Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Lombo's big night saves Strasburg

US Presswire photo
Steve Lombardozzi had plenty to smile about after going 4-for-5.
He had carved up the Astros lineup for five innings, making mincemeat of every hitter who dared step to the plate, but after slogging his way through a laborious top of the sixth Stephen Strasburg retreated to the dugout knowing he had just turned the Nationals' two-run lead into a tie ballgame.

Fortunately for Strasburg, the entire Nationals dugout realized what had just happened and was determined to put its young ace back in line for the win.

"Oh, for sure," second baseman Steve Lombardozzi said. "He pitched his butt off again. You always want to try and get those runs back for your starting pitcher, as well as he pitched tonight."

It's one thing to think it. It's another to actually go out there and do it the way Lombardozzi and his teammates did during a stirring, four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth that immediately put the Nationals back on top and on course to close out a 6-3 victory that ensured this team would remain alone in first place for the fifth consecutive day.

"They had the momentum," third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "And for us to strike back, not only for two but to get two more, widen the gap even further, that gets the momentum back on our side. It's a big part of baseball."

It's certainly a big part of winning baseball, and on this night it helped ensure Strasburg would be rewarded for what turned out to be a very good, not quite great, pitching performance.

Making his first home start of the season, the 23-year-old ace cruised through his first five innings, keeping the Astros from scoring and keeping his pitch count to a minimum thanks to a devastating curveball that accounted for three of his five strikeouts.

But Strasburg hit a bump in the road in the sixth, putting three straight batters on to load the bases with nobody out and leave himself in a precarious situation, with no margin for error.

He nearly pitched his way out of that jam. He got Carlos Lee to fly out to medium center field, giving Rick Ankiel a chance to show off his left arm with a perfect, 300-foot laser to catcher Wilson Ramos -- "I would have called it a strike, that's for sure," Strasburg joked -- and then struck out Travis Buck on a 95 mph fastball.

But needing one more strike to escape the inning unscathed, Strasburg served up a two-out, two-run single to Chris Johnson that left the hurler wondering if he had tipped his pitch or perhaps revealing his grip to a runner standing on second base.

"I think it was more when guys would get in scoring position that I felt like they definitely were kind of seeing pitches a little differently," he said. "I don't think I was throwing any pitches worse or with different kind of movement. But they definitely seemed a little bit more comfortable with guys on second base."

With his pitch count suddenly at 93 and his spot in the lineup coming up in the bottom of the inning, Strasburg's night came to an unceremonious end. His teammates, though, ensured it wouldn't all go for naught, loading the bases with two outs against Houston starter Kyle Weiland and bringing Lombardozzi to the plate for perhaps the biggest at-bat of his brief career.

The rookie infielder has been adjusting to life as a backup after playing every day in the minors, but it's not easy.

"I've been loving being up here with these guys; it's been fun," Lombardozzi said. "But you also get that itch. After you watch a couple of games, you want to get out there."

Finally given his opportunity to start as manager Davey Johnson gave regular second baseman Danny Espinosa a "mental break," Lombardozzi made the most of it. He delivered a career-high four hits, none bigger than his two-run double to left in that sixth inning to put the Nationals back on top.

"I won't forget this night," the Maryland native said. "It was pretty awesome. And to do it here, at home, was pretty special."

Zimmerman made sure to give the Nationals even more of a cushion when he added his own two-run single moments after Lombardozzi's hit. Washington's bullpen then sealed the deal, getting three solid innings of work from Sean Burnett, Ryan Mattheus, Tom Gorzelanny and Henry Rodriguez to put a nice bow on this 6-3 victory.

Strasburg was the biggest beneficiary of it all, earning the win to improve to 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts. But the happiest player in the home clubhouse might well have been Lombardozzi, who perhaps deserves a chance to play more regularly but is stuck for now on the bench.

"He's a good player, had a heck of a night," Johnson said. "As much as I like him, Espi's my second baseman."

Lombardozzi is fine with that. He's simply enjoying life in the big leagues, contributing any way he can.

As other, more-seasoned players in that clubhouse can attest, sometimes those backups can make all the difference for a team with lofty aspirations.

