Unfortunately, it isn't a regular season game but a U.S. Open Cup game. Oh, and a slump without losses, what a league, eh (the slump involved the team picking up three ties in a row)?

So that Cup game - 8,637 people watched the game in person, and no one else watched, as far as I can tell. No tv coverage, no radio coverage. Might have been internet coverage. Read about what happened in the game in this article on the DC United official website.

Why am I talking about DC United, and not the Nationals? Simple. I was tired of the Nationals losing yesterday, and then they went and lost again.

Once again the Nationals took the lead early only to see the lead immediately overtaken by the other team in the bottom of the first inning. End of 1: a manageable 2 run deficit with the Marlins ahead 3-1. Then the Marlins added 5 more runs in the bottom of the 2nd and that was all the runs the Marlins would need, though they would add 1 more run in the third. The Nationals? They would make it interesting, yet again, by picking up an additional 6 runs to add to their initial 1 run scored in the first. They lost the game 7-9, and were swept in the series.

Highlights (and the lowlights, eh?): Good thing they demoted Hughes and didn't bring up another pitcher, right? Oops, Armas lasted only 1.2 innings, giving up 5 earned runs (8 total) off of 10 hits (1 home-run) and 2 walks (and struck out 1). Schroder relieved Armas and pitched a surprising 3.1 solid innings, giving up just 1 run off of 1 hit (a home-run) and 1 walk while striking out 4. Lopez went 3 for 4, stole a base (his 33rd of the year) and committed two more errors (24 errors now). Escobar returned to the line-up and went 2 for 4 - a double (3) and a triple (2). Mateo started and covered third base, giving Zimmerman the night off, and went 2 for 5, with his first home-run of the year. Harper again started, this time going 1 for 3, lowering his batting average to .412. Castro started at second and also went 1 for 3. Jackson also entered the game, but at least only as a pinch hitter. He somehow didn't commit an error while pinch hitting.

Odd starting line-up, with Ward at 1st, Mateo at 3rd, Castro at 2B and Harper as catcher.

The Nationals have now lost 5 in a row. They have an off day today, and then visit the Braves.

box score

Cabrera powers historic outcome: Miguel Cabrera hit two homers to help Scott Olsen become the third Marlins rookie to win at least 10 games, the first time that has happened since 1952

'Frustrated' Nationals Irk Bowden - Washington Post recap

The door to the visiting manager's office at Dolphin Stadium swung open late Wednesday night, and the entire coaching staff of the Washington Nationals marched in. There, they met General Manager Jim Bowden, blue blazer on his back, a piercing gaze emanating from his eyes. These are not happy times around the Nationals, who have all but embarrassed themselves in the midst of a nine-game road trip.

Washington Times recap "With key regulars getting the night off and a lineup that resembled a Class AAA affiliate, the Washington Nationals desperately needed a good outing."

I have nothing more. I don't really care about the DC United team, and their win is not as helpful as it might seem. No games tonight involving anyone (as in DC United or Washington Nationals) I'll have nothing to talk about tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow I'll pretend to have an interest in fly-fishing.

You know, I was thinking about this on the way to work today - Washington DC now has an MLS team (which continues to shine with little fanfare; DC United), an NHL team (I don't recall the last time I watched; Washington Capitals), an NBA team (are they still called the Wizards?; Washington Wizards), a WNBA team (WNBA, right?; Washington Mystics), an NFL team (Washington Redskins), and a MLB team (Washington Nationals). No college sports that I care about, though. Sometimes basketball gets interesting, but I don't care for basketball. Of all the sports mentioned, I seem to only pay attention to the Nationals and the Redskins. The Nationals are not expected to be any good until the turn of the next century (oops, I mean 2010), and while the Redskins are interesting now, I need something more. I'll give soccer a shot. If you find me at an WNBA game, you know I've fallen far and am really grasping at straws (and actually say the same if you saw me at an NBA game, I'm boycotting basketball (the team I played on never lost a game, I've mentally crossed basketball off the list of sports to life through as a player or spectator). Tennis is sometimes amusing to watch, but I don't really have good access to it. NASCAR is rapidly overtaking America, but I also don't have in-person access to that. Soccer it is, then. Oh, just to further bore you - I've always been a casual fan of the Washington Capitals, which is why when I decided to add a third sport to pay attention to, I went with the DC United. I wanted something new, something I've never paid any attention to before, in my entire life (other than playing the sport a couple years when I was something like 5). That and the team seems to keep winning championships, and the Caps just flirt with the playoffs. Hopefully, this time next year I'll have four sports to pay attention to: baseball, football, soccer, hockey. Too bad the local (short-drive; my school won the 2004 I-AA football championship, but they are too far away to go to more than 1 game a year) area college programs are not particularly good in anything except basketball.