Ryan Zimmerman slid in safely with an RBI triple, but the Nationals fell
just short again. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Rockies 5, Nationals 4: Bad news first: it was another night, another one-run loss for the Nationals. Just like last night, Washington was lacking balance from their lineup: the 5-6-7 slots didn’t get a single hit, wasting a good night from the top half of the order, and a homer from eight-hole hitter Josh Bard. Ryan ZImmerman did all he could with a double and a triple to knock in a couple runs, but starter Collin Balester’s incredibly poor start proved too much to overcome. Balester (1-3) couldn’t get out of the second inning, allowing three runs while throwing 55 pitches to get four outs.

Now the good news: despite anonymous reports to the contrary, Mike Rizzo will justifiably be named permanent general manager of the team tomorrow. Admittedly, we were quite surprised upon reading said reports — we had a really hard time finding a reason (other than some unknown personal situation) why Rizzo wouldn’t be given the job. He sure has made quite the splash in the last few weeks as the guy pulling the strings: the Nationals are playing relatively good baseball, the clubhouse seems a lot more settled, and he’s signed the most exciting prospect the Nationals have ever had. We’re certainly looking forward to what Rizzo can do in his first September and then offseason as GM.