• Top of the first, two on, two out after Adam Dunn K's swinging on three pitches, and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez works the count full before chasing ball four, but he gets a piece of it, and Braves' catcher David Ross drops it as he pulls it out of his glove? What happened? The home plate Ump punches Pudge out saying Ross just lost the ball pulling it out of his glove after the third out. The umps decide to discuss it, and the call stands. Pudge argues and gets tossed, (for tossing bat/helmet apparently), so the Nationals have to insert Wil Nieves in the order, batting fifth...That should go well. (ed. note - Sorry, Nieves. Wil Nieves is the only one who ends up doing anything with the bat...)
• Scott Olsen's unfazed by the catching change, and the Nats' lefty retires the first six Braves' batters he faces on just 17 pitches. Olsen has a hard time with the opposing pitcher, Mike Minor, but he retires the Braves in order in the third, finally getting Minor looking and is through the lineup once. 12-pitch third. Olsen gives up a leadoff single in the fourth. Omar Infante grounds one up the middle that Ian Desmond manages to get a glove on, but can't grab. Olsen strikes out Jason Heyward as Infante steals second, and then hits Matt Diaz with a pitch. Troy Glaus K's swinging through a full-count fastball to end the fourth. 21-pitch frame. A quick 1-2-3 fifth follows as Olsen completes his fifth scoreless on just 58 pitches...
• Wil Who? OK. I admit I feared the worst when Wil Nieves was forced to replace the tossed Pudge Rodriguez, but the Nats' backup backstop comes through with an RBI double in the sixth to score Ian Desmond two outs after the Nats' SS had singled to start the frame. 1-0 Nats. Michael Morse doubles into the left-center gap to score Nieves. Nats up 2-0.
• The Braves finally get to Olsen in the bottom of the frame, with pinch hitter Diory Hernandez replacing the Braves' starter Mike Minor (after 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's, 105 pitches, 68 strikes), and hitting a solo blast to left on a 3-1 fastball from the Nats' left-hander that's begging to get launched, 2-1 D.C. Omar Infante follows with a triple to right-center and Olsen's out after a one-out walk to Jason Heyward, Olsen tells his glove he's not happy. Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman with the quick hook. Olsen's Line: 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, 70 pitches, 40 strikes...Joel Peralta replaces Olsen and gives up an RBI double to Martin Prado, 2-2, and a two-run double to Matt Diaz to make it 4-2 Braves after six.
• E: 3, 94, 7, 95: It gets ugly after that. Rick Ankiel starts the Braves' seventh with a sharp grounder to first that eats up a stunned Dunn, who loses it only to have Alberto Gonzalez back him up and toss it by a covering Doug Slaten at first for the Nationals' 94th error of 2010. Gonzalez's third. Slaten walks Omar Infante to put two on for Jason Heyward, who grounds to first too, Dunn throws it away trying to start a double play, clear over Ian Desmond's head and into left-center. Ankiel scores, 5-2 Braves. Martin Prado hits an RBI single, 6-2, Melky Cabrera, a two-out, two-run double, 8-2 Braves, and 10-2 on two runs off Craig Stammen in the eighth....What happened?
Mike Minor wins first Major League game. [Everyone claps.]
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...
| Num | Name - Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 | souldrummer - 116 |
| 2 | RobBobS - 77 |
| 3 | grizzy - 70 |
| 4 | ajk9hy - 66 |
| 5 | Doghouse - 62 |
| 6 | Jorgath - 56 |
| 7 | PerryMason -39 |
| 8 | MissB - 26 |
| 9 | Harmon K - 24 |
| 10 | d_c_guy - 24 |
• Final Score: Braves 10, Nationals 2.
Nationals now 51-68.
• FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Braves' left-hander Mike Minor gets a grounder to short for Alex Gonzalez from Alberto Gonzalez, one down in the first. Ian Desmond takes a high 2-2 pitch outside and walks on a fastball low and away. Ryan Zimmerman lines a single to center, one hop in front of Melky Cabrera. Adam Dunn's down 0-2 and he fouls strike three into David Ross' mitt. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez swings at ball four and K's to end the Nats' first...Omar Infante grounds weakly to Zim at third. Jason Heyward grounds out to Dunn at first. Ian Desmond throws out Martin Prado. Scott Olsen's through one.
