Clippard Saves All...
Tyler Clippard's 4.0 inning, 7 K relief appearance in the Washington Nationals' 13-1 win over the Padres last Tuesday impressed anyone who watched it, and earned him his first win of the season, but in two outings since then, DC's 24-year-old reliever had allowed two HR's and 3 ER in 3.1 IP, blowing the save and taking a loss on the road in Milwaukee and serving up the second of Andrew McCutchen's three HR's Saturday night. The Pirates were up 3-0 on the Nationals early tonight, and threatening to take three of four in Pittsburgh's PNC Park when they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, chasing DC starter Garrett Mock in favor of the right-handed Clippard who got a ground ball back to the mound from Delwyn Young, threw home to start a double play that ended at first, and then popped up Andy LaRoche to end the fifth and the threat without a run crossing the plate...
3-0 Pirates after five. Anderson Hernandez singles to start the sixth, moves to second on a groundout, and scores when Cristian Guzman singles to right to get DC on the board. Ryan Zimmerman steps in for a 1-1 pitch from Pirates' right-hander Charlie Morton and gets a fastball shoulder high and way inside, HBP to put two on for the Donkey, Adam Du---SHAKE N BAKE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Adam Dunn goes deep to the opposite field? HECK YEAH!!! Adam Dunn takes Morton's 88 mph fastball waist high and outside and places it in the corner in left, just inside the foul pole and GONE! for a 3-run HR, his 27th of the season, and a 4-3 DC lead...which is quickly 8-3 when Washington mounts a two-out rally in the sixth, scoring four more on Cristian Guzman's RBI triple, Ryan Zimmer-- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Ryan Zimmerman's two-run blast over the left field wall, and Elijah Dukes' two-out RBI single...
Nationals win, 8-4 final.
• Doghouse - "Game 106: It's the sandwiches"
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Check Out The SB Nation's Pittsburgh Pirates Blog: Bucs Dugout GameThread.
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• E: 96-98
For The Completists, Full Game Report After The Jump...
Nationals now 34-72. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...28.)
BACKPAGE:
• E: 96-98 -
I'm sorry for doing it when the Nationals mount an inspiring comeback win, but when a team commits three errors in a game it has to be addressed, and when they're errors 96-98 on the season for DC, even more so...
• E: 96 - Already 1-0 DC after right-hander Garrett Mock surrenders a leadoff HR in the first. Mock walks Garrett Jones. Bucs' backstop Ryan Doumit singles to right and Elijah Dukes comes up throwing, but it's short and it skips by Zimmerman at third, bouncing off the dugout fence and allowing Doumit to take second while Jones is safe at third. Outcome: Steve Pearce gets jammed by Mock and lines to short center, Garrett Jones scores, Doumit takes third and scores on a groundout.
• E: 97 - Bottom of the second, one out. Pirates' pitcher Charlie Morton grounds first, Adam Dunn reaches down to field it and has it go right through his legs. Outcome: Morton stranded on third, no damage.
• E: 98 - Garrett Jones grounds into the shift, so Zimmerman's at short, and he fires to first, Ronnie Belliard reaches and has the ball go right under his glove. Outcome: Garrett Jones doubled up on a line drive out from Ryan Doumit.
GAME REPORT:
Washington Nationals At Pittsburgh Pirates. Game 106 Of 162.
Former Braves’ right-hander Charlie Morton goes to a full count against Nyjer Morgan, but gets a groundout to second for the first out of the evening. Cristian Guzman works a one-out walk in front of Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman fouls off a few 0-2 pitches, works the count to 2-2 and K’s swinging on what must have been a hit and run, Guzman’s nailed at second to end the top of the first...Andrew McCutchen goes deep again, taking a sinking fastball inside from DC righty Garrett Mock to left and just inside the foul pole. 1-0 Pirates. Lastings Milledge grounds out to short. Garrett Jones walks on four straight from Mock. Ryan Doumit lines sharply to right, so Dukes tries to throw out Jones at third, but fires it by the bag giving Doumit second. E: 96. Mock jams Steve Pearce, but Pearce’s fly ball falls in center for an RBI single. 2-0 Pirates. Delwyn Young grounds into a force at second as Ryan Doumit scores from third. 3-0 Pirates. Andy LaRoche grounds into a force at second to end the first.
Adam Dunn strikes out in the leadoff spot in the second. Pirates’ right fielder Garrett Jones slides to try to field Josh Willingham’s line drive, but misses and has it roll to the wall as the Hammer arrives at second. Elijah Dukes up when a wild pitch from Charlie Morton gets by Ryan Doumit. Dukes takes a full-count curve for ball four. Josh Bard hits a single to cent--uh, Ronny Cedeno gets there, diving and using his glove to scoop it to second, Delwyn Young to first, double play...Ronny Cedeno pops out to second. Bucs’ pitcher Charlie Morton chops one through Adam Dunn’s legs for the Nationals’ 97th error of ‘09 and a runner on first. Morton takes second on a passed ball, and Mock walks Andrew McCutchen. Mock throws a high two-strike heater through Lastings Milledge’s bat. Garret Jones loads the bases with a single through second, but Ryan Doumit grounds out to first to end the threat.
