Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres: Game Report..."Look Out Zimmerman, Boone's Gunning For Third..."

Felipe Lopez sends Padres' center fielder Jody Gerut sprinting to make a lunging grab for the first out of tonight’s game between the visiting Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres. Cristian Guzman rips a double to left off of Padres’ starter Randy Wolf, and Wolf hangs a curve to Aaron BOOONNE!!! Two-run blast. 2-0 Nationals after a half...Tadahito Iguchi lines a one-out, one-hop single to right. Brian Giles knocks Felipe Lopez down with a single through second and into center, moving Iguchi up a base. Lastings Milledge catches a fly ball off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez, and Shawn Hill breaks Kevin Kouzmanoff’s bat to get a weak fly to left where Wily Mo Pena closes his glove on the first. 

Wolf quickly disposes of Jesus Flores with a high fastball for a swinging strike three. Wily Mo Pena drives a fastball off his fists into center for a single off Wolf. Elijah Dukes reaches on a ground ball right over second base that Khalil Greene comes up with but pockets. Shawn Hill fouls off two attempts before getting a sac bunt down, but Felipe Lopez K’s chasing to end the top of the second...Hill walks Khalil Greene to leadoff the home half of the inning. Hill fields a grounder off the bat of Michael Barrett and throws out the lead runner at second. Hill freezes left fielder Paul McAnulty with a two-strike change, and then Hill gives up a ground rule double to the opposing pitcher, Randy Wolf, moving Greene to third with Jody Gerut at bat...Gerut grounds out to first. 2-0 DC after two. 

Cristian Guzman doubles to center and off the GEICO sign on one hop to lead off the third. Boone grounds out moving Guzman to third. DY grounds out unproductively to short. Wolf gets Milledge to ground to first to end the top of the third...Brian Giles crushes a fastball from Hill to center but only as far as the warning track where Milledge grabs it. Hill then walks Gonzalez , Kouzmanoff and Greene to load the bases with two outs. Hill goes to a full count with Michael Barrett and delivers a fastball that ends up a two-run single which ties it a 2-2. Hill walks McAnulty to load ‘em again, this time he strikes out Wolf to end the third. 

Jesus Flores rolls a single up and over the mound into center to start the fourth. Wily Mo grounds to third, Kouzmanoff to Giles to Gonzalez at first, double play. Dukes fouls off a few fastballs, but misses one up high, ending the top of the fourth...After Jody Gerut lines a single to center, Tadahito Iguchi has to hustle to beat out his own DP grounder. Brian Giles grounds out, A. Gone flies out to center. Tied at 2-2 after four. 

Randy Wolf retires the Nationals in order in the fifth. Shawn Hill’s back, and he strikes out Kouzmanoff and Greene and gets Michael Barrett to ground out for a quick scoreless frame. Wolf gets two down before Lastings Milledge finds room down the line in right for a single. MIlledge steals second. What Will Jesus Do? Strike out swinging? 2-2 middle of six. Jesus “Everyday” Colome replaces Hill. Pinch hitter Edgar Gonzalez ends the evening for Wolf. Gonzalez flies out to center. Colome gets Jody Gerut looking. 

Bryan Corey starts the seventh, and gets one out with one pitch when Wily Mo Pena grounds out to third. Elijah Dukes accepts a walk. Pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak pops out to the infield. Corey’s pick off attempts hits Dukes, and rolls past first, Dukes takes second. Corey’s replaced by Heath Bell. Felipe Lopez flies out to center. Stand up and stretch...New National reliever Charlie Manning sends Tad Iguchi back to the bench cursing his weak swinging K. Brian Giles grounds out to short. Adrian Gonzalez goes the other wayyyyy...and into the first row in left for a go-ahead home run. 3-2 Padres. Manning’s out. The first pitch from “Wild” Joel Hanrahan is a fastball, which Kouzmanoff seems to have been looking for, as it ends up in the second deck in left center. 4-2 Padres after seven. 

Heath Bell gets Guzman to ground out to start the eighth. Boone grounds out to short. DY grounds to second, Iguchi’s got it...Hanrahan throws a 96mph heater by McAnulty for a swinging K. Hanrahan dials it down a bit to get Tony Clark chasing a 95 mph fireball, and make it three for three as Hanrahan gets Jody Gerut for his third straight swinging K. 

Trevor “Cough it Up?” Hoffman vs Milledge to start the ninth. Milledge fights but eventually flies out to right. Jesus Flores slices a groundout to second. Hoffman paints the outside corner, and Wily Mo swings over strike three to end it. 4-2 Padres. 

Nationals now 22-31.