Jerry Hairston, Jr. flies out on the first pitch of the evening from DC starter “Opening Night” Odalis Perez. New Nationals’ shortstop Alberto Gonzalez throws out Jeff Keppinger for the second out of the first. Jay Bruce’s grounds weakly to third, Willie Harris fields and throws to end a scoreless top of the inning...Emilio Bonifacio (wearing Guillen’s old #6) chases a high 1-2 curve for a K, but makes Reds’ starter Homer Bailey work for his first out. Willie Harris works the count full and lines a single to center in front of the returning Elijah “Super” Dukes. Dukes drives an outside curve through short for the second one-out single off Bailey. Austin Kearns up when a wild pitch advances both runners. Kearns swings over a brutal two-strike slider outside. WWJD? Jesus Flores singles through short, Harris scores, Dukes scores, 2-0 New Nationals after one...
Brandon Phillips can’t make sense of Odalis Perez’s change, eventually striking out for the first out of the second. Adam Dunn swings over another change that keeps sinking. Edwin Encarnacion grounds to short, and Alberto Gonzalez’s throw ends the Reds’ second...Alberto Gonzalez’s first AB for DC (he’s wearing soriANO’s old #12), and he smacks a 2-2 fastball outside into right for a leadoff double. Odalis Perez’s sac bunt moves Gonzalez to third. Bonifacio’s first RBI opportunity? Single to center! Gonzalez scores. 3-0 New Nationals. Bonifacio steals second! Willie Harris walks. Elijah “Super” Dukes takes a pitch on the fists and doubles to clear the bases. 5-0 New Nationals.
Odalis Perez gives up a leadoff walk to Andy Phillips to start the third. Reds’ catcher David Ross goes down looking. Bailey’s sac bunt moves Phillips to second, but Jerry Hairston, Jr. flies out to Dukes in left to end Perez’s third scoreless...Nick Masset, (who arrived in the Griffey trade), takes over for Bailey. Milledge grounds out, Casto flies out, Alberto Gonzalez works a two-out walk and Odalis Perez grounds to first to end the third...Jeff Keppinger finds open real estate in left center for a leadoff double in the fourth. Kory Casto makes a backhand grab and steps on the bag to get Jay Bruce for the first out. Dunn flies to left, Dukes closes his glove on the Reds’ fourth...Bonifacio grounds right to Brandon Phillips at second. Willie Harris pops out to Phillips. Eljiah Dukes avoids Phillips, but grounds out to Andy Phillips for a quick fourth.
Chopper over Odalis Perez on the mound, but Alberto Gonzalez fields and throws Edwin Encarnacion out. Emilio Bonifacio leaps at an Andy Phillips line drive but can’t come up with the ball, which drops in short right for a single. Reds’ backstop David Ross works a one-out walk. Reds’ reliever Nick Masset can’t get down a bunt and ends up K’ing while trying. Jerry Hairston, Jr. with two out and two on, flies out to center, where Miledge makes the catch...Austin Kearns drives a leadoff single through short in the DC fifth. Jesus Flores swings over a curve off the outside edge. Lastings Milledge beats out the back end of his own DP grounder, and then gets thrown out trying to steal second ending the fifth.
Willie Harris throws out Jeff Keppinger for the first out of the sixth. Odalis Perez covers first on Jay Bruce’s groundout to Casto. Brandon Phillips grounds the first pitch he sees to short, and Alberto Gonzalez’s throw to first ends the Reds’ sixth...Lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt takes over for Cincy in the sixth. Casto grounds back to the mound. Alberto Gonzalez takes a one-out walk from Affeldt. Odalis Perez pops up a bunt attempt. Bonifacio grounds out to short to end the sixth, still 5-1 New Nationals.
Perez issues a leadoff walk to Adam Dunn in the top of the seventh. Willie Harris goes all Zimmerman, backhanding a sharp grounder from Edwin Encaracion and firing to second for the force. Andy Phillips grounds to Gonzalez, short toss to Bonifacio to Casto, Double play! Stand up and stretch...Willie Harris tries to bunt his way on, but gets thrown out by Encarnacion. Elijah Dukes can’t beat Encarnacion’s throw to first on a groundout. Austin Kearns goes down swinging. Odalis Perez is back out for the eighth to face David Ross. Ross K’s swinging at a brutal curve. Reds’ pinch hitter Jolbert Cabrera bounces a triple off the wall on a 3-1 fastball that bounces over the outfielders after it hits the wall. Odalis Perez is done...Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera takes over against Jerry Hairston, Jr., who grounds out unproductively to the mound. Jeff Keppinger swings through a low two-strike fastball, and Saul Rivera preserves the four-run DC lead through the Reds’ eighth.
David Weathers will pitch the ninth for the Reds. Jesus Flores flies out. Milledge triples off the out-of-town scoreboard in right and speeds round the bases in front of Kory Casto. Casto stares at a high strike three on a fastball from Weathers. Alberto Gonzalez gets robbed of an RBI hit by Jay Bruce’s diving catch in right which ends the top of the ninth...
...”Wild” Joel Hanrahan’s on to “close” out the New Nationals’ first win...Jay Bruce takes a hanging 0-2 slider out to right and into the second row of seats, 5-2 New Nationals. Brandon Phillips swings over a low two-strike slider. Adam Dunn works the count full and takes a one-out walk. Emilio Bonifacio catches a line drive to second from Edwin Encarnacion for the second out. Bonifacio takes a knee and comes up with a sharp liner off Joey Votto’s bat, and shows it to everyone to let them know the streak is over...Nine-game losing streak’s history. New Nationals win 5-2.
New Nationals 1-0.
Nationals now 39-70. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...30.)