Span stakes Nats to 1-0 lead in third (Nats survive scare for 4-2 win)

The Nationals have drawn first blood in tonight's game against the Braves.

In the third, Wilson Ramos drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sac bunt by Stephen Strasburg and scored on Denard Span's two-out double to right.

It's 1-0 Nationals heading to the bottom of the third.

Update: Left fielder Bryce Harper is out of the game in the top of the fourth. Nate Schierholtz came on as a pinch-hitter and fanned for the inning's final out. Schierholtz has also taken over in left. No word yet on what's going on with Harper.

Update II: Strasburg has worked four innings, and given up only three singles. He's walked none and struck out two.

Update III: The Nationals have announced Harper left the game with lightheadedness. That could be related to the flu bug that's been working its way through the clubhouse.

Ramos led off the fifth by hitting his 11th homer, a lined shot to left-center, for a 2-0 lead.

That's 20 straight road games with a home run for the Nats.

Update IV: Strasburg fanned Freddie Freeman looking on a big, bending curve to end the sixth. Freeman was ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons when he raised his hands in disbelief and then threw his bat so hard to the ground that it split in half. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez came out to try and protect his player, but was also run when he kicked the bat while voicing his displeasure. It's 2-0 heading to the top of the seventh.

Update V: Strasburg helped his own cause with an RBI single in the seventh for a 3-0 lead. The hit scored Asdrubal Cabrera, who had lined a two-out double into the left field corner.

Update VI: Schierholtz made it 4-0 in the eighth with a run-scoring double that plated Ian Desmond, who reached on a fielder's choice and stole second.

Strasburg is out after seven innings, replaced by Craig Stammen to start the bottom of the eighth. Strasburg allowed five hits, walked none and fanned seven.

Update VII: Rafael Soriano came in to pitch the ninth and got a quick strikeout, but then allowed two hits, including an RBI double by Justin Upton that made it 4-1. Soriano then got Jason Heyward on a fly to left and walked Chris Johnson before Matt Williams called for Drew Storen.

Facing Christian Bethancourt, Storen allowed an RBI single up the middle that put runners on the corners. A wild pitch advanced Bethancourt to second before B.J. Upton grounded out to short. Desmond fumbled the grounder, recovered and threw Upton out.

It's a 4-2 Nats final, and the magic number is down to two.