Final cuts of the spring took place this morning, prior to the Nats' game against the Orioles at RFK Stadium. No big surprise: Kory Casto and Saul Rivera were optioned to Class AAA Columbus, leaving the 25-man roster set for Opening Day.

Casto took the news well. Though it looked for a few days like he'd wind up starting in left field on Monday, it became obvious he'd be sent down once Nook Logan proved his groin injury wasn't serious. Logan did that yesterday, playing in Norfolk, and he's doing it again today at RFK. So Casto, who fortunately hadn't unpacked yet, will drive to Columbus tomorrow with his wife and wait for the call from the Nationals when he's needed back up here.

“I think I proved more than people thought I could," the 25-year-old said. "I don’t think people expected me to do this well."

GM Jim Bowden said both Casto and Rivera deserved to make the team but were caught in a numbers game. Both guys had minor-league options yet, the players in front of them didn't. So in case anyone hadn't figured this one out by themselves already, here is your official, final Opening Day roster:

STARTING PITCHERS: Patterson, Hill, Chico, Bergmann, Williams
RELIEF PITCHERS: Cordero, Rauch, Wagner, King, Bowie, Speigner, Colome
STARTING LINEUP: Lopez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Kearns, Young, Church, Schneider, Logan
BENCH: Flores, Fick, Belliard, Wilson, Snelling

Meanwhile, we're in the fifth inning of a verrrrry slow game here at RFK. O's now leading 5-2. Jason Bergmann struggled: 3.2ip, 4h, 3er, 4bb, 7k, with a Tony Armas-like 92 pitches.

Washington Times sports columnist Thom Loverro will appear on the Sports Reporters on Sportstalk 980-AM today from 5 to 7 p.m., talking about the Nationals and other topics (Final Four perhaps).

Today and tomorrow, the Nationals will play in two minor league cities, one their Class AAA affiliate for 2007 is in and the other they wish their Class AAA affiliate was in.

The Nationals play an exhibition contest today against the Columbus Clippers, the former longtime Yankees Class AAA affiliate. In the annual shuffling of minor league affiliates, the Yankees dropped the Clippers when the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre club -- prime northeastern Pennsylvania Yankee territory -- became open.

Columbus was a better option for the Nationals than New Orleans. It is closer and the travel costs lower -- certainly a consideration given the likely movement back and forth between the major league club and the Class AAA team this year.

But Norfolk also was available -- a far more attractive place for the Nationals to set up shop, because Virginia is territory ripe for the franchise to cultivate.

Norfolk had decided to end its long relationship with the Mets. But franchise owner Ken Young already had a relationship with the Orioles, and he signed a deal with the Baltimore organization. Young's group had recently purchased three Orioles affiliates in Maryland -- the Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys and Delmarva Shorebirds -- and the Norfolk option gave the Orioles a chance to get out of the minor league's version of Siberia, Ottawa.

Norfolk was the Nationals' first choice. But after the Orioles deal, Columbus was the next best deal to make -- though it may only last for the two years the deal was signed for.

If there is a way for the Nationals to still bring their Class AAA affiliate closer to home, they would love to do so. Richmond remains the brass ring, though since the Braves actually own that team, there are doubts they would consider moving.

Meanwhile, the Nationals' affiliation with the Harrisburg Senators could be the key to all of this. The new Nats owners signed a four-year agreement with Harrisburg, which has been a near obsession with Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Angelos knows south-central Pennsylvania is where the Orioles must go to find new fans.

The Senators, who are owned by the city of Harrisburg, are up for sale. It would be funny if Angelos put in a bid to buy the franchise -- a Nationals affiliate.

Parting is such sweet sorrow. Or not. Anyways, we've reached the final day of spring training, at least the Florida portion. The Nationals head out of town tomorrow morning for a barnstorming tour that takes them to Columbus, Norfolk and Washington in preparation for Monday's opener against the Marlins.

There's still one more game to play down here (actually two when you count the split-squad game against the Marlins in Jupiter, even though there's barely anyone of consequence on that trip). It's Nats vs. O's at Space Coast Stadium, with John Patterson making his final start of the spring against Rob Bell. Several regulars in the lineup for Washington (Lopez, Zimmerman, Kearns, Young, Church) but plenty of guys called up from minor-league camp just for the day (Jimenez, McDonald, Dorta).

Meanwhile, some roster moves to report. Reliever Jesus Colome had his contract selected from Class AAA Columbus, which appears to make him the 12th man on the Opening Day pitching staff (over Saul Rivera). Colome pitched well this spring, with a 2.45 ERA in eight appearances, and he had a clause in his contract stipulating that he either had to be on the roster now or allowed to become a free agent. Other clubs were interested in signing him, so rather than risk losing Colome, the Nats will put him on the squad and option Rivera to Columbus.

Officially, Washington has 27 players remaining in camp and only roster spot still open (in the outfield). That spot will be filled by Nook Logan if his strained right groin has healed. If not, Kory Casto makes the squad. Logan will be traveling north with the team and hopes to play in at least one of the final three exhibition games to prove he's ready for Opening Day.

And with that, it's time to bid farewell from Viera. Anxious to get back home to D.C., to see if my car still runs after sitting idle in the cold for 45 days, and to pick up a copy of The Washington Times' 2007 Baseball Preview sections. Check them out for yourself in tomorrow's paper. Twelve page section previewing the Nationals, plus another 12-page section previewing MLB. Having produced much of the material for both sections, I can assure you it's quite comprehensive.

So as the strains of John Fogerty's "Centerfield" play one last time from the loudspeakers at Space Coast Stadium, it's time to say goodbye. Talk to you Saturday from RFK...

The winner of the Washington Nationals' NCAA Tournament pool comes down to reliever Ryan Wagner, catcher Brian Schneider . . . or me.

