HEADLINE...
Yeah, Yeah, Hamels Is Great. Jesus Flores Injured On Play At The Plate...As
Third Inning...First and third, Utley at third, Werth at first, two outs, Ryan Howard at bat, John Lannan on the mound, 2-0 Philly...Lannan turns and throws to first...and Utley breaks for home before the throw even leaves Lannan's hand...Belliard catches the ball and fires a strike to Jesus Flores at home...Flores blocks the plate...Utley lowers his shoulder and launches into the Nationals' catcher, who holds on to the ball, but has his ankle fold under the weight of the diving Utley, who lands right on the left leg...Flores tries to stand, but crumbles...DC fans all sigh, as yet another injury befalls the '08 Nationals...(ed. note - "Somewhere Luke Montz's phone rings." - According to Chico Harlan's post at the Nationals Journal entitled, "Flores injured, leaves game.")
Cole Hamels Dominates DC...Again, Gets Win This Time.
Hamels (W, 12-8), throws 7.1 scoreless, allowing 5 hits and 3 walks with 6 K's, ending the night with a 3.08 ERA so far in '08. The only extra base hits off Hamels were Ryan Zimmerman's two-out double in the first, and Elijah Dukes ground rule double in the second, (which held Ronnie Belliard, who had singled, at third when he would have scored if it stayed in the park). Wil Nieves has a single in the fifth for the fourth of five hits off Hamels, and Anderson Hernandez singles with one on in the eighth to finally chase Philly's lefty. Lastings Milledge triples to lead off the ninth, and gets stranded when Brad Lidge retires the next three batters, Belliard, Dukes, and your new Nationals' starting catcher, Wil Nieves, to end the game. That was all for the Nationals' offense...
DC Arms...
John "Cool Hand" Lannan...
The Phils score two of their four runs off Lannan, who lasts 6.0, allowing 5 hits, the 2 ER and 2 walks with 4 K's and a 3.88 ERA at the end. Both runs on Lannan crossed in the third, on two two-out RBI singles from Jimmy Rollins and Utley, which gave the Phillies enough runs to win and set up the play that got Flores injured...
Levale Speigner...
Levale Speigner's return to DC probably didn't go as he imagined it would... Replacing Lannan for the top of the seventh, Speigner gave up back to back singles to Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz, got help from a good stab by Zimmerman when Hamels decided to swing instead of sac, and then Speigner gave up an RBI single to Jimmy Rollins that scores Philly's third run...Quick outing for Speigner...
Mike Hinckley Debuts In The Majors!!...(In Detail)...
Top Of the 7th Inning, 2 on, 1 out, 3-0 Philadelphia...
"First and third, Speigner’s done, and Mike Hinckley’s set to make his Major League debut. Hinckley vs Utley. Lefty vs Lefty. Hinckley gets a double play ball, but it’s awkward, as Rollins avoids the tag on a grounder to second, to let a run in, but gets tracked down and tagged after Anderson Hernandez first throws to first. 4-0 Phils...(both runs on Speigner)...
Top Of The 8th...4-0 Philadelphia...
Mike Hinckley faces Jayson Werth in the top of the eighth. 75 mph curve on the outside corner for a backwards K, his first in the Majors. Howard grounds into the shift. 92 mph curve, outside corner, Burrell K’s staring. Hinckley’s first scoreless frame."
Garrett Mock retires the Phillies in order in the ninth...for his fourth scoreless since surrendering a run to the Cubs on 8/23...Also, I forgot to take note, while I was in DC for the weekend, of the fact that Garrett Mock was able to win his first game thanks to the Nationals late rally in the Sunday win against Atlanta. Congrats Mr. Mock. And many more...
For The Completists, Full Game Report After Jump...
Phillies win. Rubber Match Tomorrow. DC's Win Streak Ends At 7-straight...Odalis Perez vs Joe Blanton. First pitch at 7:10 pm EST.
Nationals now 53-86. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...14.)
Ryan Zimmerman’s throw to first is short but Ronnie Belliard scoops it off the dirt with his oversized glove before Philly’s leadoff batter Jimmy Rollins reaches the bag. DC lefty John Lannan gets in on Chase Utley’s fists, but only enough to jam him, don’t worry Philly fans. Utley grounds to first. Two-strike fastball outside, Jayson Werth doesn’t have a chance. One scoreless for Lannan...Anderson Hernandez grounds out to Rollins. Willie Harris watches a two-strike fastball all the way in obviously expecting something offspeed. Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! Two-out double off the bullpen wall in left center for the power-surging Zim. Cole Hamels sticks out his glove and Lastings Milledge grounds into it to end the first...
