Help Yourself...
After allowing a two-out RBI single to Arizona starter Max Scherzer in the second to put the D-Backs up 1-0, DC lefty Scott Olsen was given a 2-1 lead when Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham hit back to back home runs in the third. Olsen then surrendered two runs in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back two-out doubles to make it 3-2 AZ.
Ryan Zimmerman doubled in the fifth and scored on Dunn's second dinger, which put Washington up 4-3, and Olsen gave up a leadoff double and a one-out HR to Eric Byrnes to make it 5-4 D-Backs. Nick Johnson hits a groundout to second with a runner on third to tie it at 5-5 in the top of the sixth, and Ryan Zimmerman singles in a run to tie make it 6-5 DC after five and a half...
The Nationals replace Olsen with Logan Kensing, who gives up three-straight singles, which tie it at 6-6, and then a one-out double that scores two, and a fourth single that caps it off at 9-6 D-Backs after six. The Nationals add one in the seventh when Willie Harris triples and scores on Cristian Guzman's groundout, 9-7, Julian Tavarez gives up a run in the eighth, 10-7. The Nationals score in the ninth, when Willingham goes deep again, 10-8 D-Backs, but that's as close as it gets...
The Washington Nationals put together 13 hits, 4 HR's, a double, a triple and 8 runs and lose because their pitchers allow 17 hits and 10 runs.
THE KIDS CALL IT THE STREAK!!!
• Ryan Zimmerman didn't like waiting until the eighth inning on Saturday night, so he got it over with early again on Sunday, singling with two down in the first to extend his hit streak to 28 games. Zimmerman ends the day with 12 doubles, 6 HR's, 22 RBI's, a .346 AVG and a .394 OBP.
• Adam Dunn goes 3 for 5 with 2 HR's and 3 RBI's, and hits 4 HR's in the 3-game series in Arizona, now has 11 on the year, 4 doubles, 28 RBI's to go with a .311 AVG and a .451 OBP. (Series w/ Arizona - 6 for 11, 4 HR's, 5 RBI's.)
• Scott Olsen throws 109 pitches, 62 for strikes and allows 10 hits, 3 walks, 5 ER in 4.1 IP, striking out 2 and ending the game with a 7.00 ERA.
• Logan Kensing comes on in the sixth, goes 0.2 IP, and gives up 5 hits, 4 ER.
D-Backs win, 10-8 final.
Full Game Report (Currently Unedited) After The Jump...
Nationals now 10-19-1.
Washington Nationals at Arizona Diamondbacks. Game 29 or 30 of 162.
Arizona starter Max Scherzer starts Anderson “Elvis” Hernandez with a fastball for a strike, and strikes him out with another heater low and inside. Nick “Two-Spot” Johnson hits a one-hop liner to second for Felipe Lopez. Ryan Zimmerman rips a 94 mph fastball back up the middle and off Scherzer’s glove for a single to extend his hit streak to 28 games. Adam Dunn spins a liner to right and it tails away from Felipe Lopez, Zimmerman to third. Max Scherzer gets The Hammer swinging, out ahead of a two-strike change, no score after a half...Willie Harris takes a few steps back to catch the first out off Felipe Lopez’s bat. Chris Young hits the second out right to Willie Harris. Justin Upton flies to right, and the Big Donkey boots it, and has it roll right by him, Upton takes third. Willie Harris backs up to the wall to catch Mark Reynolds’ fly ball and end the first.
Max Scherzer throws a fastball by Willie Harris for a swinging K to start the second. Alex Cintron takes a 3-2 pitch low on the outside corner for a one-out walk. Wil Nieves shoots a line drive to right, Cintron (only) takes second. Scott Olsen bunts too hard back to the mound, and Scherzer’s able to get the lead runner at third. Anderson Hernandez flies to left and Eric Byrnes closes his glove on the top of the second...Adam Dunn reaches up as he trots to his left and catches Byrnes’ fly ball for the first out. Chris Snyder takes a one-out walk. Ryan Roberts rips a line drive to left field, Snyder to second. Josh Wilson battles Olsen, but eventually flies out to Willie Harris in center. Max Scherzer gets his bat on the ball and singles through short to score Snyder from second for a 1-0 D-Backs’ lead. Felipe Lopez grounds to first, through Scherzer’s legs, but Johnson handles it and beats Lopez (who is running full speed) to the bag.
Mark Reynolds dives toward the first base line and robs Nick Johnson of extra bases, shuffling to Scherzer covering. Max Scherzer challenges Ryan Zimmerman with two 3-1 fastballs and gets a swinging K from the “Streaker”. Adam Du---SHAKE N BAKE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!! Adam Dunn takes a fastball to DEEEEEEP left and GONE!! 1-1 ballgame. Josh Willingham goes HAMMER!!! Long fly to center, 410 and then some, 2-1 DC!!! Willie Harris walks. Alex Cintron grounds harmlessy to second to end the top of the third...Chris Young beats A-Hands to the second base hole, and single into right. Justin Upton takes a 3-2 pitch from Olsen that bounces in the dirt. Double steal, and the Nationals have Upton heading for second, so Young breaks toward home from third, Nick Johnson throws home, and Young’s caught and tagged, while Upton takes third. Mark Reynolds rips one right into Cintron’s glove. Eric Byrnes goes down the line in right and it drops in fair in front of Dunn, Upton scores. 2-2. Chris Snyder bounces one off the base of the center field wall, Byrnes crosses, 3-2 AZ. Ryan Roberts grounds to second to end the third.
