”

The certainty over Johnson’s role ends after 10 more games. “I only know that my managerial contract ends after the season. You only need a manager until the end of this month. Then I’m an advisor.” An “in-house advisor,” more specifically, and he’ll make his opinions known on all offseason decisions — including that of manager — when it’s time.

“I’m not 100 percent where everything is on the same page [with the construction of the team], but I have a comfort zone,” Johnson said. “I really think when I have it the way I want it, and everything is functioning like a machine, that’s usually when they can do without me. It doesn’t matter who’s standing [in the dugout]. And it looks real simple. It’s supposed to.”

So again Johnson shrugs off the question of his managerial future.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Wandy Rodriguez won his 11th game and Carlos Corporan drove in three runs in the Houston Astros’ 9-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

Carlos Lee also had a double, single and an RBI, and Jason Bourgeois had three hits and an RBI for the Astros, who had six consecutive hits in a six-run third inning. Lee has now driven in at least 80 runs for the 13th straight season, second only to Alex Rodriguez among active players.

The Astros’ six runs and seven hits in the third inning both tied the team’s single-inning highs this season.

Rodriguez (11-10) went six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out seven. Rodriguez is the only Astros’ starter with a winning record.

John Lannan (9-12) gave up six runs — four earned — on eight hits in 2 1-3 innings, his second-shortest outing this season. He allowed six hits on seven runs in two innings at Philadelphia on May 5.

Lannan also made a costly error in the middle of Houston’s big inning, which started when Jordan Schafer doubled down the left field line with one out and took third as Michael Morse misplayed the ball. Each of Houston’s next five batters singled, including run-scoring hits by Bourgeois, Lee and Chris Johnson.

After the six straight hits, the bases were loaded and Jose Altuve hit a dribbler toward third base. Lannan fielded the ball but his throw home was wide of catcher Jesus Flores. Lannan dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands after the throw as two runs scored.

The play left runners on the corners for Corporan, whose squeeze bunt got past Lannan for an RBI single, giving Houston a 6-0 lead and ending the pitcher’s night.

The Astros added two more runs in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Corporan and a run-scoring double by Rodriguez, his first extra-base hit of the season. Corporan also had an RBI single in the ninth.

Washington’s Morse hit his team-leading 27th home run on a solo shot in the sixth inning, and Chris Marrero hit a two-run single in the fourth.

NOTES: RHP Stephen Strasburg (0-0) will make his second start for the Nationals Sunday since returning from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Washington manager Davey Johnson said he didn’t have a strict innings or pitch-count limit for his young star. “I’m just going to go by what I see. I don’t have a set number. I’m going to see how he’s going along. I’m not going to let him struggle or anything like that,” Johnson said. … The Nationals named IF Steve Lombardozzi and RHP Brad Peacock minor league player and pitcher of the year. Both are with Washington this September. Johnson said Peacock would likely get his first major league start during the team’s four-game series at the Mets starting Monday. … RHP Lance Pendleton was activated by Houston, a day after he was claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees. … LHP Sergio Escalona, who suffered a sprained left ankle on Friday, will be placed on the 60-day disabled list on Sunday when the Astros will purchase the contract of LHP Xavier Cedeon from Triple-A Oklahoma City. … RHP Henry Sosa (2-3) will start for the Astros Sunday.

The Washington Nationals set an attendance record on Saturday night in its home loss against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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. 

As a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Virginia, Maryland, D.C. area — and much of the rest of the East Coast just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, Washington Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner watched as the center field scoreboard in his team’s park swayed back and forth.

The park was evacuated following the earthquake but staff members were let back in around 2:30 p.m. The park was still being checked for structural damages as 6 p.m. approached. As a result, the start of the game was delayed to 7:25 p.m., instead of the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start time. 

The center field gates at Nationals Park usually open 2 1/2 hours before game time — 4:35 p.m. for most night games — but fans were not allowed to enter until 6:40 p.m.

