Ryan Zimmerman

2005 FINISH: 71-91, Fifth place, 26 games behind HELLO: LHP Brandson Claussen, LHP Ray King, RHP Tim Redding, RHP Jerome Williams, OF Michael Restovich, OF Chris Snelling, IF Josh Wilson GOODBYE: OF Alfonso Soriano, 2B Jose Vidro, RHP Tony Armas Jr., RHP Pedro Astacio, RHP Ramon Ortiz, RHP Zach Day, RHP Ryan Drese, LHP Joey Eischen, RHP Brian Lawrence, IF Henry Mateo, RHP Felix Rodriguez LINEUP Felipe Lopez, 2b Cristian Guzman, ss...

7:05 p.m. Nationals Park, Washington. TV: Comcast SportsNet. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish. Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (9-6, 3.80) vs. Nationals RHP Livan Hernandez (7-10, 5.44) Phillies update: Blanton has thrown 11 consecutive quality starts (minimum 6 IP, 3 or fewer runs), going 5-2 with a 2.33 ERA and a .236 opposing batting average ... Blanton is coming off a no-decision in a 5-4 loss to Houston, when he allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five in six innings of work ... Blanton is 7-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 18 starts since May 21 ... Chase Utley is 10-for-26 in his career off Livan Hernandez ... Ryan Howard is 3-for-19 with two homers.

Last in a series   MAYBE Jayson Werth knew what he was doing, after all. A year removed from his decision to take the money and run from the powerhouse Phillies to the power-starved Nationals, Werth's total postseason deficit is one crushing NLDS defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. And no, the Nationals will not have a Holy Trinity like Halladay, Lee and Hamels in their rotation. But, despite a purge of recognizable if unproductive veterans, they might have a formidable club.

Mets   The Mets starter with the shortest leash going into this season had to be veteran second baseman Luis Castillo. He's 33 years old. He's coming off an injury-plagued season during which he started just 87 games and batted .245. He was regularly booed at Shea Stadium. His career seemed to be on the downside, and in spring training even general manager Omar Minaya could muster only a lukewarm endorsement, saying he deserved a chance at the beginning of the season to prove he could still contribute.

Aaron Cook pitched a four-hit shutout and Todd Helton's grand slam ended Colorado's power slump as the visiting Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-0, last night. Cook (3-1) retired the final 16 batters for his second career shutout. He had 20 groundouts and did not allow a baserunner to advance past second for his first win in eight career starts against Atlanta. Jeff Francoeur singled with two outs in the fourth and then Cook retired everyone else. The only other hits that Cook gave up were a single to Chipper Jones in the first, and back-to-back singles by Francoeur and Jordan Schafer in the second.

IT HAS BEEN MORE than 6 months since Jayson Werth last played a baseball game at Citizens Bank Park. Back then he was a beloved member of the Phillies as they were knocked out of the playoffs by the San Francisco Giants. He comes back tonight as a black-hatted villain. Some people remain miffed that he signed elsewhere as a free agent, never mind that the 7-year, $126 million deal he got from Washington far eclipsed the next highest offer. So when he's introduced and when he steps to the plate, he certainly will be showered with boos.

WASHINGTON - All season, it had been so automatic that when the ninth inning began last night, you did not even notice that the Phillies' lead was only two runs. They had a lead, and they had one inning to go, and only two times before this season had that situation resulted in a loss. Last night, though, will go down as one of those nights. After a bizarre 2-hour, 22-minute rain delay that began 6 minutes after the opening pitch, emergency starter Kyle Kendrick pitched six solid innings, only to watch dominant closer Ryan Madson surrender six runs in the ninth inning, the final four coming on a walkoff grand slam by Ryan Zimmerman that lifted the Nationals to an 8-4 victory.

WASHINGTON - Sports fans love a phenom. They enjoy the buildup and want to see if the player can match the seemingly unbearable hype. That explains so much interest in Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who is now hitting .261 with no home runs, three RBIs and a .378 on-base percentage in barely a week as a big leaguer. Forget the small sample size of statistics. Harper has been in the public consciousness since appearing on the Sports Illustrated cover at the age of 16. Now just 19, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Harper is a player people can't stop watching.

