Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn hits the second batter of the afternoon, Elijah Dukes, to give the Washington Nationals their first baserunner of the day. Lastings Milledge reaches first safely on a high chopper that comes down in back of the mound, completely unplayable. DY walks to load the bases for Jesus Flores. Washburn breaks Flores’ bat, but a run scores on the resultant grounder. 1-0 DC. Washburn gets a fly ball to left from Ronnie Belliard to end the top of the first. Ichiro Suzuki sends one sailing high over right, but Dukes backs up and grabs it. Jose Lopez pops out out Crisitian Guzman at short. Raul Ibanez and Adrian Beltre hit back to back two-out singles off Redding, but Jose Vidro grounds to second to end the first.
Felipe Lopez drops a double down the line in right with one out in the second. Wily Mo Pena shatters a bat grounding out to Jose Lopez. Felipe Lopez to third. Guzman flies to left ending the top of the second...Kenji Johjima grounds out to second where Felipe Lopez calmly fields and throws out the slow-footed catcher. Jeremy Reed takes a one-out walk from Tim Redding, who also walks Miguel Cairo. Willie Bloomquist’s robbed of a line-drive single by Felipe Lopez’s diving stab. Redding backs Ichiro off the plate with an 0-2 pitch and throws strike three by him on the outside of the plate. 1-0 DC after two.
Elijah Dukes singles to start the third, but gets thrown out at second on Milledge’s sac bunt attempt. DY flies out. Jesus Flores up, Milledge is caught leaning by Washburn, but first baseman Miguel Cairo drops the ball, and Milledge reaches second without a throw. Jesus Flores pops out to short. 1-0 middle of three. Jose Lopez reaches first when Felipe Lopez bobbles and throws away an easy grounder. Lopez to third on a sac fly from Raul Ibanez. Adrian Beltre grounds out unproductively, and Jose Vidro flies out to right where Dukes makes...drops it! Dukes Just Drops it? Jose Lopez scores for Seattle. 1-1 after three.
Aaron Boone goes the other way inside the first base bag and curving into foul territory for a one-out double in the fourth...Felipe Lopez takes a walk, Wily Mo Pena comes up with two on, one out. Pena grounds sharply to third, Beltre fields, steps on third, fires to first, Double Play for Beltre!...Redding gets Jeremy Reed staring at strike three. Miguel Cairo grounds weakly to second. Willie Bloomquist strokes a two-out single in front of Ichiro. Bloomquist steals second. Ichiro lines to right, Dukes comes up throwing, but Ichiro goes for second, and gets himself in a run-down on the cut throw which lasts long enough to let the run score. 2-1 Mariners.
Cristian Guzman singles, but gets doubled-up on a strike’em out, throw’em out with Dukes at the plate and Guzman attempting to steal. Lastings Milledge singles right between the shortstop and left fielder with two down. DY grounds back to the mound. 2-1 Seattle, middle of five. Tim Redding gets Jose Lopez, Raul Ibanez and Adrian Beltre in order to end the fifth.
Jesus Flores lines out to short to leadoff the sixth. Ronnie Belliard finds the corner in right with a double. Aaron Boone grounds out unproductively. Felipe Lopez works a walk to bring up Wily Mo Pena. Pena chases high heat for a swinging third strike to end the DC half-inning...Tim Redding retires Jose VIdro, but Kenji Johjima singles through the infield. Redding bounces a pitch that Flores can’t handle, Johjima takes second. Jeremy Reed pops out to the infield. Redding throws a fastball by Miguel Cairo to end the sixth.
Top of seven, Cristian Guzman smokes the first pitch to left and off the wall for a leadoff double off Washburn. Elijah Dukes’ Discerning Eye draws a walk. Mark Lowe replaces Jarrod Washburn. Lastings Milledge lines off Lowe’s foot and speeds to first too fast for any play. Bases loaded. DY flies out unproductively to short left. WWJD? Jesus Flores drives in a run with a groundout. 2-2 tie as Guzman crosses. Belliard stares at strike three. 2-2 after six and a half...Jesus "Everyday" Colome gives up a two-out single to Jose Lopez, but gets a pop out foul of third from Raul Ibanez to end the seventh.
Aaron Boone drills the first pitch of the eighth from Mariners' reliever Mark Lowe into the left field corner. Sac bunt from Felipe Lopez, and the throw to third from the pitcher is late, everybody’s safe. Kory Casto pinch hits for Pena, 0-1 pitch, pulled, DEEEEP to riggghhht....and GONE! Off the foul pole (or fair pole), Casto’s first MLB HR (in front of what amounts to a hometown crowd for the Salem, Oregon born Casto), gives the Nationals a 5-2 lead. One out later, Elijah Dukes lines a single to center. Dukes steals second, and takes third on an errant throw from the catcher. Lastings Milledge is robbed of extra bases by the Raul Ibanez in left, but it works as a sac fly to score Dukes instead. 6-2 DC. Jesus Colome retires the Mariners in order in the eighth. 6-2 Nationals.
Jesus Flores grounds out. Mariners’ reliever(and former Expo) Roy Corcoran gets Ronnie Belliard swinging. Felipe Lopez makes three. The Wildest Closer in MLB History, "Wild" Joel Hanrahan gives up a leadoff single to Jeremy Reed. Miguel Cairo grounds into a force at second. One down. Willie Bloomquist swings through a 97 mph fastball. Ichiro lines a 1-1 pitch through second for a single. Jose Lopez grounds to Felipe Lopez, toss to Guzman covering at second, and Washington completes the road sweep.
Nationals now 29-42.
(ed. note - "I usually save this for home sweeps, but who knows if I’ll get the chance this year...SWEEEEP!!") 