The Washington Nationals never had a chance tonight with CC Sabathia on the mound as the Milwaukee lefty improved to (6-0) in 7 starts as a Brewer with a complete game, 5-hit shutout in a 5-0 Brewers' win over the Nationals. Sabathia got all the support he would need in the bottom of the first when the Umps all missed Ryan Zimmerman clearly tagging Rickie Weeks before firing to first on what should have been a double play grounder from Ryan Braun. Instead Weeks was called safe, and took third, scoring when Prince Fielder lined a single to right in the next at bat...
Mike Cameron's solo shot in the second made it 2-0. A wild pitch and a sac fly off DC starter Collin Balester and the Brewers were up 4-0 at the end of the third, and J.J. Hardy's solo HR off of Jesus "Everyday" Colome in the seventh capped off the scoring for the evening. Balester took the loss to drop to (2-4) with a 4.66 ERA in 7 starts. Garrett Mock pitched a scoreless inning in relief, and Mock, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Mock to make spot start for Nationals", will be the starter in the fourth of four Monday afternoon in Milwaukee.
The only offense from DC came off the bats of Lastings Milledge and Jesus Flores, who were 2 for 4 and 2 for 3, respectively, with nothing but singles between the two of them, and from Cristian Guzman, who singled off Sabathia to leadoff the second, and was doubled-up one out later in 1 of the 2 double plays Milwaukee turned.
Milledge's hits extended his current 9-game hit streak, over which he's 14 for 36 with 1 triple, 4 HR's and 8 RBI's, raising his average from .237 on July 31st to .253 after tonight. Flores' hits broke a two-game hitless streak before which he'd hit in 7-straight and collected 2 HR's and 9 RBI's. Flores is currently batting .281 with 8 HR's and a team-leading 51 RBI's.
It doesn't get any easier tomorrow night, as the Brewers throw (10-5) Ben Sheets, who brings his 3.14 ERA to the mound against DC's (scheduled?) starter Tim Redding, who is (8-6) in '08 with a 4.44 ERA, but was hit in the right quad by a BP line drive earlier this week...Redding expects to start...
For all the completists out there, the Complete Game Report is after the jump...
New Nationals now 6-2.
Nationals now 44-72. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...28.)
CC Sabathia and the Brewers are wearing their throwback Brewers' jerseys in front of a sell-out crowd and the Milwaukee lefty gets Emilio Bonifacio to bounce an attempted bunt to Prince Fielder, who tags the runner for the first out of the evening. Cristian Guzman swings over a dramatic cut-fastball that falls out of the air across the plate. Two-strike change to Ryan Zimmerman, who’s way out ahead with a swinging K to end the top of the first....DC righty Collin Balester’s all over the place in walking Milwaukee’s leadoff batter Rickie Weeks. J.J. Hardy stares a low 1-2 fastball all the way in for a backwards K. Weeks takes second on a curve in the dirt to start off Ryan Braun. Braun’s robbed by Zimmerman who stabs a one-hop liner, tags Weeks and throws to first for a slick double play, but the Ump somehow misses the tag, and Weeks is called safe at third, and of course, Prince Fielder follows with a line-drive single to score Weeks, 1-0 Brewers after one.
Austin Kearns gets two strikes called inside, and doesn't like it, and AK grounds the third pitch out to short. Lastings Milledge pops a bunt attempt foul of first, where a "speedy" Fielder makes a basket catch. Jesus Flores drills a single through Craig Counsell at third for the Nationals’ first hit. Ronnie Belliard gets nothing but offspeed stuff from Sabathia, who drops a cut fastball under Belliard’s bat for the third strike and final out of the second...Craig Counsell takes a full-count fastball to the track in center where Milledge makes the grab. Balester’s 1-2 pitch to Mike Cameron is a fastball inside that ends up lined out to left and GONE as Willie Harris just turns and watches. 2-0 Brewers after two.