Wil Nieves grounds weakly to short. Max Scherzer walks Scott Olsen and then gets Anderson Hernandez swinging at three-straight fastballs. Nick Johnson flies out to center to end the Nationals’ fourth...Adam Dunn makes a non-chalant over the shoulder grab on a fly ball to right from Josh Wilson. Scherzer swings through an 88mph two-strike fastball. Not even Ryan Zimmerman can throw Felipe Lopez out on a ground ball to the third base bag. Chris Young tests Zimmerman again, Zim dives to his right, stabs it and fires to first, IN TIME!! 3-2 AZ after four.
Ryan Zimmerman splits the right center gap with a line drive double to start the fifth. Adam Du--SHAKE N BAKE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Two-run HR to the opposite field and over the wall, 4-3 DC. Josh Willingham hits a sharp grounder to short, Josh Wilson makes it look easy. Willie Harris flies out to center. Alex Cintron gets jammed and flies out...Justin Upton beats Nick Johnson to the first base line and legs out a double in front of Dunn’s throw. Olsen hangs a two-strike slider that slips under Mark Reynolds’ bat. Olsen hangs a change up for Eric Byrnes who destroys it and deposits it ten rows back in left, 5-4 D-Backs. Olsen walks Chris Snyder. Ryan Roberts drills Olsen in the leg with a line drive, and reaches safely. Olsen out, Garrett Mock on in relief. Chris Snyder reaches on an excuse-me grounder toward third. Bases loaded. Pinch hitter Josh Whitesell takes a two-strike fastball for a called strike three. Felipe Lopez chops one to short, Cintron steps on second.
Esmerling Vasquez takes over on the hill for Arizona. Wil Nieves rips a single off of Mark Reynolds’ glove at first. Dukes on to pinch hit. Anderson Hernandez gets down a perfect sac bunt. Nick Johnson grounds to second, Nieves scores, 5-5 game. Dukes on third. Ryan Zimmer- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Single up the middle, Dukes scores, 6-5 DC!! Dunn K’s to end the DC sixth...Logan Kensing gives up a leadoff line drive to center to start the AZ sixth. Justin Upton goes to center as well. Kensing’s fooling no one. Alex Cintron fields a hotshot to short from Mark Reynolds, and fires to third, but hits Chris Young in the back with the throw and it bounces to the dugout, Young scores to tie it, 6-6 in the sixth. Second and third for Eric Byrnes. Byrnes grounds to short, Zimmerman picks it, looks Upton back and fires to first, where Nick Johnson picks it. Chris Snyder doubles over Dunn’s head and off the wall, two runs score, 8-6 D-Backs. Ryan Roberts can’t hold up, but he drops a single into center on a check swing, Snyder scores, 9-6 Arizona. Josh Wison grounds out to Zimmerman, Kensing done. Ron Villone vs Chad Tracy. Tracy lines to left, Willingham catches it. 9-6 D-Backs after six.
The Tallest Pitcher in MLB History, Jon Rauch, starts the seventh. Josh Willingham pops out to short left. TAWH, The Amazing Willie Harris triples to the right field corner with one down. Wil Nieves almost goes long to left, but then he K’s on the next pitch. Cristian Guzman grounds to second, and Felipe Lopez boots it, Harris scores, 9-7 D-Backs. Anderson Hernandez K’s swinging over a curve...Julian Tavarez drops a two-strike slider in under Felipe Lopez’s bat. Tavarez gets Chris Young looking. Upton lines out to second to end the seventh.
Scott Schoenweis gives up a leadoff line drive single to right to Nick Johnson. Tony Pena comes on for AZ to face Zimmerman. Zimmerman grounds to Josh Wilson, to Felipe Lopez to Mark Reynolds, double play. Adam Dunn skies one to center, 9-7 middle of the eighth...Tavarez is back on to face Reynolds. Mark Reynolds singles over second. Reynolds steals second. Eric Byrnes flies to left center, and Reynolds tags and takes third. Chris Snyder takes a one-out walk. Ryan Roberts flies to right, Reynolds scores, 10-7 D-Backs. Tavarez walks Josh Wilson. Augie Ojeda K’s swinging to end a long eighth.
Chad Qualls comes on to close out the D-Backs’ win. Josh Willingham gets a slider minus the slide and HAMMERS it to left and GONE! 10-8 Arizona. Willie Harris bounces one back up the middle. Alex Cintron flies out to center on the first pitch he sees. Wil Nieves K’s on a called strike three up high. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second. 10-8 D-Backs win.
Nationals now 10-19-1.