Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has been found alive by Venezuelan police Thursday morning, according to the police’s Twitter feed. “State law enforcement officials confirm ballplayer Ramos alive,” it said.

NBC Sports reports that the kidnappers have yet to contact his family with a ransom request and that the abduction appeared to be the first case involving a Major League Baseball player.

Ramos, 24, who just finished his rookie season with the Nationals (batting .267 with 15 homeruns and 52 RBIs), was kidnapped from the Ramos family home in the Santa Ines district of Valencia, Venezuela Wednesday evening. He was taken away in an orange Chevrolet Captiva SUV by four armed men, according to the Twitter account of the spokeswoman for his Venezuelan League team, the Aragua Tigers.

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Venezuelan police found the kidnappers’ SUV Thursday morning abandoned in the Montalbán neighborhood of the small city of Bejuma about 25 miles west from Valencia and were gathering evidence, Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami told reporters. Aissami also said that the discovery was an important clue that could help authorities track down Ramos.

The Nationals and Major League Baseball said the league’s Department of Investigations was working in collaboration with Venezuelan authorities.

“Our foremost concern is with Wilson Ramos and his family and our thoughts are with them at this time,” MLB and the Nationals said in a joint statement. The statement said the ballclub and league had “been instructed to make no further comment.”

Ramos, a centerpiece to a rising Nationals team, had recently returned to his homeland to play winter league ball for the Aragua Tigers, and was even slated to play his first game with the team on Thursday, according to NBC Sports. It comes during a time of growing crimes in a country riddled with a violent history of kidnappings. It has especially garnered media attention because of baseball’s and, by extension Ramos’s, popularity.

El Aissami said that evidence-collection teams had been at the abduction scene since Ramos was kidnapped Wednesday evening and that “the best kidnapping investigators” were searching for a lead that would take them to Ramos.

“We have the duty to find who is responsible and to rescue this countryman of ours, safe and sound,” El Aissami said.

According to The Washington Post, family friend Marfa Mata said on her Twitter account late Thursday morning that the Ramos family had yet to hear from the kidnappers and urged the public to stay calm.

“We don’t have any information,” wrote Mata, who helped Ramos adapt to the United States when he arrived to play in the minor leagues for the Minnesota Twins. “The kidnapers haven’t called yet. Please, we must keep calm.”

The kidnapping of Ramos even led some Venezuelans to call for the suspension of at least Thursday’s games. However, that won’t happen.

“Turning off the lights is not the solution,” said Jose Grasso Vecchio, the president of the league, to The Post. “The professional baseball league is not planning it.”

The Post also reports that about a dozen players who played in the Nationals’ organization in 2011, mostly minor leaguers, remained in Venezuela, where they are playing for their winter ball teams.

Minor league pitcher Ryan Tatusko, one of the Nationals’ players in Venezuela, said the Nationals called him first thing Thursday morning to ensure he was safe. The Nationals are going to inform him “ASAP” if he’s staying or leaving the country, Tatusko said.

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By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

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.)

Blake DeWitt, right, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a three-run homer against the Washington Nationals on Thursday. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Cubs 10, Nationals 9

WASHINGTON — Darwin Barney’s tiebreaking ninth-inning double, capped off a wild comeback and the Chicago Cubs rebounded from an eight-run deficit to beat the Washington Nationals 10-9 on Thursday night.

Tony Campana reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored when Barney doubled to right off Henry Rodriguez (3-2). It was Barney’s third hit and RBI of the game.

Each Washington starter had at least one hit as the Nationals built an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning.

Chicago scored six runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to tie it.

The Cubs took a 9-8 lead in the top of the eighth, and the Nationals tied it at 9-9 in the bottom of the eighth.

Sean Marshall (5-2), the fifth Chicago pitcher, was the winner. He allowed one run in two hits.

Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances. He hit Rick Ankiel with a pitch leading off the inning, and walked Laynce Nix. But Marmol retired Roger Bernadina on a fly to right to end the game.

Braves 6, Rockies 3

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer, his fourth of the series, and the Atlanta Braves beat Colorado 6-3 Thursday to complete their first four-game sweep of the Rockies in 18 years.

Jason Heyward also homered for the streaking Braves, who have won nine of 10 and 14 of 17 as they head into a series with NL East-leading Philadelphia.

