Washington Nationals: Rumor Mill And Notes...Nick Johnson, Joe Beimel...

Thursday Game Report:

Somehow, though Wil Nieves already has the ball in the picture above, Mike Cameron ended up being called safe on the play, and as much as I'd like to throw some tried and true vision-based insult-humor at the Ump, it wasn't his fault that Nieves chose to tag Cameron up high as his leg slid through the Nationals' catcher's wickets to reach home and score what ended up being the game's winning run. The play at the plate came in the seventh, with the game tied at 3-3 on three early home runs from the National-killer Craig Counsell, who hits a two-run blast off DC starter J.D. Martin in the bottom of the third, Ryan Zimmerman, whose three-run blast in the Washington fourth gave the Nationals an ephemeral 3-2 lead which is erased by one-swing, when Prince Fielder's leadoff home run in the bottom of the frame ties it. Ryan Zimmerman provided the Nationals' only offense, Cameron's run scored made it 4-3 Brewers, and they add two in the seventh, as the DC starter is finally chased.

After Washington's left-hand man Sean Burnett pitches a scoreless frame in relief of Martin, Nationals' closer Mike MacDougal has an especially tough outing, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk and 2 ER in 1.0 IP in the eighth. MacDougal enters the game with DC down 5-3, and proceeds to allow back to back singles, a walk, a wild pitch and a sac fly to score the Brewers' sixth run before a second wild pitch allows the last run scored to come in from third. MacDougal's now allowed 11 hits, 6 R and 9 walks in 9.2 July IP. 

Brewers win, 7-3 final. 

Miss The Game, Some Of The DC Faithful Were Watching, Some Were Listening...

Check Out The SB Nation's Brewers Blog's GameThread: Brew Crew Ball.

BACKPAGE:

• Non-Waiver-Trade-Deadline-Eve...

• "Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies Interested In Nick Johnson." - Ed Chigliak

Nationals now 32-70.

BACKPAGE: 

• Non-Waiver-Trade-Deadline-Eve...

There was no new "news" to report, only rumors, and perhaps the best quote I've heard in a while. 

• The "best" quote: 

St.Louis Post-Dispatch sports writer Derrick Gold has a Twitter account, and he quoted LA Dodgers' Manager Joe Torre there today:

"Joe Torre on 'unnamed sources': 'It's really embarrassing that their parents don't name them."

(source: MLBTraderumors.com, via Federal Baseball Legend cat daddy3000)

• Nationals-Related-Trade-Talk...

If you didn't read the link to the Nick Johnson article above, the focus was back on the Nationals' 30-year-old first baseman last night with FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal writing that the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies were both interested in acquiring the "oft-injured" veteran left-handed bat. Elsewhere in Mr. Rosenthal's article, he mentioned early in the day yesterday that Colorado had been interested in left-handed relievers Joe Beimel (WAS) and John Grabow (PIT). (Update: Late this afternoon, the Pirates traded Grabow (and Gorzelanny) to the Cubs, which could make Beimel a sought-after alternative tomorrow.) ESPN.com Jayson Stark writes at MLB Rumor Central that the Nationals, "are still listening to offers on a group that includes Nick Johnson, Josh Willingham, Cristian Guzman, Ronnie Belliard, Joe Beimel, Ron Villone, and more," but Mr. Stark quotes Nationals' team President Stan Kasten, who says, "...there hasn't been anything proposed to us that makes us better."