Chalk up another loss for the Nats. The Mets dominated last night, and the Nats suffered their third shut out in eight games, with a score of 6-0. These games are getting harder and harder to watch.  Where is the scrappy team with lots of heart I loved last season? Where is the desire to be better and prove people wrong? There is a different atmosphere on the team this year. I’m not really sure what’s changed, but I’m not seeing the hustle or the fight for every out.  I know it’s still early and a lot can happen, but something’s gotta give here. There are issues with offense - no one but Guz, Milledge and Johnson are hitting. There are issues with the bullpen - they are tacking on runs and not being overly effective. There are issues with the starting rotation - guys giving up four and seven runs in one inning. It’s fine if one element of the team is struggling but with all three failing, something obviously isn’t working.

Odalis Perez was ok last night. He gave up two runs on a David Wright homer, but pitched six innings. Again he wasn’t given any offensive help. Austin Kearns is having serious issues at the plate. He is 0 for his last 10 at bats with runners in scoring position. He also hit into his fifth double play last night, leading the team. So far, he’s only been a hindrance to the offensive line up. Maybe sitting Austin for a while once Dukes is healthy will help. Zimmerman is also having offensive issues. He is 1-17 with runners in scoring position. Last night with the bases loaded, he saw a good pitch but popped it up and was out on an infield fly. He’s not worried though, and still has the “it will happen soon attitude.”

“We are a lot better than what we are showing,” Zimmerman said. “It’s going to take one or two big hits and I think we’ll start rolling, but I think it’s disappointing.”

I hope that spark comes soon. The Nats left nine runners on base last night. With Kearns, Zimmerman, and Belliard not producing, those scoring chances are wasted. Guzman is on fire as the lead off guy, and Milledge is hitting solidly, but no one else is helping them.

It was tough to see former Nats Schneider and Church be successful last night. Church was hitting in the number two spot, and had a nice game. Schneider was ok also, he picked Milledge off twice. Throwing runners out is something we haven’t seen Lo Duca do effectively yet this season. Mets starter Mike Pelfrey pitched a solid game, throwing seven scoreless innings. Jose Reyes was 4-5 last night, and was a home run short of a cycle. Also, David Wright had a fantastic game, driving in 5 of the Mets 6 runs. He hit a two run homer off of Perez and cranked out a few more doubles later in the game. A 5 RBI night for David not to shabby, especially considering that Zim and Kearns combine have 11 RBI for the year.

The tribute to Jackie Robinson was a nice touch. It was pretty cool to see everyone wearing 42. I’m hoping that the Nationals found some inspiration last night from Mr. Robinson and can find that spark they desperately need. Maybe Shawn Hill potentially starting on Saturday will provide some magic.

We caught up with Eric from Amazin’ Avenue to answer some questions for us about the 2008 New York Mets: 

1. Given the offseason changes to your team, what have you been happy about so far in the season?
The most pleasant surprises to this point have been Carlos Delgado and Angel Pagan. Delgado had a terrible year in 2007, but he has looked really good at the plate through the first eleven games. If he can provide anything resembling league average offense for a first baseman the Mets will be in very good shape offensively. Angel Pagan has stepped in for the oft-injured Moises Alou and has been one of the Mets’ most consistent hitters so far.

2. What are some areas that concern you this early in the season?
Injuries have been a big problem, with numerous players missing time. Injuries test the depth of a ballclub, and the Mets have done okay in that regard. Pedro’s injury (more to come on that) and El Duque’s withering cortex have forced Mike Pelfrey to step into the fourth starter’s spot and everywhereman Nelson Figueroa to round out the rotation for the time being. Good teams have the depth to overcome short stretches of injury, but the great teams stay healthy in the first place.

3. What’s going on with Pedro and when do you expect to see him pitch again?
Pedro strained his left hamstring in his first start of the season and optimistic estimates have him returning mid-to-late May. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if his rehab took considerably longer than that.

4. You have two former Nationals on your roster this season. What are you initial impressions of Schneider and Church?
Mostly positive to this point. Ryan Church has swung the bat surprisingly well against lefties, something that was a concern heading into the season. His defense has been better than advertised; his range and throwing arm have looked really good early on. Brian Schneider has shown very good plate discipline so far, and his utter lack of power was expected given his recent history. Unlike Church, Schneider’s defense has been worse than advertised so far. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about, either.

