Nationals 6, Phillies 5: While technically the game finished well before what we consider "last night," we only get to celebrate this once a year: the Nationals won for the first time this season yesterday. Wilie Harris certainly earned the right to don the post-game silver Elvis wig as the player of the game; his two-run homer in the fourth off Phils starter Kyle Kendrick pushed the Nats to a 5-2 lead. But it was consistency at the top of the lineups that really put a win on the board. The first four hitters in the D.C. lineup went 7-for-14 with three extra base hits, while Washington also got RBIs from positions two through five in the lineup. And is that a bullpen I see? Tyler Clippard (who picked up the win), Brian Bruney and Matt Capps (earning his first save as a Nat) got through the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run, no small feat against a lineup that's battered Nationals pitching this Opening Week. One man who certainly won't be missed around Nationals Park: Phils third baseman Placido Polanco. Polanco extended a 23-game hit streak against Washington with another two hits yesterday, and he moves on boasting a torrid .500 average in his first three games. more ›

After winning four straight, including two out of three against the Yankees and the Blue Jays, the Nationals returned to Fenway South last week to face the Red Sox, who promptly extinguished any hope the dozens of Nationals fans may have had that the season would turn around. The team went 2-5 over the last week, and are in the middle of a series against the Marlins. The Nats are 0-7 against Florida this year, and 29-49 against the Marlins since coming to the District, so don't expect things to get better any time soon. Overall, the team is 22-52, but importantly are on pace for around 46 wins, which would avoid 120 losses or more. more ›