Tonight's Top 5:
5. SHAKE N BAKE!! After Ryan Zimmerman ties the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to right off Padres' right-hander Jon Garland, Adam Dunn lifts a fastball off the outside of the plate to straight center for a 3-run blast and a 4-1 Nats' lead. Adrian Gonzalez took J.D. Martin deep to left for an opposite field blast in the top of the first on a first pitch fastball outside and low, but Garland gives up a leadoff single to Nyjer Morgan, a walk to Roger Bernadina, the RBI line drive to right by Zimmerman and the three-run blast by Adam Dunn that leaves it 4-1 Nationals after one.
4. Why Pitch To Gonzalez? Jon Garland singles to start the Padres' third and he's standing on second with two down and Adrian Gonzalez at the plate. Gonzalez, who'd hit an opposite field HR with two out in first to get San Diego on the board, fouls off a few 1-2 pitches and lines a 1-2 fastball outside to left and over Josh Willingham's head for a two-out RBI double. 4-2 Nats. With Scott Hairston, who's batting .229 after he K's, up after Adrian Gonzalez, why pitch to Gonzalez exactly? And why throw exactly the same pitch in the same place he hit one out in his first AB?
3. SHAKE N BAKE AGAIN!!!...
...First pitch fastball from Garland to Adam Dunn to start the Nats' third, SHAKE N BAKE!! Adam Dunn hits his second HR of the light, and the second HR just to the left of center field with the kind of power that might add a prospect or two to the deal if the Nats decide to trade him or a million or two to the deal if Dunn signs to stay...Where are we today? Trade Dunn or DTAD??? Will The RZO get a deal he likes? Dunn's got 19 HR's, 5-2 Nats. 6-2 Nats on Ian Desmond's sixth HR of the year. Garland hangs a curve and Desmond hits it into the batter's eye grass.
2. Not Another, E: 75 - Nats' right-hander J.D. Martin tries to "step around", "wrangle", "sneak up behind" a weak two-out grounder back to the mound and he comes up empty to let Chase Headley on. Originally called E: 75 for the Nats in 2010. Nick Hundley singles to left to put two on with two out and it's the end of the line for J.D.Martin tonight. Martin's Line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, 1 HR, 96 pitches, 60 strikes, 8 groundouts, 3 fly outs. (ed. note - Later ruled a hit, - 1 E, E: 74 for the Nats on the season.") Joel Peralta gets the Nats out of the sixth and gets the first out of the seventh before surrendering Chris Denorfia's first HR of the season. 6-3 Nats after seven. Drew Storen gives up 2 runs on 3 hits when the Ump refuses to recognize his sliders as the strikes they are, but Storen preserves the Nats' lead 6-5...
1. SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!!!!! Adam Dunn hits the third of three HR's in the bottom of the eighth, to make it 7-5 DC, and the Washington Nationals end up needing all three Dunn dingers...Matt Stairs takes Matt Capps deeep in the top ninth to make it 7-6 Nats...and the All-Star reliever continues the DC Closer Tradition of "Making It Interesting", letting the tying run get to third with only a leaping stab by Adam Kennedy on a liner with eyes for right holding the Nats' lead in tact and allowing Capps to finally get the final out on a groundout from Chase Headley to first where Adam Kennedy fields and steps on the bag. Dunn's 20th HR of the year, his third tonight, is the first Padres' reliever Joe Thatcher has allowed this year, and it's ends up being the game-winner.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
| Num | Name - Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 | souldrummer - 132 |
| 2 | grizzy - 81 |
| 3 | RoscoeNats - 51 |
| 4 | Dave from NNN - 50 |
| 5 | MissB - 39 |
| 6 | natsstats - 31 |
| 7 | PerryMason - 17 |
| 8 | bluelineswinger - 14 |
| 9 | gannett123 - 11 |
| 10 | d_c_guy - 10 |
• Final Score: Nationals 7, Padres 6.
FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - J.D. Martin gets a groundball to short from Tong Gwynn, Jr. that Ian Desmond handles. Desmond has a harder time with a sharp grounder from Jerry Hairston, Jr., but he still throws him out from deep in the hole. Adrian Gonzalez takes Martin yard, opposite field, solo HR, 1-0 Padres. Scott Hairston pops up behind home to end the Padres' first...Nyjer Morgan slaps a single to left to start the Nats' first. Roger Bernadina's up, a wild pitch allows Morgan to take second. Bernadina walks in front of Ryan Zimmerman. Zim lines to right, Morgan scores, 1-1 ballgame. Adam Dunn up with two on. GONE!!! SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!! Dunn goes deeep to center and out of the park. Three-run HR, 4-1 Nats. Josh Willingham doubles off the left field wall. Pudge Rodriguez grounds out to move Hammer to third. Adam Kennedy takes strike three on a two-seamer inside that's a called strike. Ian Desmond gets the intentionals. J.D. Martin lines out to right. 4-1 Nats after one.
