DeJesus traded to Tampa Bay

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The David DeJesus Era in Washington lasted all of four days. And never even made it to Washington.

The Nationals traded DeJesus to the Rays today for a player-to-be-named or cash considerations, acquiring and then moving the veteran outfielder in a manner that only a Wall Street day trader could truly appreciate.

Monday's acquisition of DeJesus in a waiver-claim trade with the Cubs for a player-to-be-named seemed curious from the Nationals' perspective. Though the 33-year-old offered a solid reputation as a professional hitter and clubhouse leader, there wasn't much need for another left-handed outfielder on the Nationals roster, a point manager Davey Johnson made as soon as the original deal was announced.

The Nationals, though, immediately placed DeJesus back on waivers, suggesting they wanted to see if another club might be

Nats still grinding it out

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CHICAGO — There was the 2-hour rain delay before the game ever began. There were the misplays across the diamond, with three of the four infielders either bench players or manning an unfamiliar position. And, of course, there was the gut-punch of Stephen Strasburg serving up the game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings and the club's second 4-hour game in five days.

Yet the Nationals somehow emerged from all of that with a victory on Thursday, a 5-4, 13-inning triumph over the Cubs that required every ounce of fortitude this team still had in its reserve tank.

"It was pretty unbelievable, but for us to come back like that, that's huge," said Drew Storen, who wound up earning the save. "That's an easy game to just feel sorry for yourself, but we grinded it out. It wasn't the prettiest, but we got the win."

That's the way things are these days for the Nationals. Nothing is coming easily to this team, but every time it looks like Davey Johnson's squad is going to fold, it finds a way to keep fighting.

Instant analysis: Nats 5, Cubs 4 (13)

Associated Press

Game in a nutshell: After waiting out a 2-hour rain delay before they took the field, and with a flight to Kansas City still to make tonight, the Nationals had to be antsy to jump out to a quick lead and then hand things over to Stephen Strasburg. They did just that, getting a first-inning home run from Ryan Zimmerman and then plating two more runs in the top of the second. Strasburg took over from there, holding the Cubs scoreless until Brian Bogusevic's homer in the eighth. Efficient throughout, the right-hander was given the chance to go the distance for the second time in 11 days. But he couldn't quite finish it off. Anthony Rendon, playing shortstop in place of Ian Desmond, couldn't make a really tough play on a grounder to the hole, allowing the bottom of the ninth to continue. Donnie Murphy then launched a game-tying, two-run homer, stunning Strasburg and turning the entire game upside-down. Rafael Soriano managed to get the game into extra innings and Tyler Clippard retired the side in the 10th, but the Nationals couldn't push across the winning run. They couldn't do it in the 11th or the 12th, either, despite opportunities. But they finally did it in the top of the 13th when pinch-hitter Chad Tracy's swinging bunt groundout scored Denard Span from third base to give the Nationals the lead. Drew Storen then finished it off to record the save and send the exhausted Nationals off to Kansas City with three wins in four days here in Chicago and a 63-64 record.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals scored only one run over a 10-inning stretch from the third through the 12th, but they

DeJesus saga will be resolved by Friday

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CHICAGO — David DeJesus' strange saga with the Nationals will be resolved by Friday, with the veteran outfielder either staying in Washington or moving to the Rays via another waiver-claim deal.

DeJesus, acquired by the Nationals from the Cubs on Monday in a waiver-claim trade for a player to be named later, was reportedly placed back on waivers the following day and then claimed by Tampa Bay, according to ESPNChicago.com.

What happens now? There are three possible resolutions...

— The Nationals could accept the Rays' waiver claim, with Tampa Bay immediately acquiring DeJesus and being responsible for all of his contract. (He is owed about $1 million the rest of this season, with a $6.5 million club option or $1.5 million buyout for 2014.)

Game 127: Nats at Cubs

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

CHICAGO — Hello one last time from Wrigley Field, where the weather has taken a turn for the worse. There's a fairly intense storm system making its way through the area, and it could impact the start of today's series finale between the Nationals and Cubs. Stay tuned for weather updates.

Once they do get started, Stephen Strasburg will be on the mound, making his first appearance since Saturday night's ejection in Atlanta. Strasburg, who wasn't punished by MLB for hitting the Braves' Justin Upton and then twice throwing behind Andrelton Simmons, should be plenty fresh in the wake of the shortest start of his career. How will his command be? I think a lot of people are very curious about that.

