Worth watching

Washington Nationals fans were spoiled last season when they were treated to a real-life pennant race in their return to the big leagues. The Nationals may have tanked after the All-Star break, but they continued to play meaningful games right down to the last week of September.

No such luck in 2006. Washington’s fortunes have long since been decided, and all that remains is a long month of meaningless games as this last-place team plays out the season.

But as long-suffering fans from cities such as Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Baltimore know, there are still meaningful developments to watch in September, even if the games themselves aren’t meaningful.

So as the Nationals buckle down for what could be a painful final five weeks, here’s a breakdown of some key September story lines.

• Soriano’s run at history: Few last-place teams have ever had a player like Alfonso Soriano, so Nationals fans should soak up every last at-bat from the dynamic left fielder down the stretch as he attempts to make power-speed history.

After yesterday’s game, Soriano had 41 home runs and 34 stolen bases. He’s well on his way to becoming the fourth member of the 40-40 club, he’s got a reasonable shot at becoming the only member of the 50-40 club and there’s a slim chance he could make it to 50-50 if he really starts running wild on the bases.

If that’s not worth watching, nothing is.

• Zimmerman’s ROY run: Washington fans have had the pleasure of watching 21-year-old Ryan Zimmerman blossom in his first full season in the majors, one that could garner him National League Rookie of the Year honors.

It’s going to take a strong finish from the third baseman, though. He’s been slumping of late, and a deep pool of talented rookies (including Florida’s Josh Johnson and Dan Uggla, Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder and Los Angeles’ Andre Ethier) is going to make this a tight race.

Either way, it’s certainly worth paying close attention to during the next month.

• Identifying good pitching: The Nationals’ pitching staff has been beyond dreadful this season, particularly since the All-Star break. Some of the culprits (Pedro Astacio, Tony Armas) surely don’t figure into the team’s long-term plans. But some of them do, and it’s important for them to pitch well and prove their worth.

Among the starters, right-hander Ramon Ortiz could earn himself another contract with a solid finish. Left-handers Billy Traber and Mike O’Connor (once he returns from the disabled list) are pitching for permanent spots next season.

In the bullpen, young right-handers Saul Rivera, Ryan Wagner and Chris Schroder have shown signs of improvement. If they keep it up, they’ll make their case for key roles on next year’s team.

• Sorting out center field: It’s been a season-long problem, and no one has seized the everyday job. Brandon Watson fizzled out. Marlon Byrd never got things going. Alex Escobar had moments of brilliance but couldn’t stay healthy.

Now it’s Ryan Church’s opportunity (again) to win the job. He clearly has the talent to be a productive outfielder, but does he have the consistency and mind-set to reach his potential?

• Frank’s swan song?: If nothing else, the season’s final month could turn into a farewell tour for Frank Robinson, who still hasn’t been told whether he’ll be back in 2007 but has reason to believe he won’t.

Will the wily Hall of Famer’s fate be determined before the end of the season, giving fans an opportunity to shower him with praise down the stretch? Or will he return to Los Angeles for the offseason, still unsure whether he’ll be coming back to RFK next spring?

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