HEADLINE:
Nationals Lose, Win Streak Ends At Four...
I guess a fan of a 32-68 team shouldn't expect to win every night...but I thought they'd do it, or at least I hoped the Washington Nationals would beat the Milwaukee Brewers for what would have been their fifth straight win on Wednesday. It would have been the longest win streak of what seems destined to be another hundred-loss season, and the reward for last year's suffering is still unsigned, and no one is quite sure who, if anyone, will be traded, and there's just two days til the deadline, when we'll finally know...
The Nationals were up 4-0 early tonight, with Nick Johnson singling in a run in the first, and the Brewers' starter Manny Parra giving up an RBI single to the suddenly-hot Cristian Guzman before two bases loaded walks threatened to end his night in the second. Milwaukee cut the DC lead in half in the third, when Washington right-hander Garrett Mock gave up an RBI triple to Ryan Braun, who hit a hanging slider off Nyjer Morgan's glove and off the wall in center and scored on a wild pitch through Josh Bard's wickets in the next AB, and the Brewers scored another run in the fourth when Mike Cameron made Bernie Brewer take a ride down the slide, homering to deep center field and high off the oversized gas pump to make it 4-3 DC.
After Cristian Guzman doubles and The Face of The Franchise©, Ryan Zimmerman singles to score Guzman and put Washington up 5-3 in the sixth, Garrett Mock surrenders a leadoff double to Corey Hart and a follow-up single to Mike Cameron and has to watch as Tyler Clippard gets two outs on a bases-loaded run scoring double play, and then serves up a full-count change to pinch hitter Casey McGehee that ends up in the left field bullpen for a two-run blast and 6-5 Brewers' lead after six. Milwaukee adds one more run in the eighth and the Nationals go down for the 39th time.
Brewers win, 7-5 final.
Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
Check Out The SB Nation's Brewers Blog...Brew Crew Ball's GameThread.
In Case Your Missed Them...Federal Baseball.com Trade Deadline Roundtables:
• Trade The Hammer, Josh Willingham? Trade Adam Dunn?
• Joe Beimel, Willie Harris, Mike Rizzo And Stephen Strasburg.
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...
Nationals now 32-69.
GAME REPORT:
Washington Nationals At Milwaukee Brewers. Game 101 Of 162.
Nyjer Morgan grounds out Felipe Lopez to start tonight’s game. Milwaukee lefty Manny Parra throws a two-strike fastball by DC shortstop Cristian Guzman. Josh Willingham goes the other way with a weak fly ball to short right for a two-out single. Ryan Zimmerman walks in front of Nick Johnson, and Johnson lines a trademark single to center to score Willingham and make it 1-0 DC. NJ™. Ronnie Belliard pops out behind short and it’s 1-0 DC after a half...Nyjer Morgan sprints to deep center to catch a long fly off Felipe Lopez’s bat. Craig Counsell has the Brewers’ first hit as he lines to left. Cristian Guzman fields and throws to second to Ronnie Belliard for a force on Ryan Braun’s grounder. Prince Fielder rips a sinker on the outside edge under a diving Guzman at short for a two-out single. Austin Kearns waits for a high pop from Corey Hart that ends the first.
Austin Kearns gets blown away by a two-strike fastball from Parra. Josh Bard walks in front of the pitcher. Garrett Mock bun...no he’s swinging and he singles to right on a line drive. Nyjer Morgan shoots a low liner through short to load the bases for the Guz. Cristian Guzman singles through short to score Bard, 2-0 DC. Josh Willingham K’s swinging through a fastball. Ryan Zimmerman takes a bases loaded walk and forces in the third run. 3-0 DC. Nick Johnson uses his Discerning Eye™ to walk in another run. 4-0 Nationals. Ronnie Belliard pops out on the second pitch he sees. 4-0 DC...Mike Cameron takes a leadoff walk from Mock. Nyjer Morgan takes a fly ball to right center from J.J. Hardy out of Austin Kearns’ glove as he cuts Kearns off. Brewers’ backstop Mike Rivera pops out to his counterpart behind the plate. Manny Parra pops out to Kearns in right to end the second.
