clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Washington Nationals Take Two Straight, 4-3 Over Kansas City Royals.

Tonight's Top 5: 

5. Zimmer's Back!! After walking three times last night, Ryan Zimmerman rips a line drive single to left in his first at bat and rips an RBI double by Alberto Callaspo at third in his second trip to the plate, putting the Nationals up 1-0 after three. Before tonight, Zim was 2 for 23 in the previous two series against the Tigers and Sox and the first game of the KC series, and 14 for 63 overall in June (.222/.367/.333)...But the 3 walks yesterday had folks thinking his eye was back and the two smoked singles through four innings tonight seem to have confirmed it. Zimmerman ends the night 2 for 4 with his 15th double of 2010. 

4. Mr. 100!!! Josh Willingham's 100th career HR puts the Nats up 2-0 in the fourth. A 1-0 fastball from Anthony Lerew gets launched to left for HR no.13 of 2010. HR no.1 of Willingham's career? July 18th, 2004 off Pirates' left-hander Oliver Perez in Willingham's fifth Major League game with the Florida Marlins, who drafted the 6'2'', 215lb Florence, Alabama-born outfielder out of the University of North Alabama with the 491st pick in the 17th Round of the 2000 MLB First-Year Player Draft. 615 games later, the 31-year-old slugger hits no.100 off the Kansas City Royals' right-hander to put the Nats up 2-0 in the fourth inning of tonight's game. 

3. SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Adam Dunn's 17th HR comes off the Royals' Lerew. Straight center, the wall is 409ft and Dunn done cleared that and then some!!! The 333rd HR of Dunn's career, 7th HR in the last 14 games. In 71 games this season, Dunn's got a .275/.365/.569 slash line with the 17 HR's, 20 doubles, 2 triples and 41 RBI's after going 1 for 4 tonight.

2. Luis Atilano's A K Machine!!: With Pudge calling for high heat from Luis Atilano when hitters are expecting everything to sink, the Nats' right-hander collects 3 K's in his first two innings on the mound, retiring the Royals in order in the first and giving up back-to-back one-out singles in the second before striking out Mike Aviles with a fastball up high and getting a grounder to the mound from Yuniesky Betancourt to strand two...Atilano's throws four scoreless, but gives up back-to-back singles to start the fifth before a sac bunt and sac fly score the Royals' first run. After getting out of the fifth with the lead in tact, Atilano gives up another leadoff single in the sixth before striking out Billy Butler for his 5th K of the night and getting lifted for Joel Peralta, who gets a DP grounder from Jose Guillen on the fourth pitch he throws as a National, ending the sixth.

1. Clipp And Sa...Sa...[Fonzie Kicks Capps]...SAVE!! THERE WE GO!!!!: Drew Storen throws a scoreless seventh and comes back for the eighth when everyone in Nationals Park is expecting Clippard and Capps on "Clipp and Save" t-shirt Tuesday. 4-1 Nats. Storen gives up a leadoff double to start the eighth and walks the second batter he faces, so Tyler Clippard's called into the game. Clippard gets groundouts from Jason Kendall and David DeJesus and pops up Billy Butler to end the eighth, then it's Matt Capps in the ninth trying to convert 22nd save. Jose Guillen flies out, ONE...Alberto Callaspo singles. Wilson Betemit singles. Yuniesky Betancourt singles. Bases loaded. Uh? Chris Getz pops out. TWO!! Scott Podsednik...lines to right, two runs score, 4-3 Nats. Capps vs Jason Kendall. Pop-up to first, Adam Kennedy catches it. Ballgame...Nats win two-straight against the Royals. 

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

Num Name - Comments
1 Doghouse - 138
2 grizzy - 88
3 ryzim22 - 80
4 MissB - 73
5 RoscoeNats - 48
6 brook - 43
7 cat daddy3000 - 38
8 Potomac Fan - 13
9 SeanMac1 - 13
10 Princess Jazzy - 12
11 Dave at NNN - 11

• Final Score: Nats 4, Royals 3. 

Nationals now 33-39. 

FULL GAME REPORT - 

1 - Scott Podsednik lines to lef--The Guzzzz goes up to bring it down, one out for Nats' right-hander Luis Atilano. Jason Kendall K's swinging for the second out. The Nats get the call on a low two-strike fastball to David DeJesus, whose backwards K ends the Royals' first...Nyjer Morgan flies to left on the first pitch from Royals' right-hander Anthony Lerew. Cristian Guzman grounds to second on the third pitch of the inning. Ryan Zimmerman rips a line drive to left, but Adam Dunn swings at the first pitch and grounds into the shift. 

