• Quick Recap:
• Riggleman's lineup pays off early. Alberto Gonzalez hits a leadoff single in the first. Ian Desmond goes the other way with a single, and Zim knocks them both in with an RBI grounder through short. 2-0 Nats. 3-0 when Zimmerman scores on a Michael Morse single. (Walk-up music change = 1-1 for Morse. Ian Desmond to right = Eckstein.) 3-0 Nats.
• [The entire crowd was dancing when Wil Nieves stepped to the plate.] Wil Nieves jacked a hanging bender from D-Backs' lefty Joe Saunders for his second HR of the year. Nieves sends one soaring out to center for a 4-0 Nats' lead. Nieves' first HR since May 18th in St. Louis.
• John Lannan retired the first seven batters he faced tonight, striking out two and getting two groundouts and three flyouts before surrendering a one-out single to Gerardo Parra in the third. Lannan walks the first batter of the night in the fifth, a one out free pass to Mark Reynolds. Reynolds scores on a line drive double by Stephen Drew, and Drew scores on a single by Gerardo Parra, 4-2 Nats after four and a half.
• E: 92 - The Nats retake the league-lead in E's from the Cubs with their 92nd on a throw to first by Wil Nieves that sails wide pulling Dunn off the bag on a bunt attempt by Joe Saunders in the D-Backs' fifth. Nieves' 5th error of 2010, the Nats' 92nd...Update: Cubs' Blake DeWitt commits and error in a game against St. Louis to tie it up at 92 again.
• Sean Burnett replaces Lannan after the seventh and retires the D-Backs in order. Three straight K's for the second left-hander of the night for the Nats. 14 pitches, 10 strikes in a quick eighth inning. Still 4-2 Nats and the Flat-Brimmed Closer Drew Storen is warming in anticipation of earning his second save. But Riggleman leaves Burnett in for the ninth. Kelly Johnson lines to the mound. Justin Upton pops out to second. Adam LaRoche K's to end the game.
• Nats avoid matching season-high six-game losing streak which stretched from June 15-June 20th when the Nats dropped three to the Tigers and three to the White Sox...Lannan's Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's, 101 pitches, 65 strikes, 11 groundouts, 5 flyouts. Desmond's 3 for 4 in the two-spot and he collects his 20th double of 2010. Adam Dunn goes 0 for 3 with 2 K's and 4 LOB. Zim 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's. Maxwell 0 for 4 with 2 K's.
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
• Final Score: Nats 4, D-Back 2.
?'s Raised:
• Why hasn't Alberto Gonzalez been batting first all year? (Not serious.)
• Is Wil Nieves suddenly hitting HR's cause he hears Wilson Ramos coming. (Kinda serious.)
• Is Dunn going to start hitting again soon?
• OT: How many will the Nats sign? Harper, Solis, Cole, Ray? 1 for 4? 4 for 4? Update: MLB.com's Bill Ladson says Sammy Solis, the Nats' second round pick is close to signing.
• Not-So-Quick Recap:
1 - Nats' starter John Lannan gets a fly ball to left for Josh Willingham off Chris Young's bat. Kelly Johnson takes a fastball inside for a called strike three. Justin Upton K's swinging in a quick 1-2-3 first...Alberto Gonzalez sends a leadoff single back up the middle. Ian Desmond goes the other way with a line drive single to right. Two on for Adam Dunn, who grounds out to first. Second and third for Ryan Zimmerman. Zim rips a grounder by Stephen Drew at short, two runs score, 2-0 Nats. Josh WIllingham flies out to right. Michael Morse singles through short, Zim scores. Gerardo Parra makes the second bad throw home. Morse to second. 3-0 Nats. Justin Maxwell flies to right.
2 - Adam LaRoche flies to Maxwell in center. Miguel Montero grounds weakly to Ian Desmond at short. Mark Reynolds grounds to third, Zim fields and throws him out....Wil Who? Wil Nieves launches a hanging bender from Saunders to center for a 4-0 Nats' lead on Nieves' second. Alberto Gonzalez follows a Lannan lineout with a one-out single to right. Ian Desmond smokes a double to left and off the wall. Second and third for Dunn. Dunn K's chasing. Ryan Zimmerman takes a two-out walk. Hammer flies out to center.
3 - Stephen Drew pops out to Zim at third. Gerardo Parra singles up the middle for the first hit of the game by the D-Backs. Parra takes second on a bunt by Saunders. Chris Young K's swinging and it's three scoreless for the Nats' lefty...Michael Morse flies out to C. Young in center and Justin Maxwell grounds out to short. Wil Nieves singles through short with two down. John Lannan K's looking to end the third, 4-0 Nats.
4 - Kelly Johnson vs John Lannan. Johnson grounds out to Dunn, who tosses to Lannan covering. Justin Upton grounds out to Zimmerman at third. Lannan collects his fourth K, striking out Adam LaRoche...Alberto Gonzalez flies out to center. Desmond sends another out out to Young. Adam Dunn K's swinging to end a quick fourth.
5 - Lannan gets a fly ball out to left off Miguel Montero's bat. One-out walk to Mark Reynolds, Lannan's first. Reynold's scores on a Stephen Drew double to right over Dunn's glove. 4-1 Nats. Gerardo Parra lines to center to score Drew and draw Steve McCatty out to the mound. 4-2. Joe Saunder's is on when Wil Nieves' throws it wide of first. Chris Young grounds to third, Zim to Gonzalez to Dunn...Ryan Zimmerman starts the Nats' fifth with a single. Josh Willingham flies out to right field. One down. Michael Morse flies to right. Maxwell K's chasing a bender.
6 - Kelly Johnson singles through second to start the sixth. Lannan gets a grounder from Upton to second, Gonzalez fields steps on the bag and throws to first. Michael Morse catches a fly ball from LaRoche...Wil Nieves grounds out to second base. John Lannan grounds out and so does Alberto Gonzalez.
7 - Miguel Montero K's swinging on a bender from the Nats' left-hander, who's still in. Mark Reynolds grounds out to Ryan Zimmerman at third. Stephen Drew grounds to Dunn, Dunn to Lannan covering, 4-2 Nats in the seventh...Ian Desmond lines a single to center. Joe Saunders hits Dunn and he's done. Two on for Ryan Zimmerman. Esmerling Vasquez gets a DP grounder from Zimmerman. Josh Willingham walks to put two on for Morse. Morse grounds into a force at second.
8 - Gerardo Parra K's swinging at a sinker inside. Ryan Church K's swinging over a sinking fastball. Chris Young's the third victim...Justin Maxwell K's swinging. Wil Nieves grounds out to the mound. Roger Bernadina lines out to short and it's Burnett coming back out.
9 - Kelly Johnson lines back to Burnett, one down. Justin Upton pops out to second. Adam LaRoche K's swinging and has to be thrown out.