Today's Top 5:
5. For 5-Straight K's: In his first at bat on Sunday, Ryan Zimmerman takes a two-strike fastball outside from White Sox' starter Freddy Garcia for his fifth-straight strikeout following Saturday's Zim Bobblehead Day 0 for 4, 4 K Golden Sombrero. Zimmerman ends the day on Sunday 0 for 4 with 2 K's, and he's now hit in just 4 of his last 34 at bats...In the month of June, the Face of the Nats' Franchise is now hitting .225 (14 for 62), after hitting .284 in 29 games in May and .362 over 15 games in April...This did, however, happen last season too...
4. For FINALLY SOME OFFENSE!!!!: The Guzzzzzzz Cristian Guzman hits a leadoff triple into the right-center gap to start the Nats' fourth, and when Ryan Zimmerman's grounder to short fails to advance him, it starts to feel like another opportunity will be wasted. Adam Dunn up, grounder to first, Guzman breaks for home, Paul Konerko throws home, but the Guz avoids Sox' catcher Ramon Castro and slaps the plate as he slides by, 1-1 tie. 1-0 pitch to Josh Willingham and Dunn's running from first, line drive to left, hit and run!! First and third with one down. Roger Bernadina goes back up the middle with an RBI single. 2-1 Nats. And Wil Nieves goes the other way with a line drive to right that scores Dunn!! 3-1 Nats!!!
3. This Is Not The Lannan I Know...From Previous Seasons, It's 2010 Lannan For Sure: 11 hits in 4.0 IP? John Lannan got a lot of grounders as he needs to, but too many of them got through, and a half-inning after the Nationals take a 3-1 lead, the left-hander gives it right back, surrendering four-straight hits and three runs before he's finally lifted. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Lannan is injured, he might not know it yet, but something's wrong, and let's hope they find whatever it is soon, cause the Nats can't keep throwing him out there...Does Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman think his left-hander is injured?:
Jim Riggleman: "...the ball is just up, you know, he's really fighting it, he's really having a hard time getting the ball down. He had a little sequence there today where he got a few ground balls consecutively, and if he gets ground balls and they go through for hits you have to live with that. But he's just not getting them out is what it amounts to..."
Do you think he's hurt?
Jim Riggleman: "No. I don't think he's hurt, I mean, you can ask him, but I don't have any concern about him being hurt."
How long will you stick with him?
Jim Riggleman: "Well, you know, that's something we've got to think about, because John has been a mainstay here, he's been a horse here for this ballclub who always went into the six, seventh, eighth inning, and when you continue to come out in the fourth or fifth it's just not going to work, but I believe in John. I think that there's gotta be something there cause he has it in the bullpen, he'll get the ball sinking he just has not been able to take it onto the game situation..."
Lannan's Line: 4.0 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1K, 69 pitches, 51 strikes, 9 groundouts, 1 flyout.
2. Cy Garcia: Freddy Garcia's not this good anymore, but the Nats do tend to bring out the best in struggling pitchers. The 35-year-old right-hander has one bad inning, but is otherwise able to keep the Nats off the board, throwing 98 pitches, 64 for strikes over 7.0 IP in which he allows 6 hits, 1 walk and 3 ER, striking out 6.
1. Swept Again: The Nats drops their sixth-straight, get swept in the second-straight series and lose the eighth of their last nine overall heading into the three-game series with the Royals which starts tomorrow. Asked if he thinks the Nats need to make any lineup changes or shuffle things around, the Nats' Skipper:
Jim Riggleman: "We're struggling and everyone in [the clubhouse] knows it, we're sticking together though and we're going to pass the character test, you know, your character gets tested sometimes and we're getting tested right now."
Will you make any changes for the Kansas City series?:
Jim Riggleman: No, I don't know what changes I could make. You know, we put out guys there that we're committed to, and we believe in them, I really don't see where there's a spot in the lineup there that I'm gonna change."
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Juan Pierre starts things off for the Sox with a ground ball to third base that Gold Glove Zim handles. Alexei Ramirez goes around the horn to Ian Desmond at short, two down. Alex Rios smacks a single up the middle for a two-out hit in front of Paul Konerko. Konerko lines a 1-2 pitch to center to score Rios from second, 1-0 White Sox. Carlos Quentin grounds into a force at second to end the Sox' first...Nyjer Morgan flies out to center, Rios makes the grab. Cristian Guzman flies out to right. Ryan Zimmerman takes a two-seam fastball outside that breaks in for strike three to end the first. 1-0 Sox.
