All season long, Nationals naysayers have been pointing to one particular stat as proof that the Nationals are maintaining their hold on first place with little more than smoke and mirrors. Going into the Angels series, the Nationals had been outscored as a team by exactly two runs in 63 games. See? There's the proof! You can't continue to win when you give up more runs than you score.

Uh huh.

The Washington Nationals beat the first place Angels 1-0 Wednesday night, winning their second in a row and taking two out of three in the battle between division leaders. In the three games, the Nationals scored 8 runs, the Angels 14.

Uh huh. No way the Nationals can keep it up.

Throughout the Nationals Nation, it could be heard: "Oh my, Tomo Ohka pitched a shut out last night and won his first game as a Brewer. Maybe this wasn't a good trade!!?"

Uh huh.

True, Ohka did pitch a shutout, giving up 9 hits while striking out 6. But he did it against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and I'm not really sure if they count Tampa's games at the Elias Sports Bureau -- it being a minor league team and all. Ryan Drese, however, the man who replaced him in the starting lineup, the guy we got for nothing, nada, bupkis, pitched even better and against a first place team. Drese pitched 8 innings, struck out 3 and gave up only 2 hits. All game long, his sinker coaxed ground out after ground out. Brian Schneider's deep homer to right in the 6th off of Bartolo Colon, who pitched a great game as well, gave Drese all the support he needed. When the Nats failed to score in the top half of the 9th, it was Chief time.

Uh Oh.

Now, I normally don't get concerned unless Cordero puts on more than 2 runners. When he loaded the bases with nobody out, I got concerned. I was worried. I mean, bases loaded -- nobody out -- what, there's like 87 different ways to score from third with less than two outs, right?

Uh huh.

Steve Finley: K
Benji Molina: Flyout
Dallas McPherson: K

Save number 21 for Chad Cordero.

The Nationals again showed their temerity as they won yet another one run game. With the Phillies loss to the Mariners, the Nationals are now a full 3 games in front of the Phillies in the NL East standings. The Mets lost. The Braves lost. The Marlins won.

So, a third way into the latest road trip, the Nationals are 2-1, heading into Texas to face Kenny Rogers. Will they be the giant killer? Somehow, I just don't think so.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 12:12 AM