Alberto Gonzalez flies to right to start the top of the third. Ronny Cedeno’s on the first base side of second when he throws out Garrett Mock. Andrew McCutchen charges in to catch the third out off Nyjer Morgan’s bat...Ryan Zimmerman makes a sweeping pass with his glove to snag a one-hop liner off Steve Pearce’s bat. Delwyn Young doesn’t get enough of it, flying out to Dukes in deep right. Crisitan Guzman can’t get to a sharp single up the middle from Andy LaRoche. Cristian Guzman steps on second for the force on a grounder from Ronny Cedeno.
Cristian Guzman gives Ronny Cedeno some fielding practice. Cedeno whips a one-hopper over to first to get Ryan Zimmerman by a step. Adam Dunn lines a two-out single over second. Willingham gets jammed and grounds out to short to end the DC fourth...Charlie Morton’s domination of DC extends to the plate, as he singles. Andrew McCutchen lines out to short, Guzman makes the catch and fakes a throw to first, Morton’s back. Lastings Milledge grounds to short, Zimmerman backhands, spins and throws to Alberto Gonzalez at second, to Dunn at first, double play.
Dukes grounds out to Cedeno at short. Steve Pearce stabs Josh Bard’s grounder with his backhand. Alberto Gonzalez does the same as Bard, groundout to first, five scoreless for Morton...Garrett Mock walks Garrett Jones to start the Pirates’ fifth. Ryan Doumit gets a grounder under Adam Dunn’s glove at first. Steve Pearce takes a fastball on the outside edge Mock thinks is a strike but it’s called ball four and the bases are loaded. Mock out. Tyler Clippard in to face Delwyn Young with the bases loaded. Young rips one right back at Clippard and Clippard throws home, Bard to Dunn at first, double play. Tyler Clippard pops up Andy LaRoche and escapes the bases loaded, 0 out jam.
Anderson Hernandez strokes a leadoff single through second. Delwyn Young makes an option toss to first to get Nyjer Morgan on a weak grounder. Hernandez to second. Cristian Guzman gets around on a jammer and rips it through second to score Anderson Hernandez and makes it 3-1 Pirates. Charlie Morton hits Ryan Zimmerman in the shoulder with a fastball, that looked like it hurt. Adam Dun--SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! 3-run HR to the left field corner, 4-3 DC!!! Andy LaRoche dives to rob Josh Willingham of extra bases. Elijah Dukes sends a line drive screaming into right. Josh Bard grounds out to third to end the DC sixth...Tyler Clippard pounds the inside corner and gets a called strike three on Ronnie Cedeno. Jeff Salazar flies out to Dukes in right center. Andrew McCutchen grounds out to Anderson Hernandez at second to end the sixth.
Tyler Clippard and Anderson Hernandez both K swinging with Pirates’ right-hander Jeff Karstens on the mound. Nyjer Morgan lines a single over second with two down. Cristian Guzman pulls one into the right field corner, Garrett Jones takes a while getting there, Morgan scores, Guzman in safely at third, 5-3 DC. Ryan Zimmer--THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! 2-run HR, 7-3 DC!! Adam Dunn splits the gap in right center with a two-out double. Willingham walks. Elijah Dukes rips an RBI line drive to right to chase Karstens. 8-3 DC. Steven Jackson, Pirates’ right-hander is on in relief. Wild pitch behind Josh Bard moves runners to second and third. Bard flies out to right to end the inning...Lastings Milledge up with Tyler Clippard back on the mound. Milledge K’s swinging ahead of a two-strike change. Ronnie Belliard misses a throw from Zim at short in the shift for the Nationals’ 98th error of ‘09 on a grounder from Garrett Jones, who takes second. Ryan Doumit lines to second, Alberto Gonzalez catches and tosses to Guzman who doubles up Jones.
Austin Kearns looks bad striking out swinging over a curve to start the eighth. Anderson "Elvis" Hernandez grounds through short for a single. Nyjer Morgan gives Lastings Milledge some practice tracking flies. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second to end the top of the eighth...Jorge Sosa’s on the mound. Not even Zimmerman can get to Steve Pearce’s hot shot by third. Double for Pearce. Delwyn Young K’s swinging over a two-strike sinker that hits the dirt. Andy LaRoche moves Pearce to third with a single through short. Ronny Cedeno grounds back to the mound for the second out. Sean Burnett takes over for Sosa. Brandon Moss at the plate, and he goes down chasing, 8-3 DC after eight.
Don Veal vs Zimmerman in the ninth. Leadoff walk. Ronnie Belliard flies out to right. Josh Willingham takes a one-out walk. Veal breaks a two-strike slider in on Dukes to get him swinging. Josh Bard goes down chasing...Logan Kensing vs Andrew McCutchen in the ninth. McCutchen rips a single back up the middle. Lastings Milledge grounds to first, Belliard takes the force at second. Garrett Jones grounds into the shift, Zimmerman’s DP throw back to first is late. Ryan Doumit reaches down and lines an RBI double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right. 8-4 on Doumit’s RBI hit. Steve Pearce works a walk out of Kensing, and MIke MacDougal has to come in. Delwyn Young grounds out to second to end it. Nationals win, 8-4 final.
Nationals now 34-72.