. >> kristen berset is at nationals park where the nats are set to take on the chicago cubs. hey kristen. >> it's a little muggy out here, but there's a breeze that picked up. it cooled off quite a bit. the nats game number two against the cubbies tonight. one night after their big milestone win. we'll hear from them talking about their winning season and their history making season, i should say. plus, a rough saturday for the maryland terrapins. randy talks about what all needs to be fixed. we'll have that for you. sports is next. i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. mitt romney's position on women's health...it's dangerous. vo:mitt romney and paul ryan would get rid of planned parenthood funding. and allow employers to deny coverage for cancer screenings and birth control. we can't afford to let him take away our choices... to take away basic health care. vo: both backed proposals to outlaw abortions...even in cases of rape and incest. i don't think that women's health issues have faced a crisis like this in decades. >>> now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> welcome back. we a

is going to join me in stud grow discuss that and more. kristen berset is also in baltimore, so a lot to get to. also, the nats. they got the wood put to them this afternoon by the milwaukee brewers. milwaukee takes two of three from the rockies. >> he's a smart quarterback. >> he better get down if he's so smart. >> i saw him sliding a couple times. maybe he needs to do that more object. all right, something i actually know about, the forecast. we're going see lots of sunshine tomorrow, a high of 70 degrees, but it's going to be chilly. >> we've all got opinions. you can say whatever you want here. game on next. have a great weekend, everybody, bye. >>> we're going to do what we do, make plays. make sure you know you are going to make the play. >> no shortage of highlights from rgiii's home opener. burgundy and gold puts up points while the bengals hold a track meet. into to the house! is. >> he answers with his legs again but is he carrying the rock too much? ravens-patriots. a year removed from an epic championship. who got it done this time? a live report upcoming from the rav

kristen berset. i don't know why you had me on. >> you need more face time, bruce, you don't get enough face time. >> i need the money. >>> well like you said, home debut, rg3 making his home debut tomorrow. it's going to be exciting. of course, the big question surrounds this defense. hear from the guys on filling those injury voids. plus, they hold their own out west. hear from the team coming up in sports. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> the maryland terrapins weren't given much hope. they were on the road against west virginia. a team is averaging 55 points a game. the terrapins went into morgantown as 26 point underdogs. they struggled pretty much most of the season when the mountaineers have been impressive. the baltimore native was a problem for the terps d all day long. 44 yards, hear from gino smith off to the races. 14-0. terps quarterback is the freshman. he had a good day. he found stefan digs who does the rest. talk about yards after the catch. digs just three receptions today, but racked up 113 yards. terps down 7. next position, hill fires a dart to marcus le

weirdest we've seen in awhile. let me take you to the first inning. i'll have kristen berset detail this a little more later, but mike morris hits a home run that appears to be a home run. the umpires say it's not a home run. all kinds of confusion ensues on the base pass. they eventually tag out mike morris and replay the play. they come back, it's called a home run. so everyone's got to come back out onto the field and go through the motions one more time. so they call it a home run grand slam in the first inning. so let's fast-forward in the ninth inning now. drew on the close, he couldn't do it. john jay, a sacrifice. we go from 4-0 to 4-4. then to the tenth, kirk suzuki drives in a couple and the nats finally win 6-4. wow. as you say, bruce, it was quitea wild night out here in busch stadium. the braves won their game so the magic number goes down to one. we're staying in st. louis one more day. for now, we are at busch stadium. we have sound bites coming up from the team. they're in the lock earn room right now -- locker room right now. we'll get that for you and talk to you later

got a game with the browns tonight. our own kristen berset is at m&t stadium in baltimore with more on that. what's the story? >> reporter: hey, derek, yeah, that's right. the league wanted these real officials back as soon as possible. so they said the deal was done early this morning like you said, but they haven't officially signed anything. commissioner roger goodell lifted the lockout so they could have the officials back for tonight's ravens/browns game, big deal. things will try and get back to normal. many of the changes with the real refs back may not be completely obvious to viewers, but you may notice it's smoother and a quicker paced game, less stoppage to figure out what's going on. more importantly it's about the trust that the players and coaches have with these officials. now the two sides worked hard to end this lockout, one that went a little longer than expected. >> i think there was pressure on all of us to get an agreement from the get go. i don't think anybody wanted to go into using replacement officials. i don't think the officials wanted to come off the fiel

sparking a flurry of negotiations. our kristen berset talked with usa today's gary minhokis about the process. >> we're definitely closer to seeing this mess come to an end than a week ago. joining me now in studio, a man who has extensively covered the lockout gary minhokis from usa today. let's start with the call at end of the seattle/green bay game monday. is it fair to say that was the tipping point? >> it was a pretty crazy sunday. i think that might have been enough, about the that was the last game of the weekend, the last play and i think it pretty much was the last straw. >> we've had two, almost three coaches already fined from this weekend. so if that didn't do it, then yes, this catch definitely would have pushed that. where do they stand right now? >> well, there are good hints of progress, but as we've seen in these disputes in the past, it's never a deal till it's done and they have had significant issues with things like their pensions, their pay, their working conditions. hopefully they'll iron out a lot of things and they'll be signing on the dotted line in a few da

