• QUICK RECAP: With two HR's and a double in his first three at bats tonight, Ryan Zimmerman announced his return to the Nationals' lineup and helped put Washington up 5-0 early on the Marlins' right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who was out after 4.0 innings in which he threw 94 pitches, 59 for strikes and surrendered 8 hits, 2 HR and 5 ER while recording 7 K's... The Nationals as a team K'd 16 times, collected 13 hits and scored 7 runs total, with two more added late off Florida lefty Runyel Pinto in the ninth, when Adam Kennedy followed Nyjer Morgan's leadoff single with an RBI double and Pudge Rodriguez hit a two-out RBI single to finally bring Kennedy in and make it 7-1 Nats after eight and a half...(cont)...
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Final score, Nats 7, Fish 1.
• First time 3.0 games over .500 since September 28th, 2005 when the Nats were 81-78.
• Full Game Report After The JUMP...
Nats now 13-10.
• QUICK RECAP: (cont)...
• Zimmerman took a 91 mph full-count fastball Nolasco left up inside out to left for a two-out solo shot in the top of the first, and Adam Dunn followed with the first triple he's hit since May 10th, 2007 when he was still with the Cincinnati Reds, as Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) tweeted first during the game. Dunn bounces one off the wall and it rolls away from Cameron Maybin putting the Nats' first baseman on third for Josh Willingham who buzzes Nolasco's tower with a line drive single to center to make it 2-0 before the Marlins even bat. Adam Kennedy singled in front of Zimmerman to lead off the fourth, so Zim's second HR of the game off Nolasco was a two-run blast and Nyjer Morgan doubled in Ian Desmond (with an infield hit up the middle) with two down in the fourth to make it 5-0 Nats for Nats' left-hander Scott Olsen, who tossed 6.0 scoreless, walking 3 and giving up 5 hits without giving up a run, in spite of the fact that he let the leadoff runner on in four of his six innings of work and had runners on in 5 of the six innings he pitched on the way to his second-straight Pudge-caught win.
• The Marlins threaten just once, really, when left fielder Chris Coghlan, shortstop Hanley Ramirez and third baseman Jorge Cantu single in succession with two down in seventh and Nationals' right-hander Brian Bruney on the mound, scoring the Marlins' first run in the process and forcing Nats' skipper Jim Riggleman to turn to untouchable reliever Tyler Clippard, who walks the first batter he faces to load the bases for Fish backstop Ronny Paulino, who hits a low liner to center for...the third out, Nyjer Morgan with a brilliant diving catch that keeps it 5-1 DC instead of 5-4 with two down.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Nyjer Morgan stays alive, fouling off a few 1-2 pitches before Marlins' right-hander Ricky Nolasco gets a swinging K with a splitter in the dirt. One down. Adam Kennedy rips a low liner right into Fish first baseman Gaby Sanchez's glove. Nolasco leaves a full-count fastball up and inside to Ryan Zimmerm--THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZMI!!! Two-out solo HR to left, no doubt, 1-0 Nats. Adam Dunn rips a triple to center, and Cameron Maybin misses it as it bounces wildly off the wall. Josh Willingham lines a single back up the middle, Dunn scores, 2-0. Pudge Rodriguez singles to left with Hammer running, but he tries to take third on Chris Coghlan and gets nailed for the third out...Cameron Maybin lines out to short, Ian Desmond has it. Nats' lefty Scott Olsen issues a one-out walk to Chris Coghlan. Hanley Ramirez lines to right for Roger Bernadina. Two down. Olsen walks Jorge Cantu but gets a ground ball to third from Dan Uggla and Zimmerman throws to second for the inning-ending force.
2 - Roger Bernadina works a walk out of Nolasco to lead off the Nats' second. Ian Desmond K's looking with Bernadina running, and the ball bounces by second allowing Bernadina to take third. Scott Olsen K's, wholly unproductively. Nyjer Morgan pops out to end the top of the frame...Ronny Paulino singles to center to start the Marlins' second. Cody Ross flies to right for the first out. A one-out walk to Gaby Sanchez puts two on for the pitcher. Nolasco gets a bunt down the third base line and Ryan Zimmerman's saved by Adam Kennedy who makes the play on a wild throw to first. Second and third, two down, Cameron Maybin grounds to third, Zimmerman to first.