2 - Chase Headley tests Adam Kennedy at second, who makes the play on a weak grounder. Josh Willingham catches the second out off of Nick Hundley's bat. Aaron Cunningham lines to right-center and tries for second on Nyjer Morgan's arm, barely beating the throw to the bag. Everth Cabrera K's swinging over a two-strike curve to end the top of the second...Nyjer Morgan flies out to Tony Gwynn, Jr. in center. Roger Bernadina goes down swinging at a 2-2 curve. Ryan Zimmerman gets sawed off and lines to Jerry Hairston, Jr. at second.
3 - Jon Garland singles to center off J.D. Martin. Tony Gwynn Jr. K's swinging at a curve from J.D. Martin. Jerry Hairston, Jr. grounds back to the mound, Martin knocks it down and throws him out. Adrian Gonzalez with one on, two out. Two-out double over Willingham's head in left, Garland scores, 4-2 Nats. Scott Hairston K's swinging....Adam Du--SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Solo HR to start the third and it's 5-2 Nats an out after the Padres score. Josh Willingham K's swinging. One down. Pudge flies out to right. Adam Kennedy lines to left for a single with two down. Ian Desmond lines to right, Aaron Cunningham tracks it down.
4 - Chase Headley lines to center on a jam shot but Ian Desmond makes a leaping catch to rob him of a hit. Nick Hundley doesn't want to swing and he K's after being up 3-0. Aaron Cunningham grounds to short, Ian Desmond throws him out...J.D. Martin grounds out to short. Nyjer Morgan bunts one back to Jon Garland. Roger Bernadina flies out to Scott Hairston in left. Still 5-2 Nats.
5 - Everth Cabrera walks to start the fifth and takes second on a sac bunt by Jon Garland. Tony Gwynn, Jr. flies out to left. Two down. Jerry Hairston, Jr. flies out to Josh Willingham in left, 5-2 Nats in the fifth...Ryan Zimmerman lines to center in front of Dunn. Adam Dunn pops out to third. Willingham grounds to third, Chase Headley to Jerry Hairston, Jr. to Adrian Gonzalez.
6 - Adrian Gonzalez grounds out to Adam Dunn. Scott Hairston grounds out to Adam Kennedy at second. Chase Headley grounds weakly to the mound, J.D. Martin misses it and then gives up a two-out single to Nick Hundley, which ends Martin's night. Joel Peralta gets a grounder to third from Aaron Cunningham that Zim handles...Ivan Rodriguez grounds out to third. Ian Desmond destroys a fastball from Garland and it carries all the way out into the batter's eye for a solo HR and a 6-2 Nats' lead. Joel Peralta goes down swinging.
7. Everth Cabrera K's chasing a splitter from Peralta, who serves up a fastball for pinch hitter Chris Denorfia that's launched to left on the warm summer air. Solo HR, 6-3 Nats. Sean Burnett comes on and gets a groundout from Tony Gwynn. Jerry Hairston, Jr. grounds to short to end the San Diego seventh...Joe Thatcher takes over for the Padres. Nyjer Morgan K's chasing a fastball up high. Roger Bernadina pops out to short. Two down. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to Everth Cabrera at short to end the seventh.
8 - Adrian Gonzalez singles to right off Drew Storen to start the Padres' eighth. Scott Hairston grounds out to short. Chase Headley lines a single to left, Gonzalez to third. Nick Hundley takes a 2-2 pitch that should be strike three and then lines a full-count pitch to left to bring the Padres within two at 6-4. 6-5 when Aaron Cunningham's groundout scores Chase Headley from third. Storen gets a line drive to left from Oscar Salazar to preserve the Nats' lead. 6-5 in the eighth...Adam Dunn's third HR of the night is the first HR this year off Padres' left-hander Joe Thatcher. 7-5 Nats. Ryan Webb replaces Thatcher, and walks Josh Willingham, who's doubled-up on a line drive back to the pitcher by Pudge. Adam Kennedy grounds out to second.
9 - Matt Capps gets a groundout to first baseman Adam Kennedy from Chris Denorfia. Matt Stairs launches one to left and out of the yard. 7-6 Nats. Jerry Hairston, Jr. lines a single to left. One on, one out. Adrian Gonzalez drops a two-out single into center. Scott Hairston lines toward right, Kennedy knocks it down, and throws to second for the force. Two down. Chase Headley with runners on first and third, 7-6 Nats. Sharp grounder to first, Kennedy catches it in his gut and hustles to first, ballgame. Nats win.