Why not just look at this and enjoy it for a moment, DC Faithful...
BACKPAGE: (After The Jump)...
• Nationals Win...BIG. Go Back To Back To Back!!!
• Stammen Follows The Leader.
• I'm Officially Done With Jim Bowden...
• Sunday's All-Star Futures Game Featuring Danny Espinosa...
Nationals win, 13-2 final.
Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals now 26-60.
BACKPAGE: (Under Construction...)
• Nationals Win...BIG. Go Back To Back To Back!!!
The Washington Nationals stopped a five-game losing streak with a 21-hit, 13-run explosion on the Houston Astros, knocking left-hander Mike Hampton out after just 3.2 IP in which he gave up 9 hits and 5 ER. The Nationals hit 3 home runs in the sixth off Astros' reliever Felipe Paulino, three home runs in a row that is, back to back to back, Nick Johnson to right just over Hunter Pence's glove, The Hammer Josh Willingham out in a hurry to left and Adam Du...SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Adam Dunn goes into the Crawford Boxes he's been aiming at all series. (ed. note - "Opposite field from Dunn, Eckstein, you genius!") The Nationals put 6 hits and 4 ER up on Paulino, and 5 hits, 4 ER and 1 HR on Houston righty Jeff Fulchino in the seventh as they pile it on in case it never comes back. Nationals win, The Nationals win.
• Stammen Follows The Leader.
Craig Stammen's first complete game comes on the road against the Astros as the Nationals' 25-year-old rookie right-hander holds Houston to 9 hits, 1 walk and 2 ER in 9.0 IP, over which he throws 107 pitches, 69 for strikes and gets 17 groundouts, (1 double play), 8 flyouts and two K's. The one walk Stammen did allow, of course, scored. Michael Bourn started the first with a free pass, took second, moved to third on a sac fly and scored on an RBI groundout to cut into the Nationals' early lead. In the third it was Bourn again, who reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored on a two-out double by Miguel Tejada. After letting runners on in the middle innings and getting out of trouble, Stammen retires the Astros in order in the seventh and eighth and gives up a two-out single in the ninth before ending Washington's 4th complete game of the season, joining Ross Detwiler, Shairon Martis and John "Ace" Lannan as the only Nationals' starters to go the distance in the first 86 games of '09. Your turn, Zimmermann!!!
• I'm Officially Done With Jim Bowden...
It's not just that he keeps on sending the same ad/tweet out over and over again. It's all about what Former Washington Nationals' Manager Frank Robinson had to say about the way he was treated by the former DC GM and the rest of the Nationals' brass during his last season at the helm of the nation's capital's favorite ballclub. Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise talked to the now-79-year-old Hall of Famer recently, and he writes about the conversations in an article entitled, "Robinson Deserved Better", in which Mr. Wise quotes Mr. Robinson stating that he felt "strung along" by, "Bowden, the team's former general manager; Kasten, the team president; and by association the Lerner family...until the very end of his second season in Washington." You really just have to read it for yourself...Make things right with Mr. Robinson, Nationals. The sooner the better.
• Sunday's All-Star Futures Game Featuring Danny Espinosa...
Sunday afternoon, the Washington Nationals get underway at 2:00 pm EST in Houston, while in St. Louis, the Washington Nationals' 2008 3rd Round pick, shortstop Danny Espinosa will be representing the Potomac Nationals and the DC franchise in the 2009 MLB XM All-Star Futures Game. Through 80 games with the P-Nats, Espinosa's hitting .259 with 21 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR's, 41 RBI's, 15 SB, a .365 OBP, .438 SLG and an .803 OPS. The 22-year-old switch hitter was named the "Best Defensive Infielder" in the Nationals' system in Baseball America's Aaron Fitt's preseason rankings of Washington's Top 10 Prospects.
Further Reading:
• Potomac Nationals: News: Espinosa Selected to All-Star Futures Game -- Anthony Masterson
"All season long, Danny Espinosa has brought stability to manager Trent Jewett's lineup...."
Follow Along: John Sickels of the SBN's Minor League Ball will be Live-Blogging The Game!!!
GAME REPORT:
Washington Nationals At Houston Astros. Game 86 Of 162.
Nyjer Morgan ramps a grounder off the mound and into center for a leadoff single off Astros’ starter Mike Hampton. Cristian Guzman gets an infield single when Miguel Tejada can only knock down a grounder to short. Nick Johnson grounds to second, Kaz Matsui to Tejada to Lance Berkman at first, double play. Josh Willingham lines to center and it drops in for a double, Morgan scores from third, 1-0 DC. Adam Dunn lines a single to center, Josh Willingham rounds third and beats Michael Bourn’s throw home, 2-0 DC. Josh Bard hits the third straight double off Hampton, Adam Dunn scores from first, or, doesn’t....Dunn missed second, the Astros appeal and he’s called out...2-0 DC after one...DC righty Craig Stammen starts the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk to Michael Bourn, who promptly steals second and moves to third on a fly ball to right from Miguel Tejada. Lance Berkman grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez at second, Bourn scores. 2-1 DC. Nyjer Morgan takes a few steps back and catches El Caballo’s fly ball to center. 2-1 DC after one.
