You have to go back 75 games, to September 16, 2008 to find the last Washington Nationals' shutout win, which was a 1-0 decision over the New York Mets in Nationals Park. But tonight it was the Bronx, NY, in a rain-soaked Yankee Stadium, and it was the Nationals beating New York's Yankees 3-0 after a five and a half hour rain delay, to take the final two of the three interleague games between NY and DC, and win their first series since May 8-10 of '09 when Washington took two of three from the D-Backs on the road in Arizona. The "lowly Nationals" as they've been referred to all week in the New York papers, get back to back doubles from Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn in the first, 1-0, a bases loaded walk from Joba Chamberlain in the fourth, 2-0, and two more doubles and a run in the fifth, this time by Cristian Guzman and Ryan Zimmerman, respectively, and DC righty Craig Stammen makes the 3-0 lead hold up with 6.1 scoreless innings on the mound in which he allows just 6 hits, walks no one and strikes out 2 Yankees on the way to his first major league win.
Stammen's Line:
Nationals win, 3-0 final.
Did You Know?
"Yankee Stadium sees first homerless game" | MLB.com: News - Bryan Hoch
"The fans who braved a 5 1/2-hour rain delay at Yankee Stadium witnessed history. For the first time in the ballpark's 35-game life, no player homered as the Nats beat the Yanks, 3-0."
HEADLINES: Coverage Continues After The Jump...
• Stammen's First Win!!!
• TAWH!! (The Amazing Willie Harris)
• The DC Bullpen, Rizzo Style...
For The Completists, Partial Game Report And A Federal Baseball.com Announcement, I Need The Help Of The Faithful, After The Jump...
Nationals now 18-46.
HEADLINES:
Stammen's First Win...
It took six tries for Craig Stammen to claim his first win. The Nationals' 25-year-old right-hander threw 82 pitches, 53 for strikes, got 9 ground outs, 7 flyouts and 2 K's from the 24 Yankees' batters he faced, and Stammen allows just 6 hits over 6.1 IP, in which he receives the support of several outstanding defensive plays, from Willie Harris, Austin Kearns, Cristian Guzman, and even Corey Patterson, who provides a calming influence in what has been an unstable outfield all season long. The Nationals might have won all three in NY if Elijah Dukes hadn't misplayed two line drives in the first game, the only loss of the three, and if he'd been in right, or if Patterson had been in center, we could've been talking sweep, and the Yankees would have been the ones talking about replacing their skipper...
Is There Any Way The Nationals Can Fire Acta Now?
TAWH!! (The Amazing Willie Harris)
He does it all the time, but sometimes he outdoes himself. Top of the seventh, 3-0 DC, the NY3B battles Stammen for nine pitches and lines a full count fastball to left, Willie Harris starts sprinting back, following over his shoulders, and he twists and turns and dives to make a spectacular catch on the track, robbing the NY3B of extra bases late in a tight game with NY. Robinson Cano follows with a double, Nick Swisher singles and Stammen is pulled for Ron Villone, who throws a high fastball by Hideki Matsui for a swinging K with runners on second and third, and one walk later, Villone hands the ball to Julian Tavarez, who gets a groundout out of the Captain, Derek Jeter, to second for Guzman who makes a diving play and tosses to Hernandez on the bag for the force, preserving the Nationals 3-0 lead...
But what if Willie Harris hadn't made the catch for the first out?
The DC Bullpen, Rizzo Style...
Ron Villone, Julian Tavarez, Joe Beimel and Mike MacDougal. Nobody wanted them, "Acting" DC GM Mike Rizzo signed them all after taking over the GM's duties several weeks into camp. No they haven't been perfect, and yes they're a rag tag bunch, but they're Rizzo's boys, and somewhere in Nationals Park he's pointing to his head...
Washington Nationals At New York Yankees. Game 63 or 64 of 162.
Cristian Guzman steps in against Joba Chamberlain, takes two balls and singles on a 2-0 pitch that sneaks under a sprawling Mark Teixeira. Nick Johnson grounds sharply to first, Tex knocks it down throws to second, back to Joba covering, double play. Ryan Zimmemran rips a high fastball off the left field wall for a two-out double. Adam Dunn takes a 2-2 slider off the outside edge and drives it to right for an RBI double, Zim scores, 1-0 DC. Austin Kearns takes a fastball he’d swear was outside, and he K’s looking to end the top of the first...Craig Stammen gives up a leadoff single to Brett Gardner in the Yankees’ first. Anderson Hernandez takes a knee, fields, spins and throws to first to get Johnny Damon. Gardner to second. Mark Teixeira pops out. Alex Rodriguez chases a two-strike slider into the mud at home.
