team and joel did say this could be a good move for my career even though he wasn't feeling real good about leaving the nats today. got to the clubhouse at 2:45 when he found out. over to the line is hermida, and he puts it away for the first out. wil nieves coming up and debbi taylor has more as we continue our coverage of this trade. >> debbi: that's right, bob. joel was definitely shocked. he understands it was a deal that had to be done. here is more from joel. >> kind of caught me off guard and i didn't figure that i'd get traded today or anytime soon really. they stuck with me through lot this year. i've had a great time here in dc. you know, they've been good to me. so, it's kind of tough, but change of scenery might be best thing for. >> debbi: of course, joel will especially miss his roommate john lannan. bob? >> bob: i did see reporters talking to john about his

feelings today. of course, his rent just doubled. >> rob: i'm really going to miss my roommate. now i have to play the whole rate, the whole apartment rent. >> bob: i can't remember what debbi said last week who the sloppier one of the two was? wil told me last night he thought he hit it out, but it was to the very end of the scoreboard out there in left center. >> rob: he told me he was going to the gym at 11:00. he was going to the gym -- he was very disappointed. >> bob: when he hit that ball, that was a tie game. that was the top of the eighth. he was the leadoff guy. elijah dukes. now elijah dukes running -- running has been an adventure this year. two steals in nine attempts. several of those are pickoffs when you are picked off first, that does count as caught

stealing. baker, 10-53 this year. and that's another by product of a young pitching staff. >> rob: in elijah's case, too, he's work on stuff. he was an excellent base steal her in his day when i played against him. you have to separate the game from work on stuff and trying to pickup certain things off a pitcher and there's marquis grissom. sometimes you're thinking a little too much. he's got to get out there and just execute, let it happen. elijah is way too good of an athlete to be 2-9 in stolen bases. >> bob: elijah is very fast once he gets going. part of the stealing bases art is getting that jump and exploding towards second base.

>> rob: i wouldn't mind bringing ricky henderson in here. work with the outfielders, the base stealers. >> bob: two balls, two strikes to wil nieves. anybody on our ball club have a relationship with him? >> rob: i'll call him. ricky, you working? you want to do something? he's a good man. he was working with the mets for a little bit. >> bob: wil nieves jacks one way foul. don't ever consult ricky henderson though on banking. supposedly, he carried a million dollar check in his wallet for quite a while. >> rob: that's ez -- that's close to the truth.

hearing from dennis, we have the same agent, he framed it and put it on his walls and was messing up the as accounting but not cashing the million dollar check. they said, ricky, if you cash the check, we'll send it back to you or write you a new one you can frame. you need to cash it. >> bob: bonifacio to his left. he gets nieves. >> rob: can you imagine having enough money to leave a million dollar check on the wall? >> bob: that's ricky. >> rob: that's impressive. i heard a story once he got on a bus and somebody said, ricky, you don't have to sit in the back. you have ten newer this game. he said, i don't have no tenure. i've been in this game 21 years. craig stammen, he does have two hits this year, does not have a major league rbi. elijah dukes, good speed, scoring position. hermida can play very shallow in right. i'm surprised he's playing as deepd deep as he is because he has a good arm. cody ross has a good arm in

center. we don't know much about chris coghlan coghlan just left, the left fielder. haven't seen much of him. >> rob: this has been one of the things west has to work on. 18 walks in less than 40 innings pitched coming into tonight. of those 18, a lot of them have scored on those home runs. allowed 42 pitches -- he doesn't give up a lot of hits. hits those fly balls. he walked a lot of guys. kind of like shairon martis. he finished up about 29 39 walks and 32 strikeouts. that's not the kind of ratio you want. west came into tonight, 24 strikeouts, 18 walks in 40 innings. he's a big, strong kid, but you

have to throw strikes at this level. >> bob: leadoff man, guzman next. he's gone 2-1 on the pitcher stammen. that ball -- well, fortunately, we heard a thud. that means it hit off the padding in the marlins dugout. that was scrambling some guys. a tradition of innovation isfirestone. road e.r.a.s by rookies. out of play. so, stammen stays long enough in the batter's box for us to get down to his e.r.a., number five, 2.70 on the road. he's a true professional. he's still looking for that first rbi. if mariano rivera can get one sunday night after all those

