More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

4 months ago: Washington Nationals' Adam Dunn runs the bases after a two-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 28, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/ Gail Burton)

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From The Game Report: DUNN'S BLAST

"Ryan Zimmerman gets a change over the heart of the plate from O's pitcher David Hernandez, and he lines to left for a one-out double in the fourth. Adam Dunn gets hold of a 94 mph 1-1 fastball from Hernandez and demolishes it, one bounce on Eutaw Street and off the brick wall of the B&O Warehouse, my lord, 2-1 in the fourth Nationals on Dunn's 19th."

From The GameThread:

• "ZIMM!!! Doubles to left on a change over the heart...." - e chigliak

• "Time for a donkey ball..." - ROSCOEtheNATSfan.

• "Now for some Dunn magic..." - e chigliak

• "SHAKE N BAKE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! ADAM DUNN JUST BOUNCED ONE OFF THE BRICKS IN RIGHT!!!  2-1 DC" - e chigliak

• "HE DID IT. Holy ****" - ROSCOEtheNATSfan

• "He hit it into Boog Powell's BBQ stand..." - Doghouse

• "I assume you've been up there. That's a good-smelling park." - ROSCOEtheNATSfan

• "We're trying to close the BBQ gap, but I have to give them the edge. Although I haven’t tried Teddy’s, yet."    - Doghouse

• "LATER!" Exults Mrs. D over the Donkey Ball. 'That was totally t-ball!!'" - Doghouse

• "'That might be the longest ball I've seen hit here.'" Jim Palmer, June 28, 2009"- Nats News Network.

• Nationals win, 5-3 final. 

Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

BACKPAGE: (Coverage Continued After The Jump...)

• Nationals Salvage One, Head To Florida To Face Fish...

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

We Totally Outcommented Them Again And Got A Win...Check Out The Camden Chat (SBN Orioles Blog's GameThread). (It'd be close without our USA/BRAZIL Coverage though...)

DWDT: 15

Nationals now 22-51.

BACKPAGE:

After getting outscored 17-4 in the first two games of Washington's three-game Interleague series with their regional rivals from Baltimore, the Nationals respond with a 5-3 win on the strength of John Lannan's arm, Adam Dunn's bat, and Willie Harris' heart. DC starter John Lannan let the leadoff runner on in each of the first four innings this afternoon, but let only one run cross in his first 7.0 innings on the mound. Lannan was lifted in the eighth after allowing a leadoff double and a one-out single, and a sac fly and an RBI single off DC lefty reliever Joe Beimel allowed both of Lannan's runners to score, but it wasn't enough for the Orioles to mount a comeback.

Lannan (W, 5-5, 3.45 ERA) allows 6 hits, 3 walks and 3 ER in 7.1 IP, and Joe Beimel and Mike MacDougal give fans a look at what the DC Bullpen Duck Pond would look like if the Nationals managed to win more often. Beimel gets the Nationals out of Lannan's eighth-inning jam with the lead and MacDougal blows the O's away in the ninth to earn his third save of the season and give the Nationals their 22nd win. 

Anderson Hernandez's two-out RBI single, which put DC up 4-1 in the sixth, ends up being the winning run, and if O's catcher Matt Wieters had caught the throw in from center by Adam Jones, it never would've counted, as Willingham was so out he didn't slide and had to jump back to tag home after he saw the ball dropped. Willie Harris hits a solo shot to right to lead off the DC seventh, and the Nationals add what's called an "insurance run" (a term you might not be familiar with) in the eighth when Josh "Let Me Play" Willingham doubles and scores when a throw to third from O's phenom Matt Wieters on an attempted stolen base sails into left allowing the Hammer to trot home for a 5-1 Nationals' lead. 

Now 22-51, Washington heads down to Florida to start a two-game series with the Fish tomorrow. 

Game 1: Scott Olsen (1-4, 7.24 ERA) vs Ricky Nolasco (4-6, 6.42 ERA)

Game 2: Jordan Zimmermann (3-3, 4.64 ERA) vs Sean West (3-2, 3.38 ERA)

Game 3: Ross Detwiler (0-4, 5.24 ERA) vs Josh Johnson - (7-1, 2.76 ERA)

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Baltimore Orioles. Game 73 or 74 of 162. 

O’s starter David Hernandez gets a hard hit grounder to first from Willie Harris for the first out of the afternoon. Cristian Guzman lines out to left. Nick Johnson lifts a low 2-1 fastball to center and Adam Jones’ catch ends the first...John "Cool Hand" Lannan gives up a leadoff walk to Adam Jones, but gets a fly ball out from Ty Wiggington to Elijah Dukes in right for the first out of the O’s opening frame. Josh Willingham makes an awkward diving catch to rob Nick Markakis of a single. 2-2 curve to Aubrey Huff and John Lannan’s out of the first following the swinging K. 

