Nationals Drop First Of Three...
Not even a loan of the Texas Rangers' "Rally Turtle" could help the Washington Nationals come back to beat the New York Mets tonight, though the Turtle** was reportedly responsible for DC's tying the game at 3-3 when Ryan Langerhans, a Texan, hit a solo shot off Johan Santana to leadoff the seventh. "Generic" Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano came through with scoreless frames in relief to hold and save the Mets' 63rd victory of the season, and Santana's 10th win.
** = See Last Night's Game Thread For Any And All "Rally Turtle" References...
Comeback Kids Fall Short...
The New York Mets scored two off "Opening Night" Odalis Perez in the opening frame this evening, when Carlos Delgado followed a one-out single by NY LF Nick Evans, and a two-out double by Carlos Bel-Tron with an RBI single of his own that brought both runners around for an early 2-0 Mets' lead...Washington bounced right back, knocking NY starter Johan Santana around for 4 hits -- a one-out double by The Guzzzz, Cristian Guzman and an RBI single by Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Zimmerman, who singled up the middle for his 31st RBI to make it 2-1, and scored one out later when Jesus Flores...WWJD?...Singled up the middle off Santana to tie it at 2-2 after one.
Back to back doubles off Odalis Perez by David Wright and Bel-Tron in the third made it 3-2 New York, and it would stay that way until Langerhans tied it again in the seventh. Odalis Perez ended up pitching 6.0 innings and allowing 8 hits and 3 ER's with a walk and 5 K's. Steven Shell pitched a scoreless seventh, followed by Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera, who gave up the game-winning run when he hit Damion Easley in the helmet in a bases loaded, one-out jam. 4-3 NY after seven, and that's how it would end...with a stinkin' Mets' win...
Yeah, But Did Lastings Milledge Continue His Hit Streak?
You'll be happy to know he did! With an assist from the hometown scorekeeper, who ruled that a throwing error by Mets' catcher Ramon Castro, (on an attempt to bunt for a hit by Milledge), was a hit, which stretched Milledge's hitting streak to 13 games!! Lasto was 1 for 4 on the night with 3 K's (15 Career vs NYM)...Now batting .257...
WDJD?...
2 for 4 with an RBI, (his 52nd), and a double, (his 15th), Jesus Flores continued to lead the Nationals' offense, ending his night with a .276 AVG. Flores drove in the tying run with two down in the first, and doubled to leadoff the fourth, only to be stranded at a third, when a walk, double play and groundout followed...
Sa-ool??? You Alright, Man?...
2 hits, 1 walk, 1 run and 3 K's...You figure it out? After giving up back to back singles to Wright and Bel-Tron to start the Mets' eighth, DC's righty reliever Saul Rivera struck out Carlos Delgado, walked Fernando Tatis and then hit Damion Easley when he lost control of a pitch high and waaay inside. The HBP forced Wright in from third, and almost got DC Manager Manny Acta tossed, when he argued, contrary to video evidence, that the pitch was "too high" to have hit Easley. Has Acta been tossed yet? I can't remember it happening?...Rivera's now given up 4 hits, 4 ER's, with 3 walks and 6 K's in his last 2 games and 2.2 IP...You figure it out?...the loss drops Rivera to (L, 3-5, 3.51).
Federalbaseball.com's Line Of The Day....
(After Pinch Hitter Ryan Langerhans' HR off Santana To Tie It At 3-3 in the 7th...)
"Stars in a Texas Night Sky, a Dallas Stars blog from a fan's perspective." -rangers85
Runner-up Line Of The Day...(So what if I said it myself? It's sorta funny)...
"Tatis starting? He couldn't even make the Expos..."
- ""The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - "V" - e chigliak
For The Completists...Full Game Report after the jump...
New Nationals now 6-6.
Nationals now 44-76. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...24.)
Jose Reyes pops the first pitch from Odalis Perez straight back into the protective screen behind homeplate, and eventually strikes out swinging for the first out of the evening. NIck Evans lines a single through short for the first hit of the game. David Wright pushes Austin Kearns back in right for the second out. Carlos Beltran rips a double into right, moving Evans to third. Carlos Delgado drops a fly ball into short center, Willie Harris and Lastings Milledge converge but neither one of them comes up with it and Evans and Beltran score. 2-0 Mets. Odalis Perez gets Fernando Tatis to chase a two-strike change for the final out of the Mets’ first...Johan Santana comes with his own two-strike change to get Bonifacio swinging. Cristian Guzman doubles to left, and Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! High and outside from Santana and lined to right by Zim for an RBI double that scores Guzman. 2-1 NY. Austin Kearns’ single is the third straight hit off of Santana. Lastings Milledge chases a change in the dirt for strike three swinging. Jesus Flores lines a floating single over second to score Zimmerman and tie it at 2-2 after one.
