PHILADELPHIA - After a bit of a shaky start, Edwin Jackson settled down and ended up allowing just three runs over seven innings in tonight's loss to the Phillies. Jackson just got out-pitched by Cole Hamels, who held Nationals hitters in check for a second straight start. "I thought Edwin pitched a damn good ballgame, we just couldn't get nothing going against Hamels," manager Davey Johnson said. "You've got to give him credit. Pitched a good ballgame, and by the time we got something...

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have won 10 series this season. They still only have one sweep, and that was of the two-game variety. For the ninth time this season, the Nationals entered a series finale with a chance to earn a sweep and came up short. They lost to the Phillies 4-1, with Cole Hamels again cruising through an outing against Nats hitters. He held them scoreless over eight innings, allowing just four hits and three walks and striking out eight. The Nats had chances, but Hamels was...

BOWIE, Md. - Even though he batted twice without once swinging at a single pitch, Brian Roberts was pleased with his first game back tonight at Double-A Bowie as he began a 20-day rehab assignment that he hopes leads him back to the major leagues. "Exciting. Fun," Roberts said of getting back in the batter's box for the first time since May 16, 2011. "You realize how much you enjoy playing the game and how fortunate and blessed I have been to play this long to begin with. Hoping to have...

PHILADELPHIA - While Cole Hamels' actual outing against the Nationals back on May 6 might have gotten overlooked because of the Bryce Harper plunking, the Phillies lefty dominated Nats' hitters that day, allowing just one run and five hits over eight innings. Hamels has continued that dominance tonight. The Nats have yet to record a hit off Hamels through five innings, and they've been set down on strikes five times. Hamels has walked three Nats, but the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park...

PHILADELPHIA - Nationals players aren't the only ones dealing with injuries. Their manager is, too. Davey Johnson has been battling a toe injury which originally came about back in his football playing days, but has cropped up recently. He's going to see a toe specialist in Baltimore during the Nats' off-day, but scoffed when asked if there's a chance of him missing any games. "I'm not missing no games," Johnson said. "I'm missing my day off and playing golf and hustling some of the...

BOWIE, Md - In his first at-bat since May 16, 2011, Brian Roberts drew a five-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the first for the Double-A Bowie Baysox tonight. You might have been looking for something more dramatic than that, but Roberts watched five consecutive pitches from Richmond Flying Squirrels lefty Mike Kickham and then ran down the line to take first base. Yes, this is a blog entry about a walk. But, heck, we've come all this way. After Buck Britton struck out, Roberts...

PHILADELPHIA - Stephen Stasburg threw a bullpen session earlier today at Citizens Bank Park, and all went well. The Nationals' ace felt no effects from his last outing, in which he was pulled after five innings due to fatigue, and said he felt "great" during today's mound session. He will make his next planned start, this Saturday against the Braves. Strasburg thinks that if he wasn't coming back off Tommy John surgery, he would've been allowed to stay in the game on Sunday, even after...

BOWIE, Md. - It was nice to see the familiar swing of Brian Roberts in the batting cage earlier today at Prince George's Stadium. Roberts sprayed some line drives around the ballpark batting left and right-handed. Richmond is starting a lefty tonight in Mike Kickham, who is 2-4 with an ERA of 4.04 and Roberts will leadoff and play second base for the Double-A Baysox. Bowie manager Gary Kendall talked about the plan tonight for Roberts as he plays in his first game since May 16, 2011 when he...

I have some updates on the pitching staff at Double-A Harrisburg, with a focus on the bullpen. The Senators swept a doubleheader from Altoona on Wednesday, once again thanks to the pitchers keeping the score down, 5-3 and 3-2. A lot of talk has surrounded the emergence of former Yankees prospect right-hander Christian Garcia, who has fought back from a pair of Tommy John surgeries. He recorded his sixth save of the season in game one. Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart said Garcia has...

Jake Arrieta allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in four of his six innings today, running up his pitch count and lowering his chances of winning. "When you're pitching with a guy on and no outs to start off an inning, you put yourself in a tight situation," he said after a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox. "To start the game, my sinker was running all over the place. Had great life today, felt really good. Breaking balls were really spotty. Wasn't able to command them very well. Started them...