Instant analysis: Braves 2, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: After Saturday night's wild, 15-inning affair that required 14 innings of work out of their bullpen, the Nationals desperately needed a lengthy start out of Gio Gonzalez today. The left-hander got off to a rocky start, allowing two runs in the first inning, but battled back nicely to give his team a chance. The Nats, though, couldn't push home a run against Julio Teheran to save their lives. They went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position through the first six innings. They did finally push one run across in the seventh but stranded the tying runner on third. That left them to rally against the Braves bullpen, never an easy task. Jordan Walden and Craig Kimbrel finished it out, handing the Nationals a tough loss and knocking them back to 15 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

Hitting lowlight: The opportunities certainly were there early on. The Nationals put their first two men on base in their first three

Instant analysis: Nats 8, Braves 7 (15)

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Game in a nutshell: Tensions were high when this game began, with everyone at Turner Field wondering if Stephen Strasburg would retaliate for Bryce Harper's repeated plunkings by Braves pitchers. Only two batters in, he answered that question, drilling Justin Upton in the left hip with a fastball. Umpire Marvin Hudson immediately issued warnings to both dugouts and Upton quietly took his base, so that should have been the end of it. Except Strasburg completely lost his command in the bottom of the second, throwing seven straight balls, the last three of them wild pitches, the last two of them behind Andrelton Simmons' back. Hudson had no choice but to eject both Strasburg and Davey Johnson, leaving the Nationals in a real bind. Tanner Roark, though, came through with four huge scoreless innings of relief. The Nationals lineup pounded out seven runs and 15 hits off Braves pitching, with Jayson Werth reaching base four times to lead the way. Asked to protect a late lead, Drew Storen struck out the side in the seventh. Tyler Clippard gave up a homer in the eighth, but Rafael Soriano still was given a two-run lead for the bottom of the ninth ... which he still blew. Jason

Instant analysis: Nats 9, Phillies 2

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Game in a nutshell: Maybe the Nationals just need to keep playing sub-.500 teams. Since the All-Star break, they're now 6-2 against the Mets, Brewers and Phillies, but 1-11 against the Dodgers, Pirates, Tigers and Braves. They certainly outmatched Philadelphia tonight, jumping out to an early 4-0 and dealing old pal John Lannan (eight earned runs in five innings) a beating. Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman each homered to get things started, and the hits kept coming after that. Pitching with a big cushion, Dan Haren continued his second-half resurgence, going seven innings to earn the win. The bullpen closed things out with no drama, and the Nationals (and their fans) were able to celebrate a victory once again.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals had two previous cracks at Lannan this season and came away with very little (two runs in 13 innings). But in the first start of his career at Nationals Park in which he wasn't wearing a curly W cap, the left-hander was

Instant analysis: Braves 2, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: After a particularly frustrating loss Monday night that left them 13 1/2 games back in the NL East, the Nationals might have needed something to stoke their fire when they took the field on Tuesday. They got just that when Bryce Harper (two innings after homering) was drilled in the hip by Braves starter Julio Teheran. Harper took a couple of steps toward the mound and jawed at Teheran, prompting both benches and bullpens to empty. No actual fight ensued, and order was quickly restored, but the Nationals suddenly regained their passion. Unfortunately, all the passion in the world can't make up for a lack of hits in key spots. So it was that they again squandered scoring opportunities and squandered a strong start by Gio Gonzalez. Held to zero or one run for the 31st time in 113 games this season, the Nationals lost another tight ballgame in frustrating fashion. The Braves now have won 12 in a row and have opened up a commanding, 14 1/2-game lead in the division.

Hitting lowlight: Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Nationals couldn't deliver a clutch hit in several big spots in the

Instant analysis: Pirates 5, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: Another night, another dismal performance from a Nationals club that is this close to veering off the train tracks for good. Taylor Jordan pitched well in his fifth career start but was the latest victim of sloppy defense behind him. Not that it would have mattered had Jordan pitched a gem. The Nats couldn't muster anything against rookie Gerrit Cole or the Pirates bullpen, totaling three hits for the night. Wilson Ramos' third-inning homer was the lone bright spot, and not nearly enough to snap this foundering lineup out of its season-long slump. Losers of five straight and 10 of 12 now, the Nationals are four games under the .500 mark and sinking fast.

