Washington Nationals' Bullpen Holds Lead, Brad Peacock Earns Win In 1st Start, 2-0 Nats Over New York Mets.

• Brad Peacock vs The Mets Top 5: 

5. Bring Back The Mouthpiece: Mets' right-hander Mike Pelfrey avoided the Washington Nationals this season until September 4th, when he made his first start of the year against New York's NL East rivals. In that outing, Pelfrey's 18th career start against the Nats, the 27-year-old '05 1st round pick carried a 2-0 lead into the fourth before Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos doubled in runs around an RBI groundout by Chris Marrero in a three-run inning that temporarily gave the Nationals a lead they blew later in a game in which Pelfrey received no decision. Ian Desmond singled to start the Nats' 19th game against Pelfrey and stole second with Rick Ankiel at bat. Ankiel walked to put two on, but a DP grounder off Ryan Zimmerman's bat and a swinging K by Michael Morse brought an abrupt end to a 16-pitch first by Pelfrey...

4. Peacock Strut: Brad Peacock got squeezed on a low 95 mph 1-2 fastball, but popped Jose Reyes up behind home with an 83 mph 2-2 change for his first retired batter as a Major League starter. Ruben Tejada flew to center on a 95 mph 1-1 fastball and Lucas Duda flew out to left in an 11-pitch, 9-strike 1-2-3 bottom of the first by the Nationals' 23-year-old right-hander. After a 17-pitch second by Pelfrey in which Chris Marrero singled with two down but was stranded, Peacock retook the hill. A 94 mph full-count fastball got a fly to left from David Wright. A 1-1 change got a fly to right from Angel Pagan and Peacock popped Jason Bay up with an 0-2 fastball that Jesus Flores and Ryan Zimmerman converged on behind home before letting it in fall in foul. Peacock wasted three pitches popping Bay up again to complete a 19-pitch second. 

3. Zim > Wright: Error no. 17 on the year by David Wright to start the top of the third. Ian Desmond reaches first safely on what should have been a routine groundout. Desmond then scored from second on a single to center by Michael Morse after a walk to Ryan Zimmerman. 1-0 Nationals. Pelfrey gets ahead of Jayson Werth then leaves an 0-2 fastball up that the Nats' right fielder sends back up the middle for the second-straight RBI single, driving Zimmerman in for a 2-0 lead. Brad Peacock's third inning is extended slightly by a two-out walk to the opposing pitcher. The right-hander starts Jose Reyes with a 73 mph bender that gets a swinging strike, then goes with an 81 mph change for strike two before a 92 mph 4-seamer gets a groundout. 3.0 scoreless on 47 pitches by Peacock, just one walk allowed...

2. No-Hit Bid Ruined: Brad Peacock strikes out to end the Nats' fourth, then gives up the first hit of his starting debut on a single to center by Ruben Tejada in the Mets' half of the inning. A wild pitch to Lucas Duda allows Tejada to take second and Peacock misses with a full-count curve and walks Duda. Two on, no one out for David Wright. A fly to right advances Tejada to third. Peacock gets a called strike three with a 93 mph 0-2 fastball to Angel Pagan, then issues walk no. 3 of the night to Jason Bay to load bases for rookie 1B Josh Satin, who pops a 2-2 change up to third to end the fourth scoreless by the Nats' starter. The Nationals go down in order on seven pitches from Pelfrey in the top of the fifth and Peacock responds with a quick inning in which he allows only a two-out single to Jose Reyes before he completes a 16-pitch fifth after a 31-pitch fourth. Peacock's at 94 pitches, 61 strikes, with 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K's, 2/6 GO/FO through 5.0 scoreless. 

1. Hold On For Peacock: Tom Gorzelanny replaces Peacock in the sixth and puts two runners on with two down before striking Josh Satin out to end another scoreless inning in New York. Still 2-0 Nationals. Mike Pelfrey sets the Nats down in order in a 10-pitch top of the seventh. The Mets' right-hander's retired 11 of the last 12 batters he's faced with Danny Espinosa's two-out single in the 6th the Nats' only hit after Chris Marrero's leadoff single in the fourth. 94 pitches, 67 strikes for Pelfrey. Gorzelanny returns in the seventh, surrendering a leadoff double by Justin Turner before retiring the next three batters in order to strand the Mets' infielder at third. Still 2-0 Nats. 

0. Clip And Store: Tyler Clippard takes over in the eighth. Lucas Duda K's swinging over a filthy 82 mph 2-2 change. David Wright K's looking at a 78 mph 1-2 slider. Angel Pagan pops a 93 mph 1-2 fastball up to the infield. 3 up, 3 down. Still 2-0 after the Nats go down in order in the ninth and Drew Storen's out looking for save no. 37 of 2011. Jason Bay works the count full and walks on a 94 mph fastball up and inside. The Nats' closer gets behind Willie Harris 3-1 and misses with a full-count fastball. Two on, 0 outs. Justin Turner pops up a bunt attempt. One down. Jason Pridie grounds back to Storen and into a force at second, but no DP. Jose Reyes rips into a 2-0 fastball to center but lines out to a diving Rick Ankiel to end it. Great catch. Storen's 37th save. Peacock's first curly-W and the Nationals 70th win of 2011. 

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

• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: "Game 146: "[Franking] Ankiel OWNS Center!" --Mrs. Doghouse":

via www.fangraphs.com

• C'mon, shake your tail-feather: Brad Peacock (+26.2%) doesn't go yard, but he throws 5 shutout innings in spite of 3 BBs and only 2 Ks.
• He'd still really rather start: Tom Gorzelanny (+13.7%) throws 2 clean innings in relief.
• Two-out rally time! Michael Morse (7.8%) singles in a run for the lead in the 3rd (+13.4%), then Jayson Werth (+5.4%) singles in another one to tack on (+10.3%)--both with two outs.
• ANKIEL!! Rick Ankiel (-2.0%) doesn't actually get the WPA for his game-ending diving catch on a liner hooking and diving away from him, but the +8.6% it was worth didn't do the snag justice anyhow.

Nationals now 70-77.