Wagner has the best chance of winning the pool because he has two sheets in contention and has Ohio State winning on one and Florida winning on another. Schneider has UCLA; I have Georgetown winning it all.

I lead the pool with 85 points. The reason I took Georgetown to win it all has nothing to do with living and working in the Washington area. I do like Georgetown's size, but teams just don't win the Big East regular season and tournament championship without it meaning something. Last year, Georgetown had Florida beaten with Ashanti Cook, Brandon Bowman and Darrell Owens.

In my opinion, Ohio State is still too young to pull this off. If there are basketball Gods on The Hilltop, please deliver me a blue and gray windfall.

Jim Rathmann won the 1960 Indianapolis 500, but the service department at his Melbourne, Fla.-based Chevrolet dealership puts him in last.

On my drive down, my vehicle was experiencing some backfire whenever I stepped hard on the accelerator. So, once I got to Melbourne for spring training, I took the car in for servicing at Rathmann's. The mechanics at Rathmann's assumed since it was backfiring the car probably just needed sparkplugs. Without doing further diagnostics checks, Rathmann's hacks changed the plugs, wires, and rotor and then charged me $507.49 for what amounted to be a poor man's tuneup.

I didn't get more than 10 miles down the road and the problem continues. I call Rathmann's the next day and tell the service department that they did not correct the problem. Rathmann's assures me they warranty all of their work and I should bring the vehicle in again.

About four days goes by, and I still haven't heard from Rathmann's. I call them to find out what's going on and they tell me they can't find the problem. Gee, thanks for the call. So, Rathmann charges me $507.49 for work I didn't need, can't find the problem, and basically washed their hands of their incompetence.

But, it gets better.

A few days later, I'm reading a front page story in Florida Today saying that Rathmann is going out of business because the bank has foreclosed on its loans. That probably explains what was going on in their service department. It would have been nice if they would have driven the vehicle themselves to find out what was going on. My car just sat on their lot and I still have the same problem, just $507.49 lighter in the pocket.

Anyway, I take my vehicle to Space Coast Tire & Automotive near the stadium to have them look at it. Not only did Tracy and Frank correctly identify the problem (ignition module), they charged me a fraction of what Rathmann's band of merry thieves hit me with. Total labor cost from Rathmann's: $340.00. I've been robbed on the street for less.

Since I don't live in Melbourne, this is the best I can do. For you Nationals fans that may come down here for spring training, never do business with Mr. Indy and his family. Then again, he'll most likely be gone when the Nationals return next winter.

It's the final night game of the spring at Space Coast Stadium, with the Nats hosting the Mets at 7:05 p.m. (game's on both MASN and AM-1500 for those back home who want to watch/listen). Jerome Williams starting for Washington, Oliver Perez for New York.

We're down to the last two days in Viera, and there are signs all over the place that camp is about to wrap up. Players were starting to clean out their lockers this afternoon, packing up giant duffel bags of equipment and making preparations to have their stuff shipped up north. There have been several meetings the last few days to go over various security matters, rules, union issues, etc.

Also, the roster has practically been pared down to the final 25. Couple of housekeeping moves just announced: Ray King and Dmitri Young had their contracts purchased, meaning they're now officially on the 40-man roster and eligible to open the season in the major leagues. King will make $850,000 this season, Young will make $500,000.

There are 28 healthy players still in camp, but it sounds like there will be some cuts after tonight's game. We could have the final 25 set by the end of the evening.

I'll be on The Sports Reporters on WTEM AM Sportstalk 980 on Tuesday, March 27, talking about the Nationals and other topics.

After today's flurry of roster moves and other tidbits, the Nationals have all but finalized their Opening Day roster. Here's where things stand one week from the season opener:

ON THE TEAM
PITCHERS (10)
John Patterson
Shawn Hill
Matt Chico
Jerome Williams
Chad Cordero
Jon Rauch
Ryan Wagner
Ray King
Micah Bowie
Levale Speigner

CATCHERS (2)
Brian Schneider
Jesus Flores

INFIELDERS (7)
Dmitri Young
Felipe Lopez
Cristian Guzman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ronnie Belliard
Robert Fick
Josh Wilson

OUTFIELDERS (4)
Austin Kearns
Ryan Church
Chris Snelling
Kory Casto

FIGHTING FOR THE LAST TWO SPOTS
RHP Jason Bergmann
RHP Chris Booker
RHP Saul Rivera
RHP Jesus Colome
OF Abraham Nunez

DISABLED LIST (6)
Nick Johnson
Luis Ayala
Alex Escobar
Mike O'Connor
Nook Logan
Jason Simontacchi

A few things to note:

-- Neither Logan nor Simontacchi is expected to be out long (both have strained groins) but neither will be ready for Opening Day. Logan will be on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 24 (so he'll be eligible to return April 8). Simontacchi, because he's a non-roster invitee, doesn't have to actually go on the DL. The Nats can just add him to the roster whenever he's ready to go, which may not be more than a week or 10 days into the season.

-- The starting rotation for the first week will be Patterson, Hill, Chico, Williams and either Bergmann or Speigner. Bergmann, who starts Monday against the Tigers, appears to have the leg up on Speigner, who will probably serve as a long man in the bullpen.

-- With Logan out, Church becomes the everyday center fielder and Casto likely becomes the regular left fielder (though Snelling will get his share of playing time). Manny Acta said Casto will also get an occasional start at first base to give Young a breather.

-- There are officially 28 healthy left in camp, with two spots unsecured. Those could both be given to pitchers (such as Bergmann and one of the relievers) or the Nats could decide to go with an 11-man staff for the first week and carry Nunez as a fifth outfielder. Much will depend on who ends up as the No. 5 starter (and don't discount the possibility of a last-minute trade or other acquisition to fill that role).

