Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres: Game Report..."Milledge And Dukes Can't Do It Themselves...And Langerhans Reintroduces Himself."

What Did I Miss?

The odd 3:35 pm starting time had me arriving home from work with today's third of three between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres in PETCO Park tied at 2-2 in the sixth inning of play. In the top of the seventh, Elijah Dukes's patient approach at the plate earns him a one-out walk. Dukes steals second off Padres' reliever Cla Meredith. Ryan Langerhans hits for the pitcher after the catcher, Wil Nieves grounds out moving Dukes to third. Langerhans smacks one through the right side of the infield for a single, Dukes scores. 3-2 DC after seven. 

The lead doesn't make it through the eighth. After Ryan Langerhans absolutely robs Kevin Kouzmanoff, pulling what should be a HR off the top of the wall in left, DC reliever Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera continues to get hit hard, as Rivera gives up back to back one-out singles to Khalil Greene and Michael Barrett, and Rivera's lifted for Nationals' lefty Charlie Manning, who'll face Jody Gerut...Lefty vs Lefty...Gerut gets a hold of one, and it's not coming down...GONE!! Three-run blast for Gerut, 5-2 Padres lead after eight. Insert Trevor Hoffman, and down go the Nationals dropping two of three on the road in San Diego, and this one in particular by a final score of 5-2 Padres. 

Nationals now 23-32. 

POSTGAMETALK...

Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes generated the Nationals' first run of the day against the Padres when Milledge bunted for a single, stole second and third and then scored on Dukes' sac fly which made it 1-0 Washington at the time. 

A single, HBP and BB helped the Padres score two just a half inning after the Nationals first struck. Edgar Gonzalez's bases loaded single drives in two runs to take a 2-1 lead over the visiting team from DC. Langerhans and Dukes combine to tie it at 2-2 in the seventh, and then Jody Gerut wins it with the towering homer to right to send DC stumbling into the desert to face the Arizona D-Backs.

Washington lefty John Lannan lasts 6.0 innings this afternoon, allowing 5 hits and 2 ER with three K's, but it's Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera, giving up 3 hits and 2 ER in 1.1 innings pitched, who takes the "L". Padres' starter Wilfredo Ledezma pitched 5.0 innings and gave up just 1 ER and 3 walks with 7 K's, and the San Diego bullpen then allowed just 2 hits and 1 ER in 4.0 innings of work. 

"Zimmerman Watch" - Federal Baseball's 24-Hour, 22 Hou...12 Hour... Intermittent Coverage of the BREAKING NEWS! And ACTION!!.....

According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Sore left shoulder sits Zimmerman", DC third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is questionable for the start of the three game weekend set at Arizona which gets underway Friday night. Zimmerman missed the entire three game series with San Diego, and he's missed 4-straight overall.

Charlie? Charlie Manning?

After debuting in DC with a scoreless frame on May 21 against Millwaukee, Charlie Manning, in his last three appearances, each of which has lasted two-thirds of an inning, has surrendered a total of 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 HR's and a walk. Manning's now (0-1) with a 9.00 ERA in 4.0 IP, and if he keeps it up, this could be a short stint in the Washington bullpen...(ed. note - "Especially the homers...")...The 2 HR's in 4.0 innings, are 1 more than Manning allowed in 19 games and 27.2 innings at Triple-AAA Columbus before being called up to DC...

Game time tomorrow is 9:40 pm EST live from Arizona.

The Langerhans' Catch...as heard on federalbaseball.com...

 

LANGER-HANDS!!!! ROBS KOUZMANOFF, pulling a home run back out of the left field stands!!!

LANGER-HANDS!!!

Everything I say is a "little" sarcastic...

by e chigliak on May 29, 2008 5:53 PM EDT 

LANGERHANS!

Trying to out-Harris Harris! I can’t wait to see that replay!

by Doghouse on May 29, 2008 5:53 PM EDT

Uh-oh, Manning is warming now...

“Hands” might have to keep practicing his leap.

by Doghouse on May 29, 2008 5:56 PM EDT 

(ed. note - "Way to, uh, tempt fate there, Doghouse. If only Langerhans were playing 20 rows back in right, he could've caught Gerut's HR.")