Freeman, the rookie first baseman, hit four homers and drove in seven runs in the series. His third-inning homer was the highlight of a five-run inning that knocked Juan Nicasio (3-2) out of the game. Nicasio gave up six straight hits in the inning.

Colorado has lost five straight and left Atlanta with more injury woes.

The depleted Rockies had outfielder Charlie Blackmon break a bone in his left foot while running the bases in the third inning.

Brewers 5, Reds 4

MILWAUKEE — Rickie Weeks hit a three-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen held on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Thursday night to open an important four-game series for both clubs before the all-star break.

Weeks hit a line-drive shot off Homer Bailey (3-4) as the Brewers built a 5-2 lead in the fifth.

However, LaTroy Hawkins gave up a run in the eighth and John Axford got into serious trouble in the ninth, allowing a leadoff home run to Ramon Hernandez and putting runners on the corners with two outs before getting Brandon Phillips to ground out.

Cincinnati’s highly-touted prospect Zack Cozart singled, scored his first run and made a defensive play to save another, but the Reds lost for the fifth time in seven tries.

Giants 2, Padres 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Zito won his third straight start since coming off the disabled list, Eli Whiteside homered and the San Francisco Giants edged the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Thursday night.

Zito allowed one run and four hits over eight innings with a season-high seven strikeouts while beating the Padres for the first time in nearly three years. The left-hander did not walk a batter and retired 14 of the final 16 hitters he faced.

Pablo Sandoval extended his career-high hitting streak to 18 games while helping San Francisco to its second straight win over its division rival after losing the first two games of the series.

Ryan Ludwick homered for San Diego, who fell to 3-4 on its 10-game road trip.

Marlins 5, Astros 0

MIAMI — Mike Stanton homered and Brad Hand allowed two hits over seven innings for his first victory in the major leagues as the Florida Marlins beat the Houston Astros 5-0 on Thursday night.

Logan Morrison drove in two runs and Emilio Bonifacio had three hits for the Marlins.

Hand (1-3), a 21-year old rookie left-hander, had his longest outing and held the Astros without a hit until one out in the fifth when Clint Barmes singled to centre. Hand lowered his ERA to 2.77 in five starts.

Stanton’s two-run homer — his 18th — to deep left-centre field came in his first at-bat since his walkoff homer in the 10th inning on Wednesday against Philadelphia. He had been homerless in his previous 20 games.

Diamondbacks 4, Cardinals 1

ST. LOUIS — Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and Joe Saunders threw five scoreless innings to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

The Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in the last six games.

St. Louis, which lost for the fourth time in six games, fell into the first-place tie with Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Saunders (6-7) allowed one hit, struck out one and walked four. He was removed from the game after a 50-minute rain delay in the sixth inning.

Upton hit his 15th homer of the season off Kyle McClellan (6-6), who has not won since May 19, covering his last six starts. McClellan, who returned after the delay, gave up four runs, three earned, and six hits in seven innings.

Dodgers 6, Mets 0

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw scattered five hits over eight innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers parlayed extra-base hits by Matt Kemp, Juan Uribe, Aaron Miles and Dioner Navarro into a five-run sixth inning to beat the New York Mets 6-0 Thursday night and snap a five-game losing skid.

The loss ended the Mets’ four-game winning streak and kept them from sweeping the Dodgers for the first time in four games at Chavez Ravine.

Kershaw (9-4) struck out nine and walked two in his last start before the all-star break. The left-hander, who will pitch in his first all-star game next week in Phoenix, came within one strikeout of his fourth straight double-digit game, something that hadn’t been done by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo in1995.

Kershaw got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth by striking out Ronny Paulino to end the inning after getting a visit from manager Don Mattingly.

The Mets loaded the bases again in the ninth against Kenley Jansen before Hong-Chih Kuo got the final two outs.

Dillon Gee (8-3) gave up five hits and six runs — five earned — struck out two and walked one to lose his second straight.

Read More: Carlos Pena (1B – CHC), Matt Garza (P – CHC), Livan Hernandez (P – WAS), Michael Morse (LF – WAS), Sean Burnett (P – WAS), Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs

The Washington Nationals had the game in the bag on Thursday night. It was finished. The Chicago Cubs were finished and swept out of Washington the losers of a four game series and four straight games– but then came the sixth-inning. An incredible rally from Chicago and a complete meltdown in the Nationals lead to a 10-9 Nationals loss in a game that will be remembered for a long time in Natstown.

