Today's Top 5:
5. STOREN WARNING!!! DREW STOREN CALLED UP!!! FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) had the Nats twitterers retweeting like mad when he announced during the early innings of the series finale with the Rockies in Coors Field that the Nationals had called up their second '09 1st Round pick, pitcher Drew Storen, from Triple-A Syracuse to join the team in St. Louis tonight when they fly out of Colorado. Some time after Storen threw two-thirds of an inning this afternoon for the Triple-AAA Chiefs, retiring two batters with four pitches, word leaked out via Mr. Rosenthal that after 37.0 IP in '09 and 16.2 this season, Storen, who's allowed just 12 hits, 3 walks and 2 ER while striking out 15 batters and earning 4 saves in 13 appearances with the Double-AA Senators and Triple-AAA Chiefs. Nats' reliever Brian Bruney was designated for assignment to make room for Storen, and Bruney's future with the team is up in the air...
4. Morgan K's 5 Times In Final Two Games...Nats' leadoff man Nyjer Morgan, infielder Ian Desmond, and right fielder today, Cristian Guzman, combine to score the first run of the game off Rockies' lefty Jeff Francis, with Morgan singling, Desmond doubling and Guzman scoring Morgan from third on a sac fly to center. 1-0 Nats. Morgan K's swinging with a runner on second and two down in his next AB, K's to lead off the fifth chasing a slider from Francis, and fouls strike three into Miguel Olivo's mitt for the second out the seventh, failing to advance Alberto Gonzalez from first. Morgan ends the game 1 for 4 with a run scored, 3 K's and 3 LOB after going 0 for 4 with 2 K's yesterday. In the first two games in Coors Field, the Nats' 29-year-old center fielder was 4 for 7...and Morgan's got just 2 stolen bases in 6 attempts over the last 14 games...the defense, however, just fine, thanks.
3. More Bunting Failure!!! Scott Olsen's left in to put the sac bunt down with Alberto Gonzalez on first after grounding into a force following Mike Morse's leadoff single. 1-1 game, and Olsen K's after fouling off a two-strike attempt, for yet more bunting FAILure from the Nats' pitchers. Olsen has no excuse, he learned the game in the Marlins' system. Unless it's contagious? DOCTOR???? Can Storen bunt? Nyjer Morgan K's, Gonzalez still on first. Ian Desmond pops out to first on a 1-0 change from Jeff Francis.
2. Clippard's Usual Reaction Delayed: Scott Olsen's has another good outing working with Pudge, but his day is over after 6.2 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 106 pitches, 67 strikes, 10 groundouts, 6 flyouts and 3 K's. The Nats' Skipper brings Tyler Clippard on with two-out in the seventh in direct opposition to the advice he's received from the internet, and the Nats' right-hander pops Clint Barmes up to strand two runners in a 1-1 tie. So much for the internet's opinion...Clippard's brought back out for the eighth and he walks the leadoff batter, Seth Smith, gives up a single to Carlos Gonzalez, and a sac bunt and sac fly follow to score the leadoff walk for the winning run. Rockies win, 3-2 final.
1. Nats Drop Three-Straight For 1st Time In 2010: With the loss on Sunday, the Washington Nationals drop three of four on the road in Coors Field after taking two of three from NY in Citi Field. Two more against St. Louis, where Drew Storen should make his MLB debut and then it's back to DC for five before a nine-game trip to San Francisco, San Diego and Houston...at which point...well, that's the first date on most people's list for the Nats' other '09 1st Round pick to possibly make his debut...
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
Nationals now 20-18.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Nyjer Morgan singles through short to start the fourth of four for the Nats in Coors Field. Ian Desmond follows with double to left on the first pitch he sees from Rockies' lefty Jeff Francis, so a Cristian Guzman sac fly to center scores Morgan from third and it's 1-0 Nats with one out. Ryan Zimmerman K's chasing a fastball high and outside. Two down. Josh Willingham takes a two-out walk from Francis to bring Ivan Rodriguez up, but Pudge lines to center to end the Nats' first...Carlos Gonzalez goes back up the middle with a leadoff single to center off Scott Olsen. Ryan Spilborghs grounds to short, Ian Desmond-- drops it -- and settles for the force at second. One down. Brad Hawpe shoots a one-hop liner to second, Alberto Gonzalez to Desmond to Mike Morse at first, double play. 1-0 Nats.