The Nationals have several lineup changes. With lefty Travis Wood on the mound for the Cubs, Davey Johnson is loading with right-handed hitters, including Scott Hairston and Tyler Moore. Ian Desmond also gets the day off. Desmond tweaked his back during BP yesterday but started the game and looked fine, only to be pulled later for precautionary reasons. Afterward, he insisted he was fine and expected to play today, but it looks like Davey isn't taking any chances.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 2:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Storms, 80 degrees, Wind 7 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (62-64)
CF Bryce Harper
SS Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Hairston delivers in a pinch

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CHICAGO — There is no tougher ballpark in America in which to pinch-hit than Wrigley Field, where the lone batting cage is tucked away underneath the right field bleachers and thus is inaccessible to players during the course of a game.

Scott Hairston, though, has spent his share of time playing inside the Friendly Confines, most notably three months earlier this season while a member of the Cubs. So the 33-year-old outfielder knows the tricks of the trade.

"You have to really keep in mind that your body can get tight on the bench," he said. "So I usually get up every other inning and stretch or ride the bike. I think mainly you have to be mentally focused in that situation and prepared to come in and do your job."

Davey Johnson asked Hairston to do his job in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday night: Come in cold off the bench and face a tough left-hander late in a tie ballgame. That Hairston delivered in a big way, clubbing a three-run homer off James Russell to lift the Nationals to an 11-6 victory, only underscored Johnson's faith that he could be a key contributor to this team.
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Instant analysis: Nats 11, Cubs 6

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Game in a nutshell: The Nationals jumped out to an early 6-1 lead behind another homer from Jayson Werth and a two-run single from Kurt Suzuki. But Ross Ohlendorf and Tanner Roark gave the entire lead back in the bottom of the fifth amid a flurry of base hits. Roark, an Illinois native pitching in front of more than 100 friends and family in the right-field bleachers, did bounce back by striking out the side in the sixth and that actually left him in line for his third win in two weeks when Scott Hairston launched a three-run homer in the top of the seventh, putting the Nationals back on top. Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman added two more insurance runs in the eighth, and that was more than enough cushion for Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano to close this one out and give the Nationals their second straight victory at Wrigley Field.

Hitting highlight: There were plenty of offensive highlights tonight, but let's focus on the guy who gave the Nationals the lead

Game 126: Nats at Cubs

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

CHICAGO — We're back at Wrigley Field for a third straight night game. That's a rarity around here. The Nationals will hope to pick up where they left off last night ... well, perhaps producing a few more hits with men in scoring position than they did in their 4-1 victory over the Cubs.

Ross Ohlendorf returns from a shoulder injury to make his first start in three weeks. The veteran right-hander pitched brilliantly prior to his DL stint; you just hope he didn't burn himself out completely with that 114-pitch start against the Mets in a doubleheader.

Former Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta gets the start for Chicago. He'll be facing a lineup that has Denard Span back in center field leading off but is without Anthony Rendon or Wilson Ramos, each getting the night off.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 185
Weather: Partly cloudy, 85 degrees, Wind 11 mph out to CF

NATIONALS (61-64)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth

Krol optioned, Ohlendorf activated

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CHICAGO — Needing to clear a roster spot for Ross Ohlendorf, who will come off the disabled list to start Wednesday, the Nationals optioned left-hander Ian Krol to Class AAA following Tuesday night's 4-2 victory over the Cubs.

Krol's stay in Syracuse won't be long; manager Davey Johnson said the reliever will return when rosters expand September 1.

"He's going to be back in 10 days with the expanded rosters," Johnson said. "I hate to miss him, because he's still learning up here. But he's got a heck of a future."

The 22-year-old burst onto the scene in June, going 10 appearances before allowing his first major-league run and posting a 1.72 ERA through his first 15 outings. But Krol (the player to be named in January's Michael Morse trade) began to struggle after that. Over his last 12 games, he owns a 5.79 ERA, putting 18 men on base in only 9 1/3 innings.

Happy to win ugly

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CHICAGO — Very little about the Nationals' 4-1 victory over the Cubs Tuesday night was aesthetically pleasing. Dan Haren, feeling a bit off after making a surprise relief appearance only three days earlier, gutted his way through six innings on the mound. Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman committed errors on routine plays. Baserunning mistakes were made. Rafael Soriano gave up yet another ninth-inning homer.

And then there was the Nationals' lineup, which merely put 21 men on base over nine innings, somehow managing to push only four of them across the plate. Two of them in the top of the ninth.

"Some of the ways we're finding ways to get out is unbelievable," Desmond said. "It's bound to change at some point. It did in the ninth, and hopefully we can continue to do that and hopefully it carries over."

