HEADLINE...
Redding Hammered In Last Start Of 2008...
Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez was looking first pitch fastball and DC righty Tim Redding obliged, sending one straight down the pipe that ended up in left, about five rows back in the seats for a 1-0 Marlins' lead early. By the time Tim Redding left the game tonight, after just 2.2 IP, (in what was his last start of the season for DC), the 30-year-old Redding would be (10-11) with a loss and a 4.95 ERA on the season, and the Nationals would be trailing the Marlins 7-0, after Redding surrendered 7 runs on 7 hits, (the first of which was Ramirez's leadoff HR), to start the Nationals well on their way to the ninety-ninth loss of their '08 campaign.
The Nationals rallied for two runs in the bottom of the third when "The Fastest Man In Baseball" Emilio Bonifacio, tripled off Marlins' righty Josh Johnson to score pitcher Marco Estrada from first, and then scored himself, on a groundout by Alberto Gonzalez, to make it appear possible that a comeback might, just possibly, maybe, be in the works...It was not...
Josh Johnson completed 6.0 innings on the mound, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks and 2 runs, but earning the win to lift himself to (7-1) on the season, and make Marlins' fans wonder what could have been if he'd been in the rotation all year. DC reliever Levale Speigner gives up 3 hits and 2 runs in 0.2 IP, including a homer to the HAMMER, Josh Willingham, who hits his 14th of '08 in the eighth to make it 8-2 Marlins before Speigner gives up two more hits and another run on an RBI single by Florida catcher Matt Treanor for 9-2 Marlins' lead.
RBI singles by Pete Orr and Wil Nieves in the Nationals eighth make it respectable at 9-4. Speigner's the only bump in the bullpen, with Marco Estrada, Jason Bergmann, Garrett Mock, Charlie Manning and Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera throwing scoreless frames in relief of Redding. Marlins win. 9-4 final.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals 58-99. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...1.)
DC righty Tim Redding grooves a first-pitch fastball to Hanley Ramirez and it ends up five rows deeeep in left center for a leadoff HR and a 1-0 lead. Cameron Maybin lines to Elijah Dukes in right and hustles out a double. Jorge Cantu takes one in the numbers, and the Umpire issues an early warning. Josh Willingham grounds to short, Alberto Gonzalez to Emilio Bonifacio to Kory Casto at first, double play. Wild pitch from Redding, Maybin sprints in from third. 2-0 Florida. Redding throws a fastball by Dan Uggla to end the top of the first...Lightning-quick Emilio Bonifacio beats out an infield single that the Marlins' first baseman, Gaby Sanchez misplays. Alberto Gonzalez grounds Bonifacio over to second. Lastings Milledge up, a wild pitch advances Bonifacio to third. Milledge throws his bat at a sinker outside, and lines out weakly to second. Jorge Cantu charges in on a swinging bunt from Elijah Dukes, and Cantu’s throw ends the first.
Jeremy Hermida waits for something he likes, eventually lining a full-count fastball to center to lead off the second. Redding throws a 92 mph fastball by Gaby Sanchez. Marlins’ catcher Matt Treanor strikes out swinging with Hermida running, and Wil Nieves rings up the strike’em out, throw’em out to end Florida’s second....Kory Casto’s robbed by a diving Cantu at third. #4 Pete Orr grounds out to Uggla. Wil Nieves grounds out to Hanley Ramirez at short to end the second.
Redding strikes out the opposing pitcher for the first out of the third. Hanley Ramirez doubles off the base of the out-of-town scoreboard. Pete Orr throws out Cameron Maybin on a bunt attempt toward third. Jorge Cantu lines to left, and slides in safe at second after Ramirez scores, 3-0 Florida. Redding walks Willingham. Jeremy Hermida rips a grounder through Bonifacio to score two for a 5-0 lead. Gaby Sanchez knocks in his first run with a double off the wall in left, 6-0 Marlins. Redding’s done. A swinging bunt from Matt Treanor scores the seventh run, 7-0 Marlins. Pete Orr does his best Zim impression, cutting off a grounder from Josh Johnson and throwing him out to end a long top of the third...Roger Bernadina skies the first out to right. Marco Estrada lets Josh Johnson walk him. Emilio Bonifacio triples into the corner in right scoring Estrada from first and almost catching up to the pitcher. 6-1 Marlins. Alberto Gonzalez’s groundout scores Bonifacio, 7-2. Lastings Milledge singles up the middle. Elijah Dukes grounds right into a force at second, 7-2 Florida after three.