2 - Ramon Castro gets a one-hopper by Desmond at short, leadoff single to start the second. Dayan Viciedo flies to the gap in right, Nyjer Morgan makes the grab a step in front of the out-of-town scoreboard. Gordon Beckham lines to short center to move Castro up. Castro's picked off second by Wil Nieves, but Desmond can't get the ball out of his glove to throw to third. Freddy Garcia tries to bunt Beckham over, but the weak attempt allows Nieves to get the inning-ending DP. 1-0 Sox in the second...Adam Dunn K's swinging. Josh WIllingham lines to short. Roger Bernadina gets two-straight changes outside and doesn't come close, swinging K, 1-0 Sox after two.
3 - Juan Pierre grounds out to short, one down. Alexei Ramirez goes the other way with a humpbacked liner over second. Willingham goes back to the wall in left to collect Alex Rios' flyout. Paul Konerko spins what would be a foul ball a foot in front of home, Nieves with the play and tag...Ian Desmond K's looking to start the Nats' third. Wil Nieves goes down chasing. John Lannan takes a two-out walk, but Nyjer Morgan's grounder to first ends the third.
4 - Carlos Quentin grounds out to short, one down. Ramon Castro grounds to second, two down quickly for Lannan, who gives up a two-out hit to Dayan Viciedo for Viciedo's first Major League hit. Gordon Beckham hits his second-straight single to center. Two on, two out. Freddy Garcia K's swinging at an 0-2 change outside...The Guzzzzzzzzz finally gets the Nats' offense going with a leadoff triple in the fourth splitting the gap in right center, one hop and to the wall. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to short, Guzman stays put. One down. Adam Dunn grounds weakly toward first, the throw comes home, Guzman slides to the outside of the plate, slaps home, "Safe!!" yells the Ump. Tie game. 1-1. Josh Willingham lines to left with Dunn running, first and third with one out for Roger Bernadina. Bernadina smacks a grounder up the middle for an RBI single, 2-1 Nats. Ian Desmond lines out to right. Two down. Wil Nieves lines one to right to score the Hammer from second!! 3-1 Nats!!! Lannan's groundout ends the inning.
5 - Juan Pierre singles to right to start the Sox' fifth. Pierre's running when Alexei Ramirez singles by a diving Desmond at short, first and third with no outs. Alex Rios flies to right and off the base of the out-of-town scoreboard, one run scores, second and third with no outs, 3-2 Nats. Paul Konerko singles up the middle, two runs score, 4-3 White Sox. Lannan's done. Miguel Batista on against Carlos Quentin. Line drive single to right, second and third, no outs. Ramon Castro lines to right, bases loaded. Dayan Viciedo grounds to Guzman to Desmond to Dunn, double play, run scores, 5-3 White Sox. Gordon Beckham grounds to second. 5-3 Sox after four and a half...Nyjer Morgan lines a single to left to start the fifth. Guzman pops up a bunt, Zimmerman grounds into a DP, 5-3 Sox after five.
6 - Freddy Garcia grounds out to short, one down. Juan Pierre flies to Morgan in center, two down. Alexei Ramirez chases junk waaaay inside for strike three swinging...Adam Dunn grounds into the shift, one down. Josh Willingham rips a grounder by third for a one-out double and takes third on Roger Bernadina's groundout. Ian Desmond goes down swinging at a full-count change from Garcia, 5-3 Sox after six.
7 - Alex Rios flies to left for the first out of the seventh. Carlos Quentin pops out to Guzman at second. Batista gets Carlos Quentin swinging to end the top of the seventh...Wil Nieves grounds out to short, Alexei Ramirez makes the throw. Adam Kennedy flies out to right center. Nyjer Morgan flies out to right to end the Nats' seventh.
8 - Drew Storen on to start the top of the eighth. Ramon Casto can't hold up, strike three. Dayan Viciedo K's swinging at a slider way up high in the zone. Gordon Beckham flies out to center to end the Sox' eighth...Matt Thornton takes over on the mound for the White Sox in the eighth. The Guzzzz lines a single over third to start the frame. Ryan Zimmerman goes down swinging. Adam Dunn swings through a two-strike fastball low and away. Hammer gets the crowd excited but gets only as far as the warning track in left. 5-3 Sox after eight.
9 - Drew Storen's back out for the ninth. Omar Vizquel lines a single to right center to start the Sox' ninth. Juan Pierre's bunt moves Vizquel to second. Ian Desmond throws Alexei Ramirez out on a weak grounder to short. Two down. Vizquel to third. Alex Rios singles to center, Vizquel scores, 6-3 Sox. Storen throws a slider by Konerko up high for a swinging K to end the frame...Roger Bernadina lines another single up the middle of the field. Ian Desmond grounds into a force at second, one down. Willie Harris K's swinging. Two down. Pudge Rodriguez goes down swinging. Nats get swept in back to back series.