It was pretty nice to finally see a win again.  The park was dead but that’s to be expected on a rainy, cold night late in August when kids are back in school and Democrats have all took off for Denver.

There was a lot of good things to take away from that game and the win on Tuesday as well.  Holding a one run lead is always a challenge.  Twice, the bullpen performed quite well.  Joel is really stepping up in the closer’s role and showing that he can get out of high pressure jams.

Zimmerman certainly seems ready to bring this team back strong over the final weeks.  Sparkling defense on Tuesday and his first homer since May on Wednesday have provided a nice boost for this team.  And, the young girl who picked Zimmerman in the Home Run ball give-away actually won the ball.  Has anyone won this season yet?  Congrats to her!

Redding took the win, his 9th for the season and surprisingly enough Maddux took the loss (his 11th).  It was of course great to have the opportunity to see him and Manny Ramirez play.  Manny managed to squeeze out a base hit off Hanrahan in the 9th to bring the winning run to the plate, but Hanrahan worked out of it.

Milledge too provided some drama.  After getting nailed by Maddux, Milledge fell over dramatically and slowly took first base.  A moment later, he tried to steal second, but the ball went foul.  Belliard grounded out to send Milledge to third base.  Flores hit the ball at Maddux who turned to third for what would become an intense rundown with Milledge.  Gameday lists the play as: P Greg Maddux to 3B Casey Blake to C Russell Martin to SS Nomar Garciaparra to 3B Casey Blake.  All the while, Milledge was waving Flores on to second base.  Despite the out, it was pretty entertaining.  Milledge would not give up.

So all in all, last night was actually fun (for a change). While we were beating the Dodgers unexpectedly, the NL East Showdown continued in Philadelphia with the Mets edging the Phillies to reclaim the lead in the division.  Former Nat Ayala earned his second save.  Fire Jim Bowden has a nice tribute to Ayala today.  You should definately check it out.  What we may not be able to explain in stats and numbers, we know anecdotally.

Just a few complaints and I’ll try to keep them brief.

As an FYI to season ticket holders:

Your season ticket holder package explains that you can exchange unused season tickets for three selected games, two of which are in September — the 3rd and the 24th.  Apparently, this is not the case.  They are only allowing you to exchange unused tickets for the 23rd now, which doesn’t help much if your package already includes tickets for that day.

And another thing…

It’s one thing for Mark Lerner to shag balls during batting practice once a series.  It’s goofy and silly but it is what it is.  It’s another thing for the GM to show up in a Manny Ramirez wig.  If we were racing for a division title and he was the best GM in the league, then maybe he could have some fun.  But his showboat flashy tactics are just too much right now for angry fans.  He needs to grow up and show some respect to this franchise.

And with that, the Nats try for the sweep tonight.  John Lannan (3.95, 7-12) takes on Clayton Kershaw (4.11, 2-4).

Oh and Congrats to Smiley on winning the GCL’s batting title!

 Baseball just goes on and on and on and on, grinding you to nothingness. - Stephen Hunter

Dave forwarded along this essay by Stephen Hunter today and then offered his own commentary as well.  It’s beautifully written and every word had me nodding along.  It’s been a tough season for Nats fans.  For days, I’ve been wondering around (not blogging), thinking “it’s just a game.  Why does it hurt so bad?”

Hunter’s essay reminded me, as sometimes we need reminded, that baseball can and will break your heart.  It’s almost designed to.  And though there may not be a lot of us watching and listening here in DC, baseball has broken a lot of hearts throughout history.

Some came so close, only to often see their victory slip away.  Others have spent years waiting for something or someone to get their franchise back on track.  Some teams transform quickly, making all the right moves.  Others sit back and watch their GM spoil a promising inaugural season in a new park.

I don’t know how much more time, energy and money I can give the Washington Nationals if he stays on board.  I found a lot of comfort in SBF’s recent interviews with Stan Kasten because I really want to trust him.  I want to believe he’s miserable after each loss instead of counting that evening’s profits.  He’s kind of my Colin Powell aboard a sinking ship.  When things are so outrageously out of hand, you want to be able to look somewhere and say - see competence.  Stan has always been very kind the few times we’ve met him.  He seems bright and his accomplishments in Atlanta give me great faith in his abilities.  I only wish he seemed more involved in baseball decision making.  Alright, and to be fair, Powell misled me last time I trusted him.

