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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER It should be another beautiful night for baseball at Nationals Park. |
I had to go back and re-read my story from that night to recall the details of a deal that at the time looked like little more than Jim Bowden dealing a veteran rent-a-player to Atlanta for the stretch drive.
Well, give Bowden credit for that one. Or at least, give credit to whichever Nats scout recommended Atilano. Even though the then-21-year-old right-hander had just undergone Tommy John surgery three weeks earlier, someone felt his chances of returning from the injury were strong.
Tonight, Atilano goes for his third win in as many big-league starts, and he'll face his former organization.
Check back for updates throughout...
BRAVES AT NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN-HD
Radio: WFED-1500 AM, WWFD-820 AM
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from RF
STARTING LINEUPS
NATIONALS (14-12)
CF Nyjer Morgan
2B Adam Kennedy
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam Dunn
C Ivan Rodriguez
LF Willie Harris
SS Ian Desmond
RF Roger Bernadina
P Luis Atilano
BRAVES (11-15)
CF Nate McLouth
2B Martin Prado
3B Chipper Jones
C Brian McCann
1B Troy Glaus
RF Jason Heyward
LF Matt Diaz
SS Omar Infante
P Tommy Hanson
6:57 p.m. -- They just did a moment of silence for Ernie Harwell. Nice touch.
7:00 p.m. -- For those wondering about Willingham, Jim Riggleman said his day off has more to do with getting Willie Harris in the lineup than anything. But those who noted Willingham is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in his career against Hanson (a stat my subscribers perhaps saw in my preview of this series) are correct.
7:07 p.m. -- We're underway, and it's not an encouraging start for Luis Atilano, who walked Nate McLouth on five pitches to get this one going.
7:15 p.m. -- The good news: Atilano didn't give up a run. Or a hit. The bad news: He walked two, went to a three-ball count on the first three batters and threw only seven of 19 pitches for strikes. Pudge bailed him out big-time by gunning down McLouth trying to steal second.
7:19 p.m. -- Small ball puts the Nats up 1-0. And somewhere, Manny Acta is rolling over in his grave. After Nyjer Morgan sends a ground-rule double over the drawn-in outfield, Adam Kennedy drops a sac bunt to move Morgan to third. Ryan Zimmerman's broken-bat fly ball to center is deep enough to score Nyjer, and just like that the Nats take the lead.
7:33 p.m. -- Atilano can't keep falling behind hitters all night and expect to get away with it. He walked Glaus to lead off the second, then after getting two outs went 3-0 on Omar Infante. After pumping in two strikes, Atilano hung a 76 mph curveball over the plate, and Infante just mashed it into the left-field bullpen. Braves now lead 2-1.
7:36 p.m. -- Surprising move for the Braves. Jason Heyward is out. Melky Cabrera now playing right field. Will let you know once we know what happened.
7:37 p.m. -- Ian Desmond to the rescue! The rookie leads off the bottom of the second with a solo homer to left, his third of the season and yet another extra-base hit for the young shortstop. Twenty-two of Desmond's 42 hits as a major-leaguer now have gone for extra bases. His career slugging percentage: .531.
7:43 p.m. -- And another double by Nyjer Morgan (his second in two innings) brings home another run. Nats up 3-2, and we've barely just begun tonight.
8:00 p.m. -- Looks like it's going to be one of those nights. The Braves tie the game again in the top of the third with a double by Prado and an RBI single by Chipper. Atilano is doing a little better job throwing strikes, but he's still not nearly as sharp as he was in his first two starts. It's now 3-3 going to the bottom of the third.
8:06 p.m. -- The update on Heyward: He came out of the game with a sore right groin. His status is day-to-day.
8:55 p.m. -- Just got back after spending the last couple innings in the stands shooting photos -- Springfield Fan: Thanks for introducing yourself. It was great to meet you -- so let's catch everyone up. It's currently 4-4 in the top of the sixth, and Atilano is laboring. Looks like he's on the verge of being pulled. Not nearly as effective tonight as he was the first two times out. Ivan Rodriguez, on the other hand, remains hot at the plate. He's 2-for-3 tonight, and his RBI single in the fifth scored Adam Kennedy to tie this game up once again.
