Nats rally to complete Cardinals sweep, perfect homestand OR STILL undefeated in August!

There's something so poignant about a perfect homestand. Not 5-1, not 4-2, but 6-0. Lovely symmetry. The fact that the Nats completely blew out the Reds and the Cardinals for a couple of these games was icing on top, but all the games were hard fought and nothing really came easy for them (Okay, okay, the Saturday night game was a laugher, but it didn't start out that way).

On Sunday, Nats fans got to taste a little bit of perfection, as they beat the Cardinals 6-3 in front of 33,517 and improved their home record this season to 30-29.

Starter Matt Chico didn't last as long as I'm sure he, and manager Manny Acta, would have liked, but he did well enough in his 5 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs, walking 3 and striking out 2. He even went 1 for 2 at the plate, with an R.B.I. single.

Saul Rivera, Luis Ayala, Ray King and Chad Cordero allowed no runs and only 2 hits and 1 walk in bullpen relief. Ray King got the win and Chad Cordero got his 23rd save.

Ryan Report: Church went 1 for 2 with a double (his 34th of the season, working towards his goal of 50) and a walk, Zimmerman went 3 for 5 with a double and an R.B.I., Langerhans went 0 for 1, and Austin Ryan Kearns went 1 for 5.

The other big hits for the Nats came from Ronnie Belliard (1 for 4), Dmitri Young went 3 for 5 with a double and 3 R.B.I.'s, Nook Logan went 2 for 3 with an R.B.I. and he's REALLY picked up his game of late with solid hitting and some precision bunting and base-stealing.

It was the 1st Annual school supply day for the Nationals, and I dropped off some notebooks, pens, crayons, and a lunchbox for the charity, run by the Nationals wives (a.k.a, the "First Ladies"). I got my barbecue and just sat back and enjoyed a nice afternoon of baseball. It was 86 degrees and partly cloudy then overcast for the afternoon, so I didn't roast in the sun the way that I usually do.

So satisfying to walk out of R.F.K. with a second consecutive sweep on an undefeated homestand. I'm one happy fan, and I'm especially happy for the players who have worked so hard to get to where they are.