The Washington Nationals-You-Expected Lose, 11-3 Boston Red Sox Win.

HEADLINE:

"Well, we're giving the world what they expected from us."- ROSCOEtheNATSfan.

The defense and the pitching. The pitching and the defense. The defense and the pitching. Heard that a lot in the last few days. The Washington Nationals didn't surprise anyone tonight. In fact they did what most people expect of them at this point, they played a superior team close for a while and then committed an error, their 65th of the season, (which would end up deciding the game) and then had their bullpen implode, with each pitcher after DC starter John Lannan allowing a run to cross, and the last four to take the mound, Ron Villone, Kip Wells, Jesus Colome and Joel Hanrahan, surrendering a combined 7 hits, 7 ER and 3 walks in 2.0 IP, after which the Nationals found themselves trailing 11-3 in front of a sold-out crowd of 41,517, the majority of them part of the Nation, not the DC Faithful. 

Red Sox win, 11-3 final. 

Miss The Game, The DC Faithful Were Watching...In Brisbane, Australia, Neptune, New Jersey, Capitol Hill in DC, Arlington, Virginia and in Syracuse, NY, (The Snow Capital Of The Country)...And You Have 704 Comments Worth Of Catching Up To Do....

HEADLINES:

• "Cool Hand" Has Issues...

• E: 65.

• We Promise, This Time They Mean It Clippard...

DWDT- 10

For The Completists, Complete Game Report After The Jump...(currently unedited)

Washington Nationals now 20-48. 

HEADLINES: 

"Cool Hand" Has Issues...

John Lannan allowed 9 hits, 3 ER, 1 HR and 2 walks, and threw 109 pitches, 69 for strikes in 6.1 IP, and in spite of his struggles on the hill tonight in DC, when he left the game, the Nationals and Red Sox were tied at 3-3 following a game-tying, two-out, RBI double by Willie Harris in the Nationals' sixth. After Lannan had K'd J.D. Drew for the third and final time tonight to record the first out of the seventh, DC Manager Manny Acta turned to right-handed reliever Julian Tavarez, who got a weak grounder to third from Kevin Youkilis, which Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmmerman...threw away...

E: 65.

...Ryan Zimmerman had too much time again, and he bounced the throw to first baseman Nick Johnson for his 7th error of the season and the Washington Nationals' 65th, allowing Red Sox' first baseman Kevin Youkilis on with one out in the top of the seventh. Jason Bay followed with a single to left off Tavarez, and a throw to third from Adam Dunn that failed to get Youkilis allowed Bay to take second. Mike Lowell then got the intentionals from Tavarez and a sac fly from Jason Varitek scored Youkilis to give Boston a 4-3 lead.

We Promise, This Time They Mean It Clippard...

Washington Post writer Mark Viera wrote last night, in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Change Coming?", about a post game interview in which Nationals' Manager Manny Acta, "...suggested that the Nationals might need to shake up their bullpen," (once again), unless one of the three relievers who struggled tonight, Kip Wells, Jesus Colome or Joel Hanrahan starts performing. So will the Nationals bring Jason Bergmann back? Will they try to recall Tyler Clippard again? And what's it going to take for the team to give up on the three pitchers Mr. Acta references...

GAME REPORT:

Boston Red Sox At Washington Nationals. Game 68 or 69 of 162. 

 John Lannan gets a pop-up behind second from Dustin Pedroia for the first out of the evening. Lannan walks J.D. Drew to bring up Kevin Youkilis, who promptly grounds to short, Cristian Guzman to Anderson Hernandez to Nick Johnson, double play to end the top of the first...Cristian Guzman and Nick Johnson both ground out to short, and Sox’ shortstop Nick Green throws them out. Ryan Zimmerman goes back up the middle, Brad Penny pulls the bare hand back and it bounces into center. Adam Dunn follows with a line drive by first, Zim scores, 1-0 Nationals. Josh Willingham grounds to Mike Lowell at third to end the first. 

Full-count fastball up high from Lannan to Jason Bay and it’s GONE! 1-1 ballgame. Mike Lowell grounds out to Cristian Guzman at short. Josh Willingham gets under a fly ball to right from Jason Varitek. Jacoby Ellsbury is thinking single up the middle, Guzman dives to keep it in the infield, but can’t get the throw off from the seat of his pants. Nick Green pops out to Nick Johnson foul of first to end the Sox’ second...Josh Bard gets called out looking at a fastball on the outside edge. Willie Harris sends Ellsbury a few steps to his right to catch the second out. Anderson Hernandez is fooled by a two-strike bender and he has to run it out after it bounces. 

Cristian Guzman takes his time throwing out Penny on a weak grounder to short. Josh Willingham has to hustle to the corner to hold Dustin Pedroia to a double on a sharp liner by first. J.D. Drew takes a fastball for a called strike three on the outside corner. Kevin Youkilis pops out to short right, Lannan through three...Cristian Guzman’s on after a bunt single by the mound toward first. Nick Johnson grounds to short, Nick Green tags Guzman, who’s sliding hard, dives, rolls and throws Johnson out at first, double play the hard way. 

