DC right-hander Jason Bergmann gets the first two outs of the opening frame, and looks like he has a check-swing strike three, but it’s ruled that Jay Bruce held up, and of course Bruce ends up singling to center in front of Brandon Phillips, who doubles off the base of the wall in left center to bring up Adam Dunn with two on and two out. Dunn grounds weakly to first, Bergmann covers...Emilio Bonifacio throws his bat at an outside pitch and drops a double into real short left. Willie Harris gets Bonifacio to third with a sac bunt to the mound. Lastings Milledge takes a full-count fastball off the elbow. Austin Kearns singles to right center on a full-count slider outside. Bonifacio scores. 1-0 New Nationals. WWJD? Single through short for Jesus Flores. Milledge scores. 2-0 New Nationals. Kory Casto works a walk out of Fogg, but a DP grounder from Alberto Gonzalez ends the first...
Bergmann issues a leadoff walk to Edwin Encarnacion in the top of the second. Bergmann drops an 0-2 curve on Corey Patterson for a swinging K. Reds’ catcher Paul Bako moves Encarnacion to third with a hit and run single to right. Josh Fogg’s sac bunt puts both runners in scoring position for Jeff Keppinger. Bergmann walks the bases loaded. Joey Votto takes Bergmann deep to center, over Milledge’s head, and off the base of the wall. Three runs score. 3-2 Reds. Jay Bruce takes a 2-2 fastball deeeeeep to right and into the second deck. 5-2 Reds...Emilio Bonifacio reaches first safely on a two-out error by Jeff Keppinger at short. Willie Harris’ single to right allows Bonifacio to take third. Lastings Milledge, two on, two out. Milledge grounds into a force at second to end the second...
Bergmann gets a fly ball to center from Adam Dunn for the first out of the third. Edwin Encarnacion pops out to short. Corey Patterson flies to right, 1-2-3 third for Bergmann...Austin Kearns watches another two-strike fastball inside that gets called strike three. Jesus Flores walks a work off Fogg. Casto walks. Alberto Gonzalez singles to center, DC Third Base Coach Tim Tolman sends Flores, who gets nailed by Corey Patterson on a perfect throw from center and block of the plate from Bako! Ryan Langerhans goes down swinging. 5-2 Reds after three.
Bako grounds the first pitch of the fourth out to first. Bergmann walks the opposing pitcher. Jeff Keppinger flies out. Joey Votto pushes Milledge back to the track just left of center where he makes the inning-ending catch...Jason Bergmann doesn’t like the called strike three he takes for the first out of the DC fourth. Emilio Bonifacio almost beats out a sharp grounder to first, almost. Willie Harris flies out to end the fourth inning...Jay Bruce likes the first pitch he sees, but he grounds it to first to start the fifth. Brandon Phillips is thrown out by shortstop Alberto Gonzalez. Adam Dunn can’t reach a two-strike fastball outside...Milledge gets as far as the track in front of the out-of-town scoreboard where Corey Patterson catches the first out of the DC fifth. Austin Kearns gets called out again on an inside strike three. Jesus Flores catches the bug, watching strike three all the way in...5-2 Redlegs after five.
Edwin Encarnacion pops up off his fists to first. Corey Patterson gets a bunt down, and Bergmann rushes and throws it away, Patterson takes a look back at second and continues to third. Suicide squeeze!!! Paul Bako squares to bunt and pulls it off allowing Patterson to score. 6-2 Reds after five and a half...Kory Casto grounds out to second. Alberto Gonzalez gets all the way around on a fastball and doubles into the corner in left. Elijah Dukes will hit against a new pitcher, former National, Bill Bray. Dukes grounds deep into the hole at short, but Jeff Keppinger’s strong throw beats Dukes to first. Ronnie Belliard--YARD! takes Bray deep and brings DC within two runs, 6-4 Reds. Emili-Oooo! Bonifacio triples over Bruce’s head in right and speeds around the bases. Willie Harris is called out looking. 6-4 Reds after six.
DC lefty Charlie Manning gets a ground ball to second from Keppinger, a fly ball to left from Joey Votto, and a fly to the edge of the track in right from Jay Bruce for a scoreless top of the seventh. Stand up and stretch...Reds’ righty Mike Lincoln takes over on the mound. Lastings Milledge walks to start the DC seventh. Kearns singles through short. Two on, 0 outs...WWJD? Flores chases a curve out of the zone for a swinging K. Kory Casto goes the other way with an RBI line-drive to left and a 6-5 ballgame. Alberto Gonzalez singles to load the bases for Dukes. Lincoln’s done. Dukes vs Gary Majewski. Dukes grounds to second, Phillips boots it, Dukes beats the throw to first, Kearns scores. 6-6 ballgame!!! Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr singles through short, Casto scores, Gonzalez is close behind, two-run single, 8-6 New Nationals. Lenny Harris is a genius!!
Luis Ayala’s on in the eighth. Bonifacio dives for a ground ball from Brandon Phillips rolls over and throws Phillips out from his backside. Adam Dunn flies out to Dukes in left. Encarnacion grounds out to third, Harris throws to Casto to end the Reds’ eighth...Lastings Milledge gets a hold of Gary Majewski’s fastball and hits it 380 ft into the visiting team’s bullpen for a leadoff blast. 9-6 New Nationals. Austin Kearns singles to right and takes two extra bases when Jay Bruce lets the ball roll under his glove and to the wall. Wild pitch by Majewski. Kearns scores. 10-6 New Nationals!!!! Jesus Flores flies out. Kory Casto walks. Alberto Gonzalez takes strike three. Elijah Dukes is robbed by Brandon Phillips, who fields at seconds, and Jeters the throw to first....
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera comes on for the ninth. Corey Patterson strokes a leadoff single. Paul Bako goes down swinging over a sinking fastball. Pinch hitter Javier Valentin grounds to second, Casto to Guzman to Rivera covering, double play to end it. 10-6 New Nationals win.
New Nationals 2-0.
Nationals now 40-70. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...30.)