I want to trust that Stan can fix this disaster if given the opportunity and the resources.  Because of that I believe that I can still find the time, energy, money and place in my heart to support this mess of a franchise, but I can’t do it with you know who at the helm.

Last year, baseball was fun.  That team was fun to watch and it’s good when baseball provides happy moments, not depressing ones.  They were scrappy, in a crappy old stadium.  They played hard; they had fun.   It was improbable for them to win as many games as they did, but whether it was Manny’s attitude, the character of the clubhouse, or something else, they provided a summer’s worth of enjoyable baseball.  For every good story in 2007 (Dmitri’s Comeback Award, for example), there’s been something equally disappointing in 2008.  From the FBI investigation, to negotiations with Aaron Crow, to tv and radio ratings, to offending and potentially losing Chad Cordero this team has been a fountain of painfully bad news.

Hunter’s essay asks us to channel our collective anger toward something.  I’m sure we can all quickly think of an appropriate target, but instead Hunter suggests the President’s Race, for some very good reasons.  It’s not nearly enough, but maybe it’s a start.  (Don’t hate me, but I’ve never been a fan of it - I’m just not a gimmicks girl).

As I type this, breaking news pops into my inbox.  Austin Kearns is going on the Disabled List, for the second time this season, this time with a stress fracture in his foot.  He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, which means he probably won’t play again in 2008.  So ends a miserable .217 season for Kearns.  He sustained the injury on August 3 and apparently has been playing hurt for three weeks.

More of the same.

With those thoughts and the Kearns news, I break my baseball break, sort of.  I haven’t been watching or listening since last Sunday.  I’m trying desperately to sell many of my remaining tickets (you can barely give these away) and thinking hard about whether I’ll be back next year or not, at least as a season ticket holder.  Meanwhile, checking the boxscore for the NY Nats has been fulfilling the baseball fix.  If only fans could be traded to contending teams too.

Baseball is just a toothache. It’s a headache that won’t dance to the music of Tylenol. It hurts and hurts and hurts. — Stephen Hunter

Something quick for you despite my break from baseball:

Eric at Baseball Digest Daily Live, a podcast that airs from 12-1 EST  on Saturdays, informed us that his guest this week is Aaron Crow.  Crow will join in at 12:30.  Check it out to get his side on the failed negotiations.

The link is BlogTalkRadio.com/BaseballDigestDaily.

While the team takes one, I’m planning on taking a few more.  Perhaps Steph will be here to keep things up to date, perhaps not.  But I need some time for myself.  This season has taken a toll on all of us.  I sat through every single one of those six losses this homestand.  Combine that with the draft debacle and the trade of Luis Ayala, and I just really need some time before I can care about this team again.

Luis Ayala struggled this year, no doubt, but he’s been strong in seasons past.  We try here to be unemotional and unbiased - to see the big picture.  From a baseball perspective, I’m sure it makes sense.  Check all the wonderful Nats blogs out there for reasons why.  But I’m still a fan and as a fan, I still have favorites.  For me, it’s really hard to see him go.  He was the longest tenured player with the organization, and though he requested the trade and will probably prosper in a fresh environment, his exit interview was emotional.  He’s a good guy - always laughing, smiling and teasing his teammates in the bullpen.  We’re going to miss him, but we wish him the best in New York.

For a brief moment, I have some internet access, so here goes.

It’s been reported that Crow and the Nats were between 700,000 and 900,000 apart in the final minutes and that the Nats offered Crow a major league contract.  To not sign your number one draft pick over less than a million seems pretty ridiculous.

It gets even crazier when you wasted 5 million on Lo Duca and another couple million on Estrada, Mackowiak and King.  Bowden was allowed to waste a lot of money this year but when it came down to the critical deadline, he couldn’t get the organization to offer up 4 million for a top pitcher.