Ryan Zimmerman flies out to center. Adam Dunn likes walks, he takes one. Josh Willingham K's staring at a two-strike curve on the inside corner. 2-2 fastball on the outside of the plate and Dukes K’s swinging to end DC’s second...Nolan Reimold takes the second straight leadoff walk from John Lannan. Luke Scott doubles down the line in right, Dukes’ arm holds Reimold at third. Oscar Salazar singles through short and into left for an RBI single and a 1-0 O’s lead. Matt Wieters grounds to first, Nick Johnson steps on the bag and fires home, Luke Scott caught off third, and tagged in the rundown. Robert Andino hits a dribbler in front of home, and Wil Nieves takes care of it to end the second. 1-0 O’s. 

Anderson Hernandez lines a high 1-2 curve to center for a leadoff single. Wil Nieves flies unproductively to Reimold in left. Anderson Hernandez gets nailed trying to steal second, so the double to right that follows from WIllie Harris is wasted. Cristian Guzman pops out to end DC’s third...Adam Jones rips a first pitch fastball through short for a leadoff single. Ty Wiggington chops one to second, Cristian Guzman fields, steps on second and throws to first, double play. Nick Markakis pops out to end the third. 

Nick Markakis doesn’t have to go far to catch Nick Johnson’s line drive. Ryan Zimmerman gets a change over the heart of the plate that he lines to left for a one-out double. Adam Dunn gets hold of a 94 mph 1-1 fastball from Hernandez and demolishes it, one bounce on Eutaw Street and off the brick wall of the B&O Warehouse, my lord, 2-1 Nationals on Dunn's 19th. Josh Willingham reaches first on a dribbler to third. Dukes takes a 3-2 pitch up high from David Hernandez. Two on for Anderson Hernandez, who allows Robert Andino to do it himself...John Lannan walks the leadoff batter, Aubrey Huff in the fourth. Nolan Reimold lines out to second. Luke Scott lines out to left center. Oscar Salazar pops out to second. Lannan through four with a 2-1 lead. 

Nick Markakis tracks down Wil Nieves’ pop fly to right. Willie Harris takes a low full-count offering and walks with one down. Harris steals second and moves to third on a  groundout from Cristian Guzman. Nick Johnson flies out to left, 2-1 DC in the fifth...Big Matt Wieters grounds weakly to second. Cristian Guzman fields and throws in time to get Robert Andino at first. Adam Jones grounds to third, Lannan rolling...

Ryan Zimmerman rips a grounder right at and off of Oscar Salazar at third. Adam Dunn K’s swinging through a 2-2 change. Josh Willingham singles, two on for Dukes, who grounds sharply to third, Salazar steps on the bag, throws to first, too late and off target, Dukes safe, Zimmerman out at third. Anderson Hernandez lines an 0-2 pitch to center, Willingham rounds third, the throw from Adam Jones is on line and in time, but O’s catcher Matt Wieters drops it, Hammer avoids the tag, and touches home!! 3-1 DC. O’s change pitchers and Chris Ray gets Wil Nieves looking to end the DC sixth...Ty Wiggington grounds out to Zimmerman at third, throw’s a little wide, but alright. Willie Harris goes back to the track to catch a fly ball off of Markakis’ bat. Aubrey Huff hits a two-out single to right, and Nolan Reimold battles for six pitches before flying out to Dukes to end the sixth, 3-1 DC. 

TAWH gets a fastball from Chris Ray, and it’s launched to left, over the out-of-town scoreboard and GONE!! HR!!! 4-1 DC!!!! Cristian Guzman K’s swinging, Ray done, Mark Hendrickson on to face Nick Johnson, who flies out to left. Ryan Zimmerman K’s swinging to end the top of the seventh...Elijah Dukes loses a fly from Luke Scott but finds it in time. Ground ball to second from Oscar Salazar for the second out of the inning. Matt Wieters K’s looking to end the seventh. 

Dunn grounds into the dramatic shift for the first out of the eighth. The Hammer rips a double to the wall in right. Hammer steals third with Dukes at bat, and the throw from Matt Wieters sails into left, Hammer scores, 5-1 DC. Elijah Dukes flies out to center. Anderson Hernandez singles with two down. Wil Nieves flies out to left...Robert Andino doubles to the left center gap to start the O’s eighth. Adam Jones chops one to third, Zimmerman leaps, settles and throws to first, in time!! Ty Wiggington singles through second and Andino pulls up when Dukes picks it up. First and third, one out. John Lannan’s done, Joe Beimel on to face Markakis. Markakis flies out to center, Andino tags and scores, 5-2 DC. Aubrey Huff scores Wiggington with a double and then gets nailed at second when Dukes’ throw beats him to second. 

Danys Baez vs DC in the ninth. Willie Harris singles to right. Cristian Guzman grounds to first, Huff steps on the bag and fires to second to double-up Harris. Nick Johnson turns one over and grounds out to first...Mike MacDougal on to close out DC’s 22nd win. Nolan Reimold goes down swinging at a low 3-2 heater. ONE!! Luke Scott flies out to left. TWO!! Oscar Salazar grounds to Guzman at short, the throw to first, in time, NATIONALS WIN!!! 5-3 final. 

Nationals now 22-51.