There were no complaints from the Nationals clubhouse after this one, though. Wins have become too rare for this team, so they'll gladly take them however they can.
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Instant analysis: Nats 4, Cubs 2

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Game in a nutshell: After a blowout loss on Monday night against their least-effective starter, the Nationals turned to their best pitcher to stop the bleeding and author a gem. Who would have imagined a month ago Jordan Zimmermann would fit the first description while Dan Haren would fit the latter? Obviously, it's been a strange season for the Nationals. Behind yet another dominant start from Haren, they put themselves in position to beat the Cubs. They had to scratch and claw their way to four runs, but that was enough, with Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard each retiring the side in the seventh and eighth and Rafael Soriano navigating his way through a shaky ninth to earn the save. So the Nationals avenged Monday night's 11-1 loss. They also gained a game on both the Braves and the Reds, who each lost.

Hitting highlight: It's been a chore for the Nationals to score runs. It never comes easy. And it certainly didn't tonight, though they somehow cobbled together enough key hits at the right

Game 125: Nats at Cubs

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

CHICAGO — Davey Johnson has suggested in recent days he plans to start sitting some of his left-handed hitters when a fellow lefty is starting against the Nationals. So with young Chris Rusin on the mound tonight for the Cubs, Johnson is following through with his promise.

Adam LaRoche is on the bench. So is Denard Span. Those two are giving way to Tyler Moore and Scott Hairston. The only left-handed hitter in Davey's lineup is Bryce Harper, who gets bumped to the leadoff spot.

Dan Haren, incredibly the Nationals' best and most-reliable starting pitcher over the last month, gets the ball tonight, trying to erase the memories of last night's 11-1 trouncing at Wrigley Field.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 187
Weather: Clear, 82 degrees, Wind 10 mph out to LF

NATIONALS (60-64)
CF Bryce Harper
SS Ian Desmond
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Another blowout loss

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CHICAGO — Jordan Zimmermann insists he feels fine. There's nothing wrong with his arm, and the 95 mph fastballs he threw Monday night would seem to confirm that. And the right-hander says his neck, a problem earlier this summer, isn't an issue right now.

So, what are we to make of Zimmermann's performance over the last six weeks? After serving as a punching bag for the Cubs' previously punch-less lineup during an 11-1 blowout loss, the one-time ace of the Nationals staff finds himself in a legitimate, long-term funk.

On July 1, Zimmermann was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He sported an 11-3 record, a 2.28 ERA and an 0.94 WHIP, all of which ranked among the NL's best. In eight starts since, Zimmermann is now 3-4 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.

If he's fine physically, how does he explain the last six weeks?

"Just pretty much location," Zimmermann said. "I'm not hitting my spots right now. The fastball's up. I've got to do a better job of locating."
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Instant analysis: Cubs 11, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: After a rough weekend in Atlanta, the Nationals arrived in Chicago hoping they might fare a bit better against a struggling Cubs team with a not-so-imposing lineup. Boy, were they wrong. Jordan Zimmermann got lit up for eight runs over five innings in one of the worst starts of his career. Nate Schierholtz and Donnie Murphy each homered twice for the Cubs, who launched five total homers on a warm night at Wrigley Field. Jeff Samardzija, meanwhile, dominated the Nationals lineup, going the distance for only the third time in his career. Put it all together and you've got one of the ugliest games of the season for the Nats, who opened this four-game series with a stinker.

Hitting lowlight: Let's see ... they produced five singles through the game's first six innings, getting only one at-bat with a man in

Nats acquire DeJesus, release Bernadina

Associated Press

Updated at 7:55 p.m.

By Mark Zuckerman

CHICAGO — David DeJesus was out having lunch with his wife on Monday when the Cubs outfielder realized he has missed a call from team president Theo Epstein. Kim DeJesus told her husband, "You probably got traded."

Two hours later, David DeJesus was standing outside the third base dugout at Wrigley Field, exchanging hugs with his now-former teammates and trudging across the field to the first base dugout to join the Nationals, having indeed been traded just before the two clubs opened a four-game series.

"It's different," he said. "I couldn't even find my way to the locker room. I've never been on this side of the field, so I had to go upstairs. I was like: 'Do I go up the stairs? Or is there another way around?' It was kind of surreal, but I got through it OK."

Seeking yet another upgrade to their unproductive bench, the Nationals acquired DeJesus in a waiver-claim trade for a player to be named later, then released fellow outfielder Roger Bernadina to clear space on their 25-man roster.
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Game 124: Nats at Cubs

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

CHICAGO — Hello from the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, where it's an absolutely gorgeous August evening on the north side of Chicago. The Nationals open a four-game series with the Cubs tonight, a rare trip here with three straight night games and only one day game at the last major-league ballpark to install lights.

