• Ryan Zimmerman and Josh WIllingham go back to back off ATL right-hander Derek Lowe with two down in the first. Zimmerman’s 32nd of 2009, gives him 8 more than his previous season high of 24 which he hit in 162 games in 2007, and there are eight innings left today and seven more games on the 2009 schedule to be played this week. The Hammer hits his second HR and collects just the second RBI in his last 62 at bats. So far in September, Willingham's hit in just 12 of 71 at bats, for a .169 AVG, a .272 OBP and a .324 SLG. Derek Lowe gives up two HR's in the same game for the first time all season.
• A fan interferes with a leadoff line drive by Martin Prado, who gets second, and Chipper Jones reaches on an infield single off Livan Hernandez in the fourth. Livan gets a harmless fly out of Brian McCann, but Josh Willingham catches it while backpedaling and throws it in weakly off his back heel allowing Prado to take third, and then score easily on Garrett Anderson’s groundout. 2-1 DC. Yunel Escobar hits a two-out triple to score Chipper and it’s tied at 2-2 after four.
• Mike Morse hits the third HR of the game off Lowe to give DC a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Morse hits his second HR in two days, for the 4th and 5th HR’s of his 132-game MLB career. Before yesterday's HR, Morse hadn't gone deep in a major league game since August 15th 2005 when he hit a two-run HR as a Seattle Mariner for the 3rd HR of his rookie campaign.
TRIVIA: The last time Derek Lowe gave up 3 HR’s in a game? August 27, 2007, against the Washington Nationals...Q: Who hit the HR's off Lowe? There were three different players...? A: Dmitri Young, Wily Mo Pena and Ryan Zimmerman in a 5-4 loss to Los Angeles.
• After grounding out with two on and two out in the sixth, Livan Hernandez walks Yunel Escobar to start the seventh and then gives up an RBI double off the base of the out-of-town scoreboard to Adam LaRoche, which scores Escobar from first ahead of the cut throw home. 3-3 ballgame. Hernandez out after 6.1 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB and 2 K's. Tyler Clippard replaces Livan, and strands Adam LaRoche at third in a tie game. Then the Nationals do the same...
Continued after the JUMP...
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Check Out The SB Nation's Atlanta Braves Blog: Talking Chop.
• "Game 155: Our team is terrible." - Doghouse.
Full Game Report After The JUMP...
• The Worst Kind Of FAIL...How To Strand A Leadoff Triple: Willie Harris starts the Nationals’ seventh with leadoff triple off Braves’ reliever Peter Moylan. Ian Desmond grounds to first, Adam LaRoche fields and looks Harris back to third. The Braves walk Ryan Zimmerman. First and third, one out. Josh Willingham K's taking a 1-2 slider inside for a called strike three. Elijah Dukes takes an 0-2 slider low and outside and that's a strike too, Willie Harris is left standing on third...
• Extra Innings...For the second-straight day, Mike MacDougal comes on in a non-save situation. Yesterday, MacDougal allowed a single, a sac bunt and an RBI double before he was lifted for Ron Villone who gave up a two-run HR, with one run belonging to the DC closer. Today, MacDougal starts the tenth with the game still tied at 3-3, and gets the first out on a groundout by pinch hitter Brooks Conrad, then it all falls apart. One-out walk to Nate McLouth. MacDougal hits Martin Prado. Chipper Jones hits a dribbler toward first, McDougal can't make the play, everyone is safe. Brian McCann grounds out to score the go-ahead run. 4-3 Braves. Pinch hitter Omar Infante hits a bloop single to center, two more score. 6-3 Atlanta. Ballgame.
Nationals now 52-103.
Atlanta Braves At Washington Nationals. Game 155 Of 162.
Livan Hernandez gets a two-seam fastball to break back inside for a called strike three on Nate McLouth. Martin Prado grounds weakly to short, and Chipper Jones flies out to left center where Willie Harris’ catch ends a quick top of the first...Willie Harris flies out to Garrett Anderson in left field. Chipper Jones makes a quick toss to first on a groundout by Ian Desmond. Two down for Braves’ righty Derek Lowe. Ryan Zimmerman goes over the out-of-town scoreboard with a two-out solo HR to right. Josh Willingham gets a first-pitch fastball and he destroys it, line drive to left and GONE!! HR for the Hammer, 2-0 DC. Elijah Dukes K’s swinging over a sinker, 2-0 Nationals after one.
Brian McCann gets a 1-2 fastball up high that he drives to center for a single. Brian McCann takes second when Garrett Anderson grounds out to Mike Morse at first. Yunel Escobar skies a 2-0 pitch to right. Livan Hernandez likes working with the lead, and he strikes Adam LaRoche out to preserve it...Mike Morse grounds weakly to short after Lowe jams him with a fastball inside. Jamie Burke’s not expecting a curve, and he’s fooled so bad he throws his bat five feet in front of home. Alberto Gonzalez rolls one to Chipper Jones who barehands it and throws to first, in time.