The Nationals were getting set to take their 2011 team photo around 4 p.m. on the field. Outside the park, chaos reigned as traffic congested all major roads around the park and police blocked off one end of South Capitol Street, across from the park.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson was in his office at Nationals Park awaiting the team photo with his feet up on his desk. As the earthquake began, Johnson looked down at his arms and wondered if he might be having a tremor. Once he realized his desk was also shaking, he immediately knew it was an earthquake. Johnson said he survived a large one in California during his first season of professional baseball.

“You don’t expect that on the East Coast,” Johnson said. “Hurricanes, yeah.”

Hurricane Irene is set to descend on the Washington area this weekend, as well, but the Nationals will be Cincinnati.

A lot of the Nationals were already in the clubhouse when the earthquake. Some of the more seasoned earthquake survivors said it was a decent shake but nothing to be too nervous about, others — who were to remain nameless — went running outside. Ryan Zimmerman and third base coach Bo Porter were in the parking lot when it hit, and they told Johnson it looked like the cars were shaking.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa tweeted shortly after the earthquake that all Nationals fans getting out of work early should make their way over to the park to catch the game.

“If you get out of work early today because of the quake, come to the Nats game tonight!!!” Espinosa tweeted.

Espinosa, a Southern California native, was probably a little less shook up than Indiana native Drew Storen, who tweeted that he was walking down the street when the earthquake struck and watched a brick house nearly lose its chimney. Venezuelan catcher Jesus Flores also tweeted that he felt as though the mall would fall on him during the earthquake.

Everyone appeared present and accounted for during the team photo. While the Diamondbacks team bus was stuck in terrible traffic coming from their hotel near Pentagon City, the Nationals took the opportunity to have a relaxed day pregame. They did not hit on the field and most were relaxing in the clubhouse waiting for their chance to hit in the batting cage.

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Ross Detwiler sat in the clubhouse, the only company provided by ice packs wrapped around his left arm. The pitcher stared at nothing in particular, digesting the best start of his young career with the Washington Nationals ending in defeat.

Sometimes in baseball, as in life, your best isn’t good enough.

“It sounds cliché,” Detwiler said, “but you want to go out there and keep your team in the game.”

The 25-year-old Detwiler did that in his fourth start of the season. But he couldn’t match Cincinnati Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto’s string of zeros on Wednesday night as the Reds edged the Nationals, 2-1.

All Detwiler’s six innings at Nationals Park earned was a loss. But they provided a spark of hope for the No. 6 overall selection in the 2007 draft.

“Tonight was a great step in the right direction,” shortstop Ian Desmond said. “I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what he can do in the future.”

Detwiler struck out a career-high seven batters and tied another career mark with 103 pitches. Yes, nine men (seven hits, two walks) reached base against him. But he wriggled out of each spot of trouble and never appeared rattled on the mound.

Of great help to Detwiler was his sinking fastball. Normally the pitch averages 92.2 miles per hour. On Wednesday, he routinely touched 95 mph. He focused on keeping the pitch down and getting ahead in the count.

But Detwiler didn’t want to lean too heavily on the sinker. He felt too many in his previous start at Chicago led to the Cubs waiting for the pitch and smacking it the other way.

Detwiler mixed in more curveballs against the Reds — to mixed results. In the early innings that curveball was absent more than manager Davey Johnson would like. That led to Detwiler’s biggest mistake: challenging slugger Joey Votto with a 3-1 fastball in the first inning. Votto deposited the pitch deep over the fence in left-center field.

When the left-hander did throw curveballs early, Johnson noticed the pitcher slowed his motion on a couple and telegraphed the pitches.

“Those are young mistakes,” Johnson said.

When Detwiler threw the pitch for strikes, it proved a devastating compliment to his sinking fastball.

But Detwiler’s growth on the mound wasn’t matched by improvement from the Nationals’ offense. Twice the team had runners on third base with one out. Neither scored.

The final — and most painful — lost opportunity came in the bottom of the ninth inning. After a long solo home run from Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals loaded the bases with one out.

