>> bob: nationals on top, 1-0. rodriguez, harrison, maxwell coming up. no matter who's at any position, they're playing really solid defense. >> rob: for a great sinker baller, he needs great defense. adam kennedy, being heads up, is there. this year, the difference is common sense fundamental

defense. everybody's thinking. the only way you play that way. there's a reaction from atilano, making his first big- league start. it's thinking ahead of the play. where do i go with this ball if it's hit it me? you and i both noticed they've been playing great defense lately. they're still out there doing infield and drills and rundowns and everything. jim riggleman is on top of this club. he's doing a great job. >> bob: there was definite defensive practice on the field at about 4:15 this afternoon. because i have my partner's permission, i will now tell you the nationals have a five-game errorless game streak. pudge rodriguez is up. he's making great contact. he has struck out three times in 49 at-bats. >> rob: i'm comfortable with

you talking about the defense because it's no longer shocking. this is what you're supposed to do at a major league level. that's why they're getting it done out there. there will be fewer mental mistakes this year. that's the pleasing thing about this ball club. >> bob: 3-2 now to pudge. >> rob: i don't think we've seen too many swinging misses by pudge. great contact here. watch the knuckle ball. just drops off the table. >> bob: and he strikes out rodriguez. second strikeout of the game for haeger, and only the fourth time pudge has gone down on strikes. >> rob: it's a knuckle ball that looks like he's throwing a little harder.

he just throws it right by him. actually, you're right. it is a curveball. actually, it's a slider. >> bob: here's willie harris, hitting .207. i know you didn't throw the knuckle ball. >> rob: i tried. >> bob: later, we're going to pull the file cabinets. rob will show us the grip. the other thing i'd be interested to know, what about the old knuckle curve grip that bird used to employ? he was for a number of years devastating with that pitch. >> rob: i think mecina had one of the greatest i've ever seen. i played with tim. he had a knuckle curve. he was ridiculously off the table. it was so big that he fit so perfectly in our bullpen. you have a guy that comes in and throws that huge rainbow curve. he was wonderful setting us up.

>> bob: willie stays alive. fans are still coming into the ballpark on a perfect baseball friday evening. final series of this week and a half home stand. 2-2. that bounces way out in front. >> rob: right now, i think he's throwing more fastballs and cutters or sliders, whatever the other pitch is. maybe he's not comfortable with the knuckle ball right now. that's surprising. tom candiotti could be that when he was in a jam. >> bob: willie harris, on a pitch up high. the first walk issued by haeger. here's a guy who threw 95, showing us a knuckle ball grip.

>> rob: basically, you're digging your nails. you have to be really good dexterity in your knuckles and fingertips. you're digging your nails into the ball. it's like a fastball coming right at you. it just comes off your fingertips. there's no rotation, and it just does this. it's very difficult to hit. it's like playing whiffle at the major league level. there you see the fingers dug into the leather of the baseball. it's a fastball delivery. then it just floats in there. they say when you're going bad at knuckle ball, you're throwing it too hard. >> bob: harris started and stopped. >> rob: he's throwing a good fastball. >> bob: well he struck out

pudge with a couple breaking balls. be ready for the heater and curve, then react to the knuckle ball. >> rob: right. >> bob: 1-1. a lot of room on the right side of the infield. >> rob: i know phil's nephew, who was an every-day player, he quit his comeback as a knuckle baller because he just didn't think hing get to the major league levels. it's not an easy pitch if you aren't comfortable throwing it a lot. like tim wakefield, there was a lot of times he was out of the game. somebody talked him back into the game about throwing it softer, if there's a way to do that. i guess knuckle ballers know what they're doing. >> bob: charlie huff once told

