Those Nationals went a respectable 3-3 over the last week. They took a three game set against the Orioles, a series highlighted by a thrilling 12th inning walk off homerun. Since the team has come to Washington, the Nationals are 10-8 against Baltimore. Also, the fact that Teddy earned his first race win against the Oriole Bird cannot be ignored. This year has been the first year during which it felt like a real rivalry......

Yesterday, Nationals manager Manny Acta called a team meeting to remind his players that they are not "independent league players." The point was that, despite being younger and not as talented as some other clubs, they are expected to be able to complete routine plays like hitting the cutoff man and fielding the baseball. It is clear that Manny will live with a team that is last in the National League in every offensive category,......

The Nationals went 3-4 in the last week. The three wins came against the Seattle Mariners, the only team with a worse record than the Nats. Jose Vidro is their designated hitter, and they no longer have their manager. This is actually a good way to measure managers this year. If your team gets swept by the Nationals, then you deserve to be fired. The Nats still have the worst record in the NL, and......

The Nationals have won 3 of their last 13 games, and possess the second worst record in the National League. The team is currently batting .235, have an OBP of .310, are slugging .357, and have an OPS of .667. They also have 229 total RBIs and 781 total bases. What is amazing about all of these statistics is that the Nationals trail all other NL teams in each of them. In fact, these numbers......

The Nats are 3-3 in the last week. They even managed to score 25 runs in those 6 games, up from the 17 that they scored in the previous 7 games. They are still only batting .218 as a team with a .267 OBP in the last 7 days, putting them second to last in the National League during that period. Overall, the team is last in the National League with a .234 batting average,......

The Nationals have gone 3-4 in the last week. Considering that the Nationals appear to have no interest in scoring runs, this record is fairly amazing. The Nationals are currently 28th, out of 30 teams, in the Major League in batting average at .237, 25th in OBP at .316, and 29th in slugging at .352. In fact, just pick about any offensive stat and the Nationals will be at the bottom of the list. When......

You can call me a Homer, but I think it is clear that the 2008 Florida Marlins are the greatest baseball team ever. I can't think of any other explanation for the Nationals' 1-8 record against them. One may think that a team with a batting average of .235 (15th in the NL), .353 Slugging (15th in the NL), .315 OBP (15th in the NL) and 166 runs scored (14th in the NL) is a......

In the last week the Nats have gone 4-2. They've won 7 of their last 10 games, and earned a better record, 14-19, than four teams in the National League. Austin Kearns looks like he has decided to earn his $5 million salary, batting .318 over the last week and adding a home run in last night's game. Even Rob Mackowiak has turned it around, batting .429 in the last seven games. Soon he may......

Since we last left them, the Nationals have won four of their last five games. They no longer possess the worst record in the league (thank you, Texas). Nationals attendance is also rising, and they are poised to break an average of 30,000 fans a game. Also, Wily Mo Pena has received his World Series ring! All is not puppies and sunshine for the Nats, though. First, closer Chad Cordero felt his arm go out......

At 4-10, the Nationals currently possess the worst record in the National League, and are tied with the Tigers for the worst record in baseball. The season is still young, but some disconcerting trends have already developed. Ryan Zimmerman is currently batting .211, and Austin Kearns is batting .217. Not exactly the numbers you want from your three and five hitters. Tim Redding, pitcher, is hitting a surprising .200. Unfortunately, that ties him with Paul......

With 1.8 percent of the season over, the Nationals were on pace to win a record setting 162 games. Currently, they are on a six-game losing streak, and now find themselves at the bottom of the NL East. That said, it is still too early in the season to be that worried about wins and losses, right Detroit? For example, a quick look at the standings show Baltimore, Kansas City, and Florida leading their divisions,......

A banner weekend, indeed. The Washington Capitals and Wizards clinched a playoff berth within 24 hours. This week we have another full lineup of Washington area sports, highlighted by a jampacked Wednesday night featuring three local teams playing home games in front of massive crowds. Our picks for this week are below. Go on and add your own in the comments. TUESDAY With all area teams taking tonight off, we suggest you clear your plans......

The Washington Capitals have won eight of their last nine games. Will they be able to maintain their run of form for the final three games of the season? The Caps sit on the edge of the playoffs, though they are on the outside looking in. Their three home games this week should give fans some of the more thrilling moments in recent seasons. What's more, there's plenty of other regional sports action on the......

In the past 3 seasons, the Nationals have exceeded expectations, which was mostly a function of having very low expectations. After disappointing everyone last year by not having a historically bad season, expectations are higher this year. While I can't find anyone who is willing to go out on a limb and predict that the Nationals will compete in the NL East, the Marlins' commitment to alienating their few fans should keep the Nats out......

While much of America is focused on the NCAA Men's Tournament, we are forced to turn elsewhere upon the elimination of our area's three teams. And come on, you know you aren't going to win that office pool your friend pressured you to join. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternative sports viewing options this week. Feel free to leave your own in the comments. TUESDAY The Washington Capitals just won't quit. They've been scrambling among......

