New interim manager Jim Riggleman, center, waits on the mound with some of his new charges: (L-R) Ryan Zimmerman, Nick Johnson, and catcher Josh Bard. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Cubs 6, Nationals 2: Let’s see now. Silly errors leading to unearned runs? Check. The pen — namely, Julian Tavarez — giving up runs in the late innings before recording an out? Oh, you betcha. Four total hits — even though batting is supposed to be the one strength of this team? Sure. A player representing the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning getting picked off first? Yes. Finally: did Jim Riggleman’s first game as Nationals interim manager sure look a lot like the first eighty-seven games of the season? Absolutely.

Sure, it’d be mighty unfair to judge the new guy after but one game at the helm. But the a couple of days off didn’t seem to do much for the Nationals, whose effort at home was nothing new on Thursday night. Sure, Cubs hurler Rich Harden (6-6) did the Nats lineup no favors, absolutely dealing on his way through six relatively quick innings of work — but four hits is a fairly dismal return, even by Nationals standards. Washington starter John Lannan (6-7) didn’t pitch poorly, per se — but with so little run support, a solo home run off the bat of Derrek Lee in the sixth and a throwing error in the third was more than enough to burden him with the loss. Despite getting picked off in the eighth, Nyjer Morgan’s antics in the sixth were refreshing for those who love small-ball — the speedy center fielder bunted his way on, stole second base, took third on a throwing error by Cubs catcher Koyie Hill, and scored on a Nick Johnson groundout. (Whitey would be proud.) Ryan Zimmerman also hit his 15th homer in the loss.