Today's Top 5:
5. Top Of The Order - Non-Fail?: Nyjer Morgan singles to lead off the first and takes second on a perfect bunt from Cristian Guzman, who's safe at first too when he beats the throw. Two on, no outs. Ryan Zimmerman K's swinging through a full-count fastball. Adam Dunn flies out on the first pitch he sees. Morgan and Guzman advance themselves with a double steal, and Josh Willingham works the count full...before flying out to Andruw Jones in center to end the first...Roger Bernadina hits a one-out single off Peavy in the second, but gets stranded at first two outs later when Ian Desmond and J.D. Martin go down...Bernadina's would be the last hit the Nats get...
4. Cy Peavy Controls Nats: The White Sox' right-hander, who came into the game with a (5-5) record and a 5.62 ERA, and just days ago had the Sox' Manager Ozzie Guillen wanting to put him on the DL with shoulder issues, allows just three hits through 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, scoreless against the Nats...After the Nats' third hit in the second, Peavy retires 20-straight to hold on to his slim 1-0 lead. Peavy comes back out for the ninth looking for the complete game shutout, which will be his first CG/SO since August 23rd 2005 when he threw 9.0 scoreless against Houston (one of three CG/SO's for Peavy in '05, including one against the Nats). Peavy walks Nyjer Morgan to start the Nats' ninth, Guzman bunts Morgan over, but Peavy gets Ryan Zimmerman looking (for Zim's 4th K of the day), and then Peavy pops up Adam Dunn, pops up Willingham and finishes his first complete game shutout since 2005.
• Peavy's Line: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's, 107 pitches, 71 for strikes, 10 groundouts, 7 flyouts, 1 complete game shutout.
3. J.D. Martin W/ Control: For the second night in a row, the Nats get a strong outing from their starter which isn't supported by the offense. Right-hander J.D. Martin holds the White Sox to one run on 8 hits, strikes out 6 without issuing a walk and unfortunately runs into an otherworldy Jake Peavy. Martin throws 97 pitches, 65 for strikes in 6.0 IP, and is replaced by Sean Burnett, Tyler Walker and Miguel Batista, all of whom keep the score 1-0, but the Nats' bats can't get it done...
2. Riggleman's Had It: Here's Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman's explanation for why he got tossed, as explained in the post game press conference:
Jim Riggleman: "Sam [Holbrook, the home plate ump] does a great job, he's a good umpire, that whole crew's very good, but I feel like our hitters, that's one of our strengths is a lot of our guys really know the strike zone. When they're saying balls aren't strikes I feel like maybe they were getting a little generous on some of those pitches, but from where I'm at, that angle I have while I'm sitting in the dugout, I just have to listen to the players, I can't see in and out, I can see up and down, but I can't see in and out."
1. Nats' losing streak?: With the loss today, the Washington Nationals have dropped five-straight and seven of the last eight overall since sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the last homestand before this weekend. Today's loss drops the Nats to 31-38, 2.0 games behind 4th Place Florida in the NL East, and 9.5 behind the division leading Braves, who are 40-28 after 68 games. Does the Nats' Skipper anticipate any lineup or roster shakeup?
Jim Riggleman: "I feel like we've got to keep running our guys out there...We're trying to get established there where we send our same seven or eight guys out there, you know we platoon a little bit in right field, but I just gotta believe in our guys that we're gonna get some pitches and start driving them and hopefully have some men on base when we do it."
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching:
| Num | Name - Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Jazzy - 93 |
| 2 | grizzy - 72 |
| 3 | MissB - 49 |
| 4 | d_c_guy - 48 |
| 5 | cat daddy3000 - 43 |
| 6 | RoscoeNats - 36 |
| 7 | rachel216 - 31 |
| 8 | BloggerVance - 28 |
| 9 | natsstats - 17 |
| 10 | ryzim22 - 16 |
• Final Score: White Sox 1, Nats 0.
Nationals now 31-38.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Juan Pierre takes three-straight balls from J.D. Martin, who works the count full and gets a grounder to Cristian Guzman for the first out of the game. Omar Vizquel drops a soft line drive into the sun-drenched center field grass. Mark Kotsay grounds into a force at second, no shot of the DP. Andruw Jones up, Kotsay tries a delayed steal and gets nailed at second by Pudge Rodriguez...Nyjer Morgan gets a 1-0 pitch he likes and he drives it back up the middle of the infield for a leadoff single. Guzman gets a perfect bunt down and beats the throw to first. Ryan Zimmerman goes to a full count and K's. Adam Dunn pops up in the first pitch from Peavy. Double steal with Willingham up, but the Hammer flies to center to end the first.