-- Your Opening Day lineup probably looks something like this:

2B Lopez
SS Guzman
3B Zimmerman
RF Kearns
1B Young
CF Church
C Schneider
LF Casto
P Patterson

Here's my question, though: How long until Casto or Snelling is hitting second, with Guzman bumped down to the 8-hole? Over/under is two weeks.

Major roster news this morning: Four players have been cut, including first baseman Travis Lee and right-handers Tim Redding and Joel Hanrahan. Which, by extension, means that Dmitri Young will be the Nationals' Opening Day first baseman and either Jason Bergmann or Levale Speigner will be the No. 5 starter should Jason Simontacchi not be ready to return from a strained groin.

Lee, the veteran journeyman, was granted his unconditional release and may be contemplating retirement after hitting .267 with one homer and seven RBI in 11 games this spring. Young, 33, wound up winning the starting job at first base after getting into shape at minor-league camp and then hitting .333 with a homer and three RBI in his first seven games with the major-league club.

Redding came to camp as a possible frontrunner for the No. 2 spot in the rotation, but he struggled from the start and posted an 11.42 ERA in four spring outings. He was outrighted to Class AAA Columbus, meaning he's been taken off the Nationals' 40-man roster.

Hanrahan, who was optioned to Columbus, also struggled this spring, posting an 11.25 ERA in four appearances.

The Nationals announced one other move before today's game against the Braves. Infielder Joe Thurston, who hit .211 in 13 games, was re-assigned to minor-league camp.

Nook Logan suffered a potentially serious right groin injury during the ninth inning of Saturday's game against the Cardinals, one that may keep the Nationals' center fielder from starting on Opening Day.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth of a 2-2 game, Logan singled to right and made a wide turn around first. He then tried to stop in his tracks and retreat back to the base but crumpled in a heap and remained on the ground for several minutes. Logan walked off the field under his own power and after being examined by team trainers expressed optimism that the injury is not serious.

"It was more of a scare," he said following the Nationals' 4-2, 10-inning loss. "I just felt a little grab, a little pain right there. But 10, 15 minutes after that when the doc checked me out, there was no swelling, so that's good right now."

The Nationals have no plans to have Logan undergo an MRI, but he'll be re-examined at Space Coast Stadium tomorrow morning. Until then, they won't have a better idea of the severity of the injury.

"We won't know yet until we get the results," manager Manny Acta said. "We've still got about a week or so to go. It could be three days, it could five, it could be two months. We don't know."

If Logan isn't ready to return by Opening Day, Acta said Ryan Church would be his starting center fielder, and either Chris Snelling or Kory Casto would start in left.

Meanwhile, Nationals ace John Patterson suffered from dehydration before yesterday's game, was given an IV and was sent home. Patterson, who complained of feeling tired by the end of his four-inning start Friday, is not expected to miss his final exhibition outing Wednesday or his Opening Day start against the Marlins.

Break up the Nationals! Five wins in a row, six of seven from the hottest team in the Grapefruit League. OK, so it doesn't count. Still, based on the way things looked about two weeks ago, there have been some encouraging developments.

A few items of note from today's game:

-- John Patterson gave up one run on four hits in four innings, walked three and struck out two. Seemed to wear down as his outing went on, and John said as much afterward. He doesn't believe it's reason for concern, though, and he was very happy with the way he threw the ball early on (his fastball reached 93 mph, a good sign).

-- Chris Snelling gave everyone a brief scare when he hurt his left knee on a semi-collision at the plate. Limped off the field a bit, but turns out it was only a minor bruise and he should be back in the next couple days.

-- Nook Logan put on a hitting show, with a triple and what should have been another triple (except for the fact Ronnie Belliard held up at third in front of Logan, who caught trapped between bases and was tagged out). But man is he fast. If he sticks around all year, I have a hunch we'll see an inside-the-park home run eventually.

Join beat writer Mark Zuckerman for a live chat today at 1 p.m. Be prepared to pepper Mark with questions about the state of the Nationals' rotation, the competition at first base, the race for the final spots on the 25-man roster and whether or not he's ready to come home to Washington after six weeks in Viera (hint: yes).

Feel free to submit your questions in advance; send them to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com. Then check back in at 1 p.m. to see if yours was selected. See you then!

I think we've found the Nationals' fifth starter. Jerome Williams just tossed five innings of two-hit ball against the Astros, allowing only a pair of unearned runs. He hasn't been charged with an earned run since his initial spring outing March 5, and that's got to be good enough to ensure a place on Washington's Opening Day staff.

And as if that wasn't enough, Williams also did his best Livan Hernandez impersonation at the plate, going 3-for-4 with some hard-hit line drives for singles. Stick him on a plane to Washington right now.

Meanwhile, your Nats currently lead the Astros 11-2 in the fifth inning. Oops, make that 13-2. Ronnie Belliard just doubled to left. This is turning ugly. Wait, make that 16-2. Ryan Church just clubbed a three-run homer. He has three hits and five RBI tonight.

Since we're one week from heading north, and in the wake of several roster developments last night, it seems like a good time to project the Opening Day roster. Here's how I have it at the moment...

CATCHERS (2)
Brian Schneider
Jesus Flores

INFIELDERS (6)
Dmitri Young
Felipe Lopez
Cristian Guzman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ronnie Belliard
Josh Wilson

OUTFIELDERS (4)
Austin Kearns
Nook Logan
Ryan Church
Chris Snelling

OTHER (1)
Robert Fick

STARTING PITCHERS (5)
John Patterson
Shawn Hill
Jason Simontacchi
Matt Chico
Jerome Williams

RELIEF PITCHERS (7)
Chad Cordero
Jon Rauch
Ryan Wagner
Ray King
Micah Bowie
Chris Booker
Levale Speigner

DISABLED LIST (5)
Nick Johnson
Mike O'Connor
Luis Ayala
Brandon Claussen
Alex Escobar

OK, so before anyone throws a fit, that list is certainly not set in stone yet. There are several spots still up for grabs (at least one rotation, two bullpen, first base, one bench) and any of those could change. There's also the possibility of Simontacchi having to open the season on the DL with a strained groin, which would open up another rotation spot.

