• Tonight's Top 5:
5. MOAR GROUNDERZ!! Luis Atliano settles in with six straight groundouts to start the second of three in AT&T, and the Washington Nationals jump out to a 3-0 lead on Giants' right-hander and '09 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum in the top of the third when Nyjer Morgan singles, steals second and scores on Adam Kennedy's RBI hit, Josh Willingham doubles in a run and Ian Desmond comes through with a two-out line drive single that scores the Nats' third off the San Francisco starter. Atilano throws four scoreless before surrendering a solo HR to Juan Uribe in the fifth. After he surrenders a leadoff triple to Andres Torres in the Giants' sixth, Atilano gets the first out of the frame before he's lifted for left-hander Doug Slaten, who lets the second run Atilano allows score when Pablo Sandoval hits an RBI double. Atilano's Line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K's, 1 HR, 12 groundouts, 4 flyouts, 76 pitches, 49 strikes.
4. Lincecum Leaves Early: Back-to-back walks to Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman to start the fifth, a one-out RBI sac fly by Adam Dunn and a two-run check-swing single by Ian Desmond make it 6-0 Nats before Uribe's fifth-inning HR. Tim Lincecum throws 96 pitches, 56 for strikes in 4.2 IP, giving up 6 hits, 5 walks and 6 ER while recording 5 K's in his first loss of the 2010 season.
3: Desmond's Hit Does It: Josh Willingham was thrown out at home on Ian Desmond's run scoring hit in the third, and he came up with runners on again in the fifth and came through with a single to right on a 1-2 change low and outside that Desmond pushed into right to score two runs and chase Lincecum with the Nats ahead 6-0. Desmond ends the night 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's. Adam Dunn goes 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Josh Willingham's 2 for 2 with a walk, HBP and 2 RBI's.
2: STOREN WARNING!!!: Nats' right-hander Drew Storen enters the game in the sixth with a runner on third and strikes Juan Uribe out on three pitches!! A slider high and outside for a called first strike, a fastball off the plate for a swinging strike two and a slider off the outside edge for a called strike three when Uribe can't hold up. Storen gives up a one-out single and a walk in the seventh and the Giants score a run on a throwing error by Ian Desmond to make it 7-3 Nationals...1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 29 pitches, 17 strikes.
1: Washington Nationals Win: Tyler Clippard throws 2.0 scoreless to end it after Atilano, Doug Slaten and Storen's efforts. The Nationals take 5 walks from a struggling Lincecum and combine for 8 hits and 7 ER total off the Giants, setting the Nats up with a chance for a series win on the road Thursday afternoon when Craig Stammen and Barry Zito do battle at 3:45 pm EST.
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ationals now 24-23.