WASHINGTON (Map, News) - All spring, Nationals starting pitcher Shawn Hill has dealt with lingering soreness in his right forearm.

It was an ominous sign for a pitcher with the makeup to be a staff ace — if only he could stay healthy. But, after a stint on the disabled list to open the season, Hill decided the injury was something he could pitch through. Slowly, but surely, he is proving that assessment correct.

Hill kept the Nats close with eight innings of sparkling four-hit, one-run ball on Wednesday afternoon. He was long gone by the time that effort finally paid off for Washington, which beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, in the bottom of the 12th on an RBI base hit by Felipe Lopez.

It was the fourth win for Washington (11-17) in its last at-bat this season and the third time it has accomplished the feat at Nationals Park. The Nats swept the brief two-game series with the Braves (12-15) and are now 5-2 on their 11-game homestand.

Hill needed just 94 pitches to get through the eighth inning and more than matched Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens, who allowed two hits, no walks and one run through seven.

The Nats left runners in scoring position in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings. Lopez himself grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the 10th.

Mark Kotsay’s RBI single off Saul Rivera in the 12th appeared to doom Washington. But a walk to Austin Kearns, an infield single by Willie Harris and a fielding error by Braves reliever Manny Acosta set the stage.

Pinch hitter Ronnie Belliard drew a bases-loaded walk from Acosta to tie the game. Lopez then took advantage of his second chance with a loping liner to left off reliever Buddy Carlyle that sailed over the head of the drawn in outfield.

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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