Tonight's Top 5:
5. Atilano + HBP = 1-0 NY: Nats' right-hander Luis Atilano hits Ruben Tejada square on the numbers, plunking the Mets' shortstop in the back with one down in the first. David Wright follows with a grounder up the middle that zman" class="sbn-auto-link">Cristian Guzman can't get to, and Tejada takes third. Atilano gets a grounder to second from NY 1B Ike Davis that should be a DP, but Guzman drops it and settles for the out at first as the first run of the game crosses, 1-0 Mets. No E, but there should be. Atilano was out of it...
4. 4th Keeps Getting Worse: 1-0 Mets after three. David Wright rips into a 90mph sinker inside, taking it for a ride, doubling off the out-of-town scoreboard in right center to start the Mets' fourth. Two walks later the bases are loaded for Mets' backstop Rod Barajas, who pops out to short center. Wright won't run, even on Nyjer Morgan's arm. Jeff Francoeur lines out to short, two down. Atilano almost out of trouble, but he leaves an 0-1 sinker up and over the middle of the plate for Alex Cora, long fly to right, Michael Morse tracks it, leaps, off his glove, three runs score, 4-0 Mets. NY lefty Jon Niese doubles to left, Cora scores, 5-0 Mets. Atilano's done:
Luis Atilano's Line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's, 74 pitches, 48 strikes, 3 flyouts, 3 groundouts.
3. Cy Niese And His Cutter: 117 pitches, 77 strikes, 8 K's, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, that's all Jon Niese allows over 7.0 IP. That's a career-high in K's for the left-hander whose cutter was diving under the Nats' bats all night, and the second-straight strong start after 6.0 scoreless against the Minnesota Twins in his last outing. The 25-year-old '05 7th Round pick out of Defiance, Ohio improves to (6-2) with the win after a tense ninth almost puts his lead in jeopardy...(see no.1)
2. E: 20, E: 70 - After the Hammer gets the Nats on the board with his 15th HR to make it 5-1 NY after seven innings, Ian Desmond commits his 20th error, and the Nats' 70th in 82 games. Top of the eighth, Desmond charges on a weak chopper to short by Alex Cora and comes up empty, putting two on with two outs, and chasing Nats' lefty Sean Burnett. Miguel Batista gets a backwards K from Chris Carter to end the frame, but the E stands.
1. Bernadina Gets Picked: Adam Dunn K's for the third time in four at bats to start the ninth with the Nats still down 5-1. Mets' lefty Pedro Feliciano does his job and Elmer Dessens takes over. Ryan Zimmerman takes a 1-2 fastball, a 2-2 slider and then a full-count fastball for a one-out walk. Josh Willingham lines out to left and the Nats are down to their last out. Pudge Rodriguez lines to right and gets it past Jeff Francoeur. Zimmerman takes third on the Pudge double. Roger Bernadina, who hit a HR off K-Rod in NY, hits for Michael Morse, and lines an RBI single over second to make it 5-2 Mets. Ian Desmond goes back up the middle with an RBI single. 5-3. Willie Harris works the count full. Francisco Rodriguez spins and throws to second, Ruben Tejada blocks Bernadina's path to the bag and makes the tag, "You're OUUUT!!" yells the ump as he punches the air.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
| Num | Name - Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 | grizzy - 67 |
| 2 | Doghouse - 46 |
| 3 | brook - 44 |
| 4 | rachel216 - 42 |
| 5 | MissB - 35 |
| 6 | RobBobS - 32 |
| 7 | Nationalpastime9 - 23 |
| 8 | RoscoeNats - 14 |
| 9 | TJL - 14 |
| 10 | wxguy - 12 |
• Final Score: Mets 5, Nats 3.
Nationals now 35-46.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Nats' right-hander Luis Atilano gets up 0-2 on Angel Pagan and gets a groundout to Cristian Guzman at second to start the game. Mets' shortstop Ruben Tejada takes a fastball on the numbers and takes a base. David Wright rips a grounder up the middle, Cristian Guzman can't get there. Ruben Tejada goes first to third. Ike Davis grounds to second for what should be a DP, but Guzman drops it and settles for the out at first while the hit batter scores. 1-0 Mets. Atilano throws a two-strike fastball by Jason Bay. 1-0 NY after a half...Nyjer Morgan hits a weak grounder to third that Wright can't handle. Cristian Guzman against Mets' lefty Jon Niese. Guzman goes down swinging at a curve. Nyjer Morgan steals second and Wright pushes his leg off the bag. Adam Dunn K's looking to end the first.