Hitting lowlight: Rick Schu hasn't seen the Nationals much this season because he's been busy coaching minor leaguers. What the

Instant analysis: Pirates 6, Nats 5

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Game in a nutshell: After a miserable weekend followed by an emotional afternoon in which they learned popular hitting coach Rick Eckstein had been fired, the Nationals took the field tonight hoping they might give everyone some reason to smile. They didn't. Four innings in, they trailed 5-0 via a pair of Andrew McCutchen homers off Dan Haren while also failing to hit even one ball out of the infield against Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton. Adam LaRoche's leadoff homer in the fifth did break up the no-hitter (and the shutout). And Jayson Werth's two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh (his third homer in two days) trimmed the lead to 5-3 and gave the Nationals life for at least a moment. But the positive energy was sucked out of the ballpark shortly after when Ian Krol put two men on base and Drew Storen uncorked a wild pitch to bring home a big insurance run. That really proved costly when Werth blasted another two-run homer in the ninth off Jason Grilli, trimming the lead to 6-5. Things turned serious later in the inning when Grilli writhed in pain after throwing a pitch to Steve Lombardozzi and had to leave the game. Vin Mazzaro entered in an emergency situation and got Lombardozzi to ground out to second to end the game and send the Nationals to their fourth straight loss, their ninth in 11 games. They're now three games under .500 for the first time since 2011.

Hitting highlight: Not many members of the Nationals lineup are hitting right now, but Werth sure is. He had already been on a hot streak entering the All-Star break, and he's really turned it up a

Instant analysis: Dodgers 3, Nats 2

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Game in a nutshell: On a sweltering July night in the District, the Nationals opened the second half of the season, hoping to erase the bad memories of a frustrating first half. Instead, this game sure felt an awful lot like so many losses from the previous 3 1/2 months. They got a strong start from Stephen Strasburg (two runs in seven innings) but couldn't deliver at the plate in key situations. With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth, Davey Johnson turned to Rafael Soriano, but the closer immediately served up a go-ahead homer to Andre Ethier. The Nats went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth, and so they fell back to the .500 mark and (barring a stunning rally in New York against the Phillies) were headed for third place in the NL East by the end of the night.

Hitting lowlight: If the bottom of the fourth inning wasn't the Nationals' season in a nutshell, I don't know what is. They loaded

Instant analysis: Phillies 4, Nats 2

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Game in a nutshell: After a lackluster offensive showing last night against John Lannan, the Nationals hoped to get back on track tonight against Cole Hamels. But the veteran Phillies left-hander was masterful, allowing only Jayson Werth's solo homer in the top of the second, finishing his night with a flourish by pitching out of an eighth-inning jam. Rookie Taylor Jordan again was solid but faded late, allowing three runs in the sixth (one of them unearned because of an Adam LaRoche throwing error). The Nationals couldn't mount a late rally, and so they dropped their second straight in Philly after coming to town on a four-game winning streak. They're back to two games over the .500 mark, and their lead over the Phillies for second place in the NL East is down to 1 1/2 games.

Hitting lowlight: They didn't get many chances against Hamels, but they definitely squandered their best chance. Trailing by three runs in the eighth, the Nationals loaded the bases on singles by

Instant analysis: Brewers 4, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: Two steps forward, two steps backward. If the Nationals thought they had finally gotten themselves on track with back-to-back blowout wins to begin the week, they were sorely mistaken. They've been back to their old ways the last two nights, done in by a nonexistent offensive attack and some costly mistakes in the field. Ross Detwiler pitched OK, but he allowed two earned runs and then two more that were attributable to Bryce Harper's dropped line drive in the sixth. It wouldn't have mattered if Harper made that play, though, because the Nationals lineup wasn't going to do anything against Kyle Lohse. Anthony Rendon homered in the bottom of the seventh, and that was it. Francisco Rodriguez did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth but finished it off, dealing the Nationals their second straight disappointing loss to a last-place Brewers club. They're back at the .500 mark, and now they have to win tomorrow morning just to salvage a four-game split against Milwaukee.

