The ivy of Wrigley, the full-stretch effort and a perfect frame: now that’s a baseball photograph.
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Nationals 3, Cubs 1: Will Livan Hernandez, Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps — the Nationals’ pitching trio that took to the mound on Tuesday night — all be able to maintain ERAs below one though an entire season? Nope. But, oh, to enjoy it while it lasts. Hernandez, Clippard and Capps blew through the Cubs last night, allowing only seven singles and two walks in a thoroughly masterful pitching performance. Ian Desmond helped his pitchers with a nice night at the plate and on the bases: two hits with runners in scoring position, two RBIs, two steals and a run scored. But great pitching, present and future, was the order of the day for the Nats. As impressive as Hernandez and Co. have been early this season, count us among those salivating over Stephen Strasburg’s five innings of nearly-perfect ball this afternoon. At this rate, if Livan can even just keep it up until mid-season, the dynamic phenom — 0.52 ERA, 17.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 23 K in four starts at Double-A Harrisburg — could probably pick up the rest of the slack. It’s tough to get too excited about a staff ERA which currently floats around five, but dare we say: on the mound, things are looking up for the Nationals.