Despite grabbing a 5-3 lead behind the bats of Ryan Zimmerman and Mike Morse, the Washington Nationals bullpen faltered allowing six earned in the final three innings to fall to San Francisco 10-5.

The Nats got to Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez early Saturday night. The 28-year-old lefty entered the game with his career best numbers boasting a 7-6 record and a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts, but his lack of control in the first inning would find him catching up from the get-go.

Sanchez surrendered walks to Justin Maxwell and Cristian Guzman to start the first before allowing a run scoring double to Ryan Zimmerman. After striking out red-hot Adam Dunn, Sanchez's control would do him in again as a wild pitch scored Guzman from third.

A lead-off homer in the second from Mike Morse, and a two-run rally in the fourth would chase Sanchez from the game.

Tyler Clippard would serve the unfamiliar role of the scapegoat as the previously dominant reliever allowed four earned runs on two hits and two walks while only recording a single out in the seventh inning. The outing nearly raised the hard throwing righty's ERA a whole point, rocketing it from 2.63 to 3.31.

The 25-year-olds struggles stemmed from his inability to throw strikes early and often. Clippard threw 33 pitches in the inning, only 16 for strikes. The only pitch that worked for him was his changeup which he threw for a strike  8/12 times and forced three swinging strikes. His other pitches didn't fair so well as the righty threw only 6/12 fastballs for strikes, 1/5 sliders, and 1/4 cutters.

Tyler Clippard has emerged as the go-to-guy in the Washington Nationals bullpen. He currently leads the 'pen in IP thanks to 14.1 IP in June. He is third in FIP and fourth in xFIP on the team, mostly due to his lucky HR/FB of 4.3% which is far below his career line of 9.1%.

Inexplicably, Miguel Batista has the second most IP in the bullpen. He is the 5^th worst reliever in the Majors in terms of xFIP out of relievers with 30 IP or more and he was the team's worst reliever in June. He has, however, been the best option for the Nats this month on the strength of 9 Ks in 5 IP. Don't expect him to keep it up.

Tyler Walker's injury last June was unfortunate as his xFIP is still better than Clippard's. Joel Peralta has pitched well in Walker's absence (3.59 xFIP), however.

Despite his three blown saves in June, Matt Capps is pitching well as he continues to keep his walks low (0.63 BB/9 in June and July) and Ks high (5.65 K/9).

Drew Storen and Sean Burnett have Tyler Clippard disease, which is a very good disease to have indeed: both pitchers have low HR/FB rates (0% and 4.2% respectively) explaining their deflated FIPs and ERAs. I doubt they will both continue to pitch this well for the rest of the season, especially Storen. Oh, and Doug Slaten has the same disease (5.3%) but he doesn't attract nearly as much attention.

The Nationals bullpen is a tough one to figure out. In June, the bullpen ranked 5^th in terms of FIP and 22^nd in terms of xFIP in the Majors. The difference is less extreme for the full season, 11^th in FIP and 17^th in xFIP, but it does raise an important question: Are the Nats getting lucky? This really comes down to whether you think HR/FB is something beyond a pitcher's control or not. The evidence seems to point to the fact that whether home runs get hit or not has much more to do with the batter than the pitcher. Whatever the case, luck sure is great when it's on your side.

The Phillies haven't been the team we've come to love (or mostly hate) so far in the first half of the season, and Shane Victorino can't keep his frustrations inside any longer.

Those are some gutsy comments by Victorino. You have to admire the so-called courage it takes for a player to vent his frustrations at the fans, especially after the disappointing season he has put together thus far. I have no problem with Victorinos comments, but he needs to come to the realization that were just approaching the All-Star Break and his team is only six games out of first. He should know more than anybody that anything's possible in pennant races, just ask the 2007 New York Mets. Also, these comments are coming from baseball fans that go to the stadium to black out from too many drinks; he shouldn't be taking those comments too seriously. That being said, the Phillies have been playing with a depleted lineup all season, but will they have enough to make a serious run come crunch time, if and when their injured stars are back to full strength?

The Mets want a reliever before the trade deadline, and the Blue Jays may have exactly what they need.

Although Kevin Gregg is a guy worth taking a shot on, for some reason I just don't know how well he would do in New York. Some guys have what it takes, others don't, and from what I saw last season in Chicago, Gregg could be very vulnerable to the harsh criticism he may receive. What also has me worried is that his WHIP has consistently been rising the last few years, how would Jerry Manuel be able to call upon him in the middle of an inning to get out of a jam if that's the case? Like they say, there are plenty of fish in the sea and my gut tells me it would be best to leave this ex-Marlin untouched.

It has been the year of pitching, and Marlin Maniac puts in his vote for who should start the All-Star Game for the National League.