5.  Which of these Mets turned Nats were tough losses for your organization?  Acta, Milledge, Flores, Lo Duca
The first three immensely; the last one not at all. I’m somewhere between ambivalent and mildly dissatisfied with the way Willie Randolph handles this team, but I still rue the day the Mets let Manny Acta walk away. If I were filling out a wish list of big league managers he would be at or near the top. The Lastings Milledge trade was a distasteful one because it happened for reasons that had little to do with baseball. Given their relative stages of development, I think the Mets might be better off in 2008 with Church than Milledge, but long-term I think it will be pretty disastrous. The Mets wound up with some interesting catchers in training camp this season, but leaving Jesus Flores unprotected two years ago was one of the low points of Omar Minaya’s tenure, considering some of the dreck he chose to keep on the 40-man roster instead.

I don’t miss Paul Lo Duca in the least. He had a nice season in 2006 and was mostly terrible in 2007. He doesn’t walk and hits for zero power, and his defense is well below average. Most of his value is derived from his batting average: if he can hit .300-ish he will be useful; if he hits .260-.270 he’s probably a waste of a roster spot.

6.  What’s your initial impression of Santana? How do you think he will affect your season?
His most recent start against the Brewers was not great – he allowed three homeruns – but he also struck out more than a batter an inning. He’s 1-2 so far, but should be 2-1 after allowing just one run in a loss to the Braves. He has struck out 18 batters and walked just four in 20.2 innings, and he hasn’t even come to the park with his best stuff yet. He’s one of the best pitchers in the game, and if the Mets make the playoffs he will be a big reason why.

Click here to read our answers to Eric’s questions about the Nats.

Odalis Perez (0-2) and the Washington Nationals take on Mike Pelfrey (1-0) and the New York Mets tonight at 7pm.

Today, Major League Baseball will, as they have for the past five years, celebrate “Jackie Robinson Day.” The day marks the 61st anniversary of Robinson’s entry into Major League Baseball. Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s wife, and Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s daughter, will join Bob DuPuy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball, in an on-field recognition of Jackie Robinson’s legacy prior to the Mets vs. Nats game at Shea Stadium. The celebration will also honor the good work of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

On this special day, every member of the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets will wear #42 as they collectively celebrate the life of one of baseball’s most important legends.

The Mets are looking forward to rolling out a “Jackie Robinson Rotunda” next year when Citi Field opens. The Rotunda will greet fans as they exit the subway. The memorial will be styled after Ebbets Field.

MLB has special coverage of the celebration available here.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. — Jackie Robinson

For another take on how far we’ve come, but how far we still have to go, consider the perspective of Torri Hunter.

On this important day, it’s important to recognize and reflect on the historic accomplishments of baseball hero Jackie Robinson. We turned to Scott Simon’s Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball for another account of the challenges experienced by Robinson as he paved the way for African Americans to compete in Major League Baseball.

Simon writes a familiar tale, but his ability to weave history, social activism and baseball together seamlessly says something about how Robinson changed more than the game. Though a baseball hero, Robinson’s influence extends well beyond the diamond. His quiet but determined journey led the way years before the civil rights movement took full force.

Robinson, an All Star athlete, first attempted to break racial boundaries in the U.S. military. When he sat next to a fellow officer’s wife on a bus in Fort Hood he was told to move to the back of the bus and away from the woman. He promptly faced a court- martial. With public pressure mounting, Robinson was acquitted from charges and “honorably relieved from active duty.”

The athletic Robinson then had an opportunity to try out for the Boston Red Sox. Though his try-out was promising, Robinson was dismissed for his race.

“For decades, Red Sox fans have laughingly rationalized their losses with the thought that they were an unwarranted curse, inflicted for selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. But I’ve come to see [Boston’s] hardships after 1945 as a blight they brought down themselves. Boston barred the door to Jackie Robinson in the spring of 1945, when the team and the city had an exceptional, indispensable change to advance themselves and enrich the country.”

Simon continues by describing Jackie’s ascent into the Dodgers organization, chiefly through the support and encouragement of Branch Rickey. Robinson was moved by Rickey’s plea for him to play for the Dodgers. In their first meeting, Rickey explained that he wanted Robinson to rise above the racial challenges and not engage his critics or let their words and actions affect his play.

Throughout his career, Jackie, true to his word, played the game with grace and unquestionable character. He faced well documented challenges of all kinds. His family couldn’t catch a plane to his first spring training. He was forced to stay in separate hotels in many cities. He endured hate notes and death threats on him and his family in city after city.

When he stepped onto the baseball field, he faced these challenges alone. When the Dodgers played in Philadelphia under then manager Ben Chapman, the racial abuse heightened. The manager, Simon writes, encouraged his team to heckle and harass Robinson verbally. In a later series, the Phillies dugout lined up their bats like machine guns and made loud ticking noises to simulate Robinson’s execution. In Chicago, Cubs shortstop Len Merullo kicked Robinson in his right thigh. Later in the season, Cardinals players Joe Medwick, Enos Slaughter and Joe Garagiola all took spike shots at Robinson.

