Ohio native Stammen gets chance to see mom

CINCINNATI -- Craig Stammen is grateful to the Major League Baseball schedule makers. The Nationals' reliever is from Coldwater, Ohio, about a two-hour drive north of Cincinnati. That made this Mother's Day better than most.

"It worked out real nicely," said Stammen. "It was nice to get up and give my mom a big kiss this morning and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Usually, with us being on the road, we don't get a chance to do that, so it was really nice to be able to do that today."

Stammen said he had more friends and family make the trip south this weekend than he could count. He pitched 2 1/3 innings Friday night in Washington's 7-3 victory, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts. For the season, Stammen is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 13 appearances. He was part of the starting rotation in 2009 and '10, but now has a role in bullpen.

"It was definitely a fun outing. It was my first outing here in Cincinnati," said Stammen. "I missed it a couple of times when I was in the rotation, but it was enjoyable to get to pitch in front of a kind of home crowd. It's nice to have some people cheering for me on the road."