More photos » by Gerald Herbert - AP

4 months ago: New York Mets starting pitcher Livan Hernandez throws to Washington Nationals' Ronnie Belliard in the first inning of a baseball game in Washington, Monday, July 20, 2009. Belliard singled on the pitch. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Livan Hernandez is now (8-0) in his last 8 starts against the Washington Nationals. The streak stretches back to September 2, 2006, when Livan last lost to DC in the first start against his former team following the trade that sent him to Arizona for RHP Garrett Mock and LHP Matt Chico. Hernandez held the Nationals to just 2 runs on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3 in 7.0 IP, over which he threw 97 pitches, 57 for strikes and got 12 ground ball outs, 4 of them back to the mound. DC starter J.D. Martin, in his MLB debut, allows 8 hits and 5 ER in 4.0 IP. The Mets score two in the first on two RBI doubles and three in the second on three RBI singles for an early 5-0 lead that ends up a 6-2 win.

Mets win, 6-2 final.

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

• Check Out: The Amazin' Avenue GameThread.

BACKPAGE:

• Adam "DP" Dunn

• Clippard? Tyler Clippard?

• Olsen May Be Out A While...

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

Nationals now 26-66. 

BACKPAGE: (Under Construction)....

• Adam "DP" Dunn

After Ronnie Belliard singles and Nick Johnson reaches on a throwing error in the first, Adam Dunn steps in against Livan Hernandez, takes a first pitch curve that clocks in at 70 mph and then grounds an 84 mph fastball to second, Luis Castillo throws to Alex Cora and back to Daniel Murphy at first, double play...Bottom of the eighth, Pedro Feliciano on for New York, 5-2 Mets, Ronnie Belliard walks and takes second on a trademark single by Nick Johnson, NJ™. Adam Dunn steps in against Feliciano, and swings at the first pitch he sees, thinking he'll get the same first-pitch-fastball as the two previous batters(?), but Dunn gets a slider and he grounds to Daniel Murphy out near second in the shift, who throws to second for Cora, who throws to first for Feliciano covering, double play...

• Clippard? Tyler Clippard?

J.D. Martin gave up a leadoff single to Mets' CF Angel Pagan in the first tonight, and after a sac fly from Luis Castillo, a double by Daniel Murphy put New York on the board with a 1-0 lead. One out later an RBI double by Jeff Francoeur put the Mets up by two, and when he came back for the second, Martin allowed three-straight singles by Pagan, Castillo and Murphy to make it 5-0 before the Nationals knew what hit them...DC Manager Jim Riggleman pulled Martin in the fourth when the Nationals scored two on Josh Bard's RBI double and had Livan Hernandez momentarily off his game, but Alberto Gonzalez's groundout ended the rally and it looked like the DC Faithful were in for another long night with the DC Bullpen...

Tyler Clippard, who'd thrown 2.2 scoreless and hitless in the last series against Chicago, came out for the fifth and quickly retired the side in order, striking out David Wright with three straight pitches to put on exclamation point on a dominant frame. The sixth was more of the same, Jeff Francoeur flies out, Jeremy Reed tries to bunt his way on unsuccessfully, and Alex Cora gets a two-strike fastball high and tight and K's swinging for Clippard's second straight 1-2-3. The 7th? 3 K's? That's right, Tyler Clippard shows no mercy. Brian Schneider gets a 90 mph fastball on the outside edge, followed by a change at 78 in the exact same spot, and then it's back up to 90, and at the eyes, and Schneider K's swinging for the first out of the inning. Livan Hernandez takes a 1-0 change for a ball, but otherwise it's three strikes swinging, and then Clippard starts to work over Angel Pagan. A change outside to start followed by a curve that drops in for called strike and an 0-2 count. Clippard dials it up to 91 and throws high and inside for a ball, 1-2, and then throws another change low and away, back where he started to get Pagan swinging and bring and end to his third scoreless frame. 

Logan Kensing gives up a solo shot to Jeff Francoeur in the ninth, but that's the only hit and only run he gives up in 2.0 IP, which might actually inspire some confidence for the once again rebuilt bullpen the rest of the way. 

• Olsen May Be Out A While...

• Olsen expected to miss significant time | nationals.com: News - Bill Ladson

"Scott Olsen visited Dr. James Andrews on Monday, and it appears that the left-hander will not be playing baseball for a lengthy period of time."

• Washington Times - Chatter - "Olsen will have surgery; out for year" - Ben Goessling

"Left-hander Scott Olsen's shoulder injury isn't as bad as the Nationals feared when an MRI showed "labrum issues," but it will require surgery..."

• Washington Post - Nationals Journal - "Olsen Has 'Labrum Issues'" - Chico Harlan.

"Scott Olsen came to the Washington Nationals this offseason with a track record for durability. But now, just 11 starts and 62-2/3 innings into his 2009 season, Olsen won't get a chance to pitch again for quite some time --..."

GAME REPORT:

New York Mets At Washington Nationals. Game 92 Of 162. 

