The Nationals have taken the 1st 2 games of the series against the Cubs with 2-1 and 11-5 victories.  The Nats improved their major league best record to 83-52.

Jeff Samardzija pitched well on Labor Day, but suffered the loss as the Cubs could not muster any offense. Samardzija fell to 8-13 on the season despite allowing just 1 ER on 7 hits and 1 walk in 7 innings pitched.  He struck out 8 and walked just 1 batter as he lowered his ERA to 3.91 and his WHIP to 1.26.  Starlin Castro and Wellington Castillo each had 2 hits in the loss and Castillo knocked in the only Cubs run with a single in the 9th inning that cut the Nats lead in half.  But it was too little too late.

Chris Rusin and the Cubs bullpen served up 6 homers to the Nationals in the 11-5 loss on Tuesday night.  Rusin lasted just 1 inning (he did not record an out in the 2nd inning) before being pulled by Skipper Dale Sveum.  His line was not pretty — 5 ER on 8 hits with a walk and a strikeout.  His WHIP ballooned to 2.00 as his ERA skyrocketed to 9.00.  It was his 2nd loss in 2 starts this season.  Alfonso Soriano did hit his 26th home run and tallied his 2nd triple of the season.  Luis Valbuena, Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro each had 2 hits in the loss.

The Cubs are a woeful 51-84 on the season and it looks like they could suffer a 100-loss season in 2012.  Ouch…

At least they are still finding ways to have fun – check out the picture of Rookie picture Jaye Chapman carrying the “Dora The Explorer Backpack” to the Cubs bullpen before the start of the game!

The Cubs ruined Angels’ ace Jeff Weaver’s spring finale with an 8-1 on April Fool’s Day.  The Cubs touched up Weaver for 3 ER on 8 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings.  The big blow came on Darwin Barney’s RBI triple in the 6th inning when the Cubs took a 3-0 lead over Weaver and the Angels.  The Cubs then blew the game open with Jeff Baker’s 3-run jack off of Jason Isringhausen as part of a 5-run 8th inning.  The Cubs racked up 13 hits – their most of the spring – including 2 hits apiece for David DeJesus and Starlin Castro.

Minor League lefty Chris Rusin continued a nice spring by throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings against a potent Angels offense.  He gave up only 2 hits and most importantly, he did not walk a batter.

The only negative was that the Cubs fielders committed 3 infield errors – Ian Stewart, Castro and Blake DeWitt.  While the pitchers bailed out the fielders in this game, the Cubs defensive players are going to have to be a lot more careful once regular season action starts later this week if they expect to stay in the NL Central hunt in 2012…