Shawn Hill lets two Giants on in the top of the first, but he holds San Francisco scoreless in their first turn at the plate. Nationals’ leadoff batter Cristian Guzman pokes a single through the infield to lead off the home half of the first, but two outs later Guzman’s still standing at first, and Aaron Boone grounds out to second to end a scoreless inning for San Francisco lefty Jonathan Sanchez.
Shawn Hill leaves the first pitch of the second up in the zone and Rich Aurilia lines it to center for a leadoff single. John Bowker shatters yet another Maple bat lining out to second. Omar Vizquel gets all of a sinking fastball that hangs up in the zone. Shawn HIll fields a ground ball from the opposing pitcher and cuts down the lead runner at third. Lastings Milledge has to accelerate in order to track down the third out of the second off Fred Lewis' bat...Jesus Flores leads off the DC second by chasing a curve into the dirt for a check-swing K. Kory Casto pops out to the infield. Felipe Lopez works the count full, and Sanchez issues a two-out walk. WMP flies out to right. 0-0 after two.
Shawn Hill gets two ground balls and a line drive to Guzman at short as he retires the Giants in order in the third. Jonathan Sanchez walks Hill to lead off of the bottom of the inning. Cristian Guzman flies out. Dukes gets hit in the foot with a curve, and Lastings Milledge grounds a two-strike curve to second allowing Omar Vizquel to tag second and complete the DP himself.
Shawn Hill comes off the mound and fields Ray Durham’s swining bunt, throwing to first in time. Aurilia flies out to right, John Bowker spares a bat by striking out, three up three down for Hill’s fourth scoreless. Aaron Boone connects and drives a single into left to lead off the inning. Jesus Flores gets fooled by another curve. A wild pitch over the catcher with Kory Casto up moves Boone to second, but Casto strikes out swinging for the second out. Felipe Lopez lines right to Jose Castillo at third to end the fourth.
Shawn Hill strikes out Vizquel swinging, gets a ground out from Durham, and a fly ball to left from Fred Lewis ending Hill’s fifth scoreless frame. Wily Mo Pena grounds out to Vizquel at short. Shawn Hill hustles but can’t beat out his ground ball to short. Cristian Guzman flies out to right, for Jonathan Sanchez’s fourth scoreless.
Hill gets two grounders and a pop to the infield for his fifth scoreless. Jonathan Sanchez pops up Elijah Dukes for his 7th straight put out, and with Hill’s 14, that’s 21 straight outs. Lastings Milledge shakes things up with a line drive single to center, Boone grounds into a tailor-made DP. Six scoreless.
Ray Durham lines out to Lasto in center for Hill’s 15th straight out. Rich Aurilia ends that streak with a double to left center. John Bowker flies out. Hill issues the intentionals to Vizquel to get to the pitcher Jonathan Sanchez up with two on and two out, but Wily Mo Pena’s perfectly positioned to catch the liner of the pitcher’s bat for the last out of the Giants’ seventh. Stand up and stretch...Jesus Flores drops a single in shallow center for a leadoff single in the DC seventh. Kory Casto flies out to left. Felipe Lopez grounds to second, Vizquel fields, tags the bag and throws to first to end the seventh.
Hill starts the eighth against Fred Lewis, with Luis Ayala warming and ready in the pen. A roller down the line from Lewis comes back into play, and Hill’s there to field and throw to first. Boone likes Hill’s effort, pumping his fist. Jose Castillo takes a wide turn at first after singling to center. Randy Winn lines one fair into foul territory past third, where it jumps off the extended seating and holds Castillo at third. Hill’s done. Luis Ayala’s on in relief. Men on second and third for Bengie Molina. Molina grounds through short. Castillo scores. 1-0 Giants. SLIDER!!! Ayala walks Ray Durham to load the bases. Rich Aurilia lines a hanging slider into center for an RBI single, 2-0 GIants, and John Bowker clears the bases with a long fly ball to left and GONE!! Grand Slam for Bowker. 6-0 Giants. Giants’ reliever Tyler Walker issues a one-out walk to Willie Harris in the DC eighth. Guzman flies out to center. Elijah Dukes flies to right on the first pitch. 6-0 SF after eight.
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan gets Jose Castillo chasing. Randy Winn flies out to left. Bengie Molina lines right to Dukes, in, uh, right. Three outs to get six runs? Lefty Pat Misch on to close out the second straight San Fran victory. Lastings Milledge chops a groundout to second. Aaron Boone rips one right in Jose Castillo’s glove. Jesus Flores grounds out to second. 6-0 Giants win.
Nationals now 25-38.