But let's assume that's basically the final 25-man roster. And if that's the case, the Nats' season-opening payroll would fall right around $39 million. (Last year's Opening Day payroll was $63 million.) The figure includes those five guys expected to be on the DL, and it also includes the money Washington is still paying two former players this year: Jose Vidro ($1.5 million) and Marlon Anderson ($400,000). So in actuality, the 25 healthy players will be making significantly less than the $39 million total.

Some other interesting salary tidbits...

-- Nick Johnson is the highest-paid player on the team at $5.5 million, even though he likely won't come off the DL until the All-Star break (if at all). Cristian Guzman is second-highest at $4.2 million, followed closely behind by Chad Cordero ($4.15 million).

-- The entire starting rotation will make less than $2.6 million.

-- Thirteen players, more than half the roster, is likely to be made up of players with less than three years' major-league experience. Those players, who aren't yet eligible for arbitration, all make less than $500,000.

I get to Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday for the Nationals-Marlins game and walk into the press box not having a clue what I am going to write. Then Nats PR man John Dever tells us they just signed Pedro Astacio.

Bing.

Later in the day, I get an e-mail from USAirways saying that I have been upgraded to first class for my flight home.

Bing.

I drive back to Melbourne and eat dinner at Melbourne Greyhound Park, the local dog track. My first race I bet right off the simulcast, no program, from Turf Paradise, a horse track in Phoenix. I bet a trifecta on two favorites and a longshot.

It comes in, and now I come home in the black for spring training.

Bing.

Then, as I am preparing to celebrate this wonderful day at the local cigar bar, who walks in but my favorite special assistant to the general manager, Jose Rijo, and we enjoy cigars and life together. I get the feeling it is almost always good to be Jose Rijo.
Bing.

I don't know why I even bothered to get out of bed yesterday. It was OK, but I knew it wouldn't be better than the day before.

If this was Tim Redding's last shot to make the rotation, he didn't exactly seize the opportunity. Gave up three runs (all in the first inning) and six hits in three innings against the Braves. Served up an RBI double to Jeff Francoeur and a two-run homer to Andruw Jones, then somehow managed to get out of his other two innings without giving up another run.

We'll find out post-game whether this was it for Redding, but I find it hard to believe his 11.42 spring ERA and 23 baserunners allowed in 8 2/3 innings is good enough to make even the Nats' rotation. Barring a collapse by Jerome Williams tomorrow night (or Jason Simontacchi opening the season on the DL with a strained groin, which is an outside possibility) Redding should be ticketed for Columbus.

Meanwhile, it's 3-2 Braves in the top of the sixth here at Space Coast Stadium.

The armadillos were out in force around 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.

On my way back from the Washington Nationals' shutout of the Florida Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., I counted three armadillos rummaging around on the grass shoulder of Interstate 95 on my trip back north to Melbourne.

Early evening must be the time these scaled creatures come out and forage, because in my two previous springs, I had never seen one of the prehistoric looking critters.

Yes, they'll be playing under the lights at Space Coast Stadium, with the Atlanta Braves in town to face the red-hot Nationals, winners of three of their last four. Tim Redding on the hill for Washington in perhaps a make-or-break outing for the right-hander. It appears to be down to Redding and Jerome Williams (starting tomorrow) for the final spot in the rotation, with Joel Hanrahan perhaps still in the running. Manny Acta said he wouldn't be afraid to take this decision right down to the final weekend before Opening Day, so this might not be Redding's last chance. But clearly, he needs to put together a solid outing and show he deserves to remain in the mix.

In-game updates could be sparse tonight because I'll be working on deadline for a change, but the game's on MASN if you want to see it with your own eyes. I'll try to post a few details at some point, and once the Nats announce their four planned roster cuts, I'll fill you in. Until then, here are tonight's lineups for your perusing...

NATIONALS
2B Felipe Lopez
SS Cristian Guzman (happy 29th birthday)
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
1B Dmitri Young
LF Chris Snelling
C Robert Fick
CF Nook Logan
P Tim Redding

BRAVES
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Edgar Renteria
RF Jeff Francoeur
CF Andruw Jones
C Brayan Pena
1B Craig Wilson
LF Ryan Langerhans
3B Pete Orr
P Mark Redman

Former Washington Redskins cornerback Kenny Wright and myself are namesakes. Colleagues at The Washington Times suggested I should go out to Ashburn and do a story on the often-burned corner: Kenny Wright on Kenny Wright. Alas, he signed earlier this month with the Bengals.

This morning I was reading one of the free Melbourne, Fla., newspapers that are thrown in driveways. I was checking out the Code 3 section just to see what kind of crimes are committed here during spring training when I came across this this gentleman in the police blotter: Kenneth J. Wright, 52, of Melbourne, who was charged Feb. 22 with felony failure to appear, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

So it goes to show you, two Wrights (Kenny Wright and Kenny Wright) do make a Wrong (Kenneth J. Wright).

I will appear on The Sports Reporters on WTEM Sportstalk 980 on Thursday, March 22, and Friday, March 23, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

We'll be talking Nationals, among other subjects.

A two-run single by Robert Fick in the top of the eighth, combined with Chad Cordero's bases-loaded, one-out escape act in the bottom of the inning, gives the Nationals a 3-0 win over Florida at Roger Dean Stadium. Nice win for the boys, who have won three of their last four while posting a 1.25 ERA over that span.

