Quite a weekend for the local sports teams:

>> Showing no ill effects from Marlon Byrd and Tomo Ohka’s bizarre behavior on Saturday, the Nationals beat the Marlins 6-3 yesterday and put themselves atop the wacky NL East. While you’re swelling with hometown pride keep in mind that the last place team in the division is only 1 1/2 games behind us. The scrappy Nats have won six of seven during their homestand and seven of eight overall.

Sunday’s hero was Ryan Church. Fresh off being named Rookie of the Month in the NL, his three run homer in the eighth inning helped take some of the spotlight off of the respective antics of Byrd and Ohka. On Saturday, Byrd, angered by a called strike three to end the previous inning, knocked down ump Joe Brinkman as he was taking the field. Even though camera replays were somewhat inconclusive, expect punishment for Byrd to be swift. MLB does not take kindly to players attacking umps.

Starting pitcher Tomo Ohka didn’t help the teams cause earlier in the game. Ohka turned his back to manager Frank Robinson after he called for a pitching change in the middle of the fourth. Robinson had to forcibly take the ball from Ohka before the pitcher reluctantly left the mound. The team fined Ohka on Sunday for his actions but Robinson still used him as a pitch runner in the game that day.