Next Game
Washington Nationals
@ Los Angeles Dodgers
Thursday, May 7, 2009, 10:10 PM EDT
Dodger Stadium
Jordan Zimmermann vs Randy Wolf
Clear. Game time temperature around 80.
?'s For The DC Faithful...
• Have You Ever Wondered If Anyone Has Seen "The List" And How It May Have Impacted Last Winter's Player Movements?
• The Nationals Can't Lose 11-Straight In Dodger Stadium Can They?
• THE KIDS CALL IT THE STREAK? Will It Continue?
• Nothing Better Than A Zimmermann Start Right Now Is There?
LINKS:
Complete Coverage >
THE BIG STORY OUT OF LOS ANGELES...
Jordan Zimmermann debuts in Dodger Stadium. The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers are only playing two this time, then it's on to Arizona for DC...But before they end their abbreviated stay in LA, their 23-year-old, 95 mph fastballer gets a chance to challenge the Dodgers' roster...with one notable exception...
Zimmermann attempts to recover from his first major league loss. The St. Louis Cardinals sent three out of Nationals Park and the Cards put up 5 runs on 8 hits during Zimmermann's 5.2 IP last Friday. Zimmermann's K'd 14 total in 3 starts, and walked just three in his first 17 innings pitching above Double-A ball.
The Nationals' rookie right hander told Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, as quoted in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Cards 6 Nats 2: A Few Post-Game Notes", that after the first of three home runs he gave up last Friday, on a long fly ball to left off the bat of Albert Pujols, "I just went back to the mound and went after the next guy", with, Mr. Harlan notes, a "a 96 mph fastball, (for) a called strike." In the start before that, Zimmermann beat the NY Mets in front of 40,000 strong in Citi Field. There's no shaking Zim(n)
The native of Auburndale, Wisconsin was the Nationals' 4th pick in the first two rounds of the 2007 draft, selected after pitchers Ross Detwiler and Josh Smoker and outfielder Michael Burgess, and Zimmermann's the second '07 pick to make his Major League debut, behind Detwiler, who made his in September 2007, and pitched 5.0 scoreless for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators last night. Smoker's on the mend after surgery this winter to remove a bone spur in his shoulder. Michael Burgess just hit his 4th double and 6th HR last night in a 5-3 Potomac Nationals' win. Jordan Zimmermann makes his debut in Dodger Stadium at 10:10 pm EST.
Zimmermann vs Wolf.
Zimmermann's fourth major league start pits him against the LA Dodgers' 11-year veteran Randy Wolf, a 2nd Round pick by the Phillies way back in 1997, who makes the 248th start of his career, and the 20th against the Expos/Nationals, against whom he's (9-4) with a 4.58 ERA in 116.0 IP. Wolf's just (1-1) in 6 starts this season, receiving no decision in his last four. The Dodgers are 3-3 in Wolf's '09 outings. Last time out against the Padres, in a 2-1 Dodgers' win, Wolf allowed just 1 run on a HR and 2 hits overall in 5.0 IP.
The Nationals vs Wolf...
Ronnie Belliard - 1 for 20 (What?), .050 (ouch!).
Adam Dunn - 8 for 29, .276 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI's, 2 BB, 10 K's.
Cristian Guzman - 2 for 8, .250 AVG, 2 2B.
Nick Johnson - 0 for 8, .000 AVG, 6 K's.
Austin Kearns - 2 for 13, .154 AVG, 1 RBI.
Josh Willingham - 3 for 6, .500 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI's.
Ryan Zimmerman - 2 for 6, .33 AVG.
DC Starting Lineup...
- The Guzzzzzzz - SS
- Nick "Two-Spot" Johnson - 1B
- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! - 3B
- The Big Walkay - RF
- Elijah "Super" Dukes - CF
- The HAMMER - RF
- WWJD? - C
- Elvis - 2B
- The Kid They Call Zim(n)!! - SP
24 games and counting. Ryan Zimmerman's hit streak continued last night. So did the Dodgers' 13-game home win streak to start the season, which, of course set a modern day record. The modern day record for consecutive games with a hit is too far away to even talk about now, but Zimmerman's chance at #25 is only about 30 minutes away...
Who's Watching The Nationals?