HEADLINES...
Nationals win 11-2, Sweep Three Straight At Home Against LA...Guzman hits for the cycle. John "Cool Hand" Lannan gets his 8th win of the season. Elijah Dukes hits two HR's. Guzman ends the day 4 for 5 with 3 RBI's. Dukes 2 for 3 with 4 RBI's. Garrett Mock K's 4 over two scoreless innings of relief, and Jesus "Everyday" Colome comes on to close out the win, the series, the sweeeeep!
After Cristian Guzman took a high fastball from Dodgers' starter Clayton Kershaw deep to make it 2-1 LA in the second, Elijah Dukes went to right center over the out-of-town scoreboard off Kershaw for the second HR of the first, and the three-run blast gave DC a 5-2 lead after Manny Ramirez had hit a two-run homer for LA in the top of the first, and Ronnie Belliard had knocked in a run with a single in the at bat before Dukes stepped in with two on...
Dukes second home run of the night, a towering blast to left field off Dodgers' reliever Cory Wade, was a solo shot that made it 9-2 DC and Dukes ends the night 2 for 3 with 2 HR's, 4 RBI's and a .270 AVG...
THE CYCLE...
Guzman's home run in his first at bat is followed by a single in his second at bat in the bottom of the home second, on which he's thrown out trying to sneakily take two. After grounding out in the DC fourth, Guzman hits an RBI double in the bottom of the six for his second RBI of the night, and his RBI triple in the eighth completes the cycle and scores Aaron Boone for a 10-2 lead, DC wins 11-2 in the end.
DC starter John "Cool Hand" Lannan improves to (W, 8-12) with the win, and allows just 4 hits and 2 ER in 6.0 innings in which he walked 3 and K's 2, ending the night with a 3.92 ERA. Garrett Mock and Jesus "Everyday" Colome combine to shut LA down after Manny Ramirez's early homer. Mock gives up 1 hit and K's 4 in 2.0 scoreless, and Colome comes on for the ninth and gets DC the sweep...Final score, 11-2 DC.
For The Completists, Full Game Report Follows After The Jump...
New Nationals now 9-15.
Nationals now 49-85. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At...15.)
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!!!!!!!
John “Cool Hand” Lannan gives up a one out single to Andre Ethier, and Manny Ramirez makes him pay with a two-run blast into the left center bullpen for an early 2-0 Dodgers’ lead. After Lannan walks Jeff Kent and hits James Loney, Casey Blake swings over an offspeed pitch for the second out. Catcher Danny Ardoin fouls out to end the Dodgers’ first. 2-0 LA....Anderdson Hernandez K’s and has to run it out after it bounces in the dirt. Cristian Guzman cuts the lead in half with one swing, swinging high for a fastball he drives out to left and into the visiting team’s bullpen. 2-1 LA. Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Ryan Zimmerman splits the gap in right center with a fly ball off the out-of-town scoreboard for a one-out double. Lastings Milledge takes ball four. Ronnie Belliard waits...on a curve and lines in to left for an RBI single that scores Zimmerman ahead of Manny Ramirez’s throw home. 2-2 ballgame. DUKES GOES DEEP! 3-run blast over the opposite field scoreboard in right. 5-2 DC. Kershaw walks Willie Harris. Wil Nieves flies out to right. Lannan K’s. 5-2 Nationals after one.
Angel Berroa flies out to Lastings Milledge in right center. Lannan gets a groundout out of the opposing pitcher and gets Kemp to send a ground ball out to Guzman who throws to first in time to end the LA second...Clayton Kershaw saws off Anderson Hernandez for a weak slice out to short. The Guzzzz jumps on another high pitch and singles to left center but gets thrown out trying to take second. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out short, 5-2 after two.