Corey Patterson pops up a bunt attempt that the Yanks’ backstop Francisco Cervelli dives to catch near the Nationals dugout. Willie Harris grounds out to Robinson Cano at second, and Wil Nieves bunts back to the pitcher for the final out of the frame...Robinson Cano hits a line drive to second, Anderson Hernandez makes a diving stab. Hideki Matsui grounds weakly to second, Stammen’s through two!!
Anderson Hernandez grounds back to Joba. Cristian Guzman hits a slow roller to the third base side of the mound and beats the NY3B’s throw to first. Guzman caught stealing, Nick Johnson swings over a 1-2 slider for the final out of the Nationals’ third...Stammen gets a fly ball to right from Francisco Cervelli for the first out of the Yanks’ third. Ramiro Pena grounds to Stammen, who throws to first. Brett Gardner grounds out to Nick Johnson, who takes it himself.
Ryan Zimmerman singles through second on a slider outside and up in the zone. Adam Dunn walks to put two on for Austin Kearns. Kearns grounds to first, and Teixeira takes the force at second, but the throw back is late. Corey Patterson K’s swinging through two-strike fastball. Willie Harris walks to load the bases and Wil Nieves walks to force in a run. 2-0 DC. 2-2 slider inside and Anderson Hernandez K’s swinging to strand three...Johnny Damon slices a one-hopper to Guzman at short. Stammen tries a change on the outside corner in a 1-1 count and gives up a line drive single to right to Mark Teixeira.The NY3B flies out to center. Robinson Cano rips one to third, Zimmerman has it, and he tosses to second for the force.
Quick Recap For A Reason...
• Cristian Guzman starst the fifth with a double, moves to third on Nick Johnson's ground out and scores on Ryan Zimmerman's second double of the night.
• Stammen gives up a line drive to right, Nick Swisher tries for second and gets nailed on a throw by Austin Kearns, whose arm has kept him around long before his bat gave out.
• Stammen retires the Yankees in order in the sixth. And comes back out for the seventh...(Cue: Willie Harris's great catch referenced above.)
• Reason For Missing These Innings Located After Game Report...
...Second and third for DC lefty Ron Villone, Hideki Matsui up with one down two on in the seventh. Villone gets Matsui swinging at a 2-2 heater high and inside. Jorge Posada hits for Cervelli, or walks I should say, as Villone pitches around him. Instead of Ramiro Pena, it’s Derek Jeter who steps out of the dugout, on a wobbly ankle in slight drizzle. DC Manager Manny Acta acts up, brings on Julian Tavarez. Jeter grounds to short, Guzman dives to get it, and throws to second for the force! 3-0 Nationals after seven.
Phil Coke is on the mound for the Yankees in the eighth. Adam Dunn shatters his bat on a short fly to center that no one can get to. Austin Kearns flies to deep center, back, back and Brett Gardner hits the wall hip first and smacks his head as he grabs it. Corey Patterson vs Coke. Patterson doesn’t recognize sliders. Thrillie Harris has his back pocket pulled out, but he can’t catch Coke’s slider either...Joe Beimel vs Melky Cabrera in the eighth. Beimel walks him. And now it’s Lefty vs Lefty against Johnny Damon, who works the count, staying alive a 1-2, but eventually lining a 2-2 fastball to left center for the first out. Mark Teixeira pops out to the infield for out No. 2. The NY3B pops out to right and Austin Kearns gets in under it for the final out of the eighth.
WIl Nieves starts the ninth against Yankees’ righty David Robertson. Nieves K’s chasing a fastball that cuts outside at the last second. Anderson Hernandez grounds to second, and Cano drops it before he can toss to second, and he settles for the out at first. Guzman grounds out to second and Nieves moves up to third. Nick "Two-Spot" Johnson gets an intentional walk after he gets up 3-0. Ryan Zimmerman K’s looking at an 0-2 curve inside...MIke MacDougal’s fastball’s got life, Cano rips one to short and in spite of a diving play, Guzman’s throw is late. Nick Swisher fouls off a 3-1 sinker and the count’s full. Ground ball to short, Guzman to Hernandez to Johnson, DOUBLE PLAY!!! Fly ball to left and Willie Harris is on it...tracking it down and making the catch to end DC’s second straight win over NY!!! Nationals win, 3-0 final.
(ed. note - "If you read this far or at least here cause you looked for it, here's the reason I missed out on the middle innings tonight...and I'll have more on this over the weekend and on Monday...I'll be appearing on Nats Weekly with Greg DePalma on Monday afternoon at 4:45 pm EST, and if all goes well I'll and hopefully you'll all become regulars on the weekly broad-and-pod-cast... If you listen to the link I'll include, you'll see Mr. DePalma's a fan of Federal Baseball, and hopefully, you'll all give a call on Monday with questions or comments to help me spread some of the good news...I'll post the call-in # and any other info I have on Monday...DC Faithful? We're taking it to the airwaves...")
Nationals now 17-46.