. kristen berset will be here -- touchdown for the seahawks. kristen berset will be here with more sheen. >>> a candlelight vigil scheduled tonight for members of a herndon family all found dead tuesday in fairfax county. police confirmed today the deaths on point rider lane were the result of a murder suicide. peggy fox has more on the family tragedy. >> reporter: the bodies were removed this morning. the crime scene tape came down this afternoon. now there's no stein on the outside at least of the terrible -- sign on the outside at least of the terrible tragedy that happened here. at the end of what had to be a tough day west neil high schoolteachers and staff gave their students -- westfield high schoolteachers and staff gave their students an emotional sendoff as the school buses departed. this morning there was a prayer vigil to remember their fellow student and friend, 16-year-old matt peterson who was in the 10th grade. there was also grief at rachel carson middle school where his brother 13-year-old chris was in 8th grade. the brothers were killed with their mother 52-year-

virginia. >> reporter: i'm kristen berset live at redskins park with robert griffin, iii and his day at the media. >>> now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> reporter: i'm live at redskins park. robert griffin, iii taken to the podium talking about his debut in new orleans this weekend. he said he feels medical fly and mentally pretty good -- physically and mentally pretty good after that win. they've put that behind them now. rg3's debut has got people talking all over the country, 320 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, earning him praise and accolades from everywhere, but he said he was just glad to come out with the w. >> defense played well. offense came together. everybody knows if they take care of their assignments we can win and we got the talent to do it. i feel good about the excitement about this team and i think the team feels good about itself just with the way we performed last week and we got to continue to carry that on. >> reporter: i'm joined live by grant pahlsson, 106.7 the fan. we saw a lot of options run in in game we don't see too often in the nfl. for

on the field starting tonight in baltimore. our kristen berset will have a live report from m&t bank stadium in the charm city in a few minutes. >>> the return of the referees has sparked an outpouring of relief and even joy. nobody is happier than nfl players including our very own redskins. >> reporter: i'm matt jablow at redskins park in ashburn where the return of the referees was all most people were talking about. >> you always say you don't miss something until you go without it. >> they got the deal done, excited to have them back. >> reporter: some more vocally than others. what was your first reaction when you heard the strike had been settled? >> i said hallelujah. >> reporter: but all agreeing it was a very good thing. >> they know their positions. they know the rules. >> reporter: the players in particular. >> thank you, lord. >> reporter: and for the game in general. what was your first reaction when you heard the refs were coming back? >> great, awesome. i saw it this morning. >> they keep everything under control. a couple week back you had players doing dirty plays a

been called, but kristen berset is live where hope springs eternal. they can get this thing turned around. >> exactly. we are still here and it's good news. the nats get an extra day off to recoop and relax a little bit, perhaps. they did get more good news before the big announcement. that is regarding second baseman, danny. he had an mri on his left shoulder. it revealed just a bone bruise, which is much better than the torn news. i spoke with him a little while ago. he got a cortisone shot and can feel it working. he is going to try and swing the bat tomorrow and see how he feels. he is day-to-day. this is the best case scenario. something he has been dealing with for a little while now. >> i thought, you know, i thought maybe it would go away. but kept going, it wasn't getting any better. at that point, i think figured there's something else going on. >> i'm joined now by nationals reporter for masnsports.com. great news regarding espenoza. not leaving him for a long time, anyway? >> first of all, they'll have to see how this shot affects him. if he's able to really get some st

lead over the braves. >> they can widen that gap with a win tonight. kristen berset is live at nats park with more. exciting times. >> it is. that win last night not only extended their lead, like you said, but clinched them their first winning season in nine years here at the nationals. the first for d.c. baseball fans since 1965. it's a great time, but of course lots of baseball still to play. a lot of the success has been attributed to those top three guys in the nats pitching rotation. you have detwiler. their third starter has been solid as of late as well. he struck out ten in eight innings when the cardinals were here without giving up an earned run. tonight we get the chance to get his own win, loss record back to .500. and jackson's teammates have total confidence he can get it done. >> he's a true pro and you know, he's an asset to the pitching staff and the team. i mean, i would say he is probably the quiet leader of the starting rotation and part of the team, too. >> he's dependable. he goes out there and pitches a lot of innings. he is a workhorse out there. >> joining

