HEADLINE...
Nationals Swept By Rockies. Swept In Six Of Six On Homestand...
After an RBI groundout from Pete Orr in the second got Washington out to an early lead over Colorado, DC starter Odalis Perez had an error by Orr cost him the first out of the fourth. Perez then followed with a walk to Troy Tulowitzki, and Ian Stewart provided all the scoring the visiting Rockies would need with a three-run HR off Perez that made it 3-1 after four in a game the Colorado would eventually win 7-2.
The Nationals second run of the game came on an RBI ground rule double by Lastings Milledge with two on in the fifth that scored one to make it 3-2 Rockies and left runners on second and third. Washington failed to capitalize on that one-out, two-on situation when Aaron Boone K'd for the second out and Ryan Langerhans flied to right with two-outs and the bases loaded after Belliard had walked to load'em up off of Aaron Cook...
Washington had another chance to get back in the game in the sixth, when Ryan Zimmerman came up in a pinch hit appearance with two on and no outs, and hit a long fly ball to left for the first out, followed by an Emilio Bonifacio DP grounder that ended the threat. Brad Hawpe then homered to start the eighth and two outs later, Seth Smith's three-run blast put it officially out of reach.
The Nationals drop their tenth straight game. Sixth of six on the homestand, and their 81st overall loss of the year.
For The Completists, Full Game Thread Follows After The Jump...(unedited as of 5:08 pm)
More to follow later tonight, and I'll come up with something to read for the travel day...
New Nationals now 6-11.
Nationals now 44-81. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...19.)
Clint Barmes grounds back to the mound for the first out of the afternoon. WIlly Taveras follows with a one-out double, and steals third with two out and Garrett Atkins at bat against Odalis Perez in the finale of the Colorado Rockies three-game visit to Washington, DC. Atkins walks to bring up Brad Hawpe, who walks to load the bases with two down. Chris Iannetta flies to right and Ryan Langerhans catches the third out of the first...Willie Harris hits a one-out single to right after Emilio Bonifacio leads off with a groundout to Ian Stewart at third. Lastings Milledge grounds back to the mound and Rockies’ righty Aaron Cook throws by second to the backup man behind second Clint Barmes, who fires to first in time to get Milledge, but not the DP. Aaron Boone grounds out to short to end the first.
Troy Tulowitzki flies out to Ryan Langerhans in right. Odalis Perez walks Ian Stewart, who moves into scoring position with two down on Aaron Cook’s bunt. Clint Barmes lines out to Belliard at third to end the Rockies’ second...Ronnie Belliard lines an outside fastball to righ to leadoff the DC third. Ryan Langerhans finds the line in left to go completely the other way with a double. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr grounds to first for an RBI out. 1-0 DC. Wil Nieves grounds back up the middle and Clint Barmes throws home to Iannetta who tags out a sliding Langerhans. Cook gets Odalis Perez swinging to end the second.
Willy Taveras reaches down and slaps a one-hop single to Willie Harris in left. Matt Holliday swings at the first pitch from Perez and flies out to center. Garrett Atkins drives a 2-2 pitch out to Milledge for the second out, while Perez throws to first and battles to keep Taveras at bay on the basepaths. Brad Hawpe up and he pops out to short...Emilio Bonifacio pulls a breaking ball to right for a single off Cook to start the DC third. Rockies’ catcher Chris Iannetta nails Bonifacio who tries to steal second. Lastings Milledge lines a single to center and takes second on Taveras’ error, which gives Milledge third when it rolls to the wall. Aaron Boone goes down swinging to end the third. 1-0 Nationals.
Pete Orr gets a bad bounce at short and commits an error that allows Chris Iannetta on in the fourth. Odalis Perez walks Troy Tulowitzki. Ian Stewart takes Perez deep to right center and off the facade of the second deck. 3-1 Rockies. Ronnie Belliard throws out Aaron Cook. Odalis Perez gets Clint Barmes when he can’t hold his swing on a two-strike curve. Willy Taveras grounds out to Bonifacio...Ronnie Belliard grounds out. Langerhans flies out to right, and Orr takes a two-out walk, but Wil Nieves’ groundout ends the fourth...Odalis Perez gets Holliday swinging over a two-strike bender. Garrett Atkins swings over another curve, but Brad Hawpe singles past the right side of second for a two-out hit. Perez gets Iannetta to ground out to end the Rockies’ fifth...After Cook gets the opposing pitcher for the first out, he walks Emilio Bonifacio. Willie Harris singles to center to put two on for Milledge. Lastings Milledge unloads on Cook with a ground rule double into the left center bullpen. 3-2 Rockies. Aaron Boone swings over a full count sinker out of the zone for an unproductive K. Ronnie Belliard walks to load the bases for Langerhans. Langerhans flies out to right to end the fifth.
Ronnie Belliard steps up to field Tulowtizki’s groundout to third. Ian Stewart flies out to short left. Pinch hitter Jeff Baker pops out to end the Rockies’ sixth. Matt Herges is gonna pitch the home half of the frame. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr, who actually started today, single on a short bloop single to left. Wil Nieves follows with a line-drive single to center. Pinch hitter Ryan Zimmerman up, Herges out, Manny Corpas on in relief. Zimmerman rips a 1-0 pitch out to Holliday in left. One down. Emilio Bonifacio grounds to Barmes, to Tulowitzki to Atkins at first, double play to end the sixth.
Steven Shell starts the seventh with a walk to Clint Barmes. Willy Taveras takes a second straight walk. Holliday flies out to Willie Harris in left. Garrett Atkins grounds to Orr, to Bonifacio, to Boone, double play to end the top of the seventh...Tulowitzki goes back to catch Willie Harris’ pop fly over his shoulder. Lastings Milledge flies out to the track in left. Aaron Boone gets robbed of a single by a sliding Holliday who catches the last out of the seventh on his hip...Charlie Manning, DC lefty, is gonna pitch the eighth. Brad Hawpe takes Manning deep to left and GONE!, just over the out-of-town scoreboard. 4-2 Rockies. Manning’s done. Jesus “Everyday” Colome is on in relief. Colome hits the first batter he faces, Chris Iannetta. Troy Tulowitzki stares a two-strike fastball all the way in. Colome walks Ian Stewart, and pinch hitter Seth Smith comes on and makes it academic with a three-run HR off Colome for a 7-2 Rockies lead after seven and a half...The Nationals go down in order in the bottom of the frame with Taylor Buchholz pitching a scoreless frame.
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan on to get some work. 95 mph full count fastball gets a fly ball to center from Atkins. Hawpe flie out to left. Chris Iannetta K’s. Three outs to get 5 runs. Pinch hitter Austin Kearns grounds out to second. Bonifacio grounds out to short. Willie Harris grounds weakly to first. Ballgame over. Rockies win. 7-2.
New Nationals now 6-11.
Nationals now 44-81. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...19.)