WASHINGTON (Map, News) - It was exactly the kind of hit Austin Kearns needed.

One of several players struggling in the middle of the Nationals lineup early this season, Kearns broke through at the perfect time Thursday evening against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

His line drive to right field scored teammate Cristian Guzman in the bottom of the eighth inning and helped lift the suddenly red-hot Nats to a 3-2 victory at Nationals Park.

Washington (12-17) has now won four in a row and seven of its last nine. The Nats are 6-2 on their 11-game homestand.

Kearns entered the game batting .182 and had recorded just two hits in his previous eight games. But his turnaround night included a pair of singles, including the eventual game-winner. Kearns also scored on a two-run RBI hit by Wil Nieves in the second inning.

Nats starting pitcher Odalis Perez continued a string of strong starts with three hits allowed and no walks in seven innings. Both of Pittsburgh’s runs came on solo home runs against Perez — one in the fourth and the other in the seventh.

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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