The big story here, though, was Matt Chico, who tossed four scoreless innings to lower his spring ERA to 2.70 and has officially-unofficially won himself a spot on the Opening Day roster. Manny Acta wouldn't quite go all the way and confirm it, but it's clear the rookie has done it. "He can't be celebrating yet," Acta said, "but he's close."

So four-fifths of the rotation is set: 1) Patterson, 2) Hill, 3) Simontacchi, provided his groin is OK and 4) Chico. Final job is up for grabs between Tim Redding, Jerome Williams and Joel Hanrahan, with Jason Bergmann and Levale Speigner probably headed to the bullpen.

That's all for today. Night game tomorrow against the Braves in Viera. Talk to you then.

Nats pitcher Shawn Hill, who missed the 2005 season recovering from ligament surgery in his right elbow and much of last year because of elbow soreness, has an interesting take on why he could be a successful major league pitcher.

It's sort of like the theory that if you've been hit on the head with a hammer for years, think how good it is going to feel when the beating stops.

"I got up to the big leagues in 2004 and had never really been healthy in the minors. ... It's taken a couple of years, but hopefully this is the year I can go forward with no more injuries," Hill said.

"Just the fact that I was able to get [to the majors] not being 100 percent – I figure if I can get to 100 percent, and even if I throw the same way but without pain, I should be able to hold my own. I don't know how good I will be or how bad I will be, but I should be able to hold my own and give it a shot."

Live from Jupiter...

Top 1st -- The Nats' 1-2-3 of Logan, Jimenez and Casto (not exactly the Opening Day lineup here) offers up little resistance to Florida's Ricky Nolasco. Logan grounds out and Jimenez and Casto both fly out.

Bot 1st -- Kind of a long inning for Chico, but he battles through and emerges unscathed. After issuing a one-out walk to Dan Uggla, the rookie outlasts Miguel Cabrera through a long at-bat and eventually strikes the All-Star slugger out. A nice play by Ronnie Belliard (at third base today) on a tough bouncer ends the inning. Scoreless through one.

Top 2nd -- Cleanup hitter Michael Restovich (told you they're not exacrtly fielding the starting nine today) strikes out. Travis Lee grounds out. Belliard pops out.

Bot 2nd -- Chico starts off strong getting Cody Ross to fly out and striking out Aaron Boone (son of Nats asst. GM Bob Boone). A pair of two-out singles by Eric Reed (who apparently is winning the competition for the Marlins starting center field job) and Matt Treanor puts Chico in a bit of a bind, but he again responds and gets Nolasco to fly out to end the inning. Through two, it's still scoreless.

Top 3rd -- The good: Jesus Flores sends a one-out double down the left-field line (raising his spring average to .500) and then moves to third when Chico lines a single up the middle. The bad: Nook Logan, needing only to get the ball out of the infield for a productive at-bat, can't even make contact. Strikes out flailing at a 2-2 off-speed pitch. Jimenez then flies out, so the runners are stranded.

Bot 3rd -- A much-needed, 1-2-3 inning for Chico. Pop out, fly out and a ground out to third, with Belliard making another nice play in the field.

Top 4th -- Ladies and gentlemen, we have a run scored! Singles by Restovich and Lee, plus a Belliard walk, load the bases for Joe Thurston. Thurston then sends an RBI single to right but gets caught rounding first too far and is eventually out on the old 9-3-4-3 play. Flores grounds out to end the inning, but the Nats now lead 1-0.

Bot 4th -- Chico looking stronger as the game progresses. Walks Willingham to lead the inning off, but gets Ross to ground into a 4-6-3 double play (even if it wasn't the prettiest execution from the Nats infield) and then Boone to ground out. We're through four here, and it looks like that's it for Chico. His line: 4ip, 2h, 0r, 2bb, 2k, 64 pitches, 39 strikes. Does that lock up the No. 4 spot in the rotation for him? I'll see if I can get Bowden or Acta to take the bait.

Top 5th -- Ryan Church pinch-hits and grounds out to first. Logan grounds out and is 0-for-3 today without getting the ball out of the infield. A walk to Jimenez ends Nolasco's day and brings on ... whoa, Felix Rodriguez! Pitched briefly for the Nats last year before coming down with a bad shoulder and basically spending the rest of the season on the DL. Also lived next door to our own Ken Wright at the Viera La Quinta Inn last spring. Apparently, the two became quite close. Anyways, Casto grounds out, so that's the end of the inning.

Had to run down to the stands in the bottom of the fifth for a quick interview with Bowden, so I missed a little bit, but Saul Rivera pitched a scoreless inning despite taking a line drive off his forearm. Appears to be OK. Meanwhile, Bowden said the Pedro Astacio signing was made strictly for depth purposes. There's no guarantee Astacio will even pitch in Columbus, let alone Washington. But with Jason Simontacchi dealing with a tight groin and other guys strugglling, Bowden doesn't want to find himself in a position where he needs to call up Collin Balester from Harrisburg before he's ready. So there you have it: Astacio becomes Plan Z in case all else fails.

We're now in the bottom of the sixth, Nats still leading, 1-0. I'll file a postgame update later on, but for now, that's all.

Yes, the Nationals have re-signed 37-year-old right-hander Pedro Astacio, last seen posting a 5.98 ERA in 17 starts last season.

Before you start rioting and tearing up your season tickets, though, here's the deal: Astacio signed a non-guaranteed, minor-league deal and won't even get a sniff of major-league camp. He's being brought in for ... well, I'm not entirely sure but I'll be asking that very question to Jim Bowden as soon as I get a chance to talk to him today.

In the meantime, here's today's lineups from Jupiter...