"That was unbelievable," Ankiel said. "All the championship teams that I've been on, I think the biggest thing is when you have your starters not play and that guy that steps in for him, when they come in and have a night like that, that's when you talk about championship teams right there. So what a night for him."

68 comments:

nwells2 said...

That's the big leagues baby. When you're given the opportunity you damn well better take advantage. Congrats to Lombo. He's really going to give Espinosa a run for his money if Steve keeps hitting and Danny keeps struggling. Wouldn't be surprised if their names are out there for trades by mid June, but if this concoction is working and continues down the road, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Section 222 said...

Espi's my second baseman.

If I were Espi I'd be a little worried about how similar that sounds to "John's my guy."

Nattydread said...

Woohoo.

SI Power Rankings: Nats number 3 in MLB using WAR metrics.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/baseball/mlb/04/16/power.rankings/index.html?sct=mlb_t11_a0

Anonymous said...

If I were Espi I'd be a little worried about how similar that sounds to "John's my guy."

Sour grapes from Mark. Lannan WAS Mark's man. Nope, this is entirely different. Espinosa has a high ceiling and has the potential to be a star or superstar. Espinosa, like Zimmerman, has been doing all the right things, seeing the ball well, getting walks, he just hasn't be lucky in the hit department. They should come if he continues his current approach and doesn't change it. That may be what Johnson fears.

Lannan is a AAAA pitcher he does not have a high ceiling, and no one confuses him as the next Sabathia. Or a Gio Gonzalez for that matter. Now, he could make himself into a Buehrle type pitcher ... but that's up to him and how he decides to use his time in Syracuse. He can keep doing what he's been doing and end up semi-permanently in AAA or AA or he can change his approach.

Anonymous said...

Woohoo.

SI Power Rankings: Nats number 3 in MLB using WAR metrics.


Another silly anon with a label post as Natsjack would say.

Uhmm they are ranked 19th by the folks who invented the WAR as a statistic, Fangraphs. #3 is the RedSox, #1 is the Cardinals, and surprisingly #2 are Kasten's Dodgers.

Will said...

Anon,

Have a look again. You forgot half the team.

According to FanGraphs, the Nationals team (pitchers + batters) is worth 4.0 WAR. Only the Cardinals (6.0) and Rangers (5.0), have more WAR than the Nationals.

Our pitching has been worth 2.8 WAR alone. Only, the Rangers are slightly better (2.9). The next best? The Tigers, with a measly 1.8 WAR. That's a big drop off from the top two.

HHover said...

Peric

If you want to insult other posters as silly, don't drag Natsjack into it.

And do pay more attention - that piece that Nattydread cited appeared at SI but was co-written by Fangraphs managing editor Dave Cameron.

baseballswami said...

I know this is probably way off topic, but does anyone else feel that the umpires can't see strikes in the strike zone on big curve balls? It just seems to me that they give up on it, or they are not seeing it. Lots of bad calls on the crazy hook pitches. They need some remedial work. Is Torre back to working for mlb again after he pulled out of the Dodgers deal? Somebody needs to talk to these guys.

natsfan1a said...

I'm not a fan of calling out other commenters as stupid, ignorant, clueless, or silly no matter who does it, but that's just me.

Cwj said...

Swami- Based on watching Gio's and Strasburg's outstanding curve balls, I'd say yes. The umps seem to be missing a lot with those pitches.
Sometimes it seems like the umpire actually freezes up (like the hitter) on a Stras or Gio curve.

Cwj said...

Fun Stat of the Day:
Nats pitchers have given up a total of 2(!) home runs through the first 11 games. That is 104 innings!
Pretty cool :-)

Cwj said...

Quiz: Who are the 2 Nats pitchers yet to give up an extra-base hit (double, triple, HR)?

Anonymous said...

Wow, 16k last night. Guess I overestimated when I predicted 20k. Wonder what some of the folks predicting 25k+ are thinking about last night's attendance ...

MicheleS said...

WOOOO HOOOO!!! (thanks for filling in for me 1A/Swammi, others- cell reception was sketchy at the park)

Finally got to a computer this morning. My thoughts from the game. I wish there was a way to have Stras pitch to contact more (realize the batters have to actually swing and make contact). I am greedy would love to see him pitch deeper into games.

THE ARM! that throw was a beauty! The entire stadium (all 16K of us) stood and cheered and just to see Ramos stand there and not move.

