After scoring a runner from first in under ten minutes to win the continuation of May 5th's suspended game against the Astros, the Washington Nationals returned to form in dropping the first of four to be played in Houston's Minute Maid Park before each team takes a few days off for the All-Star break. Washington lefty John Lannan gave up 11 hits and 5 ER in 5.0 IP, and he lost the lead before he left, giving up a double, single and a triple to Ivan Rodriguez, Geoff Blum and Jeff Keppinger, respectively, before being lifted in favor of DC reliever Jason Bergmann who watched helplessly as two playable fly balls fell into left, over and in front of the Nationals' left fielder Adam Dunn, who failed to produce more with his bat than he cost the Nationals with his glove.
Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
BACKPAGE:
• Dunn's Long Night In Houston...
• Bard Going Beyond...
• Pen vs Pen...
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
DLBT: 2, 3rd Day, Not So Interesting...
Nationals now 25-59.
BACKPAGE: (under construction)...
• Dunn's Long Night In Houston...
The Astros' first run crossed in the bottom of the first on a line drive to left by Hunter Pence that let Lance Berkman score from second as the throw from Adam Dunn came in late and up the third base line, though the run Dunn had driven in a half inning earlier had the Nationals still ahead, 2-1 after the first inning of play. After a leadoff walk and a single in the Nationals' third, Adam Dunn hit an unproductive fly ball to right for the first out of the frame. Josh Bard came through for Washington, however, driving in two with a two-out single to make it 4-1 Nationals after two and a half. In the bottom of the inning, the Astros chipped away at DC's lead, with Lance Berkman scoring on an RBI groundout, again by Pence, to make it 4-2 after three.
The Nationals' 4-2 lead held up until the sixth. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, who doubled over Dunn's head and then moved to third on Geoff Blum's single, scored when Jeff Keppinger's triple to center landed just out of the reach of a diving Nyjer Morgan, two runs score, and it's tied at 4-4. DC lefty John Lannan's out, Jason Bergmann in. Bergmann gets the first out of the frame with three nasty sliders to Jason Michaels, who has no chance, but a 2-1 fastball to Michael Bourn in the next AB scores the go-ahead run when Adam Dunn loses it or bluffs, but either way lets it fall, for an RBI triple and a 5-4 lead. Miguel Tejada lifts an 0-1 slider to left and it falls in front of a hesitant Dunn, 6-4 Houston, and it only gets worse. Lance Berkman hits a three run blast in the eighth, and the Astros rally from 4-1 for a 9-4 win, and the Nationals' fourth consecutive loss.
Adam Dunn grounds out in his final AB in the seventh, and finishes the game 1 for 4 with an RBI, 1 K and 2 stranded.
• Bard Going Beyond...
Josh Bard's been playing for several days now with what Washington Post writer Chico Harlan described as a "sore right groin" in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "He's Not Fast, But He's Not On The DL". That injured groin would have meant a sure double play in the completion of the May 5th game that was played tonight, if Miguel Tejada hadn't thrown over first with Bard not even halfway up the line on a grounder that was tailor-made to end the eleventh after over two months with the game stalled at one out in the bottom of the frame. Bard then proceeded to catch the entirety of tonight's second game, going 1 for 3 with a walk, 3 RBI's, and a caught stealing, when he nailed Hunter Pence as he tried to take second with two down in the bottom of the fifth.
• Pen vs Pen...
John Lannan left the game after five innings pitched in which he allowed 4 ER's. Jason Bergmann came on in relief and got one out in the sixth before surrendering two hits and two runs, one earned and the other Lannan's 5th. The newest addition to the DC bullpen, Sean Burnett threw 1.2 scoreless, striking out two while recording the last two outs of the sixth and a 1-2-3 seventh. Then, with the score 6-4, Nationals' closer Mike MacDougal came on in the eighth and allowed a one-out single, a two-out HBP on Miguel Tejada, and a three-run blast to Lance Berkman, which put it officially out of reach at 9-4, though it had effectively ended when the Astros scored four in the sixth...
Houston starter Russ Ortiz was out after 3.0 IP, having given up 6 hits and 4 ER. Over the final six innings, Jeff Fulchino, Alberto Arias, Tim Byrdak, Chris Sampson and Jose Valverde combined to hold DC scoreless, limiting the Nationals to 3 walks and 2 hits while striking out 6...
GAME REPORT...
The Conclusion of May 5th’s Suspended Game vs The Astros...
...Josh Willingham starts the restart of the May 5th Nationals/Astros game with a one-out line drive single to left off of LaTroy Hawkins, two months and three days after the game against the Houston Astros started. Nyjer Morgan, who took over for Elijah Dukes, who had walked with one down in May, moves to second on Willingham’s hit. Josh Bard, replacing Jesus Flores, steps to the plate with runners on first and second. Bard grounds to second, Jeff Keppinger does a shuffle pass to second, Miguel Tejada throws to first for the double pla...the throw soars over Lance Berkman’s head, Morgan scores from second, THE NATIONALS WIN!!! THE NATIONALS WIN!!!
Washington Nationals now 8-17.