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By Andrew Kinback

– Nationals editor

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Aug 4, 2011 – The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies will spend the rest of this week and the weekend doing battle with each other at Coors Field in Colorado. The Rockies Esmil Rogers (4-1, 7.31 ERA) will throw the first pitch to Nationals lead off hitter Rick Ankiel at 8:40 P.M. EST.

Opposing Rogers will be 25-year old Nationals lefty Ross Detwiler (1-0, 2.35 ERA) who will be making his second start of the season. Though he has not started much this season, Detwiler has remained busy and in a constant state of readiness for when the Nats need him to take the mound by throwing bullpen sessions and appearing out of the bullpen five times this season. The former 2007 number one pick for the Nationals potentially dodged the trade deadline bullet as rumors circulated that his name was involved in trade talks. Detwiler will be using this opportunity to show that the team made the right decision by not pulling the trigger.

 

Nationals Line-Up

1. Rick Ankiel, CF

2. Danny Espinosa, 2B

3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B

4. Michael Morse, 1B

5. Jayson Werth, RF

6. Laynce Nix, LF

7. Ian Desmond, SS

8. Wilson Ramos, C

9. Ross Detwiler, SP

Read More: Jayson Werth (RF – WAS), Ryan Zimmerman (3B – WAS), Rick Ankiel (CF – WAS), Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Ross Detwiler (P – WAS), Laynce Nix (LF – WAS), Esmil Rogers (P – COL), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies

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By Andrew Kinback

– Nationals editor

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Aug 1, 2011 – By the time you read these 990 or so words, the July 31 MLB trade deadline will have passed, some changes to the Washington Nationals will have been made and bloggers and mass media members will have started heavy drinking to reward themselves for surviving such a perilous time. I say good riddance.

I am not a fan of this time of year. There is just too much fantasy and not enough facts going around. Both players and fans seem constantly in a state of being on edge, team’s general managers seem to be communicating and getting ideas from the Mothership orbiting the planet and it always seems that teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and (I can’t believe I am saying this) Pittsburgh Pirates are getting stronger while the Nationals, well, remain the Nationals.

The Nationals have a history of flubbing the trade deadline and not striking when things are hot. It has become a sad yearly indictment of the front office that I am tired of having to deal with, which is why I spent the weekend in Pataskala, Ohio almost getting my face chomped off by a pitbull and learning about underwater space alien bases. You can make Ohio a really exciting place if you try.

However, the most aggravating thing for me during the deadline is the reaction of the fans themselves. Before I ran off to hide in the Buckeye state, I spent the week researching, observing and debating the merits of would-be-trades. The major trade rumor of this whole fairy tale had reliever Drew Storen going to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Denard Span. Say what you will about the talent of these players, as well as the respective team needs. It was no secret the Twins would covet some strong, young bullpen help, while the Nationals are in desperate need of a centerfielder, a leadoff hitter and some good old-fashioned offense. There were concerns over giving up a homegrown player like Storen for a concussed Span. There were also rumors that the Twins wanted more, like Roger Bernadina and Stephen Lombardozzi on top of Storen, which should have nixed the trade. At its core, though, a potential Storen-for-Span trade was really a no-brainer. A trade like this needed to be made, as it is beneficial to both sides.

By now we all know how it turned out.

Obviously, we don’t know exactly what the offer was. It’s possible Minnesota was asking for the moon. But the fanbase’s general reaction to the non-trade of Storen made me feel like I got an ulcer. There is a certain faction of Natstown that raged at the idea this could actually happen. “NO! Storen is home grown!” “NO! Storen is a core player!” “NO! Storen’s a future All-Star!” “NO! Storen is such a nice guy!” “NO! Storen has charities in D.C.!” “NO! Attendance will fall without Storen!” “NO! I love Drew Storen! He is my favorite!” Then, of course, there were the plain “NO!” answers that gave no explanation why the Nationals should shuck off any chance to possibly improve the team.

