The Nationals' first (unofficial) game is in the books, and though there were a few rough spots, the team looked solid in a 3-0 win. Some highlights: Jason Bergmann's first pitch was a ball, Nick Johnson had the first hit and first RBI (a single to center), Cristian Guzman scored the first run, Bergmann got the first win (after allowing one hit, striking out four and walking three in five innings) and Mike O'Connor got the first save.

Of course, none of this is official. So if you're the type of person who measures firsts in the regular season, disregard everything you just read.

If you're looking for concerns about the team's performance, two stick out

- First, Bergmann's control was less than stellar. That certainly has something to do with the chilly temperatures (53 degrees at game time, or about a 25-degree drop from what the team has been used to for the last month). But the starter wasn't terribly happy with himself in that department.

- Also, the Nationals left 11 runners on base, including nine in scoring position. They got runners in scoring position with one out several times, only to watch rallies die. But there's plenty of time to knock the rust off.

The official opening, of course, is tomorrow night at 8:05 p.m. against the Braves, before such dignitaries as President Bush and American Idol finalist Elliot Yamin -- well, one out of two, anyway. Odalis Perez will face Tim Hudson, who is 5-1 with a 1.09 ERA in eight lifetime starts against the Nationals. See you tomorrow night.