Zim got a hit (and it was on the ground), hopefully facing the Astros will fix his hitting. Maybe they can help Espi as well.

Lombo - wow, that bloop double was perfectly placed. I hope he gets more playing time. Nady seems to not be able to get good jumps on balls (although that last catch was good), so Lombo in LF would be good (hopefully not a bad experiment).

Rabbit said...

I think Espi should take additional mental-rest nights!!! GO NATIONALS!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Danny, as much as Davey loves you, as much as you are his second baseman, he loved John Lannan too, John was his 5th starter all the way. All the way to Syracuse. Get the message?

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Wonder what some of the folks predicting 25k+ are thinking about last night's attendance ...

That we were mistaken. Maybe we were subconsciously counting ourselves. Sorry I couldn't make that one.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

THE ARM! that throw was a beauty! The entire stadium (all 16K of us) stood and cheered and just to see Ramos stand there and not move.

From the look on his face, I think Wilson Ramos enjoyed that as much as anyone.

Jimmy said...

I really like him as a player, but is Espinosa some kind of a headcase or something? Davey had to settle him down at the end of last season, too. I don't remember who reported it (probably Mark), but he was taking batting practice into the wee-hours of the morning, sometimes two or three AM, doing the same watching film, etc, during his second half slump, and Davey had to get him to chill out.

I feel like anyone who's played sports competitively knew guys like that - the one's that would get so wrapped up in their own heads that they would cause problems for themselves despite being pretty good - like they were their own worst enemies. I hope that's not the case with Danny. He's a good ball player and (like others have mentioned) has a really high ceiling in this league.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

It's tough, because hard work is a large part of what got him where he is, and who doesn't think hard work is a good thing in a second baseman? But that's the thing about baseball: trying harder doesn't help. You have to relax to do this well. It's a tough balance for folks.

fast eddie said...

USA Today sports writers and editors rate the Nats 7th out of all 30 teams in their "Power Rankings". They were ranked 15th last week.
And they lead the majors in ERA with 1.99 (not counting last night's game.)

Anonymous said...

The "kiss of death" -- Davey calling you his guy...

Gonat said...

Scott from Burke said...
NatsLady your comments make me sad and tired...an 86 year old manager is one thing, the guy standing on the bump pitching against the Phillies in September to Ryan Howard, who knows you said they're gonna make the playoffs..why give these guys extra motivation? it's a rhetorical question

April 17, 2012 12:04 AM
_______________________________

Clip didn't say the Nats would win the division (luckily) or I would say the Phillies would definitely use that for added motivation.

In reality with the new Wild Card, there could now be 3 playoff bound teams from the NL East.

The one change I keep hearing is the new attitude/Natitude in the clubhouse. Ramos wouldn't pull his head from his locker after Sunday's loss so what does he do on Monday? Smash a long HR and call a great game for Strasburg.

Will said...

fast eddie,

The team's ERA is 1.99 counting last night's name.

Next best in the NL? The Mets almost a half run worse at 2.43.

Interestingly, the three teams with the worst ERAs- the Rays, Brewers and Red Sox. Won't make the playoffs with a 5.00+ ERA!

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Gonat has it right. Nobody is going to get ticked off at what Clippard said, except in here maybe.

Mark'd said...

Gonat, well put about attitudes and playoffs.

Last year Burnett has a total meltdown, this year he strikes out 2 on 3-2 pitches.

NatsLady said...

Nats No. 6 in BleacherReport power rankings as of April 16 (before last night).

Bleacherreport power rankings

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1146819-updated-mlb-power-rankings-where-does-your-favorite-team-stand


Phillies don't (or shouldn't) need Clip to motivate them. Read the article, he didn't mention Howard or the Sillies, and was sort of pushed into the "guarantee." I like the optimism. I like the confidence. If optimism and confidence makes you feel sad and tired, you got the wrong team this year, bud.

natsfan1a said...

Apologies for quoting another beat writer here, but this hard-boiled Kilgore allusion was pretty awesome, imo. Watched the replay several times, and the 3B ump's jaw seemed to drop upon witnessing the feat. :-) On another note, looked to me like SS tipped his cap to an opposing player upon exiting the field, as in his last start.

"The writer Raymond Chandler once said, 'When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.' The baseball equivalent may be those few seconds between realizing Ankiel is about to unleash his left arm, that gift from the baseball gods, and the moment he releases the ball."

Anonymous8 said...

I just saw that the official scorer changed the Ankiel error on the line drive to his glove to a triple. I don't agree with that. It cost Mattheus an earned run also.

natsfan1a said...

NatsLady, I think that long-time readers appreciate what you bring to this blog, I know I do. If Mr. Burke doesn't - oh, well. His loss, imho. :-)

natsfan1a said...

To put it another way, do we really care what he thinks about your comments? (It's a rhetorical question.) ;-)

UnkyD said...

natsfan1a said...
I'm not a fan of calling out other commenters as stupid, ignorant, clueless, or silly no matter who does it, but that's just me.
------------
And me.

NatsLady said...

A8, I noticed that also when I went in this morning to watch the replay and looked at the box for Ankiel's 3B error that I heard announced last night on the way home. At game time "Wind 16 mph, out to CF," was wind a factor? I thought for sure he was catching that.

I also wonder why the other outfielders didn't seem to be backing up the play, or did I just not see them in view?

Anonymous said...

Natsfan1a I think Gonat @ 8:13 explained TClips guarantee perfectly. No harm, no foul.

All Positivity!

fast eddie said...

More on the USA Today "Power Rankings":
7--Nationals
8--Phils
11--Braves


19--Ori-holes! (overrated??)

Mark'd said...

How is that not an error on Ankiel?

Section 222 said...

I also wonder why the other outfielders didn't seem to be backing up the play, or did I just not see them in view?

It was a line drive over his head. Pretty hard for another outfielder to get there and back him up. Bad call by the official scorer. That was definitely an error.

But The ARM, oh my goodness, THE ARM. To watch the runner at third stop and go back was priceless. Truth be told, it was not a perfect throw. It Ramos chest high rather than at the knees where he could have applied the tag. Guess he'll have to keep working on that.

Gonat said...

Mark'd said...
Gonat, well put about attitudes and playoffs.

Last year Burnett has a total meltdown, this year he strikes out 2 on 3-2 pitches.

April 17, 2012 8:38 AM
_______________________

Other change was that 6th inning offensive charge. To see this rookie Weiland seemingly going toe-to-toe with Stras at 2-2 was frustrating. It was great to see the Nats put together a 2 out rally against Weiland and make Strasburg a winner.

Just a great game.

natsfan1a said...

Agreed, and I had no problem with that. Rather, Gonat's response quoted another post, which was the one that referenced NatsLady.

Anonymous said...

Natsfan1a I think Gonat @ 8:13 explained TClips guarantee perfectly. No harm, no foul.

All Positivity!
April 17, 2012 8:50 AM

natsfan1a said...

I suppose that would have been clearer if I'd quoted the remarks in question, but I was trying to avoid reposting a knock on a fellow commenter.

Mark'd said...

Gonat, good point on Weiland. Note that was Houston's 10th game where Weiland is Houston's #5 pitcher. Gio goes up tonight against Wandy Rodriguez who is Houston's #1.

It was frustrating to think the Nats couldn't put together more runs prior to the 6th inning.

Better late than never.

blovy8 said...

Burnett still doesn't look right, he wasn't throwing hard, and he looked decidedly uncomfortable out there. I'm guessing he had a short leash, because they brought in Mattheus even with the pitcher's spot coming up - and then even let Matteus bat. Odd not to go for more offense there even if you figured Mattheus for more outs than he got.

A DC Wonk said...

Repeating (as well as editing and expanding) my comments from last night:

Just back from the game -- a couple of observations:

1. Stopped by Sec 308 to see our man "sjm308" holding court with a coupla guys. It was nice to meet him, his son, and the crew.

2. My daughter was with us -- she decided in the 6th inning she and her friend would go down to the field level seats, "because that's where the balls are going." Sure enough, within five minutes, she got a ball.

3. Lombo handled the bat well (his bunt single was particularly impressive), but I think he got a bit lucky, too. His double was a flare/blooper off the fists, and his other two singles were, if I remember, grounders through the infield (although at least one was hit hard). That's not to take away too much from him, though -- he handled the bat better than Espi has lately for sure. And he knows how to make contact!

