(ed. note - Don't get too happy, Mets' Fans. You're next!")
HEADLINE!
Spoilin’ Spoilin’ Spoilin’...DC Takes Two Of Three When Philly Needs Them Most.
5-4 Philly after six, following Ryan Howard's second two-run HR of the night, which puts the visiting Philadelphia Phillies ahead. In the Nationals' seventh, Ryan Zimmerman steps to the plate with two outs against Phils' righty reliever Chad Durbin... Zimmerman Homers! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! 5-5 ballgame...
...Kory Casto starts the home-half of the eighth with a single, and is replaced on the basepaths by Pinch Runnin' Pete Orr, who always scores, as he does here, after a popped up bunt attempt, a wild pitch, a Roger Bernadina single to left and a Ronnie Belliard RBI line drive double to center. 6-5 DC. Roger Bernadina steals third, Emilio Bonifacio walks and Cristian Guzman gives the Nationals a lead that holds up with a bases-clearing double to the left-center gap that puts Washington up 9-5.
"Wild" Joel Hanrahan continues the DC Closer Tradition of, "Making It Interesting", and only after allowing two runs, does Hanrahan buckle down and strike out Jayson Werth for a 9-7 DC win. The Nationals take two of three from Philadelphia, and the Phillies drop 3.0 games behind the NL East's 1st Place Mets, who got help from another Nationals' veteran, Ryan Church, whose 1st inning Grand Slam against Milwaukee was all the Mets needed to win.
It's off to Atlanta now, for the four game series with the Braves, and the MLB Debut of Shairon Martis tomorrow...
Guzman Doubles With Bases Loaded, Nationals Hold On To Win!!
Ryan Zimmerman finished the night 2 for 4, with a walk, two runs scored, two RBI's, a double and a HR. Guzman is 3 for 5 with a double and 3 RBI's, and he's back up to a .311 AVG after the game. Kory Casto goes 2 for 4 with an RBI to take advantage of a start at first. Milledge is 2 for 5 with an RBI. Dukes doubles and collects his 30th RBI. 9 runs and 13 hits, 4 doubles and Zim's HR, and Colome/Hinckley/Shell and Sa-ool combine for 3.0 scoreless to get the game to Hanrahan, who closes ugly.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals now 54-86. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At 14.)
Spoilin’ Spoilin’ Spoilin’...DC Takes Two Of Three When Philly Needs Them Most.
Jimmy Rollins works the count full like a good leadoff batter and then grounds out to short for the first out of the evening. DC lefty Odalis Perez hits Chase Utley in his first at bat, and Manny Acta shoots a “What was that?” glance out to the mound. Jayson Werth shoots a line drive out to Roger Bernadina in left. 2-2 pitch from Perez is long gone before Wil Nieves can even throw Odalis a new ball. Ryan Howard goes over the out-of-town-scoreboard for a 2-0 Phillies on the two-out, two-run bomb. Pat Burrell lines back to the mound...Emilio Bonifacio flies out to Burrell in left for Philly righty Joe Blanton’s first out. Cristian Guzman slices a single just over third and into short left. Ryan Zimmerman takes an outside pitch into the right field corner to score Guzman, 2-1 Phils. Lastings Milledge pops out to second. Elijah Dukes uses his Discerning Eye to draw a two-out walk. Kory Casto goes to left with a line drive RBI single to score Zimmerman from second. 2-2 ballgame. Wil Nieves grounds out to end the first...
Cristian Guzman fields and throws out Pedro Feliz for the first out of the second. Chris Coste grounds to Guzman as well. Eric Bruntlett keeps Guzman busy with another groundout to end the Phils’ second...Roger Bernadina grounds out in his first at bat. Joe Blanton gets a groundout to short from Perez, but Bonifacio bounces a double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right center, speeding around to second. Cristian Guzman K’s looking to strand Bonifacio.
Odalis gets Joe Blanton to fly out to Dukes in right. Jimmy Rollins goes back up the middle for a one-out single. Rollins takes second on a wild pitch and scores when Chase Utley goes deeeep to center, over Milledge’s head and just off the top of his outstretched glove. Rollins scores. 3-2 Philly. Jayson Werth swings well over an inside breaking ball. Ryan Howard K’s swinging over a curve to end the Philly third...Ryan Zimmerman reaches out for an 0-2 pitch and flies out to center. Lastings Milledge drills a high fastball to Bruntlett in right for the second out. Elijah Dukes smokes a low bender all the way to the wall in left four a two-out double. Casto flies out to Bruntlett in right. 3-2 Phillies after three.