in the post-season. kristen berset has your morning sports. >>> good morning, everybody. i've got to say it doesn't get much better than baseball pennant race. win or lose, you're pretty much guaranteed an exciting game during this time. after yesterday's afternoon win between the nats and dodgers, the doubleheader evening game started to seem like a letdown at the beginning for nats fans but you can never count out the curly ws. the l.a. dodgers took a 6-0 lead in the 8th inning. two home runs cut it in half and bryce harper with two on send as dribbler to 3rd and he's safe at first base. he beat the throw. mike morris showing no signs of a hurt wrist, get as base hit to right. two more runs come in. the nationals just don't know how to quit. six runs in the 8th inning to tie up the game. but of course not every great story has a happy ending. it wouldn't last. in the 9th, a home run off tyler. the dodgers win this one 7-6 but hey, that was still one heck of a game. the two play again today and a win clinches a post-season berth for the nationals. >>> several redskins players are

over. >> that is good news. sonics anchor kristen berset is with us -- sports anchor kristen berset is with us now. do the replacement refs get the boot in time for sunday or even tomorrow night's game? >> i know everybody wants that to be made clear and that to happen, but i do want to emphasize, guys, this is not a done deal yet. nothing has been signed. in fact, we've seen reports the last couple hours that perhaps the two sides may not be as close to a deal as originally thought, but hey, they're closer than they were four days ago. the two sides have met since saturday. they held a

the late innings. kristen berset has the highlights in your morning sports. >>> good morning, everybody. the word cy young award has been attached to naptions pitcher gi -- to nationals pitcher gio gonzalez, he could be a good candidate for it but a guy hot on his tail brought 18 wins into last night's game and the nats looked motivated to keep it that way. zimmerman gave up just two earned runs including this one to david wright in the 5th. that gave the mets the lead but the nats bats came alive in the 7th. timer moore at the dish, he send as two-run shot to left off of dicky and that puts the nats back on top. that would be the end of it for dicky. in the 9th, bases laided for -- loaded for bryce harper. he had his first career four- hit game as the nats win 5-3. the magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now at eight games. orioles hosting the rays trying to get back in first place. big night for jj harty. a two-run shot to left. those fans are pretty pumped but he wasn't done yet. bottom 8, he likes this. watch this. another two-run shot, almost exactly to the same are

9 right here next saturday from 7:00 to 8:00. here's the host, kristen berset. great job. >> thank you. so exciting, something so new and fresh. there's still plenty of sports to talk about. we have college tonight. we've got reaction, plus a look at the rest of the area schools. and a an soldiers hold in their hearts. it's home. chicago, illinois temple, texas georgetown, south carolina but when they're away from home, there's another place they turn to. it's the uso. and in more than 130 locations around the world, for american troops and their families, it's as close to home as you can be. fort worth, texas los angeles, california honolulu, hawaii the uso is how america supports her troops. it's how we say thank you to the men and women who have placed our fortunes and our families and our futures ahead of their own. the uso is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that relies on the generosity of the american people. san diego, california san antonio, texas, baby. pasadena, california. but for now, it's right here. find out how you can help. visit us at uso.org. the us

honey boo boo "that >>> and now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> the word cy young award had been attached to the nationals. by a guy hot on his tail is dicky. he brought 18 wins. and the nats looked motivated to keep it that way. behind a solid performance from zimmerman who went six innings. he gave up just two earned runs, including this one by david wright in the 5th. the nats bats came alive in the 7th. tyler moore sends a two-run shot to left off the dicky. nats back on top. and that would be it for their ace. then in the 9th, bases loaded for bryce harper. he sends one to left. kurt suzuki comes in to score. harper had his first career four-hit game as the nats win dicky a loss. the final. the magic number for clinching a playoff spot is at 8 games. orioles hosting the rays trying to get back into first place. big night for jj hardy. bottom third a two-run shot to left. those fans are happy but he wasn't done yet. bottom 8th he seems to like that spot in left. another two-run shot. almost in the same exact spot. in all tonight, 4 for 5, two homers driving in five runs. the

