HEADLINE...

Nationals Secure #1 Pick Overall In '09 With Loss On Last Day Of '08...

The Nationals drop the last game of their 2008 season to the Phillies, securing last place overall in the Majors and the #1 pick overall in the 2009 Draft. 8-3 final in Philadelphia. It's not like federalbaseball.com was cheering for the Nationals to lose or anything...(ed. note - "Please don't look at Sunday's Game Thread.")

The Phillies got up early with a run scored on a wild pitch from DC's lefty starter Odalis Perez for a 1-0 Philly lead after one. The Nationals showed some fight though, scoring one in the third on DC catcher Luke Montz's first HR in the Majors, (which the Philly fans kindly threw back from the left field stands). 1-1 after three. Phillies' righty Kyle Kendrick gives up back-to-back doubles and an RBI single in the fourth to put the Nationals up 3-1, but it all blows up in the bottom of the fourth with two down, and "Opening Night" Odalis Perez still on the mound against Philadelphia...

"...Philly catcher Lou Marson’s first hit in the Majors finds its way through short under a diving Anderson Hernandez. Jayson Werth comes to to pinch hit, and singles up the middle moving Marson to third. Two down, two on. Werth steals second without a throw. So Taguchi goes back up the middle, over Odalis Perez on the mound and into center, knocking two runs to tie it, 3-3 ballgame. Eric Bruntlett doubles to left, inside the line, Taguchi trots home, 4-3 Philly. Odalis Perez is done..."

DC rookie Shairon Martis came on to end the fourth, and retired the next five batters he faced before a two-out single by Ryan Howard, who stroked a pinch hit single through short...(Really? Opposite field, Ryan? Well done!)...and So Taguchi scored Howard from third with a triple to right for a 5-3 Philly lead. Marco Estrada throws a scoreless seventh, but an error and back-to-back HR's to Lou Marson(1st MLB HR) and Matt Stairs put the game out of reach at 8-3 Philadelphia. 

Emilio Bonifacio's two-out ground ball to first in the ninth ends the Nationals' '08 campaign with the team's 102nd loss...It also secures the #1 Pick in the '09 Draft, which DC is going to have to make a HUGE splash with in order to make fans start to care about this team again...Can a #1 pick overall reinvigorate a franchise? Who will be starting at first next season for the Nationals? Who will be back? How much will Zimmerman be making when he steps onto the field for the first time next season? Who will be the Opening Day starter next year? Who Was This Year's MVP? That SOUNDS LIKE A POLL ???

Final score of Final Game...Phillies 8 Nationals 3.

For The Completists, The Final Game Report Of The Season Follows After The Jump...(currently unedited)...

Nationals finish 59-102. 

Emilio Bonifacio swings over a fastball outside from Phillies’ starter Kyle Kendrick for a strike to start the final game of the season, and Bonifacio flies out to center on a 3-1 pitch for the first out of the game. Anderson Hernandez tries to bunt his way on, but gets tagged out trying to evade today’s Philly first baseman Chris Coste. Kory Casto sends a fly ball to right to end the top of the first...So Taguchi grounds out to Anderson Hernandez at short. Eric Bruntlett lines a one-out single to center. Tadahito Iguchi doubles into the corner in left. Odalis Perez throws one by DC catcher Luke Montz and Bruntlett scores from third easily, 1-0 Philly. Geoff Jenkins flies to left, but not deep enough for Iguchi to test Orr’s arm. Perez walks Philly catcher Chris Coste. Mike Cervenak K’s swinging over a two-strike bender in the dirt...

Ryan Langerhans grounds to Iguchi for the first out of the second. Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to Eric Bruntlett at short. Roger Bernadina almost beats out a routine grounder, but Bruntlett fires to first just ahead of the runner...Philly left fielder Greg Golson goes down swinging. Odalis Perez strikes out Lou Marson, and gets a fly ball to right from the opposing pitcher to end a quick 1-2-3 second...DC catcher Luke Montz gets hold of a hanger and lifts it to left...and...GONE!! HR for Montz, the first of his MLB career. 1-1 ballgame. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr flies out to right. Odalis Perez grounds back to the mound. Bonifacio flies to left, 1-1 after two and a half...So Taguchi lines right to Langerhans. Roger Bernadina goes back to collect Eric Bruntlett’s fly ball. Tadahito Iguch singles through short with two down. Geoff Jenkins finds a hole in the D and sneaks a single through second. Chris Coste grounds to Bonifacio to end the third.