After the Nationals put up seven runs in the third-inning off Matt Garza (the most runs scored in a single inning by the Nationals this season) it seemed the game was in the bag for Washington. But then Livan Hernandez completely bottomed out in the sixth inning giving up six runs to put the score to 8-6. Reliever Sean Burnett came into the game in the seventh and gave away a two-run homerun to Carlos Pena to tie the game. The Cubs scored again in the eighth to take a 9-8 lead, but the Nationals answered back with a RBI from Michael Morse in the bottom of the inning. The Cubs scored once more in the top of the ninth off reliever Henry Rodriguez to take a 10-9 lead and this time keep it.

There was no magic or walk-offs Thursday for the Nationals as they were able to get a man on third base, but were unable to bring him in. Overall the Nationals win the four game series against the Chicago Cubs 3-1, but they did not get the sweep and Thursday’s game will be remembered as the worst blown lead in Expos/Nationals history.

The offense was there for once, but the starting pitching and bullpen let them down.

The Nationals record now stands at 45-44.

General manager Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals were upset after Jayson Werth was called out by first-base umpire Phil Cuzzi in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the New York Mets. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and catcher Ivan Rodriguez were penalized by Major League Baseball on Monday for verbally confronting umpires in a stadium tunnel after a disputed call last week.

Rodriguez was fined an undisclosed amount, MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said. Courtney confirmed Rizzo was disciplined, but provided no specifics.

In general, penalties for non-uniformed personnel involve fines.

The Nationals were upset after Jayson Werth was called out by first-base umpire Phil Cuzzi in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the New York Mets. Replays appeared to show Werth was safe.

Manager Jim Riggleman argued with Cuzzi and plate umpire Manny Gonzalez, then came back on the field with Rodriguez to holler at the umpires when they walked past the Nationals’ third-base dugout after the game. With crew chief Tom Hallion away for the series, Bill Miller served as the acting chief and Gonzalez was called up from Triple-A.

Moments later, Rizzo and Rodriguez got into a verbal altercation with the umpires as they headed to their locker room at Citi Field. Uncertain which Nationals executive had accosted them, the umpires asked for help — a Mets security official went into the Nationals’ clubhouse and identified Rizzo by a head shot.

The umpires filed a report after the game with Joe Torre, MLB’s vice-president for baseball operations. Cuzzi said the crew had spoken to Torre, but declined further comment at the time.

Washington played at Milwaukee on Monday night.

NEW YORK — Dillon Gee had breezed through the Washington Nationals lineup for 5 2/3 innings this afternoon when Livan Hernandez stepped up to the plate.

Gee had not given up a hit, and the excitement was spreading that maybe, against this team with obvious offensive limitations – as obvious as the .225 team batting average the Nationals brought – just maybe it was the day the Mets would finally toss the first no-hitter in franchise history.

But the seemingly ageless Hernandez stepped in and swatted Gee’s first-pitch, a 90-mile per hour fastball right down the middle of the plate, right back through the box for a clean single. The no-hitter was gone, but not the best performance of Gee’s brief career. He lasted a career-best 7 2/3 innings, allowing just two singles – the second coming to the nearly as unlikely Alex Cora in the eighth – and picked up his third win without a loss this season as the Mets beat the Nationals, 1-0, at Citi Field.

The win moved the Mets one game in front of the Nationals and out of a last-place tie in the NL East. The win also pushed the Mets within one game of .500 as they prepare for the Subway Series starting Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Gee threw 107 pitches – 13 to leadoff hitter Roger Bernadina to begin the game in an inauspicious fashion. But he finally struck out Bernadina, and before Hernandez’s single he allowed just one baserunner, a second-inning leadoff walk to Jayson Werth.

But Werth was quickly wiped out on a 3-6-3 doubleplay by the next hitter, Adam LaRoche.

Gee lost the shot at a one-hitter – and if he’d have completed the game with just that one mark against him he’d have joined R.A. Dickey and Steve Trachsel as Mets hurlers who tossed one-hitters with an opposing pitcher getting the only hit.