Oh, Natstown. We’ve been together so long, yet we still have so much to learn.

I understand favorite players. We all have them. They are fun to have and it is all part of the game. I can even understand fans “adopting” players and building vicarious relationships through them like a jocktacular version of Dungeons and Dragons. But when the goal is building a real baseball team with perennial staying power, there are times we’ve got to give up the fantasy of knights in shining armor. There are times we’ve got to give up the nice guy (Is nice guy something to quantify?). There are times we have to order the sacrifice of the guys we love for the greater good to be done, which is improving the baseball club.

Denard Span, folks, is not a bum. He’s a 26-year old center fielder that gets on base, provides great speed and defense and is under contract through 2015. The Nationals have been searching for a center fielder and a leadoff hitter for an eternity, and now Natstown is raging because a reliever has to be the casualty? You have to give up something to get something.

Isn’t that what it is all about? Bringing a pennant and eventually a World Series to Washington? Let’s not let obsession over one player or fan favoritism blind us from this ultimate goal. Let’s not create a pointless soap opera. The Nationals as is are not contenders. As is, they aren’t even a .500 team anymore. Something needs to change, and change takes risk. If they don’t take the occasional risk, they will never change and never get out of the NL East cellar. Winning teams play and act fearlessly. They prey off teams not having the grapefruits to change and adapt.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. It has been what the Nationals have been doing for nearly six seasons now, and what has it left them with? A fantasy. A pipe dream. A soap opera. If you want soap operas I can point you in the direction of the Washington Redskins.

I might be a little harsh in saying this, but I think it is time we all just need to wake up. It is time to see where this team is and where it is really going. It is going nowhere right now because, sadly, people seem to be more than satisfied with just ‘having” baseball back in D.C. Well, I say now that we have baseball, the team and fan base should be defined by what we do with it. It starts with being fearless. It starts with real change, the type that doesn’t involve scraping the bottom of the barrel or being concerned if players are nice guys or not.

The Nats didn’t really succeed or fail this deadline, but they didn’t really change paths either. But don’t read me wrong. Storen is a great player and all-around nice guy. If there is one thing the Nationals have taught us since 2005 it is that a team of nice guys do finish last.

At least in the NL East.

Read More: Roger Bernadina (RF – WAS), Denard Span (CF – MIN), Drew Storen (P – WAS), Stephen Lombardozzi (2B – WAS), Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates

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Their performance has separated this year from their past — the Nationals would have to finish 20-39 to fall to last season’s record. But their place in the standings, thanks in part to playing in the National League East, has not. The Nationals are 14-23 against division opponents, who combine for the best total record of any division.

“I think we’re frustrated,” closer Drew Storen said. “But I think we’re also battling. It would have been easy for us to roll over and feel bad for ourselves and go home. But we’re battling, and we’re going to go out there every day and play hard, and we’re going to turn this thing around.”

Storen had a particularly disappointing night. He entered in the ninth with the Nationals down 5-1, a non-save situation because he needed the work. He recorded two quick outs, including a strikeout, then gave up a soft single to Mike Stanton. He then threw a 3-1 fastball to Mike Cameron, who launched his second homer of the night over the left field fence.

“It’s just one pitch,” Storen said. “You get a broken-bat hit, and you get one pitch up in the zone. They capitalized on it. Everything else was good. Everything else was sharp. It was just one pitch, but that’s what happens when you pitch late in the game.”

The blast put the Nationals in a 7-1 hole, but their offense would soon give the deficit more than cosmetic meaning. Counting the first eight innings, the Nationals had produced four runs and 11 hits over three games. Manager Davey Johnson had rested four starters — Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, Wilson Ramos and Roger Bernadina — in hopes of igniting something.

It didn’t work until the ninth. Against Marlins reliever Steve Cishek, Desmond came off the bench and led off with a triple to the right field corner. The Nationals kept rallying when Ryan Zimmerman’s ground-rule double scored a run, put two runners in scoring position and sliced the lead to 7-3. The Marlins brought in closer Leo Nunez, but Michael Morse followed with a two-RBI single.