Anderson Hernandez doubles over Golson’s head in center and into the shrubbery beyond the wall. Kory Casto drives a fastball over the middle and to deep center for a second-straight double and a 2-1 DC lead when Hernandez scores. Ryan Langerhans’ groundout moves Casto up, and Alberto Gonzalez singles by the drawn-in infield to score Casto from third, 3-1 DC. Roger Bernadina flies out to left. Luke Montz K’s swinging to end the top of the frame...Mike Cervenak K’s swinging. Greg Golson chases junk outside for a second swinging K. Lou Marson’s first hit in the Majors finds its way through short under a diving Anderson Hernandez. Jayson Werth comes to to pinch hit, and singles up the middle moving Marson to third. Werth steals second without a throw. So Taguchi goes back up the middle, evading the pitcher on the mound and knocking two runs in for a 3-3 ballgame. Eric Bruntlett doubles to left, inside the line, Taguchi trots home, 4-3 Philly. Odalis Perez is done. Shairon Martis replaces Perez on the mound. Tadahit Iguchi flies out to Langerhans in right. 

Pete Orr swings at some questionable pitcher from Philly reliever Les Walrond. Martis swings through a two-strike curve. Emilio Bonifacio beats out a bunt back to the mound, but after sliding in safe to steal second, Bonifacio glides right over the bag and gets tagged out to end the top of the fifth...Geoff Jenkins fouls strike three into Luke Montz’s catcher’s mitt. Chris Coste flies to left, and Mike Cervenak grounds out to end the fifth inning...Anderson Hernandez singles to left to start the sixth. Casto K’s to for the first out. Langerhans K’s. Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to end DC’s sixth...Martis strikes out Golson to start the home-half of the sixth. Lou Marson goes down swinging. Martis will have to face Ryan Howard, hitting for the pitcher, goes the other way with a two-out single, and Howard scores from first when So Taguchi triples to the corner in right for a 5-3 Philly lead. Bruntlett grounds to short to end the sixth...

J.A. Happ gets a line drive out to third from Bernadina to start the seventh. Montz pops out to the Phillies’ catcher. Kory Casto lines a two-out single over second. Lastings Milledge will pinch hit for Martis. Milledge K’s swinging, scoreless frame for Happ...Stand Up and Stretch...Marco Estrada will pitch the bottom of the frame for DC. Ighuch grounds out to short. Geoff Jenkins flies out to Bernadina in left. Langerhans glides over and catches the final out of the seventh in stride off Coste’s bat. 5-3 Philly after seven. 

J.A. Happ strikes out Bonifacio to start the eighth. Anderson Hernandez draws a one-out walk. Kory Casto swings through a high two-strike fastball from Happ. Ryan Langerhans singles to right. Happ’s done. Rudy Seanez to face Alberto Gonzalez, who flies out to right to end the eighth. 5-3 Philly...Marco Estrada’s back on in the eighth. Mike Cervenak reaches on an error by Anderson Hernandez. Greg Golson grounds into a force at second. Lou Marson goes deeeep to left and GONE!! First MLB homer for Marson! Matt Stairs follows with a HR to right, 8-3 Philly! in the blink of an eye!! So Taguchi singles. Estrada gets a foul pop from Bruntlett and a groundout from Iguchi to end the eighth. 

The Nationals have three outs to get five runs off Clay Condrey. Roger Bernadina walks to start the ninth. Luke Montz skies the first out to center. Pete Orr singles on one hop to right. Aaron Boone hits for the pitcher. Boone lines out to left for the second out. Emilio Bonifacio...

Nationals finish 59-102.