Jayson Werth News

Ian Desmond hit a grand slam in the 11th inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 Wednesday night, avoiding a three-game sweep.

When it came time to announce the No. 8 spot in the Phillies ' batting order Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park , longtime public address announcer Dan Baker revved up his voice.

A 70-minute rain delay at the outset could not derail Cliff Lee, who won his seventh straight decision and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals, 4-2, in the middle installment of a three-game set.

"I don't know," he said, leaning back in the rolling chair at his locker. "I guess we're kind of all screwed up like that.

The Nationals lost to the Phillies Monday in gut-wrenching, walk-off fashion in a 5-4 defeat that dropped them back under .500.

Tonight's offense included doubles of an unusual sort from Michael Young -- they did not include "play" at the end.

Tuesday night's game with the Washington Nationals was delayed by rain for an hour and 10 minutes.

There was one out in the third inning Monday when Michael Young sent a rocket to the wall in straightaway center field.

Chad Tracy's home run in the top of the ninth had the visitor's dugout in Citizens Bank Park rocking, but a half-inning late heads were hung low as the Philadelphia Phillies won it on a walk-off single by Domonic Brown.

The Nationals' season is nearing its midpoint. Game No. 81 is scheduled for June 30 in New York.

With a GM like Mike Rizzo running your team, knowing what that team will do is a complete crapshoot.

Eighteen minutes after the Washington Nationals had pounded on the dugout railing, raised their fists in the air and practically danced Chad Tracy into the dugout in celebration, they walked off the same field with their heads bowed.

Before Monday's game with the Washington Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel insisted he saw promising signs when asked about Ryan Howard's lack of power this season.

Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the season Monday, giving up a game-tying home run to Washington Nationals' light-hitting Chad Tracy on an 0-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning.

When the regular season started, Nationals left-hander Ian Krol wasn't thinking about playing in the big leagues until sometime in May, when Double-A Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy started using Krol in consecutive days out of the bullpen.

Werth was slated to go to the Boston Red Sox , or the Los Angeles Angels ; you know, a winner.

An error by first baseman Nick Swisher and a home run by Anthony Rendon helped the Nationals edge the Indians, 7-6, at Progressive Field on Saturday night.

So in anticipation for this weekend's series against the Washington Nationals, I reached out to Andrew Flax, editor for District on Deck , to get his take on the Nationals and their less than spectacular start to the 2013 season.

Jun 4, 2013; Washington, DC, USA;Washington Nationals second baseman Steve Lombardozzi is congratulated by teammates after driving in the game winning run in the ninth inning to beat the New York Mets 3-2 at Nationals Park.

With their offense undergoing something of a repeat performance this season, the Nationals hope the Rockies and Coors Field can once again serve as the scene for their awakening.