Emilio Bonifacio and Aaron Cook almost collide as the Rockies’ starter covers first on a groundball from the Nationals’ leadoff hitter, who’s called out on the play. Willie Harris pops up to the infield, and Lastings Milledge is late on a two-strike heater outside that ends the first...Clint Barmes starts the home-half of the first with a bloop single to right. Redding walks Troy Tulowitzki, and Matt Holliday follows with an RBI double to right for a quick 1-0 Rockies' lead. Brad Hawpe fouls off a few full-count pitches and eventually lines a fastball to right for a two-run single and a 3-0 Rockies’ lead. Redding gets the first out on a fly to right from Garrett Atkins. Ian Stewart goes down swinging. Chris Iannetta grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez to end the first...
Austin Kearns has to duck to avoid two straight fastballs from Aaron Cook, who gets a groundout from Kearns for the first out of the second. WWJD?? Cook throws a slider and Flores destroys it, and it doesn’t come down until it’s twenty rows deep in left. 3-1 Colorada. Kory Casto goes all the way the other way, lining a double into the corner in left. Aaron Cook throws a full-count fastball by Ryan Langerhans, and gets a groundout to short from Alberto Gonzalez to end the top of the second...Tim Redding comes up and in on Cory Sullivan, and gets a weak grounder that Flores fields and throws to first. Redding sets the opposing pitcher down mercifully. Clint Barmes hits a two-out single to center to keep the second going. Barmes steals second. Troy Tulowitzki takes a two-out walk to bring up Matt Holliday. Redding throws a high fastball by a swinging Holliday to end the second.
Tim Redding starts the third with a single over second. Emilio Bonifacio slices a single to left. Willie Harris. Harris gets down the bunt, and Aaron Cook makes a bad choice and a bad throw, trying to cut down Redding at third, and instead throwing it away for a two-run error and a 3-3 tie!! Lastings Milledge lines another single to left to bring up Kearns with two on and no outs. Kearns walks to load the bases for Flores, who grounds into a force at second, but the throw back to first is wide of the bag...two runs score on the error. Flores takes second. 5-3 New Nationals. Flores takes third on a wild pitch. Kory Casto grounds out unproductively. Langerhans called out swinging. 5-3 New Nationals middle of the third...Brad Hawpe drills a line drive to right for a leadoff double in the Rockies’ third. Garrett Atkins flies out to right, Hawpe decides not to test Kearns’ arm. Ian Stewart swings through a two-strike 91 mph fastball. Chris Iannetta pops out to second, Redding strands Hawpe. 5-3 New Nationals after three.
Alberto Gonzalez doubles to right, but gets thrown out oversliding third when Tim Redding bunts it too hard to Cook. Emilio Bonifacio drives a low liner to left for a single. Willie Harris lines to Clint Barmes, who shuffles to Tulowitzki at second for a slick DP...Cory Sullivan flies out to Milledge in center. Redding gets a called strike three on a full-count fastball to Cook. Clint Barmes grounds to the mound to end the fourth...Lastings Milledge chops a grounder to third for the first out of the fifth. Kearns flies out to Sullivan in center. Jesus Flores lines a one-hop single to left. Matt Holliday has to sprint in to catch Casto’s pop fly. 5-3 DC after four and a half. Troy Tulowitzki grounds out to Gonzalez at short. Tim Redding blindly backhands a grounder to the mound from Holliday and throws out the astonished batter. Brad Hawpe flies out to end the fifth.
Ryan Langerhans gets as far as the warning track in right where Holliday catches the first out of the sixth. Alberto Gonzalez lines another single to right...and appears injured, but stays in. Redding’s sac bunt advances Gonzalez into scoring position for Bonifacio. (Gonzalez leaves, Pinch Runnin' Pete Orr's on). Emili-Oooooo Bonifacio triples off the base of the wall in right, Orr scores. 6-3 New Nationals. Willie Harris Wants To Play!! RBI single to score Bonifacio and chase Aaron Cook. 7-3 New Nationals. Steven Register’s making his MLB debut...and he gets a swinging K to end the Nationals’ sixth...Garrett Atkins singles over a leaping Orr at short. Ian Stewart takes a walk from Redding, and the Nationals bring Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera out of the pen. Chris Iannetta flies out to Milledge in center. Atkins takes third. Cory Sullivan beats out his own DP grounder, Atkins scores. 7-4 New Nationals. Omar Quintanilla on to pinch hit. Saul Rivera gets a swinging K to end the sixth.
Austin Kearns faces a new Rockies’ reliever Matt Herges. Kearns gets hit and takes first. Jesus Flores strikes out on three straight. Kory Casto reaches on an infield single. Two on, 1 out for Langerhans. Langerhans pops out. Matt Holliday gets to a foul pop from Orr to end the top of the seventh...Troy Tulowitzki singles with one out in the Rockies’ seventh. Matt Holliday flies out to Austin Kearns. Brad Hawpe grounds out to short. 7-4 New Nationals after seven.
Ronnie Belliard drops a single into short-left to leadoff the eighth. Emilio Bonifacio swings through a low two-strike fastball. Willie Harris? Willie Harris Wants To Play!! Thrillie Harris homers to right over the out-of-town scoreboard for a two-run blast and a 9-4 New Nationals’ lead after seven and a half...Luis “Set-up” Ayala gets the first out after Willie Harris throws out Garrett Atkins. Pete Orr catches a line drive off Ian Stewart’s bat. Chris Iannetta takes a two-out walk from Ayala. Cory Sullivan flies out to right, where Kearns catches it coming in.
Jason Grilli starts the ninth on the mound against Kory Casto. Casto swings through a high two-strike fastball. Ryan Langerhans walks with one down. Pete Orr pushes Holliday back to the track in left. Ryan Zimmerman’s back! Zimmerman pops out to center...Jesus “Everyday” Colome’s on to end it. Seth Smith with the PH appearance, grounds out to Bonifacio. Clint Barmes swings through a 96 mph fastball outside for the second out. Tulowitzki gets more of the same, 96 mph two-strike fastball for a swinging K!! The New Nationals win. Final score 9-4.
New Nationals now 4-0.
Nationals 42-70. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands Stuck At...30.)