Worries are lingering in D.C.

Two important questions hung in the chilly spring air Monday afternoon at Nationals Park.

Who would throw out the first pitch in the Washington Nationals' home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies? For sure it would not be President Obama, who declined the invitation. His replacement was a closely guarded secret until members of the military's five branches came out and delivered their tosses to manager Manny Acta and four of his players.

But then the larger question: When would the Nationals finally win? Losers of their first six games, they were major league baseball's only winless team.

That answer remains elusive because the Nationals remain winless, now 0-7, although not without a fight against the 2008 World Series champions. In the seventh inning of a tie game, Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer off reliever Saul Rivera, and Raul Ibanez followed with a solo home run to spark the Phillies' 9-8 victory before an announced crowd of 40,386. The Nationals committed three errors.

With Washington trailing 9-6 in the ninth, Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer off relief ace Brad Lidge to make it a one-run game. But Lidge retired the next three hitters.

“We just need to hold opponents to under six, seven, eight runs,” Acta said, which lately has been harder than it sounds.

To the Phillies' organization and fans, the game seemed almost incidental. Longtime team broadcaster Harry Kalas, an institution and beloved figure in and around Philadelphia, collapsed in a television booth at about 12:30 p.m., just more than 2 1/2 hours before the first pitch. He was rushed to George Washington University Medical Center, where he died less than an hour later. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Kalas, 73, worked for the Phillies since 1971 but lent his distinctively slow, velvety delivery to other sports and commercials and was known nationwide.

“Major League Baseball has lost one of the great voices of our generation,” commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

Phillies fans were a presence at the game, although it was hard to say how many responded to the invitation to attend extended by Nationals president Stan Kasten last week on two Philadelphia radio stations. Michael and Staci Binder, a couple from northeast Philadelphia decked out in team gear and carrying a replica of the world championship banner, bought their tickets long before Kasten went on the air.

“We just want to see our boys,” Staci Binder said.

Michael Binder noted that he spent “400 or 500 bucks” on apparel and other Phillies-related stuff after the World Series.

“Most of Philly did that,” he said.

During the pregame ceremony, the Nationals' starters ran through the gate in center field and onto the field when they were introduced - like a football team.

“All we need are some cheerleaders and a banner to break through,” slugger Adam Dunn wryly noted beforehand.

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