Hitting lowlight: It's become a broken record: Every time you think the Nationals' lineup has snapped out of its season-long funk, it puts forth a lifeless display like this. One night after getting shut out by Wily Peralta and the Brewers bullpen, the Nationals were

Instant analysis: Brewers 4, Nats 0

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By Ben Standig
CSNwashington.com

Game in a nutshell: Yes Yogi, it's déjà vu all over again. Stephen Strasburg dominated in a game the Nationals' offense went bust. Even worse, Drew Storen returned to his late game struggles and Washington returned to the loss column after two straight high-scoring wins. Of course, because the bats went back to their scuffling form after scoring 23 runs on 26 hits in the previous two games, there was no room for error. Strasburg walked that tight rope like a Wallenda, shutting out the Brewers over seven innings on three hits with eight strikeouts before being removed for a pinch hitter. Meanwhile, Storen (2-2) was wobbly from the start, surrendering a leadoff single to open the eighth, followed by a stolen base and a walk. Then came Juan Francisco's two-run double, then came Martin Maldonado's one-out RBI double, then came Jeff Bianchi's run-scoring single. Then came the boos and plenty of them from the crowd of 24, 897 that hoped to see the Nationals (42-41) moved three games above .500 for the first time since May 18. Instead they witness Washington shutout for the ninth time this season.

Hitting lowlight: After busting out offensively in two wins including the series opener against Milwaukee, the Nationals

Instant analysis: Mets 5, Nats 1

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Taylor Jordan allowed one earned run in his major-league debut.

Game in a nutshell: In his big-league debut, Taylor Jordan battled through some early wildness and shaky defense behind him. The rookie acquitted himself fairly well, but he couldn't overcome forces beyond his control. Three combined errors by Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond (two of them coming on one play) produced two unearned runs and gave the Mets the lead. The Nationals lineup, meanwhile, was silenced yet again by Dillon Gee, who allowed only one run over six innings. And there was no late comeback this time, with the Mets beleaguered bullpen taking care of business to close this one out. Thus, the Nats again failed to carry over any momentum from the previous night's inspiring victory, and their on-again, off-again season continues. They have remained within 2 games of the .500 mark, in either direction, every day since May 19.

Hitting lowlight: As was the case Friday night, the Nationals were handcuffed by a Mets right-hander for most of the game. Unlike the previous night, they weren't able to flip the switch once they got

Instant analysis: D'backs 3, Nats 2 (11)

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Denard Span leaps at the wall to snag Jason Kubel's second-inning drive.

Game in a nutshell: A premier pitching matchup between Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin absolutely lived up to the billing. The two young aces nearly posted identical pitching lines, each allowing only a two-run homer over seven strong innings. Ian Desmond went deep in the fourth to give the Nationals the lead, but Aaron Hill answered with the game-tying blast in the sixth. That left this game in the hands of both bullpens. Drew Storen turned in his most dominant performance of the season, striking out the side in the eighth. Ian Krol escaped a self-made jam in the ninth, continuing his scoreless streak of nine appearances to begin his big-league career and helping move this game into extra innings. In the eleventh, the D'backs took the lead on a Didi Gregorius bunt single to bring home A.J. Pollock. It would prove to be the go-ahead run as Heath Bell earned his 14th save of the season.

Hitting lowlight: After Desmond's home run in the bottom of the fourth, the Nationals managed five singles and a walk, but failed to score another run. They finished the day with 11 strikeouts as a

Instant analysis: Nats 7, D'backs 5

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Gio Gonzalez allowed two runs to earn his first win since May 5.

