Cubs roar back (again) nip Nats 4-3 OR Sad Sunday Sweep in Chi-Town

How fitting that a former Nat should deliver the death blow today. Darryl Ward went 2 for 2 and delivered the game winning hit in the 10th inning to send the Nats to their umpteenth loss, and extend the Cubs winning streak and put them at .500. This was the second series sweep the Nats have had this season.

Chad Cordero blew his 4th save of this young season due to an inexplicable inability to find the strike zone. His first 6 pitches in the 9th inning were balls. I don't understand it. Was he rusty? Not warmed-up enough? Intimidated by Wrigley? How I wish he'd regain some form of command and intimidation, he's a better pitcher than that.

The Nats stranded far too many baserunners today. Again. These bases-loaded situations kept coming up against the Cubs and the Nats weren't able to capitalize on them as best they could have.

Today the Nats got back a few of those walks that they gave up yesterday. They grabbed their first run on a walk, and after falling behind 2-1, the Nats grabbed the lead in the 7th when Josh Wilson walked, Ronnie Belliard walked and Dmitri Young singled to drive them both in.

Shawn Hill pitched 6 innings, throwing 102 pitches, 57 of them for strikes, giving up 6 hits but only 2 earned runs. He walked 3 and struck out 3. A decent outing. Jon Rauch threw 25 pitches, 18 of them for strikes in relief, Cordero 33 pitches and 18 strikes, and Wagner 13 pitches and 8 strikes.

Ryan Report: A full count today - Church and Zimmerman each went 1 for 4, Langerhans went 2 for 3 and Wagner pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run, the game winner to Daryl Ward. Zimmerman also had a stolen base.

This was a tough weekend if only because the Nats didn't find any answers, they are still plagued with the same questions.