Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
That the Nationals can still go 0-162. Washington lost at Atlanta in a game that ended at 1:25 AM ET, thanks to a two-hour rain delay and 10 innings.
The Nationals came back from deficits of 4-1 and 5-4, tying the game 5-5 with a run in the top of the ninth. But lefty Joe Beimel, their seventh pitcher, had to work a second inning and gave up the winning run in the 10th, when Kelly Johnson hit the winning single.
Washington, 0-4, left 16 runners on base. The good news for the Nationals is they are getting closer to a win; after losing by six runs on Opening Day, they have cut their final deficits to five, two and now one. Also, the Nats are just three games behind the Braves in the wild-card race.
From the Trainer's Room ...
The Dodgers, who struggled to pick a No. 5 starter in spring training, are now without their Opening Day starter. Hiroki Kuroda went on the disabled list with a strained left side; call-up Eric Stults will start in his place Saturday night at Arizona.
Numbers Game ...
The Indians have allowed 42 runs in losing their first four games, making them just the second team in 100 years to start 0-4 while allowing more than 10 runs per game. The 1978 Orioles actually rallied to go 90-71.
In Their Own Words ...
"I was so horrible at math. I mean really horrible. Algebra II was my Waterloo. Algebra III and Trig I had no chance. I was just hanging on." – Rays manager Joe Maddon, whose slogan for his team last season was "9=8"
Advance Scouting ...
A couple of veterans coming off injuries begin their comebacks in earnest Saturday. Boston's Brad Penny, who missed much of last season with shoulder issues, faces the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4:10 PM, ET) in his Red Sox debut. White Sox right-hander Bartolo Colon, who has had shoulder, back, elbow and side problems since winning the 2005 Cy Young Award, faces the Twins (8:11 PM, ET).