me that the knuckle ball was the most fickle friend he's ever had in his life. he threw for a lot of years after people thought he was done. he gave up three home runs to reggie jackson in the world series in '77. he was still throwing the knuckle ball a dozen years later. 2-2 to maxwell. >> rob: i came across -- i played with charlie in '95 in chicago. wonderful man. wonderful teammate. there is no age limit. phil didn't win his first game until he was 26. he played until he was about 50. it puts a lot of stress on your arm. some of my teammates actually had the best knuckle balls i've ever seen. when we actually let them pitch in a blowout inning, they couldn't throw it anywhere near the plate. that's why i was impressed by

felipe lopez. >> bob: maxwell bounces a double-play ball. dewitt turns it. safe. that helps because his speed keeps the inning going so the nats can send up their pitcher. that was a taylor-made double- play ball. >> rob: great hustle by maxwell here. furcal, nice feed. there you see dewitt, who came up to the major leagues as their future 3rd baseman. now he's playing 2nd base. look how tall dewitt is. this is out of the box. justin is digging, digging, digging. if you turn and look at the play, you're probably going to be out at 1st.

>> bob: atilano, crowding that plate a little bit. that's ball 2. he stands 6'2", 218 from puerto rico. he was drafted in the sandwich round back in '03. he was the 35th overall player taken. >> rob: then he got a new ligament in his elbow. the scouting report, right on

time. >> bob: nats made haeger throw 22 pitches in the 1st inning. now he's up to 45 because he has a strikeout and a walk in this inning. atilano is being a pest, fouling off some pitches here. >> rob: this is like yesterday with lee vaughn with jimenez. >> bob: pitch number 7 coming.

he looks at ball 3. do you throw him a fastball here? >> rob: you don't want to walk the pitcher. i'd think he's so confident in the knuckle ball that it'll look as big as a house coming into a pitcher hitting that he'll probably get the swing. hopefully he can make some contact, keep it alive. >> bob: he made some contact. out to short. nats get four batters to the plate. after 2, washington 1-0.

>> bob: top of the 3rd inning. this is what it would look like. 1-0, nats. time for the sideline report. here's debbi. >> reporter: although luis atilano is making his debut, the pitching coach tells me he has some experience that should help him be effective. >> he's played the past three, four years in winter ball in puerto rico. it's not as though he was facing guys that aren't good. he's had experience. >> reporter: ian desmond played with him. he tells me he's a lot like hernandez. he's calm, in control of the game.

he pitches to contact. will told me had will throw an occasional curveball. >> bob: i had a chance to chat with him today. of course, that was at 3:15. he was a lot relaxed than he was at 6:15. he faces the opposing pitcher, charlie haeger. by the way, the nats acquired him in '06 from the braves, just 21 days after his tommy john surgery. that's how much they liked him. a breaking ball. a swing and a miss. his first major league strikeout. >> rob: i learned thousand pitch in puerto rico. i had ed figueroa. he made he throw things i never did in the major leagues.

the next year i was in the major leagues. the winter leagues in the south, as i've said before about the latin players, they go home and play another three months of baseball to keep their stuff and keep their edge. they love playing the game that much. they'll play it year-round. >> bob: 2 balls and a strike to furcal. a little chopper. this is always dangerous with

him running. and the nats -- what? i think atilano missed the bag. the throw was there in time. luis did not find the base. >> rob: let's check this out right here. luis gets over there in plenty of time. once again, it's a slow roller. never try and go back and try to find the bag. he'll learn that. >> bob: they give the pitcher an error on that. >> rob: almost looks like he government the side of it with his foot. then he goes back and try to touch the top. >> bob: here's garret anderson. i submitted a blog to masnsports.com today that talks about runners going down the 1st baseline and why that additional line is down there. it came into play the other night on a nyjer morgan play.

that line has been there for nearly 130 years, believe it or not. something you come to the ballpark and see every day. you really don't notice it. guzman takes charge and calls everybody. the pitcher does a good job of getting out of dodge. we'll have a second out. here's etheir coming up. the first ever book drive at the ballpark will occur tomorrow. when you come to the game, drop off new books outside the center field gates or at the community desk through the 4th inning. all books collected will benefit everybody wins d.c. it's a nonprofit organization that promotes children's literacy. here's etheir. another ground ball out for

luis atilano. top of the order for the nats straight ahead. morgan kennedy and guzman.

