Sunday's Top 5:
5. #100!! Ryan Zimmerman's 100th Major League HR comes off Padres' right-hander Jon Garland, who had yet to allow a HR in PETCO Park this season. Two down in the first and Zimmerman takes a 1-2 fastball high and outside for a ride, opposite field to right center and over the wall for an early 1-0 Nats' lead. It takes the 25-year-old '05 1st Round pick 644 games and 2,512 at bats before he reaches one hundred, 63 at bats after he'd hit no.99. 101 was not far away...
4. Garland Gets Grounders, No Wonder Rizzo Was Interested. The Washington Nationals made no secret of their interest in Jon Garland this winter when the free agent starter was on the market, but he reportedly wanted to sign with a West Coast team, so the Nats turned their attention to Jason Marquis, who's currently on the DL recovering from elbow surgery. Garland gets 15 groundouts from Nats' batters this afternoon, inducing grounder after grounder and holding Washington to 5 hits, three of them in the first inning, after which the Nats gets just a leadoff single in the fourth and Ryan Zimmerman's second home run of the game in the sixth...
3. 101!!! Pull-shot to left and over the wall and it's tied it at 2-2. Ryan Zimmerman jacks a 1-0 change that's left up and over the plate by Garland and the Nationals tie at 2-2 after five and a half. Zimmerman ends the night 2 for 5 with 2 K's, 2 HR's, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's, and he's hitting .299 with 10 HR's and 27 RBI's after 154 at bats.
2. Livan Undone By Zim Error, Almost? 6.1 IP, 8 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's, 90 pitches, 61 strikes, 7 groundouts, 8 flyouts, another assured performance by Livan Hernandez, who's still out there in the seventh with the game tied at 2-2 trying to hold it close in spite of the fact that the Padres put runners on base in all but one inning through six. Tony Gwynn, Jr. singles to center on the first pitch he sees, and Lance Zawadzki drops a bunt toward third that the Nats' Gold Glover blows, looking up for a minute thinking about second and missing it, leaving both runners safe. Livan's lifted after a sac bunt puts both runners in scoring position, but Doug Slaten strikes out Will Venable, and is done, and after a two-out walk to Jerry Hairston, Jr. loads the bases, Drew Storen gets a fly ball to center from Adrian Gonzalez on a 95 mph full-count heater over the center of the plate to end a nail-biter of a six-pitch AB.
1. Burnett's Reach, Kennedy's Throw, Costly: Nats' lefty Sean Burnett gets two outs in his second inning of work, but Lance Zawadzki chops one back to the mound and just off and over Burnett's outstretched glove, slowing it just enough that Adam Kennedy (whose two-out error in the first inning yesterday led to a game-winning 3-run HR) has to rush and throws the ball wide of first and into the dugout. Zawadzki's awarded second. Matt Capps comes out to replace Burnett. Nick Hundley lines to left, Zawadzki scores.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
| Num | Name - Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 | souldrummer - 199 |
| 2 | Miss B - 86 |
| 3 | RoscoeNats - 67 |
| 4 | LOUtheMETandNATSfan - 58 |
| 5 | PerryMason - 55 |
| 6 | RobBobS - 54 |
| 7 | grizzy - 46 |
| 8 | Nationalpasttime9 - 41 |
| 9 | ryzim - 23 |
| 10 | FanSince05 - 10 |
• Final Score: Padres 3, Nationals 2 - 11 Innings.
• Nationals now 25-26.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Beleaguered Nats' outfielder Nyjer Morgan rips a line drive single to right to start the rubber match in San Diego against right-hander Jon Garland. Adam Kennedy grounds back to the mound, Morgan's running, but still out at second as Garland throws to Jerry Hairston, Jr. and on to Adrian Gonzalez at first, double play. Ryan Zimmerman goes to right center and deeep with a long fly ball that's GONE!! Solo shot with two down, Zimmerman's 100th HR!! Adam Dunn follows with a line drive single. Josh Willingham walks, and there are two on for Ian Desmond. Desmond works the count full and K's swinging to end the Nats' first....Will Venable flies out to Josh Willingham in left and Mr. National, Livan Hernandez, has the first out of the Padres' first. Jerry Hairston, Jr. rips a line drive single up the middle with one down. Adrian Gonzalez K's swinging, two down. Chase Headley grounds out to first, Livan's got a scoreless frame.
2 - Roger Bernadina grounds out to Lance Zawadzki at second, one down. Wil Nieves chops one back to the mound, and Livan Hernandez does the same, three down quickly in the second...Matt Stairs leads off the Padres' second. Livan goes to a full count and gets Stairs swinging with a slider. Yorvit Torrealba singles over second with one down, lifting a 68 mph curve outside into right. Lance Zawadzki pops out to third, two scoreless for Livan.
3 - Nyjer Morgan starts the third with a groundout to second. Adam Kennedy grounds weakly to Adrian Gonzalez at first. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to Jerry Hairston, Jr. at short, and Jon Garland holds the Nats off the board in the third...Adam Kennedy fields and throws to first to get Jon Garland. Will Venable flies out to Morgan in center, two down. Jerry Hairston, Jr. pops a bunt attempt up and Wil Nieves makes the grab.