The Mets got their only run in the fourth when Josh Thole led off with a single and Jason Bay singled – one of three hits for Bay – and with two outs, Justin Turner delivered an RBI single to center.

But Gee made it hold up, not getting into trouble until the eighth inning when he gave up a one-out walk to Ivan Rodriguez and the single to Cora. He struck out pinch-hitter Matt Stairs for the second out, and then departed with Tim Byrdak coming on to get pinch-hitter Michael Morse on a hard-hit grounder up the middle that second baseman Ruben Tejada had positioned perfectly.

Francisco Rodriguez then came on for the ninth inning and allowed a one-out double poked down the leftfield line by Laynce Nix. Werth then ripped a grounder to third that Justin Turner snared backhanded, and after a double-clutch, threw to first where it appeared that Werth beat the throw – and Daniel Murphy was pulled off the bag. But first base umpire Phil Cuzzi called him out, and K-Rod retired LaRoche to end the game.

E-mail: popper@northjersey.com

NEW YORK — Dillon Gee had breezed through the Washington Nationals lineup for 5 2/3 innings this afternoon when Livan Hernandez stepped up to the plate.

Gee had not given up a hit, and the excitement was spreading that maybe, against this team with obvious offensive limitations – as obvious as the .225 team batting average the Nationals brought – just maybe it was the day the Mets would finally toss the first no-hitter in franchise history.

But the seemingly ageless Hernandez stepped in and swatted Gee’s first-pitch, a 90-mile per hour fastball right down the middle of the plate, right back through the box for a clean single. The no-hitter was gone, but not the best performance of Gee’s brief career. He lasted a career-best 7 2/3 innings, allowing just two singles – the second coming to the nearly as unlikely Alex Cora in the eighth – and picked up his third win without a loss this season as the Mets beat the Nationals, 1-0, at Citi Field.

The win moved the Mets one game in front of the Nationals and out of a last-place tie in the NL East. The win also pushed the Mets within one game of .500 as they prepare for the Subway Series starting Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Gee threw 107 pitches – 13 to leadoff hitter Roger Bernadina to begin the game in an inauspicious fashion. But he finally struck out Bernadina, and before Hernandez’s single he allowed just one baserunner, a second-inning leadoff walk to Jayson Werth.

But Werth was quickly wiped out on a 3-6-3 doubleplay by the next hitter, Adam LaRoche.

Gee lost the shot at a one-hitter – and if he’d have completed the game with just that one mark against him he’d have joined R.A. Dickey and Steve Trachsel as Mets hurlers who tossed one-hitters with an opposing pitcher getting the only hit.

The Mets got their only run in the fourth when Josh Thole led off with a single and Jason Bay singled – one of three hits for Bay – and with two outs, Justin Turner delivered an RBI single to center.

But Gee made it hold up, not getting into trouble until the eighth inning when he gave up a one-out walk to Ivan Rodriguez and the single to Cora. He struck out pinch-hitter Matt Stairs for the second out, and then departed with Tim Byrdak coming on to get pinch-hitter Michael Morse on a hard-hit grounder up the middle that second baseman Ruben Tejada had positioned perfectly.

Francisco Rodriguez then came on for the ninth inning and allowed a one-out double poked down the leftfield line by Laynce Nix. Werth then ripped a grounder to third that Justin Turner snared backhanded, and after a double-clutch, threw to first where it appeared that Werth beat the throw – and Daniel Murphy was pulled off the bag. But first base umpire Phil Cuzzi called him out, and K-Rod retired LaRoche to end the game.

E-mail: popper@northjersey.com

By RYAN LAWRENCE
Journal Register News Service

PHILADELPHIA — Want a slump-buster? Welcome the Washington Nationals to town.

Raul Ibanez was hitless for two straight weeks when the three-game series between the Phillies and Nationals got underway. For 34 straight at-bats, Ibanez either found himself flailing at strike three or watching every ball he hit wind up in someone’s glove.

Suddenly, Ibanez can’t stay off he bases.

The soon-to-be-39-year-old Ibanez, a guy half the fan base wanted retired a week ago, finished a scorching series with the Nats with a home run and a double in the Phillies 7-3 win Thursday night.

For the second straight night, Ibanez was 3-for-4 with a home run. He finished the series 8-for-12 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs.

Ibanez raised his batting average 60 points in the three-game series, from .154 to .214.

