Tonight's Top 5:
5. Cartoon Curves: Juan Uribe K's swinging at a 65 mile an hour bender that ends Livan Hernandez's fourth scoreless frame. The veteran Nats' right-hander holds the Giants to two walks and two hits through four scoreless innings pitched in which he strikes out four while the Nationals come up empty against San Francisco right-hander Todd Wellemeyer...
4. Five Straight Two-Out Hits, Four Runs: Livan gets the first two outs of the fifth, then surrenders three straight singles, the third an RBI hit which is followed by a two-run double and an RBI double before he escapes the fifth down 4-0 to the Giants in what ends up being the shortest outing of the season for Livan, whose ERA soars to 2.08 after he allows 7 hits and 4 ER in 5.0 IP over which he throws 75 pitches, 49 for strikes and gets 7 groundouts and three flyouts from the Giants' batters.
3. One Hit and Four Innings Later, Three-Straight HIts And Two Runs: Giants' starter Todd Wellemeyer walks all over Washington. Ian Desmond's leadoff single in the third is the Nationals' first hit, and they don't get another one until the top of the seventh when Ryan Zimmerman's leadoff single to center is the first of three-straight singles, with Adam Dunn following with a liner to right in front of Josh Willingham, who lines to left to score Zimmerman for the Nats' first run. Back-to-back sacs by Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond get Dunn in to make it 4-2 Giants, but that's all they get...
2. The Lack Of Patience Has Become Institutionalized - cat daddy 3000: One Walk? Wellemeyer comes into last night's start having walked 5.9 per 9.0 inning over his first eight starts, but the Nationals manage turn Todd into Cy Wellemeyer over the 31-year-old right-hander's 6.0 inning outing. Wellemeyer allows 4 hits and 2 ER, throws 73 pitches in 6.0 innings pitched, and gets 7 groundouts and 7 flyouts from an impatient Nats' lineup that was either told to swing early and often or just wanted to get back to the hotel and go to sleep.
1. May May End Soon: Whether it's June 4th, June 8th, or whenever it is, Stephen Strasburg's debut is coming soon, as the Nationals announced yesterday that the 21-year-old right-hander would make another start (his 5th) this Saturday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, setting him up for a day of rest and an MLB debut on Friday June 4th? Will it be June 4th? Will it? On June 7th, the Nationals will make their second-straight no.1 overall pick, and according to Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP on Twitter), "The #Nats have decided on their first overall pick, Mike Rizzo said," though the DC GM, "Wouldn't say who." After going 13-10 in April the Nats are now 10-13 in May having lost 8 of their last 11 to go from 20-16 to 23-23 after last night's loss...
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FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Nyjer Morgan lines out to Aubrey Huff in left field. Todd Wellemeyer gets a ground ball to third from Cristian Guzman and a groundout to short from Ryan Zimmerman to end the top of the first...Andres Torres doubles to straight left-center and off the wall to lead off the Giants' first. Edgar Renteria grounds back to Livan, who fakes a throw to second to hold the runner and makes the throw to first, one down. Freddy Sanchez grounds to short, Ian Desmond fields and throws to first, as Torres takes third. Pablo Sandoval battles but pops up on 2-2 junk he has to reach for, Livan Hernandez has a scoreless first.
2 - Adam Dunn K's looking at a fastball outside from Wellemeyer. Juan Uribe charges on a weak grounder and beats WIllingham to first with the throw. Roger Bernadina takes a fastball off his kneecap, walks it off and takes his base. Ian Desmond's up, Wellemeyer throws over to first on the runner he just hit, and on the next pitch Giants' catcher Bengie Molina picks Bernadina off first...Aubrey Huff goes down staring at a 3-2 curve on the corner outside, STARE AT IT, HUFF!! One down. Juan Uribe goes down swinging, and Livan's got two. Bengie Molina grounds out to second, and Livan's got two scoreless in the books.
