THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!!
Ryan Zimmerman's 7th inning solo shot off LA reliever Chan Ho Park was Zimmerman's first home run since May 17th, and it ended up being the winning run when the Dodgers scored in the eighth on an RBI single from Casey Blake to pull within one at 5-4 DC, and force Nationals' Manager Manny Acta to bring on "Wild" Joel Hanrahan for the 4-out save...
...Hanrahan popped up Matt Kemp to end the eighth and gave up a two-out single to Manny Ramirez in the ninth before James Loney lined out to left to end the Dodgers' second straight loss to DC and their sixth straight loss overall, while the Nationals' second their straight win over LA was the fourth Washington win out of their last six...
Redding's Win Keeps Him Over .500...
In danger of falling below .500 for the first time this season, Tim Redding responded with a win against Greg Maddux, to keep him above even at (W, 9-8) in spite of allowing 3 runs on 3 HR's, and 8 hits in 6.0 innings, with one walk issued intentionally, and not one single K...Redding allowed solo home runs to James Loney and Casey Blake two outs apart in the Dodgers' second, with only a double play from Bonifacio, Guzman and Belliard between the blasts keeping the game from getting out of hand early.
Down 2-0 after one and a half, Lastings Milledge singled, stole second and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on an RBI groundout from Jesus Flores, who hit it slow enough to short to allow Milledge to break for home. 2-1 Dodgers. In his next at bat, Milledge came up with one down and runners on first and third in the third and hit one back to the mound to Maddux, who thought DP, turned and threw way over the bag and Garciaparra covering, to the backup behind second, Jeff Kemp, who fired to first too late to get Milledge as Willie Harris trotted home. 2-2 game. Ronnie Belliard followed with a single off Maddux to score Zimmerman from second and make it 3-2 DC.
Emilio Bonifacio singled with one out in the DC fourth, moved to second on a bunt from Redding and scored on an error by Jeff Kent, who dropped a grounder from Willie Harris and couldn't recover in time to get anyone out. 4-2 DC....Andre Ethier demolished a hanging 3-1 offering from Redding off the bunting decorating the facade of the second deck in right in the sixth to pull LA back within one at 4-3 DC...and Zimmerman's seventh inning blast gave the Nationals their fifth run, and a 5-3 lead which would hold up in spite of the Dodgers' late-game eighth inning offense which again made it close at 5-4, where it would end.
The DC Bullpen Does It Again...
For the second night in a row, the Nationals' bullpen protected an early lead and allowed the starter, TIm Redding, to get the win. 3.0 innings of work for the pen in which only Saul Rivera allowed a run on 3 hits, while Charlie Manning, Steven Shell, and closer Joel Hanrahan held the Dodgers at bay...Manning issued a frustrating walk to leadoff lefty Juan Pierre in the seventh, but got two outs before handing the ball to Steven Shell, who popped up Kent to end the inning withPierre stranded at second...
Redding with the win. Hanrahan with the save. Zimmerman with the homer, and Milledge and Harris with more offensive magic...Plus the return of Elijah Dukes...what more could you ask for...?
For The Completists, The Full Game Report Is After The Jump...
New Nationals now 10-15.
Nationals now 48-85. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At...15.)
It’s raining on Tim Redding as play gets underway with the Dodgers in Nationals Park in the second of three for LA in DC. Redding gives up a one-out double to Andre Ethier, but pops up Jeff Kent and gets a fly ball to center from Manny Ramirez to Lastings Milledge, who steps back slightly and then charges in on the liner for the catch to end the Dodgers’ first...Willie Harris flies to left, Cristian Guzman lines to short, and Ryan Zimmerman flies to right for Dodgers’ righty Greg Maddux’s own scoreless frame.
James Loney likes the two-strike slider Redding hangs, and Loney lifts it to right and out for a leadoff solo blast. 1-0 LA. Russell Martin sneaks a sharp grounder up the middle under Guzman. Emilio Bonifacio backhands Nomar Garciaparra’s grounder and shuffles it to Guzman who throws out No-mah at first. Double play. Redding hangs an 0-2 curve and Casey Blake demolishes it left and fifteen rows deep for a 2-0 Dodgers’ lead. Maddux grounds out to end the Dodgers’ second...Milledge beats out an infield single on a weak grounder toward third. Milledge steals second. Ronnie Belliard hits a full-count fastball to second, allowing Milledge to move up. WWJD? Jesus Flores grounds out to short, and Milledge is home before Nomar Garciaparra even fields it, 2-1 Dodgers. Elijah Dukes rips a grounder through Casey Blake’s glove and beats the throw from Garciaparra to first. Bonifacio lines a single over short. Maddux gets a weak grounder from Redding to end the second.