9 sports with kristen berset. >> reporter: welcome back live at redskins park in ashburn. you know, the media frenzy surrounding robert griffin, iii's debut hasn't died down much and probably won't any time soon. today the rookie earned nfc offensive player of the week award. he becomes the first redskin to do so since clinton portis got it in 2008. griffin had a perfect passer's rating in the 1st half of sunday's game. that combined with 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions earned him the honor of also becoming the first ever rookie quarterback to win the award after his debut game. >> it's more than just myself. so i mean all the guys went out there, performed at a high level and it paid off for us with a win and i guess with another win for offensive player of the week. >> reporter: adding to that rg3 is featured on the cover of this week's sports illustrate, the headline reading power surge. it's not the first time and i'm sure it won't be the last. redskin nation crossing their fingers it won'ting a curse for the rest of the season. -- won'ting a curse for the rest o

with kristen berset. >> stephen strasburg is done, but the debate rolls on. did the nats make the right move? will this come back and haunt them in the post season? of course only time will tell. what we do know is the nats are moving forward without him. strasburg was told this morning he would officially be shut down and as he told reporters tonight, he's not happy about it. his final start was supposed to be next wednesday, but after a poor showing last night that lasted three innings, he felt it was time to pull the plug. >> he is only human, and i don't know how anybody can be totally, mentally concentrating on the job at hand with the media hype to this thing. >> today's game against miami, the nationals got 95% of it in before mother nature took over. the game was suspended, but the nats down a run. after a 2 1/2 hour delay, finally resumed and got things going. a shot over the center field wall. just like that, the game is tied. but, those that did stay saw a great ending. corey brown knocked one to right. john carlos drops it and that ends your ball game. a walkoff single

the rest of my interview this coming saturday in our brand- new sports show, game on. join kristen berset for a complete wrapup of sec football and a look toward sunday in the nfl. game on saturday, 7:00 p.m., that's right after alabama and arkansas. and apparently a pretty good thing they aren't playing around here because they might get rained on. >> we have the ravens game on our air on sunday. 1:00 game in philly. >> it's going to be interesting. a tug of war. which one are you going to watch? >> all right, 78 today. just perfect 10. we're going to essentially do it again, a couple degrees warmer. let's start with a live look outside on our michael and son weather cam. and it is just clear as a bell, really, severe clear as we call it. dew point 45. relative humidity in the mid 30s. that is very, very comfortable. i mean, that is just almost unheard of. but as we get closer to fall, dew points will show up in the 40s and 50s and more comfortable air masses will roll in. right now, 71 in great falls. 67 already in reston. 69 in fairfax. so the dry air mass, it heats up quickly a

you. and kristen is back in a moment with sports. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> all right, it's very rare that we talk about a team's long snapper unless it's where he botches an important play. today, the redskins worked out players and signed long snapper, justin snow, a former indianapolis colt. he replaces nick sunburg, a guy that is being harledded for his play. on a blocked punt at the end of the first half, he suffered a broken arm after getting caught between a player and helmet. you can see him grab his arm a little bit. he still came out and played the entire second half of the game despite the injuries, snapping the ball eight more times. sunberg said the pain knew what he had what he needed to do. >> look at yourself and see what you're made of. really was a test to myself. it was pretty terrible. i felt like i really didn't have another option. helping us out. my grandson has to play with a broken arm. >> you can't compare. the baltimore ravens in their season opener. the bengals by 30 points during monday night football. the bengals will be here for the

host, kristen berset. great job. >> thank you. so exciting, something so new and fresh. there's still plenty of sports to talk about. we have college tonight. we've got reaction, plus a look at the rest of the area schools. and a look ahead to the redskins road game against st. louis. sports is next. you know, i was once used for small jobs. yeah, and i took on all the bigger, tougher ones. but now that mr. clean's got this new select-a-size magic eraser, i mean, he can take on any size job. look how easily he gets things cleaned. it's enough to make you cry. you, specifically. not me. i'm just happy we don't go near rex's mobile home as often. because it's hard to clean or because you're scared of an itty-bitty doggy? [ dog barks ] aah! oh! [ clears throat ] yeah, that was a sneeze. i think i sprayed myself. [ male announcer ] new mr. clean select-a-size magic eraser. lets you pick the right size for every job. >>> from week one to week two, we saw a lot of improvement from the maryland terrapins, but the first true test came this weekend. not just a matter of picking up their third

tonight. for 9 wants to know, i'm russ, 9news now. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> as st redskins wrap up their final prep for sunday's season opener in new orleans, they may now have a couple extra players to game plan for. a surprising twist, the nfl's suspension of four players involved in the bounty gate have been overturned. a three person panel, linebacker and defensive end, will smith, are eligible to play sunday against the skins. but their case isn't over yet. now goes back to roger goodell, the commissioner who could penalize the player for something else. >> as we told you earlier, it was a rough and short night for stephen strasburg in his last home start of the season. he lasted just three innings, giving up six hits and five runs, including two homers. not good for him, but the nats rallied back from a three-run deficit to take the game to extras. jose reyes sends one, bryce can't get to it. two runs score, you know, the nats fought really hard tonight. miami takes this one 9-7. >> i think he just thinking too much about the decision, what we're shutting dow

an upset win over a top new orleans team in the superdome. kristen berset is here. >> it was an exciting game. not many people gave the redskins a chance against drew

