Tonight's Top 5:
5. Forget The First? Craig Stammen gets two outs on 7 pitches in the first inning against the Cardinals, then goes to a full count with St. Louis' slugger Matt Holliday and throws a fastball low for ball four. Albert Pujols singles to center. Colby Rasmus singles in a run. 1-0 Cards. David Freese flies to to right, Willie Harris runs into the wall and misses the ball, two runs score, 3-0 St. Louis. Yadier Molina's got the fourth two-out hit and an RBI, 4-0 Cards after one. Stammen gives up a two-out double in the second, then retires 13 of the next 14 batters he faces, allowing only a walk to Albert Pujols to start the sixth before setting down the next three batters. Final Line: Stammen (L, 1-2), 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's, 96 pitches, 60 strikes, 9 grounds, 4 flyouts.
4. TAWHRB!! The Amazing Willie Harris Roger Bernadina!! Leadoff walk to Alberto Pujols by Nats' right-hander Craig Stammen to start the Cardinals' sixth, and Colby Rasmus lines deep to center and GON--CAUGHT!! Roger Bernadina tracks the ball to the wall and leaps to make the catch at the last minute, colliding as he pulls it down. Pujols hustles back to first. Roger Bernadina Wants To PLAY...
3. Ian Desmond > FLop...Nats' shortstop Ian Desmond goes 4 for 4 with four singles, a run scored, and a sweet 6-4-3 on a sharp grounder between short and third by David Freese, Desmond backhands and fires to second in time for Cristian Guzman to get the force and make the throw to first, ending the Cardinals' third...Felipe Lopez, 0 for 4, no DP's. Desmond ends the game hitting .270/.320/.441 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR's, 17 RBI's...
2. STOREN WARNING!!!! Nats' left-hander Doug Slaten started the seventh with a walk to Skip Schumaker, then got the Cards' pitcher, Jason Motte, to strike out trying to bunt before he was lifted...For Drew Storen!!! In his MLB debut. Nats' skipper Jim Riggleman claps his hands on the way to the mound, happy to get the K on the Cards' pitcher without the runner advancing, Storen heads the mound from the bullpen. Front foot turned in as he settles on the mound before starting his delivery, Storen straightens his front (left) leg and whips it around as he pushes off his right leg, and Drew Storen's major league career starts with a 94mph fastball outside for ball one to former Nats' SS Felipe Lopez, who flies out to Josh Willingham in left for the first out on Storen's second pitch. Ryan Ludwick takes an 84mph curve for a called strike inside, takes a fastball outside and then takes one on the hand. HBP. (A 93mph one, ouch!)...
• Drew Storen vs Matt Holliday:
1. – FB, called strike 94 mph, 0-1.
2. – FB, 93 ball, low, 1-1.
3. – Change, 84mph, (Gameday says strike), Ball, 2-1.
4. – FB, 93 mph, called strike, outside, 2-2.
5. – FB, low, fouled, 94 mph. 2-2.
6. – Curve, 83mph, check swing, way outside, count full, 3-2.
7. – FB, 93 mph up high inside, fouled off.
8. – FB, 94 mph, inside, SWINGING K!!!!!
...Drew Storen walks off the mound. Calmly, head down. Just before he reaches the visiting team's dugout, Pudge Rodriguez greets him and Storen's gotta react quickly to meet Pudge's enthusiastic high-five and it looks like he starts to breathe again.
1. Giving Away Outs, LOB's: 4-2 Cardinals. Adam Kennedy and Ian Desmond single to start the Nats' seventh, and Roger Bernadina's called upon to bunt both runners over, which he does. One down on the sac bunt. Pinch hitter Mike Morse pops out to the infield. Adam Dunn gets a pinch hit appearance against right-hander Jason Motte...and he K's, swinging, chasing a 96mph fastball up high and outside. Two stranded. Willie Harris goes 1 for 3 on the night. Cristian Guzman, Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham and Pudge Rodriguez are a combined 0 for 15 with 3 K's and 4 LOB.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Final Score: Cardinals 6-2.
Nationals now 20-19.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Willie Harris drives a grounder through second for a leadoff single off Cards' right-hander Kyle Lohse. Cristian Guzman flies out to short right. Ryan Ludwick's back's against the wall when he catches Ryan Zimmerman's fly ball out to center. With Josh Willingham up, Willie Harris is caught stealing by Yadier Molina for the third and final out of the first...Craig Stammen gets a weak grounder to second out of Felipe Lopez. Ryan Ludwick takes a 1-2 fastball for a called strike two and K's chasing a slider that drops off outside. Matt Holliday works the count full and walks on a fastball low. Albert Pujols lines a single to center in front of Colby Rasmus, whose single scores Holliday from second for a 1-0 Cards' lead. David Freese flies to right, Willie Harris runs into the wall but misses the ball, two runs score. 3-0 St. Louis. Yadier Molina lines Freese in with an RBI single. 4-0 Cards. Stammen has Molina picked, but he throws high to first and Molina beats Adam Kennedy's throw to second. Skip Schumaker grounds out to end the frame.
