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Bergmann impressive as Nationals end six-game skid

Apr 13, 2007 - 4:16 AM The Washington Nationals finally know how it feels to play with a lead.

Ronnie Belliard broke up a scoreless duel with an eighth-inning single off John Smoltz to lift the Nationals to a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Jason Bergmann allowed one hit over six impressive innings in his second start for Washington, which had a six-game losing streak snapped.

"Things don't always go well," Belliard said. "But we played good baseball tonight, we scored two runs in the eighth (inning) and it was enough."

"It felt good for the team, that's something we needed against a legend like John Smoltz," Bergman said. "I want to say that I needed it a lot for my confidence but the team needed it more."

Smoltz started the eighth inning by hitting Chris Snelling with a pitch. Snelling moved to second on a sacrifice and third after Felipe Lopez drew a four-pitch walk. The last pitch alluded catcher Brian McCann for a wild pitch.

"These are the things that you knew sooner or later would go their way," Smoltz said. "Riding to the field today I wasn't too excited to face them because things hadn't been going real well for them. They've been hitting balls right at people (and were somewhat due)."

"Smoltzy couldn't have pitched any better then he did," Bobby Cox said. "He kind of had no-hit stuff."

Belliard then lined a 2-1 fastball to right field, plating Snelling with the game's first run. Ryan Zimmerman followed by dunking a soft liner into right, plating Lopez for a 2-0 lead - the Nationals' first time playing with a lead all season.

"I can't say what I really said (after we took the lead)," Ryan Church said. "But I thought finally we got a lead. We had some great at-bats that inning and some luck finally went our way."

In the third game of the season last Wednesday against Florida, Washington scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to win its only other game.

Bergmann walked four and struck out a career-high eight batters in the best start of his career.

"When I first walked on the field tonight I was pumped up and had to prove I belonged here," Bergmann said. "When I walked a guy in the first it just drove me to further work on what I was doing."

The righthander entered 2-3 with a 5.93 ERA in 45 games - including eight starts. However, the 25-year-old entered 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in four outings at Turner Field.

Bergmann walked two and threw a wild pitch in the first inning, but struck out the side, including McCann to escape. He yielded a leadoff double in the fourth to Andruw Jones, but retired the next three hitters.

Jesus Colome (1-0) logged the seventh for the win, Jon Rauch worked the eighth and closer Chad Cordero struck out Scott Thorman with the bases loaded and two outs to notch his first save.

Cordero yielded a one-out single to Chipper Jones and walks to Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur before getting Thorman swinging on a 3-2 pitch.

"If I had blown this it would have been devastating to me and the team," Cordero said. "I was pretty excited to get my first save against the Braves, who I've had tons of trouble against in the past."

Smoltz (1-1) left after eight innings, yielding the two runs and four hits. The righthander walked four and struck out six.

"I was in command of all of my pitches," Smoltz said. "They hit two good pitches (for runs). I'll take 33 more games like this. I know the results will be better."