. they're crazy. stay with us. >>> and now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> i have to say it doesn't get much better than a baseball pen ant race. win or lose you're guaranteed an exciting game. after this afternoon's win, tonight's double header between the nats and dodgers started to seem like a little bit of a let downbut you can never count out the nationals. dodgers took a 6-0 lead into the 8th inning. but two homers cuts that in half and bryce harper sends a dribbler to third. a run scores and bryce is safe at first. he beats the throw. a few batters later mike moore showing no signs of a hurt wrist. gets a base hit to right. the nationals just don't know how to quit. six runs in the 8th to tie up the ball game. but every good story has a bad inning and it wouldn't last tonight. in the 9th matt kemp hits a homer. the dodgers win this one 7-6. but it was still an exciting game. the two play again tomorrow. a win clinches a post season berth for the nationals. >> there was no give up tonight. we came battling back. we tied the game. and just inches -- if we hit the ball hard enou

-- division foe tonight as they close in on the national east crown. kristen berset has pore. >>> good morning. there's -- has more. >>> good morning. there's just nine games left to play in the nationals season. they're getting closer to clinching the division. a big win yesterday over milwaukee lowered their magic number to just five. they crushed the brewers 12-2 in a matinee. now they head to philly. the nationals are the last team to have beaten hammels. that was all the way back on august 2. so it's going to be a really tough series but the sooner they clinch, the starters can sit and rest which gives them an advantage come october. >> obviously the most important thing is to get that taken care of. i think we can rest november if rereally had to but if we can win a few games here and get it taken care of, it will give some of our guys a couple days off. it definitely would be an advantage for our team. >> the n.f.l. this week showed its series about punishing those who criticize the replacement referees. denver head coach john fox was fined a total of $55,000 for verbally abusin

the nats game? kristen will be back with sports next. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> welcome back. we're live at nationals park. no game being played tonight. it's quiet here because the game against the dodgers has been postponed until tomorrow. the nats will play a double header start agent 4:05. you'll have to wait another day to try and get back on that winning side of things. the nats, from looking to row bound after a rough road trip that ended with them getting swept by atlanta. the nats are still five games ahead of the braves and still hold the best record in baseball. they hit slumps before this season, so they are quite familiar with being in this particular position. >> you might back and know a team over there, the dodgers are fighting for a slot, too. >> if you are wanting to play late in the season. face quality teams and you know, have them here at home and it will be fun to get good support and hopefully win some ball games. >> nats did get good news, the injury to second baseman not nearly as bad as expected. an mri revealed he has a bone bruise in his left

baltimore, but that is not the only story tonight. kristen berset is live at m and t stadium with a preview. sort of like the browns playing the browns. >> reporter: somewhat, yeah, derek. the refs are back. they got the deal done. they will be here tonight. the headline judge for tonight will be here. joining me now live a good friend of mine rob long, cohost of the vinny and rob show on 105.7 the fan here. they were able to get this deal done late last night. are you surprised? >> i'm surprised if you take me back maybe a week ago, i would say yes, i'm surprised, but after seeing what we saw on sunday night football right here at m&t bank stadium and then the very next night on monday night football, you knew something had to give because it was chaos. it was chaos in the five. so after monday i would have -- in the nfl. after monday i would have placed a wager less than two weeks before this thing is over with. >> reporter: kind of forced their hand a bit. when we see the regular officials, what's the difference we might see in the game? >> first you may see for the first time in nfl his