NATIONALS
CF Nook Logan
SS D'Angelo Jimenez
LF Kory Casto
RF Michael Restovich
1B Travis Lee
3B Ronnie Belliard
3B Joe Thurston
C Jesus Flores
P Matt Chico

MARLINS
SS Hanley Ramirez
2B Dan Uggla
3B Miguel Cabrera
LF Josh Willingham
RF Cody Ross
1B Aaron Boone
CF Eric Reed
C Matt Treanor
P Ricky Nolasco

Good test for Chico, who with one more quality start could guarantee him a spot in the rotation. Check in for game updates as we move along this afternoon.

The Nats released pitchers Luis Martinez and Colby Lewis, outfielders Jose Macias and Wayne Lydon, and first baseman Jorge Toca this morning from the club's minor league camp. All these players were cut earlier from the spring training camp.

Well that turned into a rout in a hurry. A 3-1 Nats lead was extended big-time after the home team scored six runs in the eighth off relievers Jonathan Broxton and Elmer Dessens. Chris Snelling drew a bases-loaded walk (he reached base four times today), Robert Fick blooped a two-run double and ... well, I kind of lost track after that. Suffice it to say, the Nats put this one away.

As previously stated, five shutout innings from Shawn Hill. Ryan Wagner gave up one run over two innings but was pleased to get multiple innings in. That's all from here. Talk to you tomorrow from Jupiter.

Here's today's lineups:

NATIONALS
2B Felipe Lopez
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
LF Ryan Church
1B Dmitri Young
CF Chris Snelling
C Juan Brito
P Shawn Hill

DODGERS
SS Rafael Furcal
CF Juan Pierre
1B Nomar Garciaparra
2B Jeff Kent
LF Luis Gonzalez
3B Wilson Betemit
RF Larry Bigbie
C Kelly Stinnett
P Randy Wolf

Top 1st -- Sloppy start to this game. Hill walks Furcal to lead the inning off. Furcal then steals second but is thrown out trying to take third on a pitch in the dirt. Guzman muffs what looks like a routine grounder to his right but is scored a hit. Kent singles to left. Hill walks Gonzalez to load the bases and bring pitching coach Randy St. Claire out of the dugout before finally getting Betemit to ground out and escape the inning without a run scoring. After racking up his pitch count there, I doubt Shawn will be going more than four innings today.

Bot 1st -- Lopez nearly decapitates Wolf with a line drive single up the middle. But Guzman goes 4-6-3 and Zimmerman grounds out (shocking!) to end the inning. No score after one.

Top 2nd -- Hill settles down after the shaky first, retiring the side, including a strikeout of Stinnett.

Bot 2nd -- Couple of walks to Kearns and Snelling, but no one can come up with the hit to drive either of them in. Church and Young fly out, Brito strikes out. End of 2, still scoreless.

Top 3rd -- Another 1-2-3 inning for Hill, who has rebounded nicely. Furcal grounds out, Pierre can't beat out a bunt and Nomar grounds out to third, with Dmitri Young making a nice scoop of Zimmerman's rare throw in the dirt. It's only two games so far, but Young has looked better in the field than I was led to believe.

Bot 3rd -- Nothing doin' for the Nats against Wolf, who cruises through a quick inning. Lopez sends a fly ball to the warning track in right, but that's as close as they come to a hit. All zeroes through three, something's got to give eventually.

Top 4th -- Couple of singles for the Dodgers past the reach of Young at first (debatable whether Travis Lee or Nick Johnson would have made either play). Hill, though, takes care of matters, striking out Betemit and getting Stinnett to fly out. Despite four hits and two walks, the right-hander hasn't given up a run yet.

Bot 4th -- Three up, three down for the Nats, and now it's started raining here at the stadium. Looks like it'll be a passing shower, and they're playing through it, but the fans are scurrying for cover.

Top 5th -- How about that, Shawn Hill pitched five scoreless innings after all. Struck out two more in the fifth, so his final line reads thusly: 5ip, 4h, 0r, 2bb, 4k, 70 pitches, 44 strikes. I'll be interested to hear what he has to say after this, but I think it says something that he's had a few games this spring where he didn't appear to have his best stuff but still pitched effectively. That's a good sign in a young pitcher.

Bot 5th -- And the bats finally come alive. Dmitri Young leads off with a double, drawing a nice ovation from the crowd. (The rain has stopped, by the way.) Snelling bloops a single to left, and both runners move up on a nice sac bunt by Juan Brito. Michael Restovich, pinch-hitting for Hill, draws a walk to load the bases, and Lopez follows with a sac fly to center to score the afternoon's first run. Then for good measure, Guzman laces a single to left, making it 2-0 and knocking Wolf from the game. Rudy Seanez enters and promptly gives up an RBI single to Zimmerman (who had been an atrocious 0-for-2 prior to the at-bat). By the time it's all done, the Nationals lead 3-0.

Top 6th -- Ryan Wagner now pitching for the Nats, and he immediately gets into trouble. Two singles and a walk load the bases, but Wagner gets Betemit to foul out and gets Bigbie to ground into what could be an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play. Guzman's turn is just a bit slow, though, and Bigbie is called safe at first on a bang-bang play. Stinnett pops out, so the damage is limited. It's now 3-1 Nats.

That's all for now...

Good morning from a surprisingly chilly Space Coast Stadium, where it's been so cold the last two days I've actually had to wear long sleeves! (OK, that wasn't fair to those of you back in D.C., but we get spoiled down here for six weeks, so anytime the temperature dips into the 60s it's a shock to the system.)

Sorry for being kind of out of the loop for several days. Between some computer issues (which have now been worked out) and some extra work I've had to do for our season preview section (coming March 29 to a newsstand near you) I've had to put the blog on the backburner a little bit. I'll try to be more consistent now, though I'll warn you in advance that there will be days when the updates are sparse.

