(ed. note - "Original Title, If The Nationals Had Managed To Win...'Show Them Where They Sell The Cheesesteaks, Elijah.' Tuesday night's GameThread will be up around 11:30 am EST...come back then and for the game tonight!!")
Ryan Zimmerman hit one to straight-center. Elijah Dukes hit one out to where they sell the cheesesteaks in Citizens Bank. (ed. note - "At this point, my brother Scout, Braves' Fan And Source For All Things Baseball interrupts, 'Actually it was the funnel cake stand.' - 'Really?' I ask, 'You're going to mess with me now.' - 'I saw the replay, it was funnel cakes.' Scout continues.' - 'Alright...have to be accurate, right...") Zimmerman hit another. Nick Johnson hit one. Adam Dunn hit one and it wasn't enough...
Nick Johnson walks to start the third. Ryan Zimmerma-- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! 4-2 DC. One batter after Zimmerman, (ed. note - "...it was a Dunn-K."), Elijah "Super" Dukes hits one out to where they sell funnel cakes. 5-2 DC. Ryan Zimmerm...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Zimmerman hits his second HR in the fifth and Nick "Two-Spot" Johnson follows in the 8th with a line drive off the second deck in right that's hit so hard it bounces back onto the outfield grass. At this point it's 10-7, and after a Ryan Zimmer-man walk, SHAKE N BAKE! SHAKE N BAKE!!! It's Adam Dunn with a two-run blast and it's 11-7 DC!!! The Nationals are on their way to win No. 5...(ed. note - "Have you been watching this season?")
Garrett Mock is on in the eighth. Often mentioned as a closer option should DC's right-handed stopper Joel Hanrahan continue to "struggle", Mock embarrasses Lou Marson, dispatching the Phils' catcher with a two-strike bender that freezes him with bat held firmly to shoulder. One down. Pedro Feliz singles. Jimmy Rollins doubles. Sac fly from Shane Victorino, and the Phillies are back within three. 11-8 DC. Chase Utley singles, Rollins scores, 11-9 Nationals, and DC Manager Manny Acta has seen enough. Mock out. "Wild" Joel Hanrahan in to get the five-out save...(ed. note - "Prepare yourself...")
DC Closer "Wild" Joel Hanrahan walks Ryan Howard, more or less intentionally, but the walk to Jayson Werth is clearly a mistake, because it loads the bases for the man that's making Philly forget Pat Burrell, Raul Ibanez who hits one just inside the right field pole and twenty rows back for the second Gra...(ed. note - "Oh that's right, that was the second one...The First Grand...") (flashback)...
...Washington leads 6-2 after adding a run on Ryan Zimmerman's solo shot to the scoreboard seats in left. (ed. note - "You know where they are, right Philly fans!"). Bottom of the fifth, Shairon Martis is back on the mound, with a 4-run lead. Martis pops up the opposing pitcher and then surrenders three straight singles to Rollins, Shane-O and Utley, and you know what that means...RYAN HOWARD! BANG! Grand Slam! 6-6 ballgame...(flashforward)...
...Raul Ibanez gets the second Grand Slam of the game for Philly off Hanny in the bottom of the eighth as the Phillies rally for six eighth-inning runs. Phillies lead 13-11. Phillies win 13-11. Joel Hanrahan blows save No. 3 on the season.
Phillies win, 13-11 final. (ed. note - "Joel Hanrahan in trouble.")
Follow The Rise And Fall With The DC Faithful In Last Night's GameThread.
Washington Nationals now 4-14.
Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies. Game 18 of 162.
Anderson Hernandez swings through a two-strike fastball for the first out of the inning. Philly righty Joe Blanton hits the outside corner with another two-strike fastball that’s called strike three. Blanton misses with a 3-2 pitch to Ryan Zimmerman, but Zimmerman swings and K’s to end the opening frame...Shairon Martis gets Jimmy Rollins chasing a sinking change that drops out of the zone. Elijah Dukes settles in under a fly ball to center from Shane Victorino. Martis walks Chase Utley on four pitches. Ryan Howard pops up foul of first, Nick Johnson closes his glove on the first inning.
Adam Dunn rips a line drive into right for a leadoff single. Elijah Dukes follows with a long fly ball to the deepest part of this park, where Shane Victorino makes the grab. Austin Kearns sends a screamer to right where Raul Ibanez catches it on one hop. Jesus Flores takes a low 3-2 pitch to walk the bases loaded with one down. Alberto Gonzalez flies to right, Jayson Werth tries to gun Dunn, but throws wide of home, 1-0 DC. Shairon Martis rips a high heater and shoots it to center, 2-0 Nationals. Anderson Hernandez grounds to secone to end the threat...Jayson Werth draws a leadoff walk to start the Philly second. Raul Ibanez pushes Austin Kearns back to the out-of-town scoreboard, and he drops it as he hits the fence. Werth to third, Ibanez in at second. Greg Dobbs bloops one over second, and Alberto Gonzalez comes up empty after diving. Werth scores. Shairon Martis gets a DP grounder from Lou Marson, but it ties it up at 2-2. Joe Blanton pops out to the infield. Two down.