Jason Bay lines a single over left to put the leadoff runner on in the Sox’ fourth. Mike Lowell lines out to Josh Willingham, who makes an awkward catch as he heads toward the track in right. Adam Dunn just waits for a line drive off Jason Varitek’s bat. Jacoby Ellsbury bounces one of the wall in center for an RBI double and a 2-1 Sox’ lead. Lannan gives Nick Green the intentionals to bring Penny up, and the Sox' pitcher hits a weak grounder to Zimmerman, who charges and throws to end the Sox’ fourth...Ryan Zimmerman lines a single to left to start the DC fourth. Adam Dunn stares a breaking ball all the way in for a called strike three. Josh Willingham walks to give Josh Bard an RBI opp. The other Josh, Josh Bard walks to load the bases for Willie Harris. Brad Penny bounces a bender, and it gets by Varitek, Zimmerman scores from third to tie it at 2-2. Anderson Hernandez grounds to first, Youkilis throws home for the force. Lannan swings through a 97 mph heater. 

Dustin Pedroia lines a 3-1 pitch to left for a leadoff single. Lannan drops a 2-2 curve in on the lefty Drew. Lannan returns the favor with a WP to move Pedroia to second. Youkilis lines to right, Pedroia scores, 3-2 Sox. Jason Bay flies out to Willie Harris in center for the second out. Mike Lowell singles and Steve McCatty’s out to talk to Lannan. Jason Varitek grounds out to Guzman to end the threat...Cristian Guzman flies out to left. Nick "Two-Spot" Johnson does the same. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to old man Lowell, who fires to first to end the fifth.

Jacoby Ellsbury singles, steals second and takes third on a sac fly from Nick Green. Brad Penny pops out to Nick Johnson foul of first. Two down. Lannan gets a line drive to center from Dustin Pedroia and Willie Harris handles it....Adam Dunn swings through a high two-strike fastball for the first out of the Nationals’ sixth. Josh Willingham flies out to right on a full-count fastball. Josh Bard beats Pedroia to the hole for a single into right. Willie Harris works the count full and doubles over J.D. Drew’s head and off the wall, Bard’s hustling around and he beats the relay to tie it at 3-3!!! Manny Delcarmen’s on in relief. Anderson Hernandez flies out to right field to end the sixth. 

J.D. Drew K’s chasing a two-strike bender that drops across the zone. Julian Tavarez is on for Lannan. Ryan Zimmerman fields and calmly throws to first on a one-hopper from Youkilis, and throws it by Nick Johnson at first. Jason Bay lifts a line drive over short, Youkilis takes third. First and third, one out. Tavarez walks Mike Lowell to load the bases for Varitek. Fly ball to left, Willie Harris calls Dunn off, but Dunn takes it and doesn’t even try to throw home when Youkilis tags and scores. 4-3 Red Sox. Ron Villone vs Ellsbury. Ellsbury walks to reload the bases!! Nick Green flies to left center and Willie Harris sprints in to make the catch!! Crisis averted!!!!...Alberto Gonzalez walks to start the Nationals’ seventh. Manny Delcarmen’s out. Okajima on. Hideki Okajima gets a line drive to third, Lowell makes the catch, fires to first, double play. Nick Johnson grounds to third, and the seventh is over. 

Pinch hitter Rocco Baldelli singles to left to start the eighth. Kip Wells in for Villone. Pedroia flies out to Willie Harris in center. Wells walks J.D. Drew. Wells walks Kevin Youkilis. Wells done. Jesus Colome on with one out and the bases loaded. Jason Bay singles through short and two runs score, 6-3 Sox. Colome pops up Mike Lowell. Jason Varitek lines a single over Guzman’s outstretched glove. Youkilis scores, 8-3 Sox. Ellsbury doubles to right, and off the out-of-town scoreboard, Varitek scores, 9-3 Sox. Rocco Baldelli singles in another run, 10-3 Red Sox...Takashi Saito on for Boston and he walks Ryan Zimmerman to start the eighth. Adam Dunn grounds weakly to second. Josh Willingham can’t hold up on a 1-2 pitch in the dirt from Saito. Josh Bard gets called out looking to end the eighth.

"Wild" Joel Hanrahan’s on. Dustin Pedroia drops a pop fly into right and speeds around to second. Mark Kotsay flies out to right field. Kevin Youkilis lines in another run, 11-3 Boston. Hanrahan gets Bay looking. Lowell grounds out to third, Zimmerman’s throw is wide, but close enough to end it...Daniel Bard on to end it for Boston. Kevin Youkilis throws out Willie Harris on a weak grounder to first. Austin Kearns goes opposite field with a single to right. Alberto Gonzalez walks to put two on for Guzman. Guzman slices a single to left. Nick Johnson grounds to Youkilis to Green to the pitcher covering, double play to end it. Red Sox win, 11-3 final. 

Nationals now 20-48.