A bad hop on a grounder from Matt Kemp eats up Guzman, who doesn’t even get off a throw. Kemp tries to out-Milledge Milledge, but gets nailed by Flores trying to steal second. Andre Ethier doubles over Milledge’s head in center and then takes third on Kent’s groundout. Manny Ramirez grounds to short, and Guzman’s throw ends the top of the third....WIllie Harris starts the third with a single up the middle. Cristian Guzman sneaks a single through second. Zimmerman beats out the throw from second to avoid the double play after the force at second on his grounder. Lastings Milledge grounds back to Maddux, who throws over second to Kemp backing up, who throws to first too late to get Milledge. Harris scores from third. 2-2 ballgame. Ronnie Belliard singles through the hole at short, Zimmerman scores. 3-2 DC. Jesus Flores’ DP grounder ends the third.
James Loney doubles to the left field corner where it dies waiting for Harris to retrieve it. Elijah Dukes fires in from right to keep Loney from even considering moving to third on a fly out from Russell Martin. Garciaparra flies out to Milledge on the grass curly “W”. Redding issues the intentionals to Blake to bring up Maddux. Maddux flies to right, Dukes calmly catches it...Elijah Dukes grounds up the...Maddux stabs at it with his glove and makes the play. Emilio Bonifacio singles on a one-hop liner to center. Redding bunts Bonifacio over to second. Willie Harris grounds to second, Kemp bobbles it, and with Bonifacio running, he scores. 4-2 Nationals. Cristian Guzman singles. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to right.
Kemp flies out to Dukes in right. Redding hangs a 3-1 pitch to Ethier that gets bounced off the bunting lining the facade of the second deck. 4-3 DC. Willie Harris dives and tumbles head over heels to rob Jeff Kent of a single. Manny Ramirez grounds off Redding, who recovers and covers, 4-3 DC after four and a half...Milledge takes one square in the back. Ronnie Belliard grounds out to third with Milledge running, and Milledge beats the throw to third. Jesus Flores grounds to toward third, Maddux fields and fakes to first, fooling an over-eager Milledge, who gets caught off and eventually tagged. Dukes grounds out. Opportunity wasted. 4-3 DC after five.
Troy Loney flies out to Milledge. Russell Martin pops up between home and the mound. Garciaparra sneaks a two-out single into left. Casey Blake pops out to Belliard near the DC dugout. 4-3 after the LA sixth...Bonifacio waves his bat at a fastball and connects, but Casey Blake plays it and throws to first in time. Maddux walks Redding. Dodgers’ Manager Joe Torre pulls Maddux. Ramon Troncoso comes on and gets a DP grounder from Willie Harris to end the sixth. Still 4-3 DC.
Redding warms like he’ll pitch the seventh but when Juan Pierre’s announced as the pinch hitter, Redding’s lifted for Charlie Manning, who walks Pierre. Matt Kemp grounds to third, Zimmerman to Bonifacio...the throw to first is late, Kemp safe. Ethier flies out to right. Acta replaces Manning with Steven Shell. Jeff Kent flies to left...Willie Harris catches up and catches the third out. Stand up and stretch...Ryan Zimmerman’s up against Chan Ho Park after Guzman grounds out and Zimmer.... THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! HR to center. 5-3 DC. Zimmerman’s 1st HR since May 17th. 5-3 DC after seven.
Manny Ramirez single to left off Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera to leadoff the eighth. James Loney follows with a single to right. Ramirez to third. Rivera in trouble. Russell Martin swings over a two-strike slider. Nomar Garciaparra pops out to the infield. Rivera vs Casey Blake. Blake hits a broken-bat fly to left that drops in front of Harris scoring Ramirez. 5-4 DC. Pinch hitter Mark Sweeney walks to load the bases. Rivera out. Jesus “Everyday” Colome’s on to face Matt Kemp. Kemp flies to left. 5-4 DC after the Dodgers’ eighth....Jonathan Broxton’s on for the bottom of the eighth. Jesus Flores K’s swinging. Elijah Dukes can’t hold up on an 0-2 pitch. Emilio Bonifacio K’s swinging. 5-4 DC after eight.
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan’s back out to close it. Andre Ethier grounds a full-count pitch to short, Guzman fields and throws him out. 1. Jeff Kent K’s swinging over a slider. Manny Ramirez singles up the middle. James Loney flies out to left. Hanrahan saves it! 5-4 final. DC wins.
New Nationals now 10-15.
Nationals now 48-85. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At...15.)