When the Washington Nationals called up left-hander Ross Detwiler for his first career big-league start in May, it was because they needed a spot starter after a doubleheader. Detwiler, the team's first-round pick in 2007, was still a work in progress, and the call-up was never expected to be a long one until Detwiler showed enough promise to cement himself in the rotation.

Now, it's possible the 23-year-old needs the trip back to the minors that the Nationals had planned for him all along.

Detwiler gave up five runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings on Friday night, posting the shortest outing of his big-league career in a 9-8 loss to the Atlanta Braves. That comes on the heels of a five-run, nine-hit outing in five innings against the Baltimore Orioles last Friday.

Brooks Conrad made quite a first impression, keeping the Atlanta Braves' winning streak and pursuit of the NL East lead in tact. Conrad hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 9-8 on Friday night for their season-high fifth straight victory.

Rodrigo Lopez took a three-hitter into the seventh inning in his first outing in two years, helping the Philadelphia Phillies snap a six-game home losing streak with a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night. Lopez (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings to earn his first win since beating the Phillies on July 7, 2007, when he played for Colorado.

Asked to explain Florida's baffling mastery of the Washington Nationals, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez offered the simplest explanation. "We've been lucky," he said. Having Hanley Ramirez has helped a little bit, too. Ramirez extended his RBI streak to 10 games and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Marlins won 5-3 Wednesday and remained unbeaten against the...

Hanley Ramirez and the Florida Marlins struck right before the weather ended the Washington Nationals' night. Ramirez homered and drove in four runs, and the Marlins erased a four-run deficit to beat Washington 7-5 Tuesday in a game that was called in the seventh inning because of rain. Ramirez's two-run single in the seventh put the Marlins ahead 6-5.

Ricky Nolasco gave Scott Olsen a ride to the ballpark on Monday afternoon, the friends and former teammates chatting and catching up. They'll have plenty to talk about next time. Nolasco retired the final 13 batters he faced, spoiling Olsen's stellar return from the disabled list and helping the Florida Marlins stay perfect against the Washington Nationals with a 4-2 victory Monday night.

Desperate for a victory against their neighbors to the north, the Washington Nationals got just what they needed from their most reliable pitcher and most productive slugger. John Lannan took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Adam Dunn hit a colossal home run, and the Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Nolan Reimold took a swing, and the ball soared off his bat into the sky. The ball was too high for Reimold to follow its path, so he looked at Washington left fielder Josh Willingham to try to get a read on the distance. Willingham couldn't track it either; he threw his arms up in bewilderment as he waited for it to land.

Brad Bergesen struggled with the humidity and his command. His mechanics were spotty, his breaking ball ineffective. And yet, the rookie right-hander was still plenty good enough to beat the Washington Nationals. Bergesen allowed four hits in six innings to win his fourth straight decision, Melvin Mora had four RBIs, and the Baltimore Orioles used an eight-run sixth to cruise to an 11-1 victory...