Wire Taps: Washington Nationals/Jonny Gomes Reactions, Jordan Zimmermann Struggles.

• Programming Notes: Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back. The Washington Nationals didn't have quite the homecoming they were hoping for when they played in Nationals Park for the first time in seventeen days last night. The Florida Marlins walked in to Nats Park and kicked the Nats around. Jordan Zimmermann's slider wasn't there early, though he recovered it later, the bats didn't show up either. It was so bad even their Triple-A team got perfect gamed last night. But Jonny Gomes will be in D.C. today with his buddy Laynce Nix. Mr. National's back on the hill in D.C. tonight where he's (4-2) with an ERA about two runs lower than it is on the road...Fry the Fish. Quit staring, Hanley! [spits!]™ ...MASN 2 HD, MLB.tv, 106.7 The Fan, WFED 1500, Sirius/XM ch.189. Who's Watching The Nationals?

• LINKS AND LINKS AND...

• NATS BEAT: 

• "'This guy gives us an added boost off the bench. It’s a compensation pick for us if we don’t get something done for him long-term.'" - Mike Rizzo on Jonny Gomes - "Mike Rizzo on the Nationals’ trade for Jonny Gomes" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• "'I'm bitter about leaving, because I really love these guys,' he told reporters in Cincinnati. 'I love where this team's at.'" - "Nats acquire outfielder Gomes from Reds" - Mark Zuckerman, CSNWashington.com

• "'He’s an experienced right-handed hitter who really has great success against left-handed pitching,' Rizzo said." - Rizzo on Gomes - "Nationals acquire Gomes from Reds for two minor leaguers" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "[Peter] Bourjos is one of five outfielders -- Denard Span, Colby Rasmus, B.J. Upton and Michael Bourn -- the Nationals are scouting these days leading up to Sunday's non-waiver Trade Deadline." - "Nats interested in Angels' Bourjos" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "'I have a high boiling point,' Johnson said after last night’s loss. 'And I’m getting closer to it.'" - "The Nationals, in last place and close to a ‘boiling point’" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• "The Marlins will send Javier Vazquez to the mound, and the Nationals will counter with another right-handed veteran in Livan Hernandez." - "Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals: Marlins try to gain ground; Nats look to protect house" - Spencer Fordin, MLB.com Preview

• "Friday evening at Nationals Park will mark a monumental occasion for right-hander Chien-Ming Wang." - "Chien-Ming Wang ready to go Friday; Nationals' rotation order unclear" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Manager Davey Johnson felt Zimmermann has had too much rest between starts." - "Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals: Nats can't recover to pick up Zimmermann" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com WSH Recap

• "As much as anything they've done this season, the Nationals have stayed around .500 because of their ability to avoid long losing streaks." - "After drubbing against Marlins, Nationals searching for answers" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com

• "Manager Davey Johnson felt Zimmermann has had too much rest between starts." - "Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals: Nats can't recover to pick up Zimmermann" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com WSH Recap

• "The Nationals must be banking on Gomes’s projected Type B free agent status, as the 30-year-old will hit the free agent market at the conclusion of the season." - "Nationals Acquire Jonny Gomes" - Jack Moore, FanGraphs Baseball

• "Nationals reliever Cole Kimball, who had right shoulder surgery before the All-Star break, said he doesn't expect to participate in baseball activities until sometime next May." - "Kimball expects to be sidelined until next May" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "The ace of a staff despite being the least-experienced member of the crew, Zimmermann took the mound seven different times before the All-Star break following a loss." - "Zimmermann struggles in second straight start as Marlins rout Nats 11-2" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "'I know we're a better ballclub than we've shown at times,' Johnson said." - "Johnson close to boiling point after loss" - Mark Zuckerman, CSNWashington.com

• "Put simply, the Nationals aren't getting in hitters' counts enough. And they're paying for it with strikeouts; their 21.5 percent strikeout rate is the second-highest in the majors." - "Johnson thinks Nationals are taking too many pitches" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com

• "With Chien-Ming Wang starting against the Mets on Friday, the Nationals have decided that Jason Marquis will be pushed back to Saturday, while Tom Gorzelanny will be used out of the bullpen." - "Marquis pushed back for Wang's arrival" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "Coupled with their performance Sunday – when they put the first four runners on base and did not record a hit the rest of the game – the Nationals had made 39 outs since their last hit." - "Nationals vs. Marlins: Washington drops into last place as Davey Johnson and Jack McKeon manage in one for the aged" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post

• Nats Insider: Beltway Baseball Live today at 1 p.m.

