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9 months ago: Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman extends his 24 game hitting streak with a base hit during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

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The Washington Nationals: Facilitating History.

The Washington Nationals were there when the San Francisco Giants' left fielder hit his historic home run at home in AT&T Park. They were there in NY to sweep the New York Mets in the last week of their epic '07 collapse. And tonight, in Dodger Stadium, the Washington Nationals were there for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they cruised to their 13th straight victory at home to start the season, breaking a record that had stood since the 1911 Detroit Tigers had taken twelve straight ninety-eight years ago...

DC starter Daniel Cabrera let the first three batters he saw tonight on and then got a double play, which let just one in, and a foul tip into Nationals' catcher Jesus Flores' glove to end the first down by only a run, at 1-0 LA. A leadoff single and an error by Washington shortstop Cristian Guzman put two on to start the second, but Cabrera retired the next three Dodgers to once again escape harm, and after the Nationals tied it at 1-1 in the top of the frame, a 1-2-3 third by Cabrera was followed by a fourth in which the righty allowed another leadoff single and then got a DP grounder and a line drive to Cristian Guzman at short to end the inning. 

Cabrera loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and Manny Ramirez due up, but the Nationals' 6'7'' right-hander got lucky when a pop fly by Manny eluded both Nick Johnson and Ronnie Belliard, and fell in fair in short right, allowing Belliard to take the force at home from the hung-up runner on third. The bases loaded walk to Andre Ethier that followed forced in the second run of the game for a 2-1 Dodgers' lead after five.

In the sixth, however, Cabrera's luck ran out...

A single and two one-out walks in the sixth meant the end for Daniel Cabrera, (L, 0-3, 6 H, 5 BB, 4 ER). Washington lefty Mike Hinckley came on and gave up an RBI single to Rafael Furcal and a walk to Orlando Hudson to force in another run for a 3-1 LA lead, before being replaced by Logan Kensing, who gets to pitch to Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded for the second-straight inning, and this time Manny comes through with a two-run double, which is followed by James Loney's two-run single, and a groundout by Russel Martin that scores another run for a 9-1 lead that ends up a 10-3 Dodgers' win. 

They've Got Their Streak, We've Got Zimmerman!!!

It didn't take the Washington Nationals' Face of the Franchise© long to extend his hitting streak to 24 games. Ryan Zimmerman singled in the first inning of tonight's game against Los Angeles, and hit a sac fly in the third, ending the game with a .333 AVG, 11 doubles, 5 HR's and 20 RBI's.

Dodgers win, 10-3 final. 

The DC Faithful were watching, check out Last Night's GameThread if you didn't stay up late...

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...

Nationals now 7-18-1.

Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 25 or 26 of 162. 

Cristian Guzman takes a 3-0 fastball, and lines a 3-1 pitch into left center. Nick Johnson swings through a shoulder high heater for the first out. LA lefty Clayton Kershaw goes to a full count with Ryan Zimmerman and gives up a single through short, Guzman takes third. Zimmerman extends hit streak to 24-straight. Clayton Kershaw throws a full-count fastball by Adam Dunn. Elijah Dukes works back from 0-2 to a full count and then walks. Austin Kearns takes a 2-2 fastball he thinks is low, but it’s called strike three to end the top of the first...Rafael Furcal bunts one by the mound and Cristian Guzman tries, but has no chance. Orlando Hudson drops a line drive into left for a double. Manny Ramirez walks to load the bases. Andre Ethier grounds to second, Ronnie Belliard to Guzman to Nick Johnson at first, double play, Furcal scores. 1-0 Dodgers. James Loney swings through a high two-strike fastball to end the first. 

Ronnie Belliard gets fooled by a two-strike Kershaw curve. Jesus Flores pops out the infield. Daniel Cabrera takes a two-strike fastball and heads back to the mound...Daniel Cabrera gets behind Russell Martin and gives up a single on a 3-1 offering. Matt Kemp hits a DP grounder to short, Guzman boots it, everyone's safe. Ronnie Belliard slides as he fields Casey Blake’s grounder and throws him out at first. Second and third for the pitcher. Kershaw pops out to Zimmerman foul of first. Rafael Furcal grounds out to Guzman to end the second. 