With a number of area teams gearing up for a playoff run, it's an exciting time for sports in the Washington area. Here's what you should be watching this week. Don't hesitate to leave your own suggestions in the comments, and, if you're so inclined, shoot me an email with suggestions for next week. Tuesday Most of this week's slate is packed with some great action. Tuesday is an exception. For those that aren't reading......

Whether Radiohead or the Pope, tickets for some events in the Washington area just aren't easy to come by. The process usually looks the same — the sale day comes; thousands of expectant buyers suffer server mishaps or are shuttled into virtual waiting rooms as sellers try to deal with the online version of a stampede; tickets sell out in minutes; mere minutes later they show up on Craiglist or through ticket brokers for a......

Local LGBT activists are upset over a document distributed by the Washington Nationals, according to City Desk. The document details the team's Vendor Procurement Program and features Major League Baseball's affirmative action policy, which includes this portion:The Licensee shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or against any service recipient or applicant for services because of race, color, ethnic status, religion, sex, age, national origin, disable veteran status, Vietnam era veteran status,......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

>> A power outage at Union Station has been resolved, but not before it made everyone's commute home totally miserable. [WaPo] >> A pedestrian was struck by a police cruiser on Wisconsin Ave. NW this afternoon. [WTOP] >> Nats' new park on schedule, on budget. [MLB.com] >> Get your premature convention center hotel construction watch blogging over here. [Renew Shaw] >> A member of "retiring" Rep. Jerry Weller's staff comes to blows over having......

It's hardly the nicest stadium, but RFK Stadium holds a venerable place in Washington sports history. Open since 1962, when it was called District of Columbia Stadium, the venue has hosted two MLB franchises, the Washington Redskins during their glory years, the most successful MLS club ever, international soccer tournaments, concerts, and on and on. It even hosted Team America! Sunday's final Nats home game, a 5-3 win over the Phillies, isn't the last......

FRIDAY: >> Octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson (at right), said to be the last black traditional string band player, plays a free show at The Kennedy Center's The Millennium Stage with fellow folk musicians Wayne Martin on fiddle and Bob Carlin, a clawhammer style banjoist. 6 p.m. >> Space rockers The Gulf sold out their D.C. show in April, and are coming back to play at the Red and the Black with the Joonies, Twin Earth,......

As we mentioned on Wednesday, this year's MLB Amateur Player Draft has shaped up to be extremely significant for the Nats. For the first time, the club could put its full organizational muster toward its primary stated goal to rebuild the system with young talent, starting with the draft. Better and more thorough scouting, stockpiled picks and an open wallet promised a draft unlike the Nats/Expos franchise had seen for some time. Brian Oliver, also......

Ponder this one for a minute: Now that official online voting is open, if you had to select the Nats representative for the ’07 All Star game based on the team's first 52 games, who would it be? No National appears in the top five at any position in the early voting results, which is indicative of both the nature of the voting as a popularity contest and of the Nats' subpar 21-31 record.......

With apologies to a certain antacid maker, this is how the Nats spell relief: S-E-R-I-E-S-S-W-E-E-P. Coming on the heels of an agonizing road trip and an eight-game losing streak, there was no better cure for the ailing Nats than coming home to RFK to face the streaky Marlins. By the end of the weekend, the Nats had picked up the three game sweep (which was actually their first series win of the year), as well......

[Editor's Note: With the Nationals readying to begin their third season in D.C., change is constant and questions abound. Last week, we took a look at this year's lineup in our Season Preview. Today, we discuss this year’s most pressing questions with some of the Nats' best bloggers: Chris from Capitol Punishment, Basil from Federal Baseball, and Brian from Nationals Farm Authority.] DCist: Since the Lerner/Kasten team took over the team, every move is justified......

For Nationals fans among the 1.6 million Comcast subscribers in the area, the wait is over. After an acrimonious 15 months of squabbling, Comcast and MASN have settled their differences. This weekend, Comcast agreed to broadcast MASN-produced Nationals games for its area subscribers. The dispute originated from MLB's attempt to relocate the Montreal Expos to DC. Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, raised a ruckus, believing that his fan-base would diminish, given to......

On Friday, I attended the Nationals game against the visiting Cubs, where the transfer of ownership from MLB to Ted Lerner had prompted a "reopening" of the old park, complete with red carpets, giveaways, and marching bands. The celebration drew an announced crowd of about 35,000, slightly more than the amount by which the Census Bureau revised the District's population upward on Saturday, according to the Washington Post. That stadium-full (nearly—still 10k short of filling......

In the latest bit of stadium-related drama, the Washington Post is reporting that the District government is in default of its lease agreement with Major League Baseball, according to a letter sent by MLB's legal team. MLB claims that the District is delinquent in handing over key documents such as the lease of the stadium grounds, proof of land ownership, and monthly project schedules. The letter serves as a written warning, announcing MLB's intention......

Tonight. 7 p.m. Chief Ike's in Adams Morgan. Butterstick Bash. We're still waiting for responses to our little Butterstick quiz. If you answer the three questions and email them to butterstickcontest (at) gmail (dot) com, you'll walk away with a panda prize-pack. Either way, stop on by tonight and see us. Butterstick would want it that way. Back-Slapping by District Officials for July 4 Evacuation: Though last week's rains proved that the District evacuation......