National League East News

The Nationals aren't doing themselves any favors. In his last seven starts, ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg has allowed 21 runs.

However, through the first quarter of the season, those thoughts can be thrown out the window, as only one of those five teams has met expectations.

A few days ago, Mike Francesa spouted one of his typical diatribes of the New York Mets on WFAN.

Domonic Brown drove in the tiebreaking run on an infield grounder in the eighth and the Phillies snapped the Cincinnati Reds' six-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory on Friday night.

The most famous No. 1 in Mets' history has some advice when it comes to the man who is quickly becoming the most infamous No.

MAY 13: Justin Upton #8 and his brother BJ Upton #2 of the Atlanta Braves wait for their turn in the batting cage during pregame against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 13, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona.

On May 17, manager Fredi Gonzalez and the Atlanta Braves will finally have the entire lineup available for Friday night's game with the Los Angeles Dodgers .

Following a doubleheader sweep of the Colorado Rockies on April 23, the Atlanta Braves led the National League East by five games over the Washington Nationals .

Two days before he would make a triumphant return from the disabled list with 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball in a victory over the Washington Nationals , Zack Greinke stood on the field at Dodger Stadium laughing and smiling in conversation with Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner .

The Dodgers entered the most recent home stand after getting swept courtesy of their bitter rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

Moreno's super-expensive baby may be a super-disappointing 15-25, but he's not about to flip out.

Most staffs have mixed results from replacements for healing starters, but the Philadelphia Phillies with Jonathan Pettibone have been fortunate so far.

Travis Snider homered for the first time in nine months and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the reeling Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Thursday night.

The frustrated manager, whose team is falling faster in the N.L. East standings than Apple's stock on Wall Street, said, "I don't answer to the fans.

The Atlanta Braves are ready to put their suitcases away and take their first look at the lineup they envisioned before the season.

Catcher Wilson Ramos pulls up lame at first base after lacing a single in the fourth inning, his second hit in as many at bats.

The Atlanta Braves had a 10-game trip in the Mountain and Eastern time zones last month and completed a 10-game trip Sunday that included stops in the Eastern, Pacific and Mountain time zones, although Arizona doesn't recognize Daylight Savings Time and was thus on Pacific time rather than Mountain.

It was a classic example of what has ailed the Phillies in the first quarter of the season - a struggling Cole Hamels, an ineffective middle relief corps, and a stalled offense.

School: University of Minnesota When you started with Bonneville Phoenix: In some capacity since June of 2007 Favorite sports memory: Game 163 of 2009 when the Twins beat the Tigers in a one-game playoff.

The Phillies woke up Wednesday morning 19-21, but just 3 1/2 games behind the Braves in the National League East.