Suddenly, the Nationals had brought the tying run to the plate. Nix had delivered the Nationals’ first run with a mammoth homer into the second deck in right field in the fourth inning. In the ninth, he took another wicked hack at a first-pitch change-up by Nunez. The ball screamed off the end of his bat toward right.

“I didn’t quite get it all,” Nix said. “I was just waiting for it to go. But it stayed short.”

Livan Hernandez lasted only four innings, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks. He had no feel for his sinker, he said, and that caused his pitch count to soar to 87. His start also continued a small trend. The Nationals’ rotation overachieved and carried the team for much of the season. During the losing streak, though, Nationals starters have allowed 18 earned runs in 19²/
₃ innings.

“Our pitching has kind of held us afloat all year,” Zimmerman said. “No one’s pitching is going to be consistent all year. They’ve done great. They’re walking more people than they did before. They know. Everyone knows. They’ve been the most consistent thing on this team all year. They’ve given us a chance to win every game. To go after them or attack them is ridiculous. They’ll get out of it.”

Hernandez is known as a workhorse, and he ended his night far earlier than usual. In the fifth inning, on his 87th pitch, Hernandez allowed a groundball single to Omar Infante that put runners on first and third with no outs. He had allowed three runs on three walks and five hits, including a homer to Stanton, shaky but not disastrous.

Johnson, though, opted for the bullpen, trudging to the mound and calling for long reliever Ross Detwiler. Hernandez gave Johnson the ball and looked up at the scoreboard. He took deliberate, small strides off the field. If Hernandez had walked any slower, he would have just been standing there.

“I can’t do nothing about it,” Hernandez said. “It’s the manager’s decision. I know I can continue pitching. I only gave up three runs. But it’s his decision, and I can’t do nothing about it.

“I don’t pitch good today. I don’t give a chance to win for the team. It’s frustrating right now.”

WASHINGTON – The Washington Nationals designated Fredricton’s Matt Stairs for assignment on Wednesday to make room on their roster for newly acquired outfielder Jonny Gomes.

Stairs, who holds the major-league record with 23 pinch-hit home runs, was a disappointment for the Nationals. The 43-year-old batted just .154 with two RBIs in 56 games. He was 6 for 39 as a pinch hitter.

Manager Davey Johnson said that the team couldn’t find regular playing time in either the outfield or at first base for Stairs.

“He never really got sharp,” Johnson said. “He didn’t have the production he wanted or that the organization wanted.”

When Johnson took over as manager, he made no secret that he wanted a power hitter on the bench — “a guy sitting over next to me with a big, hairy chest.”

He was disappointed that Stairs wasn’t that player.

“I loved having that left-handed bat off the bench. He was my guy,” Johnson said.

Gomes was acquired in a trade from Cincinnati on Tuesday. He wasn’t in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against Florida, but Johnson said he would play Thursday.

The 30-year-old had played the past 2 1/2 seasons with the Reds after starting his career with Tampa Bay. The Rays released him after the 2008 season.

“It’s my first time getting traded, so I don’t know how to take it. A team giving up on you — or a team grabbing you and wanting your services?” Gomes said.

Comfortable in both left field and right, Gomes wasn’t ready to talk about his role.

“We just figured out what my number would be,” he said. “We still got to iron some things out.”

Johnson said that the right-handed hitting Gomes would help his team’s balance. Laynce Nix and Rick Ankiel, who were both in Wednesday’s starting lineup, are left-handed. Nix was scheduled to start in right instead of Jayson Werth, who’s batting just .215 and is just 3 for 24 against Marlins starter Javier Vazquez.

Right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang also returned from his rehab assignment. He is still on the disabled list and is scheduled to pitch Friday against the Mets. He hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since July 4, 2009.

The Washington Nationals designated Fredricton’s Matt Stairs for assignment on Wednesday to make room on their roster for newly acquired outfielder Jonny Gomes.