2 - Mike Morse drives a grounder through the hole at short for the second Nats' leadoff single. Alberto Gonzalez K's chasing a fastball way out of the zone up high. Scott Olsen bunts Morse over to second, but Nyjer Morgan K's swinging to give Jeff Francis his first scoreless frame since 2008...Scott Olsen gives up a leadoff double to Troy Tulowitzki that bounces on one hop off the wall in left. Tulo takes third on Todd Helton's grounder to short. One down. Miguel Olivo flies to left to score Tulowitzki, 1-1 game. Olsen gets a groundout from Ian Stewart to end the second.
3 - Ian Desmond grounds out to Ian Stewart, one down. Cristian Guzman singles off Stewart's glove at third and it trickles into left. Guzman moves up on a groundout by Ryan Zimmerman. Josh WIllingham grounds out to short to end a quick third for Francis...Clint Barmes flies out to Cristian Guzman in right, one down. Jeff Francis shatters his bat grounding out to third. Scott Olsen gets a line drive to center from Carlos Gonzalez, and Nyjer Morgan makes the play. 1-1 after three.
4 - Troy Tulowitzki's charged with a throwing error on Pudge Rodriguez's grounder to short when the throw to first is off line. Mike Morse pops out to the catcher. One out. Alberto Gonzalez pops out to short. Two down. Scott Olsen grounds out to second to end the Nats' fourth, still 1-1...Guzman with another catch on a fly to right from Ryan Spilborghs. Brad Hawpe grounds out to Olsen. Two down. Troy Tulowitzki flies out to Nyjer Morgan, 1-1 after four in Coors Field.
5 - Nyjer Morgan K's swinging in the Nats' fifth. Ian Desmond's first-pitch swinging and he grounds out to third, Ian Stewart with the throw. Two down. Cristian Guzman's first-pitch swinging too, and he grounds out to short, 1-1 in the fifth...Todd Helton singles to left off Scott Olsen. Cristian Guzman charges in to catch a weak fly off Olivo's bat. Ian Stewart grounds to short, Desmond to Gonzalez to Morse, too late. Stewart's safe. Two down. Clint Barmes singles Stewart over to third. First and third for Jeff Francis, grounder to the mound, 1-1 after five.
6 - Ryan Zimmerman pops out to the infield. One down. Josh Willingham takes a one-out walk, but Pudge Rodriguez grounds back to the mound, Francis to second, and on to first, double play to end the Nats' sixth...Scott Olsen gets Carlos Gonzalez swinging, and gets a grounder to third from Spilborghs, two down. Olsen gets Brad Hawpe trying to hold up on a two-strike slider that breaks across the zone.
7 - Mike Morse singles again to start the Nats' seventh. Alberto Gonzalez sneaks a single through short under Tulo. Scott Olsen fouls off a two-strike bunt attempt and K's unproductively. Nyjer Morgan K's swinging through breaking junk upstairs. Two down when Olivo makes the catch on strike three. Ian Desmond pops out to short to end the Nats' seventh...Troy Tulowitzki K's chasing a nasty two-strike slider from Olsen. Todd Helton walks with one down in front o' Olivo. Miguel Olivo singles to right with one down. Second and third for Ian Stewart, who flies out to left. Tyler Clippard comes on with two on, two out and Clint Barmes up. Barmes flies to center, Morgan gets there. 1-1 after seven.
8 - Rockies' right-hander Matt Belisle vs Guzman in the eighth. Ryan Zimmerman grounds weakly enough to short that Tulowitzki can only get the force at second. Josh Willingham pops out down the line behind first. Two down. Pudge can't hold up on junk in the dirt, check-swing K, 1-1 in the eighth...Seth Smith starts the inning pinch hitting. Leadoff walk by Tyler Clippard. Carlos Gonzalez lines to right, Smith to second. Sac bunt by Fowler, second and third. One down. Brad Hawpe gets enough of a fly to left to score Seth Smith. 2-1 Rockies with two down. Tulowitzki grounds out to second, 2-1 after eight.
9 - Rockies' closer Manny Corpas gets Willie Harris swinging, one down. Adam Kennedy flies out to left, two down. Adam Dunn grounds out to first, ballgame. Rockies take three-straight from Nats, 2-1 final.