Kastles Win WTT Championship: We'll have photos and a report from last night's title-clinching victory by the Washington Kastles over the Springfield Lasers tomorrow. more ›

Padres 6, Nationals 2: The preview from wire service Stats LLC tells you all you need to know about this series: more ›

• Nationals 3, Mets 1: It's refreshing to have to decide which positive news from yesterday's Nationals game to lead with in this space. Does one go with Josh Willingham's four-for-four performance, including a two-run homer which put the Nats ahead for good? Or perhaps we start with Craig Stammen's excellent performance on the hill, allowing but one run and four hits in seven-plus innings? Maybe we go with how David Gregory was distracted from the Presidential presser by the game? Hmm, okay, we'll stick with the first two. Stammen (3-5) and Willingham both snapped out of slumps -- the Nats had lost in four the Stammen's last five starts, and Willingham was 0-14 at the dish since the All-Star Break -- to key the Nationals to a surprising series win over the boys from Queens. Much-maligned closer Mike MacDougal even retired the side on three grounders in the ninth to earn his first save since July 5. Mike Pelfrey (7-6) took the loss, although he didn't pitch poorly -- but something tells me that the New York headlines will be less about Pelfrey's hard luck, and more about the Mets' vice president of player development recently challenging players on the team's Double-A affiliate to a fistfight...while shirtless. (Look, they may have won two in a row, but our team is still 28-66 -- sometimes, it's just necessary to engage in some schadenfreude.)
• Kastles 21, Lasers 14: Well, would you look at that: the Kastles became the first team, on the 2009 season's last day, to defeat the mighty and formerly-unonce beaten Springfield Lasers. As a result, the team will get to play in the Eastern Conference championship match against the New York Sportimes on Friday. (Let's hope that the boys can keep the etiquette in check this time.) The match, like most WTT matches tend to do, hinged on a few break points that went Washington's way -- the Kastles converted five of their seven break chances, while Springfield only got three of eleven.

• Nationals 4, Mets 0: It was Adam Dunn t-shirt night at the ballpark, and the brawny slugger tried his best to come up big: two hits, scoring and driving in a run. But surely, Dunn has to be happy sharing the spotlight with a pitching performance like the one John Lannan delivered against the Mets last night. In his first career complete game shutout, Lannan (7-7) quickly worked up and down the lineup, allowing seven hits in a 4-0 victory -- Jim Riggleman's first as manager (although, it should be noted that one should win most of the games in which your starter goes nine scoreless, regardless of managerial acumen.) Nyjer Morgan also chipped in a great leaping catch with two runners on in the third. Oliver Perez (2-3) took the loss for the reeling Mets, whose manager and GM both got the dreaded "vote of confidence" before last night's game. After being shutout for the fifth time in 13 games (against this team, no less), perhaps the front office might want to vote again.
• United 2, Rhinos 1: D.C. United kept rolling through the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 semifinal win over USL-1 Rochester at the SoccerPlex -- the Black-and-Red will defend their Open Cup title in the final on September 2 at RFK against either Seattle or Houston. The match was a fairly dull affair until the second half, when goals and severe injuries created some intrigue. A penalty kick from Jaime Moreno put D.C. in front after the break -- but the Rhinos, who won the Cup in 1999, equalized through Taiwo Atieno and things got a little murkier for D.C. But Boyzzz Khumalo delivered United to the final with a industrious tally, slamming in a rebound in the 82nd minute -- sadly, the man of many Zs broke his wrist minutes later. Speaking of injuries, the game was marred after a challenge -- dubbed "absolutely disgraceful" by Rochester coach Darren Tilley -- left Rhinos defender Darren Kenton with a gruesomely dangling ankle. (For those who follow English football: Kenton's injury was Eduardo-esque. For others: Google those images at your own risk.)
• Kastles 23, Buzz 12: Washington kept its chances at a playoff spot alive, thanks to a romp over the New York Buzz at Kastles Stadium. With a win in their final match, the Kastles will earn a spot in the four-team playoff -- of course, they'll have to beat undefeated Springfield to do it, but anything's possible.

Mets 6, Nationals 2: Contributing seven solid innings, veteran hurler Livan Hernandez (6-5) pushed his impressive career record against Washington to eight wins in nine decisions with the Mets' 6-2 victory at Nationals Park last night. more ›

• Cubs 6, Nationals 5: Well, the Nats scored four runs in the first two innings, smacking six hits off Cubs starter Randy Wells (5-4), whose ERA rose from 2.72 to 3.00 -- so that was good. It's just too bad ex-Nat Alfonso Soriano had to go and ruin all the fun. Soriano's three-run bomb in the sixth knocked Jordan Zimmermann (3-5) out of the game and the Nats out of the lead. A Mike Fontenot dinger doubled the Cubbies advantage in the eighth. But the Nationals certainly had a chance to make a move, loading the bases twice in the bottom of the eighth against Aaron Heilman; but Cubs closer Kevin Gregg coaxed Ryan Zimmerman into a sac fly, and got Josh Willingham to groundout to maintain the lead to extinguish the threat. Gregg then retired the side in the ninth to earn his 18th save.
• Freedom 1, St. Louis Athletica 0: The Freedom, playing at RFK for the second time this year, picked up a much needed win against St. Louis on the back of a 74th minute Homare Sawa goal. Your soccer oddity of the afternoon: after starting keeper Kati Jo Spisak went down with an injured quad in the second half, goalkeeper coach Nicci Wright had to strap on the gloves -- and make a couple of saves to preserve the victory. Wright, who signed a short-term contract just for this weekend, was filling in for normal backup goalie Erin McLeod who was on international duty with Canada.
• Mystics 68, Liberty 67: The Mystics survived a fourth quarter surge from their Big Apple visitors -- who outscored Washington 25-10 in the final period -- and held on for a one-point win. Reversing some previously bad fortune at the free throw line, Lindsay Harding (who had a spectacular night with 23 points, seven boards, and five assists) hit two free throws with eight seconds left to seal the win. Shameka Christon paced New York with 21 points.