. kristen berset has that story in this week's high school profile. >> it's just something i always did. >> reporter: that something is football, not touch or flag but full out tackle football. tiffany parson is a varsity wide receiver at tc williams in alexandria and yes, she's a girl playing with the boys. >> i'm used to always playing rough with my older brothers. so playing rough out here is just like just another day. >> reporter: tiffany started with the titans four years ago as the first girl ever to join the program. >> i remember going into the coach's office trying to turn in my paperwork and he just laughed. he thought i was joking. >> tiffany hung around, said she was going to play football. she's been hanging around for four years. >> it's no different than the guys than they are with her. >> reporter: earlier this month tiffany got a chance to prove she deserves to be on this team. during the titans game against wakefield on this field tiffany's number was called and she came through making her the first female in school history to catch a pass during a game. >> they s

yankees. >> while the nationals provided fans with extra souvenirs. kristen berset has highlights in your morning sports. >>> good morning, everybody. before the game against chicago, skipper davey johnson said he felt the nationals' recent five-game skid kind of helped reenergize his ball club. i think he was right. the nats have now won six of the last seven games averaging eight runs a game since snapping that streak. last night was more of the same against the cubbies and it didn't take long to get the crowd fired up. ian desmond, adam la roche and tyler moore, four home runs in the first four innings to put the nats up 8-1. another solid outing by pitcher edwin jackson in just five and two-thirds innings. he picked up his ninth win of the season. the nats totaled six home runs last night with a big win 11-5 the final over chicago. >>> the baltimore orioles in the midst of a pennant race. last night no doubting that this team came to play. mark reynolds got the ball rolling in the 5th, a three-run shot to left, his 17th of the season. the orioles piled it on. after that baltimore wins

be right back with sports. >>> and now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> the fireworks were flying tonight at nationals park, but it wasn't just the long balls. this time

coming up next in sports. >>> and now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> before today's game against chicago, skipper davie johnson said he felt the natt's recent five day skid had helped reenergize his ball club. i think he was right. the nats have now won six of their last seven games. averaging eight runs a game. tonight was more of the same against the cubbies and it didn't take long to get the crowd fired up. desmond, flores, lerose and monroe nats are up 8-1. it was also another solid outing by jackson. jackson fanned 8 batters, picking up his 9th win. with six homeruns total, they win big. 11-5 the final over chicago. >> having the whole lineup together it seems like it took five months to get the whole crew in there. but the last week we were scoring a ton of runs and pitchers continue to do their thing. >> and before today's game, the nats reinstated pitcher wang from the disabled list. he had been dealing with a right hip strain. and how about this news? the baltimore orioles tied for first place in the al east in september. those words haven't been uttered since 1997. that

wasn't enough. kristen berset joins us with the struggles on what used to be the redskins strength, the defense. kristen. >> that's right, in recent years, the defense has been the least of the redskins problem. it has been the offense and the lack of scoring. but as we saw yesterday, that's not the case anymore. rg3 and the offense flourished while the defense let one too many big plays get past. >> and back there is mohommed who will go deep and he's got green and that's going to be all the way. >> i can't believe, execute a game plan. and one of the things going into the game that we were trying to do is eliminate the big plays and we did a good job of doing that. >> we gave up too many big plays. we have to watch the film and see who plays better, and as a total group coaches their players, get it fixed and fixed fast so we don't see ourselves continue to lose games in this fashion. >> the numbers say it all. over the first three games of the season, the redskins defense has given up over 100 points. forced most in the league. and they rank near the very bottom in total defense

track. we have that game for you coming up next. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> the nationals, this close to clinching the division. the countdown is on heading into today's series finale. the magic number is at 6. taking in today with some marines. they had lots to cheer about today. jordan zimmerman dealing, struck out seven, allow just one run over 6 2/3 innings. the nats at the plate getting done, too. bottom of the fourth, two on for ryan zimmerman. he brings it home. nats up 7-1. then they add a little pad in the 5th. curt double based, knocked down a left field line. nats win it big time 12-2. >>> the ultimate goal, i guess you could say. a month or so ago, whenever i talk about it. we have a ways to go, but keep playing baseball and hopefully it will happen soon. >> for the second week in a row, a costly penalty cost the redskins the game. this time around, wasn't a player involved. it was the coaching staff and the nfl is looking into what happened. kyle shanahan was called for an unsportsman like conduct after disagreeing with the referees that the game was

ravens host the browns. our kristin -- kristen berset will be there live starting on 9news now at 5:00 p.m. we want to know what you think about this deal. leave your thoughts on our facebook page. we'll share some of your posts coming up at 6:30. >>> montgomery county police are looking for a gunman in an overnight shooting. the victim was shot nearby and able to stumble to this cvs drugstore on montgomery village avenue. medics rushed him to the hospital with several gunshot wounds. no word on his condition this moing. >>> happening today, u.s. park police will try to flush out new clues about a cold case. they are offering a cash reward in the hit-and-run death of 27- year-old ebony johnson. johnson was hit by a car crossing suitland parkway. the driver took off. police have identified the car as a late 199 on acura rl. >>> also today, virginia lawmakers will dig into this summer's unrest at uva. you'll remember school president teresa sullivan was forced to resign in june. that led to weeks of protests until dr. sullivan was reinstated. there will be a town hall meeting tonight

