Washington Nationals Win Third Straight, 3-2 Over New York Mets On Ryan Zimmerman RBI Single.

• Wang vs New York Top 5: 

5. Gee Whiz: [ed. note - "Updated from last start vs D.C."] In his first career start against New York's NL East rival from Washington, on September 7, 2010, Mets' right-hander Dillon Gee had a no-hitter through five before then-Nats-current-Mets' outfielder Willie Harris' leadoff HR in the 6th broke up the then-25-year-old pitcher's no-hit and shutout bids with one swing of his bat. After five scoreless in Citi Field in Gee's second outing against the Nats on May 19, 2011, the opposing pitcher, Livan Hernandez. broke up a no-hit bid with a two-out single in the sixth inning of a 7.2-shutout-inning-outing against the Nats in which Gee allowed just two hits. In start three vs D.C., which took place in the nation's capital on July 29th of this season, the Mets' right-hander's no-hitter was broken up in the fourth inning, and the Nats scored three runs in 6.2 IP of Gee's third win in three starts vs Washington.

Gee's no-hit bid ended five pitches into the first at bat of his fourth and most-recent start against Washington when Nats' leadoff man Ian Desmond crushed a 2-2 change for a leadoff blast and quick 1-0 lead. Gee received no decision in the Mets' win that day, so he's still unbeaten in four starts vs Washington. Gee's fifth start against the Nationals begins with an 11-pitch, 2 K 1-2-3 top of the first in Citi Field, and Chien-Ming Wang steps on a mound in New York for the first time since 2009...

4. Golly Gee: Mets' slugger Lucas Duda takes a two-out, 2-0 sinker outside to center for a single off Chien-Ming Wang in the bottom of the first, but the Nationals' sinker baller completes a scoreless frame on ten pitches. Nats' outfielder Jayson Werth sends a 1-2 fastball from Dillon Gee back up the middle for a one-out single in the Nationals' second, but he's erased when Danny Espinosa grounds into a force and Chris Marrero's pop to first base ends a 13-pitch frame by the New York Mets' right-hander. Former Nats' outfielder Willie Harris helps Chien-Ming Wang out in the second, getting the green light or going for it on his own and swinging at a 3-0 pitch on which he flies out to deep right after an Angel Pagan single had started the inning. Pagan's then erased on a 6-4-3 DP off Nick Evans' bat that completes a nine-pitch scoreless second for Wang. 

3. 'Nuthin But A Gee Thing: Ian Desmond strikes out for the second time in two at bats to end a ten-pitch 1-2-3 third by Dillon Gee, and Chien-Ming Wang follows with his own scoreless frame, giving up a two-out single to left by Jose Reyes, but inducing the sixth ground ball out of the night out of the eleven batters he's faced in 3.0 scoreless. Still 0-0 at Citi Field. 32 pitches, 19 strikes for Wang. 13 pitches, 3 up, 3 down as the Nats go down in order for Gee again in the fourth with Ankiel, Zim and Morse coming up empty the second time around. Chien-Ming Wang gives up a leadoff single, the second by Lucas Duda, to start the bottom of the fourth, and a two-out single by Willie Harris to put two on before he strikes Nick Evans out with a full-count fastball that ends his fourth scoreless frame. 51 pitches, 32 strikes, six groundouts and two K's. 

2. Gee-zus, The Arm Strikes Again: Danny Espinosa singles with one down, but he's thrown out by Mets' catcher Josh Thole. Chris Marrero singles with two down in the next AB, but he's stranded when Wilson Ramos grounds into a force at second that ends a 12-pitch scoreless fifth. 59 pitches, 41 strikes by Gee in the top of the frame. Chien-Ming Wang gives up a leadoff double on a first-pitch sinker Josh Thole sends out to the left-center gap. After Dillon Gee K's trying to bunt, Jose Reyes singles to center and Thole tries to score on Rick Ankiel's arm. Not a good idea. Ankiel guns Thole down. Ruben Tejada singles to right to put two on with two out and Lucas Duda up. Duda's 3 for 3 vs Wang tonight after he lines a 3-1 pitch to right. Jayson Werth tries to charge and come up throwing but misplays it allowing a second run to cross. 2-0 Mets after five. Wang's hit for in the sixth and done after 5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's, 72 pitches, 46 pitches, 6/3 GO/FO. 

