Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Game 5: Nats at Mets

Associated Press photo
Ross Detwiler makes his season debut tonight at Citi Field.
They won two nailbiters, and now they've lost two nailbiters. Eventually, the Nationals will play a game that doesn't come down to the ninth inning, right? Right?

Perhaps that will happen tonight in the second of a three-game series against the Mets. Ross Detwiler becomes the final member of the rotation to make his season debut, and this will be the left-hander's first opportunity to justify the Nationals' last-minute decision to hand him the job over John Lannan. If he pitches the way he did last September and this spring, Detwiler should be just fine.

A couple of changes to Davey Johnson's lineup: Steve Lombardozzi and Xavier Nady each get the start. Lombardozzi, who has seen a little bit of time in left field so far, will start at second base. (Danny Espinosa, who got elbowed in the head in the ninth inning last night, gets the day off.) Nady, meanwhile, starts in left field, with Mark DeRosa (0-for-the-season) taking a seat.

As you know, I'm not in New York for this series. Enjoy the game and the conversation as always...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WFED (1500 AM), WHFS (1580 AM), XM 183
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 58 degrees, Wind 13 mph out to RF
NATIONALS (2-2)
SS Ian Desmond
2B Steve Lombardozzi
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
LF Xavier Nady
CF Roger Bernadina
C Wilson Ramos
P Ross Detwiler

METS (4-0)
SS Ruben Tejada
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
LF Jason Bay
RF Lucas Duda
1B Evan Turner
CF Scott Hairston
C Mike Nickeas
P Dillon Gee

UMPIRES
HP Brian Gorman, 1B Larry Vanover, 2B Tony Randazzo, 3B Todd Tichenor

240 comments:

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Wally said...

Nice recovery by Clip. I was going to wade in with 'Brie' for a minute there.

I don't think the Mets are as bad as most media types are saying. Their line up is a bunch of no names but they can handle the stick ok. Starting pitching has lots of Ifs, but could be ok. Defense and bullpen seem weak, though. We saw the defense hurt them tonight several times.

Wally said...

Crap, I put us over the dreaded 200 post threshold. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of "cheese" there is a school of thought that says that its a good thing if HRod is really wild periodically. Pitchers are even more intimidated by his 3 digit heater wondering if today is the day he loses control of it.

Then he flips them the dirty slider instead and its a K looking.

sjm308 said...

The more I think about it, the more I get excited about the kids in the minors and what they just might bring this year. Certainly all (except Harper) are plus fielders with better than ave. speed. If Morse is seriously hurt I say go young and option Nady.

Did not post early as I am just a tad superstitious but I figure 3 outs and a 4 run lead will hold up.

I hope our anonblache boo bird can at least make an appearance to let us know how he felt Jason did tonight. Maybe he is pouring beer over his head?

UnkyD said...

I'm gonna miss ol' JayB, once this team starts winning most of their series... D'ya think he likes basketball? There's still plenty to complain about, over there...

Anonymous said...

Time for a new post ...

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Speaking of "cheese" there is a school of thought that says that its a good thing if HRod is really wild periodically.

Known as "I want you to hit the mascot."

Steady Eddie said...

Jeez, Lidge has some downright evil stuff when he's on.

Now, c'mon, Brad, stay on against Baxter and keep the win for Det.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Time for a new post ...

Mark's Instant Analysis in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

Steady Eddie said...

Sec. 3 --

Yup. "I have no idea where it's going, honest to God."

And Lidge closes it out, Det is our first starter to notch a curly W!

sm13 said...

Kid Sheleen Lidge mows 'em down!

sjm308 said...

3-2 on the road, one win out of first, not too shabby. I realize we did not play the 1927 Yankees but you need to beat the teams that are not as good and so far, that is what we are doing. Win tomorrow gives us two for two in series and that is a key.

Go Nats!!

UnkyD said...

I don't think we get insta unless he's there...

A DC Wonk said...

I tell ya', I know it's a small sample size, but with the way Lidge "closed out" last year, and his two appearances this year -- he's potentially an awesome acquisition, and perhaps a sleeper to be a real star this year. He throws 70% off speed stuff, so with his fastball in the 90's, he'll be fine.

Pass me some more kookaid!

Steady Eddie said...

sjm 308--

"Not the 1927 Yankees..."
True dat, but this was the Mets' first loss of the year, AND we pinned the loss on Dillon Gee who totally had our number before tonight (this was OEI's first loss against us).

UnkyD said...

GO STRAS!!!!!!! Johan Who?

realdealnats said...

It's great not playing or managing scared, whenever you can pull it off. Allows openings for happy accidents to happen. Maybe a couple of these guys we go to early out of need like Corey Brown will come up and make us smile. For more than a few games.

Steady Eddie said...

"Gee"=OEI??

And iOS autocorrect reaches new heights of weirdness.

SFNats said...

7 runs Saturday. 4 runs Sunday. 4 runs yesterday. 6 runs today. This isn't looking like a team that's having a whole lot of trouble scoring, although they do leave too many men on base (but doesn't everyone).