Of course, playing against the Nationals helped. Since signing with the Phillies prior to the 2009 season, Ibanez has annihilated Washington pitchers.

Ibanez is hitting .386 (54-for-140) with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 36 games against the Washington Nationals in the last three seasons.

What’s worked for Ibanez against Washington is similar to what Roy Halladay has done against the National League East as a whole. He’s simply dominated.

Why Ibanez led the hit parade Thursday, including fueling a six-run third inning with a two-run double, Halladay tamed the Nats bats. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner improved to 5-1 in six starts by holding Washington to two runs on six hits over seven innings. Continued…

Halladay, undefeated in four starts against division foes this season, improved to 18-1 with a 1.56 ERA in 19 starts against National League East teams since moving into the division as a member of the Phillies two Decembers ago.

Take away the fourth inning of Thursday’s start and Halladay could have found himself to complete his third straight start against Washington.

Entering the inning with a 6-0 lead, Halladay gave up singles to four of the first five batters he faced in the fourth. He escaped with limited damage, just two runs, but also threw 30 of his 110 pitches on the night in the inning.

But Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson picked up Halladay in the final two innings, holding up the Phillies third straight win and their 11th in their last 14 games.

Although he ran into a hiccup in the fourth, Halladay finished with a flair. From the last two outs of the fourth through the seventh, he retired the final 11 batters he faced, four by strikeout.

Halladay struck out 10 and walked none, picking up his 13th career double-digit strikeout game. Despite his lengthy fourth inning, Halladay also managed to give the Phils seven innings.

Since joining the Phils, Halladay has pitched seven or more innings in 33 of his 40 starts.

By RYAN LAWRENCE
Journal Register News Service

PHILADELPHIA — Want a slump-buster? Welcome the Washington Nationals to town.

Raul Ibanez was hitless for two straight weeks when the three-game series between the Phillies and Nationals got underway. For 34 straight at-bats, Ibanez either found himself flailing at strike three or watching every ball he hit wind up in someone’s glove.

Suddenly, Ibanez can’t stay off he bases.

The soon-to-be-39-year-old Ibanez, a guy half the fan base wanted retired a week ago, finished a scorching series with the Nats with a home run and a double in the Phillies 7-3 win Thursday night.

For the second straight night, Ibanez was 3-for-4 with a home run. He finished the series 8-for-12 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs.

Ibanez raised his batting average 60 points in the three-game series, from .154 to .214.

Of course, playing against the Nationals helped. Since signing with the Phillies prior to the 2009 season, Ibanez has annihilated Washington pitchers.

Ibanez is hitting .386 (54-for-140) with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 36 games against the Washington Nationals in the last three seasons.

What’s worked for Ibanez against Washington is similar to what Roy Halladay has done against the National League East as a whole. He’s simply dominated.

Why Ibanez led the hit parade Thursday, including fueling a six-run third inning with a two-run double, Halladay tamed the Nats bats. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner improved to 5-1 in six starts by holding Washington to two runs on six hits over seven innings.

Halladay, undefeated in four starts against division foes this season, improved to 18-1 with a 1.56 ERA in 19 starts against National League East teams since moving into the division as a member of the Phillies two Decembers ago.

Take away the fourth inning of Thursday’s start and Halladay could have found himself to complete his third straight start against Washington.

Entering the inning with a 6-0 lead, Halladay gave up singles to four of the first five batters he faced in the fourth. He escaped with limited damage, just two runs, but also threw 30 of his 110 pitches on the night in the inning.

But Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson picked up Halladay in the final two innings, holding up the Phillies third straight win and their 11th in their last 14 games.

Although he ran into a hiccup in the fourth, Halladay finished with a flair. From the last two outs of the fourth through the seventh, he retired the final 11 batters he faced, four by strikeout.

Halladay struck out 10 and walked none, picking up his 13th career double-digit strikeout game. Despite his lengthy fourth inning, Halladay also managed to give the Phils seven innings.

Since joining the Phils, Halladay has pitched seven or more innings in 33 of his 40 starts.

WASHINGTON — Welcome back, Chipper. Nice way to start, Fredi.

Returning from major knee surgery, Chipper Jones doubled before scoring the 2011 season’s first run on a chilly, damp opening day, and Derek Lowe allowed three singles in 5 2-3 innings, helping the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 Thursday to make Fredi Gonzalez a winner in his debut as Atlanta’s manager.