Nick Johnson takes a 3-1 pitch and walks to start the third. Ryan Zimmera....THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Two-run blast to straight-center, 4-2 DC. Adam Dunn K’s swinging. Elijah Dukes, make that Elijah “SUPER” Dukes, who unloads on a fastball and puts it onto the center field walkway. 5-2 Nationals. Austin Kearns grounds out to second, Jesus Flores grounds out to short...Jimmy Rollins gets popped up on a jam shot inside. Shane Victorino laces a fastball to the gap in left center for a one-out double. Alberto Gonzalez is standing behind second when Chase Utley hits one right to him. Jayson Werth pushes Kearns back a few steps, but he catches the third out.
Alberto Gonzalez flies out to short center. Shairon Martis grounds out. Anderson Hernandez’s liner finds the right-center gap, and he’s standing at second. Nick Johnson hits a scorcher to first, but Ryan Howard makes a Nick Johnsonesque stab and steps on first...Raul Ibanez pops a 1-1 pitch out to left. Greg Dobbs lines out to Austin Kearns in right, who falls as he catches it. Lou Marson swings over a two-strike change, and Martis is through four.
Ryan Zimmer...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! Ryan Zimmerman goes deep again, this time to left and into the second deck!!! 6-2 DC. Adam Dunn singles to center. Elijah Dukes flies out to Raul Ibanez in left. Austin Kearns takes a one-out walk. Jack Taschner takes over for Blanton. Jesus Flores skies one to center, and Shane Victorino makes a quick sliding catch. Alberto Gonzalez lines out to Dobbs at third to end the DC fifth...Martis pops up the opposing pitcher, Jack Taschner. Jimmy Rollins splits Martis’ wickets with a single up the middle. Shane Victorino takes an outside fastball up the middle for a single. Chase Utley singles over second, and the bases are loaded with one down. Ryan Howard...goes...deep...to center and GONE!!! Grand Slam. 6-6 ballgame. Martis throws a high two-strike fastball by Jayson Werth. Raul Ibanez sneaks a single through second. Gregg Dobbs flies to Dunn in left to end the fifth.
Shairon Martis leads off the sixth and lines out to short. Shane Victorino has Anderson Hernandez’s line drive to center bounce out of his glove, double for Hernandez. Nick Johnson backs Raul Ibanez to the wall in left where he makes the grab. Ryan Zimmerman takes a two-out walk from Taschner. Adam Dunn walks to load them for Elijah Dukes. Clay Condrey takes over for Taschner. Elijah Dukes works the count full, and takes a bases loaded walk a fastball inside. 7-6. Austin Kearns flies out to Victorino...Martis walks Lou Marson to start the Philly sixth. Pedro Feliz will face Julian Tavarez. Feliz lifts one off the end of his bat, Dunn backs up the wall and misses it, misses it, double for Feliz. Marson to third. Jimmy Rollns pops up, down the line in left, and it falls between Ryan Zimmerman and Alberto Gonzalez. Marson scores, 7-7. Shane Victorino grounds back to the mound, and Tavarez throws to first, in time. Mike Hinckley comes on and hits Chase Utley to load’em up again for Howard. Howard lines...right to Nick Johnson, steps on first, double play!!! 7-7 game.
Jesus Flores goes down swinging. Alberto Gonzalez grounds to third. Josh Willingham stares strike three all the way in, and shakes his head in disagreement with the call...Kip Wells takes over for the Nationals. Jayson Werth grounds out to Ryan Zimmerman at third. Raul Ibanez strikes out and gets thrown out on a bender in the dirt. Eric Bruntlett goes down chasing. 7-7 after seven.
Anderson Hernandez works Scott Eyre for a leadoff walk. Nick “Two-Spot” Johnson makes them pay, everything goes out here!! Two-run HR, off the second deck in left, 9-7 Nationals. Ryan Zimmerman walks, and Adam Dunn goes yard. 11-7. Elijah Dukes walks. J.A. Happ on for Eyre. Austin Kearns flies out to left, and it doesn’t go out. Jesus Flores lines out to short. Alberto Gonzalez takes a two-out walk. Ronnie Belliard shatters a bat grounding out to short...Lou Marson gets fooled by a two-strike curve. Pedro Feliz lines the first pitch to right for a single. Jimmy Rollins double to right center, Dukes fires in quick to hold Feliz at third. RBI sac fly for Shane Victorino, Rollins beats Austin Kearns’ throw to third. 11-8. Chase Utley singles by Nick Johnson at first, 11-9 Nationals. “Wild” Joel Hanrahan is called out early. “Wild” pitch, Utley to second. Hanrahan pitches around Howard, and walks him. Hanrahan walks Jayson Werth, and the bases loaded, for Raul Ibanez. Ibanez goes yard. Grand Slam. 13-11. Matt Stairs K’s.
Anderson Hernandez bunts his way on. Ryan Madson tries to close it out. Nick Johnson flies out to Raul Ibanez in left. Ryan Zimmerman lines out to Rollins in center. Justin Maxwell K’s swinging through a fastball. Phillies win. 13-11 final.
Nationals now 4-14.