9:09 p.m. -- Jim Riggleman spoke before the game about the improvement he's seen from Sean Burnett in the last couple weeks. "He's really gotten better and better every time," the manager said. Well, Burnett came in to replace Atilano with two on and one out in the sixth and promptly served up an RBI double to McLouth and then an RBI groundout to Martin Prado that required a spectacular barehand play from Desmond. The Braves retake a 6-4 lead, and the bloom on Burnett's rose has shrunk a bit.
9:22 p.m. -- Tonight's paid attendance: 15,616.
9:36 p.m. -- Things have slowed to a crawl here, and the Nats' bats have gone silent. After Hanson retired the side in the sixth, sidewinder Peter Moylan tossed a scoreless seventh, issuing only a two-out walk to Adam Dunn. Brian Bruney now on to pitch the eighth for the Nats and try to keep the deficit at two runs.
9:55 p.m. -- And the Nats are back in business. With two on and one out in the eighth, Riggleman elected to pinch-hit Josh Willingham for Justin Maxwell. Smart move. Willingham tagged a base hit to left, scoring two, and just like that we're tied 6-6 after eight. Pretty telling, though, about Maxwell's fading status on the roster that he would be pinch-hit for by a fellow right-handed hitter.
10:02 p.m. -- Let's go to the bottom of the ninth. Tie game. Zimmerman, Dunn and Pudge due up for the Nats.
10:09 p.m. -- I've said this before, and I'll repeat it here: Adam Dunn needs to swing the bat more. With one out, no one on and the game tied in the ninth, he just stood there watching a 2-2 pitch whiz by him for strike three. Dunn has five plate appearances tonight. He's put the ball into play only once: a third-inning popout. Three walks and that backwards "K" right there. Wouldn't you have rather seen him swing three times from his heels and try to walk off with a win? Instead, we're heading to the 10th, still tied 6-6.
10:14 p.m. -- Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Matt Capps has given up a run. A leadoff single by Troy Glaus in the 10th, followed by a sac bunt and a base hit to right by Matt Diaz brings home the go-ahead run and puts the Braves up 7-6. First run allowed by Capps in his last 10 appearances. This one, of course, was not a save situation.
10:27 p.m. -- That'll do it. The Nats suffer a tough 7-6 loss. Rallied to tie it in the eighth, only to lose it in the 10th.
30 comments:
After Nyjer and Kennedy, this lineup is R, L, R, L all the way down. Ah, that crafty Riggleman. He just luvs to manage.
And he is doing a fine job of it!
Riggleman really seems to have his stuff together. If we finish anywhere in the neighborhood of 500 this year, what sort of extension would you expect him to get?
Mark,
I remember that trade that brought us Luis, great move on getting a young pitcher who we had plenty of time to wait on. One of the good moves that JB made...easy to remember those!!!
No Hammer tonight? i wonder whether its just a night off to rest or something else behind this decision.
According to Kilgore, it's just a night off. Riggleman wants to give the regulars an occassional break as this series starts a run of 20 games in 20 days. Next off day isn't until May 24.
It was pointed out in the comments section at NJ that Hammer is 0 for 9 against Hanson with 4 K's. Probably a good time for the night off.
I just commented on Mark's CSN post about Marquis itching to get back on the mound. I can't believe it. It sounded as though Marquis really, seriously would like to start the Nats game this Saturday. No rehab, no real medical treatment or anything.
Has he forgotten the last time he tried to pitch? That game-ERA of infinity? His joining the ranks of the 15 pitchers in the history of BASEBALL to start a game and not record an out?
How many runners did Nats catchers throw out stealing last year? Has Pudge already exceeded that number in 2010? Sure seems like it, love what that guy brings to the defense!
Uncle Atom: Nats catchers threw out 38 of 127 basestealers last season (30 percent success rate). So far this year, Pudge has thrown out three of five (60 percent). Nieves has thrown out only one of eight (12.5 percent).
Mark,
Do you remember back at the first Season Ticket holders lunch in Jan 09 when a fan asked Acta about playing some small ball to try to get the team going and Acta ridiculed the fan?
Riggleman is soooo different than Acta. Bunting Kennedy in the first inning against Hanson is smart....get a lead...gain some confidence....Acta would never do that because of the Saber numbers but Riggleman understands baseball is much more than a spreadsheet.
Recall Acta and you for that matter saying that taking infield before a game is just not done and not effective...nobody does it.....well this team does and they are polar opposites to an Acta team that had no idea where to throw or how to cover a bunt play. Riggleman often comes out to in tight games not to take out a pitcher but to talk about how to play situations....ACTA NEVER did that once.....Back in January you said that you were not ready to give Riggleman credit.....now about now?
DESI!!!! BABALOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Jay B: I've written a few times already this season about the fine job Riggleman has done with in-game managing. He has a real knack for putting players in situations in which they can succeed, especially when it comes to late-inning defensive replacements and bullpen use. I think he's absolutely been a factor in the Nats' strong start to the season.
Mark: What's your take on the Nats aggressiveness on the basepaths, though? I like the matchups that he's played and how he's managed the rosters. I'm not always sure that we value our baserunners enough.
Souldrummer: They have been a bit overaggressive on the bases at times, though I don't know if that's a product of calls from the dugout or guys doing it on their own. Nyjer Morgan in particular has been kind of sloppy on the bases, and I think he's mostly inflicting that upon himself.
Mark,
I also recall all your comments about taking Infield before games and how little value that had. This team knows what to do when the ball is hit to them. They do not let runners take extra bases on OF throws and they understand defensive plays.....How much of that is Riggs making fundamentals and defense a priority....how much of 2008 and 2009's 143 errors was Acta playing for 3 run homers and not appreciating "Small Ball"?.....do you remember his tone to that fans question?
Mark,
As you may recall I put a great deal of value on Tim Foli during spring training....what have you seen of his contributions so far?
Jay B: The Nats' much-improved defense is attributable, more than anything, to the fact they've upgraded SEVEN positions in the field since the first half of 2009: Pudge behind the plate, Desmond at SS, Kennedy at 2B, Dunn at 1B (instead of LF), Morgan in CF and Harris/Maxwell/Bernadina/Taveras in RF.
Mark,
Yes talent is much better especially C and SS/2B but the type off error and poor defense that dominated 2009 was not due to lack of talent. Guzman not getting to a ball was not an error. The poor defense was so much more about not covering bases...not throwing to the right base, not know what having a plan to limit the damage of a hit ball to you.....those errors were mental in nature and that does not have anything to do with talent...it is preparation and drilling that makes a player play smart. Still if you want to hold on to the idea that Acta managing this team would have the same results go right ahead....just make sure you check the Indians box scores and standings once and a while.....He seems to have found his new Anderson Hernandez clone to lose games for him in CLE
Nyjer, if you're gonna slide headfirst at least beat the throw
I wish Jim Riggleman would quit worrying about gettting Willie Harris his AB's. The Nats will not contend with Willie Harris in the starting line up. Give Maxwell some consistent playing time to see if he is a major league hitter or AAA+.
TYLER WALKER.. are you serious? This game is over.
JayB, you're an idiot.
Nieves for Bernadina? Riggs, are you out of your mind?
Yeah, good insight about the defense, JayB. It's not the fact that we have better defensive player at 6 or 7 positions - it's that Riggleman made guys (some of whom aren't around any more) take infield practice last year.
Mark,
I know because I am there often much it seems at least one of your readers does not know anything about the pre game defensive work going on this year before every home game. Can you enlighten them and remind them of Foli's role that is not unique in the league but rare these days to say the least.
JayB, just because Riggleman happens to be a good manager doesn't mean that Acta was a bad manager. They had totally different teams to work with. Their approaches to the game are clearly different - but that doesn't mean one is right and the other wrong. It's your constant insistence that everything Riggleman does right is further proof that everything Acta did was wrong that makes you an idiot. Give us a break and try to enjoy the team's current success without making it a constant referendum on the past, as seen from your own idiotic and warped Acta-hating perspective.
Anonymous, Acta is much less involved with his players than Riggs is. His teams in Washington were very cliqueish with very little total team interaction.
This team is much more together than any team Manny had.
I don't hate Manny but I do not find his management style conducive to winning baseball.
"Anonymous, Acta is much less involved with his players than Riggs is. His teams in Washington were very cliqueish with very little total team interaction.
This team is much more together than any team Manny had."
But how much of that was due to Acta and how much to the players involved? Riggleman was bench coach last year and manager the second half, yet he didn't break up the cliques. That happened when the cliquish players were replaced this year with new guys.
Who's to say that Manny's style wouldn't work if he was given a team to manage that's as together as the one Riggleman has now?
ABM is that you....did you max out your email accounts for screen names or just did we finally get to the end of your twisted imagination?
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