"We'll get the attendance we deserve." - Stan Kasten
Tonight's Attendance: 18, 579
HEADLINES:
• Not Even Shairon Martis Can Stop This.
The Washington Nationals' 22-year-old right-hander, Shairon Martis, put his (5-0) record on the line tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Nationals Park in a desperate attempt to help the Nationals stop their current 6-game losing streak.
After surrendering 3 runs on two doubles, two walks and single, (not in that order), in the first, Martis gave up a two-run HR to Andy LaRoche in the third on a 1-0 fastball inside that ended up way back in left for a 5-0 Pirates' lead after three. Martis then retired the next nine batters he faced as the Nationals slowly chipped away at the 5-run lead. Adam Du...SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!! Adam Dunn's solo shot in the fourth gets DC on the board, and then, after Martis' final inning, in the bottom of the sixth, Willie Harris, Anderson Hernandez and Wil Nieves single in succession to drive in three straight runs and tie it at 5-5 after six.
Martis' Line:
Martis, Shairon - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, 1 HR, 4.53 ERA, 85 pitches, 55 strikes, 5 GO, 11 FO.
• Adam Dunn Would Rather Walk.
Bottom of the fourth, Adam Dunn takes a curve inside for a ball and takes a called strike on the inside corner and then Adam Du...SHAKE N BAKE!!! (ok, I'll stop), Adam Dun..SHAKE N BAKE!!! takes a swing at a fastball on the outside edge from Jeff Karstens, really reaches out for it and lifts it to left center and GONE, goodbye, 5-1 Pirates in the fourth. Dunn walks after Ryan Zimmerman bunts his way on in the sixth, and is later forced out at second. After a two-out walk to Ryan Zimmerman in the seventh, Dunn takes a swing at an 0-1 slider, and then is unintentionally, but effectively, walked. Then in the ninth, with the game tied at 5-5, after a wild pitch from Pirates' reliever Sean Burnett scores Nick Johnson to tie it, Adam Dunn-K strikes out swinging over curve in under his hands. So that's a solo HR and two walks and a K with runners on for him...
• Groundhog Day For The DC Bullpen.
R0n Vill0.00ne - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 0.00 ERA.
Joe Beimel - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, 5.63 ERA.
The Nationals rally to tie it at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, and Joe Beimel comes back out for his second inning of work...Ramon Vazquez leads off with a single, and takes second on a sac bunt by Nyjer Morgan. Freddy Sanchez gets the intentionals to bring up lefty Nate McLouth against DC lefty Joe Beimel, Lefty vs Lefty. McLouth flies out. Two down. Adam LaRoche doubles in two runs. 7-5. Brandon Moss hits an RBI single, 8-5 Pirates. Nationals lose.
Pirates win, 8-5 Final.
Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Didn't, Check Out Pirates/Nationals GameThread...
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals now 11-27.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals. Game 38 of 162.
Nyjer Morgan starts the game with a double to right field off of DC righty Shairon Martis. Freddy Sanchez punches a liner to right, blooping over second with Morgan running and scoring the game’s first run, 1-0 Pirates. Adam Dunn tracks a fly ball from Nate McLouth into the corner and leaps at the wall to make the catch. Adam LaRoche draws a walk to put two on for Brandon Moss. Martis gets a bender by Wil Nieves for a wild pitch that advances both runners. Moss sends one to short center that falls in front of Willie Harris and bounces by Harris and into center for a two-run double. 3-0 Pirates. Andy LaRoche pops up over the infield. Jason Jaramillo walks with two down. Jack Wilson pops out to Zimmerman, 3-0 Pirates after a half...Cristian Guzman bounces a grounder to Sanchez at second. NIck Johnson lines right into Nyjer Morgan’s glove in left. Ryan Zimmerman’s grounder rolls up the mound and into Karsten’s glove, the pitcher tosses to first to complete a 1-2-3 first.
Karstens gets some wood on a fastball but grounds out to short. Willie Harris is on top of Nyjer Morgan’s liner to center. Martis gets Freddy Sanchez swinging over an offspeed pitch, inside and sinking, to end a quick top of the second...Adam Dunn takes a called strike three on a circus curve for the first out of the DC second. Josh Willingham takes the bender and lines a fastball right at Nyjer Morgan. Willie Harris doesn’t like what Karstens throwing, the Ump doesn’t either, two-out walk. Harris steals second with Anderson Hernandez up, but Hernandez flies to Moss in right to end the second.
Nate McLouth singles to start the third, moves to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout by Adam LaRoche. Martis throws a change that drops off the edge of the plate and gets Brandon Moss chasing for strike three. Martis throws a high fastball to Andy LaRoche, he destroys it for a two-run blast to left and a 5-0 Pirates’ lead. Ryan Zimmerman reaches over the rail and catches a pop fly from Jason Jaramillo, before it can get in the stands, three down...Wil Nieves rips a single to left and moves to second on Shairon Martis’ sac bunt to first. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second. Nick Johnson takes a fastball on the knee and walks it off on the way to first. Ryan Zimmerman grounds hard to short for the final out on a force at second.
