Squeezing out some runs (Werth keeps on crushing)

CHICAGO - Last night, the Nationals put 21 runners on base and just four of them came around to score. Through two innings tonight, they've put four runners on and plated three of them. That's a much better ratio there, fellas. The Nats have a 3-1 lead going to the third thanks to a couple hard-fought at-bats, a hot-shot Kurt Suzuki groundball that got under the glove of Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and a well-executed squeeze by Ross Ohlendorf. With one out in the inning, Ian Desmond (walk), Adam LaRoche (single) and Steve Lombardozzi (walk) all reached base to load 'em up for Suzuki. Lombardozzi's walk came after an eight-pitch at-bat that saw him foul off two two-strike pitches before working the base-on-balls. Suzuki then ripped a hard grounder to the right side that Rizzo couldn't corral, and two runs came in on the play. Ohlendorf then laid down a two-strike squeeze, with Lombardozzi creeping down the third base line. The ball looked like it got the very end of Ohlendorf's bat, but he got it down fair, and Lombardozzi scored to make it 3-1 Nats. Ohlendorf gave up a solo homer to Rizzo just two batters into the game, but he's retired five of the six batters he's faced since then, with two strikeouts. Update: Jayson Werth cannot be stopped. Werth smoked a three-run homer into the bleachers in left-center in the third, his 18th longball of the season, giving the Nats a 6-1 lead. This only continues what has been a tremendous season for Werth. He's now batting .331 on the season with a .939 OPS. But it doesn't end there. Since the All-Star break, Werth is batting .408 with eight home runs. But it doesn't end there. In August, Werth has an insane .459/.542/.672 line, with three homers, four doubles, 13 RBIs and 10 walks in 18 games. Just a ridiculous stretch for a red-hot hitter. It ends there.