2 - Andruw Jones flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center to start the second. Carlos Quentin grounds back to Martin on the mound. A.J. Pierzynski drops a two-out single into short right, but J.D. Martin gets Alexei Ramirez on a check swing strike three to end the Sox' second...Pudge leads off the Nats' second. Fly ball to right, one down. Roger Bernadina shoots a one-out single to center. Ian Desmond flies out to center.
3 - Gordon Beckham K's chasing a 1-2 change into the dirt. Jake Peavy pops up over home, Pudge with the catch. Juan Pierre goes down looking to end the White Sox third...Nyjer Morgan tries to bunt his way on, but Peavy makes the play and throw just a step in front of Morgan. Cristian Guzman grounds out to first, two down. Ryan Zimmerman K's looking to end the third.
4 - Omar Vizquel drops a single into center to start the Sox' fourth. Mark Kotsay hits a low liner to short that's in and out of Desmond's glove, but he recovers to make the play at first. Andruw Jones take strike three from J.D. Martin for the second out of the Sox' fourth. Carlos Quentin lines to left to score Vizquel from second with a line drive single, 1-0 Sox. A.J. Pierzynski hits the second-straight single off Martin. Alexei Ramirez K's chasing an 0-2 bender down into the dirt...1-0 Sox in the fourth...Adam Dunn skies one to the track in right, one down. Josh Willingham tests Omar Vizquel's arm with a sharp grounder to short, but Vizquel's up to the challenge. Pudge lines out to first. 1-0 Sox after four.
5 - Gordon Beckham grounds out to third to start the fifth. Cristian Guzman makes a diving play on a liner from Peavy, but can't get to it. Juan Pierre flies out to right. Omar Vizquel pops out over short. Still 1-0 Sox...Roger Bernadina grounds out to Mark Kotsay, toss to Peavy covering, one down. Ian Desmond K's looking. J.D. Martin grounds out to short. 1-2-3 fifth for Peavy.
6 - Mark Kotsay flies to deep center where Nyjer Morgan makes the grab. Andruw Jones drops a single in in front of Roger Bernadina in right. One on, one out. Carlos Quentin K's swinging over a curve inside. A.J. Pierzynski slices a two-out single over short. Two on, two outs. Alexei Ramirez grounds to third, Zim fields and steps on the bag. 1-0 White Sox in the sixth...Nyjer Morgan grounds out to first. One down. Guzman grounds out to second. Ryan Zimmerman K's looking at a fastball outside. 1-0 Sox after six.
7 - Sean Burnett takes over on the mound for J.D. Martin. Gordon Beckham pops out to Guzman. Jake Peavy pops out to Desmond in short center. Two down. Juan Pierre takes one on the elbow and takes his base. Omar Vizquel K's twice, once on a check swing that's not called a strike and then again to end the top of the frame....Adam Dunn K's looking at a fastball outside from Peavy. Josh Willingham flies out to right field. Pudge Rodriguez grounds out to short to end the seventh.
8 - Mark Kotsay walks to lead off the Sox' eighth. Burnett's out. Miguel Batista on in relief. Andruw Jones flies out to left, one down. Carlos Quentin hits a low liner through second, two on. A.J. Pierzynski grounds back to the mound, Batista to Desmond to Dunn, double play!!! 1-0 Sox in eighth...Roger Bernadina lines to short, Alexei Ramirez makes a diving play. One down. Ian Desmond grounds out to Beckham at second. Two down. Willie Harris flies out to center to end the eighth.
9 - Tyler Walker takes over in the ninth. Alexei Ramirez lines to right where Roger Bernadina makes a sliding catch, one down. Walker gets a swinging K from Gordon Beckham. Two down. Jake Peavy K's looking and heads in to get his cap and glove...Nyjer Morgan walks to start the ninth. Cristian Guzman gets a sac bunt down to move Morgan to second. Ryan Zimmerman K's looking, two down. Adam Dunn gets the intentionals. Josh Willingham pops out to second to end it.