Park at Union Station, take Metro over, and cab it back. Not complicated. Problem solved.

I just don't see the "greatly diminished" side of their playoff chances. As another commenter mentioned, Stras has been extremely flaky since the All-Star break (not as much as Jackson but still). Saturday's outing was a good example of that iffiness (and the win, emblematic of the team's personality this season). …

Their best player? Their best pitcher????

Do you really think, though, that the Nationals achieved the best record in baseball only - or even, simply, in large part - because of Strasburg?

Thank god they're only trying to get out of the NLCS.

Again, this is a thesis you want to rest on, that Strasburg should potentially blow it all in his first full season because he might never achieve that much again, even though, using your own measurement, Strasburg is nowhere near "the top of [his] sport"?

+1

What if Tiger Woods had withdrawn after the third round of the 2008 US Open because his knee hurt?

Strasburg's absence won't break the Nationals in the post-season, though - Gonzalez and Zimmermann are solid and reliable. Detweiler is good more often than he is not. Jackson is the one to worry about - as he showed yesterday, when he is bad, he is Dice-K.

I completely blame the Sharapova/Azarenka match for the icepick headache that developed behind my left eye on Friday night and didn't abate until this afternoon.

Great final, made better with earplugs.

It's so unsportsmanlike and entirely unnecessary. Glad Serena pulled it out.

God I can't stand that shrieking manatee. Go Serena.

Because it conveniently came in a frame that said "Renoir" or something else? (Genuinely curious.)

It would be a welcome oasis from the NFL opening Sunday coverage! :)

Any word on if we'll be getting open threads for the finals this weekend? :)

Who'd have thought a wastebasket full of vomit in a small, poorly ventilated room at a Jersey Shore motor inn might emit a detectable odor?

I think even if Serena is playing at 50%, it's going to be a very clean title win for her over Azarenka. (Probably jinxing Williams entirely be presuming a quick victory this evening, of course.)

Sayonara, Sugarpova.

Agreed. However, whoever comes out of this one will likely be buzzsawed by Serena on Saturday night. She's seems unstoppable.