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Today is a great day for sports in the District. Until the weekend, I was on the verge of depression given the state of athletics in the District. But I think the summer slump is over, and we are on the upswing.

Nationals

From: Washington Post - Little Guys, Big Changes: Nats Notch a Sweep

A fresh set of superlatives overwrote all the familiar ones this weekend, and as a result, the Washington Nationals forgot the lifestyle endemic to baseball’s worst team and embraced the joy designated to one of baseball’s hottest. The new youngest team in baseball is also the littlest (more on that later), the cleanest, and, at least during the three-game sweep that concluded yesterday, the craftiest.

Yesterday afternoon’s 4-2 victory against the Cincinnati Reds — Washington’s third in a row — doubled as the final act of a weekend-long reclamation project. A team once found at the butt end of jokes instead started joking around, even about matters of its own size…

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From: Associated Press - Nationals win 4-2, complete 3-game sweep of Reds

By JOSEPH WHITE

WASHINGTON (AP) — For one weekend, the Washington Nationals managed to resemble a decent baseball team, an achievement made possible with the help of the stumbling Cincinnati Reds.

The Nationals completed only their second sweep of the year Sunday, jumping ahead with a four-run first inning in a 4-2 victory that followed a Reds’ players-only meeting.

Rookie Collin Balester (2-3) allowed one run in 5 1-3 innings and Lastings Milledge hit his ninth home run for the Nationals, who were mired in a nine-game losing streak before outscoring the Reds 19-10 over three games. Austin Kearns had three hits against his former team.

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Redskins

From: USA Today - Redskins’ party: Monk’s grace softens wait for Hall of Fame

By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY

CANTON, Ohio — Darrell Green is still plenty fast. The 5-8 former Washington Redskins cornerback once ran the 40-yard dash in 4.2 seconds —after his 40th birthday — and as he worked the tent that housed a lavish Hall of Fame party for Green and former teammate Art Monk, it was evident that he hasn’t lost a step.

“It’s tough being the man of the hour,” Green, a first-ballot choice who played 20 years with the Redskins, said as he bounced from one snapshot to the next on Saturday night.

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From: Bleacher Report - Jim Zorn’s Era with the Washington Redskins Begins with a Win

by Craig Garrison Sr

First-year head coach Jim Zorn should be pleased with what he saw in his team’s first action in the preseason. The Washington Redskins defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a two touchdown margin, 30-16 in Sunday Night’s NFL Hall of Fame Game.

The Hall of Fame Game opens the preseason each year, and the Redskins have had success playing in the event, with a 5-0 all-time record.

Quarterback Jason Campbell showed his coach that he has been listening and learning. Campbell was sharp and decisive, just as he has in training camp. With five completions in five attempts and a touchdown for 61 yards and no interceptions, Campbell solidified his status as the team’s starting quarter back.

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United

From: DC Examiner - United’s attack finds harmony

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The mantra for D.C. United leading up to last weekend’s clash withKansas City was simple, if not desperate: eight men behind the ball.

Who were the other two?  Jaime Moreno andLuciano Emilio, of course, who worked their magic, scoring one goal apiece while their teammates locked down the Wizards for a 2-0 victory, United’s first shutout of the season.

“They’re definitely a yin and yang kind of couple,” said Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad, who last week played in the MLS All-Star game while Emilio and Moreno stayed home. “Emilio is very direct — he’s kind of like a bull in a china shop. And he does well to create space for himself. He got a half chance, I figured, and he put it away. That’s why he was MVP last year and it seems he’s rounding back into form. Moreno is just crafty and you have to pay attention to him no matter where he is on the field.”

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