DC starter John “Cool Hand” Lannan throws a full count fastball outside to Ian Kinsler, who lines it toward second where recently recalled infielder Pete Orr makes a diving stab for the first out of the afternoon. Lannan gets Brandon Boggs staring at strike three. Michael Young grounds to short, Guzman to DY, one scoreless for Lannan...Rangers’ righty Vicente Padilla walks Guzman to start the DC first. Padilla throws a high two-strike fastball by Elijah Dukes. Lastings Milledge pops out to the catcher. DY goes down swinging. 0-0 after one.
Josh Hamilton grounds out to DY at first. John Lannan gets Marlon Byrd swinging at a high fastball. Today’s Rangers' first baseman Max Ramirez makes his MLB debut at the plate, and Lannan hands the kid his first K with a high fastball for a swinging strike three. Lannan through two...Jesus Flores pops the first pitch out to second. Belliard takes one pitch, and grounds the second one out to short. Wily Mo Pena grounds out to end two quick scoreless frames.
Jarrod Saltalamacchi chases strike three on an outside fastball. German Duran lines to center, too shallow for Lastings Milledge, who dives but only smothers the single. Vicente Padilla gets down the sac bunt. Ian Kinsler unloads on Lannan, but Guzman backhands the low liner to end the Rangers’ third...Pete Orr grounds back to the mound. John Lannan chops one to short and is called safe when the throw to first pulls Max Ramirez off the bag. Cristian Guzman grounds up the middle, and right into an inning ending DP.
Brandon Boggs takes a full count fastball all the way out to left and hopefully into some empty seats cause it’s a screamer of a home run and a 1-0 Texas lead. Michael Young grounds out to Guzman. Lannan throws a high fastball by Josh Hamilton. Marlon Byrd skies the third out to Milledge in center...Elijah Dukes reaches first safely when the throw from third pulls Max Ramirez off the bag at first. Lastings Milledge grounds back to the mound and into an easy DP. DY lifts a slow curve to the track in center, where Marlon Byrd makes the catch to end the fourth.
Lannan gets a fly ball from Max Ramirez for the first out of the fifth, and Lannan has a line drive from Saltalamacchia bounce right off his glove hand, though he recovers to make the play for the second out. German Duran smacks a two-out single through the whole at second. Lannan pops up the opposing pitcher to end the top of the fifth...Jesus Flores shatters a bat on a line drive to third. Ronnie Belliard grounds out on a full-count fastball. Wily Mo Pena grounds out to end Padilla’s fifth scoreless.
Ian Kinsler takes the first pitch of the sixth out of the park and over the Rangers’ bullpen in left center, probably 400 ft or more from home. 2-0 Texas. Lannan rings up Brandon Boggs. Michael Young grounds out to second. Josh Hamilton grounds out to first, DY to Lannan covering. 2-0 middle of six...Pete Orr chases a bender off the plate for strike three swinging. Willie Harris pinch hits for Lannan. Willie Harris hits one to straight center and LONG GONE!! Solo shot for Harris. 2-1 Texas. Cristian Guzman chops a grounder up the middle and beats out the throw from Kinsler. Guzman gets caught trying to steal second. Elijah Dukes takes a two-out walk. Lastings Milledge pops out to end the sixth. 2-1 Texas.
Marlon Byrd singles off Luis Ayala to start the seventh. Ayala gets Max Ramirez looking at an outside fastball. Salty walks. A single by German Duran scores Byrd from second, and Salty beats out the cut throw to third. 3-1 Texas. Padilla gets down a sac fly, moving German to second. Ian Kinsler grounds up the middle, and Pete Orr makes the play to end the top of the seventh...Stand up and stretch...DY takes strike three to start the Nationals’ half. Jesus Flores drops a 1-2 fastball into short center for a single. Ronnie Belli-YARD lets Flores walk home with a towering home run to left that ties the game in the seventh. 3-3 ballgame. Wily Mo Pena goes down swinging. Pete Orr lines to right...but Josh Hamilton makes a rolling diving catch to end the inning.
Luis Ayala comes back out for the eighth. and walks leadoff batter Brandon Boggs. DC Manager Manny Acta pulls the plug on Ayala, “Wild” Joel Hanrahan comes on in relief. Hanrahan throws a two-strike fastball by Michael Young. Hanrahan vs Hamilton? Hanrahan throws a two-strike fastball by Hamilton on the outside edge. Boggs steals second. Marlon Byrd up, Hanrahan throws away a two-strike slider, Boggs takes third. Byrd walks. Frank Catalanotto singles through short. Boggs scores. 4-3 Rangers. Single by Salty scores Byrd. 5-3 Rangers...Paul Lo Duca pinch hits to start the DC eighth against the original “Everyday”, Eddie Guardado. Lo Duca flies out, Guzman grounds out, and Elijah Dukes goes down swinging. On to the ninth...
Right-hander Steven Shell debuts on the mound for DC in the ninth. David Murphy pops out to left. Ian Kinsler flies out to center. Brandon Boggs grounds out to short, and Shell has his first scoreless frame...C.J. WIlson comes on to close it out for Texas. Milledge down chasing. DY singles through second. Jesus Flores grounds to short, to second, to first, game-ending DP. Rangers win 5-3, and take two out of three in DC.
Nationals now 30-47.