Thrillie Harris connects with a curve from the man who’s famous for them, Giants’ lefty Barry Zito, and it's leadoff single which is quickly erased by Cristian Guzman’s DP grounder. Ryan ZIMMERMAN!!! grounds out to second in his first at bat back in the lineup since May 25th, Zito’s through the top of the first...The Mature Fred Lewis launches the second pitch from Jason Bergmann out of the park in right, but not into the drink, 1-0 Giants. Ronnie Belliard can’t come up with the throw from the Nationals’ $16 million dollar man Cristian Guzman, allowing Eugenio Velez to reach first safely. Velez steals second. Randy Winn flies out to right, Velez takes third. Bergmann comes high and tight on Bengie Molina, who promptly launches the next pitch to deep center for a two-tun blast and a 3-0 Giants’ lead after one...
Austin Kearns hits an opposite field fly out. Ronnie Belliard flies out to Fred Lewis in left. Jesus Flores...TRIPLES by a diving Aaron Rowand in center. Paul Lo Duca...two-out RBI double through third and into left, Flores scores. 3-1 Giants...Jason Bergmann gets Rich Aurilia swinging at a nasty breaker. Omar Vizquel lines out to Thrillie Harris in center. Zito ground out to send himself back to the mound...Willie Harris battles Zito, but ends up called out looking at a two-strike fastball on the outside edge. Ryan Zimmerman gets robbed of a line drive single by a backhand Omar Vizquel catch at short that ends the DC third...Guzman throws out Fred Lewis. Velez chops one back to the mound that Bergman handles. Randy Winn pops out to short center, where Guzman grabs it. 3-1 SF after three.
Austin Kearns doubles off the left field wall and beats Fred Lewis’ throw in from left. Ronnie Belliard walks in front of Jesus Flores...WWJD? Broken bat grounder that avoids the DP, runners on second and third for Paul Lo Duca. Lo Duca chops one straight down, and it bounces over the mound for an infield single, and an RBI, 3-2 GIants. Felipe Lopez strikes out swinging likes he’s never seen a curve before. Zito gets a groundout from Bergmann to end the DC fourth...Bengie Molina takes Bergmann deep again, this time to left, and it’s 4-2 Giants... Aaron Rowand flies out to Kearns. John Bowker backs Kearns up to the wall for the second out. Felipe Lopez throws away a grounder from Rich Aurilia. Omar Vizquel throws his bat at a fastball and drills it into right, far away from Austin Kearns...Aurilia scores, 5-2 SF after four. (B)
Thrillie Harris hits a towering home run to right that...even..tually...goes out for a solo shot that cuts the Giants’ lead to 5-3. One out later, Ryan Zimmerman singles for his first hit since 5/29 (when the Nationals were 22-29), but Zimmerman ends up stranded at second when Kearns flies out, and Belliard walks to bring up Jesus Flores...who K’s swinging to end the DC fifth...Freddie Lewis grounds out to Guzman at short. Eugenio Velez grounds out to Belliard at first. Winn grounds to first, Bergmann’s through five, still 5-3 Giants.
Lo Duca pops out to the catcher on Zito’s first pitch of the sixth. Felipe Lopez watches Zito's curve all the way in this time to try to see if he understands it (Lopez is probably better off watching, cause it's a brutal pitch.)...Johnny Estrada lines out to Winn in right...Jesus “Everyday” Colome gets a fly ball out from Bengie Molina. Aaron Rowand flies out to Zimmerman at third. Colome throws a fastball to the backstop, but ends up getting Bowker looking at another fastball on the outside edge...
Thrillie Harris starts the seventh, Lefty vs Lefty against Giants’ reliever Jack Taschner. Harris grounds to second, and almost beats the throw to first. Taschner walks Guzman in front of Ryan Zimmerman, who takes the second straight free pass. Taschner’s done. Austin Kearns will face Sergio Romo, and Kearns takes a 3-2 slider insider for a called strike three. Belliard grounds out to first...Stand up and stretch...Jesus Colome comes back out and gets a groundout from Aurilia and a fly ball out to center from Vizquel for Colome’s second scoreless. Ivan Ochoa pops up down the line in left and he’s safe at second after a sliding Lo Duca has it bounce offhis glove after running at a full sprint from left center to the line...Colome out in favor of DC lefty Charlie Manning. Manning vs Fred Lewis. Lefty vs Lefty. Lewis pops out foul of third, and into the stan...Ryan Zimmerm-THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! Zimmerman reaches into the stands and catches it as his hip connects with the wall. 5-3 Giants after seven.
Bleach-blonde Giants' reliever Tyler Walker’s on for the top of the eighth. Jesus Flores grounds out to Velez at short. Paul Lo Duca hears the boos from the Giants’ fans as he steps up...and Lo Duca flies out to Rowand in left center. Felipe Lopez, happy to see someone other than Zito, doubles off the base of the wall in left with two down...but Ryan Langerhans grounds out to first to end the DC eighth. Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera gets a groundout from Velez for the first out of the Giants’ half of the frame...Felipe Lopez makes a good play fielding Randy Winn’s grounder, but can’t make a throw to first. Bengie Molina up, Winn steals second. Molina walks. Aaron Rowand chops a grounder...just...out of Zimmerman’s reach...Winn scores. 6-3 Giants. Austin Kearns makes a shoestring grab to rob John Bowker of extra bases. Rich Aurilia flies out to Kearns, 6-3 after eight.
Brian “Not That Brian” Wilson vs Willie Harris to start the ninth. Harris grounds out to second. DC Native and D-efensive replacement at second, Emmanuel Burriss robs Guzman of a single to center for the second out. Ryan Zimmerman...takes a full-count fastball inside for ball four. Austin Kearns gets down 0-2 and Brian Wilson throws a 100mph fastball right through Kearns’ bat, strike three swinging, 6-3 Giants win.
(B) = The BLAME GAME (ed. note - "An error and a two-out run makes a 4-2 game with the top of the order coming up a 5-2 in two, two-out at bats...")
Nationals now 38-62. (Countdown to 100 Losses Stands At...38.)