3 - Nyjer Morgan K's swinging to start the third, but Adam Kennedy follows with a one-out single to right off Nolasco. Ryan Zimmerman works the count full and goes to center with a long fly to right center and GONE! The KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Two-run HR, 4-0 Nats!! Adam Dunn hits a one-hopper to first. Josh Willingham swings way out ahead of a two-strike slider outside. Pudge takes a two-strike slider and K's looking to end the Nats' third...Chris Coghlan immediately singles to start the home-half of the third. Olsen gets fly balls to center for Nyjer Morgan from Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu, two down. Dan Uggla goes down on a called strike three when he tries to check his swing on a 1-2 change.
4 - Roger Bernadina K's chasing a cruel curve from Nolasco. Ian Desmond doubles to right and by Cody Ross with a skipper on the grass. Scott Olsen gets down 0-2 and takes a curve for strike three. Nyjer Morgan sends a high hopper up the middle that no one can get to, Hanley misses it, Desmond scores, Morgan takes second. 5-0 Nats...Ronny Paulino singles to start the Marlins' fourth. Cody Ross flies to left for the Hammer. One down. Gaby Sanchez flies to left. Two down. Brett Carroll hits for the pitcher, or K's more accurately.
5 - Ryan Zimmerman doubles to left and to the wall so he can take it easy getting out to second. Adam Dunn K's. Josh Willingham takes a 2-2 change for a called strike three. Pudge walks with two down, but Roger Bernadina K's to end the Nats' fifth...Cameron Maybin K's looking, Chris Coghlan down swinging and Scott Olsen gets the Marlins in order when Hanley Ramirez grounds out to short.
6 - Ian Desmond grounds out in front of the plate. Scott Olsen reaches on an infield single deep in the hole at short. Nyjer Morgan with a man on against Clay Hensley. Morgan K's swinging. Kennedy K's swinging. Hensley's nasty...Scott Olsen gives up a leadoff single to Jorge Cantu, and two outs later after Uggla and Paulino pop out, Cody Ross hits a two-out single to move Cantu to third, but the Marlins can't capitalize, Gaby Sanchez lines to short, 5-0 Nationals after six.
7 - Ryan Zimmerman flies to right, and Dunn and Willingham K swinging with Hensley completing his third scoreless...Brian Bruney gets a grounder to first from Mike Lamb, and a groundout to second from Cameron Maybin. Two down. Chris Coghlan drops a single in over center for a two-out hit. Hanley Ramirez moves Coghlan to third on a line drive single to center. Jorge Cantu rips one to third, off Zimmerman's glove, Desmond barehands and throws to first, too late, run scores, 5-1 Nats, Bruney's done. Tyler Clippard's on in relief. Clippard walks Dan Uggla to load the bases for Ronny Paulino. Full count, Paulino lines to center, Nyjer Morgan charges, dives and makes the catch, unbelieveable! NMIMH!!!
8 - Ivan Rodriguez walks to start the eighth. Roger Bernadina follows with another free pass. Ian Desmond grounds to second, but Hanley Ramirez drops it, so no DP, but he gets the force. FIrst and third for pinch hitter Willie Harris, Desmond runs, Paulino throws, Pudge breaks home and gets "nailed" at the plate, he was safe. Two down. Willie Harris grounds back to the mound...Clippard's back out, and he gets Cody Ross swinging. Gaby Sanchez down swinging! Two down. Pinch hitter Brian Barden takes a two-out walk and Clippard hits Cameron Maybin. Chris Coghlan K's chasing cheese up high and it's 5-1 Nats after eight.
9 - Renyel Pinto pitches the top of the ninth. Nyjer Morgan singles through second for a leadoff hit. Adam Kennedy lines to right, and Morgan scores easily from first, 6-1 Nats. Ryan Zimmerman walks in front of Adam Dunn, who K's swinging against Pinto. Alberto Gonzalez flies out to left. Pudge Rodriguez lines to right to score Kennedy, 7-1 Nats. Roger Bernadina K's to end the inning...Hanley Ramirez down swinging, then back-to-back one-out singles off Miguel Batista for Cantu and Uggla before Paulino flies to right for the second out. Cody Ross pops ot to center. Ballgame. Nats win, 7-1 final.