1. Gee-pers Creepers: Lucas Duda's done it all so far, going 3 for 3 at the plate and even making a leaping catch to rob Michael Morse of a potential extra base hit on a line drive to right in the second, but a bad first step on a pop to right by Ian Desmond in the top of the sixth comes back to haunt the Mets when Rick Ankiel hits an opposite field double to left-center that brings the Nats' shortstop around and cuts New York's lead in half. 2-1 Mets. One out later, Michael Morse rips into a 3-1 fastball and sends a two-out RBI double to straight-center that sails over Angel Pagan's head and brings Ankiel around. 2-2 game. Back-to-back two-out walks end Gee's night, but Pedro Beato gets the Mets out of a bases-loaded jam when he pops Chris Marrero up to end the 6th. 

0. Gee Stammen's Great: After the Nats rally to tie it, Doug Slaten walks the first batter he faces in the bottom of the sixth and hits the second batter to put two on with no one out. 10 pitch, 3 strike effort by the lefty. Craig Stammen comes on to clean up the mess. Nick Evans K's chasing a 1-2 slider in the dirt. Josh Thole grounds weakly to short. Two down. Runners on second and third. Mike Baxter? That's the name I'm told. Baxter pops up to Ian Desmond, two runners stranded. Stammen then gets a rare AB and singles through the right side of the infield off Dale Thayer. Ian Desmond singles too and Thayer's out. Tim Byrdak vs Rick Ankiel. Jose Reyes steps on second for a force, but doesn't make the throw to first for what looked like a DP grounder off Ankiel's bat. First and third. Bobby Parnell vs Ryan Zimmerman. RBI single through short, 3-2 Nationals after six and a half. 

-1. Seh-ver-Gee-no: Craig Stammen issues the second-straight leadoff walk, but Ruben Tejada has a bunting FAILure, popping it up for the first out of the frame. Atahualpa Severino replaces Stammen and pops Lucas Duda with the first pitch he throws. Todd Coffey sprints to the mound and strikes David Wright out to end end the seventh. Still 3-2 Nats. Sean Burnett throws an 11-pitch 1-2-3 eighth after the Nats come up empty against Bobby Parnell in the top of the frame. The Mets' right-hander gets the first two outs of the ninth, Daniel Ray Herrera the third after a two-out single by Ankiel. Drew Storen takes the mound in the ninth. Josh Thole K's chasing an 0-2 change in the dirt. Jason Pridie K's on a check swing strike three. Jose Reyes singles through second with two down. Boo!! Ruben Tejada sends Reyes around to third with a two-out single. Lucas Duda gets two sliders, one outside, one inside, both strikes, and then chases an 0-2 slider for out no. 3. Nats win, 3-2 final. Save no. 36 for Storen. The Nationals match their 2010 win total.  

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

• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: "STAMMEN! STAMMEN!! STAMMEN!!!":

via www.fangraphs.com

• Not too bad: Chien-Ming Wang (-4.2%) only lasts 5 IP, but only gives up 2 ER, while striking out 4 (!) and walking none.
• Kind of bad: Doug Slaten (-13.0%) records no outs and walks a batter in relief.
• Cleaner: Craig Stammen (+19.2% pitching, +4.1% hitting) defuses Slaten's disaster-in-the-making, getting 4 scoreless outs.  He also singles to start a 7th-inning rally and comes around to score.
• Clutch: Ryan Zimmerman (+10.7%) singles in Stammen for the go-ahead run (+20.6%).
• Double-double: Rick Ankiel (+6.1%) doubles in a run to get the Nats on the board (+15.3%), then Michael Morse (+10.8%) doubles The Arm in to tie it (+18.4%).  (Ankiel's great play at the plate doesn't show up to his credit in the WPA.)
  
• Way. Too. Interesting: Drew Storen (+17.5%) puts runners on the corners but gets a big strike out to end the game (+18.4%).

• Bonus Graph: Pitch Track - CB Bucknor is bad at umpiring!:

As usual, the black box is the strike zone (it's adjusted so the box is the same height for tall and short hitters).  Red are called strikes, and green are balls.  The balls and strikes don't always match up to the edge of the box, but they should be consistent.  You shouldn't have the situation like you have here where you have no idea if a pitch is going to be called a ball or a strike.

Nationals now 69-77.