Additionally, he had to avoid being hit at the plate. An opposing player told a reporter that Robinson could almost always count on the first pitch “being right under his nostrils.” Teams quickly learned that it wasn’t wise to give Robinson first base. His dance around the base paths drove pitchers crazy and always changed the complexion of the game.

Time and again, Jackie collected his anger and controlled his emotions. He quietly broke the racial barrier hit after hit, stolen base after stolen base. Without a grand agenda, he changed the game he loved and became an inspiration to young African Americans around the country.

Simon’s book chronicles the rise of Jackie Robinson and his experiences throughout the 1947 season, the year he broke the racial barrier in baseball. While the stories are familiar, Simon’s ability to weave anecdotes with historical and political developments makes for a concise but enjoyable summary of Jackie’s life and legacy.

Purchase Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball or Listen to author Scott Simon discuss the book.

Did you know Chad Cordero plays for the Caps?  Well, the Post says he does.  From the Sports front page:

Cordero Returns:

Capitals closer Chad Cordero makes his first appearance of the season, but his fastball is slower.

An innocent mistake but it’s pretty frustrating that the hometown paper can’t get the teams straight. 

Thanks to Brian at Philles Nation for the tip.

On a cold day at the new park, the Nats finally snapped a 9 game skid in front of almost 30,000. 

The day marked the return of Wily Mo Pena and Chad Cordero, along with the absence of Jason Bergmann and Jesus Flores, who headed off to AAA Columbus.

In his season debut, Pena went 0 for 4 with 3 strike-outs.  He left 5 men on base and committed an error in the 8th inning which allowed Jeff Francoeur to score. 

Redding continues to impress.  He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings.  King, Rivera and Ayala shut down the Braves before the Chief made his return in the 9th.  After getting two quick outs, Chief had the crowd on their feet with Yunel Escobar at the plate.  A 3-2 count led to a walk to bring Chipper Jones to the plate.  Suddenly, the inevitable win turned doubtful.  Chipper had already hit a home run earlier in the game.  He took Chad’s fastball for a ride, doubling to right field. Escobar reached third.  Cordero intentional walked Teixeira before being lifted for Jon Rauch.  McCann flew out to Kearns on Rauch’s first pitch to end the game and the nine game losing streak.

Lastings had a heck of a day going 3 for 3 with 2 singles, a double, a walk and a stolen base.  Guzman, Zimmerman and Boone had good days as well and Austin actually managed to draw some walks. 

The Nats have the day off before meeting the Mets at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night. 

Given the past week, it’s been all too easy to focus on problems and concerns, but there are some positive things worthy of mention about the organization and the new ballpark.

First of all, the Nationals announced partnerships with the Earth Conservation Corps and the Hopkins Branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington today. The goal of the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation’s Neighborhood Initiate is to support local non-profits with grants, donations and resources.

The Earth Conservation Corps received a grant of $40,000 for three years to assist with revitalization of the Anacostia River and the development of area youth. The Boys & Girls Club received $50,000. The organization supports area youth and teens, providing enrichment activities, computer labs, sports clubs, homework help and mentoring.

 Upon announcing the partnerships, Elijah Dukes and Joel Hanrahan unveiled the “Wall of Dreams,” located in the Center Field Plaza. Baseballs on the dream wall can be purchased from $250 to $5,000. Here’s our photos from the event.

We applaud the organization’s dedication to enriching the lives of area youth and taking pro-active steps toward cleaning up the environment.

Second, last night after the 3-0 loss to the Braves, the organization launched a massive fireworks display. It sure would have been better had it followed a win, but it was certainly a nice touch. We watched the fireworks from the President’s Club seats directly behind home plate. Upon leaving, we got a little disoriented and accidentally tried to exit through the President’s Club area. Crowds had died down, so it was fairly easy to tour the area quickly before finding a real exit. Here’s the photos from that experience.

Third, being a big PB&J fan, I was really looking forward to checking out the PB&J bar in the Strike Zone area for kids. I wasn’t sure if they’d let me order there, but there seemed to be no problem. For $5.00, you can choose your bread (wheat or white), your peanut butter (chunky or smooth) and your toppings (grape jelly, strawberry jelly, honey, bananas and/or chocolate chips). I’m a little too excited about this. We all have our things.