Game in a nutshell: Fielding a lineup without Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper or Wilson Ramos, and with an apparently gimpy Jayson Werth batting third, the Nationals figured to struggle at the plate all night. So imagine everyone's surprise when they busted out for five runs in the bottom of the third, capped by Adam LaRoche's three-run homer. They added another run in the fifth and then a much-needed insurance run in the eighth after the Diamondbacks had started to chip away at the lead, drawing as close as two runs late. Gio Gonzalez gladly accepted all the run support, earning his first win since May 9 in the process. Rafael Soriano earned his 20th save. And the Nationals got back to the .500 mark with a solid victory in the opener of this three-game series.

Hitting highlight: How rare was the Nationals' five-run explosion in the bottom of the third? Well, it was only the third time all

Instant analysis: Phillies 5, Nats 4

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Jeff Kobernus can't haul in Michael Young's third-inning triple off the wall.

Game in a nutshell: Fresh off a frustrating, shutout loss in Cleveland, the Nationals arrived in Philadelphia hoping to find some kind of offensive spark against an old pal: John Lannan, making his return from the DL and his first career start against the franchise that drafted him. The Nationals had their chances early against the lefty but managed only two runs in five innings against him. That wasn't enough, not with Dan Haren once again laboring (four runs allowed over six innings). So the Nationals needed to mount a late rally against the Phillies bullpen a seemingly daunting task, though one they actually were up to. Ian Desmond delivered a two-out RBI single off Mike Adams in the top of the eighth. Chad Tracy then delivered the biggest blow: a solo homer off Jonathan Papelbon on an 0-2 count with two outs in the ninth, keeping the game alive. Alas, Fernando Abad couldn't get the game into extra innings. The left-hander gave up three hits in the bottom of the ninth, including Domonic Brown's two-out, game-winner up the middle. Thus, the Nationals still wound up losing, dropping their fourth consecutive series opener and falling below .500 once again.

Hitting highlight: It's been a rough season for Tracy, and that's putting it mildly. But perhaps the events of the last three nights will be the spark that turns things around for the veteran pinch-hitter. On Saturday in Cleveland, Tracy launched an 0-2 pitch for a

Instant analysis: Nats 3, Mets 2

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Jayson Werth went 1-for-4 in his return from the DL.

Game in a nutshell: The afternoon featured a flurry of roster moves designed, in the words of GM Mike Rizzo, to put the best possible 25 men on the field to win tonight's game. But for eight innings, the result bore a striking resemblance to so many other nights over the last two months. The Nationals couldn't get anything going at the plate, and some sloppy defense wound up costing them and spoiling a great pitching performance. Jordan Zimmermann went eight innings and allowed zero earned runs, but the Mets brought two men home in the fifth via Adam LaRoche's throwing error. Those two runs should have proved enough because the Nationals did nothing against Mets right-hander Jeremy Hefner other than Ian Desmond's solo homer in the second. But then, it all finally came together in the bottom of the ninth against New York closer Bobby Parnell. Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond all recorded base hits to jump-start the rally. Steve Lombardozzi then delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly, giving the Nationals much-needed, 3-2 victory.

Hitting highlight: Just when it looked like the Nationals were doomed to yet another woeful night at the plate, they stormed back in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth. Zimmerman led off with a double off the wall in right-center, barely beating Rick

Instant analysis: Braves 6, Nats 3

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Paul Maholm held the Nationals to two earned runs over six innings.

Game in a nutshell: After a frustrating, 10-inning loss last night, the Nationals knew they needed to win the series finale to take two of three from the Braves, avoid falling below the .500 mark and 6 1/2 games behind their division rivals. But rookie Nate Karns couldn't complete five innings for the second time in as many starts, and Zach Duke poured more fuel on the fire in relief. The Nationals scored a couple of quick runs off Paul Maholm but then were completely silenced after that and limped their way to an uneventful loss. So, for the first time since April 30, Washington is under .500 (28-29) and now faces a season-high 6 1/2-game deficit to Atlanta.

Hitting lowlight: Just when you think the Nationals lineup might get something going, they revert back into their old habits. Despite

Instant analysis: Braves 2, Nats 1 (10)

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Gio Gonzalez was dominant over seven innings of 1-run ball.