I can see some of the blame being placed on Crow and his agents, but if they made those demands pretty clear from the beginning, you have to ask yourself why Jim Bowden drafted him to begin with.  We had other choices.  We picked Crow, a reflection of the GM’s arrogance that he is invincible.  He can sign a McGeary at the last minute.  He can give a second chance to an overweight Comeback Player of the Year and even turn a troubled outfielder’s life around.  He can make the impossible happen, or so he thinks.  But not this time.

So we get the two picks in the top ten next year.  I’m sure Steven Strasburg will come cheap and all since he’s part of the Boras team.  I just see no guarantee that we’ll lock up one or both of the guys we get next year if money held us back right now.  Surely money will hold us back again.  A year of development wasted.  Twenty eight other teams got their top guy.   We didn’t.

For a team that talks only about investing in a farm system and ignoring top dollar free agents, this screams of hypocrisy.  It’s a frustrating blow to Nats fans who want so badly to think about a brighter future.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but knowing how close the two sides came within an agreement really upsets me.   With all the time and effort spent in researching and preparing for the draft, one would hope and expect that Bowden knew what kind of demands Crow would make.  How could we get this so wrong?

Brian Schneider really took it to his former team throughout this series.  From his insertion late in the game on Tuesday until the 7th inning last night, Schneider worked behind the plate to help prevent his former teammates from reaching base.  Last night, he added some offensive pop with a two run homer.  It was only his third on the year, but it scored the winning run, putting the Mets up by 4.  Last night’s 9-3 loss allowed the Mets to sweep the Nats, as well as claim the top of the NL East, half a game up from Philadelphia.  Washington dropped to 44-78.  Click here to watch Schneider’s post game interview on SNY TV.

Balester gave the bullpen a bit of a break by pitching 6 innings.  He did give up 5 earned runs, two as home runs, as well as 5 walks during his shaky outing.  Mock and Rivera worked the 7th and 8th quickly with no problems, but Joel Hanrahan managed to turn a close 5-3 game into a 9-3 final score with a tough 4 run inning.  Only two of those runs were earned.

Some of the only excitment came when Perez started wearing down in the 7th inning.  Pete Orr came up with a pinch hit 2-run triple and Bonifacio bunted for a single to score Orr ending another long scoreless innings streak.  The rally would stop there.  Perez left the game and a bullpen of Smith, Sanchez and Heilman finished the game with scoreless frames.

As for the Mets fan that prevented Austin Kearns from catching David Wright’s foul ball in the 5th, he was escorted out by security a few innings later but eventually returned to his seat despite this warning in the A-Z Guide:  “It is illegal to touch, attempt to touch or generally interfere with a ball in play or a player during a game.  Any guest doing so will be ejected from Nationals Park.”  We got the out anyway, but fans should really know better.

Rumors have been circulating that Ronnie Belliard was claimed on waivers by the Dodgers.  Guess that gives Jim two tight deadline deals to work on this weekend.  The Aaron Crow watch continues until midnight tonight.

Should we? Will we? Did we?

The news that Aaron Crow signed with the Fort Worth Cats was a bit surprising.

“We wouldn’t have had him sign with the Cats if we thought he was going to sign with the Nationals,” Hendricks said. “The last I talked with Jim Bowden, he didn’t think there was anything more to talk about. I didn’t disagree.”

After talking to Dave last night about this, I think I’m going to ease up on the Front Office when it comes to Crow.  Reports were that Crow was looking for $8-10 million and a major league contract.  The team still has until Friday night to complete the deal.  The major league contract is and should be a huge roadblock in negotiations.  Having signed nine of the top ten, I’m okay with letting Crow walk.  I think I am anyway.  I’d still love to see him sign, but I guess I’m prepared for it if they don’t.

And with last night’s brutal shutout, we’re one step closer to landing Strasburg next year, a Boras client who will also come at a high price.  Yesterday, the future Nat tossed 7 scoreless innings and didn’t give up a hit until the 7th in a gem against the Netherlands for Team USA.