2 - Michael Morse flies out to right, one down for Minor. Kevin Mench grounds out to Gonzalez at short. Justin Maxwell flies to right ending a quick Nats' second...Matt Diaz grounds weakly toward third and Ryan Zimmerman makes it look easy, sidearm toss, classic Zimmerman. Troy Glaus K's swinging, two down for Olsen. Alex Gonzalez flies out to right to end the second, 0-0.
3 - Scott Olsen grounds out to Infante at second. One down. Alberto Gonzalez pops out to Troy Glaus at first. Ian Desmond grounds out to short, 1-2-3 3rd for Mike Minor...Melky Cabrera flies out to Justin Maxwell, one down for Olsen. ATL backstop David Ross grounds out to short. Mike Minor K's looking, Olsen's through three scoreless.
4 - Ryan Zimmerman K's looking to start the Nats' fourth. Adam Dunn chases strike three waaaay outside. Wil Nieves singles to center with two down and Michael Morse walks. Kevin Mench flies out to Melky Cabrera in left-center...Scott Olsen back out, Desmond gets a glove on a grounder up the middle, but can't get it. Leadoff single. Jason Heyward K's swinging while Infante steals second. Justin Maxwell makes his way over to left-center to catch Martin Prado's flyout. Olsen hits Matt Diaz in the foot. Two on, two out. Troy Glaus K's swinging at a full-count fastball to end the fourth.
5 - Justin Maxwell pops out to short to start the Nats' fifth. Olsen grounds out to Martin Prado at third. Alberto Gonzalez skies the third out to short, 0-0 score after four and a half...Justin Maxwell tracks down Alex Gonzalez's fly to center. Melky Cabrera lines sharply to Zimmerman at third, two down. David Ross grounds sharply to third, Zim's got it, 0-0 after five quick frames.
6 - Ian Desmond starts the Nats' sixth with a leadoff single to right. Ryan Zimmerman K's swinging way over a two-strike change from Mike Minor. Adam Dunn grounds weakly to Troy Glaus at first. Wil Nieves rips a double by third to score Desmond and make it 1-0 Nats with two down in the sixth. Michael Morse doubles into the left-center gap, Nieves scores, 2-0 Nats. Mench grounds to short to end the top of the sixth...Diory Hernandez gets a pinch hit appearance and makes the most of it with a solo HR to left to cut the Nats' lead in half, 2-1 Nationals. Omar Infante triples to the right-center gap, Morse can't get to it. Olsen walks Jason Heyward and he's done. Joel Peralta takes over against Martin Prado. Prado doubles to right, Infante scores, 2-2 game. Matt Diaz doubles over third to score Heyward and Prado, 4-2 Braves. Peralta strikes out Glaus. One down. Alex Gonzalez K's looking. Melky Cabrera gets the intentionals and David Ross grounds into a force at second to end the sixth.
7 - Justin Maxwell K's swinging to start the Nats' seventh. Kyle Farnsworth gives up a one-out double to left by Adam Kennedy. Alberto Gonzalez K's swinging through a fastball. Ian Desmond grounds out to first to end the Nats' seventh...Doug Slaten vs Rick Ankiel. Grounder to first, Dunn blows it, and Alberto Gonzalez tries to help, but throws it by Slaten at first as he tries to cover. Omar Infante walks. Doug Slaten vs Jason Heyward. Heyward grounds to first, Dunn throws to second going for the DP and airmails it, one run scores, 5-2 Braves. Martin Prado singles to score Infante, 6-2 Braves. Brooks Conrad walks. Bases loaded. Slaten done. Craig Stammen on. Grounder to short from Troy Glaus, Desmond throws home for the force. Alex Gonzalez K's swinging. Two down. Melky Cabrera sends a blooper to left, and it drops in, 8-2 Braves on the two-run double. Stammen gets David Ross looking to end the seventh.
8 - Ryan Zimmerman vs Takashi Saito. Zimmerman K's swinging to start the frame. Adam Dunn down swinging, two down. Wil Nieves doubles off the right field wall. Michael Morse flies out to right...8-2 ATL...Stammen stays on to face Rick Ankiel. Groundout to second. Omar Infante grounds to short. Jason Heyward singles to center with two down. Martin Prado chops a single over Stammen's shoulder. Eric Hinske singles to right to score Ankiel, 9-2. Glaus doubles to score Heyward, 10-2 Braves. Alex Gonzalez lines to left and Roger Bernadina makes a diving catch to end the frame.
9 - Christhian Martinez on to end it for Atlanta. Roger Bernadina flies out to the wall in left field. Justin Maxwell grounds to Prado at third. Two down. Willie Harris grounds to first to end it. Braves win 10-2.