It is now official. Nationals Park will not be hosting a playoff series this year. What is surprising is that the Nats were not the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the post season. What is shocking is that the team is 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Nats have 21 games left in the season, and they have to win 9 in order to avoid 100 losses. A week ago, it seemed certain that they would fall short of 63 wins, and now they have a decent shot. They don't even possess the worst record in baseball anymore. Alas, it would have been nice to draft, and then fail to sign, Stephen Strasburg.

Ticket Prices
The Nationals this week released their season ticket plans for next year, and they are lowering the prices for 7,500 seats in the ballpark. Most of the seats affected are in the outfield, including the right field section that is always eerily empty. In addition, they are not raising the prices on any of the other seats for season ticket holders who renew their subscriptions.

The trend is for ticket prices to increase each year, so this move is the Lerners's first public admission that this season has not gone well. The Nationals are currently averaging 29,486 fans per game, which puts them at 18th in the league. The expectation for a team in a new stadium is higher, and the quality of the product on the field clearly affected sales. In fact, given how few people are watching on TV and listening on the radio, it is amazing that 29,000 are coming to see the team in person. While low ticket prices can help boost attendance, a decent baseball team would probably have more of an impact. A left-handed power hitter, preferably at first base, would probably do more for attendance than anything else at this point.

Jesus Flores
In the 3rd inning on Tuesday, Phillie Chase Utley tried to steal home and barreled over catcher Jesus Flores. Utley was out, but Flores was left writhing on the ground. He left the field on a stretcher. An MRI revealed an ankle sprain, and Flores is expected to return this year.

The question is, was Utley's play legitimate or not? Most people seem to think it was just good hard baseball, and while one wouldn't want to imply that anyone from Philadelphia could do anything dirty, but consider this. Last year in John Lannan's MLB debut, he hit Chase Utley and broke his hand, causing the second baseman to miss a month of the season. John Lannan was also pitching when Utley knocked down Flores. Coincidence?

Photo by Scott Ableman.

Jason Bergman
In the bottom of the fourth inning on Saturday, August 30, Jason Bergman managed to get a sacrifice hit off of Jo-Jo Reyes, advancing Elijah Dukes to third and Ryan Langerhans to second. This was Bergman's first sacrifice of the year. With it, he avoids the worst offensive year ever. Sure, he is still 0 for 39, but at least he now has a productive out to his credit.

Game Series of the Week
The Nationals are in the middle of a four game series with the Braves. The dreadful play of the Nationals has obscured the fact that the Braves are a very bad team as well. They have managed to skate by, letting the Nats take all of the "worst team in baseball" glory. If the Nationals win this series, they have a good chance of not finishing last in the National League East.

Briefly Noted: The Potomac Nationals won the first game in the Carolina League playoffs in 15 innings, and the second in 10... Is Jim Bowden the worst GM of all time?... Pitcher Joel Hanrahan won the Nationals' Roberto Clemente award... Catcher Luke Montz had a long trip to Washington.

Meaningless Statistic of the Week: Shortstop Cristian Guzman is last in the National League in Secondary Average [(TB-H BB BB=CS)/AB] by a switch hitting shortstop with .156.