Stairs, who holds the major-league record with 23 pinch-hit home runs, was a disappointment for the Nationals. The 43-year-old batted just .154 in 56 games with two runs batted in. He was 6-for-39 as a pinch hitter.

Manager Davey Johnson said that the team couldn’t find regular playing time in either the outfield or at first base for Stairs.

“He never really got sharp,” Johnson said. “He didn’t have the production he wanted or that the organization wanted.”

When Johnson took over as manager, he made no secret that he wanted a power hitter on the bench — “a guy sitting over next to me with a big, hairy chest.”

He was disappointed that Stairs wasn’t that player.

“I loved having that left-handed bat off the bench. He was my guy,” Johnson said.

Gomes was acquired in a trade from Cincinnati on Tuesday. He wasn’t in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against Florida, but Johnson said he would play Thursday.

3rd team

The 30-year-old had played the past 2 1/2 seasons with the Reds after starting his career with Tampa Bay. The Rays released him after the 2008 season.

“It’s my first time getting traded, so I don’t know how to take it. A team giving up on you — or a team grabbing you and wanting your services?” Gomes said.

Comfortable in both left field and right, Gomes wasn’t ready to talk about his role.

“We just figured out what my number would be,” he said. “We still got to iron some things out.”

Johnson said that the right-handed hitting Gomes would help his team’s balance. Laynce Nix and Rick Ankiel, who were both in Wednesday’s starting lineup, are left-handed. Nix was scheduled to start in right instead of Jayson Werth, who’s batting just .215 and is just 3-for-24 against Marlins starter Javier Vazquez.

Right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang also returned from his rehab assignment. He is still on the disabled list and is scheduled to pitch Friday against the Mets. He hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since July 4, 2009.

Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list and the Braves beat the error-prone Washington Nationals 11-1 on Friday night for the 10,000th win in franchise history.
The Braves reached the milestone, having played in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.
Tim Hudson (9-6) gave up one run on seven hits in seven innings and had two hits. He has won four straight decisions.
Freddie Freeman drove in three runs with two hits, including a two-run double in the seventh.
First baseman Michael Morse had only one error for the season before committing two — one fielding, one throwing — on leadoff hitter Jordan Schafer’s grounder in the first to set the pace for the Nationals’ fielding woes. Morse had three of the team’s five errors.
Prado, who had been out since June 8 with a staph infection in his right calf, hit only .192 (5 of 26) in eight minor league rehab games. Even so, he said before the game he was confident in his hitting.
“My hitting is not there yet, but I’ve been working way too hard not to see results someday,” Prado said.
After hitting flyballs in his first two at-bats, Prado led off the fourth with his ninth homer and added a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Livan Hernandez (5-9) gave up six runs, three earned, on eight hits and a walk in four innings.
Hernandez was hurt by poor defense in Atlanta’s four-run first inning. Morse bobbled Schafer’s grounder and then made a wild throw, allowing Schafer to move to second.
After Jason Heyward walked, Freeman drove in Schafer with a single. Heyward scored on Dan Uggla’s double past third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Shortstop Ian Desmond bobbled a grounder by David Ross, allowing Freeman to score, before Nate McLouth added a run-scoring single.
Ross hit a ground-rule double and scored on Hudson’s two-out single in the third. Prado’s homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 6-1.
The Braves sent nine batters to the plate in the first and sixth innings. They scored three in the sixth, including RBI singles by Prado and Heyward. Ryan Zimmerman couldn’t handle Uggla’s grounder off Ross Detwiler for Washington’s fifth error, allowing Prado to score.
Braves right-hander Scott Linebrink struck out Wilson Ramos with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
NOTES: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said RHP Stephen Strasburg, recovering from elbow surgery, “could get a major league start in September.” Strasburg had his surgery on Sept. 3, 2010. … The Braves signed LHP Sean Gilmartin, the team’s first-round pick from Florida State, for a bonus of $1,134,000. … The Braves optioned INF Brandon Hicks to Triple-A Gwinnett. … The Nationals also committed five errors on June 28 at the Angels. … The Braves trail only the Giants (10,489) and Cubs (10,277) in wins in the major leagues, according to information provided to the team by the Elias Sports Bureau. The Braves franchise began in Boston in 1876.