Lannan drops a two-strike curve on Ryan Howard for a swinging K to start the second. Ryan Zimmerman stabs Pat Burrell’s grounder and throws him out. Shane Victorino pops a 1-2 pitch out to right...Ronnie Belliard reaches on an infield single that Rollins fields and pockets. Elijah Dukes takes Hamels’ first pitch one-hop and into the visting team’s bullpen for a ground rule double that gets Belliard to third. Jesus Flores shoots a line drive to center, and Shane Victorino speeds in and slides to make a catch and double up Dukes at second, Belliard gets back to third. Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to second...
Pedro Feliz slaps a single up the middle for the Phillies’ first hit. Alberto Gonzalez tosses to Hernandez at second for the force, but Hernandez’s throw to first isn’t in time to get Carlos Ruiz on the DP attempt. Ryan Zimmerman throws out Hamels, who successfully sacrifices. Jimmy Rollins rips a single through second to score Ruiz, and Rollins takes second on Willie Harris’ throw home, which is late. 1-0 Philly. Lannan throws Chase Utley an 0-2 curve and Utley pushes it out through short into left for an RBI single. 2-0 Phillies. Jayson Werth rips a single into center, Utley takes third. Ryan Howard up...John Lannan throws to first to check Werth, and Utley is already running home, Belliard throws a strike to Flores, who catches and turns to tag just as Utley lowers the BOOM and the shoulder into the catcher who makes the play but injures his ankle/knee...but Flores holds the ball!!...John Lannan stares a two-strike curve from Cole Hamels all the way in for a called strike three. Anderson Hernandez flies out to left. Hamels issues a two-out walk to Willie Harris, but pops out Zimmerman to end the third...
Ryan Howard doubles off the wall in left to start the fourth. Pat Burrell hits a productive groundout to short, advancing Howard to third. Alberto Gonzalez throws out Victorino for the second out. Pedro Feliz pops out for the third...Milledge grounds out to Utley. Ronnie Belliard swings over a dramatic curve from Cole Hamels. Elijah Dukes flies out to right field to end the fourth...Carlos Ruiz grounds back to the mound. Cole Hamels K’s swinging. Jimmy Rollins takes a two-out walk, Chase Utley comes up to a round of boos, and lines out to Elijah Dukes to end the Philly fifth...Wil Nieves singles to center off Hamels. Alberto Gonzalez swings over an offspeed pitch low in the zone for the first out. John Lannan gets down a successful sac bunt. Cole Hamels reaches up and catches the third out off Anderson Hernandez’s bat as he heads to the dugout....2-0 Philly after five.
John Lannan walks the leadoff batter in the sixth, Jayson Werth. Ryan Howard lines out to Zimmerman, (at second in the dramatic shift.) Lannan gets Burrell swinging, and gets a groundout from Victorino to end Philly’s sixth...Willie Harris gets set down by Hamels. Ryan Zimmerman lines right to Burrell in left. Milledge grounds out to Pedro Feliz to end the sixth scoreless for Cole Hamels...Levale Speigner starts the seventh and gives up a leadoff single to Pedro Feliz. Carlos Ruiz singles to center. Ryan Zimmerman dives to field a grounder when Hamels swings instead of bunting, moving both runners up, and Jimmy Rollins singles to right to score Feliz. 3-0 Philly. First and third, Speigner’s done, and Mike Hinckley’s set to make his Major League debut. Hinckley vs Utley. Lefty vs Lefty. Hinckley gets a double play ball, but it’s awkward, as Rollins avoids the tag to let a run in, but gets tagged after the throw to first. 4-0 Phils...Ronnie Belliard flies out. Elijah Dukes grounds to Rollins, to Utley to Howard, double play to end the seventh.
Mike Hinckley faces Jayson Werth in the top of the eighth. 75 mph curve on the outside corner for a backwards K, his first in the Majors. Howard grounds into the shift. 92 mph curve, outside corner, Burrell K’s staring. Hinckley’s first scoreless frame...Cole Hamels gets Gonzalez swinging, but issues a one-out walk to Aaron Boone. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr is on to run for Boone. Anderson Hernandez lines a single to left after battling, Hamels is done. J.C. Romero vs Willie Harris. Lefty vs Lefty. Full-count fastball inside gets by a swinging Harris. Two down. Zim’s up with two down. Ground ball to short, force at second. 4-0 Philly after eight.
Anderson Hernandez guns Victorino. Garrett Mock pops up Pedro Feliz. Carlos Ruiz flies out to Millledge. 3 outs to get 4 runs, Milledge, Belliard and Dukes. Brad Lidge comes on to end it. Lastings Milledge lines off the out-of-town scoreboard and makes his way around to third. (Barely!) Belliard rips a grounder right to Lidge, who looks Milledge back and throws to first. Elijah Dukes gets fooled by sliders from Lidge, and K’s looking. Wil Nieves grounds out. Phillies win. 4-0 final. Hamels dominates DC.
Nationals now 53-86. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...14.)