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5. DIY: Adam Dunn doubles to start the Nats' second. Cristian Guzman singles up the middle. Willie Harris takes a base-loading walk. Mets' right-hander Mike Pelfrey attacks Roger Bernadina with splitters and heaters and gets a swinging K from the Nats' right fielder. Wil Nieves, today's catcher, with Pudge sitting (day after night), K's swinging when he tips strike three in Rod Barajas' glove. Pelfrey just has to get the opposing pitcher...Craig Stammen singles!! Under David Wright's glove and into left, Dunn and Guzman score, Stammen helps himself, 2-0 Nats...Stammen then goes to the mound and issues a leadoff walk, gives up a single, and one out later a base-loading intentional walk before Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey singles in a run and Angel Paga hits a sac fly that ties it at 2-2...
4. Rare, Like Guzman Walking Rare: Before play began today, Nats' outfielder Roger Bernadina had stepped to the plate 126 times in 41 games played since the 26-year-old Willemstad, Curacao-born Bernadina made his major league debut on June 29, 2008 and in all those games and trips to the plate, he'd never hit one out of the yard, he'd hit 2 for Triple-A Syracuse already this year, and as many as 12 in a season back in 2004 with the Class-A Savannah Sand Gnats, but today, he hit two, one a solo shot off Mike Pelfrey to give Washington a 3-2 lead in the fourth and the other a two-run blast in the top of the ninth that set the nation's capital's favorite closer Matt Capps up to close out the win for the 14th time in 14 opportunities.
3. Stammen Scores More: Wil Nieves followed Roger Bernadina's first HR with a double off Pelfrey to set Craig Stammen up with another RBI opportunity which the hard-hitting pitcher cashes it in, singling to center to score the catcher from second and, momentariliy at least, put the Nats' up 4-2 over New York. The Mets tie it back up in the bottom of the fifth, when Stammen gives up three-straight hits, a one-out double by Angel Pagan, an RBI single by Alex Cora and a run-scoring two-bagger by Jose Reyes that ties it at 4-4...Stammen's Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K's, 100 strikes, 51 K's, 5 groundouts, 8 flyouts.
2. A+B=Clippard/Capps: Lefty Sean Burnett, generally regarded to be part of the A-team in the DC Bullpen, worked a scoreless sixth after Stammen's 5.0 IP. Tyler Walker, aura-adjusted after his wise decision to ditch the old Kearnsian #25, is slowly working his way from B+ to mid-relief A-status, and he throws a scoreless seventh today. Then it's our man Tyler Clippard (starting his own inning, wink) who gets two groundouts, (one of which reaches on an error by Zim), a pop-out to the infield and a fly ball out to right that ends his own scoreles frame after just 15 pitches...
1. BERNADINA AGAIN!!! The Flying Bernadina!! The Mets tie it at 4-4 in the fifth inning and Craig Stammen gives up two two-out walks to load the bases for Jeff Francoeur who flies to right for a run-scor--no! Roger Bernadina robs Frenchy on what should be a two-run double, at least, diving toward the track to make a brilliant catch and end the home-half of the fiftth with the score tied....Roger "The Revelation" Bernadina!! Cristian Guzman singles with one out in the ninth and Bernadina's up after Ian Desmond's flyout against Mets' closer Francisco Rodriguez, and BERNADINA drives a belt-high fastball from K-Rod to right for a two-run blast and a 6-4 Nats' win after Capps closes it out...
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• Final Score: Nats 6, Mets 4. Nationals take 2 of 3 in NY.
Nationals now 19-15.