UP, DOWN (BOUNCE), UP AGAIN

"We got the win easily [if the ball doesn’t bounce over]."
(Bobby Cox, via Atlanta Journal Constitution, 9/7/2008)

"I'm thinking positive, that we're going to catch the ball. But as soon as I saw Elijah didn't catch the ball, I thought the ballgame was over. Then I saw it bounce over. We caught a break."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Times, 9/7/2008)

Nationals 8, Braves 5: Five homers and a lucky bounce. Just think, it only took 143 games for the Nats to finally catch a break.

Dukes Gone Wild (4-5, 2HR, 3RBI): Nights like that make you dream about Elijah Dukes being healthy for 162 in 2009 (kindly ignore the 2 errors on the same play in the 6th, of course)

The Nationals Enquirer officially retracts all the awful things we ever said about Ryan Langerhans.

Damn! The Tim Redding Journeyman Express got screwed out of win #11. Between all the games where Redding pitched well enough to win but got no run support (for example, take almost any of his nine-straight no-decisions between May 25 and July 11), or left with a lead only to have the bullpen blow it, he easily could have been a 15-16 game winner this year. Easily. The good news is: the Nats don't need to go looking for a #2 starter for next season. Just a #1.

Meanwhile...

• Much ado about nothing: Jesus' ankle getting better, back soon?
• More on Bergmann's demotion to the bullpen: We're still holding out hope he can figure out the starting gig next spring.
• Good luck to the P-Nats in the Mills Cup (Carolina League Championship Series), vs. either the Warthogs or Pelicans.
• Padres keep on losing, own a one-game lead in the battle for Strasburg. Psst...Hey Manny, winning is great and all, but can you go with Friday night's lineup this afternoon?

(AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

Comments

[Hendo]

As far as I'm concerned Lannan is the #1 starter for next season. Let's start this offseason by focusing on Dunn and Teixeira.

[The Nationals Enquirer]

Lannan #1? I don't know...starting pitching hasn't really been one of the problems this year, but wouldn't you feel a heck of a lot better starting next year's campaign with a real, live #1 at the front of the rotation (hello, Sheets)?