Game in a nutshell: With Gio Gonzalez and Tim Hudson on the mound, you knew there was a good chance of this turning into a pitchers' duel. The two hurlers didn't disappoint, each allowing only one run on three hits over at least seven innings. The Braves pushed across their run early on a walk, single and RBI groundout. The Nationals countered with an unearned run off Hudson, with Steve Lombardozzi hustling from first to third on Ryan Zimmerman's groundout and then scoring on Ian Desmond's two-out single to center. But it was all pitching after that, with each bullpen ultimately taking over and trying to keep the other club from scoring the go-ahead run. The Nationals had a great chance against Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth but squandered it. Fernando Abad came up big in the bottom of the ninth, sending this one to extra innings. But with the Nationals unable to push across a run, Henry Rodriguez surrendered the game-winner in the bottom of the 10th. Rodriguez issued two walks, let Jordan Schafer steal second without drawing a throw and then surrendered the game-winning single to the .145-hitting B.J. Upton. Thus the Nationals fell back to the .500 mark and 5 1/2 games behind Atlanta heading into Sunday's series finale.

Hitting lowlight: It's not often you get a golden opportunity against Kimbrel, so you've got to make the most of it. The

Instant analysis: Orioles 9, Nats 6

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Ryan Zimmerman rounds the bases on one of his three homers.

Game in a nutshell: On a hot, muggy night inside cozy Camden Yards, you just had a sense the ball might really fly in this game. Boy, did it ever. The Nationals and Orioles combined to club eight home runs, hardly any of them cheapies. Ryan Zimmerman alone hit three of them, but that wasn't enough to lead the Nationals to victory. Despite holding a 6-2 lead in the sixth, Jordan Zimmermann couldn't hold the Baltimore lineup down. He was roughed up in the seventh, ultimately handing the ball over to Tyler Clippard, who only made things worse, serving up an RBI single to Nick Markakis and then a two-run homer to Chris Davis (his second of the night). Just like that, the Nationals trailed 9-6. And a team that has yet to rally from more than two runs down to win a game this season couldn't pull that feat off tonight, ultimately losing one of its most frustrating games of the year.

Hitting highlight: It unfortunately was lost amid the late implosion by the Nationals pitching staff (or explosion by the

Instant analysis: Orioles 6, Nats 2

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Gio Gonzalez labored over 5 2/3 innings, suffering the loss.

Game in a nutshell: In the opener of this four-game Battle of the Beltways, the Nationals needed a quality start out of Gio Gonzalez, both to set a positive tone today and to save the bullpen heading into tomorrow's game (with Ross Detwiler now on the DL). Gonzalez, though, labored over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and putting 11 men on base. Thus, the Nationals were forced to play from behind, something they've struggled with all season. They have yet to come back to win any game this year in which they trailed by more than two runs, and today was no different. Jason Hammel scattered two runs and eight hits over eight innings, and the Nats went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. With the loss, they dropped back to one game over the .500 mark, still unable to get themselves on any kind of extended hot streak.

Hitting lowlight: Plenty of lowlights to choose from, but let's focus on the bottom of the seventh inning, which began in fine fashion: a Roger Bernadina double. Just one problem: The Nationals never

Instant analysis: Phillies 5, Nats 3

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Dan Haren struck out 10 over six innings but received no decision.

Game in a nutshell: Dan Haren gave the Nationals a performance that at times was dominant (10 strikeouts in six innings) though it did include back-to-back homers in the top of the second. His lineup, meanwhile, had plenty of chances to take out rookie right-hander Jonathan Pettibone and the Phillies bullpen but managed only three runs. With the game tied in the eighth, Drew Storen surrendered back-to-back, two-out, RBI hits to put Philadelphia on top. The Nationals lineup then couldn't complete a rally late, going down in the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon to suffer a frustrating loss. Now 25-24, they'll need to beat the Phillies in Sunday's series finale to avoid falling into a second-place tie with their division rivals.

Hitting lowlight: How many chances did the Nationals give themselves tonight, only to come away with very little? Far too many chances. Though Adam LaRoche and Denard Span each