Gabe Oppenheim’s piece for the Washington Post on the John Lannan Q&A yesterday is quite the kick in the face to Nats fans.  We’re already having a tough season, so Oppenheim takes aim - not at the Front Office, but at fans for being naive and pathetic, illogically supporting a last place team and hoping for brighter days. 

He suggests throughout the piece that Nats fans only consist of middle-aged men that lost the Senators in their youth, waited patiently for baseball to return, and cherish having the national pastime in the nation’s capitol regardless of wins and losses.  Nevermind us girls and regional transplants.   I may be bitter, but I believe and hope that Lannan, Zimmerman, Flores and Dukes are the foundation for something better here in Washington.

Oppenheim ignored the fact that several knowledgeable female fans were in attendance at yesterday’s event, including ladies that attend close to 80 home games every year.   Several answered trivia questions correctly.

Oppenheim continues the piece by taking a shot at Boone, followed by a shot at pitcher John Lannan.  He forgets to mention Lannan’s stellar ERA, his composure under pressure or his long shot run for Rookie of the Year.  Instead, he reminds readers that Lannan got ejected from his debut.

So Aaron Boone wound up with the Nationals, scheduled to appear in the ESPN Zone. But then he injured himself again, and had a rehab game Tuesday, and now here is Lannan, 23 (yes, the Nats have to use backups even for PR appearances). Lannan was ejected from his Major League debut, in pure Nationals style, for hitting two batters in a row.

There’s no need for the Post to kick us while we’re down.  There’s certainly other more worthy targets than Boone, Lannan and the small base of fans that support this team.  Thanks to Cheryl, Denise, Danielle and the crew for passing along the story and filling us in on the event.

I think I’m moving past the bitter, cynical phase of Nats fandom I experienced most of the summer.  Last night, I would have been frustrated, angry and upset by the 12-0 loss.  Instead, I appreciated the cool breeze that made the game tolerable.  In the sticky humid days of July through rain delays and sunburns, the whole baseball experience was pretty miserable.  Now, despite the team’s horrible record, I think I can enjoy baseball again.

Bergmann, coming off of one of his strongest outings, experienced a total meltdown in front of some 30,000 fans.  In three innings, Bergmann threw 89 pitches.  He walked six batters including pitcher John Maine.  He struck out one.   Combine the walks with 8 hits and a solo shot homer and Bergmann left the game with a 10 run deficit.  Only 6 of those runs were earned thanks to Guzman’s fielding error.  The shortstop has been oh-so-fabulous since signing his extention.  (Zuckerman has the numbers).

It might not have mattered if Bergmann gave up one run.  The offense was again non existent to give the Nats their 18th shut out of the season.  Maine issued 4 walks in 5 innings, but none of those runners could score.  He gave up only one hit.  The Nats would collect three more hits later off of Mets reliever Brian Stokes but all of those runners were stranded.  Milledge did extend his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the 2nd inning.

The overworked, exhausted bullpen was called upon to throw 6 innings and they responded to the challenge pretty well.  Colome was charged for 2 more runs when recently called up Daniel Murphy hit a 2 run blast.  Ayala worked two scoreless and hitless innings through the most dangerous part of the lineup.  He did walk one, on a call he didn’t like.  Manning and Shell both allowed some hits, but neither ran into any serious trouble. 

Ryan Langerhans was forced from the game after pinch hitting.  He’s day-to-day, which means he’ll probably spend two weeks being day-to-day before they decide he needs 4-6 weeks. 

Both Bud Selig and James Carville were there to witness the massacre, and to experience a beautiful summer night for baseball.

Ladies, this really is something you don’t want to miss.  The final Ladies Night Out event of the 2008 season is tomorrow, August 14 from 5-7 PM before the Nats take on the Mets.  For $30, the event includes a DJ, player and mascot appearances, a special appearance by comedienne Erin Jackson, a book signing with the Savvy Girls of Summer, massages, manicures, beer, wine and food tasting as well as giveaways and product demos from local businesses.  The party will take place on the rooftop of Garage B.  After the party, watch the game with your pals in the Scoreboard Pavillion. Tickets are available here.