Fourth, Wily Mo Pena is coming back tomorrow! Pena should add some serious pop in the lineup and help the other guys see better pitches. We noticed at spring training that Pena is a natural leader as well. He’s always jumping around, talking to everyone, laughing and getting his teamates pumped. I think we’ve been missing more than his bat. We hope his leadership, personality and bat help crack this 9 game skid.

Fifth, attendance was great today, even through the rain delay! 32,532 was the announced attendance. Misery loves company. Thanks for coming out today. Please keep it up.

Sixth, Jon Rauch and his wife Erica welcomed into their family a new baby girl on Friday. Congratulations Jon!

Yet another blow out for the Washington Nationals, the team lost 10-2 to John Smoltz and the Atlanta Braves. Today’s loss was the 9th in a row for the Nats, the longest since the team moved to DC. It hasn’t been a fun week to be a Nationals fan. It seems like the team is experiencing growing pains all the way around.

Unfortunately, things started out rough with John Lannan giving up four earned runs in the first inning. When facing a pitcher like Smoltz, a four run deficit is almost impossible to come back from. Lannan struggled today locating his pitches and throwing strikes. His outing was the shortest of his major league career, he pitched four innings and gave up six runs on nine hits and issued four walks.

In an interesting move, relief came from Jason Bergmann today. He wasn’t effective either, and gave up four runs in two innings, including back-to-back homers. It was sad to see as Bergmann has dominated the Braves lineup in the past. After the game, Manny and Jim announced that Chad Cordero is back from his DL stint and ready to play. They chose to send Bergmann to triple A to work out some of his kinks.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the effectiveness of our pitching staff. True, there have been a number of rough outings, but they can’t all be the pitchers fault. Lo Duca missed a lot of spring training and hasn’t had much time to get to know the rotation. His absence might also have something to do with these blow out losses. We have compared Brian Schneider and Paul Lo Duca offensively. Lo Duca might win that battle, but defensively I bet the pitchers miss Schneider and his game calling more than ever. I found it interesting last night when Matt Chico had a fantastic game pitching 8 innings and giving up only one run, he was throwing to Flores. Flores worked with Schneider a lot last year, and has also caught the Nats pitchers many times. I know one good outing doesn’t mean everything, but it does take two, a pitcher and a catcher to make a battery successful.

Offense was a problem again today. It’s not as if we didn’t have any chances to get in the game. The Nats left ten runners on base today. Ten! With a final score of 10-2, we had chances to contend. Austin Kearns is really struggling lately. He grounded out to end the inning twice today with the bases loaded. He also missed a ball today in right field, which would have easily ended the first inning before the hit parade got out of control. It wasn’t scored as an error, but Austin really needs to step up if his hitting and fielding are going to be an issue. Milledge was 0-4 today with a walk, and had a questionable play in center field. He took his sweet time fielding a ball and didn’t throw to second in time to save a runner advancing. Players last year would have been benched for a play like that, but Milledge gets a free pass because he is still learning?

Thankfully, Ryan Zimmerman seems to be coming alive. He had two hits, a sac fly and a walk today. Willie Harris had a pretty good game also. He made some key plays in left field and scored Felipe on a triple. If only our lineup could all hit with consistency. Wily Mo should be activated from the DL and ready tomorrow, which should help some.

Fan attendance was much better today despite the rain delay. Most of the 32,532 left after the 7th inning though. We had seats in section 208 this afternoon. The club level is a really nice place to wait out a rain delay. There are lots of places to sample different food and watch TV. Additionally we visited the first aid stand today for the first time. Kristen had a little allergic reaction to a nectarine and we went to first aid for some Benadryl. The nurses and paramedics were very thorough and friendly. Kristen was fixed up and back to normal in about ten minutes. It’s nice to know the services are available and reliable.

Redding faces Glavine tomorrow, hopefully we’ll see a fresh start.

Paul Lo Duca really talks a big game. He seems to have something to say about everything, yet he hasn’t delivered much in the way of offense or defense since arriving in DC. In fact all he’s done is run his mouth. Before last night’s defeat, Lo Duca was quoted with this gem: 

“We need to realize [we can win], we need to show and play with that cockiness and play with that edge. That’s how we are going to win ballgames.” 

Paul went on to say that he doesn’t think the Nats have that edge yet: 

“We need to go out there with a little attitude and play with attitude and keep fighting – run balls out. Even when you are getting beat, those are the times you need to hustle even more. That’s what we need to do.” 

Hmm I don’t know Paulie but, I think that maybe trying to actually throw a runner out at second, or trying to catch a ball at the plate that might save a run, or maybe even running through first base, would help the team a little bit.  Lo Duca can point fingers and talk all he wants, but the reality is, he hasn’t done much at all, and he seems to be the only one freaking out about the team’s performance. 
 
