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WASHINGTON -- By the time Stephen Strasburg reached back and threw a 96 mph fastball for a strikeout to end the top of the seventh with his 106th pitch, his usual first-inning struggles seemed long ago -- and his day seemed over. When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though, Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft pitched into the eighth. "Hes our horse," Williams said, indicating hed like to keep his ace in deep into games more often. "We dont want to do that every time," Williams added. "But in a game like today, hes got the lead and (you) want to show confidence in him that were willing to send him back out there to protect that lead." Said Strasburg, who improved to 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA: "Thats the position I want to be in." After waiting through a rain delay of more than 1 1/2 hours to throw his first pitch, the righty did what hes done all season: laboured to get the first three outs, then been fairly dominant. This time, he gave up four consecutive singles, including run-scoring hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, during a 28-pitch first as Los Angeles went ahead 2-0. "Ive been trying not to go out there and give up a crooked number early," Strasburg said. "But you can give up one or two early and just keep it close and give your guys a chance to get back into the ballgame or get the lead." Hes allowed eight earned runs in his eight first innings in 2014, a 9.00 ERA. From the second inning on, its 2.29. "Hes as good as anybody on any given day. Weve also seen that anybody can get beat on any given day," Williams said. "We want to get him to that point where he can finish that eighth inning, too. Thats important for him." In all, Strasburg allowed two runs and seven hits -- all singles -- in 7 1-3 innings. He faced the minimum three batters in each of the second through fifth innings, and threw a total of 114 pitches. In the sixth, he put two men on, but got Andre Ethier on a grounder for the third out. In the eighth, Strasburg also put two on, then was replaced by lefty Jerry Blevins, who got Gonzalez to pop out in foul territory. Righty Tyler Clippard then came in to retire Puig, who missed the two previous games after crashing into an outfield fence. Rafael Soriano threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save in seven chances. Adam LaRoches two-run single off the top of the wall in right off Dan Haren (4-1), who was with the Nationals in 2013, tied the game in the bottom of the first. Washington edged ahead on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth from Wilson Ramos, playing his first game since opening day. Ramos earlier had a double on the first pitch hed faced in the majors since March 31, when he broke a bone in his left wrist against the Mets. He sat out 32 games. "Didnt take him long, did it? He pounded that ball," said LaRoche, who is hampered running the bases and on defence at first base by a left quad muscle problem. Ramos return is a boost for the Nationals. Theyre also eager to have right-hander Doug Fister come off the disabled list Friday to face the Oakland Athletics in his first start of the season. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lost four of their past six games. "Were definitely," Haren said, "not playing to our potential." NOTES: Washington optioned 1B-OF Tyler Moore to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the roster for Fister. ... After a day off, the Nationals open a three-game series at Oakland on Friday, with Fister on a pitch limit of about 100 while facing LHP Tommy Milone (0-3, 5.86). ... Los Angeles returns home to open a four-game series against San Francisco on Thursday, with Dodgers RHP Josh Beckett (0-1, 3.14) facing Giants RHP Ryan Vogelsong (1-1, 4.60). Nike Free Discount .J. - The New York Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell, giving them some added depth at the position. Wholesale Nike Free . The Brazilian driver had the second-best time in last months tests at Jerez and said the "good start" could play to his advantage when the season gets underway in Australia in March. http://www.nikefreediscount.com/. -- The Oakland Raiders added a veteran presence to their young receiving group by signing free agent James Jones to a three-year contract Monday. Nike Free Outlet Store . According to MMAFighting.com, MacDonald needs an x-ray on his right ankle and doctors clearance to fight or he will be subject to a mandatory medical suspension that will end on August 22, 2014. Nike Free Sale . That still leaves a big hole.You dont replace the leadership, defensive co-ordinator Billy Davis said. You just dont. Leadership is something that is earned over time.EDMONTON - The Calgary Flames havent had much go right this season, but everything certainly came together for one night on Saturday. Curtis Glencross had a hat trick and Matt Stajan had a goal and three assists as the Flames scored four goals in a 3:05 span of the second period to come away with a massive 8-1 victory over the rival Edmonton Oilers. "What a great game," said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. "We wanted to redeem ourselves from (Friday) nights game. I could see that the boys were not very impressed with the performance from last night. We just worked very simple, we were very effective and we scored some