HEADLINE...
Anderson Hernandez 3 for 4 In DC Debut. Marco Estrada Throws 2.0 Scoreless In MLB Debut.
(ed. note - Federalbaseball.com: Stressing The Positives Since Aug '07.)
While Philly right-hander Brett Myers (W, 6-10, 4.71 ERA) was able to dominate the DC offense tonight, he couldn't hold Anderson Hernandez down. Hernandez was officially included as the "Player to be Named Later" in the Luis Ayala deal with NY, and as soon as the infielder was acquired he was inserted into the starting lineup at short, telling MLB.com's Bill Ladson, as quoted in an article entitled, "Nats acquire shortstop Hernandez":
"'The first day, I am in the lineup,' Hernandez said. 'It feels good.'"
(ed. note - "It's either you or Belliard, kid, look around, and with Casto gone, Belliard's got to play first, so get in there and show DC something...What happens when Guzman returns? That's a concern for another day...") Tonight it was all about Anderson Hernandez, (...and uh, Myers too I guess, with the complete game shutout and all...), but Anderson Hernandez, who singled with one down in the second, to leadoff the seventh, and with two out in the bottom of the ninth, never advanced past second, and obviously, never scored. Ronnie Belliard and Emilio Bonifacio each finished the night 2 for 4, while Ryan Zimmerman and Lastings Milledge were both 1 for 4, with Milledge's double the only extra base hit of the evening for the Nationals off Myers.
DC's rookie righty Collin Balester (L, 2-6, 4.99 ERA) gave up 7 hits and 4 runs, 3 earned, 1 walk and 1 HR while collecting 4 K's in 6.0 innings. A walk and a HBP to start the third from Balester resulted in the first Philly run of the night, when Jimmy Rollins grounded into what should've been a DP, had Anderson Hernandez not thrown over first base on the back end of the play. Hernandez threw high to avoid Brett Myers, who went into second standing up, forcing Hernandez to throw around the runner and thus high...(ed. note - "Next time throw it into Myers' face to teach him how to slide, cause it cost DC a run...") 1-0 Philly.
The second and third runs of the evening off Balester came in the fifth when Shane Victorino singled and Greg Dobbs followed with a long floating fly ball to right that finally came down only after it went over the out-of-town scoreboard for a two-run blast and a 3-0 Philly lead. The final run scored tonight came later in the fifth as Jayson Werth hit a two-out RBI double to score Philly catcher Chris Coste. Balester drops his third straight and fourth out of his last five...
But After Balester, Estrada Debuted...
4 years after the Nationals drafted Marco Estrada with the 174th pick in the 6th Round of the '05 Amateur Draft, Estrada debuted on the mound for DC in the bottom of the 7th, giving up a leadoff single to Chris Coste in his first Major League matchup. Jesus Flores threw Coste out at second on a botched bunt attempt, and Estrada got the next two outs for his first scoreless frame. Chase Utley tucked a one-out double down the line in short left for the Phillies only hit of the eighth, after which Estrada got Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell to pop and ground out to end the inning.
The Nationals fail to score in the ninth, with Myers back out for the shutout with well over a hundred pitches on his arm. Myers gets a groundout from Flores and a swinging K from Kearns, but Anderson Hernandez's swinging bunt dies in the grass where Chase Utley barehands and holds it. Myers ends it there though, striking out Aaron Boone to for the CGSOW. 4-0 Phillies. Nationals drop their 12th straight...One more in Philly tomorrow night...
Big Brother To Run Baseball.
What? Is that too dramactic a title?
The Umps have signed on, according to AP Baseball writer Ronald Blum's article at yahoosports.com entitled, "Umps, MLB sign agreement on instant replay", in which Mr. Blum describes how the agreement signed today between the Umps and baseball will bring about the era of instant replay, which will be integrated into Major League Baseball at an as yet undetermined time before the postseason. Instant replay will be used, Mr. Blum writes, only under specific circumstances, "Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences," and it will used at the discretion of:
"Umpire crew chiefs (who) will determine when replay will be used and will make the final decisions on calls. Up to three umpires will be able to look at the replays, which will be provided from a "war room" at Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York. It's possible as many as five umps could review the replays during postseason."
I can't wait to see the first time a Yank...uh Red So...Rays (don't want to jinx that), how 'bout the first time an Angels' of Cubs' playoff game is decided by an omniscient judge calling from NY to render a final decision on a play hundreds or thousands of miles away. I wonder who's going to sponsor the Instant Replays...that's straight tele-com cash...I know we've all seen instant replay used in football or hockey, but mostly football, to relative success, (I tend to disagree with most calls against my teams in spite of all kinds of so-called "video evidence"), but what will it feel like for the first time at a ballpark, when a voice on a phone tells the Umpire you already hate to tell you that you didn't see what you'd swear you just saw...
Federalbaseball.com's Line Of The Day...
At brown bag night, do the Nationals executives cut out holes so you can see the game, or do they spare the fan the humiliation and let them enjoy a game with just a bag over their heads, no eye holes?" - ottomanrx
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
New Nationals now 6-13.
Nationals now 44-83. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...17.)