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "The world's major religious traditions all give the development of compassion a key role." 

• NATS MINOR LEAGUE UPDATES: 

• Class-Hagerstown: "Suns RHP Matt Swynenberg (3-1), the eventual losing pitcher of record, allowed eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits in 4.0 innings, while walking one and striking out three." - "Drive Gear Up in 11-4 Series Finale Win Over Hagerstown" - Hagerstown Suns News

• Class-A Potomac: "Noel Arguelles was two outs from a seven-inning no-hitter on Tuesday night in Wilmington - and then things got weird." - "P-NATS SPLIT IN WILMINGTON" - Potomac Nationals News

• Double-A Harrisburg: "Playing left field for the first time on a continual basis, Harper has started to get in some pretty good throws and show off his powerful arm." - "Bryce Harper getting defensive in left field for Harrisburg" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Bryce Harper was 0-3 with a BB for Harrisburg on Tuesday night against Bowie." - "Bryce Harper Hitless On Tuesday" - HarperMania.com

• Triple-A Syracuse: "Columbus Clippers righty Justin Germano dealt a perfect game Tuesday against the Syracuse Chiefs (44-58), the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, as the Clippers (65-39) won 3-0 at Alliance Bank Stadium." - "Clippers' Germano perfect against Chiefs" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• "Wednesday’s News & Notes" - NationalsProspects.com

• NATSTOWN: 

• "It was new-look facial hair for Jayson Werth Tuesday night, but the same old results: 0-3, 2 K, 1 BB." - "Some Homecoming" - Nats Enquirer

• "They may very well finish in the low-mid70s in wins, rather than challenge for .500. And you know what? I don't really care. I don't care because of three things. Wilson Ramos. Jordan Zimmermann. Danny Espinosa." - "Last Place... Mission Accomplished?" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Manager Davey Johnson stood stoically before the television cameras and reporter's recorders last night, defeated and exasperated, voicing frustration over the lack of offense and increasingly inconsistent pitching efforts he's getting from his Washington Nationals club." - "GAME 102 REVIEW: Zimmermann Struggles, Hot Rod Pounded in 11-2 Loss" - Dave Nichols, Nats News Network

• "Prior to his current two game skid, which has seen his ERA balloon from 2.66 to 3.27, Zimmermann had allowed no earned runs in four of his previous six starts." - "Is There Something Wrong With Jordan Zimmermann?" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog

• "Quick thoughts on the trade: not a huge fan of trading minor leaguers of any sort for mediocre vets, but this trade has very little downside, believe it or not." - "A look at Chris Manno and the Jonny Gomes trade" - Sean Hogan, DC is for Baseball

• "Phase Two won’t end until the Nats win on a regular basis, but that time is closer than ever now that Mike Rizzo is at the head of the ship." - "The Never Ending Phase Two" - Keara Dowd, Win for Teddy

• "Nationals Park must have seemed a sight for sore eyes to a team coming off three straight road series losses following the All Star break..." - "Video: Nationals racing presidents switch to football" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!

• "The Nationals traded two not-prospects for Jonny Gomes in a Bowden-esque junk-for-junk deal that fans usually like because they get a guy they've heard of for a couple guys they haven't." - "Nats Get a DH" - Steven, FJB

• NL EAST UPDATES: 

• Mets: "WFAN and SI.com’s Jon Heyman lists the Giants as 'possible' favorites in the Beltran sweepstakes — for now." - "Carlos Beltran Still In NY Mets Uniform; Top Prospect Package From San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves Elusive, Reports Jon Heyman" - CBS New York

• Phillies: "Giambi, 40, seemed destined to land in Philadelphia as Matt Stairs incarnate." - "Rockies' Jason Giambi still drawing trade interest" - Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post

• Braves: "Lugo tried to avoid McKenry's tag with a pop-up slide. Replays indicated McKenry made the tag, but home plate umpire Jerry Meals called Lugo safe." - "Braves beat Pirates 4-3 in 19 innings on contested play at the plate" - Charles Odum, Seattle Times Newspaper

• Marlins: "Let the celebration begin! The Marlins are no longer in last place in the NL East! (Here at FishStripes, it's the little things that keep us going.)" - "Fish Wrap: Marlins 11, Nationals 2, Mantis 1" - GameFish, Fish Stripes

• MLB: "The Rays are said to want a "Garza type deal,'' which means a nice package of prospects similar to what Tampa Bay got when it traded starting pitcher Matt Garza to the Cubs last offseason." - "Teams hoping to land Rays' Upton, Rangers pushing for Beltran" - Jon Heyman. SI.com