years, how about a rookie getting one. elijah dukes singled to lead off this inning. advanced on a grounder by wil nieves after alberto gonzalez flied out. 3-2. 14 pitches first inning for sean west. stammen had 14 pitches over seven strikes in his first inning. now it's turned into a long, top of the second against the bottom of the order here. >> rob: stammen, three starts on the road before tonight. five earned runs in 16 2/3 innings. >> bob: he walked him. >> rob: that's not good. >> bob: two on, two out. that was a fastball that missed way low and inside. fredi gonzalez doesn't like it. now they have to deal with a

right-handed-hitting cristian guzman. first walk issued by either pitcher. >> rob: i mean, baker is going, are you kidding? what are you doing with thatguy? >> bob: i would imagine that over baseball time there's probably a pitcher that said to a catcher once, oh, that was the pitcher? >> rob: there's also been pitchers that get your butt back behind the plate and let me worry about the next guy. i don't think he meant to walk the pitcher. >> bob: here is guzman, pulled the ball to bonifacio his first time. >> rob: when you hear the beer salesman in the stands, there's not enough people at the game. >> bob: we thought there might have been a thousand people here last night. >> rob: are you kidding? there wasn't even 500 people. >> bob: when they announced

6,323. we do hear there will be schools and schools of camp kids here tomorrow. >> rob: here is the beer salesman. i have no idea what that is on his hat by the way or on his head as some -- i can't even begin to think what that is. like an elephant, pumpkin -- >> bob: yeah, elephant, pumpkin cobra sort of thing. that's a wide strike zone by tim welke. guzman doesn't like it. this is a pitcher that just walked the other pitcher. let's see if he's -- >> rob: go ahead. northrop grumman on the pitch track here. 1-1, he backs it around. >> bob: guzman took a defensive swing. on the run, inning over. nationals had two runners. they've strand three already in

a 1-1 game. fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) switch to verizon fios tv, phone and internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities coors banquet has been brewed in one place... and one place only: golden, colorado. it's followed one tradition: use the best high-country barley... and only rocky mountain water. and it's been brewed under one motto: never compromise. now maybe this means we're a little set in our ways. but we know a few guys who will drink to that. coors. the banquet beer.

 >> bob: two runs on s seven innings with seven k's for scott olsen last night. a sheikh shame they didn't win the game the way he pitched. >> rob: yeah, seven spectacular innings. he came back so sharp. give you an example how awful jon smoltz was a year after a layoff. this is only about a month layoff. maybe a little morement he came back with a great changeup,

great breaking ball, good velocity. maybe debbi taylor can do a little digging to find out how the kid's arm felt today and his shoulder. bottom line is, no walks, seven punch outs, seven innings, but he had command of the game the entire time i liked his attitude coming off the mound. -- i liked his attitude. coming off the mound, hot under the collar and and mean. great when he's on the field. -- off the field. when uehara you're on the field, you have to be all business. >> bob: here is hermida who was at the plate when hanley ramirez thought he would further embarrass the nationals by trying to steal third with a left-handed batter up there. >> rob: that's a good word, bob, "embarrassed." if guys are going to do that out there, you have to take care of business because they're in your division. you don't want ramirez or bonifacio or anybody else thinking we can just steal on those catchers and disrespect the nationals.

play for the name on the front. not the one on the back. >> bob: of course, to be honest about it, nats haven't done a whole lot to stop them from doing so. you know, best way to stop them is go in their own ballpark and beat them now and then. hasn't happened near a long time. that second inning starts the same way the first inning did a- ground ball to gonzalez. wired wednesday tomorrow starring scott olsen. look at those two old guys sitting there, olsen and lannan. they've been around forever. ross detwiler trying to soak up some of their sage advice. here is dan uggla. second baseman hitting .223. he'll flare one to left center.