Some interesting developments the last few days. Dmitri Young is now in major-league camp, Larry Broadway isn't and the down-to-the-wire competition for the first base job is on. Left field could possibly be up for grabs, too, after Jim Bowden declared Chris Snelling a candidate (unbeknownst to Manny Acta or Ryan Church).

The starting rotation is actually taking shape, with John Patterson, Shawn Hill and Jason Simontacchi now assured of jobs and Matt Chico on the verge of winning the No. 4 spot. That leaves perhaps five guys fighting for the final job (Tim Redding, Jerome Williams, Joel Hanrahan, Jason Bergmann and Levale Speigner). The hunch here is that either Redding or Williams gets the nod, with Bergmann and/or Speigner making the bullpen as a long man/spot starter.

That's all for now. I'll have some in-game updates as we move along today. Hill starting for the Nats against Randy Wolf of the Dodgers.

The Nationals optioned Larry Broadway to Class AAA Columbus this morning and promoted Dmitri Young from minor-league camp, throwing a new wrinkle into the club's first-base competition.

Broadway, despite hitting .333 in 11 games this spring, was told he was being demoted because the club was looking for more offense at first base and wanted to give Young a shot. Broadway, 26, had only one extra-base hit this spring.

"I'm very surprised," Broadway said before packing his bags to leave for the Nationals' minor-league complex. "They said they didn't see enough power out of me this spring. They wanted to see what Dmitri had to offer."

Young, 33, was signed to a minor-league contract shortly after camp opened, then set out to get himself into playing shape after a traumatic 2006 (in which he spent time in an alcohol rehab center, was charged with domestic assault, was released by the Tigers and ultimately was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes). He was given a chance to play in a split-squad game Thursday night and impressed GM Jim Bowden by going 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI single off Dodgers ace Jason Schmidt.

Young is due to be in the Nationals' starting lineup today against the Marlins, batting sixth. He'll now compete with fellow veteran Travis Lee, who is hitting .313 with one homer and six RBI in 11 games, for the Opening Day job at first base.

I loved my colleague Dan Daly's column on Ernie Ladd and pro football players who wrestled. I have a soft spot in my head for old time rassling. I can still sometimes hear the golden throat of Ray Morgan coming to you from right here in Washington.

So I recounted to Daly my three greatest moments as a wrestling fan, and I share them with those of you who have fond memories of the squared circle:

I was 14 years old and spending the summer in Miami with my older sister and her husband, who was a big guy. He took me to the Miami Beach Auditorium to see wrestling, and we had ringside seats. He was pounding the beers all night, and in the main event, Hans Mortier vs. Boris Malenko, both wrestlers knock each other out.

Mortier is laying on the edge of the canvas, and my brother-in-law, drunk and angry, jumps up and slams a penny hard on the canvas right next to Mortier's head and yells, 'Here, that's all the match was worth.' Mortier rolls away as if he was hit, and there is chaos. The fans think my brother-in-law is some kind of wrestler, so they come at us, the cops come after us and the other wrestlers come running out of the dressing room thinking a fan is attacking one of their own. Quite a night for a 14 year old.

Six years later, I am at the same arena, this time drunk with my Miami fraternity brothers. One of the attractions is Victor the Wrestling Bear. He is muzzled and declawed, and his trainer invites anyone, for the donation of $10, to come in the ring and wrestle Victor. So of course they take up a collection and in I go. He tells me not to make any sudden moves, and right now the only sudden move I am worried about is messing myself. I lock up with Victor, he knocks me face down on the canvas and lays on top of me, and it is over, thank goodness.

And, once in Allentown when I was 14, Gentleman Joe Turco spit on me from the ring.

There are a number of baseball players who are big wrestling fans. When I showed up at RFK Stadium two years ago with Mick Foley, Gary Bennett went nuts.

Does anyone believe anything Pete Rose says?

Here's a bet: What is Rose's credibility? The over, under, up and down, and any which way you could bet it, the number is zero.

He was a bettor with a gambling problem. That kind of bettor, when given the chance to get out from under a bad streak, will take whatever edge he can. So I have very little doubt that Rose not only bet on his team to win but bet on them to lose, as well.

Here's another bet: Rose stands nearly zero chance of being reinstated to baseball.

There has been some speculation that, because Rose is coming forward again and confessing yet another version of his truth, there is a movement within baseball to lift the ban against him. That movement, it is said, is fueled in part by a breakfast Rose had with Cadillac Bud Selig's consigliere, Bob DuPuy.

Many people around the country had meals with Bob DuPuy during the entire Montreal Expos fiasco and have nothing to show for it except a nice breakfast. I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Cadillac Bud can't afford to lighten up on Rose at the same time he flexes his muscles with Barry Bonds and steroids. It would hand Bonds supporters a full house of race cards to use.

And Rose doesn't belong back in baseball. Hall of Famers who know Rose (here's a good bet: if Hall of Famers were voting, Rose would not get in) and who I have spoken to over the years believe Rose is not driven by getting into Cooperstown, but by managing again in baseball.

Rose himself made that clear in his interview with ESPN radio, going out of his way to say he wants to manage again. And they believe the main reason for that is the big paychecks that managers get these day.

It's all about the money. It always has been for Pete Rose.

Unfortunately, everybody loses as well. Final score from Jupiter: Nationals 2, Cardinals 2 (10). As is often the case with these spring training games, they play one extra inning but that's it. So Washington improves/falls to 4-8-1 in the Grapefruit League. Some tidbits...

-- Jason Simontacchi was pleased with his performance, as was Manny Acta (who all but said Simo is going to make the rotation).

-- Five innings of scoreless relief from Mike Bacsik, Levale Speigner and Chris Booker to keep the game close.

