HEADLINES:
Joe Beimel Fails Closer Audition.
7-6 Nationals. Bottom of the ninth. The San Francisco Giants send pinch hitter Juan Uribe up against Washington Nationals' lefty Joe Beimel. Beimel starts Uribe with an 84 mph change, then slows another down even more, Uribe flies out to center. ONE!! Two sinking fastballs low on the outside edge to Rick Aurilia, and the second pinch hitter goes down, groundout to Cristian Guzman at short. TWO!! San Francisco second baseman Emmanuel Burriss gets two straight change ups, and lines the second to center. Beimel checks the runner at first, and sails the throw, Nick Johnson comes up empty, Burriss takes second. Three straight balls from Beimel to Edgar Renteria, and Rent's taking, 3-1, and ball four, high and outside. Pablo Sandoval gets a 2-2 change inside and up and Sandoval unloads, deeep to left and GONE, Giants win on the walk off. 9-7 final.
THE KIDS CALL IT THE STREAK!!
93 mph 1-1 fastball from Matt Cain and Ryan Zimmerman goes back up the middle for a two-out single in the first and 30-straight games with at least one hit. In the top of the fourth, Zimmerman singles off Cain again. Ryan Zimmerman goes hitless the rest of the way, ends the day 2 for 5, hitting .364 with 12 doubles, 8 HR's, 26 RBI's and a .408 OBP.
Wednesday Matchup:
Zimmerman vs Barry Zito - 2 for 8, .250 AVG, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 K.
Comeback Comes Up Empty.
DC righty Jordan Zimmermann went 6.0 innings last night, allowing 7 hits, 5 ER and 2 walks with 8 K's collected. A HBP, a two-out walk and a two-out, two-RBI double by Randy Winn in the first gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead. Two scoreless frames for Zimmermann followed, and in the fourth, Washington got on the board with a sac fly RBI to cut the Giants' lead in half. San Francisco responded with a 3-run 4th in which Zimmermann allowed a walk and four singles. 5-1 Giants.
Nick Johnson hit a 3-run HR in the 7th to make it 5-4 DC, and Washington took the lead in the top of the eighth when Ronnie Belliard knocked in Willie Harris with a single, and Nick Johnson brought two home with a two-out, two-run single of his own. 7-5 Washington. The Giants strike back with Bengie Molina's solo HR in the eighth off Kip Wells, and then the 3-run HR by Pablo Sandoval that wins it...
Giants win, 9-7 Final.
Missed Last Night's Game, We Didn't. See What The DC Faithful Saw In Last Night's GameThread.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After Jump...
Nationals now 10-21-1.
Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants. Game 30 or 31 of 162.
Matt Cain throws a two-strike fastball inside on Cristian Guzman and it breaks back in for strike three. Nick Johnson pops straight up, Giants’ catcher Bengie Molina jumps up discards the mask and makes the catch. Ryan Zimmerman lines a single to center in his first AB, has now hit in 30 straight games. Adam Dunn flies to left where Randy Winn catches it in front of the track...Emmanuel Burriss K’s chasing a breaking ball into the dirt and Wil Nieves throws to first to complete the out. Edgar Renteria takes a fastball in the elbow and takes his base. Pablo Sandoval up, Renteria steals second. Sandoval grounds out weakly to short, Renteria takes third. Bengie Molina walks for the first time in 2009. Randy Winn doubles to center, Renteria scores, Molina comes around, 2-0 Giants, Winn caught off second on the cut throw, 2-0 Giants after one.
Austin Kearns flies to right for Nate Schierholtz. Matt Cain drops a bender off the outside edge to get Willie Harris chasing. Anderson Hernandez aims one at Pablo Sandoval at third...Aaron Rowand grounds out to Cristian Guzman at short. Travis Ishikawa lines a line drive on one hop into Dunn’s gut in left. Jordan Zimmerman throws a 95 mph two-strike fastball right in over the outside edge, Jordan Schierholtz K’s looking. Cain gets a slider, that isn’t fair, Zimmermann gets another K.