Martis gets a fly ball to right from Jack Wilson. Martis gets a grounder from the pitcher for a quick out. Morgan grounds back to the mound, Martis stabs it and throws to first...Adam Du...SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!! Line drive to left center and GONE!! Solo shot to start the Nationals’ fourth. 5-1 Pirates. Josh Willingham flies out. Willie Harris almost gets one by Adam LaRoche, who dives and tosses to first where Karstens covers. Anderson Hernandez singles to center. Nieves drives a high fastball to right for Brandon Moss.
Anderson Hernandez sprints back into center and catches a fly ball from Freddy Sanchez. Nate McLouth flies into the right field corner, Dunn gets under it. Adam LaRoche grounds out to Anderson “Elvis” Hernandez at second, 5-1 Pirates in the fifth...Martis grounds weakly to third. Guzman rolls a grounder to first. Nick “Two-Spot” Johnson pops out behind third to end the fifth.
Two fly balls to center for Willie Harris and a line drive to Willingham as Shairon Martis gets Brandon Moss, Andy LaRoche and Jason Jaramillo in order in the sixth...Ryan Zimmerman pushes a pop-bunt toward third and beats the throw. Adam Dunn gets a free pass from Karstens to bring up the Hammer. Freddy Sanchez fields Willingham’s grounder two-steps to second and throws to first for the DP. Full-count fastball to Willie Harris and he drives it through second and into center to score Zimmerman from third, 5-2 Pirates. Willie Harris is running when Anderson Hernandez rips a line drive to right, and into the corner for an RBI triple!!! 5-3 Pittsburgh. Wil Nieves goes to a full count on what should be ball four, and responds by lifting a bloop single to center to score Elvis from third, 5-4 Pirates. Ronnie Belliard takes a big swing at a bender and comes up empty, strike three to end the sixth.
Ron Villone starts the seventh on the hill. Villone knocks a grounder down with his bare hand and throws to first. Pinch hitter Craig Monroe flies to short right, and Adam Dunn charges in to make the grab. Nyjer Morgan drops a bunt, Nick Johnson tosses to Anderson Hernandez covering and it’s a 1-2-3 seventh for Villone...Cristian Guzman takes a leadoff walk from Pirates’ reliever Evan Meek, (only his second BB this year, and the first was last night). Nick Johnson grounds into the Pirates’ double play machine, Sanchez to Wilson to LaRoche. Ryan Zimmerman walks with two down, and the Big Donkey’s going to get a shot. Dunn walks, two on for Willingham. The Hammer flies out to center.
Ron Villone throws a high full-count fastball that Freddy Sanchez chases. Pop up to short right and the Big Donkey charges in to catch out number two off Nate McLouth’s bat. Villone gets a grounder to first from Adam LaRoche to end the Pirates’ eighth...Sean Burnett takes over for Meek on the mound. Willie Harris takes fastball on the elbow and takes his base. Anderson Hernandez bunts Harris over to second. Wil Nieves grounds to first, Harris to third. Austin Kearns flies all the way to the warning track in right where it falls into Nyjer Morgan’s glove. 5-4 Pirates after eight.
“Dirty” Joe Beimel gets a fly ball out to left from Brandon Moss. Beimel walks Andy LaRoche with one down. Jason Jaramillo pops out to Guzman for out No.2. Jack Wilson takes strike three to end the Pirates’ ninth...Cristian Guzman flies to right on the first pitch. Nick Johnson is inches away from a game-tying HR, but he settles for triple off the wall in left center. Johnson on third. WP from Sean Burnett, WITH DUNN UP, JOHNSON SCORES FROM THIRD!! 5-5 ballgame!!!! Dunn works the count full, and swings over a curve to K. Willingham walks. Burnett out for Tom Gorzelanny vs Willie Harris, Lefty vs Lefty. Harris stares a two-strike curve all the way in...it’s Extras.
Beimel back in the tenth. Ramon Vazquez leads off with a single to right. Nyjer Morgan gets knocked down on his first bunt attempt, but bravely gets it down, Vazquez to second. Freddy Sanchez gets the intentionals. Nate McLouth flies out to center, Vazquez takes third. Adam LaRoche doubles over second, two runs score, 7-5 Pirates. Brandon Moss singles to center, 8-5 Pirates. Gorzelanny K’s trying...Anderson “Elvis” Hernandez flies out to McLouth in center. Wil Nieves K’s swinging after a high heater. Alex Cintron flies out to left. Pirates win, 8-5 final.
Nationals now 11-27.