If the theme for the team is patience and learning, then why not let a young catcher – who at this point is just as good offensively, if not better than Lo Duca or Estrada – learn in the big leagues.  Our centerfielder is still learning, our pitchers are still learning, heck our third baseman is still learning. What is the harm with letting Flores get experience in the majors? Sure he isn’t major league polished yet, but his power is already better than Lo Duca’s. He can catch, hit, and run unlike Estrada currently, and he tries with success to throw out the runners, something Lo Duca hasn’t even attempted yet. At this point, a platoon with Flores and one of the vets has got to provide more offense (and defense) at the plate than we are getting right now.
 
I guess the only problem with keeping Flores in the majors is the type of mentor he would have in Paulie. I’m not sure what advice Lo Duca would have to offer the young guys. He isn’t catching well, can’t throw, can’t run, can’t stop gambling, and can’t stay faithful to his wife, sounds like a great role model. The team is young; they need patience, support, and time to be successful. Things will click, sooner rather than later, but Lo Duca’s constant yapping isn’t going to make it happen any faster.

On top of all this, what’s up with Manny lately? I realize he is dealing with a short supply of players, but a couple of his decisions in the last few games have left us with a bad taste in our mouths. He left Bergmann in way too long on Wednesday. He’s taking Felipe out of left field in the 7th, which wastes our bench. He put Tim Redding (a top starting pitcher) in to run for Estrada last night.  What kind of decision is that?  Last season we lost Bergmann and Hill to injuries on the base paths.  I can’t believe Manny needlessly exposed Redding to that last night.

I’m not so quick to blame the pitching (GM Jim) or the lack of offense on our team’s struggles as of late.  The bullpen has certainly had its fair share of problems too. It seems like a lot of things are out of place and that starts at the top and trickles the whole way down.  

It’s going to be a fun series against the Braves isn’t it? Hudson, Smoltz and Glavine, aren’t we lucky.
 
Lastly, on a positive note, we have attended now five games at Nationals Park. At each game, I have been nothing but impressed with the services and the people. I am greeted like a friend every time I enter. My food has been served in an efficient and pleasant manner. Everything from the amenities offered, to the employees and services are a huge upgrade from RFK and I couldn’t be happier.

Seven is considered a lucky number by some. Too bad it’s also the number of losses the Nats have had in the last seven games. There were some highlights tonight, just not enough of them. Ronnie Belliard got the offense moving with a solo shot in the bottom of the 3rd and Odalis Perez looked much better tonight than he did against the Cardinals. Tonight Perez pitched 5 scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the 6th.

Saul Rivera came in during the 6th inning and while I was watching him struggle with his pitches, I started to wonder what happened to our rock solid bullpen from just one year ago. Fortunately, Saul got out of the inning and threw a solid 7th inning to keep the Nats in the game. Ayala entered the game in the 8th, but couldn’t hold Marlins. Helms scored the only 8th inning run for the Marlins on a Jorge Cantu single.

Rauch came out to pitch the 9th, but like Ayala, he too gave up a run. The boys came out fighting in the 9th though. Milledge got things started with a double. Johnson came up after Zims fly out. He hit a monsterous ball that almost surely was a home run, but Willingham made a spectacular play and knocked the ball back into play. Luckily he couldn’t make the catch and Lastings scored to bring the Nationals within one. However, Lo Duca couldn’t deliver and grounded into a double play.

Maybe I’m confused, but I thought that part of reason for signing Lo Duca was for his offensive power. Schneider is currently batting .296, while Lo Duca is hitting .233.  In the bottom of the 8th, Paul Lo Duca got lucky again by a lack of communication with Florida’s outfielders. What should have been a routine fly ball, turned into a double for Lo Duca when the Marlins dropped the ball. The same thing happened Tuesday night. Yes, he did get to second base, but in my mind I can’t consider those hits legitimate doubles. Unfortunately, Lo Duca wasn’t so lucky in the 9th and he hit into the game ending double play, leaving Johnson, the tying run, on second. It was a tough end to what seemed like a promising rally.

The attendance was again noticeably low. Unlike previous nights, there weren’t any NCAA championships to keep fans at home, and none of the other DC teams were playing. I’m interested to see what the Nationals have to say about the lack of attendance. Also it was an absolutely gorgeous night to spend at the ballpark. With a game time temperature of 70, it was great baseball weather. Given the fact that the Nats are playing in a beautiful, brand new park, there is really no reason the stadium should be so empty…winning record or not.