Down Goes Frasier!

The Washington Nationals shamed the National League today, losing the ultimate battle for league supremacy in the MLB Heavyweight Champsionship. By losing in the last interleague game, the title will stay with the American league for one more year.

Tony Armas stunk again, putting the team in a hole that Vinny Castilla and Junior Spivey got them out of. TA2 (Maybe Ta-Ta is better?) wins a Lame Duck with his shameful performance. Maybe someone can put him in touch with Dick Durbin for lessons on how to make a tearful apology.

Luis Ayala had another shaky outing. The overwork is increasingly looking like a problem. The All-Star break will give him a few days of rest. He's going to need it before ineffectiveness or injury renders him completely useless.

Saturday's game was the Marlon Byrd show. Two hits, Two RBI, a stolen base, an outfield assist. All he needed was a fighting major, and it'd have been a Gordy Howe hat trick. Needless to say, it was a Majority Whip-winning performance.

Friday night was Esteban Loaiza's time to shine. Although he only pitched six innings -- shutout ones at that -- he added all the offense the team would need with a two-run double.

The way the offense has performed for him, he had to do it himself or be content with another ND.

In other news, TJ Tucker has been lost for the season with that torn UCL. Dr. James Andrews answered his page, and he'll have ligament transplant surgery.

Hypothetically, he could be back next year, but Tucker has never been known for his sensational conditioning. Spring Training 2007 is the more likely target.

Jose Vidro tweaked his right knee, the one he had surgery on last year, when trying to rehab too quickly. As a result, he won't be back til after the All-Star break, which really should've been their target all along anyway.

Dutch Zimmerman continues his destruction of the minor leagues. After torching through Savannah like no one since Sherman, he got the call-up to Double-A Harrisburg. (Perhaps to defend Gettysburg?)

He had three hits in his first game, but none in his second. Perhaps he's human after all?