• Tonight's Top 5:
5. BRUNEY!!!!! As I listened to Nats' right-hander Brian Bruney walk the first two batters in the eighth inning this afternoon in what was a 3-2 game when he took the mound, I remembered a conversation, or text exchange actually, that I had with a Yankee-fan friend back on Dec 7, 2009 after the Washington Nationals traded (effectively) the 1st pick of the 2009 Rule 5 Draft for the former D-Backs and Yankees' reliever, who'd finished four years in NY with a (12-3) record, a 3.25 ERA and 8.3 K/9 in 153 relief appearances and one start. "Brian Bruney anything to be excited about?" I asked the Yankees fan, "I like him a lot, trouble throwing strikes but good stuff," was the response. Bruney'd thrown 16.2 innings, giving up 19 hits, 18 walks and 15 runs, 12 of them earned, before he entered today's game and gave up 2 hits, 2 walks and 3 ER to the Rockies, turning a close 3-2 contest into a 6-2 loss, and according to reports on Twitter after the game, the Nats are starting to wonder what they should do with the 28-year-old righty...
4. Livan vs Ubaldo Rd. 2: Livan Hernandez went 8.0 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs in the first start this season opposite the Rockies' right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez on April 22nd in Nationals Park, but the 26-year-old Jimenez held the Nationals scoreless for 7.1 IP a start after he'd no-hit the Atlanta Braves on the road, and got the 2-0 win, his fourth straight to start the season. Today in Coors Field, the Nationals got up early on Jimenez with Nyjer Morgan singling to start the game and scoring from second two outs later when Ryan Zimmerman drove him in for a 1-0 lead. A Jason Giambi solo HR to start the Rockies' second tied it, but Livan worked out of two-out hits later that inning and in the third, then left a fastball out over the plate for Miguel Olivo, whose solo HR with one down in the fourth made it 2-1 Colorado until...the top of the sixth when Adam Dunn cracked his bat crushing a 2-2 change from Jimenez off the third deck in right for the first HR the starter's surrendered this year (It was Dunn's 8th, SHAKE N BAKE!). Livan takes the mound in the sixth and surrenders a leadoff double and two outs later an RBI single to put Colorado up for good...Enter Bruney and...(see no.1).
• Rockies win game one, 6-2 final.• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were FOX'd Out, But Listening...
• Top 3, Full Game Report After The JUMP....
3. Atilan-O vs CarGo...A DP grounder from Troy Tulowitzki helped Nats' rookie righty Luis Atilano escape a two-out walk and single in the first inning of the nightcap of the Nationals/Rockies doubleheader, and after a 1-2-3 second, a leadoff walk to Colorado catcher Paul Phillips, a two-run HR by Carlos Gonzalez and solo HR Seth Smith put the Rockies up 3-0 after three. Roger Bernadina's two-run double to the left-center gap in the fourth got the Nationals within one at 3-2, but Rockies' right-hander Jason Hammel stranded Bernadina and threw a 1-2-3 fifth...
2. GREEN LIGHT!!! Willie Harris singles to start the sixth, but a DP grounder by Ryan Zimmerman erased the leadoff runner. Adam Dunn vs Jason Hammel. Three balls, none of them close, and Dunn gets the green light on Hammel's 3-0 pitch. Launched to right, and over the wall, solo blast, 3-3 game! Dunn's second 3-0 HR this week.
1. Desmond Error On Dunn...Rockies' catcher Paul Phillips reaches on an infield single that Cristian Guzman throws to first a step late to get the backup backstop. Dexter Fowler appears to beat out a sac bunt, but is called out at first. Phillips takes second, and moves to third on a fly ball to center from Carlos Gonzalez to Nyjer Morgan. Two down. Seth Smith chops one over the mound, off Nats' lefty Sean Burnett's glove, to Ian Desmond, who bounces the throw to first, in and out of Adam Dunn's glove, Phillips scores. 4-3 Rockies.
• Miss Game Two? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
Nationals now 20-17.
• FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Nyjer Morgan goes to a 2-2 count with Rockies' right-hander Jason Hammel, and takes a 95mph fastball for a called strike three to start the nightcap. Willie Harris works the count full and flies out to left. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to left, and it's a 1-2-3 first for the Nats...Luis Atilano gets the first out on a fly ball to right from Carlos Gonzalez. A one-out walk to Seth Smith and a single by Brad Hawpe and it's first and third with one down. Troy Tulowitzki grounds the first pitch he sees to second, Cristian Guzman to Ian Desmond to Adam Dunn, double play.
