• QUICK RECAP:
Scott Olsen threw just nine pitches as he breezed through the first inning of tonight's game against the visiting (and mourning, sorry Rockies!) Colorado Rockies, mixing an 86 mph change with a 90-91 mph fastball to retire the first three batters he faced before he surrendered a HR to the fourth, Rockies' shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who laid off three pitches low in the zone and forced the Nationals' left-handed starter to throw him a 3-1 fastball that came in up and over the plate at 88 mph and went out over the left-center wall for a leadoff shot in the second that put Washington down 1-0. Two outs later, Olsen issued a two-out walk to Colorado catcher Miguel Olivo and gave up an RBI line drive double Ian Stewart, who scored Olivo from second without a throw to the plate when Ian Desmond dropped the relay throw in from center. 2-0 Rockies after one.
A leadoff triple by Rockies' outfielder Dexter Fowler was followed by three-straight singles off Olsen in the second, as Colorado scored two more and chased the Nats' starter in favor of right-handed reliever Tyler Walker who gave up an RBI single to Melvin Mora, a two-out walk to Ian Stewart, to load the bases, and a two-out double to the opposing pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, who cleared the bases and then scored scored himself on a two-run HR by Ryan Spilborghs, who made it 10-0 after three with his second HR of the season. Olsen ends the night having given up 7 hits, 1 HR, 6 ER and 1 BB in 2.0 IP over which he throws 51 pitches, 33 for strikes before ending his night early. Nats' lefty Jesse English and fellow relievers Brian Bruney, Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard held the Rockies off the board after Walker finished two scoreless, and the Nationals added two runs in the fifth on a Ryan Zimmerman HR, and two in the sixth on run-scoring hits by Ian Desmond and Cristian Guzman, but that's as close as the Nats get. Rockies win. 10-4 final.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
Nationals now 7-7.
BACKPAGE:
Game Notes.
FULL GAME REPORT: For the Completists.
• Game Notes:
-- Adam Dunn goes 0 for 4 with 2 K's, strands 4 and finishes the game with a .163 AVG, .379 OBP, .279 SLG, 14 walks and 11 K's in 14 games played so far this season...Defense at first considered, "Not Bad."
-- Pudge Rodriguez, Justin Maxwell and Ian Desmond, hitting 6-7-8 in the order go 5 for 13 with 1 RBI, Ryan Zimmerman 3 for 5 with a HR and 2 RBI's, Cristian Guzman 4 for 5 with a run scored and his 6th RBI...Morgan leading off, and Dunn and Willingham batting 4th and 5th are a combined 0 for 10 with 5 stranded.
-- In two starts since replacing Garrett Mock in the Nationals' rotation, Olsen's now allowed 12 hits, 4 walks and 10 ER in 7.2 IP.
• FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Ryan Spilborghs steps in against Nationals' lefty Scott Olsen and grounds out to Ian Desmond, who throws to first for the first out. Dexter Fowler flies out to Josh Willingham in left. Todd Helton gets a grounder by Ryan Zimmerman but Ian Desmond backs up Zim and throws out Helton...Jorge De La Rosa gets Nyjer Morgan to chase a full-count curve out of the zone for strike three. Cristian Guzman works the count full and K's chasing too. Ryan Zimmerman chops one to short and Troy Tulowitzki charges in, glove down and scoops it off the grass before throwing to first. 0-0 after one.
2 - Scott Olsen throws a 3-1 fastball to Troy Tulowitzki who sends it sailing out to left over the wall and gone. 1-0 Rockies. Todd Helton drives one straight down and it dies in the dirt for Pudge, who throws to first. Melvin Mora grounds out to Zimmerman at third. Scott Olsen issues a two-out walk to Colorado catcher Miguel Olivo. Ian Stewart drives a double off the wall in right and Nats' shortstop Ian Desmond drops the relay so there's no play at home, 2-0 Rockies. Jorge De La Rosa singles over short with two down, but Olsen hits the corner inside with a two-strike fastball under Ryan Spilborgh's arms for a called strike three to end a long inning...Adam Dunn works a leadoff walk out of De La Rosa. Josh Willingham lines a 3-1 fastball to right. Ivan Rodriguez erases Dunn, grounding into a force at second, but no DP. Justin Maxwell drops a swinging bunt down, and De La Rosa drops it before throwing late to first. Two on for Desmond, but he grounds out to second, Mora takes the force, Tulo steps on the bag.