3 - Ian Desmond sends an 0-2 pitch back up the middle for a leadoff single in front of the Blocker, Wil Nieves, who walks. Livan bunts both runners over and Nyjer Morgan's up with two on. Pop out to Uribe for Morgan and it's two down. Cristian Guzman grounds sharply to short but Renteria fields and throws him out...Cristian Guzman throws Aaron Rowand out. Todd Wellemeyer grounds weakly toward first, Livan makes the play. Andres Torres swings at strike three for Livan's third K.
4 - Ryan Zimmerman sends Aaron Rowand sprinting to right center where he makes the catch. Adam Dunn pops out to Uribe twice, the second time Uribe catches it. Josh Willingham flies out to center to end the Nats' fourth...Edgar Renteria waits on a curve and grounds sharply to short and off Ian Desmond. Freddy Sanchez bunts Renteria over to second. Pablo Sandoval grounds out to Desmond at short. Aubrey Huff takes a 3-1 fastball that comes in off his hands for a called strike, then takes ball four on a curve in the dirt. Juan Uribe goes down chasing a full-count curve and it's 0-0 after four.
5 - Roger Bernadina flies out to right field. Ian Desmond reaches the track in left where Aubrey Huff pulls it in. Wil Nieves grounds sharply to short and the Nats are through five quicker than Kerouac finds a bar when he gets back to town...Livan gets back to back fly outs to right from Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand before giving up a two-out single to Wellemeyer. LIvan Hernandez throws his glove at a line drive single to center by Andres Torres. Edgar Renteria reaches down for a low breaking ball and lines it to left for an RBI single. 1-0 Giants. Freddy Sanchez lines to right and it falls in fair. Two runs score, 3-0 Giants. 4-0 Giants when Pablo Sandoval doubles Sanchez in. Aubrey Huff lines to short to finally end the fifth.
6 - Alberto Gonzalez K's swinging, wasting the at bat as he takes over for Livan. Nyjer Morgan tries to bunt his way, on, no luck, Molina throws him out. Cristian Guzman flies out to Huff in left, and it's 4-0 Giants after five and a half...Tyler Walker pops Juan Uribe up. Adam Dunn catches a pop-out off Bengie Molina's glove. Aaron Rowand goes down swinging 4-0 Giants after six.
7 - Ryan Zimmerman singles up the middle for the first hit since Desmond led off the third. Dunn follows with a single to right, Zim takes third. Josh WIllingham lines a single to left, and ZImmerman scores, 4-1 Giants. And Wellemeyer is done. Sergio Romo takes over for San Francisco against Roger Bernadino, uh Bernadina. Bernie flies out to right. Dunn takes third. Ian Desmond flies to the track in center, Rowand gets there and it's a sac fly and 4-2 San Francisco. Wil Nieves grounds into a force at second, and it's 4-2 Giants after seven....John Bowker vs Tyler Walker to start the Giants' seventh. Andres Torres hits the second straight single off Walker. Edgar Renteria bunts and Zimmerman fields and throws in time. Freddy Sanchez battles Walker for 11 pitches and K's. Pablo Sandoval gets the intenionals and Walker is replaced by Sean Burnett. Aubrey Huff lines to left, Hammer gets there.
8 - Guillermo Mota on for the Giants vs Adam Kennedy. Kennedy swings through a 95mph fastball for three and throws his bat as he K's. Nyjer Morgan's up 3-0 but it goes full and he grounds out to second. Two down. Cristian Guzman grounds back to Mota, 4-2 Giants after seven and a half....Miguel Batista gets a groundout from Uribe. Bengie Molina pops out to the infield. Aaron Rowand grounds to short. 4-2 Giants after eight.
9 - Ryan Zimmerman vs Brian Wilson. Zim takes a two-strike slider inside for a called strike three. Dunn K's swinging. Josh Willingham swings through a 96 mph fastball upstairs. Giants win, 4-2.