FanPost

Favorite Moments/Events from the 2006 Nats Season


The 2005 Nationals were in playoff contention well into September of that season, but the second season of baseball's return to DC did not go quite as well. An 8-17 mark in the first month of the season was an indicator that the Nats would struggle throughout the year, and struggle they did. Betrayed by a pitching staff that surrendered a National League high 872 runs, Washington finished with a 71-91 record on the year. Despite their woes, there were some high points to the season. Here's a look at a few of them.

1- SPECTACULAR SORIANO

Alfonso Soriano spent only one year in Washington, but it was a memorable one. Displaying power and speed, Soriano hit 46 homers, drove in 95 runs and stole 41 bases for the Nats in 2006. His best game in the campaign came on April 21st at RFK Stadium against the Braves. Fans who waited out a two hour rain delay saw a three home run performance by DC's newest star, with two of the homers coming off of Atlanta starter and future Hall of Famer John Smoltz. Soriano's biggest homer was an eighth inning three run blast off of Oscar Villarreal that cemented a 7-3 win for the Nats.

2- A DAVID AND GOLIATH WEEKEND

The 2006 New York Yankees won 97 games in route to an American League East title before losing to the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. The powerful Yankee squad visited RFK Stadium for three days in mid-June, and the packed houses at old RFK Stadium made for a playoff-type atmosphere. The visitors won the first game 7-5, rallying from a two run deficit by scoring a pair runs each in the 8th and 9th innings. In game two, it was the Nats turn to rally as Washington erased a 7-2 New York lead to win 11-9. The deciding game of the series came was won in dramatic fashion, as Ryan Zimmerman's two out, two run game ending homer erased a 2-1 Yanks' lead and gave Washiington a 3-2 win. The walk-off blast was the first of Zimmerman's career.

3- DRAMATIC ENDINGS

Despite finishing 20 games below .500 overall, the Nats did post a winning record (41-40) at RFK in the 2006 season. Of those 41 wins, nine came in walk-off fashion. Three of the walk-off wins came courtesy of Nats' homers. The first was Zimmerman's two run blast on Fathers Day against the Yankees. On July 1st, Nick Johnson hit a two out solo homer to give Washington a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. Three days later, Zimmerman provided early Fourth of July fireworks for a packed house as he hit a two out three run homer off of Florida's Joe Borowski to rally Washington to a 6-4 win. The walk-off win at home came on September 6th against the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, as Jose Vidro gave the Nats a comeback 7-6 win with a two run single to win the contest.

4- ORTIZ'S NEAR NO-NO

Hard throwing righty Ramon Ortiz struggled through most of the 2006 season, going 11-16 with a 5.57 ERA. However on Labor Day against the Cardinals, Ortiz thrilled a RFK Stadium crowd by holding the visitors hitless through eight innigns before giving up a single to St. Louis' Aaron Miles to start the ninth. Ortiz also contributed at the plate, hitting the only homer of his 12 year Major League career in the eighth inning to plate Washington's third run in a game the Nats would win by a 4-1 score.

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