Not to knock Roy Halladay, who has had another impressive year, which includes a perfect game, I think the debate comes down to Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jimenez. Although Johnson may have a lower ERA and higher strikeout total, I would give the nod to Jimenez. Lets not forget Jimenez's historic start to the season, his ERA didn't rise above 1.00 until June 11^th, which had people comparing his season to Bob Gibson's historic 1968 campaign. Johnson has been great, but he really didn't turn it on until mid May. In the end, it really doesn't matter who starts between the two because they will only be going two innings each, but how can someone with a 15-1 record and a no-hitter not earn the start?

Stephen Strasburg held the San Francisco Giants to one run on three hits in six innings Friday night en route to earning his third win of his career and giving the Washington Nationals an 8-1 victory.

After allowing a home run to the Giants lead off batter Andres Torres, Strasburg settled down by not allowing a hit to the next 12 batters he faced. In total the rookie right-hander who was calling his own pitches for the first time struck out eight batters, forced 11 swinging strikes, and allowed only one walk in 95 pitches.

The rookie phenom is now 3-2 with a 2.32 ERA and an astounding 61 strikeouts to only 11 walks in his first seven starts.

Run support, however, was the name of the game Friday night as Washington finally supported their starting pitcher. Most of it came from one man, arguably the hottest hitter in baseball Adam Dunn.

Dunn went three-for-four on the night with two homers and a double, earning a collective 10 total bases with three RBI and three runs scored. The Big Donkey has now raised his batting average to .285 with 22 homers and 58 RBI...all before the All-Star break. The slugging first baseman is seven for his last 12 with five homers and nine RBI in that span.

Nyjer Morgan, Wil Nieves, and Willie Harris also helped out at the plate as the previously struggling trio combined to go 7-13 with four RBI. Cristian Guzman, shockingly walked twice in the winning effort, bringing his season walk total to 16, matching the total he had last season.

Sean Burnett, Drew Storen, and Joel Peralta each pitched a scoreless frame combining to allow only one baserunner and to strike out three.

Win Probability

As you can see, despite Strasburg's dominance the Win Probability didn't tip in the Nats favor exponentially until Dunn's home run(s). Strasburg (.280) however was still the most valuable player of the game according to WPA, by not allowing the Giants to earn any Win Probability momentum.

Despite going 2-5, Morgan had a -.067 WPA, and Zimmerman, who went 0-4, had a -.091 WPA.

Strasburg Pitch Breakdown

The Washington Nationals announced that starter Luis Atilano will be optioned down to Triple-A Syracuse in order to get the rookie starter game action during the All-Star break.

MLB.com Nationals beat writer Greg Rosenstein quoted Atilano as saying, "It's to keep me sharp so I don't have too many days of rest. I'm going back home for the break, so I'm probably not going to do much around there, so they want to keep me here in shape so I can be successful."

Atilano is expected to re-join the Nationals rotation in time for their series with the Cincinnati Reds after the break.

In his last two starts, Atilano has lost both decisions while failing to keep his team in the game. Against the Mets on July 2^nd, Atilano lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering five earned runs on four hits while striking out four and walking two. In his most recent outing against the Padres, his struggles continued, lasting 5.1 innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits.

For the year, Atilano has tallied 81.2 innings in 15 starts, pitching to a 6-6 record, 4.85 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and maintains a K/BB ratio of 39/29. He also has given up 10 home runs to opposing hitters.

ANALYSIS:

I understand the move completely. The Nationals need better results from Atilano as he continues to fill in for the likes of Ross Detwiler, Jordan Zimmerman and Jason Marquis. This short stint in Syracuse isn't so much to keep him sharp as it is to get him back on track.

It's a smart move by the Nats front office. This start should hopefully relax Atilano, for he has quite the task of facing the Reds when he comes back from break.

CAN NATS KEEP MOMENTUM?

The Washington Nationals (38-48), on the strength of a four-game split with the New York Mets and a series victory over the NL West-leading San Diego Padres, enter tonight's game on a relative high note. The San Francisco Giants (45-40) will begin a three-game stand in the nation's capital, their first trip to Washington this season and their first meeting with the Nationals since they took two of three games in late May. While the two teams' previous encounter saw Giants' pitchers control the Nationals' offense (with the surprising exception of two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who allowed six runs on six hits and five walks in under five innings of work), Washington hopes to possess the proverbial "ace in the hole" this time around, sending phenom Stephen Strasburg to the mound this evening against another of San Francisco's young, talented workhorses, Matt Cain. The Nationals hope to end their challenging home stand (which included San Diego, New York, and San Francisco) to hopefully build on its recent success heading into the All-Star break.

PITCHING PROWESS

San Francisco arrives in Washington on a four-game winning streak that it will look to extend against our NL East cellar dwellers. The Giants' success, over the past few games and its entire season, has largely been a result of its talented and effective pitching. The Giants have the third-lowest ERA in all of baseball and have surrendered the third-fewest hits. While no one would accuse their staff of being particularly efficient - San Francisco pitchers lead the league in both walks and strikeouts - few would challenge their effectiveness. Opponents are batting just .238 and slugging just .363 against Giant hurlers, good for second overall in both categories. The Nationals offense, which has outstripped its characteristic performance in July by ranking in the top 20 percent of the league in slugging, on base percentage, and batting average, must continue its relative hot streak in order to compete with the Giants' potent pitching staff.

