8/14/07 The Return Of Hill To The Mound.

     Shawn Hill is back on the mound in RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, starting for the first time since going on the DL with a "shoulder strain" on 5/11 after throwing five innings of no-hit ball against the Florida Marlins. Hill (3-3, 2.70 ERA) had been a pleasant surprise on the mound until then, allowing only two home runs in 50.0 innings, striking out 33, and walking sixteen with a 1.06 WHIP. Impressive enough that the Nationals cleared a spot for him as soon as his rehab was complete. (Billy Traber is assigned to Columbus, the Nationals most famous pitcher Mike Bacsik goes to the pen).
      In three career starts against today's opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies, Hill is 2-1 with a 5.09 ERA in 17 innings. Hill opposes Kyle Lohse (7-12, 4.65 ERA), whom the Phillies acquired from Cincinnati at the July 31st trade deadline. Hill retires the Phillies in order in the first, and Lohse follows with a scoreless frame of his own.
     Hill's fastball has cartoonish movement through two, dropping and sliding several inches as it speeds toward the plate consistently in the low 90's. Hill continues his scoreless inning streak, retiring the side in the second for his seventh scoreless inning overall.
     DY, Dmitri Young is back in the clean-up spot in the batting order. Lohse gets DY swinging at a 3-2 breaking ball in the dirt. Ryan Church reaches down low and drives a single into left center, but Lohse works out of trouble, popping up Austin Kearns and striking out Brian Schneider with a 3-2 change. Two full counts, two off-speed pitches...
     Shawn Hill pitches his third scoreless, retiring the side in order in the third...

*Breaking Nationals News*
     Jim Bowden's on the tv announcing that the Washington Nationals have signed the 19th of 20 draft picks from the 2007 Amateur Draft, as they ink second round pick Josh Smoker, a nineteen year old, 6'2'' left hander out of Sugar Valley, Georgia who adds his name to the growing list of pitching prospects the Nationals have stockpiled. Signing draft picks?...Ahhh... Ownership!!!

     Jimmy Rollins is the first base runner of the night for the Phillies in the fourth when Felipe Lopez barehands a weak grounder, that had bounced of Hill's glove, and throws it passed DY at first, allowing Rollins to take second. Tadahito Iguchi grounds back to Hill on the mound, and the Nationals run down Rollins to cut down the lead runner for the first out. Iguchi steals second as Pat Burrell strikes out. Shawn Hill strikes out Ryan Howard with a breaking ball on the outside of the plate to end a fourth scoreless frame.
     Lohse matches Hill out for out, through four, no score. Nook Logan and Ryan Church continue their recent spat of poor communication in the outfield, allowing Aaron Rowand's fly ball to drop into left center as both fielders pull back at the last moment. Last week Church was seen staring skyward in frustration as Logan cut in front of him to catch a high fly ball, and...uh suddenly this has turned into Federal Gossip, sorry. Greg Dobbs stares at a fastball inside for the first out. Jayson Werth's up at the plate, when Aaron Rowand tries to steal second and gets nailed by Brian Schneider. Don't try to steal on Schneider!! Hill walks Werth, but gets a ground out to end his fifth scoreless.
     Hill hasn't thrown a straight fastball all evening, everything's jumping, dropping over the plate, breaking back into the zone, sinking out of reach of the batters, and completely baffling Philly hitters. Six scoreless from the returning Hill, who's on a pitch count, and so done after 6 IP, 1 hit allowed, 1 walk, 7 K's and a 2.41 ERA to end the evening.
     Felipe Lopez singles off Lohse to start the Nationals sixth, and moves to second on Ronnie Belliard's sac bunt. Zimmerman takes a walk. DY grounds out to first, advancing both runners. Austin Kearns flies out to center. No score after six.
     Luis "Set-Up" Ayala's on in the seventh. Ayalas get Burrell and Howard swinging at devastating trailing fastballs. Rowand gets more of the same as Ayala strikes out the side with fastballs.
     Ryan Church singles to second and off the outstretched glove off Tad Iguchi. Brian Schneider pops up a bunt, and the Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and Greg Dobbs collide in foul territory while chasing it, but Ruiz still makes the grab. Nook Logan hits a bloop single to second that Iguchi can't catch up to. First and second, one out. Pinch hiitter Tony Batista reaches out and connects with a low slider that he doubles over Pat Burrell's head in left and off the wall...two runs score, 2-0 Nationals.
     The Tallest Pitcher in MLB History Jon Rauch is on to pitch for the Nationals in the eigth. Robert Fick's in at first and Ryan Langerhans in left as defensive replacements. Rauch pops up Dobbs. Ryan Zimmerman throws away a routine grounder to allow Jason Werth to reach safely and take second. Carlos Ruiz drops a single into right center, allowing Werth to score from second. 2-1 Nationals. Russell Branyan strokes a two run shot to right for a pinch hit home run and a 3-2 Phillies lead. Branyan takes a good look at his home run before running it out. 3-2 Philly after seven and a half.
     Brett Myers is on to close it out after Antonio Alfonseca pitches a scoreless eigth. Ryan Langerhans strikes out swinging. Myers strikes out Schneider, and Logan, three K's for the save. Phillies win 3-2.

Nationals fans heartbroken.

Nationals now 54-65.