ATLANTA 4 Washington 1 (ESPN Boxscore)
Jason Bergmann returned to the Nats rotation last night, giving up one run over 4 innings and 76 pitches. He was happy to be back and had a decent outing
After a 1-2-3 fifth inning, reliever Billy Traber gave up a three run homer to Brian McCann with 2 outs. McCann also drove in the first run of the game in the fourth.
Tim Hudson threw 7 strong innings for the Braves, giving up only a run on Brian Schneider’s RBI single.
Bergmann Returns, But Nats Fall Short – The Post
A positive in defeat – The Wash. Times
One of the things that has defined the experience of being a Nats fan is the belief that they were a better team with someone other than Cristian Guzman at shortstop. This year that changed in dramatic fashion with Guzman playing the best baseball of his life following a surgically repaired shoulder and laser vision correction. While we can certainly wonder why he delayed the former and possibly the latter, there is no doubt that his turnaround has been one of the joys of the 2007 Nationals and perhaps the biggest surprise. I don’t know the specifics, but with Guzman in the lineup, the Nats are probably about a .500 team. Given that this season was left for dead as part of The Plan, the Guzman effect has made this team much more interesting and enjoyable to watch, quite a feat for a last place team. None of us can probably say we saw it coming, except for this guy.
It remains to be seen whether Guzman’s injury will mean season-ending trip to the DL (The Post) and if it will hurt the Nats more than any of the other 12 players who have been sent there. More from The Wash. Times
There is some good news (The Post) on the injury front for a change. Shawn Hill, who if healthy is a big part of the rotation’s future, visited renowned orthopedist James Andrews yesterday and left only needing a cortisone shot for tendinitis. As with any visit to Dr. Andrews, the worse was feared. Hill can start throwing in 10 days.
Josh Smoker, who the Nats took with the 31st pick of this year’s draft, visited with the team in Atlanta yesterday. He has indicated that he would like to sign with the franchise instead of going to Clemson.
It is also worth mentioning, AGAIN, that the Nats drafted JOSH Smoker, not JEFF Smoker (The Wash. Times). Jeff was a Michigan State quarterback who allegedly had a thing for the white nose candy.