kristen berset. have a great thursday. >>> there's a little good news when it comes to foreclosure rates. that's ahead in your money report. >> opponents use a giant pig to make their feelings clear about the dulles toll road. clear things up for us on the roadways, monika. >> if you're planning to head here on the northbound side of 95, a little bit of slow traffic fort of the prince william parkway as you head through woodbridge. other than that, things are nice and clear. i'll be back in a few minutes with more traffic at 5:29. you're watching 9news now. we'll be right back. >>> good morning. happy thursday. i'm andrea roane. >>> what's for breakfast? >> bacon. >> good morning. i'm mike hydeck. that sound goods. >> i actually like fresh waffles with bacon and eggs. >> monika has traffic. howard bernstein has weather. >>> another beautiful day. just put butter on it. >> maple syrup. >> fresh maple, you've got it. we've got a beautiful day once again. going to be clear and sunny. humidity levels have crept up just a bit. we're seeing a touch of fog in one or two areas. our day pla

dreaming of the playoffs already. >> playoffs? playoffs? kristen berset is here now with more. playoffs? >> don't get ahead of yourself yet, guys, but that game against new orleans was exciting and as anita said, exceeded expectations. joining me now in studio to talk about rg3's debut. if there wasn't enough hype, it is tenfold now. is it too early to get excited? >> it's one game. calm down, everyone. calm down. it's only one game. but he did have nice numbers. 19 to 26 for 320 yards, a couple touchdowns. he's the real deal and broke out the option a little bit. a lot of fun to watch. when was the last time you saw an 88-yard touchdown pass by the redskins? it's great to see. but it's one game, it's a long season, call me about week 10 or week 11 and then we go from there. >> the last three years, they have won their season opener. not to be debbie downer or anything, but it was an exciting start. it got people riled up. the redskins didn't show all their cards. they got to see them open up the play book. how much would you credit the coaching staff for tailoring the offense to their

-1 win. they'll be back at it against the mets coming up tonight. i'm kristen berset. have a great tuesday. >> strasburg was shut down but gonzalez has the most wins in the major league. enough said. >>> a major retailer offering parents an alternative when it comes to ipads for your kids. that's coming up at 5:35. >> americans pause to remember those who perished in the september 11 attacks 11 years ago today. here's monika. >>> on georgia avenue at the east-west highway, traffic very light. no problems to report here in silver spring inside the beltway but route 410 at piney branch road is blocked with a fallen tree in tacoma park. i'll have more traffic coming up at 5:29. you're watching 9news now. hey america, even though slisa rinna is wearing the new depend silhouette briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even under a fantastic dress. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. we invite you to get a free sample and try one on too. >>> good morning. welcome back to 9news now. i'm andrea roane. >>> i'm mike hydeck. thanks for joining us this m

been talking about today and it appears that the two sides are at least close to a deal. kristen berset has more on the big news today. >> we're definitely closer to seeing this mess come to an end than say a week ago. joining me now in studio a man who has been extensively covering the lockout gary mahokis from usa today. let's start with monday's game, the call at the end of the seattle/green bay game. is it fair to say that was the tipping point to force their hand to speed up the negotiations? >> it was a pretty crazy sunday and i think that might have been enough, but that was the last game of the weekend, the last play and i think it pretty much was the last straw. >> we have had two, almost three coaches already fined from this weekend. so if that didn't do it, then yes, this catch definitely would have pushed that. where do they stand right now? >> well, there are good hints of progress, but as we've seen in these disputes in the past, it's never a deal till it's done and they have had significant issues with things like their pensions, their pay, their working conditions

. that's a quick look at sports this morning. i'm kristen berset. have a great wednesday. >>> as last night's storms clear out, some neighborhoods have lots of damage to clean up today. that story is still ahead. >> look at this. we will tell you where a photographer was able to capture this amazing video of a fire tornado. you don't want to miss this. >>> good morning. welcome back to 9news now. i'm andrea roane. >> i was looking for something i had up here. we'll figure it out. >> thanks for joining us. >> we'll get it together any minute now. all of us now. i'm mike hydeck. good morning. >> or not glul' enjoy -- or not. >> you'll enjoy watching the train wreck which is our morning show. >>> this is cool video i wanted to show you. >> it is awesome. >> this is from central australia. this is fire video. what happens with fires, they get so hot and draw air from the outside and spin. you get these fire tornadoes. this is kind of neat. this is a film maker here, central australia, was able to capture this. this usually lasts a couple of minutes. the photographer who followed this, he

qb has the athleticism and the speed and not afraid to use them. >> kristen berset is here to tell us why it's not going to end any time soon. >> we knew he was a mobile quarterback. we knew the redskins would use that to their advantage, but there has been plenty of cringe worthy moments so far. redskins fans worry their franchise qb will get hurt by being so aggressive. rg3 says it's nothing you need to worry about. >> teams are going to try to hit me because they don't think i can take a hit. i think i proved that over my career that i can. so it's football. i remember one play after the play, we're going to hit you every play. i said isn't this football? so it's nothing that i'm not used to. in college, they tried to -- on my sophomore year, so coach taught me, get what you can and protect yourself and get down. i have become pretty good at avoiding hits or avoiding the bigger hits. >> a couple times they were with their helmets and i had to dodge them. this is something i've come accustomed to, being able to move my body that way. >> we have been doing a good job not getting s

about the role players? kristen berset has their stories. >> reporter: in major league baseball only nine players can be labeled as starters on any given night. those that ride the bench know their time will come and when it does, they must come up big. those on the nationals bench have been doing that since opening day and have become a crucial part to this team's success. >> we got five horses that we rely on every day and our bullpen has been unbelievable and our hitters are great and they keep rolling. we just try to help out any way we can. >> reporter: this group comprised of seasoned veterans and brand-new faces have even given themselves a nickname. meet the goon squad. >> it's just kind of cool to have our own name especially when we're not starting. it kind of helps us have a tight knit group. >> reporter: steve lombardozzi, roger bernadina and the creator chad tracy. >> they call us here. so we started using it. it got bigger and we got t- shirts made. >> reporter: these are the shirts the gunnelies proudly rock in the clubhouse. -- the goonies proudly rock in the clu

his teammates has been receiving death threats. sports is next. >>> and now, 9sports with kristen berset. >> after two intense and exciting road games that start the season. the redskins finally return home. robert griffin, iii, will get to feel what a sold out fedex field feels like this sunday. the rookie qb has dazzled us so far. don't be surprised if we see much more of that this weekend. the bengals defense ranks 30th in the league. their opponents are averaging over 400 total yards a game. needless to say, rg3 excited to get back on the field and see what redskin nation is all about. >> it's going to be fun. the preseason opener, you know, a will lot of people there. nothing like the regular season when things matter. fans are definitely going to show up. we're going to show up for them. >> wide receiver, josh morgan, has been fined for unsportsman like conduct. he won't say how much, but it was a penalty that may have cost his team the ball game. morgan threw the ball after being tackled. that moved the redskins back 15 yards, forcing them to attempt and miss a field guard.

>>> and now 9 sports with kristen berset. >> before today's game against chicago, skipper davie johnson said he felt the natt's recent five day skid had helped reenergize his ball club. i think he was right. the nats have now won six of their last seven games. averaging eight runs a game. tonight was more of the same against the cubbies and it didn't take long to get the crowd fired up. desmond, flores, lerose and monroe nats are up 8-1. it was also another solid outing by jackson. jackson fanned 8 batters, picking up his 9th win. with six homeruns total, they win big. 11-5 the final over chicago. >> having the whole lineup together it seems like it took five months to get the whole crew in there. but the last week we were scoring a ton of runs and pitchers continue to do their thing. >> and before today's game, the nats reinstated pitcher wang from the disabled list. he had been dealing with a right hip strain. and how about this news? the baltimore orioles tied for first place in the al east in september. those words haven't been uttered since 1997. that's the last time the birds won

kristen berset. >> the fireworks were flying tonight at nationals park, but it wasn't just the long balls. this time it was punches being thrown. the cubs frustration boiled over into a bench's clearing brawl. this was the situation before it all happened. the score nats are up by three runs in the fourth. ryan zimmerman at the ditch. he knocked the single to left and the nats just keep on adding the runs. two more here. but the next inning cubs bench coach jamie cork and the nats third base coach bill porter start getting into an argument of words. porter heads over to the cub's dugout standing at the top of the steps. that leads to a bench's clearing brawl. here come the bullpens from both teams running over. jamie cork eventually gets ejected. next inning bryce harper leading off for the nationals. throws way inside. cubs catcher doesn't even move. that insights another brawl. benches clearing. the cubs catcher, another pitcher and nats pitcher mike gonzalez get tossed for fighting. but in the end, the nats get the last ho ra. they end the game 9-2 with a four game sweep of the c