We missed much of the beginning of the game last night.  Sometimes, it’s better that way.  The Angels batted around in the first, sending 10 men to the plate and securing a 6 run lead.  When they scored 2 more runs in the third, Manny handed the game over to the bullpen.  The combination of Shell, Colome, Hanrahan and Manning put up 6 zeroes with 5 strike outs, 3 hits and only 1 walk.  But the damage was already done.

Errors proved costly in the game and yielded 2 unearned runs to the Angels.  Hill balked and Lo Duca, Young and Harris all had a hard time making routine plays.  Lo Duca’s left field experiment was cut short by a bout of light-headedness.  He left in the second and was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.  His replacement, Wily Mo Pena, surprised everyone by going deep in his first at bat to give the Nats their first run.  It was only his second home run of the season.  An inning later Elijah Dukes would collect his third, a homer to left field.  The only other run came in the 5th when pinch hitter Kory Casto singled to score Ronnie Belliard.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, there’s more injury news.  Nick Johnson underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic and will likely be out for the season.  That’s a big loss and very disheartening because he worked so hard to get healthy for this season.  Shawn Hill, who has been experiencing pain all season, will also head to the Mayo Clinic for another evaluation.  Hill will likely end up on the disabled list and probably should have been put on it awhile ago.  We admire his desire to battle but wonder if the Patterson release motivated Hill to fight through the pain more than he should have.  When he’s sharp and effective, he’s a treat to watch.  We wish him a speedy recovery, but you know how those things go.

Some other news:

Zimmerman has a new blog post up, but it’s rather dull.  The team announced a partnership with the Spanish Beisbol Network.  Games will debut on WZHF 1390AM on Friday, June 27.  Select games will be broadcast on WMET 1160AM and XM Radio Channel 174, MLB en Español.  The team also announced plans to build a Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy.  From the release:

In partnership with the District Government, The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation has committed to building a Youth Baseball Academy that will engage inner city youth in the sport of baseball, along with providing after-school educational programs.  Slated as a 12,000 square foot facility with three fields on 10 acres, the Academy will be a year-round youth development program committed to equipping youth with the life skills necessary to succeed in life and to become responsible, productive citizens in their community.

Chico Harlan’s chatting at 2 pm, Mark Zuckerman’s chatting at 1 pm and Jim Bowden’s chat yesterday was utterly useless.

Tim Redding (6-3, 4.12 ERA) takes on Ervin Santana (9-3, 3.17) tonight.

You gotta feel for John Lannan.  His 3.36 ERA in 14 starts is respectable.  His 4-8 win/loss record, on the other hand, belongs to his teammates.  They have averaged 2.5 runs a game when John takes the mound.  Last night, Lannan went 7 innings and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits.  In the 6th inning, he gave up a home run to Morneau that would be a costly mistake. 

The Nats managed to collect only 5 hits against former Nat Livan Hernandez.  Lo Duca re-joined the team and played DH.  He did hit a double and he scored the only run.  Belliard, Young and Lo Duca all grounded into double plays over the course of the game.  The Young vs. Young brotherhood showdown was strikingly uneventful.  Both brothers went 0 for 3.   

News:
Congratulations to Chartese Burnett for being named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s National Capital Area Chapter’s 2008 Woman of the Year. Chartese raised over $79,000 during the ten-week fundraising competition.

Upcoming Promotions:
Fri - Sun, Texas Rangers Series
Thanksgiving in June
Working in partnership with Capital Area Food Bank for the third-annual canned food drive, the Nationals will host a collection of non-perishable food items at all gates and at the Community Kiosk.

Friday, June 20
BBQ Battle Night
Great seats available from $7 to $13 and proceeds going towards the Boys and Girls Club

Second Annual Stitch N’ Pitch
Knit, crochet, embroider, cross-stitch & needlepoint with friends throughout the game. The event is sponsored by the National NeedleArts Association.  Tickets are available here for $13.

Bang, Zoom Go the Fireworks - after the game

Sunday, June 22
Kids jersey give-away day on Sunday has been cancelled. The first 10,000 children 12 and younger will receive 2 ticket vouchers to an upcoming game.

There will be GREEN LINE delays this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday.  There will be a complimentary bus service provided by Metro.  It runs from Nationals Park to Federal Center, Eastern Market and Union Station (post-game only).

For more information on transportation and parking options, visit nationals.com/waytogo.

The line-up remains the same for today’s afternoon game. It starts at 1:10.

Tickets from last night may be used for today’s make-up game or exchanged for the same priced seat to a future Nationals home game during the 2008 regular season.  All rain check exchanges are subject to availablilty.

Ladies Night will go on as scheduled, though the location has changed to the Grand Plaza, located at 1st Street & Potomac Avenue, SE.  Player appearances will include John Lannan, Luis Ayala and Jesus Flores.  You can still get tickets here.

Today is pretty busy with two games, Ladies Night, the draft - and normal life.  Please visit Nats Farm Authority for draft related news.

Jerry Crasnick from ESPN is reporting that Bret Boone has retired for good. 

“When I walked away the first time, I had a lot of issues going on and I wasn’t in a good place. I came back with a clear mind and a clear head, and I know where I was as a player at this stage of my life. I’m glad I made the decision.”

Boone, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, played for 14 seasons.  Boone first retired from the Mets in 2006, but came back this spring to play with his brother Aaron and for his father Bob Boone, Assistant GM to Jim Bowden.  Boone hit .261 in 13 International League games in April with the Columbus Clippers.  Boone cited the long bus trips for minor league teams and the difficulty of staying in shape at 39 as the primary reasons for his departure.

It was enlightening, it was educational, and I found out where I was as a player,” Boone said of his minor league stint. “I can still play. But I’m definitely not where I was five or six years ago, and it helps me mentally to know that. I’ve come to grips with it and I’m fine with it.

We wish Bret all the best.

Here’s a nice feature story on Jack McGeary’s ability to juggle college and pro baseball.  Bob Boone and Mike Rizzo recently traveled to Stanford to watch McGeary throw a simulated game.  McGeary has a full class load and a 3.5 gpa, but also tries to keep the “same schedule of a pitcher on a five-day rotation.” 

…he did his running in the outfield, went through his stretching exercises, threw pitches against a small netted backstop he put up, then threw in the bullpen for a while, gathering the balls and putting them back in his bag as needed during a two-hour workout. No coach. No teammates. No uniform. No batters. And, often, no catcher.

The author, Jake Curtis, and Stanford’s baseball coach, Mark Marquess question whether Jim Bowden’s experiment will work but McGeary certainly seems disciplined and dedicated.

Oh, and in case you’re curious — his freshman class schedule:
Exploring the Death Penalty
American Literature and Culture to 1855
Management of Sustainable Building Projects
Epic Journeys, Modern Quests
Sports Nutrition
History of Medicine
Anthropology of Medicine

Here’s a great ESPN story about Mike Bacsik.
And Zimmerman has a new blog entry up - about his new dog Miley.

SNY TV interviewed Jesus Flores after last night’s game.  Flores talks about his call-up, what he learned from his year in the majors and his big 2 RBI double.  It’s definately worth your time.

As just a heads up, game notes for tonight’s game indicate that Chico was moved to the bullpen for Mike O’Connor to start on Saturday.  Probable pitchers on the Nats website still say Chico against the Marlins this weekend, so we’ll see what the professionals tell us a bit later.  Chico has never appeared as a reliever.  It’s unclear whether he will actually work out of that role or be moved to Columbus for some polishing.  He is 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA.