clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Washington Nationals Win Third Straight, 2-0 Over San Diego Padres, End 11-Game Road Trip 6-5.

• Sunday Top 5: 

5. RISP FAIL: San Diego starter Tim Stauffer held the Washington Nationals off the board through six innings on May 28th when the Padres' visited Washington, but Nationals' outfielder Laynce Nix started the seventh with a solo HR for the only run the Nats would score that day in a 2-1 loss. Stauffer completed the seventh and earned the win. Jordan Zimmermann gave up five hits and two runs, both earned in 6.0 IP that afternoon, and the Nationals' bullpen combined for three scoreless, but the offense offered up just the one run of support.

Stauffer allowed the Nats to load the bases in the first this afternoon, walking Danny Espinosa with one down and surrendering a single to Laynce Nix before a HBP on Michael Morse. Wilson Ramos hit a grounder back to the mound, however and started an inning-and-rally-ending 1-2-3 DP. 

4. Who Are The Expos?: Rick Ankiel crushes a 1-0 fastball from Stauffer to start the second with a double. Jerry Hairston lines out to right, too hard to advance the runner. Ankiel takes third daringly on a groundout to short by Jordan Zimmermann, but he's stranded when Alex Cora grounds to second to end the frame...The Padres' load the bases with one down after Zimmermann walks rookie Anthony Rizzo and surrenders back-to-back singles to Nick Hundley and outfielder Will Venable. Alberto Gonzalez, down swinging. Tim Stauffer down looking. Zimmermann's second scoreless inning breaks a franchise record set by the 1977 Montreal Expos with 97.2 errorless innings. 

3. Make That 98.2 Errorless Innings: Jordan Zimmermann strikes Padres' outfielder Brad Hawpe out to end his third scoreless frame of the day with 6 K's. Hawpe watches as a 1-2 slider drops in over the top and just walks back to dugout, defeated. Zimmermann's thrown 53 pitches through 3.0, 36 of them strikes, and allowed just three hits and a walk, but the Padres' right-hander, Tim Stauffer's retired nine straight following Ankiel's leadoff double in the second, and after a 25-pitch first, San Diego's starter finishes his fourth scoreless frame at 60 pitches even, 37 of them strikes. The Nats' can't turn a double play on an Anthony Rizzo grounder to second that follows a leadoff single by Ryan Ludwick. Force at second, Rizzo's safe at first. Nick Hundley gets hit by a pitch and there are two on with one out, but Zimmermann gets them out of the fourth, striking Will Venable out with a nasty 1-2 slider and popping Alberto Gonzalez up to keep it scoreless through four. 

2. DIY Zim(n)!!: Jordan Zimmermann takes a four-pitch walk from the Padres' starter in the fifth, and Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman has him running when Alex Cora punches a hit-and-run single through short. The Nationals' pitcher goes first-to-third™ on the single, and Cora takes second on a wild pitch to Werth. 2nd and 3rd, one down. Jayson Werth K's chasing a 1-2 curve into the dirt. Two down. Danny Espinosa's groundout to second strands both runners. The Nats are 0 for 6 so far with RISP this afternoon. 

1. Support Zim(n)!!!: Tim Stauffer walks Laynce Nix to start the sixth, and tries a kick save on a grounder to the mound by Michael Morse, rendering the potential DP ball unplayable. First and second with one down. Wilson Ramos misses a bunt attempt and takes a called strike before grounding into a 4-6-3 DP. Two down and Rick Ankiel lines out to first for out no.3 and two more stranded. 0 for 8 with RISP. Jordan Zimmermann strikes out two of the three batters he faces in his sixth scoreless. After Jerry Hairston's hit by a pitch to start the seventh, Zimmermann tries to bunt the runner over, but hits it too hard, force at second. One down. Alex Cora grounds sharply by first into right, and Zimmermann goes first-to-third™ again on what ends up being a double. Second and third for Werth, who lines out to short. BABIP!!!! Danny Espinosa strikes out swinging through a 92 mph heater. 0-0 after six and a half...

0. 10 K!!: Jordan Zimmermann strikes Padres' catcher Nick Hundley out with an 0-2 slider in the San Diego seventh. That's 10 K's for the Nats' starter, one away from tying a career-high, and he's set 11-straight down since the HBP on in Hundley in the fourth. Two fly ball outs follow and Zimmermann completes his seventh scoreless frame of the afternoon. Laynce Nix doubles to start the eighth. Michael Morse's fly to right allows Nix to advance. Wilson Ramos grounds to second with Nix running on contact and he's out at home. Not even close. Rick Ankiel K's swinging to end the top of the eighth. Still 0-0.

-1. FINALLY!!!: Todd Coffey replaces Jordan Zimmemann after 7.0 scoreless, 4 hits, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K's, 101 pitches, 69 strikes, 5 groundouts and 5 flyouts. Coffey retires the Padres in order. Matt Stairs and Alex Cora hit back-to-back one-out singles off Padres' closer Heath Bell in the top of the ninth. Once again it's Jayson Werth at the plate with runners on in front of him. Werth takes a base-loading walk on a full-count pitch from Bell. Danny Espinosa flies to right and deep enough. Brian Bixler, (Stairs' pinch runner), scores from third. 1-0 Nats. Laynce Nix lines to right, one run scores, but Chris Denorfia throws Werth out at home. 2-0 Nats in the ninth...

-2. STOREN WARNING!!: Chris Denorfia, who made an amazing catch on Espinosa's sac fly, and a strong throw home to get Werth, singles off Nats' closer Drew Storen to start the ninth. Jerry Hairston makes a barehand play and throw on a weak grounder to third by Ryan Ludwick. Out at first, runner to second. Anthony Rizzo gets up 2-0, fouls off a fastball and takes a curve for a called strike before popping up a 97 mph 2-2 fastball. Two down. Nick Hundley grounds back to the mound. 2-0 Nats win! Storen's 15th save. The Nats' third straight. Zimmerman's back on Tuesday...

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

Num Name - Comments
1 dc Roach - 186
2 Jeff T - 90
3 Doncosmic - 75
4 MissB - 69
5 d_c_guy - 64
6 FanSince05 - 57
7 rachel216 - 53
8 RoscoeNats - 39
9 cookielover - 34
10 cat daddy3000 - 31

 

Nationals now 30-36.