Emilio Bonifacio beats out a ground ball to Jimmy Rollins’ backhand for a leadoff single to start the first. Bonifacio takes two steps and a jump off first and still can’t beat the toss from Rollins to Chase Utley on Willie Harris’ DP grounder. Ryan Zimmerman reaches first when Greg Dobbs’ throw from third sails wide of the target. Lastings Milledge takes a two-out walk to bring up Ronnie Belliard. Belliard lines to left, Zimmerman rounds third, Tolman’s sending him, the throw comes in from left and beats Zimmerman, who’s tagged at the plate, Philly starter Brett Myers has his first scoreless...Jimmy Rollins sends Milledge sprinting to deep center to catch the first out of the Philly first. Collin Balester throws a two-strike fastball chest high down the middle at 94 mph for a swinging K from Jayson Werth. Chase Utley lifts an 0-1 pitch to left center where Willie Harris’ catch ends the first...
Pat Burrell comes in too hard and has to leap for Jesus Flores’ line drive, which bounces off Burrell’s glove to let Flores on. Austin Kearns flies out to center on the first pitch from Myers. Anderson Hernandez singles under a diving Rollins’ glove and into left in his first at bat as a National. Collin Balester blows a bunt attempt, popping out to the infield. Emilio Bonifaco K’s looking at a strike outside, and the Nationals strand two...Ryan Howard flies out to center on Balester’s first pitch. Pat Burrell flies out a few feet short of the wall in center. Shane Victorino goes deep to right...and...Kearns makes the grab jumping up against the out-of-town scoreboard.
Willie Harris swings under a high fastball for the first out of the third. Zimmerman’s grounder bounces off the pitcher and right to Chase Utley who throws to first in time. Lastings Milledge bounces a double off the W.B. Mason sign on Citizens Bank’s left field wall. Ronnie Belliard’s frozen on a two-strike curve and is called out with his bat still on his shoulder...Balester walks the Phillies’ leadoff batter, Greg Dobbs. Balester hits the next batter, Jayson Werth, to bring up the pitcher, Brett Myers, who gets a bunt down, but a sliding Balester fields and cuts down the lead runner at third. Jimmy Rollins hits a DP grounde...Anderson Hernandez throws over first after the force at second, and a run scores on the error as the HBP crosses.1-0 Philadelphia after three.
Jesus Flores flies out to center. Kearns pops out to Howard foul of first. Anderson Hernandez grounds the first pitch to first to end the Nationals’ fourth...Chase Utley slaps a single to third, and there’s no one there as Utley beats the dramatic shift. Ryan Howard tips a two-strike foul into Flores’ glove. Pat Burrell grounds to Zimmerman to Bonifacio to Belliard, double play...Balester grounds up the middle and Jimmy Rollins throws him out by a half-step. Emilio Bonifacio reaches first on a tossing error from Howard, who knocks down a grounder and tosses two feet over the covering pitchers’ head. Bonifacio steals second with Willie Harris at bat. Harris grounds out, Bonifacio to third. Zimmerman gets the RBI opportunity, and fouls a two-strike curve into Coste’s glove...
Shane Victorino reaches on a groundball off Balester’s glove. Austin Kearns follows Greg Dobbs’ fly ball all the way to the wall and then turns back and watches as the two-run blast sails into the stands. 3-0 Philly. Ryan Zimmerman steps aside and tries to swipes a hard grounder from Coste, but Zim can’t come up with it. Brett Myers K’s on a two-strike bunt attempt. Coste is running when Rollins singles through second, so it’s first and third for Jayson Werth. Jimmy Rollins slides past second trying to steal the bag, and Bonifacio tags him for the second out. Werth drops a bloop double down the right field line to score Coste. 4-0 Philly. Utley grounds to first to end the fifth.
Lastings Milledge swings over a two-strike curve outside. Ronnie Belliard throws his bat at a high fastball for a line drive single. Jesus Flores takes a home run swing at a high fastball and comes up empty for the second out. Austin Kearns backs Victorino up in center with a long fly ball out...Balester gets a weak grounder to first out of Howard. Pat Burrell chases a high full count fastball out of the zone for a swinging K. Victorino just gets a line drive over Bonifacio at second for a two-out single. Milledge sprints in and catches Pat Burrell’s fly ball to end the sixth.
Top of the seventh. Anderson Hernandez hits a leadoff single. Ryan Langerhans hits for Balester, who’s done after six. Langerhans pops out. Bonifacio grounds out to second. Willie Harris flies out to a charging Victorino to end the DC seventh...Stand up and stretch...Chris Coste singles on a 2-2 pitch from debuting reliever Marco Estrada. Coste gets caught stealing on a botched bunt by Myers, who K’s for the second out to bring up Rollins. Jimmy Rollins grounds to second, Bonifacio ends Estrada’s first scoreless.
Ryan Zimmerman drops a leadoff single into left to start the Philly bullpen throwing. Milledge drills a liner to short, Rollins fields while falling and tosses to Utley, who barehands and throws in one motion to beat Milledge to first, double play. Belliard K’s on another curve. 4-0 Philly after eight...Jayson Werth swings through an 89 mph two-strike fastball outside. Chase Utley takes a 1-1 pitch for a sliced double to short left. Ryan Howard takes a 2-2 curve outside from Estrada, and pops the full-count pitch to Zimmerman who catches it over his shoulders while stumbling. Pat Burrell; gets robbed by Anderson Hernandez who tracks down a chopper behind second and fires to first in time to end the eight. Three outs to get four runs...
Brett Myers looks for the CGSO, Jesus Flores up first, grounds out to Rollins. Kearns can’t make sense of Myers’ curve. Anderson Hernandez reaches on an infield chopper, Utley has no chance. Aaron Boone goes down swinging to end it. Myers has the CGSOW. 4-0 Phillies. Nationals drop twelfth straight.
New Nationals now 6-13.
Nationals now 44-83. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...17.)