-- Nats tied it in the seventh on three straight singles by Travis Lee, Michael Restovich and Kory Casto (who's now hitting .429). Unfortunately, Washington stranded 15 men on base, a cause of concern for Acta.

-- Cristian Guzman played his five innings in the field, made only two casual throws and emerged fine. Wouldn't talk to reporters afterward, though, which I suppose is his loss.

-- GM Jim Bowden said he expects Luis Ayala to open the season on the DL. Not a huge surprise, given the fact Ayala was trying to return from Tommy John surgery in less than a year, but he had been holding out hope. In the long run, he'll be better off staying down in Florida for a few extra weeks, getting his arm back up to speed and then rejoining the team in Washington somewhere down the road.

That's all from Jupiter. Split-squad night games tomorrow against the Tigers and Dodgers. Matt Chico vs. Justin Verlander in Viera, Jason Bergmann vs. Jason Schmidt in Vero Beach. Talk to you then...

After a relaxing day off -- well, relaxing for those who didn't attempt to play golf and set the sport back 100 years with their horrific play -- we're back at it today. It's the Nationals and Cardinals from Jupiter, which to the uninitiated isn't just the largest planet in the solar system. It's also a planned community in Florida (are there any communities in Florida that aren't planned?) just north of Palm Beach.

Ex-Card Jason Simontacchi on the mound for Washington. Anthony Reyes pitching for the defending world champs. Here's your lineups:

NATIONALS
2B Bernie Castro
SS Cristian Guzman (first ML game in the field)
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Ryan Church
CF Abraham Nunez
C Brian Schneider
1B Travis Lee
RF Michael Restovich
P Jason Simontacchi

CARDINALS
SS Jolbert Cabrera
CF Rick Ankiel (remember him?)
1B Albert Pujols
3B Scott Rolen
RF John Rodriguez
LF Preston Wilson (ex-Nat)
2B Aaron Miles
C Gary Bennett (another ex-Nat)
P Anthony Reyes

Top 1st -- Bernie Castro attempts to drop what I can only assume was meant to be a drag bunt. Basically, it went right back to the pitcher for an easy out. Guzman then grounds out to short and Zimmerman lines out. 1-2-3 inning.

Bot 1st -- Displaying his usual efficiency, Simontacchi gets Cabrera to foul out, Ankiel to pop out and some guy named Pujols to fly out to center. Couldn't have thrown more than 10 pitches in the inning. If he keeps that up, Simontacchi might have a legitimate case to be the Nats' Opening Day starter! (And I'm only half-joking).

Top 2nd -- Well, this isn't going to take long at this rate. Church whiffs at a high fastball. Nunez flies out to center. Schneider flies out to left. Nothing doing against Reyes, who you may remember as the guy who tossed a gem in Game 1 of the World Series despite his 5-8 record and 5.06 ERA during the regular season.

Bot 2nd -- What I said last inning about Simontacchi? Scrap that for now. The Cards have started figuring him out. Rolen leads off the inning with a homer just inside the left-field foul pole. Rodriguez follows with a double down the right-field line. A couple of groundballs move him over to third and then in, and then Gary Bennett (one of my favorite ex-Nats) keeps the inning alive with a sharp single. Simontacchi strikes out the opposing pitcher to end it, but after two, the Cards now lead 2-0.

Top 3rd -- Anthony Reyes for Cy Young! Lee lines out, Restovich flies out, Simontacchi grounds out. Nine up, nine down for your Nationals, with nothing remotely close to a hit yet.

Bot 3rd -- Simontacchi, or "Simo" as the St. Louis writers call him, gets back on track. Cabrera flies out. Ankiel hits a sharp grounder to first, but Lee makes a nice play to get him. Pujols flies out to right. Simontacchi owns that guy. End of 3, still St. Louis 2, Washington 0.

Top 4th -- Uh, this is starting to get serious. Castro flies out to left. Guzman smokes one to first but Pujols is there to snag the liner. So that's 11 up, 11 down for Reyes. And then, hold the phone, Zimmerman sends a grounder up the middle, Aaron Miles knocks it down but can't make the throw. Infield single for Zim! No perfect game today! (Of course, Church then hit a fly ball to left, so the Nats still haven't done squat at the plate.)

Bot 4th -- Maybe Simontacchi just has to have one bad inning per start. Other than that 2-run second, he's been perfect today. Retired the side again in the fourth with a pair of groundouts and a fly ball to center. Still 2-0 Cards.

Top 5th -- Reyes strikes out Nunez and doesn't look like he's going to let up anytime soon, but apparently he reached his pitch limit, so he's out and left-hander Tyler Johnson is in. The Nats raise their arms in jubilation and proceed to show why. Schneider singles, moves to second on a wild pitch. Lee walks. Schneider moves to third on another wild pitch, then scores when Johnson botches a tailor-made double play grounder by Restovich. Johnson then walks Simontacchi (is that good?) before Castro bails him out with an easy comebacker to end the inning. Halfway through this one, it's now Cards 2, Nats 1.

Bot 5th -- Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've found our No. 3 starter: Jason Simontacchi. After another scoreless inning, the journeyman right-hander caps off another solid outing. Five innings, two runs, four hits, no walks, one strikeout. On this team, that's as good as it's going to get. Even though the guy is going to give some hits now and again, his control is so good that he's got to be a lock to make the rotation now. In 12 innings this spring, he's only walked one batter. So on this, the day before the Ides of March, I think we can safely pencil in three-fifths of Manny Acta's Opening Day rotation: 1. Patterson, 2. Hill, 3. Simontacchi. The rest? Well, the good news is we still have more than two weeks left down here...

That's going to do it for play by play today.

One of the few joys for Nationals fans last year was watching the left fielder, both on the field and at the plate