WHO'S HOT?

Aubrey Huff: 6-10, 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 4 runs, 7 RBI

Buster Posey: 9-15, 4 HR, 2 BB, 6 runs, 9 RBI

Giants' Pitchers: 36 IP, 7 ER, 43 K

PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday, July 9, 2010: Matt Cain (6-7, 2.98) vs. Stephen Strasburg (2-2, 2.45)

Saturday, July 10, 2010: Jonathan Sanchez (7-6, 3.15) vs. Craig Stammen (2-3, 5.73)

Sunday, July 11, 2010: Madison Bumgarner (1-2, 2.86) vs. Livan Hernandez (6-4, 3.12)

The Good Phight looks into the possibility of signing the recently released Garrett Atkins, who not to long ago was a hero in Colorado.

A Rookie of the Year candidate in 2005, an MVP candidate in 2006, and a magical run to the World Series in 2007, Garrett Atkins seemed to be in a good situation with the Rockies...that is until the emergence of Ian Stewart, who forced Atkins to move from third to first. It has become clear that since the move, for whatever reason, Atkins ability to hit has diminished severely. After a disappointing final year in Colorado in 2009, he was picked up by Baltimore was bad news from the beginning. How can someone expect to resurrect their career with the Orioles, who have been the laughing stock of baseball the past decade? I like the idea of Atkins on the Phillies because its players like him that just need to be in winning environments to find success. He can take over his familiar third base position, giving Philadelphia a sure glove at the hot corner, enabling the team to move Polanco back to second when he returns. What do they have to lose?

Obviosly the guys at Braves Blast are happy to see some of their own get recognized as All-Stars, but even they can't understand the selection of Omar Infante.

This has got to be one of the biggest mysteries in baseball today. Infante doesn't even start for Atlanta! How is it that Joey Votto, an NL MVP candidate, has to rely on the fan vote to get into the game, where Infante was in from the day the rosters were announced? Not to take anything away from Infante, he is having a productive year for the Braves in his role position hitting .307, but come on Charlie Manuel, you can make a better pick than that. Managing the All-Star teams is a difficult task and a large responsibility, especially since the games "matter" these days as the winner will earn home field advantage in the upcoming World Series. Although Manuel has to be honored to be managing the team for the second consecutive year, I am sure his own teams struggles are more of a concern to him then the All-Star selections.

After some rough starts, the Marlins have demoted Chris Volstad to Triple-A.

What a surprise, the Florida Marlins make another head scratching move. This time sending down Volstad, who according to the numbers, has virtually identical statistics when comparing his 2009 campaign to 2010. Last season, he went 9-13 with a remarkably high 5.21 ERA, but still managed to get 29 starts for his team. Does this have anything to do with the departure of Fredi Gonzalez? Has Florida management wanted to do this for a while? Was the only thing standing in their way Fredi Gonzalez, who urged the people around him to not give up on the 23-year old right-hander? Sure the team is 1-10 in Volstad's last ten starts (he has won just one game since May 8^th), but its not like Florida has any legitimate phenom coming up to fill the void.

On Saturday evening, a significant portion of the Nationals' future took the mound in his first rehab assignment. Jordan Zimmermann, the 24 year-old right-hander and former second pick, made his first appearance of the 2010 season with the Potomac Nationals. After allowing leadoff hits in each of his two innings pitched, Zimmermann was able to settle down and finish his day unscathed. The righty, who posted a 4.63 ERA in 16 starts with the big league club last season, threw 16 strikes in 25 pitches and seemed to easily call upon the velocity that gave him so much promise. Zimmermann is recovering from Tommy John surgery, an operation he underwent last September to repair a torn elbow ligament. While the normal recovery plan predicts a 12 to 18 month rehab period, Zimmermann is far ahead of schedule and hopes to pitch in the majors in 2010. "It feels great," Zimmermann said when asked about his arm. "No pain, felt strong. Everything went well."

In a rotation that appears to have only two starters firmly entrenched (Stephen Strasburg, Livan Hernandez), a spot in the rotation is Zimmermann's for the taking. He will certainly have stiff competition from Jason Marquis, Scott Olsen, and Chien-Ming Wang when they return from the disabled list; however, Zimmermann is younger and has more potential than all of them on a team whose focus lies in the future rather than the present. Though his ERA and 3-5 record last year were unspectacular, the young pitcher struck out 9.1 batters per nine innings against just 2.9 walks over the same time period. If Zimmermann can recreate the form he displayed last season, he will no doubt have a spot on the major league roster.