4. MPHRod was amazing (despite walking one batter). His first pitch was 97 mph (and a guy in our section yelled out, "throw the heat, stop with the easy stuff!"), with the second batter he cranked it up to 99. and got it to 100 mph on the third batter. I think the first two batters might have been all fastballs. The last batter was a three-pitch strike out, the last two strikes were completely unhittable 85 mph sliders -- the first called, the second swinging in the dirt.

5. RZimm. I laughed when, after reading Mark Z's note that the wind was 10-15 mph out towards left, and some thought it might hep RZ, that the wind completely died the moment that RZ came up to bat for the first time. In any event, in the glass-half-full department: I was encouraged by RZ's two-RBI single up the middle in the 6th. Why? Because many profess the theory that when you're in a batting slump, the batter should go back to basics, and simply try to hit the ball back at the pitcher, i.e., up the middle. RZ did that, and although it was a grounder, it was hit pretty hard. Maybe RZ will use this as a jumping off point to get his hitting on track.

6. I haven't seen replays, but Ankiel's play sure looked like an error to me. It may have been windy at the first pitch, but, not later. OTOH, Ankiel's throw to home in the 6th was jaw-dropping. The crowd, pretty knowledgeable, cheered mightily.

7. In the introduction of the lineup, other than Stras, I think Werth got the loudest applause! (Again, pretty knowledgeable crowd).

8. As for the comment wondering if Espi was a headcase -- we have to remember that some of these guys are kids. Espi still hasn't turned 25 -- getting emotions under control, etc., isn't an automatic just because you're a starter.

9. Re: Gonats and Mark'd's comments on Burnett: "Last year Burnett has a total meltdown, this year he strikes out 2 on 3-2 pitches." -- I totally agree. We've seen that with other pitchers, too. I also like how many of our guys are throwing so many strikeouts. The Nats lead all of major league baseball in K's -- with just under 10 K's per game!. When the other team can't even get the ball in play, good things happen.

A team ERA still under 2.00 . . . wow

A DC Wonk said...

(oops: team ERA of 2.08 . . . still the best in all of MLB)

Grandstander said...

For your viewing pleasure, the Ankiel Cannon

A DC Wonk said...

One other quick pitching note: I see that the Nats are actually third best in WHIP, and yet have a far better ERA than the other two teams.

This is a combination of so many K's, and also so few HR's allowed.

Nats pitchers have, by far, the lowest SGA allowed. (And lowest BA allowed, and lowest OBP)

NatsLady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mr donkey said...

last year this game would have been 9-11k attendance. so a nice jump.

Anonymous said...

I was there and I saw the replays. Ankiel's gotta make that play. The ball was hit very hard but right at him 320 feet away. Love the arm, it is something special, but it's not so great to give up a triple and be able to fire the ball from the wall to third on a hop. As if a relay would have had the guy any less on third base with a run in when he should have been out.

Anonymous said...

Where is the Nats promotion of the first Stras start on Half Street? The phenom Ace's first home start gets so pub at all and they wonder why few folks show up on a Monday night against a lack luster opponent for the 5th game of the home stand.

dfh21

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clu Gulager said...

Perhaps Lombardozzi is the next Pete Rose. A second-baseman who became a star in left-field.

A DC Wonk said...

because he can't see the parabola at all...

did somebody say "parabola"?! ;-)

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Let's try that again.

Hardest ball to read is a line drive hit right at the outfielder--the ball's path is foreshortened, and it's very tough to judge how much it's carrying. Ankiel normally gets good jumps on balls, and he got all turned around on this one. Tough error, if it had stayed that way.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Sorry, Wonk...

NatsLady said...

Tops not only in K's (108) but in K/9 (9.3), which is a better stat to me because the Nats have pitched more innings than other teams. 11 games vs. 10, and those extra innings.

baseballreference.com

Nine errors in 11 games, though (shaking head) and probably should have been 11 in 11 (give one to RZ and one to Ank). That has to improve.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/2012.shtml

Run differential is at +15.

FS said...

Gotta agree about Ankiel's throw. That was scary.

