The worst part was the inevitability of it. I'd wager there wasn't one Washington Nationals fan out there who watched as the Nationals took a 3-2 lead over the New York Yankees on Anderson Hernandez's 3-run HR to left in the fifth last night in Yankee Stadium, and thought to themself, "That should do it." No. Everyone was just waiting to see how it would happen this time, and two innings later, DC lefty Ron Villone, who almost had us convinced he was perfect, proved human, surrendering three hits, a single and two RBI doubles that tied and then overtook the Nationals in what would eventually be a 5-3 Yankees' victory.
Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
HEADLINES:
• E: 61.
• Maybe Play Dukes In Right? Oh Kearns...
• C.C. vs Martis.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals now 16-46.
HEADLINES:E: 61 - Ryan Zimmerman made several exceptional defensive plays tonight, and one spectacular play in the eighth, (see picture above) in which he got to a grounder behind the mound from Nick Swisher and made a diving throw as he soared through the air to beat Swisher to first. But the one error Ryan Zimmerman made resulted in a run crossing the plate in the second when Zimmerman threw away one of the more routine grounders hit to him tonight. Nick Johnson tried to pick it at first but the one-hop got by him, and Johnny Damon, who took second on the error and third on a Mark Teixeira groundout, would score on Robinson Cano's RBI single, to make it 2-0 NY in the third.
Maybe Dukes In Right? Oh, Kearns...
Anderson Hernandez's 3-run HR to left off of C.C Sabathia in the fifth, just made it out to put the Nationals up 3-2. The DC lead held until the seventh when Ron Villone gave up a leadoff single to Johnny Damon and an RBI double to Mark Teixeira, who almost hit out, but settled for a double when Nationals' center fielder Elijah Dukes came up empty at the wall. Villone got the Yankees' third baseman swinging for the first out of the inning, but then gave up another line drive to Robinson Canoe, right at and over Elijah Dukes' head to score Teixeira for a two-run lead before Cano was thrown out at third.
C.C. vs Martis...
Yankees' lefty C.C. Sabathia allowed 3 runs on one hit and just 5 other over the 7.2 innings he was on the mound. Sabathia walked 1, K'd 2 and threw 109 pitches, 75 for strikes, and when he left the game in the eighth, the NY bullpen took over, with Brian Bruney and Mariano Rivera holding and saving Sabathia's 6th win of the season. Sabathia, (W, 6-4, 3.67 ERA). Nationals' right-hander Shairon Martis surrendered 2 runs, 1 earned, on 4 hits, and he allowed 5 walks while recording only 1 K. Martis threw 106 pitches...53 or strikes...and he left the game with the lead, though Villone blew it as soon as Martis was done. Villone allows 3 hits and 2 ER in 1.0 IP. Mike MacDougal starts the bottom of the eighth, and gives up 2 walks and an RBI single before he's lifted.
GAME REPORT...
Washington Nationals At New York Yankees. Game 62 or 63 of 162.
Cristian Guzman pops up the first pitch he sees from C.C. Sabathia, Robinson Cano’s catches it on the outfield grass. NIck Johnson flies out to Johnny Damon in left for out No. 2. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to Cano and it’s Shairon Martis’ turn...Derek Jeter pops up the first pitch he sees from Shairon Martis. Johnny Damon steps in with the midnight blue socks pulled high and then pinstripes from the knees up to the midnight blue cap. Damon flies out to Austin Kearns in right field. Mark Teixeira gets a good call on a 2-2 fastball inside and walks on the full-count pitch. The Yankees’ Third Baseman grounds out to his counterpart at third, Zimmerman throws to Johnson to end the first.
Elijak Dukes K’s chasing a 1-2 sinker out of the zone. Adam Dunn puts some "English" on a wicked dribbler toward third that dies in the grass. Austin Kearns rolls a 2-2 pitch out to short that even late-era Derek Jeter can turn into two...Robinson Cano lifts the first pitch of the Yankees’ second over short for a leadoff single. Jorge Posada singles over second and under a diving Alberto Gonzalez. Hideki Matsui gets a first pitch change when he’s looking fastball. Martis walks Nick Swisher to set up the DP. Melky Cabrera flies out to left and Dunn’s throw would never get anyone, 1-0 NY. Derek Jeter grounds to second, Anderson Hernandez fields and throws to first.
