The strategy finally worked!

Using no starters and five different bullpen pitchers, the Nationals eked out a 4-2 victory against the Mets last night. Because the Marlins won, the Nats remain four games behind in the Wild Card Race with only 17 games to play.

The committee approach hadn't worked before last night, but the strategy looked brilliant in Shea Stadium. Hector Carrasco started and pitched four innings, giving up "only" two runs. We say "only" because the relievers who have been forced into starting haven't done nearly as well as Carrasco did last night. Hector threw 74 pitches, which is probably a lot more than he's thrown in one outing in a very long time. Jon Rauch, Joey Eischen, and Gary Majewski held the Mets scoreless over the next four innings, and Chad Cordero managed to keep the ball in the park on the way to his 45th save.

We don't understand why the Nationals continue to let their promising young guns sit on the bench while Vinny Castilla, Cristian Guzman, et al., continue to stink up the joint. Yes, Guzman got two hits last night, but there is only so many times that you can draw an inside straight.

In any event, the Nationals managed to score three runs in the third off of Tom Glavine, and that was enough for the victory.

The pitching situation brightens for the next three days as Loaiza, Hernandez, and Patterson will start Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Let's hope that they're able to give the bullpen some much needed rest.