I am surprised no one has commented on RZ's dive at the plate. That's the most acrobatic move I have seen. If it was some other player, he would have tried to bowl over the catcher. RZ took a huge risk but I liked the attempt.

NatsLady said...

Re: RZ leaping and diving-- it was scary in the replay, given his previous injury! Apparently the ump explained his ruling satisfactorily to Davey and Zim, and looking at the replay it was the correct ruling, so you have to like that.

UNTERP said...

To be fair to Ankiel, like "Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said"...a line drive hit directly at you is the hardest ball to judge for an outfielder, and to be specific the hardest ball for a center fielder to judge is a line drive hit straight at you. It's not unusual to misplay it; it happens fairly frequently; you can't see it until it's on you literally; that's why it was scored a base hit...

UnkyD said...

Thanks... I meant to comment on Zim's dive... Can we hypnotize him to never dive into base like that again? Some guys are more valuable than any given run...

FS said...

or maybe scorer decided to give Ankiel a break after his amazing throw.

dcvelobrew said...

Can Lombo play CF...? He sure reminded me of Victorino at the plate last night.

ehay2k said...

I was lucky enough to be there last night, and we were all waiting for Ankiel to heave it home. I disagree with Sec 222 about the throw being too high - Ramos caught it just to the 3B side of the plate, and it was dropping so he easily could have made a sweeping tag. But more likely, the runner would have been caught in a rundown! The was an absolute laser throw. Check the replays for the look that Ramos gave the runner. Priceless.

The fans gave Ankiel a (well deserved) standing ovation.

Lombo's double was a 2-strike survival swing. It was high and inside, and a batter without an approach at the plate would have swung and missed. Instead, he got his hands in and got just enough of the bat on the ball. I'm pretty sure he was just trying to foul it off, but I'm positive that he will take the hit!

What a game, and we are 8-3, which is the ONLY April stat that matters, IMHO.

JamesFan said...

Espi is Davey's guy until he isn't. I do not think Espinoza is guaranteed the job at second, and frankly, I would like to see a lot more of Lombo at the position. Moving him to left is nuts.

What do we know about Espi? He's excellent on defense; he has proven to be a .220 hitter or less with a low OBP and a 125+ strikeouts. He can hit maybe 25 plus homers if we can tolerate the strikouts. He has not shown himself to be a "potential superstar." Given Desmond's weaknesses at the plate, I do not think the Nats can afford to have both these guys in the lineup for the long-term unless Espi turns it around, so this is a three way competition for the middle infield. To me, Lombo is a much more all-round and stable player for the long haul.

Sure, start Espinoza for now. I would not even have a problem with sending Lombo back to Syracuse for awhile to get at bats. But if we have the same old Dannie into June, they should put Lombo out there and see what happens.

UnkyD said...

JamesFan:
You forgot the part about this being the second week of Espi's second MLB season..... Good things come to him who waits....
And, HELLO...Desi's been anything but weak, at the plate!!!!

JamesFan said...

UnkyD:

I agree with you--except there is always the possibility that Desi cannot sustain his performance at the plate. Yes, it's been since last July and that is a large sample, but I'm not sold completely just yet. If he can, it is a two-way race at second base--but it is a race. I don't see them putting Lombo in the outfield.

Hanging On said...

Espi is incredibly fortunate the team has such patience with him. Forget .220 - he has batted .200 or less for over half of last season and the first 10 games this season. His Spring Training was a bit of a disaster with the bat as well blaming his troubles on the batters eye. Why can't we just admit that he is not a good hitter or even a promsing one? Outside of a 2 week hot streak at his September callup and a nice power first third of the season last year, he is a .200 hitter with alarming strike out tendencies. His K's even look worse to the naked eye than other players K's. Nice tough kid, nice glove, but he's a Cora with a little pop. Pencil him in as a utility guy or send him down to totally re-tool that swing. MLB pitcher have his many weaknesses figured out completely. Lombo looks so far like at least a tough out, which this teams needs badly. Good things can happen in this game if you don't strike out all the time to kill a rally.

Otherwise, I'm so excited to see Gio take his turn tonight. Could be a sweep if we get this one tonight. I predict Zimm takes off now and Derosa gets his Spring stroke back starting tonight.

natsfan1a said...

I'm all for taking the whole series, but it's four, not three games.

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