Game 84
Nyjer Morgan’s starting this game at the plate, and he grounds back to the mound where Russ Ortiz fields and throws. Nick Johnson hits a trademark single to left, NJ™, then takes second on a WP with Ryan Zimmerman at bat, and third on a throwing error from Ivan Rodriguez. Ryan Zimmerman singles to center to score Johnson, 1-0 Nationals. Adam Dunn goes the other way with a long fly ball to left center, Michael Bourn backs up to the wall and ducks behind a corner near the fence, and has it bounce off the wall, a double for Dunn and an RBI when Zimmerman crosses. 2-0 DC. Josh Willingham lines out to Carlos Lee in left. Cristian Guzman K’s looking to end the top of the first....John Lannan fields a chopper back to the mound off Michael Bourn’s bat. Josh Willingham slides into foul territory as he snags a fly from Miguel Tejada. John Lannan drops the toss from Nick Johnson on a weak grounder from Lance Berkman. Under John Lannan’s glove and by a diving Anderson Hernandez, Carlos Lee has a two-out single. Hunter Pence steps in against Lannan. Bloop single to left, Berkman rounds third, the throw in from Dunn’s up the third base line and late, Berkman scores, 2-1 DC. Lannan throws a two-strike change by Pudge Rodriguez.
Josh Bard walks, which is good since he can’t run. Anderson Hernandez grounds back to the mound, Russ Ortiz to Miguel Tejada to Lance Berkman, double play. John Lannan doubles to left and off the stands, no throw, Lannan comes in standing. Nyjer Morgan grounds to second, Jeff Keppinger throws to first...Cristian Guzman charges in fields and fires to first to get Geoff Blum. Jeff Keppinger reaches on an excuse-me single that Lannan can’t get to and Zimmerman pockets. Russ Ortiz grounds into a force at second, but beats out the DP throw. John Lannan gets Michael Bourn swinging to end the second. 2-1 DC.
Nick Johnson walks to leadoff the third, using his Discerning Eye™. Ryan Zimmerman rips a 3-1 pitch back up the middle to put two on for Dunn. Adam Dunn flies out to left. Josh Willingham gets hit on the hand to load the bases. Cristian Guzman pops out to short left. Josh Bard, lifts a low liner to center, Johnson scores, Zimmerman scores, Bard’s hung up between first and second, and tagged out at first to end the inning, 4-1 DC...John Lannan saves himself by catching a line drive off Miguel Tejada’s bat and back to the mound. Lannan walks Lance Berkman. Carlos Lee doubles into the corner in right, Berkman takes third. Hunter Pence grounds out to first, Nick Johnson steps on first as Berkman scores. 4-2 DC. Anderson Hernandez dives at the edge of the grass and makes the play on Pudge.
Anderson Hernandez gets a bunt by the new pitcher, Jeff Fulchino. John Lannan bunts Hernandez over to second. Nyjer Morgan flies out to Carlos Lee in left. Nick Johnson K’s swinging got end the DC fourth...Geoff Blum doubles by a diving Nyjer Morgan in left center. Jeff Keppinger sends a high-hopper to third, Ryan Zimmerman stabs it up high and throws to first as he falls toward third, in time!! Nyjer Morgan makes a routine catch on pinch hitter Matt Kata’s fly ball to center. Michael Bourn hits a sharp grounder to short, Cristian Guzman makes a sliding play to save a run, but he loses the ball out his glove, everyone safe. Lance Berkman grounds to short, Guzman to Hernandez to end the fourth.
Alberto Arias gives up a long fly ball to Ryan Zimmerman, but Michael Bourn catches it in front of Tal’s Hill. Adam Dunn battles but K’s swinging over a two-strike curve. Josh Willingham doubles to left and into the corner. Man on with two down. Cristian Guzman’s grounder ends the Nationals’ fifth...Nick Johnson fights off a grounder and runs to first before Berkman can get down the line. Carlos Lee grounds out to Elvis at second. Hunter Pence singles, but gets nailed going for second, Bard throws him out and heads in to hit...
Josh Bard grounds out to start the DC sixth. Anderson Hernandez walks and takes second on Lannan’s sac bunt. Nyjer Morgan K’s swinging over a two-strike 82 mph slider...Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez doubles over Adam Dunn’s head in left and moves to third on an infield single by Geoff Blum. Jeff Keppinger triples in a run with a line drive to the right center gap, 4-4 after Pudge and Blum score. Lannan’s out. Jason Bergmann comes on and K’s Jason Michaels on 3 straight!! Michael Bourn sends a fly ball to left, Dunn "loses" it, and it falls in front of the scoreboard, one run scores, 5-4 Astros. Miguel Tejada drops a single in front of Dunn, 6-4 Houston. Bergmann out. Sean Burnett on to face Berkman. Burnett drops a two-strike slider across the zone to get the Puma swinging. El Caballo grounds out to second. 6-4 after six.
Tim Byrdak gets a fly ball to center from Nick Johnson with a fastball low and outside. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to Tejada deep in the hole at short, but Tejada’s still got a gun. Adam Dunn grounds out to first...Hunter Pence rolls the first out to Nick Johnson. Pudge grounds out to Guzman. Blum K’s looking.
Josh Willingham K’s looking at Chris Sampson’s two-seam fastball. Cristian Guzman pops out behind short. Josh Bard grounds out to short to end the Nationals’ eighth...Mike MacDougal gets a groundout from Jeff Keppinger. Kaz Matsui grounds to short and Alberto Gonzalez blows it. Michael Bourn grounds into a force at second. Miguel Tejada gets hit by MacDougal. Lance Berkman launches a three-run HR to left and just into the Crawford Box seats, 9-4 Astros. Carlos Lee singles to left. MacDougal walks Pence, but Pudge lines to right to end the eighth.
Jose Valverde strikes out Anderson Hernandez to start the ninth. Alberto Gonzalez works a one-out walk. Nyjer Morgan swings over a two-strike sinker. Nick Johnson singles to center. Ryan Zimmerman grounds into a force at second to end it. Nationals 1-1 today.
Astros win, 9-4 final.