Monday, April 19, 2010

Game 13: Rockies at Nats

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
The Nationals host the Rockies in the first of four games.
It's a beautiful -- if a tad chilly -- day at Nationals Park, and with the home team playing .500 ball and a quality opponent in town, you'd think tonight's game would register more than a blip on the local radar screen.

But something tells me the Nats-Rockies series opener won't.

There's always one or two dates on the baseball schedule that figure to draw especially low interest, and tonight's game fits that bill on several fronts.

-- It's a Monday night in April, typically some of the least-attended games of the season.

-- It's a low-profile opponent. Though the Rockies are a good club, they don't have many followers east of ... well, the Rockies.

-- The Capitals are playing Game 3 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series at the same time tonight.

Stan Kasten doesn't like giving out season ticket numbers, so there's no way to know for sure what the Nats' base is this year. But pay attention to tonight's announced attendance, because it's probably going to be close to the season ticket number.

For reference, the smallest crowd in Nationals Park history was 12,473, set on April 20, 2009, a Monday night against the Braves that started more than two hours late because of rain. (That was also Jordan Zimmermann's big-league debut.)

Check back for updates throughout the game, and check the homepage for other news...

ROCKIES AT NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN-HD
Radio: WFED-1500 AM, WWFD-820 AM
Weather: Clear, 63 degrees, Wind 9 mph LF to RF
STARTING LINEUPS
NATIONALS (6-6)
CF Nyjer Morgan
2B Adam Kennedy
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam Dunn
LF Josh Willingham
C Ivan Rodriguez
RF Willie Harris
SS Ian Desmond
P Craig Stammen

ROCKIES (6-6)
CF Carlos Gonzalez
LF Seth Smith
1B Todd Helton
SS Troy Tulowitzki
RF Brad Hawpe
C Miguel Olivo
3B Ian Stewart
2B Clint Barmes
P Aaron Cook

6:38 p.m. -- Sorry it took so long to update this. Was down in the clubhouse and on the field waiting to talk to some people, including Jason Marquis. I'll have a full Marquis article on CSNwashington.com in a little while, but the gist of it is this: Marquis watched a lot of video of himself from early 2009 and from his three starts this year. The difference? "Night and day," he said. There are some easy mechanical changes he thinks he can make to correct his problems, and he was back in the bullpen this afternoon working on those. Jim Riggleman said Marquis will make his next scheduled start Friday as planned.

7:04 p.m. -- With a strike from Craig Stammen to Carlos Gonzalez, we are underway, one minute early.

7:10 p.m. -- Solid top of the first for Stammen. He retired the side, threw only 15 pitches (10 strikes) and appeared to have nice movement on his pitches, especially on the 85 mph offering that struck out Gonzalez to open things up. Good sign for Stammen moving forward.

7:23 p.m. -- Another strong frame from Stammen, who retired the side in the second and notched another strikeout on a breaking ball to Miguel Olivo. The Nats couldn't have asked for a better start to Stammen's outing than this. Scoreless, heading to the bottom of the second.

7:31 p.m. -- OK, what fountain of youth did Ivan Rodriguez drink from this winter? The 38-year-old entered tonight's game with an NL-leading .444 batting average and he just raised it a few notches with a base hit to right. ... And before I could finish typing that sentence, Willie Harris turned on a first-pitch fastball from Aaron Cook and blasted down the right-field line and inside the foul pole for a three-run homer. Just like that, the Nats lead 3-0 in the second.

8:14 p.m. -- What is it about this Nats pitching staff that requires guys to give up at least one run immediately after their teammates score themselves? Stammen did it in the top of the third, allowing back-to-back doubles right after getting staked to that 3-0 lead. Fortunately, Stammen's mates came right back and returned the favor to Cook in the bottom of the third. Adam Dunn was awarded a double when Gonzalez couldn't find his pop-up into shallow center field and later scored on Willie Harris' sac fly to deep center field. That's four RBI for Harris already tonight. Oh, and Pudge got another hit. His updated batting average: .474! His updated slugging percentage: .658! Throw in an RBI single by Nyjer Morgan and the Nats now lead 5-1 after three.

8:16 p.m. -- If you haven't seen it yet on the homepage, here's my story on Jason Marquis' struggles at CSNwashington.com.

8:27 p.m. -- Stammen gives another run back to the Rockies thanks to a leadoff double by Todd Helton and a single by Troy Tulowitzki -- plus a poor throw by Ryan Zimmerman attempting to record a double play at the plate. But Stammen got out of it thanks to a double play line drive to second. So the Nats still hold a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth and have knocked Colorado's starter from the game. Manuel Corpas now on in relief of Aaron Cook.

8:40 p.m. -- That's five innings from Craig Stammen tonight. Which, based on the track record established over the last two weeks, ensures a Nationals victory. You can look it up: The Nats are 6-0 when their starter goes at least five innings.

8:54 p.m. -- Make that a quality start for Stammen, who has now allowed two runs over six innings. And since he's leading off the bottom of the inning, it would appear he'll be back out for the seventh. It's still 5-2, but the Nats' bats have gone silent since Cook departed. They managed nothing in two innings against Corpas. Now lefty Randy Flores is in. Another run or two would be some nice insurance for Stammen and the Washington bullpen.

9:16 p.m. -- Jim Riggleman has made plenty of managerial moves that have paid off already this season, so he deserves some benefit of the doubt. But does anyone else think it's a bit early to be pinch-running for Adam Dunn (up 5-2 in the seventh)? This is obviously about fielding a better defensive team the rest of the way, but did he need to make that move already?

9:20 p.m. -- Base hits for the Nationals in innings 1-3: seven. Base hits in innings 4-7: zero.

9:26 p.m. -- Wow, what a performance by Craig Stammen: 8 ip, 5 h, 1 bb, 5 k. 96 pitches, 63 strikes. Looks like he's done; Jim Riggleman gave him a handshake when he returned to the dugout, and Matt Capps is warming up in the bullpen as we speak.

9:29 p.m. -- Tonight's paid attendance: 11,623. Smallest in Nationals Park history. As predicted.

9:37 p.m. -- Here comes Capps. Cue "The Final Countdown."

9:45 p.m. -- Another curly W in the books. Nats win, 5-2, improve to 7-6. Matt Capps: 6-for-6 in save opportunities. Too bad no one was here to see it.

36 comments:

Traveler8 said...

Mark, when you get a chance, can you ask why they are not putting a curly W in the outfield - did the stencil wear out? I liked it and hope they will start doing it again.

Daniel said...

I heard it was because the way the ball was breaking in the 'W' made it harder to field.

Mac said...

They got a new Head Groundskeeper and I dont think he is quite comfortable with doing anything different yet.

Anonymous said...

The head groundskeeper said that it could create a hazard in the outfield that might lead to potential injuries. He has placed it on the back of the pitching mound.

Jeff Wang said...

Mark did ask sometime ago. It was "safety" issues, because the grass was set in different ways. supposedly the ball could bounce wierd or a cleat can catch wierd. Either way, it could cause an injury.

(I don't particularly buy it, but that's the answer.)

Anonymous said...

you know it had to be an money issue

natsfan1a said...

They had the w on the back of the pitching mound last year, too.

NatsNut said...

Add 5 to the number tonight. We're going off-plan tonight. =)

Traveler8 said...

Okay, thanks, did not realize the subject had been discussed. It seems to me that other clubs do something similar (Red Sox do the stockings in the infield) - and the W has been on the back of the pitching mound at least since last year.

Other subject - per Mark's preview of the series, looks like Zimmerman has trouble hitting all these pitchers.

BowdenBall said...

Mark:

I posted this at the Post blog for Adam as well ...

Why does Guzman hit in the 2 or 3 spot when he plays, while Desmond hits 8th? Presumably Desmond won the starting job in large part because of his offensive potential- after all, he's no Ozzie Smith. He's also faster and more patient than Guz. Given this, and the team's presumed conclusion that Desmond was the better hitter generally, why is Guz worthy of the 2/3 spot but Desmond gets buried behind Willie Harris while relative lightweight Adam Kennedy hits in the 2?

I'd be very curious to hear Riggleman's answer to this.

BowdenBall said...

Mark:

I posted this at the Post blog for Adam as well ...

Why does Guzman hit in the 2 or 3 spot when he plays, while Desmond hits 8th? Presumably Desmond won the starting job in large part because of his offensive potential- after all, he's no Ozzie Smith. He's also faster and more patient than Guz. Given this, and the team's presumed conclusion that Desmond was the better hitter generally, why is Guz worthy of the 2/3 spot but Desmond gets buried behind Willie Harris while relative lightweight Adam Kennedy hits in the 2?

I'd be very curious to hear Riggleman's answer to this.

Dave said...

@Aeoliano: "The head groundskeeper said that it could create a hazard in the outfield that might lead to potential injuries. He has placed it on the back of the pitching mound."

The curly W's been on the back of the pitcher's mound since at least 2006 at RFK. Certainly it was there for every single game ever played at Nationals Park.

I don't miss it in center field all that much; but I have to say, blaming the grass curly-W for potential misplays in the outfield has a definite Actaesque quality about it.

Anonymous said...

@Dave, @natsfan1a1,

The groundskeeper could have made the same judgement about the curly w on the mound. Let's face it our pitchers are probably more prone to injury than any other position. Yet he kept it. Just saying ....

Dave said...

@Aeoliano: "The head groundskeeper said that it could create a hazard in the outfield that might lead to potential injuries. He has placed it on the back of the pitching mound."

The curly-W has been on the back of the pitcher's mound since at least 2006 in RFK.

I don't miss it that much in centerfield. However, I must say that blaming the grass curly-W for potential misplays has a definite Actaesque ring to it.

Anonymous said...

Not sure why attendance is news worthy. I guess for the same reasons you listed for the game itself not being very interesting. Newsflash...attendance will be very low, maybe 10K or so. Predictable.

Dave said...

I apologize if I posted twice. Blogger's acting very strangely today. (And now I've commented THREE times. Sheesh...)

David said...

Mark - do you think Stammen might be on a short leash at this point? I noticed that JD Martin is pitching tonight for Syracuse and has had dramatically better results in his first two starts. If things continue tonight, might they switch places by next time around the rotation?

Nervous Nats Fan said...

Mark, Has anyone indicated how serious Mock's injury is considered? Just wondering if this is just a minor setback or a career threatening injury.

Mark Zuckerman said...

BowdenBall: The answer to the Guzman batting No. 2 question is: That's where he's most comfortable and has had the most success. When he batted in other spots last year, he struggled. So Riggleman wants to make him as comfortable as possible when he does play.

David: I don't necessarily think Stammen's leash is so short that he's pitching for his job tonight, but I do think he needs to put together a much better outing. After Marquis' blowup yesterday, the Nats can't afford anything less than five innings from Craig tonight.

NatBiscuit said...

Mark, If I recall correctly one of Randy St. Claire's strengths was his use of video to help pitchers identify mechanical flaws. McCatty was heralded as more of a motivational and accountability guy. McCatty realized some quick success, but lets face it St. Claire was not to blame for poor performance, bad pitchers were. So in light of Marquis' struggles, isn't fair to ask if McCatty uses video enough? I don't know the answer, but I'd like to.

Gus said...

Mark, living in Australia means I get the New Yorker a little later, but congrats on the article. It was a great read, and now my wfie understands why this blog is always top of our history.

meixler said...

The point that we win when we get quality pitching has already been made, but the MASN broadcasters kinda hammered it home with these early season statistics: The Nats have 2 of the top 5 players in the NL for OBP (#1 Willingham and #5 Rodriguez), they lead the league in stolen bases, and they've only had one ATTEMPTED stolen base against them... When you can get on base and run, while limiting the movement of other teams, you should stand a pretty good chance to pick up a curly W... as long as your starting pitchers don't give up 6 runs.

meixler said...

Maybe Desmond batting behind Harris is to offer some protection so fast Willie can keep on hitting those homers... hahaha!!!

K.D. said...

The guys seem to be gaining confidence each game (win or lose). Showing a little swagger, I like that. Pudge's offense was down last year, but he did play winter ball and the classic last year, might have had something to do with it.

Anonymous said...

OK, what fountain of youth did Ivan Rodriguez drink from this winter?
Hey, if Senator Mitchell couldn't figure that out, then I don't care!

Anonymous said...

IMHO, removing the curvy W from center field for "safety" reasons is the biggest load of bulls--t to come from this team since, well, since they got here...

meixler said...

Here's hoping Stammen makes it through the 5th.

Gus said...

Nats WIN, NATS WIN!

Nervous Nats Fan said...

Whoa there Gus, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Mark, any word on attendance tonight?

Mark Zuckerman said...

Nervous Nats Fan: They haven't announced attendance yet, but it's sparse. I'm thinking 10,000.

JayB said...

Season Ticket number is likely under 8K then.

Man Stan and Lerners have done a bad job so far. Lucky Jimbo and Acta did such bad jobs they had to be fired or we would still be in free fall.

Nervous Nats Fan said...

I'm with you on Dunn. I would love to see him walk one more time tonight.

Nervous Nats Fan said...

I can only hope that Marquis rebounds from his last start so well. Nice work, Stammen.

Also, ouch on the season ticket holder numbers/paid attendance.

meixler said...

11,623

K.D. said...

They keep winning, there will be fannies in the seats soon. Good clean game.

Grandstander said...

Attendance will always be low for games like this for the reasons Mark stated above. The real test is what the attendance is against the weekend non-division games like the one we just had against the Brewers.

All the cheap seats were sold out for those. I could barely snag the $10 RF terrace, let alone grandstand seats, where, as my moniker suggests, I enjoy to sit (or at least buy tickets for...)

There's been a longstanding tradition with this team to fill up the cheap seats because it's just not worth more than 10 bucks to see them play. When THAT begins to change, we'll know we've turned a corner. Until then, I'll take my $5 field level seats and enjoy them greatly!

As for the game, am I the only one who feels we're getting incredibly lucky on a lot of these plays? We seem to be making stupid mistakes, but the other teams seem to be making more, and we seem to miraculously get out of the bad situations we're in. Any sabres out there have some BABIP numbers for our winning games?

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