Austin Kearns takes a leadoff walk. Josh Bard flies to Corey Hart in right. Garrett Mock K’s trying to bunt a 2-2 pitch from Parra. Nyjer Morgan flies out to left to end DC’s third...Ronnie Belliard fields Felipe Lopez’s grounder behind second and throws across his body to get the first out of the frame. Craig Counsell singles over second for his second hit. Ryan Braun drives one to deep center, Morgan’s at the wall, but he misses and it hits the wall. The Umps say HR, but it’s not. Replay time. No HR. Braun to third, Counsell scores. 4-1 DC. Prince Fielder up when Mock throws a sinking fastball right through Bard, Braun trots home, 4-2 DC. Fielder K’s swinging through a full-count fastball. Mock pops Corey Hart up to end the third.
Cristian Guzman grounds the first pitch to short. Josh Willingham’s first-pitch-swinging and he flies out to left. Ryan Zimmerman singles up the middle to keep the inning alive for Nick Johnson. Parra gets Johnson swinging to end the Nationals’ fourth...Mike Cameron makes Bernie Brewer take a ride down the slide, homering to deep center and high off the oversized gas pump, 4-3 DC. J.J. Hardy grounds over the first base bag and then off the stands that stick out into foul territory in right. Hardy takes second. MIlwaukee catcher Mike Rivera twists himself in a circle striking out swinging. Manny Parra K’s chasing. Felipe Lopez grounds one up the middle, but Guzman gets there and throws to first in time.
Ronnie Belliard pops out to the infield. J.J. Hardy throws from the lip of the left field grass to get Austin Kearns at first. Ryan Braun misreads a line drive to left from Josh Bard, who’s rewarded with a triple. Garrett Mock reaches out for a two-strike change that drops away to end the frame...Craig Counsell tries to pull one out of the park, but only gets to the track in right where Kearns catches it. Ryan Braun K’s staring a two-strike fastball all the way in. Mock gets a fly ball to right to end the fifth.
Prince Fielder, uh, fields a bunt from Nyjer Morgan and makes the tags halfway to first. Josh Willingham grounds weakly to short. Ryan Zimmerman lines a single up the middle on high fastball from Parra. Guzman scores from second, 5-3 DC. Parra throws an 0-2 fastball right by Nick Johnson...Corey Hart rips a double over third, Zimmerman has no chance. Mike Cameron moves Hart to third with a single to left. Mock’s done. J.J. Hardy grounds to third, Zimmerman to Belliard to Dunn, double play. Hart scores, 5-4 DC. Mike Rivera takes a two-out walk and pinch hitter Casey McGehee gets a full-count change and takes it for a ride, deep to left and GONE! Two-run blast, 6-5 Brewers. Felipe Lopez grounds out to end the frame.
Ronnie Belliard gets sawed off by Todd Coffey for the first out of the seventh. Craig Counsell backhands a hard hit grounder from Kearns, and throws to first in time. Josh Bard flies out to center and ends the DC seventh...Counsell vs Clippard in the bottom of the inning. Clippard paints the inside corner with an 89mph two-strike fastball. Ryan Braun takes a one-out walk from a wild Clippard. Sean Burnett vs Prince Fielder. Lefty vs Lefty. Burnett catches Braun off first and he’s tagged out at second. Fielder goes down looking at a fastball from Burnett.
Willie Harris gets a pinch hit chance in the eighth, and he flies out to left. Nyjer Morgan drops a bunt down the third base line and beats the throw to first. Wild pitch from Coffey gets behind the catcher and hits the ump’s leg, Morgan goes first to third as Mike Rivera retrieves it. Guzman grounds out to first. Josh Willingham grounds out to third to end the threat...Corey Hart singles to left off Logan Kensing. Hart steals second. Mike Cameron singles Hart over to third. J.J. Hardy grounds weakly to third, Zim charges and throws to first, Hart breaks for home and beats Nick Johnson’s throw from first, 7-5 Brewers. Mike Rivera lines out to Belliard at second. Kensing out. Bill Hall vs Joe Beimel. WIld pitch moves Cameron to third. Hall swings 3-0 and grounds out to end the eighth.
The Brewers bring on Trevor Hoffman to end it. Ryan Zimmerman K’s chasing a two-strike slider outside. Nick Johnson takes a 3-1 fastball for a full count. Hoffman gives up a single to center, a trademark single, NJ™. Ronnie Belliard pops out unproductively. Adam Dunn is going to hit. Dunn vs Hoffman. Dunn goes down on 3 pitches. Brewers win, 7-5 final.
Nationals now 32-69.