Davey Johnson sported a bloody mark on the left side of his forehead, the result of hitting his head on a shelf when he was about to get in his car in the morning to escape a houseful of company.

The impact must have rattled him quite a bit. By the end of the day, the Washington Nationals manager who usually disdains small-ball called for a suicide squeeze. Not once, but twice. Two pitches apart. With the same batter at the plate.

“I must be brain-dead,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever squeezed. I don’t really like to bunt that much.”

Wilson Ramos missed the sign the first time and swung away, fouling the ball off as Michael Morse covered his head while charging in from third. Ramos got the message the second time, bunting home Morse for the decisive run in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

“Man, it was scary,” Morse said. “But you know what? In the end, it worked out. He got the bunt down.”

Added Ramos: “After he scored, he did ‘You did good, you did good.’ But I almost killed him.”

The squeeze off Kerry Wood (1-4) decided a game of two-run homers. Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman each had one for the Nationals, and Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez did the same for the Cubs.

The Nationals continue to take all their victories down to the wire. Each of their last 10 wins has been by either one run or in extra innings, and they are 13-3 in one-run games since June 1.

“It seems like all we play around here is tight, interesting ballgames,” Johnson said.

Ryan Mattheus (2-0) pitched one inning to get his second major league win — and second in five days. Henry Rodriguez and Drew Storen (22nd save) completed another shutout effort from the bullpen.

Washington has won three straight and will go for the sweep on Thursday. The club improved to 5-5 under Johnson, who nevertheless remains perplexed by his team’s stinginess with clutch hits. Washington stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings and finished 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position.

It’s his team’s inability to produce the big inning that had him signaling for the squeeze, even though he couldn’t recollect ever calling for one in his 15 seasons as a big league manager.

“You’ve got to open up the Cracker Jack box,” he said.

Everyone was surprised by what he pulled out, especially the Cubs.

“I thought it was kind of a gutsy call … especially off a guy that couldn’t throw strikes here tonight as badly as I was off,” Wood said. “But it worked out for them, and they got the ‘W.’”

Zimmerman, showing signs of breaking out of a post-injury slump, had two doubles along with his fourth homer, giving him his first three-hit game of the year. He has five hits in his last two games and is now batting .218 since returning from abdominal surgery on June 14.

Struggling Nationals slugger Jayson Werth, who is quickly becoming a sideshow all to himself, was moved down to No. 6 in the lineup for the first time this season and had another rough night. He went 0 for 4 to lower his batting average to .218 and heard a hearty round of boos after his popout to shortstop with men and second and third with none out in the fifth.

Werth heard more jeers after misplaying Starlin Castro’s double to right to lead off the sixth. The miscue proved costly when the next batter, Ramirez, hit one out to straightaway center to tie at 4. As the ball sailed over the fence, Werth leaned forward dejectedly with hands on knees, remaining that way until the next hitter was announced.

Werth did get a decent hand when he flew out in the seventh, driving the ball deep enough for Morse to advance from second to third to set up the squeeze.

“He’s in a little funk right now,” Johnson said. “But I think he’ll come out of it.”

NOTES: Espinosa’s home run was his 16th, the most among second baseman in the majors as well as the most among all rookies. … Nationals RHP Cole Kimball, on the 15-day disabled list, will be in New York on Friday to see another doctor about the inflammation in his throwing shoulder. … The Cubs will decide Thursday whether RHP Ryan Dempster can make his scheduled start on Saturday. Dempster was hospitalized over the weekend with back pain and missed his start Monday. … RHP Ramon Ortiz, who had a respectable outing in his Cubs debut Tuesday, will stay in the rotation for now and pitch again Sunday.

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Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP