Saturday, August 25, 2012

Game 126: Nats at Phillies

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Gio Gonzalez faces Roy Halladay tonight at Citizens Bank Park.
PHILADELPHIA -- Don't look now, but the Nationals have lost two straight and four of their last five against the Phillies. OK, so that may not mean as much in the grand scheme of things as it used to, but it bears repeating that the five-time NL East champs are no pushovers despite their current sub-.500 record.

The Nationals will try to get back on track tonight with Gio Gonzalez on the mound, seeking his league-leading 17th victory. He'll be opposed by Roy Halladay, who has owned the Nats franchise over his career (11-2, 2.55 ERA in 17 career meetings) but lost their only encounter this season when he was tagged for five runs on nine hits.

No lineup posted yet for the Nationals, but they're not expected to have either Michael Morse (bruised hand) or Ian Desmond (mild hamstring strain) in there tonight. We should have an update on both players' status later this afternoon.

Updates to come...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 89
Weather: Chance of showers, 76 degrees, Wind 10 mph RF to LF
NATIONALS (77-48)
2B Steve Lombardozzi
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
LF Roger Bernadina
SS Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
LHP Gio Gonzalez

PHILLIES (59-67)
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Kevin Frandsen
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
CF John Mayberry Jr.
C Erik Kratz
LF Juan Pierre
RF Michael Martinez
RHP Roy Halladay

UMPIRES
HP Manny Gonzalez
1B Lance Barksdale
2B Gerry Davis (cc)
3B Phil Cuzzi

7:07 p.m. -- And we're underway with a ball from Roy Halladay to Steve Lombardozzi. It sprinkled a bit earlier, but appears to be dry for now.

7:30 p.m. -- That was a ragged first inning for Gio Gonzalez. It took him 31 pitches to get through the frame, with two runs scoring in the process. He was perhaps the victim of a little bit of bad luck in the form of RBI groundball singles by Chase Utley and John Mayberry. But he also walked Jimmy Rollins on five pitches to start the thing off and fell behind several hitters. Not what the Nats were looking for there. They trail 2-0 after one.

7:40 p.m. -- This just in: Roy Halladay is still a good pitcher. He's made the Nats look silly through two innings, especially during the top of the second when he struck out Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Danny Espinosa, all swinging on an assortment of pitches with tons of movement.

7:47 p.m. -- Gio would like to thank Kevin Frandsen for swinging at that fastball (which was only about 27 feet out of the strike zone) to end the second inning with a runner stranded in scoring position. Still 2-0 Phillies.

8:00 p.m. -- Nice job by Gio to get his outing back on track after the shaky first inning. He just retired the heart of the order in the third, not letting the ball out of the infield. He's at 61 pitches (40 strikes), much more efficient the last two innings than he was in the first. Still 2-0 as we head to the fourth.

8:08 p.m. -- The good news: Harper broke up Halladay's no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the top of the fourth. The bad news: He was immediately erased via a 9-3 double play, having taken off for second base on the pitch just as Zimmerman lined out to right. The Nats haven't really been helping themselves on the bases the last two nights, have they?

8:31 p.m. -- Just when it looked like the Nationals were going to squander a bases-loaded opportunity in the top of the fifth, Lombardozzi delivered a big-time, two-out, two-run single up the middle. Even more impressive was Suzuki somehow managing to slip his left hand onto the plate around catcher Erik Kratz's gear. It was a dangerous move but it worked and Suzuki doesn't appear to be seriously hurt, though he was holding that hand a bit gingerly as he trotted back to the dugout. It's now 2-2 in the middle of the fifth.

8:45 p.m. -- Props to Gio for turning his night around. After that shaky first inning, he's settled in nicely, is finding the strike zone with more regularity and is now through five innings having allowed only those two early runs. He's at 93 pitches, which probably means he's only got one more in him. But he's probably given the Nats more than they thought he would have after that first inning.

8:57 p.m. -- And, of course, Gio starts off the sixth by leaving a 91-mph fastball up and out over the plate to Mayberry, who sent it flying into the left-field bleachers to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. All of a sudden, the Nats have to rally against Halladay (or the Philly bullpen) as we move to the seventh.

9:08 p.m. -- How close did the Nats just come to tying this game? About 3 inches. Lombardozzi's line drive landed that far from the right-field line, just missing a double that would have scored Bernadina from third. Instead, Halladay got Lombo to pop up to end the inning, so it remains 3-2 Phillies at the stretch.

9:14 p.m. -- On the bright side, the Nats have gotten Halladay out of the game. He only threw 86 of 105 pitches for strikes. Seriously, 86 of 105! Antonio Bastardo in for the top of the eighth, with Harper leading off.

9:27 p.m. -- And not one of the three batters the Nats sent to the plate in the eighth made contact off Bastardo. Harper struck out swinging at a 90 mph heater at the letters. Zimmerman struck out swinging at a 93 mph fastball on the outside corner. And LaRoche, after battling his way to a 3-2 count, struck out swinging at an offspeed pitch. Frustrating inning there. We go to the bottom of the eighth, the Nats still down 3-2.

9:39 p.m. -- The Nats' problem with opposing baserunners really cost them in the bottom of the eighth. After Sean Burnett plunked Chase Utley to open the inning, Utley stole second and third bases with relative ease. That allowed him to score on Mayberry's sac fly and give the Phillies a huge insurance run. It's now 4-2 as the Nats' biggest Achilles' heel comes back to haunt them.

9:47 p.m. -- It's over. Jonathan Papelbon shuts the door on the Nats in the ninth and leads the Phillies to their second straight 4-2 victory. Losers of three in a row, the Nats also have seen their lead over the Braves trimmed to 5 1/2 games.

174 comments:

NatsLady said...

We have built up a little "cushion" for just this sort of thing--don't come back too soon Desi or Mikey. Get well. Because, y'know, it ain't a BIG cushion.

Go Nats! Go Giants!

JaneB said...

I hope there is no rain delay, so Gio gets a clean warm up and start. And may our bats find jeuge again. Doc isn't invincible. And wouldn't it be great for Werth to do some damage in his old haunts? Go BATS! GYFNG!

MicheleS said...

GO GIO! GO BATS! GYFNG!!! Let's get a win boys.

baseballswami said...

Saw the line ups on twitter - no desi or morse, lombo and bernie. Hope the bats wake up tonight. Is this rain headed there? Two games in a row feels like a major slump. Then I look at our record and remember that we have some wins stashed away for a rainy day. Need to get it back on track, though.

baseballswami said...

Braves/ Giants on Fox right now. Bourne bunt hit safely on one pitch.

NatsLady said...

All I have on Fox is some f'ball game.

MicheleS said...

NatsLady, Are you sure you are not on NBC? That one has the Colts/Redskins game.

Steady Eddie said...

Yup, Baumgartner pitched his way out of a first and third, no out top of the first. Reminded me of what our boys are skilled at doing.

Steady Eddie said...

Meant to say, that was on Fox. NBC has that other kind of game.

natsfan1a said...

Go, GIO! Go, NATS BATS!! Let the bell be silenced tonight, my friends. :-)

NatsLady said...

OK, got it. My remote wasn't remoting....

baseballswami said...

Amen!!!

Anonymous said...

Guess Suzuki is okay (bruised hand).

peric said...

No Tyler Moore that's the bad part. He's the best add-in replacement for Morse.

NatsLady said...

Bumgarner walks the pitcher and Heyward smashed it. ATL up 3-0.

peric said...

Werth batting 5th? Now's his chance. As Beasley put it to his troops in Syracuse when there was visiting Nats brass. "You are constantly being evaluated".

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NatsLady, you beat me to it. walk the pitcher to leadoff an inning? Death by a firing squad.

Old Wino said...

The shark will feed tonight.

MicheleS said...

I think Ben Cherrington is fooling himself if he thinks players will want to come to Boston. Seriously, a toxic media, interferring ownership, and Bobby V. That's still a recipe for disaster.

Eric said...

Going out on a limb (in my 2nd-ever NI post) to say that Werth is gonna do something big tonight. Think he'll be seeking redemption after yesterday's oh-fer with the big swinging K with two on.

GO NATS!!!!

ehay2k said...

One run game in SF now. Blanco turns on a pitch for a 2 run double.

Drew said...

Durbin renewal for the Giants!!

LoveDaNats said...

Come on, boys! We want a win! We NEED a win! Gio, take that ball and work your magic. GYFNG!

DWS said...

Sitting back on beautiful PEI. Thinking to my self that last year this team was nothing. Friends at work would smirk. Enjoy the ride, I remember '94. A rare thing a good team.

Think of it, this team will be better next year. Pretty scary regardless of the millions thrown around by Magic and co.



NatsLady said...

This is terrible to watch. The Giants just walked in the 2nd run. 6-3 with ATL's great bullpen coming up.

Eugene in Oregon said...

MicheleS @ 5:23,

Yes, but having freed himself of several big contracts, Mr. Cherrington will be able to write some rather large checks. And, assuming the check is large enough, players -- and their agents -- tend to assume that they can overcome all the other stuff.

Doc said...

No JFlo!

KSuzk is 1 for 12 with CS's. He can't hit either!

Must be that they're payin' him 4X what they're payin' JFlo. Meanwhile Leon is burning up the league with his bat!

Anonymous said...

Our elimination number for the wild-card is 28. October can't get here fast enough!! GO NATS!!

NatsFanJim said...

Halladay looks sharp.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Batters in first still acting like April like the last 2games have done.

MicheleS said...

And Eugene, the $$$ will only attract players like the ones that got shipped out of town

NatsLady said...

Is it me, or has Gio lost weight?

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

They're hitters don't cooperate at all. Gio pitching like EJax poor first inning.
Can't do that against Galloway.

mick said...

here we go again

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Come on Gio what is this all about?

mick said...

I'm more concern with the effort at the plate

Secret wasian man said...

Choke city baby. No sense of urgency.

mick said...

I think Gio will be fine, we need better at bats

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

31Pitches. most not very good

-Dan- said...

We really need to put something together offensively early in this game, let's hope Jayson can carry the team until the Beast gets back.

Swift Eagle said...

This is not the last place phillies...Utley, Howard, Halladay are all healthy now, this is actually THE Phillies...There was no way these were going to be easy wins...

Anonymous said...

We need bats. Time to watch a movie.

mick said...

Swift Eagle agreed, but regardless who you are playing, one can always give a good effort at bat, especially a veteran player. Adam and Zim have not approached the plate well the past 3 games.

Swift Eagle said...

Haha! Got to love the Legion of Doom! Post the Nats magic number at 7:06 and then bail for a movie at 7:33pm!...Awesome

mick said...

very down on Adam right now... there was talk about him as a possible MVP, he needs to play like one now

Swift Eagle said...

You're right Mick, they aren't playing well the last few days...but it happens to all teams...check what the Last Place Nats did to the First Place Phillies late in the season last year...Not time to panic

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Second inning uninspiring. Come on guys. Get serious about hitting like it was until last Saturday

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Gio 43 pitches through 2, Hitters please come off vacation

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Gio should have showed anger beginning of inning 1

Eugene in Oregon said...

I'm with Swift Eagle on the 'no panic' approach. As much as I'd love the Nats to go undefeated the rest of the season, this is not a 100-win team. That means, by definition, they're going to lose at least another 15 games -- probably a few more than that. And given that they're faced Roy Halladay in his home park, this could be one of them. But that doesn't mean they're choking or otherwise doomed. Baseball isn't about perfection, King Felix notwithstanding.

ExposedinDC said...

The fact is , without desi and the beast this is a very average lineup that has relied greatly on its starting rotation, throw in the inevitable mini slump and this is the product you get, it is really my biggest fear come playoff time..losing 1-0 or 2-1and wasting all of that good starting pitching

MicheleS said...

All right. I am breaking it out right now:

JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX JINX!

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Hopefully it is not to late. Gio looks fine 3 batters too Pete.

Steady Eddie said...

Let's hope this is like what we did against Santan, only that was after three perfect innings.

Thanks, Harp, there goes the no-no, and nice to see him focus.

Swift Eagle said...

Very nice Michele...Haha...Can you pick Lotto numbers by any chance??

Steady Eddie said...

Rabbit and Exposed = never contribute anything of value.

Whine whine whine.

Steady Eddie said...

Damn, bad luck there. Zim crushed that one but right at the RF.

MicheleS said...

Swift. I wish.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Damn. line drive double play. any where left or right a run

mick said...

I bet we start hitting Halladay, if Gio can keep this at 2-0, we may till get this one

Steady Eddie said...

Zim with the GG stuff again. Time to take some momentum out of it.

The lineup is really missing Desi and Beast. Desi was a master of the two-out RBI and he made everyone better with the confidence they took from him that he would pick them up. Missing one is one thing, but both is making it tough.

MicheleS said...

Everytime someone gets injured the guys take the punch, they may stagger for a moment, but they always get back up. Our 77 wins are proof of that.

And we have a SHARK sighting.

mick said...

can anyone explain what the Dodgers did and are they still making deals?

mick said...

can anyone explain what the Dodgers did and are they still making deals?

Steady Eddie said...

Shark teaching 'em how to work the Doc. Be selective, foul off the unit table stuff and then take the extra base to put himself in scoring poem tin. C'mon, Danny, learn from the Shark.

mick said...

Shark strikes again

mick said...

I told you we would hit him, lol

Steady Eddie said...

"unit table" = autocorrect version of "unhittable."

Good hustle, Danny, and smart base running from the Shark.

MicheleS said...

Mick. Dodgers, buying a 1B and got handed a SP that is a cancer, a OF that will be out until next year. They are trying to be relevant in LA and acting like a Drunk George Steinbrenner on an epic bender.

ExposedinDC said...

Not whining steady, and thanks for noticing, by the way, I always look forward to your posts as well, very insightful

#4 said...

Please add "no sense of urgency" to the list of my least favorite phrases. It also includes "loss of focus", "dogging it", and "getting serious about hitting"

C'mon people. This is a hard game. Failure happens - less for the Nats this year than most.

MicheleS said...

Come on GIO! put down a good sac bunt!!!

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Gio help yourself

Steady Eddie said...

"Poem tin"= position.

Interesting.

Good focus, KSuz!

Sac fly, Gio, not a weak bunt.

mick said...

Michele... thank you, lol well said

Swift Eagle said...

Wow, Utley had a 4-6-3

mick said...

let's go Lombo

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Thank you Utley. Gio hunting foul stunk though

-Dan- said...

Utley made a really bad mental mistake there, we have to make them pay for that.

Steady Eddie said...

C'mon, Lombo, take advantage of the extra out Utley gave us.

MicheleS said...

Rabbit are you being cheeky again tonight?

Eddie, Rabbit likes to come in and carpet bomb once in awhile.

Come on LOMBO!!!!

Steady Eddie said...

Lombo, yes!

Swift Eagle said...

Good post #4! I would add "choking" to the list. Especially in the 1st inning of a game in August!

Way to go Lombo

mick said...

hmm hmmm, I think I called it... lol

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Harper go go go

mick said...

I love Lombo, most under rated rookie in MLB!!!

-Dan- said...

LOMBO!!! Nice job by Suzuki too!

Drew said...

Huge knock.

Way to go, Lombo!

Thank you, Chase Utley.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Deal Harper we needed another single. OK Gio your back to even

Swift Eagle said...

Dodgers may be hoping Beckett turns his game and attitude around in order to make Boston look bad...a la Manny a few years back...

As others have said, the trade certainly shows that it wasn't Stan Kasten who was unwilling to spend crazy money in DC....

MicheleS said...

I love Mick's Man Crush on Lombo.

#4 said...

I'm humming "Lombo....Lombo Italiano "

#4 said...

ZVPXOçcvv

djinFl. said...

Phillies announcer reported "serious jammage" on a pitch last inning.

Ben Sheets to DL

Swift Eagle said...

Haha DJ, was it "front door", "back door" or "side door" jammage??

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Walking Rollins the first time led to trouble.

Steady Eddie said...

Michele, yes, crazy wabbit is a mischief maker. I just wish it was balanced off by something but it's not.

This team has. Lot of heart. That tying rally, a 30 pitch inning off the Doc, came all from. Shark, Danny, KSuz, and Lombo. None of the big boppers. That's the difference between a solid, contending team and the team we have.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

Off-topic, but what did I tell you people about Ben Sheets being like a rusted-out 1967 Olds Cutlass? To wit:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Right-hander Ben Sheets was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation before the Atlanta Braves' game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

Sheets lost his third straight start on Thursday night as part of Atlanta's six-man rotation. He won four of his first five starts.
The Braves do not intend to replace him in the rotation and recalled right-hander Miguel Batista from Triple-A to pitch out of the bullpen.

Miss Iowa is back!

Swift Eagle said...

0 runs, 1 hit, 0 BB, 2Ks for Clemens in his 1st 2 innings..topping out at 88mph, lots of cutters and curves

Drew said...

C'mon Gio, bear down.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...


djinFl. said...

Phillies announcer reported "serious jammage" on a pitch last inning.

Oh, no! It's spreading. He must've done that to take part in the Bob Carpenter Drinking Game.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Gio come on we score and you give up free base runners. What is the problem ? You looked great innings2-4

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

OK Zim get the 6 th going with a solid. base hit

Steady Eddie said...

I love it, KSuz and Gio using their own sign language.

And Gio pitches out of another jam, getting two of the toughest outs in the lineup with Utley and Hoeard.

Crucial no-giveback inning. Now get some more with the heart of the lineup.

Eugene in Oregon said...

Swift Eagle @ 8:38,

So are you thinking the Nats should sign Roger Clemens to replace Stephen Strasburg after he's shut down? [If I knew how, I'd put one of those little 'wink' symbols here.]

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Batters 3 4 5 have been ineffective for the last 3 games

Steady Eddie said...

Sorry, #4, Shark lost his focus there.

Eugene -- it's semi-colon, dash, close parenthesis. ;-)

Steady Eddie said...

Stinks -- that was a real bandbox dinger, but unfortunately it counts as much as a 460-footer.

Loss of focus, #4.

;-)

Swift Eagle said...

Haha Eugene...I hadn't thought of that! But it would give the dopey National Media types something to talk about besides Shutdown-Gate...

Current teammates of Clemens include Nationals "greats" Tim Redding, Saul Rivera, and Gary Majewski...

MicheleS said...

Good thing the bottom of the order it due up!!! It's rally time.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Rudolf 3 4 5 all THIs, Last night did damage too

mick said...

MicheleS said...
I love Mick's Man Crush on Lombo.

man crush! ha ha

djinFl. said...

From Mark Twitter
SYR Chiefs Radio‏@ChiefsRadio

John Lannan has thrown a whopping 65 pitches through 7 innings against Gwinnett. He's allowed two hits and no runs

mick said...

dj good news on lannan

MicheleS said...

This is funny, Mark just retweeted:

Corey Masisak ‏@cmasisak22

Clemens hit 88? Pfft. Livo Hernandez just struck out the side vs the #Pirates. Topped out at 83. To be fair, he turned 50 in 2007.

mick said...

I feel someone has to say something about a great American's passing... God Bless you Neil Armstrong, your passing is "One Big Loss for mankind"

Steady Eddie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MicheleS said...

Bryce needs to stop chirping. He will get thrown out.

Steady Eddie said...

Steady Eddie said...
OK, rally napkin sighting!

Bastardo gave up the winning Walk-off run against us last August, so let's get him now!

MicheleS said...

Is Ryan standing to far off the plate again?

NatsFanJim said...

bob and F.P mentioned Johnny Holiday is out with an illness.

Anybody know what's wrong with him?

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Darn phone. what I said their 3 4 5 hitters gave all their RBIs. ours s
re doing nothing

Steady Eddie said...

Michele, I think it's the BAPIP gods turning against us again, law of averages. Zim stung that liner that got Harp doubled off, that could as easily have been an RBI double.

Unfortunately, some nights that's how they roll.

C'mon, Sean, get Howard in a DP.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Dave and Charles want to know why Harper's strike zone wider than anyone else

Swift Eagle said...

Utley never even had to stop...

Steady Eddie said...

Sean, how could you not hold Utley like that, and let him runon the next pitch

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

And we get Papel-bum in the ninth.

Eugene in Oregon said...

Isn't Chase Utley supposed to have really bad knees?

Swift Eagle said...

Free passes on the bases time and again...another run without a hit

ehay2k said...

These stolen bases, by a guy with no knees, are irritating.

ehay2k said...

Damn repeat of last night. Perhaps we should thrown over when mUttley is on the bases ?

Swift Eagle said...

Good point about Utley's knees, and those were just easy steals, with no plays...the pitchers need to at least give these runners a look

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Burnett hits Utley then doesn't hold him. lets him steal twice. batter 5. Third at bat with RBI. Our hitters need to get back on stick.

djinFl. said...

Phillies announcers said Utley stole everything, including leaning into the pitch to get on base to begin with. Said this is what their season is now about, messing with the league leader.

Secret wasian man said...

the playoffs are not a done deal yet. another lousy game.

ehay2k said...

That steal of third is an example.e of where we miss Desi - he goes over and fakes pickoffs, keeping the runner honest.

Exposremains said...

If they don't fix it, that's exactly how other teams will score against them in playoffs. It could be a huge problem. In playoff, every play is magnified.

Swift Eagle said...

DJ, the roles are exactly reversed from last season..maybe the Nats will learn some things...Adversity can help a team improve..

Secret wasian man said...

Jusr pack the bags and head to miami tonight. The sweep is inevitable playing like this. This team is showing its immaturity.

MicheleS said...

SWM are you even a nats fan or just a Phillies troll?

Steady Eddie said...

Michele, calling him a Phillies troll is generous. He's just a nega.

Exposremains said...

Its also really not the same shutdown bullpen that it was earlier in the season. This Phillies team is taking advantage of the Nats weaknesses. You know they're upset that the roles have been switched.

Jane Elizabeth said...

This has been a particular blend of pathetic managing and playing the last three games. Sean Burnett decides to throw an inside lolly pop to a player known for letting the ball hit him. Nice, deep thinking.

ehay2k said...

Wow, an ugly strike call to end an uglier inning. We lucked out there.

McCatty needs to work with the pitchers on holding the runners. I would hate to lose a critical game because some chisler ran the bases without a hit occurring.

mick said...

In all seriousness, does Ryan need another cortisone shot? At least Adam's last at bat was good, Ryan's at bats are on par with his April and Mat at batss

Secret wasian man said...

im a big fan. But a realist. I see a team lately who is playing like they have the whole season already won. when the fact is they don't. But you just keep pretending everything is great.

Swift Eagle said...

And heeeeere comes the Legion of Doom...Lol

EVERBODY PANIC!!!

Swift Eagle said...

I'll keep pretending they have the best record in baseball and a 6 game lead in the loss col....wait, I don't have to pretend

mick said...

3 games in a row our bull pen can not keep it a 1 run game, not tat it matters with the slump we are in.

MicheleS said...

SWM, just not negative. I made the comment earlier about when injuries hit and that is being a realist.

djinFl. said...

Patheic Mananging?
Yeah, thats the phrase associated with Davey.
Naganons are out tonight.

Exposremains said...

Swift Eagle

It doesn't matter how many games you're ahead. When the playoff comes, its a new ballgame. I'm sure you know that.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

4 Of last 7 games the hitters have totally been out classed. Eck all your lovers tell me you are good prove it.

Jane Elizabeth said...

It is not the legion of doom, but I have rarely seen three such horrible games in a row by a team 30 games over .500, and the blame goes to Davey and Rizzo as well.

Either get Desmond on the field or get him off. At some point you have to want to play. Pete Rose would have been out there playing. Bryce Harper would have been out there playing. And what is the deal with the running? We have one fast player and he doesn't start. Why would you run a guy when you are two runs down in the ninth?

mick said...

This is the first series that Nats have lost since early July.... not bad at all

mick said...

actually maybe late June

mick said...

Zim's at bats have not been good at all. Werth and LaRoche at least are working the count before they KO... I hope Zim is not hurt.

mick said...

Also, we have not lost 4 in a row this season, a few 3 game losing streaks early... so, tomorrow is big in that sense

Swift Eagle said...

Exposremains said...

Swift Eagle

It doesn't matter how many games you're ahead. When the playoff comes, its a new ballgame. I'm sure you know that.
August 25, 2012 9:50 PM
___________________________________

You're right about the playoffs...but on Aug 25, the ONLY thing that matters is how many games you're ahead...

Jane Elizabeth said...

Burnett hitting that guy is just inexcusable. Let him hit a home run. You can't walk a guy or throw a lollypop inside pitch like that.

If you are going to hit a guy in the 9th, the guy you hit better be coming out of the game. The announcer just said Burnett did not cost them the game, but that is not exactly true. He definitely lowered the probability of winning by a substantial amount, even though his whip will not reflect it.

I don't mind guys playing and failing but mental mistakes like Burnett's tonight cast a real taint on his accomplishments this year.

Secret wasian man said...

careful using the N word about me. Dont let my profile name fool you.

Swift Eagle said...

I wouldn't call that a "mental mistake"...He was trying to pitch inside and made a lousy pitch...more of a physical mistake...

Now if you want to say Burnett's failure to hold Utley on the bases is a mental mistake, that's a fair point

Exposremains said...

You're right but I feel the Phillies even though they are not playing good this year they are still a playoff team and I feel they are tkaing advantage the of Nats the same way other teams might in the playoff.

ehay2k said...

Winning is tough. It's tougher without two of your best hitters, one of whom is a premier defender at SS.

Nats have as close to a must-win game tomorrow as they did in game 3 in the 4-game Barves series.

They also need to fix their current inability to hold people on base.

mick said...

ehay2.. I guarantee McCatty is up in Burnett's grill

Swift Eagle said...

No doubt, the Nats have many weaknesses, and have areas that need improvement...

The weaknesses are magnified in games like the last 3, when the opponents have had quality starting pitching (like the playoffs)

Nats are a good team, learning to be great...this is part of the process

mick said...

Cat is a great coach... but he has a nasty streak in him and I bet young Sean is getting to see it about now, lol

ehay2k said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mick said...

Swift... you nailed it, that is exactly correct about the Nats, we are good and are probably a season or 2 away of being great

ehay2k said...

Secret - neganon refers to to negative posters, who before the anonymous posting feature was disabled, posted anonymously. Thus, neganons.

Are you saying you aren't negative?

Secret wasian man said...

i know im negative. Thats how I deal. But I luv the nats and have been there from the beginning. Still got my ticket stub from opening day in Philly our first year.

mick said...

Remember... i have posted since last season what Charlie Manuel said about Nats.. they are realistically 2-3 seasons away of being the best.

Manassas Nats' Fan said...

Wrong. lost 5 in a row 1 @ SD 3@ LA then 1 home vs. Arizona April 26- May 1

NatsFanJim said...


Flat Flat Flat what a dead team.

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