2 - Adam Dunn grounds to first to start the second. Cristian Guzman flies out to center on an 0-1 fastball from Hammel. Roger Bernadina sneaks a dribbler into center over the second base bag. Ian Desmond line right to second, Clint Barmes makes the catch...Atilano gets two fly balls to center, one a sharp liner from Helton that Morgan charges in and snags and one from Ian Stewart that's an easy catch for the Nats' CFer, two down in the second. Clint Barmes grounds back to the mound, no score after two.
3 - Wil Nieves and Luis Atilano both ground out and Nyjer Morgan's swinging K ends a quick third...Atilano walks the backup catcher to start the Rockies' third, allowing the pitcher, Hammel to sac bunt the runner over. Atilano hangs a curve up for CarGo and Carlos Gonzalez destroys it, two-run blast to right, 2-0 Rockies. Seth Smith gets a 2-1 fastball that Atilano hangs up too, and it's back-to-back dingers and a 3-0 lead. After a visit from Steve McCatty, Atilano gets Hawpe swinging and gets a groundout from Tulowitzki to end the Rockies' third.
4 - Willie Harris flies out to center to start the fourth. Ryan Zimmerman hits a dribbler toward third that dies in the grass in front of Ian Stewart. Adam Dunn K's swinging over a 1-2 fastball outside. Cristian Guzman singles to center to move Zim to second. Roger Bernadina doubles to left-center to score two, Zim and Guzman cross, 3-2 Rockies. Ian Desmond's grounder ends the Nats' fourth...Atilano issues a one-out walk to Brad Hawpe. Ian Stewart flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center. Clint Barmes grounds to second, Guzman turns to throw, but it's stuck in his glove, so the Nats settle for the force at second. Colorado catcher Paul Phillips chases strike three outside, 3-2 Rockies after four.
5 - Wil Nieves is first-pitch swinging and he grounds out to second. Luis Atilano K's looking at a two-strike change from Jason Hammel. Two down. Nyjer Morgan grounds out to second to end the top of the fifth...Jason Hammel grounds out to third, Zimmerman makes the play. Carlos Gonzalez K's swinging, two down. Seth Smith takes a two-out walk in front of Brad Hawpe. Hawpe lines a single to right. Troy Tulowitzki flies to center, Morgan's got it. 3-2 Rockies after five.
6 - Willie Harris starts the sixth with a single, but Ryan Zimmerman erases it with a 5-4-3 DP. Two down. Adam Dunn's swinging 3-0 and he lifts a high fly ball to center and just over the wall, SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Solo HR to tie it at 3-3!! THE BIG DONKEY!!! Cristian Guzman K's chasing, but it gets by the catcher, and Guzman's safe at first. Roger Bernadina K's chasing a slider that hits near his feet. 3-3 in the sixth....Sean Burnett replaces Atilano and gets Todd Helton looking for the first out of the Rockies' sixth. Ian Stewart pops up to Adam Dunn at first, two down. Clint Barmes lines to short, Desmond's got it. 3-3 after six.
7 - Ian Desmond pops out to second to start the seventh. Wil Nieves follows with a grounder to the pitcher. Willy Taveras K's looking to end a quick seventh for Hammel...Paul Phillips grounds into the hole at second, and Cristian Guzman's throw is late. Infield single. Dexter Fowler's just out (not really) at first on a bunt, when Dunn's throw is wide and pulls Guzman off the bag. One out. Carlos Gonzalez flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center. Burnett vs Seth Smith, two down, man on third. Smith chops one over the mound, Burnett gets a glove on it, Desmond fields and fires to first, Dunn drops the one-hopper. Phillips scores, 4-3 Rockies. Smith takes second. Hawpe K's swinging at the high heater, 4-3 Rockies after seven.
8 - Nyjer Morgan grounds to second to start the Nats' eighth. Joe Beimel gets help from Carlos Gonzalez, who slides at the line after a long run and makes the grab on Willie Harris' fly ball. Two down. Matt Belisle comes on and gives up a two-out single to Ryan Zimmerman. Adam Dunn K's swinging to end the top of the inning, still 4-3 Rockies...Troy Tulowitzki grounds out to Zimmerman at third. Todd Heltom flies out to Willy Taveras in right. Ian Stewart singles to center off Tyler Walker to keep the Rockies' eighth alive. Stewart steals second, but Clint Barmes' grounder to third ends the eighth.
9 - Cristian Guzman's robbed of a single on a nice play at first by Todd Helton, who tosses to Manny Corpas covering. One down. Josh Willingham pops up over the mound, two down. Ian Desmond grounds to first to end the game. Rockies win 4-3 final.