Ronnie Belliard sends Michael Bourn sprinting back to center to catch the first out of the second. Alberto Gonalez pulls a fastball by Geoff Blum at third and into the left field corner for a double. Craig Stammen flies out to right. Nyjer Morgan’s ground ball to first ends DC’s second...Craig Stammen drops a 1-2 pitch under Geoff Blums bat. Hunter Pence grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez at second. Kaz Matsui’s shattered bat doesn’t send the ball far.
Cristian Guzman flies out to right, Hunter Pence makes the grab. Geoff Blum throws out Nick Johnson on a high hopper to third. Josh Willingham walks with two down to bring up Dunn. 89 mph fastball low and inside and Dunn K’s to end the Nationals’ third...Astros’ catcher Humberto Quintero hits a dribbler to third that Ronnie Belliard can’t come up with. Stammen drops a cruel two-strike curve on Mike Hampton. Michael Bourn grounds into a force at second. Miguel Tejada tears into a fastball down the middle and doubles off the wall in center to score Bourn and tie it at 2-2. Lance Berkman beats out a great throw from Alberto Gonzalez for a two-out single. Tejada takes third. El Caballo flies out to left to end the third.
Josh Bard fouls off a two-strike curve, and is initially called out though it’s reversed. Really? Bard singles to center given the second chance. Ronnie Belliard singles through short. Alberto Gonzalez beats Geoff Blum to third with a hard hit single that scores Bard, 3-2 DC. Stammen gets down a sac bunt, and Nyjer Morgan flies to center, Belliard scores, Gonzalez takes third, 4-2 Nationals. The Guzzzz, Cristian Guzman singles in another run, 5-2 DC. Felipe Paulino replaces Hampton with Nick Johnson due up. Johnson hits a trademark single to center, NJ™. Josh Willingham K's looking to end the frame...Geoff Blum starts the Astros’ fourth with a single to center. Hunter Pence grounds to Belliard to Alberto Gonzalez to Johnson at first, double play. Kaz Matsui gets a low liner by a diving Gonzalez at second. Humberto Quintero grounds out to third to end the fourth.
Adam Dunn walks to start the fifth. Josh Bard walks. Ronnie Belliard gets a grounder under Tejada at short. Alberto Gonzalez hits an RBI single into left, Dunn trots home, 6-2 Nationals. Felipe Paulino gets Craig Stammen looking. Nyjer Morgan grounds to second, Matsui shuffles to Tejada to Berkman, double play...Alberto Gonzalez fields a grounder off Stammen’s ankle and throws the opposing pitcher out. Michael Bourn singles on a line drive to left. Bourn steals second on a pitch in the dirt to Tejada and takes third on Tejada’s swinging bunt. Lance Berkman grounds to first, Johnson tosses to Stammen, in time. 6-2 DC after five.
Cristian Guzman swings over a two-strike slider that drops out of the air. Nick Johnson takes one deep to right, Hunter Pence leaps at the wall and fails to come up with it, HR to right, 7-2 DC. Make it 8-2, the Hammer leaves the park in a hurry!! Solo shot for Willingham, 8-2 DC. Adam Du...SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Three straight HR’s off Felipe Paulino, into the Crawford boxes for Dunn and it’s 9-2 Nationals. Josh Bard flies out to deep right. Ronnie Belliard flies to right to end DC’s sixth...Carlos Lee grounds out to Guzman at short. Geoff Blum singles to center with one down in the Astros’ sixth. Nick Johnson catches a foul pop off of Hunter Pence’s bat. Kaz Matsui gets a two-out single through the infield, just by a lunging Guzman. Humberto Quintero lines to third, Belliard takes the force at second, 9-2 after six.
Jeff Fulchino’s pitching again in the seventh. Alberto Gonzalez doubles to center to start the frame. Craig Stammen goes the other way with a line drive RBI double. 10-2 Nationals. Nyjer Morgan K’s swinging. Cristian Guzman flies out to left. Nick Johnson hits a trademark single by first, Stammen scores, 11-2 Nationals. Josh Willingham hits a line drive into the big windows in center and into the concession stands!! Two-run blast, 13-2 DC!!! Adam Dunn doubles just inside the line in right, and he touches the bag this time. Josh Bard grounds out to first to end the D seventh...Craig Stammen gets a ground ball to short from Chris Coste for the first out. Michael Bourn grounds to first, Nick Johnson handles it. Miguel Tejada flies to Morgan in center to end the seventh.
Tim Byrdak starts the eighth. Ronnie Belliard gets rung up looking at a fastball inside. Alberto Gonzalez flies out to right. Stammen flies out to right...Stammen vs Berkman to start the eighth. Berkman flies out to Willingham in right. Ronnie Belliard backhands a high hopper from El Caballo and throws him out by two steps. Guzman fields Geoff Blum’s grounder behind second and throws to first to end the eighth.
Austin Kearns lines to El Caballo in left. Anderson Hernandez triples to right center and does a DY wave to the dugout from third. Nick Johnson K’s swinging. Josh Willingham K’s swinging, 13-2 DC...Stammen’s out for the complete game. Hunter Pence grounds out to second. Kaz Matsui lines out to first. Jeff Keppinger hits a two-out single up the middle. Chris Coste grounds to third, Belliard takes the force at second, and the Nationals win. 13-2 final.
Nationals now 26-50.