HEADLINE...
Nationals Drop 100th Game, Phillies One Away From Winning The East...
100 Words On The Washington Nationals...
100 losses in 159 games. The ‘08 Washington Nationals reach a level of futility not seen in DC since the Second-Senators dropped 100 of 162 in 1964, or the original Senators dropped 101 in 1955. Montreal lost over 100 in 1976 when the Expos dropped 105 of 162. 132-189 in two years under Manny Acta with two games left in 2008, DC is 284-361 since returning to Washington. After tonight, the Nationals are 28th of 30 teams in HR’s. 28th of 30 in RBI’s, 28th of 30 in team batting average, with the second worst record in baseball.
100 Words On Tonight's Loss To Philadelphia...
Collin Balester never gets through the second. Ryan Howard hits a three-run HR in the first. The Nationals score on a single by Luke Montz in DC's second. Balester surrenders a walk, single, two RBI doubles and four runs, 7-1 Philly after two. The Nationals score on a sac fly and a single in the fifth. Solo shot by Kory Casto chases Philly’s Joe Blanton after six, 7-4 Philadelphia. 8-4 Phillies after a passed ball from Jesus Colome with Chase Utley on third. Brad Lidge comes on, two swinging K's and a groundout. 8-4 Philly wins.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After the Jump...
Nationals now 59-100. (Countdown To 100 Losses is Over.)
The first pitch from Philly starter Joe Blanton to Emilio Bonifacio is a fastball for a strikeout on the outside edge, and the second pitch is grounded to left for the first out of the evening. Cristian Guzman grounds weakly to Chase Utley. Lastings Milledge works the count full and hits a ground ball to third, the crowd noise rises as Jimmy Rollins fields and throws to first...Jimmy Rollins takes one for a ride, but Milledge tracks it down in deep center. Collin Balester gives up a gapper to Jayson Werth, who singles to left center. Werth moves to third as Chase Utley cracks his bat lining to right on a thigh-high change. Ryan Howard rips into a low fastball and hits a moonshot to center that hangs up just long enough that you know it’s gone. 3-0 Phillies. Emilio Bonifacio backs up to get under a fly ball from Pat Burrell. Shane Victorino pops out to end the first...
Elijah Dukes works the count full and takes a leadoff walk using his Discerning Eye. Willie Harris flies out unproductively to center. Kory Casto grounds out allowing Dukes to take third. Luke Montz lines a fastball to right to score Dukes from third, 3-1 Phillies. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr grounds out to end the top of the second...Greg Dobbs goes the other way with a low fastball outside and doubles to left off the extended stands. Philly catcher Carlos Ruiz lines to right, Dukes makes the grab. Balester gets the opposing pitcher on a called strike three, before walking Jimmy Rollins with two down. Pete Orr throws late on a sharp grounder from Jayson Werth that loads the bases for Utley. Utley drives a 3-1 fastball to right, Willie Harris leaps at the wall, and the ball bounces off the top and back into play, Harris thinks it’s gone, three runs score, 6-1 Phillies. Full count bender outside, and Ryan Howard goes with it, doubling to left to drive in Utley. 7-1 Philly. Jason Bergmann relieves Balester and gets a groundball from Burrell to end the second.
Bergmann grounds out to second to start the third. Emilio Bonifacio takes two on a line drive over third. Cristian Guzman grounds to second, Blanton covers and makes the play, Bonifacio to third. Lastings Milledge pushes a ground ball to second, Utley’s throw ends the Nationals’ third...Shane Victorino pops out to short left. Elijah Dukes charges in to make an underhand grab on a line drive from Greg Dobbs. Carlos Ruiz grounds to third as Bergmann calms things down...Elijah Dukes chops a grounder to short that Rollins charges in and plays. Willie Harris throws his bat at a sinker outside, grounding out to second. Casto grounds to short, Rollins throws to first...Bergmann gets Blanton to ground out weakly. Jimmy Rollins reaches second safely when Milledge and Bonifacio almost collide on a pop fly behind second. Jayson Werth skies the second out to left. Chase Utley flies to center, Milledge’s catch ends the fourth.
Montz gets called out looking at a fastball inside from Blanton. Ryan Howard has a grounder from Orr bounce up and off the first baseman’s wrist for a one-out error in front of pinch hitter Roger Bernadina. Bernadina doubles off the wall over Pat Burrell’s head moving Orr to third. Bonifacio lines deep enough to center to score Orr. 7-2 Phillies. Cristian Guzman fights off a fastball and singles to score Bernadina from second, 7-3 Philly. Milledge flies out to left center to end the DC fifth...DC lefty Charlie Manning comes on to face Ryan Howard in the Phillies’ fifth. Manning blows a high 0-2 fastball by Howard. Burrell sends a weak roller to third where Orr fields and throws. Shane Victorino sneaks a double inside the line in left for a two-out hit. Victorino steals third. Greg Dobbs hits a low liner on one-hop to second, Bonifacio’s throw ends the fifth.
Elijah Dukes grounds out to start the sixth. Willie Harris grounds out to second. Kory Casto rips a line drive to right, over the out-of-town scoreboard and GONE!! Solo HR to right, 7-4 Phillies. (Wait, they’re going to the replay...The First Replay in DC Baseball History...HR for Casto!! Nationals 1-0 in Replays.) Blanton gets Montz looking to end the DC sixth...Garrett Mock faces Carlos Ruiz to start the Philly sixth. Milledge charges in to catch the first out off Ruiz’s bat. Pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins flies out behind second. Mock issues a two-out walk to Rollins. Jayson Werth reaches out and K’s swinging over a bender outside, Werth just got MOCKED!...Scott Eyre faces Alberto Gonzalez in the top of the seventh and gets a swinging K on a low slider. Anderson Hernandez K’s swinging. Emilio Bonifacio gets thrown out on a barehand play by Rollins at third...Mike Hinckley starts the bottom of the inning against Utley, who hits a line drive single over second. Howard can’t hold up on an 0-2 curve in the dirt from Hinckley. Utley takes second uncontested. Hinckley walks Burrell with one down. Eric Bruntlett comes on to run for Burrell. Victorino grounds into a force at second. Jesus “Everyday” Colome is called upon to get the third out. Colome vs Pedro Feliz. Victorino takes second. Colome throws a slider by Montz, Utley scores from third. 8-4 Phillies. Feliz flies to center to end the seventh.
Ryan Madson vs Guzman to start the eighth. Guzman rips a single over second to start the frame. Lastings Milledge K’s swinging over a two-strike change. Elijah Dukes pops out to Feliz at third. Aaron Boone hits for Harris against a new reliever J.C. Romero. Boone grounds out to short...Colome offers a leadoff walk to Carlos Ruiz. Pinch hitter Matt Stairs up, Montz nails Carlos Ruiz trying to steal second. Colome gets Stairs swinging. Jimmy Rollins takes a two-out walk. Jayson Werth watches as Colome hits the outside edge with a two-strike fastball to end the eighth.
Kory Casto leads off the ninth against Lidge. Casto K’s swinging over a nasty slider from Lidge. Luke Montz swings a foot over a slider. Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to short, Rollins throws him out to end the game. Phillies win. 8-4 final.
Nationals now 59-100. (Countdown To 100 Losses is Over.)