This entry was written by DCist contributor Ben Kabak.

Down to their last three outs, the Nationals pulled off a dramatic 9-5 extra-innings win over the Mets last night at Shea Stadium. While Ryan Zimmerman's first Major League home run propelled the game into extra innings and Jose Guillen provided the game winning blast, the story of the game was once again Alfonso Soriano's attitude.

The controversy erupted in the top of the 6th. After a rocky 4-inning start by the Nationals' 2005 pitching star John Patterson, Nick Johnson's three-run blast brought the Nats to within one. Following the home run, Soriano popped up on the first pitch and didn't run out the ball. Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca hauled in the pop up in fair territory while Soriano stood in the batters box watching.

Nats' manager Frank Robinson was livid, and Soriano was pulled from the game before the inning was over. Soriano claimed the ball might go foul, but no one was listening. "That's the rule. They've all been told. It's been said more than one time. If you don't run the ball out, you run the risk of being taken out of the ballgame. Everybody was put on notice before the season started. I just thought that did not deserve staying in the game," Robinson said during the post-game interviews.

Robinson and Soriano, the marquee off-season addition to the Nationals, have not gotten off to a good start, and this move will probably be one of many that will rile the team's new left fielder. When with the Yankees, Soriano had a reputation for not running out ground balls and pop flies. Robinson has no tolerance for players who do not hustle, and while the Nats may have missed Soriano's presence in the lineup, his teammates defended the manager's actions.

Guillen, who went 2-for-4 with the game-winning home run off of former Baltimore Oriole Jorge Julio in the 10th, had little sympathy for Soriano. "Hey, everybody knows how Frank is. He doesn't ask you for much. Just play hard, run the bases hard. If you don't do it, you know you're going to have trouble with him," he said after the game.

Meanwhile, Patterson, who gave up four runs on four hits in four innings, while striking out seven last night, may miss his next start. The Washington Post reported that Patterson is feeling some tightness in his right forearm. Last season, Patterson, despite winning just 9 games, was one of the most effective starters in the league with a 3.13 ERA and 185 strike outs in just over 198 innings. With off-season pick-up Brian Lawrence out for the season, a trip to the DL for Patterson would deal a crushing blow to the Nats.