"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. By doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to all things." - "Ghost Dog" reading from the Hagakure
After a quick flash rainstorm the game gets underway just a few minutes later than originally scheduled, and Washington starter Odalis Perez hits St. Louis' leadoff batter Brian Barton. One out later, with Barton still at first, Albert Pujols steps to the plate. Pujols hits a 3-2 pitch off the end of his bat back to the mound, Odalis Perez’s throw to second catches everyone off-guard, Felipe Lopez drops it, leaving both runners safe. Ryan Ludwick launches a line drive to left and Ryan Langerhans misjudges the wet grass and lets it jump, skip right past him and roll to the track. One run scores. 1-0 Cardinals. Second and third for Troy Glaus. Glaus grounds out harmlessly to third. The first pitch from Odalis Perez to Yadier Molina ends up in the bullpen located 377 ft to straight left. 4-0 Cardinals. Felipe Lopez takes his time and runs around a deep grounder to second, allowing Aaron Miles beats out the infield hit. Odalis Perez gets the opposing pitcher...
...Cristian Guzman keeps his average above .300 with a double to left center that skids over the slick soaked grass. Lastings Milledge flies out. A wild pitch with Dmitri Young at bat moves Guzman up to third, but St. Louis' starter Kyle Lohse completes his first scoreless when DY grounds out to second.
Odalis Perez gives up a leadoff single to Cesar Itzuris in the second, but recent call-up Kory Casto erases the runner when he catches a hit and run line drive to right from Brian Barton and fires back to first in time to double-up Itzuris. Perez pops Pujols out to right to end the top of the second....Kory Casto’s first AB of the season comes with two down in the Nationals’ half. Casto wipes the rain off his brow with his shirt sleeve and flies out to left on the first pitch.
Troy Glaus takes four balls for a one-out walk in the third. Aaron Boone makes a diving play and throws to second for the force on Yadier Molina's hard hit grounder. Aaron Miles bunts to third...Boone fields and doesn’t bother. Odalis Perez gets the opposing pitcher to end the top of the third. Ryan Langerhans hammers down on the first pitch and singles through second. Pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak grounds into an easy DP. Kyle Lohse strikes out Felipe Lopez to end his third scoreless.
Cesar Itzuris doubles off the scoreboard in right center to sta...The rain is now pouring down on DC...RAIN DELAY...8:07 pm...9:50 pm, the game gets going again. Brian Barton bunts Itzuris over to third. Joe Mather goes down swinging. Colome hits Albert Pujols, and Rick Ankiel replaces Pujols at first. Ankiel steals second, Itzuris breaks for home, Flores throw to second, Lopez’s throw back home is late, and Itzuris steals home. 5-0 Cardinals.
Kyle Lohse comes back out with a 1-2-3 fifth. Troy Glaus reaches first safely when Aaron Boone bounces the throw to first over DY’s head...RAIN DELAY....10:12 pm...11:00 pm. DC reliever Brian Sanches gets a double play grounder on the first pitch to Aaron Miles. Pitcher Kyle Lohse really wants the win...and an RBI single off Sanches gets him another run of support. 6-0 Cardinals. Kyle Lohse, still pitching, Jesus Flores goes with a fastball outside and doubles with one down in the sixth. Kory Casto lines a single to right moving Flores to third. Ryan Langerhans grounds out scoring Flores. 6-1 St. Louis after five long rain-soaked innings...
DC lefty Charlie Manning battles with Brian Barton, and gets a groundout for the first out of the sixth. A one-out walk for Joe Mather brings up Rick Ankiel. Manning blows Ankiel away with a high heater. Ryan Ludwick drops a broken bat double in fair territory in left, moving Barton to third. Manning gets a fly ball from Troy Glaus to end the Cards’ sixth. St. Louis’ rookie righty Kyle McClellan takes over for Kyle Lohse, and drops some nasty curves on Lopez, Guzman and Milledge for a quick scoreless sixth. Still 6-1 St. Louis.
Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera is on for the seventh and retires the Cardinals in order. Stand up and stretch...Russ Springer’s gonna pitch the bottom of the frame. DY singles to center to start the DC seventh. Springer throws a two-strike fastball through Jesus Flores’ bat. Kory Casto grounds into an inning-ending force at second. Cesar Itzuris droops a single off Felipe Lopez’s glove and into short center in the eighth. Brian Barton grounds back to the mound, Rivera to Guzman to DY, double play. Joe Mather gets a two-out walk. Ankiel grounds out to second. Lefty Ron Villone throws a fastball by Ryan Langerhans. Elijah Dukes patiently accepts a walk from Villone. Felipe Lopez skies a fly out to right. Guzman lines out to left. 6-1 St. Louis.
The Tallest Pitcher in MLB History Jon Rauch is still here, so he might as well throw a few...a looping curve gets Ludwick swinging. Troy Glaus bites down on a two-strike slider and comes up empty. Yadier Molina pops out ot the infield...Rauch retires the side. Three outs to get five runs for the Nationals...Mark Worrell, making his MLB debut, on to end it for St. Louis, and Worrell’s a twisted side-armer...Lastings Milledge drops a bloop single into center. DY hits a DP grounder. Aaron Boone takes a two-out walk. Jesus Flores up...fly ball to deep left....Brian Barton’s got it. Game over. Good night.
Nationals now 24-35.