Wil Nieves sneaks a liner to right in under a diving Nate Schierholtz. Jordan Zimmermann bunts back to Matt Cain, who takes the lead runner at third. Cristian Guzman grounds into a corce at second. Nick Johnson swings through a mid-90’s two-strike fastball up high...Emmanuel Burris spins a pop fly to Zimmerman at third. Edgar Renteria hits a soft line drive to second. Pablo Sandoval reaches down a sends a liner to right for a two-out single. Bengie Molina can’t catch up to Zimmermann’s heater.
Ryan Zimmerman sends a screamer to center for another single. Adam Dunn doubles off the fence in right center, when Nate Schierholtz comes up empty. Two-strike fastball to get Austin Kearns swinging. Willie Harris gets it done, fly ball to right, Zim tags and scores, 2-1 ballgame. Anderson Hernandez grounds to short, Renteria nails him...Randy Winn singles over second, Kearns collects it. Aaron Rowand battles to stay alive and grounds out to Guzma...Guzman misses it, 2 on for Travis Ishikawa who goes with Zimmermann’s pitch and lines an RBI single to center, Winn scores, 3-1 Giants. Broken bat groundout from Schierholtz brings up the pitcher. ZImmerman gets Cain swinging. Emmanuel Burriss takes a two-out walk. Edgar Renteria drops a bloop single over second, two runs score, Ishikawa avoids Nieves and scores, 5-1 Giants. Pablo Sandoval grounds out to short to end the inning.
Wil Nieves slaps a curve through Burriss at second. Jordan Zimmermann gets the sac bunt down this time. Cristian Guzman flies out to center. Nick Johnson uses his Discerning Eye to draw a two-out walk. Ryan Zimmerman pops straight up...Bengie Molina K’s swinging, and looks dejected. Randy Winn lines one right to Willie Harris, Aaron Rowand chops a grounder out to second, Zimmermann through a quick frame...
Adam Dunn grounds into the dramatic shift. Austin Kearns sees the fastball coming, and he rips it up the middle. Willie Harris grounds to Burriss at second. Anderson Hernandez chops one to Renteria, who first to first...Travis Ishikawa chases a 2-2 curve and comes up empty. Schierholtz flies out to Guzman off a shattered bat. Jordan Zimmermann drops a cruel curve under Matt Cain’s bat.
Wil Nieves pops up behind the second base bag. Alex Cintron waits on a 3-1 curve and drives it up the middle for his first hit of the year! Cristian Guzman singles off the right field wall, Cintron to third. Low outside fastball to Nick Johnson and he takes it to deeeep left center and GONE!! 3-run HR for “Two-Spot” Johnson, 5-4 Giants. Adam Dunn pops out to left...Julian Tavarez gets a fly ball out to left from Emmanuel Burriss. Edgar Renteria lines right at Adam Dunn in left. Pablo Sandoval demolishes one to center that falls between Austin Kearns and Willie Harris, Sandoval trips, and falls on in face at short, ouch, tagged out.
Bob Howry vs Austin Kearns. 3-2 fastball right through Kearns’ swing. Willie Harris works the count full and walks. Josh Willingham flies to left, two down. Wil Nieves gets down 0-2, and ends up singling through short to keep the inning alive. Ronnie Belliard to pinch hit. Belliard shatters his bat on a single to center, Willie Harris flies around to score, 5-5 game. Jeremy Affeldt gives up a swinging bunt single to Cristian Guzman. Nick Johnson grounds to second, the first baseman, Ishikawa dives, and comes up empty, two runs score, 7-5 DC...Kip Wells vs Bengie Molina to start the Giants’ eighth. Wells hangs a slider, Molina hits out to left and GONE, HR, 7-6 Nationals. Randy Winn taps one back to Wells. Aaron Rowand pops a 1-0 pitch out to center where Willie Harris makes the catch. Travis Ishikawa pops out to Adam Dunn in left to end the eighth.
Adam Dunn hits a broken bat grounder to second. Austin Kearns K’s swinging. Willie Harris lines to Rowand...Here we go...
Joe Beimel vs Juan Uribe. Uribe flies out!! Rich Aurilia grounds to Guzman at short. Emmanuel Burriss hits a two-out single. Edgar Renteria up. Beimel starts 3-0 to Renteria, and walks him on a 3-1 pitch outside. Beimel vs Pablo Sandoval. Beimel hangs a 2-2 pitch and Sandoval sends it OUT!!!!!!. Walk-off winner. Giants win, 9-7 final.
Nationals now 10-21-1.