4 - Adam Dunn rips a line drive to center to start the fourth. Josh Willingham K's swinging at a 2-2 fastball outside. Ian Desmond grounds into a force at second, two down for Garland. Roger Bernadina up, Desmond tries for second and gets thrown out by Padres' catcher Yorvit Torrealba...Adrian Gonzalez shoots a single by Adam Kennedy at second. Chase Headley flies out to Willingham in left. Matt Stairs reaches out and lines to the left-center gap moving Gonzalez to third. First and third, one out. Yorvit Torrealba grounds sharply to second, Kennedy knocks it down and throws to first. Two down. 1-1 ballgame when Gonzalez scores. Tony Gwynn, Jr. flies to short left and it drops in front of Willingham. Stairs scores. 2-1 Padres. Lance Zawadzki pops to short right, Adam Kennedy makes an over-the-shoulder grab to end the fourth, 2-1 Padres.
5 - Roger Bernadina grounds weakly to second to start the fifth. Wil Nieves grounds out to third, and the third-straight grounder for Garland ends a quick Nats' fifth...Roger Bernadina charges in to catch a short fly from Jon Garland. Will Venable sneaks a sharp grounder under a diving Ian Desmond. Ryan Zimmerman jumps on a sharp grounder from Jerry Hairston and sidearms a throw to second for the force but Kennedy's DP throw to first is late. Alberto Gonzalez works the count full and K's swinging to end the fifth, still 2-1 Padres.
6 - Nyjer Morgan squares to bunt, pulls back and grounds out to short, one down. Adam Kennedy grounds out to Hairston, Jr. at short. Ryan Zimmerman destroys a fastball from Garland and sends it soaring out to left for Zim's second solo shot of the game and a 2-2 tie. Adam Dunn grounds weakly into the shift to end the top of the sixth...Livan gives up a leadoff single to Chase Headley to start the home-half of the frame. Livan busts Matt Stairs inside with an 0-2 fastball that breaks in for a called strike three. Yorvit Torrealba grounds to short, Ian Desmond fields, steps on second, throws to first, double play. 2-2 game.
7 - Josh Willingham just misses a fastball, flying out to center for Tony Gwynn, Jr. Ian Desmond swings over a sinking fastball inside, strike three. Roger Bernadina K's swinging at a sinker outside and it's 2-2 in the middle of the seventh...Tony Gwynn, Jr. singles to center to start the Padres' seventh. Lance Zawadzki bunts toward third, Zim looks at second and misses the ball, error on Zim, two runners on, no outs. A mound visit, but just to discuss the defense. Pinch hitter Luis Durango gets a sac bunt down, second and third, one down. Doug Slaten replaces Livan Hernandez. Slaten vs Venable, lefty vs lefty. Swinging K!! Two down, Drew Storen's on to face Jerry Hairston, Jr. Storen starts with three balls, throws a fastball for a strike, gets a foul, full-count pitch? Ball four, inside. Adrian Gonzalez up with two on, two out. Full count again. Fastball, fly ball to center, Morgan has it!! 2-2 after seven.
8 - Mike Adams vs Wil Nieves. Grounder to third, one down. Willie Harris hits for Storen. Willie Harris lifts a line drive over first and into right for a single. Nyjer Morgan K's looking at a fastball outside. Adam Kennedy goes to a full count with Adams after a 3-1 pitch outside's called a strike, and takes a two-out walk in front of Zim. Ryan Zimmerman K's swinging through a 2-2 fastball. 2-2 after seven and a half...Tyler Clippard pops Chase Headley up, one down. Chris Denorfia works the count full and walks. Tyler Clippard gets Yorvit Torrealba swinging over a slider, and Denorfia gets nailed by Nieves going for second, strike'em out, throw'em out to end the eighth.
9 - Heath Bell vs Adam Dunn. Dunn rips a trademark single through the shift. SINGLEZ™!! Josh Willingham takes a fastball outside for a called strike three. Ian Desmond flies to the corner in right, and Will Venable almost doubles Adam Dunn up at first with a throw in. Roger Bernadina grounds to short to end the Nats' ninth...Tyler Clippard's back on the mound. Tony Gwynn, Jr. pops up to short right. Clippard throws a high two-strike fastball by Zawadzki!! Clppard throws a two-strike change by Oscar Salazar, on to the tenth.
10 - Luke Gregerson takes over for San Diego, and pops Wil Nieves up. Crisitian Guzman grounds out to first, Gregerson covers. Nyjer Morgan K's looking to end the inning...David Eckstein with a pinch hit appearance against Nats' lefty Sean Burnett. Eckstein pops to short right for Guzman. Jerry Hairston, Jr. rips a low liner by Zimmerman at third, double in front of Adrian Gonzalez. Burnett walks A-Gon. Chase Headley K's swinging through a 2-2 bender outside. Two down. Chris Denorfia grounds to second, Kennedy shuffles to Desmond at second, 2-2 after 10.
11 - Luke Gregerson's back, Adam Kennedy up. Grounder to first, one down. Ryan Zimmerman K's looking at a fastball outside. Adam Dunn K's swinging at a wicked bender inside...Sean Burnett gets a weak grounder to second from Torrealba, one down. Tony Gwynn, Jr. grounds to first, Dunn fields and throws to Burnett covering. Lance Zawadzki reaches safely on an infield grounder that bounces off Burnett's glove, Kennedy fields and throws it away, Zawadzki takes second. Matt Capps on to face Nick Hundley. Line drive single to left, ballgame. Padres win 3-2 when Zawadzki scores.