Lannan battles to a full count with Ethier, who pops out to Harris in left. Manny Ramirez flies out to Dukes in right. Ground ball to Guzman who throws out Jeff Kent to end the Dodgers’ third...Lastings Milledge grounds out to the mound for the first out of the Nationals’ third. Ronnie Belliard takes a one-out walk and LA Manager Joe Torre’s seen enough, turning to the pen...Jason Johnson comes on in relief. Elijah Dukes grounds into a force at second, but beats the DP throw to first. Willie Harris grounds out to end the third.
Anderson Hernandez backhands and throws across his body to first a few steps ahead of James Loney. Casey Blake doubles one-hop and off the wall in left center. Lannan breaks Danny Ardoin’s bat inducing a groundout to short. Lannan walks Angel Berroa. Pinch hitter Mark Sweeney swings under a high two-strike fastball to end the top of the fourth...Ramon Troncoso strikes out Wil Nieves with a sinker outside. John Lannan stares at a two-strike curve. Anderson Hernandez chops a ground ball to third, and Casey Blake has no chance to throw AH out at first. Guzman grounds to Blake, who takes the force at second, 5-2 Nationals after four.
John Lannan gets in on Kemp and gets a groundout to third for the first out of the fifth. Lannan walks Andre Ethier in front of Manny Ramirez. Ramirez pops out to a charging Dukes in right. Jeff Kent grounds to short, Guzman tosses to Hernandez covering...Ryan Zimmerman leads off the DC fifth. Zimmerman reaches first safely when his scorched grounder bounces off Blake at third. Troncoso hits Milledge on the wrists. Ronnie Belliard grounds to short, Berroa to Kemp to Loney, double play. Zimmerman takes third. Dukes gets the two-out RBI opportunity, but walks instead. Willie Harris up, Dukes steals second, and scores when Harris singles to right, two runs cross, 7-2 Nationals. Wil Nieves is robbed of extra bases by Manny Ramirez’s sprinting catch in left center. 7-2 DC after five.
Cristian Guzman throws out James Loney for the first out of the sixth. Casey Blake pushes Milledge all the way back in center where he catches out number two. Danny Ardoin reaches on a broken bat grounder to the mound. Angel Berroa fouls out to Belliard off first. Lannan’s through five scoreless (after the first)...7-2 DC...Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr flies out to Manny in left. Anderson Hernandez rips a single up the middle. Cristian Guzman finds the gap in left center and fills it with a line-drive RBI double that bounces to the wall. 8-2 Nationals. Zimmerman grounds out to short. Milledge can’t hold up on a low curve. 8-2 DC after six.
Garrett Mock will work the seventh. Juan Pierre grounds out to first. Kemp stares a two-strike curve all the way in and walks dejectedly back to the dugout. Mock blows away Ethier, Stand up and stretch...Cory Wade takes the mound in the eighth, and gets Belliard to line out...BUT...ELIJAH DUKES GOES DEEP AGAIN! HR to left on a towering blast. 9-2 DC on Dukes’ second. Willie Harris grounds out to second. Wil Nieves flies out to right.
Manny Ramirez leads off the eighth against Mock with a swinging K. Kent K’s swinging over a curve. James Loney buzzes Mock with a single into center. Casey Blake flies to left, Willie Harris gets under it, Mock’s second scoreless...Joe Beimel starts the bottom of the eighth against pinch hitter Aaron Boone. Boone walks. Anderson Hernandez flies out unproductively. Cristian Guzman triples into the left center gap to hit for the cycle for the first time since Brad Wilkerson did against Philadelphia on April 6th, 2005. Boone scores. 10-2 DC. Zimmerman lifts an RBI double over Manny Ramirez’s head for another run. 11-2. Milledge K’s. Belliard pops out. 11-2 DC after eight.
Jesus “Everyday” Colome comes out to end it in the ninth. Danny Ardoin lines out to Guzman, Guzman throws out Angel Berroa and pinch hitter Blake DeWitt grounds to first, Colome covers. Nationals win. 11-2 final. Lannan gets the curly “W”.
New Nationals now 9-15.
Nationals now 49-85. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At...15.)