The Nationals have a new face on the roster in David DeJesus, acquired from the Cubs this afternoon in a waiver trade. The 33-year-old outfielder simply walked across the diamond before batting practice, met his new teammates and swapped his royal blue Cubs clothing for the Nats' navy blue. He'll be on the bench tonight but available to play if needed.

Jordan Zimmermann gets the start against a Chicago lineup that, at least on name recognition alone, doesn't really inspire a lot of fear. That, of course, means nothing, but it certainly looks like an advantageous matchup for Zimmermann. The Nationals lineup will have its work cut out for itself against Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 186
Weather: Clear, 81 degrees, Wind 6 mph out to LF

NATIONALS (60-63)
CF Denard Span
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Bryce Harper
RF Jayson Werth

Nats acquire Hairston for Pineyro

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Updated at 10:30 a.m.

In the market for some time for a veteran, right-handed-hitting outfielder to bolster their bench, the Nationals late last night acquired Scott Hairston and a player-to-be-named from the Cubs for minor-league right-hander Ivan Pineyro and another player-to-be-named.

The club officially announced the trade this morning, and Hairston is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Nationals open a four-game series in Philadelphia.

Hairston, 33, fills an obvious need for the Nationals, who have struggled to get production both from their bench (reserves are hitting a collective .174 with a .516 OPS) and against left-handed pitching (.215 batting average, .612 OPS) this season. The journeyman outfielder owns a career .813 OPS against left-handers, though that number has fallen to .684 this year.

The Nationals figure to use Hairston as a pinch-hitter late in games while giving him an occasional start against lefties, hoping he can

H-Rod dealt to Cubs for minor-leaguer

Henry Rodriguez's tenure with the Nationals organization officially came to an end late Tuesday night when the the club dealt the erratic reliever to the Cubs for a 22-year-old right-hander with a 6.06 ERA in two seasons at Class A.

The Nationals announced they had traded Rodriguez, who was designated for assignment last week, to Chicago for Ian Dickson, a 31st-round pick in the 2011 draft who has struggled in two professional seasons. In 11 appearances (three starts) this year with high-Class A Kane County, Dickson owned a 6.88 ERA while putting 56 men on base in 35 1/3 innings.

That, more than anything, revealed how low Rodriguez's stock had fallen. Acquired from the Athletics with outfielder Corey Brown in the 2010 deal that sent slugger Josh Willingham to Oakland, Rodriguez was once thought of as a potential big-league closer.

The right-hander did save nine games for the Nationals early last season after Drew Storen and Brad Lidge suffered injuries, but he never found any semblance of consistency during his 2 1/2 years

Instant analysis: Cubs 2, Nats 1

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Gio Gonzalez pitched seven scoreless innings but didn't get the win.

Game in a nutshell: Gio Gonzalez was absolutely brilliant, carrying a perfect game into the sixth and completing seven scoreless innings on 86 pitches. The Nationals, though, only led 1-0 at the time, so Davey Johnson elected to pinch-hit for his starter in the bottom of the seventh and entrust the game to his bullpen. Drew Storen immediately surrendered the tying run in the top of the eighth on a pair of singles, a sac bunt and a foul pop-up that advanced a runner. Rafael Soriano then gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth after a pair of singles and then a surprise double steal on which catcher Kurt Suzuki's throw was spiked into the ground and bounced down the left-field line. The Nationals couldn't mount one last-ditch rally and wound up suffering a very disappointing series loss to the last-place Cubs.

Hitting lowlight: There was a highlight, one of them: Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double off the right-field wall to score Denard

Game 37: Cubs at Nats

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

The series concludes on a beautiful Mother's Day at Nationals Park.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone, but especially to the three most important women in my life: my wife, Rachel, my mom, Lois, and my mother-in-law, Linda. Wish I could spend the day with all of you, but duty calls. The Nationals and Cubs are wrapping up their weekend series this afternoon, and players from both sides will be honoring their moms and supporting breast cancer awareness by using pink-colored equipment.

Gio Gonzalez is on the mound for the Nationals, trying to build off his outing from one week ago when he served up a leadoff home run and then loaded the bases, only to escape the jam and subsequently shut down the Pirates the rest of the afternoon. He's opposed by right-hander Scott Feldman, formerly of the Rangers.

Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals' lineup after missin g two days while recovering from the procedure to remove an ingrown toenail. He'll be in right field, with a new face in left field: Steve Lombardozzi. Lombo has yet to appear in the outfield this season, but he was out there yesterday morning and again this morning, working with Tony Tarasco on several things.

Updates to come, please check back...

CHICAGO CUBS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, Ch. 9, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 185
Weather: Partly cloudy, 65 degrees, Wind 16 mph LF to RF

NATIONALS (20-16)
CF Denard Span
LF Steve Lombardozzi
RF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman