WASHINGTON 4 Atlanta 3 (ESPN Boxscore)

Seven games into their homestand, the Nats are 6-1. Yesterday, they came back again to beat the Braves and take 3 of 4 from the second place team in the division. P Matt Chico gave up three runs over six innings. 2B Felipe Lopez (1 R 1 RBI), given the day off on Wednesday, came a home run short of hitting for the cycle to lead the Nats attack. The bullpen pitched three shutout innings, including another 1-2-3 ninth by Jon Rauch. Atlanta’s Chuck James gave up eight hits and three runs over 5 1/3 to take the loss. He had didn’t help his cause when he missed tagging Lopez after a weak Austin Kearns dribbler with the bases loaded.

Acta’s Moves Have Nationals Going In the Right Direction – The Post

Breaks suddenly going Nats’ way – The Wash. Times

The Times Dispatch baseball columnist has also taken notice of the Nats winning ways of late.

Coming off of his best ever performance, Jason Bergmann woke up with elbow pain (The Post). He’ll probably miss his next start, though The Wash. Times is not convinced yet. Which pitcher will take his place is unknown since 80% of the Nats rotation is injured right now.

Attendance at Nats games is frequently below 20,000 (The Wash. Times) this season. The club’s poor record and bad weather are seen as the culprits. Left unsaid is the general infrequency of home games in the part of the schedule leading up to the past homestand.

In today’s Wash. Examiner column 3B Ryan Zimmerman says that “it feels like you’re floating around the bases” after hitting a walkoff home run. He has hit several in his young career. He also takes off his helmet “so everyone won’t hit me in the head. If you keep it on, then everyone wears you out.” Here is what he said last week.