Willie Harris shatters his bat topping off an 0-2 pitch for a groundout to second. Sabathia twists Balester in a knot with a low 0-2 curve. Bonifacio pushes a fly out to right and Sabathia’s got three scoreless....J.J.Hardy singles through short to start the Brewers’ third. Balester tries a two-strike curve outside that Ryan Braun jumps on, singling to left. Balester sneaks a full-count change under Fielder’s bat. Balester spins and throws by second and into center trying for Hardy, both runners advance. Corey Hart at bat, wild pitch, Hardy scores, Braun takes third. 3-0 Brewers. Hart flies out to center, Braun tags and scores. 4-0 Brewers after three.
Cristian Guzman beats J.J. Hardy to the middle of the infield with a leadoff single to center. Zimmerman skies the first out to center. Austin Kearns tops a grounder to short, Hardy to Weeks to Fielder, double play...Mike Cameron pops up Balester’s first pitch in the Brewers’ fourth. Jason Kendall K’s swinging over a curve in the dirt. Sabathia chases high heat for the final out of the inning...
CC Sabathia lets Lastings Milledge on with a leadoff single in the fifth. Jesus Flores swings at a high outside fastball for strike three. Ronnie Belliard battles Sabathia for a while, but ends up flying out to left unproductively. Milledge gets caught leaning, and takes off, taking Fielder’s throw to second to the back of his neck, but he’s safe. Willie Harris grounds out to Weeks...Rickie Weeks pushes Austin Kearns back to the track in right with a long fly ball out. J.J. Hardy grounds out to short. Bonifacio fields and throws out Braun. 4-0 Brewers after five.
Kory Casto pinch hits for Balester to leadoff the sixth, and goes down swinging. Emilio Bonifacio grounds out to Weeks. Cristian Guzman swings a good foot over a two-strike bender for the final out of Sabathia’s sixth scoreless...Garrett Mock takes over on the mound for DC, popping Fielder up to Zim at short. Willie Harris leaps at the wall to rob Corey Hart of a homer. Mock walks Craig Counsell in front of Mike Cameron. Mock walks Cameron, tempting the baseball gods. Brewers’ catcher Jason Kendall’s up, the crowd builds to a frenzy before each pitch from Mock, who starts with a change and follows with two curves, before coming high and tight with a heater, and then going outside for a backwards K from the befuddled catcher...
Ryan Zimmerman leans out and K’s swinging over an 0-2 change outside. Austin Kearns chops a groundout to short. Lastings Milledge rips a two-out single to left. WWJD? Jesus Flores slices a line drive over second. Two on, two out for Ronnie Belliard. Ground ball to short, Hardy gets the force at second. 4-0 Brewers middle of the seventh...Stand up and stretch...Jesus “Everyday” Colome faces Sabathia in the seventh. Sabathia grounds out to Bonifacio. Weeks grounds back to the mound. J.J. Hardy takes Colome to right center and just out of reach of a leaping Lastings MIlledge. 5-0 Brewers lead. Colome walks Ryan Braun and will have to face Fielder. Fielder pops out to Zimmerman to end the seventh.
Sabathia strikes out Willie Harris with a high two-strike fastball to start the eighth. One out walk to Ryan Langerhans, but Emilio Bonifacio grounds back to the mound, CC to J.J. to Prince, double play...Corey Hart pops out to Austin Kearns. Jesus Colome throws a two-strike curve in the dirt to get Counsell looking, but it gets by Flores and Counsell takes first. Mike Cameron walks. Jason Kendall grounds to short, Guzman bobbles, and gets the force at second, but Bonifacio’s throw to first is late. Sabathia grounds back to Colome to end the eighth...
Three outs to get five runs off Sabathia...Cristian Guzman chops weakly back the mound, and CC misfires on the throw to first. Guzman safe. Ryan Zimmerman’s safe at first on a bad throw on his DP grounder to second. Guzman out. Zimmerman takes second. Austin Kearns is robbed by a leaping Hardy at short. Lastings Milledge grounds to short, Hardy throws to first for the shutout win. 5-0 final.
New Nationals now 6-2.
Nationals now 44-72. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...28.)