Nationals 3, Cubs 2

Hero: Ryan Theriot, who has 19 hits in his last 39 at-bats, singled in his first two plate appearances Wednesday. Theriot scored the Cubs' first run in the first and drove in their other run in the second.

Goat: Aramis Ramirez's struggles continue. He is hitting .155 after going 1-for-4 Wednesday.

Key Play: The Cubs trailed 3-2 when Kusuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee smacked back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the seventh. The rally fizzled when Ramirez rolled into a double play.

Comment: The Cubs wasted another strong effort from a starting pitcher as Ryan Dempster allowed just three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out six over eight innings. The North Siders stranded 11 baserunners and were just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Next: Ted Lilly (1-0, 0.00 ERA) hopes to duplicate his strong season-opening debut (six shutout innings) when he opposes Arizona's Ian Kennedy (0-1, 4.43) on Thursday (1:20 p.m., WGN) in the opener of a four-game series.