Nats bite the Hand that fed them (Nats win game one 7-4)

Poor Brad Hand. Not only did the Marlins starter allow a whopping seven runs over 3 2/3 innings before being pulled from the first game of today's doubleheader, he also teed up reporters in the press box, who fired off jokes playing on his last name. Things got out of Hand in the third inning. The Marlins Handed the Nationals a few runs today. Ozzie Guillen told his starter to Hand him the ball. I know, I know. Awful stuff. The Nationals broke things open against Hand and the Marlins by plating three runs in the first, one in the third and three more in the fourth. It's already a 7-1 game as we play in the fifth inning. Adam LaRoche has had a monster game, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs. The subject of my morning entry ripped a run-scoring single in the first to get the Nats on the board, crushed a solo homer to center in the third and then battled his way to a run-scoring walk in the fourth. Mark DeRosa has driven in three runs of his own on a two-RBI single and another bases-loaded walk. Hand walked six Nationals overall, and threw 96 pitches over his 3 2/3 innings. You've got to Hand it to the Nats - they really delivered a butt-whooping to the opposing starter today. Too much? Sorry. Update: Just like in his previous outing with the Nationals this season, which came the day of a doubleheader, John Lannan got off to a rocky start before settling into a groove and delivering a strong performance. Today, Lannan allowed the first three hitters he faced to reach base, and gave up a run in the first inning. The Marlins threatened again in the second, but Lannan allowed just one baserunner over his next four innings of work. He set down 13 of 14 hitters at one point, and although two more runs came around to score in the seventh, he still gets credited with another quality start. Overall, Lannan went six-plus innings, allowing four hits, three runs, five walks and four strikeouts. He's in line for his second major league win of the season, as the Nationals hold a 7-3 lead late in this one. Update II: The Nats took game one of the doubleheader, earning a 7-4 win in a contest which seemed to kind of drag on in the late innings. Despite jumping out to a 7-1 lead, the Nationals made this a ballgame, giving up two runs in the seventh, loading the bases in the eighth and then putting the potential game-tying run in the on-deck circle in the ninth. Tyler Clippard was needed to close it all out, which no one thought would be necessary an hour earlier, but nonetheless, another Nats victory is in the books.