2 - Billy Butler vs Atilano in the second. Grounder to short, Guzman's got it. Jose Guillen hits a pop fly to left that falls in between Guzman, Morgan and Josh Willingham who charges in too late. Mike Aviles swings through a heater up high. Yuniesky Betancourt grounds back to Atilano, three down...Josh WIllingham lines a double off the left field wall over Podsednik's head. Ivan Rodriguez grounds back to Lerew. Roger Bernadina lines a fastball outside into left for the second out. Adam Kennedy grounds to second to end the second.

3 - Anthony Lerew K's looking to start the Royals' third. Atilano covers first on Podsednik's groundout. Jason Kendall flies out to right to end KC's third...Luis Atilano grounds out to third, and Nyjer Morgan grounds to second, two down with the Guz up, and he singles to right with two down. Ryan Zimmerman rips a grounder by Callaspo at third for an RBI double into the left field corner, Guzman scores from first, 1-0 Nats. Adam Dunn grounds into the shift. 1-0 Nats after three. 

4 - David DeJesus grounds out to Kennedy at second, one down for Atilano. Billy Butler lines out to right. Jose Guillen fights off a fastball inside and flies softly to right for a single that brings Alberto Callaspo up to bat. Line drive to right, Bernadina's there...Josh Willingham launches a fastball from Lerew to left and GONE!! No.100 of his career to make it 2-0 Nats. Pudge Rodriguez singles to center. Roger Bernadina lines to center!! Adam Kennedy drops a single in front of David DeJesus. Bases loaded. Atilano goes down swinging. Nyjer Morgan's fly to center scores Pudge from third. 3-0 Nats. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second 49 minutes after his AB started, 3-0 Nats after long rain delay. 

5 - Mike Aviles gets an infield single on a grounder to second. Yuniesky Betancourt hits a pop fly to center that falls in. Anthony Lerew gets a sac bunt down to move both runners up. Scott Podsednik flies to right to score Aviles from third, 3-1 Nats. Jason Kendall grounds out to short, Nats hold lead, 3-1 in the fifth...Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to Betancourt at short. Adam Dun--SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!! Deeeeep to center and gone!! Solo HR to the deep part of the park. 4-1 Nats!!  Josh Willingham doubles off the left field wall. Pudge K's swinging. Roger Bernadina flies out to center, 4-1 Nats after five. 

6 - Luis Atilano gives up a leadoff single to David DeJesus. Billy Butler K's swinging at a fastball outside and Atilano's done. Joel Peralta's coming on in relief. Jose Guillen grounds to Guzman at short, to Kennedy, to Dunn, double play!! 6-4-3 DP in Peralta's first appearance, still 4-1 Nats...Adam Kennedy takes a leadoff walk. Alberto Gonzalez hits for Peralta. Dusty Hughes takes over for the Royals. Nyjer Morgan flies out to Podsednik. Cristian Guzman's got a two-out infield single on a grounder in the mud. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to Guillen in right to end the sixth. 

7 - Drew Storen on to work the seventh. Alberto Callaspo grounds to Guzman behind second, one down. Mike Aviles grounds out to short on the 10th pitch of the AB. Storen pops Betancourt up and Adam Kennedy catches the third out...Adam Dunn starts the Nats' seventh with a pop-up to the catcher. Kanekoa Teixeira replaces Dusty Hughes and gets a grounder to third from Willingham and one to second from Pudge.

8 - Chris Getz gets hold of a fastball from Drew Storen and rips a double by third to start the Royals' eighth. Storen walks Podsednik and he's done. Tyler Clippard gets a pop fly over first from Jason Kendall, Kennedy makes the catch. David DeJesus grounds sharply to second, off Kennedy's chest, but he recovers to make the play. Billy Butler flies out to deeeeep center, but not deep enough...Roger Bernadina vs Teixeira, swinging K and a throw to first, one down. Adam Kennedy grounds out to first. Ian Desmond gets a pinch hit chance. Full count, pops out to right. Here comes Capps!!

9 - Matt Capps vs Jose Guillen. Pop to short left, Hammer has it. ONE!!! Alberto Callaspo lines a single over second, and WilsonBetemit grounds through Guzman, two on, one out. Yuniesky Betancourt with a swinging bunt, infield single, bases loaded. Chris Getz pops out, two down. Scott Podsednik lines to right, two runs score, 4-3 Nats. Jason Kendall pops out to Kennedy at first, ballgame. Nats win, 4-3.