Alberto Gonzalez lifts the first out to Nick Swisher in right field. C.C. Sabathia gets a foul pop down the right field line from Wil Nieves for another quick out. Anderson Hernandez doubles into the visitor’s bullpen in left center. Cristian Guzman grounds out to Derek Jeter at short and it’s three scoreless for C.C...Ryan Zimmerman bounces a throw to first on an easy grounder from Johnny Damon, who safe at second on the Nationals' 61st error. Mark Teixeira grounds out to first, Damon takes third as Nick Johnson steps on the bag. Martis is a little too careful with the Yankees’ Third Baseman, who walks. Robinson Cano rips a grounder that jumps up and off Nick Johnson’s chest and in to right, Damon scores, 2-0 Yankees. Jorge Posada pops a high 3-1 fastball out to Dunn in left. Hideki Matsui chases a full-count change that would’ve walked’em loaded.
The NY 3B lunges over to take a single away from Nick Johnson, stabbing it, jumping up and throwing him out. Ryan Zimmerman singles to center, too short for Melky Cabrera to get to it. Ryan Zimmerman slides in hard at second, forcing Derek Jeter to hold onto Elijah Dukes’ DP grounder. Adam Dunn grounds out to first, Mark Teixeira steps on first...Nick Swisher steps in against Shairon Martis, and grounds a 3-1 pitch to first. Adam Dunn gets under a fly ball from Melky Cabrera. Two-out walk to Derek Jeter. Martis has a McChatty with the Nationals’ pitching coach. Ryan Zimmerman backpedals down the third base line, calls everyone off and closes his glove on Johnny Damon’s pop-up to end the fourth.
Austin Kearns flies out to center on the second pitch he sees. Alberto Gonzalez sends a screamer over Jeter’s glove at short, one-out single. WIl Nieves singles through second to put two on for Anderson Hernandez, who takes a slider inside out, to left aaaaand GONE!!! 3-run HR, 3-2 DC!!! Cristian Guzman grounds out to first. An 80 mph 2-2 slider across the zone gets Nick Johnson swinging...Mark Teixeira has his bat snapped by Martis, who gets a fly ball to center for the first out of the NY fifth. The Yankees’ Third Baseman grounds out to Zimmerman at third. Robinson Cano lines past Martis and into center for a single. 3-0 pitch to Jorge Posada, ball four, walks to put two on for Hideki Matsui. Matsui grounds out to second, Hernandez to first. 3-2 DC after five!!!!
Mark Teixeira makes his way over to the first base dugout and catches a foul pop off Zimmerman’s bat. Elijah Dukes pushes a fly ball to short, Melky Cabrera dives in to make a shoestring grab. Adam Dunn grounds out to first to end the DC sixth...Ryan Zimmerman leans into the camera welll to catch Nick Swisher’s pop fly. Melky Cabrera grounds to third, Zimmerman charges it and throws sidearm to first for Nick Johnson. Derek Jeter grounds to Zimmerman, 3-2 DC after six.
Nick Swisher sprints over to rob Austin Kearns of extra bases, making an awkward catch in right center. Alberto Gonzalez flies out to Nick Swisher in short right. Wil Nieves sends the third straight out to Swisher...Ron Villone gives up a leadoff single to Johnny Damon in the NY seventh. Mark Teixeira gets a fastball up high and he bounces it off the wall in center, Dukes tracks it but misses as he hits the wall, Damon beats the throw home, 3-3 ballgame. The Yankees’ Third Baseman gets a two-strike fastball inside, and he K’s swinging. Robinson Cano lines to center and over Elijah Dukes’ head, Teixeira scores, 4-3 NY. Jorge Posada grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez at short to end the seventh.
Anderson Hernandez grounds out to Ramiro Pena (at short in place of Jeter). Robinson Cano throws across his body from second, Teixeira scoops up the bounced throw to get Cristian Guzman. Nick Johnson’s got a Discerning Eye, and he uses it to draw a two-out walk. C.C. Sabathia’s done. Ryan Zimmerman vs Brian Bruney. Zimmerman grounds out to second, Cano’s throw to first ends the DC eighth...Mike MacDougal walks the leadoff batter of the home half, Hideki Matsui. Brett Gardner on to run, and he does, stealing second. Nick Swisher grounds weakly toward third, Zimmerman fields and throws as he dives over the grass, Gardner to third. Melky Cabrera walks with one out. Ramiro Pena takes a fastball outside over short for an RBI single, 5-3 Yankees. Joe Beimel replaces MacDougal to face Johnny Damon. Nick Johnson throws to second for the force on Damon’s grounder to first. First and third, two down for Teixeira. Teixeira pops out behind first, Anderson Hernandez has it...
Mariano Rivera vs Elijah Dukes. 10 pitches in, Elijah Dukes grounds to Cano behind second, who throws across his body to get the first out. After a called strike and a cut fastball inside for a ball, Adam Dunn takes two-straight cutters on the edge and one, Dunn would argue, outside and he's called out looking for the second out. Austin Kearns grounds up the middle, but Ramiro Pena's there, Pena fields spins and throws to first, in time to end it.
Yankees win, 5-3 final.
Nationals now 16-46.