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Photo courtesy Houston Astros The Nats look to shake off last night's tough loss at Minute Maid Park. |
A couple of thoughts about the way the game ended: 1) Yes, Berkman went around on that check swing and should have been called out, ending the game. 2) You can't blame it all on that missed call, because the Nats had plenty of other chances to win the game without that play. 3) Matt Capps really only made one mistake the entire inning, on the double by Cory Sullivan. He was done in by Ryan Zimmerman's error, an intentional walk and a very nice piece of hitting by Berkman on that final pitch (which was low and out of the strike zone). 4) The Nats had some golden opportunities to pad their lead in the eighth and ninth but got some poor at-bats from Adam Kennedy, Cristian Guzman, Josh Willingham and Alberto Gonzalez.
So instead of going for their third straight tonight, the Nationals will look to bounce back from yet another tough, one-run loss. John Lannan faces Wandy Rodriguez in a matchup of left-handers.
I didn't make the trip to Houston with the club, so there will be no in-game updates. As always, please feel free to converse with each other throughout...
NATIONALS at ASTROS
Where: Minute Maid Park
Gametime: 8:05 p.m.
TV: MASN2-HD
Radio: WFED-1500 AM, WWFD-820 AM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 86 degrees, Wind 8 mph out to CF
STARTING LINEUPS
NATIONALS (26-27)
CF Nyjer Morgan
2B Cristian Guzman
1B Adam Dunn
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Josh Willingham
SS Ian Desmond
RF Michael Morse
C Wil Nieves
P John Lannan
ASTROS (18-34)
CF Michael Bourn
2B Jeff Keppinger
1B Lance Berkman
LF Carlos Lee
RF Hunter Pence
3B Pedro Feliz
SS Tommy Manzella
C Humberto Qunitero
P Wandy Rodriguez
38 comments:
I concede that I did not see the game, but fail to understand how we could have a 7-6 lead but lose 8-6.
All the things that you said about the game are true Mark. Still, in all, it was neat the way they came back. Good teams come back like that. Some good at bats, and some weak at bats. Capps wasn't as bad as the result would indicate. He made some good pitches.
What's up with Michael Morse? When did he get away from Mike? Mike is a perfectly fine moniker. I'm a little hot under the collar by this, you know?
Signed
Michael Harris
The way I hear it, he was tired of being monosyllabic.
Glad to see him in the lineup against the lefty. He at least stands a chance.
It's kind of funny to look at the bottom of our lineup and groan, and then look at the bottom of their lineup and suddenly not mind.
I'm also ticked he cut his hair.
Why doesn't monosyllabic only have one syllabel? Odd that a word that describes ONE should have five?
I'm getting punch drunk waiting for Tuesday.
Trivia: Can you name the diet soft drink with 11 syllabels? Is that how you spell syllabels?
"syllable"; took me two tries to get it. (spell check)
Still, in all, it was neat the way they came back. Good teams come back like that.
Its extremely galling ... exasperating perhaps is a better word? That Jim Bowden turned out to be right when he said that by the end of May the Nats would be in the NL East basement without additional help from outside.
Anon - You lost me at Jim Bowden.
Mark, any news on Detwiler and Wang? Are they throwing at all, long toss, off a mound, live hitters? Any ideas when we might start seeing them show up in a MiLB box score?
Detwiler just told Johnny and Phil that he will make his first rehab start Wed June 9 for the P-Nats.
FYI, Tigers and Indians have an interesting game going on through 7th.
I heard Willie Harris wants to change his last name too.
He thought something with about 11 syllabelles would sound nice.
Former Nats farmhand Armando Galaraga has quite the game going in Detroit against Acta's squad.
Make that through 8 innings.
Armando Galaraga, 75 pitches through 8 innings. Gotta love that.
8 2/3 perfect, then a single
That wasn't a single. That was a worse call then last night's check swing.
It's beginning to feel like old times.
In spring training we looked like a FAST team that would play great DEFENSE. Now we barely steal bases and make lots of stupid errors.
We're reverting to the team that takes cold-hitting players and heats them up.
We make clown-losers like Wandy look like Cy Young. This joker has struck out SIX of ten outs in this game!
We heat up cold teams.
We keep things really close, then do just enough to lose at the end.
We believe we can win in MLB without a right fielder.
Our pitchers and pinch-hitters fail to get down sacrifice bunts.
We choke with the bases loaded.
Strasbug cannot fix all this himself.
Back to the Nats game..............8th walk for Zim in the series so far
What is up with the umpires in MLB? That was an obvious blown call that cost Detroit a perfect game. Come on, on the last out of a perfect game, the ump should have made the right call, even if there was the slightest bit of doubt.
Wow, what an interesting scenario - MASN breaks to commercial, thinking Hammer struck out, but it was catcher's interference. The Nats get new life in this inning...
I'm switching over to the O's game. It's way more fun to watch the Orioles lose than to watch the Nats lose.
Orioles are now 15-38
Have we just been overrating the Nats all season? I remember people talking about sweeping the Astros... now we'll be playing for a series tie tomorrow. Cheese And Crackers!
Meixler, it started yesterday in the 1st inning of the game, giving the worst hitting team in the league some confidence.
Bad time to do it.
This is really pathetic. Hapless, lifeless. The comparisons of Desmond to Jeter are starting to die down a bit. The Nats are one injury away from another 100-loss season. Strasburg can look forward to lots of 2-1 losses, with the two runs unearned thanks to his team's defense.
Desmond looks like he needs a day off, no excuse but it has been a long road trip. Focus has definitely been a challenge for a few position players. Is it just me or does Lannan need to work quicker to keep the guys behind him in the game and on their toes.
Hahaha Doomsday for the Nats at 26-28? Everything evens out in the end. The Nats are a team on the rise, but they are not playoff contenders just yet...I believe the earliest predictions were for 2012.
IMO they need Pudge back... it's very simple, they've been away from him too long. Not just for his attitude but because he is so much better than the rest of our catchers.
Cwj - With so much parity in the NL this year, I still think the Nats can knock off a long winning streak and go after the Wild Card.
2011 I think is certainly in reach for a serious run. Rizzo knows where his holes are and he also needs to take care of a few contract extensions. I am one that believes Adam Dunn is an integral part of the success and needs a contract extension.
They need to do whatever it takes to tighten up the defense. If by the Allstar break that has not happened, all the good pitching (even Strasburg) in the world won't get you the Wild Card.
K.D. said...
"They need to do whatever it takes to tighten up the defense. If by the Allstar break that has not happened, all the good pitching (even Strasburg) in the world won't get you the Wild Card."
This season has been a lot more fun than the last 2-3 years but an objective evaluation of the Nats says they're not true competitors for the WC.
The Nats have some hitting but they still have way, way too many at bats where they get themselves out. Desmond is beginning to remind me a little of a non-muscular Elijah Dukes - trying to pull everything. Unless you're an elite hitter, that's a recipe for a short career.
N. Cognito... good call on Desmond. He needs to take breaking and off speed stuff up the middle and to right field. The whole team strikes out too much.
And speaking of strike outs, J. Max went 3 for 5 last nite in Sryacuse ( no hits but 3 K's).
NatsJack, don't you mean JMax was 0-5?
I agree with Cwj: "The Nats are a team on the rise, but they are not playoff contenders just yet."
If we're not happy with 26-28, remember that at one point last year we were 26-66 (!!). You don't go from back-to-back 100+ loss seasons to the post-season in one year.
As for Desmond, most SS's make lots of errors their rookie year. Starting pitching: With Strassy coming up, and a future that may include some of the following: Zimmermann, Wang, Olsen, Detwiler, & Marquis (to add to Livan, Lannon, and perhaps JD Martin) -- that certainly looks promising. Relief pitching actually has been pretty good, and Storen ought to get better with experience. Pudge won't continue to hit .320, but he'll be a huge step up in catching, both offensively and defensively from what we have.
If just some of those pitchers pan out, then perhaps we are only one outfielder away from having a truly solid post-season team.
In the meantime, enjoy that we're on the upswing. Sure, it'll be frustrating at times (like last night), but it's light years ahead of last year.
Anonymous8... No.. I keep his strike out average instead of his batting average.
With hits he's always O'fer or 1'fer but with K's he's always at least 2'fer.
Between Nats and Syracuse he's striking out at a better than .350 pace.
I just updated his stike out average and J. Max is now at .364.
NatsJack - THAT IS HILARIOUS!!! and SAD. I hate laughing at the expense of others but that is too funny and sad.
As has been said before, Rizzo has (had) a mancrush on JMax. That is the only reasonable explanation with the Plan B he had in place for RF when they let Elijah Dukes go.
JMax did nothing in Spring Training and since then. He has regressed as a hitter to a point he doesnt even belong in AAA. He looked disinterested when he is in the dugout in DC which is probably the fact he hated riding the pine.
Brandon "Boomer" Whiting is doing well with his promotion, but I am still scratching my head about him. Fast kid with good contact but hadn't hit for average (doing well at Syracuse so far) although he draws alot of walks and has a nice OBP. They take him from "A" ball hitting .225 and move him straight up to "AAA". Big promotion.
So Mark, what is the backstory on Boomer Whiting? Most thought he was a temp on loan while Maxwell took his time getting back to Syracuse.
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