WASHINGTON (Map, News) - It was a small step in the right direction after yet another miserable start.

But the Nationals still have some work to do if they want to dig out of their early-season hole.

That starts tonight as a season-long 11-game homestand continues with a brief two-game series against the Atlanta Braves. The Nats (9-17) won three of their five games at Nationals Park last week against quality opponents in the New York Mets (13-11) and Chicago Cubs (16-9).

“Especially to beat teams of that caliber it shows what kind of baseball we can play,” said Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who is trying to break out of an April slump with a .222 batting average. “It’s a sign of things to come if we keep playing the kind of baseball we have the last week.”

Tonight, they face future Hall-of-Famer Tom Glavine, making his first start since he left a game at Nationals Park on April 13 with a right hamstring injury.

Glavine (0-1, 2.38 ERA), who didn’t record a single out in that game before suffering the injury, immediately went on the disabled list for the first time in his 22-year career. The Nats won, 5-4.

Washington again counters with Tim Redding (3-2, 3.67 ERA), also the starting pitcher that afternoon against the Braves. He allowed three runs and six hits in five innings en route to the victory.

Redding likely must deal with Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who is off to a red-hot start. Jones is batting .433 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. One of those homers came on Opening Night at Nationals Park. Jones sat out Atlanta’s previous two games with back spasms, but is expected back in the lineup tonight.

The Nats have had their own injury problems this season. They will cross their fingers for Wednesday’s starter Shawn Hill, whose right forearm pain has subsided slightly in recent weeks but is still an issue. He started the year on the disabled list, but has gone five innings in two starts since returning. Hill (0-0, 5.40 ERA) allowed four runs to Florida and two against the Mets. Atlanta’s Jair Jurrjens (3-2, 3.45 ERA) opposes him in a rare weekday afternoon game at Nationals Park.

Comments from Examiner Readers

2:18 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 18, 2008 re: "No easy access near ballpark for disabled"

Examiner Reader said:
Now how did "progressive, caring" DC happen to forget about the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires that public facility projects consider access for the disabled?

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11:32 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 15, 2008 re: "Shuttle service, beer sales among issues still to work out before Opening Day"

Examiner Reader said:
"The most extreme example might be June 29, when United faces off against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy as 12:30 p.m., and the Nationals play the Baltimore Orioles an hour later." well that was some brilliant scheduling there....lets stuff 100,000 people into the area over a two hour span

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11:34 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"

Examiner Reader said:
Considering where the new stadium is, you can bet that the cost of security will skyrocket!!!

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8:58 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"

Examiner Reader said:
If DC knew that they couldn't afford to pay the police department they shouldn't have never opened up the Stadium. You have so many poor people living in the DC area and all the taxes we citizens have to pay could have been going into better use. we have to pay all this money and we are not going to see where the money is going. Who cares, right.

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7:47 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"

Mike Licht said:
Re:$2M owed for security at Nats games -- Since the "quasi-governmental" D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission won't pay the $2 million it owes the Metropolitan Police Department for security at Nats games, why not get those "quasi" Commission members and paid staff out directing traffic on game days? At $55 an hour, it should only take them 36,364 person-hours to work off their debt.

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7:06 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"

Examiner Reader said:
"Whether the [commission] is paying it or MPD is paying it, it comes out of the same pot,� Mayor Adrian Fenty�s spokeswoman Carrie Brooks said in a statement. WHAT? Good grief, no wonder the city is in so much trouble. Everyone is aware the budget process means nothing in D.C., and that is why money is misspent and missing everywhere, but to come out an officially admit it, wow - good work Brooks.

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6:23 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"

Examiner Reader said:
The city charges baseball $55.00 per hour, the officers are paid their regular hourly rate. For most officers that about $32.00 per hour. What is the city doing with the difference?

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9:01 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007 re: "Nationals� stadium art project at a standstill"

Mike Licht said:
miqcie: Art is good. The DC government should make sure that it is part of the environment throughout our city, and encourage the community cultural groups and gifted DC artists who create it. The stadium is private property, owned by the Lerner family, who can well afford to buy their own art.

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4:10 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007 re: "Nationals� stadium art project at a standstill"

miqcie said:
I'm hopeful that this funding will be restored and is appropriate use of financing for public art. As a denizen of this city, I'd don't mind a part of my tax dollars going to projects like this that are truly community goods.

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12:17 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007 re: "Nationals� stadium art project at a standstill"

Mike Licht said:
The Commission claimed the site-specific art for the private baseball stadium was just being "loaned" to the stadium but still owned by the commission. That is like saying your dental work is on loan from someone else. Public art projects like this are normally paid for by the developer, and the public arts agency gives technical assistance in the project's execution. This poor judgment by the Commission has cost the DC arts community $850,000 in much-needed capital funds.

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5:46 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007 re: "Deal should clear the way for stadium art"

Mike Licht said:
Update: The deal is now for a $206,000+ site-specific sculpture to be "loaned" to the stadium by the DC Arts Commission. That is like saying that you "borrow" your dental work, an obvious falsehood. Shame.

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