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Game in a nutshell: Ross Detwiler throws 71 pitches, 50 for strikes, and gets the first Win for a starter. Werth goes 4 for 5, the defense holds up, the bullpen mostly does, too; Nats win 6-2.

Hitting highlight: Ian Desmond's leadoff home run. I know, Jayson Werth was 4 for 5, and that's big, sure, but that start is tough to beat. I love leadoff home runs. Sue me.

Pitching highlight: Bottom of the first, two on, nobody out, and Detwiler gets K-foul pop out-K. "Sit down, Cat, I got this."

Defensive highlight: Desmond's throw from deep in the hole and up in the air to get Dillon Gee.

Key moment: Bernadina hits what probably should have been a 4-6-3, but Murphy kicked it into center field, Werth scored, and then the rally got rolling.

Up next: Stephen Strasburg, day game tomorrow afternoon in the series finale, then home.

waddu eye no said...

jeffwx -

go do that fondue that you do so well.

pfb

JaneB said...

I'm so glad for Det and Werth. And I join some others here in wishing that the ugly pun on his name would stop showing up here. It's just uncalled for.

Thanks for the back up instant analysis, PFB Sofa.

Tomorrow, What a pitching match up! Can't wait.

kgwcoach said...

For those of you that saw the game, the take out slide at second by Werth in the ninth is just one of hundreds of little things that over the course of a 160 game season makes the difference between a winning record and a losing one.

Werth brought that style of play and a never give up attitude to the Nats last year, which IMHO changed the whole culture of the team and probably puts the Nats in the playoff hunt this year.

For me, that culture change makes every dime spent on him by the Nats a bargain.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Next time I gotta do that in advance. I left out Johan Santana, for instance.

Fortunately, it's past 200, so nobody's reading this.

FS said...

isn't Gee a knuckleballer, famous for varying degree of control?

anyways glad to see Nats win.

sjm308 said...

kgwcoach - where have you been? I have talked about what Werth does in the dugout and clubhouse for a year but it won't shut the anons up. He is the reason they let Nyjer go for a bag of balls but that in itself turned the attitudes around.

FS - the knuckleballer on the Mets is Dickey and he has a new book out with a sad story but it looks to be a happy ending. I believe Dickey is the only knuckler left in the majors.

NatsLady said...

Hard to believe the Astros/Colts really wore those uniforms--and those socks.

NatsLady said...

Also, Davey is going to drive the fantasy guys crazy if he keeps using the bullpen this way. :)

FS said...

ah, you are right sjm308.

A DC Wonk said...

While we're at it -- how about a shout-out to Burnett? He faced two batters, threw five pitches, all of them strikes, and got a strike out. Earned his first "hold".

A DC Wonk said...

(updated the way I meant to write it:)

While we're at it -- how about a shout-out to Burnett? He came in with one out and two on, faced two batters, threw five pitches, all of them strikes, and got a strike out. Earned his first "hold".

baseballswami said...

So -- my power went out at 9:15 - just came back on and I am trying to catch up. So mad I missed some good stuff. And after I predicted the Detweiler/Stammen partnership and all! So glad the guys won and had some offense - especially Jayson! I could get used to Desi with the lead-off fireworks, too. Our fifth starter with a curly W, finally. Catching up on all of your in-game comments is helping to ease my pain. Now I get to go re-set all the digital clocks.....

Tim said...

I don't understand blaming management when players get hurt.

Section 222 said...

NatsNut said...
I would give a kajillion dollars for a moratorium on the way-overused and tired pun on Werth's name.


I'll add a 5-spot to that. Here here! Of course, if he keeps gettings 4 hits a game, or even 2, there will be little reason for it to be used.

Anonymous said...

AWESOME!!!!!!

NatsJack in Florida said...

Dillon Gee = solid sinker, nasty change up....R.A. Dickey = knuckleballer.

Cwj said...

Ugh, I can't believe I missed this game.
I did DVR it though, so I'll watch it this morning.

Sounds like a great win. Glad Werth, Detwiler and Desmond (his throw was play of the day on MLB network, and what a play it was!) all had a great game.

Go Nats!

NatsJack in Florida said...

Cwj... according to JayB, with Desmond Web Gems mean nothing. Only botched plays made last week count for anything. If he had thrown the ball into the stands, then that would mean something.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

A little late, but Gee's "forkball" is basically a hard knuckleball. I believe it was Dickey who first pointed that out to him. I'd look it up and link, but nobody is still reading this.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Section 3.... no... I always go back and check. The "forkball" you speak off is the "split fingered" pitch of today. Dempster used it to great advantage against Laroche opening day and Gee as well yesterday. It comes out like a fastball and dies the last 15 - 20 feet to the plate and is generally 8 - 10 mph slower than a normal fastball. Hence most baseball people enliken it to a change up with downward movement as opposed to the side movement of a "circle change".

It's definitely nothing like a knuckle ball.

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