he's going. out! uggla thought he would try to take an extra base against the nats. elijah dukes wasn't in the biggest hurry in the world, but he did get his major league- leading 10th outfield assist. >> rob: well, he figured that elijah dukes taking a little too much time running that ball down, but he didn't realize this guy has a rocket for an arm. i don't know. i thought he got in there. looked like he hit the bag and tagged high. >> bob: bang-bang. james hoye called him out. >> rob: you want to get that glove down in front of the bag if you're alberto gonzalez. that was throwing something like the orioles. i liked the way they were throwing the glove down on the base. that's fifth of the year. elijah dukes, right on the money. >> bob: bases empty, two outs. nick markakis of baltimore leads the american league with

eight. dukes now has 10. jay bruce of cincinnati has eight. on some of those, of course, you get an assist when you hit the cutoff man and that turns into an out somewhere else. elijah had a couple of those. he's thrown out a bunch of guys on his own. nice hands, buddy. >> rob: if you're craig stammen, you want to say, ok, i got cody ross up there. i want to put this guy away and get our offense back out there. don't waste that nice throw right there. you have two outs. this has been one of the things for our young kids is getting the second out and get out of there. >> bob: after what we saw in baltimore over the weekend, -- in baltimore, i wonder what the baserunning was like when the orioles played the marlins. they've just been giving away runners lately. that's a breaking ball that just missed up and away. two walls -- two balls, two strikes. stammen has given up two hits and a sharply hit ball in the infield that turned into two errors and a run. just a little bit up.

3-2. catcher john baker next. one-run game -- 1-1 game, bottom of the second. all right. no breaking balls on 3-2. he challenged him. this is a hitter who hit 13 out of the park though. cody ross, good reasoned batter. good speed. >> rob: in one of his better starts, too, i'm not going to say statistically when stammen had 17 ground ball outs against the giants. >> bob: another fastball. another tapper foul. >> rob: that's the kind of stuff you want to see from young kids that they're getting the ball downment even when they miss, they're getting the ball down low. that's one thing you heard from manny acta when this kid has the ball work, everything is down in the zone, you're bet beeting him. that's what we saw against the

yankees. they did not get a lot of good swings off craig stammen. >> bob: nothing but fastballs. the fact that ross is hitting over the top of the ball means that craig's got some good, late movement on that number one. >> rob: i like that on their scoreboard they do both pitchers at the same time. >> bob: the pitch counts? >> rob: yes. everybody does it different. here in florida, they dough do both guys' pitch counts on their scoreboard at the same time. >> bob: they do some nice things here inbetween promos where they make fun of the visiting team. the nationals jerseys have been used for a puddle to walkover. >> rob: well, it covers the puddle like a gentlemanly thing. that's a foul ball by cody. >> bob: look out, buddy. >> rob: oh, no souvenir.

good pitch track right here, northrop grumman. it's a hanger and bang. actually, it's a fastball. that's a sinker. you need to get that a little lower. >> bob: i think that's five consecutive heaters on 3-2. he does give him a hook that time. 10 pitches. really extend him this inning.   >> bob: on a pitch upup, play, guzman. is he going to throw him out? nick johnson digs it away! the nats get out of it in the second. well played on both ends by guzman with a dive. nick johnson with a pick. this is a very good 6-3. 

 >> bob: cristian guzm his best play of the year on a hot shot to the hole. get your family fun pack tickets. you might see a play like that sundayment for autopsy all sunday games, $14 an upper right field terrace. either side of the ballpark. with each ticket, a hot dog,nonalcohol alcoholic drink and chips. minimum of two tickets per purchase. bring the family out. kids run the bases afterwards.