2 - Cristian Guzman backs up into short right to catch a popout from Barajas. Atilano throws a fastball by Jeff Francoeur for a swinging K. Alex Cora grounds to second and the Guz backhands it and throws to first...Ryan Zimmerman singles through the right side of the infield to start the Nats' second. Josh Willingham K's swinging at ball four. Pudge goes down swinging. Michael Morse pops out to right for Francoeur. 1-0 Mets.
3 - Jon Niese K's looking to start the Mets' third. Angel Pagan flies out to the track in right center where Morgan makes the grab. Ruben Tejada stares a two-seam fastball all the way in for a called strike three outside. 1-2-3 third for Atilano...Ian Desmond K's swinging over another cut fastball. Luis Atilano grounds out to second. Two down. Nyjer Morgan lines back up the middle over Niese's head for a single. Guzman grounds into a force at second. 1-0 Mets after three.
4 - David Wright doubles off the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center for a leadoff double. Atilano walks Ike Davis and Jason Bay to load the bases for Barajas. Atilano pops up Barajas, short center, no chance for Wright to score from third. Jeff Francoeur lines out to short. Two down. Alex Cora gets under one, sending a fly ball to right, Morse at the out-of-town scoreboard, misses it. Three runs score. Triple for Cora. 4-0 Mets. Niese lines to left to score Cora, 5-0 NY. Joel Peralta on for Atilano...Adam Dunn goes down swinging. Ryan Zimmerman too. Josh Willingham rips a two-out single by David Wright at third. Pudge Rodriguez K's swinging over a cut fastball.
5 - Ruben Tejada grounds out to first, Dunn tosses to Peralta covering. David Wright lines a one-out single over a leaping Ian Desmond at short. Ike Davis flies to center. Wright takes second on Morgan's arm. Jason Bay flies out to right and it's a scoreless fifth for Joel Peralta....Mike Morse flies out to right field. Ian Desmond pushes a line drive over first and into the right field corner. One-out double for Desmond. Joel Peralta's groundout to second moves Desmond up. Nyjer Morgan pops out to left to end the fifth.
6 - Rod Barajas flies out to Morse in shallow right. Jeff Francoeur reaches for a slider outside and pushes it into center for a one-out single. Alex Cora flies out to the Hammer in left. Two down. Jon Niese grounds out to second to end the Mets' sixth...Cristian Guzman pops out to first. Adam Dunn lines out to center. Two down. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to Ruben Tejada at short, still 5-0 NY.
7 - Angel Pagan singles to center off Joel Peralta. Ruben Tejada flies to left for the first out. Pagan steals second as Wright K's swinging. Two down. Peralta's done. Sean Burnett on to face Ike Davis. Strike three looking on a slider across the zone...Josh Willingham rips a change up and outside to left and out of the park in a hurry!! No.15 on the year for the Hammer. 5-1 Mets. Pudge Rodriguez lines to short left and gets robbed by Francoeur who makes a shoestring grab. Michael Morse flies out to Pagan in center. Ian Desmond pops out to Davis foul of first. 5-1 Mets after seven.
8 - Sean Burnett starts the eight on the mound against Bay. Burnett gets a groundout to second for the first out. Rod Barajas flies out to right. Two down. Francoeur singles to right with two down. Ian Desmond charges a slow chopper by Alex Cora and drops it. E: 20, E: 70. Miguel Batista takes over for the Nats. Batista gets Chris Carter looking to end the top o' the eighth...Adam Kennedy and Nyjer Morgan both ground out, Kennedy to short, Morgan to second. Cristian Guzman flies out to center to end the eight. Mets' right-hander Bobby Parnell with a 1-2-3 eighth.
9 - Nats' lefty Doug Slaten throws a quick 1-2-3 ninth. Angel Pagan K's swinging. Ruben Tejada makes Slaten throw a strike to first on a swinging bunt. David Wright grounds out to third as the Mets go down in order...Adam Dunn vs Pedro Feliciano. Dunn K's chasing. Elmer Dessens replaces Feliciano. Ryan Zimmerman takes a one-out walk. Josh Willingham lines out to left. Two down. Pudge Rodriguez doubles over Frenchy's head in right. Zimmerman takes third. The Mets go to their closer. K-Rod to take on Roger Bernadina. Bernadina lines a single over second, Zimmerman scores, 5-2 Mets. Ian Desmond grounds an RBI single up the middle. 5-3. Willie Harris up, works the count full...and K-Rod picks Bernadina off second. No!!