J.D. Martin’s MLB career starts with an 89 mph fastball for a strike to Mets’ CF Angel Pagan, who ends up with a check swing single when Willie Harris waits for a roller down the third base line that doesn’t go foul like he’s hoping. Luis Castillo gets down a perfect sac bunt, and Pagan scores from second when Daniel Murphy pulls a cut fastball down the line in right. 1-0 NY. David Wright swings through a two-strike 90 mph fastball. Jeff Francoeur gets hold of a low curve that ends up bouncing off the wall in left for an RBI double. 2-0 Mets. Jeremy Reed grounds out to second to end a long top of the first...Nyjer Morgan flies out to Reed in left field. Ron Belliard lines a 3-1 "fast"ball to left for a one-out single. Daniel Murphy charges a swinging bunt by Nick Johnson and throws wide of second trying to cut down the lead runner, both runners safe, but Adam Dunn grounds to second, Luis Castillo to Alex Cora to Daniel Murphy, double play. 

Alex Cora drives a leadoff single to left center that falls in for a single. Brian Schneider grounds too weakly to second for Ronnie Belliard to even think double play. Livan Hernandez grounds out to J.D. Martin in front of the mound. Angel Pagan lines a looper to center, and Alex Cora scores from second avoiding the tag on the throw home by Nyjer Morgan to Josh Bard. 3-0 NY. Luis Castillo singles through second and Nyjer Morgan’s throw home is late and allows Castillo to take second. Pagan scores, 4-0. Daniel Murphy lines to left for yet another RBI single. Castillo scores, 5-0 NY. David Wright lines one right into Nyjer Morgan’s glove...Cristian Guzman flies out to center. Austin Kearns grounds out to center. Willie Harris works a two-out walk off of Livan Hernandez. Willie Harris takes third on Josh Bard’s opposite field double. J.D. Martin hits a check-swing grounder back to the mound to end the second.

Jeff Francoeur sends a chopper over the mound for a leadoff single. Jeremy Reed grounds to second, Belliard to Guzman to Johnson at first, double play. Alex Cora grounds ot first, Nick Johnson fields and steps on the bag...Nyjer Morgan grounds back to the mound. Ronnie Belliard grounds a 1-0 pitch back to Livan. Nick Johnson K’s looking at a two-strike change. 

Ronnie Belliard knocks down a grounder from Brian Schneider before throwing to first™. Nyjer Morgan tracks a fly ball off Livan Hernadez’s bat and makes the catch for the second out. Angel Pagan grounds to first, NIck Johnson backhands and steps on the bag...Adam Dunn beats the shift with a line drive single through short. Cristian Guzman moves Dunn up with a groundout to first. Austin Kearns’ single moves Dunn to third. Willie Harris pops out unproductively to third. Josh Bard rips a liner by first, Dunn scores easily, Kearns comes around third and beats the throw home, 5-2 Mets. Pinch hitter, Alberto Gonzalez grounds back to the mound, 5-2 NY after four.

Luis Castillo flies out to left, Daniel Murphy grounds out to first and David Wright goes down swinging for a quick fifth from Tyler Clippard...Nyjer Morgan grounds a 1-1 pitch to short for the first out. Ronnie Belliard grounds a 2-1 pitch to second. Nick Johnson flies out to left on a ful-count "fast"ball.

Tyler Clippard gets a flyout to right from Jeff Francoeur, Austin Kearns takes care of it. Jeremy Reed bunts to third, Willie Harris Zimmerman’s it, throwing to first after barehanding it. Clippard throws a high inside fastball by a swinging Alex Cora for the final out of the Mets’ fifth...Adam Dunn skies one to center, Angel Pagan settles under it and makes the catch. Cristian Guzman gets jammed and grounds out to first. Austin Kearns takes a two-out walk from Livan. Willie Harris flies out to center.

Tyler Clippard throws a high two-strike heater right through Brian Schneider’s bat. Clippard dials it up to 92 mph to get Livan swinging. Angel Pagan sees it all, a 76 mph bender, a low 90’s heater and a two-strike change outside that he swings over to end the Mets’ seventh...Josh Bard gets called out looking at a fastball outside and low. Anderson Hernandez lifts his arms on a fastball inside that ends up breaking back in for a called strike three. Nyjer Morgan grounds out to second. 

Cristian Guzman fields and throws out Luis Castillo. Daniel Murphy K’s staring at a fastball on the outside edge. David Wright grounds out to second to end the top of the eighth...Ronnie Belliard faces Pedro Feliciano in the Nationals’ eighth. Belliard walks. Nick Johnson hits a trademark single over short. NJ™.  Adam Dunn grounds to Daniel Murphy out near second in the shift, Murphy to Cora at second and back to first, double play. Cristian Guzman will face right-hander Sean Green. Guzman flies out to center to end the frame. 

Logan Kensing gives Jeff Francoeur the one pitch he can hit and he hits it alright, HR to left and into the bullpen. 6-2 NY. Jeremy Reed flies out to Nyjer Morgan. Alex Cora grounds out to second, and the Mets’ ninth ends when Brian Schneider grounds out to first...Francisco Rodriguez vs Austin Kearns. Kearns has hit bat broken as he grounds out to first. Willie Harris grounds out to second. Josh Bard watches a full-count fastball all the way in. Mets win, 6-2 final. 

Nationals now 26-66.