great goals." Mike Cammalleri, Mark Giordano, Paul Byron and Kevin Westgarth also scored for the Flames (29-35-7) who have won four of their last six and sit 26th overall in the NHL. Nobody was expecting that kind of offensive explosion, however. "Its been a challenge for us to produce offence this year," Cammalleri said. "Its nice to see pucks go in like they did. You dont expect to score eight goals every night, but its nice to get that feeling where you feel like the puck is going to go in the net for us." It was an emotional game for Stajan, who pointed up to the sky after scoring on a penalty shot in honour of his newborn son, who died earlier this month. "That one means a lot," he said. "Its been obviously not easy and that one was for the little guy. It felt good and it gave us some puck-luck after too. Well move on now and Ill remember that one forever." Jeff Petry replied for the Oilers (25-38-9), who have lost two in a row and remain in second last place in the league. "Its pretty obvious how bad we played tonight. We are obviously very frustrated with how we played this game," said Oilers winger David Perron. "It is pretty embarrassing. We all know how bad it was and that the fans werent happy. If I was sitting in the stands, I would have been doing the same thing they were doing." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins agreed that the fans were within their rights to voice their disproval to the team. "That was probably the longest last 15 minutes of a game that I have ever been involved with," he said. "I apologize to the fans who were here tonight and had to watch it. It was painful on the bench and Im sure it was painful in the stands. We hope it is just a blip on the radar because we have been playing pretty well lately. "I understand the frustration tonight. Especially losing to Calgary. No disrespect to Calgary, they are working hard and have had a tough year as well. But that is our rival, so it stings even worse." The Oilers started the scoring with a power-play goal four-and-a-half minutes in as Petry sent a long slapshot from the point through a sea of legs and past a screened Karri Ramo in his return to the Calgary net for the first time in seven weeks. Calgary tied the game four minutes later as Giordano got all of a shot from the top of the face-off circle, sending a bullet off the crossbar and into the Oiler net behind Edmonton starter Viktor Fasth.dddddddddddd The Flames went up 2-1 four minutes into the second period as Mikael Backlund sent a cross-ice pass to Cammalleri, who was able to pick the corner with a quick shot before Fasth could get across the net. It was Cammalleris 23rd of the season. The floodgates opened from there. A minute later, Calgary had a two-goal advantage. Stajan was awarded a penalty shot after a rather suspect slashing call on a breakaway from Edmonton defender Mark Fraser. Stajan made the most of the one-on-one opportunity, beating Fasth glove-side with a backhand shot. The Flames scored their third goal in a 1:47 span as Cammalleri stopped short on a quick breakout and allowed two Edmonton defenders to go sliding past before feeding the puck to Byron at the side of the net for his sixth of the season. Just 1:18 later the Flames made it four goals in just over three minutes as Glencross tucked a shot over Fasths shoulder. Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth, who allowed five goals on 16 shots. Late in the second period, Oiler Taylor Hall threw a water bottle in frustration while sitting on the Oiler bench that ended up spraying the coaching staff, earning a terse scolding from head coach Dallas Eakins. "That stuff happens," Hall said. "Dallas and I have a great relationship. At times we all get a little frustrated with how things are going and sometimes you need to take a step back and realize that frustration isnt going to accomplish anything. "I dont expect anything more. We are all good." Calgary made it 6-1 five minutes into the third period as a Glencross shot hit the stick of Edmontons Justin Schultz and went through Scrivens legs. The Flames then struck again 37 seconds later as a Tyler Wotherspoon shot that was going wide was batted out of the air and in by Westgarth at the side of the net. The frustration continued for Edmonton as a jersey was thrown on the ice soon afterwards, prompting Scrivens to hook it up with his stick and fling it back into the crowd. "I always feel like as a fan, you pay your money and you get to do whatever you want," Scrivens explained. "If you want to boo me, jeer me, call me every name, you are entitled to that. You could spit on me for all I care, if I deserve it. But when I see a jersey thrown on the ice… Im from here. You are not just disrespecting the guys in this room, you are disrespecting guys who wore this jersey before us. All of the great guys who have pulled this sweater over their heads, Gretzky, Messier, they all took great pride wearing that jersey. "That logo is a sacred thing for us. It is disheartening for me to see our fans treat it that way." Calgary made it 8-1 with just under seven minutes to play as Glencross recorded his hat trick goal on a long shot through traffic for his 10th goal of the season. The Flames return home for a three-game set, starting with the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Oilers play the fourth game of a six-game homestand on Tuesday, also against the Sharks. ' ' '