2 - Josh Willingham walks to start the Nats' second. Pudge Rodriguez flies to right. Adam Kennedy to left. Two down. Ian Desmond's line drive lands one hop in front of Ryan Ludwick. Roger Bernadina grounds toward first, Lohse gets off the mound and tosses to Pujols, Cards up...A weak fly to short right from Lohse, Guzman gets there, one down. Felipe Lopez K's swinging. A fly to right with two down, Ludwick reaches when Willie Harris comes up empty diving late at the ball. Matt Holliday grounds out to the mound, 4-0 after two.
3 - Kyle Lohse gets a swinging K from the opposing pitcher. Willie Harris grounds weakly to Pujols at first. Cristian Guzman drills himself into the batter's box as he K's swinging...Albert Pujols shoots for the right center gap, but Roger Bernadina cuts it off. Single to center. Colby Rasmus K's chasing a nasty bender from Stammen, one out. David Freese grounds to short, Desmond to Guzman to Kennedy, double play. 4-0 Cards after three.
4 - Ryan Zimmerman grounds weakly to short, Felipe Lopez charges fields and throws in one motion to get the first out of the fourth. Josh Willingham K's swinging, two down. Ivan Rodriguez grounds to second on the first pitch...Craig Stammen gets a flyout to right from Yadier Molina, one down. Skip Schumaker grounds to Kennedy at first and Ian Desmond throws out the pitcher. 4-0 Cards after four.
5 - Adam Kennedy lines to second for a leadoff single, and Ian Desmond follows with a grounder up the middle to put two on with no outs. Roger Bernadina chops one to second, Schumaker fields and throws it by first, Kennedy scores, 4-1 Cardinals. Craig Stammen K's swinging at a low called strike. One out. Willie Harris' groundout to second scores Desmond from third, 4-2. Cristian Guzman's groundout ends the Nats' fifth...Craig Stammen gets a groundout to short from Felipe Lopez, Ian Desmond bobbles but throws him out. Ryan Ludwick flies out to center, and Holliday pushes Bernandina back to the track, 4-2 after five.
6 - Ryan Zimmerman pops out to short right, Josh Willingham pops out to Pujols foul of first. Pudge Rodriguez grounds sharply to short, but David Freese makes the play, 4-2 St. Lou in the sixth...Stammen walks Albert Pujols to start the Cardinals' sixth. Colby Rasmus flies to deep center and GON-caught!! Roger Bernadina hits the wall hard but pulls it in!! One out. Pujols back to first. Stammen gets Freese looking, STARE AT IT FREESE!! Two down, Yadier Molina's grounder makes three. 4-2 Cards after six.
7 - Adam Kennedy singles by second for a leadoff hit and takes second on a soft liner to center by Ian Desmond. Two on for Roger Bernadina. Lohse is done. Trever Miller vs Bernadina. Lefty vs Lefty. Sac bunt, second and third with one down and Mike Morse at bat. Morse pops out to the infield. Alberto Gonzalez, will see a new pitcher. Jason Motte on, Riggleman goes with Adam Dunn. Dunn K's chasing a high heater from Motte...Doug Slaten walks Skip Schumaker to start the Cards' seventh. Jason Motte K's trying to bunt and it's time to see Drew Storen!!! Felipe Lopez flies out to left, Hammer makes the catch near the line. Two outs. Storen hits Ryan Ludwick in the hand. Storen vs Holliday, for eight pitches, and Storen gets him swinging to end the seventh!!!!!
8 - Kyle McLellan on for St. Louis. Cristian Guzman flies out to center. Ryan Zimmerman flies to the right field corner, Ryan Ludwick leaps and makes the diving catch. Zim's robbed. Two down. Josh Willingham battles McLellan for 14 pitches before finally K'ing on a check swing...Matt Capps takes over for Washington in the eighth. Albert Pujols singles off Zimmerman's glove at third, Desmond tries the throw, but too late. Colby Rasmus singles on a line drive to center, and David Freese's sac bunt moves both runners up. One down. Yadier Molina grounds out to second, run scores. Guzman throws to first. 5-2 Cards. Skip Schumaker grounds up the middle and under Desmond's glove. Pujols scores. 6-2 Cards. Nick Stavinoha grounds out to third.
9 - Ryan Franklin gets a groundout from Pudge with one pitch. Adam Kennedy doubles to right with one down. Ian Desmond shoots a line drive to right for the second-straight hit. Two on for Roger Bernadina K's chasing a curve from Franklin out of the zone. Mike Morse, groundout to first, ballgame. Cards win, 6-2 final.
Nationals now 20-19.