WASHINGTON - Sports fans love a phenom. They enjoy the buildup and want to see if the player can match the seemingly unbearable hype. That explains so much interest in Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who is now hitting .261 with no home runs, three RBIs, and a .378 on-base percentage in barely a week as a big-leaguer. Forget the small sample size of statistics. Harper has been in the public consciousness since appearing on the Sports Illustrated cover at the age of 16. Now just 19, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Harper is a player people can't stop watching.

WASHINGTON - Jayson Werth took a few steps up the first-base line and watched the ball fly. He flipped his black bat toward the Nationals dugout as the Vance Worley fastball landed in the Phillies bullpen. In one moment, the bearded outfielder ignited cheers and boos from a divided crowd. The Nationals believe they have carved a new existence in the National League East, an idea they furthered with a 7-1 victory Saturday. Whether true or not, some relics will always remain: When Werth trotted to right field in the first inning, he was booed lustily by visiting Phillies fans.

ATLANTA - Whatever Natitude is, the Phillies will experience it Friday night when they square off against Washington in the first game of what is shaping up to be the most intriguing series between the two teams in recent memory. The Nationals lead the National League East by 1 1/2 games. The last time Washington was in first place later than April 4 was 2005, when it went 81-81 and finished nine games back in the division. The Phillies, meanwhile, are 13-13 and 3 1/2 games back.

ALLENTOWN - Bryce Harper is one of the few minor-league players who are major attractions. Despite being in only his second year of professional ball, the Washington Nationals farmhand creates the suspicion that he will be playing at Citizens Bank Park, Citi Field, and other major-league venues before the season is over. The road show for Harper took the 19-year-old this week to Coca-Cola Park, where his triple-A Syracuse Chiefs will conclude a three-game series Friday with the Phillies' affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

VIERA, Fla. - Sick and tired of watching their ballpark overflow with Phillies fans, the Washington Nationals implemented a ticket plan earlier this month that ticked off a lot of people in the Philadelphia area. The Nationals' idea was to limit sales to their own fans for an early-May three-game series between the teams in the nation's capital. We'll have to wait and see how that idea works. Look for plenty of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee jerseys in attendance at Nationals Park anyway.

Last in a series   MAYBE Jayson Werth knew what he was doing, after all. A year removed from his decision to take the money and run from the powerhouse Phillies to the power-starved Nationals, Werth's total postseason deficit is one crushing NLDS defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. And no, the Nationals will not have a Holy Trinity like Halladay, Lee and Hamels in their rotation. But, despite a purge of recognizable if unproductive veterans, they might have a formidable club.

BOOSTED BY the play of some blossoming youngsters, the Washington Nationals walked out of Citi Field with a series sweep and a new spot in the standings. No wonder they're feeling pretty good about the future. Ian Desmond had a career-high five hits and Tommy Milone earned his first major league win, leading Washington over the slumping New York Mets, 10-1, yesterday for a rare four-game sweep. "I think you're seeing signs that we're starting to learn how to win," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said.

YADIER MOLINA and the St. Louis Cardinals are back in the playoff picture. Molina had three hits, including a three-run double, and the Cardinals beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 6-3 yesterday to complete a three-game series sweep. The Cardinals pulled within 4 1/2 games of NL wild card-leading Atlanta and remained six games back of Central-leading Milwaukee They have 16 games left and open a three-game set in Pittsburgh today. The Braves start a three-game series with the Marlins today, and have 15 games remaining.

WASHINGTON - All season, it had been so automatic that when the ninth inning began last night, you did not even notice that the Phillies' lead was only two runs. They had a lead, and they had one inning to go, and only two times before this season had that situation resulted in a loss. Last night, though, will go down as one of those nights. After a bizarre 2-hour, 22-minute rain delay that began 6 minutes after the opening pitch, emergency starter Kyle Kendrick pitched six solid innings, only to watch dominant closer Ryan Madson surrender six runs in the ninth inning, the final four coming on a walkoff grand slam by Ryan Zimmerman that lifted the Nationals to an 8-4 victory.