When the number of matches a team is scheduled to play at home over the course of an entire season numbers only seven, and among those, only one will include said team's "star player," it's tough not to be cynical about exactly what purpose that star is filling. Are D.C. fans really supposed to feel a connection to Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, or is she just being offered up as added enticement to buy tickets? more ›

Kastles 19, Freedoms 18: With the baseball world firmly entrenched in St. Louis, the Kastles had the local sports scene all to themselves last night, even though they weren't playing at home. The Kastles levelled their record at the King of Prussia Mall (largest mall on the East Coast!) northwest of Philadelphia -- and with their current four-game winning streak, coach Murphy Jensen's guarantee of a championship suddenly seems a lot more plausible. Back to the game at hand: one would think that a match between two teams boasting rosters with Andre Agassi and both Williams sisters would hinge on which stars got the better of the others. Not so -- Agassi and Venus didn't play for the Freedoms, and Serena got crushed in her singles match against Madison Keys. The Kastles rallied after that defeat, winning each doubles event. A Philadelphia win in the men's singles evened matters, sending the Kastles to their second tiebreaker scenario of the season. The Kastles' Scott Oudsema made short work of Nathan Healey in the extra set to avenge the loss to Philly in their home opener. Now tied for second in the Eastern Conference, the Kastles are back in action tomorrow night, when a sold-out crowd at 11th and H will hopefully witness the younger Williams bounce back to form against Newport Beach. more ›

Astros 6, Nationals 5: They've got to be running out of new ways to lose games -- as manager Manny Acta put it succinctly after the game: "well, we blew another one." Tonight, it was a foul pop-up -- which the left side of the Nats defense inexplicably decided to let drop to Earth -- and a Gold Glove tag from Pudge Rodriguez that cost Washington dearly as they dropped their fifth straight game. Starter Scott Olsen (6 IP, 4 ER) provided an adequate enough effort, and the Nats looked prime to grab a win after an impressive four-run top of the seventh. In that frame, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham started off the outburst with back-to-back doubles, and four of the next five batters singled to give Washington a 5-4 lead. But after the previously mentioned unaddressed pop-up, pinch-hitter Jeff Keppinger squared matters with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. And after Harris couldn't score from second on Nyjer Morgan's base hit in the top of the ninth, Mike MacDougal loaded the bases in the home half. Astros third-baseman Geoff Blum provided the death blow, singling in the winning run. Moreso than Blum, though, the Nationals will certainly be cursing Astros center fielder Michael Bourn, who was plus-six on the night -- knocking in three, scoring once, and earning two assists by impressively throwing out two Nats at the dish. more ›

The Washington Kastles fell to Delaware's only professional sports team, the Smash, last night at Kastles Stadium at CityCenter DC in a final score of 20-16. Kastles players repeatedly failed to execute on a number of crucial game points which left the match close up until the final set, when Sacha Jones ultimately crumbled during an intense women's singles match-up with strong 18-year-old Smash player Madison Brengle. more ›

The Washington Kastles rallied from an early deficit Tuesday night to defeat the visiting New York Sportimes and tennis legend John McEnroe in front of a capacity crowd at Kastles Stadium at CityCenter DC. The women's doubles team of Mashona Washington and Sacha Jones won their match 5 games to 1 to set up a super-tiebreaker to decide the match, which they won 7-5. more ›

Last week, we told you that the city's new World Team Tennis franchise, the Washington Kastles, asked you to come up with a name for one of their mascots. We are sorry, but perhaps not surprised, to disappoint DCist commenters with the news that Ballsy the Ball, Butterball, Deuce, Goofball, Meaty, Shuttle Cock, and my personal favorite, Dingle, were not chosen. According to the team's Web site, the winning suggestion was Topspin. If you submitted a name and feel you were robbed, let us know in the comments. more ›

Regrettably, the Washington Kastles, the city's new World TeamTennis franchise, did not solicit our help in choosing their team name. Apparently wanting to make things right, the team is asking the public to suggest a name for one of their slightly creepy mascots, a dopey-eyed, cap-sporting tennis ball (the other one, a guy in a knight costume, is presumably, uh, Mr. Kastle? Sir Kastle?). The lucky person whose name is chosen will receive two free tickets to the Kastles' July 15 game against John McEnroe and the New York Sportimes. Go, DCists, enter now and enter often: have your entry sent by this Friday, July 11, at 6 p.m. Let us know what name you think should win. We are counting on you, commentariat. more ›