A full-count pitch pops Pat Burrell up. Pedro Feliz pushes Milledge back to the track just left of center. Perez gets Chris Coste to chase for another swinging K to end the Philly fourth...Wil Nieves grounds out. Roger Bernadina takes a fastball inside and has it called strike three. Odalis Perez chops a grounder to Rollins. 3-2 Philly after four...Eric Bruntlett flies out to Miledge. Blanton K’s like a pitcher. Jimmy Rollins beats out a grounder to Guzman’s backhand by a step on a great over-the-top throw. Odalis vs Utley. Perez gets Utley swinging at a high fastball to end the Phillies’ fifth...Emilio Bonifacio works a leadoff walk. The Guzzz grounds through second, moving Bonifacio up. Zimmerman takes a full count pitch in the dirt for ball four to load the bases. Lastings Milledge? Joe Blanton’s done...Ryan Madson will face Milledge. Milledge grounds to first, Bonifacio scores, Zimmerman out at second, 3-3 ballgame. Elijah Dukes grounds to short, to Utley at second, who, gets upturned by a hard slide into second by Milledge who breaks up the DP opportunity and allows Guzman to score from third. 4-3 DC. Dukes takes second with Casto at bat. Casto goes down trying.
Guzman tries to throw, but he should’ve held it, as Jayson Werth singles deep in the hole at short. Marco Estrada’s on the mound for DC. Ryan Howard takes his second two-run HR to the same spot in center he hit the first one. 5-4 Philly. Pat Burrell rips a single through short. Pedro Feliz flies out on the first pitch from Jesus “Everyday” Colome, who replaces Estrada. Colome gets the second out with his second pitch when Chris Coste flies out, and Colome’s third pitch gets the final out from Shane Victorino...Wil Nieves battles but ends up K’ing. Ryan Madson drops a two-strike change on Bernadina after a few mid-90’s heaters. Pinch Hitter Ryan Langerhans gets the same treatment, and K’s on a sinking slow ball.
Philly rookie Mike Cervanek singles to center off Mike Hinckley to start the seventh. Roger Bernadina speeds over to catch a line drive off Rollins’ bat. Hinckley vs Utley. Lefty vs Lefty. 92 mph fastball to Utley gets popped out to (kinda deep) left center. Jayson Werth will face a new pitcher, righty, Steven Shell. Shell strikes out Werth....5-4 Philly, middle of seven. Stand up and stretch...Lefty reliever Scott Eyre to face Bonifacio to start the DC seventh. Bonifacio swings through a high two-strike fastball. Guzman flies out to Victorino in center. Ryan Zimmerman vs Chad Durbin, Durbin throws a slider that hangs high in the zone and Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Solo shot with two down for Ryan Zimmerman, who goes deep to center. 5-5 ballgame. Milledge bloops a single to center. Dukes stares a two-strike slider all the way in to end the seventh.
Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera starts the eighth against Ryan Howard. Howard grounds to short, where Ryan Zimmerman scoops it up and throws to Casto at first. Pat Burrell singles over a leaping Guzman. Pinch runner, Greg Golson comes on to run for Burrell. Pedro Feliz flies out to Milledge in deep center. Pinch hitter Greg Dobbs up, Golen takes second. Dobbs grounds up the midd...Guzman ranges over and throws Dobbs out to end the Philly eighth...Kory Casto singles to start the DC eighth. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr comes on to run for Casto. Wil Nieves pops out on a bunt attempt. Chad Durbin vs Bernadina. A wild pitch from Durbin moves Orr to second. Bernadina goes with an outside pitch and lines a single into left. Orr to third. Ronnie Belliard drives a single over short. 6-5 DC as Orr scores! J.C. Romero on against Bonifacio. Bernadina swipes third. Bonifacio walks. Bases loaded for Guzman. The Guzzzz clears the bases, 9-5 DC. 3-run double, by The Guzzzz. Zimmerman flies out to left. Milledge grounds through Feliz at short. Dukes goes down staring again....Wait for it...
“Wild” Joel Hanrahan gives up a leadoff single to Victorino, and Matt Stairs doubles to left, far away from Bernadina. Victorino scores. 9-6 DC. Jimmy Rollins grounds out to short. Stairs to third. Utley flies out to right...Dukes jumps at the wall and makes the grab. Stairs tags and scores. 9-7 DC. Hanrahan throws three straight fastballs by Jayson Werth for a swinging K to close out the win. Nationals win. 9-7 final.
Nationals now 54-86. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stays At 14.)