Pete Orr gets in front of a hard grounder from Hanley Ramirez and throws out the speedy runner. Cameron Maybin smacks a high fastball for a single. Roger Bernadina sprints across the outfield and lays out to make a diving grab just in front of the wall to rob Jorge Cantu. Marco Estrada strikes out The Hammer...Cameron Maybin catches up to Kory Casto’s fly to left center. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr lines a single over short. Wil Nieves K’s swinging through a high fastball. Roger Bernadina finds a hole at second and singles into center. Pinch hitter Anderson Hernandez grounds into a force at second...
Dan Uggla singles through short to start the fifth. Jason Bergman gets Jeremy Hermida to fly out to Milledge for the first out. Gaby Sanchez hits the gap again for a double to move Uggla to third. Matt Treanor walks. Josh Johnson K’s looking, Hanley Ramirez, with the bases loaded two-out chance. Bergmann pops Ramirez up, the Marlins strand three...Hanley Ramirez throws out Emilio Bonifacio. Alberto Gonzalez takes a one-out walk. Hanley Ramirez picks up Milledge’s grounder on the outfield grass at short, spins and throws to second, Uggla to Sanchez, double play to end the fifth.
Cameron Maybin sneaks a leadoff single under a diving Alberto Gonzalez at short. Jorge Cantu up, Maybin steals second. Cantu pops out to Orr in foul territory. Josh Willingham walks. Dan Uggla swings over a two-strike bender outside for the second out of the inning. Jeremy Hermida grounds out to strand two and end the Marlins’ sixth...Elijah Dukes starts the bottom of the inning with a screaming line drive to left. Kory Casto pops out to Cantu. Pete Orr’s shot to right dies on the track. Wil Nieves takes a two-out walk in front of Bernadina. Johnson gets a ground ball to second to end the sixth. 7-2 Marlins.
Gaby Sanchez gets a grounder by third, (Zimmerman would’ve had it...Sorry, Orr!). Treanor flies out to center. Pinch hitter Mike Jacobs flies out to left. Hanley Ramirez takes a two-out walk. Pete Orr takes the force at second on Cody Ross’ groundout...Stand Up and Stretch...Florida reliever Big Joe Nelson starts the bottom of the seventh. Willie Harris gets as far as the warning track in right on a fly ball out. Emilio Bonifacio grounds out to second Alberto Gonzalez flies out to Ross in center to end the seventh.
Levale Speigner stabs a grounder to the mound from Cantu. THE HAMMER! Josh Willingham takes Speigner to left and out of the yard for an 8-2 Marlins’ lead. Speigner walks Uggla. Hermida singles. Pop to left from Gaby Sanchez, Gonzalez and Bernadina converge, and almost collide, letting it drop...Gonzalez alertly throws to third in time for the force. Matt Treanor singles to right to score Hermida. 9-2 Marlins. Speigner’s out. Charlie Manning's on to face lefty Dallas McPherson, who flies out to end the Marlins’ eighth...Ryan Tucker gets Milledge to pop up a 96 mph fastball. Elijah Dukes’ Discerning Eye draws a one-out walk. Kory Casto lines a single to left, Dukes to second. Pete Orr bounces one over the mound. Dukes scores from second. 9-3 Marlins. Wil Nieves strokes an RBI single to left, Casto scores, 9-4 Florida. Roger Bernadina stares at strike three as it breaks back inside. Aaron Boone flies to right to end the eighth.
Hanley Ramirez starts the ninth against Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera. Ramirez rips a single to left. Cody Ross K’s swinging over a two-strike curve. Alfredo “The Amazing” Amezaga gets a pinch hit chance. Pete Orr charges in and throws out Willingham. Dan Uggla goes down swinging to end the Florida ninth...Three outs to get five runs for DC in the ninth. Bonifacio gets thrown out by Hanley Ramirez after grounding to short. Alberto Gonzalez stares strike three all the way in on a sick bender from Marlins' closer Matt Lindstrom. Milledge pops out to end it. Marlins win. 9-4 final.
Nationals 58-99. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...1.)