The Braves played their first regular-season game since Bobby Cox retired at the end of 2010 after two decades — and 15 playoff appearances — as their skipper.

With his sinker in fine, darting form, Lowe (1-0) struck out six and walked two. Brian McCann drove in 1999 NL MVP Jones by grounding a single up the middle off Livan Hernandez (0-1) in the first, and Jason Heyward led off the second with a homer.

The Braves played their first regular-season game since Bobby Cox retired at the end of 2010 after two decades — and 15 playoff appearances — as their skipper. With his sinker in fine, darting form, Lowe (1-0) struck out six and walked two.

Brian McCann drove in Jones with a single off Livan Hernandez (0-1) in the first, and Jason Heyward led off the second with a homer.

Heyward also homered in Game 1 a year ago, in his first major league at-bat. According to STATS and the SABR Home Run Log, he’s only the second player in major league history to homer in his first at-bat of his team’s opening day game as a rookie and again the following year. The other was Kazuo Matsui with the New York Mets in 2004 and 2005.

The Nationals were without their most prized young player, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who flew back to Florida on Thursday to continue rehabilitation from reconstructive elbow surgery that is expected to sideline him for most, if not all, of this season. But Washington did see free-agent signing Jayson Werth in action.

In his first regular-season at-bat for the Nationals — at second in the lineup, an unusual spot for a guy with a $126 million contract and some power — Werth singled to right. And then, doing exactly what general manager Mike Rizzo keeps saying he expects, Werth went from first to third on a single by Ryan Zimmerman.

Lowe made sure the Nationals failed to convert that two-on, one-out opportunity, though. Adam LaRoche, a free agent brought in to take over for the departed Adam Dunn at first base, popped out to second, and Michael Morse, who earned the left-field job vacated by the traded Josh Willingham, grounded out.

Four relievers combined to get the last 10 outs. Craig Kimbrel worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, his second in the majors.

In front of a non-sellout crowd of 39,055 at Nationals Park, neither of Thursday’s starting pitchers was bothered one bit by the cold — it was 41 degrees when Hernandez threw a called strike to Martin Prado for the first pitch at 1:11 p.m. — or by the misty drizzle that came and went.

The 37-year-old Lowe — more than 1½ years older than Hernandez — struck out the side in the third, including Zimmerman looking to end the inning. Zimmerman argued some with umpire Tim Welke while walking away; he tossed his bat, helmet and batting gloves on the ground, then yanked out his gum and chucked that down, too.

Lowe needed plenty of pitches, 105, and left after walking Zimmerman in the sixth. LaRoche followed by singling off lefty Eric O’Flaherty, who got out of it by getting Morse to ground out.

With two outs in the first, Jones doubled to right on a 3-2 pitch in his first at-bat in a regular-season game since tearing up his left knee Aug. 10. He also singled in the ninth.

After giving up Heyward’s solo shot, Hernandez settled into a groove, retiring 16 of the 17 batters he faced the rest of the way, including 15 in a row. He got some help from Werth, who made a sliding catch of Alex Gonzalez’s sinking liner in the fifth.

NOTES: Hernandez allowed four hits and two runs in 6 2-3 innings. … Fredi Gonzalez got a good-luck phone call from Cox about five hours before Thursday’s game. His debut as a major league manager also came against the Nationals, a 9-2 victory for his Florida Marlins at Washington’s RFK Stadium on April 2, 2007. … After Friday’s day off, the series resumes Saturday, with Atlanta RHP Tommy Hanson facing Washington LHP John Lannan. On Sunday, the Braves are scheduled to start RHP Tim Hudson against RHP Jordan Zimmermann. … Before Thursday’s game, the Nationals selected the contracts of INF Alex Cora, RHP Chad Gaudin, OF Laynce Nix and pinch-hitter Matt Stairs. They also released RHP Joe Bisenius, RHP Tim Wood and OF Jonathan Van Every.

Welcome back, Chipper. Nice way to start, Fredi.

Returning from major knee surgery, Chipper Jones doubled before scoring the 2011 season’s first run on a chilly, damp opening day, and Derek Lowe allowed three singles in 5 2-3 innings, helping the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 Thursday to make Fredi Gonzalez a winner in his debut as Atlanta’s manager.

