Well, not even a one-hour rain delay could slow down Baltimore Orioles’ ace Jason Hammel in a game where Nationals hitting proved inconsistent once again in this ever-enticing 2012 campaign.

In the fourth episode of the Battle of the Beltway series and first at Camden Yards, the O’s (40-30) downed the Nats (40-28) by a score of 2-1 on Friday night.  Hammel (9-2) earned the win, Jordan Zimmermann (3-6) the loss, and Jim Johnson his 21st save of the season.  The Nats are now 1-3 against the Orioles this year after surrendering two of three matchups played in late May at Nationals Park.  Interestingly enough, all three wins by the O’s have come by one run.

Entering the game off a one hit shut-out in Atlanta last weekend, Mr. Hammel picked up right where he left off, going 8 strong innings whilst allowing only 5 hits, 0 earned runs, and racking up a career-tying 10 strikeouts against a simply baffled Nats lineup.  The Nationals remained close due to a Mark Reynolds error that was able to score shortstop Ian Desmond in the 5th from first base.  However, the Nats couldn’t do much else and Hammel would cruise to his 9th win of the season.

Despite the fact tonight was indeed the Hammel Show, Zimmermann pitched relatively well in yet another outing where he received no run support whatsoever.  Fun, yet frustrating fact: Nats hitting hasn’t been able to muster more than three runs in any Zimmermann loss this season.  To begin the game, the O’s charged quickly ahead 1-0 in the 2nd when Reynolds hit a solo bomb off a miscued high-and-in fastball.  While Zimmermann then settled down for a few innings, the home team struck again in the 5th when J.J. Hardy hit an RBI double to score former Nat first baseman Nick Johnson.  Although Zimmermann clearly did not have his best stuff working tonight, he would in the end only surrender these two runs and one walk in seven innings of work.  The Nats hope to take a few wins back to DC as interleague play draws to a close.

One thing’s for sure: regardless of weather the fans will certainly come to watch these two 40-win teams this weekend.  After drawing over 120,000 in the three game set played at Nationals Park only a few weeks ago, approximately 45,800 fought it out through the rain to see the Nats and O’s battle on Friday night.

Champ of the Game: Desmond, who seemed to be the only National to figure out Hammel.  He went 2-3 with the lone run and walk given up by Orioles pitching.

Although he only went 1-4, the O’s Hardy drove in a run and made an outstanding catch in the 7th to rob Jesus Flores of an RBI single that could have tied the game.

Chump of the Game: Ryan Zimmerman for the Nats, who is slumping like a tired man in a rocking chair.  Now batting a whopping .222 (for those keeping score, this is worse than Danny Espinosa), Zimmerman went 0-4 with a strikeout.

For the O’s, Chris Davis was the only one not to get on base for the home team.  This simple reason gives Davis the nod.

Next Game: Saturday, 7:15 PM, at Camden Yards.  Edwin Jackson (3-4, 3.02 ERA) vs. Wei-Yin Chen (7-2, 3.36 ERA).

Strasburg was impressive over five innings of work, despite allowing a handful of early runs to the Orioles.

Baltimore got things started in the first, as Xavier Avery singled and then moved to second base on J.J. Hardy‘s flyout to center. Nick Markakis stepped to the plate next and continued to hurt the Washington pitchers by hitting an RBI double to score Avery and put the Orioles up 1-0 early. Markakis had a big series in Washington, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in 4 runs across the three-game set.

Stephen Strasburg and Davey Johnson chat after the right-hander was taken out of the game after 5 innings. (Image Credit:

The Orioles would push across two more runs in the second, in part thanks to an error in center field by Harper that started the inning off and allowed Wilson Betemit to reach base, as he’d score just two batters later. With two outs, Avery would single to drive Chris Davis in with another run before Strasburg was able to strike Hardy out to end the inning.

Over five innings Strasburg allowed just the three runs, only one earned, while walking one and allowing four hits. His eight strikeouts pushed him back atop the NL Leaderboards with 64 on the year. Davey Johnson informed reporters after the game that towards the end of the fifth inning Strasburg informed him he was feeling a “little tightness” in his right bicep, which prompted the manager to take him out of the game earlier than expected.

Of course, he also impressed at the plate. Strasburg has swung the bat well over his career, with 5 hits in 40 at bats to date. He singled to start off the third, scoring two batters later, and came to the plate again in the fourth. Strasburg connected on an 0-2 pitch from Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen and sent it into the Orioles bullpen for his first career home run. That shot put Washington up 5-3.

Harper, meanwhile, had a big day at the plate that helped make up for the error he committed in the second. He tripled in the third, scoring Strasburg and Danny Espinosa. Markakis made a diving attempt at catching the ball in the right field corner, but couldn’t hang onto the ball as he crashed into the ground, resulting in the triple. He also singled in the fifth and walked in the eighth, coming around to score both times.

Jesus Flores added his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth that came a batter before Strasburg’s shot. Danny Espinosa added another, his 4th of the season, in the eighth inning.

Champ of the Game: The nod today goes to Strasburg. He has continued to impress on the mound and the victory against Baltimore gives him his 4th win of the season. The home run is a bonus.

Chump of the Game: Xavier Nady continues to struggle at the plate. After going 0 for 3 on the day with a pair of strikeouts he’s not hitting just .139/.195/.278 on the season.

Next Game: Monday, May 21st, 7:05 PM EST, at Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA. Gio Gonzalez (5-1) vs. Kyle Kendrick (0-3).

In an insightful piece in today’s Washington Post, Thomas Boswell reveals the full extent of the financial ball and chain the MASN deal remains over the ownership group of the Washington Nationals. Already, the deal has cost the club more than $200 million.

Despite financial handcuffs due to the way MASN profits are shared the Nationals still found the funds to extend Ryan Zimmerman before the season. (Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

As Peter Angelos and MASN drag their feet on negotiations over an increase in the Nats’ MASN rights fees, which should have been determined in November, this unfair situation continues, leaving the Nationals in a state of fiscal limbo. All this is on top of the ridiculous current Orioles – Nationals revenue split for MASN’s profits, 87% to Baltimore, 13% to Washington, a larger market by a factor of two.

Think this seven-year lowballing of television revenue prevented the Nationals from signing impact free agents and invigorating their moribund international scouting and recruitment efforts? You bet. Bottom line, this means more losses on the field and a longer path to building a competitive team and organization.

All you fans and columnists accusing the Lerner’s of being cheap are pointing your accusing fingers in the wrong direction. Turn it about 40 miles north to Baltimore Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos.

Things should improve considerably for the Nationals, on or about June 1, when a 3-person arbitration panel with representatives from the Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and New York Mets franchises rules on the dispute between the Orioles and Nationals. The Nats have requested $110 million per year beginning in 2013, while Angelos and his minions have countered that even $60 is too much. Boswell expects the final amount to be in the $70-90 million range, a significant increase from the current paltry $29 million.

The Nationals’ future ability to retain their young stars and attract difference making free agents hinges on the outcome of these negotiations. Boswell is right that the current boardroom politics are much more vital to the team’s present and future than the Nats’ current on-field struggles. If you care about the Nationals’ ability to be a competitive ball club year in and year out, you will watch this story closely and hope for a fair, favorable outcome. It is probably the most important Nationals story of 2012.

We certainly will watch developments closely here at District on Deck.