Emilio Bonifacio can’t hold up, and he’s called out on a check-swing strike three by the first base umpire after the catcher’s pointed appeal. Willie Harris flies out to Matt Holliday in foul territory in left. 2-2 fastball outside, and Ryan Zimmerman swings right through it to end a scoreless top of the first for Rockies’ lefty Jorge De La Rosa...John Lannan takes the mound. Bonifacio makes a soft overhand toss to first after fielding Willy Taveras’ groundout. Ryan Zimmerman cuts off Jeff Baker's grounder on its way to the hole and throws nonchalantly over to Ronnie Belliard at first. It sounds like Lannan broke Matt Holliday’s bat, but even if not he got the last out of the first on a pop fly to Ryan Langerhans in left...
Austin Kearns drops a single into short right to leadoff the second. Lastings Milledge moves Kearns up with a bunt single, but when the throw to first by Garrett Atkins goes by the base, Milledge tries to take second and gets caught up and tagged, Kearns ends up a third. Jesus Flores flies out to right. Kearns scores. 1-0 New Nationals...Garrett Atkins swings over a looping curve from John Lannan. Chris Iannetta grounds out, and Willie Harris plays a good short, ranging over behind second and throwing out Brad Hawpe to end the second...John Lannan grounds to short, Troy Tulowitzki guns him. Bonifacio chases De La Rosa’s junk. Willie Harris gets brushed by a curve. Ryan Zimmerman takes a free pass. Austin Kearns takes a 2-2 pitch for a ride, but it dies in center where Taveras makes the catch....Willie Harris can’t quite catch Tulowitzki’s line drive to left center. Clint Barmes swings over Lannan’s curve in the dirt. De La Rosa’s bunt moves Tulowitzki to second with Willy Taveras up. Taveras pops up to center and Milledge has it coming in...
Milledge lines out to center. Jesus Flores pops out to the infield. Jorge De La Rosa shatters Belliard’s bat on a groundout to third...”Cool Hand” Lannan freezes Jeff Baker for a called strike three. Matt Holliday goes down swinging. After issuing a two-out walk to Garrett Atkins, Lannan strikes out the side when Iannetta swings over a curve...Ryan Langerhans walks to start the fifth. Lannan gets down the sac bunt. Bonifacio grounds out to short, Langerhans takes third. Wild pitch. Langerhans scores. 2-0 New Nationals. Willie Harris hits a two-out single to center. Zimmerman’s up with two down. Another wild pitch advances Harris to second. Zimmerman flies out to end the DC fifth...Ronnie Belliard stabs at a Brad Hawpe line drive and makes the catch. Tulowitzki’s issued a one-out walk. Barmes pops out to Bonifacio at second. 0-2 slider from Lannan to De La Rosa, and that’s not fair...
Austin Kearns hits a broken-bat groundout to third leading off the sixth. Milledge can’t hold up on a two-strike curve in the dirt. Jesus Flores went, according to the first base ump, who calls Flores out on strikes with a subtle grip and shake of the fist...Willy Taveras almost bunts his way on, but it’s ruled that it hit his bat after the bunt, and Taveras ends up flying out to Milledge. Jeff Baker drops a one-hop single in front of Langerhans in left. Matt Holliday swings over a 79 mph breaker. Garrett Atkins gets hold of a high fastball and drives a single to right. Baker takes third. Chris Iannetta grounds out to Bonifacio, who takes the force at second. 2-0 New Nationals after six.
Ronnie Bellard lines a leadoff single to left. Langerhans slices a single over short. John Lannan offers, pulls back and offers as the pitch comes in from De La Rosa, and after missing two, Lannan’s called out on the third attempt, and Belliard breaks for third anyway when he’s caught and beats the relay from home to second to third. First and third for Bonifacio. Bonifacio grounds into Belliard and Barmes at third, Belliard tagged, and Bonifacio gunned at first. Double play...Stand up and stretch...Ryan Zimmerman backhands a groundball from Hawpe for the first out of the Rockies’ seventh. Tulowitzki’s down swinging, and does not like it. Clint Barmes finds some empty grass in left center for a two-out single. Ian Stewart makes the most of the two-out chance with a two-run blast to right and GONE!! 2-2 ballgame. Zimmerman throws out Taveras to end the seventh...A brand new game...
Brad Hawpe catches the first out of the eighth off Willie Harris’ bat. Ryan Zimmerman singles through third. AK goes the other way with a single to right. Lastings Milledge lines up the...Tulowitzki grabs it, steps on second, double play...
...Luis Ayala vs Baker in the bottom of the eighth. Ground ball to Belliard, who tosses to Ayala covering. Ayala vs Holliday. Holliday pops up to right...and it falls in fair...for a double! Garrett Atkins takes a four-pitch walk. Chris Iannetta takes a fastball on the hands...Charlie Manning's on to face Hawpe. Lefty vs Lefty. Bases loaded. Hawpe pops the first pitch over second, two runs score. 4-2 Rockies. Manning walks Tulowitzki to reload the bases. Pinch hitter Seth Smith walks, Iannetta scores. 5-2 Rockies. Manning gets Ian Stewart swinging. Saul Rivera on to get the last out. Rivera hits Willy Taveras. 6-2 Rockies. Another walk to Jeff Baker. Another walked in. 7-2 Rockies. Matt Holliday beats out an infield grounder. 8-2 Rockies after eight...
3 outs to get 6 runs. Taylor Buchholz issues a leadoff walk to Jesus Flores. Ronnie Belliard chases strike three into the dirt. Ryan Langerans can’t hold up on a two-strike curve in the dirt. Pete Orr pops out to center. 8-2 Rockies win.
New Nationals now 4-1.
Nationals now 42-71. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...29.)