The Braves played their first regular-season game since Bobby Cox retired at the end of 2010 after two decades — and 15 playoff appearances — as their skipper.

With his sinker in fine, darting form, Lowe (1-0) struck out six and walked two. Brian McCann drove in 1999 NL MVP Jones by grounding a single up the middle off Livan Hernandez (0-1) in the first, and Jason Heyward led off the second with a homer.

The Braves played their first regular-season game since Bobby Cox retired at the end of 2010 after two decades — and 15 playoff appearances — as their skipper. With his sinker in fine, darting form, Lowe (1-0) struck out six and walked two.

Brian McCann drove in Jones with a single off Livan Hernandez (0-1) in the first, and Jason Heyward led off the second with a homer.

Heyward also homered in Game 1 a year ago, in his first major league at-bat. According to STATS and the SABR Home Run Log, he’s only the second player in major league history to homer in his first at-bat of his team’s opening day game as a rookie and again the following year. The other was Kazuo Matsui with the New York Mets in 2004 and 2005.

The Nationals were without their most prized young player, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who flew back to Florida on Thursday to continue rehabilitation from reconstructive elbow surgery that is expected to sideline him for most, if not all, of this season. But Washington did see free-agent signing Jayson Werth in action.

In his first regular-season at-bat for the Nationals — at second in the lineup, an unusual spot for a guy with a $126 million contract and some power — Werth singled to right. And then, doing exactly what general manager Mike Rizzo keeps saying he expects, Werth went from first to third on a single by Ryan Zimmerman.

Lowe made sure the Nationals failed to convert that two-on, one-out opportunity, though. Adam LaRoche, a free agent brought in to take over for the departed Adam Dunn at first base, popped out to second, and Michael Morse, who earned the left-field job vacated by the traded Josh Willingham, grounded out.

Four relievers combined to get the last 10 outs. Craig Kimbrel worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, his second in the majors.

In front of a non-sellout crowd of 39,055 at Nationals Park, neither of Thursday’s starting pitchers was bothered one bit by the cold — it was 41 degrees when Hernandez threw a called strike to Martin Prado for the first pitch at 1:11 p.m. — or by the misty drizzle that came and went.

The 37-year-old Lowe — more than 1½ years older than Hernandez — struck out the side in the third, including Zimmerman looking to end the inning. Zimmerman argued some with umpire Tim Welke while walking away; he tossed his bat, helmet and batting gloves on the ground, then yanked out his gum and chucked that down, too.

Lowe needed plenty of pitches, 105, and left after walking Zimmerman in the sixth. LaRoche followed by singling off lefty Eric O’Flaherty, who got out of it by getting Morse to ground out.

With two outs in the first, Jones doubled to right on a 3-2 pitch in his first at-bat in a regular-season game since tearing up his left knee Aug. 10. He also singled in the ninth.

After giving up Heyward’s solo shot, Hernandez settled into a groove, retiring 16 of the 17 batters he faced the rest of the way, including 15 in a row. He got some help from Werth, who made a sliding catch of Alex Gonzalez’s sinking liner in the fifth.

NOTES: Hernandez allowed four hits and two runs in 6 2-3 innings. … Fredi Gonzalez got a good-luck phone call from Cox about five hours before Thursday’s game. His debut as a major league manager also came against the Nationals, a 9-2 victory for his Florida Marlins at Washington’s RFK Stadium on April 2, 2007. … After Friday’s day off, the series resumes Saturday, with Atlanta RHP Tommy Hanson facing Washington LHP John Lannan. On Sunday, the Braves are scheduled to start RHP Tim Hudson against RHP Jordan Zimmermann. … Before Thursday’s game, the Nationals selected the contracts of INF Alex Cora, RHP Chad Gaudin, OF Laynce Nix and pinch-hitter Matt Stairs. They also released RHP Joe Bisenius, RHP Tim Wood and OF Jonathan Van Every.

WASHINGTON – It’s opening day for the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals open their season Thursday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves.

To accommodate fans, Metro will be running a handful of eight-car trains on the green line and special shuttle trains between the Mt. Vernon Square and Navy Yard stations.

Metro expects to carry about 20,000 people to and from the game.

