clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nationals sweep two-game set with Astros with 7-0 win in Minute Maid Park

Jordan Zimmermann threw 6 1/3 scoreless. Anthony Rendon was 4 for 4 with two doubles and a home run in his first four at bats, and the Washington Nationals cruised to a 7-0 win and a two-game sweep of the Houston Astros in Minute Maid Park.

By Patrick Reddington
The Washington Nationals swept their two-game set with the Houston Astros. So you know what time it is...
The Washington Nationals swept their two-game set with the Houston Astros. So you know what time it is...

From tonight's post game:

Denard Span lined a 3-2 fastball from Houston Astros' lefty Brett Oberholtzer to the right-center field gap in Minute Maid Park for what was going to be a triple no matter what the outfielders did, but rookie right fielder George Spring misplayed it into a run, slipping, failing to pick the ball up three times and only getting it back in after Span was around third and headed for home run. Not an inside-the-park home run, but just as exciting.

Triple + E9 = 1-0.

Nats' left fielder Kevin Frandsen singled to center to start the fourth, then aggressively took third base on a second single to center by catcher Sandy Leon. Astros' outfielder Dexter Fowler threw too late to third and third baseman Matt Dominguez threw to first on the play, trying to catch Sandy Leon off first base, but sent a throw by Jesus Guzman and the bag. Frandsen came in on the error on Guzman and the Nationals took a 2-0 lead. Denard Span singled in the next at bat and he and Leon scored on an Anthony Rendon double to left that made it 4-0. A broken bat single to center by Jayson Werth brought Rendon in too, 5-0 after three and a 1/2 in MMP.

Danny Espinosa got hold off a 2-2 fastball from Oberholtzer in the top of the fifth and hit a two-out blast off the wall behind the Crawford Boxes. Home run no.3 of 2014 for the Nationals' second baseman. 6-0 Nats over the Astros after four and a half.

Anthony Rendon made it 7-0 Nationals with a solo home run to right field off Astros' reliever Paul Clemens.

The opposite field blast was Rendon's fourth of the year and his fourth hit of the night. 4 for 4 with two doubles and home run.

Jordan Zimmermann's line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 110 P, 72 S, 7/2 GO/FO.

With the win tonight, Jordan Zimmermann, with 45 W's, passed Livan Hernandez for the most wins by a pitcher since baseball returned to the nation's capital in 2005.

The Nationals swept the two-game set with the Astros with the win tonight in Houston.

More From Federal Baseball