>> bob: early entry in our game summary for the night. nats on top. atilano, three scoreless innings to start his major league career on only one base hit. nyjer, getting good wood on it. it split center field and left feel. then he's off to the races.

he comes flying around 3rd. then a great job with that knuckle ball. as you said, let the ball get deep. >> rob: it never breaks the same way twice. that's the crazy thing about a knuckle ball. >> bob: that was a fastball. bad throw by the pitcher. dug out by james loney. >> rob: he's an excellent 1st baseman. >> bob: i think he's a future gold-glover. >> rob: absolutely. >> bob: maybe the best dodger over there was wes parker. he was unbelievable in the 60s, 70s. maybe the smoothest 1st baseman you'd ever see. there's something stylish about the left handers over there.

>> rob: absolutely. keith hernandez. what did he have, 11 golden gloves? >> bob: adam kennedy, 7 rbis in his last 7 starts now. on the year, he has 8. batting average is up to .262. you can bat him 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th. reliable, veteran guy. the nats brought him in to play 2nd base. he's now sharing that time with cristian guzman. willie harris can play over there. furcal really backed up on that ball. almost let it play in too long. two quick ground ball outs for the dodgers. guzman is coming up. >> rob: if you have an arm like furcal, you can let the ball

play you. there's manny. he just went on the disabled list. here's the arm. this is a rifle right there. >> bob: that play is not how you would teach a young shortstop to play a ground ball. >> rob: you want them to charge it and get the hop. occasionally, he's going to fire some balls into the stands or away from the 1st baseman because of that arm. absolute rifle there. ian desmond has a strong arm too. >> bob: furcal, 32 years of age now. guzman, backs up loney. he'll do it himself. so the hitchers are trading ground ball outs.

>> bob: beautiful evening at the kennedy center. a beautiful evening in nationals park. the nationals are on top of los angeles, 1-0. kind of a family

night at the park. sunday will be our first family fun day of the year. here's matt kemp. bounced out to short first time up. atilano misses, low and inside. >> rob: i'm impressed. great crowd tonight when the capitals are in the playoffs. i didn't think this many people would show up. i think they love the dodgers and the nats playing each other. >> bob: they know the caps are going to clench tonight. >> rob: let's hope. >> bob: boy, the quicker you can get those early rounds over, the healthier you are for the cup run. 2-0 to kemp. dangerous count here. he fouled it back. how about the surprising san diego padres leading the west? they're 9-6. they just scored four at cincinnati with tony gwinn hitting a homer.

>> rob: oh, nice pitch. >> bob: some upstairs gas. 2-2. >> rob: i don't mind seeing that. goes upstairs, walks the ladder with the fast ball. i don't think they had that in the scouting report. >> bob: had him reaching. guzman, done for the first out here in the top of the 4th. at&t trivia time. in '55, a complete game shutout. >> rob: johnny padre. he was like a 21-year-old kid. i think he said to his team, "get me a run, and i'll go the rest of the way." >> bob: he would later star in

the 60s. here's loney. boy, talk about frustration. the dodgers lost 7 straight world series before they beat the yankees in 7 in '55. >> rob: as i told to you, i had the pleasure of interviewing ralph the other day. wonderful man. bobby valentine's father-in- law. then we have nick johnson's uncle larry who is in the house tonight. he's working the seats near the 3rd base box. check the patch out. 1955 brooklyn dodgers. that's a sweet patch. that's what you need for your charity auction, one of those dodger uniforms. want me to work that for you?

i have some inside info. i can maybe get one of those jerseys. it's not who you are, it's who you know. [ laughter ] >> bob: well, i'd be happy with one of those two. >> rob: all right. we'll work for that. >> bob: thanks for the offer. 3-2 to loney. there is a feisty guy. hard-nosed player, manager. inside the line at 3rd. loney will get one down into the corner. the dodgers have their first extra base hit. only their second hit of