Tonight's Top 5:
5. 1-2-3, 8-4-3: In two of Jason Marquis' 12 starts this season, including his last outing, he's failed to make it out of the first, so any time the 32-year-old right-hander throws a scoreless frame to start the game it's greeted by sarcastic remarks on the internets. But to be fair, the Nats' 2-year/$15M dollar investment has (before tonight's 1-2-3 top of the first) given up 17 ER in the first innings of his 11 starts, surrendering 15 hits and 10 walks, but 10 of those hits, 2 of the walks and 13 of the 17 ER he's allowed came in the two starts in which he hasn't escaped the first. Marquis lets Carlos Lee on when he has to duck for cover on a liner over the mound into center to start the second, but El Caballo's doubled up when Justin Maxwell drops a fly ball to center from Chris Johnson on the transfer and throws in to double up Lee, who's standing on second, but never tagged up. Maxwell to Espinosa to Dunn, 8-4-3 DP. Brett Wallace flies to center. 2.0 scoreless for Marquis.
4. More From The New 1-2: We're still celebrating firsts for rookie infielder Danny Espinosa, and he collects his first Major League triple to start the Nats' third, lining a 90mph 1-2 fastball from Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez off the wall in center and out of Astros' outfielder Jason Bourgeois' reach. Espinosa's middle infield partner Ian Desmond grounds to third to score the run and beats the throw to first for an infield single, an RBI and a 1-0 Nats' lead after three. Marquis gets the first two batters of the Astros' fourth, then hits Chris Johnson and gives up back-to-back two-out singles to let the tying run score. 1-1 game.
3. MOAR MORSE!!!...
No.12 on the year for Nats' right fielder Michael Morse goes out to straight-center on an 83mph first-pitch change that's got BP fastball written all over it. Morse crushes it. 'Stros' center fielder Jason Bourgeois tracks it to the wall and watches it fall over the fence. In September, before tonight, the 28-year-old OF/1B, Michael Morse, is 16 for 57 (.281) with 3 doubles, 1 HR, a .379 OBP and a .386 SLG in his last 17 games...
2. Jason Michaels Is A .251 Hitter...Astros' outfielder Jason Michaels is 3 for 3 on the night after his leadoff double over Roger Bernadina's head in left, 4 for 7 with a HR and a double now in the first three of four for Houston in D.C. Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman pulls Marquis quickly after 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER (w/ 1 potential run on), 1 BB, 2 K's, 96 pitches, 58 strikes, 8 groundouts, 6 flyouts. Doug Slaten walks the one batter he faces, Anderson Hernandez. Tyler Clippard comes on and gets a popped up bunt from Wandy Rodriguez. One down. Dunn throws to center, oh, guess he was aiming at second. (I kid, I kid.) Clippard gets Jason Bourgeois on a check swing strike thre--What? Ball four called. Riggleman does not like it and he heads out to the mound so he can let the ump know when "Blue" interrupts the meeting. Riggleman jaws at him a bit but doesn't get tossed, but the Nats lose the lead when Angel Sanchez follows with a two-run single to right. One run each on Marquis and Slaten, 3-2 Astros after six and a half...
1. SPINNER GOES YARD!!!: Astros' right-hander Jeff Fulchino spins Danny Espinosa around to the left side after he'd tripled from the right side off lefty Wandy Rodriguez earlier in the game. Justin Maxwell's on second with Espinosa up after a leadoff walk and a sac bunt from Alberto Gonzalez, and he gets to jog around third and score after Espinosa lifts a 1-0 fastball to right and just over the out-of-town scoreboard for a two-run blast and a 4-3 Nats' lead. SPINNER GOES YARD!!! Nats' reliever Joel Peralta pitches a scoreless eighth to preserve the lead and comes back out for the ninth with lefty Sean Burnett warming. Peralta gets a swinging K from Humberto Quintero and Burnett's on to spin Geoff Blum around. Blum singles on a full-count pitch. Jason Bourgeois grounds to short, Desi to Spinner to Not-Dunn at first, double play to end it, Nats win 4-3!!
• Miss The Game? The DC Fitful Were Watching...
• Final Score: Nats 4, Astros 3.
Nationals now 64-88.