3 - Dexter Fowler lines to center and it gets by a diving Nyjer Morgan for a leadoff triple to start the third. Todd Helton drives Fowler in with a line drive single to right. 3-0. 4-0 Rockies when Brad Hawpe singles to right and Justin Maxwell's throw home is cut in the infield. Olsen's done. Nats' right-hander Tyler Walker gives up a single to Melvin Mora, who makes it 5-0 Rockies. Miguel Olivo grounds weakly toward first, Tyler Walker makes the play. Walker walks Ian Stewart to bring up De La Rosa. Tyler Walker hangs a slider to the opposing pitcher and gives up a three-run double to make it 8-0 Rockies. Ryan Spilborghs drives a first-pitch fastball to right and over the out-of-town scoreboard. 10-0. Dexter Fowler pops up behind second to a so-called "Bronx Cheer". Todd Helton hits a two-out single to right. Walker finally gets Tulowitzki swinging to end a long top of the third...Tyler Walker K's swinging to start the Nats' third. Nyjer Morgan takes a two-strike forkball for a called strike three. Cristian Guzman keeps the inning alive with a soft fly over second. Ryan Zimmerman drills a double to left field and off the wall. Guzman to third. Adam Dunn K's chasing a sinking change.
4 - Brad Hawpe K's swinging through a 2-2 fastball. Melvin Mora lines to the right-center gap, Nyjer Morgan gets there but has it bounce off his glove and roll around on Willingham for a one-out triple. Olivo K's swinging, Ian Stewart grounds back to the mound to end the Rockies' fourth...Josh Willingham takes a leadoff walk. Pudge chases an 0-2 forkball down into his own ankles for a swinging K. Justin Maxwell pops up and out to short center. Ian Desmond works a two-out walk, but the Nats leave Tyler Walker in and he grounds out to the catcher. 10-0 Rockies after four.
5 - Tyler Walker vs De La Rosa. Dunn fields a sharp grounder from the pitcher. Spilborghs chases a two-strike slider and Fowler K's swinging through fastballs for a quick 1-2-3 fifth...Nyjer Morgan grounds out to Tulowitzki at short. One down. Cristian Guzman singles up the middle for a one-out hit. Ryan Zimmerman gets hold of a full-count fastball and drives it deeeeeeeep to left and GONE!!! 10-2 Rockies on Zim's 2nd HR. Adam Dunn grounds out to first. Josh WIllingham takes a two-out walk. Ivan Rodriguez's groundout ends the Nats' fifth.
6 - Todd Helton flies out to Willy Taveras in center. Jesse English on for Washington. English walks Tulowitzki. Brad Hawpe K's swinging through a high heater from English. Two-out single to right for Melvin Mora and there are two on and two out. Miguel Olivo flies out to right to end the Rockies' sixth, still 10-2....Justin Maxwell drives a leadoff double into the right field corner to start the Nats' sixth. Ian Desmond follows with an RBI line drive to center, Maxwell scores, De La Rosa's done. 10-3 Rockies. Matt Belisle vs pinch hitter Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez flies out to center. One down. Willy Taveras grounds out to short, Tulowitzki guns him down. Cristian Guzman singles up the middle to score Desmond from third, 10-4 Rockies. Ryan Zimmerman follows Guzman with a single that gets by Tulowitzki and rolls into left. Two on, two out for Dunn, who K's swinging through a 1-2 fastball. 10-4 after six.
7 - Brian Bruney vs Ian Stewart to start the seventh. Leadoff walk, and a sac bunt from Belisle to move Stewart to second. Bruney gets Spilborghs swinging and gets a fly ball out from Dexter Fowler to end the Rockies' seventh...Josh Willingham pops out to Hawpe in right. Pudge Rodriguez lines a one-out single to right to start the Nats' offense. Justin Maxwell K's swinging. Ian Desmond grounds out to second to end the seventh.
8 - Sean Burnett gets a fly ball to right from Todd Helton and a weak grounder to first from a frustrated Tulowitzki. Hawpe hits a ground-rule double into the Rockies' bullpen. Burnett walks Melvin Mora with two down, but gets an inning-ending groundout from Miguel Olivo to end the Rockies' eighth, still 10-4...Wil Nieves flies out in a pinch hit appearance. Willy Taveras flies out to center. Cristian Guzman singles to right to keep the inning alive and chase Rockies' lefty Randy Flores. Zimmerman vs Matt Daley. Fly ball to right, inning over.
9 - Tyler Clippard vs Ian Stewart. Swinging K. Jason Giambi chases a high two-strike fastball. Two down. Ryan Spilborghs flies to right to end the top of the frame...Adam Dunn flies out to start the Nats' ninth. Franklin Morales gets Willingham swinging. Justin Maxwell swings through a two-strike bender to mercifully end it. 10-4 Rockies.
Nationals now 7-7.