Lastings Milledge gets in under a lazy fly ball from Damion Easley for the first out of the second. Ramon Castro makes Milledge take a few quick steps to his right to catch the second out. Johan Santana gets his bat on an 0-2 curve, but just lifts it to second, where Bonifacio makes the two-handed catch...Willie Harris Wants To Play! Leadoff double on a 2-2 fastball up high. Odalis Perez misses two bunt attempts, so he has to swing, and he strikes out doing so. Emilio Bonifacio gets Harris to third with a groundout to short. Jose Reyes has to fire a strike to first to beat Guzman to the bag, and Reyes does, in time to end the second.
Jose Reyes hits a dribbler toward first, and Perez comes off the mound and shuffles the ball to first, and wide of the bag, allowing Reyes to reach. Nick Evans sends Willie Harris sprinting back to the track, and Harris makes a leaping catch and turns to throw out a stunned Jose Reyes, who can’t make it back to first in time. Double play. David Wright doubles to the opposite field on a 2-2 pitch outside. Carlos Beltran lofts a 3-2 change to short left for an RBI double, Wright scores. 3-2 NY. Austin Kearns catches the third out off Delgado’s bat, one step onto the track. Ryan Zimmerman pops out foul of first on the first pitch of the Nationals’ third. Austin Kearns flies out to Beltran. Milledge grounds weakly to Wright, who fires to first to end the third.
Odalis Perez gets Fernando Tatis swinging over a full-count change low in the zone. Damion Easley pops out foul of third, and Ryan Zimmerman backhands a groundball from Ramon Castro and throws out the Mets’ catcher...WWJD? Jesus Flores doubles off the wall in the left field corner to leadoff the DC fourth. Ronnie Belliard works the count full, and takes a walk off Santana. Willie Harris rips a groundball to third, that David Wright stabs and starts the double play Easley’s throw to first finishes. Odalis Perez grounds out and heads back to the mound...
Johan Santana grounds out to start the Mets’ fifth. Jose Reyes hits a hard grounder over the mound and up the middle for a one-out single, and Odalis Perez walks Nick Evans to bring up David Wright with two on and no outs. Reyes steals third without anyone on the Nationals noticing. Odalis Perez throws a two-strike fastball through Wright’s bat. Carlos Beltran flies out to Willie Harris in left. 3-2 NY middle of the fifth...Emilio Bonifacio lifts a 1-0 pitch out to Beltran in right center. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second. Ryan Zimmerman works a two-out walk off Santana. Austin Kearns is way out in front as Santana sneaks a two-strike change under Kearns’ bat to end the fifth...NY sixth, Carlos Delgado drills a hard grounder to Zimmerman at short as the dramatic shift is effective. Fernando Tatis cracks his bat flying out to Milledge in center. Damion Easley rips a low fastball for a single to left with two down. Odalis Perez goes to a full count with Ramon Castro and gets a swinging K with an 88mph fastball outside...Lastings Milledge starts the DC sixth with a bunt that Ramon Castro throws away, allowing Lastings to take second. Jesus Flores bunts weakly back to the mound, and Milledge can’t move. Ronnie Belliard grounds out to first. Willie Harris flies out to Beltran to strand Milledge. 3-2 Mets after six.
Johan Santana pops out to short to start the seventh. Jose Reyes lines out to Kearns in right. Steven Shell tries for a quick three after relieving Odalis to start the frame. Ryan Zimmerman catches a pop fly from NY LF Nick Evans...Stand up and stretch...Ryan Langerhands pinch hits for Shell, make that Langer-homers! Deep to right and GONE! Langerhans ties it with one swing. 3-3 ballgame. Emilio Bonifacio goes down swinging at a nasty breaking ball from Santana. Guzman swings over a two-strike change in the dirt. Ryan Zimmerman connects, but just misses, flying out to Tatis in left.
Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera gives up a leadoff single to David Wright, who sneaks it under a diving Bonifacio. Beltran smacks the second-straight single through second. Carlos “Doubleplay” Delgado strikes out swinging at a two-strike slider that drops out of the air. Fernando Tatis works the count full and checks his swing to load the bases. Damion Easley gets hit in the helmet...Wright forced home. 4-3 NY. Daniel Murphy’s never seen Sa-ool’s slider, K’ing on a 2-2 bender. Pinch Hitter Brian Schneider? Swinging K! Rivera gets out with a chance...”Generic” Joe Smith starts the bottom of the eighth. Austin Kearns sneaks a single through second. Nothing generic about Smith’s slider, Milledge misses three-straight and K’s unproductively. Austin Kearns makes Smith pay for ignoring him, stealing second. Flores chases another brutal slider outside that falls off the plate under his bat. Ronnie Belliard grounds out to second to end the eighth.
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan gets help from Ryan Zimmerman who makes a reflex dive to rob Jose Reyes with the backhand catch. Willie Harris catches Endy Chavez’s easy liner. David Wright swings over two-straight sliders that have the Mets’ third baseman mumbling to himself...Three outs to get one run...Pedro Feliciano starts the ninth against Willie Harris. Harris pops out to Beltran in center. Wil Nieves swings over a two-strike slider nowhere near the zone. Emilio Bonifacio goes to a full count and strikes out swinging at ball four...Mets win. 4-3 final.
New Nationals now 6-6.
Nationals now 44-76. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...24.)