Matt Diaz grounds back to the mound. Derek Lowe’s slow chopper’s handled by Ryan Zimmerman. Willie Harris covers his eyes and catches the third out of the Braves’ third off Nate McLouth's bat...Lowe gets an equally weak grounder out of Livan. Willie Harris’ single to center puts one on for Ian Desmond. Desmond walks, Zimm’s up for the second time with two runners on. Zimmerman flies out to center. Harris takes third. Willingham walks to load the bases, but Elijah Dukes’ pop-up ends the third.
Martin Prado doubles by third and a fan inteferes to hold Prado at second. (And get him/herself ejected.) Chipper Jones grounds to Desmond deep in the hole at short. Desmond backhands but holds it. Two on for McCann. Josh Willingham’s backing up when he catches Brian McCann’s fly ball, but he throws off his back heel and it comes in late at third. Garrett Anderson grounds to short to score Prado. 2-1 Nationals. Livan Hernandez gives up a two-out, RBI triple to Yunel Escobar, who splits the gap in left center to tie it at 2-2. Adam LaRoche flies out to the track to end the top of the fourth...Derek Lowe hangs a curve to Mike Morse that ends up in the first row in the left field stands, 3-2 DC. Jamie Burke rolls the first out to third. Matt Diaz slides in to catch a short fly off Alberto Gonzalez’s bat. Livan Hernandez grounds out to Yunel Escobar to end the fourth.
Ian Desmond charges and fires to first to get Matt Diaz to start the sixth. Derek Lowe’s dribbler’s so slow Zimmerman can’t throw out the pitcher. Alberto Gonzalez can’t stab a sharp grounder from Nate McLouth and there are two on again. Martin Prado singl--Alberto Gonzalez gets there makes a slick underarm toss to second, Desmond spins around the bag and throws to first, double play...Willie Harris singles to start the fifth. Ian Desmond grounds out to first to move Willie Harris into scoring position. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to deep center. Harris stays put. Josh Willingham grounds out to short to end the fifth.
Chipper Jones flies out to Josh Willingham in straight left. Brian McCann grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez at second. Willie Harris catches the third out off Garrett Anderson’s bat on the curly-W in the outfield grass...Elijah Dukes pops a first-pitch fastball up over first for LaRoche to catch. Mike Morse K’s swinging through a 1-2 fastball. Jamie Burke rips a single over second with two down. Alberto Gonzalez hits the second straight two-out single. Livan Hernandez grounds to short to end the threat.
Livan Hernandez vs Yunel Escobar. Livan misses with a high inside full-count fastball. Adam LaRoche doubles off the base of the out-of-town scoreboard, and Escobar beats the relayed throw home, 3-3 ballgame. Tyler Clippard takes over for Livan Hernandez. Mike Morse fields a grounder from pinch hitter from Greg Norton and steps on first, holding LaRoche at third. Tyler Clippard walks McLouth with two down. Martin Prado K’s swinging through a high-heater from Clippard...WIllie Harris triples to off the right field wall to start the eighth off the Braves’ sidewinder, Peter Moylan. Ian Desmond grounds unproductively to first. Ryan Zimmerman gets the intentionals to set up the DP. Willingham takes a two-strike fastball "inside" for a called strike three. Elijah Dukes takes a low slider outside for another backwards K.
Tyler Clippard vs Chipper Jones. Larrrr-eee grounds out to first. Ryan Zimmerman catches a foul pop off Brian McCann’s bat. Elijah Dukes sprints to catch up to a sharp liner to right by Garrett Anderson. Clippard with a scoreless frame...Mike Morse grounds weakly to short for the first out of DC’s eighth. Jamie Burke chases a slider outside for a swinging strike three. Alberto Gonzalez is completely fooled as he K’s.
Yunel Escobar singles through Ryan Zimmerman’s glove for a leadoff single. Adam LaRoche pops out to center unproductively. Matt Diaz grounds to short, Desmond to Gonzalez to Morse, double play!!!!...The Guzzz, Cristian Guzman sends a blooper to right for a leadoff single. Justin Maxwell runs for Guzman. Willie Harris lines a bunt back to Mike Gonzalez on the mound. Ian Desmond pops out to the infield. Ryan Zimmerman K’s swinging over a nasty two-strike slider.
Mike MacDougal gets a groundout to second from Brooks Conrad. MacDougal walks Nate McLouth with one down and then hits Martin Prado with Chipper Jones due up. C. Jones grounds weakly to first and MacDougal misses it. Bases loaded. Brian McCann’s weak grounder to the mound scores the walk, McLouth. 4-3 Braves. Pinch hitter Omar Infante places a single in the short center grass to score two, 6-3 Atlanta. Yunel Escobar grounds to first to end the inning...Rafael Soriano’s going to close this out. Willingham pops out on the first pitch. Elijah Dukes grounds out to first. Mike Morse K’s on a check swing to end it. Braves win, 6-3 final.
Nationals now 52-103.