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March 31, 1:05 PM ET @ Nationals Park
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Radio: 106.7 The Fan
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It’s opening day for the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals open their season Thursday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves.

To accommodate fans, Metro will be running a handful of eight-car trains on the green line and special shuttle trains between the Mt. Vernon Square and Navy Yard stations. Metro expects to carry about 20,000 people to and from the game.

This is a season of great expectations for the Washington Nationals as well as the Baltimore Orioles and their long suffering fans. Both teams look for marked improvement over last season’s last place finishes.

MASN and MASN2 will be ready to bring all the action of both Beltway teams to their fans with a few changes. Joining Bob Carpenter and Debbi Taylor on the Nationals broadcasts will be former Giants broadcaster, and onetime Expos player, F.P. Santangelo, who will serve as the teams new color analyst.

Back this year will be the popular Nats Xtra team of Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight who will be handling the pre- and post game action.

Look for a select number of Nationals broadcasts including Thursday’s home and season opener to be aired on “MASN on DC 50″ all the games will carry both the Nats Xtra pre- and postgame shows.

The Nationals have a new flagship radio station, with all their games being broadcast on 106.7FM The Fan while keeping WFED-AM 1500 as an affiliate. That will give the team a local FM and AM signal that will cover the entire region. When there are conflicts on WFED with Capitals broadcasts, fans can find games on WHFS -1580 AM.

For Thursday’s Opening Day broadcast on 106.7 The Fan, Mike Wise and Holden Kushner will broadcast live from Nats Park starting at 10 a.m. and then giving way at 12:30 p.m. for the pregame show with the “Voice of the Nationals” Charlie Slowes and his partner Dave Jageler to carry things up to game time.

During the regular season Slowes and Jageler will handle both the pregame show as well as the game broadcasts.

The Washington Examiner’s own Phil Wood will once again serve as the postgame host, although look for Kushner and other members of 106.7 The Fan to fill in when Wood has other MASN duties.

The Orioles have also changed flagship stations, moving back to WBAL AM 1090 and in Washington are the games will once again be heard on ESPN 980AM.

After Thursday’s game, MASN will debut “The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report,” a brand new 90-minute show, which will air live at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday discussing news from the Nationals, Orioles and Major League Baseball. The show will feature a panel of four renowned baseball experts: Wood, host Tom Davis, former Orioles pitcher Dave Johnson and Mel Antonen from SI.com and Sirius/XM.

Fans of the John Riggins Show will be happy to know it is staying on MASN and will air Monday – Friday in its new time slot, 2-5 p.m.

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!

VIERA, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals former No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg says he felt good after participating in his first spring training workout since undergoing ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow last September.

Strasburg made some light tosses on Thursday and also participated in fielding drills, stretching and other calisthenics with his fellow Nationals’ pitchers. Strasburg was sporting a noticeably leaner frame and says he’s progressing well since beginning his throwing program on Jan. 31.

He says he “felt really good” in his limited action on Thursday and “will go from there.”

Nationals’ manager Jim Riggleman says he was pleased to see Strasburg out and that the plan is for him to continue to do light tossing and progress to longer throws slowly.

Nationals pitcher Sean Burnett went 1-7 with three saves and a 2.l4 ERA in 73 appearances in 2010. (Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press)

Left-handed reliever Sean Burnett and the Washington Nationals agreed Thursday on a two-year, $3.95 million US contract with a mutual option for 2013, avoiding salary arbitration.

Burnett went 1-7 with three saves and a 2.l4 earned-run average in 73 appearances in 2010, part of a wholly rebuilt bullpen that morphed from one of Washington’s biggest weaknesses to a strength last season.

He was acquired in June 2009 from the Pirates in a trade that also brought center fielder Nyjer Morgan to Washington and sent reliever Joel Hanrahan and outfielder Lastings Milledge to Pittsburgh.

The 28-year-old Burnett is 9-16 with four saves and a 3.80 ERA in four major league seasons.

His deal pays $1.4 million next season and $2.3 million in 2012. There is a $3.5 million option for 2013 with a $250,000 buyout; if the club exercises the option and he declines, there’s no buyout.

The contract also includes the possibility of earning up to $500,000 each season in performance bonuses based on games finished. If Burnett finishes 35 games, he gets $100,000; for 45, another $150,000; and for 55, another $250,000.