888-632-nats or you can stop by the box office at the ballpark out there in left field. there is parking available on the street during nonnationals game days out there, so you can park for a few moments, run in, get your tickets. maybe make your stop at the team store. top of the third and nick johnson leads off. nick bounced to hanley ramirez at short first time. rolled over that one and nick johnson is 1-23. we are going to have a wednesday matinee for you tomorrow. we'll be on the air at noon. first pitch 12:10. josh johnson and jordan zimmermann. that should be some pitching matchup. braves in for three over the weekend. then, we're on to colorado monday after a very short home stand. our friends from dc 50 hop aboard on sunday.

hope you can join us for a great 4thof july weekend in a town where baseball should be played on that weekend every year. there's big number 55 who goes tomorrow. he's 7-1. >> rob: ricky nolasco on his right. >> bob: even sitting down, he's bigger than everybody josh johnson career against the nats. >> rob: could be a basketball team. they're all like 6'8", 6'9". there's volstad all the way to the left. >> bob: johnson is 4-0 with a 3.49 against the nationalities. the only reason the e.r.a. is that high is because that first inning grand slam austin kearns hit against him earlier this year and the nationals still weren't able to win that game. >> rob: that's andrew miller, the lefty sitting there. pretty good arms on their side of the field too. they've got andrew miller,

dontrelle willis, miguel cabrera trade. great, young left-hander. >> bob: ryan zimmerman this year having a very ought year -- odd year in one respect. he's hitting .333 against right- handers and well under .300 against lefties. 0-2 here. he's gone for the second out. first strikeout by sean west. adam dunn coming up. >> rob: well, 0-2. this is a perfectly placed breaking ball right here in on his feet on the ground. >> bob: if you hit it, it's going to hurt. >> rob: if you hit it, it's going to be foul or in the ground. you can't hit that fair. it looks good coming in and then bottom drops out of it

have. especially from a 6'8" guy. >> bob: how about the size of this matchup? that's a short hopper to uggla in right field. the nats go in order in the top of the third. they've outhit the marlins 3-2 and it's time. 

 >> bob: nats fans well represented here in south florida whenever we come here on to the bottom of the third. let's check defense. it started with hanley ramirez trying to steal third. >> rob: just second. then you think you're going to

run over to third. he gets dund gunned down by wil nieves. dan uggla thinks he'll take extra base on elijah dukes and elijah guns him down. cristian guzman quickly beat. great slow throw, but nick johnson on the other end that's good job squeezing that out of the dirt. a great 1-2-3 inning last inning. most it it -- most of it by the defense. >> bob: that ball is coming back fair. zimmerman on the run. he throws out john baker proving you never gup on a foul ball. if it comes back fair before it reaches the bag, it's flaibl. how about the english on this thing. oops. >> rob: looks like he fell coming out of the box. great job by zim on the throw. >> bob: sean west, the pitcher

up thee. left-handed pitcher, right- handed hitter. he's 0-10 with eight strikeouts. >> rob: a rare combination. >> bob: thanks to that quick out, stammen could be facing the top of the order here very quickly in the third. and the pitcher helps out on ball two by neighboring strike @two. chris coghlan next. 

 >> bob: he managed to g piece of it. phillies opening a series in atlanta tonight leadig 1-0  the third. blanton c commie throwing there anthere's two outs. craig stammen, first k of the night to the opposing pitcher. get your red on and check out that grand slam flex plan. four games, you get a fifth one for nothing. your plan, your games games, pick them all. you can even pick your seats. it's that easy. 202-675-nats or nationals.com/grandslam. the red sox game no longer available on that package. we hope you joined us last week. that was a lot of fun. record crowds three consecutive nights. sheer coghlan with bases empty,

two outs. struggling mets are in milwaukee again tonight. they've lost four straight and they're three back of the phillies. johan santana, he has 14 decisions. he's 9-5 going into that game. 3.08 the santana e.r.a. now probably double what it was in the first five weeks of the season. 2-0 to coghlan. these marlins are 2 1/2 back of the phillies. and out to center field. elijah dukes just cruising over. the 1-2-3 you're hoping for at the bottom of the order. whaling josh willingham leads off for the nats. he's been hot lately and he's on a six-game hitting streak. 1-1 after three. our 737s fly to over 65 cities across the country every day. woman over p.a.: this is your final boarding call. all passengers... each with an average speed of 590 miles per hour.