Cristian Guzman chops one by Casey Blake at third and into the left field corner for a leadoff double in the third. Nick Johnson’s groundout advances Guzman to third for Ryan “Streaky” Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s sac fly ties it, 1-1. Two outs. Adam Dunn lines a single over second. Elijah Dukes’ fly hangs up on the wind and falls into Ethier’s glove...Orlando Hudson grounds to second to start the Dodgers’ third. Manny Ramirez shoots a 1-1 pitch to short, Guzman handles it. Andre Ethier pops to center to end the third. 

Austin Kearns works a leadoff walk out of Kershaw. Rafael Furcal fields deep in the hole on a Belliard grounder and fires to second for the force, Orlando Hudson’s throw to first is late. Jesus Flores shatters his bat flying out to left. Daniel Cabrera walks, which is unforgiveable for Kershaw, but he gets a groundout from Guzman to end the top of the fifth...James Loney lifts a single to right to start the Dodgers’ fifth. Russell Martin spins a blooper to second, Belliard fields, spins and tosses to second, Guzman throws to first, double play. Guzman catches a low liner off of Matt Kemp’s bat. 

Casey Blake closes his glove on Nick Johnson’s foul pop. Ryan Zimmerman gets sawed off and grounds out to second. Adam Dunn grounds into the dramatic shift to end the DC fifth...Cristian Guzman bounces a throw to first and Casey Blake reaches on the error. Clayton Kershaw’s bunt is weak, and Jesus Flores gets it quickly and fires to second for the force out. Kershaw moves to second on Furcal’s single. Cabrera walks Orlando Hudson in front of Manny. Manny pops up behind first, Belliard and Johnson both miss, as it drops in fair, but Belliard fires home for the force. Two down. Cabrera fires a 3-2 pitch to Andre Ethier, and it’s high, Cabrera walks in a run, 2-1 LA. James Loney hits the first pitch off the end of his bat to third, Ryan Zimmerman barehands and fires to first, in time. 2-1 after five. 

Kershaw’s out, James McDonald on for LA. Elijah Dukes shatters another bat flying out to center. Austin Kearns pops out to second. Ronnie Belliard battles but swings through a two-strike heater...Russell Martin singles to center on a high curve from Cabrera. Elijah Dukes takes two steps and catches Matt Kemp’s fly ball. Casey Blake takes a one-out walk. Mark Loretta with a pinch hit appearance, and takes a walk to load the bases, again. Mike Hinckley comes on in relief of Cabrera. Rafael Furcal strokes a single through short, 3-1 Dodgers. Hinckley goes 3-1 to Hudson and throws a curve over home to the backstop, 4-1 LA. Logan Kensing on to face Manny. Manny Ramirez finds open space in right and doubles to the corner, two runs cross, 6-1 Dodgers. The Nationals walk Ethier to get to James Loney. Loney singles under a diving Guzman, and it’s 8-1 LA. Russell Martin grounds out to short, but another run scores, 9-1 Dodgers. Grounder to Zimmerman from Kemp, and it’s mercifully over. 

 

Jesus Flores flies to left and...foul. Next pitch from Guillermo Mota, Flores does it again, but keeps it fair, HR, 9-2 Dodgers. Cristian Guzman doubles to right in front of Nick Johnson. A wild pitch from Mota moves Guzman to third. Johnson grounds out, Guzman scores. 9-3 LA. Ryan Zimmerman K’s swinging, Stand Up and Stretch...Logan Kensing’s back out, and he issues a leadoff walk to Casey Blake. Guillermo Mota gets a sac bunt down. Rafael Furcal pops out to third. Orlando Hudson drives a single up the middle to score Blake, 10-3. Pinch hitter Juan Pierre flies out to right. 

Adam Dunn walks to start the eighth. Elijah Dukes takes strike three, but thinks it’s low. Austin Kearns grounds to short, Furcal to Hudson to Loney, double play...Cristian Guzman has to rush, but he throws to first in time to get Ethier. James Loney flies out to Dukes in deep center. Russell Martin flies to right, not even Willie Harris can get it, Martin in at second. Beimel bounces a curve off Flores’ shinguards. Matt Kemp grounds to short, and Joe Beimel's got a scoreless inning. 

Lefty Brent Leach comes on to end it in the ninth. Alex Cintron grounds out to short. Jesus Flores flies out to left. Willie Harris works a two-out walk. Leach throws a fastball by Cristian Guzman. Dodgers win 13-straight at home to start the season. 10-3 final. 

Nationals now 7-18-1.